Pacific

The many colorful views of California really come alive in this book. The more than 50 breathtaking pictures show the numerous contrasts of this state. It makes an excellent gift for anyone.

I have lived in California all of my life and I've never really seen it until now. Jones is the most amazing photographer of our day. Buy one for yourself first and it will be your favorite gift item for friends. Also, if you ever can, go hear Dewitt Jones at a speaking engagement. His words are just as inspirational as his images.

William Carter's extraordinary, exhaustive history of Preservation Hall is a love letter not only to New Orleans' venerable rebirthplace of traditional jazz, but to 40 years' musical and personal lives of those watching over it and playing in it.

Carter covers all the bases tracing the Hall's timeline: its creation, mission, musicians and the songs and lives they preserved. He recalls the Hall's strong-willed, soft-hearted entreprenuers, Larry Bornstein and Allen and Sandra Jaffe. He carefully charts musical and personal histories of band members and local legends like trombonist Jim Robinson, drummer Cie Frazier and irrepressible pianist 'Sweet' Emma Barrett (who judging from her spotlight among several breakout pieces, was often sour, bitter, or salty). You realize, as it stands amidst seedy strip clubs and franchises like Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville, Preservation Hall exists for those loving the music for what it does for and to them, not the flash it throws at them.

Carter writes that 'enjoy' has the impact in New Orleans 'achieve' has in the rest of the country. But as 'Preservation Hall' winds down you see those words as synonyms describing the feisty comeraderie these heritage musicians brought their work. You come to love their quirks on and offstage, (Carter splits his postscript between hilarious band anecdotes and heartfelt celebrity tributes). You see and hear joy they brought audiences worldwide, including US presidents, Supreme Court Justices and icons like Woody Allen, Frank Sinatra, and Mick Jagger. The Hall and its music helped draw tourists back to New Orleans when the city rebuilt its vacation trade on its jazz and party history. You mourn as original band members, for whom the Hall and its tours provided their long-running work and steadiest income, pass from the scene followed by their manager/mentors, Bornstein and Jaffe.

The book justifiably praises Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet, Kid Ory, Buddy Bolden and other legendary New Orleans jazzmen, whose spirits pervade every block of Bourbon Street and whose legacy the Hall preserves, not exploits. But sadly, it also charts unkind potshots from modern band members like Dr. Michael White. His disparaging comments about 'a bearded, pot-bellied guy standing there blasting Louis Armstrong solos at 90 miles an hour" seem aimed at Al Hirt and Pete Fountain, men who also loved classic New Orleans jazz, took it mainstream and whetted American appetite for it during the early 1960s "folk music" boom. This is an example of what is at best provincialism or what Carter calls 'Crow Jimism,' a reverse descrimination (acknowledged and hinted at in some of Jaffe's printed interview remarks) where every older black musician is thought more authentic, and thus better, at his instrument than his white counterpart.

'Preservation Hall' will delight those wanting to understand more about New Orleans' rich jazz history, or wanting an historical recreation broken up by hilarious anecdotes and great music. If the book came with a complete musician's list and discography (or better yet, a sample CD!) it would have been perfect. But everyone reading 'Preservation Hall' will rest it hearing New Orleans jazz in their minds, or wanting to.

This is a wonderful book. Mr. Carter has done an excellent job
describing the origins and growth of Preservation Hall, the citadel of traditional New Orleans jazz at 726 St. Peter St.
He profiles many of the musicians who played at the Hall, and manages to do it in such a way that the reader keeps turning the pages. I usually run out of steam about the middle of books like this one, but that was not the case with this one.

If you enjoy traditional New Orleans jazz, and have ever been to or plan to go to Preseration Hall, you gotta read this book.

Without a doubt, the funniest taxonomic work on Ichthyology you will ever come across- and extremely and extensively informative to boot. Even the preface is a delight to read, where Love discusses the intelligence of fish (stupider than the stupidest mouse to ever live), if fish sleep, how their names relate to Communism, if they will harm us emotionally, and Love's relative intelligence when compared to other marine biologists. Then he goes through, fish by fish, all the main species off the Pacific Coast, from BC to SoCal. (If you're looking for fish from the Gulf of Alaska, you will be disappointed.) He begins with Myxini and Petromyzone, moves to Chondrichthyes, and then onto Osteichthyes. (Hagfish, Lampreys, Sharks and Rays, and Bony Fish- for fish are actually four different creatures, as separate from each other as Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds, and Mammals are from each other.) Each section looks at the identifying characteristics, distribution, anatomy, commercial fishery, and extra tidbits, still with that trademark humor. And then there's a bit of the parasitic at the tail end of the book. Perhaps my favorite line: 'Your average hagfish can take a bucket full of water and almost solidify it with slime in a few minutes. (I don't know about you, but that makes me proud to be American.)'

If you have any interest at all in the fishes of the Pacific Coast, this is THE book. I recommend it to the students in my Marine Biology class as one of the most accurate and fun (!) works they will find. The information is up there with the classics by David Starr Jordan, whose books are now collectables. Dr. Love, who is legendary in the world of Fisheries for his research and publications, has added his distinct sense of humor to the usually dry descriptions of fishes. If you are interested in Marine Biology of Fishes you need this book.

I recently read Mr. Wells' book retelling his experiences in the Pacific during WWII. I was very impressed with his story telling ability and thoroughly enjoyed the book. I have known Mr. Wells most of my life and had no idea that he had been, seen and done the things that he described. This book makes you realize just how great the heroes of WWII are, and how everyday "Joes" rose to the occasion that was presented by just being there. They made us all proud of their tencaity, grit and courage. I am an avid reader and highly recommend this book. I read it on a cross country airline flight..I just couldn't put it down. What a wonderful reading experience.

Art Wells, a Marine on the USS Pennsylvania on December 7, 1941 relates his experiences on that day and during the rest of the Pacific War in "The Quack Corps." Included are Mr. Wells Pearl Harbor experience, where he was wounded, his time on the Pennsylvania after her repair, time on the USS New Mexico and the time he spent with DUKW's in the invasions of Saipan and Okinawa. An extremely interesting and informative book, one that is not to be missed!

Tonga is a unique place in being the only Polynesian kingdom to maintain its culture and government through the colonial period that brought down similar cultures in Hawaii and throughout the Pacific. Queen Salote adds to this uniqueness by being the ruling queen of Tonga in the first half of the Twentieth Century, an era dominated by male chauvenism. This story of her life and reign provides a wonderful view into the culture and history of this island kingdom. For papalangi (the Tongan word for people of Western society) this is not an easy book because there is a lot of Tongan names, geneology, and customs necessarily involved in the biography of their queen. Yet the very things that make it difficult also make it a rewarding book to read. What makes the book most enjoyable is the portrayal of this marvelous woman who ruled Tonga for almost 50 years. She ruled without use of force during a time of dissent from rival nobles and emerged one of the most revered leaders in Tongan history. She convinced her British advisors of her ability to rule and her island adversaries that their independence depended on her rule. I can recommend this book without reservation to anyone interested in women's studies, international biography, Polynesian history, or British colonial history.

I sincerely recommend this book for all Tongans out there as well as those who are interested in discovering one of the most beloved Monarchs of our time. Queen Salote was not only a charismatic leader but also a progressive woman who brought Tonga to the forefront of the modern era by re-establishing its past. She restored the cultural pride of her people at a time when native cultures were suffering the ill-effects of Westernization.

This book will be a sweet recollection for those who were fortunate to witness her reign, and it will be a source of inspiration for younger generations who are seeking to learn about their themselves.

Truly, a remarkable book for a most remarkable person!

What a fine read. It even sounds like radio, which is an accomplishment in itself. And as regards the South Pacific, it's not a bad sound at all. Seward has a great ear, and the book is actually interesting. You learn something about this 'exotic' place at the same time you enjoy learning it!

According to the publisher, this books is now out. Do you have it on order? When will you have it?

This is a great book that everyone of all ages should read! (No heavy duty reading, but great photos and descriptive text.) An article about racial issues in a parents' magazine prompted me to find this book, because it -is- possible for children of multi-racial backgrounds to grow up harmoniously together! I grew up in Hawaii with friends of all colors, lived on both coasts of the mainland (Continental U.S.), returned to Hawaii, and realized that while growing up, we rarely had to deal with serious racial issues. As Mr. Fassler and Mr. Frank DeLima so eloquently state in the text and foreword, as kids we acknowledged our differences, likenesses, and even poked fun at each other and ourselves (thanks to wonderful comedians like Mr. DeLima!). We were still able to live side-by-side with each other -- probably from an ingrained attitude that when one lives on an island, you have to get along to survive! There is hope! Aloha and Mahalo for a great book that aptly illustrates this!

The title of this book truly describes Hawaii's children. In no other place in the world will you find the mixtures of races as you do in Hawaii. This book, utilizing pictures of children, show the rest of the world the racial harmony does exist. The pictures of the "golden children", where east meets west, are beautiful and enchanting. Being a "local" made me homesick but also very proud of my heritage as one of these kids. Copies of this book should be placed in school and public libraries across the country as a testimonial that a multi-racial society can and does exist in beautiful Hawaii. Aloha and Mahalo to Mr Fassler who did a wonderful job.

This is, quite simply, the best set of pictures of North America's west-coast maritime forests that I have come across. These forests are interesting, beautiful, and abundantly alive; they are also very hard to photograph. Through the lens they can seem messy and disordered. The unaided human eye screens out extraneous clutter, but the camera eye does not. There is order there, of course, but it is a chaotic sort of order, with many levels of order-within-disorder. Some photographers strive for excessively neat, tidy compositions, which give an entirely misleading impression of these forests; Graham, on the other hand, conveys the rhythms within the disorder. Many of the pictures are texture-rich without a sharp focus of interest. It is a style well suited to the subject. The text by Wade Davis, what there is of it, is good, but this is most definitely a picture book first.

This book is really special. Ok I am a mate of Graham's which some might see as a bias - but this book is oustanding none the less. Osborne is a biologist (infact a botanist) by trade I believe. It simply doens't matter though, because clearly what he does best is take photos. *Very* good photos. I don't mean as in 'Oh, thats a nice photo' as my mum would say to me when from four packets of snaps I produced one relatively balanced composition. I mean as in drop-that-frying pan, walk-into-that lampost, draw droppingly good photographs. This guy has had three or four calanders of his work produced for goodness sake. The book, which, ok I admit, he gave me, is always on my coffee table, and I must confess, I have chopped up the calendars and made them into nice framed pictures.

Reasons to buy it:

i) it will enhance your life ii) it will take your breath away iii) it is pretty reasonably priced

reasons not to buy it..

i) you hate temporate rainforests...

This is a rare find---a local cookbook which is first class, in both its layout and recipe accumen.

The photography here is breathtaking, as it would appear the views are from this Puget Sound restraurant. Their is early into this book a two-page sunset which is simply breathtaking. This is followed by nice history of the restaurant, which now includes as one of the owners Jack Sikma of Sonics fame.

Trying to find good Pacific Northwest recipes, this one certainly provides that in abundance. Especially seafood with its Ray's Cafe Seafood Margarita; Shrimp-Stuffed Artichokes with Herbed Cream Cheese; Dungeness Crab & Rock Shrimp Cakes with Ancho Chile Mayo; Grilled Copper River King Salmon with Pinot Noir Sauce; Ray's Cafe Salmon Burger with Basil Mayo and Wasabi Slaw; Parmesan Crusted Halibut with Roasted Tomato and Artichoke Ragout; Yakima Peach & Blackberry Crisp with Caramel Sauce;

Well thoughtout and balanced work with striking photos and accompanying prose to excite one to try these Seattle favorites. Meant to please and it delivers.

Anyone who has had the opportunity to enjoy's Ray's Boathouse in Seattle knows what delicious food they serve! I was so excited to find that they had made a cookbook so that I could enjoy some of their dishes at home as well. From Dungeness Crab Cakes with Orange Tarragon Butter Sauce to Yakima Peach & Blackberry Crisp you will find making these Northwest treats easy and delicious for even the novice cook. The variety of seafood in the cookbook allows the rest of the country to experience the Northwest no matter where they live.

I bought this book a few years ago after happening across it on the internet. What a beautiful book. The selections are well-chosen and the photos are unreal. Buy it. You won't regret it.

A goldmine for any fan of Chandler's Marlowe novels and short stories, I couldn't put this book down. It finally gave context to the vistas I had only been able to imagine previously, and I'll never be able to pick up any hard boiled detective story set in Los Angeles without flashing on the images painstakingly chosen to be included in this volume by Ward and Silver. An invaluable asset to any Chandler and noir fan.