1776

1776

by David Mccullough

1776 is a wonderful book that looks closely at the events surrounding that fateful year that was so important in the formation of the United States of America. The writer is really a great narrator of events and does an amazing job of considering all applicable accounts and presenting the story from all the participants perspectives.

The book covers primarily the wars and maneuvers of the opposing army’s but also includes important information and involvement that the continental congress had.

One of my favorite parts of the book is that it also considers very closely the primary characters that played a part in the military actions and their personal ideas and characteristics. This helped to paint an even more illuminating picture of the events that occurred during this years time.

This book actually covers about 18 months of time, primarily to give important background information leading up to the main events of 1776 and a few major events that occurred in the first few weeks of 1778.

Overall I liked this book. It really clearly illustrates how many times the war was almost won and lost by both sides.

The book is a great piece of work about the revolution of the United States of America. If you want to learn more about this era, then this is a must read. It gets a 4 out of 5.

Into the Wild

Into the Wild

By Jon Krakauer

This is a tale of a young man and his search for his own self and how it ended in his tragic death.

This book follows Chris as he journeys through America experiencing life and trying to discover what is out there for him. If pieces together the little known path that Chris traveled for more than 2 years up to his untimely death by starvation in the Alaska wilderness.

This book isn’t a fiction at all. It analyzes as much as possible the things that influenced the young man and choices he made that led to his end. It also makes the case that Chris didn’t in fact go out to die, but to live and in the process several unfortunate events led to his death.

As with most of Krakauer’s writings there is good research, strong opinions, but also a certain amount of fair objectiveness that leaves the reader to discern for themselves what actually may have occured.

Overall I give it a 4 of 5 stars, and a good read if you dig the documentary investigation type of books.

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Into the Wild

The Eye of the World

The Eye of the World

By Robert Jordan

This book published by Tor Books came out back in 1990, so it is really an older book.  This book however is definitely a classic book in the realm of Fantasy writing.  Not the first of its kind but definitely one of the more famous establishments in the realm.

This book is the first of currently 11 books in the Wheel of Time series.  I had been reluctant to start this series prior to this because the author passed away before writing the last book.  When I found out that the authors widow and publisher had appointed an author to finish his work with one last book I decided that I was going to read the series, even thought the last book will come out about the fall of 2009.  This is a long time away, but those 11 books are really long and I won’t read them all straight through at once.

Okay that preamble out of the way, I was hesitant to read this book.  This book isn’t really the brand of magic type books that you find in the likes of Harry Potter or Artemis Fowl.  It takes you to a whole new world, with new creatures, people, and so on.

I was also hesitant because I had started this book probably 12 years or so ago and I just didn’t get into it.  It was a bit beyond my short attention teenage span at the time.  Don’t disparage however, at the same time I picked up Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and told my mom I thought it was no good.  I grew in my tastes.

This book is good in the fact that it doesn’t go overboard on the magic factor but brings balance.  The characters as well have morals and ideals that are enviable by any person (give them a break on small bad habits though).

Overall the book is worth a read.  Here is the basic story.

Three friends who have grown up together in the Two Rivers, Rand, Matt and Perrin find out that they are actually more than farm boys and a blacksmith.  They are wanted by the great dark lord because they may actually be the only once that could lead to his actual destruction.

An Aes Sedia (a woman who can use magic) comes and saves them and takes them on the beginning of a journey that ultimately will last for the next 12 books.  They fight trollocs, myrdral, and other evils and eventually are faced with two of the forsaken who are the only things almost as bad as the great dark lord.  They escape and conquer them in the end.

This is an incredibly short synopsis.  For more go to this link at Wikipedia and read more.

I suggest it, especially if you like magic type stories.

Overall a 4 out of 5 stars.

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Legacy of Lies by Cindy Christiansen

Legacy of Lies

By Cindy A. Christiansen

This novel by Cindy A. Christiansen is a book of non stop action that will surely be a page turner. With characters that entice and interest the reader and a plot that will keep you hooked until the last sentence, this is a must read book.

I was privileged to have the chance to read it before it was actually printed Continue reading

Eclipse

Eclipse

by Stephenie Meyer

Eclipse is the third edition to the Twilight series, and not the last.

In this book, Victoria is as vicious and determined to kill Bella as ever. There is the stress of when, and if, Bella will actually be turned into a vampire, (Edward refuses to change her until she marries him; a revolting idea to Bella), when will the Volturi will arrive, and also the newest problem: Who is creating a new army of vampires, and why? Continue reading

Fahrenheit 451 – by Ray Bradbury

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

This book is remarkable in its future outlook. It was written many years ago projecting around the time of our day. The way he wrote the book a reader might think he had seen forward to our time and seen the iPOD, and LCD televisions.

The story starts on the premise that it has become against the law to own and read books. For many reasons that will be presented this futuristic society simplified things and got rid of radical ideas and anything that might be presented in books that wouldn’t allow things to be nice and simple. Continue reading

Fifty Places to Go Birding Before You Die

Fifty Places to Go Birding Before You Die: Birding Experts Share The World’s Greatest Destinations

By Chris Santella

If you a bird watcher this is a destination guide for you! This is a book for bird watchers. If your not a bird watcher and want a gift for this is also for you, but otherwise this review isn’t for you.

Santella talks to the luminaries of the bird watching sport and finds out the most amazing places they have been or would go to bird watch. Included with the recommended destinations are travel ideas and tips, but most of all stories about the places that make them even more incredible.

This book is great, especially of you love to scheme and dream about traveling. It also does quite well at including a variety of destinations, not just destinations most people could never even dream about going. About half of the destinations are in the United States making the book even or useful for the average birdwatcher.

My only negative about the book is that there are only 50 spots, and no real information about each area on a broader scale suggesting other close by hot spots and things that can be done around those destinations. Many places listed are only one hot spot among many. Otherwise this is a great book, and a great starting place for finding an incredible place to go birding!

Rating 4/5.

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Twilight

Twilight

by Stephenie Meyer

This book mainly falls under the category of fiction, and contains a bit of romance. It is a fun, easy, enjoyable novel to read about Bella, a teenage girl, caught up in the world of vampires.

Things begin when the stunning vampire Edward Cullen and the ordinary Bella Swan fall intensely in love. It is naturally highly dangerous for her to be so involved in a world of monsters, and does indeed find herself in quite a bit of trouble. This happens when the Cullen family known as “vegetarian,” have other “natural feeding” of their kind show up.

Overall Rating: 4 of 5

This book is extremely popular, and incredibly accepted especially among women, (it is partially a love story). I do know guys that have read it and most did enjoy it.

In my opinion, the authors voice is a turnoff. I don’t like the repetitive descriptions of particular things, and also I don’t favor the relationship that Bella and Edward share. It is relatively unbalanced. Nonetheless I did quite enjoy the book, and would recommend it. It is certainly a page turner with a captivating story and definitely entertaining.

Please buy it here to support this site…

Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1)

The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Book: The Complete Guide for Photographers

lightroom.jpg

The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Book: The Complete Guide for Photographers

By Martin Evening

This book is all about the use pf Adobe’s new program, Lightroom. If you reading this then you probably know at least what that program is and does for photography. This book is in my opinion a great book for the users of Lightroom. It covers all the basics, and gets into quite advanced functions that Lightroom is capable of. This book will really help you get all of your digital photography moving. This program is amazing powerful and simple, and in turn for a book slash technical manual to live up to the great program then you need something that is really good and this is on par.

This book will cover what you need to get started and help you avoid confusion and waisting time in the use of this program. I highly suggest it. In fact this book will be on my bookself when I get the chance to buy it because it will be a good reference for the program that is easier to use than the users manual.

Overall Rating = 4 of 5

Overall it will not be a waste of time and money if your a Lightroom User and will shorten your learning curve.  For me it seemed he could have covered a bit more but overall it was well done.

Some people might actually prefer Scott Kelby’s how to book on Lightroom. I like his books but prefer this one over Kelby’s in this case. It is simply a case of preference for style. Both of these books really will lower the learning curve, but won’t be essential to success. Check out my page for Kelby’s book, or buy it through this link.

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Book for Digital Photographers,The (Voices That Matter)

This book is best suited for people using or interested in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom. You can buy the program through this link to support this sight.

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 1.0 Win/Mac

Everyone else, it is a technical manual that would be a great gift for your loved one who does use the program.

This book is a Technical Computer book that specifically covers the program Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Program.

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The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Book: The Complete Guide for Photographers

Here is another link to the program to support this site. This is where I bought the program for myself.