Wichita State University Books

The critical events and personalities of the civil rights movement weren't confined to the southern United States. As Gretchen Cassel Eick so ably demonstrates, Wichita, KS was itself a center of the struggle in the critical period from 1954 through 1972.
From a 1958 drugstore lunch counter sit-in that predated the more famous one in Greensboro, NC by two years, to agonizing struggles for school and housing desegregation, this mid-sized city far from the national headlines had all of the elements.
As reviewer Randy Bradbury said in the Wichita Eagle, "Gretchen Cassel Eick's book is a well-documented reminder that Kansas has been and is a place divided along racial lines, where opportunities differ depending on skin color."
Professor Eick creates a compelling narrative by weaving Wichita happenings in with those on the national level. So we see Wichita events in a context of changes in social beliefs, political leadership and even how they shaped and were shaped by infighting in the national leadership of the NAACP.
She also introduces us to a fascinating cast of activists at the center of the local struggle, a few of whom also played national roles.
The book works on two levels -- both as a narrative for the lay reader and as a well-documented study for academics.
As Bradbury wrote in his Wichita Eagle review, the book "must be considered an essential read for anyone interested in the history of race relations in Wichita or hoping for a foundation to begin understanding where those relations stand today. Additionally, however, the book is an exceelent primer on the national civil rights movement..."

This book is fantastic! Contains all of the history of Wichita State Shocker sports including football. Some great pictures and great stats, this book is a must for any Shocker fan!

Re-live all of the memories of the 1989 National Championship in baseball, the basketball final four in 1964, the elite 8 run in 1982, the Shockers football victory over Ku in 1982, the Battle of New Orleans victory over Ku in basketball etc.

All I have to say is, if your a die hard Shocker Fan this book is for you. All the stats and info you could ever dream of, my man Kirk Seminoff hooks you up with it. It's a Damn great reference and book for the true Shocker

I loved this book. One of the few history books I've read that I would describe as a page-turner. Loaded with interesting facts and characters while at the same time doing an excellent job of conveying the overall progression of the settlement of Western Kansas.

As a frequent reader of historical fiction and non-fiction, I found this book to be both enjoyable and informative. I learned a great deal about the cultural history of the individuals who attempted to settle this difficult land and how they interacted with the environment, the government and the Indians. I found the insights regarding life in a dugout or a sod house particularly interesting, and the enclosed historical jokes about certain Kansas towns and prairie insect pests made me laugh out loud. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about the truth of the "Wild, Wild West" of North America. Miner helps to dispell many of the myths.

This useful, albeit odd, frustrating, and confusing reference work for the ostensible purposes of finding "associated" words can be more disappointing than useful. Example (1): I was looking for the word "Eucharist" -- as if one could forget such a word -- but it does not exist in this "dictionary," not under "Holy Communion" not under "Mass not under "Eucharist." Perhaps a hundred years ago, this word might not roll off the tip of a reverse dictionary, but for more than sixty years it has been the preferred appellation for all these "other" associated words. Example (2): I was looking for the name of a particular "pathology," but no entry for the word "pathology" exists. I pondered a while, and then my own reverse brain suggested "disease," a viola, "disease" has a host of pathologies. But even "disease" does not suggest . . . .

Two "features" of this reverse dictionary are baffling. The "associated" words are in bold, but the associated word's definition PRECEDES the word. Okay, this is a reversed world. Worse, perhaps, is how the "associations" are determined. Alphabetically would have been my obvious choice, since words are words, however associated. Not here, readers. The "associations" are by the editors' "degree of proximity." Proximity to what, you ask? Proximity to THEIR degree of association of words without any one else's reasons. Besides being entirely "arbitrary" (if not a bit egocentric), how can such "proximities" be determined, and assuming some standard could be found, how could anyone communicate those standards to those who are already in a search for what they cannot speak, mention, or find?

Alas, I almost threw this book in the fireplace. If any of us thought "plot" might be associated with "story," we'd be wrong. If we thought "plot" might be associated with "narrative," we'd again be wrong. So what do these editors associate "plot" with? I'm serious: "machination, Machiavellian, wheel-and-deal, synopsis." At least the "Ms" are together, even if nothing else is. The irony, here, is that the first-three "tangents" make more sense than "synopsis." How does synopsis relate to plot, and why aren't story and narrative a part of the plot? Because the "plot" is reversed against the user too stupid to find the association in the first place, if you don't object to reading explication before what's being explicated, that is.

Still, all these odd features notwithstanding, this book is sometimes useful, despite itself. But between you, me, and OUP, I suggest Random House's "Word Menu." Not quite the same, but certainly far more useful.

The Oxford Reverse Dictionary converges on the elusive word you canft bring to mind or do not know. It letfs you take a round about route by applying a concept, or asking a question to find the word you want. For example you probably canft recall the name of Japanese acupuncture. I thought of puncturing the skin with needles, but neither puncturing nor needles got me very far but it did raise the question, what is it? A treatment, this entry led me to the keyword therapy: shiatsu. You canft do that either with dictionary or thesaurus. I wondered whether there was a word to describe the fear of number thirteen. Under the keyword fear: triskaidekaphobia.

The Oxford Reverse Dictionary groups words by subject-related keywords: for example organ, advertorial, kill, D notice, silly season, chequebook journalism can all be found under the keyword: newspaper. A helpful feature is the apt and succinct and right-on-target definition that precedes every word or phrase. Taking a word out of the above list for example silly season is defined as high summer, when there is a dearth of serious news.

Presented in the most ideal format yet compiled to find and learn new words. Keywords are in bold print to assist with going back and forth from text to monitor to notes so you get the information you need in the shortest and easiest fashion. The typeset, layout, choice of paper and heft of the ORD will soon make it familiar and comfortable and a word tool of choice of the student, writer, crossword buff and anyone whose business is words. - - This text refers to the Library Binding edition.

So often I'll have a word I need "on the tip of my tongue" and then it disappears. The Oxford Reverse Dictionary is a marvelous source for finding those elusive words. The other day I wanted the word for pig intestines used as food, so I looked under "pig" and there it was: "chitterlings." I find this an indispensable resource.

A very boring, boring book. I read anything I can get my hands on about the Kansas Cowtowns and their history. It was an exciting time in American and old west history. If you expect this book to add to that, you are mistaken.
The author almost starts the book at the time God created the earth, "And then there was Wichita" is how I would best put it. I really didn't care how the first Spanish found the land and the future French adventures into this unknown land. The title said "Cowtown Wichita and the Wild, Wicked West". By the time I am 2/3rds through the book and we finally get to 1860's and 70's. I have lost interest and it was very hard to finish the book.
I have an extensive library of western books and most in particular the era of the Kansas Cowtowns, the Law Enforcement Officers, GunFighters,and cattle drives of that period of Kansas history. I keep them with pride.
This book was donated to the local library in the hope that someone else might read it. I certainly will not again.

This is not your typical dime store western novelty book....although you'll find some very interesting stories held within. It's really a collection of excerpts from various journals and letters, brilliantly strung together by the author. If you're looking for fictional characterization of frontier Kansas...there are definitely better writers out there. This book is all about the history of Wichita and the importance of the city in the development of the West. I would challenge every history, or social studies teacher in Wichita to include this book in their curriculum....it's really that good! I found it a breeze to read and finished it in under a day of casual reading. The historical pictures and quotes from period letters and newspapers were of particular interest. If you live in Wichita....you must read this book!