Washington Books

Reading this book you start to feel like you can predict what Kurin will say when faced with different situations. This is not a bad thing. What I mean is, you learn how he looks at his job as an anthropologist/ethnographer/broker of culture. The discussions of how the visiting teams and the American hosts had to overcome assumptions and produce accurate, honest, sensitive cultural events for the Smithsonian is really fascinating. We love Kurin from his first chapter (Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief) through the freedom he allows the Festival of India performers to transform the festival, into his head-butting with Soviet beaurocrats, and right to his conclusion when he discusses the future-- globalism, tourism, indigenous products, culture policy and more. Kurin is doing amazing work and I am thankful he found time to write this book and let us know about it.

This book includes interesting essays on ways that cultural traditions are brokered in public programs and within academic research. The case studies are especially interesting and provide excellent ideas about major issues involved in coordinating public events. The chapters on the state of anthropology, the controversy over the Enola Gay exhibit, and the future development of public programs are especially strong. The writing will be useful to coordinators of events that display history, folklife, and culture to audiences, and the book will also appeal to anyone who attends festivals, concerts, museum exhibits, and other presentations of culture.

I didn't know what to expect when I picked this up. I have to say that I found a diamond in the rough. You never know when you take a chance to read a work by an author you don't know. I heard of Mr. Washington's book through a friend. I have now thanked that friend tremendously!

Refrigerator Poetry is such a fun read. It seemed to me that Mr. Washington just let it all hang out. He had a poem for just about everything thing. My favorite "shelfs" of the book had to be everyDay pt.1 and everyDay pt.2 because there was a little bit of everything in there to think about. Some of my favorite poems in those sections were "down yonder", "fronts", "changes", "metro", and various haikus.

I have to say that Mr. Washington is a professional wordsmith who knows how to shape even the shortest poem into the biggest picture you could imagine. I never thought that a book filled with short poems would make such an impact on me.

I highly recommend this to all poetry lovers

whitty and insightful, funny, soulful, crisp and new An innovative book of poetry that evokes different feelings and perspectives out of each person who reads it

This book does an excellent job at letting each of the contributors share her personal journey of faith in an unbiased and non-judgmental forum. I particularly enjoyed the interview with Yvonne Conte. Having attended many of Yvonne's professional motivational seminars, it is refreshing to realize that being spiritual does not cancel out humor, fun, and forward thinking. Remarkable faith is available to all who desire it.

Women of the world you will feel "remarkable" once you read this "remarkable" book! I am especially motivated with Chapter 6, Rheba Washington-Lindsey's testimony. The lady is truly highly favored with God. She will inspire and motivate you to such a high plane of life that you will feel "remarkable" after reading her personal and positive message. She reveals her innermost feelings as she walks with faith. Read the complete book and experience a "remarkable" journey with all the "remarkable" women of faith.

Richland, Wa is an area that is nestled in the beautiful Columbia basin and boasts some of our nations best rolling hills, rivers, and wildlife. Also known as the Tri-Cities, (including the areas of Richland, WA and Pasco, WA)this area is home to the Hanford nuclear reservation plant, and is 20 minutes away from the Oregon border. With Portland, OR 3.5 hours away, and Seattle 4, this cheaper cost of living, low crime, and a total area population of over 300,000 makes this area a fantastic place to live and to raise your family. Median house prices average at about $130,000. A must visit!

I grew up in Richland during the era that Beth Gibson so wonderfully chronicles in this book. The memories come flooding back. Well written, well documented... wonderful photo collection. Now... fifty years later... I produce the http://NightTalker.com program and we will be featuring this book on our show. Highly recommended for anyone looking for insights on this unique and intriguing little town.

As one who rode a bus hundreds of miles to participate in the civil rights March on Washington, I find that children's author Gwenyth Swain captures the mood of the day as I remember it.

Swain takes us on the journey as seen through the eyes of a young girl not yet old enough to fully understand the purpose of the long journey from a small Midwestern town to the nation's capital.

Small incidents along the way remind us that we have moved a long way from the rigid constraints of racial segregation that held both races in communal bondage for much too long a time.
T
he book also shows how our children absorb the actions of their parents. The special events of our childhood affect the rest of our lives. If we expect our children to be an improvement on ourselves we must set the path for them.

Artist David Geister beautifully and accurately captures both the trials of the journey and the mood of times and especially the day. Young readers will benefit from this accurate portrayal of this young girl's journey in which she became a participant in a significant moment of change in the history of our country. It is a journey none of us should forget.

Gwenyth Swain's new picture book "Riding to Washington" (isbn #1585363247) is for ages 4 - UP THROUGH ADULTS. It is a poignant and colorful nudge to my memory of that time - 45 years ago - when the author's father and my father and our local pastor went by bus from Indianapolis to be part of Martin Luther King's MARCH ON WASHINGTON.

Swain's story is one often categorized nowadays as "a slice of Life" - a 'slim' story some will say, but that makes the impact greater. Perceptive teachers can share this in a setting where discussion is encouraged. Upper primary students are often reluctant to select large-format books but do respond to the spoken word when the voice is expressive and entertaining.

Sometimes just one 'leading question' about Dr. King, or how CHANGE is brought about, will provoke discussions that leave permanent imprints. If a teacher can preserve a moment in history for today's students the 'ripple effect' may result in actions that are truly lasting memorials on Martin Luther King Day.

Congratulations to David Geister who has painted a beautiful and very convincing portrait of 1963. Thank you, Gwenyth Swain, for your compelling tale from those momentous times. Also helpful is a follow-up article in the April 2008 issue of "Cobblestone" magazine.

"Riding to Washington" is one more very attractive book from Michigan's Sleeping Bear Press, who publish another favorite, "Legend of the Petoskey Stone" (isbn # 1585362174). Reviewer mcHaiku suggests you take a thoughtful Ride to Washington, and then stretch your brain(s) by following the enticing links on the author's web page.

Rip Van Winkle is a story of an regular man that came in contact with some irregular people that would change his life forever. It all started out one day when Rip decided to go hunting with his dog. Up to this point in his search for freedom, he had lived a sleepy and uneventfull life with two kids and a wife. He was always trying to get out of work and find a way out of doing everything. One day he gets fed up with his life and finds himself out in the woods hunting;There he gets asked by a strange man to carry a keg to a nine pin party. Also during this party he ends up getting drunk and finds himself dosing off to sleep. When he finally wakes up he has a long white beard and twenty years older! He had fallen asleep for twenty years and found that he was now old, grey and still alive. At this point in the story he goes back to the village where he had lived for so long and finds that his wife and friends had all passed away and had left him. He also finds that his daughter got married and was raising a family. She sees him one day and recognizes him to be the man that was once her father. At this point in Rip's life, all he wants to do is settle down and he is satisified to become the village story teller to all who would hear his tales. This is a tale of suspense and just plain old good reading for all ages. It was written many years ago and could speak to all people of all ages and races. I would recomend this book to anyone from my Grandfather to the Queen of England.

Washington Irving's (1783-1859) claim to fame is as a pioneer of American fiction, and he is widely recognized as the "father of American literature." The book that especially propelled him to fame was "The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent." which contained his two most famous fantasy stories - "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" - both of which are contained in this collection.

But it is not merely his ground-breaking efforts that garnered him literary recognition, because Irving's stories are at the same time characterized by charming and colourful prose befitting a skilled writer. The stories in this collection (the "Puffin Classics" series) are an excellent sampling of his craft. It's not always easy reading - in fact many of these stories would be too dense even for older children. His vocabulary is extensive, and sentences structure verbose and lengthy - a style rather unlike that employed by contemporary writers. But despite this, Irving demonstrates a wonderful command of the English language, and has the ability to create a vivid picture of his setting, characters and events. Particularly delightful is the attention he devotes to describing his characters. And yet his stories are far from mere character portraits - they are exciting and enchanting tales that make the reader eager to find out the outcome.

"Rip Van Winkle" has gained the status of a classic, and is familiar to most children, but likely few have read Irving's original. It breathes an authenticity and air not found in the contemporary abridged versions of the story. Irving presents his tale as the alleged discovered manuscript (complete with postscript) of the late Diedrich Knickerbocker. The delightful story of Rip Van Winkle - who fell asleep in the Catskill mountains after drinking a mysterious brew acquired from some strange little men, and then awoke 20 years later - will continue to please readers old and new. In the course of the story, Irving makes a profound social comment about the changes happening in his America. "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is renowned for its chilling tale of the Headless Horseman, and is a Halloween favorite. Actually, however, it is much more than that. It is not so much a spooky tale of a legendary village ghost as it is a colourful tale about two rival suitors. Ichabod Crane is a simple school teacher who is in love with Katrina Van Tassel, and equally in love with the estates of her father, a wealthy Dutch farmer. His counter-part is the powerful local hero Bram Bones, whose affections for Katrina mirror those of Ichabod Crane, and who is determined to put an end to the affections of underdog Crane by a mysterious and elaborate trickery. As is evident also in his other stories, it is particularly fascinating how Irving exploits the supernatural superstitions of the popular mind to create a sense of mystery and fear, but himself gives a naturalist explanation that rises above such popular notions by explaining the supernatural with natural events.

Though lesser known, the other three stories in the "Puffin Classics" collection are equally enjoyable. "The Spectre Bridegroom" is one of the most fascinating tales in the collection. A young man is mistaken for a bridegroom and received into the castle of a wealthy baron as the husband of the baron's daughter. But before the marriage can be consummated, the bridegroom dashes off, and the baron's family hears shortly afterwards that he's been killed. But then who appears again except the bridegroom - or is it his ghost? - to steal his bride and vanish once more! In the end, it is a satisfying tale more of brilliant scheming than of ghosts - although the fearful superstitions of the general public about the supernatural play an important role in the effective execution of these schemes. "The Pride of the Village" is the tragic tale of a young lady whose heart pines in love for an army officer who has deserted her, only to die at his feet when he returns. "Mountjoy" is a wonderful study of an apparently incurable romantic, described by Irving as a "Castle-Builder". When Mr. Mountjoy discovers a delicate footprint on a sandy shore, his passion for metaphysics, creativity and romance leads him to dream up an imaginary beautiful young maiden, and he promptly fall passionately in love with the nymph of his dreams. The air castle he builds and its accompanying romanticism is crushed numerous times, even drowned, but each time is renewed and revived, just when it seems that "the cobweb romance I had been spinning" would be demolished completely. In the end Mr. Mountjoy meets the girl of his dreams, only to discover that his air castles need to be reshaped once more, and in the end, destroyed completely.

Readers used to the easy diet of modern fiction will find the pioneering work of Washington Irving rather tough to chew on. But those who delight in tasting words, biting on imaginative characters and settings, with a few sips of suspense and supernatural in the process, will discover that Washington Irving's stories are just the literary serving they are renowned to be: a classic. Irving won't please all children of the modern era. But children of literature who have acquired a fine literary taste will find that despite the heightened language of his time, Irving is still digestible and enjoyable.

This is a highly readable and engaging book on the topic, covering the history of abortion laws from early 1800s to the Clinton years. To explain the legal shifts throughout those 200 years, the authors describe the social, political, religious and scientific forces that have lead up to each turning point, and how those shifts in turn have influenced further shifts in a seemingly never ending chain. They do so by presenting the various sides of the debate in an even-handed and concise manner, without losing depth on the one hand and without getting bogged down with technicalities on the other. What I found of particular interest was the behind-the-scenes debates of the Justices both in Griswold v. Connecticut and in Roe v. Wade that shed light on their final decision.

One of many controversial Supreme court cases in the United States is the case of Roe v Wade. Norma McCourvey was a 23 year old pregnant divorced women. Norma took on the name of Jane Roe to secure her identity infont of the public. Roe lived in the state of Texas. She wanted to terminate her pregnancy the only obstacle was that with in the state of Texas a women was not allowed to have an abortion unless her life depended on it.Roe was pregnant from an affair she had which caused her marriage to fail. Roe took the case to the Supreme court alleging that her rights were being violated and that under the amendments 1,4 9 and 14 she had a choice. The attorneys who would carry on this case were two young women named Sarh Weddington adn Linda Coffee. Both had recently graduated from the University of Texas. Sarah at the time was also pregnant,but would go on and have the child. Attorney Henry Wade was force with the decision to allow Norma nad other women to have an abortion. Two years after the case was presented the court decided that in fact a womens right to choose on what to do with her body was hers and nobody else.
I would reccomend this book to everyone who is interested in politics. Due to the fact that no matter how someone feels towards a certain topic you may never know what your decision might be. I might one day become a lawyer and reading this book opened my eyes ;to realize that I can not allow my morals and beliefs to get in the way of my profession. I would also reccomend this book to anyone who has strong feelings on whether abortion should be legal or not. Finally I just enjoyed this book because although abortion is a very controversial topic it is also one a very easy book to read and comprehend.

The secrets are out! Thierry has lifted the curtain on the magic show he runs at his Seattle restaurant. Rover's Restaurant has and does define the superlative in Seattle and I think even transcends the category. Every detail is superb and the dining is an prix fixe experience. With this cookbook, now you can try and try to replicate the delicate and wonderful flavors in your own kitchen. Although the recipes are complex, they are also simple and not too intimidating (or is that wishful thinking). The steps to each dish are well explained and the preparation tips and ideas are very helpful. I also appreciate a lot of the substitution ideas that can accelerate the process. I expect to apply the techniques I am learning on other recipes too.

As you will find in the description, the menu is a combination of French continental together with various influences from around the world.

I am only through about 1/2 the recipes so far and I am extemely pleased. This book is well written and enjoyable to read. I think it would make an excellent gift to yourself. You will be gratified and proud to create any of these dishes and be very pleased to consume them! Get this before your friends do!

Please also note a typesetting error on page 169. Go ahead and see if you detect the missing ingredient in the Pinot Noir Sorbet. It needs 3/4 cup of sugar.

Ever since I first dined at Rover's, 12 years ago, it has been my favorite restaurant, and the yardstick by which I measure all other restaurants. The food, the presentation, the imagination, the service, the ambiance, the wine, and the personalities all combine for an experience that, time after time, reaches perfection. With that in mind, I have been eagerly awaiting the publication of this book to find out how the Chef in the Hat does it, and how I can try to duplicate it at home.

Thierry and Cynthia have been able to capture the essence of Rover's in this beautiful book, with a list of recipes that is both intriguing and enticing, without creating a "This was done by a trained professional, and should not be attempted at home," coffee table book (as so often is the case from well known chefs). There are amazing recipes here that can be prepared in a home kitchen, with outstanding results. The reason for this is that Thierry has suggestions about de-intimidating the recipes. He gives you suggestions for options from the full blown recipe to less demanding preparations, with more common ingredients. He acknowledges that the home chef does not have an army of minions and an unlimited pantry saying, "I'd rather have you cook the recipe and enjoy it without garnish, rather than have you panic about shrimp roe and chervil sprigs!" But, oh, what wonderful results!

The book is also a pleasure to read, as Thierry's charisma, humor and touching recollections about home and family add considerable warmth and charm, much like his visits to the tables do at Rover's.

This book will sit on my shelf, alongside books from Charlie Trotter's, the French Laundry, and Jean-Louis. The difference is that within a few months it will not look new, like the others do. Instead, I expect that it will look like my copy of Julia Child's, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, with a broken spine and loose and spattered pages, from frequent use.

Although this book is geared to teaching younger elementary students about the Revolutionary War, the cartoon-style pictures may be appropriate for older elementary. By using a song, with words that teach the events of the war, children have a different vehicle for learning the information.

This whole series of fun songs about American History by Michael Dahl are great! My 3 year old daughter loves them as much as my 5 year old son. Since they love to sing, they learn the words very quickly and sing them OFTEN. But, it is very rewarding when we are reading another book about Washington crossing the Delaware and my son remembers that it was Christmas and that they were fighting the British!

Santa Fe will be 400 years old next year, and this beautifully illustrated and written book was issued in commemoration of its rich history.

There are eleven chapters, nine dealing with various historical eras in the city's history: high desert living before the formation of the city, the founding, the Pueblo Revolt, the Spanish Restoration, 25 years as a Mexican town, the U.S. occupation, the Santa Fe Trail, the Palace of Governors and a history of histories of the city. Each chapter is written by a recognized expert in the area, and each is illustrated with many black and white images.

Two chapters were particularly interesting to me. "Españols, Castas, y Labradores" by Adrian H. Bustamante is a very careful analysis of the the complex mixing and cross mixing of different ethnic backgrounds. "One's social position was determined by the degree of pureza de sangre española that flowed in one's veins. To have been born in Spain, especially in Castile, gave one the highest classification possible -- penninsular." Pure españoles who had been born in the New World had the marginally lower status of Criollos (Creoles)." The book lists on page 54 (you may be able to retrieve a copy through the Amazon Search this Book function) 22 separate "castas" typical of the 18th century: mestizo, castizo, otrna a español, mulato, morisco, etc.

Tara M. Plewa's "Acequia Agriculture" is a beautifully written, fact laden discussion of water, irrigation and their defining roles in Santa Fe's history. "Long established Spanish irrigation methods translated well to the dry landscape. The practice of irrigation necessitated establishing rules so that benefits were divided equitably among users. As I. G. Clark has written in his insightful book, Water in New Mexico: A History of Its Management and Use, Spaniards had centuries before learned irrigation techniques from the Romans and, later, Islamic water law from the Moors. It was the Prophet Mohammed who had taught about the law of thirst, which grants living things free access to all waters to satisfy their needs. ... These ideas, established more than one thousand years ago, form the foundations of contemporary water laws followed in the western United States today." Plewa illustrated her essay with a number of maps, pictures and charts, perhaps the most interesting two photographs of the Acequia Madre from 1890 and 2007, respectively -- the principles of Mohammed in practice many hundreds of years after his death.

The publisher offers a very generous extract from the book at sarpress.sarweb.org , focusing on the archeological studies of the city.

Two weeks ago I asked the owner of Collected Works, a great bookstore in Santa Fe for the "essential" books needed to understand Santa Fe. Her list: New Mexico: An Interpretive History by Marc Simmons; Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya; The Wind Leaves No Shadow by Ruth Laughlin; The House at Otowi Bridge: The Story of Edith Warner and Los Alamos by Peggy Pond Church; and Santa Fe, History of an Ancient City: Revised and Expanded Edition edited by David Grant Noble.

This wonderful volume is a perfect introduction of this complex, endlessly fascinating city.

Robert C. Ross 2008

The chapter edited by Tara Plewa remains one of the most enlightened discourses on the Santa Fe River that I have ever read. Plewa is a brilliant writer, with a knack for detailing this area and its history is an unparalleled manner... this one is not to be missed, and be on the lookout for anything that Plewa writes!