Wisconsin Books

Very informative and detailed history of brewing in the state made famous by the craft of German immigrants. Short histories of the major breweries of Wisconsin fill in the trivia gaps any beer buff may have. Includes many historical pictures of Blatz, Schlitz, Pabst, Walter, Oshkosh, Mathie-Ruder, Gettelman, and of course, Miller. The listing of all known brewery buildings still standing in Wisconsin is espescially helpful for guiding the weekend roadtrip. Viewing these historical structures is a great way to imagine the brewing industry of the past 150 years. Highly recommended for anyone interested in beer, from the history afficionado, to the basement homebrewer.

This book is great. Ever since I read ONE of The Laura Ingalls Wilder Series I just can't stop. I have all the books from Laura's great-grandmother to her daughter Rose. They are great books to read!

Ambrose Armitage was my husband's great grandfather. I was priviledged to have read some of the original journals several years ago. I found them fascinating! The journals really give you an insight on what the day to day experiences of the soldiers were like. In addition, I felt like I really got to know Ambrose Armitage as a person. A person with such high morals and a wonderful family man. There are many family matters that he mentions in the journals. He even mentions his marital plans and how he met his future wife, Alice Bottomley. I could go on and on about the book, but reading it for yourself is the best way to realize it's beauty and interest as a story of an extraordinary man. Rita Babcock

I am thrilled that this title is finally available. It consists of the first two novels by the British author known as Bryher. An amazing and under appreciated author, philanthropist, educator and more. The two novels are "Development" which has been called "the story of the artist as young dyke" and "Two Selves" a coded-lesbian love story.

"Development" first published in 1920 is a quixotic look in to the mind of a young woman who yearns to write but is hampered by family, decade, class and gender. It includes moving descriptions of why she feels that she is really a boy, her longing for adventure and desire to run away to the sea. It is an uneven book and barely a novel, but historically significant with beautiful passages on childhood and an essay on color-hearing.

Her second novel "Two Selves" first published in 1924 is a true gem. It follows Nancy from the isolation of Developement through her intense longing for a friend who will understand and climaxes with the meeting with "the poet". Historically the book describes Bryher's first meeting with the American poet H.D. (Hilda Doolittle, whom she supported emotionally and financially til death did them part -- And whose daughter she adopted and co-parented). The language, especially in the final passages, is simply beautiful.

See also her post-World War II historical novels: Gate to the Sea, Ruan, The Player's Boy, etc. -- Out of print but available in many libraries -- and her memoirs "A Heart to Artemis" and "Days of Mars."

In Building A Masterpiece: Milwaukee Art Museum, Franz Schulze (architectural historian, art critic, and professor emeritus at Lake Forest College, Illinois) presents a superbly documented work of architectural triumph as he showcases the world-class Milwaukee Art Museum designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava which joins the original building by Eero Saarinen. Dramatic photography illustrates and documents the new museum structure and enhance Schulze's informative essay as part of an illustrated retrospective of Calatrava's architectural career. Also included are highlights of the museum's encyclopedic collection with each color plate being accompanied by a brief essay of its own. Building A Masterpiece is a welcome and impressive addition to any professional or academic architectural studies reference collection.

What I enjoyed most about this book is that it gives the real history of the early years of Boy Scouting - i.e., it includes both the "good" amd the "not so good" details. For example, I had long been interested to learn why Thomas-Seton left the BSA for about 10 years before coming back in the 1920's. Well this books explains it all very nicely. It also describes the powerful impact that James E. West had in forming the BSA as an organization, along with numerous other little known insights. I highly recommend it for anyone who loves Scouting and wants to learn more about it's early years and the men who contributed to giving us this worthwhile organization that is today too often just take for granted.

and why they are still vitally important today. Why are so many non-Indian Amerciansdrawn to Native American culture, to the collective view of the world andthe human niche within it? Learn, through example, how the oral tradition is a source of inspiration, education, humor and emotional release for those who still practice the arts of story-telling. Learn why Trickster is as or more important today not only to Indian stories but to cultures around the world. And if you're curious about the stand Native Amercians tend to take regarding environmental issues, read this book. The Constitutional precedence of treaties with Indian tribes is clearly, succinctly discussed, and if you have any questions remaining after reading this slim volume, many sources of additional texts are cited. This is a wonderful blend of academics and plain speaking. Quite rare!

The book is great. Copies were given to family members and they all liked it.

This was an impulse purchase, but I am very pleased with this guide to butterflies. Great photos make identification easy and I love that every entry provides information about lifecycle and host plants.
If you live in the North Central U.S. and enjoy butterflies I highly recommend this book!

Even though I'm not even close to being a theologian, it was a pleasure to read about the development of the French version of reformed thought by Cameron and Amyraut. Calvinists tend to eat their young, so when I've read about Amyraut in the past he was frequently thrown in with Arminians - which in reformed thought is the worst of insults. After reading this book I can tell you that when you hear the wild claims about Amyraut, take them with a grain of salt. Armstrong compares and contrasts Amyraut's theology with the Scholastic approach which is the approach commonly associated with supralapsarianism and infralapsarianism. There were two very interesting facets of the book for me. First, Armstrong does and elegant job of showing that in most respects, Amyraut was closer to John Calvin's ideas that were the Scholastics. The second facet of book I found particularly enlightening is the comparison Armstrong provides of the respective approaches taken by the two schools of thought. The Scholastics, according to Armstrong used a systematic/deductive approach which resulted in the speculative "order of decrees." Amyraut, on the other hand used an analytical/inductive approach, beginning with scripture and trying to reconcile the particularistic verses with the seeming-universalistic verses. Amyraut did the best he could to reconcile what seemed to be a dualistic element in God's will regarding the extent of the atonement. When I first began reading the book I thought Armstrong was going to be too much of an apologist for Amyraut. However, the weak spots and problems with Amyraut's thought are pointed out as well. Frankly, it was refreshing to read about Amyraut without the usual vitriol. The only problem I had with Armstrong's book was trying to interpret some of the French and Latin quotes. Even with a little knowledge of both languages, I was unable to translate some to the phrases. Ordinarily, I have to "push" my way through theology, but Armstrong's writing is compelling and thought-provoking. I enjoyed it very much.