Massachusetts Books

If you're interested in either boats or photography, GLASS PLATES & WOODEN BOATS: THE YACHTING PHOTOGRAPHY OF WILLARD B. JACKSON AT MARBLEHEAD, 1898-1937 is for you. It provides both a history of yachting and a history of the yachting photography of Jackson, with full-page black and white photos packed with classic sailing vessels gathered from an archive of over a thousand glass plates images. There's more than the 75 images Murphy has gathered, too: Murphy adds commentary noting nautical facts and history to round out the photos,

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Book is a good photocopy of the original and an interesting challenge to read it as it was written - uncorrected. I saw strains of Manifest Destiny taking shape as early as 1620.

This booklet is an outline introducing the Bible to young people from a New Church (Swedenborgian) perspective.

Contents

1. Bible Origins
2. The Growth of the Book
3. Translations
4. A Literal and a Spiritual Understanding of the Word of God
5. "The Law"
6. "The Prophets"
7. The Psalms
8. New Testament Literature
9. Daily Use

Was amazed to find a book on such an osbcure subject as missionaries from Holden, MA. My interest is personal. My ancestors were missionaries to Hawaii from Holden. I expected some mighty "dry" reading given the topic, however, Ms. Neale's style of writing is anything but dry. She tells the story almost as if she were a participant. I felt as if I were seeing this great adventure thru her eyes. It was quick and easy reading. Even family members not interested in genealogy found the book good reading as a history of the times....a must for anyone concerned with Massachusetts/Hawaii/Missionary history.

This is one of several translations of an ancient (date disputed) compilation of summaries of stories of the gods and heroes of Greece (but not Rome), based, where it can be checked, on excellent sources. If the name of the author is correct, he cannot be the "Apollodorus the Grammarian" to whom the work used to be attributed, but given the lack of fraudulent internal claims, the bare name seems to me better than "Pseudo-Apollodorus". Given the huge amount of classical literature that has been lost, and the primary sources to which this compiler seems to have had access (whoever and whenever he was), it is even more regrettable that a portion of "The Library" survives only in an abridged form. (Fortunately, part of the re-summarized material is Homeric; unfortunately, some of it is not.)

This translation features extensive commentary giving detailed comparisons to other classical versions of the divine and heroic stories, combined with surveys of modern literary uses of the stories. The latter is now dated, of course, and Sir James Frazer (of "The Golden Bough") gave even more information from ancient sources in his commentary (with translation facing a Greek text) of 1921 (two volumes in the Loeb Classical Library). But Michael Simpson is clear, and, on the whole, well organized. Some readers seem to have found the language too American for their taste. It should be remembered that the author, whoever he was, used a kind of "international literary Greek," which probably seemed fairly up-to-date to his well-educated readers. Whether academic American English is a good substitute is certainly arguable.

The index is not nearly as comprehensive as that in Keith Aldrich's rival version of 1975 (now out of print), but it usually helpful, and Aldrich does not discuss other ancient versions in any detail, or refer to modern literary versions. A recent translation by Robin Hard also has a better index (several, in fact), and is fairly good on ancient variants, but likewise avoids treatment of modern versions of the old stories. Simpson's commentary appears as endnotes to sections of the main text, which makes for frequent interruptions, but I have used this edition for a quarter century with considerable enjoyment, and frequent enlightenment about other ancient works.

Simpson's translation lacks the textual notes and apparatus of Robin Hard's 1997 translation, and Hard's introduction and commentary show both a later stage of classical studies and a more sophisticated view of the structure of "The Library". The two translations meet different needs, and it is good to have both available. If Aldrich was reprinted to join Frazer's more expensive translation (with Greek text), one might have to make a hard decision about how many versions can be afforded, and how much shelf space they deserve. As it is, the serious student and the lover of ancient literature may want to have both Simpson and Hard at hand, or in a convenient library; Frazer's edition can be consulted on-line at the Perseus site (but is rather difficult to read as presented there).

The Leonard Baskin illustrations are, in my opinion, an attractive feature; Aldrich's translation was also illustrated. However, a good selection of ancient art portraying (or possibly portraying) some of the stories or characters would also be welcome. But an edition "Illustrated from Ancient Monuments" would introduce another set of problems; for which, see Timothy Gantz, "Early Greek Myth: A Guide to Literary and Artistic Sources."

George Caner, one of the most forceful and articulate trial lawyers practicing in Boston over the past forty years, has written a wonderful account of some of the most challenging (and notorious) cases he has handled over that time period. I rank this book right up there with Louis Nizer's classic, My Life In Court, and believe that it is essential reading not only for any trial attorney seeking to improve her/his skills, but also for any person who delights in the workings and insights of an extraodinary mind.

Going Wild, a book by Jan Dizard, takes us to the Quabbin Reservoir in central Massachusetts. This watershed and the surrounding 'wilderness' has become a focal point of many very complex issues regarding nature and how we treat it. The problem: too many deer. Dizard puts forth a thorough set of arguments as to whether this is a problem, what the problem actually is, and what to do about it. The reader gets a sense that animal rights, as well as human's rights, are a much more complex issue than a superficial glance would reveal. Dizard spends time addressing the question of what wilderness really is. She quotes Thoreau and some of the other early environmentalists in an attempt to answer this question. While the Quabbin may appear very wild and natural to the outside observer, it has definitely been touched by the hand of man. The organization in charge of managing the area, the Metropolitan District Commision (MDC) worked hard to balance the purpose of the reservoir, drinking water, with the aesthetics of a forest. This management, which some argue as short sighted, led to a deer explosion in the 1980's which was claimed to be endangering the forest and would eventually lead to the water being in danger. There were several public meetings held to discuss the deer problem. Filled with emotional and passionate arguments on both sides tensions ran high in the community. Some argued that the deer weren't actually a problem. To those knowledgeable about healthy forests, even those that were against the hunt, it was quite obvious that there was a serious issue. A healthy forest would be thick with undergrowth and would be very hard to traverse except for carved out paths. However the Quabbin was a virtual park, with a high canopy of trees and a floor of low lying ferns. The in-between area was open, one could see for great distances through the trees. Those that could admit a problem, were then often skewed as to what to do about it. While the MDC was fairly unified publicly, those critical of it were in factions. In 1991, the decision was made... the hunt would take place. Access to the Quabbin was restricted, and orientation sessions were required of the hunters. It was explained, in no uncertain terms, what the purpose of the hunt was and rules were laid down. The first day, both critics and supporters were on edge. If there weren't many deer killed, there'd be an argument that maybe there were not that many deer after all. Had a hunter been killed or had any accidental shootings taken place, this would of provided an argument against the hunters being the proper 'tools of management'. Had an eagle or moose been killed, it would have been a public relations disaster for the MDC. There's a central theme presented throughout the book, voiced from many different perspectives, and this is whether management of nature is an impossibility. Many were quoted with opinions stating that we as humans can ever fully understand the web of complexities found in nature. Are our attempts at managing nature simply disrupting an equilibrium? Is man essentially separate from nature? These questions were purposed, with some interesting answers in this book. I personally tend to agree with those that argued that while yes, if wilderness still existed, then we should leave it alone to it's own regulation mechanisms. However, true wilderness died hundred's of years ago. Now that we, as mankind, have gotten involved with managing of nature, we have the obligation to continue the management as long as we try to coexist with it. We've essentially adopted the earth, and now are left its stewards.

The focus of this book is our relationship to what is often termed "wilderness" and to the various flora and fauna that inhabit it. Particularly, Dizzard examines the controversey surrounding a particular area in Massachusets. The story he tells, and this book reads like an good novel, is the larger story of the history of the white man's relationship with North American land, animals and plants. One chapter is a history of hunting here in the U.S.A. and is particularly illuminating, especially since the popular image of the recreational hunter seems to have changed so much.

Dizzard is obviously sympathetic towards the use of hunting as a valid and effective control on a particular deer population (in Massachusets)in this special case. However, he shows the problems that hunters create and some of the myths and outright lies that they perpetrate. As a hunter myself I think a book like this is long overdue. He also subjects members of the animal rights/anti-hunting community to the same scrutiny.

All in all, an excellent book for anti-hunters, hunters, and lovers of wildlife who wish to understand it better. Dizzard's objective style is much appreciated amidst all the polarized brouhhaha and pap that passes these days as either pro or anti hunting philosophy.

This book is truly a wonderful work. The first time I was ever introduced to the art of Tomie De Paola was on Martha's Vineyard. I was a follower of the Grateful Dead at the time, and this book reminded me of many things going on in my life. The fable is entertaining and makes you think. I can't wait to get my new copy!

"Grace Before Meals ~~ Food Ritual and Body Discipline in Convent Culture" was written in 1989 by Sister Patricia Curran, SNDdeN and offers a very rare and important piece of research into an area of Convent life that had not yet been explored nor published outside those convent walls. The food rituals of two congregations of nuns are the subjects of this study ~~ the Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose and the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. "Grace Before Meals" describes the waning days of the centuries-old convent meal rituals as performed by these two communities of nuns. The participating nuns from these congregations were divided into two groups ~~ those nuns who had entered before 1925 and those who had taken their vows in the 1960s. Drawing upon interviews, questionnaires, and other research, Sister Curran describes ~~ in GREAT detail ~~ the typical convent meal of the early 1960s and contrasts and compares the customs and rituals of these two orders of nuns. She treats the refectory (convent dining room) as a sort of stage on which the nuns are the actors. Gestures, postures, movement, speech and silence were all carefully blended to embody the ideal nun. There are so many mysterious customs revealed in this book ~~ customs and rituals which were, at one time, kept extremely secret from the outside world. Now, for the first time, these customs are not only revealed to the reader, but the nuns speak out and describe exactly how they felt when they were living this life. Twenty nuns from each congregation responded to Sister Curran's questions. These questions were specifically designed to stir old memories from Novitiate days in the convent refectory ~~ Food (quality, quantity, availability and familiarity of diet) Environment (textures and colors, seating and setting) Formal Behaviors (reading, speaking,penances, table manners) Next, the nuns were asked to describe how they had been initiated into these strange practices; how the unfamiliar had been explained to them as young novices; what each nun believed was the purpose of all of this strange behavior. "Grace Before Meals" is a fascinating read for anyone who was ever curious about life inside the convent. The details provided are amazing and most could, probably, be applied to any congregation of nuns.