Michigan Books

Excellent insight into the birthplace of skiing in North America!

Although Miranda's Waning Protections is written by a law professor whose primary audience is lawyers or law students, the book is surprisingly accessible to lay readers. The book describes how Miranda v. Arizona (1966) limited police interrogation practices, and how court decisions since then have watered down its original intent. Even for readers lacking a legal background, the account of how the Supreme Court tries to balance law enforcement's interest in obtaining confessions with protecting individuals against abusive interrogation practices is engaging and interesting. And, White explains why Miranda, as interpreted by the current Supreme Court, provides scant protection for individuals subjected to police interrogation.
Several parts of the book provide detailed accounts of police interrogations, the kinds of tactics police interrogators use, and
why these strategies sometimes lead to false confessions.
Some of these accounts, though horrifying, are fascinating reading. In Chapter 12, White provides excerpts from the taped interrogation of Peter Reilly, a teenager accused of murdering his mother, and his subsequent false confession. This really happens, though it happens to read like a TV script.
Chapter 7, "How modern interrogators have adapted to Miranda," shows police strategies that negate the effect of the Miranda warnings. White presents a stark and disturbing picture of exhausted suspects who are interrogated, and sometimes tortured, for hours without intermission. Mentally disabled suspects are tricked into confessing to crimes they didn't commit.
The author provides at least a sketch of some unforgettable
characters who participated in the struggle: Fred Inbau, who
fervently believed that the Interrogation Manuals he wrote for the
police would only result in truthful and fairly obtained confessions; Yale Kamisar, the law professor who eloquently defended the rights of suspects; and the "indefatigable" Paul Cassell who zealously sought to overturn Miranda.
After explaining the problems with Miranda and other cases
governing police interrogation practices, the author proposes some
sensible remedies. Perhaps the most interesting, in its simplicity, is a procedure under which most police interrogations would be video-taped so at least judges will be in a better position to determine whether or not the police have employed abusive practices to obtain a confession and whether the suspect's confession appears to be in fact truthful.

"Lauri Anderson's latest collection of poignant stories is a wonderfully rewarding read. These stories are not only dedicated to the Copper Country, but truly celebrate the Finnish character that has played such an important part in creating a Copper Country heritage. Here are our heroes, survivors against all the odds, in this remote land, true to themselves acting with an unconscious humility. These often bittersweet stories are set in historic contexts that make them utterly convincing. There are many literary allusions, and even characters such as Vainamoinen and Hemingway play a part. The clean rhythm of the language mimics the Finnish language and underlines the basic humanity and individuality of these Copper Country Finns."

Joan Frank's first novel, Miss Kansas City (a wonderfully ironic title), is a masterpiece. I read her award-winning short story collection, Boys Keep Being Born, and loved her writing so much that I've been waiting for another book from her. Now, with this one, I am even more awed at her range. Along with the drama of love and loss and resilience (that quality - that almost infinite adaptability - which, uniquely, makes us human), she leaves us with a wealth of insight and of wisdom. She's wonderfully good at delineating what she calls the "unconscious male" (in spite of her love for those pesky trouble-makers). Yet she allows us into the inner spaces of both her male and female characters, each caught up in love (or obsession) and yearning. She opens us up to the gulf of loneliness within each isolated sex. She keeps us on our toes, surprises us. Then, reaching beyond the personal, she gives us wholly believable scenes of California's takeoff into its heady new computerized world, along with, already, intimations of its collapse. She's the true chronicler of our twentieth-century nation-state and of the human soul.

This books is great! It contains the basic, traditional prayers, litanies, as well as meditations on the Rosary and the Way of the Cross. A manual for the sick and dying is also included, which I think contains great reflections and direction on tending the dying; also contains helpful treatises on Holy Matrimony, Holy Orders, the fruitful preparation and reception of the Sacraments of Penance and Holy Communion. I highly recommend this book as a rare treasure of great value!

Modeling Archaeological Site Burial In Southern Michigan: A Geoarchaeological Synthesis is the collaborative work of G. William Monaghan (Associate Research Scientist, Glenn A. Black Laboratory for Archaeology, Indiana University) and William A. Lovis (Professor in the Department of Anthropology and Associate Director for Natural and Social Science Research and Curator of Anthropology, MSU Museum, Michigan State University) with contributions by Michael J. Hambacher in the chapter "Location and Description of Buried and Stratified Sites in Michigan: Geological and Cultural Controls for Site Burial and Stratification". This scholarly presentation of deep site geoarchaeology in Michigan provides an overarching survey of 13,000 years of Great Lakes geology and the impact of lake-level and climatic change on the archaeological record of human occupation with special attention to burial sites. This superbly presented work is organized into two main parts: "Geological and Archaeological Background" and "Site Burial Conceptual Models, GIS Predictive Framework, and Deep-Test Methods and Standards". Enhanced with maps, charts, references, and an exhaustive index, Modeling Archaeological Site Burial in Southern Michigan will prove to be of particular interest to students of upper midwest American archaeology, Native American studies, geology, and Great Lakes studies.

The Moon And Other Failures is a hauntingly beautiful collection of poems fully documenting the impressive artistic talent and astonishing literary range of F.D. Reeve. Lake Champlain: The rocks rise from the water: the wind, from the West./Old fables constellate the sky./The woods are full of spiders. Abenaki ghosts/in bark canoes glide among the pines./On the granite cliff we sleep in each other's arms/under the cast of a mythic spell/by long, sweet summer love made soft and brown,/waiting for the great lake god himself/to deliver the past into our native hands./We dream we are the islands and water/that sing through the trees of the happy hunting grounds/where the starry animals are slaughtered/and trapped souls shaking in the morning light/as in a web spiral off to death./Awake, we step across our long-lost lives/stone by stone, breath by breath.

Jackie Braun's MOONLIGHT AND ROSES is a short tender romance that pits adversaries together and against each other. The scenery and language of viniculture and viticulture gives this romance a realistic and informative setting that complements the characters.

Jaye Monroe's entire life has been turned inside out when her father dies and his will is read. Alongside her father, Jaye has built the Medallion wine brand with her heart and soul. Her father's will turns the winery and vineyards over to her step-mother and gives Jaye her step-mother's house with all the antiques and items she despises. Jaye's step-mother makes matters worse by selling the vineyards and company to an outsider, Zack Holland. Zack, heir to a renowned prize-winning California winery, wants to strike out on his own and forget the pain of his family and past. When he encounters Jaye, a strong woman and a bit of a tomboy, he is dazzles by her looks, intelligence and spirit. Can the two of them work together for the good of Medallion when their ultimate business plans conflict so? When their physical attraction can no longer be denied, will they be forced to choose between love and business?

In MOONLIGHT AND ROSES, Jackie Braun creates emotional depth at the same time that the conflicting business interests of the hero and heroine create a fun, suspenseful romantic conflict. Readers will appreciate the strong intelligent Jaye as a heroine whose spirit shines in all she does. Zack, a dreamer and a realist, is a perfect match for Jaye as he values what is most dear to her but also adds his own vision to the business. The author's meticulous research on wine varieties and viticulture grounds this romance with an interesting backdrop for wine enthusiasts and neophytes alike. Jaye and Zack's growing attraction brings them together and creates a more expansive vision, not only of each other, but also of the business. The initial emotional devastation of the will's reading finds the perfect ending as Jackie Braun combines business and romance in a narrative with an expansive view that includes a tribute to both family and independence. The narrative style flows smoothly while providing delightful surprises. Jackie Braun's MOONLIGHT AND ROSES is a delightful romance on all levels from emotional content to stylistic form.

I have already gotten through Discussion Starters and found it sooo helpful that I just bought More Discussion Starters. Both are great books. The lesson plans have a variety of engaging topics and excercises. Highly recommended for those students that you want to speak more.

I highly recommend this book for any American that cares about our civil liberties. Mark Sidel does an excellent job examining the potential effects of anti-terror policies, including initiatives hidden in state legislations. He also investigates how anti-terror policies in the U.S. compare with anti-terror polices in other countries like the U.K., Australia and India. Americans that care about the freedoms that we hold dear should definitely buy and read this book. It will really inform you and make you think.