Ohio Books

I found this little gem quite by accident at one of those remainders book sales and on a whim I turned to a page. And then I turned to another and then another...I was at a loss for words, what had I found? Something wonderful. The haunting imagery and her ability to sculpt tone and feeling will resonate with you for a long time. Seek this out and find it. You will not be disappointed. This little book is bigger than it looks.

This is the best book concerning a single pottery company that I have ever read. The scholarship, research and photography set this book apart from all other similar books. Not only is there an exhaustive history of Cowan and his company, but the material concerning the Cowan artists (many of whom have had outstanding careers apart form their work at Cowan) makes this an outstanding contribution to the history of the arts and crafts and early art deco movements.

Though I did not finish reading the entire book because just this morning my cat threw up all over it, I would recommend Codrescu's A Craving for Swan. It's a collection of his writings which once aired on NPR. He chooses topics--Transylvania, Louisiana, his son, whatever--and then expounds upon them--expository style--in his own, singular, funny, forthright, post-beatnik, Eastern-European/Nawlins vernacular style. What I like about Codrescu is not so much his writing ability (not intended as a slight, Mr. Andrei) as his longing for a more human existence in an increasingly nonhuman/computerish world. His storytelling talent as well as his critical eye regarding mass media and things plugged in are top-rate. To anyone who's ever read Exquisite Corpse or has seen the video of Codrescu's ride across America, this book is certainly worth it's weight in . . . cat vomit? No. Gold? No. Mardi Gras beads wrapped around a Draculian wooden cross? Yes.

I am very proud of our (Northeast Ohio's) own National Park, Cuyahoga Valley, and truly enjoy hiking its trails all year round. It is an experience that we in the CVNP's home region should take advantage of, and one that others who appreciate our nation's parks have enjoyed as well (a recent CVNP hike I went on this past Fall included another hiker, who, like me, tries to get to at least one National Park per year). This handbook is filled with photographs capturing the unique essence of the park, and also features brief commentaries and essays decribing the park's long and rich history. I recommend this book to those who have already grown to love CVNP as well as to those who someday will.

Robert Norton has done it again. As someone who has made extensive use of his initial publication about DACUM and how to use it, I have been delighted to see the second edition of this handbook appear in print. He has integrated further development of this process and ways of using it that meet the needs of the stakeholders in the most economical way. He has continued to give precise instruction in the way in which the process can be managed and the outcomes of the process verified and further developed. As DACUM has evolved over the years, Robert Norton has gathered the essential elements of this structured focus group process and presented them in a no-nonsense way that is easy to follow. He outlines explicit actions to take and yet allows the developing practitioner opportunity to adapt the essential elements of this interactive needs analysis process to a wide variety of situations and circumstances.

Dance Unto the Lord is a compelling presentation of life in the western Shaker settlements and old Ohio. The book is excellently researched and presented in a fashion that gives the reader a feeling of "being there". The material presented is interesting to the casual reader and of good use to serious readers of material about the Shakers and other religious sects of the 19th century. Against the backdrop of Ohio's giant Union Village and old Cincinnati, the simple love story of Richard and Ruth spins itself out to its conclusion. Very impressive!

Dancing With the Kobzar is definitely the best book that I have ever read from the "Studies in the Anabaptist and Mennonite History" series. It takes the history of a small Mennonite college in NW Ohio, and actually makes it into interesting read. Not only that, but a clear thesis and structure are presented at the beginning of the work and never once does the author stray away from these. That, along with the books transitions, makes the piece flow together as if it was a New York Times bestseller. Finally, the masterpiece of the book is the index. It seems to have been put together by a genius, and allows for any scholar to find the information that he needs almost instantaneously. A must read for any BC alumni or scholars of the Mennonite religion.

For more than four decades David Hostetler worked on "The American Woman"
Theme. He always preferred the simple title of "Carver" rather than sculptor or artist.
"The art of David Hostletler has long been identified with a singular motif, the female human form. Termed `The American Women,' the theme has evolved over a period of four decades, shifting, and changing, and adjusting in response to factors as varied as man's artistic tendencies."
As the artist states, "I have played with and lived with wood since my childhood. I am enamored with its feel, its color, its shapeability, but most of all with the fact that it is a living material. It has a life that mirrors our own; it records the seasons; our very existence on this planet is recorded in its calendar of growth rings. When I'm meditating in my woods, I'm literally a tree hugger and often place my ear on a tree to listen to its inner voice, sounds rhythms. Trying to get in tune with the big rhythms of life might explain my life-lone love affair with drums and drumming."
The "carver" has spent almost 40 years as an educator. He has also been a farmer, art commune founder, rock band drummer, and collector and champion of American folk art. He has always remained true to himself and generously shared his art and knowledge with his thousands of college students. He rejected the idea of moving to New York to claim his rightful place in the world of art. He knew he had to remain where his heart told him was his correct place on the planet. He is confident that his place in art and folk are is safe. His work speaks eloquently to all that encounter it.
Ohio University Press spared no expense in producing this photographic record of their "carver." The coated paper is perfect for both the high quality black and white photographs as well as many wonderful color photographs. The photographic record is unusually fine because from the time he arrived at the Athens Ohio main campus of Ohio University he was surrounded by many of the finest photographers in the world. The pictures included in the book were taken by the likes of "Portraits of Greatness" portrait photographer Yousuf Karsh, and many other graduates of the university who later worked for magazines such as "Look," "National Geographic," and other major picture oriented magazines. Terry Eiler the book's editor and photographer of many of the volume's outstanding illustrations met and became friendly with the "carver" while a photography major in the O.U. art school in the early 1960's. He first began photographing the famous artist-professor at that time and remained a life-long friend of Hostetler during the intervening years. The tome also contains several excellent essays about the artist and his work. This is a wonderful tribute to David L. Hostetler. Even the book's cover is a terrific graphic of one of the "carver's" creations. Buyers of this volume of Americana won't be disappointed. The work shown in the book is so real it almost seems like the reader could reach out and touch it.

David Zeisberger was a Moravian missionary who immagrated to England's North American colonies in 1740 and became one of the first white men to live among the Indian tribes of the Old Northwest. He spent many years living among the Delaware in western Pennsylvania and Ohio, founding the famous "Praying Indian" towns at Salem, Shoenbrun, and Gnadenhutten in the years just before the American Revolution. Zeisberger worked tirelessly to convert the Indians to Christianity for many years on the frontier when it was a hostile and dangerous wilderness. This book is translated from Zeisberger notes made while living among the Delaware in the period 1780-81. They describe in great and accurate detail the lifestyle and culture of the Indians. It details all aspects of religion, hunting, social structure, foods, medicine, clothing, etc. of the Delaware and the eastern woodland tribes in general. It also gives an overview of the flora and fauna of the Ohio Country in the years prior to white settlement. "History of the Northern American Indians" is a valuable piece of 18th century literature and should be read by any student of frontier or Indian history.

Great book for getaway planning. All the destinations are no more than two hours away from Cincinnati and go into all directions. This book has helped me discover many hidden gems in this area, such as the Ohio Caverns in West Liberty, Ohio, as well as Constitution Square in Danville, KY. Definitely a must have!