Michigan Books

I was really pleased when a colleague suggested this book to me. In the past I'd been fortunate enough to work with only one or two cultural groups at a time, but this year I have students from all over the world. I had questions, but not enough time to do the necessary research to find out even basic information for such a wide variety of nationalities. This book did the work for me. The info. is concise and easily accessible, even offering brief paragraphs on how education differs in the native lands of my students. It helped arm me for what my students might be expecting, as well as what I might expect. I'm hoping a future edition will include a section on the Hmong. Otherwise, perfect!

This book is simply necessary for anyone who is in contact with internationals. I read this book and the information I have found has helped me understand so many things about international students and in general people from other countries and backgrounds.

this is an impressive map that has different zooms of the Ann Arbor area. I took it with me when apartment hunting and it was very helpful. in the interest of full disclosure, there are free downtown maps available here and there (i saw some in the Maynerd parking entrance), but people who saw my map said it was much better.

I don't often rave about maps (in fact, I never rave about maps), but this is one I've grown to love. It's a perfect size and scale and was incredibly easy to read, even as I drove along new streets in my new city. Particularly useful was that large grocery and retail stores are marked on the map. This made it easy to figure out the closest Target, Best Buy, or grocery store from my new apartment, and the stores ended up serving as landmarks as well as new places to shop. Also, when you're on the phone, trying to locate a smaller store, they can say, "We're located across the street from the Whole Foods Market," or "We're at the north end of the such-and-such mall," and you know just how to find them. The map even shows you what block you're on -- helpful when searching for a specific address. I'm one of those people who gets lost going around the block, but this map got me where I had to go every time.

Also included is a very detailed and clear map of campus.

I bought two maps of Ann Arbor but never used the second one. This map did it all. Highly recommended.

A hero with a troubled past. A modern day damsel in distress. Villains with competing agendas who are themselves interesting but keep you guessing. What's not to love? This is Elmore Leonard at his best, epitomizing the genre. Several mysteries come into play as the story unfolds. Perhaps the biggest mystery of all, though, is why this book never got the recognition it deserved or caught the right attention to merit transformation into a great movie. Whether or not this happens one day, the book remains a great read.

My first approach to Elmore Leonard had been "Get Shorty".Nothing especial. But this crime story is really involving and impressing.Absolutely to read.

You're not the only one that wonders whether the government that is supposed to guarantee your private property rights seems more interested in making sure your vinyl siding runs the same way as your neighbor's. This is the way of things in America today, where municipal governments segregate business from housing, then wonder why everyone thinks he has to own a car.

Enter the Voluntary City, a cogent and realistic analysis of how we got here, and whether we have actually improved things in doing it. There used to be sufficient housing (try to find the word "homeless" before the Carter presidency), and police that actually had to catch the bad guys (read about one police force that had a catch rate of over 90%), and the reasonable expectation that if you wanted to alter your property you could do so without groveling to the city fathers. We gave these things up in the hope that what we would get back would be better. But is it? Really?

You aren't the only one that wonders. This excellent book provides some answers to the question, and the impetus to take those answers out into the political world. We're doing it where I am.

Back in the mid to late 90's I had the pleasure of reading a new version of a book written by David Friedman called "The Machinery of Freedom" which was originally published in the 1970's. Friedman's book introduced me to anarcho-capitalist ideas and now, years later, thanks to David T. Beito and the Independent Institute "The Voluntary City" is published that confirms many of the thoughts and ideas Friedman wrote about in his treatsie. This book is a collection of policy pieces done by different authors that detail specific, real-life examples of free market alternatives to things like court systems and litigation, education, police, housing and welfare. Most of whom were provided by insurance plans people paid for on their own via insurance companies or by private, charitable organizations people belonged to while governments, by and large, stayed out of the way. One aspect of the book that was not pointed out was private fire departments. Prior to being run by governments, many fire departments were also privately run in which their funding came from insurance plans they particpated in that provided fire protection for their customers. It wasn't until after the civil war that municipalities started acquiring and operating them. Even today, governments are beginning to privatize or not provide many essentials since they are too costly to run. For example, in Arizona, Rural Metro Corporation has contracts to provide fire and ambulatory service for cities (like mine) and even counties that do not or cannot afford to provide it. Despite this one subject left out, I felt this book was very well done and I heartily recommend it to people who have doubts about anarcho-capitalist ideas or people who are looking for new, radical ideas to replace the monopolies governments have on services they presently provide.

I found this book to be very interesting. I know of David Bonior, but didn't know that he was such a good writer. I commend him and his wife for completing this long hike!

I picked up this book with eager curiosity having traveled to upper Michigan and the U.P. with my family many times. I would usually come across Bonior's book in the Michigan outdoor sections of bookstores, and finally had the opportunity to read it when I discovered it again at my local library. Reading Bonior's book this winter made me yearn for a summer camping trip with my family once again.

David and Judy Bonior weave together a tale of hiking, exploration, learning and love of the outdoors. Being a native from Michigan, I was delighted to read the interesting trivia, tidbits and facts about many of the places we have toured in my home state. I look forward to redsicovering many of those places Bonior writes of with my family when we venture "up north" again.

Bonior's love for the people of Michigan, love of his home State, and his love for the great outdoors shines through each page turned. You learn something of Bonior's character and integrity --as well as the strength of support that he has in his wife Judy, who traveled with him on this journey. I recommend this book to anyone seeking to discover Michigan, learn Michigan's rich history, and meet some of the great people past and present that make Michigan that great state that it is.

I wonder if the Boniors will ever attempt this walk again and/or encourage others to travel with them across the State...The book is truly an inspiration to those that love hiking, camping and the gift of nature as well as to those who have a fondness for Michigan.

great read! I've ben a treasure hunter in copper country for many years. I loved the story, but I think its more of a sales pich for tourism then most think. don't get me wrong their is silver up there, but don't you think the big companies would have found it by now.!! I love the compitions ,try to find it what you got to lose!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This book is a fast read and inspiring to any modern day treasure hunter.

This book contains recipies from 1820's to 1920'

We took a trip to Michigan in the mid 1990's. I saw this book and wanted it badly, but was short on money. After I did not get it, I was so upset that I called the store a few weeks after our vacation ended and they did not know what I was talking about. They finally found the book and I was able to buy it via phone. Signed copy, no less!

What a fun and interesting book. Over 1300 recipes are collected here from historical sources, captured as originally written. There is a delightful intro which gives insight into the authors' perspective. A few recipes have been modified for modern kitchens, but most of them are left as they were.

Names and dates of the contributors are included in case you have a relative in there- you will know it!

Here is the table of contents, since little information is given here about the book.

Intro
Snacks
Stews, Soups, & Salads
Pickles & Preserves
Jams, Jellies, & Marmalades
Eggs & Cheese
Vegetables, Nuts, Grains, & Pasta
Meat
Fowl & Fish
Game
Within the Beast
Bread, Rolls, Pancakes, & Waffles
Cakes, Pies, & Other Sweets
Beverages
Measuring Tables, Oven Temperatures, Hints, & Suggestions
Sources
Historical Index
Index

The text is easy to read, nice font, and has a smattering of vintage pictures included. Sometimes recipes will have remarks from the cook included, which is delightful.

The hints and suggestions are fun to read too- they are also vintage.

The authors also have included comments if they have tried a recipe and found it to be particularly fun or interesting.

There is a recipe for Watermelon Cake, but it is a fascimile, not actual watermelon as an ingredient.

The recipes include everything from huckleberries to split pea pie crust and most of them are delicious. The book is hard bound and stays open well for cooking from too. Nice binding so far.

If you enjoy going to a 19th century type living museum and find yourself fascinated by the cooks in the old kitchens and what they are doing, this is a must have book for you.

I highly recommend it for the historical and cooking value of the book. It transports me back in time every time I read it.

The Waters of Michigan combines gorgeous photography with text that blends science and poetry. Those of us living near the Great Lakes have been startled and frightened by the ecological changes in the Lakes over the last ten years. This book informs the story of those changes while reminding us visually of what is at stake. An important book for anyone who loves the Great Lakes.

I love this book! It a photo album of Michigan's magical waterways, and a beautifully written tribute. It is a book that you can read over and over and discover something new each time. It inspires you to want to go to your nearest body of water, and just take in its beauty. I am giving this book as a gift to family and friends!

Doug Allyn is the most under rated mystery writer working today. Check out his latest, ... and you'll see what I mean.

Allyn is the best in the biz at conveying small towns, and the ruggedness of rural life, without overdoing it-- unlike so many big city types who tend to slip into satire or some "Deliverance" take off when doing small town suspense.

Great storytelling, and a GREAT ending.

Doug Allyn wades into a new character for this book. His name is Bobby Cruz and he's a tenacious young man determined to fulfill his contractual obligation to "dot the i's and cross the t's" in a follow up investigation into the whereabouts of father and son mobsters.
Bobby focuses in on the small town where Roland Costa and his son Rol, jr. were last seen. They had been there to attend the funeral of Roland's brother and then seemingly disappeared.
Nobody expects Bobby to discover anything new. He's just supposed to give the place a second look.
When somebody begins shooting at Bobby, it becomes obvious that in this rural setting, someone has something more than just a small town mentality resentment of this outsider.
The ending comes out of nowhere and slaps the reader right in the face, Doug Allyn style.

When Courts And Congress Collide: The Struggle For Control Of America's Judicial System by Charles Gardner Geyh (Professor of Law and Charles L. Whistler Faculty Fellow at Indiana University at Bloomington) is an in-depth, comprehensive, and scholarly study of the history of various checks and balances involved in the procedures of the American court system. Analyzing the influence of the judicial decision-making and control through congressionally appointed judges, When Courts And Congress Collide produces a definitive study of the intricate political power struggle arising from the ideological processes of judicial powers and competing influences throughout the entirety of America political, cultural, and economic life. When Courts And Congress Collide is very strongly recommended to students of American history and political science, as well of the study of the American judicial system in history, in the present, and the foreseeable future.

Given all the recent conservative uproar about Terry Schiavo, and the resulting DeLay/Frist threats to "discipline" the federal courts, not to mention the continuing fallout over Bush v. Gore, this book could not have come along a more opportune time. And a fine book it is irrespective of the timing. The author, currrently a law professor but formerly a judicial clerk, litigator, Judiciary Committee staffer, and judicial branch "lobbyist," is admirably equipped to address this important topic. This is simply the best book on this topic I have seen and an invaluable reference source on this topic.

Basically, the author contends that the various methods we usually associate with legislative control of the judiciary--including impeachment, control of jurisdiction, budget, etc. -- have, with one exception, not proven effective. That one exception is, as recent Supreme Court and Circuit Court nominee hi-jinx illustrate, the power of the Senate to confirm judicial nominees. The central reason for this sitution, the author demonstrates, is a long-run recognition by Congress of the importance of judicial independence resulting in a marked reluctance to interfere with sitting judges and their decisions.

In order to explore this relationship, the book first looks at the origin of judicial independence before and at the constitutional convention, the Judicary Acts of 1789 and 1801, five key periods of stress between the courts and the presidency and congress, and the development of a self-regulating and discipling judiciary (e.g., the Judicial Conference, the Rules Enabling Act, and the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts). Separate chapters address impeachment (perhaps a bit too much in detail) and appointments, appointment being the sole way to exercise control unrestricted by concerns for judicial independence. A very strong chapter discusses the ways in which courts can avoid or mitigate conflict, including the Aswander rules and Bickel's "passive virtues" among other topics.

The author suggests this "dynamic equilibrium" may be shifting due to congressional interference through such devices as sentencing guidelines. For its part, the Rehnquist Court cut back the margins on long established congressional power in several areas. Moreover, the judiciary has developed an interesting technique of lobbying congress for or against changes, and striking down as unconstitutional those legislative changes with which it disagrees. Hopefully, the author is overly pessimistic--it would be a shame to have radicals of whatever persuasion controlling the federal courts to suit their own agendas. An outstanding discussion, superbly researched, and skillfully written (though a bit overly detailed in sections).