Northwest Books

From 1955 to 1957, Boise, Idaho, was caught in the grip of a full-blown Gay panic that made national headlines and gave Idaho's judicial system a black eye. This study of the panic, published in 1965, is both of its time and decades ahead of it. Gerassi brilliantly dissects the (chiefly economic) motives of people involved in promoting and prosecuting the scandal. He also displays a sharp eye for character and incidental detail.

A must-read for anyone interested in GLBT history, and also a classic piece of investigative journalism, Gerassi's book is an astonishing piece of work. (Neil Miller covers a similar scandal in Sioux City, IA, with the somewhat inferior _Sex Crime Panic_.)

The Boys of Boise is one of those books that anyone interested in understanding the issues besetting those living an alternative lifestyle must read.

John Gerassi writes an editorial history of a series of politically motivated arrests and harrassments of those in the homosexual community in Boise, Idaho in 1955. Gerassi writes from a mid-1960s perspective in the midst of the sexual revolution looking back on a different perspective when homosexuality was even less accepted than it was in the 1960s.

The book explores several issues as they impacted a prosecution of a given portion of the homosexual population: community politics, the input and influence of a religous community (in Boise - the LDS), the role of the popular local press, a grab for power by those outside the main community power structure, the role of law enforcement and the courts.

Why is this book a must read for understanding issues facing those living alternative lifestyles today? The events covered could happen in any community today - to those who are exploring poly relationships, BDSM, and Gor - as well as to those who continue to simply live within the Gay community. There are laws on our books in each state and locale that could be discriminatively enforced to bring problems to individuals or groups - in violation of protections they believe they have under the Bill of Rights.

The only possible negative in the book - and for some it is not a negative - is the amount of space devoted to reproducing the entirety of court dialogs and certain other primary sources. While I personally enjoyed having the sources there - other historians would prefer they be relegated to either appendices or simply referenced and summarized. It should be noted that when Gerassi wrote this book - he was a reporter/editor for a news periodical rather than a university professor.

The book definitely belongs in the library of scholars devoted to Urban studies, gay studies, the sociology of alternative lifestyles and the like.

It was easy to purchase and came quickly. I am very satisfied with the book!

Now in an expanded and updated second edition, Building A Knowledge Base In Reading is knowledgeably compiled and effectively co-authored by Jane Braunger (Senior Research Associate at the Strategic Literacy Initiative/WestEd in Oakland, CA) and Jan Patricia Lewis (the School of Education at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA). This completely "user-friendly" exploration is a highly researched study of children's comprehension and understanding of the curriculum and general education they receive. Introducing the reader to the implications granted to all students at every level, teacher resources for the translation of particulars into the classroom practice and summaries of the research presented in each chapter to help with putting together the ideas, Building A Knowledge Base In Reading acts a not only an outstanding guide and curriculum development resource, but a truly indispensable companion recommended to all novice classroom teachers struggling with addressing their students literacy needs and how best to approach the teaching process with respect to reading instruction.

This Book is of unusual interest to me because forty and more years ago I did a lot of surveying in the mythical State of Jefferson. North of the 42nd parallel I had to live with the work described by Kay Atwood.

The political environment surrounding this initial survey work on the Willamette Meridian was news to me. I must say that the Surveyors General for the Oregon Territory met these challenges much better than the General Land Office south of the 42nd parallel some 20 and more years later.

I would have been interested in some of the details of the surveying at that time. Atwood describes the sun compass used by these original surveyors and has an illustration of a magnetic compass. How were the two instruments utilized during periods of rain and overcast? How did Butler Ives know when he reached the 42nd parallel, the territorial boundary?

As part of the story of the original land survey, Atwood includes considerable local history. For me, this was a most enjoyable read.

Chaining Oregon: Surveying the Public Lands of the Pacific Northwest, 1851-1855 is a scholarly, in-depth history of the early federal surveyors of the Pacific Northwest, who labored for the US General Land Office between 1851 and 1855, and the impact their work had on America's overall work to settle the valleys and mountains of what would eventually become the states of Oregon and Washington. A handful of black-and-white images, including reproductions of early surveyor maps, enhance this amazing look into the lives and struggles of these unsung pioneers. Highly recommended, especially for college library American History shelves.

Bill Gulick gives a command performance in this book of the Nez Perce Indians. He depicts the life and times of these Indians so clearly...from the time they befriended the Lewis and Clark Expedition in September of 1805 and the years to follow, including all the historical documentation leading up to the plight of Chief Joseph and hundreds of his people into exile. The story doesn't stop here either. He also documents what happened after the famous 1877 Battle of Bear's Paw in Montana and how they were all sent off to reservations in Kansas and Oklahoma, soon to be subjected to other hardships. I would highly recommend this book to those interested in this part of America's past. Mr.Gulick indeed did his homework!

An all-around fantastic book. This is the 11th book I have read on the subject of the Nez Perce people (please see my Listmania!) and this one impressed me as much as any of them, in some ways even more so.

The pre-war history is covered very thoroughly and the author manages to present it in a way that was as good as any I have read. The war and flight period as well as the post-war period are treated rather lightly, but still the reading was superb and all the major events are given adequate attention.

The final chapter, titled "The Nez Perce Today", was excellent and unique in that the author describes some of the challenges that the Nez Perce currently face and which we all, as Americans, are involved in. One of the most important of those challenges is the problem of declining salmon runs and the rapid deterioration of the Columbia River watershed.

One thing I especially appreciated about this book was the generous use of first-hand accounts to tell much of the story. The author did an excellent job of finding the best historical records and inserting appropriate accounts and quotes in just the right places.

However, more than anything else, what truly makes this book special and unique is the vast number of photographs that are included throughout. Most of them are pictures I have never seen before. The painting on the front cover is also especially appealing as it depicts several horseback-mounted Nez Perce (including leaders Joseph, Ollokot, and Looking Glass) on the shore of their beloved Lake Wallowa. Beautiful!

What I enjoy about Claire Rudolf Murhpy's works,are how she picks a unique viewpoint of a place. As with her Children of Alcatraz, this book allows you to look into a land where you normally see it from an adults point-of-view. Children of all ages will enjoy reading this book and learning about the 49th state.

This is an excellent book for children and adults to learn more about Alaska. It is beautifully photographed. We lived in Fairbanks, AK for 19 years! We gave it as a Christmas gift to our family members. Well cone.

Mr. Jackson did excellent research for this book. I have numerous ancestors mentioned in the book and even had a picture of one that I had never seen before. Anyone interested in the history of the Western Mt, Idaho and Eastern WA area, will need to read this book. I hope that the Author publishes more material from his research.

From the book, I found out that the Metis of the Pacific Northwest formed many communities in that area. My great-grandparents were born in Walla Walla, WA. and we were told that they were French- Canadian and "Black Irish". I read that in Walla Walla, is where they founded communities and that they hid there ancestry and called themselves French-Canadian. So, on reading this, I found out that the missing part to my full heritage was actually a mixture of French and Native American Indian. I owe a great gratitude to Mr. Jackson. Thank-you!!! Sean

This is a fun read filled with good quality photographs. Though I wish it were longer and more specific about the children's schooling and future plans.

This is a great book to explore and examine the wonderful native Alaska culture! A must for Alaskan teachers!

We bought this book for our seven-year-old son who is interested in foxes. He loves it! And what a surprise, when we read this sweet story of a fox family who makes their home on the outskirts of a city cemetery, that we love this book just as much as he does. We were pleased that it tells of the roles of both the mother fox and the father fox in caring for the kits.
The many photos are excellent and there is even a useful two-page section of "Red Fox Facts" in the back.
This book also rates high with us for overall quality: thick glossy pages, tightly-bound and printed on acid-free paper in Canada.
We highly recommend this wonderful story. It would be a welcome addition to any home library or a perfect gift for any young (or slightly older) animal lover.

This book absolutely touched my heart and soul. The true story of foxes living in a cemetary will touch all your emotions. If you love wild life, buy this one.

Finally, a comprehensive guidebook to the corals of Hawai'i. This book provides a fantastic resource for everyone from coral taxonomists to marine biology students to tourists. It provides excellent background material in the first few sections, a user-friendly Coral Directory, species photos and descriptions, and 15 pages of taxonomic notes. Together these features provide a great educational tool and clear, informative reading for everyone regardless of expertise level. No longer does the student of Hawaiian corals need to pick through obscure scientific reports and invertebrate tomes to cobble together information. Plus the research reflected in the taxonomic notes appears to contribute important advances in classification of corals in Hawai'i. Of equal importance, the text and photos are entertaining. Very nicely done.

What a pleasure it is to see this book. This must be THE definitive guide to the corals of Hawai'i. Clearly laid out, with lucid descriptions of the corals that are as valuable scientifically to the expert coral taxonomist as they are accessible to the novice enthusiast, this book is set to become the handbook that all divers and snorkellers in Hawai'ian waters will want to carry with them. Hawai'i is special : it is "far enough north and east to only have about sixty-six species of hard corals, compared to over five hundred in the Philippines, Indonesia and New Guinea", so the book is laid out to help divers learn the most commonly seen corals first. Learn the five corals you are most likely to meet and the rest becomes easier. The Coral Directory sets out the dominant and common species so that divers can get to grips with those first, progressing to the uncommon and rare. The photographs are clear and page references in the Coral Directory lead you straight to the detailed information about that coral in the body of the book. It just couldn't be easier!

This book is a reflection of the enthusiasm that Dr Fenner has for his subject and his talent as a teacher to convey that enthusiasm to his students.

The star of this book is its art. From the rugged visions of Charles Russell's paintings to vintage photographs and advertisements to Hollywood stills, each image sparks interest and draws the reader into the accompanying text.

Arranged loosely by chronology, Cowboy takes the reader on a ride through the Old West, beginning with the "birth of the American cowboy" in the latter part of the 19th century. The format, as its name suggests, is reminiscent of an old-time album (think Time-Life profile book), successfully blending both research exposition and interesting trivia throughout. A wide range of topics are touched on, from clothes and language to the law and outlaws, and all types of media are used to illustrate the text. For example, a section of cowboy "uniform" includes a reproduction of a stereoscope card depicting a cowboy on a horse; a Stetson hat advertisement, a pen-and-ink drawing of a man in long-johns, and many vintage photographs, including one colorized to illustrate the impact cowboys continue to have on American fashion even today (al la Levi Strauss). One complete section is dedicated to how Hollywood has perpetuated and even shaped our vision of the brooding, mysterious cowboy; and a brief final chapter addresses the life of modern-day cattle ranch cowboys. Cowboy offers a wonderful overview of its subject, and is an excellent resource for both research and entertainment.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's a book with only about 100 pages but it very informative and fun. It tells the story of the birth of the Cowboy to Cowboys today and the New Old West. It is packed full of interesting pictures. I have this book on my coffee table and have given this book as a gift to several of my friends who enjoy rodeo and the cowboy way of life. I highly recommend it.