South America Books

This book is a jewel. It would take many weekends to visit all the places detailed in this book. It doesn't list EVERYTHING this great state has to offer but instead specializes in places you might not have heard about. I like that. An interesting read for any Alabamian. Now, I'm headed off to the famous bug museum in Decatur!

"Alabi's World" is thorough (some note about that, later), captivating, and educational. To go to the cliche': "I have not been able to put the book down." I must qualify this by saying that my roots are from Suriname and therefore I have much interest in the material because of my familiarity with the settings. However, anyone interested in colonial history, African history as it pertains to the Western Hemisphere (slavery, slave rebellion, African customs of Maroons), will be thoroughly enlightened by the accounts charted in this book from the 4 perspectives listed above.

Richard Price has painstakingly arranged his research in such a matter that you get 4 different perspectives of life in Saramaka (Maroon colony located in the interior of Suriname): German Moravian (religious sect), Dutch Colonist, Saramaka, and his own. It is neatly arranged so that the information flows like a captivating story in which you follow these historical characters and get caught up in their lives, motivations, changes...

Because he has made one character the focal point, you get a more centralized view of what it was like in 18th century colonial Suriname and you can take away more detail from these individualized accounts.

I have discovered a great source for Maroon history in Suriname and will be seeking out all of Richard Price's titles to get the complete story about the Maroons.

Alaska's National Wildlife Refuges is an eye-catching collage of fascinating facts, gorgeous color photographs of nature and animals, the history and current challenges confronting Alaska's wildlife refuges, and much, much more. An absorbing, well-researched, and deftly presented read, Alaska's National Wildlife Refuges is highly recommended for Alaskan Wildlife and Wildlife Conservation reading lists and reference collections.

As being the daugher of an Alexandria Policeman, George Stinnett, Page 80 in the book, I was very pleased in the way that it was written. It covered alot of the old days and knowing quite a few of the officers I was touched. My aunts, sisters, brother and children were very happy seing the book and it was a nice addition in having "Dad" home for Christmas! Thank you.

"Selected Poems," by Alfonsina Storni, brings together a wide selection of poems by an important Argentine poet. This volume has been edited by Marion Freeman, who also wrote the brief but informative biographical introduction. Unfortunately, this is not a bilingual edition; all of the poems are presented in English translation. The translations are by Freeman, Mary Crow, Jim Normington, and Kay Short.

Storni's poetry covers a number of topics. Some recurrent subjects include nature, women's issues, family, sorrow, and the urban environment. The specter of violence haunts many of her poems. At times, her sparse but elegant language, combined with a dark tone, reminds me of the work of United States poet Stephen Crane. At other times, the combination of sensuous, startling imagery and emotional nakedness reminds me of the work of Puerto Rican poet Julia de Burgos.

Editor Freeman has selected poems from eight of Storni's published volumes, as well as a selection of uncollected poems. One of her most striking poems is "Litany for a Dead Earth," an apocalyptic vision of a devastated world. Also excellent is "Fog," which uses fascinating imagery to describe a cityscape. Striking imagery is also used in her "Portrait of Garcia Lorca": "The Andalusian hills / of his cheekbones / and the trembling valley / of his mouth / are smothered in climbing vines."

In the first poem in this volume, Storni writes, "I am like the she-wolf. / I broke with the pack." Perhaps this describes her own approach to poetry. At any rate, hers was a remarkable voice, and this is a fine collection of her work. Those interested in Latin American literature or 20th century poetry should seek out this book.

The second in Werther's series on humans as alternative food sources (see The Donner Party (High Interest Books: Survivor (Paperback)), the succinctly titled, Airplane Crash in The Andes Mountains, paints a disgusting and bloody picture of an Airplane Crash in The Andes Mountains. I really want to get in touch with Mr Werther because I have a great marketing idea for this book. Mr. Werther - why not make the books out of human skin? This would certainly attract a voracious following!

This book by Robert Wuthnow, professor of social sciences and Director of the Centre for the Study of Religion at Princeton University, draws upon extensive research, including interviews with more than 400 people involved in a diverse number of worship settings across the country. In this study, Wuthnow documented a strong connection between interest in the arts and interest in spiritual growth.

Americans are fundamentally a religious, spiritual people. 'Spirituality is deeply significant to most Americans. Despite the materialism that surrounds us, the quest to know God and to experience the sacred has not diminished,' according to Wuthnow. However, this quest does not always happen within the confines of the institutional church - increasingly, people are looking for other ways of making connections with God.

Music and art are part of this quest, but often overlooked, save in the most formal of ways. There is an undercurrent of Protestant/Puritan mistrust of images, many kinds of artwork, and many types of music. One would think in this media-saturated culture that people would not lack for images, sounds, and words to experience, but this is part of the problem, according to Wuthnow. 'Although mass media make it easy for Americans to explore the arts, the results of such explorations are often disappointing. Media-fed spirituality suffers from superficiality, while momentary inspiration fails to illumine the dark night of the soul.'

Wuthnow explores the overall religious identity of the United States, looking at statistical studies and trends since the post-World War II period. He shows growth in different ways (more people identifying themselves as conservative and as liberal religiously, more interest in spirituality vs. historic religious institutions, etc.) but also asks questions regarding the basis of these trends. Wuthnow shows that the arts play a great deal of importance in spirituality trends, including music, television, film, theatre, museum and formal 'arts' shows, and publishing. Wuthnow argues in this book 'that the vitality of America's churches may depend significantly on the public's growing interest in artistic activities.' Wuthnow admits that some may find this argument a stretch, but in his subsequent chapters, he does give interesting argument for support.

Wuthnow's text deals with issues in art, spirituality, imagination, liturgy and worship, problems of conflict between the arts and the churches, and the awakening of the artistic soul in every person. We live in a consumer society, and this approach is often found with regard to understanding the arts, too. 'Because it is easier to be consumers of art than to create it, it is all the more important to emphasise that art is a strong form of personal discipline.' As Wuthnow states, it is not that Americans are averse to work (indeed, quite the opposite), but that the arts have always been relegated to that arena of life that is a hobby, a value-added-extra not actually required, save for those very few who are professional artists.

Wuthnow gives advice to congregational leaders to be sensitive to the various issues in art, particularly the way in which people have become accustomed to different ways of seeing and knowing, and the values of democracy and individuality that the arts tend to support. The arts are important in ways that need to be carefully considered, and Wuthnow's book is a very good way of exploring these issues.

As a midwesterner, it is fascinating to read about how things might have been for those who lived here and roamed these hills long before. The author sure knows how to bring the reader into a different time smoothly; I've read the four other titles in her midwest chronology, and they are all books you'd like to curl up and read nonstop, but are so interwoven and interesting that you will savor them over many reading sessions. Also see The Red Heart, by James Thom.

Good resource for those interested in the history of women and farming. Provides information during that important time.

This is a fine book on the history of the FAT -- Mexico's oldest independent union federation. The book is well researched with interesting insights into how a truly movement-oriented unionism functions on the ground, definitely worth reading.