Pacific University Books

Collaboratively written by W. Raymond Wood (Professor of Anthropology, University of Missouri-Columbia), Joseph C. Porter (Chief Curator, North Carolina Museum of History), and David C. Hunt (Director, Stark Museum of Art, Orange, Texas), and enhanced with numerous black-and-white illustrations and studio art reproductions, Karl Bodmer's Studio Art is a truly captivating collection of images and an informative, scholarly study of the works of Karl Bodmer, a Swiss artist whom Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied selected for an 1833-34 expedition up the Missouri River. Bodmer sketched and painted landscapes and Native American portraits which uniquely captured the imaginations of the western world then and now. Enthusiastically recommended for academic and community library Art History and American History reference collections, Karl Bodmer's Studio Art focuses more on the story of Bodmer's journey than the art itself, yet both the text and the illustrations have a timeless appeal.

The author obviously did his homework in compiling this book. If you really want to know the history of Kauai, you cannot go wrong with this book. It covers the origins from the first settlers to the landing of Captain Cook and ends with the annexation of the islands by the United States.

My only ping is it tends to jump dates and times about subjects while on the same page and you lose track of where you are. I can understand why the author did this, but it breaks the flow when you are trying to process Hawaiian names and places at the same time.

But don't let that stop you from purchasing this book if you want a real history and education on Kauai. If you can retain 10% of what this book offers, you will be an expert on the island.

If you go or have gone to Kauai, the places you visit will have much more meaning than just going to a snorkeling location or paddling the Wailua river. You learn about how sacred these places were to the ancient Hawaiians and also how the island both prospered and faultered throughout its inhabitance.

The Na Pali coast is devoid of any people or communities today, but in ancient times, many people lived in those valleys. Families trekked across treacherous terrains just to visit each other. It is amazing to think about when you stand at the top of the Kalalau lookout.

When you pull off the side of the rode to look at the Hanapepe valley, you are looking at the location where many people were killed as "payback" for Kauai's resistance to unification of the islands from years past.

These stories and more are vividly explained. It's not a tale of fiction or an easy read like Harry Potter. What it is though is a thoughtful, historic and educational story of the island and the people who lived there.

Kenneth Callahan was a master painter from the northwest school that rose to prominence in the 1930's-1950's. He never reached the level of fame as his peers such as Mark Tobey, but his work is on a different, more spiritual level. Callahan died in the 1970's, but his work is enjoying a resurgence in popularity. This book is a most definitive collection of his work. The only text involved is a few quotes by Callahan, he prefered to let his art do the talking. Michael Johnson, the editor, was Callahan's agent and good friend through Callahan's later years and did an excellent job compiling the works that make up the Book. The reproduction value is great. No art book ever captures the beauty of a great Artist's work, but this is a must-have for any fan of Callahan.

Kenneth Newton Walker joined the Army in 1917 and attended Air Corp Tactical School in 1928. From 1929 to 1934 he taught there as a bombardmant instructor and became an advocate for bombardment as an unstoppable offensive force. His ideas contributed to the outfitting of bombers with means of self defense while carrying out their missions. In 1941 he became the first staff planner in the newly established Air War Plans Division. Walker died in 1942 on a bombing mission in the South Pacific. The book tells the story of his personal life as well and contains many photos and copies of historical papers.

I thought this was a wonderfully stimulating book. Rather than merely rehashing the history of the mingei movement, Brandt shows how mingei as a collection of ideas -- a cultural language, if you will -- was adopted by different groups in Japan and applied to diverse situations both inside the country and elsewhere in Japan's pre-war empire.

It is difficult to summarize this subtle book, but for me the most successful chapter was "Mingei and the Wartime State." I had read Yanagi Soetsu's "The Unknown Craftsman," and had wondered how that author's aphoristic and somewhat woolly thoughts on aesthetics might be made to serve the ends of ultra-nationalism. Brandt's treatment of this subject was fascinating, and seemed, to me at least, highly persuasive. Brandt is basically respectful of the stated aims of the mingei movement and its adherents, but she does not pull punches in her conclusions about the actions of Japan's fascist state, especially in China.

Two small criticisms. First, given that Yanagi plays such a large role in the book, it would have been nice to have a bit more information about his background and education. I realize she wasn't trying to write a potted biography of Yanagi, but we never really get a sense of what makes him tick as a person. Second, I was a bit surprised that Brandt paid relatively little attention to ethnicity as a driving force in the articulation of mingei. This is not a simple topic, but I wonder whether she has perhaps discounted the importance of "Japaneseness" as part of mingei in her effort to focus on other consumer and cultural trends.

Highly recommended!

During the academic year 1965-66 Pacific Lutheran University celebrated its Diamond Jubilee. It was appropriate that in connection with this festival year, a distinguished center of learning such as the University should have commissioned the writing of an authentic history of its seventy-five years of development.

Text and photographs containing a cross-section of buildings and life on the campus during the seventy-five year period is covered in this book.

Pacific Lutheran University Press ©1965.

This is a lesson for us all. With policy makers around the world relying on property as a prop for economic activity moral hazard abounds. Property has never created wealth. It is a manifestation of wealth created doing something productive. The fact that we never learn "this time will be different" means we are doomed to repeat. The property crash, when it comes, will be slow to surface because of illiquidity but it will be more devastating than any sharemarket crash because of the sheer weight of capital involved.

More than a century after his death in 1897, Henry George remains one of the most original and influential economic thinkers in American history. His revolutionary theory on land taxation gained a tremendous following, reshaped the nation's political and economic debate, and continues to be widely discussed throughout the world. His writings shaped a generation of statesmen and intellectuals, including Winston Churchill, Robert La Follette, Clarence Darrow, George Bernard Shaw, and Milton Freedman.

As a native Nevadan I look for books written about the cities of this state. I've read other books by Robert McCracken and can always depend on clear and concise information. A good read for anyone planning on visiting or just learning about Las Vegas.

I have been looking for this book for a while. I had read a library copy of it but want my own copy for some reaearch I am doing on the impact of the Hawaiians in the PNW. The book was easily ordered, and on my doorstep within a few days!

Thanks so much!

John Salisbury