The Illustrated Natural History of Selbourne

Book Description

Millions of people have seen Michael Kahn's stunning seascape and sailing images in art galleries, on posters, and in Pottery Barn and other retail catalogs. Now, collected for the first time in book form, this sumptuous coffee-table volume is a visual escape that inevitably evokes a longing for the sea. Kahn hand-prints his images using a process he developed, which produces warm, sepia-toned photographs. This collection is the perfect gift for anyone who appreciates the emotional pull of a sailboat on the open sea.

Sailing My Shoe to Timbuktu: A Woman's Adventurous Search for Family, Spirit, and Love

Average customer rating:

Great book for book club discussion
A gem.
An Honest Look at Spirituality and Alzheimer's
This book is a gift.
Something For Everyone?

Sailing My Shoe to Timbuktu: A Woman's Adventurous Search for Family, Spirit, and Love
Joyce Thompson
Manufacturer: HarperSanFrancisco
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Amazon.com

Novelist and Northwest native Joyce Thompson (Bones) offers an excellent spiritual memoir, blending the contemporary challenges of middle age into a profound mystical awakening through the Afro-Caribbean religion of Santeria. More than a memoir about finding a religion that works for her, Thompson speaks to a familiar American dilemma—how do we integrate an ancient, native spirituality into modern Western life? Like many contemporary seekers, she was drawn to a spirituality that offered a more loving, empowering and non-judgmental God along with meaningful rituals and teachings. "This theology assumes that you have an essential right to prosper, to be the best and most successful person you're inherently capable of becoming, to live in harmony with your fellows and with the earth itself," she explains. As she grows more devout in Santeria, she must learn how to incorporate her spiritual growth into daily living. In her case, Thompson is a divorced, single mother, caring for a disabled mother with Alzheimer's, while trying to pursue a romance with a newfound soul mate (and then attempting to integrate their children into this blessed out union). One of the basic tenets of this fascinating religion (which began as the traditional spirituality of the Yoruba people in West Africa and eventually expanded into the Caribbean through the slave trade) is to revere and respect one's ancestors. So on top of everything else, Thompson must also forge a more loving and respectful relationship with her ancestors. In doing so, she faces her family legacy—including the crippling alcoholism of her father (a widely respect judge) and the emotional coldness of her mother, who was once a stunning and accomplished lawyer. As we read this expertly rendered story about a woman's reckoning with her past and reawakening to her future, we feel privileged to enter into this fascinating religion and this tenderly beautiful life. --Gail Hudson.

Book Description

In this fiercely candid and moving book, novelist Joyce Thompson recounts a difficult yet transforming period in her life. In words that will ring true to anyone in the "sandwich" generation, Thompson tells the story of her troubled marriage ending, her adjustment to single motherhood, finding new love, turning fifty, dealing with sick and dying parents, and somehow discovering a spiritual home in an ancient, earth-centered tradition.

Along the way, she comes to terms with the blessings and specters of her own dysfunctional family. This includes her father, a distinguished judge and chronic alcoholic, and her tough, smart mother, a pioneering woman lawyer, who is slowly succumbing to Alzheimer's and whom Thompson helps to die gracefully, despite many traumatic and even ridiculous moments. But with Thompson's lyrical, personal, and evocative writing, she transforms what could have been a soap opera into a rich, moving, and funny story, full of hope.

Thompson's novels are about understanding the human condition, and it's no surprise she focuses that gift on her own life and the lives of her family. Elegant, wise, and witty, Sailing My Shoe to Timbuktu, pulls no punches and is delightfully and compulsively readable.

Customer Reviews:

Great book for book club discussion.......2004-04-25

My book club read this book and we had the one of our most lively and interesting discussions. Joyce Thompson's candid story of dealing with her mother's mental decline and her family's history was both moving and funny. Thompson is a great storyteller. I didn't want the book to end. I wanted more details and more stories about her mother and father, grandparents, aunts, uncles, her children and husband. They all seemed to come alive as she tries to make sense of half told family lore. Thompson's neither sanctimonious nor condescending when she writes about the difficult journey she made with her mother. It's a great read.

A gem........2004-01-04

I finished this book at 12:30 in the morning on January 2, and can think of no finer way to ease out of one year and greet the next. It's a brave and tender page turner and I could not put it down.

An Honest Look at Spirituality and Alzheimer's.......2003-09-25

Sailing is a fairly rare thing: an honest book about living a spiritual life. It talks about how one writer entered Santeria, an Afro-Cuban religion, without losing her skeptical eye, integrating a 21st-century woman's rationalism with a willingness to believe. Not many books show someone actually doing the work of embracing a personal spirituality--doubting, moving one step forward and two steps back, but moving. This is one of those books.

Sailing is also about remaking the mother-daughter bond, caring for a mother losing her short-term memory as she moves toward death. By now, you may be saying, "I get it. The woman found God, and God helped her deal with Mom." But spirituality didn't always help. Thompson's mother tried as hard as she could to push her daughter away, and Alzheimer's isn't pretty--one of Thompson's most rousing successes comes when she finally gives Stinky Mom a shower, a production that should make you laugh if you're not dead. Facing your mother's old age takes a sense of humor.

Looking back on her ancestors, as Santeria practitioners do, Thompson tells of the family that formed her mother, and braids in her love story with her husband. Thompson as a novelist has always been a superb stylist, and the voice as much as the story kept me reading through the night. When you marry her voice to this true and unusual tale, you get a book I can't recommend highly enough.

This book is a gift........2003-09-14

This wonderful book overtook my life for 3 days as I savored each short, wise chapter. I was sorry when I reached the last page. A book about love, death, spirit, it is equally a funny down-to-earth account of a woman's everyday struggles with career, family and what to wear. Here's the bonus...Thompson's wordcraft is masterful. Her lovely meditation on the simple dance of a falling leaf is as lyrical as the passages about her working days at Microsoft are richly drawn. If you have an aged, impaired parent, you will find in Thompson a wise and witty guide on how to maneuver the tough, too-real moments. There is heartbreak here but also a sense of honor in helping a loved one transition into death. The vignette when she steals away from her abusive husband with her young children is told mostly though dialogue between her and her unsuspecting 6 year old daughter. A lovely and harrowing account where the mother protects the child but never quite tells a lie. Thompson's memoir challenges readers to find their own stories. The real treasure is her writing, an astonishing gift. If you're a fan of words, welcome to your new favorite writer, Joyce Thompson.

Something For Everyone?.......2003-09-10

This is a difficult book to catagorize. Do you wish the enjoyment of graceful prose by an author at the top of her game? Would you follow the highlights of a life story as memory works, with short chapters based on recurring themes but no straightforward timeline--interweaving people, events, family history, spiritual quest, finding a soul mate in middle age and making it work, raising children alone? There are poems written from the point of view of the author's aging mother (and they are good poems, a poet's poems, not the usual chopped prose of a fiction writer). There is humor in situations which were extremely difficult to live through. There is joy in introspection. There is personal growth after the achievement of success as a writer, sought after by movie producers. One might give this book to a friend for inspiration. One might accept the gently proffered challenges to try a different approach to attaining goals in life, and even rethink which goals really matter. Something for everyone? Perhaps.

Average customer rating:

What an interesting woman!

Love Boats
Jeraldine Saunders
Manufacturer: Llewellyn Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1567186076

Customer Reviews:

What an interesting woman!.......2005-09-03

I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Sauders and getting a copy of her book. This is an interesting woman who has 'sailed' through many adventures - both on and off the water. She speaks of many of the 'hidden' stories of what happens on cruise ships. The book is written with warm honesty, a quick wit and a great sense of humor.

Spiritual Life Savers: Smooth Sailing for the Soul

Average customer rating:

Easy Read
Inspirational reading is always nice
It was OK
Spiritual Life Savers

Spiritual Life Savers: Smooth Sailing for the Soul
Gloria D. Benish
Manufacturer: Citadel
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0806522631

Customer Reviews:

Easy Read.......2003-08-15

I have read all her works and I have enjoyed each of them. I appriciate an author that shares her life with the reader. Gloria takes you on a trip which for myself I wish I was their in the physical. This journey is a great experience. I would recommend all writings from Gloria.

Inspirational reading is always nice.......2003-04-16

This time around Gloria is still providing insight and healing messages. This book wasn't as easy a read as her first book. This is the only real complaint I have about the book. It is written in conversation form as if you were there with her. She writes what you would ask then answers. It's a good idea but some of what you would say runs on a little long and slows down getting to the good stuff, her answer. After reading what I would have asked I'm no longer alert enough to take in her answer fully.I'm not the worlds fastest reader so you could see why I would have this issue.
I have no beef with the content, that part is great as usual.
I would still suggest buying this book.

It was OK.......2002-11-29

I don’t want to say anything bad about the author because she seems so nice but this book just didn’t do it for me. It was kind of a rambling of ideas that she had already presented in her first book. It was boring. I had to skip large portions because of the irrelevance (her personal stuff). Her personal philosophy doesn’t really ‘work’ for me either. I had trouble swallowing a few points.
I highly recommend her first book ‘Go within or go without’. But this one scores very low on my list of good books. I will not be buying the next book she has scheduled to write. I suspect she’s just fulfilling her book deal now.
Go buy her first book instead.

Spiritual Life Savers.......2002-06-14

This is a book that will speak to the heart of those looking for relief from the world's pressures. In deceptively straight-forward language and down-to-earth humor, Gloria Benish manages to leave messages for making one's life better.

"Better" can mean anything from enjoying a laugh--to getting some insight--to being inspired to seek more deeply within. For some it will be good morning, coffee-reading. For others it will whisper to the heart and be one key to finding direction.

One of Gloria's most heart-warming traits is she is what she is--she does not overly embellish herself w/"airs." She is a real person w/all the ups & downs of a real person. And she extends herself to others w/unmistakable warmth that makes a person want to hug the sunset.

Customer Reviews:

Keeping on track.......2000-09-28

The book is full of excellent photos, of exteriors and interiors and action shots. Not only does it cover wooden boats, but a signifcant number of classic steel and modern alloy yachts are also shown. The interesting boats include a new "hardware store timber" boat which looks somewhat affordable.

My purpose for buying the book was to get ideas while restoring my own classic yacht. For this purpose the book is inspiring and full of ideas to copy. Although, the excellent wood work inside these boats will humble anyone with a saw. For my purpose, I still prefer the author's first book, Classic Yacht Interiors. The previous book contains a wider range of vessels and much easier to implement ideas on more affordable boats.

Interesting, if not quite the business.......2000-01-24

The pictures are excellent, while the text is good in parts. The drawings, where they exist, are pretty poor. Also, the selection of the boats seems random, at best, leaving you with the feeling that the authors chose what they had access to, rather than based on more specific criteria. I have nothing against subjective, even quirky choices, but I have a very hard time calling some of these boats classics, whatever your definition for it.

Anyway, it's a nice book, if not terribly informative. So, buy it if you really like older boats, or if, like me, you're a fan of designer Bruce King. Or for some subjective, quirky reason of your own.

A Classic on Classics.......2000-01-06

This volume has been well researched by people familiar with yachting and the traditions of wooden yacht construction. The photography is simply outstanding and reflects the authors experience in presenting yacht interiors and nautical themes generally. There are a number of action shots as well as "stills". The photographs of Ticonderoga in particular, are simply stunning.

The presentation in order of yacht name, rather than designer, is interesting and does not detract. The addition of line drawings and more technical specifications would have rounded out the presentation.

The inclusion of new "classics" is welcome and demonstrates that traditional skills are alive and well in many parts of the world. In this vain, I would have appreciated a wider representation. Some magnificant wooden vessels are being constructed ( either entirely of wood or with wooden decks and interiors) in parts of the world other than the USA, the Med and the UK,upon which the book concentrates. Notable in this regard are New Zealand and Tasmania (a State of Australia). Some of the worlds finest boat building timbers are found in Tasmania and this is reflected in yachts constructed there; particularly the carvel planked yacht.

The cover price represnts good value. Even my children, aged eight and six years found the photographs stunning and sat quietly for a considerable time, slowly flipping the pages.

Book Description

A sailboat tossed about on rough seas will struggle to find a smooth course, balancing itself through wind and water. The human experience is a succession of balancing maneuvers as we resolve conflicts, find love, and merely exist from day to day. Grigg shows one how to be like a sailboat- steady, adaptable, serene, and powerful. Balancing the conflicting emotions, forces, and actions which surround us, we can each achieve a state of resilient grace an resourceful beauty. When man finds balance in his own life, using the changing waters below and the shifting winds above to his advantage, he achieves a transcendence by way of the Tao.

Customer Reviews:

Contains adult content for mentally reenergizing........1998-11-05

This book features bamboo illustrated for contemplation and koans for consideration. Different from every other Tao book I've seen and enriching because of the gentle breezes of fresh thought that waft through the mind of the beholder.

Average customer rating:

Fascinating Sailing Yarn
Fascinating Sailing Yarn

At the Mercy of the Sea
Lisa Clayton
Manufacturer: Trafalgar Square Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0752805975

Customer Reviews:

Fascinating Sailing Yarn.......2000-06-25

Englishwoman Lisa Clayton was the first woman to finish the extraordinary feat of sailing around the world nonstop. The idea came to her after reading a book by a woman who tried and failed to circumnavigate the globe by herself, so Lisa found a steel-hulled shell and proceeded to rebuild the sailboat to her specifications. She set sail on the Spirit of Birmingham from Dartmouth, England on September 17, 1994 and completed the journey 285 days later.

Fascinating Sailing Yarn.......2000-06-25

It took me a little while to get into the book as the first quarter was spent on the details of her life and of building the boat, not to mention the problems she had with money and sponsorships, but finally the boat was ready to sail. Her courage and will to survive were tested along the way when she had problems with equipment breakage, near misses with ships, personal depression, and one horrible storm where all she could do was stay strapped in her chair while the boat rolled over numerous times. This is truly an amazing story and I was surprised I could stay so interested in a story that just involves one woman and a boat. This is comparable to Naomi James' ALONE AROUND THE WORLD and Tania Aebi's MAIDEN VOYAGE, two other women who have sailed around the world.

Average customer rating:

How do we recover from trajedy?

About restoring a passion for experiencing life

Back Under Sail: Recovering the Spirit of Adventure
Migael Scherer
Manufacturer: Milkweed Editions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1571312749

Book Description

Having lived aboard a sailboat for several years, Migael Scherer had never before raced over water. So when an invitation came to join a six-person crew on a race, she said yes. Three years prior, Scherer's life had almost ended in a violent, near-fatal rape; the race becomes a personal voyage of recovery. She addresses the wonders and horrors, beauty and dangers of both the natural and “civilized” world. Throughout, she keeps an account of the race and its intricacies with the knowledge of a seasoned sailor and the freshness of a novice racer. Photographs and her story illuminate Scherer's successful struggle to recapture her love of life.

Customer Reviews:

How do we recover from trajedy?.......2005-10-16

the author had a gift for "Painting with words." I found this to be a wonderful, touching true story of one woman's relation to the sea, her husband, and the world around her. So very different from the typical "cruising the world" stories.

About restoring a passion for experiencing life.......2004-04-05

Written by a survivor of a traumatic and life-threatening sexual assault, Migael Scherer's Back Under Sail: Recovering The Spirit Of Adventure is about restoring a passion for experiencing life after having to endure unspeakable atrocity. Blending the challenges of learning to work with a skilled racing crew with the sometimes painful recovery from physical and emotional trauma, Back Under Sail is a powerful and life-affirming personal testimony. (...)

Average customer rating:

Daily Affirmations In A Bowl
Adam Mayers
Manufacturer: U.S. Games Systems
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1572814934

I Dreamt of Spiritual Sailing, You Became My Wind, I Dreamt of You and Me

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I Dreamt of Spiritual Sailing, You Became My Wind, I Dreamt of You and Me
Joseph Oberlander
Manufacturer: PublishAmerica
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1424109965

Book Description

Life used to be hard in terms of finding freedom and security. Some still struggle for it, but many have found it. I think nowadays, for those living freedom, the world is more of an emotional struggle than a physical war. A mental challenge of tolerance of what goes on. Women have inspired much awareness in me throughout the years. They are the reason I'm still here. I lived my life wanting to know them. I wrote this book with the blood of my heart. Many had a beam of light that would lead to their cheer. Each light from a girl was a different hue. I learned that I had to walk to them just right in order to come awake. It was a guide of life. In this awareness, we become individuals. In this book, journey through the whim of freedom and wanting.

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