Ohio Books

Zane Grey's first novels concerned his ancestors, the Zane family, and the Ohio frontier of the late 18th century. They are fairly authentic, historically, and heroic and romantic as well.

Very interesting black history; encouraging to women of all races and ethnic backgrounds. It was relaxed reading, and easy to picture the era covered. I plan to purchase the follow-up book.

Moreland's insightful, persuasive book blazes a new trail for anyone interested in teaching or reading 20th century American lit. This book is essential to the developing New canon.

Ohio's first constitution adopted in 1802 made no mention of the power of the courts to declare a law unconstitutional. The question of whether Ohio courts had this power was the most hard-fought and divisive political question addressed in the first decade of the state's history. The book gives a carefully researched and well-written account of this contest. The author has brought to light many new sources which make this a must read book for those interested in the frontier period of Ohio. The setting for the story is a fascinating time when men of great ambition, vision, and talent were turning a wild-west frontier into a state. The book tells of two frontier Ohio judges of intelligence, character, and courage who are great role models for the legal profession.

These comics are enjoyed by our entire family. Our 10 year old son can't seem to put them down as the illustrations and content are clever and entertaining. We love how Bently Boyd brings history to life in a fun, creative and easy reading style. After my son is finished reading he can't wait to share what he read with the entire family. We have acquired the entire set of Chester Comix with Content Series and love them all. These make a GREAT gift for anyone of any age or even for teachers as they are an awesome learning tool. A gift that keeps giving. This is a definate must have for the entire family. ENJOY!

It's been over thity years since I've read this. As a child it was spell binding. Full of suspense and intrigue, I could'nt put the book down until it was finished! As it was, it required a written letter and several phone calls from our hometown librarian to demand the return of this publication back to the library!
As it turned out,a Lady in the vicinity,(who happened to be a direct descendant of Lewis Wetzel) refused to hand over the book.There was only one copy of this publiction
in our library. So I to wait like, almost an eternity to read this book!

In the early years of this century, Cicely Hamilton was celebrated as playwright, novelist, actress, suffragist and peace campaigner. Her friends were among the most distinguished names of her time: Ellen Terry, George Bernard Shaw, Lilian Baylis, H G Wells, Winfred Holtby and Vera Brittain. George Moore once said hers was the finest acting he had ever seen.

It is as an active suffragist that Cicely Hamilton remains best remembered. Her plays How the Vote Was Won and The Pageant of Great Women popularized the Cause, and at the peak of the struggle her book Marriage as a Trade overturned traditional beliefs about women, love and marriage with style and biting humour. Liz Whitlaw's research reveals a vital and entertaining figure of wide and varied talents, whose appreciation is long overdue.
--- from book's back cover

John Holt is probably best known for his early books, "How Children Fail" & "How Children Learn," and his advocacy of homeschooling -- although his concept was nothing like the rigid indoctrination of the fundamentalist mindset. From his decades of working with children, from accepting them as whole, autonomous human beings, he fully believed in the capability of the individual to learn. He had less & less faith in the official school system, which he saw as simply one more tool & reflection of a culture more interested in turning out interchangeable, obedient widgets for the machine, rather than freely thinking individuals.

In this superb, insightful selection of his letters, from his days as a young man, to his tragically early death from cancer, we follow the development of his thought. He wrestles with ideas, always born of personal experience, which he trusted far more than abstract theory. His empathy, his compassion, his heartbreak all shine through from every page -- he CARED with all he had to give, and he gave all that he had, that much is clear.

It's difficult to sum up an entire life of thought in just a few words, but I'll try: Holt believed that human beings are born with an innate desire & need to learn, and that they'll exert all their effort for something that truly matters to them. He also believed that schools did far more harm than good, by being glorified certification factories ('You've got to have X degrees to get a good job!"); training grounds for obedience to bullying authorities who were unworthy of respect ("You'll find out what the real world is like soon enough!"); and places of needless humiliation & emotional damage for children ("What are you, stupid? You'll never amount to anything! Loser!").

In short, that schools are essentially boot camps for modern American society, breaking people down & rebuilding them for use as consumers & cogs.

Holt believed that (to use his phrase), education is something a person gets for him/herself, rather than something that's force-fed to a person. At least, that's what it should be. And of course his worldview went beyond just the school system, or the idea of learning -- his was a humanistic critique of our materialistic, power-hungry, status-oriented culture as a whole.

All of Holt's books are worth reading, especially the later ones, which found less of an audience than his first, most successful volumes. But even if you haven't read anything else by the man, you'll benefit from this selection of letters. Both his ideas & his personality come through clearly ... and he'll leave you with much food for thought.

Most highly recommended!

The late Prof. Cooper was my kind of tourist set loose in a car in England.

He avoids the M roads and the A roads with single digits. He gives clear directions. He has an eye for the peculiar, the unique, the unsettling. But most of all, he's an enthusiast. He's read the greats and an astonishing quantity of not so great.

He knew his Dickens and Kipling, although I wish he was still alive so I could tip him to something he didn't know about Kipling's sojourn in Rottingdean, Sussex, and its tangible connexion to today: Kipling's familiarity with England's first family of traditional songs, the Copper family. An American who hears Kipling's poetry in the settings of Peter Bellamy will have good reason to reappraise Kipling.

I'm leaving for Kent this week. After reading Cooper, I'll only be bringing him and Ordinance maps along. I won't need anything else.

This is a complete bibliography of everything Thoreau ever wrote. Not really intended as a book to read, yet I find it particularly evocative of Thoreau just to page through and read the titles. Howarth's introduction on Thoreau's manuscripts provides one with an instructive lesson on what we might think we are leaving to posterity. Thoreau made a wooden case for his notebooks (pictured) and spent his last years arranging them with his sister Sophia (a telling name!) What happened afterwards is worth the price of the book to find out!