Reviews (19)

Is Brown Insane or Merely a Liar?
If you're going to gloss yourself as "America's Greatest Outdoorsman," you should offer more to your readers than juvenile, New Age adventure stories. This book holds more snickers than the M&M Mars wharehouse.
Can't he use any more descriptive words?
I bought this book yesterday from Barnes and Nobels bookstore.I liked the title and thought, "This might be a good read."I read half of it yesterday.The book was so monotonous.He keeps using the word "Cenntrical ring" and "track" too much.I couldn't get past a page without reading the word track.It became so repetitive that it was chore to continue reading this book.I hated it.

Not as bad as the other reviews say...
First full disclosure...this was the first book I've read by Tom Brown, after the title caught my interest in the bookstore. Also, after initially starting it, I did the standard Internet search to find out who he was and what he was about.
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Subjects:  1. 1950-    2. Anecdotes    3. Brown, Tom,    4. Essays    5. Mammals    6. Nature    7. Nature/Ecology    8. Outdoor Life    9. Outdoor Skills    10. Sports & Recreation    11. Tracking and trailing    12. United States    13. Active outdoor pursuits    14. NATURAL HISTORY, COUNTRY LIFE & PETS    15. Nature / General    16. Other prose: from c 1900 -   

Reviews (11)

Walk Away the Pounds: The Breakthrough 6-Week Program
Great workouts I have lost 15 lbs since I started the program about 6 weeks ago.

Walk Away the Pounds by Leslie Sansone
Gets us old timers out of the house and in the gym and go at my own pace.

Nice way to ease into an exercise
This book has been helpful to me because it eases me into exercising without overwhelming me with alot of 'rules' I need to follow.
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Subjects:  1. Consumer Health    2. Diet Therapy    3. Exercise    4. Fitness walking    5. Health & Fitness    6. Health/Fitness    7. Reducing exercises    8. Walking    9. Weight Loss    10. Health & Fitness / Healthy Living   

Reviews (9)

The Best
The drawings are clear - if a bit crude. A novice will learn and enjoy just flipping through the book. It may take a few hours to digest everything crammed into a single chapter or even a few pages. Carrs is a very good communicator, though, so this is an excellent tool for teaching and learning.

The real Deal
In the brief of the book, it states the information was gleaned from FM 7-42, That is incorrect.The five Sgt's that wrote
Loved it!
I bought the SAS Guide to Tracking on the sole purpose of needing a book to read on a long red-eye flight. Instead, this book has changed my whole outlook on the outdoors!
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Subjects:  1. Animal tracks    2. Footprints    3. Mammals    4. Nature    5. Reference    6. Sports    7. Tracking and trailing    8. Wildlife    9. Sports & Outdoor Recreation    10. Sports & Recreation / Outdoor Skills   

Reviews (11)

Kelsey's Guide to off the Beaten Path
Sure Kelsey has an ego thing about himself being in all his photos, and the hiking times are off by 50% (Add that 50%, however, no one else has come close to offering a guide to such remote places.I've used it to find indian ruins, weird in-the- middle-of-nowhere canyons, etc.Most of his info is quite accurate.People who can't find something through his descriptions probably would become lost looking for anything.Most places he mentions you'll never find another soul at...that's the best part.

Sir, modern computers actually make creating an index fairly simple.
I once read that, "Indexes are among those necessary but never spectacular products of hard as well as skilled work that can sometimes make the difference between a book and good book."
this book is not for beginners
For all of those people giving this book one and two stars either you need to come more prepared or the desert is no place for you.I have been on many hikes in this book and his other books and the only time I had a problem is when I forgot a map or tried to find a trailhead in the dark.Yes he gives you enough rope to hang yourself but there is nowhere else you will find this much info on these remote incredible places. If you can't negotiate these canyons maybe you should go on a ranger guided tour at your local national park. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Hiking    2. Sports    3. Sports & Recreation   

Reviews (8)

Old Reliable
In 1981 I took the first edition of this book on a traditional north/south thru hike of the JMT and found it generally accurate and, most importantly, reassuring about the day(s) ahead.In preparation for a 25th anniversary reprise (this time south to north) I got the latest addition.About the only real difference is that the format is a little larger and the small inset maps are a little easier to read.
Mediocre Guidebook
A disclaimer: I have not used this book to hike the JMT.
WORST GUIDEBOOK EVER WRITTEN-DANGEROUS!
DO NOT EVEN LOOK AT THIS VILE,PESTILENT BOOK!IT WILL GET YOU LOST IN THE WILDERNESS!The author may be a very fine fellow, and is probably a better backpacker than I am, but he can NOT tell anyone how to get from point A to point B.I wasted days getting lost from this awful book, as he yakked endlessly about flora, fauna, and geology.Meanwhile, you the sucker stand there at unmarked trail intersections getting no help.Do NOT follow the author's dangerous contention that you don't need maps if you buy this book-its maps don't show you the OTHER trails, and get you lost. The Tuolomne and Devil's Postpile sections just may constitute the worst writing of all time. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Backpacking    2. California    3. Guidebooks    4. Hiking    5. John Muir Trail    6. Reference    7. Travel    8. Travel - United States    9. United States - Pacific - California    10. United States - West - Pacific (General)    11. Travel & holiday guides    12. Walking, hiking, trekking   

Reviews (7)

Great Size - Lacking Lryrics
I agree with other "raters" that the size of this book is great for camping, hiking, etc.It could fit into a traditionally sized pocket and you could easily find room for it in a back pack, etc. Each song also has notes, so that if you don't know the melody, you can pick it out on the piano. However, it is definately not a piano book, the notes are not arranged for that - just a simple one-handed tune.I was disappointed That most songs only have one verse and the chorus.Occasionally, a 2nd verse is included.But, I would like 4-5 verses for songs that have them.

Great little book
This is a super little book for anyone wanting to sing old favorites from around the world at a campfire.The score for the melody is given along with guitar chords.Tabbing the melodies for harmonica was pretty easy and I'm very happy with the results.

Campfire Songs Review
This is what I expected - chock full of good old songs.Both the notes and chords are listed, which is great.And most of them use few chords, which is great for a beginner like me!The book is small in size, which is good, but that's also bad because it doesn't want to stay open - I use my capo to clip it open!Haven't used my capo much, so now I've found a good use for that, too. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Camping    2. Folk songs    3. Genres & Styles - Folk & Traditional    4. Music/Songbooks    5. Songbooks - General    6. Songs and music    7. Sports    8. Sports & Recreation    9. Sports & Recreation / Camping   

Reviews (3)

Amazing descriptions and photographs of fascinating sites!
The texture and format of this book is outstanding. It is reader friendly with absolutely beautiful photography. The photos and illustrations in combination with descriptive text gives the reader a first hand experience.I would love to have the opportunity to visit the various archaeologicalsites and shipwrecks detailed in this book but know that is unrealisitc forme. This book is the next best thing! I always knewour national parkswere truly treasures to be admired yet preserved and protected but thisbook proves it beyond a shadow of a doubt. I highly recommend it!

Spectacular photographs, unlike anything I've ever seen!
This book is well laid out, easy to reference and has absolutely fantastic photography.This would be a beautiful coffee table book if it were only bigger. The travel information is excellent, as is the general layout of the book.It is functional, as well as, beautiful.If I weren't involved in diving already, I would be after seeing this book.Outstanding!

Even if you don't dive, buy this book.
This volume is helpful in two completely different ways. First way: if you dive. The text is thorough, descriptive and truly useful. Second way: if you don't dive. The beautiful photographs and the witty text open a doorway into--as the title says--underwater wonders you didn't know existed. I doubt you'll find a more informative, engaging travel book in 1998. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Deep diving    2. General    3. Guidebooks    4. National parks and reserves    5. Parks & Campgrounds    6. Skin diving    7. Travel    8. Travel - United States    9. United States    10. United States - General    11. Sub-aqua swimming    12. Travel & holiday guides    13. Travel / General    14. USA   

Reviews (2)

great fun!
Originally written 100 years ago, this delightful book shows you how to enjoy the Great Outdoors. Divided seasonally, the author shows you, via illustrations and diagrams, how to make kites, bird houses, aquariams, boats,sleds, moccasins, shirts, and various camping utensils. For the more adventurous, he shows you how to construct bridges, dams, piers and outdoor dwellings of different kinds. He also provides tips for camping out in your own backyard.
Handbook for raising Tom Sawyer
I hardly know where to begin.Like the Boys' and Girls' Handybooks, this hefty little book is full of ideas from a bygone era.Written in 1906, the activities are not always the kind of things our kids can do today...but this is a book of IDEAS!While you might not want to camp in a swamp, this book will tell you how.That information might come in useful for another project someday.The book also has historical value--the vocabulary is sometimes quite dated--but that's part of the fun!Read more

Subjects:  1. Camping    2. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Nonfiction    3. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    4. Handbooks, manuals, etc    5. Juvenile Nonfiction    6. Outdoor Skills    7. Outdoor recreation    8. Sports & Recreation - Camping & Outdoor Activities    9. Camping & woodcraft   

Subjects:  1. Environmental Science    2. Environmental Studies    3. General    4. Parks & Campgrounds    5. Photo Essays    6. Photography    7. Subjects & Themes - Plants & Animals    8. United States - General    9. Travel / Parks & Campgrounds   

Reviews (12)

Excellent guide to many hikes
Be aware that Digonnet omits a few common destinations in this book.But it's by far the best guide to the huge number of hikes that he does include.Rely on this book for the majority of your destinations, but get another guide to fill in the gaps.Also keep in mind that areas described as "easy scrambles" for someone with a technical climbing background like Digonnet may be more difficult for flat-ground hikers.

Hiking Death Valley: A Guide to Its Natural Wonders & Mining Past
This is a really good comprehensive guide that doesn't give away too many secrets. All the standard destinations are well covered, plus many out in the sticks, but it leaves plenty for you to discover on your own. Will definitely stay in my library, get loaned to friends, get destroyed or lost...all signs of a worthwhile guide.

A beyond exceptional hiking guide
I have been visiting Death Valley for 35 years, and I have been there more times than I can remember.This includes many back-country and dirt road trips thoughout the region.I love the place.I have also been an avid hiker, backpacker, mountain climber and general wilderness enthuthiast for 40 years.
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Subjects:  1. Hiking    2. Natural Resources    3. Sports    4. Sports & Recreation    5. Walking    6. Guidebooks    7. Death Valley (Calif. and Nev.)   

Reviews (11)

awsome
This book was easy to read and gave very understandable direction. On some of the knots, I wish they would have explained more on how to start and end the knots but still a great book overall.

Greatly over-rated
This book is not only outdated but it contains a lot of bad advice about knots. It shows numerous knots that have no place in the climbing world, leaves out others that are more useful, and has weak material about ropes. There are certainly better books on knots for climbers.

Reliable info is only as good as one's adherence to it
I'm happy to hear that Mr. Williams (dangerous information, January 15, 2000) suffered little more than discomfort and frustration at the hands of his Prusik and surviving, gained useful experience in the process.Let his lapse reinforce the quality of both the advice given and your ability to synthesize and apply it.Read more

Subjects:  1. Climbing knots    2. Knots and splices    3. Mountain Climbing    4. Mountaineering    5. Outdoor Skills    6. Sports    7. Sports & Recreation    8. Climbing & mountaineering   

Reviews (17)

Read The Last Season by Eric Blehm instead
Perhaps it's because I had just finished The Last Season, another, much superior, book by a park ranger that I found this book so lacking.The subject has much promise but the execution is excruciating.There are a few good parts but the choppy storytelling and unrelated tangents left me unsatisfied.After the rendering of one incident regarding a missing woman, I actually wished I had never picked up this book.

Excellent Ranger-read also all the political dirt on American River Dam
Really different. Excellent read. All the dirt on Rep. Doolittle over the years. Neat twist at the end. Only a ranger could know all this. Jordan Smith gets it all right.

Pleasantly Surprised
I wasn't exactly sure what the book was about when I bought it, but had a general idea. I was pleasantly surprised! It is one of the best books I have read in the last several years. It gives a great account of the Rangers work and the information provided in the book about the American River Canyon is amazing. The book is easily readable (good story) but at the same time it is also descriptive, detailed and very informative. This book has something for just about anyone, and I would definitely recommend it as a wonderful read. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography / Autobiography    2. Essays    3. General    4. Mountains    5. Natural History    6. Naturalists, Gardeners, Environmentalists    7. Nature    8. Nature / Field Guide Books    9. Nature/Ecology    10. Parks    11. Parks & Campgrounds    12. Personal Memoirs    13. United States - West - Pacific (General)    14. Nature / Mountains   

Features

• Illustrated

Subjects:  1. General    2. Outdoor Skills    3. Outdoor Survival Techniques    4. Sports    5. Sports & Recreation    6. Outdoor survival skills    7. Reference / Personal & Practical Guides    8. SURVIVAL SKILLS   

Reviews (4)

A nice JTree overview
The book provides great ideas for trips within the park for any user.I spent 5 days climbing in JTree but enjoyed finding out from the book what the Joshua tree actually is and going on a hike to see some petroglyphs.The photographs are very vivid and the campground maps are very useful (although an overall map with the campground locations would be useful too).

Review of Joshua Tree: the Complete Guide
An excellent book with great photographs.It is organized very well.The author's love of the park comes through and is very inspiring.

Best Guide I've Ever Used
This book is it. As an avid hiker, camper, and all around outdoorsman, I've used a lot of different guides, but this one takes it. Between the photos, the extra chapters on local history, ecology etc., not to mention one of the easiest to use trail guides I've seen, I'm set on Destination Press as my guide of choice. Mr. Kaiser has made my outdoor adventures that much more enjoyable. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Parks    2. Parks & Campgrounds    3. Travel    4. Travel - United States    5. Travel Guides - U.S.    6. United States - West - Pacific (General)    7. California    8. Travel & holiday guides    9. Travel / United States / West / Pacific (AK, CA, HI, NV, OR, WA)   

Reviews (2)

Super fun book
Considering that there are like 20 million people living in the LA area, it's sad no one's really written a review of this gem of a book.I find that even though people may have lived here their whole lives, they really haven't seen much of the city.
READ REVIEW CAREFULLY
I was thumbing through this book in the bookstore and decided not to buy it.I live in the San Gabriel Valley and most of these hikes and day walks are situated on the west side of the city.Some popular areas in the east like monrovia canyon and the san gabriel river are left out.
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Subjects:  1. Hiking    2. Sports    3. Sports & Recreation    4. United States - West - Pacific (General)    5. Travel / United States / West / Pacific (AK, CA, HI, NV, OR, WA)   

Reviews (4)

good for day hikes
It's a great, very detailed book if you're local and want to experience all the great day hikes. The author does a wonderful job dividing them into categories - from couch potato to training to be a navy seal! However, none of them are longer than 1 nighters - he says you can split some of them up into two nights... but if you're out there to backpack for multiple nights, you're probably not interested in 6 mile days, right? I would suggest buying a good map of the park to go with this, if you're interested in multiple night outings in the Smokies. That way, you can plan a longer route, but use the book to reference details on the trails you'll be on.

Excellent Trail Guide!
Kevin Adams has written a succinct, yet thorough, guide book to the trails of the SMNP. Everything is here. Adams leaves out the platitudes and leaves in the practical. From advising on safety and comfort to equipment and nourishment, the author gives imminently usable information for these beautiful trails and makes them call the reader to the mountains. Great book!

A Smokies Essential
This book made our trip! Adams' trail descriptions and ratings were spot on. We came to rely on this guide when planning our daily outings.
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Subjects:  1. Hiking    2. Sports & Recreation    3. Travel    4. Travel - United States    5. United States - South - East South Central (General)    6. Travel / United States / South / East South Central (AL, MS, KY, TN)   

Reviews (1)

Been there, Used it
I used this book during my six weeks in Nepal spring 2004 (trekking in Lantang, Helambu and Annapurna regions), and was glad to have it.In fact, I have my copy sitting in front of me right now!It gives detailed information on many of the better-traveled treks, along with some that are more out of the way.Plenty of information, including topo maps, to help you plan your trip or your day.Before I bought it, I sat down with several other guidebooks in an actual bookstore (yes, they do still exist!), and really felt that this one was the winner.
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Subjects:  1. Asia - China    2. Asia - India    3. Hiking    4. Travel    5. Travel - Foreign    6. Walking    7. Himalayas    8. Nepal    9. Travel & holiday guides    10. Walking, hiking, trekking   

Reviews (2)

This book is fantastic!
Canyonlands is a wild and wonderful place to explore.I would have been lost without this book.I was able to decide ahead of time what areas of the park I wanted to spend the most time in by reading the detailed descriptions of jeep roads and trails.The beautiful color photographs helped me make decisions as well.I found the maps to be extremely helpful and the estimated travel times to be very accurate.David Day knows his stuff!

Something new in Hiking Books
This is a Great book for hikers and outdoor enthusiasts.By including a focus on the jeep roads of the Canyonlands area David Day has provided the hiker with information necessary for access to its fantastic hiking trails. The format is similar to his other hiking books. The maps and trail descriptions and commentary are not only helpful but very interesting.The photography is great.I particularly enjoyed the section of color photos I like his trail overview which includes a rating of his enjoyment of the trail.
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Subjects:  1. Sports & Recreation / Hiking    2. Travel / United States / West / Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, UT, WY)    3. Canyonlands National Park (Uta    4. Four-wheel driving    5. Guidebooks    6. Hiking    7. Outdoor recreation    8. Parks & Campgrounds    9. Sports & Recreation    10. Trails    11. Travel    12. United States - West - Mountain    13. Utah   

Reviews (14)

Thank-you Brent Peterson
Not that many years away from retirement, I starting thinking about traveling & not having to get a cat sitter each time. Hmm, makebe I could take them with me - maybe an RV would be the answer. In this book, Peterson even says a lot of people got started in RVing for that exact reason.
A real dud
In this book I was hoping to find useful information for new RVer's.Things like the details of leveling, flushing blackwater, cleaning, packing, insurance, etc, etc.You know, the millions of details that are critically important to a successful trip all gathered into a single book so I could avoid endless hours scouring the net.Instead, I got a book where the author comes across as a mindless dolt who seems to believe that all RVer's are equally mindless.The book is repetitious, talks down to the reader, assumes the reader wants to turn the kids outside and sit on the couch and watch a Bears game in the comfort of their RV.Given all the good reviews, it was quite a disappointment.

Very Basic Entry Level Book
I made a spur of the moment purchase of a very old camper trailer, then started to buy some books to figure out how the thing works.This is the book I have kept.It told me what was what, and what to do and what not to do.It has probably already saved me several times the purchase price just in keeping me from messing with something before I knew what I was doing.It is well written and informative for the newbie.This is the book you will keep in your RV the whole time you own it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Automotive - General    2. Automotive - Miscellaneous Vehicles    3. Camping    4. Outdoor recreation    5. Parks & Campgrounds    6. Recreational vehicle living    7. Recreational vehicles    8. Sports    9. Sports & Recreation    10. Transportation    11. Use Of Recreational Vehicles    12. Caravan & camp-site guides    13. Sports & Recreation / General   

Reviews (4)

Excellent guide for the casual off-roader
I've been using this book for close to a couple years now.While I don't consider myself a novice to off-roading, I definitely don't fall into the rock-crawling group, preferring to use my 4x4 to simply get me to new and out-of-the-way places when time permits.Thus far it has proven to be an excellent resource for quick weekend off-roading getaways and for reading up on new trails to explore.In fact, I've enjoyed this book so much I wound up buying two others as gifts for family and friends.The photos and overviews of each trail definitely help give a good feel for what to expect.If you're a techno-geek like me, being able to plot a computer-generated map using the detailed GPS coordinates will prove highly invaluable (though I have discovered a few critical--though easily identifiable and correctable--errors in the coordinates), and with a handheld GPS I don't need to worry about the often-unusual orientation of the printed maps.For those of us who love exploring, this book will make a fantastic resource.

Great Book
The best book for beginners.Gives ratings and some pictures for all the trails, so you know what to expect.Probably not a whole lot for more advanced off-roaders, but then they probably won't be reading this book anyway.I recommend this book for anybody with an SUV who wants to use it off-highway.The only downside of this book is the detail maps of the trails.For some reason, they couldn't agree on which way to point North(usually north is up in all other maps) so sometimes you have to turn the book sideways to the right or left to get your bearings.Also, not much detail on the maps themselves, so sometimes you really dont' know where you are in relation to the surrounding area.But they give plenty of detail in the driving directions, so you almost don't need the map.Best book I've ever bought, anyone who likes to adventure outdoors should buy this.You don't even need an SUV on the easier trails.

The quintessential So Cal book for dirt road exploring.
First thing that hits you is the heft of this book.It is large and heavy, but that just tantalizes you of what lies beyond the cover.It is full of so much information about southern California's backcountry you could spend hours and hours reading.But this book is to be used as a guide for exploring.And guide you it does. The maps, descriptions and details are excellent for each trail.The history section is great and my family and I even used this book to identify plants from its full color photos on our last outing. For anyone wanting to explore dirt trails in So Cal, from mild ones not really needing 4 wheel drive to more difficult ones, this book is for you. Rock crawlers need not apply, but for the other 99% of us with 4x SUV's this book is perfect! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Outdoor Skills    2. Special Interest - Adventure    3. Travel    4. Travel - United States    5. United States - Pacific - California    6. United States - West - Pacific (General)