North America Books

The story of Norse Greenland, the settlement at the end of the earth, and its disappearance, has fascinated scholars and laypeople for 500 years.

Kirsten Seaver has produced the best and most readable work on the subject in 50 years, incorporating the large amount of very recent study being done in the field with acute insight and a clear narrative.

(Although it means there is not much point in me writing my book on the subject :( )

This is a very well-written intellectual piece tracing Greenland colonies from establishment, to explorations of North America, and subsequently, their disappearance.

The author portrays a history of over five centuries and has made discoveries that other researchers have missed. The author's conclusions are solid, however rather than sticking to solely historical facts, she speculates slightly on political issues. Nevertheless, the bulk of the book is thoroughly researched and well presented. An interesting read and a great way to learn some history as it is a book that is difficult to put down once you start.

Was it the Thule Eskimos attacking the Norse Greenland colonies which cause these groups of hardy descendants of Vikings to fall off the map of the North Atlantic after 1408? Was it changes in climate that caused them to move? Where then did they go? Was it the fishing vessels of unfriendly foreign powers or neglect from the homeland which cause these settlements to fail? This well-written scholarly work is difficult to put down as it traces the Greenland colonies from their establishment through their explorations of North America until their existance was "forgotten" by the Western World. Drawing on the latest works in archeology, medieval studies, and related scientific fields, this book provides illuminating insight into a unique culture on the edge of the known world and its final destiny.

Author Seaver seems to have ramsacked the archives of Iceland and Norway to compile a thorough history of five centuries of Norse settlement in Greenland, including the famous and ill-fated Norse effort to establish a colony in North America about 1000 AD. There are enough Olafs and Sigrids here to people Lake Wobegone. The author is apparently Scandinavian -- or speaks Icelandic and medieval Norwegian -- and is thus able to dig deeper than most authors on this topic. She presents her findings in dry professorial prose that may tell some readers more than they really want to know about the internal politics of the North Atlantic back in medieval times.

The great mystery is, of course, why did the Norse colonies in Greenland disappear and when? A worsening climate, Innuit attacks, inbreeding, and isolation have all been cited as reasons. I won't reveal the author's conclusion except to say that she theorizes the Norse survived longer in Greenland -- perhaps after 1500 -- than most scholars believe. The most interesting and original part of the book for me was her examination of the important role of traders and cod fisherman from the English port of Bristol in the exploration of the North Atlantic in the 15th century. She makes a good case that these sailors might have reached the New World a few years before Columbus -- but like good fishermen everywhere kept their favorite fishing holes secret.

All in all, this is a well-researched scholarly history with just enough learned speculation to keep a history and exploration buff reading on. It's the kind of book that -- if you're really, really a fanatic -- you could read a second time and benefit from many small points you missed on the first reading.

Smallchief

After reading dozens of nature conservation books, it's a pleasure to read one that stands above the rest. The Future of the Wild is not "more of the same". It prescribes a new direction in conservation -- one where the size of the solutions matches the size of the problems. Adams paints a compelling vision of how conservation can succeed, then provides real world examples of how these ideas can be implemented on the ground. It's an important message, eloquently delivered.

This book presents the approaches and challenges of conservation efforts over the last few decades. I wish it had been more tightly edited -- it was repetitive and a bit tedious to read.

Essentially the points of the book are:

1) The best approaches for conserving species is more of a decision based on values than hard science. The complexity of understanding everything that affects a species is too much to expect science to "know all the answers".

2) Conservaton efforts based on today's isolated parks and reserves is inadequate because they're too small. Finding ways to expand their "effective boundaries" is important.

3) The influence of man and the interplay of nature in and around parks and reserves is important to understand well enough to make effective conservation choices.

4) It's imperative to include local communities in the discussion of the issues and obtaining committment to the solutions.

This is the best book ever on conservation of natural resourses--should be read by all: those who believe in individual property rights, those who believe in preserving our natural resources, and those who know that tradeoffs have to be made, but do not know how to articulate their beliefs.

A 'must read' for any serious ecologist.

The conservation of isolated parks and reserves alone will fail, but there's an alternative option: one that The Future Of The Wild: Radical Conservation For A Crowded World covers. Conservationist Adams ranges across the U.S. in showing how to tie together scattered remnants of this continent's wild places. Stories about the species endangered and the possibilities of wildlife conservation corridors which can help connect and save them make for chapters which blend conservation history and biology with tales of successful partnerships among groups concerned with land and wildlife management. The Future Of The Wild: Radical Conservation For A Crowded World is a 'must' for any seriously concerned about the fate of wild animals on the planet.

"...a refreshing collection of essays by some of today's leading gay spokespersons on national campuses. Gay/lesbian movement activities and gay research are analyzed by gay professionals from a broad cross-section of scholarly disciplines. Endnotes, bibliographies and a comprehensive index are especially helpful for scholars and the scope and diversity of the general material can benefit anyone interested in the subject of homosexuality."

"The compilation is an original presentation in a burgeoning concern of scholarly inquiry."

An exceptionally important book of an entirely new kind: a collection of 26 original essays written by 22 different authors who are serious scholars, openly gay, and neither apologegic nor polemical. Significant insights.

"Reading THE GAY ACADEMIC...would be a worthwhile experience for most people connected with the academic world. Readers will find articles in their own fields of expertise viewed from a gay perspective; they will also have a chance to learn something about the situation of the homosexual in an academic setting."

I am still reading this addictive collection of personal essays about being a native american in today's America. It makes you laugh and cry and really ponder what the next step for native americans - self identified or otherwise - ought to be. The essays are sometimes very challenging and certainly function as an antidote to the Dances With Wolves type ideology. Reading this book has made me re-think my own heritage, and ultimately helped me to feel more clear about it means to have a native american legacy, acknowledging the responsibilities which come with that. In graduate school, one of the first things I learned was not to essentialize, that is to avoid painting the members of any kind of group with the same broad brush. Everyone has their own story to tell - their own unique and 'situated knowledges'. This collection of essays really brings this home, in a beautiful, accessible, diverse blend of writings which I have loved to dip into and taste. You have to take the bitter with the sweet, but there is much here to refresh the spirit. I think this text would be great in a classroom setting, as well as a great personal read for anyone - regardless of their ancestry.

GENOCIDE OF THE MIND - New Native American Writing

Having a genuine interest and concern in the contemporary issues confronting Native Nations and their respective communities today, I found this book, by Native writers, to be a totally absorbing and captivating literary work.

How refreshing it is, at last, to have a host of Native writers from various Nations, diverse geographical locations and different personal and professional backgrounds address their issues and to share their own lives and innumerable experiences with us, the readers. The spirit contained within the words of this exceptionally well-written, thought-provoking tome, reaches right out from the pages to embrace, envelope and captivate the reader from the very outset.

Make no mistake - these are hard-hitting short auto-biographies, long overdue and at last dispensing with the shroud of myths, wealth of stereotypes and misconceptions surrounding Native American Indian people - the writers do not pull their punches and rightly so. This is a book that tells how it has been, how it is and the many aspirations for how it could be. This is a book that expresses the, at times, overwhelming hurts, the all consuming pain, the denial, the shared fears, the justifiable anger, the numerous abuses, the frustrations and the many disappointments that have had to be endured by Native American Indian People. The accounts within its pages address the lies, the deceit and to any decent human being, the abhorrent and despicable mistreatment meted out to Native People in its entire perverse, covert guises and overt forms. However, what is also readily apparent and conveyed to the reader is the desire to forgive, to heal from past hurts and to take a renewed cultural pride in being a Native individual combined with a sense of urgency to retrieve, restore, teach and maintain Native languages, Traditions, Customs and Ceremonies, for the benefit and well-being of future generations.

This is an intense, dramatic, uplifting and at times, moving `roller-coaster' ride into the annals of European/American and Native relations. After more than 500 years this book more than amply highlights the fact that as Nations and peoples with their own cultures, languages, Traditions, Customs, values and belief systems, they always have been and continue to remain woefully misunderstood by mainstream American society. In my estimation, this book should be compulsory reading in schools throughout the United States, Canada and even here in the United Kingdom. Thereby, educating and raising awareness into an era of history and current contemporary issues that have been misinterpreted, misrepresented, entirely misunderstood and incorrectly portrayed, in books, media and film.

In conclusion, I highly recommend this book to anyone who is genuinely interested in learning `how it is' for the Indigenous People of the North American Continent, today. As stated on the review on the back panel of the book, it brings the Native experience into the 21st Century and in my personal opinion not a moment too soon.

This review would not be complete if I failed to express my gratitude to the Native writers who have chosen to address their issues, share their own lives and personal experiences with us the readers. To each of these contributors, I would like to convey with respect. . . .

Chi Mii-gwech, Nya wenha and Ama' ya

I really appreciate the fact that this book was written from the american indian perspective. This perspective is highly undervalued in historically white supremacist america. I got to read from people from different tribal nationhoods and different ages and stages of life. Part 5 "Who We Are and Who We Are Not" was particularly amazing. I liked Paula Gunn Allen's (Laguna/Metis) piece, "'Indians', Solipsisms, and Archetypal Holocausts" and the surreal poetry and writing of Carter Revard (Osage father) "Postcolonial Hyperbaggage: A Few Poems of Resistance and Survival" Each section of the book is educational and culturally enriching. I love the cover design.

The mascot issue is still pervasive in the american mainstream. People think of Indians as less real as if their opinion doesn't matter anymore. It's like they forget the mainstream just happily, comfortably, and complacently forgets that Native Americans even exist. It's sick. A mental illness that pervades society. That is not how you treat a fellow HUMAN BEING on the planet. How can you claim to be a progressive democratic union when you blatantly misuse stereotypical images of "savage" "ignorant" "crazy" CARICATURED minority populations in order to propel the spirit of aggression in a measly sporting event? Wake up and look in the mirror america... this is reality. This is what is going on in 2003. Meanwhile many natives have given up on life and turned to self sabotaging behavior. People forget about them, they become invisible, their issues and concerns don't matter and the end result is often a deep sense of meaninglessness on what is supposed to be your people's sacred home lands...

I'm glad I read this book. I highly recommend it!

I not an american indian myself. I am igbo from west africa.

blessings...

Genocide of the Mind: New Native American Writing is a series of essays on a variety of Native American topics, from the naming of mascots to stereotypes to growing up with a mixed background. There are even opinions about whether it's appropriate to use the term Indian, Native American, or indigenous people.

One question it presents is whether Native Americans have a different way of relating to the world than other Americans. Also, there is much in here about racism, the more subtle racism that exists today vs. the obvious genocide that occurred in past centuries. Reading the book, I felt sad that my family traditions were lost, wondering if my great-grandfather was forced to assimilate. Perhaps he was sent to a boarding school or resettled with a white family. Was it because of racism that he did not pass down the culture or even the name of his tribe?

The book is a compilation of essays, so there are many different viewpoints. Because many Native Americans are now also part-European, there was much discussion on what is a real Indian and if that question is even valid. Some people believe that you can never be Native American if you were not raised in that culture. Another idea I've heard elsewhere repeated here is that no one is part Indian - you are either Native American or you're not. Some wrote that it was important to learn and preserve your tribal languages and customs, even if your predecessors did not do so.

The essays on mascots was very eye-opening. Previously, I always thought that mascots shouldn't be a big issue, as long as we have teams called "the vikings", why not "the Indians". But after reading several essays on it, I have completely changed my mind. Apparently "redskin" has nothing to do with skin color but because of a bounty that the English government put out on native americans (red - i.e. bloody). In that light, it is really horrible that "redskins" is a team name! To continue on the topic of my reactions to the book, I have wondered whether I would have the same strong reactions if I was reading a book about a different race, one that I have no connection to.

The book made me think about a lot of things that I haven't thought about it before, or not all at once. I especially could relate to the sections written by people who were of mixed ancestry like myself. We have had a lot of common experiences, from comments on our hair and skin color to confusion about our ancestry. As it turns out, I am not the only one that is often mistaken for Spanish or Italian!

The last section was about perceptions of Native Americans vs. the reality. For example, many Americans believe that Native Americans have died out. History and anthrolopogy books speak about Native American tribes in the past tense. Then there are the depictions of Native Americans on television and in children's books. Pocahontas, the nymphette of the Disney movies, does not represent Native American woman. Nor does Sacajawea. Or any of the Western sidekicks or villains.

Because of these stereotypes, some modern Native Americans have been told that they are not Native American by Caucasians because they do not conform to the stereotype - i.e. the feathers, the tipi, etc. This story sounded so familiar that I was quite sure it had happened to me as well.

It is salty, sultry and seductive and it is always cause for a celebration."

Rowan Jacobsen knows his oysters, and this wonderful one-subject book can make you an expert too.

He focuses on taste. "Different oysters suit different occasions and different people. If you haven't yet been wowed by oysters, you may well have been dallying with the wrong ones." One of the most useful sections urges you to discover what kind of taster you are; Jacobsen then recommends the types of oysters you should try.

For example, I personally enjoy oysters with wine. "For the Wino: Those potent, briny, musky oysters are as overblown as an Australian Shiraz. You like to savor oysters with wine, so you want subtle mineral flavors, not metal and salt and mud.

"Kumamotos are Sauvignon Blanc's best friend; their clean melon flavors bring out its fruit. Westcott Bay Petites and Stellar Bays are both creamy and mild, not too salty, with no clashing bitterness. Eastern oysters are tougher matches for wine, but buttery Watch Hills have a full-bodied flavor that can be terrific with sharp, flinty wines, and Rappahannock Rivers bring out the minerals in some white wines. Beausoleils have a supreme lightness that is heaven with Champagne."

He makes specific suggestions for other types: the Shrinking Violet (or beginner), the Brine Hound, the Sweet Tooth, the Grail Seeker (or most adventurous), the Connoisseur, and six other types.

He describes many different types of oysters and where they are found. His list of 12 oysters you should know include: Beausolei, Belon or European Flat, Colville Bay, Glidden Point, Kumamoto, Moonstone, Nootka Sound, Olympia, Penn Cove Select, Rappahannock River, Skookum, and Totten Virginica. (These oysters and many more are described fully in his book and also on his website: Google " oysterguide " to find an extraordinarily rich source of oyster information.]

Jacobsen has sound arguments for observing the "R Rule" of eating oysters only in months with that letter because oysters from warmer water do not taste as good and can be a health risk when not cooked. Those who resist the notion of eating a living creature should remember: "Left in their natural environment, most oysters would be eaten by something: why shouldn't it be you?"

Virtually all oysters are now farm raised. Jacobsen is eloquent on why oyster farms are ecologically friendly. "Oyster farms are thriving in Virginia, New York and New England. On these aquaculture operations, billions of oysters spend one to three years in metal cages that function as artificial reefs. They filter water. Their shells provide habitat for numerous species. Sport fishermen have learned that striped bass, shad and other species congregate around them.

"Aquaculture has a bad name. We picture fish farms with tons of feed being dumped into the water, creating the same algae-promoting conditions as pollution from cities and terrestrial farms. But the situation is reversed with oyster farms, because oysters are little filters. The farms provide far more water-cleaning benefits than all the government programs put together, don't cost taxpayers a cent, and support coastal economies. They also make better oysters: a farmed oyster is plumper, sweeter and prettier than its wild cousin." [From a piece on "The New York Times."]

Jacobsen provides excellent advice on shucking oysters. "The New York Times" recently alerted me to "a new protective glove knitted from a polyester fiber used for bulletproof vests. It provides a nice cushioning and a line of defense when gripping a craggy oyster and inserting a knife. It is made by Microplane, the company known for its graters, and is labeled as ''cut resistant.'' I liked it for opening clams, too."

For further reading (or not), Jacobsen discussed three books in an interview with "Seven Days". Oysters by Joan Reardon "is a cornucopia of the worst oyster dishes imaginable. Oyster mousse, oyster pancakes, oyster croque monsieur." Consider the Oyster by M.F.K. Fisher "is the classic". The Oysters of Locmariaquer by Eleanor Clark, "which won the National Book Award back in the '60s, is the best."

Jacobsen provides a couple of dozen recipes, much oyster lore, and an enormous amount of pleasure in these pages. You don't have to be a connoisseur to enjoy this excellent guide to oysters.

I love oysters. I don't know why, but I just do. Every now and then I get strong cravings and I just have to have them. I also have a lot of books about oysters because of it. "Consider the oyster" a great book, and others. But they are all mainly cook books with very little detail about the oyster, where it comes from and it's history.

This book is incredibly well written, witty at times and very informative. You can learn how oysters are farmed and their various techniques. Things I didn't even find on wiki. I learned how they get to harden those shells. I purchased some Carlsbad Blondes, and those shells would just snap in half. Terrible oysters. I know why because of the book.

I'm not sure how the author did it, but it seems he has had the incredible opportunity to sample a great many oysters. I can see his tax return $1000 spent as "research" for his book. What a great way to do research. Upon one of the authors great descriptions, I ordered three dozen Hama Hama's. They were fantastic.

The author picks five or six farms and gives incredible detail about the location, the owner/farmer and his/her history and the oysters themselves. This is a book to own now, because it is relavent now with the current oyster farmers listed. It is a chance to learn about the worlds best and to learn how to sample them.

The only thing I would have loved to see in the book, would be a travel guide on how to visit the various farms the author so nicely listed. That's one of the things I plan on doing is to travel up and down the coast visiting oysters farms along the way. I would have loved this book to have a guide like that.

There is a section on "what kind of oyster" person are you? But I didn't find that very useful or informative. A very minor drawback for an incredibly informative book on oysters. Every connosieur(sp?) should have a copy. A book for oyster lovers by an oyster lover.

Jacobsen has turned the art of eating oysters to a higher level.

You can't wait to finish the book so you can start trying out his great recommendations. Whether you're an oyster novice, blindly feeling your way around the oysters beds, or, a seasoned connoisseur, this book is a must read. Great work Rowan!!

This book was one I bought as a potential reference book, however once i picked it up I just kept reading it. This is far from a dry review of oysters it is funny and insightful. My oyster vocabulary has blossomed.

Three friends have requested that I stop talking about oysters and buy them a copy for their birthdays.

It tells about the oysters and then how to get them delivered to your door for dinner. I love this book.

The book is of the finest quality in printing and binding. The content is very educational and the reproductrion of JD's paintings is superb.

Descriptive words of Ghost Dancing, joined with the timeless wisdom contained in the words of Native America. Couple this with the paintings of JD Challenger and you have an opportunity to not read about but really feel. This is not a book just narrating the past but speaks volumes to the future. This book called to me from the library shelf and I have ordered to place in a prominent place on my shelf. This is a book to share with others and come back to often.

The text of this book is extremely informative on the Ghost Dance Religion of Native Americans. It covers the origins of the religion, its climax and the results thereof. Adding to this educational context is the Beautifully compelling work of artist JD Challenger. His riviting paintings jump from the pages virtually reaching out from the book and pulling you in. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about Native Americans and most assuredly to anyone who loves art that emits emtional impact. I constantly go back to this book as a source of inspiration and to gain understanding of Native American's plight.

JD challengers work was the first original art that I have purchased. When I saw his work in a gallery in Santa Fe, I was mesmorized by the character of his subjects. Ghost Dancing provides a good overview of many of his prints that are available.

The best book I have ever read regarding the birth of Christ from an aboriginal viewpoint. Those in the pulpit need to move over and make room.

The Give-Away is beautifully written and illustrated. Mr. Buckley's story is simply the story of Christmas, based on the tradition shared by many Native people known as 'the give-away." A friend recommended this book and I share that recommendation with you. The Native people have much to teach in their tradition of the give-away.

Both the illustrations and the story are wonderful. The book artfully combines Native American spirituality aspects with Christian aspects. I used this book in a "children's church" class at our Native American / Catholic church at Christmas. The kids loved the story and afterwards made a collage of Jesus in the manager surrounded by all the animals mentioned in the story. The book could be used during Easter as well or during a discussion about Native American give-aways.

I became aware of this book yesterday when I heard Ray Buckley read it at a Christmas Tea & Tree for the Red Bird Missionary Conference. The book touched the hearts of each of those present. Small children, youth and adults were warmed with the story.

The Give-Away is for all families, with children and without. It would be an excellent resource to give to families that do not attend church.

Ray re-presents God's story of love and self-giving by sharing from his tradition the story of giving.

Lopez heralds a message to our so-called "modern" Judeo-christian culture from the stone-age past: You can't separate the good from the bad. Coyote resembles nothing short of an agent of Bacchus, welding god-like powers of creation, with basal human desires and weaknesses.

In his anthology, Lopez has focused strictly on the Coyote of Native American lore, and thus has attempted to filter out most of the more modern interpretations and spin-offs, as well as removing any european influences. The observation that Lopez was not entirely successful in this effort shows the difficulty of such a task. The last story, "Coyote Finishes His Work", shows a distinctly "Euro-christian" influence. However, Lopez was at least successful enough to distinguish this piece from Bright's "Coyote Reader". Both are excellent works, and deserve your eye.

Of all the Coyote mythology collections I've read, this is the best. It features an assortment of styles from over 30 tribes, giving a broad sense of what the Coyote is. The author takes great pleasure in the introduction when he states that the greatest mistake is to generalize the Coyote, even to say he is a trickster is sometimes wrong. This book is just as if someone took all their favorite Coyote stories and put them in order (he starts the book at the creation of the Earth, and Man. Ending when "Coyote finishes his work.")

I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn about the Coyote.

I know this book is out of print and hard to find, but if you can let Amazon.com search it out for you, it is worth the effort. Lopez is at his best form in telling these stories of the coyote trickster. Some of the stories can best be described as ribald versions of the Brer Fox and Brer Rabbit stories. However, these are fresh stories that will engage your imagination and tickle your funny bone. I once entertained a group of young men with these stories one evening around a campfire...young men who thought they were too old to be read to. They laughed and wouldn't let me stop reading until my throat was hoarse. Find a copy if you can!

For those people who are still trying to decide between evolution and intelligent design, here is yet another creation story to ponder (or add to the curriculum), this one involving Coyote, who "was not necessarily a coyote, nor even a creature of strict physical dimensions." The subtitle of this book is "Coyote Builds North America."

"Giving Birth to Thunder, Sleeping with his Daughter" is a magical read, like all of this author's books. It is mythology without the density of "The Golden Bough," but still with the serious purpose of teaching world views that may seem strange to non-Amerinds.

I needed to ponder the implications of these stories. I wondered if coyote creation myths were any more unbelievable than the invention of a CNN 'faith and values' correspondent, or the news of a televangelist encouraging his fellow Christians to assassinate a foreign head-of-state. Are they stranger to the human experience than mullahs issuing death fatwas against authors or encouraging followers to gang-rape young women?

Coyote steals, rapes and murders in these sixty-eight stories from forty-two different First Nation tribes. He is a Creator, dupe, loving husband, and lusty rogue; a sorcerous Rhett Butler with a brushy tail and extreme bipolar disorder. My favorite stories involve other clever creatures who dupe the Trickster into eating his own anus or tossing his eyeballs into a tree. It's always good to see a powerful bully with an uncertain temper taken down a notch or two.

Luckily Coyote is able to laugh at himself, unlike certain gods on the other side of the Atlantic.

This was the first Anne Stuart book I ever read - but didn't realise I was reading an "Anne Stuart" at the time. After I read "A Rose At Midnight", I revisited "Glass Houses" and loved it. It's cheeky, it's passionate - there's a love/hate relationship between Laura and Michael that's just delightful. The two of them are so stubborn yet hopelessly attracted to one another. I could probably have done without the secondary love story (Laura's friend) - but it worked. Highly recommended! =)

Billionaire corporate raider Michael Dubrovnik has bought all the old properties in the area to create a huge glass building with modern design. The only thing standing in his was is another building of glass, this one owned by Laura de Kelsey Winston. Unless her house comes down, his multi-million dollar project can fall to ruin and Michael has never permitted that to happen.

Laura loves her Glass building, built with style and class of a period gone by. It needs a lot of work, and its likely cost more money than she can swing, but she intends Glass House will survive in spite of Michael's high powered pressure. When she refuses every offer he makes, and states she will never leave the glass house to be destroyed my Michael, he begins making her life a living hell, but taking down the old buildings surrounding her, literally rattling the wall of the small glass building.

As their stormy battle of wills rage over the small building in the way of his project, they find their passions almost as strong as their determination. Michael finds himself falling in love with Laura, but is not will to let love rule and nearly kills her in a bad construction accident. He must chose between his high money project and her love, and Laura must decide which is more important, hanging on to the past and its traditions, or losing the man she loves.

Another of the long line of backlist of Stuart that is a gem.

I liked this book so much, I couldn't wait to get home from work to get back to it. The secondary characters as well as the main characters were well written. The storyline moved quickly. There were a few inconsistencies but overall, a definite keeper.

Stuart never fails to mesmerize me, whether in big books or series romance. Her series works for Harlequin and Silhouette are as a wonderful treat as her longer works.

In Glass House, Billionaire corporate raider Michael Dubrovnik has bought all the old properties in the area in New York City to create a huge glass building with modern design. The only thing standing in his way is another building of glass, this one owned by Laura de Kelsey Winston. Unless her "house" comes down, his multi-million dollar project can fall to ruin, and Michael will never permit that to happen.

Laura loves her glass building, built with style and class of a period gone by. It needs a lot of work, and it will likely cost more money than she can swing, but she intends Glass House will survive - in spite of Michael's high powered pressure. When she refuses every offer he makes, and states she will never leave Glass House to be destroyed my Michael, he begins making her life a living hell. First, he moves into the building so he is there to constantly plague her. When seducing her doesn't work, he tries taking down the old buildings surrounding her, literally rattling the walls of the small glass building.

As their stormy battle of wills rage over the small building in the way of his project, they find their passion almost as strong as their determination. Michael discovers he is falling in love with Laura, but is not will to let love rule him, and nearly kills her in a bad construction accident. He must chose between his high money project and her love, and Laura must decide which is more important - hanging on to the past and its traditions, or losing the man she loves.

There is a nifty little mystery about Laura and everyone receiving blackmail attempts, which only serves to keep the lively story moving with a fast pace. Glass House is another in the long line of Stuart's backlist just waiting to be discovered.

While reading "Glory Land" I was taken on a wonderful trip to a wonderful place that I haven't been to in a long, long time. Thank you Lyn Cryderman for making me cry, laugh out loud, and seriously consider those who, during the course of my life, have been instrumental in helping me find my way to the cross. Praise the Lord.

Rarely has such a small book carried such a big surprise for me. GLORY LAND captures every Baby Boomer's heart IF they grew up churched. While the geography and names were different, Lyn Cryderman's story was my story, too. His memoirs served to reactivate my own memories of growing up in the turbulent, radical sixties as one of those "good kids" in church. The graphic recollections and honest, sometimes humorous admissions embrace the reader and then lead the reader to a heart-melting conclusion. GLORY LAND redeemed all the embarrassment, shame, and even the irritating feelings I had about my conservative, religious upbringing. GLORY LAND, while one person's story, becomes all the readers' stories. The author, then, stuns us with the gracious fact that we actually grew up in the Greatest Story of all--God's story. And the ending to that story...hey! it's awesome!

I am about the same age as the author, grew up in the same denomination he did, experienced church much the same as he did, attended the same Christian college at the same time he was there, went to the same church across the street from the college, and know many of the same people he writes about. Yet until reading his book I have taken for granted how much that same background means to me. Even though a minister I have always had sort of a love-hate relationship with "the church." But while reading the last chapter--in my opinion the best in the book--I cried, and then upon finishing it, literally dropped to me knees and thanked God for the privilege of "a lifetime in church." Thanks, Lyn. See you in Glory Land!

Blending Heartland humor with tongue-in-church-cheek persiflage, "Glory Land" has solved a profound mystery for me. Each Sunday as our eight-year-old Preacher's Kid wiggles in a front row pew, I wonder if she sees church life differently than those of us who volunteered to come. Rather than remain pew bound, this child sinks to her knees with her back to her father. Using pew seat as writing desk, her stylus fills a magic silver slate. As my middle aged vibrato breaks in mid-hymnody, she looks up from her work and stares me down with a toothless grin. Then her eyes drop back down and she scribbles furiously. Thanks to Lyn Cryderman, I now know what she is doing. She is writing a book like "Glory Land."

Growing up in a similar pew, Cryderman had his sights set on all us church mice. His sacred diary is a warm and playful one. The mere mortals he describes make a congregation into a community and a church far more than mortar and bricks. Pastoral families can take heart that a PK can come away from childhood with an unquenchable passion to be part of a local family of faith. This is a great read for those who find Sunday morning worship the high point of their week.