Book Description
Stone Houses is a unique presentation of a beloved building tradition in one of the most charming and historically significant regions in the nation. Part of the original Pennsylvania Colony, founded in 1682, Bucks County is important not only as an early English colony in America but also as a crucial site in the struggle for American independence. Architectural historians Margaret Bye Richie and Gregory D. Huber and photographer Geoffrey Gross survey twenty-four houses and barns dating from this early period, detailing their English Cotswold vernacular style and distinctive construction from local stone.
Among the fascinating and delightful buildings included in Stone Houses are McConkey's Ferry Inn (ca. 1750s), Washington's headquarters on the night of his historic crossing over the Delaware River, as well as the Thompson-Neely House (1766), which served as his officers' headquarters that famous night; Pennsbury Manor, the home of William Penn (begun in 1683 and restored in 1939); Summerseat (1725), the home at various times of three signers of the Declaration of Independence; and Buckingham Friends Meeting House (1768), the oldest building in the country continuously in its original use. With its authoritative text and stunning full-color photography, Stone Houses of Bucks County is a beautiful record of a historically rich building tradition.
Customer Reviews:
inadequate.......2007-03-06
I found it nice but inadequate, since actually useful information was small part of the lot, from an architectural point of view.
BEAUTIFUL STONE.......2006-11-14
I have always thought the stone used on houses in the Philadelphia area was beautiful; it's warm and elegant. This book has crisp images and well researched, interesting text on these wonderful homes. If you have any interest in this subject then I highly recommend this book, you won't be disappointed.
Wonderful book, great pictures.......2005-10-21
This book contains a wonderful pictorial view of stone houses, better than I've ever seen. It includes all forms of construction and gives very informative descriptions of each style. The history related here is invaluable to the reader, as it takes you back in time. The pictures are full color and very articulately done. I found the colors presented in the homes helpful to me in restoring our stone house, built in the 1830's. This book is more than a "coffee table" book, it's a history lesson.
Great book.......2005-07-21
Wonderful photos and very interesting and informative text.
Exceptional detail photos of insides of dwellings. Nice to see my family homes done so well, ie The Pusey house and Primative Hall.
Average customer rating:
- The Amazing fever
- What Would You Do?
- Fever 1793
- Predictable Historical Fiction
- Fever 1793
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Fever 1793
Laurie Halse Anderson
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Similar Items:
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An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793 (Newbery Honor Book)
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Catalyst
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Speak
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Tangerine
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Kira-Kira
ASIN: 0689848919 |
Amazon.com
On the heels of her acclaimed contemporary teen novel Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson surprises her fans with a riveting and well-researched historical fiction. Fever 1793 is based on an actual epidemic of yellow fever in Philadelphia that wiped out 5,000 people--or 10 percent of the city's population--in three months. At the close of the 18th century, Philadelphia was the bustling capital of the United States, with Washington and Jefferson in residence. During the hot mosquito-infested summer of 1793, the dreaded yellow fever spread like wildfire, killing people overnight. Like specters from the Middle Ages, gravediggers drew carts through the streets crying "Bring out your dead!" The rich fled to the country, abandoning the city to looters, forsaken corpses, and frightened survivors.
In the foreground of this story is 16-year-old Mattie Cook, whose mother and grandfather own a popular coffee house on High Street. Mattie's comfortable and interesting life is shattered by the epidemic, as her mother is felled and the girl and her grandfather must flee for their lives. Later, after much hardship and terror, they return to the deserted town to find their former cook, a freed slave, working with the African Free Society, an actual group who undertook to visit and assist the sick and saved many lives. As first frost arrives and the epidemic ends, Mattie's sufferings have changed her from a willful child to a strong, capable young woman able to manage her family's business on her own. (Ages 12 and older) --Patty Campbell
Book Description
During the summer of 1793, Mattie Cook lives above the family coffee shop with her widowed mother and grandfather. Mattie spends her days avoiding chores and making plans to turn the family business into the finest Philadelphia has ever seen. But then the fever breaks out.
Disease sweeps the streets, destroying everything in its path and turning Mattie's world upside down. At her feverish mother's insistence, Mattie flees the city with her grandfather. But she soon discovers that the sickness is everywhere, and Mattie must learn quickly how to survive in a city turned frantic with disease.
Customer Reviews:
The Amazing fever.......2007-08-03
A well written book. This story is about Matilda, a teenage girl who survives the fever of 1793. It is surprising how many people the fever killed. I think this is a very good historical fiction book.
What Would You Do?.......2007-06-21
I live near Philadelphia. 1.5 million people live in philly these days, and if the epidemic that Fever 1793 describes were to happen today, in 90 days, 150,000 people would die and 700,000 people would flee. Look at those numbers and ponder - if you lived there, what would you do?
The story is told, as was Speak, from the point of view of a very believable teenaged girl. From her fights with her mother to her flirts with her beau to the very way she survives the plague and finds herself in the process, Mattie is a compelling heroine. In fact, I have great respect for Ms. Anderson; she writes the point of view of a teenaged girl so well that I almost feel 15 again.
Though some would call the story predictable, I found that the (very well researched) historical perspective and plethora of factual information was almost overwhelming. If the plot had been too intricate, the book would have been lost. As it is, through the comfort of a steady plot, a fantastic story is told.
(*)>
Fever 1793.......2007-06-05
Fever 1793 is a book about a teenage girl growing up in Pennsylvania in, of course, 1793. Mattie Cook was living a perfectly normal life when one day a very bad fever starts to spread, and Mattie's world turns upside down.
I think that Fever 1793 is a very well written book. The way Laurie H. Andersen describes things is wonderful. It is the kind of book that once you pick it up, you can just not put it down. The beginning doesn't grab you so well but once you read a few chapters, you get more of a feel for the characters. I enjoyed this book because it seemed to pull me into the pages like I was right there when it all happened. I would recommend this book to people who like to be sucked up in their reading. However, I would not recommend this book to people younger than 7, because some of it is sad, and some is a little scary. As the New York Times Book Review says "the plot rages like the epidemic itself."
Predictable Historical Fiction.......2007-06-04
Mattie has never been much of an independent girl. She hasn't had the opportunity to be, with her mother always on top of her, telling her what to do. Her mother is a widow who runs a coffeehouse in Philadelphia. The year is 1793 and there is always much work to be done. Mattie's mother is used to ordering Mattie, Mattie's grandfather and the two girls who work there, Eliza and Polly, around. Then in August of 1793 the yellow fever comes to Philadelphia. At first just a few people are sick here and there. Then they begin to die in hundreds and thousands. When several people they know have been struck by the fever, Mattie's mother begins to worry. When she herself is struck, she sends Mattie and her grandfather out to the country where they will be safe from the sickness.
But other towns know about the fever and they have guards posted at the entryways of their towns. They are suspicious of Mattie's grandfather's cough, and don't allow him in. Mattie and her grandfather are abandoned by the people in whose wagon they had been traveling, and Mattie herself begins feeling sick. The next thing she knows, she is recovering in a public hospital with other fever victims. She has been one of the lucky ones to survive. When she makes her way back to Philadelphia, she finds that her mother has gone to the country to meet up with her. She has no way of getting there and no way to inform her mother she is alive. Now may be her chance to take care of things at home and prove that she is an adult.
I liked the historical aspect of this book, and especially the appendix, which told about the history behind the things mentioned in the book. The story was a bit predictable, though, and I didn't like the romance between Mattie and Nathaniel. There was no real explanation for it and it didn't really develop.
Fever 1793.......2007-05-19
Fever 1793 is one of the best books I've read. I love all of the books that Laurie Halse Anderson writes. I love how they relate to teen life and what teens are going through.
It would be tough living during such a big epidemic, like having your family members die one by one or right in front of your face. Imagine how hard it would be if you had do try to survive during yellow fever.
What I don't get is how yellow fever spread so fast. And if you got the fever from mosquitoes then how could you get it from other people?
If you liked this book I would recommend reading the books Speak or Prom also by Anderson.
Book Description
Pennsylvania has one of the highest per capita populations of flyfishers in the country, and much of the sport's early history in America came from this wonderful state. In this 525 page guidebook, the ninth in our series of Flyfisher's Guides, veteran angling author Dave Wolf highlights the best flyfishing opportunities throughout the state in great detail with over 90 detailed maps and 60+ hatch charts. Previous guidebooks on Pennsylvania have invariably focused only on trout. In this comprehensive book, Wolf covers all those trouting opportunities in great detail and all the great warmwater flyfishing as well. Rivers like the Susquehanna have long been known among the best smallmouth bass waters in the country, and flyrodders throughout the mid-Atlantic states annually fish this river and many of Pennsylvania's countless rivers and streams for trout, bass, and other species. This is also a true travel guide, as well, covering where to stay, restaurants, fly shops and sporting goods stores and much more.
Customer Reviews:
A Very Good Effort.......2006-06-21
I've had this book for several years and I've found it to be a very useful resource. The hatch charts are extremely helpful, especially for trout anglers. While the author made a better than average attempt to cover the warmwater opportunities in the Keystone State, for the most part only the most well known sites were covered. Certainly Pennsylvania has some world famous trout streams, but the variety and quality of our warmwater fisheries is truly extraordinary. Some of the streams that were covered specifically for the trout they hold probably offer better bass fishing over most of their length. Trout centered thinking is far too prevalent in the fly fishing community and as a result this sort of overemphasis on trout is typical of many fly fishing guides. Indeed, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is guilty of killing thousands of trout annually by stocking them in waters so warm they are almost certain to all die by Memorial Day. I know that Mr. Wolf is a skilled and avid warmwater fly fisher. I hope in the future he will update this guide and give our warmwater fisheries the coverage they deserve.
flyfisher's Guide to Pennsylvania by Dave Wolf.......2002-04-28
If you are looking for a book to give you general knowledge on better known trout fishing streams in Pennsylvania, then this book will meet your needs. Unfortunately, the author does not do a good job of covering remote streams in many parts of the state that are excellent producing streams and beautiful places to fish. I was especially disappointed in his lack of coverage of streams in McKean and Warren County. I would not recommend this book to an avid Pennsylvania fisherman. The book is adequate for an out-of-state fisherman who is looking to fish some of the more popular streams in PA.
WOLF PUBLISHES NEW BOOK.......2000-04-21
"It's a comprehensive and exhaustively researched offering and a fine addition to Wolf's career in helping Pennsylvania anglers better know and respect their home waters. With its detailed maps and hatch charts, it also will help traveling anglers find and fish their way around the Keystone State."
This Guy Knows How to Catch Fish.......2000-04-21
Dave Wolf is "a man who just may go down in angling history as one of the state's pre-eminent fishing bums." Flyfisher's Guide to Pennsylvania "is a 500+ page, region-by-region directory to fly fishing in the Keystone State. You get stream-by-stream descriptions, summaries of Approved (stocked) waters, Wild Trout streams, and a list of fly shops. There's also a rundown on the major cities in each region listing accommodations, restaurants, ... even hospitals, in case you lose a Woolly Bugger in your earlobe. Please note that this is not just a trout book. Thanks in large part to Dave's love affair with the Susquehanna River, there's plenty of information on the state's warmwater fisheries. ...A book like this is a prodigious effort when you're wrapping your arms around a 29-million-acre state."
All Kinds of Great Fishing Information.......2000-04-21
"Over the years, a number of books have been written offering insight to the best places where (fishing) opportunity can be found. However, none is as complete as recently released, Dave Wolf's, Flyfishers Guide to Pennsylvania. This book is complete and provides tidbits of information overlooked in the past, but not in this book. The book can not only serve as a fishing guide, but for travel as well, covering where to stay, restaurants, fly shops and much more."
Book Description
Modern Real Estate Practice in Pennsylvania has set the standard for real estate education in the state since its first printing in 1975. This text offers the most current information, helpful illustrations and an easy to read format that has made this the most comprehensive and up to date principles text tailored for Pennsylvania. Appendices include a math review, sample exams, and the complete licensing and registration act. Topics covered include:
* Real Property and the Law
* Land Use Controls and Development
* Environmental Issues in Real Estate
* Legal Descriptions
* Interests in Real Estate
* Landlord and Tenant Interests
* Forms of Real Estate Ownership
* Transfer of Title
* Title Records
* Principles of Real Estate Contracts
* Principles of Real Estate Financing
* Pennsylvania Real Estate Licensing Law
* The Real Estate Business
* Real Estate Brokerage
* Agency in Real Estate
* Ethical Practices and Fair Housing
* Listing Agreements and Buyer Representation Contracts
* Sales Contracts
* Financing the Real Estate Transaction
* Appraising Real Estate
* Closing the Real Estate Transaction
* Property Management
Average customer rating:
- very interesting account
- WHAT CONTROVERSY?
- A Riveting Account Well Worth the Read
- Get the monkey off Darwin's back
- Riveting
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Monkey Girl: Evolution, Education, Religion, and the Battle for America's Soul
Edward Humes
Manufacturer: Ecco
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40 Days and 40 Nights: Darwin, Intelligent Design, God, OxyContin®, and Other Oddities on Trial in Pennsylvania
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God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything
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The Battle Over the Meaning of Everything: Evolution, Intelligent Design, and a School Board in Dover, PA
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The Counter-Creationism Handbook
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Evolution for Everyone: How Darwin's Theory Can Change the Way We Think About Our Lives
ASIN: 0060885483
Release Date: 2007-01-30 |
Book Description
What should we teach our children about where we come from?
Is evolution good science? Is it a lie? Is it incompatible with faith?
Did Charles Darwin really say man came from monkeys? Have scientists really detected "intelligent design"—evidence of a creator—in nature?
What happens when a town school board decides to confront such questions head-on, thrusting its students, then an entire community, onto the front lines of America's culture wars?
From bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize- winning journalist Edward Humes comes a dramatic story of faith, science, and courage unlike any since the famous Scopes Monkey Trial. Monkey Girl takes you behind the scenes of the recent war on evolution in Dover, Pennsylvania, the epic court case on teaching "intelligent design" it spawned, and the national struggle over what Americans believe about human origins.
Told from the perspectives of all sides of the battle, Monkey Girl is about what happens when science and religion collide.
Customer Reviews:
very interesting account.......2007-09-27
This is a well-written account of the evolution-ID battle in Dover, Pennsylvania. It is more even-handed than many accounts, and attempts to describe the personalities involved. More of a sociological and journalistic treatment than a biological or education one, but the story is well-told, gripping, and complicated nuances are explained clearly.
WHAT CONTROVERSY?.......2007-09-12
Our president was recently quoted as saying the "jury is still out" on evolution. (To which Lewis Black replied: "WHAT jury, where?")
Where, indeed?
There's no need to mince words here: evolutionary theory - Darwin's defined mechanism of change through random mutation and natural selection - has been widely confirmed by modern genetics, to say nothing of "hard" evidence in the form of transitional species in the fossil record.
Specifically, the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA as the molecular building block and instructional "codebook" of life, and human genome coding - which were unknown in Darwin's day - all tend to validate evolution.
"As the science of biochemistry has developed, as the science of cell biology, genetics, molecular biology, and other elements of science have developed, all of these have fit beautifully into the general framework described by Darwin almost 150 years ago!" says biology professor and textbook author Kenneth Miller.
Yet there are still those in our society who would have us believe that - to paraphrase Tina Fey - Adam and Eve rode dinosaurs to church! It seems that these misguided and misinformed souls, (who apparently regard The FLINTSTONES as if it were a documentary,) would presume to indoctrinate our children rather than teach them.
We can thank the Founding Fathers for their wisdom and foresight in giving us the Establishment Clause - thereby fashioning a nation in which religion and government were never to interfere with each other. Without its protection, we'd all be fighting the same Dark Age, regressive, anti-intellectual forces that the parents of Dover, Pennsylvania suddenly found themselves confronted with in 2004. (Yes, you read right - 2004. Not 1304 - or even 1804, mind you - but 2004!!)
I read Edward Humes' excellent MONKEY GIRL from cover to cover in two sittings, and I can recommend it, without reservation, to thinking adults of all walks of life. That is, people who are interested in science, reason, education, law and logic; people who care about who we really are, and how we actually came to be.
"Intelligent Design" proponents - and other children - are encouraged to wait for the comic book version.
[P.S: One amusing postscript - which isn't in the book - concerns the cretinous evangelist "Dr" Kent Hovind, a smug creationist huckster who's been spreading pseudo-scientific babble for decades, both in and out of Dover. He was sentenced in January 2007 to 10 years in Federal prison for income tax evasion. Tsk, tsk! It seems that Mr Hovind's math is just as suspect as his "science"!]
A Riveting Account Well Worth the Read.......2007-09-07
As someone who's never had issues with religion and science, including evolution, I wanted to know what all the Intelligent Design fuss was about. So I started reading books. First I read Michael Shermer's Why Darwin Matters. This peaked my interest to know more. Then I found Monkey Girl. I almost didn't buy the book, thinking that reading about a court case would be too boring. Boy was I ever wrong!
I couldn't put this book down. The author does a masterful job of painting a vivid picture of everyone involved in the case and providing helpful background information, including history sometimes going back centuries, to show how the U.S. divide between evolution and Intelligent Design came together in one school board in one high school in one small town in Pennsylvania.
Now I understand much better.
The last chapter of the book begins:
"It is humanity's unique blessing and peculiar curse to be the only species on Earth, as far as we know, that worries so obsessively and at such great expense about where we came from and why we're here."
My journey to know these things has taken me through Protestantism, Judaism, and now Buddhism. I've felt fortunate to live in a country that protects my right and everyone else's to be able to learn about and practice my chosen spiritual path. Or to choose to follow no particular path if I want.
But some Christians in this country want to do away with this right. To them, their approach to religion is the only approach. They even say it's what this country was founded on. I've read that's not the case. So now I'm reading about the faith of our founding fathers.
What bothers me the most, if the recounting of the Dover case is true, which I think it is, is that people who call themselves religious believers will lie to try to impose their beliefs on others. This seems very unChristian to me, and unJewish, unMuslim, and unBuddhist for that matter.
Given the judge's ruling in the Dover case that Intelligent Design is religion, not science, I'm hopeful that my Constitutional rights will continue to be upheld by people who understand their vital importance to our country. I have no problem with any religion, as long as I or my children or grandchildren are not required to learn about it in school or any other public or governmental place.
Get the monkey off Darwin's back.......2007-08-11
Monkey Girl, by Edward Humes, is the story about the ongoing conflict between the theory of evolution and Intelligent Design (ID). While Humes holds no official training in biology or theology, in this book he has been able to use his skills as an investigative writer to bring the conflicts of these two theories into a clearer picture than what other books have been able to achieve. According to Humes, the intent of this book was to "help dispel the larger myths about evolution theory, its relationship to religion, and the questions that science can and cannot answer." It is the goal of this author to clarify the facts of this dispute in order to allow his open-minded readers to decide what they believe to be true. I believe Humes has achieved this goal.
A major part of the appeal of this book is the style in which it is written. It allows the non-scientific reader to understand some complicated topics. As shown in the trial in Harrisburg, PA (Kitzmiller et al. v. Dover Area School District), it is very easy for people to get bogged down or even bored by the details of evolution. The greatest strength of this book is that it teaches the reader about these details inside a story that is not just easy to comprehend, but in a way that keeps the reader's attention from beginning to end. To do this, Humes ably portrays the ridiculous and shameful behavior of fundamentalist Christian groups of people who have played and who continue to play an active role in this controversy. One extremist that Humes points to is the fundamentalist speaker Kent Hovind. According to Hume, Hovind outlandishly preaches that the teaching of evolution is the cause of the moral decay in this country and is directly related to "increases in crime, premarital sex, adultery, and drug use." What is scary is that Humes never runs out of extremists to talk about, as he is able to tell the reader about death treats Judge Jones, a Republican appointed by George W. Bush and much approved of by the Intelligent Design people before the trial in Harrisburg, received when he dared to rule against their case. While the portrayal of these extremists is a strength for this book and is understandable, it also could be considered a weakness. I believe that Humes devotes too much print to these extremists. While he does say that there are mainstream Christian groups, including the Catholic Church, that have no problem with theory of evolution, much less time is given to this much larger group of people.
In leading up to the climax of this book, Humes gives the reader a history of evolution's disagreements with creationism and introduces the latest challenge, ID, being put forth by the Discovery Institute. A well-funded think tank of some very bright "scientists", the goal of the Discovery Institute is to introduce ID into the public school system. Once the stage has been set, Humes describes the scene in Harrisburg where, not only was the judge convinced that ID was essentially creationism, but also a scene where one by one, scientists convincingly showed that the theory of evolution is real science and ID is not. For example, proponents of ID dispute the evidence of decent from a common ancestor. Yet, evidence in the trial showed that the chromosomes of chimpanzees are remarkably similar to those of humans. Also, Dr. Michael Behe has argued that complex parts of an organism such as the blood-clotting cascade could not have come from evolution. His theory, irreducible complexity, is that "natural selection can't create such a complex machine all in one step, nor could it gradually assemble it in the conventional evolutionary model, one bit at a time, because the bits don't work on their own." But, much to Behe's embarrassment, his theory was proven wrong under cross-examination in a way that the judge described as "painful." Time and again, Humes describes scientists who were very able to convince the judge that the facts show that ID is not science and is religiously based and therefore should not be taught in a public school system.
Monkey Girl is a well-written and informative book that should play a crucial role in helping many legislators, judges, school officials, and average Americans understand the controversy between evolution and Intelligent Design and the true facts about each theory. In writing this book, Edward Humes has provided a valuable service to the world of science that will hopefully have a positive impact on the theory of evolution and how it relates to religious beliefs. For those mainstream Christians who believe that an intelligent designer has utilized evolution to mold the creation over the last 3.5 billion years, this book will provide some answers.
Riveting.......2007-08-10
I thought I knew a lot about the Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District trial: I had read Judge Jones's decision and some of the trial testimony, I've read books written by some of the witnesses, and so forth. I expected this book to fill in around the edges of my understanding.
Instead, it showed me a whole new picture of the trial and its place in the American "culture wars." To begin with, the book is very well written and exciting. (I stayed up reading it last night four hours past my usual bedtime.) Second, it shows players on all sides as intricate, three-dimensional individuals. It would be easy to ridicule Bill Buckingham as an ignorant rube, but in this book he comes across as a man of courage and conviction, as well as a man lacking an understanding of either science or religion. Humes makes his own opinions clear, but those who disagree with him are treated with respect, while those who agree with him are not given a free pass. Finally, while Humes centers his writing on the Dover trial and the science of evolution, he also puts it into context with discussions of Scopes and Kansas, as well as the role of reason in making policy.
One specific thing I learned from this book is that Dover school board members and administrators thought that the term "origin of life" meant macroevolution, speciation, and the origin of humanity. I didn't believe anyone could be so far off base, but I looked up the trial transcripts and found that he was not exaggerating.
I found three errors: (1) Humes claims that the Revolutionary Battle of Yorktown, Virginia occurred in York, Pennsylvania. (2) He describes iron molecules (not atoms) as spin aligned. (3) He twice claims that Bill O'Reilly broadcasts for the Cable News Network. (On a third occasion Humes correctly places O'Reilly at Fox News.)
Humes's love of America, while never mentioned explicitly, comes through clearly on every page. Humes worries about our country in an environment were every complex question is reduced to a simplistic two-sided barroom brawl, and were people cannot distinguish fact from opinion.
Book Description
Walt Longmire returns for his third adventure but this time he is in the City of Brotherly Love, where no act of kindness goes unpunished
Walt has been the sheriff in Wyoming's Absaroka County for twenty-four years, where his wit and charm have helped him solve many crimes. But that can't prepare him for the savage attack on his daughter, Cady, a Philadelphia lawyer who has unwittingly become embroiled in a political cover-up. As Walt and his best friend, Henry Standing Bear, scour the city for clues, he gets help from his deputy Victoria Moretti and her family of Philly police. But Longmire wasn't born yesterday. He's willing to pull out all the stops to find Cady's attacker and show the big city that this old-timer has a few moves left in his saddlebag of tricks. Those who enjoy Tony Hillerman and James Lee Burke will delight in Johnson's newest Sheriff Longmire adventure.
Customer Reviews:
What Would You Do To Protect Your Daughter?.......2007-06-21
Craig Johnson's third entry in the Walt Longmire series takes us to Philly, where Walt and Henry are visiting Walt's daughter while Henry shows off his historical photo collection. But then Walt's daughter is found comatose, her skull fractured, and a body is thrown from a Philly bridge. Someone is following Walt, then tries to kill him. Moretti flies out to... uh... take care of him. Oh boy, hang on to your hat and your gun. This one's gonna be a bumpy ride.
Craig Johnson has a knack for description and for telling a story. I could use a bit less of the Indian mysticism, but IMHO he's the best new talent to come on the scene in the last few years. Keep 'em coming, Craig.
Another great title from Craig Johnson.......2007-05-28
I'm really depressed.
First, I just finished Craig Johnson's newest book, KINDNESS GOES UNPUNISHED. Now I have to wait at least a year for another book in this wonderful series.
Second, I found the writing in this book so great that I despair being able to write anything half so good.
I loved THE COLD DISH and DEATH WITHOUT COMPANY, but I took all the Wyoming atmosphere for granted. I've never been there, so I just assumed Johnson got it right. But I grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs and went to college in the city, so I can tell you that the Philly locations and characters in KINDNESS are perfectly observed. It's impressive that an author can describe two such different places so superbly.
Most of the characters I've loved in the first two books are back in the second-- Henry Standing Bear, deputy Victoria Moretti, daughter Cady and even the faithful Dog. But they are joined by a host of Philadelphia folks, including Vic's family. The plot is moving and ultimately satisfying, as Walt, in his ever-present cowboy hat, dispense some western-style justice. If you haven't discovered Johnson's books yet, you're in for a real treat. If you enjoyed the first two books, I'm sure you'll find this new one equal or better.
An excellent book in a great series........2007-05-07
First Sentence: "I didn't wear my gun."
Wyoming Sheriff Walt Longmire joins his friend Henry Standing Bear on a trip to Philadelphia for Henry's photographic exhibit at the museum and for Walt to visit his daughter, Cady, and meet her boyfriend. Cady is attacked and near death and the boyfriend's wealthy parents are giving him an alibi. Cady's boyfriend is tossed off a bridge in what can't possibly be a suicide and Walt is going to find out what is going on.
Okay, so it starts with one very big coincidence, but who cares. There are wonderful characters; Walt, Henry, Myra the dispatcher, Dog the...dog, and the entire Moretti family; great dialogue; excellent sense of place both Wyoming and the fun of experiencing Philadelphia with Walt and Henry. Add in some flirtation, a dash of sex, the emotion of Walt fearing for his daughter's survival, some Indian mysticism, and the action of tracking down the bad guys and there is one really good book. This is a great series. If you've not tried it yet, start at the beginning and enjoy.
Another Great Book by an Underrated Writer.......2007-05-03
I love Johnson's series. I love his characters: Sheriff Walt Longmire; his best friend, Henry Standing Bear; his tart-tongued deputy, Victoria Moretti; and I love the Wyoming setting. That said, this third book in the series moves events largely to the city of Philadelphia, where Walt's beloved daughter, Cady, is a lawyer, and where Victoria and her rather large extended family of cops is from. Sometimes I'm not too happy when a series I read largely for descriptions of the setting takes such a chance, but Johnson pulls it off here. His descriptions of Philadelphia allow us to see the city through an inexperienced visitor, Walt, and make it both a welcoming and a threatening place.
When Cady is assaulted and put into a coma, Walt divides his time between waiting at her bedside and conducting his own investigation into what might have happened. This is a good book with the vivid characters and their relationships at center stage. Still, I can't help but hope things will be moving back West for further books in the series.
"Kindness Goes Unpunished" by Craig Johnson.......2007-05-01
Having 'signed on' at the beginning of this wild adventure, with "The Cold Dish", and then hitching a ride on "Death Without Company", I can honestly say that I thought this 3rd installment in the Walt Longmire series was the BEST yet! Even though the story takes place in Philly, rather than Johnson's usual setting of Absaroka County, Wyoming, I did not feel that his fine cast of characters lost anything due to the transition ~ if anything, I felt that the change of venue lent an added sense of strength to the characters, without the breath-taking scenery or small-town politics stealing any of their thunder. The fact that Sheriff Longmire and his deputy, Victoria, finally took a big 'first step' in their long-running but seemingly nonexistent relationship was a big plus for me, since I had been "rooting" for them since the beginning! I liked the way that Walt was kind of attracted to Lena (Vic's mother)also, and how he could look at the mother and see the daughter, and vice versa. This development added an extra dimension to the story; an extra 'layer to the fabric' of the tale being woven. I can't wait for the next installment in this excellent series to become available ~ superb craftsmanship by a great new author!!
Product Description
Is it good for two people-one plain, the other fancy-to fall in love? Laura Meade loves her modern life, yet she fascinated by the Amish culture in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, where she is studying interior design. Upon their first meeting, she is immediately attracted to Eli Yoder, one of the Plain People, but Laura has no real concept about faith, God's love, and forgiveness of sins. Eli is also enamored with Laura, but to marry outside his faith would be forbidden. What then is the hope for love?
Customer Reviews:
Great read!.......2007-06-24
All of Wanda Brunstetter books are wonderful. This book was fun to read because the main character was not Amish but fell in love with an Amish man. It is about her converting to the Amish ways. It is informative and yet tells a story you can't put down.
Excellent and informative tale.......2007-06-06
Reviewed by Linda Benninghoff for Reader Views (6/07)
If marriage meant forsaking the only way of life one had known, doing without conveniences such as electricity and modern plumbing, and even losing contact with one's parents, how many people would ever get married?
In "Plain & Fancy," when Laura, a young woman studying design in Lancaster, Pennsylvania meets Eli, a young Amish farmer, it is just such sacrifices that are being called into play. In this compelling novel by Wanda Brunstetter, love is never easy and its rewards are not always obvious.
Eli does not want to become "fancy;" he does not want to leave the Amish community where he grew up and where he worships God in the style in which he is accustomed. Laura, not particularly religious, but head-over-heels in love with Eli, must also think about giving things up.
The novel explores whether or not such a love can work. Brunstetter's characters are deftly drawn. I get a sense for Laura and Eli and their families, and the conflicts that arise between the young couple and these families. Importantly, the book delves into what happens after marriage--and this time in life is also realistically portrayed,
Brunstetter has done a marvelous job painting a picture of two lifestyles--and the difficult place where they intersect. The novel held my interest throughout. The romance was not idealized and the issues it brought up were thoroughly addressed. The Amish lifestyle is something the author has personal knowledge about and it is vividly imagined. "Plain & Fancy" is an excellent and informative tale.
Great Book.......2007-05-12
Great book. Had a hard time putting this one down. Really a feel good book and brought you right into Amish life.
Very good book!.......2007-04-19
This book iS a very good book! Why can't we all just be plain and fancy at the same time? Check this book out!
Author of "When God unfolds the rose!"
Peggy Headings
fascinating modern day courtship tale .......2007-02-27
Minneapolis resident Laura Meade uses the phone and her laptop to keep in touch with her family and friends as she attends the Lancaster School of Design in Pennsylvania. She plans to visit the Farmer's Market in Bird-in-Hand.
Eli Yoder works in Strasburg at a store that makes handcrafted Amish furniture. Tomorrow he has rented a booth at the farmer's market where he plans to sell some of the items he crafted at his home woodshop.
At the farmer's market, Eli of the People and Laura of the English meet and are immediately attracted to one another. The rare church going outsider and the member of the Amish church know they must not pursue their feelings, but neither can prevent love from springing up between them nor stop the vitreous jealousy of the acceptable Pauline Hostetler who wants Eli to court her. Either he leaves his church and face a shunning that means no longer seeing his beloved family or she must find God and give up her fancy life to become one of the Plain as his spouse.
This is a somewhat expanded reprint of the third Lancaster Brides' tale though this reviewer does not know how much it differs from the original. PLAIN & FANCY is a fascinating modern day courtship tale starring two people in love with totally opposite lifestyles and belief systems. The story line focuses on each struggling to find a way to a permanent relationship though the adjustment by Laura is depicted as complex it still seems a bit too easy. Still readers will appreciate the comparisons between a Plain Person and a Fancy person while looking forward to the expansion of the fourth story, THE HOPE CHEST.
Harriet Klausner
Book Description
Bill Giles is a baseball lifer who grew up in ballparks while his father oversaw the Cincinnati Reds and later the entire National League. Young Giles learned that the game was meant to be fun, and he's done more to make it that way over the past five decades than just about anyone else. From the forgotten minor league towns to the big-league clubs in Houston and Philadelphia, Bill Giles spent all of his waking hours dreaming up ways to make the game more enjoyable. Pouring Six Beers at a Time is his humorous and poignant recollection of how he did just that.
Customer Reviews:
Commits the worst sins of a memoir.......2007-08-22
As a lifelong baseball man, Bill Giles had the chance to write something profound, something with the depth and insight of 70+ years living and breathing the game. To open it and discover instead a book that barely glances off the surface of history is a disappointment.
Reading Giles' account of his life is a lot like listening to your grandfather - sure, there are interesting anecdotes occasionally, but they're atolls in an ocean of cliche and vagueness.
At its best, it's readable, like when Giles talks about his scoreboard antics with the Astros. At its worst, it's a sloppy, directionless mess, punctuated by boring, PR-release-style photos, random lists of things like his Top 10 Baseball Moments, all of which we could've guessed from how he'd already talked about them, and narrative-destroying paragraphs of statistics.
And insight? Well, if you were looking for interesting moments from his time with the Colt .45s/Houston Astros and his efforts to do wacky stuff as promotions guy with the Phillies, there's a bit of all that. But controversy? A capsule of how things felt sweating out the '80 World Series win and the '93 World Series loss? Forget about it. For the most part, Giles writes as though baseball is all good times, and avoids delving into the real difficulties - the down times between '80 and '93 and after, the disastrous moves the team made under GM Ed Wade - and even manages to write off the '94 strike in just a few sentences.
Throw in a random dissertation on baseball economics that completely derails what narrative there was, whole chapters devoted to passing looks at his favorite team owners and baseball commissioners, and the book just collapses under its own weight, lifeless, dull and nearly unreadable.
a must for any phillies fan.......2007-07-07
A wonderful book, filled with stories of Bill Giles' lifetime in baseball. Baseball fans in general will enjoy it, Phillies fans in particular will love it.
I had the opportunity to recently hear Bill Giles talk about his book, and here's an interesting tidbit (or errata): he writes in the book that George W. Bush could be the next commissioner of baseball. He said that he wrote those words over a year ago, and he's not of the same opinion now with the sharp decline of the President's approval rating.
In any case, if you like baseball stories, I think you'll like this book.
GREAT BOOK BUY A GREAT PERSON!.......2007-05-29
This book is like a history book for sports fans.Giles wrote this book in a great way.
Wonderful Days in a BallPark.......2007-04-24
Wonderful days relived from the past were beautifully and tenderly recreated by the words and pictures of Mr.Giles in his book. Bill was an fearless innovator and pioneer for much of the ballpark entertainment that fans take for granted in today's ballparks; and the fans in Houston and Philadelphia were the benficiaries. Bill's legacy will live for many years thanks to honesty, pathos and humor so beautifully portrayed in the prose this book. And most of all, he was a joy to work with and for.
Not Just for Phillies Fans.......2007-04-18
FANTASTIC book for ANY baseball fan! Having grown up in Cincinnati during the 75-76 era of "the Big Red Machine" and living now in Red Sox Nation, I have a deep appreciation for anyone who can bring enthusiasm to the sport and share a good 'yarn'. Mr. Giles' personal anecdotes allow the reader an insider perspective on what it means to 'grow up in baseball'.
May I also suggest this book with "Wait til Next Year: A Memoir" by Doris Kearns Goodwin? Together, they are a perfect summer pairing for anyone looking beyond baseball's scoreboard statistics.
Product Description
Time seems to stand still in Naomi Fisher's tranquil community, but it cannot hold back tragedy. Helping her widowed father run a store, manage a household, and raise seven children is a daunting task. There is no time to think about courtship or having her own family, though her heart yearns for the attention of Caleb Hoffmeir. But her days are plotted for her-until the afternoon her baby brother disappears from the yard. How can Naomi expect anyone to love and trust her if she can't take care of one small boy? Should she leave all that is familiar and seek a new avenue of life?
Customer Reviews:
I Loved This Series..........2007-07-05
I have always been curious about the Amish and the way they live, the simple life. So when I found this book at the Library I had to read it and I couldn't put it down once I started. You can relate to the characters easily ie: Naomi a young 20 yr old Amish girl who promises her dying mother she would care for her siblings and to do this gives up her own love life. Its a touching book. I HIGHLY recommend this book!!
Lovely afternoon read.......2007-05-13
I really enjoyed this book, The story was sweet and engaging and it was a fast easy read that let me live in a different world for awhile.
Couldn't put the book down.......2007-03-18
This book kept me up until 2 am one morning, it's that good. But, I was really looking forward to getting to the end. This is a wonderful tale of some of the experiences of the Amish. If you're looking for a good Christian fiction, this will definitely delight your senses.
I would classify this book as the type you sit on the porch, with some lemonade, and read.
The Storekeeper's Daughter.......2007-03-01
I am an avid Beverly Lewis reader, but decided to read Wanda's book on the
recommendation of a friend. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the others in this series. If you like Beverly Lewis, you will like Wanda Brunstetter.
I enjoyed the foreshadowing, the conflict, and especially the resolution.
Great Book.......2007-02-09
This is the first book Ive read from Wanda Brunsetter I usually read Beverly Lewis or Lori Wicks,This was well wrote and kept your attention as you read it,Yes it had sad parts but thats how life is.I really enjoyed it and will keep reading her books as long as there this good.
Thanks for a job well done.
Carol
Product Description
Miriam Stoltzfus is a young Pennsylvania Amish woman once filled with dreams for a future with a man. . .who jilted her. Now she is known as the old maid schoolteacher with a heart of stone. Could a forbidden romantic friendship with an English newspaper reporter stir the embers of her heart? Or, will she follow the traditional path and settle for a marriage of convenience born out of the sake of a child? Either way, she must find the key to letting go of the bitterness that binds her ability to love.
Customer Reviews:
Very Light Summer Beach Book.......2007-06-03
I was looking for the Daughters of Lancaster County for my granddaughter who lives in Lancaster County and picked this one up by mistake. It was not relevant to an 11 year old so I read it. It is easy reading and I finished it in a few hours. Rather like a simple Bronte sisters romance. I was hoping to get a better understanding of the Amish faith through this book. Most of the information I already knew but there were some interesting aspects of their lives because of the setting. Who knew the Amish eat bologna sandwiches for lunch!
A peek inside the Amish life.......2007-05-18
I really enjoyed this book. I have read other books by the author and this book ties into another book she wrote. I would not call it just a romance novel as it is more than just a romance, giving the reader an idea of how the Amish live and their thoughts and feelings about life and their traditions, like courtship, etc.
Best Medicine.......2007-03-20
Reviewed by Leslie Granier for Reader Views (2/07)
Miriam Stoltzfus is a twenty-six year old Amish lady who is considered to be an "old maid schoolteacher" since she has not yet married. She believes her family is trying to push her into a marriage she does not want. The stress from this is causing her to have constant migraines. There are three men who are currently influencing her life - William, Amos and Nick. William jilted Miriam a few years ago to marry someone else. Consequently, Miriam cannot let go of her bitterness and is not open to finding happiness. Amos has loved Miriam since they were children but has never admitted it to her. She believes Amos is trying to court her because he wants her to be his housekeeper and a mother to his young daughter. Miriam keeps running into Nick, both literally and figuratively. He is not Amish and does not respect her people's ways. However, Nick is easy for her to talk to and comforts her during the unexpected and unpleasant events that occur in her life. After a terrible accident for which she blames herself, Miriam feels alone and must adjust her life to accommodate the ensuing changes.
Brunstetter has targeted this book toward adult females. She effectively explores the difficulties of being true to both your heart and your faith. She stresses the importance of letting go of the past and any bitterness you hold so your heart can be happy. Only then can you make sound decisions about people and their intentions. I was, however, a little disappointed that Miriam made the rash decision of marrying a man she did not love. She is portrayed as a strong and independent woman so I would have liked her to find peace with her past before she took this step.
I enjoyed learning about the simple, yet difficult, lifestyle of the Amish people in "A Merry Heart." They seem much happier and better able to handle difficulties than many who live in a technologically advanced society. Including the recipe for the chunky chocolate peanut butter cookies was a cute idea. I think I'll make some for a party I'm having next weekend.
Having a merry heart truly is the best medicine for whatever ails you. It is only then that people can make the proper decisions and lead happy and fulfilling lives. Hold on to faith because God is always with you, even when your prayers are not answered in the way you want them to be answered.
A Merry Heart.......2007-02-21
Wanda,you have once again managed to keep me wanting to read another book.
somewhat expanded reprint of a fine Amish tale.......2007-01-14
At one time Miriam Stolfus believed that her true love William Graber would come back for her when he left for Ohio. Instead he never returned to their Amish community, ending her dreams with a Dear Miriam letter in which he informed her he has fallen in love and will marry Lydia Stutzman. In spite of her mom constantly quoting Proverbs 17.22, Miriam has a troubled spirit and heavy heart that even her students notice. She is a twenty-six years old spinster who is often a cross teacher with a short fuse,
Widower Amos Hilty has loved Miriam since they were children, but she had eyes only for William. He married but his wife passed away. Amos raises their six years old daughter Mary Ellen mostly by himself though the community is there for him. Though her beloved momma insists Amos would make a good husband, Miriam believes he only wants her as a mother to Mary Ellen. He has competition with English reporter Nick, but Miriam's bitter heart refuses to let go of William's betrayal. However, she begins to reconsider her values when her niece Rebekiah is severely injured in an accident.
This is a somewhat expanded reprint of the first Lancaster Brides' tale though this reviewer does not know how much differs from the ten years old original. Miriam is the star as she stereotypes all men as betrayers in spite of the males in her extended family like papa proving otherwise. The interesting story line provides insight into the Amish community through the lead protagonist's perspectives and relationships. The support cast adds to the overall discerning glimpse at a "bah humbug" female who begins to understand God's messages of A MERRY HEART after precocious young niece became wheelchair bound.
Harriet Klausner
Books:
- Sunlight and Shadow (Once Upon a Time)
- Tattoos of the Floating World: Ukiyo-E Motifs in Japanese Tattoo
- The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for Persons with Alzheimer Disease, Related Dementing Illnesses, and Memory Loss in Later Life (3rd Edition)
- The Adventures of Tintin: The Crab With the Golden Claws / The Shooting Star / The Secret of the Unicorn (3 Complete Adventures in 1 Volume, Vol. 3)
- The Confused Photographer's Guide to Photographic Exposure and the Simplified Zone System
- The Documentary Film Makers Handbook: A Guerilla Guide
- The DV Rebel's Guide: An All-Digital Approach to Making Killer Action Movies on the Cheap (Peachpit)
- The Glass Castle: A Memoir
- The Grissim Ratings Guide to Manufactured Homes: The Essential Buyer's Resource, Listing Every Builder in the U.S., Their Histories, Products, Price Ranges, ... Need-to-Know Information and Much More
- The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- The Message of the New Testament: Promises Kept
- Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know--And Doesn't
- Ira Foxglove
- I'm OK, You're My Parents: How to Overcome Guilt, Let Go of Anger, and Create a Relationship That Wo
- Mad in America: Bad Science, Bad Medicine, and the Enduring Mistreatment of the Mentally Ill
- Introduction to Probability and Statistics
- Migrating Raptors of the World: Their Ecology and Conservation
- Ten Things I Wish I'd Known Before I Went Out into the Real World
- Going Up: A Working Life
- The Political Career of Floyd B. Olson
Stone Houses: Colonial to Contemporary
Creating a New Old House: Yesterday's Character for Today's Home (American Institute Architects)
The Farmhouse Book
The Farmhouse: Classic Homesteads of North America
American Country Building Design: Rediscovered Plans for 19th-Century Farmhouses, Cottages, Landscapes, Barns, Carriage Houses & Outbuildings
