E-mail Books

I refer to this book all the time. The author has obviously had much experience working in the corporate world. The situations are quite common and the letter-writing style is terrific. In each case, the issue is handled in a well-organized and non-threatening manner. I have used many of the letters almost verbatim, and I have always gotten the response that I want.

One would have to be smoking crack to think any of these letters would be appropriate or helpful in the situations described - not to mention the ludicrous reasoning behind the letters in the first place. I have to say a few of them had be on the floor in fits of laughter. I began to wonder if this is really a humor book.

I thought the book dealt with letters that were so "out of the ordinary" that it would be a rare occasion that you would actually need to send one of these.

His esteemed prime minister

First, I would like to congratulate you for your promotion in the Royal court.

We wish you a very bright future.

sincerley,

This book is so easy to use, it works..... it's my bible. Thank you for writing such a helpful book.

I looked forward to reading this book, expecting some really original and interesting twists. Unfortunately, I was less that satisfied with what appears to be simply a modernization of the classic "Screwtape Letters". While I did expect some similarities to the original story, I was disappointed with most of the conversations. Screwtape has been promoted since we last heard of him and the correspondence we read takes place via e-mail. It has been a while since I read this (over a year), but I would caution prospective readers not to expect anything more than a slight change of tone and setting with modern references.

The biggest difference is the author's obvious approval of inclusion of icons as focal points for faith and worship, which I don't favor. The religious influence is much more of an Eastern Orthodox flavor than I am comfortable with, as well.

Ever wonder what happened after C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters? Now you can find out! Jim Forest offers us an updated and contemporary sequel where Wormwood is now advising his younger charge, Greasebeak, on how to keep a modern man from becoming a Christian. Delightfully written and often brings a laugh--either because it is truly comical or because what Jim writes is sadly true. The chapters are organized as a series of email messages from Wormwood to Greasebeak, as he advises G. on how to keep his human from the church. Modern topics such as self-esteem, abortion, and time (among many others; there are 31 "messages") make this book great food for thought. These are also great warnings on the dangers of our fallen times, and a great addition to one's personal Christian armor. Orthodox elements, such as theology, icons, the Divine Liturgy, and the Eucharist are all mentioned and will be helpful to Eastern Orthodox Christians. The chapters are short, easy to read, and indeed, you won't be able to put it down. This will be good as a Sunday School discussion class book; that is what I am going to use it for next. Highly recommended; don't miss this book!

In what has now become a veritable genre- private letters of demons based on Screwtape Letters- The Wormwood File excels. It is readable, engaging, and exquisitly written. There are other books in this genre that are silly, or far too polemic. Ones that I have to read thinking, "Well, I agree with this point, but I not with that."- and it ceases to be an exercise in meditation. Not so with this book. There was a lot of food for thought. There were a number of times when I had to put the book down and pray, and examine my own life, and repent. This is a deeply practical book, the epitome of idealism.

While the author clearly comes from a particular church perspective- high, sacramental, possibly Catholic- he doesn't pound it in, and in fact strongly preaches the need for ecumenalism within the body of Christ. He brings in new insights I didn't know, like the meaning of the words symbol, and diabolic. The only problem I found was that the book ended a little too quickly, suddenly, and I didn't really feel like I'd heard the end of the story in this case.

Even when Forest comes down strongly on an issue- like the Enemy's (God's) dislike of war, and how it corrupts all that are involved in it- he also comes down on the other side, speaking of pacifists who become so filled with hate at anyone who waves a flag or wears a uniform. That caused me to think for a bit. Forest doesn't have his demons play favorites. The road to hell is many-forked.

Full disclosure: I am acquainted with Jim Forest. I've heard him lecture on several occasions and have been a participant on the Orthodox Peace Fellowship mailing list with him for many years.

I have not read either "The Wormwood File" or "The Devil's Inbox," so I cannot comment directly on these books. However, I was very disappointed to read the slanderous comments about the author posted by the first reviewer. The accusation of plagiarism is a very serious one, and it is to Jim's credit that he responded as charitably as he did.

An examination of the product details for both books reveals that "The Devil's Inbox" was released on January 1, 2004, while "The Wormwood File" came out in October 2004. I do not know how long it takes to bring a book to publication, but I suspect it would take much longer than ten months.

Perhaps we ought to view the recent publication of these two books as testimony to the enduring influence of C. S. Lewis across confessional boundaries.

As a die-hard C.S. Lewis fan, I was delighted to read the latest offering of the prolific peace activist and social commentator, James H. Forest.
Emulating the format of the modern classic, Lewis' "The Screwtape Letters," Forest concocts a high-tech, original brew of inverted, infernal wisdom designed to penetrate the darkness of sin and pierce the "culture of death" that so warps and pervades our present age. His treatments of such issues as consumerism, war and peace, and abortion strike me as particularly poignant and powerful.
Socially conscious mainline Protestants, Evangelical Christians, Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians will feel particularly at home with Forest's apologetic and worldview.
While Lewis died on the same day as the Kennedy assassination, the highest accolade that I can accord to "The Wormwood File" is to describe it as worthy of attribution as "Jacks'"[= Lewis' nickname'"] spiritual offspring.
Forest has previously authored magnificent short, illustrated biographies of Thomas Merton and Dorothy Day, along with a handful of other titles. He's struck a new chord with this novel treatment from "cyberspace," a fascinating and engaging read to add to his collection.
Highly recommended both to Lewis fans and to people of faith and of good will who struggle to make sense of life in a contemporary world that not only isn't Christian, but often enough is less than human as well.
-- (Reverend) Gerald S. Twomey, Ph.D.
Editor, Thomas Merton: Prophet in the Belly of a Paradox
Author, When Catholics Marry Again: A Guide for the Divorced, Their Families and Those Who Minister to Them
Author, The Preferential Option for the Poor in Catholic Social Thought From John XXIII to John Paul II.
Co-Editor, Henri Nouwen: Creative Minister (forthcoming)

I bought this book first because I needed to read on PGP however when I started reading i forgot the PGP and found the privacy issues very interesting and made me more aware! I think it is a great book !

The Computer Privacy Handbook was a great book in its time. Unfortunately, that time has long since passed.

The manuscript itself was written in 1994. At the rate things move in the computer industry, it did not take long before the material became dated. I think that we all know how quickly computer books can go from being state-of-the-art to obsolete within a matter of months.

Probably the best part of the book was its tutorial about how to use PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) for DOS. Unless you are still using a 386, PGP for DOS is probably not the encryption method of choice for you. A large portion of the book is devoted to this tutorial, which is obsolete by anyone's standards.

The remainder of the book largely discusses electronic privacy issues. The issues raised range from the paranoid to the practical. Eerily, many of the "possabilities" discussed by Bacard have already come to pass, in regards to the public's erosion of personal privacy in America. Parts of the book may have seemed Orwellian at the time, but are accepted norms in today's society. It really makes the case for Bacard not being so paranoid after all.

If you are looking for a historical overview of computer privacy circa 1994, or have a need to run PGP in DOS, this book may very well have some relevance for you. There are still some parts of the book that hold up today, but you will have to skip the majority of the material if you are simply reading for modern day relevance. I'm giving it three stars due to its relevance at the time it was released. Don't take that number literally if you are buying this to use as anything other than as a history book.

After listening to Andre Bacard interviewed on the radio, I bought and read COMPUTER PRIVACY HANDBOOK. This book blew my mind! It taught me how very naive I've been about what Bacard calls our "Surveillance Age" -- in particular the Internet. At first I thought this book was about computers. Actually, it is about human relations and freedom from tyranny. I've told a number of my friends to read this book and, then, to check the privacy links at http://www.andrebacard.com. After reading Computer Privacy Handbook, I've taken several steps. First, I never surf the web without using a service such as www.freedom.net. Second, I use encryped email and/or www.hushmail.com for my email. I have yet to figure out how to protect my financial and medical privacy, but I'm working on that. Thank you, Mr. Bacard, for changing my life!

This is scary stuff! Just how available your email data is to third parties is more than disturbing. Bacard lays it out, with easy to understand explanations, and recommendations. The FEDs efforts to inhibit the circulation of strong encryption software in the public domain is all here. Bacards' book is a "must read" for anyone concerned about email security.

I must say that I did not find this book at all amusing. The content is not rich, it is full of extracts from other people's documention/speeches/letters etc..., which in some cases can span 2 or 3 pages.

I'm a member of mailblocks.com however, I have not been able to access my account in 3 weeks.Does anyone know how to contact their customer service or even a 800 number so that I may have a dialog.


thanks,HSD(illbeatnu34@yahoo.com)

Brimner's E-Mail is an age-appropriate and clear explanation of what e-mail is and how it works. That he challenges young readers with details from time to time is an asset to teachers wishing to see their students stretch. If I could give it 10 stars, I would. Brimner is one of the leading practitioners of books for young and emergent readers.

An excellent book for grades 1 and 2 that offers basic information for those youngsters just starting out with technology as well as more "scientific" meat for those wishing to explore what technology has to offer. Clear, concise, and entertainingly told.

Our school system uses both of Brimner's technology books, E-Mail and The World Wide Web, in our first/second grade computer labs. Young readers (and their teachers) appreciate his clear, concise explanations, while young researchers enjoy the connections he makes between the basic and scientific--and the many safe links he offers for exploration. This balance between basic and scientific, always carefully explained, elevates the text from so many that could well fall into the category of "dumbing down" information. If you wish your young students to grow in their understanding of technology, then this is the book for them.

A True Book Email- Larry Dane Brimmer

Aspects of subject included What is the Web? How does it work? Explanation of terms. Using the Web.

Structure and organisation of text Short chapters on each topic 3-4 pages each. Sections on good Web sites.

Ways in which information is presented Text - Very large font- about 1cm Colourful presentation. Photographs and computer screen shots.

Helpful features Section on good Internet sites to access.

Language / Potential Difficulties. The layout and the general language of this book suggests that it is written for very young children. It is however completely unsuitable for their use. The author stumbles between the simple, the patronising and the ridiculously technical. Any book which tells you that hyper links take you "almost like magic" to another web page, should not then be discussing hypertext transfer protocol. The book is full of irrelevant and in appropriate information. Who cares that the protocol used on the Internet was invented in a particle physics laboratory in Switzerland called CERL? I doubt if many 6 year olds do. The following passage should help to show how the patronisingly simple is followed with the unnecessarily technical. "The address on the World Wide Web looks like a jumble of letters." Nice and simple so far. "This Jumble is called a URL which stands for Uniform Resource Locator ... The URL for NASA is http://spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov " This is a ridiculous juxtaposition of the simple and the scientific. The whole book is far to difficult for small children, and too patronising and incomplete for adults or teenagers. It is not worth printing.

Implications for teaching. I would not let this book step one page inside my classroom.

Let the reader beware! This book contains more errors than any book I have ever read, and I can read only a fraction of the book critically. A sampling of some of the errors follows.

The author shows a profound lack of understanding of many important features of the plains animals, such as the statement that antelope and elk were hunted "only on rare trips to the mountains". The historical distribution of the antelope was identical to the range of the buffalo throughout the plains area, and in the northern part of the plains, elk and buffalo herds intermingled far from the mountains.

One of the most peculiar errors is his description of the proper method to shoot an arrow. One illustration shows the arrow placed on the left hand as a rest. The author describes this as a "careless way of letting arrow rest on hand". An adjacent illustration shows the arrow on the right side of the bow, supported by the thumb and encircled by the left forefinger. This is the "secure way of guiding the arrow at bow". The former method is used by all archers worldwide to the best of my knowledge. In some cultures, the arrow is place on a rest rather than the top of the hand, however it is always on the left side (for the right handed archer). A neophyte may encircle the arrow with his forefinger, but a few shots will be more than enough to discourage him from continuing the practice. I actually tried shooting an arrow as he recommended, and while it may be possible to attain some degree of proficiency with this method after much practice, it would always be inferior to the proper method.

The author describes sinew as a "smooth animal muscle". Sinew is a tendon, with vastly different properties than muscle tissue.

Many Plains Indian arrows are grooved along the length. The author, having examined them, came to the "conclusion that the grooves served a religious purpose". Their actual function is to keep the arrow shaft straight.

These errors are just a few examples of the sloppy scholarship that pervades this volume; there are many, many more.

I am not able to read the cultural portions of the book critically, however, I suspect that these segments show the same sloppy scholarship as the biological and archery references. I would caution the reader not to take anything in this work at face value, but would recommend that the reader check with more scholarly works for verifiable information. In summary, the entertainment value of this book may be high for the casual reader, but the reader that is trying to learn something factual and accurate about the Plains Indians would be better off with a professionally researched and written text.

Excellent source of information on plains indians culture and technology. Illustrations are beautiful and informative.

extremely well researched, illustrated, and written text. Have discussed points with tribal members who use this book as their resource. Very well annotated bibliography

Great overview of the plains indians. Has excellently written chapters on clothing, religion, and weapons. Great resource for the serious student

One of the most complete books I have read about the every day life of the Plains Indians. It share every aspect of the day to day life and how religion, art and cuture intertwine to make up the social strucure of a complece and sucsesful society.

Terrible writing. Zero practical advice. Mostly motherhood.

I can do without the motherhood when I'm trying to sell something to keep my company alive.

i guess this is good for beginners...? i could barely get thru it mainly because of the writing. its insanely boring--there is a 'story in a story' in this book about the new savvy emailin' guy named ed who blows his company bosses and peers' minds with his super-hero-like email marketing technique...ouch. it hurt my brain to read.

Advanced Email Marketing really should have been called, "Email Marketing Strategies for Beginners." Sterne takes a complicated subject and breaks it down into a very digestible format.

If all business and/or technical books read like Sterne's we'd have a lot more small businesses showing black instead of red.

I am an email-marketing beginner. I had no idea what email marketing and promotion looked like, I hadn't a clue how to approach it. This book is perfect for me and exceptional on a few counts.

First, Jim Sterne packs an awful lot of material in a very skinny book. I'm used to software books that are padded unmercifully and then priced (ummm ...) arrestingly, let's say. This thin, dense book is a welcome treat.

It follows from the book's compressed, all-useful content that it's a quick read: a couple of hours to go through it the first time. No slogging through stuff I already know because I'm afraid the author will spring some new info on me -- Gotcha! -- somewhere in the first 100 pages of fluff (see above).

Then I'm just bowled over by the quality of the editing. Unlike almost all books I see these days, I could find no distracting grammar or spelling abominations, the kind that make me distrust and suspect the author. Another treat!

Finally, what might have been a lot of detailed soporific lecture material, the same stuff that put me to sleep in Econ 101, Sterne manages to arrange in vital and vibrant form. Vivid, too! Yea, verily! Sterne gives us a moribund marketing team, introduces an email-marketing journeyman, and then lets the work and conversation flow as everybody learns a whole lot, as we do. And the story has a poignant, happy ending, too: bring your Kleenex.

Bravo! A brilliant job.

For the starter of email marketing, it is a good guide to grasp what is all about email marketing and its effectiveness. You do not feel you wasted your money after reading it. For those who are engaged in email marketing, it would give you a path to the successful roadmap of how you should convince your boss and business partners. You would regret it if you do not read this and put it into practice. I have a lots of corporate clients who are suffering within their organization. I think I can introduce it to them if it is translated in Japanese. If it is OK to translate this into Japanese, I could do this. The story is very enticing. Norito (email marketing consultant from Tokyo, Japan)

Many times I have heard about the Butterfield Stage route, but had no impetus to delve into their story. These enterprising gentlement put together a bid to provide US Mail service between St Louis Missouri and San Francisco in the mid-1850s. A US government contract was the prize, and a sizable compensation was entirely possible. Several companies submitted competitive bids using different routes, but Butterfield's route across Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, the New Mexico and Arizona territories, and through California was selected on the basis of total mileage and year-round access.

This book provides a first person account by the only through-passenger on the official maiden run. Trappers, hunters, gold-seekers and others had made their way across the country using various routes and encountering various dangers. The Butterfield Stage Company cobbled together a series of stage stops where horses and drivers were changed, and perhaps meals were available. The stage did not stop. The maiden run had to prove the route was viable to provide one-way mail service between St Louis and San Francisco in 25 days. The steamship route evidently took a while longer. Within a brief period the transcontinental railroad took even less time to cross, so this book provides a snapshot of a snapshot in time of the progress of settling the West and the US in general.

The author was a newspaper reporter who sent the chapters of this story East for publication while en-route. The story only provides an account of the reporters life on the stage, with commentary about the scenery, the workings of the stage line, the rough life, and the opening of the West. If you enjoy historical accounts of everyday life, this book is a must-read.

I found the book to be very interesting. For anyone interested in the old days of travel it is a great book and outstanding insite into the way the old west was and not the way Hollywood shows it to be. Very interesting.

While not exactly high adventure or edge of your seat reading, Ormsby's description of being the first through passenger on the Overland Mail Route nevertheless depicts history in the making for trans-continental communication.
Ormsby details road and climate conditions, passenger accommodations, geography, availability of forage, wood and water, speed of travel and miles covered in the first attempt to deliver the mail from St. Louis to San Francisco. The projected travel time was twenty-five days and this initial attempt was accomplished in twenty-three days. A commendable achievement for those days.
The author also examines how the government finally decided on the chosen route. Overall an insightful read of an important historical event of our times.

Very interesting reports about the short lived butterfield overland route, recommended reading.

Why can't someone write a practical book on e-commerce?
This book is so puerile, I can't believe the Financial Times had anything to do with it. The contents will numb your mind as it's all common sense you already know. Take for example the "six critical factors for success" cited in the book.

1) "Why e-business?" Duh... common sense, nobody would have bought this book if they hadn't already asked themselves this question. Answer is self-evident.
2) "Need good staff" Duh... no kidding...
3) "Time" Duh, no kidding... everything in life takes time...
4) "Need correct IT components" Duh, no kidding...
5) "Need money" Duh, no kidding...
6) "Legal approval" Duh, no kidding...

The whole book is like the above, it's all stuff that makes you smack your head and say, "No kidding, Sherlock!"
It is filled with charts, graphs and diagrams to point out the painfully obvious or the superfluous. Even the utterly clueless would learn practically nothing from this book.

Luckily, I teach an e-commerce course so I received this book for free as a promotion. Woe and sympathy to the person who pays any money for this useless tome!

Before I taught e-commerce, I was the project manager of an e-commerce site in NYC for three years. I currently consult, and I'd be laughed at if I suggested anyone read this book for guidance. It would be akin to assigning adults a book on how to tie shoelaces. Yes, it's really that insultingly insipid.

Designed as a textbook for college-level courses, this book exposes students (and working practitioners) to what it realistically takes to manage an e-business project. Given the deplorable failure rate of such projects (and IT projects in general) the information and approach provided in this book, if followed, will go a long way towards reversing that trend.

What I especially like is the seamless blend of business and technical issues, and the way the author presents the realities of managing e-business projects. In particular, the first five chapters (nearly half of the book) cover the pitfalls to avoid, gives insights into critical success factors, and uncovers the technical and business aspects of e-business project management. The final six chapters tie together this material with case studies and other material that reinforce the first half.

Specific project management techniques are not covered in detail - if that is the type of book you're seeking I recommend "Managing e-business Projects: 99 Key Success Factors" by Stoehr (ISBN 3540421653). That book goes into project planning, estimating and control techniques as they specifically relate to e-business projects and complements this book nicely.

If you are a working professional and want insights into the pitfalls of e-business projects this book is an excellent resource. If you are teaching a course you'll prepare your students for the realities of e-business projects and make them more valuable to the workforce they will be joining if you include this book as a text. Either way it is, in my opinion, a book that delivers valuable knowledge and insights.

My advice is to read this book cover to cover before starting your next e-business project because you'll learn about the many ways for that project to fail if you don't take the risks and pitfalls into account.

In spite of the title the book is all about project risk management, and it delivers a wealth of information in a highly readable fashion. Every project manager will benefit from the advice in this book, as will business users and technical team members. It's also easy to read and is beautifully illustrated with graphs and charts that give meaning to points that they author makes.

While some may criticize this book using unsupported opinion remember that those who can do and those who can't teach. Buy this book and learn from it.

This is one of the most impressive, information filled books I've ever read. It manages to distill all of the important issues and factors for e-business project success into less than 250 pages.

While it looks like common sense advice, everything in this book is anything but common sense because I recognized one pitfall after another as the author described them, and know from experience that most are underestimated during project planning, but inevitably come back to haunt you later in the project. If you pay close attention to Chapters 4 (Main causes of e-project failure), 6 (Integration issues) and 10 (Avoid pitfalls in your e-business) in particular you'll save yourself a lot of grief.

Managing e-business projects cannot be done from an ivory tower. Get this book and benefit from the author's obvious experience. A perfect companion to this book is Managing E-Business Projects by Wes Balakian, Keith Young and Rajesh Veerapaneni because it goes into the nuts and bolts of project management using PMI's PMBOK as a framework.

Not only useful for writing, this book helps your people communicate better, particularly for:
1) people from other disciplines who need to communicate effectively like finance people
2) people writing in English as a foreign language
3) experienced communicators looking to polish their skills

The author covers strategic writing such as 'audience hot buttons' as well as practical such as weak verbs to avoid like 'go', 'say' and 'do'. You may like her approach to writing creation using 'organic outlining' in part 3 to organize information effectively, where you express ideas as sentences on post-it notes.

This book is my first recommendation for people to communicate better. Because it is the most practical that I've seen comparing to others like "Elements of Style", etc.

I wish I had had this book in grade school !

Get to the Point provides a wonderful, practical, and useful guide to writing. I recommend it highly.

Elizabeth Danziger in her book Get to the Point attempts to offer readers a game plan to reduce stress and anxiety in an effort to write more effective memos, letters, and e-mails. Danziger is the fonder of WorkTalk, an organization dedicated to improving the communication of individuals and organizations, & she has written for popular magazines such as: Readers Digest and Family Circle. In this book, Danziger offers solid advice on how to deal with writer's block, & in some chapters, she gives visual checklists to help guide readers in the writing process.

However, readers will find the book unfocused; for example, in Chapter2 entitled: Planning your Writing, she has too many headings & subheading; one heading is: Analyze your reader before you start, which is about a half a page, then on the next page, she talks about how to connect with your reader using a 3 level formula. Yet, no where in the 3 level formula does she go into any detail, then jumps to a topic called "hot buttons" in which she offers little examples of how to determine the "hot buttons" of the writer's audience.

In addition to the lack of focus, you will find that the book is poorly organized. Some chapters have visual examples, and others do not. Chapter 6, Choose words Wisely, Chapter 7, Help for the Grammar Phobic, & Chapter 8 Mark my Punctuation should have all been combined as they deal with many of the same topics.

All in all, Danziger's book is a good example of a person that might be able to write magazine articles but does not have the ability to write a book. It's ironic that on the back of the book cover it says, "Get to the point! Is the only writing book you'll ever need" and I am saying this is the only book you should run from don't waste your money on this.

This book is great! Funny, easy to read, and phenomenally useful. Everyone should own one.

There is no doubt that the author's veneration of the old time Plains Indians borders on hero-worship; and if enthusiasm alone could guarantee accuracy, this would be a great book. Unfortunately, that is not the case here. I have studied Plains Indian culture for more than 30 years, and must agree with the previous reviewer from Montana that this book is riddled with errors from beginning to end. For example, Mails tells us that the Indians made bow cases from the tails of mountain lions. I am currently making a mountain lion quiver and bowcase myself, and I can tell you flatly that the mountain lion never lived whose tail was big enough for this purpose. Instead, the tail was always left as a pendant hanging from the mouth of the quiver. Since Mails' book includes a full page color painting, done by him, of a quiver with the tail hanging down in just that fashion, you wonder how he could make this error - but he did, and many others like it. Most of them could have been avoided if Mails had carefully read the primary sources listed in his own bibliography. This is a big, impressive looking coffee-table type book, and so our natural inclination is to believe whatever it says - an inclination strengthened by the fact that Mails makes every statement with an air of absolute authority. The reviewer from Pipestone, MN says that this book has all the answers, and it does. The problem is that those answers are so often completely wrong.

Thomas Mails brings us this unforgettable book of the Plains Indians! Mails has really given us a classic here that must be read over and over again! This book is so informative. I personally think that it could be used in colleges as a textbook! It tells us all about their dress, weapons, hairstyles, and religion. I think that every person should run out and buy this book

I teach Native American cultures to children and adults alike at the Little Feather Indian center in Pipestone, Minnesota. Ever since I first saw this book back in '95 I have had it by my side when giving a talk. If I don't know the answer to a question, I look it up in this book. I call it my Bible. It is the best source I know for information on the Plains Tribes. The pictures are works of art, and Mails has so much knowledge that he imparts to the reader. If you want to know more about the Plains Tribes do get this book, it is a little bit expensive but worth every cent. I promise.

The Mystic Warriors of the Plains uses a respectful and sensitive--but not fawning--tone that is perfect for anthropological history. It contains a huge quantity of detail about plains culture, with an emphasis on the material culture of the Siouxan peoples. However, the abundance of detail makes this a book that is difficult to read in anything but small doses. Further, the author implicitly treats Native Americans as a thing of the past. Use this book as a reference or browse it at bedtime, but don't try to read straight through it