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  <name><![CDATA[Mike]]></name>
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    <about><![CDATA[  I'm an old married guy who loves the outdoors, reading, friends, and life.]]></about>
    <age>63</age>
    <gender>male</gender>
    <location>West Linn, OR</location>
    <website><![CDATA[http://www.BackpackingAmericanWest.com]]></website>
    <joined>04/2007</joined>
    <last_active>12/2009</last_active>
    <interests><![CDATA[Backpacking, hiking, snowshoeing, geography, birding, and . . .]]></interests>
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      <update type="review">
    <action_text><![CDATA[is currently reading: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1317696.The_Enchantress_of_Florence">The Enchantress of Florence (Hardcover)</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3299.Salman_Rushdie">Salman Rushdie</a>]]></action_text>
    <link>http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/82300003</link>
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    <updated_at>Mon, 28 Dec 2009 10:08:06 -0800</updated_at>
        
      
          <body><![CDATA[  I stumbled around getting started but am now into it.  There's symbolism and references here that I'm not getting, I feel sure.  Once I finish the book, if I've not determined what I'm missing, perhaps I'll read an analysis by those better read.]]></body>
        
    
  </update>  
      <update type="review">
    <action_text><![CDATA[gave 3 stars to: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1474628.The_Monsters_of_Templeton">The Monsters of Templeton (Hardcover)</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/690619.Lauren_Groff">Lauren Groff</a>]]></action_text>
    <link>http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/81216069</link>
    <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1222962955s/1474628.jpg</image_url>
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  <id type="integer">60463</id>
  <name>Mike</name>
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    <updated_at>Mon, 28 Dec 2009 10:04:35 -0800</updated_at>
        
      
          <body><![CDATA[  I wish we could give half-stars because I'd give this a 3 1/2.  The book is well written and the story is well told  The approach to telling the story is quite creative and unusual in that the author uses standard story telling, old letters, excerpts from books, the wandering thoughts and impressi...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/81216069">more...</a>]]></body>
        
    
  </update>  
      <update type="review">
    <action_text><![CDATA[gave 5 stars to: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/211524.An_Introduction_to_Haiku_An_Anthology_of_Poems_and_Poets_from_Basho_to_Shiki">An Introduction to Haiku: An Anthology of Poems and Poets from Basho to Shiki (Paperback)</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/123838.Harold_Gould_Henderson">Harold Gould Henderson</a>]]></action_text>
    <link>http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/81220920</link>
    <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172734331s/211524.jpg</image_url>
    <actor>
  <id type="integer">60463</id>
  <name>Mike</name>
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    <updated_at>Wed, 16 Dec 2009 13:56:52 -0800</updated_at>
        
      
          <body><![CDATA[  A book given to me on perhaps the darkest day of my life.  The other two were &quot;The Little Prince&quot; and &quot;Be Here Now&quot;.  All three helped to lighten my mind and my load, or the load I perceived that I was carrying.  If you can find this little gem it's worth having.  Thank you Pet...]]></body>
        
    
  </update>  
      <update type="review">
    <action_text><![CDATA[gave 5 stars to: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7017136-tao-te-ching">Tao TE Ching (ebook)</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6373.Stephen_Mitchell">Stephen Mitchell</a>]]></action_text>
    <link>http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/81220072</link>
    <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1256073337s/7017136.jpg</image_url>
    <actor>
  <id type="integer">60463</id>
  <name>Mike</name>
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  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/60463-mike</link>
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    <updated_at>Wed, 16 Dec 2009 13:52:03 -0800</updated_at>
        
      
          <body><![CDATA[  One of the book that changed my life.  This is the best translation I've read of the Tao.  It's done conscisely and lucidly while retaining the elegant beauty of the Tao.  (Yeah, I know, I've never read it in the original form.  Never will either.)  I have my ancient original version, a smaller, n...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/81220072">more...</a>]]></body>
        
    
  </update>  
      <update type="review">
    <action_text><![CDATA[gave 4 stars to: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/116236.The_Education_of_Little_Tree">The Education of Little Tree (Paperback)</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/67388.Forrest_Carter">Forrest Carter</a>]]></action_text>
    <link>http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/81219643</link>
    <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171721652s/116236.jpg</image_url>
    <actor>
  <id type="integer">60463</id>
  <name>Mike</name>
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    <updated_at>Wed, 16 Dec 2009 13:47:04 -0800</updated_at>
        
      
          <body><![CDATA[  When my kids were about 8 and 10 I read this book aloud to them, a chapter at a time (unless they begged a second) each night before bed.  Yes, I know that the author was a racist and that this book is not a true life tale, but it's still a good story well told.]]></body>
        
    
  </update>  
      <update type="review">
    <action_text><![CDATA[gave 4 stars to: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4406.East_of_Eden">East of Eden (Centennial Edition)</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/585.John_Steinbeck">John Steinbeck</a>]]></action_text>
    <link>http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/81219116</link>
    <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165432854s/4406.jpg</image_url>
    <actor>
  <id type="integer">60463</id>
  <name>Mike</name>
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    <updated_at>Wed, 16 Dec 2009 13:43:06 -0800</updated_at>
        
      
          <body><![CDATA[  First off, I like Steinbeck.  I like his long and lovely descriptions of geography and the languid pace of much of his writing.  Even though some of the symbolism whacks one over the head, I still enjoy it.  He told tales that needed to be told to bring darker realities into the view of the rest o...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/81219116">more...</a>]]></body>
        
    
  </update>  
      <update type="review">
    <action_text><![CDATA[gave 1 stars to: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/415.Gravity_s_Rainbow">Gravity's Rainbow (Paperback)</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/235.Thomas_Pynchon">Thomas Pynchon</a>]]></action_text>
    <link>http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/81218911</link>
    <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1156917191s/415.jpg</image_url>
    <actor>
  <id type="integer">60463</id>
  <name>Mike</name>
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    <updated_at>Wed, 16 Dec 2009 13:40:22 -0800</updated_at>
        
      
          <body><![CDATA[  I'm not smart enough to comprehend this book.  But if I was I'd still give it one star.  Some intellectual friends urged me to read it way back when.  I did so.  There was much that I didn't get at all and what I did get seemed tortured and pointless.  That's my review.]]></body>
        
    
  </update>  
      <update type="review">
    <action_text><![CDATA[gave 4 stars to: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/157993.The_Little_Prince">The Little Prince (Paperback)</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1020792.Antoine_de_Saint_Exup_ry">Antoine de Saint-Exupéry</a>]]></action_text>
    <link>http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/81218496</link>
    <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1233949421s/157993.jpg</image_url>
    <actor>
  <id type="integer">60463</id>
  <name>Mike</name>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1176677289p2/60463.jpg</image_url>
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    <updated_at>Wed, 16 Dec 2009 13:38:03 -0800</updated_at>
        
      
          <body><![CDATA[  Way back when, on one of the darkest days of my life, two friends gave me this book (along with &quot;Be Here Now&quot; and a small volume of haiku).  I began reading it but couldn't quite make out why they gave me the book.  It was and is a children's book for adults, or vice-versa.  I wasn't too...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/81218496">more...</a>]]></body>
        
    
  </update>  
      <update type="review">
    <action_text><![CDATA[gave 4 stars to: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43641.Water_for_Elephants">Water for Elephants (Paperback)</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/24556.Sara_Gruen">Sara Gruen</a>]]></action_text>
    <link>http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/81218285</link>
    <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170161179s/43641.jpg</image_url>
    <actor>
  <id type="integer">60463</id>
  <name>Mike</name>
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    <updated_at>Wed, 16 Dec 2009 13:35:09 -0800</updated_at>
        
      
          <body><![CDATA[  Justifiably popular.  This is one of those novels that can cause a person to want to read just one more chapter despite it being well past bedtime.  It's loaded with colorful characters and lots of humanity.]]></body>
        
    
  </update>  
      <update type="review">
    <action_text><![CDATA[gave 4 stars to: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13839.The_Botany_of_Desire_A_Plant_s_Eye_View_of_the_World">The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World (Paperback)</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2121.Michael_Pollan">Michael Pollan</a>]]></action_text>
    <link>http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/81218058</link>
    <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255579535s/13839.jpg</image_url>
    <actor>
  <id type="integer">60463</id>
  <name>Mike</name>
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    <updated_at>Wed, 16 Dec 2009 13:33:12 -0800</updated_at>
        
      
          <body><![CDATA[ I liked this book a lot and am always quoting little factoids from it.  The part about apples was a big favorite.  It's well worth reading just for the party conversation info that you'll glean but mostly it's just a good, well written book.]]></body>
        
    
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