Wisconsin Books

Imagine yourself being flown back in time to the late 1930's and dropped of into a dark and lonely alley on the north side of Chicago, commonly known as Little Italy. This area, ruled by the mob, forms the setting for Little Caesar, world's first gangster novel.

Sam Vettori is one of the toughest gang-bosses of Little Italy, but his days are counted. A new ambitious predator is on the verge of throwing Sam from his throne. Cesare Bandello, commonly known a 'Rico', is that guy. On more than one area has Rico proven to be Sam's superior, but on pulling the strings Sam stays the expert. That's why both decide to co-operate. But when a robbery turns bad -a captain of the police gets killed- everyone starts fending for themselves.

Little Caesar is simply a masterpiece. Not only because it is the first of its kind and it gave birth to a whole range of gangster fiction, but also because the peculiar way it is composed. Although it is written in an almost objective and factual style -almost like in a newspaper-, it still succeeds in getting the reader emotionally involved into the action. The action itself, of which there is plenty, is being reported in a very compact narrative, which gives the story a fast and suspenseful pace.

One warning though: the book contains quite some thirties-slang, which might disturb the inexperienced reader. Do you know what happens if someone turns yellow, for example?

Written in a straightforward and almost colorless style, this book reads a bit like a docudrama, or even a long film treatment, so it's not surprising to learn that the author went on to a very successful career as a screenwriter. Author Burnett gives us an entertaining peek at a presumably typical rise-and-fall in the Chicago underworld of the early twentieth century, long before this type of material was well-mined by others. As usual, we are indebted to Otto Penzler for a beautiful edition; the jacket art is a deco masterpiece.

Little Caesar is a great example of what it takes to survive in the world of organised crime, and shows whsat goes on in the minds of criminals like me. 4 stars cause of the cliff-hanger ending,but still a must read.

Wow...I give this book 5 STARS. One of the best gang books ever, This is about 5 guys that their lives have change from friends to stab in the back.

This novel is a masterpiece of spare prose, vividly telling the story of the rise and fall of a 1920s gangster in 1/2 to 1/3 the number of pages that a present-day writer would take. The novel is fast-paced and expertly evokes the era, though readers unfamiliar with the times might have a little trouble with some of the slang expressions. Like his The Asphalt Jungle, this became the template for numerous subsequent imitations, including the films The Long Good Friday and Scarface.

It's been a while since I followed the Green Bay Packers, but when I picked up this book, I became a rabid fan all over again. I loved the tributes to the old Packer greats, and the jokes and fun photos were a real treat too (check out the old Packeretts photo). If you consider yourself an Packer fan, order this book NOW!!!

As a big fan of the Green Bay Packers, I immediately went crazy for The Packer Fanatic Hand book. If you're looking for some side-splitting entertainment, this is the book for you. Honestly, I laughed until I was in pain.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I think any Packer fan will. I loved the jokes and cartoons, the stats on old players, and most of all the story about that Packalope guy (I've actually seen him at a game or two!). Read this book, it's sweet!

This is the funniest Packer book that I have ever read. Not only are there great jokes, but there are also really cool antidotes by people associated with the Packers. (I especially liked the story by Brett Farve's brother and the one by the former Packer cheerleader). If you love the Packers, you owe it to yourself to read this book.

A friend handed me this book knowing full well that I am not a Packers fan or even a football fan. I am, however, a fan of Americana - like a Hot Dog stand that looks like a hot dog, weird social commentary t-shirts and such. THIS BOOK IS AMERICANA. In a strange society-understanding way it brings clarity to why so many people become possessed by the spirit of their home-town football team. The story by Cheryl Paronto Paul on being a Packer Cheerleader is a must-read for understanding the Barbie frame-of-mind. The jokes are SO BAD they are great (you know what I mean). For anyone who has wanted to find a deeper meaning into the reasons why an average guy from a small town in the heartland of America would paint himself green and stand in sub-zero tempretures to NOT see a game because he has to huddle inside a warm bathroom stall every few minutes, I can't think of a better source than this book.Ladies, give this book to your guy (no matter what team he roots for) to let him know you understand his pain.

The day I received this book I thumbed through it page by page and loved the photos and descriptions from the start. I was easily able to identify every wildflower I came across in our woods. Unfortunately, after the very first time I thumbed through the book the pages separated from the spine (it was easily repaired with crazy glue) but I was disappointed with the binding. I love the book enough that I would rather keep it than return it though.

I really enjoyed using this book to identify wild flowers at the various State Parks I visited in Door County. I also went to the Ridges Sanctuary and one of the employees noticed I had this book and said it was the best book available.

The fact that the flowers are organized by color really makes this book easy to use.

I also visited Michigan and bought the Michigan book as well.

I highly recommend this book!

This is an excellent reference book whether you are a serious plant-hound, or just someone out for a walk, wondering about "the pretty flowers". It has a great deal of information, sometimes almost too much for the casual observer, but the photos are great, making indentification very simple in most cases, and the facts on origins of many of the flowers are fascinating. Its small size makes carrying it in a pocket or pack very convenient, and the color coding makes finding a particular plant quick and easy.

I just loved this book. It is full of information on flowers you see every day along the road. A great teaching tool for children. We keep it in the car. The pictures are great and easy to identify

The beautiful pictures, size, and easy to read text are wonderful! I've been able to identify plants that I had not been able to before with other guides because the pictures are so clear.

I have two disappointments with this book. First, the binding is not very good and the pages fall out easily which makes it a bit impractical for toting about in the field. Second, I would have liked to see the plants that are considered as an invasive species by the WI DNR clearly identified and marked. This is invaluable for people like me who are concerned with preserving our native plants and curtailing the invasives.

Otherwise, it's a great field guide.

I bought this book about a year ago and devoured it. If you live in or have connections to Wisconsin, this is a great read. It gives details on some of the cases you may have read about briefly in the newspaper, but never found out the outcome of the trial. I wish Marv would write more!

This book briefly profiles 50 Wisconsin crimes (mostly murders) over the last century. Recent famous murder cases are included, like the Dahmer murders, the Monfils paper vat murder, and the Lawrencia Bembenek case in Milwaukee. There are also several cases dating back to the early part of the century, such as the Annie Lemberger murder in Madison.

If you live in Wisconsin and have a morbid curiousity about crime, this book is fascinating. The book tends to have a "gossipy" tone, the editing is uneven, and some of the photographs are not of good quality. Despite all that, each crime profile is gripping. The author provides lots of details about each case, and has done an excellent job in selecting which crimes to include. Many of the crimes he profiles led to modifications in the criminal justice or emergency systems; for example, as a result of the Monfils paper vat murder, procedures for releasing recordings of 911 calls have been changed.

This is not an intellectual book. It will not appeal to anyone's higher nature. And I couldn't put it down.

The last time I visited relatives in Wisconsin, we drove by "Ed Gein's cemetary" on the way to getting pizza. My uncle told stories of the crime which may stretch the truth a bit, but ultimately were fascinating. Marv Balousek does a very good job summarizing Gein and many more fascinating crimes committed in Wisconsin. Aside from some clarity and editorial errors, this is very well written and ultimately hard to put down. Recommended for all true crime buffs even for those with no ties to Wisconsin.

Wisconsin -- home to Badgers, cows, cheeseheads, ...and some of the most jaw-droppingly bizarre murderers the world has seen. Balousek captures this in a journalistic style free (except for the subject matter) from gratuitous sensationalism. A fascinating read.

I've been a long-time fan of Leopold's A Sand County Almanac. In reading it again recently, however, I realized how little I knew about Leopold's background. Lorbiecki's biography is a well-written introduction to one of the great 'fathers' of conservation.

Leopold's career truly ran the gamut, from foresty to public relations to writing to academia. But beyond his work life, Lorbiecki illustrates the importance family played for Leopold, both in shaping his values from childhood, and in the devotion he later showed to his wife and children.

I'd strongly recommend that anyone interested in Leopold, and more generally in the history of American land and game conservation, to give A Fierce Green Fire a try.

As someone who is intimately familiar with the work of Aldo Leopold I was quite diappointed with this book. Although there are no glaring inaccuracies with the biography there is one obvious problem with it. A far far superior treatment of Leopold's life and work has already been written. Curt Meine's book "Aldo Leopold: His Life and Work" is such a better treatment of both Leopold's 'life and work' that Lorbiecki's book never needed to be written. "A Fierce Green Fire" is a superficial treatment of one of the most, if not the most, profound thinkers of our time and cannot hold a candle to Meine's book. If Leopold enthusiasts really want to learn about Aldo Leopold I would suggest Meine's book--don't cheat yourself.

I don't agree with review #1. As a long time Leopold reader and having read Curt Meine's book, I think this treatment of Leopold is great for an introduction to the great man's life and work. This is the kind of book which makes you think about how you live, and what you can contribute to the greater good. Not an encyclopedia on Leopold, but a great intro.

Being an environmentalist and teacher I have long been acquainted with the work of Aldo Leopold. This book, while unstinting in praise for the man, lets his life work speak for itself. I was impressed by three things: One, the depth of his feeling for sustainable landscape, whether used or preserved. I had somehow believed that his revelation with the dying wolf was the beginning of his environmental conscience, but it was there almost from the beginning. Two, the evolution of his feeling for the preservation of wildlife. Although he was a hunter all his life, his feeling toward "predators" took a 180 degree turn during his life, as did the nation's, eventually. Finally, we see the handicaps he labored under, from an early severe illness to problems in later life, that makes his accomplishments even more impressive. I am often put off by biographers because they feel that every day in the life of their subjects mush somehow be accounted for. By what looks like severe editorial restraint, she allows her book to flow like an exciting novel. I have already bought extra copies for friends working with the enviornment and will probably do more

It is true. Not too many Americans are aware that the Founding Fathers called the Articles of Confederation of 1781 our, "first Federal Consti-
tution." Mr. Jensen points out that they were the written expression of the political philosophy of the Declaration of Independence. If one understands the concept of local state sovereignty (or independence) as expressed in the Articles, then they will have a much better understanding of the argument between the Federal Government and the Confederate Government (1861-1865)which was only a continuation of the long argument over the nature of the Union of American States. (And, as one reviewer points out, it is an on going argument until this day.) All in all, it is an excellent read; and very pertinent information.

This is a very old book; it was first published in 1940. Not very many history books are still worth reading almost 70 years after their publication, and this one just barely makes the cut.

What makes this book worth reading is that, very simply, there is virtually nothing newer on the subject. The Articles of Confederation are an important passage in early American history. They are widely regarded as a failure, however, which was superseded by the universally admired Constitution, which now gets all of the attention. The Articles of Confederation are the ugly step-child of American history. No one wants to write about them, so this book from 1940 is still -- by default -- one of the best books on them.

The chief strength of the book, now, is that it describes in some detail the history of how the Articles of Confederation came to be. It gives a very detailed history of the politics of the revolutionary era, not in the large sense of mass politics, but in the more focused sense of the back and forth fighting in Congress. It very properly focuses upon the central importance of the Western lands. Some of the colonies -- Virginia in particular -- had absurd claims to own land all the way to the "South Seas." Other colonies did not. This lead to huge and understandable conflicts.

The weakness of the book is the silly and simplistic interpretation. According to Jensen, the politics of the period is the split between the evil conservatives, who plotted, first, to stay with King George and then, failing that, for an oppressive central government designed to hold down the common man, versus the righteous radicals who opposed all government, of any kind, except local government. In essence, Jensen takes up Jefferson's view of the period -- the battle between democrats and "monocrats" -- changes the labels a bit, but basically endorses it as if that highly partisan view was all there was to it. It is really absurd. Jensen sees leaders such as George Washington and John Adams as pure black conservatives. It is a cartoonish interpretation.

I don't suppose one in ten Americans realize there was a first constitution of the United States before there was "the" Constitution of the United States. Merrill Jensen is the definitive historian of that period - up to 1789 when the present Constitution took effect - and this book is one of several of his covering the topic. Reading of this period would do much to remind Americans that the debate over the nature of American government has been going on since 1776. The debate concerns "weak" central government (the Articles of Confederation) vs. "strong" central government (the Constitution). The Federalists (favoring the Constitution) won politically, but their victory did not settle the argument. Any American presidential or congressional election campaign brings out the same themes sounded 200 years ago as the Constitution faced ratification. In any event, Jensen does much to rehabilitate the history of the Confederation, clarify the agruments, and takes care to note the remarkable accomplishments of the Confederation congress. His writing style is very accessible and the book is a quick read.

Merrill Jensen's "The Articles of Confederation" is a great review of a truly neglected form of government. Jensen shatters the Federalists myths of "national government" and the Continental Congress inheriting the powers of the British Parliament.

Jensen details the beginnings of the federal union in 1774 with the collapse of the colonial governments and the meeting of the First Continental Congress in September 1774. It is shown how conservatives, primarily merchants, land speculators, and admirers of the British government, fought independence up until the very signing of the Declaration of Independence. Although they supported the colonial cause many were frightened by "republicans" and "democracy". Due to these fears they supported a strong central government similar to Britian.

The radicals, Richard Henry Lee, Samuel Adams, Thomas Jefferson,
Thomas Burke, and John Adams were avid supporters of Independence. The radicals also supported a weak central government dependent on the states for support and were unwilling to embrace a new national government. With some exceptions, most radicals were localist and democrats because they believed that through their state governments self government would function best. The conservatives were fearful of local government and it's democratic tendencies. Many were also immersed in land speculation and did not like the participation of the "rabble" in politics.

Jensen takes the Articles from the debate in 1776 through ratification in 1781. One interesting aspect is how the eastern delegates,NY, Maryland,, Pennylvania, etc, were willing to cede the western land to Spain just to keep their region powerful at the expense of the farmers and artisans of the west. Men like Daniel St. Thomas Jenifer, John Jay, Samuel Chase, and John Dickenson were more interested in the land claims than the liberty of the western settlers.

Thomas Jefferson was the most farsighted concerning the west. he proposed Virginia retain title to her claims to be surrendered to Congress only if the land was made into "free and independent states" He also proposed a radical plan to "give land to those who would settle it" thereby attacking the root of land speculation.

Overall the Articles were not a "weak" government, nor were they ineffective as later Federalist propaganda states. They were the embodiment of the American Revolution, revolt against distant centralized authority and the sovereignty of the individual colonies against the centralized power of parliament. Overall a great history.

Moving to a small town and working as a deputy sheriff is a step down for Claire Watkins, a former Minneapolis detective, but she was willing to do anything to make her daughter feel safe. When her daughter, Meg, discovers a beloved elderly neighbor's body, Claire is placed in charge of the case when it is realized as murder. Meg, still having nightmares of her father's murder (also a policeman), reveals that she actually saw her father's killer - sending Claire to wondering if the killer could have followed them to their new life. This one, although interesting, kind of plodded along for me. I like the characters, but I just couldn't get into the story all the way.

In the Twin Cities, Clare Watkins was a detective until a driver deliberately ran his car over her husband killing him. Their ten-year old daughter Meg witnessed her father's death. The two females decide they need a radical change. They move to St. Antoine, Wisconsin, hoping that small town living will benefit both of them. Still, Meg remains insecure because she saw her father's killer and realizes that she can identify him and he can recognize her.

Nine months later, the fragile peace of the Watkins women ends when Meg finds their neighbor dead. The autopsy revealed that someone murdered the kind victim. Clare decides to find out who would kill such a nice person. However, a personal problem soon surfaces as her spouse's killer arrives in St. Antoine. Clare knows he came to silence the only witness who can link him to her husband's murder. She risks her life to keep Meg safe even while she uncovers the full truth behind her spouse's death.

The exciting BLOOD COUNTRY is the first Clare Watkins mystery and it appears to be ready for a long and popular run. The characters are everyday people coping with terrible things that have occurred. Readers will cheer on the efforts of mother and daughter to more than just survive. The enthralling mystery is entertaining due to a sleight of the hand twist that makes it nearly impossible to identify the real culprit. More novels like this will brighten the world of the audience and Mary Logue will have an even brighter future ahead of her.

Claire Watkins is a damaged ex-Minneapolis police detective. She's also the protagonist of Mary Logue's new crime novel, following "Red Lake of The Heart," and "Still Explosion."

In "Blood Country," Watkins and her partner are moving toward arresting members of a major drug ring when Claire's husband, Steve, becomes the victim of what appears to be a hit-and-run accident. Shocked and desolate, Watkins abruptly resigns from the department, takes her young daughter, Meg, and flees to the small Wisconsin town of Fort Antoine. To support herself and provide a protective environment for Meg, Claire joins the county sheriff's department which hasn't seen a murder in at least a generation.

Then, Claire's neighbor is found face down in his garden. Greed has raised its ugly head, generating conflict over a real estate development. Citizens are split over maintaining traditional values, and the prospect of substantial new money.

Logue sets a consistent pace, entwining the major plot elements with other developments in a pleasing manner and, through shifting points of view and realistic action, continually raises the feeling of mystery and danger.

Logue's background as a successful poet shows in her narrative style which flirsts with free verse, providing a meter of starts and pauses. One of this novel's strengths is its thoughtful incompleteness. The main plot ans some subplots are carefully resolved by the end, but other questions posed by characters to themselves and others are left unanswered. It's an invitation to the reader to speculate about their own future.

Mary Logue has the gift of keeping the reader turning pages. In reading Blood Coutry you soon discover that there are a lot of secrets being kept in this small fictional town. Like peeling layers of an onion, the story unfolds to a surprising climax. The story is told from several points of view but the characters are well-developed and Ms. Logue gives each one a unique voice. Highly recommended!

I found this book interesting but I couldn't relate to so many of the hometown eateries as there weren't many in my area.

I grew up in Indiana and now live in Arizona. I return to Indiana several times a year to visit family and friends. This book is a great guide to those wonderful, uniquely midwestern cafes that cook and serve the best of downhome cooking. Also highly entertaining. My highest recommendations.

Book is adorable and very descriptive of the look and feel of the small town cafes in the area

Joanne Raetz Stuttgen is a folklorist and the author of "Cafe Wisconsin" and co-author of "Cafe Wisconsin Cookbook". "Cafe Indiana: A Guide To Indiana's Down-Home Cafes" is her latest compilation and a superbly presented guide to Indian's hometown mom-and-pop restaurants in celebration of small-town Midwest culture. A perfect travel guide for anyone seeking authentic local cuisine, "Cafe Indiana" is organized into sections showcasing home-town cafes in the North; West; East; Central; South Central; and South regions of Indiana. Each entry includes directions, address, phone numbers, hours, and a descriptive and personable anecdote. Combining recommendations with cultural insights, "Cafe Indiana" is a must for anyone traveling through the state and looking for something good to eat and an intrinsically interesting place in which to have their breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

I've had the great fortune to have fished with the author, Tom Wendleburg, many times. If you don't have that same opportunity, you can do the next best thing. Buy this book and learn not only how to catch big fish on light fly tackle, but so much more. Pick up insights into productive flies, effective fish catching techniques, and apply Tom's creative approachs to fly presentation for a variety of fish species. The book makes not only great reading for entertainment value, but for me, a highly useful source of reference material for those flyfishing dilemmas we all face from time time. If your interest is to improve your flyfishing skills, or if you just enjoy reading solid flyfishing literature, this is a book for you.

Catching Big Fish On Light Fly Tackle distills decades of Tom Wendelburg's fly-fishing expertise. Here is Wendelburg's philosophy of using light tackle, his insights on surface and underwater tactics, discussions of his favorite fish (trout, bass, bluegills, salmon, and steelhead) and is favorite flies, including Wendelburg's own celebrated fly patterns. Written by a consummate fisherman and a first-rate instructor, Catching Big Fish On Light Fly Tackle is an enduring and much appreciated contribution to the annals of fly-fishing.

No sense in filling your bookshelves with other "how-to" fishing guides, this one is it! Fill your live well, load your basket, and prepare the grill, because big fish are ready at the end of your line.

A good, solid work on the excitement of trout fishing. The book is easy to read, contains lots of solid information, and is one of the better books I have read on the subject. I would say it is appropriate for the intermediate fisherperson, not basic enough for beginners, but almost anyone with an interest in fishing should enjoy it. And in Coon Valley, that's almost everyone!

I haven't actually read the book yet, but it sounds delightful. I know the author's identical twin sister, Susan, who is one of those people who is lovely in every respect. I'm sure that Sara shares her sweetness, grace and talent, and I eagerly look forward to reading this book.

After looking at this book on my bookshelf for years I finally picked it up for a quick glance. I seldom put it down after that. I also grew up in WI but was a city girl in Racine. I didn't know much about life on the farms that dotted the landscape as viewed from the backseat of a car or over the handle bar of a bike. I have to say I was never much curious what went on there. I guess I had as romantic a notion of it as anyone else. Sara De Luca's fine work depicting the life her family lead on their dairy farm was a pleasure to read, enlightening in it's depiction of farm life, and touching in it's complex and beautiful rendering of family and home.

I am a college student in L.A. who is from (and intends to go back to) Minneapolis, Minnesota. Whenever I get homesick for the midwest I pick up "Dancing the Cows Home" and read a chapter or two and inevitably feel better. I love hearing about her close-knit Scandinavian family and the dynamics of farm life. I can highly recommend this book to any corn-fed, prarie-loving midwestener!

This book caught my attention because I grew up on a small farm in Mn. I could relate to many of the stories told by Sara. Especially the story in which the little girls go to the big city. I thought it was interesting that it was Sara's mother who was so tied to the farm rather than the father. I'm glad that her father got a chance to do what made him happy at the end. I'm also glad that Sara made peace with her roots and was able to come back to and love the place that she was so eager to leave.Although I no longer live on a farm I live in the heart of farm country. This memoir took me back to my own wonderful, but rarely easy, days of farmlife. It was the best place in the world to grow up as far as I'm concerned. What a pity that so few people will experience it as more and more cooperative farms take over. The decline of the family farm is a very bad thing for our country. Thank you Sara De Luca for preserving your experience for future generations. The only negative thing that I can say about this book is that I felt it had a rather abrupt ending. It lacked closure for me in some way.