University of Nebraska Books

The story of the young Frenchman who murdered his family is a fascinating piece of documentary work by Foucault and his student assistants. However, I would have liked to know much more about how they interpret this "unusual" behavior.

First don't be mislead Foucault has a paper in this work, but acts as editor not author. Having said that, it is another great work by Foucault.

The reason Foucault is not attempting to interpret Riviere's deeds is NOT to show simply how "people respond to a crime", as a previous reviewer put it. By publishing this collection of texts, Foucault was attempting to recover the struggles and plays of forces between juridical and psychiatric discourses in their attempt to make sense of the murders and the murderer. The legal and psychiatric discourses attempt to envelop Riviere's own account of his deeds in various power relations (mainly by marginalizing Riviere's voice as either that of a parricide or that of a madman). Had Foucault interpreted Riviere's deeds, he would have subjected them to strategies similar to those employed by the medical and legal experts.

This is a fascinating collection (don't skip Foucault's introduction though!), but a reader would definitely appreciate it more after reading Discipline and Punish or "Two Lectures" in Foucault's Power/Knowledge.

Okay, the reason why Foucault did not interpet the reasoning behind the crime was because the issue of guilt or innocence was not his topic. He was more interested in how people treat crimes and approach the issue of criminality.

It is not Riviere who is at trial *again* in Foucault's book, but rather it is a trial described, which could be any trial. A crime after the fact is a story, a memory for those who were involved, but we all become involved in an event as if it were a story we have heard before. What other way to approach a murder that is to us words and the heaving bosom of a witness, the placid tension of the accused? We confront a forced performance with confused or feigned characterizations.

Yet even said, this is not Foucault, nor what Foucault was reaching for. All Foucault does is show how people act in response to crime and reveal the obvious ploys that repeat themselves throughout history, because the story that composes our lives has not died.

And if a man approached you with a mark on him, and claimed to have killed his brother, and the soil did cry out to you, would you raise your hand against him?

This book is a good accompanyment to his work Discipline and Punish.

Profilo Diaz was the dictator in charge before the Mexican Revolution and the structure of society was clearly coming apart at the seams when he was in power. Beezley does an excellent job of showing how the society was coming apart through various aspects of the culture including religious festivals and life at the Jockey Club. The book is very well written but if you do not know what is happening in Mexico during the Profirian period than this will be a hard book to follow. For those who know a lot about Mexico this is a must read.

This is one of the books I recommend most frequently when people ask for fun stuff to read, in English, about Mexico. And I frequently assign it to students in intro-level history classes. I'm not entirely convinced by the chapter on rural life, but the book as a whole belongs among the best histories of the late nineteenth/early twentieth century period in Latin America. Dang! Now what will I assign my students? Bring this back into print, please!

The essay is serious and full of good archive work, scholarly ok, but in some parts one expects wilder conclusions and not only a simple comment on the information provided by the documents or news papers. Apart from that, the author must be sincere, and inform in advance to the reader that he will dedicate much of this work to the ways in which the american culture (sports) spread in Mexico. Many of the conclusions he arrive to, are too obvious and general for the ones who do research in XIX Century Latin America Cultural Studies. [Sorry for any mistakes in my written english]

This is a book that deserves to be more widely known. It is a serious historical treatise about culture, social life and customs during the Porfiriato regime of Mexico (1875-1910)- but don't let the academic theme frighten you. Judas at the Jockey Club is an excellent and fascinating read that considers topics like "why and how horse-racing came to Mexico", "why and how baseball became popular", "why cricket faded from popularity", and "what bicycles have to do with politics". Serious scholarship should all be this much fun.

Henry Matrau of Company G, 6th Wisconsin Infantry, is a man always interested in the big picture. From the tone of his letters, it is clear that he enjoys soldiering and is proud to be a Federal soldier. His spelling is remarkably good for the time, and much of his letters talk impersonally about the course of battles and events. This book is a quick read (a few hours). Matrau's camp and march anecdotes, and notes on casualties to Company G, provide enough information to do a short historical report for secondary school class on the Company's fate and fortunes. Beyond that, this book adds detail to a comparative study of the experiences of different soldiers in different units.

This is an interesting book based off the letters sent home by Henry Matrau. Often I looked for the harsh realities of war to be written about though it seems many wouldn't write of such horrors back home. What made the book interesting was the fact that very little description was ever written about such large scale battles as Antietam or Gettysburg in which Matrau took part of. This book gives the reader a first hand glance at how soldiers communicated. Matrau didn't want those at home to worry about him and often left out many details I preferred to read about. This book is a rather quick read though informative about the 6th Wisconsin and their hardships endured throughout the war. It carefully explains how this regiment shrank or was placed with other outfits meshed in the Iron Brigade. Being a shorter book of 140 or so pages, it may lacks high details though it's simply not a history book. It's a copy of letters sent back home and is intended truly for that.

There is always an extra dimension to history when it is told in the words of those who lived it, and written as they experienced it. These instant observations are not changed, colored or amended through benefit of hindsight and recollection.

That the young Matrau rises from "The Baby of Company G' to Company Commander is amazing in itself, it is even more incredible that he stayed so outwardly calm through four years at the hottest of battles in the eastern campaign.

One learns much of his everyday life: the cold, the dirt, the mundane and the dangerous. Yet while Matrau is fiercely patriotic and loyal, he expresses little political or social opinion. He is matter of fact about doing his job, and doing it well.

Fascinating read with some small and large insights on life in the legendary "Iron Brigade."

I would highly recommend this book if you would like to understand the struggles and experiences of soldiers during the Civil War. No one understands the experience of the Civil War than the Soldiers themselves.

This is a classic hero saves the day story, except it was written long before Hollywood was ever in existence. It was a good, short, and action packed novel sure to please anyone who reads it. No, this isn't Pirates of the Caribbean, these pirates are the real deal and they don't give anyone a chance. Arrghh, a real treasure of a book matey!

Don't read this book execting all of the "good guys" to survive. It's too realistic for that, but it was great. It had a pleasing ending and the "bad guys" got their dues. If you like modern-day stories, don't read this. If you like classic adventures, you'll like it. Also, it made me feel what the main character was feeling.

Beware: I will give away some of the plot

The modern action novel has its English antecedents in the books of Robert Louis Stevenson, and, it turns out, its French antecedents in those of Jules Verne. This short and exciting novel could be described as Die Hard with pirates. On an Island on the southernmost tip of South America a lighthouse is built and three men are left behind to tend it. The island is also inhabited by pirates, who capture a damaged schooner, bring it into the port with the lighthouse, and immediately kill two of the lighthouse keepers. The third escapes and must survive on his wits and attempt to stop the pirates from leaving the island until a group of soldiers come to relieve him. Pretty gripping stuff.

I highly recommend this for those interested in seeing the roots of the modern action novel (who would have thought that the literary path to Alistair MacLean and Robert Ludlum would have passed through Jules Verne), as well as anyone interested in lighthouses (the descriptions of the island and the function of the lighthouse are great) and, of course, Jules Verne. It is also great to compare this to Robert Louis Stevenson's seafaring novels, especially Treasure Island, Ebb-Tide and The Wrecker.

The writing in this translation is a bit simple. I suspect that this is due to the translator, who was not an artist but a mechanic. Based on a brief comparison with a French text of the novel, however, the translation seems accurate, and it is definitely readable.

One of the greatest adventure books of all time, whose basic plot has been copied by many other books and movies (including the Die Hard films). In the 1850s, the Argentine navy erects a lighthouse at Isla de los Estados, in the southern tip of South America, near the Magellan Strait that connects the Atlantic and the Pacific and in the turbulent waters that had witnessed many shipwrecks throughout the centuries. Left behind in the lighthouse to guard it are three sailors, without knowing that in the island lie pirates with a plot to takeover the lighthouse in order to intentionally shipwreck the ships passing by and take over their treasures. A sailor escapes alive the seizure of the lighthouse by the pirates and a game of cat and mouse begins (if you seen Die Hard, you can imagine the plot, with the guard trying to hit back at the pirates). A great adventure book that you can read fast and easily.

Not bad, but a bit dry and outdated (obviously not the author's fault - just a comment on the book's usefulness today). I was expecting more of a story about his personal journey towards becoming a biologist, but the book is more for people considering biology as a career option - what it takes. Perhaps an updated edition is in order?

Janovy presents an enjoyable, readable overview of how one becomes a biologist. He also provides suggestions about what and how to do things once you become a biologist. Janovy's comments are practical and insightful. This book should be required reading for all first-year college biology majors -- it is for mine! The going is smooth, the examples are clear, and the overall message is that it's no only OK, but fun and exciting to become a biologist. This is a great little book.

John Janovy has written a book in "On Becoming a Biologist" that I could have used profitably when I was doing just that- becoming a biologist. I depended on my own enthusiasm, that of my instructors and two major professors, and my fellow graduate students. Indeed, this was sufficient, but having Janovy's book would have also offered a significant boost in times of doubt and uncertainty.

Certainly no one goes into biology (or art, or literature, or any other academic activity) if one wants to get rich. Few biologists are wealthy. However we do have one thing (of several) in our favor- we generally like what we do (at least in teaching and research- now faculty meetings and committees are another thing entirely.!) We can, in fact, always find something of interest in any vacant lot, pond, river, woods or desert. We are very seldom bored. Janovy catches this excitement well in his book and he has done all potential biologists, professional or amateur (and I think a lot of nuts and bolts biology- taxonomy, life history, ecology, ethology, etc. will be done by amateurs in the future) a great service. He also brings out an issue that is often overlooked- a true field biologist should be an observer and in doing so, should not overlook art courses to sharpen that ability. Art is not in antipathy to natural science despite some modern notions otherwise. The famous ornithologist and artist George Sutton is a fine example of a scientist who mixed the two disciplines with profit.

Janovy introduces the reader to the naturalists, the practice of biology, teaching and learning, making a living, and responsibilities, in five gem-like chapters. I recommend this book highly to anyone who contemplates biology as a career or avocation. If you were enthusiastic before, you will be all the more so after you read Janovy's prose!

I am stuck in what can only be called (generously) a mid-career crisis and changing to a career in biology is one of the possible directions I've been considering. Reading this book not only helped me to understand what life would be like if I chose to pursue a career in biology but it also talked about the details of a life that are hard to learn from the outside: the world-view, the ethical code, the experience of the daily life of a biologist. One of the best things I learned from this book is that for a person interested in biology there are many options, including being a devoted amateur. I still don't know what the future holds for me. This book was only one piece of the puzzle but it is an important piece and the lessons I learned go beyond biology.

This is an extraordinary work, let modern liberal critics say what they will of their 'mass movements' and 'diversity'. Long after they and their productions have bitten the dust, Carlyle will continue to speak to the enlightened few, and perhaps one day, it is to be hoped, to the enlightened many.

This work is much more than just a study of various influential men in history. Carlyle has very interesting notions of the historical process itself, the spread of religions and their demise, the importance of "true belief" in things, as opposed the unbelief that merely follows rituals and procedures. For Carlyle, true belief, is the beginning of morality, all success, all good things in this world; Unbelief, scepticism, the beginning of all corruption, quackery, falsehood.Unbelief, for instance, is at the root of all materialist philosophies, eg Utilitarianism which find human beings to be nothing more than clever, pleasure-seeking bipeds. It is also at the root of all democratic theories: faith in a democratic system means despair of finding an honest man to lead us.

Whether one agrees with Carlyle or not in his appraisal of democratic and other systems, one must admit, at least, that very little good is to be gotten from "the checking and balancing of greedy knaveries." If we have no honest men in government or in business, but only a bunch of self-interested quacks, then we cannot expect any system, however ingenious, to save us. Even the most skilled architect will not be able to construct a great building, if you give him only hollow, cracked bricks to build it with. Find your honest men, says Carlyle, and get them into the positions of influence; only then will it be well with you.

Six lectures delivered by Carlyle in 1840. He classifies six kinds of heroes: as Divinity (Wotan, paganism); Prophet (Mohamed); Poet (Dante, Shakespeare); Priest (Luther, Knox); Man of Letters (Johnson, Rousseau, Burns); and Ruler (Cromwell, Napoleon). The trait that defines a hero is: absolute sincerity and firm belief in his principles.

In his highly rhetorical lectures, Carlyle highlights and reinforces the role of the individual in the social process, as opposed to the role of the masses. And he did that precisely when the foundations were being laid for the most influential "pro-mass" movement in History: Marxism. The tragedy of Marxism, at least one of them all, is that, when translated into action, the blind masses were also led by "heroes" of the most authocratic sort. Not properly the work of an historian, these lectures are vivid, inflamed and enthusiast. Their uselfuness for our present age is precisely that they remind us of the crucial role significant individuals play in history, to accelerate or slow down (and even reverse) the process of social change, which is usually more gradual, diffused, and diverse.

Carlyle is not properly a historian or a philosopher, but a moralist, a fervent admirer of excellence, and a prose-poet of the first rank. Six meditations deal respectively of the hero as: Divinity, Prophet, Poet, Priest, Man of Letters, and King. If this book can't rightly be shelved with philosophy or history, it belongs in Literature with a capital "L," and Poetry. Carlylye loved the English Language and used it masterfully, energetically, and reverentially, without a trace of the trivial overindulgence of self-conscious and self-absorbed "poets."

There are not many books sold at Amazon.com that were written almost two centuries ago. There might be a few written a few millenniums ago but they are mostly translations. There is something special when one reads the spoken word untranslated. Only in its original form, words have the mysterious effect that let the reader have a special connection with the author.

Carlyle was Scottish and lived in England, but he had close relations with the "New World" and had readers in United States. He had a lifelong friendship with an influential American Philosopher, Ralph Waldo Emerson. At his time, there were not many philosophers who witnessed the industrial revolution but still kept a transcendental and not a materialistic view of the world. In the 19th century, Materialism was in full swing, and the people in the West were mesmerized by the scientific technological advances of the times and running away from God like herds of cattle, just like the way intellectuals of the East did a century later. Carlyle, Emerson, Thoreau and a few others were the only exceptions in the West that still tried to keep what is beyond the "apparent" in focus or at least in search of it. Bediuzzaman tried to do the same with the voice of Qur'an and called the people to what is beyond the apparent in the face of materialism in the East in the 20th century. One interesting observation I have to point out, is that one common theme among these Western Philosophers; many were all influenced by Emanuel Swedenborg, famous 18th century Swedish Philosopher

In Heroes and Hero Worship Thomas Carlyle makes an attempt to draw a picture of the development of human intellect by using historical people as coordinates. There are people who has a perspective of history in terms of "environment" and "times" and "causes" while others like Carlyle has the view that human advancement was not continues but discrete and these jumps were mainly due to specific individuals he calls "Heroes". This is like the wave - particle duality of the "nature of light". In some phenomenon Light behaves like a wave in others like a particle. One can write a history based on ideas, cultures and mediums in which people lived, or the same history could be written by taking certain individuals and following them and their actions.

Writings of many other authors of that time and Carlyle's of course are very perceptive. Carlyle does not really care to be objective on the matter. He has an idea and he wants to tell you that idea and when telling you what that idea is, he uses whatever his hands and mind get hold of. Being so passionate about what you are telling is probably a good thing. But if one overdoes it, one cannot help but show wild swings in appreciation of the historical person in question. If we use the drawing analogy, his historical person becomes no longer a point on the painting but a thread on the brush. But that should not prevent us from benefiting from his writings.

Muhammad (PBUH) has a special place in the book under the chapter title "Hero as a Prophet". In the book Carlyle declares his admiration of Muhammad (PBUH). Carlyle's answers to pointed questions on Islam and Muhammad (PBUH) showed interesting similarities to Bediuzzaman's line of answers to similar questions. ......

Considering the fact that while the West and East were at odds and the means of communications were quite inferior to our times, seeing Carlyle having such an open mind to the "other" puts him in a category of his own with others like Swedenborg, Emerson and Thoreau. I think when we are trying to build bridges between the peoples of the West and the East we should not overlook these early historical representatives of that dialogue, as Bediuzzaman foresees in his writings.

Colin Calloway has written an impressive debut volume for the University of Nebraska Press' History of the American West series. It weaves the latest archeological discoveries together with Native American oral history into cotemporary European accounts to produce a panoramic overview of 15,000 years of human existence is western America. His narrative ends at the point where coventional school textbooks begin -- with Lewis and Clark. This book has expanded my understanding by showing me that "The West is not a land of empty spaces with a short history..." Calloway wants us to see western history as a "long and unbroken continuum" that stretches backward in a vast spiral of years and forward beyond our own lifetimes.

Most of us have a static view of Native American culture in the West; a 19th century snapshot with tribal characteristics and territories frozen in place. Calloway gives the reader a motion picture full of swirling migrations and altered identitites -- the result of altered climate, technology, as well as of European intervention. He integrates important events in native history into the timeline of world history in a way I have not previously encountered. As the Revolutionary War raged east of the Appalachians, a great smallpox epidemic that reduced native populations by 50-75% was raging to the west. The land Lewis and Clark explored was far emptier than it had been just a generation earlier.

The diffusion of corn-growing into cooler regions of North America, starting in the sixth century C.E. initiated a revolution in Native American life. At the time the Normans invaded England, the Cahokias were building monumental earthworks and plazas amid fields of corn at the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi. It was probably the largest city North America had seen until New York surpassed it at the end of the 18th Century. The Cohokias, like the Anasazi of the Southwest, had vanished before Lewis and Clark pushed west. The arrival of the horse on the plains in the 16th century coicided with climatic changes that expanded buffalo populations. Some native groups that had adopted the agrarian life forsook their cornfields, moved out onto the plains, and morphed into nomadic warrior cultures. The Sioux, Apaches, and Cheyenne were farmers before they were buffalo hunters.

Although ONE VAST WINTER COUNT is unapologetically academic, it is well written and very readable. Without interrupting the narrative flow, Calloway identifies his sources and earmarks points of scholarly disagreement. The book devotes less space to native cultures of the Pacific coast than to others. Calloway's explanation is that he had to rely heavily on the record created by Europeans (who came later to that region). He says he chose to make his primary focus "centers of action and interaction". He ends the book by pointing to the depopulation of the rural West, the exhaustion of water resources, and the return of the buffalo as signs that the endless spiral of winters may be making another turn.

Don't get me wrong. I learned a lot from this book. But I would not have learned nearly as much if I did not come to the book with quite a bit of knowledge. I suggest that you read the excellent "Atlas of the North American Indian" before you read this book, or at least that you have the "Atlas" by your side as you read this book.

The book has several very good features. One is the depiction of the adaptation of Native American cultures to changing circumstances, particularly climate change, the introduction of corn, the return of the horse and the acquisition of firearms. Another is the very valuable narrative thread throughout the book about trade with Europeans and the impact it had on Native Americans and on the relations of tribes to each other. Another is the section on the impact of the late 18th century smallpox epidemic. The book would be valuable for these alone.

If you would like to read more about trade with Europeans and the related impacts, I recommend "Before Lewis and Clark" by Shirley Christian.

But there are serious problems with the book. Where to begin? There are so many deficiencies that it is hard to pick a starting point.

Maps are few and late. Rivers are important to Native American history, but the first map showing a comprehensive view of the rivers of what is now the United States does not appear until page 127 and on that map the rivers are not named. The first map naming the rivers of what is now the northeast United States does not appear until page 229. Another map without river names appears on page 271. The Arkansas, Red, and Sabine Rivers are mentioned on page 105, but are not named on a map until page 329. The Angelina and Neches Rivers are also mentioned on page 105, but I cannot find them on any map in the book.

Terminology is introduced but not defined or explained. What the heck is a potlatch? The first reference is merely to a potlatch. A page later, there is a reference to a potlatch ceremony. But the author does not tell us what it is.

Likewise, confusion reigns regarding language and tribal groups. Early on, the author speaks of the Athabaskans. Pray tell, what is an Athabaskan? Is Athabaskan a tribe, a cultural group, or a language? There is one reference to later on to "Athabaskan speakers," but it is not in the index.

On pages 297 and 298 the author switches back and forth between the terms "Piegan" and "Blackfoot" several times. This will be confusing if the reader does not know that Piegan is generally taken to be a language and Blackfoot is generally taken to be a tribe and both terms describe almost the same group. And my terminology may not be exact here.

And what is an Algonquin? If the author had devoted just a few pages early on to an overview of Native American languages and cultures and how they intersect, the book would be much, much better. There are web sites that offer quite a bit of detail on Native American languages.

The author is obviously very knowledgeable and to an extent, I think that he is trapped by his own knowledge. He uses terminology that is familiar to him, but which may not be familiar to an average reader. He does not realize that he is writing over the heads of much of his audience.

There are strange gaps in the book. For example, there is no mention of the continuing discussion about the date of the first migration of humans to the Americas. And, there has been some very interesting work done lately on genetic relationships between various ethnic groups based on DNA analysis, but that work is not mentioned at all.

There are omissions that are apparently dictated by political correctness. For example, the author mentions that in Meso-America (wherever that is, because the author does not tell us) ball games had a sacred significance, but fails to tell us what that significance was. Again, you can search the web and find more information. Actually, Meso-America is a region covering some of the southern part of what is now Mexico and extending further south. The sacred significance of ball games was that the losing team was sacrificed. I'm not sure we know whether the players were volunteers or not.

On the other hand, for this day and age, the book is curiously Euro-centric. For example, there is no mention at all of Northwest Coast Native Americans until contact with Europeans. The Northwest Coast tribes have a fascinating cultural history with many features, such as totem poles, that are very distinctive. But there is not a word about their culture. Many other tribes are mentioned only on contact with Europeans. Do we know anything about them before contact?

My last few comments point to the largest deficiency of the book. There is very little treatment of Native American religion, culture or art.

There is some mention of religion particularly in the first chapter, but there is no overview. One common thread seems to be narratives about emerging from darkness into light. Is this in fact a common thread? The author is silent. A few pages devoted to an overview would have been very helpful.

There is very little discussion of Native American culture. OK, we know they ate corn (but the famous trinity of corn, beans and squash goes unmentioned) and later buffalo and there is some discussion in passing of leadership and adoption customs.

But other aspects of Native American culture are neglected. What did these people wear? What were their farming practices? How did they store and cook their food? How did they preserve their meat? What sort of houses did they live in, apart from lodges (or tepees), Pueblos or cliff dwellings? Did they bury their dead? What were their courtship customs? What customs prevailed before contact and how did they change with contact? And so on and on. Do we know anything about these things? If so, what are the sources? If not, why not?

Native American art is neglected entirely. My view is that Native American art is frequently very powerful and evocative. It was and is an important part of Native American culture. But there is almost no discussion of Native American art in the book, even though the book draws its' title from a particular form of Native American art.

Overall, the book fails. A popular reader depending on this book for a history of Native Americans in the period will be left very much short of where she or he should be. The editors would have been wise to break it up into two books and to spend some time to overcome some of the failings I have mentioned.

I don't know a book to recommend on Native American religion, culture and art. Perhaps another correspondent can suggest one.

This is an excellent survey of the history of the American West up to about 1800. For several good reasons, Calloway construes the American West as including much of Canada, the Old West of the early 19th and late 18th centuries - the trans-appalachian areas, and northern Mexico. Calloway begins with a nice precis of prehistory and covers major phases of North American native cultures such as the Missippian societies and events such as the spread of maize agriculture. Since much of the historical record per se comes from the accounts of early European explorers and settlers, the majority of the book is an excellent history of the interactions of native cultures with European invaders and the resulting effects on native societies. Calloway devotes ample space not only to oft discussed topics like the Seven Years War but also to excellent coverage of the Spanish and French Empires in North America, the coming of the horse, and the impact of European based trade networks. The emphasis throughout is the life and history of native societies. The quality of writing is excellent and the bibliography and footnotes are first rate.

Part of the University of Nebraska Press "History of the American West" series, One Vast Winter Count: The Native American West Before Lewis And Clark by Colin Calloway is not just another casual or coffee table treatment, but a weighty and in-depth examination of the Native American west before Lewis and Clark, highly recommended for college-level holdings and the personal reading lists of Native American History students and dedicated American West history buffs. Over 600 pages traces the histories of the Native American peoples of the west from their arrival thousands of years ago to the early years of the 19th century. The focus on evolving Native politics and interactions with various cultures and the new look blending ethnohistory and frontier history makes One Vast Winter Count a unique and strongly recommended presentation.

I was engrossed with Pretty Shields story from the moment it began. It was wonderful to read of a native woman's life, before "the buffalo went away". Life then was simpler and so full of joy, as well as so many hardships, but the spirit that is brought across is inspiring and uplifting. A wonderful and engrossing read from beginning to end. I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone interested in Native studies, feminism, or simply life, before we came along.

This biographical information about Pretty Shield, a Wise One of the Crow was originally compiled and published in the 1930's by Linderman. This book is the third reprint of the original story and contains a new preface by Alma Snell (Pretty Shield's granddaughter) and Becky Matthews. Linderman was called Sign-talker by the Crow due to his insistence that his interview subjects spoke in signs even when a translator was present. His earlier biography about Pretty Shield's clansmen, Plenty Coups, gained him unprecedented respect and admiration within this clan.

Due to this distinguished reputation, Pretty Shield was willing to tell Linderman stories about her seventy-four years and about the lives of women before and after the coming of the White men and the decline of the bison herds. Pretty Shield is uniquely candid describing daily activities of women that are rarely recorded. Moreover, she describes specific incidents illustrating traditional Crow behavior and conduct. Many of these sometimes humorous, sometimes heart breaking stories demonstrate both negative and positive examples of such customs, often with Pretty Shield herself being in the wrong.

In addition to narrating these stories about Pretty Shield's youth, family, marriage, and the raising of her children, Linderman also records his impressions of Pretty Shield and her life at the time of the interview. This information not only illustrates how traditional Crow ideals relate and are translated into the more modern lifestyles of Pretty Shield and her grandchildren but also allows a view into the personality of a very unique woman.

Pretty-shield is a touching biography that will be enjoyed as a recreational read. Nonetheless, this book also contains important rare incites into the lives of traditional and modern Crow women. Thus, the book is suitable for those interested in learning a little about traditional native life as well as those researchers looking for detailed information about the changing lifeways, traditions, and belief systems of the Crow during this transitional period. This book contains unprecedented candid information about this time from a viewpoint rarely recorded presented in an entertaining, easy to read, meaningful way. That the author also wrote a book on the male perspective from the same native group, simply adds to the potential importance of this resource.

a wonderful collection of memories of Pretty Shields life- as soon as you start reading you will love her. A strong, smart woman from the last generation of native people who lived by the way of the earth. you should read this!

Based on the title and the editorial reviews, I was expecting (and hoping) to read about Pretty-shield's life as a healer, and more about the customs of her tribe. Instead, a lot of the stories were about things she did as a child and teen, mostly how she got into trouble and silly things she did with friends.

On the positive side, it's an easy read, and would be a good introduction to Native American life.

C.A. Eastman, himself a Sioux indian, published this work in 1911.
This is a fascinating look into the old beliefs that were held dear by his people. Passed down from antiquity by tribal elders, and preserved here for all who don't have the benifit of the heritage of old wisdom of the tribes.

The people of the twenty first century would do well to apply what is put forward here.

No psycho-babel. No attempting to convert anyone. Plainly stated for your consideration.
Highly reccommended.

Ohiyesa wrote from his heart about a world for which the western world had no language. Here is a man who was truly caught between two cultures. Raised Lakota, educated as a western physician and fated to be on the Rosebud Reservation during the 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre, his destiny was to leave a record of what the First Peoples truly believed, and why.
His language swings from simple to more formal. It is obvious that he wants to influence the more well educated western culture of his time. Often, he is awkward. But, always, the soul and integrity of what he is saying shines through.
This book is meant for all who have native blood in their veins and for those who need to understand those that do. It echos the humility that is at the core of all our beliefs. It explains the Integrity of Soul that we have been searching for these many years.

Ohiyesa wrote this book in 1911, and did a masterful job at conveying spiritual truths in simple language that anyone can understand.

Ohiyesa tries to impart that this form of spirituality is more about a state of mind and heart instead of performing ceremonies by rote.

There are many little gems of wisdom in this book, and it would be a great place to start if you wish to explore the American Indian (Sioux) form of spirituality.

Here are a few of those gems I mentioned above.

Page XII "My little book does not pretend to be a scientific treatise. It is as true as I can nake it to my childhood teaching and ancestral ideals"

Page XIII "We know that the God of the lettered and the unlettered, of the Greek and the barbarian is after all the same God;"

Page 4 "Our faith might not be formulated in creeds, nor forced on any who were unwilling to receive it; hence there was no preaching, proselyting, nor persecution"

Page 4 "He (the indian) would deem it sacriledge to build a house for Him (the Great Spirit) who may be met face to face in the mysterious , shadowy aisles of the primeval forest"

Page 13 "The Indian no more worships the Sun than the Christian adores the Cross"

Page 14 "We believed that the spirit pervades all creation and that every creature posesses a soul in some degree, though not necessarily a soul conscious of itself."

Page 15 "He (The indian) paid homage to the spirits in prescribed prayers and offerings)

Page 45 "In the life of the indian there was only one inevitable duty,--the duty of prayer--the daily recognition of the Unseen and Eternal. His daily devotions were more necessary to him than daily food."

Much wisdom for a book more than 90 years old!

I encourage questions and comments about my reviews; Two Bears.

Wah doh Ogedoda (We give thanks Great Spirit)

I bought this book on a whim and turned out not to be what I expected. It's a nice easy read but it lacks depth. The text is rather large so the 170 pages would be much less if normal. You definately have to be in the right frame of mind and appreciate the simplicity or you will be disappointed. Overall, a worthwhile read.

I've read several books on Teacher in Space Christa McAuliffe and the Challenger tragedy and bought this book because the reviews described it as focusing on the Teacher in Space program. I am mostly interested in how the program came about, how it was announced and promoted, the application process, the selection process, and the training. The book certainly covers those areas but not in as much depth as I hoped. Much of the book is on the life of McAuliffe which is thoroughly covered in Robert T. Hohler's excellent biography "I Touch the Future..." While just over 100 pages with very wide margins, Burgess' work does offer information as well as a more comprehensive look into certain areas than I've found in other books which makes it definitely worthwhile to anyone interested in McAuliffe, Challenger, and the Teacher in Space program.

Burgess describes the lessons McAuliffe was planning to teach in space better than any book I've read so far. This information is found in the chapter "Learning the Ropes." One of the demonstrations involved a screwdriver to show that, in space, the weightless astronaut would turn instead of the screw unless anchored. As to the programs to send civilians into space, Burgess covers the incomplete plans of choosing a journalist to go into space (Walter Cronkite was one of the forty finalists) more thoroughly than elsewhere. While Hohler's book is a better source on the application and selection process of the Teacher in Space candidates, Burgess offers several color photos of the ten finalists I have not seen anywhere else.

Finally, with a publishing date of 2000, Burgess has the benefit of hindsight that most of the other books on Challenger do not have. He gives a brief update on Christa's husband and back-up Teacher-in-Space, Barbara Morgan. I had always thought programs to send civilians into space of any walks of life died with Challenger, but the Teacher in Space program has continued with Morgan taking the lead. She actually completed astronaut training in 1999 with an expectation that she would enter space as an "educator mission specialist." This book was completed before the Columbia disaster, so Burgess sounded very optimistic about her chances. Although delayed, fortunately, Morgan got the chance to live her dream on the space shuttle Endeavour. The book includes a section of color photos, an interesting chapter on "Space Objects Named for the Seven Challenger Astronauts," and a forward by Christa's mother Grace Corrigan.

As a friend of Colin's, I normally would disqualify myself from reviewing one of his books but I feel that I had to comment on this book.

Colin has done a great job of cutting through the usual American sentimentality whenever the Challenger crew are mentioned and has done a great job in telling us about Christa. However, the book is not just about Christa. The ill fated Teacher in Space program is described in detail as is the launch and the short flight of the Challenger shuttle.

A worthy addition to any space library. Teenagers in particular will like this book.

Kate

While much has been written about the engineering and management decisions that lead up to Challenger explosion, the mission, the Challenger crew and the whole Teacher in Space Program have received much less attention. In this book, the author, Colin Burgess, only devotes a few pages to the accident and focuses primarily on the teacher in space program, Christa McAuliffe, her teaching and NASA experiences and of course the aftermath of the accident. Since the book was written well close to fifteen years after the accident, it avoids much of the sadness, anger and the like which dominated many of the early works on this subject. As a result, the author gives us a wonderful book about the life and times of Christa McAuliffe and the Teacher in Space Program. There is also closing chapter on the next Teacher in Space Candidate, Barbara Morgan, who should fly sometime this decade.

As someone who lives across the street from the Johnson Space Center (JSC), it is quite obvious to me that the author spent a considerable amount of time researching her life and experiences at JSC, since all of the places, buildings, etc., are named correctly (using the names in 1986), located in their proper places and the astronaut training she received is as it should be. In other words, not only are you getting a wonderful well written book, it is also well researched.

One final thing to add, the book contains 32 pages of color pictures and all royalties from the book go to the Christa McAuliffe Fund.

This is not the first book written about Christa McAuliffe- but it may well be considered the last word on her. Many previous books have concentrated on the technical aspects of the Challenger explosion that took her life. Others were written about her as a person, but were written so close to the time of the disaster that it was hard for them to be objective and see her life and achievements in their entirety. With the passage of time, it has been possible to set the Teacher In Space Program and Christa's life in their true historical context, and Colin Burgess has here done an admirable job of doing so. The politically-inspired events that led to a teacher being offered a seat on a spacecraft formerly reserved for those with piloting or science tasks to undertake are outlined by Burgess with objectivity and clarity. But what comes through more than anything from this book is the remarkable strength of personality that McAuliffe had, making her the perfect person for a space flight, and how that strength has meant that, even after her death, her plans for space education have gone ahead. It seems that her mission to educate and inspire people to dream about spaceflight and act on those dreams was fulfilled even though she never made it into space. Burgess, having already authored an important body of spaceflight books, has added a work guaranteed to inspire and motivate anyone.