Minnesota Books

The story has strong plot and a heroine who grows on one -- also a solidly constructed physical world makes one feel yes, the settler experience must have been very like that. I liked the allegorical use of Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress as a subtle sub-text -- it connects the two parallel journeys (each chapter title a synonym for a different type of journey). And that's a great last line. The book would make a great movie!

Ms. Mean's has written a wonderful post-Civil War story of life on the plains. The novel strives for historical accuracy over easy stereotypes, realism over cheap sentimentality and the author makes the wise choice of portraying her characters as fully realized human beings with all of their strengths and weaknesses helping to shape their fate. A reader is given an accurate and inspired journey through the hardships and struggles of a family trying to survive in an often harsh and difficult environment. Within these struggles, there is also a tale of the power of hope, faith and love.

Well done.

The subject matter in this book is handled well, engaging and is well written. I was put off by a lack of an index as I was using the book for research but was glad for the endnotes and reference material mentioned. Great book on midwest farm culture.
One interesting point to note as a graphic designer I was impressed creative dust jacket on this book which featured a half fold on the front cover and folded out to reveal a map. The quality of design should be noted, usually history books of this type have appalling design.

Hildebrand's book is some of the best literary nonfiction I've read. His characters are well-developed. Because of that, the reader is drawn into the farm and, ultimately, its plight. This book does an excellent job of depicting rural life. It's very true to life (which is good, since it's nonfiction). EXCELLENT BOOK, highly recommended.

I love this series. I accidently picked up one of them at the library. Now I have read them all. The author is EIGHTY years old. I hope she has time to write a few more. They are the greatest police procedurals imaginable. Partly they are so excellent because they top out at 200 or so pages. No padding. But I hated to finish this one. I wanted more, more, more. Thanks, Ms. Gunn.

Police captain Jake Hines is back in action. This time coping with a series of muggings that are escalating in violence, credit card scam, and a very pregnant wife. The scariest part for him--the coming baby. A series of muggings with the same MO have been bothering the detectives of Rutherford, Minnesota. They are sure that murder is not far behind. When a woman is found murdered and the mugger is caught the same night. All seems to be wrapped up, then other crimes that seemed separate from this one begin to have strange similarities. In the meantime, Jake's wife, Trudy is ready to give birth and Jake is having some serious nightmares.

This seventh in the Jake Hines series is right on the mark. Characterizations are fully drawn and the mystery is tightly written. This is one police procedural that will not disappoint. And of course, I'm waiting for the next book.

The Mechademia series is an extraordinary anthology of original essays by scholars, artists, and fans discussing the popular culture of Japanese animation, manga, and their derivative fan-works, as gathered from an annual forum. Mechademia Volume 2: Networks of Desire especially focuses upon sexual and gender issues and subtexts present in manga and anime - although, despite the provocative cover image of a nude girl bound in ropes, most of the manga and anime examples discussed are emphatically not pornographic. Sample essays include "Shojo Manga! Girls Comics! A Mirror of Girls' Dreams", "Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction Writers: New Narrative Themes or the Same Old Story?", "The Animalization of Otaku Culture", "Between the Child and the Mecha", and much more. A handful of black-and-white animation stills and other photographs illustrate this welcome contribution to Japanese popular culture studies.

The full table of contents for this volume is as follows:

Introduction: Art Mecho
by Frenchy Lunning and Thomas LaMarre

*** PART I: SHOJO / GRRRL ***

Revolutionary Romance: The Rose of Versailles and the Transformation of Shojo Manga
by Deborah Shamoon

Shojo Manga! Girls' Comics! A Mirror of Girls' Dreams
by Masami Toku

Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction Writers: New Narrative Themes or the Same Old Story?
by Meredith Suzanne Hahn Aquila

Doll Beauties and Cosplay
by Mari Kotani (translated by Thomas LaMarre)

A Japanese Electra and Her Queer Progeny
by Keith Vincent

*** PART II: POWERS OF TIME ***

Thieves of Baghdad: Transnational Networks of Cinema and Anime in the 1920s
by Daisuke Miyao

When Pacifist Japan Fights: Historicizing Desires in Anime
by Hiromi Mizuno

The Quick and the Undead: Visual and Political Dynamics in Blood: The Last Vampire
by Christopher Bolton

Bridges of the Unknown: Visual Desires and Small Apocalypses
by Eron Rauch

*** PART II: ANIMALIZATION ***

Malice@Doll: Konaka, Specularization, and the Virtual Feminine
by Margherita Long

The Animalization of Otaku Culture
by Azuma Hiroki (translated by Yuriko Furuhata and Marc Steinberg)

Sex and the Single Pig: Desire and Flight in Porco Rosso
by Patrick Drazen

The Education of Desire: Futari etchi and the Globalization of Sexual Tolerance
by Timothy Perper and Martha Cornog

My Father, He Killed Me; My Mother, She Ate Me: Self, Desire, Engendering, and the Mother in Neon Genesis Evangelion
by Mariana Ortega

*** PART IV: HORIZONS ***

Fly Away Old Home: Memory and Salvation in Haibane-Renmei
by Marc Hairston

In the World That Is Infinitely Inclusive: Four Theses on Voices of a Distant Star and The Wings of Honneamise
by Shu Kuge

Between the Child and the Mecha
by Frenchy Lunning

*** REVIEW AND COMMENTARY SECTION ***

Godzilla's Children: Murakami Takes Manhattan
William L. Benzon

Anime: Comparing Macro and Micro Analyses
Brent Allison

Crazy Rabbit Man: Why I Rewrite Manga
Trina Robbins

Brain-Diving Batou
Brian Ruh

Lurkers at the Threshold: Saya and the Nature of Evil
Timothy Perper and Martha Cornog

*** TORENDO SECTION ****

UAAAAA! Trashkultur! An Interview with MAK's Johannes Wieninger
Christopher Bolton

This book was perfect for my 5th grader's extensive state report on Minnesota!

The quarter for Minnesota is the one currently being produced by the U.S. Mint for its ten-week period as the commemorative quarters being produced from 1999-2008. If you have all of them to date that gives you $8 in change. Of course finding a Minnesota quarter in Minnesota is pretty much impossible at this point (fortunately I know some one who runs a bank). On the other hand if you want to see a lake, we are the place to visit. You probably know that the state's nickname is the Land of 10,000 Lakes, but you have probably figured out there are not exactly 10,000 lakes. In fact there are more than 15,000 lakes (but Land of More than 15,000 Lakes does not have the same cache apparently despite the relative accuracy). Martin Hintz explains this in Chapter One, "What's in a Name?" for this volume in the American the Beautiful, Second Series. Young readers will also learn that of all those lakes 11,842 cover more than 10 acres and that with than many to name it is not surprising that there are 156 Long Lakes, 83 Bass Lakes, and at least 3 Swan Lakes for the state's ballerinas. Actually the official state nickname is the North Star State, but since we lost the North Stars to Dallas, where they won the Stanley Cup, that nickname has painful associations (and the Gopher State is not exactly the image we want).

The next three chapters of the book tell the history of the state, beginning with Chapter 2, "The First Minnesotans," which goes all the way back to the Eastern Archaic people of the Copper Culture, the settling of the territory and the steps taken to make Minnesota the 32nd state in 1858. Chapter Three, "The Drawing of a New Age," covers the Civil War, "Little House on the Prairie," and the coming of the railroads. Chapter Three, "Changing Terms," goes from Prohibition to the postwar era. Chapter Five, "Water, Winter, Woods" covers the topography and geographical features of the state, including wildflowers and weasels. "Cities As Varied As the Landscape" is the topic for Chapter Six, while explaining Minnesota politics and former governor Jesse Ventura is the province of Chapter Seven, "A Progressive Government." This is where you find out about the states symbols, including the state muffin being blueberry (I am so proud).

Chapter Eight, "Timber, Wheat, and Tourism," is where you find this book's recipe for Wild Ric Soup (the obvious choice in case you were wondering). Chapter Nine, "A Diverse Group," explains the various ancestors for the states immigrants from the Ojibwa groups to the Scandinavians to the last surge of immigrants consisting of the Hmong people from Laos. The title of Chapter Ten, "'Where All the Women Are Strong...,'" comes from Garrison Keillor's tales about the fictional Minnesota town of Lake Wobegon ("the men good looking and all the children are above average") on broadcasts of "A Prairie Home Companion." This chapter includes famous authors from Sinclair Lewis to F. Scott Fitzgerald, musicians from Bob Dylan to Prince, and whoever is playing quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings.

The back of the book includes a Timeline contrasting U.S. History and Minnesota state history side by side, and several pages of Fast Facts. Throughout the book there are color photographs, original maps, and lots of informative sidebars. This last is where young readers will find some of the most interesting things in the book about Jesse James coming to Minnesota, the legends of Lake Itasca (the true head of the Mississippi River), the Green Giant who eats his vegetables, the Lone Eagle who flew across the Atlantic, and the public servants of the Humphrey family. Hintz lives in Wisconsin, but he does an excellent job of covering the state in all its glory. The only surprise is that when we have the inevitable picture of the Aerial Lift Bridge in Duluth it is a long distance shot from the Lakefront walkway. I am not sure if I have ever seen a long distance shot of Duluth's iconic symbol in a book before.

The book is very thorough. Aviation historians should have a copy for their libraries.

I use this book as a wonderful reference addition to my library. It is filled with relevant, interesting facts. It offers a wealth of information to history and aviation buffs alike.

This book really is a lot of fun. You'll learn about a family that makes canoes the old-fashioned way, about two chain-sawing sisters that set up a bar, about ice fishing and all the strange things that get found at the bottom of a lake, and lots of interesting characters. The author has written for Prairie Home Companion, so you'll recognize the style. It's fun to read, even if you're not going to visit Minnesota.

The quisisential answer to "Everything you ever wanted to know about Minnesota.........but didn't know what to ask". What a delightful journey into some of the most tucked away sights and stories of Minnesota. The author has a style of writing that seems to have that Paul Harvey punchline giving you ..the rest of the story. Tales are spun respectfully no matter how outrageous the oddity. Even life long Minnesota residents will get a knee slap as they are compelled to read a chapter out loud to folks that will just keep saying "Gee, I never knew that"
This book will be our companion for spring travels this year. Our goal is to hit as many of the curiosities as possible and either put a notch in our book or get an autograph! Highly recommended for family gatherings and folks who love to know it all.

This is a wonderful collection of the best of Minnesota writers and artists. There are essays by a wide range of Minnesotans, living and dead, from the humor of Garrison Keillor to the remembrances of African-American author Evelyn Fairbanks. The photographs are stunning, including an incredible head-on view of a grey owl in flight and beautiful portraits of the diverse Minnesota landscape. The rest of the country must surely envy the incredible talent we have here in Minnesota!

This is a wonderful collection of the best of Minnesota writers and artists. There are essays by a wide range of Minnesotans, living and dead, from the humor of Garrison Keillor to the remembrances of African-American author Evelyn Fairbanks. The photographs are stunning, including an incredible head-on view of a grey owl in flight and beautiful portraits of the diverse Minnesota landscape. The rest of the country must surely envy the incredible talent we have here in Minnesota!

I'm not old enough to recognize all of the places featured here, but it is interesting to see all of the restaurants. Here you'll find everything from haute cuisine to roadside diners. A wonderful collection of memories that captures the spirit of eras gone by.

Fellow Minnesota oldsters and yuppies alike will have a ball browsing through this lovely coffee table book of the historic eateries in our home state. I was delighted to find a photo of the menu for my Dad's Minneapolis restaurant, the 620 Club, which he owned and operated with partners Max & Henry Winter from 1935 to 1965. (Max and Dad had been among the partners in the Minneapolis Lakers basketball team, and Max went on to found the Minnesota Vikings.) And then there was Charlie's Cafe Exceptionale. Ohhhh, how I miss Charlie's! Chuck Saunders' chef, Russian emigre Harry Walkowitz, also headed up the 620's kitchen for a number of years both before and after his stint at Charlie's. No wonder the food was so good at both places. Harry's secret: "I use lots of booouuter."

I first read Kenneth Carley's original edition of Minnesota in the Civil War as a twelve year old boy back in the 1970s. The book remained on my shelf, but rarely, did I refer back to it as I continued my exploration of Minnesota's role in the Civil War.

Well, the Minnesota Historical Society (MHS) has hit a home run! Using Carley's good overview as a framework, the Society dug deep into its collection to cement a wonderful history of the State's participation in the Civil War. Using very professionally composed photographs of state soldier-identified artifacts, excerpts from diaries and letters, and a limited amount of standard-fare, Library-of-Congress photography, MHS has issued a book on par with the very desirable Time-Life Echos of Glory series.

Actually, MHS has cemented SO much material around Carley's original overview, that it is actually a bit hard to recognize any similarity to the Carley's original work. This is not a bad thing, just an interesting sidenote. The person who buys this book will be busy reading the first-hand accounts, looking at the fantastic artifacts, and enjoying all the great wartime images of Gopher-soldiers.

I applaud MHS for this effort. Other institutions should take note of this work. Too many museums are bent on "protecting" and "preserving" their collections causing them to overlook the very worth of "presenting" the collections. Someone at MHS dug DEEP into the collection to find dynamite relics, accounts and photographs. Items ranging from corn pone found in the bottom of a haversack to a cotton suit of clothes made by a Minnesota prisoner of war while in Libby Prison fill the pages. The welcome, underlying message in this book is "ALL THESE ITEMS ARE FROM THE COLLECTIONS OF THE SOCIETY." That means, for researchers, these are all, more-or-less, accessible. This is where other books in similar styles fail. Private collectors are so eager to show off, but not so often, willing to share. So, whereas the Time-Life books are a great treat to the eye, as an effective document for future scholarship, they can be rather frustrating. Minnesota in the Civil War: An Illustrated History will stand as a fine catalog and finding aid for future historians.

Criticisms of the book are few. The foreword by Richard Moe is appropriate and adds to the book. The Intro by the Curator of a not-too-closely related exhibit seemed like a labored addition, but does not detract. The objects illustrated concentrate on personal objects and very few "tools of war" seem to have made the final cut for inclusion. Clearly lacking in the book are uniform items (forage caps, frock coats, blouses, etc.), identified weapons (there is one 2-page spread that has a design element that belies that it quite possibly was a concession), and identified accouterments. Surely, the Society has these items in their vast collection, so it left me wondering why they chose to downplay this very fundamental aspect of the State's participation in the war. Nevertheless, there are great groupings of items like one soldier's haversack, fry pan and boiler, and many personal items. My criticisms are minimal and should not deter any Civil War fan from buying this book.

In closing, it is important to recognize that this book is for a fan of the Civil War and NOT just a fan of Minnesota in the Civil War. The artifacts, accounts, and photographs reflect the Nation's involvement. It just worked out that the medium chosen for this reflection, was the young state of Minnesota--the first to answer President Lincoln's call for volunteers in 1861. Civil War fans, both north and south, will appreciate this book for its very fresh, personal depiction of common soldiers at war.

The Minnesota Historical Society (MHS)hit a home-run with this book. I first read Kenneth Carley's Minnesota in the Civil War when I was twelve years old back in the early 1970s. The book, though a nice overview, remained untouched on my shelves ever since. It was just that, a fine overview.

MHS could simply have continued to reprint the book in its original, almost child-like form, but instead, they decided to use it as a framework to showcase their collections. And the result is nothing less than lavish.

Artifacts ranging from corn pone found in the bottom of a haversack to a suit of cotton clothes made by a Minnesota soldier while a prisoner of war at Libby Prison are liberally sprinkled through the text. Similarly, Carley's original narrative of Minnesota's involvement in the War is almost lost, covered by many excerpts from diaries, letters, and memoirs of participants.

A potential buyer might think this would only interest students of Minnesota's Civil War history. THis if far from the truth. This book, filled with artifacts that are understandably identified to Minnesota soldiers, are typical of any Civil War combatant. This book rivals the great 3-volume Time-Life ECHOES OF GLORY.

The shortfalls are few. The foreword by Richard Moe (author of THe Last Full Measure)is appropriate, whereas the introduction by Brian Horrigan seems labored and forced. Someone, somewhere in the bureaucracy of MHS must have felt a "context" was necessary, so the text of an old exhibit about pre civil war Minnesota was forced between the covers. This isn't horrible, because along with it, are some interesting, though not civil war-related, photos. As for the rest of the images, very few are of the tired, oft-seen, Library of Congress origin, but rather, from the bowels of MHS itself. This book SHOULD stand as an example to other museums. MHS DUG into its collections to find a vast myriad of related artifacts, accounts, and images. Too many museums are content to "protect" and "Preserve." Too many forget to "share," "show," and "provide." Kudos, MHS. The only concession to "museum practices" is an obvious lack of the tools of war in this book. Very few uniforms, muskets, rifles, swords, and the like are included. One spread on pp. 108-109 depicts a musket, bayonet and revolver. The design of the spread belies that it must have been an afterthought concession. I would tend to believe that the collections hold the Austrian Lorenzes, Prussian Muskets, varieties of Springfields, and carbines issued to Minnesota soldiers. So why were they left out? Pity.

BUT, the book IS packed full of photos of personal items, like the contents of one soldier's haversack, the ship's bell from the USS Minnesota, and sketches made by a participant in the Sioux Uprising of 1862. Very cool indeed.

All in all, a very Fine book and a worthwhile addition to a Civil War library, whether concentrated on Minnesota soldiers or not. This book should be included in any library that focuses on the daily life of the average soldier.