North America Books

This is a beautiful book that somehow lifted me to a different perspective. The whole time I was reading it, I felt as if the air around me shimmered with diffuse light. It is interesting to read about life in Joseph Rael's culture, fascinating to learn about the perspective of different Native American languages, hopeful to learn of Joseph's dream and continuing work for all of us, and transfixing to experience the effect his writing had upon my heart.

I recommend this book for all who are not afraid to expand their view of life and their world.

Joseph Rael is one of the most interesting people you'll read about. This is basically his life story, and how he acquired the teachings to complement his natural gifts. The discussion of the Tiwa language is brilliant. Be one of the fortunate to read about this amazing man.

The vision of this book is remarkable especially when viewed in the light of string theory. So much of the philosophy of the Pueblo people from whom Joseph Rael sprang seems to be confirmed by modern physics. A must read for the serious seeker.

This book is not a physics text. It is the highest level
work on Native American religion I have ever seen. It would
also be of interest to linguists as it presents words from
the Tiwa language which uses verbs and not nouns.
But the interesting part is the actual experiences of
a man who is a healer and ceremonial dancer and peace
worker. It is well written amd presented in a personal
style.
The book is much better than this review.

When I first picked up this book after hearing excellent reviews I was a little disappointed. It seemed skimpy, only 140 pages with larger print and generous spacing on the pages. After reading it and using some of the techniques and guidelines for owling described in the pages I changed my mind. This book is filled with gems on how to find owls, the behavior and biology of the Owls of North America and excellent photographs of all the species. I even used one of the photos to help a taxadermist model a window killed Boreal Owl from our area.

The authors Pat and Clay Sutton have decades of experience with their passion of finding owls and have lectured across the country on their experiences. They've packed the book with information on finding owl roosts, finding evidence of owls in the field, the strategies and ethics of luring in owls with calls and tapes, identifying probable owl habitats, and listing some of the best places in the country for finding resident and migrant owls such as Whitefish Point, Michigan and Braddock Bay, New York for Saw-whet Owls.

Although this book is not an in depth treatment of the biology of Owls it is a great reference for most birders hoping to find and learn more about owls anywhere in the US and Canada.

If I had only one book to buy about owls, this one is it. It is a howling success!

Owls are unique and fascinating, but, unfortunately, also quite elusive, which makes their observation quite frustrating for the beginning birder. This guide was written--reluctantly--to lessen some of that frustration. Reluctantly, because, while the authors wish to indroduce the owl to new generations of birders, at the same time they are very concerned about adverse influence that birders can have on owls. The book consists of two parts: an introduction to birding for owls, and the owls of North America. In the latter, each species that is found in North America is discussed to some degree. While the Whiskered Screech Owl, which only occurs near the Mexican-American border in southern Arizon, only has two paragraphs devoted to it, other species are covered by a number of pages. Information is largely anecdotal and easy to read. At least one photograph of most species is included, the quality of which is usually excellent.

I originally got this book when I found a trio of young screech owls in my favorite river area. It gives a lot of information that is USEFUL to people who really want to see owls. Kinds of owls, signs of owls to look for, crisp b/w photos, and some common sense ettiquette. Good book!

Awesome book. Received quickly and in perfect condition. Thank you so very much!! Peggy Bender

Um livro bastante técnico, exelente para biólogos e/ou ornitólogos.As informações são muito completas principalmente no que se refere às variações de plumagens que ocorrem dentro das mesmas espécies( machos, fêmeas e filhotes).Exelentes informações sobre a distribuição geográfica das espécies.

I'm now able to correctly identiful many species of Hummingbirds. Great source of information. Very detailed book.

This is a very useful book for birders who want to be able to identify hummingbirds in the U.S. It includes photos and accompanying text for every hummingbird that you are likely (or lucky enough) to spot within U.S. borders. The text is particularly good, and the photos are shown large enough to be of use to the beginner/intermediate birdwatcher in addition to the experienced observer.

Iktomi, The trickster of the Lakota, is up to his old tricks. In his chance meeting with the Prairie Dogs, demonstrates his untrustworthiness by making them up into fine meal. However, Iktomi meets up with Coyote, equally clever and untrustworthy, and finds himself tricked. This is the sixth book of the Itktomi series by Paul Goble. The book is another masterpiece of artwork and storytelling in the grand tradition of Paul's Caldecott award winning work. This book is a must buy for the school library, the storyteller, and parents who wish their children to read and look at a most delightful book. THe Best part of this beautiful artwork and story is that it tells a moral story, set in the old Indian buffalo Days that is as relevant today, as it was back when. Highly recommended for ages 2 through 12, and of course, adults of any age. Dennis West Boca Raton FL.

Iktomi, the trickster of the lakota, is up to his old tricks. In his chance meeting with the prairie dogs, he demonstrates his untrustworthiness by making them up into a fine meal. However, Iktomi meets up with Coyote, equally clever and untrustworthy, and finds himself tricked! This is the sixth book of the Iktomi series by Paul Goble. The book is another masterpiece of artwork and story telling in the grand tradition of Paul Goble's award winning work. This book is a must buy for the school library, the storyteller, and parents who wish their children to read and look at a most delightful book. The best part of this beautiful artwork and story is that it tells a moral story, set in the old Indian Buffalo Days, that is as relevant today as it was back when. Highly recommened for ages 2 through 12, and of course, adults of any age. Dennis West

In a previous misadventure, "Iktomi and the Ducks," the Trickster lost his roast duck dinner to the Coyote who is also clever and untrustworthy. Iktomi is the Trickster's name in Lakota, but in other Native American cultures he is known as Napi, Wihio, Glooscap, Nanabozon, and even Old Man Coyote. Paul Goble tells the story of their rematch in "Iktomi and the Coyote." As Goble points out, in Buffalo Days the stories about Iktomi reflected human nature and the wide range of possibilities from the divine all the way down. However, the stories that are told of Iktomi today represent him primarily in the Trickster role, forgetting that once he was a powerful force for good that helped in creating the land and taught humans how to make fire and gave them other gifts.

Once again Iktomi is about walking along one day on his way to a school to read kids his books, which tell all about his brave deeds and great generosity. But when the prairie dogs start laughing at him, Iktomi decides that nothing would taste better than baked prairie dog. The problem, of course, is to catch them. The fact that the prairie dogs are taking turns being buried up to their necks in the hot ashes of their cooking fire does not dissuade Iktomi from creeping stealthily toward them. As was the case with the ducks the last time around, Iktomi actually seems to succeed in his plan. But then along comes Coyote, looking sick and starved, limping slowly and painfully along on three legs, and you know that things are going to go badly for the Trickster.

Younger children might be upset by the story and some of the illustrations in "Iktomi and the Coyote," because the cute little prairie dogs do not fare well. The sight of the baked prairie dogs in the stomach of the wily Coyote (come on, you knew that particular adjective was coming) might be a bit upsetting, so be forewarned. As with the other stories of Iktomi, Goble provides text in grey italics where readers and listeners can make up their own insults about Iktomi, while the Trickster's thoughts are printed in small type. However, you should ignore those when the story is read aloud and leave it to the young readers to discover when they come back and read this story on their own.

IKtomi and The Coyote, by Paul Goble, new release by Orchard Books. IKTOMI, the trickster of the Lakota, is up to his old tricks. In his chance meeting with the Prairie Dogs, he demonstrates his untrustworthiness by making them up into a fine meal. However, IKTOMI meets up with Coyote, equally clever and untrustworthy, and finds himself tricked! This is the sixth book of the Itktomi series by Paul Goble. The book is another masterpiece of art work and story telling in the grand tradition of Paul Goble's award winning work. This book is a must buy for the school library, the storyteller, and parents who wish their children to read and look at a most delightful book. The best part of this beautiful story and artwork, is that it tells a moral story, set in the old Indian Buffalo days; that is as relevant today as it was back when. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for ages 2 through 12, and of course, adults of any age. Dennis West redfox@axxsys.net

This is an excellent and comprehensive book with detailed descriptions of trees by their leaves, flowers, fruits, buds,and bark. The trees are described in their summer and winter aspects. It is a fine reference book not a book to be used in the field to identify trees. You should have an idea which general family of tree you are looking at to narrow the search down as the trees are arranged according to family. At the beginning of each tree description is a section listing those characteristics that are most helpful in identifying the tree. There is also a section at the end comparing the tree to those with which it is most likely to be confused. A glossary of terms is given at the back of the book and dichotomous keys to the families are given at the front. At the beginning of each family more detailed dichotomous keys are given to help the reader distinguish one member of the family from another. Leaf shapes and edges as well as types of fruits, flowers, and buds are illustrated to help the reader understand terminology used in the descriptions
Although trees of Eastern North America is the subject of the book, it is not devoted only to native trees of the area.

The instructor I took field biology with in college highly recommended this book. He thought it was by far the best guide for identifying trees. Now, years later and having used (or attempted to use) many different field guides, I know why he was so crazy about this book. Winter or summer, if you are looking at the bark, leaf, or bud, the very clear and detailed pictures and unambiguous text will allow you to identify any tree with certainty.

Very nice book! The edition I own is the 1983 printing, so I am unfamiliar with recent changes. Book has good drawings of leaves (often several), fruits, twigs, buds and leaf scars. Excellent info on summer and winter identification included in text and step-by-step outlines. The step-by-step outline starts at the front of the book and helps you identify the family in which the tree in question belongs. Then turn to the section on that tree family for help isolating which species you have on your hands. There are good text descriptions throughout to aid identification as well as information on history, growth, and commercial uses of the trees. Not a field guide for the size and weight conscious though. Keep it in your living room or SUV.

I bought my 1983 edition when I was active as a park district volunteer. What sold me on this book was that it went beyond the tree's identification, and told you more about the tree itself. For example, looking up the Sycamore it says "The Sycamore is also known as the Buttonwood, Buttonball-tree, and the American Plane Tree. It is one of the most massive of all our native trees, perhaps exceeding all others in the diameter of its trunk... The wood is heavy, hard, tough and coarse-grained; being difficult to work or split. It is used for furniture - both solid and veneer, interior finish, siding, musical instruments, boxes and crates. Practically all butcher's blocks are made from the Sycamore..." and so on.

The book arrived quickly and in the condition specified by the supplier. I would use this supplier again.

In This Wind works on multiple levels. As a straight up mystery, Fister gives us a fascinating cold case that is both a whodunnit and a whydunnit. On a psychological level it's also a study of people who live their beliefs and what happens when diametrically opposed beliefs clash. Lastly, on a political level, it demonstrates what happen (and has happened in the past) when security trumps freedom. As a bonus it gives us a set of the most rounded, developed characters I've read about in a long time. Love them or hate them, they are real.

This book should get an Edgar. Barbara Fister proves herself once again to be not just an skillful weaver of multiple strands of plot but also a novelist of extraordinary character-insight. Her people are real: complicated, flawed, injured, hopeless, loving, funny, petty, and noble, frequently in succession but always believably so, even down to little details, quirks, and reactions. Her main character Anni Koskinen, a resigned (more like "forced out") Chicago cop turned PI, is entirely different from Fister's previous sleuth Konstantin Slovo in her 2002 book _On Edge_; and Slovo was a real piece of work unto himself, well worth your acquaintance.

The plot, although quite intricate in involving a score of characters with distinctively different motivations, is coherent in a way that reads as organically developed rather than mechanically impelled; and it all culminates in a climax that, while stunning, is (in retrospect) well prepared for by earlier clues--which, of course, Koskinen picks up on while the rest of us are just swept along.

But it's not just the characters and the plot that work so well: it's also Fister's _writing_. She has a way of striking off deft descriptions that repeatedly make you want to write "Yes!" in the margin; here's just a very small sample:

"I knew him from working in Area 4. He was one of those guys with big feet who worked the phones and typed reports with two fingers, collected his paycheck, and counted the days to retirement, which would be spent in a rustic cabin in Wisconsin, where shellacked fish decorated knotty-pine walls."

"He was a weedy-looking guy, the kind you'd expect to get picked on in school, or made someone's punch the first day in the joint."

"It didn't help that she worked on the assumption that all cops were racist--though I had to admit there was some truth to that. You're sent out to look for trouble and, sure enough, you find it. You find it enough, you stop seeing kids horsing around and see gang members instead. You notice a young man driving a nice car and figure he bought it with drug money. You assume a woman with a pissed-off look on her face means it for you instead of for the driver of that bus she just missed. It's a form of racism that is an odorless, invisible gas that hangs in the air in cop shops. You don't even know it's there."

About a reporter: "He liked nothing better than rubbing elbows with detectives at a crime scene, carrying Vicks in his pocket to dab under his nose if the body was too ripe, going out for a drink with the guys afterward."

About a long-time friend's house: "her kitchen hadn't changed much. It still had the original chipped porcelain sink, the same massive old stove that leaned to one side and always made lopsided birthday cakes."

Okay, stop me before I quote again! The bottom line is, if you want a darn good read, a mystery that not only respects your intelligence but may even increase it, don't miss _In the Wind_.

Anni Koskinen had to blow the whistle on a fellow Chicago cop and it cost her her career. As she's in the process of hanging out her shingle as a private eye, she gets a call from the priest of her neighborhood church. A church worker needs a lift - could Anni oblige? She does only to discover that the woman she has aided is a 60s radical wanted by the FBI for the murder of an agent. To make matters worse the dead man is the father of Anni's mentor, the man who convinced her to become a cop in the first place. As Anni reviews that old investigation she notes things that just don't add up and she becomes convinced that the woman she helped was innocent of the murder. But as she tries to uncover the truth she runs afoul of the present polices of Homeland Security - and no one connected to her is safe from retribution.

This dynamic thriller will keep a reader locked to its pages as the author has a gift for creating real people facing modern dilemmas. The pacing of the plot is the imperative. One is so caught up in the story one scarcely has time to note that the author is touching on both the raw wounds of the past and the controversies of the present.

One of the shining aspects of this novel is the sensitive way the author treats the character of Martin, Anni's autistic older brother. Barbara Fister, in only her second mystery novel, has shown she can write a suspenseful thriller that leaves the reader thinking.

I have a large shelf of books on indian basketry. This Shanks book will be put first in line. For the tribes included, the book covers historical, cultural, and ethnographic aspects in a very readable form. But its unrivaled aspect is in diagnostics and the technical details. Boring? Hardly! The authors show how the artisitic and aesthetic values derive from the weaving details. The authors trace the migration and fate of tribal peoples through analysis of their weaving. While the book is of "coffee table" quality, it not just a pretty once over dust catcher. I will certainly buy their next volume in the series.

To anyone interested in the artworks or culture of the American Indian, this is a must have treasure. In fact, it can well stand first in line among any indian textile, carving, pottery, or beadwork books that I have ever seen.

We had the author (Ralph Shanks) as a math teacher in sixth grade-- truly the best teacher we have EVER had! I've never read his books but he used to show us slides of the material, anyway, just be aware when reading this i'm sure fascinating book, that the author is a really good teacher ( which is completely irrelevant we know, but...)

More than exceptionally good regional art, California Indian baskets are amongst the most beautiful and finest baskets in the world. No other book covers basketry with the detail, care and insight of this volume. Approximately 200 baskets are shown in full color along with an enjoyable text that makes reading a pleasure. Basketry studies, anthropology, history, art, archeology and linguistics are all brought together in this unprecedented book. "Indian Baskets of Central California" is full of fascinating information. There are vibrant baskets covered with hundreds of tiny feathers, miniature baskets so small they literally can sit on the head of a pin, feast baskets so large it took several men to lift one when full, and culinary baskets as beautiful as a great painting. You will be proud to own this fine book.

Ralph Shanks has more than one passion that he writes about. He's known nationwide in Coast Guard history circles as one of the country's leading chroniclers of the history of the United States Life-Saving Service, a predecessor to the Coast Guard. But little do those folks know - except maybe those on the West Coast, of his level of scholarship as it pertains to a subject seemingly as far away from motor lifeboats as one can get: Native American basketry.

Indian Baskets of Central California is split geographically into three sections: San Francisco Bay and Monterey Bay, the interior coast range mountains, and the Sierra Nevada and the Delta. Each section highlihghts the basketry of different tribes, both in text and imagery. The book, in fact, is heavily illustrated with photography of existing baskets from collections all over the west coast. The history of the development of each type of basket is told, as is the story behind its ultimate use. The details pertaining to each individual basket's story are as intricately woven into storylines as the baskets themselves were crafted.

Ralph and his wife/editor Lisa Woo Shanks have collaborated on several projects, including the North American Indian Travel Guide. Independently, Lisa is the editor of the Basketry of California and Oregon Series. Their expertise for this very precise subject shines through in this important book, one that will help keep alive fading arts and cultures of the past.

"The Indian War of 1864" is a reissue of a memoir originally published in the early 1900s. It recounts the day-by-day adventures of Eugene Ware, a young officer in an Iowa cavalry unit serving in far western Nebraska toward the end of the Civil War. The author, who later in his life was a published poet and friend of Mark Twain's, writes beautifully of life in the ranks on the far edges of civilization. He not only recounts the nitty-gritty of service in a volunteer cavalry unit, he wisely and graphically documents the clash of settlers and Indians. As a serving Army officer, I most enjoyed the many hard lessons Ware learned as a junior officer trying to maintain order and discipline among his soldiers. The volunteer soldiers of his unit were a rough and unruly bunch who had the signal virtues of being fearless fighters who never shirked their duties. All other soldierly qualities--such as the ability to stay sober--were in doubt and posed extreme leadership challenges for Lieutenant Ware. I have often shared anecdotes from the book with my peers and subordinates as examples of both how to earn the respect of American soldiers and how to live up to the demands of duty as an officer under extreme stress in remote locations. I strongly recommend this book for anyone interested in the settling of the West, the US Army of the time, and the sad downfall of the American Indian.

I picked this book up by mistake. What a wonderful mistake.

This is a first hand account of the Indian War of 1864. In terms of its chronological time slot, these remembrances of Captain Eugene F. Ware, Seventh Iowa Cavalry, fit smack in the middle of the flood tide of Western migration from all parts of the east. Captain Ware's responsibilities were to keep the overland migration routes free from Indian attack while simultaneously protecting the Indians from white depredations. The story depicted is one of continual conflict resolution, long, weary hours of patrol, inadequate manpower and intense exposure to drought, flood, heat and cold. It is a story of fifteen mile wagon trains, vast buffalo herds and space, truly wide open space. It is a story of the OLD west, that which existed before fences and cattle ranches, before complex Indian reservation systems and most of all, a time when Native American tribes were still a force to be reckoned with. It is extremely well written.

That portion of the trail which Eugene Ware patrolled is today Interstate 80 as it passes through western Nebraska.

Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, and Nebraska around the Platte river --1864. Cheyenne, Sioux, Pawnee, Kiowa, and others. Wagon trains from horizon to horizon. Confederate deserters. How to build a fort. Drunken troopers. A prairie fire moving at the speed of a train. A fort surrounded by thousands of Indains. Watching the beaver play. Surrounded by wolves. Brave soldiers. An incompetent officer. The secret society. A phonetic roster of Indian scouts. Hunting buffalo. The price of bacon, flour, rice, coffee, and other supplies. The different landscapes described. Tracking and running from Indians. An "accidental suicide." Premonitions. Real people as they really lived. A thousand vignettes as seen by Captain Eugene Ware of the Seventh Iowa Cavalry.

This is the memoir of a young cavalry officer serving on the Plains at the end of the Civil War. It is very interesting in the way it depicts day to day life, and merges the two conflicts. I was not aware, for example, that the Union was so concerned about Confederate attempts to ally with Indian tribes.

Having said this, I caution, that it's not exactly like reading about Custer. The most exciting encounter with the Indians involves Ware and his troop trying to make a mad dash for the fort before the Indians have time to persue, and the major accomplishment is replacing the telegraph wires that the Cheyennes destroyed. Thus I would not recommend this for an individual new to the topic of the Indian Wars, but if you're at the point where you want to delve deeper, and get more insight into the times, this is a very valuable work.

This atlas is shows all the small roads and some long driveways, has GPS longitudes and latitudes, marks places of interest for day trips, and is useful for traveling the back roads to see the real Indiana. My wife and I are retired and are not usually in any hurry to get somewhere. This means we can drive the back roads to most places we desire to end up. With this map we actually get where we intend to go and still see some very interesting parts of Indiana. These maps are in constant use by us whether referencing locations mentioned in the news or in the van going somewhere. A great purchase with many uses.

We use these books in business to get our service men where they need to be. They are excellent!

I really like this Atlas and have found it very useful for mapping out bike routes. It's great for finding the back country roads. Unfortunately, it doesn't distinguish between paved and gravel roads and the topographic information is useless, since the elevation line separation is 60 feet. In Indiana, 60 foot elevation changes can include entire hills. I've looked at other maps and atlases, and unless you want to buy several small, regional, topographical maps from the USGS this is the best book out there for the money.

DeLorme's new Indiana Atlas & Gazetteer should be a big help in tracing Indiana's tributary streams to Lake Michigan. It features incredibly detailed maps of the entire state, showing all its major highways, back roads, lakes, streams, and rivers in an easy-to-use book format. Topographic shading and GPS grids add an extra level of detail and usability to these maps to satisfy even the most avid outdoors people. The full-size, 11 X 15 1/2-inch paperback book is perfect for the car or truck, RV, fishing boat, or backpack. Bill Takacs, MidWest Outdoors Indiana, Feb., 1999

Indianapolis TV personality Dick Wolfsie is well-known in Central Indiana for finding fun, interesting human-interest segments for his station's morning show. Wolfsie continues this theme by digging up oddities from all over the Hoosier state that would interest any traveler who wants to stray from the beaten path. Wolfsie provides a description of the curiousity, organized by region and alphabetized by the town in which it is located. The book covers five regions and includes a map of that region that labels every town mentioned in that section of the book, no matter how small the town.

Examples include the RV museum in Elkhart, a jar museum in Muncie and the site of John Dillinger's first official crime in Mooresville.

Wolfsie includes addresses, phone mumbers, websites, e-mail addresses and contact names (some are only available through appointments). Rough directions from Indianapolis are included.

This book is amazing! It has many pieces of "useless" trivia - unless you stop and think about the uses of this knowledge. Did you know that a town in the Hoosier state seceded from the Union at the state of the Civil War? I didn't till I read this book - and I'm a major in that field with a wealth of knowledge on Indiana and the Civil War.

This book is really intersting and funny! It offers so much information about IN--things you never knew that are great trivia! Great for planning day trips in the state, too!

You'll enjoy this book even if you don't live in Indiana -- and you'll definitely enjoy it if you do. Packed with the odd and unusual, this book was filled with surprises even for me, and I've lived in Indiana for almost 20 years. Strange things you'll see along the road, folks who collect or build wierd stuff, bizarre legends and history... Dick Wolfsie explains them all with both wit and respect, and turns in a first-rate book that you should have with you on any daytrip you take around the Hoosier state.