Iowa Books

Incredible photography, a nicely written text, a good bit of history, and the fine condition of so many of these buildings (mostly homes) make this an joy for anyone fond of architecture and a real treat for anyone seeking more knowledge of victorian architecture.

This book is like a treasure box. When opened it reveals the beauty of the midwest from an angle that not too many people have thought of. The photographs make you look at structures in another way,thus opening up a whole new "treasure box" when you begin seeing these architectural elements in real life no matter where you are--Midwest or not! It's even more exciting to take a road trip and actually drive by these featured homes and buildings. This is a must for those renovating victorians,those partial to victorians,and those interested in preserving the old structures in your town. If you are a RAGBRAI rider (The Register's Great Annual Bike Ride Across Iowa)and have been captivated with the simple beauty of Iowa,this book will open up yet another avenue of enjoyment as you proceed through the small towns of the state.

Walking on a Rolling Deck: Life on the Ark

Berken's first book is amazing! I didn't want to put it down! It hits on everything: spirituality, disability, family, community, cancer, humor and simply living life. Life on the Ark is very real and very down to earth.

What makes this book so great is that anyone can read it, and find something to relate to. Anyone who knows someone who has dealt with cancer. Anyone who knows someone with a disability. Anyone who has dealt with divorce, and family, and starting over, and then incorporating the power of spirituality into all of those things.

This book is amazing, and no matter who you are, or where you are on your journey, you will learn something from this book... and no doubt you will laugh and cry.

Walking on a Rolling Deck: Life on the Ark is the true-life memoir of author Kathleen C. Berken, of her life-changing choice to work as a live-in assistant in a L'Arche community in Clinton, Iowa, aiding men with developmental disabilities. A deeply spiritual testimony, Walking on a Rolling Deck tells of the inevitable difficulties of adjusting to change, confronting the specter of breast cancer, but most of all, of the benevolent power of God's love - a power all too often ignored, neglected, or obscured in today's world. Ultimately a simple story of Christian life and the resonance of faith, illustrated with a handful of black-and-white photographs, Walking on a Rolling Deck is highly recommended for Christian readers and anyone seeking to quietly contemplate the mystery of God that permeates even the most mundane aspects of daily life.

Henry A. Wallace has been so scouraged by his ill-fated 1948 run as an independent candidate for the United States presidency that he is often forgotten for his key role in many, many other greater causes and efforts. The McCarthy era which decimated so many other careers may have been the great undoing of Vice President Wallace, but Russell Lord does a great job in getting inside the history and lives of the three generations of Wallaces in Iowa -- with a beautiful inset story of George Washington Carver's time with them -- while remaining remarkably objective in the days, perhaps, of a more honorable vintage of insider journalism. There is probably not a better life history of the intriguing young inventor of hybred seed corn as we know it today.

This is one of the most insightful books you can find about one of the wisest American political leaders of the last century, in great part because Henry A. Wallace (like his father, Henry C.) was never really a politician as much as an agrarian activist, writer and organizer -- all of which stemmed from his interest in plants as a scientist.

Biographer Russell Lord gets inside the workings of Wallace's Department of Agriculture and his other Washington venues as Vice President during the FDR years with brilliant inclusion of comments by both Franklin and Eleanor as well, recognizing Wallace as a pragmatic, thoughtful scientist rather than the red-baited 1948 Progressive Party presidential candidate he is seemingly only remembered by in history. Lord's review of the fateful 1944 Democratic National Convention, and Wallace's stirring speech on equal rights and equal pay in quite moving.

Mr. Lord also delves deep into the family roots of this fascinating progressive thinker who proved to be so many decades ahead of his time, detailing the early symbiotic relationship he shared with fellow scientist George Washington Carver, whom Wallace credited for his own remarkable scientific achievements in hybridizing sweet corn, etc. Mr. Lord also clearly maintains an objectivity which makes this, in my opinion, one of the best written political biographies (about any politician) in critically analyzing Wallace within the context of his times and challenges.

Anyone who grew up on a farm will be entranced by this book, and if you grew up on an Iowa farm you will be overjoyed. This book has a series of 12 vignettes of growing up on a farm in the area of Remsen, Iowa in the 1930s. there is a great deal of authenticity, tho maybe more bitterness than I feel is warranted. But the book is one to be savored by those with similar memories.

Curtis Harnack's "We Have All Gone Away" captures with poignant beauty and sadness the end of a period of our country's history -- the family farm. In a heart-felt memoir of his family's farm in Iowa, a way of life gone forever is brought to life. Mr. Harnack could have been describing my own family's history in Indiana and when I first discovered the book in the 1980's, I read the book on tape for my Aunt and Uncle, then in their 80's, because their way of life was by then a thing of the past. "We Have All Gone Away" becomes a memorial for all who contributed to the rich fabric of our agricultural ecomony in a much simpler time.

The book, which reads like good fiction, paints the powerful picture of a proud chapter in our country's growth. While the book doesn't spare the reader the full impact on individual lives as a result of agricultural expansion into big business, nor does Mr. Harnack wallow in the necessary demise of era.

I shared the book with my daughter some years ago. She has passed the book on to more than a dozen people, all who share some remnant of a memory of our midwestern farming heritage. What a treasure this book is! I hope it never goes out of print.

I thoroughly enjoyed this collection, which was seamless, smooth, yet intense. Finishing in two days (on a Sunday afternoon at the beach) with such a good feeling, but still wanting to read more of her work.

Renee Manfredi uses well-chosen specific, definite, and particular details that bring her stories to life. I believe the characters and the events in all the stories. Any passionate reader will rage through the stories as I did, because the proses draw you in and hold you until the end. I recommend all short stories' fans to read them. Renee Manfredi has a powerful writing style; I would read any of her stories any day.

Award finalist poet Maggie Nelson presents Women, The New York School, and Other True Abstractions, an in-depth contemplation of women in and connected to the New York School of Poets from the 1950s to the present. Analyses of the work of Barbara Guest, Bernadette Mayer, Alice Notley, Eileen Myles, and abstract painter Joan Mitchell as well as feminist insights into a number of male New York School writers and artists offer new interpretations of issues of anonymity vs. publicity, solitary vs. communal existence, enduring vs. ephemeral aspects of life, domesticity, boredom, inspiration, sex, and politics. Above all, Women, The New York School, and Other True Abstrictions strives to have the reader reconsider the concepts of "schools" or "avant-garde", cutting down to the fundamental questions: why do we read, and how do our gender and sexuality affect our interpretations of what we read? "If there's one thing Mayer's work has to impart, it is a promotion of the paradoxical value of the gratuitous itself. To allow for this paradox - to pay attention to it, to admire it - is to salute that which is unpaid, uncalled for, unjustifiable, and, in a complex sense of the word, free." A small handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate this thoughtful analysis, including an unusual gelatin silver print of a man masturbating.

Nelson's examination of the women of the NY School is not a distaff analysis, but a critical dilation of an otherwise false whole -- it is a book to be written on, and in, with the great joy that comes from great discovery.

Now in its sixth edition, updated to include how the world news media responded to the September 11th attack on America, The World News Prism: Global Media In An Era Of Terrorism by William A. Hachten (Professor Emeritus Of Journalism And Mass Communication, University of Wisconsin - Madison) and James F. Scotton (Associate Professor of Journalism, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is an informative and analytical survey of a wide variety of media and its influences within the context of the twenty-first century, including the Internet, modern public diplomacy and political warfare, globalization of the information distribution, and much, much more. The World News Prism is a fascinating and eruditely presented study which is especially recommended for Journalism, Media Studies, Political Science, and International Studies reference collections and reading lists.

Given the world situation, timing books to catch the wave of public interest is a tricky thing. A spate of books came out in 2002 that, because of long production times, failed to consider one of the defining events of this decade, the September 11 terrorist attack on New York City and the Pentagon. Given the trauma incurred among the press and populace of the world's lone megapower, books that failed to note 9/11 immediately were dismissed as out-dated. Textbooks, for example, that used to have at least a five-year shelf-life, suddenly found themselves on the bargain tables after a year. Today, one is swamped with titles of global media books that have "terror" or "Gulf War" in somewhere in their titles.

Among the first to "capitalize" on terrorism in the title was a refurbishment of the Hachten book, The World News Prism. Through five editions-the first was published in 1981-readers found a solid, established (and establishment) book. Hachten, with his wife Harva as a collaborator, did yeoman's work on the News Prism series, but as in an aging grand dame the wrinkles and gray started to show. The fifth edition, though adequately received by reviewers, did not enjoy the praise of the former editions, and suggestions abounded that the title be given a dignified retirement. Then came 9/11 and an old friend.

James F. Scotton, associate professor at Marquette University, added his expertise and knowledge and helped transform the old workhorse into a thoroughbred.

The sixth edition has been completely retooled from the fifth, and the freshened-up material is refreshing to read. This book simply zings along, rare in text aimed at classroom adoption. In fact, the book gets right to the point early: international media have changed since 9/11 and the war on terrorism. Written to be understood-an astonishing statement if not indictment of most reading material used in classrooms today-World News Prism not only transports the reader across time zones and geographical borders effortlessly and smoothly, it makes the ride interesting for younger readers or those new to the study of international communications.

One of the pioneering techniques of the old Hachten texts was the use of "mini-case studies" to illustrate global communication events and how they were covered by international broadcasters and journalists. This updated version does the same thing, making news more relevant to young readers who think the 1991 Gulf War was ancient history. The invasion of Afghanistan is covered, and referred to as the first "videophone war." It was also a war that was stage-managed by the military, much like every conflict or war since Vietnam. The chapter on "The Impact of Great News Events" highlights this technique.

However, this tome is neither Euro- nor Americo-centric. Consideration is given to the media systems developing in China and India, whose spheres of influence stretch over nearly half the world's population. Chapters on "Public Diplomacy and Political Warfare" and "New Ways to Report the World-or Not" are particularly salient to the discipline of international communication.

Maybe this reviewer has read too many global media books in the past few years not to have an idea of how the books should open for readers. The book's organization at first was puzzling. Usually there is a discussion early on about the four concepts of the press (authoritarian, western, communist, developmental) that have been a convenient heuristic device for half a century. Though Hachten-Scotton does eventually list them (in chapter 11 of this 12-chapter book), the concepts are presented as more of an afterthought than a raison d'être as they are in most international communication books. However, the organization seems to work, especially since the last chapter tackles the idea of Westernization of the world media systems-also a concept usually found earlier in global communication texts. Rather than wrap up the texts, the authors leave us wanting more-which any top entertainer will tell you is a good thing. The last chapter covers the global-communication issues spectrum in a check list format, ticking off sub-headed paragraphs at breath-taking speed: What are the upsides/downsides of globalized media effects? Will Western programming drive out local production? What are the non-Western alternatives and what are their prognoses? Heady questions that could touch off classroom-and boardroom-discussions.

The only complaint I would have about this slim volume is its price--when it first came out $40 was a bit much for students to pay for a slender paperback. Perhaps the popularity of the edition will drive the price down--or risk increased business at the neighborhood Kinko's.

Although intended as a college journalism textbook for aspiring editorial and opinion writers, "Writing Opinion for Impact" has great potential utility for anyone concerned with communication through the written word.
The author begins with a thoughtful discussion of the power and responsibilities of the opinion writer, examines in detail the nuts and bolts of persuasive writing (with pertinent comments and examples from other writers as varied as Dave Barry and Mortimer Zuckerman), and devotes attention to such specialized areas as humorous writing, arts reviews, and sports. Ethical issues and common pitfalls are prominently featured throughout. For those pursuing the subject methodically, each chapter concludes with a handy summary, recommendations for further reading, and practical exercises.
Whether you are a budding mover of public opinion, a letter-to-the-editor devotee seeking greater powers of persuasion, or just a reader who wants to know how it all works, Professor Fink's work is highly recommended, not only for its content, but also as a model of lucid writing in itself. (The "score" rating is an unfortunately ineradicable feature of the page. This reviewer does not "score" books.)

I've read this book for a college course, and overall it is excellent.

The only strange thing about this book is that it is written in a completely different style than one of Conrad Fink's earlier books, "Strategic Newspaper Management." This one, "Writing Opinion for Impact," is quite informal, even chatty, as compared with the formal, almost traditional, style of his newspaper management book. They are so dramatically different, it's as if they weren't even written by the same person.

at first, i was told to become a journalist by my dad because he's a famous journalist in my country. In the beginning, I thought of it as a burden because it wasn't my area. Then I read this book and suddenly, page after page, a light of my hidden talent started to emerge. Then, I finally realized that this is my fate and destiny, to become a journalist. This book is really helpful in anything that is related to being a journalist. All the tips, comments and necessary information was provided in this really fabolous book. I most definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to become and even to the ones who hates of being a journalist. Who knows? Maybe it's your hidden talent!

Now in an updated and expanded third edition, Writing The News: A Guide For Print Journalists, Walter Fox continues to draw upon his more than forty years of experience as a professional journalist, editor, communications specialists, and journalism educator to provide aspiring journalists and news writers with an introductory primer for their trade. Among the issues covered are writing the lead; story development, handling quotes, varieties of the basic structure of writing, examples for the contemporary press, feature narratives, and an enhanced chapter on news style. Writing The News is very highly recommended for students of print and media journalism, as well as article and reportage writing for magazines and periodicals.

I have not yet received this product, but I intend to get it. I have for the past two years followed Governor VIlsack's career. I have to tell you, I like what I see of the man. But it is not only politically what I like, it is personally what I like too.
The day after the 2004 election, I like many Americans was sad to see that the United States and the world was going to be cursed with another four years of BUSH/CHENEY :( So I sat down and wrote a letter to Tom Vilsack, the Democratic governor of Iowa. In my letter, I told him about myself, and then I asked him to consider running for president in 2008. About three weeks later, I got a letter in the mail. The post mark stated Des Moines, Iowa on it. I thought to myself, "Who is sending me something from Des Moines?" Here it was a hand written note from the governor.
Governor Vilsack and I have kept that correspondence going now for almost two years. It has resulted in many personal letters, some E-mail, and even a personal invitation to meet the governor.
Folks, that is the kind of man that Tom VIlsack is. He believes that it is ordinary Americans that do extraordinary things with their lives that make this country great. Tom Vilsack believes that the problems of America will not be solved on K Street, but on Main Street. Just look at what he has done for the state of Iowa since 1999, when he became governor... www.governor.state.ia.us Look at what he stands for at www.heartlandpac.org This is a true leader and one that I am proud to also call my friend.
His resume screams out what leadership is...

1. Mayor of Mount Pleasent, Iowa, 1987 - 1992
2. Iowa State Senator, 1992 - 1998
3. Governor of Iowa, 1999 - 2007
3. Chairman of Democratic Governors' Association
4. Chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council, 2005 - present
5. Founder of the HEARTLAND PAC, August 2005

If I left anything out, I am sorry, but I think that you all get the jist of this review. Like I said in the Title Bar, Tom Vilsack is the only choice in 2008.
Thank you.