E Books

I have the previous edition of "the pink book", and knowledge has advanced in these species such that I desperately needed the new edition. An excellent text that is a must have if you see small mammal patients.

As a ferret owner, you have the responsibility to know what diseases or cancers your ferret could get, and for making sure they get the proper treatment as soon as possible. Early diagnosis is the key. This is one of the best books you will find and it's more than worth the money invested. Every ferret owner should have a personal copy. Check with your vet to see if they have a copy as well, this is an awesome Christmas present. Read! Highlight! Consult! Together, you can extend the life of your ferret.

This is that kind of book , that helps you to increase your knowledgement.
For every veterinary and student who work with Ferrets, Rabbits, or Rodents.

This book is the absolute best resource on the medicine of these species. The book is easy to follow and find specific information as necessary. Most illustrations are quite useful, although in black and white. The book is organized mostly by taxonomic groups. However, the book seems to repeat itself in some chapters as well as in different chapters, and sometimes, finding information may be indexed in more than one place only to find that they are all quite similar pieces of information. I HIGHLY reccomend this book, and its is the best amount of informtion at a very affordable price.

I got this book so I can better understand what the heck the vet was telling me about two of my ferrets. It is a reall good resouce for pet owners to learn more about the different medical conditions that will come up with owning a ferret. However, be warned!.... This book explains thing in terminology that a vet or a vet tech will understand. It is not a book for the average person per se, but it did help me ask the right questions and to be better informed. One vet I talked to uses this book as a reference quite often. I enjoyed going through this book and it was very educational.

The book arrived well within the promised delivery date. And the condition of the product surpassed the description given. Great quality and service. I'll not hesitate to use the service again. Thanks!

This book is like a workbook to the 1st Fools Crow book. It has changed my life and assisted on the spiritual path that I am walking. I am sure it will help anyone who reads it with an open spirit, heart, and mind.

For those who have read Fools Crow by Thomas E Mails should follow up with this book. If you have not read it I would sertainly do so as a companian to this book. Timeless Wisdom from the Old Lakota Holy Man that anyone can bennefit from the power of these teachings.

For a person interested in American Indian Medicine People, this Book, and it's companion book - Fools Crow, ISBN 0-8032-8174-9, will
read as a Treasure of insight, clarity, simplicity & wonder. This reviewer has been reading books on this subject for more than 40 years, and these 2 books are true Treasures of this world view. Fools Crow is magnificant.

Fools Crow Wisdom and Power is interesting in that the memoir is an account of a Sioux "holy" man. Yet, Fools Crow's holiness is not consistent. He has some good ideas about general spirituality but this is more of a plea for the Native American movement.
I read it for a graduate class in religion but was disappointed.

What a delicious book! From the juicy pomegranate art on the cover to the final writing prompt, this book is a feast for women writers. Structured around the growing cycle--seeds, roots, trunk, branches, leaves, buds, flowers, fruit, and seeds again--each section begins and ends with a meditation centered on a particular fruit that will provoke a new level of sensual writing for participants. As much a celebration of life in the body as it is a writing guide, it offers a fresh and succulent approach to what can become a rote exercise for those who journal a great deal.

Gayle Brandeis is an award-winning author and poet with a gift for choosing poems and quotes which insist on a response from the reader. When I pick up this book and thumb through it, I HAVE to write! If the poems don't get you, then her questions or examples from her own life will. For instance, this poem by Marge Piercy, followed by Brandeis' prompts:


In her bottled up is a woman peppery as curry,
a yam of a woman of butter and brass,
compounded of acid and sweet like a pineapple,
like a hand grenade set to explode,
like goldenrod ready to bloom.

What woman is bottled up inside of you? What woman is ready to explode or bloom under your skin? Write from the voice of the woman who simmers inside you, the woman who hasn't been fully born, fully released yet. What does this woman want to tell you? How can you help her find her way into the world?"

Have you grabbed a pen and notebook yet? This distinctive, unique approach to journal writing is bound to jolt you out of your complacency and drudgery--and you will never look at fruit the same way again! Let Gayle have the last words, from the final paragraph of her juicy book: "What seedlings are sprouting inside you? Let them grow; continue to nourish them as they push their way into the light. Keep listening to your own inner impulses. Let yourself be witness to your own gorgeous unfolding."

Indeed.

by Carolyn Blankenship
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

I was given this book as a gift several months ago - and it's languished on my Bookshelf of the Unread. I picked it up 2 days ago, read it, and figuratively ate it up. Very much a woman writer's book, Fruitflesh uses the growing cycles of flowers and fruits as metaphors for the structure of writing, a unique approach that will appeal to those of us who struggle with the writing muse each and every day. As in other books for writers, yes, there are writing exercises, and yes, there is advice, but here's the difference: Brandeis offers lush and bountiful suggestions for medications that will help bring to fruition the prose we KNOW we have within us. This book is designed to help us find the true sources of our creativity
It's a feast, and halfway through Fruitflesh, you can almost feel the juice of a peach running down your chin.
Excellent. It's easy to see that the author is also a poet.

Collected poems from diverse writers celebrate deep connections between body and earth. The common thread here is imagery concerning fruit, in all of its seasons. With suggestions and writing prompts, and meditations on the nature of imagination and growth, this volume is a welcome companion to the writer's life. Seeds of Inspiration for anyone, not only female, who wants to explore connections to earth's cycles and elements. Recommended as a resource for teachers at all grade levels (adapt examples to your student's level).

I bought this book because I had read some great reviews about it on another web site. Truth be told, I am not even much of a writer - I am a mixed-media artist and visual journaler. The book sat on my bookshelf for a month and a half, waiting it's turn in my reading queue. I started to read this book last night and could hardly put it down. I was hooked by the introduction alone! I rarely can finish an introduction much less will I pull out a highlighter to mark drops of wisdom found in the beginning pages. The language is engaging, poetic and very visual - as a visual artist this is probably a huge part of the appeal to me. If you are a writer, an artist or a woman - I really recommend that you put out the $16 for this book - it is worth every penny and more!

Unlike many writing books that offer random topics and one-liners to inspire your creativity, Fruitflesh takes your mind into your own life, mind and body from the perspective of a fruit -- organic, raw, growing, changing. On days when I think there is nothing to write about, I open Fruitflesh. If I don't find something new in myself to explore, I at least find a new way of seeing the writing process and how my life is very much connected with it. Fruitflesh sits on my writing desk, constantly waiting to be thumbed through and explored.

'Get Content. Get Customers.' is a business book page-turner, which, in and of itself is a rarity these days. An easy to follow guide to content marketing that is invaluable for both the content marketing novice and expert alike.

'Get Content. Get Customers' is a must-read for custom content agencies and consumer marketers who already employ a content strategy - and those that aspire to do so. Any marketer today will gain terrific insight about the current, seismic shift in how media and content is created, delivered and absorbed in the early 21st century by reading this book.

Timely information throughout, well organized and very efficiently done.
Kudos to Pulizzi and Barrett.

This book is a must-have for traditional marketers looking to get more value from their marketing efforts, contemporary marketers in pursuit of successful execution of new mktg applications like Social Media Marketing, and the SMART marketers who are integrating both for their own organizations and/or clients. The concept is highly relevant, presented well and uses great case studies. I have yet to put my copy down.

Anyone who wants to take their company to the next level by gaining hightened exposure to their target market, Get Content.Get Marketing. is their newest, simplest tool! Bravo to Mr. Barrett and Mr. Pulizzi for tying opportunities together on the ever changing electronic highway. This book is fun, easy to read, easy to digest and best of all, easy to implement.

The way we reach our customers is evolving daily and whether you own a small business or a large corporation, there's no longer a reason to say, "I have a great product or service, but how do I let people know about it?" Read the book!

Most contemporary business books should be in the humor genre as far as small business owners are concerned. Not Get Content Get Customers, this slim book deserves your roughest treatment. Mark it up, dog ear it, spill coffee on it, and tear through it. If there was one book you could keep out of your competitors' hands, this would be the one.
With traditional media becoming less effective, and almost all our new clients telling us they looked at our Website (HopeHealth.com) before calling us -- it was time to re-think our marketing from top to bottom. Get Content Get Customers is a step-by-step "get er done" guide to making your business visible to anyone who may be interested enough to search for your ilk.
Once the rules of the road are established, the case studies are invaluable. No theories here. It's all real world, tested advice. It's clear Pulizzi and Barrett, the authors, believe in Content Marketing because the subject matter is delivered with passion, and makes for an interesting and "relevant" read.
This advice is easy-to-follow, and easy to implement. Garden variety websites, enhanced with free downloadable software are all you need. Then only your creativity is the limit to how effective your content marketing will be. Highly recommended!

"Get Content. Get Customers." is well thought out, easy to read and highly relevant. While the title might lead one to believe that it's all about the web, the book effectively ties together all elements of modern-day marketing and links them to the spinal column of the internet.

I am amazed that in a field changing as quickly as modern marketing that the authors have been able to get much information into the book that is this timely. I found easy to follow-constructs, timely examples and dozens of items which will lead me to do additional research and continue learning.

I picked up this book by chance at my library and once I started it I couldn't put it down. It's a great fun and easy read and I finished it in a few days on my beach vacation. It had the right mix of romance, friendship, family, fun, and teaching woes!

Carol Snow has a great sense of humor and has a promising career ahead of her. This book is much better that the typical "chick lit" that's out there about shopping, shoes and sex. Fun story about some 20-something women who get into trouble after telling lies to guys at happy hour. Very sweet and funny.

I loved, loved, LOVED this book. Laugh out loud funny! Once I picked up this book I couldn't put it down.

There's a bit of Natalie in most of us. I love Carol Snow!

Although it's fairly predictable, this book is a delightful read and I found it hard to put down. Once again, Carol Snow has created a main character that many women can relate to - a smart, more-or-less motivated gal on a career path she's not all that sure about, who tells an innocent lie that could end up costing her a shot at true love. Although much of the tale is pretty predictable, some pleasant surprises are planted here and there. A really fun jaunt.

I picked this book up at a Virgin Megastore when I was on my honeymoon and couldn't put it down. The characters are well developed and the dialogue is witty and hilarious at times. As a teacher, I could empathize with Natalie's day-to-day life. She spends most of her free time grading papers and trying to figure out whether she even wants to be a teacher. Her interactions and margarita nights with her colleagues illustrate how every new teacher gets through it. Natalie tries to balance her job, a new love interest who has a skewed view of who she is, and tries to keep a student from falling through the cracks. This is a great, quick read! I just bought Carol Snow's first book and can't wait to get started!

I very good book. Very comprehensive and a big change from all the other golfing books!!

Train smart guys! This manual is fantastic. If you're gonna train, you should seriously take this into consideration, at least as a template. The bread and butter is the fact that he addresses postural distortions and biomechanical tests, which I can say 80% of the trainers in the US don't do.

the book came as represented very new wonderful condition and timely; but with a 30% discount which was hard to find elsewhere

If you golf or train golfers this book is a must. Hands down the best most complete book on golf conditioning on the market today.

The Fitness Professional will find themselves refering to this book ever so often as it covers all areas from the reason why one should be conditioned for this sport to flexibility tests, the importance of stretching and how to warm up for golf (- an area most often skipped by golf enthusiats) functional exercise (- and the importance of it) strength & power exercises. An important aspect is also that exercises should be progressed from flexibility to stability to strength and finally power to enhance performance and be injury free. The diagrams are excellent for convincing and explaining to clients. Infact the concepts in this book has carry over to any other sport that requires you to move as an integrated whole!!

Invaluable guide to the turning year from the grandmother of womens' spirituality in the U.S. Includes several holidays from ancient traditions for every month of the year, and offers beautiful rituals that honor the earth. Simple rites that anyone can do alone or with friends. I've used mine so much it's falling apart, finding inspiration in the coldest winter, in the hottest summer, plus lots of little-known facts about the origin of holidays.

It is not a book that you have to read cover to cover in that order but a seasonal book that gives you ideas to incorporate into your own personal practice.

I have studied the wiccan path for a number of years on my own but only recently have been fortunate to have the guidance of an excellent teacher who recommended this book. I have enjoyed what this book has added to my teachings and to my everyday activities.

Z Budapest is the founding mother of the women's spirituality movement. Her Dianic craft is a lovely religious tradition which teaches us harmony with nature and human beings. Her book became an instant classic. Please treat yourself to this work.

A very special book, that gives ideas for feasts and holidays through the year. Every month begins with a Goddess who tells the story of that month, and then the days of the month follow with feast for all kinds of Goddesses. The nice part of this book is that there are so many different feasts and Goddesses, everyone can find a Goddess of her liking here.
The only thing that I can say against this book is that sometimes the historical information is not correct, due to Budapest's overwhelming feminism, that gets a bit irritating after a while.

Religion is not something passed on by genetics - it's not unheard of to be at odds with the religion of your ancestors. "Growing Up in Mama's Club: A Childhood Perspective of Jehovah's Witnesses" is Richard E. Kelly's look at growing up as a Jehovah's Witness, a practice that he quickly began to put himself at odds with as his own intellectual status grew - his own objections to their practices. A thought provoking look at family when religion splits them, "Growing Up in Mama's Club: A Childhood Perspective of Jehovah's Witnesses" is highly recommended to both religion and memoir collections.

Richard E.Kelly's novel was an eye opener. After teaching grade school for many years, I now realize how JW children's belief system works. His book has answered many questions that I wondered about over my teaching career. This is a pertinent novel for everyone to read but would really help school staffs. Not only is this true story an educational journey, but it presents real spirit needed to rise above dire circumstances. My book club has chosen Richard's novel to read next year. His study questions will be a great help in discussing this inspiring piece of literature.
Joyce Hodges- preschool and kindergarten teacher for 36 years.

"Who can it be knocking at my door?
Go 'way, don't come 'round here no more.
Can't you see that it's late at night?
I'm very tired, and I'm not feeling right.
All I wish is to be alone;
Stay away, don't you invade my home."

(Lyrics by Men At Work)

Easily recognizable by their tracts and immaculate appearance, Jehovah's Witnesses have been going door to door for decades, spreading religious dogma, doing their bit to share their interpretation of the bible, and looking for converts.

For obvious reasons this isn't the easiest task in the world, and when you consider that this is all done on a voluntary basis, ( in the sense that you don't get paid) it becomes even more remarkable that people would be motivated to rise to the challenge.

To quote British comedian Tommy Cooper:

"The recruitment consultant asked me 'What do you think of voluntary work?' I said 'I wouldn't do it if you paid me.'"

This book offers insights into "The Club" through the eyes of a young man whose mother fully embraced JW doctrine, and found the spiritual guidance that she was desperately seeking at that time of her life. Naturally, his mother expected her family to join her on the path to eternal life in Heaven, and despite early resistance, she succeeded in converting her husband, and together they set the rules for their children.

Young Dickie was an unwilling participant, quickly concluding that something seemed wrong with some of the rules and beliefs, which would sometimes change drastically depending on the Club president at the time. Mainly to please his mother, he remained with the Club for sixteen years, abiding by the strange rules for the most part, participating in the long and frequent Club meetings at the Kingdom Hall and performing his door-to-door duties. At the same time he found himself leading a double life, as he never fully embraced the teachings of the Club and wished to lead a more normal life.

Despite having his parents' religious beliefs forced upon him, he managed to make the best of it, becoming an accomplished public speaker and perfecting his interpersonal skills. He also formed his own opinions on "the truth" as preached by Club members, and observed how some rules seemed not to apply to the upper levels of the hierarchy.

From this book, the reader will have a better understanding of this controversial religious group, the administrative structure and its influence over its members. Well written, easy to read, humorous in places and shocking in others, anyone considering joining JW or any similar group should read this before making a final decision.



Amanda Richards, May 5, 2008

This well-written story of one man's experience growing up as a Jehovah's Witness reads like a novel while informing like a scholarly paper. The work by this former Bethelite has unusually good descriptions of those involved, which bring the story to life and help the reader become involved in the plot.

The most valuable feature of the book is it effectively conveys what it is like to grow up and be an active Jehovah's Witness. Both the good and bad are related with candor--and much of each exists, as Kelly documents. One point made clear is that many good people exist in the Watchtower movement.

An especially revealing section describes how Kelly's father, once an active opposer, became a Witness, effectively showing why and how someone would become involved in an organization that many people consider a deviant cult. It also shows the problem of using untrained persons, such as Kelly's father, as mental health diagnosticians and therapists, a role forced on them as elders. A point that came through in almost every chapter was the Watchtower teaching that the end of this world and the promise of the new was upon us, and we should live like Armageddon will be here tomorrow or sooner. This is the history of every Witness who lived in the 1950s and 1960s.

This story is told with insightful understanding, even compassion, not bitterness as is common among people who were reared as Witnesses. As an ex-Witness, I could relate to Mama's Club as Kelly's experience parallels mine. I too endured the conflicts and tragic effects at school and home over the restrictive treatment of holidays, conflicts that are unnecessary and reminiscent of the prohibitions in the Torah, such as prohibiting cutting fingernails on the Sabbath unless the torn nail is bleeding.

A recent Pew survey of 35,000 Americans found Jehovah's Witnesses "had the lowest retention rate of any religious tradition" in America, lower then Catholics, Jews, and all other religions. Kelly's excellent book helps readers understand why this religion loses so many members, and, on the other hand, what attracts people to it and why they stay in spite of the problems in the organization.

Jerry Bergman, Ph.D., MSBS, L.P.C.C.

I am always interested in reading works where an author shares their lives, and opens their hearts to others. In this book by author, Richard E. Kelly, we travel with him as he grows up in the faith of Jehovah's Witness religion. Richard shares the story of his mother's first encounter with this religion and how she began her quest to bring all of her family members into her faith.
Openly, he tells of the inward struggles he went through as a child, and a young adult. He is frank and honest in his writing, giving respect to his mother, yet freely revealing his own inward battles.
The story is at times sad, other times humorous, but always intriguing as you walk the road with Richard. Often, no matter what faith ones parents maybe, we all must follow our own hearts and make our own decisions. To follow something only to please someone else is never satisfying to one's Spiritual existance. Richard's words, that are definitely from his heart, will bring release to many as they themselves walk towards their own choices of faith.
Very well done, a work I feel will be of value to many.

I was given this book by the author, who is my cousin. He is an extraordenery person but I was stunned by the quality of his writing and the subject matter. This book missed winning a pulitzer and has not been made into a movie because of technical problems. His Mexican friends do receive stipends but this tragically underrated masterpiece and the gut-wrenching stories of those prostitutes need more exposure.
I started by reading this book's sequel, "The Zone of Tolerence" (Red Light District), while David was visiting for a family reunion, so I asked he and his wife, Cindy several questions. She is the railroadman's daughter he became engaged to in this book. They later visited his prostitue and other types of friends mentioned in both books. Cindy was surprised that characters were real and that these bizarre tales were true. The Stuarts were not blessed with children so Lupita was David's only brush with fatherhood. David and Cindy have taken in strays from the University of Mexico. Foreign and domestic students drop out of colleges all over the county but because of this couple's compassion, many in New Mexico have been helped back on track by free rent and encouragement. Cindy was also trained in Archaeology but became a university administrator. Her doctoral thesis researches why students drop out and how a university can prevent this loss of talent and increase the certification of potential taxpayers. In my opinion it was fortunate that David did not marry Marta, the prostitute, or Iliana, the waitress made pregnant by another man. Judge this question for yourself while these books return you to that magical time of lust-fired first love and clouded judgement.
I agree with the other reviewers. David acted in a way that later triggered catastrophic conquences. I acted the same way in the states but, in a location where people are barely surviving, small mistakes can push kids over the edge. Not having a 911 emergency system killed Lupita, not David. Ditto for the the victims of the auto accidents-- moaning while the police stole their luggage.
What you also don't know is that David was assaulted and almost killed before he made his escape out of Ecuador. His notes were written in uncoded English so they could be read by the American educated elite who were doing the exploitation he was documenting. For starters, the peasents were sold with the land and a landowner's first rites with Indian brides was enforced. The horse rolling over him was another problem. While riding over the mountains on a mule train, Indian women would try and trade or sell their babies for food. David could not purchase food for these children because the packed food was for other starving people. Giving the women this food would only encourage them to try and escape the mountains and die on the way down. "No babies", was the non-negotiable rule of the mule skinners. This book is titled, "The Ecuador Effect", University of New Mexico Press.
These two books about Mexico now serve as a documentary of what Mexico was like before drugs poisoned and altered its social fabric. The only other book that changed my attitude was "The Corner" by David Simon and Edward Burns which chronicles the lives of addicts on one drug corner of Baltimore. If you readers need a manicured happy ending without warts, best stick with boy-meets-girl fluff fiction. Pain-on-page is real life. I feel it is my duty to read these types of non-fiction books, even if there is little, or no chance of improvement. Books, like the ones I have mentioned, are not a part of American, light-impact, popular culture. Is that why our problems rarely get solved?

This is a genuine can't put it down and hope it never finishes, wonderfully intelligent, joyful, intense, sad, emotional, laugh out loud book. This is one of a very few books that I'll ever read a 2nd time - and a 3rd ... We came to San Carlos (15 miles from Guaymas) in 2005 and loved the area so much we are building a house here. We go to Guaymas several times a week and it's surely changed since the author's Chronicle days - but it's still a lovely little city. This is a true story - and that's why the characters and situations ring so true. Much recommended.
Note - the titles are a little confusing but there is another "Guaymas Chronicles" book - the 2nd "half" of the story - Guaymas Chronicles - Zone of Tolerance.

As a chronicle, I would say the book is written exceptionally well. If it were a work of fiction, I would say the author failed to generate sympathy for the main character, himself. Because the chronicle is written so well, it may seem you are reading a fictional account that doesn't quite measure up. It is what it is. An exceptional recanting of a true story.

I won't give any spoilers but this was a great book, full of emotions and well written.

Stuart's book is at once touching, funny, and heart breaking. It tells the story of his life in Guaymas, Mexico in 1970 and how his life was changed with the influance of a scruffy street urchin who he made his Mansasera. Although only 10 years old, she knew more about 'la movida' (the moves' than he ever expected. Together they enter busdiness and manage to 'do things for people'. Together with an assorment of other colourful characters, Stuarts portrait of life in Guaymas is one of those books that is contagious - buy it and get one for a friend.

The day I heard this book was out, I bought it. The Bents were influential men in the Colorado, New Mexico region, but it is not because of who they were that I use the work influential, it was what they did and who they used to achieve social control. They worked with Kit Carson, Charles St. Vrain and were central to taking most of the Southwest from Mexico. For some of us this was not good and we live with those contradictions today. Read this book. Do not give it away or lend it out. You will not get it back. This text is about power and control, who had it and who did not. It adds to my own work dedicated to telling the truth from a minority perspective. Few know the William Bent children became Dog Soldiers and fought American colonization. These authors have done a great job and a great service to those of us dedicated to telling the truth. Look at my work on Hispanics, Chicanos and women The Feminization of Racism: Promoting World Peace in America and
Researching Chicano Communities: Social-Historical, Physical, Psychological, and Spiritual Space

The true story of the mixed blood George Bent is far more exciting than most fiction novels. The authors do an outstanding job of giving George the credit and recognition he deserves. Clearly George Bent, Chyenne raised and white school educated, had a never ending challange fitting into either world. His trials and tribulations are vividly portrayed in this book.
Review by Will Davis- Author of "Bell County Bushwhackers"

George Bent was truly one-of-a-kind. Born the son of a wealthy and prominent White trader and a beautiful Cheyenne woman in 1843, he was raised half-White and half-Cheyenne. He was educated in the White man's world and served in the Confederate Army, but became a Cheyenne warrior when his tribe went to war with the United States, participating in 27 war parties. He later worked as an interpreter and a broker -- not always a good one -- between the Whites and the Cheyennes. Perhaps his more important role came late in life when he served as an informant to the historians and ethnologists studying the Cheyennes. That they are among the best documented, most admired and studied of all Indian tribes is largely attributable to Bent.

The authors have done an outstanding job in compiling the story of George Bent. This is a scholarly, well-researched, well-documented, book that is complex but reads easily and tells a fascinating tale of a man between two worlds and comfortable in neither. The characters of Western legend appear in the book: Kit Carson, Wild Bill Hickock, George Custer, Phil Sheridan, and Buffalo Bill. Desperate forgotten battles between the Cheyennes and their White enemies are recalled and described. Perhaps the most interesting chapters of all describe the relationship between Bent and the scholars -- Hyde, Mooney, and Grinnell -- who used him as a resource to write their books. Bent had a burning interest in assuring that the story of the Cheyenne was recorded and remembered. He succeeded.

"Halfbreed" is a sad book as it describes the destruction by disease and war and massacre of a people and of Bent's own efforts to survive in a world that collapses around him. I don't know of any other book that delves so deeply and movingly into the world of the halfbreed. Bent deserves the recognition this book accords him almost a century after his death on the Cheyenne Reservation in Oklahoma.

Smallchief

This is a brilliant study of George Bent, the son of William Bent and Owl Woman, a physical union of the American settler and the American Indian in the west during the 19th century. He was not necessarily a central figure but nevertheless is emblematic of an entire era. In a time when we have few sources and fewer books regarding the progeny of Indian-european unions, this serves as an important and fascinating book that looks into the two worlds and momentous events of Bent's life. He lived among those great men of the American west such as Buffulo Bill and Kit Carson as well as witnessed the destruction of the native-American way of life. As a dog soldier, or elite warrior, of the Cheyennes he saw the massacre of Black Kettle's people and the subsequent war between whites and Indians on the plains. He later lived to serve as translator to the slowly defeated tribes and ended his days as a teacher at an Indian school, witness to the passing of an era. This is a well written book that reads like fiction but serves as an important testimony. A fascinating story that anyone will enjoy but should truly be read by anyone who enjoys the American West in all its flavor.

Seth J. Frantzman

When I moved to Santa Fe in 1983, I became fascinated with the history of this area and all things related to the Santa Fe trail. David Lavender wrote a great book on Bent's Fort that has always been a favorite of mine. Bent's Fort is a "living museum" in south eastern Colorado that is really worth visiting. When my friend loaned me his copy of Halfbreed, I was so impressed with its insight and easy reading that I bought two copies and sent one to another friend to enjoy (he did). I've read it three times now and will enjoy it again. I was moved by the authors' sensitivity of a true unsung hero who tried his best to preserve his knowledge of the Cheyenne oral traditions before they were forever lost. I will one day soon travel to the village of Colony, Oklahoma and visit his grave sight to pay homage to a great man that through this book, I have come to know and honor. I recomend this book for all who are looking for a good book to read.