Massachusetts Books

For those of us who gravitate toward the written record of one person's life as a lens through which to understand broader historical trends -- and those of us who are particularly interested in 19th century American, religious, New England, and of course Shaker history -- this book is a gem. It brings the American Shaker religious sect to life in the person of Isaac Newton Youngs, a member of the New Lebanon, NY Society of Believers. For this we have not only the author to thank, but also her subject, who left 4,000 diary pages for her study. Through these pages we see more than a glimpse of Isaac's daily life. We get a comprehensive view of his spiritual, emotional, and vocational development from the age of 13, when he joins the New Lebanon Shakers, through adolescence (including a surprisingly frank account of his decades-long struggle to live in a celibate society), adulthood, and his shocking end. The author's sympathetic yet insightful analysis of this material puts Isaac's travails in religious, social, and psychological context, so that we understand Isaac and the world he lived in, and how it was perceived by outsiders. We are left with the sense of having known someone intimately, despite the spatial, chronological, and cultural remove.

So often, history affords us just a glimpse of any one life. We are left to wonder just what that time and place was really like. This is not one of those books.

ONE SHAKER LIFE by Glendyne Wergland is one of the finest pieces of scholarship ever done on the Shakers. There is so much of merit, it is difficult to choose a few aspects to highlight. When the entirety of the book is considered, however, perhaps the most intriguing chapters are numbers three and seven.
Number Three, "Youth and Lust" provides a totally new and detailed account of the struggle a young Shaker man faced trying to live a celibate life. Wergland uses vivid passages from his diaries and speaks of his guilt and efforts to confess. At the same time she uses nineteenth century literature on related sexual topics to contextualize these temptations.
Chaper Seven, "Intimacy between Men in Shaker Society" continues this frank discussion. No previous author has so skillfully discussed issues raised by the use of flowery and sexual language between Shaker men in their correspondence, nor has possible Shaker homosexuality ever been so clearly and rationally explained. As a result, her treatment of Isaac's friendships shows a balanced and fairly accurate account of the relationships formed between Shaker men in the early nineteenth century.
Other chapters of note include the one dealing with Isaac's involvement in the Era of Manifestations. We glimpse him as both an instrument as well as one who is given the task of testing the validity of these visionists. Another chapter deals with his contributions as a master clockmaker, the final craftsman in a three generations old family tradition. The book also has clear and well explained illustrations.
In summary, Wergland has used previously unanalyzed primary resources to create a work of insight that informs. This effort helps give a correct and complete view of one particular Shaker during the earlier years of Shaker history.

If anyone has Portuguese or Irish ancestry, whose relatives immigrated to the Cape Cod & Islands in the 1800's, this book is a treasure trove of information.

There are family histories, celebrations, stories about what motivated them, what brought them joy. PLEASE, buy a copy for your children. NO ONE knows this history anymore.

Fran Karttunen has contributed a sumptuous clambake for islanders and the millions of 'coofs' among us, that is, off-islanders of every sort: tourists, summertime residents, historians, artists, fishing enthusiasts, day-laborers, weekend executives. And what do we find?
We discover a meticulously researched story of those who often lived behind the veil. They were those who rarely lived on Main Street where only those who counted resided, those mythical stoic Anglophile Yankee 'CAPTAINS.' But who "pulled Nantucket's oars" aboard the fragile whale boats and who labored behind the scenes, Karttunen asks? Who bunked in the fo'c'sles, hearded the sheep, cooked and served meals, erected homes then and now, lost indigenous property, or were themselves the enslaved property of others? Beyond the island's first people of color were the Canackas, Portuguese, Irish, Azorians, Jamaicans, Germans, Latvians .... They were and are us, Americans of every color and creed who have bonded together in some mysterious way by falling in love with this 'far away isle.' Fran Karttunen, herself of island stock, masterfully and compassionately unvails this untold story of the "other" islanders.

Dorothy Sterling describes the Outer Lands (The Cape, Long Island, Nantucket, etc.) very eloquently, using understandable, interesting language. She adds charming local folklore and local sights, as well as maps and drawings that contribute so much to the book. This book is great for leasure reading as well as a textbook for a marine biology class.

Dorothy Sterling describes the Outer Lands (The Cape, Long Island, Nantucket, etc.) very eloquently, using understandable, interesting language. She adds charming local folklore and local sights, as well as maps and drawings that contribute so much to the book. This book is great for leasure reading as well as a textbook for a marine biology class.

Pathways to Manhood offers a realistic and useful tool for understanding young Black males in their search for identity. How should a teacher respond to a "tough guy" so a potentially violent encounter does not escalate? How should a parent nurture a "together guy" to help him develop into a strong young male with high autonomy? How should a police officer deal with a young Black male who is into drugs and conning? Pathways to Manhood offers a wonderful model for identifying the "strategic styles" used by young people, especially Black males, and for fostering positive styles and diminishing the negative styles. This book is great for school systems, juvenile justice and corrections workers, and anyone else who is trying to understand and cope with young males who are, as the author says, struggling for identity in a confusing world.

Pathways to Manhood offers a realistic and useful tool for understanding young Black males in their search for identity. How should a teacher respond to a "tough guy" so a potentially violent encounter does not escalate? How should a parent nurture a "together guy" to help him develop into a strong young male with high autonomy? How should a police officer deal with a young Black male who is into drugs and conning? Pathways to Manhood offers a wonderful model for identifying the "strategic styles" used by young people, especially Black males, and for fostering positive styles and diminishing the negative styles. This book is great for school systems, juvenile justice and corrections workers, and anyone else who is trying to understand and cope with young males who are, as the author says, struggling for identity in a confusing world.

As a homeschooling family, we are always looking for a book that is both educational and fun. This series has all of the aspects needed to make history fun for kids. My son ended up with most of the books. Anything having to do with our nation's gov, presidents and such was always a draw for him and these books kept him interested! He has now passed his collection down to his little sister.

This book was my daughter's all time favorite. It is easy to read and provides an introduction to the childhood of this famous American. This book is fiction, allthough based on fact, and is fast paced, exciting reading for your 7-10 year old. We have purchased all the titles by this author!

I'm always looking for new places to try, while at the same time don't want to get burned on a meal/restaurant that isn't great. That's why the PG 2008 guide is fantastic.

This guide has recommendations on restaurants and their specialties. So you always know what to order when you get there.

In ME, decent pizza is hard to find. I checked the Pizza Great Ate, and Regina's is at the top. Regina's is worth the trip. So I know if this book recommends Regina's, then I'm gonna really enjoy all the other recommendations, too.

I'm looking forward to trying more Great Ates. This is a book to keep with you so you can always find a great meal.

I just picked up this book and already, I'm hungry.
Separated by location, category and all time favorites, I have so many new places I want to try. Keep it in your purse or car whenever you leave the house. Reviews on great stuff like burgers, french fries, subs not just the posh restaurants. I love it and can't wait to start trying this stuff.

This is a very nice book about Paul Revere that's appropriate for elementary aged children. Besides covering the war for our nation's independence, one of the nice things that it accomplishes is a more human depiction of Paul. It talks about his two marriages and the 16 children that resulted. It also emphasizes that Paul was constantly working to learn new crafts and skills in order to support his family. There are descriptions and pictures not only of his school days, but also of some interesting kid-friendly trivia, like the fact that Paul once sold a woman a chain for her pet squirrel.

Five Stars. All in all this is a very good biography. The artwork is colorful and interesting, and there are enough fun details about Revere's life that children should find the book engaging. Very young children will likely need to have the wars and politics explained to them.

Reading Level: Fifth Grade (5.3)

This picture book is an excellent resource for children of any grade level. The book gives an excellent portrayal of Paul Revere through the years. It really focuses on him as a person and the contributions he made to his family and to his country. The pictures are an excellent resource for ELD students as well as all students. I found this book to be very accurate, yet simplistic.

This compendium aptly captures the essence of the Pioneer Valley. Its ingredients conspire to give the uninitiated reader a "sense of place" of the area I knew growing up.

The short stories are fascinating looks into the "upper valley" mindset. It's a place where Emily Dickinson's poems mix in easily with a farmer recalling a harvest. Anyone considering moving to Hampshire and Franklin counties would benefit from the cultural sampling contained therein.

The area covered in this book truly is "New England's Heartland" and it is done surprising justice between the pages.

As the author, I wanted to take the opportunity to describe the contents of The Pioneer Valley Reader. The Pioneer Valley is the Connecticut River Valley in Massachusetts. Its rich history and distinct culture is told through 100 prose and poetry selections. Read such Pioneer Valley writers as Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, Sylvia Plath, Henry James, Leo Durocher, Timothy Leary, Pulitzer Prize winners Tracy Kidder and Madeleine Blais, John McPhee, Larry O'Brien, Joseph Brodsky, Calvin Coolidge, and Frederick Douglass. This book is a key to understanding the "Heartland" of New England.

This is a marvelous guide book. We intended to visit Plymouth on our vacation this year but did not make it. However, we plan to take this book with us when we go next year. Dr. Jehle goes through all the signifcant sites at Plymouth and takes you through the history (the real history, not the revisionist, politically correct nonesense that passes for history today) of that site/monument in detail. He acknowledges the contributions of both the Pilgrims and the native peoples and highlights the strong faith of our founders as well as that of many of those in the native population. I highly recommend this, especially if you want to teach your children the history of our founding.

This is an easy-to-read booklet for those off the beaten tourist path with an interest in history and philosophy/christianity.
The second half is devoted to what is probably Plymouth's best kept secret: The Forefathers' Monument, a beautiful and impressive 81 ft. granite statue overlooking the town, which none of my friends had ever heard of. The monument artistically and philosophically depicts five main figures (Faith, Morality, Law, Education and Liberty), several smaller figures connected to the five larger ones and scenes of the history of the plantation. The worldview of the pilgrims and the citizens of the last century are explained through the interdependency and rich symbolism of the five figures of the monument: No liberty without education, no education without law, No law without morality, no morality without faith - an abbreviated version.
The first half of the book is devoted to the history of the pilgrims and their settlement. Through personal accounts of 400 years ago, it brings to life the persecution, the aspirations and struggles of these pioneers, upon which our country was built. It gives brief descriptions of various monuments and other sights worth seeing and puts them into the historical context of the settlement.
It made our return visit to Plymouth exceedingly rich.

Portrait of a Port is a remarkable collection of photographs covering the Boston waterfront in the days of sail. Whether you are a model maker, historian, or sailor, you will appreciate this amazing collection of photographs. A minimal, but entirely sufficient text explains the photographs, but the real content lies within the photos. There are coasting schooners, clippers, catboats and barges. There are fishermen and fishcarts, docks and shipyards, riggers and sailors. Get a magnifying glass because the detail locked within these lovely old black and white photos is stunning. The collection captures a time long gone.

I met Mr Bunting in Jaffrey, NH during the time he was compiling Old photos. Any lover of the nautical scene will love this book.It covers the port of Boston from 1852 to 1914 .A wonderful picture every other page with very knowlegeble discourse on the facing page. From the Thomas W Lawson the only 7 masted scooner ever built to the masts named sfter the days of the week to the lowly but wonderful narrow gauge ferry from East Boston to Boston. I rode this ferry many times as a child.

This is a book you will never toss out.