You Can Do It!: The Boomer's Guide to a Great Retirement

Average customer rating:

BEST BOOK EVER!!!!!

Excellent "How To" Retirement Planning Guide

You Can Do It

EASY READING RETIREMENT GUIDE

You Can Do It!: The Boomer's Guide to a Great Retirement

You Can Do It!: The Boomer's Guide to a Great Retirement
Jonathan D. Pond
Manufacturer: Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 006112138X
Release Date: 2006-11-28

Book Description

Don't be scared by the media and the financial industry, which have a vested interest in convincing all those who don't have a seven-figure income or a family trust fund that they're woefully underprepared for retirement. In You Can Do It!, Jonathan D. Pond, the man who's been called "America's financial planner," shows how anyone can have a financially safe, happy, and comfortable retirement in this comprehensive and easy-to-use guide.

Packed with practical wisdom on how to save, understanding the key elements of investing, managing your expenses, and much more, You Can Do It! features Jonathan's famous and distinctively ebullient voice. So whether you're worried about getting a late start, skyrocketing health-care expenses, or the difficulty of paying for a college education, You Can Do It! will show you—in straightforward, easy-to-implement ways—how you too can make sure your retirement is fun and financially secure.

Customer Reviews:

BEST BOOK EVER!!!!!.......2007-09-30

This really was one of my own personal best investments, which is funny, because he teaches you how to invest for your retirement. The book is filled with witty comments and sage advice. Pond is excellent in all that he does, and I can't wait for his next book! I hear its one for our kids, you know, those college-bound ones. You did it Johnathon Pond!

Excellent "How To" Retirement Planning Guide.......2007-03-15

This book was even better than I thought it was going to be. It had great ideas on planning for retirement and living in retirement. It showed how you can hedge against inflation even if your pension or annuity don't have COLA increases. It also had additional information avialable through the authors website, that is referenced throughout the book. Overall a great book for retirement planning.

You Can Do It.......2007-03-09

Jonathan Pond doesn't provide a financial game plan. He rehashs the obvious information readily available. The disappointment, in the end, is that his advertised website becomes another pay for service.

EASY READING RETIREMENT GUIDE .......2007-02-27

It is a 5 star if you just want all the basics you need to consider while preparing for retirement. It covers them is an easy to read style.

You Can Do It!: The Boomer's Guide to a Great Retirement.......2007-01-18

An easy read with practical advice.

Average customer rating:

Great Lakes Water Wars is an excellent read
The Great Lakes aren't bottomless
A cautionary tale
The real fight begins
At War Over Great Lakes Water

The Great Lakes Water Wars
Peter Annin
Manufacturer: Island Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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When the Rivers Run Dry: Water--The Defining Crisis of the Twenty-first Century
On the Brink: The Great Lakes in the 21st Century
Water Follies: Groundwater Pumping And The Fate Of America's Fresh Waters
The Dynamic Great Lakes
Evolution of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (Dave Dempsey Environmental)

ASIN: 1559630876

Book Description

The Great Lakes are the largest collection of fresh surface water on earth, and more than 40 million Americans and Canadians live in their basin. Will we divert water from the Great Lakes, causing them to end up like Central Asia's Aral Sea, which has lost 90 percent of its surface area and 75 percent of its volume since 1960? Or will we come to see that unregulated water withdrawals are ultimately catastrophic?

Peter Annin writes a fast-paced account of the people and stories behind these battles. Destined to be the definitive story for the general public as well as policymakers, The Great Lakes Water Wars is a balanced, comprehensive look behind the scenes at the conflicts and compromises that are the past-and future-of this globally significant resource.

Customer Reviews:

Great Lakes Water Wars is an excellent read.......2007-08-08

I started out to skim Peter Annin's book, determine what to say, and decide how to write a requested review. I had no trouble becoming completely engrossed at the start of the Author's Note and Prologue, and read the whole thing. Cover to cover. I do not need to abridge all its contents in great detail, nor could I begin to accomplish that task as eloquently, chronologically, and thoroughly as does the author anyway. What's more, the stories presented are fascinating and rapidly ensnare the reader. It will be of value to active professionals, students, politicians, NGO participants, and elected officials as well as to residents of the Great Lakes Basin, and to those who think they can tap into its abundant waters. What's more, it is informative and fun to read.

The Great Lakes aren't bottomless.......2007-05-25

As a former resident of northeastern Ohio, growing up near the shores of Lake Erie, I expected to be captivated by Peter Annin's treatise on the water resources issues of the Great Lakes, and it did not disappoint. But I think there's plenty here for anyone interested in the expanding issue of water resource diversion, as it spreads from the notoriously thirsty southwest to the Great Lakes, which house 20% of the world's fresh surface waters.

The five lakes in the Great Lakes surface water drainage basin seem inexhaustible and have, for centuries, been treated that way by neighboring states and provinces. Massive pollution identified in the 1960s raised the first indication of the Lakes' vulnerability. Annin tackles the issues of water resource allocation in three sections. The first sets the stage by talking about surface water resource challenges generally, from the difference between water rights assumptions in the eastern and western US, to the disastrous overuse of the Aral Sea in the former USSR, to the unknown problems that will result from global warming.

The second section uses stories to articulate the political and economic challenges surrounding six specific water diversion cases in the Great Lakes basin. The third explains the attempts by the eight states and two provinces within the Great Lakes basin to agree on political and legal mechanisms for protecting and preserving this enormous resource. His book ends with a cliffhanger; in late 2005, an historic regional agreement was signed by all the states and provinces in the basin but it must be codified into law by each state and US Congress. His website tracks its progress: [..]

A cautionary tale.......2007-04-01

"Today, when I stand on the shores of Lake Superior, I don't see a lake. I see a sprawling deep blue battleground that stretches from Duluth, Minnesota to Trois Rivières, Québec--and I wonder, who will win the war?" With these ominous words, Peter Anin launches into his account of the history of water issues in the Great Lakes.

Anin begins with a cautionary tale: the destruction of the Aral Sea in central Asia. Through government bungling and hubris, this once thriving ecosystem has lost 75% of its surface in the past 50 years. His message is clear; this could happen again, it could happen here.

What follows is a detailed account of the history of water issues and governmental policy in the Great Lakes region. There's enough analysis here to satisfy any policy wonk. But the true strength of Anin's book are the fascinating stories he tells of the diversion of mighty rivers, the desperate searches for safe drinking water, and the commercial exploitation of this precious resource.

Why this book, why now? The governors of the eight Great Lakes States have recently negotiated an agreement to protect this resource. The Great Lakes Compact must now be ratified by the legislatures of each state and the U.S. Congress. With this book, Anin makes an important contribution to the public understanding of the issues and urgency behind this legislation.

The real fight begins.......2007-02-26

On May 8, 1892, a gang of workmen hired by Chicago entrepreneur Mr. McElroy invaded the town of Waukesha, Wisconsin. This gang was intent on laying a pipeline from Waukesha's Hygeia Spring to a suburb of Chicago. They were turned back by the citizens of that city in one of the few (to date) physical confrontations over water east of the Mississippi river.
In 2006, with their wells dry or contaminated, Waukesha, which lies just outside the edge of the Great Lakes basin, insisted on exemption from the return clause of the water compact signed the year before. The compact was the latest evolution of agreements between the 8 Great Lakes states and 2 provinces of Canada. The latest agreement was so troubled that only two governors attended the signing. As with all the other agreements, it stood on bog of technical and legal details that could easily be upset by the smallest challenge. "Waukesha is a poster child," admits Dan Duchniak, the embattled head of the Waukesha Water Utility, adding that the debate over Waukesha is "almost like a cyst that has grown into a cancerous tumor, and we need to figure out a way to treat it." (pg. 245)

With this and other examples, such as an attempt to ship a tanker of Great Lakes water to China, the author explains the difficulties in protecting this great natural resource. The chapter on the Aral Sea foretells the future of the lakes if governments can't find a way to appease industry while maintaining the lakes for future generations.

Anyone trying understand what we, those of us blessed to grow up along their shores, must do to protect the Great Lakes should read this book. Although the material is fairly complex, the author presents several anecdotal stories that are readable.

As the author says, the fight has only just begun. Over the past 20 years, the states and provinces around the Great Lakes have produced a basic framework. Unfortunately, companies like Nestle have fought in court for the right to export bottle water from the Great Lakes basin; as one official asked,what is the difference between a tanker of bottle water and a tanker of water? --Damn good point! Although they are fighting a losing battle, other challenges are on the horizon in a world running short of clean, fresh water.

If this review was helpful, please vote and thanks.

At War Over Great Lakes Water.......2006-11-29

Schemes to keep Great Lakes waters in the Great Lakes may look good on paper, but how they actually work or do not work is shown in The Great Lakes Water Wars. It is a practical book thoroughly researched by a veteran investigative reporter, Peter Annin and published by Island Press.

According to Annin, the key to keeping these freshwater lakes viable is to return the water to the lakes: that is to keep the waters in the Great Lakes watersheds and to take measures to conserve water. Diversions outside of these watersheds will deplete the lakes of water. Although the Great Lakes are large, they are fragile. Annin shows the consequences of unwise uses of water on other parts of the planet, for example the Aral Sea that has been depleted of most of its water.

This is an important book with words of caution for those who live in the Great Lakes watersheds.

The Living Great Lakes: Searching for the Heart of the Inland Seas

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A superlative tale of the Great Lakes
"We are the earth-divers, and the world is made of stories."
Engrossing and Enlightening Book
Delightful
the best of the lakes!

The Living Great Lakes: Searching for the Heart of the Inland Seas
Jerry Dennis
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books

Lakes & Ponds | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
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The Great Lakes Water Wars

ASIN: 0312331037

Book Description

This is the most complete book ever written about the history, nature, and science of the remarkable Great Lakes. From the geological forces that formed them to the greatest environ-mental success stories of our time, Jerry Dennis portrays the lakes in all their complexity. This is the story of the lakes as told to the author by biologists, fishermen, and sailors. It is also a narrative of a six-week voyage through the lakes and beyond as a crewmember on a tallmasted schooner, and a memoir of a lifetime spent on and near the lakes. The result is a meditation on nature and our place in the world, a cautionary tale about the future of water resources, and a celebration of a place that is both fragile and robust, diverse, rich in history and wildlife, often misunderstood, and worthy of our attention.

Customer Reviews:

A superlative tale of the Great Lakes.......2007-09-18

As a displaced Michigander, I am often amazed that westerners are almost completely unfamiliar with the Great Lakes. This book would be best enjoyed by those familiar with the region. But even the less familiar will enjoy the gripping adventure found in the many anecdotes offered here. I am on my second read and can't believe how much I had forgotten from my first read. There are stories that will nearly bring you to tears (the near disaster on the day of the Edmund Fitz sinking) and some that will simply amaze. This should be required reading for all school children from this region. Those less fortunate who live elsewhere will still enjoy the enlightening read. And while it certainly encourages protection of the lakes, I didn't find it preachy. It is a very objective book and doesn't dwell too much on the environment.

If there is a better book on the great lakes I haven't found it.

"We are the earth-divers, and the world is made of stories.".......2006-02-13

An enthusiastic outdoorsman, Dennis has written a comprehensive book on the Great Lakes from the perspective of personal experience, scientific data and historical background. He describes the area in its early pristine beauty, from the Indian tribes to the first European settlers and the dawning of industrialization that almost destroyed this natural preserve of geology, flora, fauna and indigenous species. With attention to the tales of the past, Dennis writes of the gradual evolution of natural beauty into a vast resource for lumber, farm products, shipping and related industries, including the influx of a population that has grown around opportunity, all imbued with the awesome grandeur of these vast bodies of water.

On a four-week voyage through the Great Lakes, Dennis views the area from the water, as opposed to his many travels along the shorelines, the exhausting, but fulfilling days on board filled with the lore of the sea, new friendships make while sailing and the eccentric individuals met along the way. Couched in contemporary terms, the author speaks of the past with reverence, his love of history enhanced by regional details, tales of shipwrecks and the personal observations of a man with great reverence for the bounty of this immense body of water and those who live on the miles of coastline that make up the Great Lakes. History is tangible in Dennis's work, impossible to ignore as the men navigate from one lake to another, reminded daily of the pitfalls of ignoring nature and the pleasures of communing with the elements.

The comprehensive chapters cover: Lake Michigan, from land and water; the Straights of Mackinac; Lake Superior, canoeing, the early voyagers, surviving storms; Lake Huron, Georgian Bay and the wilderness; St. Claire River; Lake Ontario, the Erie Canal and the Hudson River. Each chapter addresses relevant information but is complemented by stories, for example, the "White City" constructed in Jackson Park for the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893, the disappearance of an entire fishing village on the shores of lake Michigan, victim of "walking dunes", Sault Ste. Marie and the rapids of the St. Mary's and The Soo Locks. His eye on an ever-changing environment, Dennis paints a fascinating portrait of nature's bounty in the Great Lakes, past and present, ever vigilant for the dangers of pollution, overuse and the avarice of industrialization: "Bracketed by mysteries, adrift, alone, despairing of our ignorance, we turn to the physical because there, at least, we can know a thing for certain." This is out legacy and the key to the future of a national treasure. Luan Gaines/ 2006.

Engrossing and Enlightening Book.......2005-10-19

I really enjoyed this book because it covers a wide range of topics from sailing to environmentalism to North American history to geology.

As a lifelong citizen of the Great Lakes in Rochester, NY and Chicago, IL, I was surprised at how much I didn't already know -- and that the book taught me.

Delightful.......2005-06-03

Purchased the book because I'm considering a retirement along Lake Ontario and am an avid sailor. The book is centered around the relocation of a Ferro cement schooner from Michigan through the lakes to Lake Ontario, onward down the Hudson and around New England. Along the journey, are many mini stories added for each lake taken from a combination of personal adventures, history and many interesting collection of facts coveraging a wide range of subjects from geology, their early exploration, later exploitation and related environmental problems. My only mild dissapointment is there was not more on Lake Ontario. The trip ends in along the coast of Maine where I was raised. It's a delightful book.

the best of the lakes!.......2004-06-17

I am (like many of those that have written reviews) a native Michigander. However, I am now living in upstate New York, which despite being part of the Great Lakes lacks the appreciation for the lakes that midwesterners have. This book is a must read for anyone who hasn't had the opportunity to grow up surrounded by the greatest natural wonder in the world. This book highlights not only the natural history of the lakes, but the social and environmental legacy of humankind in the lakes. For those who were lucky enough to spend time sailing, swimming, hiking, and otherwise enjoying the Great Lakes, this book will sweep you back in time to the lazy summers of youth (or retirement, as the case may be!) and remind you of why you love the Great Lakes.

Take a Paddle: Finger Lakes New York Quiet Water for Canoes & Kayaks (Take a Paddle)

Average customer rating:

Very useful guide for paddlers

Take a Paddle: Finger Lakes New York Quiet Water for Canoes & Kayaks (Take a Paddle)
Rich Freeman , and Sue Freeman
Manufacturer: Footprint Press, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Take A Hike - Family Walks in New York's Finger Lakes Region

ASIN: 1930480245

Book Description

A Comprehensive Paddling Guide to Flat-Water Ponds, Lakes, Streams and Rivers in the Finger Lakes Region of New York

Slide the bow of your canoe or kayak across the shore of a grass-lined pond or the gravel shore of a stream. Dip your paddle into the cool, still water and glide downstream to enjoy the solitude and explore hidden pools and alcoves. Perhaps circumnavigate an island, see eagles flying above, voyage through a historic Erie Canal aqueduct, enjoy the splash of fish darting below your boat or spot a deer standing in the creek around the next bend. The discoveries are almost endless from water level.

Take a Paddle - Finger Lakes New York Quiet Water for Canoes & Kayaks is a map-filled guide for beginning and intermediate paddlers. And for anyone who enjoys the pleasures of a flat-water paddle. It will lead you to 35 ponds and small lakes and over 370 miles of streams and rivers.

Head out for a fun adventure knowing:
-where multiple launch and take-out sites are located
-the difficulty level of each waterway
-where to view current water conditions on the Internet
-the approximate time it will take to paddle
-amenities and fun diversions found nearby for yourself and your children
-where to camp next to or near the waterway
-when is the best season to paddle each waterway
-where to rent canoes or kayaks
-where to find commercial shuttle services

Customer Reviews:

Very useful guide for paddlers.......2006-10-21

As soon as I got a kayak this summer, I bought both this book and the "Take a Paddle" for western New York. This region is a great place to put a little boat in the water--with lakes of all sizes, from little kettleholes to the Great Lakes, plus streams, and rivers, and the Erie canal. It really helps to have a guide to tell you where you can put in and take out, the difficulty of a route, how to get there and where to park.
These books are well designed and easy to use. I've tried out several routes and found the information very useful. Can hardly wait to get out and try more paddles next spring.

Take a Paddle: Western New York Quiet Water for Canoes & Kayaks (Take a Paddle)

Average customer rating:

Outstanding work
Covers more than 250 miles of flat-water creeks and rivers

Take a Paddle: Western New York Quiet Water for Canoes & Kayaks (Take a Paddle)
Rich Freeman , and Sue Freeman
Manufacturer: Footprint Press, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1930480237

Book Description

A Comprehensive Paddling Guide to Flat-Water Ponds, Lakes, Streams and Rivers in Western New York

Slide the bow of your canoe or kayak across the shore of a grass-lined pond or the gravel shore of a stream. Dip your paddle into the cool, still water and glide downstream to enjoy the solitude and explore hidden pools and alcoves. Perhaps search for pitcher plants in a sphagnum moss bog, watch fish dart below your boat or spot a deer standing in the creek around the next bend. The discoveries are almost endless from water level.

Take a Paddle - Western New York Quiet Water for Canoes & Kayaks is a map-filled guide for beginning and intermediate paddlers. And for anyone who enjoys the pleasures of a flat-water paddle. It will lead you to 20 ponds and small lakes and over 250 miles of streams and rivers.

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding work.......2006-07-02

My wife and I bought this book and our canoe in the same week.
Coincidence? I don't think so. This book overs families a great chance to get outside and share time together.
The rating system is outstanding and the directions are great.
This is the type of book that screams out for a second volumn I would gladly volunteer to be a guest contributor should the authors ever decide to do a second volumn.

Covers more than 250 miles of flat-water creeks and rivers.......2004-05-03

Take A Paddle: Western New York Quiet Water For Canoes & Kayaks is a comprehensive, superbly presented, specialized guide for canoe and kayaking enthusiasts. Detailing multiple launch and take-out sites; identifying waterway difficulty levels; providing approximate times to paddle from one point to another; noting amenities and fun diversions suitable for families with children; showing where to camp; what the best season for paddling each waterway; even where to rent canoes or kayaks or find commercial shuttle services, Take A Paddle: Western new York Quite Water For Canoes Kayaks covers more than 250 miles of flat-water creeks and rivers, as well as 20 ponds and lakes. Included are Livingston, Monroe, Steuben, Allegany, Cattaraugus, Erie, Chautauqua, Genesee, Orleans, and Niagara counties.

Average customer rating:

A Great Lakes Primer
Many of us know very little about the five Great Lakes
Recommended Reading
Description book
Beautifully Written

The Dynamic Great Lakes
Barbara Spring
Manufacturer: Independence Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Conservation | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

General | Conservation | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Lakes & Ponds | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books

On the Brink: The Great Lakes in the 21st Century
The Great Lakes Water Wars
The Late, Great Lakes: An Environmental History (Great Lakes Books)
The Living Great Lakes: Searching for the Heart of the Inland Seas
Great Lakes Journey: A New Look at America's Freshwater Coast (Great Lakes Books)

ASIN: 1588517314

Book Description

The five Great Lakes, Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario with their connecting waters are the world’s largest freshwater system; about 20 per cent of all the fresh surface water on this planet. Each lake differs from the other and yet these connected lakes are one flowing system connected to the Atlantic through the St. Lawrence River. Unique ecosystems evolved in these lakes since the last Ice Age but in the last 200 years commercial fishing and the Lamprey Eel wiped out larger fish. Shipping on the Great Lakes from all parts of the world has brought exotic species that threaten to topple food pyramids. Pollution carried through the air and water damages life in and around these lakes. Through knowledge, and the democratic process, The Dynamic Great Lakes encourages us to appreciate and understand these lakes and to get involved in finding answers to their problems.

Customer Reviews:

A Great Lakes Primer.......2007-04-15

Barbara Spring's The Dynamic Great Lakes is a primer on the ecology of the Great Lakes. Written simply and clearly, this relatively short work begins with an overview of Great Lakes ecology and geology. It then takes us on a tour of each lake, highlighting both the natural ecology and environmental problems of each. She concludes with an overview of the 21st century challenges the lakes face, and a challenge to us all to work for their preservation.

Like a good teacher, Barbara repeats herself patiently and expresses herself simply so everyone will understand. The charm of the book made it easy to overlook a few minor inaccuracies. And, in the end, I learned a thing or two, which is probably what Barbara hoped for.

Many of us know very little about the five Great Lakes.......2004-04-25

Many of us know very little about the five Great Lakes other than perhaps being able to name them. As Barbara Spring states in her introduction to her outstanding primer The Dynamic Great Lakes they are "a flowing river of seas left behind by Ice Age glaciers and are nearly twenty percent of the world's supply of fresh surface water; the world's greatest freshwater system." The ecosystem of this great body of water is very complex and unfortunately due to pollution and the fallout of modern industry and agriculture they have gone through a gradual transformation.

One of the unique characteristics of this compact book is that it is written in a language devoid of esoteric explanations. The eight chapters of the book reflect the author's teaching and journalistic aptitudes in knowing how to unravel the mystery of the Great Lakes and the many painful dangers it has faced and continues to face.

Each of the five Lakes is introduced with a brief synopsis of important elements distinguishing one from the other such as: elevation, length, breadth, average depth, maximum depth, volume, water area, retention time, population and outlet. From this point of departure the author deals with the various changes that have taken place as well as the various major issues affecting the Lakes. There are also brief descriptions of the various animal life found in each of the Lakes and how they have been affected by pollution and the appearance of harmful species, such as the Lamprey Eel.

However, we are also reminded throughout the reading of the book that "people power" can have an effect and if we band together and make our voices heard we could exert influence in reversing some of the harmful trends that have caused ecological disaster. For example we are apprised of the situation that occurred in relation to Lake Erie. In 1969 a tributary river of Lake Erie, the Cayahoga, caught on fire due to being heavily coated with oil and debris. As a result, the Federal Water Quality Administration launched a one and half billion dollar municipal sewage treatment program for the Erie Basin which included the five surrounding states: Michigan, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, and Indiana.

The conclusion of the book most appropriately reminds us that: "we are all challenged to use our knowledge, creativity and common sense to keep the Great Lakes great. Can you think of ways to think globally and act locally?" We are also warned " life on earth is only possible as long as our limited life support system works."

Norm Goldman Editor of Bookpleasures.com

Recommended Reading.......2003-02-21

I would recommend this book to anyone who lives on or near the Great Lakes or to anyone interested in preserving the environment. The author taught me as much about the havoc the modern world has strewn on the natural world as she did about Superior, Huron, Michigan, Ontario, and Erie.

Description book.......2002-09-29

The five great lakes are between the boundaries of Canada and USA. The book describes the lakes, one by one with lots of details. The great lakes are the most important liquid water reserve. Each lake is different. There are ecosystems like nowhere in the world. We have to protect them. The lakes are not usually well known, so with this book, you discover a fantastic area !!

Beautifully Written.......2002-04-15

I have a great interest in saving our environment. The only way to do this is through knowledge. I am thankful to the authors that bring their vast knowledge to the reading public.

Customer Reviews:

A challenging but fascinating tale.......2007-04-01

Dave Dempsey's book, On the Brink: The Great Lakes in the 21st Century, is a comprehensive history of the environmental challenges the Great Lakes have faced since cities began to sprout on their shores in the early 1800's. Dempsey records an encyclopedic account of the unrelenting assaults on the land, water and wildlife of the region. I was alternately fascinated by the stories and repulsed by the effects of so much wanton exploitation.

Of course, there are stories of hope as well as degradation. Stories of national parks created and environmental laws passed through the actions of responsible citizens. That, in the end, is Dempsey's message: challenges remain, the lakes are in peril, but hope endures as long as people are willing to take action.

The book is so comprehensive that at times I found myself wishing it dealt more thoroughly with a topic. On the other hand, there are some obscure stories I've not seen elswhere that I would have hated to miss. At times it can be a challenging read, but overall it's an engaging tale, and well worth the effort.

The ultimate beach read this summer.......2004-06-14

Dempsey's research is simply breathtaking and mind boggling. He presents the history of the Great Lakes from the opening of the book which takes place 50 years in the future, into thousands of years in the past. We learn about the explorers we only know today because they have cars named for them. We learn of the ordinary people who have helped preserve this resovoir of 1/5 of the worlds fresh water supply. We learn about the fragile life forms that hug these ancient and majestic shores. But the real excitement is found in the book itself that reads at times like a 'page-turner' of a novel. We see how political expediency wins time and time again against the pressures of modern day life and industry. We are made to understand the trust of stewardship that has been placed upon us to preserve these marvels of nature, and most importantly, why. Personally, I was left aghast at how quickly various species of fish and aquatic life could, and have, disappeared forever. Others that have gone to the brink and returned and others that still hang on balanced on the precarious beam of nature. All presented in an excting read to boot!
Being able to distill such voluminous research into an imminently readable book such as this is a rare talent. If you drink water, you need to read this book.

A wake-up call to the dangers the Great Lakes ecosystem face.......2004-06-07

Written by Dave Dempsey (an environmental policy teacher of Michigan State University who served by President Bill Clinton's appointment on the Great Lakes Fishery Commission), On The Brink: The Great Lakes In The 21st Century is a clarion wake-up call to the dangers the Great Lakes ecosystem face today. Summarizing a history of the Great Lakes' environmental exploitation and gradual recovery, and blending in thoughts on the poetry, folklore, inspiratioon derived from the Great Lakes as well as citizen action to preserve them, On The Brink brings true environmental history to life in an exciting manner that challenges the reader to get involved and join the fight to protect a national treasure.

Great Lakes Journey: A New Look at America's Freshwater Coast (Great Lakes Books)

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The Late, Great Lakes are still kicking.

Great Lakes Journey: A New Look at America's Freshwater Coast (Great Lakes Books)
William Ashworth
Manufacturer: Wayne State University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Dynamic Great Lakes
The Late, Great Lakes: An Environmental History (Great Lakes Books)
On the Brink: The Great Lakes in the 21st Century
The Living Great Lakes: Searching for the Heart of the Inland Seas
The Great Lakes Water Wars

ASIN: 0814328369

Book Description

An environmental travelogue that documents the changes in the Great Lakes since the publication of "The Late, Great Lakes."

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The Late, Great Lakes are still kicking........2001-09-11

15 years after his journey around the Great Lakes region, recorded in his almost famous book "The Late, Great Lakes", Ashworth made a return trip to review the state of things. "Great Lakes Journey" is an account of this second visit, during which he explores many of the same issues covered in his first book, visits with many of the same people that he interviewed 15 years prior, and tries to draw a bead on the health of the Great Lakes and the Great Lakes region. There are some success stories---many of the hideously polluted areas have improved---as well as variety of new issues that plague the largest source of fresh water in the world. Urban sprawl and the invasion of 'exotic' species are two of the most significant problems that Ashworth uncovers in this very readable, cold-eyed assesment of the life and health of one of the States most important, and most disregarded, natural resources. Highly recommended for anyone interested in environmental issues, Great Lakes ecology, or for anyone passionate about the incomparable Sweetwater Seas.

The Finger Lakes Book: Great Destinations: A Complete Guide, Third Edition (Great Destinations)

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The Finger Lakes Book: Great Destinations: A Complete Guide, Third Edition (Great Destinations)
Katharine Delavan Dyson
Manufacturer: Countryman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Greetings From The Finger Lakes: A Food And Wine Lover's Companion
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Backroad Bicycling in the Finger Lakes Region: 30 Tours for Road and Mountain Bikes, Fourth Edition
Western New York, An Explorer's Guide: From Niagara Falls and Southern Ontario to the Western Edge of the Finger Lakes

ASIN: 1581570457

Book Description

An all-new edition to the premiere guide to this cultural and natural gem of upstate New York.

With the savvy and thorough insight that is at the center of every Great Destinations guide, Dyson uncovers the where, how, and when to this most unique and compelling travel destination. From the smallest lakes east of Geneseo to the stunning villages of Cayuga, Watkins Glen, Ithaca, and Skaneateles to the numerous wineries and stunning gorges that add both sophistication and natural splendor, The Finger Lakes Book tells you how to get there, where to stay, where to eat, shop, and play. 6 maps, 100 black & white photographs, indexes.

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