Sick of Nature Review

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(More customer reviews)At first glance, Gessner's newest volume appears to be a random collection of 17 very different essays. The assorted ruminations cover the genre of nature writing, overdevelopment of Cape Cod beaches, Ultimate Frisbee games and teams, the writing life, urban vs. rural life, family relationships, and a side trip to the jungle of Belize, all capped off with a coyote trilogy. But as the reader progresses from one selection to another, a unified theme becomes clear. This book is an exploration of all aspects of wildness -- in the author, in other humans, in animals, in habitats. Gessner poses the fundamental questions and struggles to provide reasonable answers. What is wildness? Where is it? Is it fair to study wild animals via an electronic scientific method? And is a wild turkey still wild if it struts along the back alleys of Boston?
Devout animal lovers, be warned: David Gessner puts realism into his nature writing and glosses over neither death nor decay. If you prefer your nature Disney-fied, rent a movie. Not to be missed in this book: the imaginary Nature Writers party on pages 4 and 5, and what might happen if Edward Abbey slipped alcohol into Thoreau's water glass.
These are thought-provoking essays that are recommended reading for nature lovers, nature writers, and memoir fans. At the very least, you'll start studying shadows for coyote shapes.

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The Essentials of Living Aboard a Boat Review

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(More customer reviews)A seasoned and experienced sailor, Mark Nicholas has written an ideal introduction for anyone aspiring to enjoy life aboard any kind of boat in The Essentials Of Living Aboard: The Definitive Guide For New Liveaboards. The reader will learn how to choose and buy a boat that is appropriate for one's needs, including the finesse of the buying process, negotiations, insurance, and financing, amenities aboard a boat, navigation and safety matters, sanitation issues, legal issues, tips, tricks, and techniques, and more. Of special interest is the warnings about search, seizure, and forfeiture - even though a boat may be one's home, it does not have the same protections against search and seizure as a landbound home. Furthermore, forfeiturelaws mean that the government can seize property (including the boat one lives upon!) and never return it, even if the owner is never accused or convicted of any crime. An absolute "must-have" for anyone considering making a boat one's permanent dwelling.


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The Essentials of Living Aboard educates both dreamers and explorers with information about this wonderful and rewarding lifestyle. Mark Nicholas has combined his experience of life aboard with the advice of other liveaboards, marina owners, technicians, boat manufacturers and advocates in order to detail the challenges and offer real advice for success. This lifestyle, typically thought to be out of reach or "for other people," is now available to all who dream.Read this book if you've ever been gripped by the romantic idea of living on water. Mark Nicholas presents a rich mine of information for potential liveaboards, information he gleaned the hard way. As a self-confessed "expert at what can go wrong," who better than Mark to pass on the solid advice you need?-John Vigor, Author

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North to Cree Lake: The Rugged Lives of the Trappers Who Leave Civilization Behind (Western Canadian Classics) Review

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(More customer reviews)I read this book while working on a mineral exploration survey in Northern Saskatchewan in 1974. The author and his brother preceded me by some 50-80 years. However many things about this wonderful part of Canada had not changed and it was easy to identify and imagine being with these fellows as they learned how to live and trap in the bush.... The writing is quite plain; but as the events are real they carry the book... (imagine your bro going lala while you are 500 miles away from the nearest civilizatioin...) Highly reconmended for anyone who loves the wilderness and adventure.... I believe I still have a copy kicking around here somewhere... Does anyone know how many copies where printed?

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Originally published in 1970, North to Cree Lake is the true story of two brothers who embark on the adventure of a lifetime.The onset of the Great Depression meant there were few opportunities for young men on the prairies, so the pair decided to pursue their dream of trapping in the North.
This is a vividly recounted tale of life in the northern Saskatchewanwilderness, "the old North, land of mystery and deep silences" only accessible by canoe in summer, by dog team in winter, or by aircraft.The young men embrace the challenges of travelling in the North, and not only survive, but thrive.North to Cree Lake is full of fascinating details about everyday life in the North - what they ate, how they travelled, how to prepare moose nose - and offers insights into the men who chose to live in such an isolated and perilous region.Karras wrote North to Cree Lake many years after he left northern Saskatchewan, but the clarity of his memories is remarkable, as is his deep love of the North.
A farmer's assistant for $2 a day, a grain buyer, and ultimately a school administrator, Arthur Karras no longer hunted when he returned to civilization but continued to fish.The writing of North to Cree Lake occupied his thoughts for many years.Karras lived in Indian Head, Saskatchewan, with his wife and two sons, and wrote one other non-fiction book.

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