Utah Books

Ms. Papanikolas writes in such a way that I learn the facts and comprehend the facts while letting the creative story please me or displease me, as the case may be. As Greek Town and history and happenings occurred all around her while growing up in Utah, Ms. Papanikolas soaked in that history. She makes the facts come to life in her fictional characters and stories regarding the immigration of Greeks to America and to Utah. Ms. Papanikolas has written several fictional stories based on fact and some of those stories are found in `Small Bird, Tell Me.' A reader who has no understanding of the Greek immigration history will surely not enjoy the fictional stories as much as a reader who has tried to learn some background regarding the Greek immigration. My advice would be to read some of Ms. Papanikolas's history and then read 'Small Bird, Tell Me'. The short stories will become more thrilling and enlightening to the reader who has done this.

Sheila Fitzpatrick has put together an anthology of essays from the "new generation" of Russian/Soviet scholars to emerge within the last decade. The thread of methodology incorporated here harbors on the social/cultural with a sprinkling of post-modernism with its emphasis on rhetoric and language. All of the essays rely heavily on the availability of new archival sources since the collapse of the former Soviet Union in 1991. Sarah Davies ("'Us Against Them': Social Identity in Soviet Russia, 1934-41") reveals the "popular mood" of Soviet society through her analysis of anonymous hate mail sent to various ruling boroughs from the "little people" (pp. 47, 55). One is amazed at the oftentimes-brazen attacks coming from a population living within a "totalitarian" state that promotes terror to achieve its political ends. This article is one of the highlights of the book. The Soviet individual is the topic of three of the book's essays. Jochen Hellbeck's ("Fashioning the Stalinist Soul: The Diary of Stepan Podlubnyi, 1931-39) psychoanalysis of the diary of a Kulak's son to reveal one's inner turmoil of conforming to the new Soviet society raises some interesting questions about historical methodology. Vladimir A. Kozlov ("Denunciation and its Functions in Soviet Governance: From the Archive of the Soviet Ministry of Internal Affairs, 1944-53") employs a similar approach to explore motivations of written denunciations in the post World War II period. In a slightly different vain, Alexei Kojevnikov ("Games of Stalinist Democracy: Ideological Discussions in Soviet Sciences 1947-52") argues against the Lysenko model claiming not all Soviet scholars and scientist paid lip service to the ruling body. Other pieces take a look at the needs of Soviet society. Julie Hessler ("Cultured Trade: The Stalinist Turn Towards Consumerism") believes the mindset of Soviet citizens remained fixed on a "culture of shortages" in spite of official policies to promote a culture of consumerism (p. 194). Vadim Volkov (The Concept of Kul'turnost': Notes on the Stalinist Civilizing Process") explores the concept of Kul'turnost' (culturedness) before communism and how the Bolsheviks attempted to modify this intangible notion. As with many recent historians, Lewis H. Siegelbaum ("'Dear Conrade, You Ask What We Need': Socialist Paternalism and Soviet Rural 'notables' in the mid-1930's) also gleans from written letters to question the effectiveness of the Soviet reward and punishment system (paternalism) in the 1930's. Perhaps Volkov's article, though noteworthy, seems a bit out of place sandwiched between the other two contributions. Another section is devoted to the effects of terror on the lower rungs of Soviet society. James R. Harris ("The Purging of Local Cliques in the Urals Region, 1936-7") describes the "coping strategies" devised by the local regional (oblast) leadership to protect themselves from the state bureaucracies as well as, Stalin's reaction to them (p. 267). Paul M. Hagenloh ("'Socially Harmful Elements' and the Great Terror") shows the significance broad ranging crime (what he refers to as "marginal") and the police campaigns to combat it played in the overall picture of the Great Terror. Ethnicity and nationalism provide the themes of the final two essays. Yuri Slezkine ("The USSR as a Communal Apartment, or How a Socialist State Promoted Ethnic Particularism") shows that the Soviet regime exhibited a sympathetic attitude to nationalist/ethnic groups in spite of its proletarian ideology. In a jingoistic laced essay, Terry Martin ("Modernization or Neo-Traditionalism? Ascribed Nationality and Soviet Primordialism") utilizes the theory of nationalism (principally Earnest Gellner's interpretations) as "an excellent test case" (p. 350) to compare the modernization and neo-traditionalist paradigms invented by scholars as a means of studying Russia's diverse ethnic and national population. Complimenting Sheila Fitzpatrick's own contribution to this book ("Ascribing Class: The Construction of Social Identity in Soviet Russia"), Martin concludes it was the latter paradigm that reigns supreme in spite of the fact that Communism societies do not advocate a return to traditional modes of society. Undoubtedly recent archival material played heavily into the contributions of this book. Of course this is a positive step in the advancement of Russian historiography. An underlying idea throughout this collection of essays, however, prompts one to ask whether the plethora of newly available archival material is, in one respect, the tail wagging the dog. To clarify, we as historians are taught to begin by formulating an historical question, then consult primary and secondary evidence to conform or refute a thesis. Not that this methodology is carved in stone, still, by reading the contributions of the "new generation" of Russian scholars, this reviewer gets the impression that these researchers are working backwards. That is to say, they travel to the vast reservoirs of new material, collect whatever they can get their hands on and, only then, do they synthesize the material into a workable theory. The tail (new archival material) is wagging the dog (imaginative research). This point is well illustrated in Mark von Hagen's article ("The Archival Gold Rush and Historical Agendas in the Post-Soviet Era," Slavic Review, April, 1993) and magnified within this collection of essays.

Stone Desert was very realistic. It was hard to follow at first because every (hike) or adventure had a lot of little interesting facts. I would get lost, like the Craig did while he was exploring and hiking in the canyons of the Stone Desert. I could almost feel the cold rocks and how it would feel to find water when there was so little to find. I liked that he found pottery, paintings and left them undisturbed for other people to enjoy. He had a pride that came through to me in the book that I hope other people can enjoy and be proud of. This pride will keep special items and treasures around for other people to see and enjoy. Danny

There seems to be a never-ending flow of books about the constant battle over the use of American public lands, especially in the West. This is one of the better efforts to explain the issues that precipitate such battles and the consequences for the public.
The author has chosen to tell the story of the changing users and shifting policies regarding the million-acre desert wonderland in southeastern Utah known as the San Rafael Swell and the actions of the Bureau of Land Management, the federal agency responsible for its protection.
The book is timely given the current political and environmental battles between county commissioners and environmental activists, the never-ending conflicts over water rights, and the issue of recreation vs. preservation vs. grazing and mining rights that is currently being debated in the Swell. This is a must-read for those interested in the ultimate uses or misuses of public land in the West. The Swell is little known generally but for those few that know its beauty it is becoming a battle ground. Many fear it is already to late. You be the judge.

This book is really fascinating.
To me.
It almost certainly wouldn't be to everyone, but to those who are borderline-obsessed with the history of southern Utah, this book is a must read.
Each chapter contains the reminiscings of a particular cowboy or cowgirl who grew up near Cataract Canyon, Canyonlands National Park, and upper Glen Canyon.
One features a woman who was once a little girl on her father's ranch, and who slips casually into a comment on her ghostly spirit protector that accompanies her everywhere. Another talks candidly about the environmental problems of southern Utah being very real...even if he did spend his whole lif ehating environmentalists. Some talk about Butch Cassidy, and others talk about grazing and overgrazing.
The book is worth your money just for the account of Ned Chaffin--King of the Cowboy Storytellers--and all the other accounts are very entertaining as well, and offer good insights into the place names of southern Utah, and the Anglo history of the area.

Despite the odd title - would anyone buy a non-thinker's Guide? - and annoying references to Buffy the Vampire Slayer (aimed at US college students) this is a good, balanced, comprehensive introduction.

Being interested in Dendrochronolgy I found this book extremely informative and fascinating. It is certainly a must have if you are interested in Archaeology as well, especially in the southwestern United States. I love the fact that this book is available and that this material is accessible.

That being said, I did have some trouble finishing it, simply because the story tends to get bogged down in the details. This really is two books in one, the author seems to be attempting to tell the story at the same time he is trying to give as much information as possible. It is a valiant effort but in my opinion doesn't do full justice on either part and you end up with almost, but not quite, enough technical info and a story that is almost, but not quite, a real page turning academic drama.

Aside from the aforementioned caution, I still highly recommend this book. If you are interested in the field this is a book you need to have! If you are just browsing for a casual light read and unfamiliar with this topic or southwestern archaeology in general, you may want to move on to something a little less involved.

The fusion of light atoms found in water has been viewed as the holy grail for meeting global energy needs. To date, science has spent millions of dollars on fusion research, trying to create the effect in plasmas with temperatures of hundreds of million degrees fahrenheit. But what if there was a simpler way to fuse atoms? In 1989, two chemists believed they found it. The scientific community was initially turned on its ear by the announcement. The history of the "cold fusion" experiments and the quest to verify them are the subject of Frank Close's "Too Hot to Handle."

Frank Close's book is really a cautionary tale of what happens when sloppy science meets with equal amounts of greed, media hype, and a genuine desire to believe in the impossible. "Too Hot to Handle" is a testament to those scientists who methodically examined cold fusion and relied on the scientific method to arrive at the truth. It also examines the realm of possibilites (particulalrly the negative ones) that would open should fusion power become commercially viable.

Frank Close writes his book with general audiences in mind, but a basic knowledge of atomic physics (the nucleus, neutrons, protons, radiation, gamma rays, fission, and fusion) is a prerequisite. He often repeats himself with explanations of the fusion processes and their consequences. Readers should be forewarned that Close uses British spellings and grammatical conventions. The book also looks like it was edited in a hurry, as there are several typographical errors in the text that slow down readability when they emerge.

"Too Hot to Handle" is a solid book that presents a lot of information compiled over a very short amount of time. It addresses a phenomenon that has been discounted by most scientists, but some still persist in believing in it. Hopefully this work will serve as a light in the darkness to future scientists, regardless of their field of study.

This book is a good read for anyone who likes narrow gauge trains. It is a good primer for gilsonite mining especially for fans of the Unitah Railway. The writing quality is high and most of the pictures, although limited in number, are clear enough to help in modeling. All in all, an enjoyable railroad read.

Utah isn't just Salt Lake City, you guys. A lot of important history went down here, cultural and scientific institutions abound, and this book will tell your students about it.

The "Portrait of America" series is a wonderful introduction for pre-teens to the 50 states and to the places and events that shaped the history of the United States. This "Utah" installment is particularly good. The book is broken down into sections like "History", "Culture", "Economy" etc., and each section is thoughtfully written and edited. The "History" section is especially good and is very inclusive.

This book, as well as the entire "Portrait of America" series, will prove to be a valuable teaching tool to all primary school educators.