Ever since the first Swedish-born immigrants to Oregon began settling in the 1850s, Swedes have had a big impact on its development. Among the first immigrants was shoemaker Carl M. Wiberg, who arrived in the summer of 1852 and settled in Portland. By 1930, roughly 45 percent of all Swedish immigrants were living in the Portland metro area. Other areas of Swedish settlement included Astoria, Coos Bay, Tillamook, southwestern Oregon, and Morrow County. At first, the Swedish language was the unifying force among the immigrants. Today, it is the celebration and sharing of Swedish traditions and culture. There are many reasons why Swedes were attracted to the United States, including religious freedom, better economic conditions, and, for young men, escaping compulsory military service. Many immigrant Swedes did not come directly to Oregon but were attracted to the state and its employment opportunities after the completion of the transcontinental railroad.

Swede is a memoir to a great father who happened to be a humble, legendary New Jersey athlete. It is also a visit back to a storied time and place, Newarks historic Weequahic section. Swede covers the life of Seymour Swede Masin: his growing up in Newark, the son of Russian Jewish immigrants; his marrying out of the faith, temporarily breaking his parents hearts; his fascinating competitors and contemporaries; numerous anecdotes that best define him; the saga of Newarks Weequahic High School, past and present; and Swedes final years battling Alzheimers Disease. Of special note is the attention he received after serving as an inspiration for Philip Roths main character, Seymour Swede Levov, in the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, American Pastoral. There was something very special about him, especially some of his fascinating contradictions: strong yet gentle; frugal yet generous; individualistic yet a great team player; a worry wart yet with a great sense of humor. For Robert Masin, this was the father he was so fortunate to have known, admired, and loved. This memoir will allow people a glimpse of the Seymour "Swede" Masin he idolized.

In Oregon, backpackers can hike wild beaches, enjoy colorful desert canyonlands, walk amid stunning granite peaks, relax in wildflower meadows, and circle glacier-clad mountains. Award-winning guidebook author and longtime Oregon resident Douglas Lorain details 30 spectacular backpacking trips in Backpacking Oregon. Lasting from three days to two weeks, these carefully crafted itineraries offer geographic diversity, beautiful scenery, and reasonable daily mileage goals. This in-depth guide provides all the information backpackers will need to access the Oregon backcountry, including the Oregon Coast, Columbia Gorge, High Cascades, Hells Canyon, and the Klamath, Siskiyou, Blue, and Wallowa mountains. A detailed trail map and photographs accompany each trip.

Three Finnish siblings head for the logging fields of nineteenth-century America in the New York Times–bestselling author’s “commanding historical epic” (Washington Post). Born into a farm family, the three Koski siblings—Ilmari, Matti, and Aino—are raised to maintain their grit and resiliency in the face of hardship. This lesson in sisu takes on special meaning when their father is arrested by imperial Russian authorities, never to be seen again. Lured by the prospects of the Homestead Act, Ilmari and Matti set sail for America, while young Aino, feeling betrayed and adrift after her Marxist cell is exposed, follows soon after. The brothers establish themselves among a logging community in southern Washington, not far from the Columbia River. In this New World, they each find themselves—Ilmari as the family’s spiritual rock; Matti as a fearless logger and entrepreneur; and Aino as a fiercely independent woman and union activist who is willing to make any sacrifice for the cause that sustains her. Layered with fascinating historical detail, this novel bears witness to the stump-ridden fields that the loggers—and the first waves of modernity—leave behind. At its heart, Deep River explores the place of the individual, and of the immigrant, in an America still in the process of defining its own identity.

The most complete survey of Nordic architecture available today.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “With winning candor, Jedidiah Jenkins takes us with him as he bicycles across two continents and delves deeply into his own beautiful heart.”—Cheryl Strayed, author of Wild and Tiny Beautiful Things On the eve of turning thirty, terrified of being funneled into a life he didn’t choose, Jedidiah Jenkins quit his dream job and spent sixteen months cycling from Oregon to Patagonia. He chronicled the trip on Instagram, where his photos and reflections drew hundreds of thousands of followers, all gathered around the question: What makes a life worth living? In this unflinchingly honest memoir, Jed narrates his adventure—the people and places he encountered on his way to the bottom of the world—as well as the internal journey that started it all. As he traverses cities, mountains, and inner boundaries, Jenkins grapples with the question of what it means to be an adult, his struggle to reconcile his sexual identity with his conservative Christian upbringing, and his belief in travel as a way to wake us up to life back home. A soul-stirring read for the wanderer in each of us, To Shake the Sleeping Self is an unforgettable reflection on adventure, identity, and a life lived without regret. Praise for To Shake the Sleeping Self “[Jenkins is] a guy deeply connected to his personal truth and just so refreshingly present.”—Rich Roll, author of Finding Ultra “This is much more than a book about a bike ride. This is a deep soul deepening us. Jedidiah Jenkins is a mystic disguised as a millennial.”—Tom Shadyac, author of Life’s Operating Manual “Thought-provoking and inspirational . . . This uplifting memoir and travelogue will remind readers of the power of movement for the body and the soul.”—Publishers Weekly

Nordic-inspired, the fresh philosophy of this book can be used in any climate as the author explores the integral relationship between nature and personal development and how this manifests itself in the Scandinavian lifestyle.