Warren Books

I think of the Loon as the state bird of Minnesota, which it is, so the idea that it makes its way to the frozen North makes sense since I live in the frozen South. This volume in the Native American Legends series tells the story of Ka-ha-si, an Eskimo boy who lived with his mother in s small hunting village near the sea but who spends all of the day asleep by his lamp. Then one morning, before the sun was up, he was awakened by a beautiful black bird with white speckles on its back. The Loon had brought him a message from Ka-ha-si's grandfather. But first Ka-ha-si must do things to make himself strong for when his grandfather calls for him.

When a season of hunger comes to the village, the Loon tells Ka-ha-si to help his people. The other villagers doubt that the boy they call Lazy One can do what the best hunters cannot, but he surprises them, not once, but twice. Several more times the Loon awakens Ka-ha-si to tell him of a crisis that is affecting his people, and each time Ka-ha-si rises to the challenge. Finally the day comes when the Loon takes Ka-ha-si to his grandfather, and we learn why Ka-ha-si is known as the Strong One.

Of course, I like that at the end of this story the legendary figure of Ka-ha-si has an obvious corresponding figure from classical mythology, and hopefully young readers will pick up on the similarity. I am not sure if "Ka-ha-si and the Loon: An Eskimo Legend" provides an explanation for the way things are that many myths do, but it is still an entertaining tale. Then in the back of the book there is a look at the Eskimo culture, with maps and photographs (the latter coming mostly from the Smithsonian Institution and the University of Washington Special Collections Division) covering their homeland, people, food, clothing, and shelter. This section also talks about the Eskimos today, with a list of important dates, and a glossary of terms from "caribou" to "umiak."

The watercolor illustrations by Reasoner show the variety in style and color of the parkas worn by the Eskimos. One of the strengths of this series is how it combines stories that are fairly detailed and complex with information on the history and customs of the Native Americans from which the story comes, which makes it stand out from other similar series. Other volumes in the Native American Legends series by Cohlene and Reasoner includes "Clamshell Boy: A Makah Legend," "Dancing Drum: A Cherokee Legend," "Little Firefly: An Algonquian Legend," and "Quillworker: A Cheyenne Legend."

This is a great book for beginning 7-Card Stud players. I got it because I wanted to learn Razz. Many people think Razz is easy, but it's not easy to be good at it. My game has improved simply by following the Razz advice in this book. If you're a beginner who knows very little about Razz or 7-Card Stud in general, then you'll like this book. It's very simple and straight-forward. There are a lot of examples and the book is enjoyable to read. Advanced players probably won't learn anything new, but new players will benefit from reading the book.

Kepelino was a Hawaiian man born around 1830. He was schooled by Catholic missionaries, traveled to Tahiti in 1847 to open a mission, and became a prolific contributor to Catholic newspapers and Hawaiian language newspapers. He also sided with Queen Emma in her fight for the Hawaiian throne; this effort had him jailed and sentenced to hang for treason (the first person so sentenced).

He was eventually pardoned, and died in 1878.

At one point in his life he sat down with his missionary friends and dictated his recollections of life, legends, and customs as a Hawaiian. This volume, in English and Hawaiian, is that compilation.

Some tidbits:

"Special persons called 'Poe-o-kahi-kapu' attended to the private parts of a chief when he was ill and of the chiefess during her menstruating period. They alone had the right to do this service, no one else. If another stepped into the position he would be put to death. This was a post handed down in a family" (p. 130).

"The commoners comprise only those people who have no chiefly blood. A chief is known by his name. This is a peculiarity of Hawaii. The name of a chief is tabu and cannot be given to a commoner or he would die. Hence the chiefs are distinguished by their names from the commoners and the commoners from the chiefs. This is a custom peculiar to Hawaii. Among the white people names are not significant, but to the Hawaiian the name is important. Many are the strange things to be learned about Hawaii. However diligently the foreigner seeks he cannot find out all. He gets a fragment here and there and goes home. A heap of absurdities is all he has to show from great Hawaii" (p. 142).

"There are many ways of planting taro. One way is called 'prodding,' another 'steering', another 'covering', another 'mounding', another 'stopping up', another 'leaf filling'" (p. 152; they are described in turn).

"There were many kinds of dances in Hawaii: There was the chest-slapping dance, the dance in which time was beaten with sticks, the dance with marionettes, and so on. All these things were sinful. Eyes, hands, feet and body ensnared the onlooker. The dance taught the young people to sin. he who had known no wrong would quickly learn it in the dance. There was no dance, not a single chant of Hawaii, that was not filthy. Hawaiian chants were all bad, even the name chants. They were all filthy. But the calling chants and some of the genealogical chants of gods and chiefs contained no double meanings, and the ancestral chants were almost free of them. All the rest of the chants were made by Lucifer" (p. 164, 166).

"Kane, Lono, Kanaloa were the Gods who made Heaven and Earth. These three Gods were one in their nature as God, that is, a very holy One-God-in-three, 'Akua-kahi-kolu.' Before them there was no Heaven and no Earth. ...They saw the light and the darkness and they were good. ...They said, 'Let us make a man, a being like ourselves, knowing all things.' ...They said, 'Let us make women to be a companion for the man, to bear seed for the broad earth.' ...They ceased making the earth and blessed it. This was the sixth period" (p. 174, 176, 178; written by G. M. Keone and T. C. Polikapa and included as appendix).

Clearly, it is difficult to tell what was truly Hawaiian and what was a "missionary Hawaiian" interpretation. That there is a European influence on Kepelino's window to his world I have no doubt. The notes on dancing are a good example. However, I would assume the farming notes are more accurate.

Giving the absolute and radical decimation of the Hawaiian race and its customs throughout the late 18th and all the 19th centuries, even Kepelino is missing information.

In a forward written by Noelani Arista, Arista stated "Kepelino's position within that changing tradition cannot be understood without considering the different kinds of education and training he received and the particular ways in which these influenced his intellectual production" (p. ix). I agree.

Arista also noted "While foreign missionaries expressed an urgent interest in preserving Hawaiian traditions, which they believed would soon be lost as a result of the decline of the Hawaiian population, some of the same missionaries tried to radically change, and even destroy the very traditions that they had asked the Hawaiian historians to commit to writing" (p. x). I see this as well.

Finally, the original translator of this work, Martha Warren Beckwith, wrote in 1931 that "...we must accept this record for what it is worth, an attempt by a Hawaiian of exceptional inheritance and training to explain the beliefs and traditions of the past as they had been handed down to those Hawaiians of his own time who interested themselves in these matters" (p. 7). She added, "Even those who demand more rigorous proof of the historical accuracy of the Kepelino manuscript as an exact replica of antiquity, may grant its value as the genuine thought about his own ancient heritage of a native Hawaiian who grew up during the stirring days of the missions and the monarchy in Hawaii" (p. 7).

But the evidence indicates a profound loss of Hawaiian cultural traditions within decades of the coming of whalers, European businessmen, and missionaries. Because of this, we depend on the accounts of Kepelino, Malo, and others to give us insight.

But this is almost the best we have, this glimpse into a Hawaiian life.

This is an excellent book to get a good overview of what mutual funds are and why they are such a good investment vehicle for many people. Written in a lively, engaging style, it lays out in brief chapters essential concepts in easy-to-understand language. While it is now dated, it is still a great place to start.

In any case, I'm revising the book right now. And I would welcome any comments. Warren Boroson

This colorful booklet deals well with its subject matter. The numerous pictures and interesting layout make it more appealing to children.

This booklet covers the Johnson family in Texas. It also shows pictures of Lyndon Johnson's birthplace, childhood home and the school he attended. The LBJ Ranch is pictured and described.

Ms. Warren gives the history of the Hill Country of Central Texas. The Indians, the early German settlers and the cattle drives to Kansas are described by the author.

The future President experienced life in various forms as a child. He listened to his grandfather tell stories of rugged 19th century Texas. Johnson listened to his father talk politics. And his mother would read poetry to him.

For fun he played baseball. For income he shined shoes.

This booklet provides a nice survey of the Texas Hill Country and LBJ's place in it.

The clinic I work at has this book, and it is amazing! It explains concepts in a way that you makes understand them, and more importantly, remember them. I love this book; I just hope someday I can afford to buy my own copy.

The descriptions of the trees are very in depth and give little interesting tidbits of info that are interesting. Wait till you read what Paper Birch was deemed as in 1929. I really recommend this book!!!!!

NOTED AUTHORS ROBERT DORR AND WARREN THOMPSON HAVE COMBINED THEIR CONSIDERABLE EXPERTISE AND RESOURCES INTO THIS SUPERIOR ACCOUNT OF THE WAR IN THE AIR OVER KOREA DURING THE EARLY 1950`S. OF THE EIGHTEEN BOOKS I`VE READ ON THIS SUBJECT (MY HOBBY IS SPEAKING TO CIVIC CLUBS AND HISTORY CLASSES ON THE AIR WAR IN KOREA),THIS BOOK IS THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE IN COVERING ALL SERVICE BRANCHES AND AIRCRAFT INVOLVED IN KOREA, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ROBERT FUTRELL`S 821 PAGE "UNITED STATES AIR FORCE IN KOREA." THOMPSON HAS INTERVIEWED MANY PARTICIPANTS IN THE KOREAN WAR AND BOTH AUTHORS HAVE INCLUDED MANY EXCELLENT PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THEIR EXTENSIVE COLLECTIONS. THE BOOK INCLUDES FOUR CHAPTERS, EACH BEING ONE YEAR OF THE KOREAN WAR YEARS. THIS STRICT CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER MAKES IT EASY FOR THE READER TO UNDERSTAND THE WAR AS IT HAPPENED. THIS IS A GREAT HISTORY BOOK.

Ladies, Start Your Engines... by Kimberly Raye: This is a very cute story about a car owner's daughter who fights back against her very dependent family's expectations that she work behind the scenes and act like a girly-girl by joining a rival team to do the hands-on mechanic work she loves (and is very talented at!). At times, I wanted to smack her father/brothers because their chauvanistic attitudes were so irritating - they had some gall to continue to ask her to do their promotional work after they had fired her! Although a very satisfying 100 pages, this would have made a great full length novel - I was left wanting to know more details about the New Year's Eve race, and there was lots of potential for the development of colorful secondary characters like Jaycee. This story shows that there is a place for women in promenent roles in this sport. And, the romance between Mac and Savannah sizzled off the pages, particularly during the Christmas Dance.

'Tis the Silly Season by Roxanne St. Claire: This magical story loosely reminded me of the very enjoyable Family Channel Christmas movie starring Roma Downey and Eric McCormick, where she and her daughter pose as his family to dispel his carefree bachelor image and convince a family-oriented man to enter into a buisness deal with him. In Roxanne St. Claire's NASCAR version of this storyline, kindhearted and hard-on-her-luck Lisa and her young sons find the Christmas spirit and the makings of true happiness as they work with NASCAR driver Clay to lure a toy company's sponsorship. I loved the kids in this story, and Lisa's loving/protective relationship with them! Clay was so very kind to them, and it was very heartwarming how his presence helped Lisa find healing from the tragic Christmas of her childhood. This story also gave an interesting glimpse into the delicacies of securing corporate sponsorship, something that the fan rarely considers beyond the colorful paint scheme and clever advertisements that sponsors add to the sport.

Unbreakable by Debra Webb This story gives an interesting glimpse into the physical and mental demands placed upon a NASCAR racer. Dr Maxine Gray is all-business and very aloof in her observations of Rush Jackson. Her assignment is to prove that NASCAR drivers are serious athletes, comparable to Olympic Gold Metalists. Rush fears getting involved with a woman will interfer with his focus on the track, but his warm and hospitable mother is determined to bring him and the doctor together. From a NASCAR fan perspective, I enjoyed this story and its detailed information on the athletics and training involved in the sport. However, as a romance novel, this relationship wasn't very convincing or exciting at all.