North Carolina Books

"Huxley in Hollywood" has been selected for listing in "Religion and Psychoactive Sacraments: An Entheogen Chrestomathy."

This work should be in the personal library of every student of Alabama history, as well as every attorney and law student. First published in 1955, Auburn University History Professor Malcolm C. McMillan's study of the genesis of Alabama's six constitutions is the authoritative book on this subject. The late Dr. McMillan was known for his devotion to research, and this book is evidence of that trait. Dr. McMillan traces the roots which brought about the constitutional conventions which framed Alabama's constitutions, then takes the reader "inside" the conventions, with their various factions, to explore how and why each of these constitutions was finalized. In the process, he details every step with annotations which not only lend credence to his narrative, but serve as rich sources for those wishing to conduct further research into the subject. The cohesion of each chapter of the book is artfully accomplished. The result is a monumental work on the constitutions, each a reaction to its predecessor. Thus, in order to fully comprehend the Constitution of 1901, one must study the Constitution of 1875, which was not only used as the "working document" for the 1901 instrument, but was a refinement and extension of it. Further, in order to understand the 1875 instrument, one must have a firm grounding in the 1868 constitution, the conditions which brought it forth and the wholesale revulsion toward it by the Bourbon Democrats who framed the 1875 document. In essence, the genesis of Alabama's six constitutions are Alabama history itself - an interlocking chain of events, each consequent to the other and none fully comprehensive in and of itself. Dr. McMillan renders the most lucid and reliable explanation of the creation and subsequent recreations of Alabama's organic law. This reviewer offers his highest recommendation of this book, and offers a belated thank you to Dr. McMillan for this gift to Alabama historians.

I really like the way this book begins each section with a practical application. It really assists a student with developing a contextual, math modeling based understanding of mathematics, and provides a pretty good understanding of concepts such as logarithms and exponentiation.

Cotton Mill Girl, set in Gastonia,N.C., begins in 1912 as twelve-year-old Selena Wright is forced to leave School and work in Loray Cotton Mill. Long hours in the noisy and sometimes dangerous mill dominate the lives of all who work there -- especially the children like Selena.
But Selena lives at Calloway Boardinghouse and the bustle of activity there - singing at the piano, sharing everything from savory home-cooked meals to the latest gossip with fellow boarders -- enriches her life.
Selena learns how to escape the monotony of the mill through trips to the movie house to see Mary Pickford and outings for Cherry-Berry ice cream sodas. Selena also finds solace in conversations with her mother - who comforts and advises her from beyond. Eventually Selena discovers her talent for writing poetry - her ultimate means of escape and expression.
Savor this coming-of-age story - a story of finding one's way when the only constant in the world was change.

Just for information, the first flight was NOT in 1904! Amazon - shame on you! DECEMBER 17, 1903 was that eventful day.

Counter-revolution of the Word explores in great depth the antimodernist literary movement of the mid 20th century. Alan Filreis, author of Modernism from Right to Left: Wallace Stevens, the Thirties, & Literary Radicalism, here investigates the question: Why did American conservatives react so strongly against modernism?

In preparing for this book Filreis dug deeply into archives across the country, sifting through original documents and correspondence, to examine how the anticommunist witch hunt of the mid 20th century combined with, and helped fuel, antimodernist attacks on new poetry and experimental writing.

To conservatives, the language of modernism was a 'linguistically heretical' mode that sought to 'destroy the designed order.' Conservative poet Robert Hillyer and others considered linguistic 'difficulty' part of a grand design to reduce Americans to a state of helpless confusion.

All this seems surreal, almost unbelievable. Yet look around and see how some people even today brand others as 'unAmerican' simply because they prefer to think for themselves and draw their conclusions independently of what the power structure would have them believe.

I was practically weaned on country ham but until I bought a copy of Jeanne Voltz's book on country ham, I never appreciated the nuances that distinguish one country ham from another,the differences in the curing, the smoking (not to mention the type of wood used for the smoking), the aging and storing. Voltz explains all of this in detail, provides mail order sources for country hams, then dishes up a fabulous variety of country ham recipes. This is definitely the definitive book on the subject of country hams.

This is a wonderful book! I enjoyed Jo Northrup's column in Country Living for years. In this book, she brings the same charm she brought to her column. I especially like to read this book on nights when I can't sleep. It's low stress!

I am a fourth grade teacher in North Carolina. This past year, I read Cowpath Days to my class and incorporated it into my curriculum. My students and I found it intriguing and informative. It gave my students a better understanding of what their grandparents may have done for fun, and how life was different then. I recommend this book to kids of all ages, or anyone who wants to remember those Cowpath Days.

This book tells the story of Dalton, Georgia, and how the textile mill led to its development. It is a very detailed look at the townspeople and their struggles throughout a century. It provides a unique and perceptive view of the South's economic and social transformation beginning during the aftermath of the Civil War and continuing with the rise of technology into the Reagan years.