The Extreme Searcher's Internet Handbook: A Guide for the Serious Searcher

The Extreme Searcher's Internet Handbook: A Guide for the Serious Searcher
Average customer rating:

Excellent Resource for Precise Internet Searching!!

An indispensable guide to searching the web

Updated web links make this book an essential tool

Good advice lost in the details...

Good content but hard to reference

The Extreme Searcher's Internet Handbook: A Guide for the Serious Searcher
Randolph Hock
Manufacturer: Information Today, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Web Development | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books | Content Management | E-commerce | Programming | Security & Encryption | Web 2.0 | Web Design | Web Servers | Web Services | Website Analytics | Website Architecture & Usability
Online Searching | Internet | Home Computing | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
General | Computer Science | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
Research | Computer Science | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
Look Inside Computer Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Find It Online, Fourth Edition: The Complete Guide to Online Research (Find It Online: The Complete Guide to Online Research)

The Invisible Web: Uncovering Information Sources Search Engines Can't See (A CyberAge Book)

The Oxford Guide to Library Research

Librarian's Guide to Online Searching

Building & Running a Successful Research Business: A Guide for the Independent Information Professional

ASIN: 0910965765

Book Description

An essential guide for anyone who conducts research on the Internet—including librarians, teachers, students, business professionals, and writers—this fully revised handbook details what users must know to take full advantage of Internet search tools and resources. From emerging search tools Ask.com and Windows Live to standbys Google and Yahoo!, the major search engines and their myriad of services are thoroughly discussed. Recent additions to the Internet realm—RSS feeds, podcasts, alert services, wikis, and blogs—are explained, as well as tried-and-true search tools, including web directories, newsgroups, and image resources. For those with little to moderate searching experience, friendly, easy-to-follow guidelines to the world of Web research are provided, while experienced searchers will discover new perspectives on content and techniques.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Resource for Precise Internet Searching!!.......2007-02-18

I bought this book as a textbook for an Electronic Information Retrieval course at school. I have found that this is an excellent resource for anyone wanting to learn how to get more out of their Internet and Database searches. This is a must have for anyone needing to do research!!

An indispensable guide to searching the web.......2006-12-01

I was looking for the second edition of this book, which is perhaps some indication of how valuable I consider the first edition to be! Yes, the other reviewers have some good points, the page numbers are hard to read, some of the information in the tables is not so clear... but hang on... you do get over 200 pages stacked with information, tips, tools, references and explanations of how things work on the web. I can't vouch for everything's accuracy and I'm sure with developments it will get dated, but mine is well used copy that I read front to back and made notes in the margins, highlighted sites etc. To think that you wouldn't buy a book that is this good, stacked with useful information because you couldnt read the page numbers is a little crazy.

Anyone who's ever used a Microsoft product to an advanced level realises that most people only ever use maybe 1-5% of the product's capability, blissfully unaware of it's power and possibilities... likewise, most people think that good research is as simple as hiting a few key words into Google. Understand how Google works (it's not difficult) and you take your searching to a whole new level... even for a novice searcher...

The book is loaded with information - want to know where to find an archive of a web page from years back even though it has changed over time...look in the book, want to find a presentation on the internet done by the author of your favourite website... look in the book... want to find the companies that link to your website or your competitors? ... simple... you'll find many more gems in this book. Moreover, the author updates links etc on his website.

I've tried some of the other supersearcher books and they dont have the depth of content that this one does. I'd still buy it today for the gems I've gotten out of this one, it has given me far more value than its meagre list price. You may also find vaulable Mary Ellen Bate's book Building and Running a successful Research Business which also has some great search tips and strategies.

Highly recommended.

Updated web links make this book an essential tool.......2006-02-27

This resource should be on every serious searcher's shelf next to Chris Sherman's book(s)and Find It Online. Gary Price updates his website to supplement the chapters in the written book, which is very helpful. Price takes a slightly different approach to Sherman, which helps to find resources which might not be self-apparent from Sherman's books. I can't imagine being without either this tool or those of Price's colleague (Sherman).

Good advice lost in the details..........2005-02-26

As the author points out in this book's introduction, Internet searching gets more difficult as the number of Web pages on the Internet increases. Finding what you want isn't simply a matter of entering the right keywords in a search engine. You need to know how to search and which search engine will work best for you. You need to know where to start on the Internet if the information you are searching for can be found without using a search engine or is found on what the author calls "the invisible Web," the part of the Internet that hasn't been mapped and indexed by search engines.

"The Extreme Searcher's Internet Handbook" is a practical-advice guide to Internet searching. The author looks at Web directories and search engines and tells you where to start when you are doing different kinds of research. There is also advice for conducting research in newsgroups and mailing lists, as well as a catalogue of online references such as encyclopedias and dictionaries. A chapter on news sources and online shopping Web sites rounds out the book.

If you are patient, you can get a lot of good advice from this book. I discovered, for example, that one search engine, AltaVista, permits "NEAR" searches for keywords within ten words of one another on Web pages. I didn't know this kind of search was available. I also discovered a handful of excellent directories and Web sites for conducting Internet research.

However, this book doesn't serve well as a reference. The headings are not particularly descriptive, which makes finding information difficult. The author does a good job of explaining each search engine's features, but the features are presented in long bulleted lists, which makes it hard to compare the search engines. A table in Chapter 4 attempts to compare different search engines, but the table is so crowded with data, it is nearly impossible to read or understand.

The author rightfully points out that Internet researchers often neglect newsgroups and mailing lists in their research, but his instructions for searching for newsgroups with Google are out of date and he doesn't explain how to use Outlook Express or another newsgroup reader to subscribe to newsgroups. Worse, he lumps Yahoo! groups in with newsgroups, when really the two are quite different, as Yahoo! groups are held privately by Yahoo! members (and for that matter, the author might have considered explaining how to create a Yahoo! group on your own). Only three pages are devoted to mailing lists. I think this topic could've used more attention.

The author obviously knows his stuff and is passionate about helping others conduct research on the Internet. I just wish this book was organized more carefully and was professionally published. As another reviewer noted, a graphic image (of a leaf?) obscures the page numbers. That is unforgivable in a reference book like this one, where you often have to consult the index and turn to a particular page. I got angry more than once at not being able to tell which page I was looking at.

Good content but hard to reference.......2004-07-09

The content is great, but it's not easy to use as a reference book.

Book Description

This delightful book explores rocky shores, wetlands, sandy shores, kelp forests, the open sea and deep sea, where kids will meet fascinating creatures from playful sea otters to mysterious sharks.

For ages 5-15, these hands-on activities were written by marine educators and tested with 70,000 kids each year. More than 100 scientifically accurate illustrations of marine plants and animals appear throughout.

The Traveler's Web: An Extreme Searcher Guide to Travel Resources on the Internet
Average customer rating:
The Traveler's Web: An Extreme Searcher Guide to Travel Resources on the Internet
Randolph Hock
Manufacturer: CyberAge Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books
Reference | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books
General | Travel | Subjects | Books
Online Searching | Internet | Home Computing | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
Web Services | Web Development | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
Directories | Catalogs & Directories | Reference | Subjects | Books
General | Reference | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Extreme Searcher's Internet Handbook: A Guide for the Serious Searcher

Yahoo! to the Max: An Extreme Searcher Guide

Information Trapping: Real-Time Research on the Web

Consider the Source; A Critical Guide to the 100 Most Prominent News and Information Sites on the Web

Find It Online, Fourth Edition: The Complete Guide to Online Research (Find It Online: The Complete Guide to Online Research)

ASIN: 0910965757

Book Description

According to a survey by the Travel Industry Association, 74 percent of all frequent travelers use the Internet to research, plan, and/or purchase travel services. But how do travelers remain up-to-date with new sites as well as hone the efficiency of their searches? This source presents a vast range of online travel-sites as well as savvy search tips and techniques that are designed to help readers improve the travel-planning process and journeys to follow. Readers will learn how to make the most of the Web for leisure and business travel, from planning and reservations to countless ways the Internet can enhance the experience of destinations and cultures around the world. This comprehensive guide is supported by a webpage featuring links to recommended websites along with periodic updates by the author.

Super Searchers Make It on Their Own: Top Independent Information Professionals Share Their Secrets for Starting and Running a Research Business (Super Searchers series)

Average customer rating:

Very Informative
How researchers can make a business out of their pursuits

Super Searchers Make It on Their Own: Top Independent Information Professionals Share Their Secrets for Starting and Running a Research Business (Super Searchers series)
Suzanne Sabroski
Manufacturer: Information Today, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Manager's Guides to Computing | Business & Culture | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Computer Science | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Building & Running a Successful Research Business: A Guide for the Independent Information Professional
The Invisible Web: Uncovering Information Sources Search Engines Can't See (A CyberAge Book)
Start Your Own Information Consultant Business: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Success (Start Your Own Information Consultant Business)
Find It Online, Fourth Edition: The Complete Guide to Online Research (Find It Online: The Complete Guide to Online Research)
The Extreme Searcher's Internet Handbook: A Guide for the Serious Searcher

ASIN: 0910965595

Book Description

Offering the advice, insights, experiences, and encouragement would-be Internet entrepreneurs need to establish a successful independent research business, this book provides an insider's view of Internet businesses and their unique services. Eleven entrepreneurial super searchers representing a broad range of topic specialties and business focuses are interviewed. Also discussed are the details for getting started, developing a niche, finding clients, doing the research, networking with peers, and staying well informed about Web resources and technologies.

Customer Reviews:

Very Informative.......2002-12-09

This book covers eleven information professionals who started their own business and succeeded. Each chapter is dedicated to one person, sporting his or her picture, a short bio, their email address and their URL. The chapters are written in a casual, interview style which is makes it a highly interesting read.
These individuals were asked about their background and how they became interested in the field they are working in. The logistics of starting their own business and the pitfalls were discussed, along with specific questions that pertained to their expertise.

Here are the fields that are covered:

Business Research
Aviation Expertise
Healthcare Industry Monitoring
Intellectual Property and Patents
Public Records
Civic Entrepreneurship
Corporate Libaries
Canadian Business Information
Value-added Research
Search Engines
On-line Information Gathering

I'll admit that I jumped to the chapter of Lynn Peterson: The Craft of Public Records, as it pertained to my own interests. She began doing background checks on prospective nannies. Today, she has assignments in the legal and corporate fields as well as with private individuals. Her story was inspiring and informative.
The Appendix offers some good sources and websites for research, books, and print media. I'd recommend this book for anyone who is interested in starting their own research business.

How researchers can make a business out of their pursuits.......2002-07-07

Super Searchers Make It On Their Own joins others in the Informaton Today "Super Searchers" series, continuing the process of interviewing top researchers and discovering how they do business. Here the searchers are running their own research businesses, developing niches, locating clients, and networking. Super Searchers Make It On Their Ownn is an intriguing, practical guide on the industry of research and how researchers can make a business out of their pursuits.

Elfquest: The Searcher and the Sword (Elfquest)

Average customer rating:

Fun read and return of Wendy's amusing characters
AT LAST! A breath of fresh air!
SAD
What are people complaining about?
Story false art is pleasing

Elfquest: The Searcher and the Sword (Elfquest)
Wendy Pini , and Richard Pini
Manufacturer: Elfquest
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Fantasy | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Manga | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Fantasy | Manga | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Science Fiction | Manga | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Teen Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Elfquest: The Discovery (Elfquest)
Elfquest Archives Vol. 1
Elfquest - Hidden Years
Elfquest: Archives, Volume 2 (Elfquest)
Elfquest - Archives, Volume 3 (Archive Editions (Graphic Novels))

ASIN: 1401201849

Book Description

Led by Cutter, the elfin Wolfriders have experiences equal parts triumph and tragedy, loss and gain. Now, the elves must adapt to a world without the Troll smiths, who forged their weapons and tools. Still in shock and recovering from her parents violent deaths, Shuna, the adopted human daughter of Cutter and Leetah, must cope with a rugged new world full of strange rules and pitfalls. Painfully aware that shes simply a human girl whos surrounded by impossibly beautiful, magical beings, Shuna embarks on a quest hoping to unite elf and humankind in peace.

Customer Reviews:

Fun read and return of Wendy's amusing characters.......2006-09-01

I checked this book out of the library for a quick read. I have been a fan of Elfquest since I was a kid and couldn't resist looking through new artwork by Wendy Pini! I was entertained in both areas of story and art.

The story is told in retrospect by the human, Shuna, adopted by Cutter and Leetah. The story isn't amazing, but it entertains for an afternoon. The art was done using Photoshop and I think Wendy uses the technology well, a lot of the panels reminded me of her work in the Hidden Years. She's top notch again with the facial expressions of the elves. The best panels don't have any dialogue. Those people who do not like the new art just need to calm down and accept her choices!

I would advise anyone to READ this story, just because it is a nice addition to the Elfquest archive, but I wouldn't buy it. If you want to spend money on a truly worthwhile piece by the Pini's get your hands on the first Hidden Years anthology. It has the best artwork the series has to offer and includes five different stories spanning three generations.

AT LAST! A breath of fresh air!.......2006-06-19

Though this story was no where near the original elfquest series (graphic novels 1-8) it held that old flair that has been truely lost in the newer novels. The art was still missing whatever made the originals so monumental, but it was closely akin to their old ways. Though on a smaller scale than previous books, the storyline was well formed, telling the tale of the sole human member of the Wolfriders, Shuna, and her struggles with finding her place in the tribe. It follows her journey to unit the worlds of both man and elf. It also delves into Treestump's quest to master the elusive art of metal work for the good of the tribe.
One of the reasons I enjoyed this so much was that it focused a bit more on some of my favorite characters, Dart and Kimo, who've been poorly represented the whole way through, Their joint friendship with Shuna is endearing and a highpoint for me.

Though this book is still of a lower class than that of the mighty originals, I'm giving it four stars because it seems to be the begining of Elfquest's long overdue trek back to greatness. YAY!

SAD.......2006-06-06

wow this was a terrible story and the computer coloring was HORRIBLE. I feel terrible that Wendy Pini had really lost her touch. There are no fine details, and its just sloppy.

What are people complaining about?.......2006-05-08

Okay. The insect tribe was a little on the dorky side...BUT I honestly enjoyed everything else. People huffing & puffing about Wendy's use of a computer for art are just finding something to complain about. You like Elfquest? DO NOT deny yourself this collection, for heaven's sake!

Story false art is pleasing.......2005-10-04

While, beggers cant be choicers. Its good just to see some of the old characters again done in the beautiful art you can expect from Wendy Pini. The story leaves a lot to be desired. Its done in a narrative and is ridiculously short. You cant place when this is happening you keep asking yourself where is this character where is that character from all the old stories. But if you are knew to the ElfQuest scene you will still have just as many question but may what to know more. The book is a eyecatcher more than a catcher of the imagination.

The Skeptical Business Searcher: The Information Advisor's Guide to Evaluating Web Data, Sites, and Sources

Average customer rating:

A fine guide internet researchers will find essential

The Skeptical Business Searcher: The Information Advisor's Guide to Evaluating Web Data, Sites, and Sources
Robert Berkman
Manufacturer: Information Today, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

MIS | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Business Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Computer Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Business & Investing | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Computers & Internet | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Introduction to Online Market and Industry Research (Business Reasearch Solutions)
Business Statistics on the Web: Find Them Fast-At Little or No Cost
The Extreme Searcher's Internet Handbook: A Guide for the Serious Searcher
Find It Online, Fourth Edition: The Complete Guide to Online Research (Find It Online: The Complete Guide to Online Research)
The Web Library: Building a World Class Personal Library with Free Web Resources

ASIN: 0910965668

Book Description

Offering business information users strategies for identifying and evaluating no-cost online information sources, this guide emphasizes techniques for recognizing biased and untrustworthy web sites. Information users are directed to the most useful and targeted sources of company histories and overviews. These include corporate sales and earnings data, SEC filings and stockholder reports, public records, market research studies, competitive intelligence, industry analyses, staff directories, executive biographies, statistics, survey/poll results, conference proceedings, press releases, news stories, and hard-to-find information about small businesses and niche markets. Demonstrated are concepts such as precision searching, which enables business searchers to quickly find the specific information they need. Also discussed are critical-thinking skills and the art of asking the right question. A 10-point checklist that allows users to systematically evaluate web site reliability is included.

Customer Reviews:

A fine guide internet researchers will find essential .......2005-02-10

In The Skeptical Business Searcher: The Information Advisor's Guide To Evaluating Web Data, Sites, And Sources, business information expert Robert Berkman identifies the tools and methods for evaluating no-cost online information sources in a fine guide internet researchers will find essential to understanding business site values. Researchers will learn how to gain access to everything from company histories and corporate earnings data to SEC filings and public records of all kinds --and how to recognize the underlying bias and misinformation potentials of any source.

Secrets of the Super Net Searchers: The Reflections, Revelations and Hard-Won Wisdom of 35 of the World's Top Internet Researchers (Cyber Age Books)

Average customer rating:

Consider other Internet Search Books for Technical tips

Secrets of the Super Net Searchers: The Reflections, Revelations and Hard-Won Wisdom of 35 of the World's Top Internet Researchers (Cyber Age Books)
Reva Basch
Manufacturer: Cyberage Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Culture | Business & Culture | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Operating Systems | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Customer Reviews:

Consider other Internet Search Books for Technical tips.......1998-07-01

If what you are seeking for are real technical search tips, consider the following 2 books: Web Search Strategies, by Bryan Pfaffenberger, Mis Press, 428 pp, 1996, ISBN 1-55828-470-2, The AltaVista Search Revolution, 2nd Edition, by Eric J. Ray, Deborah S. Ray and Richard Seltzer, Osborne McGraw-Hill, 395 pp, 1998, ISBN 0-07-882435-4, On both you will find plenty examples and suggestions of how to improve or refine a search, while on Reva Basch's Secrets of the Super Net Searchers, you will have to distill more than 300 pages to gather some technical advice, from its purely verbose interviews. The only technically usable sections of the book are its Appendix A, with a List of about 100 Referenced Sites and Sources, and the book's main Index, where more information on some Search Engines, can be dispersely gathered and located among the interviews. What Reva Bash presents is a collection of personal points of view and general advice of how to keep up to date and seek new information, via the Web. A significant number of interview questions where centered on services like DIALOG, LEXIS-NEXIS, CARL, NETTRAIN, WAIS and Gopher, and almost none on "Super Net Searching Engines" as the reader could expect from the book title. The 35 interviewed professionals, includes specialists on independent research, academic librarians, educators, corporate researchers, web-masters, writters, consultants and net pioneers, but none of them actualy involved on any of the major Web Search Engines, like AltaVista, Lycos, Infoseek or Yahoo. The final impression is that the book was written to other Super Net Searchers interested on knowing a bit more of some colleagues own experiences and points of view, but with no clear advise rules emerging as a consensus for the common day by day Internet use after all.

Florence Nightingale: The Making of a Radical Theologian

Average customer rating:

A unique and highly recommended biography

Florence Nightingale: The Making of a Radical Theologian
Val Webb
Manufacturer: Chalice Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Religious | Leaders & Notable People | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

History | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Notes on Nursing: What It Is, and What It Is Not
Florence Nightingale: Letters from the Crimea
Cassandra: An Essay
Suggestions for Thought: Selections and Commentaries (Studies in Health, Illness, and Caregiving)
Nightingales: The Extraordinary Upbringing and Curious Life of Miss Florence Nightingale

ASIN: 0827210329

Book Description

In Florence Nightingale, Val Webb brilliantly reveals the full and fascinating life of this radical reformer, activist, theologian, and servant of God.

Customer Reviews:

A unique and highly recommended biography.......2002-06-05

Florence Nightingale: The Making Of A Radical Theologian by theologist and biographer Val Webb is a fascinating study of the little-known yet fiery and passionate religious beliefs held and shared by the world-famous nursing and hospital reformer, feminist, and social activist. In the Victorian times when Nightingale lived, the inequalities of the stratified British "class" society worried her, and she came to espouse a vigorous liberation theology and followed a deeply spiritual and intimately personal quest for Truth. Amazingly informative, meticulously researched and openly candid, Florence Nightingale: The Making Of A Radical Theologian is a unique and highly recommended biography of an influential and devout historical figure.

Title Searcher (Career Examination Series)

Average customer rating:

Title Searcher (Career Examination Series)
Jack Rudman , and National Learning Corporation
Manufacturer: National Learning Corp
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Plastic Comb

Land Use | Administrative Law | Law | Subjects | Books

General | Education | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Test Prep Central | Reference | Subjects | Books

Average customer rating:

A classic Western
Great Western Novel!
There's a whole lot of story packed in these 270 pages!
The More Entertaining Version
Period Masterpiece

The Searchers
Alan Le May
Manufacturer: Buccaneer Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance: And A Man Called Horse, The Hanging Tree, Lost Sister
The Searchers (BFI Film Classics)
The Searchers (Two-Disc Anniversary Edition)
The Searchers: Essays and Reflections on John Ford's Classic Western (Contemporary Approaches to Film and Television Series)
Shane

ASIN: 1568497040

Book Description

The book that inspired the classic John Wayne movie...

To build a home on the Texas plains took years of work. To destroy it took one night.

"Charged with emotion and the feel of the land."-New York Times

Customer Reviews:

A classic Western.......2007-01-03

The ideas in this book are not politically correct, but it is a very good representation of ideas at the time it was written about. Anyone with a love of classic Westerns should have this book on their shelf.

Great Western Novel!.......2006-12-02

I was dubious about the novel after loving the film for so long. But was impressed with how closely Ford's classic followed LeMay's story. It also adds ALOT of backstory that fills in many lingering questions for devotees of the film. LeMay was apparently one of the few novelists who parlayed his talents into screenwriting as well, making a successful career in Hollywood and literature. This is NOT a lame pulp Western. It's a well researched novel that touches on history, race, love, loyalty...and hell it's just a bloody great adventure! If you love the film, then read the book.

There's a whole lot of story packed in these 270 pages!.......2006-10-10

Wow, I would never have believed how good this was. I remember being disappointed when the book arrived, because I had assumed such a big story would of course be a BIG book. I usually won't touch a book under 400 pages, the bigger the better. I was wrong in this case, what an awesome story -- five long years searching for little Debbie.

The characters were wonderful, many tragic moments where you want to just cry, and other moments along the way to make you laugh and smile. As another reviewer noted A++ indeed. Highly recommended.

The More Entertaining Version.......2006-08-15

I am old enough to have watched the original Hollywood version in person. However, several months ago (apparently while all the planets were in conjunction), I had the opportunity to watch it again via DVD at almost the same time I stumbled across a copy of the book. The printed page beckoned and curiosity overcame me. Le May wrote a simple, well-researched, and readable classic that Hollywood altered both for the big screen and contemporary political correctness. The book covers a wider range of human emotions and character types; it goes significantly deeper into both the history and the psyches of the frontier's men and women who settled Texas. If I had it to do over, I would just read the book and forgo the movie (may JW forgive me).

Period Masterpiece.......2005-05-13

Much has been said about the movie "The Searchers" by John Ford, and more recently "The Missing" staring Tommy Lee Jones, but few seem to recall that both movies are based on the novel by Alan LeMay, which paints a truly mesmerizing portrait of Texas frontier life and is full of fascinating facts along with what I would call shared history- anecdotal episodes to which innumerable descendants of these frontier families can personally relate. This nearly forgotten gem should become a cherished member of everyone's bookshelf who reveres the original movie starring John Wayne and Natalie Wood, though it already brings up to a thousand dollars and more among the lst edition collectors subculture. For those who hated the movie, LeMays' novel provides a much more even-handed account of the White/Indian conflict of that period. For instance Chief Scar, far from the stereotypical embodiment of savage evil, is in the novel an innovative general who consistently outwits his White conterparts, and his eventual demise provides a uniquely ironic insight into the Nataive American tragedy. Ford's movie, with all its power and grandeur, deals at times in buffoonery and caricature (most notably the episode with Pauly's Indian wife), and also departs significantly- no doubt due to the exigencies of John Wayne's star power- from the book's ending. Indeed, the novel's bittersweet ending in and of itself serves as a fitting metaphor of the frontier experience. LeMay's novel truly captures the vastness and loneliness of the Texas plains as well as the often bitter price paid by those with the incredible courage to settle there. Whether you like western novels or not, The Searchers is a must read and remains, in my opinion, one of the greatest novels of the American experience.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books