Kentucky Books

Even though this is an old book, it is very touching and thought provoking. I recommend this book to all christians

The Soil and Health is a wonderful book that is equal parts agricultural science and environmental advocacy, with just a dash of kooky Nature worship thrown in. Howard was a conventionally trained agricultural scientist in the late 19th and early to mid 20th century who was employed by the British government to bring modern industrial agriculture, based on chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides and herbicides to Britain's tropical colonies. Soon, though, he realized the value of more traditional agricultural practices from India and China, especially in keeping the microbial, fungal and invertebrate life in the soil healthy.

If you believe in the value of organic agriculture, it is somewhat sad to see how little has changed since 1945. Howard confidently predicts in his book that organic methods based on compost would soon sweep the globe. Things have changed some, though. We can now buy "organic" labeled products in most markets in America, and I believe that more people have an appreciation for the importance of treating the earth well. This book does an excellent job of establishing and reinforcing that appreciation.

I got this book for my two nieces who are 11 and 12. They both are afraid of bee's and I thought it would help them with their fears. The book dealt with overcoming fears and how the she work through them. My nieces loved the book and the character Jamie. They are a step closer to working through their fears. Thank you to the author for such a great story.
A loving Aunt

The updated version of this important study is a welcome addition to the history of American popular music. Each chapter is a thorough overview of various genres and eras of folk and popular music in America. The central claim that most of what we perceive to be American music is deeply rooted in the music of America's southland is a strong one, and it adds to our understanding of connections between regional culture and history. The excellent discography provides a terrific guide to important musicians and recordings, and the new information on Cajun, Zydeco, Norteno, and contemporary acoustic music update the earlier edition.

This special edition magazine offers a glimpse at what Kentucky Basketball is and has been in the past. It offers small stories of championship teams of the past. Also included is a list of all time leading statistics. This is a must have for any UK fan, though it is not as in depth as I would have liked.

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"In this book...I hope I have offered...an understanding of the Earth and of life on Earth as to enable [readers] to understand the planet's vulnerability to human activities. I have tried to survey the road that lead to the major environmental issues that humans face today [and help readers better understand the challenges that lie ahead on the road to 2100]. I want to help people understand why we need to attend to these problems [or issues]...This is no easy task...[since] the literature on environmental issues is now...growing exponentially every year."

The above is from the preface of this clear but not overly simplistic book by Paul K. Conkin, Professor Emeritus of History at Vanderbilt University and the author of numerous books.

Conkin is absolutely correct when he says that it is no easy task to help readers understand how humans have come to the environmental crossroads they face today and what the future challenges hold. Has the author succeeded in his task? In my opinion, YES and he does it in a clear, thorough, historical & scientifically informed way.

The book itself is divided into five parts. All parts (consisting of two chapters each) are interesting but I found parts three and four entitled "The Human Threat" and "Climate Change" respectively particularly interesting. As well, part five entitled "Environmental Policies and Philosophies" was quite informative.

Books like this can be pontifical with the authors saying what should be done or that humans should do this or that. This book is different and for me, refreshing. It explains the realities and consequences of ecological disruption, unsustainable growth, and environmental degradation. It does not proclaim doom and gloom or suggest simply that new technologies or other free-market solutions will repair the damage that's already been done.

Finally, this book is well illustrated. It contains almost twenty figures (in the form of graphs, charts, tables, etc.). I found all of these revealing and informative.

In conclusion, this book, in my view, is the best assemblage of historical and scientific information about our ecological problems and about how humans have reacted (especially in the United States) that I have ever read. I leave you with the last two sentences of the book's excellent afterword:

"Can the affluent rest at ease and continue to enjoy high living standards with the knowledge that there is not nearly enough resources for all humans to join the feast? And in such a world, how long will the affluent be safe at their banquet?

(first published late 2006; preface; acknowledgements; 5 parts or 10 chapters; a personal afterword; main narrative 285 pages; notes; index)

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Since it is out of copyright, someone (are you reading this, Queen City Books?) definitely needs to re-issue this virtually forgotten regional classic. Set in a fictionalized version of Florence, Kentucky more than a hundred years ago and telling about the lives of a number of locals in an incredibly colorful little town, this book draws a reader in with the same sort of spell that Mark Twain employed in his re-telling of his days growing up along the Mississippi River. Using actual locations for its setting and even graced with a half-dozen photographs of this rural Boone County enclave as it once looked (today Florence is one of the most commercialized and suburban areas in the nation) the story here is about a young man growing up amid an era of civil conflict and regional self-determination. It is filled with phonetic reproductions of how locals, colored and white, spoke in that era, and the outlooks are needless to say unapologetically authentic to this southern-northern borderland of many generations back. Here one hears about superstitions and ghost stories, debates among the learned and scuffles among the feisty, place names leap out at you, and above all a connection is made with what it must have been like to live in the southern reaches of Greater Cincinnati in the insular days when a person's local community was the whole world. A tale like this should have regional, national, and international appeal. Books like this one are priceless and I'd like to see it saved from oblivion. If you can find a copy, buy it! And thank you, Doctor Walton, for mine.

First off I am a "Mosby Nut" so I may be a little biased, but I found the "letters" were very interesting and am glad the" Editor" saw fit to have them published. Lt. Sam Chapman showed the "human" side to Mosby. They shared a lot of "exciting exploits" during the war and shows their friendship continued the rest of their lives.They stayed in touch as each of them moved on to other "exploits". I would reccommend this book as a "must" in any "Mosby" library.

The stories of Cratis Williams are essential for the getting a glimpse of Appalachia. He is/was indeed the leading spokesperson and scholar of life in the Applachian Mountains. These stories deal mostly with his childhood growing up in rural Eastern Kentucky. These stories are unforgettable and profound.

Cratis Williams eventually came to Boone, North Carolina to teach school. He returned again after receiving his Ph.D. from New York University. Appalachian State University's graduate school is named for him.

"The Cratis Williams Chronicles: I Come to Boone" is another book that goes into detail about his coming to the high country of North Carolina. Highly Recommended.

If you're at all interested in peeling back the stereotypical images of Appalachia and peering into a region with soul and character, give Cratis Williams a read.

An excellent read..reminiscent of home-spun Kentucky tales by the late Jesse Stuart. It has this "stuck in Godforsaken Texas" boy wishing he was home on the banks of Kentucky Lake.