Listening Point (Fesler-Lampert Minnesota Heritage Book Series)

Customer Reviews:

Not Just a Biology Teacher from Minnesota.......2001-02-02

Sigurd Olson wrote better than most people about the great northwoods covering the area of Canada and the North U.S. between Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the U.P. His focus was the Lake Superior/Quetico country, and he carefully catalogues everything from the geological substrate, to the soil, to the plants and trees, the animals, the waters, and the canoes he paddles over them. Open this book and he's the Swedish guy pulling his canoe up on a favorite ledge of rock, taking a carefully measured sip of some brandy, and cooking a few fish to have with some coffee, all the while describing the sky, the traces of various minerals on the rocks, and then turning in for the night.

There are many such gentlemen of the North, but it seems like they are hard to get to know. Olson (typically pictured on his books in a clean crew-cut and pressed Khaki or woolen shirt) does us the courtesy of introducing himself with his measured observations of the country he explored for so many years between time spent teaching biolgy at a community college in Ely, Minnesota.

Listening Point was his place to return to from his various travels, and from his usual home in Ely. He describes both the physical dimensions and actions needed to build it (how big a cabin, which direction to face and why, how the bulldozer made teh road, how certain boulders and trees were moved or destroyed), always with references to the wider dimensions of the North, and the great Cambrian shelf all along the North of Lake Superior. His style is partly in the mode of the serial "digressions" which fit around a theme, seen in many classical writers (pre-medieval, Roman & Greek). Paired with the physical descriptions are the theoretical meditations on which modern appliances to have, and which to exclude, for the spiritual benefit of he and his wife (telephone, no; phonograph, yes).

The natural impression from all of this is to want to find your own Listening Point somewhere, or at least to get up to this area to see the things he writes about. The broader message here is that you don't have to own the places you explore, and the places you adopt as your own, to appreciate the tremendous beauty and stunning scale of our great northwoods. This is something easy to take for granted for those who live in this part of the U.S. Actually, there is nothing else in the entire world like our Great Lakes, and the only forest area on the globe comparable to the U.S./Canada Northwoods is an area of Siberia. That's it. And this man is an excellent guide to it. Although limited in his writing to a kind of transcendentalist Thoreau-style of abstruse maybe-theism, Olson's writing nevertheless addresses the spirit with great force. He achieves a connection with the old Indian belief systems, and reaches congruence with an explicit Christian worldview at least insofar as he expresses great reverence for a creation which dwarfes the hubris of mere man.

Interestingly, this book, as well as his others, I find to be more readable when back in the Chicago area, or on trips elsewhere. When up in those very woods, he's more of a guide to something new to find for yourself, rather than limiting yourself to retracing exactly what he thought while in those woods before his death several decades ago. And he's needed, as these woods fill up with people very unlike the Swedish old-timers with their carefully contained, respectful way of quietly going about their business.

Every chapter took me back there!.......2000-04-02

I had the opportunity to spend a week in Canada, north of the Quetico area and every chapter in "Listing Point" took me back there.

Each chapter is about sights, sounds, and memories tied in with his Listening Point, the rocky point on the northern Minnesota lake on which Olson built his cabin. I enjoyed this book very much.

The book is a mixture of northwoods history, philosophy, and nature writing. His descriptions of nature around him are done in such a way that you get a real feeling for the grand scale of the northwoods, and how time, in nature, means something different than it does to most of us most of the time. Be aware, it is not some action packed adventure. Rather it is a quiet, calm book which causes you to sit back and reflect, even if you are not an outdoorsman.

As each chapter stands on its own, it makes great reading at lunch or before bed. The chapter called Canada Jack is a favorite and Far Horizons, the last chapter, is an artistic statement of the whole theme of the book.

Average customer rating:
Au Point
Peter Dyson
Manufacturer: Nelson Thornes Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Pamphlet

General | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0174490720

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The Best of Vanishing Point (Suspenseful Radio Dramas)
Listening Library
Manufacturer: CHIVERS AUDIO BOOKS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

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ASIN: 080723091X

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From a Child's Point of View! What Every Child, Parent, and Teacher Should Know!

Manufacturer: Worry Free Inventions, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 097668540X

Product Description

Nothing helps us understand a child's perspective as much as hearing it directly from the source. The Voice Box shows the power of writing, and how the written word can be a release, a safety valve, and can serve as a springboard for communication. As a therapist that works with many children and teenagers, this book will help kids know their feelings and thoughts are like many other kids. This delightful and informative book helps parents, educators, and any professional working with kids gain insight into how children and teenagers think about real issues; and ultimately how best to journey with them through life.

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Listening Point
Sigurd F. Olson
Manufacturer: Alfred A Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000J4W5ZA

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Listening Point
Sigurd F. Olson
Manufacturer: Alfred A. Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000JZX7BK

Prentice Hall Literature, Penguin Edition, General Resoruces, Grade Ten: Time-saving Teaching Resources for Assessment and Classroom Management (Strategies and tools for classroom management and professional development; 4-point, 5-point, and 6-point assessment rubrics for all Writing Workshops; Rubrics for speaking and listening;, Alternatives assessment tools for peer review and portfolio management)

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Prentice Hall Literature, Penguin Edition, General Resoruces, Grade Ten: Time-saving Teaching Resources for Assessment and Classroom Management (Strategies and tools for classroom management and professional development; 4-point, 5-point, and 6-point assessment rubrics for all Writing Workshops; Rubrics for speaking and listening;, Alternatives assessment tools for peer review and portfolio management)
Prentice Hall
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0131653393

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Au Point (Au Point)
Peter Dyson , and Michele Deane
Manufacturer: Nelson Thornes Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Study & Teaching | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0174491565

Au Point Examination, Listening: Teacher's Book (Au Point)

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Au Point Examination, Listening: Teacher's Book (Au Point)
Peter Dyson
Manufacturer: Nelson Thornes (Publishers) Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0174490704

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Listening Point
Sigurd F. Olson
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000K6FHTS

Book Description

This comprehensive guidebook gives information for all budgets, from the cheapest rail tickets with shoestring accommodations in the cities along the route to the most luxurious guided tours.

Customer Reviews:

Not very Helpful.......2002-10-30

I was somewhat disappointed as only about one thrird of this little book is Information about trains. The other part is a general travelguide.
Only VIA Rail services and the Rocky Mountainer are covered. Trains like the Polar Bear Express aren't even mentioned.
Then I had to find that some information is out of date (VIA-Rail DOES serve Quebec City).
If you want a Canada travel guide rather buy a Lonely Planet and if you want additional information about rail travel you can find it on the internet.

Not very useful.......2002-10-30

I was somewhat disappointed with this book. Only one third of it is actual information about train-travel. Most of it is a general travelguide with informations about the cities etc.
The train information covers only VIA-Rail services, doesn't even mention trains like the Polar Bear Express.
Then I found that some of the information about trains was even out of date (Quebec City IS served by VIA Rail).
If you want a Canada travel guide with detailed information about the country rather buy the Lonely Planet. If you want more info on trains in Canada I'd suggest looking on for websites.

THE Canadian rail book!!.......2001-07-16

This is THE ultimate canadian rail travel book. I would even recommend this book for those driving through Canada. The author gives advise (very detailed) on where to eat, sleep, sight-see, and so on. I urge everyone to find this book at your local bookstore and thumb through it. Then buy it here. At the end of the book it even guides you along the train journey by listing the significant sights along the way (such as....at Mile marker 26 towards the south, you'll see the cemetary containing 145 victims of the Titanic). Best of all, it displays all of the VIA Rail timetables and how many calendar days each leg of the trip takes. This is especially useful for those on the CANRAIL pass package. YOu can literaly plan your entire itinerary from this single book. The size allows you to easily stow it in a small camera bag or purse. The PERFECT Canadian travel book.

This book is even better than I thought.......2000-06-03

Ok, I'm back. This is my second review of the book, however this time it's based on my real experience traveling with VIA from coast to coast (Halifax - Vancouver) and using this book on the road (oooppss...rail). While preparing my itinerary I used this book as a main source of information when deciding how much time I'll spend in each city and where I'll be staying. VIA web site is of course the place to pickup the latest timetables, calculate the price of the tickets, and make a reservations... (I found timetables at the end of the book still useful on the board of the train when I needed to quickly find out the distance to the next station).

I put three books in my backpack, two travel guides from NELLES (guides to Atlantic and Pacific provinces) and this one. The guides from NELLES are good with lots of facts about the country and with nice photos, however I found "Trans-Canada Rail Guide" far more suitable for people traveling across Canada by train. Also the book is as valuable on board of the train as well in the downtown of the city. I rent the book to several fellow travelers in coach class and each one of them told me how great it is.

The organization of the book is simple but efficient, for example in PART 4 City Guides and plans you can find for all mayor cities short descriptions of the following: History, Arriving in...(by air, by train), Local Transport, Orientation and Services, Where to stay, Where to eat, What to see, Moving on (by air, by train). If you are real rail enthusiast you'll have fun reading PART 5 Route Guide and Maps with description of small stations and places marked with mile markers so you can be "smarter" then others guessing what it is or where you are. Some prices mentioned in the book are the same even today but in general are higher. My average expense for the mid-range hotel or B&B was 55 CAD per night (including tax), entrance fees for museums and other events are in general higher, anything from 10 to 50% higher, food 10-20%, buses and taxis 10-20% , train tickets 10-20% (the cost of my Canrail Pass was 408 CAD including tax). If you need any additional tips or information about the trip you can send me a message to my account on Yahoo (see member page). Today I found out that second edition of this book is published so check it out!

Read this book before you go!.......2000-03-19

This book helped me prepare itinerary for my one-month journey from Halifax to Vancouver that I'm planning to take in May 2000. I checked prices and some telephone numbers mentioned in the book with those I found on different web sites and despite the fact that the book is four years old it's still useful and accurate. There is everything you need to prepare for such journey: routes and costs, facts about country, practical advices (transport, festivals, food, time, hotels,...), history about Trans-Canada railway, mayor city guides and plans and least but not last route guide and maps with short description about small towns along the routes.

Book Description

Natural scientists perceive and classify organisms primarily on the basis of their appearance and structure- their form , defined as that characteristic remaining invariant after translation, rotation, and possibly reflection of the object. The quantitative study of form and form change comprises the field of morphometrics. For morphometrics to succeed, it needs techniques that not only satisfy mathematical and statistical rigor but also attend to the scientific issues. An Invariant Approach to the Statistical Analysis of Shapes results from a long and fruitful collaboration between a mathematical statistician and a biologist. Together they have developed a methodology that addresses the importance of scientific relevance, biological variability, and invariance of the statistical and scientific inferences with respect to the arbitrary choice of the coordinate system. They present the history and foundations of morphometrics, discuss the various kinds of data used in the analysis of form, and provide justification for choosing landmark coordinates as a preferred data type. They describe the statistical models used to represent intra-population variability of landmark data and show that arbitrary translation, rotation, and reflection of the objects introduce infinitely many nuisance parameters. The most fundamental part of morphometrics-comparison of forms-receives in-depth treatment, as does the study of growth and growth patterns, classification, clustering, and asymmetry. Morphometrics has only recently begun to consider the invariance principle and its implications for the study of biological form. With the advantage of dual perspectives, An Invariant Approach to the Statistical Analysis of Shapes stands as a unique and important work that brings a decade's worth of innovative methods, observations, and insights to an audience of both statisticians and biologists.

Book Description

Magnetic resonance techniques are especially interesting in the study of colloids and interfaces due to their unique ability to elucidate structure, dynamics and function at the atomic and molecular level. This book illustrates the most up to date applications of innovative NMR and EPR techniques, including magnetic resonance imaging and microscopy, to gas-solid and liquid-solid interfaces, organic and biological surfaces, microemulsions, liquid crystals, membranes, structure and dynamics of polymers and micellar systems, and diffusion in heterogeneous systems.

A compendium of advanced NMR and EPR techniques and a state of the art description of the power of advanced new methodologies for the study of molecular dynamics and interfaces.

Magnetic resonance in colloid and interface science: A symposium sponsored by the Divisions of Colloid and Surface Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, and Petroleum ... 29-Sept. 2, 1976 (ACS symposium series ; 34)

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Magnetic resonance in colloid and interface science: A symposium sponsored by the Divisions of Colloid and Surface Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, and Petroleum ... 29-Sept. 2, 1976 (ACS symposium series ; 34)

Manufacturer: The Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Magnetic Resonance in Colloid and Interface Science: Proceedings.

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Magnetic Resonance in Colloid and Interface Science: Proceedings.
Russia) Nato Advanced Research Workshop On Magnetic Resonance On Colloid And Interface Science (2001: St. Petersburg
Manufacturer: Kluwer Academic Pubs.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000N661N6

Book Description

The TI-85 is the latest and most powerful graphing calculator produced by Texas Instruments. This book describes the use of the TI-85 in courses in precalculus, calculus, linear algebra, differential equations, business mathematics, probability, statistics and advanced engineering mathematics. The book features in-depth coverage of the calculator's use in specific course areas by distinguished experts in each field.

Explorations With Texas Instruments TI-85

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Explorations With Texas Instruments TI-85
John W. Kenelly John G. Harvey
Manufacturer: Academic Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OHU0F4

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Love to read?

750 pages of good writing is a bargain

Probably an impossible task

Best Anthology, Longest Title Award

sloppy seconds

The Paris Review Book: of Heartbreak, Madness, Sex, Love, Betrayal, Outsiders, Intoxication, War, Whimsy, Horrors, God, Death, Dinner, Baseball, Travels, the Art of Writing, and Everything Else in the World Since 1953
The Paris Review , and The Paris Review
Manufacturer: Picador
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Writers on Writing: Collected Essays from The New York Times

ASIN: 0312422385

Book Description

An exciting new anthology from the journal Time magazine called 'the biggest 'little magazine' in history.' To commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the venerable Paris Review, Picador is proud to publish a unique anthology based on the themes of modern life. Like the work of the writers included, this book will inspire a dizzying range of thought and emotion, serving as a cumulative and breathtaking 'mirror' to the world we live in. To appear: Jack KerouacNorman Mailer Louise ErdrichJonathan Franzen Gabriel Garca MrquezWilliam Burroughs Denis JohnsonDavid Foster Wallace Raymond CarverItalo Calvino Grace Paleyand many more.

Customer Reviews:

Love to read?.......2007-04-21

Reading anything can be a little time consuming if you're not into it, but this book strives to break-away from that by dividing up sections anyone can find interesting and paramount to their own lives as well as favorite authors interviews and intriguing samplings of written work. Read a lot or a little at time, but read it, its worth it!

750 pages of good writing is a bargain.......2004-04-11

Well I have never read a copy of the magazine The Paris Review but have subscribed to Granta since it started and subscribe to The New Yorker. The first story in the anthology "Terrific Mother" by Lorrrie Moore was enough for me to give this five stars - let's face it, where can you get such a thrill for $21? There may be some stories, poems, interviews, that don't grab me with the same electric immediacy as that first story, but I don't have to read it from cover to cover. It's one of those terrific bedside books as far as I'm concerned and an absolute joy to explore.

Probably an impossible task.......2004-01-01

I bought this book mainly for the interviews the magazine has had over the years, and some of them with notoriously reticent figures like Nabokov and Hemingway. But I was disappointed, because what really distinguishes a Paris Review interview from those of other magazines is how well they're edited, and how beautifully and naturally the conversations flow. All we get here is single paragraphs, usually just anecdotes, funny stories, little opinions: sometimes they're profound (see Edmund White's page) or just convey the author's personality well (Faulkner, Hemingway), but all of them just made me upset about not being able to read the rest of the interview.

Of course there's not enough space. But I would have thrown out most of the other material. I doubt there was any way to make this collection totally succesful: if you pick only the famous stuff that the magazine has published over the years, it's sort of a waste, since most people would either have read the selection already or wouldn't want to read just an excerpt. A first chapter is useful to get you excited about an upcoming book, but unnecessary if the book's already been published. If you limit yourself to the more obscure material, well, it'll be good, but there's a reason that some people remain obscure.

Not that I didn't get a lot of pleasure out of this book. Heather McHugh's poem, for example, is beautiful, and I never would have run across it if I hadn't picked this up. There are little wonders sprinkled throughout, but too much of the rest is familiar, just okay, or an unsatisfying little piece of something larger.

I hesitate to put forward this criticism, since I have no idea how I could do it better - but I do know what book I would rather have read. If anyone down at the magazine (which I hope will rebound from the sad loss of Plimpton) can put together a big volume of complete, untruncated interviews, I would pay a princely sum for it. I've seen earlier collections, but nothing that covers the entire Plimpton era, and I think it would be easier to pick just the great interviews than to squeeze thirty plus years of wonderful material into this enjoyable but probably ill-advised collection.

Best Anthology, Longest Title Award.......2003-07-31

This book makes a perfect gift for both serious literature junkies and those who have blown off reading for the past fifty years. If the former applies to you, here's the best from the best. If you're in the latter category, this book will catch you up to speed. The Paris Review published the first chapter of Kerouac's ON THE ROAD, the first chapter of McInerney's BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY, the first chapter of Franzan's THE CORRECTIONS, etc., etc., etc. Obviously, they've been able to spot new talent from the day they started even to today. And of course, their fantastic interviews with writers themselves are legendary. A must for the collector and the neophyte alike.

sloppy seconds.......2003-07-28

I'd love to read a book that lives up to the title of this one. The recent New Yorker anthologies of fiction, nonfiction, and humor come a lot closer. The Paris Review published the lesser work of major writers, and lately it has been mostly given over to the longueurs of lightweights like Rick Moody. Plimpton will go down in literary history as a negligible, starstruck, Robin Leach-like figure, a party boy of narrow taste and ken. His magazine has been irrelevant for at least two decades now.

Paris Review Book of Heartbreak, Madness, Sex, Love, Betrayal, Outsiders, Intoxication, War, Whimsy, Horrors, God, Death,Dinner, Baseball, Travels, The Art of Writing, and Everything else in the World Since 1953

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Paris Review Book of Heartbreak, Madness, Sex, Love, Betrayal, Outsiders, Intoxication, War, Whimsy, Horrors, God, Death,Dinner, Baseball, Travels, The Art of Writing, and Everything else in the World Since 1953
George Plimpton
Manufacturer: Picador
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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