Pennsylvania Books

I am puzzled and very disappointed that this book is not being widely enough read and written about. I suspect its reputation is growing underground as people pass on copies and recount their experiences in reading it. Collins is a fine writer who brings an awsome command of history, Biblical scholarship, cultural appraisal, literary studies into focus such that the reader is made to see in startlingly new ways what a mess America has been brought to by its present leaders. This is not a superfical glance at the neocons, G W Bush, the Iraq war; it is rather a deeply thoughtful consideration of much that has gone into the long prehistory of the American nightmare -- ancient narratives, the structure of the language, the nature of metaphor, the inner workings of the evangelical mind. The book builds to a conclusion that will have you thinking in new ways about the recent past, not necessarily with bright hopes. Collins has a wonderful sense of humor, low-key, understated, sharp. I recommend this book.

This is a marvelous work of scholarship that exposes the dangerous myths powering the American worldview. Ought to be required reading in American political science curricula.

Review of Homeland Mythology, by Christopher Collins (Penn State Press, 2007) 262 pp.


Christopher Collins' Homeland Mythology: Biblical Narratives in American Culture exposes layers of sediment that have occluded our view of what is American. To all those who love to quote one side of a coin, "In God We Trust," never turning it over to read "In Diversity United," this is essential reading. All cultures survive and perish on their stories, but the unexamined story, as Collins demonstrates, is a perverse lie, a tool for propagandists and tyrants. It is one thing to suspend disbelief when listening to a work of fiction, but if we carry our fairy tales into adulthood, then we risk delusional behavior on a collective level. Worse, we act on beliefs we believe are already ordained by God, with drastic consequences: imperialistic expansion, racism, disregard for human rights, disregard for the environment, war.

Collins traces a direct line from the Christian interpretations of Biblical stories from the beginning of European history and Anglo history in the New World right to the current White House and to a vast array of rhetorical givens in the media and collective consciousness. He shows that not all narratives assume the same idea of time or history. The Hebrew Bible looks to the past, embracing ancient traditions: Isaac "follows" Abraham. The Christian appropriation of The Hebrew Bible, much like the Islamic, imposes a tortured interpretation, declaring the Hebrew Bible to be a foreshadowing of the coming (and coming again) of Jesus Christ, a forward narrative movement.

Pointing out how politicians have scoured the Bible for fear-mongering language is pretty easy, but exposing how they have used Bible stories, already embedded in a collective psyche, to justify horrific acts requires insight and careful documentation, which Collins has achieved. Collins' work is to the study of the Judeo-Christian traditions what Bernard Lewis' works have been to our understanding of Islam. And Like Lewis, Collins is scholarly without ever being pedantic. Bringing together literary analysis, rhetorical theory, and cultural anthropology, Collins adeptly presents us with a book that is both profound and reader friendly.

Marlon L Fick

Hotline Heaven is a work which must not be read solely for its story, although the plot is most interesting and well-crafted. Instead open the novel to the first page and relax into the poetry which Ms. Park infuses with a personal magic into the voice of the female narrator. Here are articulations from the loneliest and most fragile dimensions of the human spirit which emerge in the darkness of a sleepless night. Ms. Park has a very rare ability to produce a story which begs to be read several times for the pleasure of both its beauty and its insights. To truly savor its richness, one must approach it with some experience of the uncertainty and unexpected beauty life has to offer. I await the next world she will create with great anticipation.

This book deserves a very careful reading as Ms. Park displays a rare gift for the articulation of inner landscapes of loneliness, hope and reconciliation. The book has layers of meaning which are woven together through the poetic and evocative talents of its author

I was moved and heightened by Frances Park's novel "Hotline Heaven". Turning each page, I can only compare it to rising higher and higher to another plane where only the inspired go.

This is a very welcome counterbalance to the many voices that stress differences among cultures at the cost of losing sight of what we humans share. With extensive use of anthropological studies, Brown alerts the reader to those almost innumerable and too easily taken-for-granted elements of humanity. We all smile when happy, mourn the loss of a child, negotiate a place in a social setting with specific traditional roles. We all eat, experience hunger, learn which foods are acceptable, connect eating with social occasions, use food-related activities as basic metaphors for aspects of life. (The annotated bibliography is especially good for its lists of shared human factors.) Those who stress differences among people now usually do so to promote tolerance of "the other." But a good basis for tolerance is to recognize the common humanness within all the differences. This book does that well. It is good but highly readable anthropology.

This is a comprehensive survey of the anthropological study of human universals, human nature, culture vs. biology, etc. It's also a critique of the field of anthropology, and one given from a refreshing outside-looking-in perspective. Brown deals with several influential cases (such as Margaret Mead's study of Samoan adolescence) and shows where they erred. He discusses the processes of defining and demonstrating universals, takes us on a grand tour of the history of universals in anthropology, presents the basic gamut of how universals have been and can be explained. In the final chapters he lays out his position and leaves cultural relativism thoroughly refuted. Cultural relativists, he demonstrates, have relied on universals even in their attempts to show cultural relativity. Among even the most dissimilar human languages, for example, the similarities (grammar, syntax, rhythm, content, etc.) still far outweigh the differences. Anthropologists have historically focused on the differences while remaining blind to the (often more fundamental and important) similarities. I'm a little leery of some of the traits Brown ends up calling universal; he does acknowledge the "working" nature of such a list. But what precisely shall be found to be universal is less important than simply the shift to an orientation that would seek to understand human nature in such terms. This is what Brown proposes. He understands the place of anthropology in the social sciences, the field's potential, where and how that potential has gone unrealized, and how anthropologists will need to alter their approach if they're to be fruitful in the future. I haven't even scraped the surface here; the book is a gold mine of interdisciplinary connections and it brims with insights. More than anything, it's a sensible, biologically-informed, (dare I say) reality-based account of human nature. The tone is that of a genuine pursuit of truth, as opposed to the trend among some social scientists to search high and low for anything that supports established theory. This book is packed, and in many ways it only aims to lay the framework of a better approach to the subject.

This is a very welcome counterbalance to the many voices that stress differences among cultures at the cost of losing sight of what we humans share. With extensive use of anthropological studies, Brown alerts the reader to those almost innumerable and too easily taken-for-granted elements of humanity. We all smile when happy, mourn the loss of a child, negotiate a place in a social setting with specific traditional roles. We all eat, experience hunger, learn which foods are acceptable, connect eating with social occasions, use food-related activities as basic metaphors for aspects of life. (The annotated bibliography is especially good for its lists of shared human factors.) Those who stress differences among people now usually do so to promote tolerance of "the other." But a good basis for tolerance is to recognize the common humanness within all the differences. This book does that well. It is also highly readable anthropology.

I expected this to be another antifeminist book, and started reading it with unfavourable expectations. However, it turned out that my expectations were wrong. Although it is critical of some feminist claims, the book is supportive of others, and discusses fairly all the pros and cons. The author took upon himself a difficult task - proving that Western philosophy is not inherently androcentric (proving the opposite would have been easier, probably) - and seems to have succeeded in his task. The book is original, very clearly written, makes some interesting points, and made me reconsider my views about the androcentricity in philosophy and in other disciplines.

This is an excellent book that covers and evaluates all the main arguments for the androcentricity of philosophy. The author distinguishes between pervasive androcentricity and non-pervasive androcentricity, and argues that contrary to many feminist claims, philosophy is only non-pervasively androcentric. The book is written clearly and presents many examples, so it's very easy to follow. It's very informative, and is worthy of re-reading. I highly recommend it.

I learnt a lot from this book. The discussion is interesting and very clear, and it covers all the main issues in a fair and balanced way. The author argues that philosophy is androcentric in some ways, but significantly less so than popularly claimed. It made me think in a new way about what I was taught and have taken for granted for a long time -- the deep androcentricity of philosophy -- so in a way it was an eye opener. I especially liked the chapter that examined whether feminist philosophy succeeded in presenting radical alternatives to mainstream philosophy. The critique of postmodernism, however, seemed to me a little too harsh.

This is the kind of cookbook that friends and neighbors create, friendly, unintimidating and comfortable. The recipes are for everyday, hearty food. Nothing is fancy or modified for our health-conscious times nor does it contain recipes to challenge jaded tastes. They are the recipes our mothers grandmothers exchanged and that we loved as kids. Definitely worth having!

I haven't cooked from this book yet but looked at it carefully and will comment that it seems very good to excellent for its category or type of cooking offered: old fashioned, daily cooking, with lots of casseroles (vegetable and meat and spaghetti) with items likely to be on hand from any grocery store. This is not a health food cookbook although one could substitute healthier ingredients for some used. The chapter on potatoes looks excellent with several good recipes for scalloped potatoes. If you are reforming your diet you should eat more raw foods than cooked for better health, alhtough some cooked vegetables are better for you than fresh or should be eaten in conjunction with fresh. And a lot of baked dishes with tons of butter, white flour, pasta as in this book is not recommended but, as I say, you can modify recipes and many are easy, good, daily recipes to use. Beyond the daily ease, what's especially nice about this book is it easy-to-read format. Recipes are in black print, nicely spaced, and stand out so you can follow them well. Really a great cookbook overall.

Louis Stotzfus was also involved in putting together a A Quilter's Cookbook which is equally as good as this one. I bought the Quilter's cookbook first and was so impressed that when I found out about the Lancaster County Cookbook I had to have it in my library at once. This purchase is for a friend. The recipes in both books use what most people have in their kitchen on a weekly basis and the family loves them. Each have their own favorite. The Chocolate Bash is to die for!! This book is like having a 1000 grandma's bring their best recipe to your pot luck! Roxane Hepker, Milton, WA

In that the 12th PA was not a front line regiment this work sheds new light on a little known but hard fought unit. Not only did this unit participate in many engagements but they had the pleasure of handling internal strife and accusations of embezzlement and incompetent leadership. This book gives excellent accounts in regards to the poor training the men received along with the specifics of almost non-stop fighting and deployment, or to use a phrase from today, 24/7 fear of attack. The author's detailed Bibliography gives the reader some excellent sources for finding more information as well as corroborating the sources within this work. Two works in particular; the William P. Graham Letters and Henry B. Petrikin's Diary add some great information and take the reader into the daily life and struggle of the 12th Pennsylvania Cavalry.
The detail of life listed by the soldiers' shows through in this work and the author does an excellent job weaving Official Records with personal accounts. His report of Antietam is quite interesting and enjoyable to read in that I've traversed that battlefield more than many others. I'll certainly have a new appreciation for the terrain in the areas hard fought by the cavalry units. Corporal James P Stewart's account about the dead and dying really brings out the horror of the day. His longing to see the field of battle and then describing the fresh burials; (if a few shovels of dirt can actually be described as burial), and the subsequent look as if the fields had been plowed had a very striking impact in his life. Men and wheat became one and they fell where they once marched and looked as if they themselves were fields of wheat just harvested by death himself.
The work is well written and gives the reader a wonderful trip into the life of a hard luck cavalry unit. Mr. Mairer did his homework and has put forth some great effort in researching this subject matter and it show through in every page. Cover to cover the reader will find that human interest has been successfully merged with historical research. This work reads well, was hard to put down, and did not drag on into over exacting details. I highly recommend this book to anyone curious about cavalry operations during the Civil War.

Leather & Steel: The 12th Pennsylvania Cavalry In The Civil War by Civil War enthusiast and historian Larry B. Maier is a gritty, accurate account of a northern cavalry unit that was besieged with strife, not only from fighting the Rebel troops, but also plagued with internal problems such as accusations of embezzlement, a lieutenant colonel cashiered for his drunken rages, and incompetent leadership that contributed to devastating military disasters. Leather & Steel is an especially recommended contribution to Civil War Studies for its informed and informative presentation of the hardships and turmoil of arising from the conditions of war -- and the worst of human nature.

After One Hundred and Thirty Six years it is nice to see a regimental history finally written about the men of the 12th Pennsylvania Cavalry. Although the 12th. was not a unit that received adulation and claims of glory like the regiments of the Army of the Potomac, it's story does need to be told. Larry B. Maier has done an excellent job of giving insight into the 12th. Pennsylvania Cavalry's history. In my opinion this work is a very entertaining and educational narrative as well as a scholarly work. I tip my kepi to you Sir:

One can understand better the ability of the 12th. to perform their duty when you see how the political backstabbing and inability of those in command to train and lead their men. One also gets a better understanding of the mindset of these men when you are faced with occupying the enemies' territory and are threatened with bushwhackers that can attack at any time and anywhere. Unlike the men in the Army of the Potomac who in large armies faced the enemy in most cases, known to all the men, the 12th. lived with the fear of being attacked 24-7 occupying enemy territory through out almost their entire service.

The diary excerpts of Sergeant Henry B. Petrikin give you the sense and insight of how these men felt about daily life in the 12th. Pennsylvania Cavalry.

I want to repeat the words of the Author Larry B. Maier.
"The Regiment was given only a small, but necessary, role in the Civil War. To a great extent the Hussars performed their parts with courage and patriotism, and although they never attained glory, they are certainly deserving of our respect."

I want to thank Larry B. Maier for his love of this subject and his dedication and tireless effort in putting this regimental history together.

Although this title seems to be for tourists,it is so thoro--& accurate ,can be used by recreational hikers,all the way up to "Thru-hikers",& is highly recommended by the Appalachian Trail details...it will wins awards in category/genre.

This is a great book, not only as a guide to camping and being in the great outdoors in Pennsylvania; but as a book for nature lovers Young and Old !! It has wonderful illustrations of the animals and "bugs" found in PA and gives a wealth of information in the captions of the illustrations and in the shaded boxes throughout the book. This would be an excellent book for the young naturalist (boyscouts and girlscouts, etc) to learn about the unusual animals in their "backyard". A great book to relax with and leaf through and LEARN a lot about nature.

Just by picking up the book and leafing through it, you will be delighted with the wonderful illustrations of plants and animals found in Pennsylvania. It would be wonderful for a "beginning wildlife lover" to be able to identify the trees, shrubs, birds, etc. all around PA. Plus the illustrations are just beautiful to study. Even a young student would be delighted with all the information about the bugs and reptiles that is found in the highlighted areas of the book. It's a lovely book!

There are not a lot of books out there on the historic Maryland and Pennsylvania railroad, so if you want to learn about the history of this great little line, this is a must have. I grew up in Baldwin Md. and only wish I could have been around to see that train pass by... in some ways after reading this, I feel I have.

Authoritative, well written, and just a little tongue in cheek. A leisurely read about a leisurely railroad.

I'm a little prejudiced about the subject since the little railroad ran past my grandparents dining room window. Dr. Hilton does a fine job documenting the road's history and happily provides many photographs any railroad fan will love. Once upon a time little railroads like this were the lifeline of the country, and the Ma & Pa was a jewel. Incidentally, Ma & Pa comes from the lettering the Maryland & Pennsylvania used on its equipment. They used M & Pa so not to be confused with the Missouri Pacific. Some chance! The addition of the other "a" was a natural.

This is a superb scholarly analysis of the aesthetics of one of the most influential storywriters in world literature. The book is scholarly but, unlike so much of what passes for scholarship today, readable, original, and illuminating. With great thoughtfulness and in lucid prose, the author gets to the heart of Maupassant's story structures, demonstrating their variousness and placing them in the context of Maupassant's career. The author also makes a convincing case for Maupassant's influence on the American short story, beyond the usual cliches about O Henry's misappropriation of Maupassant's methods and the misunderstandings about the "Maupassant surprise ending" (which was an atypical technique and one that was more complex than other critics have understood). For anyone interested in the short story, or in first-rate literary criticism, this is a book worth reading.

Fusco has shrewdly analyzed Maupassant's several structural approaches to short story form, including, among others, his use of forms stressing contrast, "loop" structures (when the end of the story returns attention to things alluded to in the beginning), and of course the "surprise-inversion" technique, Maupassant's famous twist ending. He then goes on to show how American writers like Chopin, Bierce, O. Henry and Henry James were influenced by, or tried to imitate, the French master. This is a thoroughly engaging work by an author with good command of critical tools, and a nice concise writing style.

Mr. Fusco has written a wonderful analysis of the influence of Maupassant on various American authors. After a thorough-going critique of Maupassant's story structures, Fusco illuminates the use of those forms by Ambrose Bierce and Henry James, as well as giving a rather intriguing and funny review of the "adaptation" of Maupassant's style by O. Henry. Useful to both scholars and interested non-academics alike

As other reviewers have pointed out, Guicciardini belongs with the great masters of Aphorism. I ran across his writing in some modern collection of Aphorisms, as most others probably did.

It is worth noting that the book itself is very short, and the aphorisms are collected from three notebooks of different eras. As such, many of them are repeated. You're not getting a 140 page book of aphorisms; it is more like a 50 page book of such. If that annoys you, you probably shouldn't buy this book.

That said, I find Guicciardini to be perhaps the most wise of all the Aphorists in matters of business. Other Aphorists offer profound commentary into the human condition, or good advice for living within bureaucracies, or truths which ... everyone knows are true ... but nobody talks about for fear of sounding the pessimist. Guicciardini offers profound business/political insight. Imagine condensing the knowledge in "The Prince" into aphorisms, and mixing with plenty of earthy peasant wisdom, and that gives you a good idea of the nature of Guicciardini's writing.

Francesco Guicciardini's "Ricordi" is one of my all time favorite books, and a true masterpiece in the genre of wisdom writings.

This edition, titled "Maxims and Reflections," contains Nicolai Rubenstein's 1965 English translation of Ricordi, plus Mario Rubenstein's introduction from the same year.

I'll first examine the book itself, and then this particualr translation.

Ricordi is a short work containing unique insights and practical wisdom in the form of a few hundred reflections, most of which are one or several sentences long. In general, Guicciardini takes a comprehensive view of the various topics he explores, and offers a philosophy that combines a focus on expediency with one that also values morality. The book offers insights not only on how to deal with the world, situations, and yourself, but also on living a life as a decent individual who can live with himself, and does not compromise personal purity and principles to get ahead. Guicciardini is extremely penetrating, and his ideas are for the most part backed by his own long term and wide-ranging personal experiences.

In about 75 pages, he manages to explore a variety of subjects, and offer far more information and a far more braodminded outlook than a book like Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince, which, though often grouped together with Ricordi, is in my opinion not nearly as valuable, informative, or effectively to the point.

Ricordi is a great read for anyone interested in self-improvement, human nature, sociology, business, leadership, relationships, etc.

Similar works include the afformentioned Prince, Baltasar Gracian's The Art of Worldy Wisdom, and certain essays of Arthur Schopenhauer. Though they are all great, I prefer Ricordi becuase it offers a far more multi-angled view and philosophy.

I am aware of three English translations of Ricordi:
Ninian Hill Thomson (late 1800s) "Counsels and Reflections"
Margaret Grayson (1965) "Francesco Guicciardini Selected Writings"
Nicolai Rubenstein (1965), "Maxims and Reflections."

The Rubenstein translation is in my opinion the best, and undoubtedly the clearest.

If you are interested in this book, also be sure to get my book The New Art of War, Tactics, and Power.

Rodney Ohebsion

On the surface of it, you wouldn't think a book such as this had much to offer us today, but you would be wrong. It belongs to a class of books which teach what I call the art of 'Crooked Wisdom,' but which could be more simply thought of as the art of survival in a far from perfect world.

Other books of this kind are Machiavelli's 'The Prince,' Balthasar Gracian's 'The Art of Worldly Wisdom,' and the 'Maxims of La Rochefoucauld.' Although the first of these may be a little too specialized to suit the needs of the ordinary person today, anyone who doesn't know one or two of the others, unless they happen to be exceptionally astute, is asking for trouble.

These books are both highly realistic and extremely practical, for they show us, not man as he is supposed to be and as we would like him to be, but man as he is with all his selfishness, stupidity, ambition, arrogance, malice, laziness and other imperfections, and they teach the art of how, not merely to survive, but even to thrive in the midst of our far from perfect fellow men and women.

'Crooked Wisdom,' then, should not be understood as the product of a crooked mind, but as the clear-sighted wisdom one needs to survive in a world teeming with such minds, a world involved in "the sordid struggle of self-interests, and in the scramble for power, position, and influence."

Another way of looking at 'Crooked Wisdom' is to see it as the art of avoiding dumb mistakes, an art based on a deep insight into human nature and into the quirks and foibles of our fellow men and women.

I first read Guicciardini many years ago, and on re-reading him was surprised to realize how many of his maxims had lodged themselves firmly in my mind, how I continued to act on them, and how they had served me very well indeed. I just wish I had remembered many more.

Here are a few brief examples of Guiccardini's counsel: "Small beginnings, hardly worthy of notice, are often the cause of great misfortune or success." "It is easy to ruin a good position, but very hard to acquire it." "It is prudent not to talk about one's own affairs except when necessary." "If you have offended a man, do not trust or confide in him...." "The weakest always get it in the neck." "Be careful in your conversations never to say anything which, if repeated, might displease others." "A ducat in your purse does you more credit than ten you have spent." "Deception is very useful, whereas your frankness tends to profit others rather than you."

Taken out of context, these fragments hardly do justice to Guiccardini, and suggest little of the importance he will come to have for anyone who takes the trouble to read his fascinating book. It was written to help his contemporaries survive their version of the rat-race and even come out on top, and since human nature hasn't changed it still has the power to do the same thing for you. All you need do is read it.