Illinois Books

An amazing and thought-provoking book! The simple title belies the depth of meaning of these photographs and the way they are arranged. When all is said and done, Art Shay will likely go down as an American icon, and works such as this will be the reason. You will surely find yourself wondering time and again, "How did he get that shot?!" Shay is not only a master of his equipment, but seems to have also mastered the art of being the fly on the wall that we all wish we could be at times.

You owe it to yourself to go through this book at least three times. I suggest that you initially not read any of the notes, but dive right into the viewing. During your first perusal, it's probably best to look at each picture singly, absorbing the essence of each according to what it has to offer to you. As you turn the pages during your second viewing, notice how the two photographs facing you each time you turn a page relate to each other in some way - be it theme, animal type, photo structure...it's up to you to see it. (I apologize for giving this aspect away to those who would have noticed it on their own, but I saw no mention of it anywhere in the notes, and felt it too important a feature to allow to go unmentioned.)

Now, before and during your third trip through the book, turn to Art Shay's notes at the front of the book, which tell the stories behind the photos. See if you aren't moved even further as you turn each page. Personally, after reading Shay's description of the animal control officer removing a cancer-ridden lady's only pet, I get teary-eyed every time I view that picture. Other pages now cause me to smile or laugh every time I turn to them.

Animals indeed! Yes, this book has lots of pictures of animals, but once you jump on board you'll find yourself on the roller coaster ride of emotions that comes with being fully alive.
Tickets, please!

'Contact'! is the title of the last photo in Art Shay's new book of photographs, 'Animals.' It shows a human hand and a hairy simian hand with a peanut between them; it isn't clear who is the giver and who is the receiver. The theme of this book is the ways in which we share the planet with other animal species and the things we have in common with each other. The cover photo shows a woman wearing a leopard coat, walking past a leopard in its cage. Photos of horses and dogs at work, a hog drinking beer, a squirrel eating matzoh and other animals going about their ordinary daily lives remind us of the ways in which we identify with and influence each other. What is particularly appealing about this book is the spontaneity and unpretentiousness of these photos which take us all over the world, from various locations in the United States to Europe and Africa. This book will delight anyone who has had a warm or interesting or unusual contact with an animal, and who hasn't?

I've grown very accustomed to defending the Biblically-based ideas of Andrew Linzey to those "Christians" who know little about God's Word and even less of His love and mercy, and this compilation is a wonderful addition to his impressive list of writings. This was the book that first introduced me to him, and others, in this fascinating field of Biblical thought. Highly recommended!

In 'Animals on the Agenda', Andrew Linzey and Dorothy Yamamoto have put together a good collection of essays and articles on the study of animals and theology. American and European contributors have come together to discuss questions that often perplex people from childhood onward -- do animals have souls? What is the proper attitude toward animals? Are they merely resources, or do they have rights?

Much of theology divides the world into two classes -- creation and humanity; animals almost always get lumped in with the rest of creation, with little or no recognition of the sentient character of their being. Mainstream Christianity and Judaism still propagate ideas that are harmful to animals -- although, in the kosher laws of Judaism, respect of the living character of animals has always had a certain prominence, and more recently Christianity has dealt with the idea of animals as a valuable part of creation, worthy of respect and not merely exploitation by humanity.

This book is primarily one of Christian theological perspectives -- I mention Judaism because many of the issues overlap, and many of the essays in this text will be informative for people of both traditions.

This is not to say that the Christian or Jewish perspective must embrace vegetarianism, or suddenly convert to a radical elevation of the animal kingdom above that of humanity. While many Eastern religions have historically and theologically embraced what Westerners often consider an extreme point of view on animals, there is insight to be gained from them, as well. For 2000 years in the Christian tradition, and longer in the Jewish tradition, animals have had not only a low status, but often no status.

'Animals are subordinate to humankind, who have been given 'dominion' (commonly understood as despotism) over them. How far these ideas are distinctly or authentically Christian is beside the point; the fact is that the Christian tradition has propagated them--and still defends them.'

Does an ethical sensitivity to animals represent a rejection of traditional theology? Many saints have been represented as having close, harmonious relations with animals (and not just St. Francis). It is true that most moral and systematic theologies have ignored animals, or relegated them to nothing more than a tool. Interestingly, Linzey states that the current state of theology is more open to the idea of aliens than to animals. In the speculation about possible life beyond the earth, some theologians already allow access to the divine.

'Such theological open-mindedness, not to mention open-heartedness, to other non-human alien species is hardly ever directed to other non-human but non-alien animal species.'

This collection is very much a beginning. By looking at scriptural perspectives on animals in the Hebrew scriptures and the New Testament, church traditional perspectives (both catholic and protestant), examining disputed questions such as 'do animals have souls?' and 'what is the purpose of animal suffering?', and finally looking at ethical obligations to animals, this collection is a pioneering work that opens the door to further, more fruitful discussions in modern theology of the place of animals.

The title of the final essay, 'Is the Consistent Ethic of Life Consistent without a Concern for Animals?' perhaps best sums up the approach -- life in its diversity must include animals. This is not to elevate them above the place of humanity, or even to put them on an equal footing in all things, but to give them their rightful place, and proper compassion and respect.

In this book the editors have selected thirty-one excerpts from various writings about Anne Frank and collected them together under four basic ideas: Anne's life, Anne as a writer, Anne on stage & screen and Anne in relationship to the Holocaust. Overall the selection of the writings is very good. They are of high quality and of varying points of view, particularly with reference to the last three sections of the book.

For example, there is considerable difference of opinion to Anne's ability as a writer, some find her skills exceptional while others think her ability overrated despite her impact. Better known are the arguments over whether the play and movie produced from Anne's diary truly reflected the "real" Anne. Then there are the arguments, growing in recent years, as to whether Anne's diary is an "accurate" or "important" portrayal of the Jewish experience during the Holocaust. I may not agree with Lawrence L. Langer's assessment that the diary is not a "vital text" of the Holocaust but seeing his point of view allows me to think a little deeper about my own position. And therein lies the book's real strength.

Ultimately, though the excerpts are brief and it's easy to plow through them rather quickly, this book can open one's eyes. Some of the material I had read before in other places but I was very glad to encounter the wide points of view that the editors were able to gather. The fact that Anne's single work still has the power to generate such scholarship 60 years later seems to point out its continuing importance in our experience.

As part of my effort to learn my role as the dentist in the 1955 version of the play at the local junior college, I read some 14 or 15 books by and about Anne Frank and this one capped my study quite nicely. I recommend it as the one to read after "The Definitive Edition" (or the fascinating "Critical Edition", if you're up to that), Willy Lindwer's "The Last Seven Months", Melissa Muller's "Anne Frank: The Biography", Miep Gies' "Anne Frank Remembered", and Eva Schloss' "Eva's Story". It's scholarly, well edited and footnoted, and has a fine bibliography.

McCauley has managed to take a much maligned and degraded religious tradition and shed a bright and loving light upon it. Finally mountain religious life has its place in the religious history of America and particularly the growth of the division between the faith of the heart and soul and religion of the mind and intellect. A brilliant and deep book which sheds light upon ALL of American religious history.

From its roots in the migration of the Scots-Irish (also called the Ulster-Scots) in the eighteenth century, McCauley brings the reader a well researched exploration of Appalachian religious traditions. Until recent decades, the majority of scholars have assumed that Appalachian religious practices were little more than a degeneration of broader Protestant practices prompted by a combination of ignorance and local folk customs. McCauley demonstrates, however, that within historic mountain churches rests theologically astute and culturally rich expressions of Christianity. The book is also enriched by an exceptionally thorough index.

McCauley focuses primarily on those religious movements distinctly indigenous to Appalachian culture. While she recognizes that Methodists, Southern Baptists, Churches of Christ, and others have congregations throughout the small towns and rural areas of Appalachia, these are nonetheless distinct from groups like the Primitive Baptist or the Old Regular Baptists. These are groups whose history, as well as the overwhelming majority of their churches, are entirely within Appalachian culture.

Negative stereotypes of "hillbilly" culture remain deeply rooted and tacit accepted by large segments of both academic and popular populations. Virginia McCauley makes at least one significant contribution to countering this image. At the same time, she brings the reader in contact with vibrant expressions of Christianity religiosity that both intrigue the mind and engage the imagination.

Grandma Carol!
Your book rocked we love our copy at home!
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If you grew up in the Chicagoland area, you probably watched the Ray Rayner Show. It had cartoons and silly antics, and it had a sequence call, the Ark in the Park. After the Irish Rovers sang their Unicorn Song, Dr. Lester Fisher of the Lincoln Park Zoo would come out with an animal or two, and talk about them and their habitat. And all of us kids would agitate to go see Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo, the Ark in the Park.

This wonderful book is a fascinating history of the Lincoln Park Zoo, from the park's creation to clear up a swampy old cemetery (where rains would regularly wash coffins to the surface!), through the origination of the zoo, it's changes with time, and on to the very present. Along the way, the reader is treated to many great tales of dedicated zoo personnel (including Director Marlin Perkins who became famous nationwide on Mutual of Omaha's Animal Kingdom), politicians both sympathetic and not, park visitors of all dispositions (after one elephant died, it was found to have 33 pounds of bottle caps, broken glass, rubber balls, etc. in her stomach!), and animals of equally varied dispositions.

This is a great book and a great resource for anyone familiar with the Lincoln Park Zoo. More than that, this is a great resource for anyone who wishes to know more about the development of America's zoos, and how the philosophy of zookeeping has evolved over the years. I highly recommend this book!

As a lifetime(68 yrs.)native of Chicago, I was able to relate to the entire book in all sports. Most of the book fits right in with the history of Chicago both good and bad. All Chicago historians should find this book interesting even if they are not sports enthusiasts.The chapter titles in the table of contents are a bit confusing and should have been more direct.

The Armchair Companion to Chicago Sports blends history, trivia, little known facts, and interesting quotes from the celebrities who have defined professional and amateur sports in the Windy City since the 1870s. The book is much more than a compilation of data revolving around the Bulls, White Sox, Bears, Blackhawks and Cubs. While the so-called "big four" sports are covered in assiduous detail, the Armchair Companion presents a historical survey of some of the lesser known sports, including bowling, bicycling, runner's marathons, the memorable golf tournaments, the short but unhappy history of professional soccer in Chicago, boxing, horse racing, and much more. The book was researched and written by Richard Lindberg, team historian of the Chicago White Sox and the author of eight other books dealing with aspects of Chicago history, politics and sports, and Biart Williams, his research assistant and sports historian, the fact-filled volume is a must for fans of all ages who live and die with Chicago

Book was basically in new condition and was received very soon after ordering. Book provided great info for my research.

This is a wonderful book, and the story behind it is even more wonderful. The period of time covered in this book were the glory days for the muralist movement. And huge numbers were painted in the Chicago Public Schools. Over the years, they were neglected; they were covered over; they decayed.

In 1984, Flora Doody went to Lane Tech High School to start a Resource Program for students with disabilities. She saw and loved the murals there, but knew that, with all the other problems in the school, restoration was not a priority. Ten years later, however, she began the Mural Preservation Project at the school. She knew the director of the Chicago Conservation Center and they became involved.

And then they decided to investigate early 20th century murals in other Chicago public schools. They found treasures.

A fascinating book, you will learn the history of murals, American social history, and the story of some very dedicated preservationists and educators.

This is a great book of images and poetry, ostensibly detailing the life of the midwestern farmer-- but, so much more than that, the son/father chronicle that works its way into every page. If you can read the introduction to this book without shedding a tear, please give your father a call and try to rediscover what's missing.

Volkmer has an uncanny instinct to capture more than just "the thing" (which, I think, all too oftens characterizes contemporary poetry, writers reticent to comment), but rather the psychological and emotional context for things-- not just things in time, but moments in time. And what makes this book particularly tragic is the obvious honesty that these moments cannot be, can never be, replayed.

The pictures work much the same way, but the words pull this work up from tired (but important) Time-Life photos of dust bowl hardships to the heart of soul of the relationships among man, son, machine and survival.

Bravo!

Two artists work from their hearts -- a photographer with an obvious love for the meanings and visual power of grain elevators, the other a poet whose graceful, plainspoken words brings to life the smells, the sweat, and the sentiments of the plains spirit.

Okay, that's too hokey by half, but this is a grand book. The poetry is great -- even the poet's foreword is a pleasure to read -- and the photographs show the beauty and variability, even personalities, of the tallest things on the prairies. Easily worth the price, for anyone who has a soft spot in their heart for these grand structures.

This is the second Avant Guide book that I have purchased and I plan to purchase more. In both instances I have found the content to be very useful in helping me plan and guide my visits to new cities. The choice of listings in this book is excellent, varied between well-known and not-as-well-known shops, restaurants, hotels and more. The short writeups of the neighborhoods contain all the useful bits, and the specific location information is well written and generally provides a enough insight that you come away with the impression of knowing just enough to be dangerous (or make conversation, or ask questions.) This is a good thing. The featured restaurants, stores, and hotels were all style-centric and wonderful to visit. Included are great photographs. It's hard to go wrong with this choice.

I travel a lot, for both business and pleasure. I also think that I know Chicgo very well. I, of all people, don't need a guidebook for this city. I happened to come upon Avant Guide, and I was first attracted by the graphics. This is not a 'normal' guidebook. It's very stylish. Then I was taken by the terrific recommendations of places I had never heard of. Whenever I show this book to my friends in Chicago, they want to thumb through it forever. It's hard to get it back. The book is incredibly well organized and has lots of very handy maps. I recommend this very, very highly.

Outstanding pipe reference book - plus great reading. This book finally answers many of the questions I have long had about my Falcon collection. And it gives an insider's view of pipe manufacturing back in the pipe heyday of the 50's - 70's. A GREAT addition to my pipe reference library!

I bought the book based on Bill Unger's recommendation - and Bill's word, as usual, is good as gold. I learned a lot here about Falcons specifically (their manufacture, nomenclatures, product lines, etc.) and about the pipe industry in general (difficulties in obtaining briar, etc.)- and I was very surprised to learn that both B. Barling & Sons and Kapp-Petersen made briar bowls for Falcon for a time. I found 'Back From The Ashes' not only a very interesting and well-written book on pipes...but also a wonderful tribute to an obviously great man - George L. Hunt of Diversey Machine Works of Chicago, one of those great American entrepreneurs who pulled himself up from his small-town (Southern Illinois) bootstraps to become a successful and prolific manufacturer. I enjoyed learning about the man behind the pipes - his great sense of humor and fun-loving ways - and his love of hunting and fishing, etc. I give it 5-stars and heartily suggest that all smoking pipe enthusiasts add this great book to their collections.