North America Books

This is a chilling, true-life account of a childhood that should have never been, and 17 years of life that would forever haunt the author, Peter Razor. Peter, an intelligent boy that was raised in an orphanage as a ward of the state, then placed in an abusive indentured farm home had a childhood that is reprehensible, and sadly true. Supposedly protected by the state, Peter became a boy who flinched from physical contact, and had no understanding of what a normal happy home should be like. Unlike Peter Razor, not all children were lucky enough to survive the abuse that could be found in state orphanages when Peter was growing up. Corporal punishment went unchecked, and Peter, an American Indian, also had the added disadvantage of prejudice thrown in. Eventually placed on a farm, his placement was not carefully monitored, and the abusive treatment with this family was never noted by the social worker who was suppose to be monitoring Peter's placement. While the Locust Slept, a Minnesota Book Award Winner, is a compelling, well written tale that reads like a novel, yet is sadly a true tale of a horrific childhood that was unchecked by the state that was suppose to be protecting him

I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Razor while on a trip to Cochiti Lake, New Mexico. After talking for a while he passed me a copy of his book and asked me to read it and then share it with others. I read the book cover-to-cover on the trip home and was amazed that the man I had talked to had once been the little boy in the book. Mr. Razor was a kind and gentle man that never revealed the scars from his childhood in any part of our conversations. America's inhumane treatment of the Indian people is well documented. This book offers graphic descriptions of individual cruelty that was fueled by ignorance and prejudice. I don't know if many human beings could have endured this sort of trauma and survived to be so kind. Peter is a truly incredible person and I would recommend his book to anyone.

My father as well was in the Owatonna "orphanage" which he termed as an "intournment camp/prison"! Babies and children were treated more tragically at this place than you could even imagine. Babies died for lack of "touch" and nurturing! Children were beaten, mauled, and oftentimes died as a result of such treatment. Peter Razor cites an insightfully true story of just SOME of the horific experiences of babies and children in this most insightful book on our country's past (AND EVEN PRESENT) ways of "Social Services" treating our "lost" children!! A MUST TO READ!

Like Peter I lived and went through total hell from a matron while I was in the same orphanage. After reading Peters book while the locust slept,I relived the same anger, as Peter indured.This book should be a must read by anyone,who plans on going into the socialwork field and know that this is truly a non fiction tragedy which happened.This is a story that took place a long time ago,but could still and does happen today.

As an African American CPA since 1980, this book is very comprehensive in describing the trials and tribulations of our entry into the accounting profession. My father was born in 1927 and had wanted to become a CPA after hearing about Jesse Blayton. Due to the limitations described in this book, he never realized his dream. Because of his interest in accounting, I studied bookkeeping in high school and became hooked.

In 1974, I got very lucky and was admitted to the accounting program at North Carolina A&T State University. There I studied under Dr. Quiester Craig who is chronicled on page 111 on the book. Just as Craig said in his story, at that time, all our students were naive; however Dr. Craig established that the program at NC A&T would be geared toward preparing every accounting graduate to pass the CPA exam.

This book is a must read for every African American CPA and potential CPA and should be textbook material in every HBCU accounting program in the country. Again, against all odds, we have achieved remarkable things.

Hammond chronicles the stories of the remarkable individuals who blazed the trail for African-Americans in the accounting profession. Or I should say, began blazing the trail, because as Hammond points out it is still by far the most segregated profession. When most people hear "accounting" they think of something very dry and technical. But this book is far from that. You learn about the profession and how institutional racism operates, but always as a context for the amazing stories, struggles, and personalities that Hammond conveys. She obviously spent many hours interviewing these pioneers and she tells their stories with academic rigor, but also with compassion, respect, and a sense of humor.

From my vantage point as a black CPA, this book is at once inspiring and uplifting yet heartrending and depressing. After having read about the trials and tribulations of the pioneers of my profession and of my race(who were/are heroic in some sense), I feel compelled to take advantage of today's opportunity out of respect for what they've done to pave the way for those who have followed.

The author does a fantastic job of taking an erstwhile research paper and making it extremely enjoyable to read. This book is must reading for CPAs in general and black CPAs in particular.

Ok, so maybe I haven't read the book, but since I doubt this is going to break best seller records, I figured I could give some information about the author.

She was my accounting professor last semester in a class called Accounting Information Systems. Theresa is funny, engaging and most importantly a very passionate individual, especially about the struggle for racial equality.

She is undoubtedly the first person to do any research on the subject, and in her powerpoint presentation of the book she unravels an interesting tale of the business world's most caucasian profession. The African americans which are the subject of her narrative show themselves are driven by their interest in this niche profession long after all hope has vanished. The quirky personalities of her story tell a story that sheds light upon the grit of the human spirit.

Very impressive coverage on the Wilk Silk Moths of Noth America. Most known species are shown in exellent photographs,some in the larval stages also. Good range maps and detailed text make this the laymans best friend when exploring and learning about the habitats and life histories of some of our most magnificent moth species. The best book I've seen on the subject period!

At last a book I can put on my bookshelf next to Holland's Moth Book.

Excellent book that not only deals in the taxonomy of Saturniidae moths but of collecting and rearing as well. Great illustrations and maps.

Previously much of this information was only available in bits and pieces on the Internet and in obscure publications and has never been previously compiled in one volume.

For those of you not familiar with Saturniidae they are the family of giant silk moths. Some species are the size of a small bird. Just about every location in America is home to at least one species of giant silk moth and they even live in our big cities.Why do most people not see them? Well one reason is they are nocturnal and high flying. If you look in wooded areas however you will often see their cocoons. One can purchase live silk moth cocoons and the females readily attract males by a phermone that can be detected by the male of the species for miles.



As a moth breeder I welcome this book.

For each moth there is a color picture of last instar caterpillar and one or more pictures of the moth. There is also a range map and detailed descriptions of each stage of the life cycle with notes on rearing.
This is a well-written, well-researched, easy to read book. I would recommend it to anyone interested in these largest and showiest of the U.S. moths.

I have been looking for a guide like this for years. This book shows great pictures of all the bigger moths of North America including their caterpillars. Loaded with maps and drawings of the cocoons this book is a must have. Don't let the price scare you away.

The miscellaneous writings include (among other writings) Bartram's responses to carefully worded questions about Creek and Cherokee Indians. This edition has numerous glossy color and black and white prints. There is a picture on Amazon that shows the book in a slipcover--it doesn't come in a slipcover. Otherwise, a high quality edition.

This is the best edition of Bartram that is available today.
Like all Library of America volumes, it is an attractively designed book with a ribbon marker.

I didn't read it , but my son, the Forester has worn out his older copy.

Imbued by his father, John Bartram, with a love of nature and a passion for learning, William Bartram set forth in 1773 to explore the flora and fauna of the wild frontier country of the American Southeast.
The elder Bartram had established a Botanical Garden on the outskirts of Philadelphia, where he cultivated trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants indigenous to America. He sent seeds, animal and plant specimens to horticulturists and naturalists in England, sometimes including drawings by his son. William had accompanied his father on botanical expeditions to Connecticut, New York, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.

The Travels reported in this volume were sponsored by Dr. John Fothergill of England, to whom William sent drawings, specimens, and a 2-part written account of his discoveries.
Publication of his pioneering work was delayed by the intervening Revolutionary War. The American edition, containing numerous errors, was printed in Philadelphia in 1791; a British edition followed in 1792. Irish and German editions appeared in 1793, and a French translation in 1799. The "Travels" had a significant influence on European Romanticism. Coleridge, Wordsworth, Chateaubriand among others drew on their imagery.

William Bartram's travels took him, between 1773 and1776, from Charleston and Savannah to the coastal region and the interior of Georgia, then to Florida as far south as Cape Canaveral and as far west as Pensacola. He ventured into Alabama, visiting Mobile, and journeyed on to Baton Rouge. Sometimes he joined survey crews or traders, but mostly he traveled alone - on horseback, by boat, or on foot. He kept extensive lists of the plants he found, some of them heretofore unknown or unreported. Franklinia alatamaha and Magnolia auriculata are famous examples.

But he also gives vivid descriptions of the wildlife he encounters: alligators, wolves, bears, panthers, turtles, snakes, fishes, birds and insects in great profusion. He examines the soil and the quality of the water, comments on meteorological phenomena - in short, nothing escapes his observant eye. His Quaker spirit fills him with admiration and gratitude for the magnificent design of nature; it might be called Edenic except for the mosquitoes - and he doesn't appear to be too fond of alligators, either. Curiosity wins out over fear, however, when he pokes into alligator nests to see how they are constructed and how the eggs are arranged.
Forty-eight splendid plates and a number of drawings accompany the text and give a lively impression of what he saw and how he saw it.

His gentle disposition renders his encounters with Indian "savages" peaceful and friendly, marked by mutual respect. The Seminoles call him Puc Puggy, the Flower Hunter, and offer him hospitality, protection, and assistance in his quest for medicinal herbs. He gives a highly sympathetic account of the daily lives, customs, social organization and religious beliefs of various Indian tribes. An expanded version of these observations is part of the Miscellaneous Writings included in this volume.
In a philosophical vein, he muses about the "innate moral principles" that guide unlettered and untutored men, and deplores the detrimental effect civilization has on them: commerce with white traders who provide them with luxury goods in great profusion causes the Indians to kill more animals than they would normally need, because the traders take the hides and pelts in exchange for their wares; and the women are beginning to forget the ancient skills of weaving and pottery-making since everything can be obtained ready-made from the white men.
He does not fail to mention the existence of slavery among the Indians as well as among the white planters, but he takes no definite stand on this issue.

After his return to Philadelphia, William devotes his time to reading, writing, teaching, and cultivating his father's garden which is visited by many famous men, including George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and the leading horticulturists and naturalists of the time. It is still there today, "worthy of the attention of lovers of Science and admirers of Nature", as envisioned by its creator.

I began to read The Winter People because it is on my school reading list. It is not the type of book I would normally pick up to read for pleasure. However once I got into the book I found it quite interesting. The book takes place before people were civilized like they are now, and is about people who have a completely different way of living. I can actually say I learned about another culture, by reading this book.

The story is about an Indian tribe that gets torn apart by white people. But specifically the book tells about a boy names Saxso that, in my opinion, truly becomes a man by the end. He gets separated from his mother and two sisters while escaping, and as the head of the family it is his job to get his family back together. After learning they had been taken by whites, Saxso sets off for a long, difficult journey to rescue them.

The Winter People is the type of book that is hard to start, but once you get into it, you'll be glad you kept reading.

I thought was a beautifully written story by Joseph Bruchac, about the Indian tribe, the Abenaki's. The simple and yet complex way he wrote it from the point of view of 14 year old Native American named Saxso, made it all the more interesting. Saxso is probably the most interesting character in this book aside from his cousin and grandfather. The description of what the British (the white people, or the winter people, the people with winter/cold in their hearts) were doing to the Native Americans after they captured them from the village upon their raid, actually brought tears to my eyes (I've never even heard of the British eating the Native Americans until I read this book. More genocidal things the world continues to hide from the people about what the Europeans, and British, among others who wronged these people, hide.). I continued to read the book until the very end which was satisfying in aspect of the word. I recommend this book to anyone who has a interest in Native Americans and their lives during the many wars that took place on the land they lived on.

This is a truly fasincating story told in a different perspective, through the eyes of a Native American. The novel shows us a totally opposite side of the stories and documents recorded and still used today in life. After I finally finished reading "The Winter People", I had an unique and new perspective towards the Abenakis. You will too, and I still do, hold a strong respect towards these people and their way of life.

I found this to be both an easy to read book, and historically accurate as well. Bruchac is an amazing writer, and teaches many lessons while the the story is told. This book should definately be read by middle school-high school students because it will help teach about both the native peoples and the Seven Years war, and help to wash away some of the stereotypes that have plagued native peoples for many years.
Justin

This has become my camping "bible". (In point of fact, it was a contested item in dividing marital property following my divorce.) Informative, easy-to-use, fun to read, excellent descriptions, and the only way to plan a camping trip. My partner and I tent it, and this book has proven to be extremely useful in finding a site well away from the electrified gulag. The overviews of each park's campsites allow one to make an informed choice regarding a site. The detailed description of each park's history and special features make this book an ideal way to find exactly what you're looking for in the way of year-round outdoor recreation at any of Wisconsin's state parks, natural areas and forests. A very minor criticism is that the photos used in the book are very much in need of up-dating.

This book is a must-have if you plan on camping in any of the Wisconsin State Parks.

Not only does it contain the usual maps and information for each park, but it also has descriptions of the campsites by campsite number! In my opinion, the campsite descriptions alone make the book worth buying.

I frequently make reservations at a campground before I visit a particular park for the first time. In the past I was assigned the next available campsite number and I had no idea what it is like until I arrived at the park. Several times I arrived at the park only to find that my site was quite sloped or too small to put my tent on!

Now, before calling in the reservations I read the book and pick out a few campsites that are level, grassy, and partly shaded (my preference!) and ask for them by number. It makes the entire camping trip so much more enjoyable.

This book is very complete and informative. I was only familiar with Gov Dodge SP. After buying this book we planned 2 more camping trips to places we were unfamiliar with!! The details are great. Down to which campsites are shaded, gravel, good for RVs, etc.

Highly recommended!!

Living in WI and doing a lot of camping in state parks, I had been looking for a book like this for years. I actually started collecting all the Park Newspapers and creating my own scrapbook of parks, campsites etc. Then 3 years ago I found this book. WOW is saved me alot of time it has all the info for all the parks inclding campsite descriptions, hunting, hiking, fishing and concessions stand info.

As invaluable to someone recreating in WI as the Wisconsin Gazateer Map!!!

So much information - perfect for any age. Great directions and descriptions. Don't leave home without it!

In Wisconsin's Outdoor Treasures, Tim Brewer showcases practical and informative field guide information for 150 of Wisconsin's most interesting and unique natural destinations ranging from the Mississippi River bluffs and backwaters to the forests of the great Northwoods, to the glacial hills and valleys hallmarking Wisconsin geology and topography. Wisconsin Outdoor Treasures offers the Wisconsin visitor, tourist, as well as born and bred native resident a wealth of places to hike, canoe, kayak, bike, backpack, camp out, enjoy the wildlife, and more. Here are scenic drives, cross-country ski and snowshoe suggestions, as well as the resource information for enjoy the simple solitude of waterfalls, lakes, scenic bluffs, and deep forests. From National and State parks and forests, to county parks, private natural preserves, wild and scenic rivers, and Wisconsin wildlife refuges, Wisconsin's Outdoor Treasures is a comprehensive, authoritative, occasionally inspiring compendium of places to go and things to do in the Badger State, spring, summer, fall or winter.

This book summarizes natural places in Wisconsin - I have found it most helpful with campsites. I am a beginning camper and it was great to see - at a glance - what resources and activities were available at the different campgrounds. I especially like that its chapters are based on sections of the state, making it easy to find a close location for a quick day trip or a destination farther away to take a longer vacation. It even includes contact information for the places listed, so you can call ahead to find out about special activities. Great book!!

This guide is a necessity if you travel in Wisconsin. Our family has rediscovered old childhood haunts and discovered some of Wisconsin's natural treasures that were otherwise unknown to us. This book shares in-depth information vital to state park campers, such as electric sites, beach, nature programs, etc. You can really plan a tailor-made state park vacation based on the information in this book!

I discovered Tay-Bodal quite by accident and I just loved the book I read, which sent me out in search of other Tay-Bodal books. Alas, there are only four, and none currently in print. The stories are well-plotted, the style engrossing and humorous and the characters endearing (except for the villains, naturally). In addition to getting a great mystery, I also got a history lesson in each book and learned a great deal about the Kiowas and their tragic fate over 100 years ago. I also learned about Native American culture, their religion and medical practices. Why aren't there MORE of these books? That's what I want to know. They are just wonderful.

I love reading mysteries...and I read Death at Rainy Mountain by this same author. The authors style really captures the richness of each character and made me feel a part of the story. I couldn't put the book down until I finished it. Keep creating the Tay-bodal books there excellent.

In short, I am impressed with Ms. Medawar's novel. It is a pleasant read, with reasonably interesting plot twists and a good backdrop. I must admit that when I first began the book, I got the erroneous first impression that it would be another "new age" apology for the long-lost and noble Amerind culture of the Kiowa-Comanche; a point of view that I confess I do not share. I put the book down. I returned to it months later (this weekend) with a mind to read it no matter what, and was most pleased. It provides a fairly accurate (though perhaps a wee-bit sugar coated) depiction of Kiowa-Comanche camp life prior to the Red River War. Also, Ms. Medawar provides what I beleive to be an even-handed portrayal of the Kiowa-Comance ethos and ethic, warts-and-all. Perhaps most importantly, however, is the fact that she spins an enjoyable mystery with a most enjoyable setting and all-too-human characters. I strongly recommend this book.

Late in 1866, the Kiowas are starting to prepare their winter camp at Palo Duro Canyon, Texas when trouble besets the tribe. A renowned healer and seer, Skywalker, mysteriously disappears. Several horses are killed and just about everyone claims to have seen a shape-changing witch. However, all hell occurs when the wife of one of the chiefs suddenly, for no apparent reason, dies. Everyone believes the witch killed her. So when Tay-bodal's spouse, Crying Wind, accidentally gives too much medicine to an ailing infant, Red Bird convinces his tribesmen that she is the evil witch.

Tay begins to investigate what is causing the mishaps that are happening to his fellow tribesmen in order to not only save the life of his spouse but to save the tribe from falling apart. Instead of relying on special powers, Tay uses scientific investigative techniques to learn the truth behind the problems that have led to the tribe being on the brink of mass hysteria. However, by his inquiries, Tay has placed himself in danger with the conflicting political sides of the tribe and a dangerous individual who desires the truth to remain hidden. Still, the mischief maker does not understand that Tay loves his wife and nothing will stop him from insuring that the charge of witchcraft is proven false.

WITCH OF THE PALO DURO, the second novel in the historical fiction Tay-bodal series, is a well written book that complements the original novel, DEATH AT RAINY MOUNTAIN. Tay is a unique character, who approaches his investigations using deductive and inductive reasoning while being surrounded by superstitious individuals who seek mystical solutions to problems. The story line is interesting and the secondary characters add to the genuine feeling of a post Civil War nineteenth century tribe. However, this series is all about contrasting Tay with his peers and Mardi Oakley Medawar succeeds in her endeavor.

Harriet Klausner

Beautiful pictures illustrates the many different wolves that were restored to yellowstone (#10, #9etc...). Illustrates the effort the yellowstone had to put in to restore the wolf to its natural habitat. Very interesting to the average wolf lover and those who are interested in what happened in the 1995 restoration of the wolves to yellowstoen.

Beautiful pictures, touching and moving story. About the restoration of the wolves.

an excellent book describing the ordeal of reintroducing the wolves to Yellowstone. I recommend it to everyone with even a slight interest in this topic

This book brings you right into the experience of bringing the wolves back to Yellowstone where they belong! Find out the behind the scenes activity that brought the sight and sound of the wolf back after an absence of over 60 years. You'll never be the same after reading this. Excellent!!

"I have a question for my soul," Joy Harjo writes in this book, "a creature who has little patience with crows--and less with snow. The question grows new leaves with each hard rain yet bends with grief at loss in the cold" (p. 26) After first reading this amazing book of poetry in 1996, I've returned to it many times. Something new is revealed with each reading, and along the way, Harjo has become one of my favorite contemporary poets.

Harjo writes that she is a poet "charged with speaking the truth about "the landscape of the late twentieth century" (p. 19). Written from a Native American, feminine perspective, her poetry here is filled with images of earth, sky, stars, bones, blood, rain (the "earth is wet with happiness," p. 12), and lightning ("A blue horse turns into a streak of lightning, then the sun," p. 48). In each poem, Harjo asks her reader the question: "do you see the connection?" (p. 51). At least for me, Harjo's connections are rarely obvious, but the poetic experience offered by her verse is always powerful. "It's possible," Harjo observes, "to understand the world from studying a leaf . . . It's also possible to travel the whole globe and learn nothing" (p. 57).

In her poem, "Witness," she connects walking the streets of Lucca, Italy with "driving the back roads around Albuquerque, the radio on country and a six-pack" (p. 42).

I recommend the breathtaking experience of making the connection with Harjo's poetry.

G. Merritt

I found this book in a thrift store, of all places, several years ago. This has become one of my all-time favorite books of women's poetry. The truths that Joy Harjo puts forth through her use of language is so telling and pierces one like arrows. So good and highly recommended.

In this book, Harjo herself identifies poet with truth-teller; truth-teller is an accurate description of her work, especially in this volume. This volume contains several of the more political pieces on her album (with Poetic Justice) - the boarding schools, the unkept promises, the discrimination. Several of the piece blur the line between poetry and prose but read aloud a clearly poetry.

To read this poetry is to receive a gift, a grace of seeing another way to view the world - one in which the tree, the butterfly, the water speak and are connected to oneself. She clearly speaks from experience, from truth - not as some who tell such stories of connected for personal gain but as one to whom this telling describes her world. But in connectedness she shows the tears - the alcohol, 'Nam, enforced 'white culture' - the rips in the Native cultures that must be healed for the people to survive.

Excellent poetry - deep in meaning, superb in handling of language and image.

I must admit that I usually have a hard time reading poetry (a serious problem for a literature major!), but Joy Harjo's THE WOMAN WHO FELL FROM THE SKY is simply the most moving and eloquent group of poems I have ever read. From beginning to end, I was awed by Harjo's skillful use of language to convey not only impressions and emotions, but levels and varieties of meanings. I was especially moved by the title poem, which recounts a timeless love story -- these characters could be out of myth or they could be your neighbors, but either way the story is lyrical and passionate, the events flowing like eddies in a stream toward a natural conclusion. Most of the poems in the volume have this same motion -- of fated adventures that make one serenely happy that things turn out as they should. For lovers of poetry, stars, water and people, this is one volume of poetry that cannot be passed over