Massachusetts Books

I was pleasantly surprised to find this book so readable. This issue is a concern for all parents, educators, youth group leaders, and others who care about raising responsible citizens. Drs. Prothrow-Stith and Spivak write as if they are talking to you over a cup of coffee and explain the multi-faceted, grass roots, common sense approach to understanding why violence is so much a part of American society. While the statistics are frightening, the over all tone of the book is positive. They describe what can be done and encourage us to do it.

I would have given this book four stars, but the Ninth Mass.
Battery is one of my favorite units at Gettysburg. This book is
not only a fine collection of letters, it is a MUST for anyone
interested in the Ninth Massachusetts Battery. A bargain at any
price!

Michael Dumanis's My Soviet Union is relentless, in all the best ways. It has the sort of obsessive energy that I admire, feeling more forged than constructed. Smelted, not carved. Anyway, it's a swinging for the fence book, and I'm enjoying that. The book reminds me, more in its power than in its voice, a bit of Mark Strand.

This is a great, insightful short novel. The political events of the time are brought into the story with their relevance made clear. The gruesome murder is such a bizarre anomaly for Martha's Vineyard. I kept thinking the other shoe was going to drop and there would be a happy ending but, as reality goes, there was no resolution. The author does a great job following all the leads that were (seemingly) forgotten and revealing how the turn of events turned into a dusty mystery from long ago. I applaud the author revisiting the mystery and asking the questions that should have been asked years ago.

Author Charles Leslie Glenn believes in the most noble objectives of public schools, but he is careful to think about whether those objectives have been achieved. While he was a state education official in Massachusetts he had unmatched access to archival material about Horace Mann and Mann's efforts to establish compulsory school attendance in the United States. Glenn also uses his knowledge of French and Dutch and his first-hand experience with Europe to provide historical and comparative perspective on what was happening in other countries at the same time the United States made government-operated schools compulsory. The Myth of the Common School is so thoroughly researched that the footnotes alone are worth the price of the book, but the thinking in the book is so original and deep that Glenn helps you learn things none of the earlier authors have put together so clearly and convincingly. A fine book, not to be missed.

This delightful collection of Irish lore will tickle and touch old and young readers alike. I really enjoyed this book.

While on the island of Nantucket I read this book and used it to take my own walking tour of many of the houses and historic buildings on the island. It is extremely well written and had hundreds of full color photos of the buildings, ocean, boats, and all that makes Nantucket so special. A must read for those planning a trip to the island and for those who visited and want to relive the pleasure of their trip.

Though I've never been to Nantucket, this book absolutely makes me want to go, the next time I'm on the East Coast. In the meantime, I can flip through this gorgeous book and dream. The photography is alluring and recipes so inventive and interesting. Some of them seem a little cheffy, but for the most part they look easy enough to make for a summer dinner party. Plus, the profiles of the restaurantuers make me want to try their recipes! It makes a great gift.

This work is far more than a cookbook. It is also a primer on successful entrepreneurship and business management in the restaurant and other service industries; a commentary on the psychology of successful business people in general and restaurateurs in particular; a monograph on healthful foods; and a memoir of the customers and staff encountered by the author during twenty-eight successful years in the restaurant business. It is superbly illustrated with photographs and paintings. The book epitomizes the elements of a successful life: love of humanity, success in a consumer-oriented business, trust in employees, optimism about customers, knowledge of fine dining in general and of Italian cuisine in particular. It is effectively an autobiography of a successful entrepreneur, husband, and father, of a man of the world who is equally comfortable in densely populated Manhattan and in the exclusive summer resort island of Nantucket. It is the culmination of decades of experience, and it is well written and very rewarding reading.

Who did?

Captain Gardner's niece (hence the reference to Uncle Charles) as recorded in her diary in July of 1846. The entry reads, "They live in a little cottage place on a little rise of ground". Then comes the part about the blackberry pudding.

The "little cottage place" today is one of the exceptional residences profiled in Nantucket Island Living. Each one is lovingly described with an attentiveness that drills down to the level of blackberry pudding when necessary to establish the context, atmosphere, and ultimately the essence of the place.

This is fitting; as the author writes in the introduction, "Nantucket is more than a place - it is a state of mind".

And so it is.

Gorgeous photography by Terry Pommett complements the text. It's an absolute feast for the eyes.

The exploration of the island takes us from the elegance and history of Town (that's what the locals call it) to windswept beach cottages, from stately seaside mansions to the gardens and the quaint village of Siasconset.

Intertwined with it all is an overview of the island's history, traditions, natural life, and culture.

This is a book that will be enjoyed over and over again.

This beautifully illustrated book depicts Nantucket Island as it is - full of character, charm, and simply beautiful. The photographs are incredible - each is a gem, a beautiful picture. Congrats to the Poms and all who made this possible!