Idaho Books

Book came in a very short time and in excellent condition. I was very pleased.

This is one of those historical books that makes me wonder just how great collecting was in Idaho in the 1960s, before government regulations and population pressure made such a hash of things. I have only used Beckwith's book to explore two areas: the Emerald Creek garnet area up north, and the Silver City mining district down in the SE corner. I had mixed luck in both places, but mostly good. Generally, his information is standing the test of time fairly well.

I had a hard time comparing Beckwith's old hand-drawn maps with the current realities on the ground, for example. I didn't find any cassiterite near Silver City, but there were so many nails in the gravel road we were fixing flats instead of panning Jordan Creek. Also, when touring several of the old mines there, I didn't collect any real good quartz crystals. I wonder if the area has just been picked over?

Overall, Beckwith did a pretty good job. His field trip maps are the true value of the book. Some of the general discussion is just too vague for me, but that could just be me. I'm looking forward to using his information at Challis this summer.

I was from that area and remember the bunker hill mine very well. I use to go by it on the why to school all through Jr high. It shut down just before I entered high school. I had two brothers that worked there for a while and they did not like it at all. My dad worked in the Sunshine Mine just down the road the uncle bunker. I bought the book because I did not know the history of how it was founded(besides the jackass story) I wanted to know more. This book shows want happen and how greed bought down one of the greatest mines in the world. Good read. Recommand it to any one who enjoy's mining and the history of it.

First off, I don't feel this is really for the masses. But for a certain segment of society, who may be interested in mining, mining history, or who possibly grew up in Kellogg Idaho with a father who worked for Bunker Hill, as I did, it answers every question you ever had about what happened to Bunker Hill and why, and how it affected a whole community. Katherine Aiken put a tremendous amount of time and work into this, and I am grateful to her for helping me sort this all out. Ms. Aiken, is, or at least was at the time of publishing in 2005, Professor and Chair in the Dept. of History at the University of Idaho in Moscow. She chose this history as a research project and in her acknowledgements, thanks her family, among many others, for their support and help, and in particular her siblings who helped so far as their own distinguished occupations and careers as English teacher and librarian, forensic pathologist, and attorney. The author took advantage of every source available to make her work precise, correct, and factful, and she put it all together in a way that is interesting. I am happy to be the first to review her book and hope many others follow.

This book is for anyone who has experienced the dual joy/horror of their favorite place discovered. Idaho like most of the Northwest has becomne a hot spot for both travel and relocation. This funny book chronicles what it is like to be both a homesteader and a newcomer with great satire.

This is Idaho! Rick Just nails it. We want to grab everything for ourselves, and then keep out the next grabber. Just empathizes with ranchers, miners, lumberjacks, farmers and travel promoters, even while poking fun at each of them. A fun read!

I saw Mr. Holborn's books on the shelf in a bookstore almost two years ago and I purchased Part III (1840-1945). After I completed that, I immediately went back for the other two, working my way backward. This series has a great deal of valuable information on German social, cultural, economic, political and military history from Roman times through the Reformation, the Thirty Years War, Austro-Prussian rivalry from 1704-1866 for German hegemony, the Napoleonic era and the wars of the French Revolution, the Holy Alliance and the failure of the Frankfurt Assembly, the policies of Bismarck and the forging of the Second Reich in 1871 after victories in wars against Denmark, Austria and France and the constitution of the German Empire. Holborn also delves deeply into the period between 1871 and the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, placing blame squarely on German shoulders where applicable. The postwar era and the Nazi rise to power in 1933 are studied deeply and critically, as is World War II and its immediate outcome. If you only buy one German history series, this is the one to get.

Professor Holborn's masterful trilogy of Germany history begins with the Reformation and ends with Hitler's defeat in 1945. There are no footnotes, endnotes, or even a bibliography as Holborn writes in the style of a nineteenth century historian drawing upon his "life time of learning". Holborn covers every major event in modern Germany history from the Reformation to German unification.

Holborn also gives interesting and detailed descriptions of major political and military figures. The sections on Bismarck, Gustav Stresemann, and General von Schlieffen are particularly fascinating. Holborn's commentary on who caused World War I and the effects of the German railroad system on the national character are excellent as well. Purchasing the series is highly recommended as Holborn makes reference to prior books of the series. If you are looking for a one-volume history of Germany from 1866-1945 Gordon A. Craig's "Germany, 1866-1945" is highly recommended.

Richard Baker's book Los dos mundos: rural Mexican Americans, another America discusses Mexican Americans in Idaho. This group of Mexican Americans is often forgotten; indeed, many people probably do not associate Idaho with having a large Mexican American population. The author has conducted extensive research in the town of Middlewest, Idaho, and his book discusses various factors that affect Mexican Americans' quality of life.

The purpose of Baker's book and study is to show that Mexican Americans in Idaho face many factors that tend to keep them in a lower socioeconomic status than Anglo Americans. Even though most Mexican Americans work very hard, it is unlikely that they will be able to get ahead of the Anglos in education and job status. Baker also showed examples of how Anglos perpetuate the Mexican American poverty situation, but they do not recognize this fact. Instead, many Anglos "blame the victim," by claiming that Mexican Americans cannot get ahead due to their laziness.

Baker organized his book into chapters discussing his field research, the Anglo community, Mexican American culture and daily life, the Anglo working class, permanent working class Mexican Americans, Mexican American migrant workers, institutionalized racism, the education institution and his conclusions and recommendations.

He described how the Anglo and Mexican American communities are separate in the town of Middlewest. In his book, he used separate chapters to discuss the thoughts of the Mexican Americans and the Anglo Americans. For example, by having separate chapters about "the Anglo working class and Anglo farmers" and "Permanent Working class Mexican Americans," Baker illustrates that the Anglos and Mexican Americans are both members of the working class, but their worlds are completely separate.

Another strength of Baker's book and study is the amount of interviews and research that he conducted with individual people. Baker spent fourteen months working on field research. He conducted 335 in-depth interviews during this time. Some research assistants conducted 40 additional interviews. He audiotaped and made extensive notes of his interviews to help him remember details later on when he was analyzing information. By conducting so many, in depth, personal interviews, Baker was able to get a true glimpse of life and the values of the people in the town of Middlewest.

A weakness of this book is that Baker's opinion is evident throughout the entire book. While I personally agree with his opinions, I felt that he should have left his personal feelings to the final chapter, in which he discussed his conclusions and recommendations. Baker commented on the housing conditions of the Mexican American migrant workers by saying, "If it were society's intent to create animals, the living conditions of the typical farm worker would be a perfect spawning ground" (1995). I agree with this statement, but I feel that if the typical Anglo in Middlewest (who does not believe racism to be a problem in his or her town) was reading this book, this person would be more convinced of this idea by simply reading the facts and empirical evidence, instead of constantly reading Baker's opinion.

This book does contribute to our understanding of ethnic groups and intergroup relationships by emphasizing the fact that the Anglo and Mexican American worlds are entirely separate. The book adequately describes how most Mexican Americans see the rampant problems with racism in the town, but many Anglo members of the town simply do not recognize the fact that racism exists in their town. In interviews with Baker, Anglos typically repeat that the Mexican Americans are a lazy bunch. However, with Baker's descriptions of Mexican American life, the reader can see how Mexican Americans work hard much of their lives, only to advance themselves very little or not at all economically. Through Baker's study, the reader can see how Mexican Americans in the town spend much of their time "just trying to survive."

Amazing! I read this book several years ago as part of the author's course requirements. I am a native--born and raised in Caldwell, Idaho, the town that Dr. Baker studied and depicts in "Los Dos Mundos." At the time of my reading, Caldwell was still digesting the "attack" that Dr. Baker's book leveled at the myopic, dominant population of this predominately white community. I say attack because to this day, November 7, 2000, Caldwell residents still harbor ill feelings towards Baker's perspective. The main reason why this book still is a sore point is that Dr. Baker placed a mirror in the faces of many "leaders" of Caldwell; who likes seeing what others know. The book does more than shine light on a social problem it depicts a reality that I lived through. I was blind to the bigotry that encompassed my childhood because I inadvertently maintained the "master/slave" mentality that still lives in the aged souls of this farming community.

This book is a "must read" for anyone who believes that racism does exist, because it will reinforce what you already know. Furthermore, it puts Caldwell, Idaho on the map of institutional segregationism at its worst. Even now in the 21st century folks refuse to understand that if a flawed foundation upon which a structure is built is used in any renovation, the new structure will inherit the problems of the old foundation. Read the book and then visit the town on your way to Seattle or Portland using the book as your guide.

If you've ever lost someone you loved, you know that you treasure the things they loved. Stan Johnson's stepfather worked for the Milwaukee Railroad for 53 years. Johnson felt compelled, a few years ago, to see the old places and right-of-way of the abandoned Milwaukee finding, everywhere he went in Montana, Idaho and Washington, a flood of memories of his youth, railroading, electric locomotives, people, stories, history and a rich tapestry of lives and events that the Milwaukee Road represented through Johnson's beloved stepfather. As Johnson retraces the physical route and structures of the Milwaukee, his memories come alive, and you will read each word with a lump in your throat as Johnson returns to find his stepfather and his railroad.

Johnson has an uncanny way of putting his readers on the Milwaukee Railroad durring its prime. A must read for people who cherish the Milwaukee railroads history on a first hand basis.

It was very hilarius that The Author as a Teenager
was so ashamed to wear her Girdle & Seamed stockings to School
trying to hide the back of her legs Etc. so her school mates won,t make fun of her seamed stockings. So in order not to made fun of again that way She would first of all Enter The School with the Mother approved outfit, Enter The Ladies Rest Roon then in her Bathroon stall take off first her Nylons, roll them up to a Ball, Stash them into her Coat Pocket then, Be
Free, But at the beginning of her classes her Girdle would get lowered to her thighs with those Uncomfortable garter snaps
bugging her thighs so at her next visit to The ladies Room The Author would pull off her Girdle & roll it up & stashed it in her purse.

Then when School got done for the day then she would go back to The Ladies Room & put her Approved Girdle & stockings back before she took The School Bus Home so her Mother would not find out.

The Author did the above routine for the next 3 School years after that.

I personally hope that they will someday soon make a full length movie version of the above story for like I said before That Story was so Hilarious.

I had the honor of hearing Marianne Love read chapters of this book as she was writing them and shared in her glee as it was published. She writes such vibrant, wild tales of her youth that one can't help but be absorbed into the book and want to keep reading. This book has all the flavor of "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" and more. It's a shame this book never spent time on the bestseller lists for all the world to discover.

Being an enthusiastic amateur treasure hunter myself, in years past, I diligently read each and every volume of Mr. Terry's exhaustively researched works. Although I found some the information erroneous or far from exact - for instance many locations cited as "ghost towns" are FAR from being one - there are so many intriguing stories of legends, factual evidence & stories of past recoveries that any true TH'r will be enthralled. Treasure hunting is supposedly America's fastest growing hobby: it's uniquely enjoyable for the adventure, historical aspects & healthy outdoor recreation. And when you really find something decent...Boy Howdy!! Not as easy as it sounds, though. To be a professional TH'r, one has to have patience, applying oneself with the perseverance of a detective: because that's what it takes to be successful. Exhaustive research is the key: going where people gathered long ago (old picnic grounds & abandoned schoolyards, for instance) will be beneficial for coin shooters who are after more than modern coins....for me, finding modern coins was a complete waste of time & energy. Going for the gold? Go where it is KNOWN to be & be creative: the better your equipment - i.e. a decent detector which finds gold & common sense makes this a most fascinating hobby. For some, it's a life's career. Good luck!!

Found this to be a very interesting paperback book for anyone dreaming of treasure hunting/finds. But, I wish it was updated. I'm sure there are more interesting things about Florida. Not all of Fla. treasure finds are in the sea as this book notes. Worth reading.Open anywhere and begin reading.

Something that's always annoyed me is reading that "Native Americans believed..." like there was only ever one tribe with one set of beliefs or customs. Yes, there are similarities; as Joseph Campbell has shown, all mythology is human mythology and the same themes appear repeatedly world-wide. That doesn't mean that there aren't subtle differences from tribe to tribe. There are differences in beliefs, in ceremonies--in all the specifics. That is what I most appreciate about this book. It is a compilation of the beliefs and practices of specific tribes, each tribe represented by an expert on that tribe, with emphasis on the specifics. The only critism I have of this book is simply that I want more--more of the specifics to go with the cultural analysis. Just the same, this is far more satisfactory than most Native American resources I've seen.

Too often people tend to forget that the Native Americans were once everywhere between Alaska and Tierra del Fuego, and that even after conquest many Native peoples still held their traditional lands. This anthropological survey, however, does a wonderful job covering most of the Americas. As the title implies, this book is a study of witchcraft and sorcery of the Native Americans. Not of religion or shamanism, but of socially taboo magical practices (though, it should be noted, there is some relationship between beliefs of witchcraft and traditional religions). Better still, this book looks at beliefs of witchcraft in both traditional religion and in post-contact religion. Again, people tend to forget that Native American culture is still alive and well, changing as time goes on just like any other culture.
Over all, the book covers 15 different Nations, giving a wider view at the beliefs of magic across aboriginal society in general. Each Nation more or less represents a specific "culture group". After the introduction, which explains the book pretty well, we get a brief look at the Inuit of the Arctic and their beliefs in soul loss, violations of hunting tabboos and the tupilak (a sort of familar type creature that witches used to kill). Then he goes into witch-killings amongst the Subarctic Kaska, power gaining and sorcery amongst the Menomini of the Great Lakes (covering Traditional, Peyoteist and Catholic views), relationships between shamanism and witchcraft in the Skokomish of the Northwest Coast and Traditional and Pentecostal responses to withcraft to the Nez Perce of the Plateau.
All of these chapters go in depth in looking into Native cosmology and views on witchcraft, often providing charts and Native words as well as accounts of witchcraft gathered from Native informants. He continues on to look at charms and witchcraft complexes amongst the Six Nations of the Iroquois (representing the Eastern Woodlands). Then he goes on to the Southwest, which is divided into two chapters to provide a contrast between the Athapaskans (in this case the Apaches) and the Pueblos. The latter is particularly interesting, mentioning the punishments for witchcraft as well. Going into Latin America, we are presented with a look at the Tecospa and Tepepan, which provides us with pre-Columbian Aztec views on witches and evil, and later Catholicized views both amongst the Mexican Indians and the mestizos. Related to this are two other sections, covering the Quiche Maya (modern day) and colonial-era Andean cultures, which provide further insight into the ancient Native American empires of the Maya, Inka, Moche and so forth.
He also devotes a chapter to the Mapuche Indians of Chile and how their society reacts to sorcery. Rounding out the book are several other surveys, including the Akawaio Indians of Guyana, the black Caribs of Belize and the Obeah beliefs of Roatan and the Caribbean (these often include Indian as well as African and European influences). Overall a good survey, if a bit in leaning towards North America. It would have been nice to see him cover the greater whole of Amazonia and interior Brazil (there are many Native American tribes left in that region), if not the extinct Yaghan and Ona of Tierra del Fuego. Still, it is a wonderful overall survey of Native American views on witchcraft.
The only real commentary I can add to this brief overview is that it is an anthropological text book. Unfamilar readers may find some of the accounts uninteresting, and be unfamilar with some of the concepts and terminology (technical spelling of Native words is given, for example, to help with pronounciation but without a chart). Also, witchcraft in this book means witchcraft, malicious magical beliefs and practices. This isn't an idealized or romanticized look at "pagan religion" or some such so don't get offended if you believe your a witch. However, if you are familar with social sciences, you should appreciate this book immensely.

I have always liked fiction much more than nonfiction. I like the adventure and creativity of fiction. At first I thought that Geeks was just going to be another book about some person's life that I never even knew existed. However, this book showed me a different perspective on life stories. It was being told by a different person, a simple bystander. I got to hear what the author thought about the person's life, not just what the character was going through. This book showed the life of two typical "geeks" and their journey from a small town in Idaho to the big city of Chicago. They used their knowledge of the Internet to guide them there and found the city to be different than they had expected. They had to get used to the city life, which was a struggle for them both. This book taught me many lessons about the struggles of changing lifestyles, the difficulties of fitting in, and the reasons to never give up.

When I first looked at Jon Katz book about a couple of geeks leaving an Idaho community and it's Mormon values for mainstream Chicago, I was expecting they would do something special like a start-up company or something. It's just about a couple of kids leaving home and family to find better opportunities in the field they love. They came into contact with the author via email and message boards. The book is a short 200 pages and though it's suppose to focus on what it means to be a geek and what makes them geeks. It starts with questionable definitions from sources like Hacker's Dictionary equating the word "geek" to a racial slur that I don't agree with. In the end, the author has become part of the story by mentoring and assisting Jessie and Eric to the point that a lot of the things wouldn't have happen with out Mr Katz assistance. Talking to Entrance counselors and using his background to try and get them into an elite school with mediocre grades, financially assisting them with a move that wouldn't have happened if they didn't have the connection with the author. The book takes a sudden twist addressing the Columbine shootings that had just happened only because the shooters had some articles from him on their website. Followed were just copies of emails and message board postings that tells how hard it was for people in high school being geeks. The story then became less about geeks and more about school bullies in general and the overreaction of news junkie school officials believing geeks in trench-coats that play violent video games are a danger to society. I wonder what would have happened if Mr Katz was just an observer and hadn't become so close to his subjects and Columbine shootings hadn't occur. Mr Katz, ever heard of the "Prime Directive"? In the end, I didn't care about Jessie and Eric because it happens all the time in America. There wasn't anything special or unique about them. Why didn't they just go to Silicon Valley were there were lots of companies and a whole community revolving around technology? Guaranteed success. What about minority geeks? They are usually totally alone, outcast by all and yet have to always prove they are capable and smart because of accepted stereotypes that blacks are "dumb". They don't get hired easily and don't fit the mold. I'm that kind of geek.

Every teenager and college student - especially those super smart and those who are computer savvy - should present this book to an adult in their world! An absolute MUST read and own!

I found this book while wandering aimlessly through the library, so I didn't really know what to expect. Jesse and Eric's story is very intriguing and quite well written. It had me reading it through most of my classes. While I don't necessarily identify with Jesse and Eric and geeks as they are defined in this book, I can understand where they are coming from with their frustrations at not being accepted. I would recommend this book to anyone just for the issues and discussion that can be brought up though it. The only big problem I had with Geeks is Chapter ten, where Katz almost makes himself out to have single-handily connected all geeks to receive support from each other.

I wasn't too thrilled when my mother told me to read this book over the summer. It didn't appear to be all that interesting, and since I have no experience with computers, and already a lot of experience being the outsider, I didn't see the point.

Well, the book wasn't exceptionally well written, and was even slightly boring in some parts, but I still enjoyed it. The reason is that I liked hearing what the actual kids had to say about being outsiders. It is a wonderful feeling to realize that other people have had the same sensations as you about not belonging. It makes you feel less alone. Not to mention the fact that Jesse was very eloquent about the way it feels.

I'm lucky. I have never been beaten up or badly insulted to my face, and I haven't had anywhere near as many bad experiences as these kids have. But it was good to finally hear someone addressing the issue of... well I don't know what to call it. I can't think of the right words. It's like being sexist, except against people who are different. I'll make up a new word and call it boxism. :)

The story was very inspirational, if not the best told one I have read. Against seemingly impossible odds, Jesse and Eric actually made something of themselves. Sounds familiar, huh? But this is actually a TRUE story. Everyone should read this book to learn something. If you've experienced this kind of mistreatment you should read it - it's a story you can identify with. If you have never experienced being an outsider, you should still read it to gain some insight into what it's like. And just because some people are different doesn't mean they need medication or social counseling, as other people seem to think!!!

I don't think I'm doing the story justice in this review, but words can't really describe it. Just read it - once you get past the intro, it's great. Even just to read how a real outsider feels.