North America Books

If you're at all interested in Latin American culture you'll love this book and he's an amazing person. He'll tal kto you forever about the subject and he's highly intelligent.

While Juan Flores is perceptive in his discussion of the Puerto Rican component of Latino culture, and discusses other major critics like Perez Firmat and Stavans, I was frankly surprised not to see any discussion of William Luis's Dance Between Two Cultures: Latino Caribbean Literature Written in the United States, which in my estimation is as important as those written by the critics Flores discusses. The value of Luis's study is that he addresses the same Puerto Rican community mentioned in Flores' book, but Luis also contextualizes this community by considering its relation to the Cuban and Dominican components of Latino culture. Anyone interested in understanding Latino literature and culture should also read Dance Between Two Cultures, which contains perceptive readings of Latino Caribbean literature unavailable in any other study.

The title of Mr. Flores' book might be a little deceiving for those who are not familiar with the subject matter. Mr. Flores uses music as a jumping off point for some very thought provoking themes that pertain (in my opinion) to all Latino's. Juan Flores goes from scholarly themes like colonialism to thoughts on the funeral of Cortijo and the history of the Boogaloo phenomena in New York City.

Mr. Flores makes you stop and think, then think again about issues you may have had preconceived notions about. I really enjoyed being challenged intellectually as I read this book.

I recently attended a lecture/performance (at the CUNY Graduate Center in New York City) of "From Bomba to Hip-Hop" conducted by Mr. Flores, music historian Rene Lopez and Mike Wallace (who won a Pulitzer Prize for his book, "Gotham.") True to form, it was a very unique, educational and entertaining experience.

As a beginning graduate student in Latina/o Studies, I have been asking myself a simple question over and over: "Where have I been?" I have gone through public education in the United States for 17 years of my life, and have only recently found that there have been people writing since the start of the 1900s about the issues, experiences, struggles, and passions that I have thought were uniquely mine. Piri Thomas published _Down These Mean Streets_ in 1967. I just read it this past summer, my mother--right after I gave it to her. And the thought that has wondered in is, "why wasn't I told about his book earlier?" Is Piri Thomas' experience, a bond with African American culture that Juan Flores addresses in his book, such a marginal experience in American life, that it took a suggestion by Amazon.com for a man with 4 years of university education to be aware of the book? As the population of Latino/as in the United States grows to the levels of being the largest minority group in the country, there will have to be a shifting of Latina/o literature, theory, and any cultural products from the margins of American life to the center contemporary discussion. It is these products that Juan Flores probes and analyses with keen insight that places the Puerto Rican aspect of the Latino experience into mainstream intellectual thought. From "the Madonna incident" in Puerto Rico, to the ties that Puerto Ricans have with Hip-Hop, and the current status of Puerto Rico that he sadly calls a "Lite Colony," Flores' book is one that should be read by anyone interested in the affairs of American culture.

Great book to throw in your backpack and take with you on the cruise. You can bone up on a bit of the history and it will get some ideas ffor excursions or places to visit on the islands.

These books are great tools. I have cruised many times and I still consult them before every cruise. I would say they are must haves for first timers. They summarize the Caribbean, Alaska, Hawaii, as well as many debarkation ports. What I find most useful is the information provided on each of the cruise lines and cruise ships. If you are unsure which ship would be best for you and your family this book will definitely help you decide. I would caution potential buyers visiting very small or less popular islands. Places like Anguilla, Trinidad and Tobago are noticeably absent from the book.

I have always turned to Frommer's for honest reviews of just about any destination. Their website is full of great info too

I have cruised many times before and found this book to be quite honest in its observations. We are sailing to Hawaii and I was able to find the information I wanted. I think this is a great resource for anyone considering a cruise vacation.

The story of Norse Greenland, the settlement at the end of the earth, and its disappearance, has fascinated scholars and laypeople for 500 years.

Kirsten Seaver has produced the best and most readable work on the subject in 50 years, incorporating the large amount of very recent study being done in the field with acute insight and a clear narrative.

(Although it means there is not much point in me writing my book on the subject :( )

This is a very well-written intellectual piece tracing Greenland colonies from establishment, to explorations of North America, and subsequently, their disappearance.

The author portrays a history of over five centuries and has made discoveries that other researchers have missed. The author's conclusions are solid, however rather than sticking to solely historical facts, she speculates slightly on political issues. Nevertheless, the bulk of the book is thoroughly researched and well presented. An interesting read and a great way to learn some history as it is a book that is difficult to put down once you start.

Was it the Thule Eskimos attacking the Norse Greenland colonies which cause these groups of hardy descendants of Vikings to fall off the map of the North Atlantic after 1408? Was it changes in climate that caused them to move? Where then did they go? Was it the fishing vessels of unfriendly foreign powers or neglect from the homeland which cause these settlements to fail? This well-written scholarly work is difficult to put down as it traces the Greenland colonies from their establishment through their explorations of North America until their existance was "forgotten" by the Western World. Drawing on the latest works in archeology, medieval studies, and related scientific fields, this book provides illuminating insight into a unique culture on the edge of the known world and its final destiny.

Author Seaver seems to have ramsacked the archives of Iceland and Norway to compile a thorough history of five centuries of Norse settlement in Greenland, including the famous and ill-fated Norse effort to establish a colony in North America about 1000 AD. There are enough Olafs and Sigrids here to people Lake Wobegone. The author is apparently Scandinavian -- or speaks Icelandic and medieval Norwegian -- and is thus able to dig deeper than most authors on this topic. She presents her findings in dry professorial prose that may tell some readers more than they really want to know about the internal politics of the North Atlantic back in medieval times.

The great mystery is, of course, why did the Norse colonies in Greenland disappear and when? A worsening climate, Innuit attacks, inbreeding, and isolation have all been cited as reasons. I won't reveal the author's conclusion except to say that she theorizes the Norse survived longer in Greenland -- perhaps after 1500 -- than most scholars believe. The most interesting and original part of the book for me was her examination of the important role of traders and cod fisherman from the English port of Bristol in the exploration of the North Atlantic in the 15th century. She makes a good case that these sailors might have reached the New World a few years before Columbus -- but like good fishermen everywhere kept their favorite fishing holes secret.

All in all, this is a well-researched scholarly history with just enough learned speculation to keep a history and exploration buff reading on. It's the kind of book that -- if you're really, really a fanatic -- you could read a second time and benefit from many small points you missed on the first reading.

Smallchief

After reading dozens of nature conservation books, it's a pleasure to read one that stands above the rest. The Future of the Wild is not "more of the same". It prescribes a new direction in conservation -- one where the size of the solutions matches the size of the problems. Adams paints a compelling vision of how conservation can succeed, then provides real world examples of how these ideas can be implemented on the ground. It's an important message, eloquently delivered.

This book presents the approaches and challenges of conservation efforts over the last few decades. I wish it had been more tightly edited -- it was repetitive and a bit tedious to read.

Essentially the points of the book are:

1) The best approaches for conserving species is more of a decision based on values than hard science. The complexity of understanding everything that affects a species is too much to expect science to "know all the answers".

2) Conservaton efforts based on today's isolated parks and reserves is inadequate because they're too small. Finding ways to expand their "effective boundaries" is important.

3) The influence of man and the interplay of nature in and around parks and reserves is important to understand well enough to make effective conservation choices.

4) It's imperative to include local communities in the discussion of the issues and obtaining committment to the solutions.

This is the best book ever on conservation of natural resourses--should be read by all: those who believe in individual property rights, those who believe in preserving our natural resources, and those who know that tradeoffs have to be made, but do not know how to articulate their beliefs.

A 'must read' for any serious ecologist.

The conservation of isolated parks and reserves alone will fail, but there's an alternative option: one that The Future Of The Wild: Radical Conservation For A Crowded World covers. Conservationist Adams ranges across the U.S. in showing how to tie together scattered remnants of this continent's wild places. Stories about the species endangered and the possibilities of wildlife conservation corridors which can help connect and save them make for chapters which blend conservation history and biology with tales of successful partnerships among groups concerned with land and wildlife management. The Future Of The Wild: Radical Conservation For A Crowded World is a 'must' for any seriously concerned about the fate of wild animals on the planet.

I have not counted the number of books and papers regarding Geronimo's surrender but they are many. Here are the facts, easy to read, accurate, and presented in a very enjoyable read. The author has done an excellent job presenting to the common man the story of bravery, death, and hardship of the early American soldier, and the betrayal of the American Indian. Many thanks to the author and publisher. Where are the awards for them?

If you don't feel capable of wading through the Western history in this book, I suggest you see the movie "Geronimo." It's an excellent, slightly-fictionalized story of the Apache war chief Geronimo played by Wes Studi and Lt. Charles Gatewood played by Jason Patric.

Gatewood, the U.S. army's foremost expert on the Apaches, persuaded Geronimo to surrender in 1886. Both Geronimo and Gatewood were betrayed by the U.S. government. Geronimo was sent to Florida to prison; Gateway was sent to oblivion, remaining a lieutenant until the end of his military career.

Geronimo is remarkable as a cunning, cruel guerilla leader fighting to keep his freedom from the encroaching Whites; Gatewood is remarkable for the integrity he brought to his job as an indian agent and soldier. It's comforting to see Gatewood's qualities are remembered in book and movie long after more conventionally successful men have been forgotten.

This book maintains a high standard of accuracy and scholarship. It tells one of the best stories from the old West.

KLIATT, November 2000 Reviewed by Raymond L. Puffer, Ph.D., Historian, Edwards Air Force Base, CA

Most historical accounts of Geronimo and the lengthy struggle of his Apache warriors against white settlement have focused upon either the Chiricahua leader himself, or the two U.S. Army generals usually credited with forcing their bitter surrender. George Crook and Nelson Miles were indeed instrumental in planning and leading the campaigns that hounded the remnants of the Apache people into their inevitable subjugation. Neither, however, could convince the holdouts ot lay down their arms and put themselves at the white man's mercy. That role fell to a weary cavalry lieutenant, Charles B. Gatewood, who had won the Indians' grudging respect through hard fighting and his sympathy to their plight. In the course of a final meeting, which was as poignant as it was historical, Gatewood at length persuaded the exhausted "renegades" to lay down their arms to General

Miles, and to accept his offer of farmland and aid. When Geronimo did so, the last native resistance to federal hegemony came to an end. Ultimately, though, Geronimo and Lieutenant Gatewood were betrayed by the federal government.

Louis Kraft has written an important and historically significant study of the final phase of the Apache Wars. Unusual for such books, this one is as readable as popular history, and it will be enjoyed by those who have an interest in looking behind the scenes of history. The book is a fine reminder that earnest, hardworking and suffering people were responsible for the events in their textbooks.

Publishers Weekly, April 17, 2000

This recent addition to the parallel lives genre is a superbly told tale of the vicious Apache wars of the 1880s in Arizona, New Mexico and Mexico. Drawing upon a variety of original sources, Kraft (Custer and the Cheyenne) reconstructs the complex story of the famous Chiricahua leader Geronimo, a medicine man who came forward as a tribal leader and headed resistance to the coerced settlement of his people on reservations where they were to become farmers instead of nomadic hunters. Lt. Charles B. Gatewood of the 6th U.S. Cavalry was posted to Arizona in 1878 and became a respected leader of Apache scouts, who tracked Apache guerrillas for the U.S. The frail lieutenant, sent to administer the Apache reservation, seemingly treated his charges fairly, earning the enmity of civilians and army brass, which led to a stalemated career and a lengthy court case brought by a man whom Gatewood arrested for defrauding Apaches. After meeting at various times and maintaining a mutual respect, Gatewood and Geronimo came together again in 1886, when the former was ordered to track the latter to Mexico and convince him to surrender, even as columns of American and Mexican troops searched for Geronimo's elusive group. The tension and frustrations of what was Gatewood's final mission are palpable, as he convinces Geronimo to allow the tribe's "relocation" to Florida. Gatewood, who gets much fuller treatment here than his counterpart, never got his due for brilliant service in tragically misguided cause, and Geronimo never again saw his homeland or many of his family, from whom he was separated.

"Gatewood and Geronimo" by Louis Kraft documents the heroic deeds of a man of unheralded greatness, of one Charles B. Gatewood. Many lesser men rose to the rank of general while Gatewood died holding the same rank he held when he played the key role in efecting the surrender of the formidable Apache warrior, Geronimo. The surrender of Geronimo effectively ended the American Indian Wars. Kraft's volume brings focus on the long neglected importance of Gatewood's role in American history, and on the long term effects that one ordinary man's moral integrity can have on human history, even though it was ignored, and even despised while Gatewood was alive.

"...a refreshing collection of essays by some of today's leading gay spokespersons on national campuses. Gay/lesbian movement activities and gay research are analyzed by gay professionals from a broad cross-section of scholarly disciplines. Endnotes, bibliographies and a comprehensive index are especially helpful for scholars and the scope and diversity of the general material can benefit anyone interested in the subject of homosexuality."

"The compilation is an original presentation in a burgeoning concern of scholarly inquiry."

An exceptionally important book of an entirely new kind: a collection of 26 original essays written by 22 different authors who are serious scholars, openly gay, and neither apologegic nor polemical. Significant insights.

"Reading THE GAY ACADEMIC...would be a worthwhile experience for most people connected with the academic world. Readers will find articles in their own fields of expertise viewed from a gay perspective; they will also have a chance to learn something about the situation of the homosexual in an academic setting."

I am still reading this addictive collection of personal essays about being a native american in today's America. It makes you laugh and cry and really ponder what the next step for native americans - self identified or otherwise - ought to be. The essays are sometimes very challenging and certainly function as an antidote to the Dances With Wolves type ideology. Reading this book has made me re-think my own heritage, and ultimately helped me to feel more clear about it means to have a native american legacy, acknowledging the responsibilities which come with that. In graduate school, one of the first things I learned was not to essentialize, that is to avoid painting the members of any kind of group with the same broad brush. Everyone has their own story to tell - their own unique and 'situated knowledges'. This collection of essays really brings this home, in a beautiful, accessible, diverse blend of writings which I have loved to dip into and taste. You have to take the bitter with the sweet, but there is much here to refresh the spirit. I think this text would be great in a classroom setting, as well as a great personal read for anyone - regardless of their ancestry.

GENOCIDE OF THE MIND - New Native American Writing

Having a genuine interest and concern in the contemporary issues confronting Native Nations and their respective communities today, I found this book, by Native writers, to be a totally absorbing and captivating literary work.

How refreshing it is, at last, to have a host of Native writers from various Nations, diverse geographical locations and different personal and professional backgrounds address their issues and to share their own lives and innumerable experiences with us, the readers. The spirit contained within the words of this exceptionally well-written, thought-provoking tome, reaches right out from the pages to embrace, envelope and captivate the reader from the very outset.

Make no mistake - these are hard-hitting short auto-biographies, long overdue and at last dispensing with the shroud of myths, wealth of stereotypes and misconceptions surrounding Native American Indian people - the writers do not pull their punches and rightly so. This is a book that tells how it has been, how it is and the many aspirations for how it could be. This is a book that expresses the, at times, overwhelming hurts, the all consuming pain, the denial, the shared fears, the justifiable anger, the numerous abuses, the frustrations and the many disappointments that have had to be endured by Native American Indian People. The accounts within its pages address the lies, the deceit and to any decent human being, the abhorrent and despicable mistreatment meted out to Native People in its entire perverse, covert guises and overt forms. However, what is also readily apparent and conveyed to the reader is the desire to forgive, to heal from past hurts and to take a renewed cultural pride in being a Native individual combined with a sense of urgency to retrieve, restore, teach and maintain Native languages, Traditions, Customs and Ceremonies, for the benefit and well-being of future generations.

This is an intense, dramatic, uplifting and at times, moving `roller-coaster' ride into the annals of European/American and Native relations. After more than 500 years this book more than amply highlights the fact that as Nations and peoples with their own cultures, languages, Traditions, Customs, values and belief systems, they always have been and continue to remain woefully misunderstood by mainstream American society. In my estimation, this book should be compulsory reading in schools throughout the United States, Canada and even here in the United Kingdom. Thereby, educating and raising awareness into an era of history and current contemporary issues that have been misinterpreted, misrepresented, entirely misunderstood and incorrectly portrayed, in books, media and film.

In conclusion, I highly recommend this book to anyone who is genuinely interested in learning `how it is' for the Indigenous People of the North American Continent, today. As stated on the review on the back panel of the book, it brings the Native experience into the 21st Century and in my personal opinion not a moment too soon.

This review would not be complete if I failed to express my gratitude to the Native writers who have chosen to address their issues, share their own lives and personal experiences with us the readers. To each of these contributors, I would like to convey with respect. . . .

Chi Mii-gwech, Nya wenha and Ama' ya

I really appreciate the fact that this book was written from the american indian perspective. This perspective is highly undervalued in historically white supremacist america. I got to read from people from different tribal nationhoods and different ages and stages of life. Part 5 "Who We Are and Who We Are Not" was particularly amazing. I liked Paula Gunn Allen's (Laguna/Metis) piece, "'Indians', Solipsisms, and Archetypal Holocausts" and the surreal poetry and writing of Carter Revard (Osage father) "Postcolonial Hyperbaggage: A Few Poems of Resistance and Survival" Each section of the book is educational and culturally enriching. I love the cover design.

The mascot issue is still pervasive in the american mainstream. People think of Indians as less real as if their opinion doesn't matter anymore. It's like they forget the mainstream just happily, comfortably, and complacently forgets that Native Americans even exist. It's sick. A mental illness that pervades society. That is not how you treat a fellow HUMAN BEING on the planet. How can you claim to be a progressive democratic union when you blatantly misuse stereotypical images of "savage" "ignorant" "crazy" CARICATURED minority populations in order to propel the spirit of aggression in a measly sporting event? Wake up and look in the mirror america... this is reality. This is what is going on in 2003. Meanwhile many natives have given up on life and turned to self sabotaging behavior. People forget about them, they become invisible, their issues and concerns don't matter and the end result is often a deep sense of meaninglessness on what is supposed to be your people's sacred home lands...

I'm glad I read this book. I highly recommend it!

I not an american indian myself. I am igbo from west africa.

blessings...

Genocide of the Mind: New Native American Writing is a series of essays on a variety of Native American topics, from the naming of mascots to stereotypes to growing up with a mixed background. There are even opinions about whether it's appropriate to use the term Indian, Native American, or indigenous people.

One question it presents is whether Native Americans have a different way of relating to the world than other Americans. Also, there is much in here about racism, the more subtle racism that exists today vs. the obvious genocide that occurred in past centuries. Reading the book, I felt sad that my family traditions were lost, wondering if my great-grandfather was forced to assimilate. Perhaps he was sent to a boarding school or resettled with a white family. Was it because of racism that he did not pass down the culture or even the name of his tribe?

The book is a compilation of essays, so there are many different viewpoints. Because many Native Americans are now also part-European, there was much discussion on what is a real Indian and if that question is even valid. Some people believe that you can never be Native American if you were not raised in that culture. Another idea I've heard elsewhere repeated here is that no one is part Indian - you are either Native American or you're not. Some wrote that it was important to learn and preserve your tribal languages and customs, even if your predecessors did not do so.

The essays on mascots was very eye-opening. Previously, I always thought that mascots shouldn't be a big issue, as long as we have teams called "the vikings", why not "the Indians". But after reading several essays on it, I have completely changed my mind. Apparently "redskin" has nothing to do with skin color but because of a bounty that the English government put out on native americans (red - i.e. bloody). In that light, it is really horrible that "redskins" is a team name! To continue on the topic of my reactions to the book, I have wondered whether I would have the same strong reactions if I was reading a book about a different race, one that I have no connection to.

The book made me think about a lot of things that I haven't thought about it before, or not all at once. I especially could relate to the sections written by people who were of mixed ancestry like myself. We have had a lot of common experiences, from comments on our hair and skin color to confusion about our ancestry. As it turns out, I am not the only one that is often mistaken for Spanish or Italian!

The last section was about perceptions of Native Americans vs. the reality. For example, many Americans believe that Native Americans have died out. History and anthrolopogy books speak about Native American tribes in the past tense. Then there are the depictions of Native Americans on television and in children's books. Pocahontas, the nymphette of the Disney movies, does not represent Native American woman. Nor does Sacajawea. Or any of the Western sidekicks or villains.

Because of these stereotypes, some modern Native Americans have been told that they are not Native American by Caucasians because they do not conform to the stereotype - i.e. the feathers, the tipi, etc. This story sounded so familiar that I was quite sure it had happened to me as well.

"A Geography of Oysters" is the guide that I've been looking for. I love raw oysters, but they have a mind-boggling number of names and farming methods that I never could sort out. The people selling them are of limited help. I've read books about oysters, but they said little about particular species or origins. Now Rowan Jacobsen has made sense of it all in this practical guide to oyster eating in North America. Like European wines or single malt whiskies, oysters taste like the place they come from, so Jacobsen takes us all over North America to learn how and where 132 common oysters are farmed. Although there are some recipes in the back, "A Geography of Oysters" is primarily dedicated to raw oysters, so this is for those of us who like to slurp the slimy things out of their shells.

The guide has three parts. The first, "Mastering the Oyster", tells us about the 5 species of oyster that are cultivated in North America, explains the life cycle of an oyster, oyster harvesting, farming, and hatcheries, how different methods of cultivation affect texture, taste, and shelf life, how and why season and place affects taste, and how modern aquaculture has created an environmentally beneficial, diverse oyster industry. It's a solid introduction to oysters. The meat of the book is the second part, "The Oyster Appellations of North America". This is where we get an ostreaphilic tour of the continent. For each region, state, or province, Jacobsen provides a history of oysters in that region, followed by how, where, and other particulars for the major oysters in that area.

The final section, "Everything You Wanted to Know about Oysters but Were Afraid to Ask", gives advice on how to choose an oyster, storing oysters, shucking oysters, serving oysters, wines that go well with oysters and those that do not. Jacobsen prefers his oysters raw but offers 21 recipes -which will presumably be reserved for those unfortunate occasional bland oysters. There are several recipes for mignonette to top your oysters, oyster stew, and oysters roasted, baked, fried, pickled, and even drunk. That's followed by notes about safety, nutrition, and a helpful list of oyster bars, festivals, and growers that ship direct. As the man says, we don't eat oysters because we are hungry. We eat them to experience them. "A Geography of Oysters" will help you experience more oysters.

I love oysters. I don't know why, but I just do. Every now and then I get strong cravings and I just have to have them. I also have a lot of books about oysters because of it. "Consider the oyster" a great book, and others. But they are all mainly cook books with very little detail about the oyster, where it comes from and it's history.

This book is incredibly well written, witty at times and very informative. You can learn how oysters are farmed and their various techniques. Things I didn't even find on wiki. I learned how they get to harden those shells. I purchased some Carlsbad Blondes, and those shells would just snap in half. Terrible oysters. I know why because of the book.

I'm not sure how the author did it, but it seems he has had the incredible opportunity to sample a great many oysters. I can see his tax return $1000 spent as "research" for his book. What a great way to do research. Upon one of the authors great descriptions, I ordered three dozen Hama Hama's. They were fantastic.

The author picks five or six farms and gives incredible detail about the location, the owner/farmer and his/her history and the oysters themselves. This is a book to own now, because it is relavent now with the current oyster farmers listed. It is a chance to learn about the worlds best and to learn how to sample them.

The only thing I would have loved to see in the book, would be a travel guide on how to visit the various farms the author so nicely listed. That's one of the things I plan on doing is to travel up and down the coast visiting oysters farms along the way. I would have loved this book to have a guide like that.

There is a section on "what kind of oyster" person are you? But I didn't find that very useful or informative. A very minor drawback for an incredibly informative book on oysters. Every connosieur(sp?) should have a copy. A book for oyster lovers by an oyster lover.

Jacobsen has turned the art of eating oysters to a higher level.

You can't wait to finish the book so you can start trying out his great recommendations. Whether you're an oyster novice, blindly feeling your way around the oysters beds, or, a seasoned connoisseur, this book is a must read. Great work Rowan!!

This book was one I bought as a potential reference book, however once i picked it up I just kept reading it. This is far from a dry review of oysters it is funny and insightful. My oyster vocabulary has blossomed.

Three friends have requested that I stop talking about oysters and buy them a copy for their birthdays.

It tells about the oysters and then how to get them delivered to your door for dinner. I love this book.

The book is of the finest quality in printing and binding. The content is very educational and the reproductrion of JD's paintings is superb.

Descriptive words of Ghost Dancing, joined with the timeless wisdom contained in the words of Native America. Couple this with the paintings of JD Challenger and you have an opportunity to not read about but really feel. This is not a book just narrating the past but speaks volumes to the future. This book called to me from the library shelf and I have ordered to place in a prominent place on my shelf. This is a book to share with others and come back to often.

The text of this book is extremely informative on the Ghost Dance Religion of Native Americans. It covers the origins of the religion, its climax and the results thereof. Adding to this educational context is the Beautifully compelling work of artist JD Challenger. His riviting paintings jump from the pages virtually reaching out from the book and pulling you in. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about Native Americans and most assuredly to anyone who loves art that emits emtional impact. I constantly go back to this book as a source of inspiration and to gain understanding of Native American's plight.

JD challengers work was the first original art that I have purchased. When I saw his work in a gallery in Santa Fe, I was mesmorized by the character of his subjects. Ghost Dancing provides a good overview of many of his prints that are available.

The best book I have ever read regarding the birth of Christ from an aboriginal viewpoint. Those in the pulpit need to move over and make room.

The Give-Away is beautifully written and illustrated. Mr. Buckley's story is simply the story of Christmas, based on the tradition shared by many Native people known as 'the give-away." A friend recommended this book and I share that recommendation with you. The Native people have much to teach in their tradition of the give-away.

Both the illustrations and the story are wonderful. The book artfully combines Native American spirituality aspects with Christian aspects. I used this book in a "children's church" class at our Native American / Catholic church at Christmas. The kids loved the story and afterwards made a collage of Jesus in the manager surrounded by all the animals mentioned in the story. The book could be used during Easter as well or during a discussion about Native American give-aways.

I became aware of this book yesterday when I heard Ray Buckley read it at a Christmas Tea & Tree for the Red Bird Missionary Conference. The book touched the hearts of each of those present. Small children, youth and adults were warmed with the story.

The Give-Away is for all families, with children and without. It would be an excellent resource to give to families that do not attend church.

Ray re-presents God's story of love and self-giving by sharing from his tradition the story of giving.