Children in Crisis: A New Commitment

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Thinking critically about ministry to children at risk.

Children in Crisis: A New Commitment

Manufacturer: Marc Pubns
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Theology | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
General | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
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Accessories:

Health o Meter HDC100-01 "Grow with Me" Teddy Bear Scale for Babies and Toddlers

ASIN: 0912552972

Customer Reviews:

Thinking critically about ministry to children at risk........2003-10-23

This compilation of articles is a good reader for those who want to reflect critically and learn of practical ideas for ministry. I was impressed by the wide range of contributing authors. This book could be useful in helping to mobilize others to recognize the crucial opportunity and need to minister to children in need. The book is about mission to children and should be on the shelf of every minister to children.

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As history goes, it's a good historical novel

Required Reading

Great book, well written, fast moving

Great Story With Major Malfunction

Starts out great but......

Goodnight Saigon: The True Story of the U.S. Marines' Last Days in Vietnam
Charles W. Henderson
Manufacturer: Berkley Hardcover
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books
Vietnam War | Military | History | Subjects | Books
General | Vietnam | Asia | History | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0425188469

Book Description

Charles Henderson, Marine Corps veteran and author, chronicles the final days of America's involvement in Vietnam through the voices of those who were there-and those who would never be heard again.

On January 17, 1973, the Paris Peace Accords concluded America's involvement in Vietnam, supposedly ending decades of bloodshed. What took place, however, was far from peaceful-as the combined forces of the North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong launched an all-out offensive to end the war with complete victory over the beleaguered south.

Here, culled from extensive interviews and research, are harrowing, never-before revealed accounts from people of every level and involvement in the Vietnam War-NVA and Viet Cong soldiers, U.S. embassy personnel, guerilla commanders, civilians, generals, double-agents, and leaders from both sides, including former president Gerald Ford and North Vietnamese military commander General Tran Van Tra.

From the impending invasion from the north, to the gut-wrenching hours before the fall of Saigon when a brave pilot defied orders and rescued the last five Marines from the roof of the U.S. embassy, this is the Vietnam War as it was: raw, brutal, tragic-and haunting to this very day.

Customer Reviews:

As history goes, it's a good historical novel.......2007-03-29

I make that rather pungent judgment on the basis of errors of omission and commission by the author. In the former category, we have a complete absence of maps, photographs, and footnotes. For me, leaving those things out of a military history is inexplicable and inexcusable. Why couldn't the author have included diagrams or maps of the Embassy Compound, Saigon, and Vietnam? How in the world can a reader be expected to follow the narrative? The absence of photographs is just as bad. The fall of South Vietnam and the end of the Vietnam War were profoundly photogenic events. Why couldn't the author have provided a few of the iconic images from that time (having just one picture on the cover of the book does not cut it)? Why couldn't he have provided photographs of all the people he interviewed for the book. And the absence of footnotes and endnotes is galling. I know that they are a pain to have to include, but how else can a reader determine what sources shaped the book?

In the latter category (omission), there is an even more grievous error. Like a lot of popular histories, the book includes lengthy conversations between individuals that feature in it. How could the author reconstruct these? A few might have been televised, but what about the rest? How can the author quote word for word what was said at an event that took places thirty years ago? Even for the ones that he was present at, how could he do this? I served in the military, and I have trouble remembering single sentences from conversations from just fifteen years ago under fairly memorable circumstances as well. The obvious conclusion --absent detailed notes explaining why entire conversations are reproduced-- is that the conversations were "reconstructed." They may be the gist of what was said, but having the gist of something does not entitle the author of any history to create dialog from it.

So that's why I think this book amounts to being a historical novel. Novels, after all, don't have endnotes, footnotes, pictures, and much of what happens in them may reflect actual history but is not that history itself.

Bottom line: I think there undoubtedly books about the momentous days of "Cruel April" that do not have the manifest faults that this book has.

Required Reading.......2006-03-29

Overall impression--Wow! A real tour de force. The Vietnam War was complicated, and writing a book about it is like trying to write a flow diagram for a large plate of spaghetti. And yet, Henderson has done it--at least as far as the end game goes. I give it an enthusiastic five stars.
Why required reading? As George Santayana said, "Those who cannot remember the past are destined to repeat it." And we might be repeating that history today with George Bush's so-called war on terrorism. You can't really answer that question unless you have something from the recent past to compare it with. Goodnight Saigon makes for a fine litmus test.
There are some books that are meant to be read once and discarded (e.g., the typical Stephen King novel), some that are meant to be read multiple times at differenct times in your life (e.g., Huckleberry Finn), and some that are meant to be studied (e.g., Hamlet.) Henderson's work falls somewhere between read-multiple-times and studied.
The most profound thing about the book is the Interview Notes wherein Henderson details the many players--American and both Vietnams--he interviewed first hand. It punctuates the fact that these people were real and these things happened and none of this should ever be forgotten.
Some comments on the other reviews:
No maps--true, the book could have used some maps. On the other hand, it is very easy these days to download and print a map from the Internet. Try the site at www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/vietnam/maps.htm, or for even more detail, try Jim Henthorn's excellent site at www.nexus.net/~911gfx/sea-ao.html. To do less is just plain lazy. And to mark Henderson down for this oversight is to obscure his more important achievement, the enormous body of research he collected in order to tell this tale.
The 'unended' sub-plot of LTC Tran Van Toan--See p. 302. (Also in the index) LTC Tran made it, his force of 450 men intact, and was assimilated into the defense of Saigon Under RVN Marine Corps commandant, General Bui The Lan.

--Ejner Fulsang, author of A Knavish Piece of Work, www.AarhusPublishing.com.

Great book, well written, fast moving.......2005-12-20

A great book which reviews the closing days of the Vietman conflict. The author interviews military, political leaders, civilians and press from both sides. It's a fast moving piece with plenty of action.
The downside of the book is that there are no maps or photos of some of the US Marines discussed, which would have been useful in understanding where battles were located. I found a web site, which has photos and also gives additional information at
www.fallofsaigon.org. Great book!

Great Story With Major Malfunction.......2005-11-22

"Good Night Saigon" is an impressive work of military history. Whenever this reviewer believes he has read about the Indochina war from every conceivable angle, he is proven wrong-and wrong again. GNS offers yet one more insight to that protracted conflict. The author was a member of the last detachment of Marines to be extracted from the grounds of the U.S. Embassy in Saigon on April 30, 1975. The scope of GNS is far broader than one fateful day and therein lies its' strength. We are reminded-painfully- that South Vietnam fell apart from North to South. In March, President Thieu made the disastrous decision to abandon Military Regions I and II to the advancing North Vietnamese and concentrate on the defense of the capitol. Any semblance of an orderly withdrawal evaporated as waves of South Vietnamese, both ARVN and civilian, fled south in panicked droves. The sheer amount of supplies and materiel relinquished to the NVA was incalculable. Author Henderson has interviewed some 40 subjects with first hand knowledge of that simmering time. These include media correspondents, Vietnamese military (ARVN, VC and NVA), a Communist Party official, Vietnamese civilians, many U.S. military including a former USMC Commandant, and even Nguyen Cao Ky, former Premier of South Vietnam. That guy escaped a foundering Saigon piloting his own chopper! Thanks to their collective recollections and some skillful reconstructed dialog, the reader gets a grand feeling of doom as the country imploded. We learn that many South Vietnamese fought valiantly to the bitter end, notably General Le Min Dao, commander of the ARVN 18th Division. This reviewer now believes that not all Americans were on the same page. Ambassador Graham Martin's perversely stubborn denial of the impending ruin is monstrous and had to have impeded the evacuation. This being Vietnam, there are doses of black humor: Enterprising Marines swept the Tu Do Street bars of several prostitutes and loaded them on an Air Force C130 and safety. The young ladies faced certain death by a kangaroo court. And a Marine Lance Corporal who helped evacuate 4 suspicious young males, reported to a nearby officer: "Sir, I think I just sent 4 Viet Cong corporals to Guam". There remains the lingering confusion over the order to cease the evacuation. The riddle of how the command to terminate the mission was transmitted may never be solved but Henderson's detachment was stranded for hours till a USMC higher up intervened. GNS gives the impression that most friendly South Vietnamese were extracted. Other accounts paint another picture. That riddle too, may never be solved. The final word for GNS must be negative: My hardcover edition contained NO MAPS! The text mentions many South Vietnamese cities, bodies of water and highways. All were of strategic value. Why must the curious reader follow the action with a World Atlas? This reviewer is geographically sensitive and a served In Country with the 815th Army Engineers. The 815th built Highway 14 North and part of Highway 20. He knows his roads, but what are others to do? Why do publishers pinch pennies with such stupidity? WO Henderson has produced a 5 star work, which must be reduced in rank to 3 through no fault of his. GNS remains highly recommended but readers will need that Atlas handy. If this reviewer were still over there, he would say something smart like "I'm too short to read a book with no maps!"

Starts out great but.............2005-10-27

This book starts out great but after the first chapter or so, it starts to get too 'military strategy' for my taste. I also find out the book quite hard to follow as there are so many personalites involved and the amount of military jargon is quite substantial.

Book Description

Tricks, games, puzzles, and experiments that make science fun for the whole family.

From the Publisher

This much-loved modern classic tells the life story of the Little Poor Man of Assisi simply, lyrically, faithfully.

Customer Reviews:

Francis: The Journey and the Dream.......2007-09-24

I belong to Secular Franciscan order and we are reading this book together. It's one of the best on the life of St.Francis.

start here, please..........2007-01-23

when some life has passed and you are (even unconsciously) sick of it - then, start here, please --- this book, like the words, "come, follow me" is an invitation. my mother handed me this book fifteen years ago (with a wagging finger of warning - "don't you become like him !") and it has changed my life forever...
there are other books, too - that I read again every couple of years - but this was the first - the stepping stone. it's an 'easy read' - a group of short vignettes that tell of a wonderful beginning. most highly recommended.
thank you, mom.

Best read as a series of meditations.......2006-10-16

I'll have to differ with the ecstatic reviewers before me. This is the wrong book to come to for either a.) a biography of Francis, or b.) a strong narrative line or, even, a cohesive story. Fr. Bodo gives us highly subjective moments from Francis's life, some very beautiful, some funny, all lovingly rendered. Many of his observations do indeed inspire the reader (this reader anyway). What he does not do is meaningfully connect these various moments and bits, most of which are no more than a page or two long, together into a strong story. So we get a very sketchy narrative that works better in individual moments than it does as a whole. The episodes have a sort of chronological unity. They are also continually roped in by the terminology of the subtitle, with lots of talk about Francis's Journey and Dream. But by the end of the book (novel? bio?), these terms have become so ambiguous that they aren't much help.

I think this may be a great book to come to after one has read more concrete and chronological accounts of Francis's life. It's not a good place to begin to get to know him.

I cried when I read this book .......2006-09-19

I first read Maurray Bobo's book back durring the Gulf War when my son was there and in great danger. It brought me to tears. This book was so moving and it so inspired me that I wrote to the author and told hom how much it helped me. I asked him to pray for my son - which he did (My son did make it home after the war). What I remember best is that he took the time to respond back to me with a nice card. So t is the least I can do now is to tell people about the greatness of his book.

This telling of Saint Francis is both readable and enjoyable. He makes Francis come alive and spiritual hug you!

This is the best book on any saint's life that I have read and I have read many. I strongly rememend this book to read. You will find that your life may change! Mine did.

Good for meditation but short on details.......2005-03-10

I purchased this book hoping to learn more about Francis of Assisi, because it was recommended to me by a few people. I was slightly disappointed in its approach. It is more of a meditative poem about Francis of Assisi's life than a concrete portrait of the individual. There are no quotes about Francis from his writing and the book does not highlight important dates or the historical significance of Francis's actions during the time in which he lived. It is almost as if the book was written in a vacuum.

The story is uplifting as a meditative resource. Francis of Assisi began his life as a member of the wealthy nobility, who had an aversion to the poor and the sick. He had a conversion experience while looking at a crucifix at San Damiano, which changed his life. He started a religious order that was revolutionary in its approach to embracing the poor and avoiding the pitfalls of materialism which plagued much of the Church during his life time. In challenging the status quo, he experienced much opposition, which the book does not investigate, but perhaps in doing so it would lose some of its poetic flow that helps it serve as a meditative resource, because it would require an analysis of politics (nasty business in any time period).

Francis of Assisi is the archetypical respecter of all life. He preached peace, when most of his world was engaged in crusades. He preached equity, when people believed that a state of life was largely a birth right. He is known for his great appreciation for all God's creatures, including members of the animal kingdom. His life was not without challenges, and the book gives the impression that at times he did have doubts about God's plan for him, and was subject to loneliness because of his mission. I wish that the book went into greater details about these aspects of his life, but it does provide much food for thought that leads the reader to greater interest in the character of Francis, his values, and Franciscan spirituality.

Brooklyn: A Journey Through the City of Dreams

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Francis Morrone Does it Again!
Buy anything from this author

Brooklyn: A Journey Through the City of Dreams
Judith Stonehill , and Francis Morrone
Manufacturer: Universe Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0789310686
Release Date: 2004-05-07

Book Description

Brooklyn: A Journey Through the City of Dreams explores the streets, neighborhoods, and legends of the most beguilingly diverse urban area in America. The icons of Brooklyn are celebrated-the indomitable Dodgers, legendary Coney Island, and the majestic Brooklyn Bridge-along with other treasures of Brooklyn, in an engaging and unexpected journey through Brooklyn past and present, real and imagined.

Brooklyn is where Walt Whitman wrote Leaves of Grass, Al Capone acquired his famous moniker "Scarface," and Barbra Streisand worked as an usher at the Loews' Kings movie palace. From Coney Island to Flatbush Avenue and from Brooklyn Heights to Prospect Park, Brooklyn: A Journey Through the City of Dreams celebrates the spirit, people, and places that have made Brooklyn a cultural icon.

Customer Reviews:

Francis Morrone Does it Again!.......2005-08-24

What a beautiful book -- for your coffee table or your nightstand. It will make you proud to live in Brooklyn, if you do already (I do!), and it will make you want to visit if you don't. Francis Morrone is, to my view, our city's best architectural historian, and here he also brings his incredible knowledge of food, baseball, and just plain fun to bear on the city's most delightful borough.

A book for anyone who cares about the beauty and majesty of New York City.

Buy anything from this author.......2004-09-04

While this is not a review of the book, it is a review of the author. I took a class from Francis Morrone at NYU and was captivated every day by his breadth of knowledge, his ability to either synthesize or extrapolate at will and, best of all, his ability to convey his undying love for the greatest city in the world. I could wander through NYC with this guy for a month and never tire of the stories he could tell. I don't live in NY right now, but every day I wake up missing the sights and sounds of the city, and that is in no small part due to what I learned from Francis. He is a cultural treasure. Take his class; walk on his tours; and buy his book. I'm online to do just that right now. Oh, and I'm pretty sure Brooklyn is his favorite borough, so it's gotta be good!

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Francis : The Journey and the Dream
Murray Bodo
Manufacturer: Anthony Messenger Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000GS9YIU

Product Description

Stirring accounts of the almost legendary campaigns of the United States Fourth Armored Division, universally recognized as "Patton's Best," from its pre-World War II origins up through its famous relief of the 101st Airborne Division during the Battle of the Bulge are presented in this book. The break out of Normandy at Avranches, the isolation of the Brittany peninsula, the armored thrust across France, the tank battles at Arracourt that cemented the reputation of the Fourth Armored, the brutal struggle in Lorraine, and, ultimately, the legendary drive to Bastogne are among the topics. The accounts were assembled through the use of original unit combat diaries and after-action reports, memoirs of key historical figures and abundant supplementary documents and correspondences. But the essence of the book are the first-hand recollections from members of the division gathered by the author. With maps, drawings and photographs.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent detail.......2005-11-22

The problem with most World War II books is that you are given overviews and opinions. This book is highly detailed and gives the blow by blow descriptions of specific battles. It is excellently researched and backed up by personal accounts of General Al Irzyk, Colonel James Leach and others.
I felt like I was there in my own Sherman tank and it is a must read for someone who craves small unit and company action.

Compelling and descriptive look at the 4th Armored.......2004-04-13

I am 32 and most books I have read about WWII have been overviews or concern a specific theatre or action. This is the 1st book I have read so specific within the subject. I found it to be somewhat easy to read and follow overall. Certain chapter descriptions I could easily make a mental picture of the battle. Some of it was overwhelming in detail, which is probably what some of the soldiers thought of the war. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in military history and especially the ETO. Would definitely read the next book by the same author. Thank you Mr. Fox

OUTSTANDING!.......2004-02-17

Every few years a book comes along that is truly impressive and this book is one of them. The author has written an excellent account of an armored division at war. It is very easy to read and understand and he is very descriptive of the battles and movement of the 4th Armored Division. The author talks about the big picture to help the reader understand why the division attacked in certain directions. He also peppers each chapter with small unit actions that conveys the terror and triumphs the men of the division experienced. The chapter on the relief of General Wood was well written and thought out. The author avoids trying to lay blame at one person's feet, but tries to show how certain factors (from COL Withers incompent handling of CCA to Wood's arguments with his corps commander, Eddy) may have lead to Wood's dismissal from command of his beloved division. The only "flaw" if you can call it that is at the beginning of each section he includes a map of the area of operations the chapter is describing. What would have been helpful would have been if the author showed the routes of CCA, CCB and CCR along with what units were on the flanks. It would have helped follow the action a little better. Nonetheless this book is worth every penny and If the author decides to write another book on "Patton's Best" I will be first in line to buy it.

4th Armored Divsion rolls again.......2003-12-08

One can hear the sound of the tank treads rumbling as one reads this very well written portrayal of the exploits of Patton's "crack" 4th Armored Division , from before "the beach" of Normandy , through the harrowing combat leading to Bastogne.
Long ago tank battles and house to house fighting again come alive as the reader only begins to feel the tension and suspense of men at war. What was it really like, fighting in the cold , in the snow, and at times, in the dark, against a cunning and desperate enemy? This book goes far in giving the reader some idea of what these soldiers experienced.
One day, all too soon, World War II will be as remote to most people as the American Civil War. This book preserves a much needed link to the past through the use of diligent research and vivid accounts of 4th Armored Division survivors. We can only hope for, and look forward to, a sequel.

Outstanding account of small unit action of the 4th Armored.......2003-12-03

This book gives an outstanding account of the small unit action and individual efforts of the soldiers of the Fourth Armored Division. The details of the skirmishes and battles bring you back in time with the clarity of the Spielberg classic Saving Private Ryan. The movements of platoons and companies are as well detailed as those of the entire division. First hand accounts and unit histories were meticulously acquired and sifted through to compile a comprehensive, insightful novel that is both enjoyable and accurate. One of the most enjoyable, if not THE most enjoyable WWII book I've ever read.

Customer Reviews:

important and overlooked interrogation of whiteness.......2007-07-25

I found Thandeka's practically written book a breath of fresh air amidst the glut of overtheorized and overwritten studies of whiteness and racial construction in American society. I dare all white critics of the text to find the courage to play Thandeka's "Race Game" and look honestly at themselves as persons of color, with all the pain that this entails, as Learning to be White carefully explores.

So much we don't know.......2007-05-30

I have only recently started looking at White Priveledge and racism in a very new light. Most white people, including myself, have a true blind spot about our assumptions about people of color as well as about being white. This book Learning to Be White: Money, Race, and God in America, which I am still reading, opened my eyes to how we, at a very young age, start learning to recognize difference between races from our caretakers.

Thandeka writes about childhood incidents which are only too common, such as, parents making it clear that a new friend of color is not a welcome friend and not welcome in the home, a new boyfriend of color, also not approved of or welcome. As children we accept thi s, as we depend on our caretakers (parents) for love and a place of belonging.

There is much that white people take for granted that is ours simply because we are white. As Thandeka states it, we, as white people are "in the driver's seat."

Thandeka also writes about the difficult assimilation of immigrants to the United States and how these people have been taught to become racist by the white people with power. A very difficult read at times, not a "fun book," but very eye-opening. A book I recommend reading to illuminate those blind spots about race.

Barely Disguised Marxist Nonesense.......2004-02-09

The thesis. The problem that the majority of Americans face is that working white Americans (i.e. the proletariat) have not shaken their false consciousness, made common cause with blacks of their class to throw off the white capitalist oppressors. If they do, then we can achieve a worker's paradise. Oh, and parents that don't see it this way are engaging in child abuse (and presumably need re-education).

It is too bad that trees were sacrificed for such intellectually incoherent, obviously wrong, marxist nonsense.

a novel thesis.......2003-03-13

I found this book very readable and intellectually stimulating. The author puts forth a novel and plausible thesis regarding the impact of a racist society on the majority race. A great deal has been written about the effects racism has on the minority, but this writer examines its interplay with the psychology of the racist majority. She puts forth interesting and compelling ideas about the psychic danger, for white children, should they identify with the devalued minority. I found her study thought-provoking and engaging.

Thandeka primes the pump..........2001-05-08

The pump that I see Thankdeka priming is one of dialogue. I read this book for a paper I wrote for one of my seminary classes. It was/is a provocative read. I do feel however that she could have elaborated more, but I do not see most people reading the dozens of books that she could have produced at one sitting.

Thandeka does a wonderful job of weaving together allusions and stories to produce a work that is a quality resource. I think it is a beautiful start to facing our extremities interculturally. In my limited experience I have seen cultures that overlap and work well together, so when broad sweeping generalizations are required to convey I think it becomes time to pay a little more attention to the underdogs in the world. Maybe we can all learn a little humility and acceptance from a book like Thandeka's.

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Learning to be White: Money, Race, and God in America.(Also 'Producing American Races: Henry James, William Faulkner, Toni Marrison')(Book Review): An article from: The Mississippi Quarterly
Harry Stecopoulos
Manufacturer: Mississippi State University
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | Classics | Comic | Contemporary | Literary
General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | e-Docs | Formats | Books
ASIN: B0008FTU3K
Release Date: 2005-07-30

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Mississippi Quarterly, published by Mississippi State University on March 22, 2002. The length of the article is 2190 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Learning to be White: Money, Race, and God in America.(Also 'Producing American Races: Henry James, William Faulkner, Toni Marrison')(Book Review)
Author: Harry Stecopoulos
Publication: The Mississippi Quarterly (Refereed)
Date: March 22, 2002
Publisher: Mississippi State University
Volume: 55 Issue: 2 Page: 271(6)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

A celebration in photos and text of Washington's vast and, for the most part, unpopulated arid lands, this book provides and introduction to the 10.5-million-acre region dominated by sagebrush and bunchgrass, dotted by lush coulees and stunning basalt cliffs. Separate chapters examine the plants, animals, geology, and human history of this remarkable terrain, weaving in information from early explorers' journals and field biologists' notes.

Produced in partnership with The Nature Conservancy of Washington and written by Governor's Award-winning author and historian Jack Nisbet, this fascinating book features more than 70 color photographs of the wild habitats and inhabitants of this breathtaking extension of American West.

Customer Reviews:

Singing Grass, Burning Sage.......2007-03-24

This is another of the very fine books featuring the pen of Jack Nesbit. Washington State east of the Cascade Mountains is a land in the midst of change. Known as the Columbian Plateau, the land was originally arid shrub-steppe. Irrigated with water from aquifers and dams on the Columbia River, it becomes extremely productive agricultural land. The amount of land developed has reached the critical point where the very nature of the land; beauty, flora, fauna, spirit; is in danger of spiraling out of existence. Perhaps it is not too late. With insightful management of what has not yet changed and careful stewardship of what has changed, the nature of the shrub-steppe on the Columbia Plateau may not be lost forever. Published by the Nature Conservancy of Washington, this book describes what the shrub steppe is like, what changes are occurring, and what might yet be done to preserve some of its natural character.

The book is a combination of gorgeous photos and easily read text. The organization provides the area's history; followed by sections on the humans, plants, insects & arachnids, fish, amphibians & reptiles, mammals, and birds that have inhabited the area both past and present. The closing chapter addresses the good or bad that the future can hold, depending on what action we take in the near future. For example, the United States controls a large domain known as the Hanford Nuclear Reservation and is at the point of disposing of much of the property. The majority is much like it was before the time of Lewis and Clark. If the property passes into private ownership, the changes likely to occur would greatly reduce the chances of retaining a viable example of the shrub-steppe habitat for enjoyment by future generations and ourselves.

Two decisions made during the book's publication seem to make little sense. The type is too small for some readers. Since it is double spaced, that doesn't seem necessary. My other complaint is quoting sections of the text verbatim as sidebars alongside the text. Some of the quotes in the sidebars are from other writers and that adds to the book. The duplications from the text do not.

Although wonderful, some of the text in this book is not up to the best writing Nesbit has produced. He had to cover too much in too few words. He worked the content masterfully and produced very readable copy throughout. The flow and lyricism suffered slightly. However, just to prove Nesbit's genius; the section on birds is nature-writing at its very best. Consider the opening paragraph:

"It is impossible to travel through any part of the Columbia Plateau without sensing the flick and soar of many wings. The expansive shape of the land provides a magnetically attractive space in which to fly. Fractured basalt pinnacles serve as peerless lookout roosts, while long low ridges and interconnected coulees offer navigation guides for migrants. Infinite nicks, caves, pothole lakes, evergreen shrubs, and tree-crowded seeps furnish shelter and nesting spaces. The climate allows a variety of rodents and insects to remain active all year, and extends the seasons of flowers and fruit. The sum of these features keeps an exuberant variety of birds washing over the shrub-steppe all year long."

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