Extinction Club: A Mostly True Story about Two Men, a Deer and a Writer

Average customer rating:

Best guide to the sights of Japan

Good Book but hard to find specific stuffs

Lots of information, though I haven't utilized it yet

Just one guide book needed!

Essential for traveling in Japan

Gateway to Japan (Kodansha Guide)
June Kinoshita , and Nicholas Palevsky
Manufacturer: Kodansha International
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books
General | Japan | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books
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Japan (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

The Rough Guide to Japan, Third Edition

Old Kyoto: The Updated Guide to Traditional Shops, Restaurants, and Inns

Tokyo City Atlas: A Bilingual Guide (3rd Ed.)

Etiquette Guide to Japan: Know the Rules...that Make the Difference

ASIN: 477002018X

Book Description

When friends want to know where to go in Japan, I always ask, "What are you interested in?" One friend spent every day at the Kabuki theater in Tokyo. Another ventured north to savor the culinary traditions of Tohoku. We know people who adore Tokyo, exulting in the energy of the world's most
futuristic megapolis. Others loath it and flee to tranquil Kyoto, the former imperial city that epitomizes the refinement of traditional culture. Still others visit both cities and marvel at the extremes represented by these opposing poles of the Japanese experience. The diversity of cultural and
geographic offerings can be intimidating. The two sections of this book, History and Culture and Japan by Region, are designed to make them more manageable. History and Culture focuses on specific topics and recommends where to go. Japan by Region gives the practical information you need to make the
trip.

History and Culture
"A Brief History" introduces the major historical periods and includes a list of the most important figures in Japanese history and culture; their names appear in uppercase letters throughout the book. The chapters that follow provide both an overview and a practical reference on various subjects.
For example, "Cuisine" contains bilingual "menus" from which you can order food in restaurants. Most of the chapters conclude with a list of recommendations. Any place that is mentioned in both the main text and the list appears in uppercase.

Japan by Region
The ten regional chapters appear in geographic order, from north to south (see map on p. vi). The largest of Japan's four main islands, Honshu, and the smallest, Shikoku, together make up seven chapters. The remaining three chapters are devoted to Hokkaido, Kyushu, and the Okinawan archipelago.
Each chapter begins with a brief introduction and lists the best attractions, special interests, and seasonal events.

Transit Diagrams
The transit diagram at the beginning of each regional chapter shows the main trunk line (usually the bullet train) traversing the region, together with other train and bus lines that branch off. The main junctions on the trunk line are assigned roman numerals and treated as jumping-off points from
which to explore side routes; the stations along the side routes are assigned arabic numerals. The text describes in numerical order each main junction, followed by the side routes; their direction is denoted by the letters "N" for north, "E" for east, and so forth. For example, suppose you want to
visit Dewa Sanzan (transit key number IV:W3) in Tohoku. To see how to get there, turn to the Tohoku transit diagram (p.152); go down the trunk line to the fourth city, Sendai, then go west three notches. The text follows the same organization and is, in effect, a series of mini-itineraries.

Dining, Lodgings, and Local Maps
Dining and lodging facilities are listed at the end of each town or locale. Telephone area codes are usually listed beside the lodgings heading. Shops, restaurants, and hotels will appear on local maps according to a number-key system. (See inside front cover for a key to symbols.) Ratings are
awarded on a scale of from one to three stars based on quality, service, and atmosphere. Credit-card information is supplied for every establishment for which the information was available.

Customer Reviews:

Best guide to the sights of Japan.......2007-07-17

In my opinion, this is the best guide to the sights of Japan - good information about the monuments and the objects contained in them, and the history and significance surrounding them. The maps are very well done, too. The practical information (food and lodging) is actually quite good, but the book has been out for a while and may be aging. Also, it is not targeted to very budget-conscious travelers; it may be good to carry a Lonely Planet guide to help with those aspects of the trip.

Good Book but hard to find specific stuffs.......2007-04-25

Good book and nice overview but it is hard to find specific stuffs for Tokyo. Rest of Japan was ok.

Lots of information, though I haven't utilized it yet.......2006-11-29

I purchased this book in anticipation of a trip to Japan (haven't gone yet, next year). I was looking for maps of places to visit and what I got was not only some detailed maps for different places to visit, but I also got descriptions of many of the places, tips on taking a trip to Japan (never would have known that many places charge you a service charge for using a credit card and most transactions should be made with cash) and plenty of cultural notes. You also get detailed train maps; essential if you plan on using Japan's most important form of mass transit.

If you are looking to take a trip to Japan and aren't planning on using a travel plan designed by a travel agent, this is definitely a very nice book to help you plan your adventure.

Just one guide book needed!.......2006-11-28

This was fantastic! If you were to see and do exactly what was suggested you would be all set! We absolutely loved this book! You would be just fine if you only had this one book. I trust it completely. A+ for sure.

Essential for traveling in Japan.......2006-02-09

This book is weighty but great! It has all kinds of information that is pertinent and useful for all travelers to Japan. The cultural and historical sections are not only informative but also pithy and interesting to read. The descriptions of all the sights are excellent and the maps are helpful. You can get more detailed maps at your destination but the maps in the book give you an overall picture of the areas. The only negative is that some of the restaurant and hotel info is outdated.

Gateway to Japan: Hakata in War And Peace, 500-1300

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Gateway to Japan: Hakata in War And Peace, 500-1300
Bruce Loyd Batten
Manufacturer: University of Hawaii Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

General | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

Japan | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

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Medieval | World | History | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0824830296

Book Description

A thousand years ago, most visitors to Japan would have arrived by ship at Hakata Bay, the one and only authorized gateway to Japan. Hakata was the location of the Korokan, an official guest-house for foreign visitors that is currently yielding its secrets to the spades of Japanese archaeologists. Nearby was Dazaifu, the imperial capital of western Japan, surrounded by mountain fortresses and defended by an army of border guards. Over the ages, Hakata was a staging ground for Japanese troops on their way to Korea and ground zero for foreign invasions of Japan. Through the port passed a rich variety of diplomats, immigrants, raiders, and traders, both Japanese and foreign.

Gateway to Japan spotlights four categories of cross-cultural interaction-war, diplomacy, piracy, and trade-over a period of eight hundred years to gain insight into several larger questions about Japan and its place in the world: How and why did Hakata come to serve as the country's "front door"? How did geography influence the development of state and society in the Japanese archipelago? Has Japan been historically open or closed to outside influence? Why are Japanese so profoundly ambivalent about other places and people?

Individual chapters focus on Chinese expansionism and its consequences for Japan and East Asia as a whole; the subtle (and not-so-subtle) contradictions and obfuscations of the diplomatic process as seen in Japanese treatment of Korean envoys visiting Kyushu; random but sometimes devastating attacks on Kyushu by Korean (and sometimes Japanese) pirates; and foreign commerce in and around Hakata, which turns out to be neither fully "foreign" nor fully "commerce" in the modern sense of the word. The conclusion briefly traces the story forward into medieval and early modern times.

Book Description

This improved and revised edition of the standard reference work The Englishman's Greek Concordance features a new, larger format that makes referencing even easier. Coded to StrongÂ's, it gives the reader with no knowledge of Greek unprecedented insight into the New Testament Greek. An invaluable tool for unearthing the rich meaning of the biblical language.

Customer Reviews:

A must-have for a complete reference bookshelf.......2007-05-20

Great for defining Greek words by context. You can use a computer to do this, but what can't you use one for these days? ;-), I like to have a hard copy too... for a number of reasons. The only reason I put a 4 instead of a 5 is that the print is hard to read in some places.

Excellent Study Tool.......2006-01-31

This book is a great way to determine what a greek word actually means. It is the reverse of the strongs concordance(Greek to english rather than english to greek). Simply look in Strong's concordance for a word and look at the Strong's number then take this study tool and it will show you every occurance of that word in all it's various forms, in their English translation, under the strong's number. By using this book with contextual study of a word makes the study of greek far easier especially if you have little or no knowledge of greek parsing(word endings).

An Invaluable Tool - Bad print though........2002-04-06

For those who are serious about digging deep into God's word, a Greek-English corcordance like this one is a must. For instance, if you look up the word "soul" in Strong's Concordance, you'll find only 19 usages in the New Testament. Using this concordance, however, when you look up "soul" in the index, you find out that the Greek word for it is "psukee" and you get the page number to find it on. Going there you will discover that this word is used about 150 times in the New Testament. Using Strong's you miss out on all the verses in which "psukee" is translated as other words such as life, person, mind, heart, etc. Seeing all the verses gives you a full picture of what the word really means.

I have found that a lot of what God teaches in the Bible gets lost in English translations. I also believe that some of the translations are downright deceitful ways to preserve church doctrines. For instance, I am now certain that the Greek words "aion" and "aionios" (p. 19-20) should be translated consistently as "age" and "age-lasting" and never as "eternity" and "eternal". I believe that Rotherham's Bible correctly translates these words. Whether you agree with me or not, you can look up all usages of these words yourself and not have to rely on the translators. That is a very liberating experience.

I bought this book without knowing even the Greek alphabet and still found it easy to use. Eventually I learned some Biblical Greek, and this made using the concordance a little easier. Now I can look up a Greek word without going to the index first.

There are some drawbacks you should be aware of. The print is small and is of very poor quality. In some places the print is too light and in others it is dark and smudgy. I can make out all the words, but I can see where the print quality would bother a lot of people, especially those whose vision isn't what it used to be. There is no table of contents and for that reason I was unaware for about two months that there is a separate section for proper names. There is a vocabulary section with very short definitions and not much more.

You might want to look at a copy of this book before buying it. If you can overlook the poor print quality, it is a great book that you will use over and over again. Otherwise, you'll have to splurge on a more expensive Greek concordance. Just make sure you get one though.

You don't have to be a scholar to learn like one . . ........2002-01-28

Many bible students tend to shy away from more serious, technical reference tools thinking they may only be for "scholars".

Not so with Wigram's The Englishman's Greek Concordance.

It does help to know the Greek alphabet, but that comes easily with more use. This reference can be used by the serious bible student, searching from either the English or Greek word.

I find it helpful to study from an "interlinear" bible, looking up the Greek words I need in this concordance. Absorbing how NT authors used the words, I can draw my own conclusions without having them filtered through the theological views of another.

What a blessing!

It's not that great.......2001-02-11

The print quality is not that good. I'm disappointed with this book.

Book Description

Add appeal to graphics with these silhouettes: youngsters posing as bookends, girl reading at beach, couple examining menus, many more.

Book Description

Aspiring makeup artists will find all they need in this in-depth look at the industry from choosing products to techniques for application and care of the skin. The book includes over 200 charts and drawings for clarity. Features: -Basic, advanced and even corrective makeup techniques -Special effects makeup and glamour looks -Career options and opportunities for makeup artists -A better understanding of light and color

Customer Reviews:

Makeup Artists need this book.......2002-10-22

This is a great book for makeup artists, probably not great for the makeup junkie consumer. I learned more in this book then I have in all of the makeup classes I have taken over the years. It is a study book more then a read for fun book, every artist needs to read it.

Good reference material........2000-04-02

Pretty thorough coverage of modern makeup. It doesn't call out the new Hollywood looks in particular, the underlying technique is all there.

The Art and Business of Professional Grooming

Average customer rating:

Excellent detail

The Art and Business of Professional Grooming
Dorothy Walin
Manufacturer: Alpine Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Entrepreneurship | Small Business & Entrepreneurship | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Veterinary Medicine | Medicine | Subjects | Books

Animal Husbandry | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0931866154

Customer Reviews:

Excellent detail.......1999-10-13

I not only read the book but knew the author from years back. She is a very meticulous and detailed person and has been in the business for over 30 years and also a breeder of toy poodles. So anything that Dorothy writes about this subject has to be very thorough and in comprehensive detail. If I were still breeding and showing poodles, I would continue to use this book for her expertise and would definately recommend this very informative book to the beginner and professional alike.

Attention to Detail: A Woman's Guide to Professional Appearance and Conduct (Attention to Detail)

Average customer rating:

Basics for beginners only!
not worth the price
Simple, Easy to Read
not worth it at all
Thanks!

Attention to Detail: A Woman's Guide to Professional Appearance and Conduct (Attention to Detail)
Clinton T., III Greenleaf , and Stefani Schaefer
Manufacturer: Greenleaf Book Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Textile & Costume | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Fashion | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Women & Business | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Etiquette | Business Life | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0966531930

Book Description

This second book in the Attention to Detail series is the sister publication to Attention to Detail: A Gentlemans Guide to Professional Appearance and Conduct. Like the first, it covers the basics of grooming, proper business attire, interviewing and business etiquette... from a womans perspective.

Customer Reviews:

Basics for beginners only!.......2005-03-07

Luckily, I checked this out from the library rather than purchasing it. This very thin, very basic booklet is more like somthing I would expect to get free as a promotional item, not something I would pay $12.95 for.

If you've ever been in the workforce, or your mother taught you anything about how to dress and act, you don't need this book.

not worth the price.......2004-12-06

I bought this book, thinking the same as another reviewer, that it would be about DETAILS, not basic stuff. I was extremely disappointed. This is good for high school students or a high school guidance office, but it's not useful for someone who is starting out of college with a professional career. A MUCH better choice would be The New Women's Dress For Success, by Molloy.

This book was extremely thin, 64 pages, and overpriced. I paid much less for a different book that was MUCH more informative and helpful.

Simple, Easy to Read.......2002-08-22

This guide is a very simple and easy to read guide for women who need some extra advice creating the right look and improving their appearance.

not worth it at all.......2001-11-06

Save your money - there's really nothing new here.

Thanks!.......2000-11-27

My mentor at work gave me a copy of this book my first day on the job. Thank you for this guide, I fell much better about myself and what to say and do when I'm in the office.

Average customer rating:

The Art and Business of Professional Grooming
Dorothy Walin
Manufacturer: Alpine Pubns Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000LT15Z4

Professional Men's Hairdressing: The Art of Cutting and Styling (Hairdressing and Beauty Industry Authority)

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Professional Men's Hairdressing: The Art of Cutting and Styling (Hairdressing and Beauty Industry Authority)
Guy Kremer , and Jacki Wadeson
Manufacturer: Cengage Learning
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Job Hunting & Careers | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Guides | Job Hunting & Careers | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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General | Beauty & Fashion | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Hair | Beauty & Fashion | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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

Business & Investing | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 1861529023

Book Description

Guy Kremer is internationally renowned in the hairdressing world. Famous for his elegance and style, his cutting and barbering skills are much sought after as he successfully combines the classic with the funky to give styles that transform the very fabric of hair. In Professional Men's Hairdressing: the art of cutting and styling Guy presents a range of styles which show a variety of men's cuts and looks for the twenty first century. Presented in five cutting-edge collections, he demonstrates twenty five styles in step by step detail. A section on essential tools and a gallery of images provides further inspiration making this an indispensable guide for professionals, trainers and aspiring students alike.

Customer Reviews:

A sober guide to real life as a stamp dealer.......2001-05-11

I really enjoyed this book. It covers nearly all aspects of stamp dealing: owning a shop, doing mail sales, auctions, and bourses - although the omission of Internet trading is a minus. The foreword by the legendary Herman 'Pat' Herst is effusive but accurate. Mosiondz is a US dealer with a very sober, down-to-earth approach. He makes it abundantly clear that if you intend to make a living in stamps, you should realize that it requires attention to the same business basics as any other field - and he goes into a lot of detail. His bottom line: success will surely come, but only to the dedicated, disciplined professional. Much of the wisdom in this book is valid around the world and would apply equally to trading in many different collectibles. As someone who has dabbled in stamp dealing, I would recommend this book to anyone. It's good know-how at a bargain price.

Worth reading book........2001-01-04

This book is previewing the real life of a stamp dealer. The book provides useful info to any stamp collector which couldn't find it anywhere else.

Outdated.......2000-02-06

This book was disapointing as it covers nothing new and fails to cover aspects of stamp dealing on the internet. Since a lot of stamp auctions are now done through the internet, perhaps this is a book more suitable for those who are primarily focussed on local American markets. Definitely not recommended for international buyers.

Average customer rating:

Great

outstanding

"Native" applies to Europeans

Bonsai: Grow Your Own Bonsai from Cuttings, Seeds, and Saplings
Werner M. Busch
Manufacturer: The Lyons Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Bonsai | By Plant | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Japanese Gardens | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Trees | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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Beginning Bonsai: The Gentle Art of Miniature Tree Growing

Simon & Schuster's Guide To Bonsai (Nature Guide Series)

ASIN: 1585744417

Book Description

Reveals the mysteries of creating the dramatic, often startling miniature plants that typify the art of Bonsai; illustrated with beautiful 4-color photographs.

Customer Reviews:

Great.......2007-01-10

This is a great book--lots of valuable information, pictures, and info and different species of bonsai. Practical.

outstanding.......2003-05-21

I think this book is excellent. Although the trees are native to Europe, most of the advice applies perfectly to people in temperate North America. Scots Pine, yew, spindle, beech, hawthorn, apple, willow etc... all species are covered in detail with info on training, pests, propagation, etc.... Definitely not just for Europeans, anyone in the Eastern U.S. and most of Canada will find this very useful. Great photos, too!
-j

"Native" applies to Europeans.......1998-06-13

This is an excellent -- and useful -- book for those who wish to use native trees for their bonsai. However, to get the best benefit from it, you need to live in Europe, since the 'natives' are from that continent.

Book Description

The result of more than three decades of dedicated scholarly research by the Forschungsstelle Gregor von Nyssa (Münster), the Lexicon Gregorianum constitutes the most comprehensive Greek-German dictionary ever of the language used by Gregory of Nyssa. It is, and will be for the foreseeable future, the only dictionary available specifically addressing the vocabulary of late Classical Greek. Far from being a simple word list this seminal reference work documents Gregory's complete vocabulary, taking account of the syntax, meaning, and connotations of every occurrence of a key word in his writings. After the first four volumes had been published in 1999-2002, comprising the articles of the letters Alpha to Iota, now the volume five is forthcoming. The "Band V " includes the letter Kappa and deals amongst other important terms with the most significant theological and philosophical words, for example with the articles of the word-families.

Average customer rating:
Dark Companion the Story of Matthew Henson
Bradley Robinson , and Matthew Henson
Manufacturer: Bradley Robinson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000UZUCWQ

Product Description

The first great African American explorer, his friendship with Peary, and their epoch-making discovery of the North Pole.

Dark Companion: The Story of Matthew Henson

Average customer rating:

An Inspirational Story
A tale of unbelievable courage
Is there an author out there?
an inspiring read..
An Inspiring Story

Dark Companion: The Story of Matthew Henson
Bradley Robinson
Manufacturer: Widget Magic
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound

African-American & Black | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Dark Companion is the only biography written with Matthew Henson, the legendary Arctic explorer who reached the North Pole with Peary in 1909. The author's son has republished it as a tribute to Henson - of whom his father said was "A great man" and his mother added - "...and a Great Spirit".

Customer Reviews:

An Inspirational Story.......2002-05-01

This is the life story of Matthew Henson, the Black explorer who went to the North Pole with Peary. The first-hand tales of Henson's Arctic exploits are told in straightforward prose, full of personal touches. One can almost see the twinkle in Henson's eye as he related these stories to listeners to whom the Arctic was as remote as the moon.

Henson was a key player on one Peary expedition after another from 1892 through 1909. He went with Peary virtually every step of the way on every expedition after Peary's first crossing of Greenland. Henson built sledges and other equipment, handled the dog teams, took his turn out in front by a day or more breaking trail, and, most importantly, developed a close working relationship with the Eskimos, whose assistance was the key to reaching the North Pole. Henson is not shy about his own contribution, and that view is supported by the three introductions to Dark Companion by Peary contemporaries MacMillan, Freuchen and Stefansson. These testimonials alone are reason enough to buy this book. MacMillan, a tenderfoot on the 1909 Peary expedition to the Pole and an Arctic explorer in his own right in later years, readily admitted that Peary took Henson to the pole because, with all of his experience and abilities he was the best man for the job. And Henson's courage -- whether pushing ahead with Peary despite lack of supplies, relying on hunting skills to avoid almost certain starvation, or facing constant danger from moving, crushing, and suddenly parting ice, or fighting walruses from kayaks -- is indisputable.

These Arctic accounts are available in other sources, including Henson's own book, a Negro Explorer at the North Pole, and books by Henson's fellow travelers, Peary, Bartlett, MacMillan and Borup. But only in Dark Companion can one read Henson's account of survival in another inhospitable environment -- late 19th and early 20th century America.

The Arctic was a place where Henson could contribute his full potential. Not because Peary or his white companions were civil rights crusaders, but because the environment of the north simply demanded too much to afford the luxury of limiting any person's contributions on arbitrary racial grounds. By contrast, Henson's life outside the Arctic was a struggle against diminished expectations and unspoken slurs at best and outright racial hatred at worst. But in telling the story, Henson focuses on the exception, the kindness of the sea captain who tutored him and taught him to read, as the defining influence in his life.

Upon returning to America after Peary's expedition to the pole, Henson's contribution went largely unrecognized. In fact, critics openly attacked Peary for taking a Negro on the final leg of the North Pole dash. Early on, the argument, by Cook supporters, was raised that Peary must have taken Henson because he didn't want a "credible" witness. This, the argument goes, would leave Peary free to make phony claims, since Henson would presumably be either too stupid to contradict Peary, would not dare to contradict him, or would be ignored.

Henson continues to be caught in the crossfire of modern Peary critics. To discount the possibility that Peary might have chosen Henson on merit, critics routinely have referred to him as Peary's manservant or valet. Yet Peary listed Henson as an assistant. Henson was only a "valet" once, when surveying in Nicaragua prior to 1892. Some recent critics disparage Henson's lack of "full literacy" and analyze his every statement looking for inconsistencies to prove him a "liar." Henson's recounting of his adventures to Robinson, some 40 to 50 years after the fact, does, to be sure, contain some inconsistencies in the details. Still, one wonders why some critics readily excuse what might charitably be called far greater memory lapses in the accounts of Frederick Cook, a "white man," while branding Henson's mistaken recollections as lies. But Henson never wavered on the essentials: Henson, with all his expert sledding experience, was confident that the expedition had covered the necessary distance from the last navigational observation to the Pole.

One cannot find fault with Robinson's editorial decision to let Henson's recollections speak for him. The opportunity to get Henson's detailed story, under oath, subject to cross examination, while it was fresh in his mind, was passed up when Congress, in its investigation of Peary's claim, did not bother to call Henson as a witness. History will never recover from that shameful oversight, and Robinson could not repair the damage.

This book is not about whether Henson actually stood at the pole, or only 5 or 20 miles from it. It is about one man's decision to be shaped by what was positive in his life. It is about having the courage to face every conceivable danger to participate in a great enterprise on an even playing field. It is about the satisfaction of seeing one's talents and experience put to good use, and of being the one called upon when the need was greatest -- in short, a hero. It is an inspirational story.

A tale of unbelievable courage.......2002-04-12

This book is an inspirational read. I've always been fascinated by polar explorers (especially the early ones) because of the privations they suffered, and for nothing but recognition and desire to see what hasn't yet been seen.

Juxtapose the sub-plot of a noted Naval navigator, driven to make his mark in the world, forming a relationship with a black man (very free-thinking in those days) that made both men stronger than they would have been on their own, and you have a truly a fascinating story.

It's too bad that so much has to be made of the fact that Henson was a black man, but it mattered then, and sadly, it matters now. If Peary didn't think it was issue 80 years ago, why is race still an issue? This is the question that forms an undercurrent to the story in the book. Someday, perhaps, we'll talk of Peary and Henson's exploits, and the word "black" or "white" will only be relevent when disussing seal noses and snow....

Is there an author out there?.......2002-03-23

Why doesn't someone write an adult book about Matt Henson? I went looking for a biography of him and all I could find was children's books, and this one, which is apparently supposed to be an adult book, but is written on about a junior-high level. It seems like one of America's greatest black heroes should have had an adult biography written about him by now!

an inspiring read.........2002-03-01

i must say this book initiated feelings i had not expected.
i bought the book as a source of african american history but
as i read further, i got drawn into the life of a kid from the
last vestiges of slavery who despite the obvious nefarious
conditions for a black kid during those times, was allowed to
follow a dream of exploration by gaining and earning acceptance
from those good people willing to "give the guy a chance".
This book is much more than a story of a black kid who despite
never ending verbal attacks (many to this day)did what he wished
and contributed to humanity, it is a book that proves there
are no limits whenever humans are able to forget their minor
differences and intelligently solve any predicament.
Kudos to Mr. Robinson!!!

An Inspiring Story.......2002-02-27

I found this book to be inspiring. I have always found 19th and early-20th century polar expeditions fascinating, and this account is a great read. The hardships endured, and the bravery required to undertake such a feat is simply amazing. Do they even make people like this anymore?

The story is gripping in an of itself, but the fact that Mr. Henson, an African-American, teamed up with a white explorer, Peary, makes it even more amazing, and it should be applauded that Peary chose his crew solely on their ability to get this incredible job done, instead of political and sociological considerations.

I recommend this book highly.

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