Associations Books

The concepts of community supported agriculture (CSA) grab at the imagination: reconnect with the land and farmer, know exactly where your food is coming from, work toward self-sufficiency. Such a utopian vision clashes gloriously with the disconnected, "cocooning" lifestyle of many people. This textbook for the CSA movement, first published in 1990 and "revisited" in this volume published in 1997, lays out the philosophies and actions that brought CSAs into our awareness today. You might know a CSA farmer, and perhaps even are a CSA member. But unless you're the farmer herself, or on an advisory board for a CSA, you probably have not considered many of the philosophical questions. In half-a-dozen essays comprising a third of the book, questions are explored such as: Should farmers or the CSA own the land? How should farmers' retirement be arranged? Should animals be part of the farm, and should meat be part of the CSA shares? Three basic rules of such holistic farming are offered: 1. Do not work too many hours (leave time for observation, reflection and meditation). 2. Buy for the farm as little as possible from the outside world. 3. Take all the initiative for your actions on the farm out of the realm of the spirit, not out of the realm of money. The book talks of creating an "associative economy" and a "parallel polis" that look at society differently. One premise is that the farm should be supported by the entire community, and the risk shared equally by all consumers. Another is that farmland should not be a market commodity. A third of the book consists of essays by CSA farmers on their own operations; many were written seven years ago and updated last year, so the trials of time can be seen. The final third of the volume contains blueprints for operating a CSA: how to get started, and how to buy and hold land. Samples from farms show budgets, marketing pieces and typical share content. From philosophy to examples, Farms of Tomorrow Revisited shows us where the CSA concept could take society, and the movement's limitations, especially in solving current agriculture issues.

I've been thinking in an unstructured way about a number of these issues due to being a recovering member of a housing co-op, a new member of a CSA, and trying to start a group that gets raw milk from a (sort of) local biodynamic farm. And just thinking about farming.

As I see it, the set of issues include: (1) the various natures of CSAs, (2) the modern analogue to the slightly-more-than-subsistance family farm that recognizes that the nature of family has changed radically in the last 50 years for much of "the West", (3) the role(s?) and definition of sustainability as it relates to farming in a number of forms (providing some insight into the current debate about the commercialization of the "organic movement"), (4) how to farm damn well!

Trauger Groh is a very thoughtful and insightful person (and shockingly European to this American. I mean this approvingly. He's an outgrowth of the highly-educated European farmer group that was associated with Steiner) and a farmer that seems to have spent most of his adult life trying to make this stuff work. And he has succeeded. And part of this appears to be a sort of memoir of that success. And another part is his responses to talking about this with a variety of people (note especially the new article about the role of farm animals, much of which is explicitly a response to vegetarian and vegan oriented organic-farmers)

Steven McFadden is a journalist who documents a variety of CSAs and historical movements that have impacted the CSA movement.

Both offer interesting things. This book would be worth buying just for the stuff by Groh

If you've ever seen the magnificent, nationally famous Texas A&M University Band perform during half-time, you will want to own this fine volume. It offers a comprehensive history of the first 100 years of a college organization that has become, literally, a state institution. Being in the Aggie Band is not simply membership in a music outfit; rather, it is a comprehensive, fully consuming Way of Life. Rich with details about how the present-day Band evolved, the Powells' account also grandly illuminates other facets of Texas Aggie history - the Corps of Cadets, A&M athletics, campus development, memorable faculty folks and general local color (in native lingo, "good bull."). Numerous photos trace Aggie traditions from their earliest days to the present. It was startling to this reader how some campus/Corps images are practically ageless. Many of the pictures - fish standing on the wall, Elephant Walk, Ags working on the Bonfire, meals in Duncan Dining Hall - could have been taken in 1930 or 1950 or 1975 OR 1995, since the traditions, and the scenes they propagate, are so firmly embedded at A&M.

This book definitely needs to be made into a movie. Not only would it offer remarkable settings, dramatic events, dynamic characters, stupendous role models, intricate Band drills and tantalizing college-life plots, but it would feature, without a doubt, the very best film soundtrack in the history of the world.

I was the drum major at my little high school in Louisiana a long long time ago, and I never heard anything about the Texas Aggie Band until almost three decades later, when I saw them at a parade in San Antonio. Soon after that, I visited the A&M campus one football weekend and got to see them rehearse their pre-game Saturday morning drill performance. They are absolutely stupendous, the best in the world. No one else compares or even comes close. I found this book at A&M's Memorial Student Center and bought it immediately. You simply MUST go see the Aggie Band.

One of my life's greatest regrets, now, is that I knew nothing about this organization when I was eligible to march in it. Musically, and personally, I can imagine no higher achievement. Everything about this precision machine exudes excellence, from their music, to their marching, to the striking friendly politeness of all the members I was fortunate to meet. These fine kids are motivated beyond belief, and they welcome you into their world -- they know they are a part of something special, and they generously share with you the admiration for their Aggie heritage.

Their drum cadence (I was a drummer) is absolutely captivating. It has five "verses," and is militarily simple but, once you've heard it, the beat stays with you wherever you walk, any time you are walking -- you wish that you were marching with the Fightin Texas Aggie Band, every time you put one foot in front of the other.

I got to see the film, "We've Never Been Licked," a 1943 World War II story, and became a permanent Aggie "groupie." From now forward, I will always be a Texas Aggie in my heart. As Pop Lambert said in the movie, "God bless the Aggies." The Spirit of Aggieland is now an forever. World Without End, A&M.

Gig 'em. And Beat The Hell Outta t.u. !!!

Crawford begins right at the heart of the problem: how do you say something fresh in a field that seems overrun with far too many dull and repetitive journals, filled with papers that "fairly shout `I wrote this for tenure'"? How can you find something that you want to write about, and that other people will want to read? How do you develop your own particular niche and style? Crawford provides excellent advice on such topics as matching your topic to a venue (covering new media as well as more traditional outlets), how peer review works, reviewing publishing contracts, working with editors, dealing with writer's block, and other traps of the writing life. His analysis of the differences between library writing, mainstream writing, and non-library academic writing is useful and insightful. As both a writer and an editor, I find his advice sound and reasonable. For the established writer, this book is a reminder not to get stuck in a rut but constantly seek new challenges, and it's full of helpful material for any new writers you may be mentoring. The only thing I consider too dated to be useful is his advice on submitting paper copies to journals; I know of no editor these days who does not prefer to work with electronic submissions from the start. To supplement this book, I'd also recommend How To Write A Lot by Paul J. Silvia, which deals more with the self-discipline and organization side of writing.

In this practical guide, experienced author and speaker Walt Crawford shows fellow librarians how to make both their writing and speaking inform and entertain their audiences. (summary by South Texas Library System)
I've heard it said that a library director should always have an "elevator speech" ready, so you don't miss that opportunity with a city commissioner trapped in an elevator with you for 2 minutes. This book expands on that for librarians needing to write or make presentations. After years of writing a library column and giving library talks to Rotary and other civic groups, I recommend that all librarians read a book like this.

I read this book just two weeks before the American Mathematics Contests this year as a freshman. I had never heard of these contests, but reading this book gave me everything I need to know! With its help, I qualified for the AIME (though missed the USA math olympiad by 1 question!). If you are into math contests, trust me, this will significantly raise your score.

It's a great book, covering everything needed for the higher level AMC competitions.

I thought this book was a tremendous read. Having been through the very same upbringing and lifestyle it not only brought back so many memories of playing and following fitba, but growing up at that time which has given so many life memories. Jim has written the book in a way that allows the reader to take on his character, you feel you know the friends he mentions and the situations he finds himself in, both on and off the fitba pitch. I recommend it to all lovers of the beautiful game.

Not being 'fitba daft' I was hesitant about reading what I assumed would be a football-saturated memoir, but nevertheless interested in the connection between Scotland and America. The book did end up being football-saturated, however, is written in a way that consistently ties football back to historical, geographical or personal anecdotes in a compelling and entertaining way. I found myself laughing out loud at the descriptions of working-class Edinburgh in the 60's and equally at the raw impressions of America through the eyes of an expat Scotsman.

Meikle's keen eye for detail and humour make this book a breezy and enjoyable read. Being a frequent traveller, I was impressed by the breadth of football/soccer covered in the pages - there is nary a continent left unexplored. The eerie connections of the world of football/soccer are beautifully demonstrated and excitement inherent in the revisiting of great matches no doubt familiar to fans of the sport around the world. However, Meikle's passion for football is contagious and even this non-fitba daft reader couldn't help rooting for the underdog and flipping the page to see who would ultimately come out on top. A satisfying and humorous read as much about life, travel, history, family, unlikely friendships and pop culture as it is about passion for football; and these elements woven together in a way that somehow manages to mention football on every single page!

This book is book three in Sonrise Farms series. Book four is now available too (MORNING GLORY). This horse series is awesome. My nieces love them. The books are full of adventures about Jenny and her palomino horse that all girls 10-15 love. The stories are wholesome and have a morale lesson. They also offer a Christian perspective, which I appreciated. It is hard these days to find wholesome reading for kids.

Flying High is another wonderful book that my daughter couldn't put down. The story is exciting and educational. The characters are real to life people that we could identify with. It provides a great example for my daughter of loving family relationships and show how reliance on their faith can get them through any difficulty. My daughter has read all three in this series and asks often when the next book will be available.

My wife & I cook at home a lot, and have dozens of cookbooks, plus magazine subscriptions to titles like "Cooking Light". This is easily the best cookbook we own, with recipes that the food editors seem to place in a special class. These are recipes their mothers taught them, or some friend back home sent them, or ... My discoveries (so far) include: "Low Country Boil" from the Atlantic Coast, shrimp, potatoes, sausage and corn on the cob boiled in a spicy mix. "Skillet Cabbage" with stewed tomatoes, green pepper, celery, etc. (my wife hates cabbage but loves this). Charra beans (a TexMex favorite - "Frijoles a la Charra" from the San Antonio editor), and on and on ...

This cookbook is great! It is a collection of recipes from food editors across the country. The recipes are tried and true family favorites. Each recipe gives a little history, name and position of contributor and very detailed directions. The recipes are easy to read and cover everything from appetizers to desserts. This book would be a great addition to any kitchen!

Answers every important question you could have about the rules and play of football (College and NFL). Gives you the all important information. Not overly wordy or drawn out. Very clear and well organized. Has a good glossary of terms. The best I've found.

I came upon this book as a complete novice to the game of football (Call me un-american as you will, but I've just always been an non-athletic type).Aside from a few games I went to with my family,I simply had no exposure to the game.The games became a confusing blur to me. I then fortunately came upon this book..

This book started with the basics of football (the field,how it is played,it's history,the equipment, et cetera). After that, a wonderful review of both the defense and offense and all the actions they could take It then moved on to the positions and all the actions they could take ( This was of the most interest to me because this has always been the part I've had the most difficulty with). This, along with the section on plays, were essential to my growing knowledge of football. The last chapters on the essential players and coaches of football proved to be a great appendix to reference back too.

All in all, a great guide to football for someone who has no knowledge of the sport.

For the Love of Books by Jane Vossler is a superb guide for everyone who wants to perpetuate the joys of reading and the lifelong love of literature for young people. Not only does the book recommend excellent novels for middle school aged children, but those books cause young readers to think about their own lives and those of people in many walks of life. If you enjoy encouraging youngsters to read, this book is an absolute must for you!

This book can be used to recommend good books to middle graders, to find ideas for lively book discussions, or to integrate literature with social studies.

Although the book was written for teachers it's equally useful for parents of middle grade students who want to recommend good books for their children or find a great book for a family read aloud.

The book is divided into two parts-The Inner World, books to help students think about themselves and their own lives and The Outer World, books to help students develop understanding of and compassion for others. Each chapter focuses on a theme such as peer pressure or growing up in another culture and contains reviews of books coupled with student comments on the books and ideas for teaching.

The book inspires the reader to think about how to engage young adolescents with literature that is meaningful to them and that stimulates them to think about their lives and the world.

I'm the author of this book so you may want to take my review with a grain of salt!
Email me at janevossler@att.net if you have any comments or thoughts about the book!

Hud Hudson, in a review of Ted Sider's book, says, "This is simply a superb book in metaphysics - handsomely written, cleverly argued, and exceedingly clear." Of course, Hudson happens to agree with almost every thesis Sider defends in the book. But I don't. In fact, I happen to disagree with almost every position defended in Sider's book. So what do I think of the book? I think it is simply a superb book in metaphysics - handsomely written, cleverly argued, and exceedingly clear. And I think it is notable that both friends and foes of the views defended in the book will find it to be extremely valuable. That is a real mark of distinction in philosophy, and my hat is off to Sider for producing such an outstanding work.

What is the book about? Mainly the question of whether physical objects have temporal parts. A temporal part of x is, roughly, an object that exists for a shorter time than x but that exactly overlaps x throughout its existence. Sider believes, for example, that you have a temporal part that exists (only) from noon to 1pm today, and that perfectly overlaps you throughout that time. His view allows him to give neat and clean solutions to all manner of metaphysical problems (including the problem of how a time traveler who meets his former self could be both sitting and standing at the same time), and to do various other wonderful things.

Although this is primarily a work for academic philosophers, it is clear enough that non-philosophers will be able to follow it, and to benefit from a careful reading of it. I highly recommend Four-Dimensionalism to professional philosophers, philosophy students (both graduate and undergraduate), and anyone else who is interested in questions about time and space.

This book should be required reading for anyone interested in analytic metaphysics. Not only is the book interesting in its own right, it also provides a model for what rigorous argumentation and clear presentation can be. I recommend it most highly!