Park University Books

Spotte reaches back to the artificial world of the last kings of France for a reference to what zoos are in danger of becoming in today's American postmodern culture: "a modernist collocation with the seventeenth century managerie at Versailles, a place where spectators gawk at beautiful and rare creatures, any debate over an epistemic link with Nature having been long forgotten." This is quite a turn for zoos, which were established to acquaint moderns with wildlife and its habitats and offer sites for the study and protection of wildlife by zoologists and other specialists to expand the public's appreciation of it and the understanding of the ecology of nature all life was involved in. But even zoos have become subject to the technological, largely media, forces and epistemological changes rendering virtually everything imagery and spectacle as recognized by the likes of McLuhan and Baudrillard. The only way to comprehend the zoos and other man-made animal habitats such as aquariums which continue to be a part of cities and towns is by semiotics, not the naturalism and idealism which were their founding motivations. For a zoo or aquarium to become a part of postmodern culture like its myriad other aspects "would involve forcing it into a configuration similar to film, narrative fiction, or art, and were that to happen captive animals might then become expendable, replaced by images or simulacrums," thus making wildlife and more broadly nature even more remote and seemingly redundant. The author has no answer for this dilemma of zoos, which he sees as modernist projects out of tune with the mentality and values of postmodernism. What he offers is mostly a cautionary note in the hope of keeping the zoos and their animals from drifting into a more precarious circumstance. Spotte is a prolific author who is a former curator or director at top U.S. aquariums. He writes from a concern for such places with respect to both the well-being of their animals and their value to society. But the work on this unexpected subject of zoos and such is also a unique work of cultural studies, and especially illuminating for this.

What an absolutely captivating story! I am somewhat familiar with stories from Japan or China, but I guess I am just oblivious to contemporary child-aimed Korean-inspired literature. What a horrible elementary school teacher I am. Anywho, I first heard about this book back in college in a children's lit class... but never bothered to read it until my little sister found it. She read it and recommended it to me.

And thus I was captivated by its gorgeous simplicity that made a truly inspiring fable as well as a piece of historical fiction.

The story follows the adventures of Tree-Ear, a young orphan who becomes the servant/apprentice of a master potter. Tree-Ear yearns to learn pottery, but his broken-hearted master refuses to teach. When Master Min is summoned to send samples of his work to the royal court, it is Tree-Ear's task to make the delivery.

This is a beautiful, inspiring story that touches on love as well as art. It brought tears to my eyes.

A Single Shard is an adventurous historical fiction that leads one boy's life to an adventure so great he will remember it forever. The boy's name is Tree-Ear and he is an orphan that lives with a man named Crane-Man. The village was Ch'ulp'o, Korea during the twelfth-century. He is barley surviving on scrapes of food under a bridge. He gets curious and accidentally breaks a potter named Min's pot. Then Tree-Ear has to work for Min for nine days. Later on after his work is finished he will work more, hoping to become a potter like Min. An emperor's assistant comes in hope of finding a great potter like Min. There is another potter who is just as great as Min and he is Kang. The theme is Tree-Ear trying to become a potter. The conflict is Tree-Ear's quest to become a potter. I liked this novel because it shows how live was in the twelfth-century at Korea. This is a great book for people who think History is a great genre.

I would recommend this book to all the people because this book has mixed emotions. In the beginning you feel sorry for tree-ear and crane-man because they live under a bridge and because their poor. And you are horrified when tree-ear gets BADLY injured. But towards the end you feel good for tree ear and what he accomplished. But their you go again you are sobbing,horrified to what has happedned to a certain someone death. But on the other hand you feel good about another persons death. IM not only saying that this is a good book to read im saying this is book that gets your hopes up,this is a book that gives you a little boost when your feeling down. Lat but not least this is a book that lets YOU express who YOU are . Thank You for letting me into your homes(computers) well unless you at work so that would mean thank you for letting me into your jobs anyway goodbye and dont forgett to buy this book unless you already have it. Well bye anyway.

The book a Single Shard, is a fiction book. It is about an orphan boy, named Tree-ear, who lives under a bridge in Ch'ulp'o, Korea. He lives with a man named Crane-man. One day, Tree-ear was walking and saw a potter working. When the potter Min left, the boy went over to the already made pottery. The boy was dreaming of creating works of art just like Min. Tree-ear was so caught up in his dream that he knocked over one of his pots. Tree-ear had to help the potter to catch up by collecting wood, for nine days in a row. After those long hard days, Tree-ear decides to work longer, hoping to become a potter. Min then gave Tree-ear the job of cutting clay. Min's wife is very kind to Tree-ear.For example she provided food for him and Crane-man. To thank her for her kindness, Tree-ear goes on a journey to give the king, Min's work. Tree-ear thought that the potters happiness would make her happy as well. Little does Tree-ear know, this journey is long and hard. This book shows the importance of family, Korean pottery, and adventure. I liked this book because it was nice how the potter and the boy come closer, from the beginning of the book to the end. I did not like this book because of what happened to Tree-ear on the mountain during his journey. Overall I thought this book was fantastic!

A Single Shard Book Review


In the book A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park, a young boy named Tree-ear lives with adopted father Crane-man, under a bridge. Later Tree-ear goes to work with a potter and has to travel a long distance. This book isn't really one of my favorites and I would not recommend it because it doesn't really have a climax or anything that is really interesting.
Since this book is in Korea where there is clay there has to be some potters. And since Tree-ear is an orphan and didn't have anywhere to go (besides the monks) he had to have a father, which turned out to be Crane-man. Also when Tree-ear broke Min's pot (a wonderful potter) he had to pay for it by working for him but then decided to keep on working for him. When people really respect each other, most of the time they would do something thoughtful, like Tree-ear did for Min's wife.
In the beginning of the book it was really boring and didn't really make any sense, but later it was kind of better. I think to improve this book the author could of used some humor through out the character and it would help people like it more. Also some of the characters were not really believable. Some of the were orphans that lived under a bridge with a crippled man with crutches. While I was reading this book I wasn't really interested on what was going to happen next. The reason why I was not interested was because there was no foreshadowing.
As a conclusion I sincerely don't think people should read this book. Some of my reasons are that it's really boring, no humor, wasn't really connected to the characters or the plot and it didn't have any interesting words.

An early environmentalist even before the term came into use. Ranks up there with Sand County Almanac and Silent Spring. A must read for those who care about the environment. Abbey predicted some of the water problems that now face the southwest.

This is my favorite book. I consider Abbey to be a hippie environmentalist--a sort of modern day Thoreau. The book will suck you in and you'll be wishing you could run off to Moab and have a beer with Abbey.

This is "classic Abbey" and his best work. What else can be said? This book should be on everyone's reading list whether you agree with Abbey on everything or not. I loved it. You will especially enjoy it if you have an affinity for deserts, the southwest, or Moab country.

Edward Abbey's book rings true and honest in ways that most books today can not match. He drives the wooden stake into the plastic heart of modern day America and yet you feel this author's big soul and the desert he loves with the passion some have only for religion or lust. It's my favorite book I have read the past year except for one other: Walking the Trail, One Man's Journey Along the Cherokee Trail of Tears, by Jerry Ellis. It's about his 900 mile walk along the Cherokee Trail of Tears and it's a rare mixture of nature writing, spiritual adventure and social commentary that grabs your heart and soul and pulls you by the hair across 8 states as he sleeps in woods and fields along the way and inspires almost everyone he meets to tell him their deepest secrets. Both books are MUST reads for people who love the earth and live itself as if they were going out of style. They are classics and will stand the test of Time.

Stumbled onto this in my late teens in the early 80s and never looked back. Abbey's extreme love of nature and his well-defended loathing of what we've done to our natural world add up to a real eye-opener for those, like me at 18, who haven't thought much about how great this place must have been before we got here.
Abbey's love of solitude and comfort in being in the middle of "nowhere" inspired me to seek out remote places and my life has been all the better for it. His irascible attitude towards government also strikes a strong chord, but the main joys here lie in Ed's awe and wonder at the magnificence of the canyons and mesas he happily lives with before the bulldozers and mindless tourists inevitably arrive. The bits about people driving in for a few minutes and then leaving after taking pictures are truly classic; Ed can be one of the most hilariously dry nature writers when the mood is upon him.
I've since read most all of Abbey but still think DS is his masterpiece.
This book should be in EVERY high school English curriculum.

This is hands down his best book. You cannot beat this through out any of his other books. I am a Martin Cruz Smith fan as I have read most of his books and I still continue to re-read this book.

This is, quite simply, the greatest novel of the last century. Not only is this a work of literary genius, the recorded reading by Henry Strozier is exceedingly well done.

Buy this, read it, read it once a year till you die.

Jon

The author introduces the reader to crime fighting in the USSR. In a land of subversion, and deceit, our hero is an earnest, truthful, and non malleable cop. The book captures the nuances of Soviet, and Russian humor. I was literally laughing out loud in the middle of a crime novel. It was fantastic. The characters are richly drawn, and tell the tales of living in the USSR at the height of the Cold War. I will certainly add him amongst my must reads: Harry Bosch, Lucas Davenport, Elvis Cole, and Jack Reacher.

I first read this while the cold war was still going. It is a fascinating insight into Russian culture and Arkady Renko is a marvelous character. Read this and Red Square and Polar Star to really get to know this fellow. Always a page turner.

An intricate and profoundly sad murder mystery that rises above genre conventions to be a literate story and great character study as well as a fascinatingly detailed look at the repressive Brezhnev years in the Soviet Union.

Arkady Renko is a thirtyish, down-trodden investigator who is burdened with a triple-homicide that no one seems to want him to solve: three murder victims, missing their faces and fingerprints, are dumped in the middle of the popular Gorky Park in Moscow. Renko, while enduring the dissolution of his marriage to a selfish woman, tries to prove an international link so that the KGB will take the case off his hands.

By the time he actually can prove this, he wants to solve the case and has fallen in love with mysterious Irina, a dissident who seems implicated somehow. Unforgettable.

A wonderfully insightful crime story that examines the realities of the mob during the height of their Chicago power, and the lives of the people they touched. The characters are realistic and the plot is suspenseful, so one might be tempted to read this book simply for fun. That is certainly possible, but it is also possible to read it at a deeper level, considering the moral issues that plague us all. How much are we willing to sacrifice for what is right?

This book fascinated me and chilled me to the bone at the same time. I couldn't put it down. I highly recommend this eye opening and inspiring true story.

On September 27, 1972, Billy Logan was murdered on his front lawn. Neighbor Bobby Lowe was an eye-to-eye witness. Hit man Harry Aleman had left his car to check on the victim when Bobby's dog leapt in front of him. For a few seconds, the two men stared at one another, Bobby in shock, and then Harry broke the spell and returned to his car, which then sped away. And Bobby's life changed forever.

Though Bobby told the police he had been an eye witness (much to his family's dismay) and had identified Harry's picture in a mug book, nothing happened. It was buried. Harry Aleman was well connected with the local mob and a nephew to one of its kingpins. Authorities estimated Harry had killed over 20 people. Four years later the case was reopened, and this is when Bobby's personal hell began. Before the trial (estimated to be a slam dunk), Bobby, his wife and three children were placed in one seedy motel after another. They had to give up their jobs, the children changed schools on a weekly basis, and they lived off fast food. The trial was a farce, Aleman was found not guilty and the Lowes entered the Witness Protection Program without adequate identification to secure a decent job. Bobby spiraled down and lost his job, his family and self-respect. Finally, he got his life back together, discarded his false identity, and regained his family. In 1997, the case was reopened again, 25 years after the crime. Bobby had no choice but to testify again.

Possley and Kogan do a masterful job in presenting this complex case without wasting a word. Bobby's character is done so well, you feel like you have known him all your life. The research and documentation are meticulous. The only mystery that remains is Harry. He was an excellent husband and adoring father that just happened to be a cold-blooded killer. I would buy another book explaining to me what made Harry tick.

Sadly, the message I received was to never, ever admit to being a witness to a mob killing. The Witness Protection program, which is devastating and mind shattering even if it worked perfectly, was a farce for the Lowe family. "Everybody Pays" is true crime and investigative journalism at its finest.
-sweetmolly-Amazon Reviewer

"Everybody Pays" is the tale of two families. One is that of Harry Aleman, a heavy hitter in the Chicago mob. Here in New York City, he'd be called a "capo". The other family is that of one Bob Lowe. The fates of the two families intersected one night in the Fall of 1972 when Bob was an eyewitness to a rubout in his neighborhood. Harry was the hitman. Against his family's judgement, Bob agreed to testify at trial The story that follows is a sad one: Prosecutors are not completely straight with Bob. His family's life in a witness protection program was a disaster. It was painful just reading about it. One can imagine the daily struggle of living through it. The trial of Aleman is a second disaster. He was acquitted in a juryless trial. The judge had been bribed! Therein lies the best part of EP. The sheer cynical nature of the Chicago "justice system" is laid bare with crooked cops, jaded State's Attorneys, judges bought and sold, with shadowy "operators" greasing palms. There was a second arrest of Aleman and yet a new trial. This reviewer will end at this point in the interest of not divulging the ending. The opinion here is that EP will be better received by Midwestern readers. Eastern folks have their own criminals. And while the authors have done first rate research in composing EP, this reviewer was left with a deflated feeling at the conclusion. Others may disagree. Midwest folks and especially those in Chicagoland can safely skip over this review, adding 2 stars to the rating above. They will best appreciate the local "flavor". The rest of the world of amazon is cautioned! An interesting closing note: EP has NO(!)centerfold photos. This reviewer usually advises skipping over them since they frequently divulge endings. It is just as well. Readers will quickly realize that Mr. Lowe will not want his picture displayed anywhere, much less in a popular true crime story.

This is a true story of a hit man literally getting away with murder in 1970s Chicago because of a pyramid of power and payoffs, only to have the story come full circle more than twenty five years later and have justice prevail in the end. The hit man, neighborhood wiseguy Harry Aleman, thought that he had gotten away with murder. After all, he had been tried and acquitted, and one can't be tried for the same twice on the theory that double jeopardy would bar such a second bite of the apple. Or would it? Well, more than a quarter of a century later, the Department of Justice thought otherwise. After all, how much jeopardy could Harry Aleman have actually have been in, if the fix were in?

This is a well researched, well-written, compelling chronicle of a case that would would have great impact on an eyewitness to a murder. It also a fascinating narrative on the influence that the mob once wielded over the criminal justice system in Chicago. It is a fascinating birdseye view into a criminal justice system so rife with corruption, it will keep the reader riveted to its pages. It is also the story of one man who tried to be a stand up guy and do the right thing under this corrupt system and found himself the one paying the price for its shortcomings.

Bob Lowe, a working class stiff who worked at a gas station, had the misfortune to stumble into the murder of Billy Logan, a neighborhood acquaintance, one night. In the mean streets of Chicago's West Side, Bob saw Harry Aleman blow Billy away with a sawed-off shotgun. In that one brief moment, simply by being in the wrong place at the wrong time, Bob's life and that of his immediate family would change forever. From that moment on, it would be Bob, and not Harry, who would be on the run.

Placed with his family in a witness protection program that was ineffectual and problematic, characterized in a negative way by the corrupt judge who presided over the trial, and seeing a murderer vindicated at his expense, Bob Lowe saw his life, as he knew it, simply ebb away. He became awash in a haze of booze and drugs, doing some crime and doing some time. His life was a continual lost weekend, until he was finally able to pull himself out of the personal morass into which he had descended. Over a quarter of a century later, he would find himself finally vindicated at Harry Aleman's second trial for the murder of Billy Logan, as Harry Aleman would finally get the verdict he should have gotten over a quarter of a century earlier. The wheels of justice did, indeed, grind slowly.

This book has an excellent history of BGLOS. While it was not exactly what I was looking for, I was looking for something more basic (ie, these are the organinations, these are their colors, etc) I'm glad that I picked this book as it's given me a more complete understanding.

This book is the resourceful literature on BGLO's and beyond ever written. It explores ancient significances and practices that, until now, were "secret!" It's a little more pricey than the rest, but DAMN, ITS WORTH EVERY PENNY!!! If im lying, IM DEAD!

Good book for what its worth.

Not necessarily original in its approach nor is the writing spectacular in quality, but a worthy effort. However, the reviews given thus far ring slightly cult-like thus making the subject text be even more like propaganda.

Take for example a text authored by a Liberterian touting the triumphs and general good points of a political administration/era and its policies. Then, display positive reviews from other like-minded indiviguals. Right or wrong they believe in their world view, tactics and 'cultural' norms. No one would accept however that they give an unbiased opinion of the book and its subject matter. It is believed that the reviews presented thus far on this text are in the same vein. Biased and lacking the true objectivity that history/sociology/anthropology/the social sciences demand.

Speaking as a member of Omega Psi Phi (SP88), I know that my group is not perfect and neither are the others. This text presents an overall history that focuses on the positive for the most part without equally addressing what needs to be done to keep these organizations relevant, safe and non-elitist.

Also, the claim that "Africa" has been preserved and perpetuated in the rituals, public accounts, and service projects of BGLOs is a little far fetched. Yes, we can draw similarities to any 'tribal' group's rituals. The same things that are reported to be of African tradition can be found in the traditions of Native American groups in North and South America. Ask any real African (especially a scholar/ professor of African History from any of the various countries of West Africa) about your group's rituals and the possible relationship to "Mother Africa" and they will most likely laugh as these groups have been approximating at best or truly making it up at the worst as they go along post Emancipation Proclamation. But this can be further studied and confirmed at a good University Library or even at a facility like Moorland Spingarn reading room at Howard University.

If you are thinking of joining (pledging is illegal in BGLOs!)

1. Read this book, but make sure you also:

2. Learn and get your intended group's history directly from the National Offices of these great groups. Member's as well.

3. Intake is the law of the land. M.I.P.(Membership Intake Process. 'Skating' is a term of the past. Pledging, hazing and the like are all illegal [Note-I pledged under and above ground and hard. No one has to anymore. Anyone who tells you different is weak and a traitor to the rules/laws and spirit of the BGLO]. Each hazing incident places our organizations in jeopardy as each incident is a potential law suit. So, if hazed:

"Hazing" refers to any activity expected of someone joining a group (or to maintain full status in a group) that humiliates, degrades or risks emotional and/or physical harm, regardless of the person's willingness to participate. Go to stophazing.org for more.

Then sue our groups(they are worth millions ???,$$$,$$$.00) until the lesson is learned and all members and chapters conduct themselves with honor and live up to their potential.

4. Read the following to receive a more objective, perhaps not complete picture of BGLOs:

Black Greek 101: The Culture, Customs, and Challenges of Black Fraternities and Sororities by Walter M. Kimbrough

Black Haze: Violence, Sacrifice, and Manhood in Black Greek-Letter Fraternities (African American Studies) by Ricky L. Jones

Wrongs of Passage: Fraternities, Sororities, Hazing, and Binge Drinking (Library Binding)
by Hank Nuwer

I plan to write a more in depth review at a later date but I must mention immediately how very impressed I was with "African American Fraternities And Sororities: The Legacy And The Vision." This is a hardcover book that I plan to keep in my family for years to come. The authors did great research for the book and it's very detailed. I'm pleased and impressed. One day I will write much more, but being that it's summer I am very busy. I did want to share with the world just how great I think this book is. It's worth every penny and then some.

Dorrie Williams-Wheeler
Webmaster SororitySister. net
Author of Be My Sorority Sister

This is the most extensive work I have ever read on Black Greek-Letter Organizations. There are other works out there, but this book has managed to capture the true essence of us and our significance. The contributors to this book touched on just about every topic imaginable, so to me, anyone from old-school greeks, to new-school ones can relate. The authors do an exceptional job of tracing the origins of BGLOs back to Africa with the customs, rituals, dances, etc. They also do a remarkable job explaining what issues were facing not only BGLO's, but black people in general at the time. There was some information in the book I already knew, but there was so much more that I never knew existed, and seeing it for the first time is indeed a blessing. There was so much knowledge gained from this book from start to finish, for one, because the authors did their research, and because they touched on issues rarely touched. It shows much of an influence BGLOs have and will continue to have in the future.

I bought this as a Father's Day gift for the father who has everything and is a Terp fanatic! He loved it, read it in one day and shared it with his other Gary groupies.

If you enjoy stories on overcoming the odds to be a champion, this is up your alley.
There are always inside stories that make some of these triumphs improbable. Family tragedies, tough strategic decisions and Juan Dixon's determination are the key ingrediants in this turtle's march to basketball prowess. Fear the Turtle!

A well written book by a true insider. The author knows more about this team than anyone. I highly recommend it to "true" Maryland fans.

I'm an extremely big Maryland sports fan - season tickets, final four, etc.

When I heard about this book, I had an idealistic hope that the book would be very detailed and interesting- Barr was the beat writer, the books title ('the inside story') , and because it took so long to come out (why wasnt it out before xmas?). i assumed it would have a ton that we didnt already read in the papers, saw on tv during the games, talked about on message board, etc.

but it didnt. It was just a summary. A great story but Maryland fans have heard it already.

I didnt really learn anything new from the book. it was very short (about 190 pages) , and i finished it in less than 2 hours probably.

There werent a ton of factual errors but the ones that were in were blatant and annoying. For instance, he says that Maryland lost to Arizona in the NCAAs the year after Steve Francis left, but any casual Maryland can tell you that is mistaken.

The question is - is Josh Barr just trying to make some money off Maryland's successful season? You decide.

This is a great book. I'm not even a big Maryland fan, and I found the whole story riveting. Josh Barr is an excellent reporter who was able to get all sorts of insider details that other reporters couldn't. He clearly knew the coaches and the players really well, but he also doesn't pull any punches. The road to a national championship is always a tough one, but it's amazing what this team had to go through along the way. The book really reinforces what an incredible player and leader Juan Dixon was. Lots of stories I had never heard before.

great book for outdoor enthusiasts. bet you find something you can relate to and some you realize you overlooked

I really enjoy Sigurd Olson's writings. They have a downright old-style home feel. It brings you back to days of innocence and days of wonder. He tells of days growing up and experiencing nature and what it has to offer through his lifetime encounters. Incredibly, Sigurd is a highly educated ecologist with vast amounts of knowledge who can give just the right amount of details without overdoing it...it still leaves that sense of "just enjoy what nature has to offer" yet still keeping enough real world information in there. He doesn't flaunt the fact he is a leading naturalist, we just find this out through his love of nature in his writings. I have all of his books and could give practically all of them an equal praise. Grab some of them, read on and enjoy the trip.

Noted conservationist Sigurd F. Olson wrote this collection of essays about his years canoeing, snowshoeing, skiing and fishing the Wilderness areas of Superior National Forest and the Quetico of Canada.

The essays are organized according to the four seasons. Olson has an almost metaphysical relationship with the animals that live in the wilderness: red squirrels, loons, otters, even field mice are fellow travelers.

Olson canoes and portages scores of miles to listen to the loons sing on Lac La Croix. He searches hundreds of lakes, looking for the perfect wilderness area, unspoiled by civilization. And he finds it! Saganaga, "a symbol of the primitive, perfect and untouched." Later, he hears that a road has come to Saganaga and he ventures back to see what's been done to it. It seems the same until he rounds a bend and is confronted with a modern lodge. He's conflicted; he wants human companionship but he doesn't want to lose his "singing wilderness."

In another essay, he tells of "flying in" to one of the lakes, rather than spending days canoeing and portaging to get there. He feels disoriented and can't really appreciate the experience. He hasn't put in enough effort; he doesn't deserve it. And he never does this again.

Olson is a sentimental, nostalgic man. He tells of catching trout for his grandmother, whom he credits with instilling a love of nature. While fishing on the Manitou, he is confronted with an eighty-year-old trout fisherman who's come to his favorite fishing spot for one last time.

Olson also limns essays that show the brutality of nature. In "The Storm" we see white-throated sparrows, Killdeers, purple finches, chickadees, and robins returning to the wilderness area after a long and brutal winter. Olson is marveling at their music until snow begins the fall and the temperature plummets. Thousands of confused birds freeze to death.

Admittedly, there is some clunky writing in the SINGING WILDERNESS; one gets the impression that Olson is writing from memory in a lot of instances. Also, at times he doesn't tell you where he is: he refers to the "lake" as if we should know which one of the thousands in the Superior/Quetico wilderness he's referring to. There's also a dearth of people. Often, he refers to "we" but the person or persons he's with are invisible.

That said, I think everyone would benefit from reading these essays. I couldn't help but wonder how many people know this place exists. These days the area is called the Boundary Water Canoe Area Wilderness. No motor boats allowed; no ATVs allowed! Everyone should see it at least once in his/her lifetime.

This book is my favorite! It describes all the feelings common to those who have visited canoe country and will never forget it. Sigurd Olson's writing is so clear and descriptive, you'll feel like you're in the Boundary Waters every time you pick it up. Everyone who has visited the Boundary Waters or ever plans on doing so, not to mention all the other nature lovers out there, should read this book. I don't know how many times I've read it and it seems to get better every time.

Originally published in 1956, this classic still speaks to nature lovers today, and it deserves to share the same shelf with Thoreau, Muir, and Beston. Olson's essays convey the spirit and sense of place in what is now known as the Boundary Waters Canoe Area -- Superior National Forest in Minnesota and Quetico Provincial Park in Ontario. North country life is special, and Olson obviously loved living there. He writes with delight of seeing Northern Lights, portaging canoes, cross country skiing, hearing the echoes of loons calling, and witnessing the occasional mouse tobogganing off a tent roof. Though the chapters are organized by seasons and begin with Spring, it is the essence of cold and snow and winter that carries the reader through the book. Best to be read by a warm fireplace with a light snow falling outside and a mug of hot chocolate nearby.

The best thing that I like about this book is the fact that it covers the Asbury Park story right up to the point that it was written. This is NOT a book only about the Glory Days of long ago, but of the Asbury Park from the 60's, 70's and on. In fact if there is one overiding theme here it is that Asbury Park NEVER had a true long lasting period of glory. Like many resorts that existed before the 20th century, Asbury Park has had to always reivent itself to cater to the people that would patronize it. This meant that attractions built for one type of tourist, could be out of favor within a few short years.

This book also does not shy away from the fact that Asbury Park has long had a Gay and Lesbian commmunity, and that for a time in the 70's they kept nightlife alive when most others were avoiding the city, except for the Rock Clubs long the circuit.

It also comments on the current revelopment, without assuming it will work (hopefully it should, but there have been many other attempts). Enjot this very real portrait of an American Beach Resort.

Ken

Asbury Park's Glory Days: The Story of An American Resort gave me a glimpse of what Asbury Park was and hopefully can be again. The history was fascinating and very complete. The illustrations also gave me a good feel as to the Asbury of the past and what was then a thriving city. The book was a bit choppy having to go back and forth between text and illustrations but was worth the trouble. When I visit Asbury Park today, I see hope and revival and tremendous possibilities for a new and exciting and vibrant city.

This book is "must reading" for those fortunate enough to have experienced some of "Asbury Park's Glory Days."
The book refreshes old memories, restores lost ones and fills in the missing pieces.
Don't wait until it is out of print and no longer available!

Pike has combined a tremendous amount of archival material together with her insights and writing talent to create a charming, memorable book about the history of Asbury Park. The city by the sea is much more than the resting place of the Morro Castle and "Asbury Park's Glory Days" doesn't miss a beat. The book is full of surprises -- We know that Bruce Springtime got his start there, but Bud Abbot? Or that Tiny Tim had a "gay-friendly tearoom" there?
Sidebars from old newspapers are priceless: "...While Asbury park is fighting over the best means of advertising the town that it may live and flourish, Long Branch is looking for a hole in which to crawl and die to escape funeral expenses." (1890)
"Glory Days" includes stories of the old hotels, the vacationers who visited them, and the locals who serviced them; beauty contests, baby parades, architecture, Lorenzo Harris' spectacular sand sculpture... and the Stone Pony. "Glory Days" is a cornucopia of photos, stories and memoralbia in a beautifully designed format. It's a must for any shore lover.
Margaret T. Buchholz, author of "Great Storms of the Jersey Shore", "Shore Chronicles" and "New Jersey Shipwrecks: 350 years in the Graveyard of the Atlantic."

Freelance writer and photographer Helen-Chantal Pike has seen her work featured in many top publications: her interest in history and photography melds perfectly in her Asbury Park's Glory Days: The Story Of An American Resort. While recent years have not been good to Asbury Park, New Jersey, with many of the boardwalk thrill rides, exciting movie premiers, and resort attractions fallen into disarray, victims of political corruption, Asbury Park's Glory Days re-creates the region's heyday between 1890 and 1980, adding insights into the area's boom and recession cycles and explaining how these cycles linked to Asbury Park's attractions. Packed with vintage photos throughout, any New Jersey resident or fan will find Asbury Park's Glory Days to provide them with an intriguing glimpse of a colorful past.

Being married to a Civil War enthusiast can have a down side; my wife calls it "visiting dirt" whenever we stop at battlefields. For the enthusiast, a battlefield can be one of the best places on earth as you see more than words can convey; gain understanding of the what, why and how of the action. You can connect with the men; hear the guns while seeing their view of the battle. Talk to someone who has walked Pickett's Charge, climbed Missionary Ridge or stood looking toward The Sunken Road and you will feel their connection to that event. Each National Military Park is unique and the experience of one is not the same as another. Shiloh, in majestic isolation, is the park closest to what the veterans wanted to tell us about their service. This book is the story not of the battle but of saving the battlefield and determining how that story would be told.

In December 1894 Congress passed an act to "establish a national military park at the battlefield of Shiloh", with a budget of $75,000. This was in response to pressure from veterans who wanted their battle commemorated. From 1862 to 1894, only a military cemetery was in the area. Except for the cemetery, the battlefield had returned to farmland. Whenever a body was found, the cemetery would come out to remove the remains for burial.

This book, details how a small group of men converted several thousand acres of land, thousands of personal accounts and the Official Records into the park we have today. It is great fun to read about this effort and the writing is crisp and easy to follow. The author tells a good story, keeping our attention while generating interest. The amount of detail this small book is amazing as we work through land purchases, mapping the battlefield, placing units amid the chaos of battle while trying to find a place to live and work. It took a strong person to do this and we were blessed with a series of them, each making a unique and necessary contribution to the park.

Monumentation produced a new set of problems as regiments fought the official interpretation preferring their memories. Shiloh went through a series of "battles" with veteran's groups, state lobbies and the War Department that lasted for years. Lastly, the author gives us a glimpse of the emerging question on the Hornet's Nest complete with historical background.

While this is a small book, it is well worth the money. I have gained a real understanding of what was required to build the National Military Parks and will carry that with me each time I visit one.

What a novel approach to one of the Civil War's greatest battlefields and parks! When I first picked the book up off the seller's shelf to flip through it, I thought that it would be a boring rehash of the battle, crunch of numbers, and numbing facts on the park's creation. Never-the-less, I went home and ordered a copy from Amazon. When it arrived, boy, did I discover my preconceived ideas were wrong! I started reading it and never put it down until I was finished. Smith did a superb job of writing what could have been a difficult subject and held my attention throughout. I'll never walk a park again without thinking of the tremendous effort that went into creating it. OK, Mr. Smith, I know your love for Shiloh, and that you enjoy your job there, but you've left me yearning for another volume on Chickamauga, and perhaps another on some of the smaller parks like Stones River that fell short in their creation, and those like Franklin who never made it. The illustrations topped off the superbly handled story. Hat's off to the author, and to the men who made the park possible. I can't imagine anyone being disappointed in this book!

Over the years I have grown weary of reading accounts of Civil War battles that never provide any information on what happened to the battlefield after the battle is over. Apprently most military authors must assume that every reader knows the field either became a park or a parking lot in later years and they ignore the subject completely, not even touching on it in an epilouge. That's why I love this book. It shows the Shiloh battlefield continuing to live as the parchment upon which the battle was written. This post-war account of the field contains almost as many quirky characters as held command in the fight. Some of the stories are amusing, some are appalling such as the former officer who continually insisted that an artificial lake be placed in the park to make it more picturesqe... he never could understand that the lake would be non-historical and cover the scene of heavy fighting. Happily, the park administrators politely resisted his requests until he finally passed away.

Gettysburg, Antietam, Bull Run, Shiloh are places we won't ever forget. On these battlefields, where streams ran red with blood, the United States was truly born. Between 1861 and 1865, the clash of the greatest armies of the Western Hemisphere turned these small towns, little known streams and obscure corners of American countryside into names we will always remember.

The cost in American life was greater than that for all other American wars combined, from colonial times through the wars against terrorism. Antietam was the bloodiest, and yet more fatalities on both sides occurred at Shiloh, Tennessee, and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. My sons and I made many trips to both places to pay respect to our soldiers who died protecting the right to be where we were and who we were. At a Confederate Decoration Day celebration, on Jefferson Davis' birthday, one of the re-enactors told me that Nathan Bedford Forrest was his hero. I took a photo of the hero in action he had on his horse carrier. He was shocked when I told him that Amazon had removed my review about the Forrest book which was all made-up with all truth absent. He said to me, "You mean we still have censorship in the United States." A local Confederate, Dr. William Johnson Worsham, was honored for his service to our country; his war memoirs, "The Old 19th Tennessee Infantry Regiment, CSA" were published in 1902. A special commemoration and dedicated monument in the Old Gray Cemetery. On the Seal of the Confederacy are these words: "Deo Vindice", God is our Vindicator. I also took pictures of the different flags displayed on June 3.

Extraordinary leaders and incompetent tyrants served on both sides. Their power to fascinate, inspire, or exasperate remains undimmed. These men -- heros and fools -- toiled in a typhoon of broader forces. Grasping this dynamic relationship among the battlefield, the home front, and the diplomatic front is absolutely essential if you want to understand the American Civil War.

Shiloh is by far one of the best battlefields to visit. Scouts all over Tennessee travel to Shiloh to camp out and study history at the place where it happened. Living history is better understood and absorbed if you are standing on the very spot where important actions took place.

This short book tells the story of Shiloh National Military Park from the aftermath of the battle until its transfer from the jurisdiction of the War Department to the National Park Service in 1933. Smith's enthusiasm for the park shines through this revised dissertation, even though his prose is usually more serviceable than exciting.

Attempts to relate the early administrative history of the park to current discussions about historical interpretation--probably only the flotsam of the book's academic origins--are unnecessary because anachronistic. But Smith hits his stride when he begins to discuss his protagonist, David W. Reed (1841-1916), the "Father of Shiloh National Military Park," to whose memory he dedicates the volume.

For those interested in the development of American military parks, there are three important lessons to be gleaned from Smith's book: 1. The federal government was, at least on occasion, capable of dealing prudently and fairly with private landowners when acquiring park property--although it must be admitted that the area around Pittsburg Landing was an economic backwater. (53) 2. Not surprisingly, the winners of a battle tend to be more enthusiastic about commemorating it than the losers. (78) 3. An intelligent and gifted administrator such as Reed, early on the scene, can shape interpretation in such a way as to make full revision almost impossible. For instance, all Civil War buffs know something about the importance of Shiloh's "Hornets' Nest," "Sunken Road," and "Bloody Pond," but these iconic locations now seem to have been as much a creation of Reed's historical imagination as battle reality. (69)