Oklahoma Books

If, during a quiet moment, sometimes the memory of that love from long ago enters your thoughts and suddenly you begin once again to reflect on where you are and where you would like to be....if only...then you will enjoy and connect with this book.

Wherever you travel in the Mundo Maya; this study of the Zinacanten of Chiapas, offers the clearest, most "understanding" anthropological study by "friends" of the Maya that anglos are likely to have translated to them. What is truely impressive is that what Evon Vogt presented here is so understated, so much like what a dinner party is like in Chiapas, or Q-Roo, or the Peten, that we can feel what the writers of the Popul Vuh felt in their hearts! Itzam'na.

Marita Sturken's "Tourists of History" is an enlightening overview about how America dealt with the two most catastrophic events of its recent history - the Oklahoma City Federal Building bombing and the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 - by wrapping itself in a mantle of kitschy products which tried, but ultimately failed, to bring comfort to the bereaved.
The quintessential object of comfort is the teddy bear, given to children (and adults) affected by these two tragedies (and the sequential wars in Afghanistan and Iraq). These teddies (almost all of them cheaply manufactured overseas) are tasked with the job of saying, "All will be well over time" - a promise that neither they nor anyone else can keep. Nor can a teddy bear tell anyone about the social and political roots of terrorism, both domestic and international. What teddies do best is reinforce the intractable belief that America is innocent: We are the good guys, we have done nothing wrong in the world, how can anyone hate us? Anyone who has paid attention to history knows that America is not and has never been innocent.
Sturken urges us to take a good look at all of American history, and not be mere tourists only interested in the parts that are nice to look at. Buy this book today.

REVIEW: If you have an interest in Mexica incantations, Mexica medicine, or first hand accounts of the every day life of the Mexica, this editorial team has translated one of the best source books you can find. Written in 1629 by Alcaron as a guide to understanding the Mexica religion and beliefs that were hampering the conversion of the Indians.

Alcaron's goal was to prepare other Catholic Priests by education of the past. Along the way, Alcaron wrote a fascinating collection of various incantations used by the Mexica for such things as blessing a fishing net to curing a broken heart. His attention to Mexica herbal medicine along with generous recent research by the editorial team, has combined to serve as a textbook on the subject.

The book is easily read and the incantations are in Nahuatl as well as paraphrased in English. Some of the more interesting incantations related are: About the Incantation and Spell of Those Who Rig Lime Kilns, About the Incantation or Witchcraft That They Use in Order to Hunt, Beginning with the Hunting of Fowls, About Fortune-telling with the Hands. Further contains a host of incantations for medical purposes including, belly pains, bone fractures, and others simple and complex illnesses.

Appendices attached to this book are full of information relating to place names and linguistic terms that will be of interest to a serious reader. Of interest is the attention to the breakdown of the meaning of the Nahuatl terms to the root level. This work will leave you questioning traditionally accepted terminology and academically accepted myth.

This is one of the most engrossing books I've found on this subject. If you're amused by Old English texts and runic inscriptions with lively translations, this book is a must-read. Two thumbs up! Way up! Delightful summer reading.

This is a well-researched, highly readable, yet scholarly treatment of a timely subject that is sure to attract attention in the coming years. The authors review often competing legal precedents in Federal law as they relate to Indian legal issues and find that inconsistencies, including varied interpretations together with the age old imbalance of power, has resulted in justice for American Indians being built on a bed of sand that is unfair, unpredictable, and in need of clarification. The book includes a thorough discussion on the Doctrine of Discovery, the Trust Doctrine, the Doctrine of Plenary Power, and the Doctrine of Soverign Immunity and is highly recommended for those readers interested in this expanding area of Native American studies. These are the kind of issues that led to the Wounded Knee disaster of the 1970s.

This book has a ton of OU history inside. Like a treasure of info. It is a bit bulky and is more of a coffee table book. If you are looking for something a little bit smaller and easier to carry around that has tons of OU info, check out: UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA FOOTBALL: An Interactive Guide to the World of Sports (Sports By the Numbers) Buy both for any OU fan!

David Levy has done a fabulous job of making history incredibly interesting. He is one of premier historians.

Coming from the East, I wasn't sure what to expect from a school in a part of the country I knew nothing about. After reading this book however, I really got a much better look into the goings on not only of the institution but also of the surrounding area. I love the fact that this book was written by a student and that there are student quotes throughout. No other guides that I've seen have sections on diversity or how to find help getting a job or internship, so these elements made me feel like I was having an in depth discussion with faculty and students at the school (that's how well informed the writer was).

"Vietnam, the heartland remembers" is absolutly riviting. It is one of the most accurate accounts of the war that I have read. I highly reccomend it to anyone of the so called "gen X" crowd, (I am personally part of that crowd). It may offer some reason to why we are the way we are. Remember,"those who forget their history are doomed to repeat it". To anyone who served in that war it will be a touching and personnal experience. As a verteran of the Persian Gulf War it made me proud and humbled at the same time. Let us not forget our fallen warriors or the those who survived to teach us.