North America Books

I love hummingbirds. I found this book most useful for helping me identify many of the different species of hummingbirds when I went down to photograph and videotape 14 different types south of Tucson. The book has valuable information, brilliant close-up photos and more valuable insights into these birds, habitats and much more. There are many on the market but if you want one for identification and more too this is in my top 3.

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.

I would like to encourage the author to write more volumes on the Illinois Central. This book is a great reference for mid 20th century locomotives and rolling stock. If I may be so bold as to suggest, a volume featuring branch line activities and depots would be an excellent follow up to this fine book.

Good section on the history of the Illinois Central Railroad. Steam section was good. Orange and White was the era I grew up watching on the IC. This book is an AWESOME photographic history of a historical Railroad.

First twenty pages are brief history of I. C. railroad. Next 29 pages are mostly pictures w/ brief discriptions of steam locomotives, followed by "around the map" photos, mostly of locomotives. Latter part of book is passenger trains, surburban Chicago "electrics", work & maintenance of way rolling stock, and cabooses (cabeese?).

Having grown up along the ICRR in the 50's through 70's, it brought back many fond memories, thank you so much.

AS AN EMPLOYEE OF THE ILLINOIS CENTRAL RAILROAD FOR THE LAST 27 YEARS THIS WAS BY FAR THE MOST INTERESTING BOOK ON THE RAILROAD I HAVE READ. BOTH PHOTOGRAPHY AND CONTENT PUTS THIS BOOK AT THE FRONT OF THE TRAIN.

I first bought this book in Santa Fe, N.M. in the 1960's and have treasured it ever since. I was living in New Mexico at the time, so it had a special relevancy. I have read it to my children and grandchildren, though unhappily they did not appreciate it as much as I had hoped. I was delighted to find the review, "Pure Poetry," and learn about the book's background.
The text is indeed,"pure poetry" and the pictures are a delight.
I believe that it has continued importance today, as we strive to understand other cultures. I hope that it continues to be available in the coming years.

This story is an excellent introduction to the world of the Native Americans of the Pueblos in the American southwest within sight of the mountains. Their life revolves around the land and the other animals that inhabit it. They work hard and while their lives vary with the seasons, it is generally a sequential routine. It is a life of community, where everyone has individual and group responsibilities.
As the danger of global warming becomes more generally accepted, we are reminded that we all have a responsibility to reduce our footprint of change on the planet. One of the best ways to train the younger generation to help reduce climate change is to expose them to the philosophy of the Native Americans. This book is an excellent way to do that.

As a child, I was facinated by they different ways in which people live. This book shows readers in simple, eloquent text and illustration a way of life quite different from the way most Americans live. In doing so, it shows the universality of human living. For very young children, Come Over to My House by Theo LeSieg (aka Dr. Seuss) does the same.

Meticulously rendered color and line drawings give this book an elegant beauty. This is a good introduction to the lives of the Pueblo native Americans.

The book is readable at a first and second grade level, but is fine as a parent-child read-aloud for ages 3 - 6. Kids will probably just want to slowly leaf through the fascinating, simple pictures.

Story is told in dignified first person by a child. No plot, just short pieces on the land, traditions, animals, and people of the Pueblo.

This book explores pueblo life in many ways, but it is the elegant artwork and the lyrical writing that draw me back to its pages again and again.

There is an interesting story behind this book. Ann Nolan Clark, at that time, was working as a teacher on a reservation. The tribal elders were (rightfully so, after all the treaty breaking) suspicious of books as "white man's word" and would not let Ann introduce writing and reading to the students by bringing books onto the rez. So she taught (as was usual for her) many things at once. She taught the students to write, and while writing they learned to read by reading and sharing their own writing. She had all her students write what life was like then, and compiled them all into a collection she called, at the time, something like Our 3rd Grade Geography. Because she wanted to relieve the elders of their suspicions where books were concerned, and at the same time show the students that books were written by people -- ordinary people -- she found someone who would bind a few copies for her.

After the bound copies were returned to the reservation, the tribal elders relented and let her bring in books with which to enrich the lives of her students. The most amazing side-effect of all this was that a very good friend of hers sent a bound copy to a publisher friend and the publisher contacted Ann, then they contacted Velino Herrara, whose illustrations are perfect for the book.

A must-read for all young children. A must-look-at for all aspiring artists who want an introduction to a wonderful style. Finally, for anyone who wants the music of the pueblo to run in their heartbeats and influence their own poetry, a book to buy and cherish.

At first when i opened the book to read it i almost knew it was going to be good so thats why i had to keep reading it i wish it wasnt so short because i would like to now where raven went, and did she stand up to everybody that she thought was mean. how could she stand up to lucy's aunt if she was so mean this book have thoght me how to speak mty mind even more now and that your opoion always count no matter what.

The book The Indian School was a very good book. This book was about an Indian school that taught Indian childern without a family. The Indian childern at the Indian school have certain chores they have to do. A white girl named Lucy came to live with her uncle Edward and aunt Emma. They owned the Indian school. Lucy had to come to live with her uncle and aunt because her father and mother were killed in an accident. So Lucy was sent to her uncle and aunt. An Indian girl and boy came to the Indian school because their Indian father brought them to stay there while he went north. After the winter their Indian father came back to get them. He thanked Edward and Emma for taking care of them. Edward and Emma asked them if they would stay. Did they or did they not stay? Read the book and find out. I think you will enjoy the book.

I loved this book. It is a beautiful portrait of friendship and loss. There are three strong female characters--one white girl, and two Indian girls, all about age 12. When Lucy, the white girl, sees how Raven stands up to Aunt Emma, Lucy begins to wonder whether it is true that "The meek shall inherit the earth." This book uncovers many issues of American history that are usually left buried. I recommend this book to everyone. After I read this book, I turned the cover over and over, searching for a "gold" or "silver" medal. I could not believe that this book had not won any awards.

When I turned to the first page of the book,I thought that it was going to be boring.But when I went further and further,I was engrossed in the book.I feel more like Raven,one of the character in the book.Unlike,Lucy,Raven is bold and speaks her mind.She is obstinate but I think that children should be that way to get what they want.Lucy is too meek and never demands for what she wants.Every children must have their right to do something.We must stand up to the grownups.I also learned about friendship.Raven and Lucy were different in many ways but they still maintain their friendship.This book teaches me a lot of things.I especially like Raven's behaviour.I am very attached to Raven.I find this book very enthralling and it is one of my favourite books.

First concern: The book is written by a non-Native, albeit one sensitive to several issues around indigenous peoples' assimilation into "white culture." Second: I'm a teacher, not a child. This book claims to be about a 3rd grade reading level. I'm not sure a 3rd grader could relate to it. I'm not even sure a 5th grader would -- unless an adult read it to her. It's another one of those lovely books that grown-ups sigh over, but children find a little light on the action. The themes are important though, and this gives it reason to be read, at least aloud.

I have been doing research on the Indian slave trade and this book is a gem! It explains the political and social climate so to explain the "whys" of something that is difficult for 21st century minds to comprehend.

A wonderful read! This is one of my favorite books. The way the author seamlessly pulls together information that has been passed by numerous historians before him, and writes about it in clearly stated but intricate text is outstanding. The Indian Slave trade us unlike any book I have ever read. No wonder it won the Bancroft Award. Give it a try, you won't be dissapointed!

Focusing on the early decades of South Carolina, Alan Gallay places English colonization in the context of the French and Spanish presence in North America, and of the immensely disrupted "first nation" cultures struggling to recreate stability in the face of European intrusions. Since the book won the 2003 Bancroft Prize, it shouldn't be necessary to praise it excessively or to call it to the attention of serious students of American history. For more casual readers, let me flag a few surprises:

* First, the mere idea of Indian slaves! Yes, the colonists enslaved Indians more often than they converted them to Christianity, and lured the young men of some tribes into warfare aginst other tribes for the purpose of capturing slaves to sell to the English.
* South Carolina exported more slaves in its first fifty years than it imported, most of them captured Indians sent to New England, the Bahamas, and other English sugar islands which were already more populous and more economically important than the mainland.
* The rapid expansion of cultural mayhem from the spottily settled English colonies to the whole of North America east of the Mississippi.
* The culture of slavery and the perception of racial identities that so quickly emerged in the American South! Was the Civil War inevitable from the onset?
* The immediate emergence of conflict between the interest groups of the English, that is, the proprieters vs. the settlers, the local authorities of government vs. the ungovernable colonists, the rivalry between colonies, etc.
* The challenge to the dominant historical hypothesis that Virginia was the model and seedbed of later Southern colonies and states; Prof. Gallay suggests that South Carolina may have disseminated its values and habits rather more widely than many have supposed.

Some readers may find this book overly detailed and laborsome. Fair warning, okay? But those who are seriously interested in American history, of any era, should be advised that "The Indian Slave Trade" is required reading.

The second part of the title, The Rise of the English Empire in the American South, is a more accurate description of what this good book describes. Gallay presents a detailed description and analysis of the interaction between European colonists, particularly the English in what we now call South Carolina, and the native peoples of the Southeast at the end of the 17th and the early 18th centuries. Gallay is primarily concerned with 2 issues. First, how did the native peoples respond to European colonization? Second, what led to the British gaining the upper hand over the French and Spanish? According to Gallay, the key feature that addresses both these questions is the Indian slave trade. While the French and Spanish pursued colonization for essentially strategic reasons with very limited resources, the British Carolina colony originated as a commercial enterprise originally supporting Caribbean sugar plantations. The British colonists became enmeshed in relatively large scale commerce involving virtually the whole Southeast while the French pursued diplomacy with commercial elements in a more limited area and the Spanish attempted to use a mission system in the Florida region. Gallay presents the Indian slave trade as the key feature of the English trade system. The British colonists used European goods to barter for slaves and other products, particularly hides, from native groups. The slave trade connects the Carolina colony to the larger Atlantic plantation economy and drives development of the colony. This led to an increase in warfare between Indian communities as warfare became commerce driven. The British colonists were then able to exploit their commercial leverage and the increase in turmoil to establish a preeminent position in the South. Gallay is careful to point out that the South was anarchic and conflict ridden prior to European intervention and that slavery was a traditional institution, though expanded greatly with commercial slaving. While Gallay does not say so, this is essentialy an extension of the model of slaving developed to describe the African end of the great Atlantic slave trade. In both the case of Africa and Gallay's discussion of the American South, the model points up the key roles of, and the power of the indigenous communities, which were actually more powerful than the European communities.
This is a creditable interpretation but the data that Gallay actually presents about Indian slaving is relatively modest. There is some anecdotal information and he does make an estimate of the number of slaves taken, arguing that more slaves were shipped out of Charles Town (modern Charleston) than came in. Gallay is clearly limited by his documentary material, most of which does not address directly the issue of the Indian slave trade. Most of the book, however, is not directly about the Indian slave trade but a detailed account of 2 related topics. The first, and best documented, is about the struggles between colonists, the colonial government, and the governing investors in England to regulate the colony, particularly trade with the Indians. The second is an effort to reconstruct the diplomacy and warfare between the different European groups and Indian communities in this period. This is arguably the best part of the book; an effort to describe realistically the independent roles of native communities. Again, though Gallay does not mention this but pioneering work by Francis Jennings and others have demonstrated the powerful and independent role played by North American native communities, particularly the Iroquois, in this period.
Overall, this is a valuable and clearly written book.

I'm not sure what to say about this book. It just flows so smoothly that, while I don't consider the topic wholly engaging, I'm having as easy a time with it as if it was a gripping novel. Even reading this as an assignment, it's not a burden at all. Gallay is such a masterful author, and the book is so accessible, that you move seamlessly along as if the words were your own thoughts. I really have no higher praise for its quality than that.

Joie Davidow's telling of Aztec history is mesmerizing. When she draws her conclusion that had the Aztecs survived, their herbal medicines would rival those of the Chinese, I was totally convinced. Finding this book while looking for books on herbal tea was a stroke of luck. And, while the Mexicans may have as many herbs in their medicine chests as the Chinese, this book concentrates on about 200 or so of the most commonly found and used. I have always felt that we should make use of the herbs that grow around us instead of trying to grow those from another region. So I was excited to find a book about southwestern herbs. What I didn't expect was how many plants were included that were NOT from the Mexican area or even the southwest. It shows that her research is up to date on what herbs are being used by the Mexicans for medicinal purposes today. Particularly useful is the extensive lists of names given for each plant. Common names vary so much from region to region that it can be difficult to locate the correct herb for the healing tea recipe. Not only are we given several Mexican names for the plants but also the Nahuatl or Aztec name. Almost every imaginable ailment is listed and which single or combined herbs should be used. Easy to use and handy to have this book is also fascinating just to read.

As I am studying to become an herbalist, this is a very educational book. I like the idea that the author gives you the name of the herb in spanish, english, nahuatl, and mayan. I definately recommend this book to people with an open mind and who love to heal naturally.

I bought this book unseen and I am so happy to have done so. This book is a virtual treasure trove of practical herbalism and folk healing. There are many herbs listed with traditional uses, great tables of correspondance and my favorite part is a small section on some of the folk saints found in curanderismo. I am very glad to own this book and will treasure it for many years.

I have studied under a curandero, and this just adds more to my education. There are plenty of books out there about herbalism from around the world, and it is about time that CURANDERISMO gets recognition...thank you Joie!

For many years popular North American herbals were Eurocentric. It is enriching, valuable and timely that "Infusions of Healing: A Treasury of Mexican American Herbal Medicine" has been introduced to the public. As an herbalist I welcome the opportunity to broaden my understanding of the traditional uses, botanical names and history of herbs by Mexican Americans, Mexicans and indigenous Americans, among others. Davidow's book is comprehensive, thoughtful and engaging. The style of the illustrations make them the perfect companions to the text. I put "Infusion of Healing" at the top of the list of essential modern herbals for it's outstanding contribution to cross-cultural knowledge of herbal practices.

This superb little 159-page guide includes 47 pages describing a bit about naturalists, the history of bugs, their different types, how to identify and distinguish them--and even a few pages on endangered bug species.

What follows are 101 gorgeous, illustrated pages describing the appearance, habits and environments of everything from flies and grasshoppers to katydids and aphids. Kids also learn about boll weevels, moths and butterflies, and common pests and parasites like mosquitoes and ticks.

The book also includes a two-page glossary, two page list of additional resources, and a four-page alphebetized index.

A great starter book for insect lovers of all ages, but especially kids.

As a hmoe schooling mom this has been an excellent tool for the kids. They can look up all the bugs they find at anytime the decide to go bug hunting. It is simple and easy to use. a wonderful resource.

This book (actually the whole series) is wonderful! I have a 4 year old who just loves to page through it and examine all the different kinds of insects. We use this one to identify all the different kinds of bugs that we run into on our walks. The photos alone are worth the purchase price, but the descriptions are also wonderful. I think these are the best field guides out there.

This is THE best field guide for kids. It has excellent photographs and covers many different types of insects, including some regional ones. It is not only appropriate for young children who can only enjoy the pictures, it is also a great book for older children, up to about 12 or so. Any child who has an interest on learning about insects, spiders included, will enjoy this book and its wonderful pictures.

I love this book. Filled with VIVID photographs, this guidebook is compact and durable and begins with a short introduction (a few pages) devoted to teaching about anthropods in general. We use this book all of the time, from identifiying bugs on neighborhood walks, excursions to area parks, or just in the backyard (and sometimes in the house). I can also credit this book for curing my son's phobia of insects. When we saw a bug he was scared of, we'd grab this book and identify it. Looking at the bug and identifying its parts and then being able to call it by name did wonders in alleving his fears! I do wish that this book had more information associated with each insect...such as what it eats and what eats it. But, as a beginner guidebook, this one is exceptional!

While I found the book, on the whole, to be an interesting entry in a historical space that is lightly populated; meaning that few books are written about the Indian culture during Colonial times and the impact of expansionism on their culture, I felt there were aspects of the book that adversely affected its quality:

1. The detail surrounding the land, colonial speculation (including Jefferson's holdings) and the treaties to expand the colonies' territory to be excessive and ineffective in their attempt to connect Jefferson's said holdings with an overall strategic conspiracy.
2. The book's focus on Jefferson's interest and approach to the American Indian, while interesting and keeping with the title, limited the potential of the book which, I believe, would have been better served if the premise focused more on the colonies' overall perspective and dealings with the Indians. This would have included a more extensive overview of the interaction of the specific tribes, the impact of the six nations and how this interaction diluted or enhanced the Indian culture.
3. I don't believe that it is contradictory for a man of science (based on Jefferson's interest in language and culture correlations and origin), to suggest that certain tribes represented a real threat to the safety of citizens that were, technically, the responsibility of Virginia and,eventually,the United States. Decisions to support eradication of "bad" elements versus those tribes that were cooperative seems logical given the reports that were received and magnitude of the violence that was observed.

Having said that, the chapters regarding the tracking of language patterns, formulating questions that would uncover additional information about tribal history and Jefferson's desire and passion to explore the role of the Native American and determine whether there were connections with the Welsch were fascinating and were great reading.

Overall, while I enjoyed the book, I sensed too much intent to discredit Jefferson and too little effort to suggest the overall importance of Jefferson's desire and approach to collecting and preserving data on the American Indian.

Many works on early United States history tend to give Indian affairs less attention than it deserves. There are two recent books with which I am familiar that help correct this situation. The first is Robert Remini's study of Jacksonian American, "Andrew Jackson and his Indian Wars". The second is Professor Wallace's book on Jefferson's relationship to the Indians, which I am discussing here.

Remini's and Wallace's book can be read together because both tell parts of the same sad story. Expansionist pressures from settlers and the fear of the United States of Indian attacks, particularly when incited by hostile European nations led to a policy of land cessions, wars, and forced removal westward of the Indian tribes. The process culminated with Andrew Jackson's Indian wars and presidency, the subject of Remini's book, but it was effectively put in place by Thomas Jefferson, as shown by Wallace.

Jefferson and his Indian policy, however, seem to me to present a more complex case than Jackson. As Wallace's book shows, Jefferson was indeed a polymath, a scholar and intellectual as well as a, paradoxically, man of power and position. Jefferson took a genuine interest in Indian archaeology, culture and language and made himself or encouraged others to make, scholarly and enthnological contributions that are still important towards understanding the Indians.

Jefferson, even on Professor Wallace's account, had compassion for the Indian tribes and an interest in their well-being, even if this interest was overshadowed, as it was, by his desire to obtain Indian land for the new nation and even though his view of Indian interests was misguided and partial.

Wallace's book traces Jefferson's early relationship with Indians beginning before the revolution when Jefferson was a land speculator in the then Western United States. He explores in detail Jefferson's writing on Indians, particularly his writing on the Indian chief Logan in his "Notes on the State of Virginia." Jefferson's partial reading of the fate of this "Noble Savage", according to Wallace, shows the ambivalent character of Jefferson's approach to the Indians.

Wallace describes in detail Jefferson the politician approaching Indian affairs in the original United States territory and in the Louisiana purchase, which doubled the size of the United States. The announced goals of the policy were peace, land cessions and civilization for the Indians. Too often, these policies became simply the means for tribal destruction and deprivation and for the removal policy, for both the southern and the northern tribes, that culminated in the administration of Andrew Jackson. (again, see the Remini book.)

There are some fascinating quotations in the book that illustrate Wallace's points that are set aside and emphasized in blocked-type and quotes. It is a good way of gaining focus. The book has a wealth of documentation and is not simply a political history. As I indicated Jefferson was a complex individual and this book shows him, focusing on Indian affairs, in all his personal and political variety.

Wallace has a clear feeling for the tragedy of the American Indian. Yet his book is balanced in tone and does not degenerate into ideological or special pleading. His opinions are stated clearly and eloquently in his introduction and conclusion and in his discussions of the events described in the text. The book has the measure of a scholar and encourages the reader to reflect for him or herself on the record.

There are those who are skeptical of the public's recent interest in American History, as shown by the success of McCollough's John Adams as well as other popular historical works, on grounds that it is a new attempt to promote American exceptionalism and to avoid considering the tragedies of our past. I disagree. I think, this interest in history shows a renewed love and interest in our country with no desire to minimize its failings. Wallace's book to me shows both love of our country and a sense of one of its major tragedies.

The detailed review by Robin Friedman (below) gives a fair and ample account of this book's content and quality. I'm afraid Thomas Jefferson does not escape with his reputation intact, but I doubt that AFC Wallace intended to besmirch or belittle him for any political agenda. Jefferson was my hero in high school, but almost nothing I've learned about him since then has polished his image. John Quincy Adams, who knew him well, slowly came to regard him as hypocritical, cunning, self-absorbed, given to magnifying his own exploits... what today might be called "narcissistic". Wahington detested him in his later years and cut off communication. Obviously, Jefferson can't be blamed for the uses later generations have made of him to justify secession, states-rights conservatism, racist forms of populism, etc, but history does provide a lens for interpreting his ideologies and for finding that aside from the noble rhetoric of the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson's legacy is mostly pernicious.
This is, however, a very well-written and readable book, superbly researched, and not at all tendentious. Don't read it alone! (Of course, if you read it at all, you've probably read other books on Jefferson and on the 18th C). Take a look at FORCED FOUNDERS as a counterweight.

I felt that this was an excellent book on Thomas Jefferson's views toward the native people of North America. It illuminated many parts of his feelings toward native people and their place in the "American Republic." I felt that it also raised many questions about his participation in early land speculation with Henry, Washington, and Franklin as well as his role in the eventual displacement of native people. Anyone interested in early colonial policy toward natives will surely love this book.

Part of the Jeffersonian fascination involves the many facets, ambiguities and paradoxes he presents: the libertarian who owned slaves; the budget-slashing, small-government advocate who was a personal spendthrift, perpetually teetering at the brink of financial ruin; the shy and ineffective public speaker who was one of the most ruthless and scheming of backroom political operatives; the reclusive scholar and intellectual who spent two hours a day on horseback, and apparently indulged surreptitious passions in the slave quarters. Professor Wallace gives us a little known side of Jefferson: the student of Native American culture, history and language, who took quite deliberate measures to destroy them. Jefferson, who apparently was sincerely fascinated with the Indians, and sympathetic to their plight as they vanished under the burdens of disease, debt, whiskey and the murderous encroachments of frontiersmen, did little to protect them and their way of life, which was incompatible with Jefferson's expansionist, egalitarian vision of a nation of white protestant yeoman farmers. At best, Jefferson hoped that the Indians could be assimilated into white society, as were the Cherokee before Jefferson's successors allowed them to be dispossessed. A fascinating book with some great sidelights (for example, I had no idea that Siouxian tribes at one time lived in Virginia).

This book is an outline for how to recreate the late June Jordan's revolutionary poetry class at UC Berkeley. From how to organize, to how to pick a curriculum and run a workshop, to how to kick off a reading and publish a class chapbook, this volume recreates the process that will allow you to teach poetry to a broad cross-section of the population. And not just at a university, either: the book describes how this same process, with minor amendments, was used in public schools and in an area church. I can imagine this same blueprint being used to teach poetry in a community center, a long-term care home, or a prison with similar good effect.

And even if you're not inclined to teach, there is a great deal of information in this book that will help you learn how to write. Jordan inserts her guidelines for revision, self-critique, self-publicity, and other skills a working poet will need. Whether you want to work with others or alone, this book will open your eyes to the ways poets improve their art.

There is even a healthy selection of poetry that poets and teachers of poetry should take a look at. Categorized according to racial, social, sexual, and other lines, it will allow you to build a library that represents a cross-section of verse as it is written in America today. The list is a little out of date, having been written in 1995, but if you have access to a good library, or even time to look around Amazon.com, you should be able to bring the selection up to date for your own writing.

The book isn't without problems. In the reading selection, the "White Male" section seems to stop with the death of Robert Frost, as though no white men have written poetry, or none worth mentioning, for the last 45 years. Some of the poetry from the class is very confessional, sometimes at the expense of quality, so there are poems which seem less like poetry amd more like airing dirty laundry in public. And the social outlook of the book is very urban-centered, as though if you don't live in a world surrounded by urban sprawl and drenched in media, you can't write or perform poetry.

But on balance, even a rural white male poet with nothing to confess will have a great deal to gain from this book. From how to edit yourself to how to organize with other poets to how to publish and publicize, there is a great deal you'll be able to take away and apply to your own poetry and your own community. A must-have for all poets who aspire to work in a serious and committed manner, and for poetry teachers who want to do more than just copy-edit their students' work.

This book, based on the experience of students and poets involved with June Jordan's popular UCal/Berkeley poetry courses, is a handbook for people who want to put poetry in the mouths and pens of "The People," everybody -- whether in the university or in a community setting such as a coffeehouse or church. The "white male" poetry of the "canon" is here put in its rightful place as but one of the several American poetry traditions, which also include African American, Caribbean, Native American, Asian American, Chicano/a, gay and lesbian, women's, and Irish American poetry, for which beginning bibliographies are supplied, as is a sample syllabus and an anthology of student poetry.

I stumbled on this book when I was looking for new resources for good poems to read for Black History Month. Flipping through it, I found it instantly engaging, so I had no problem buying it on the spot.

It went on the stack of 'next time you're looking for something interesting to read' and had to wait for me to finish a few books of poetry, as well as Ted Kooser's Poetry Home Repair Manual. I felt some sort of irrational loyalty to the new Poet Laureate. But Kooser is good; very good. He made me think through everything that I write -- carefully, critically -- and my spirit was quickly wilting. I needed an antidote; or, more precisely, a complement, a little yin to counterbalance the substantial yang of Kooser's superb book. June Jordan was the very thing.

Reading it is a joy. Thinking through how to teach people to write poetry that speaks to the truth of their world, their experience, and how to bring it to the public -- all the grub with the glory, so to speak -- with June Jordan and her students was pure pleasure. And I couldn't argue with the results -- which are generously sprinkled throughout the book, with an extra dollop at the end. Poetry, the craft and how to sell it.

I have to mention that one thing that initially attracted me to Poetry for the People was the memory that Jordan had recently died (in 2002, I believe). I'm in the habit of reading a book by an author when they die as a sort of memorial, an extended meditation on their contribution and general mutability, if you will. We lost a great one when we lost June Jordan; but she was responsible enough to leave a substantial legacy, so the net loss is negligible. It's ours because she wanted it to be.

Even if you don't teach poetry writing, you will love this book if you're a writer of politically conscious poetry or if you care about how good poetry gets written. With the popularity of Slam poetry these days, this is a very useful primer. It includes poems from different cultural backgrounds about a range of racial, social, and gender issues. It also provides lists of suggested readings that go beyond the narrow range of poetry books found in mainstream bookstores.

Lauren Muller, editor, gently persuades a talented crew from June Jordan's Poetry for the People classes at UC Berkely, to tell the rest of us how they do it--run poetry workshops and readings that literally transform their participants and audiences. The book provides college and communityteachers with an accessible plan for poetry workshops, including syllabii, bibliographies, thoughtful meditations on the teaching and writingof poetry, and a rich sampling of poems. It's a tribute not only to the power of the word but also to the solid principle that teaching, like popular theater, is one of the democratic art forms that can revolutionize the way we think and how we live in community.

Each chapter is an essay on some aspect of life in the Sand Hills, often connected to the author's trials with his university or other human institutions, often dam builders, stream diverters, highway folks, boaters, hunters. As usual, some chapters are much more interesting than the others. I liked the parts about curlews and malaria the best. He has a strong and distinctive voice that sounds like a lot of zoologists i have met. Botanists just don't have the same attitude, somehow.

John Janovy captures the excitement of biological field research in his "own back yard". This classic, "Keith County Journal", details the work he and his students did on parasitology in his home state of Nebraska; a state that does not immediately conjure up images of great scientific discovery. This is a great pity because many fundamental discoveries can be made without traveling to the Amazon or Antarctica. In fact a researcher can spend some very fruitful time in such places as mud holes and stock tanks, as well as others, such as agricultural fields. Barbara McClintock, for example, won a Nobel Prize by studying corn in her own research plots and Jean Henri Fabre wrote a whole series of very well-known books on the insect life found mostly on his home "harmas" of about one hectare.

While he and his students scrounge through ponds to look for snail and bird parasites, Janovy was also busy making drawings and paintings of birds. Not wonderful paintings, but certainly reasonable ones. In this he joins with a large number of natural scientists/naturalists/artists who have utilized art as a vehicle for observation. Indeed, Janovy makes a very good case for such observation as a basis for field biology.

This is not just a book for biology wonks, but will also give the general reader a taste of what field biology is all about. "Keith County Journal" is in fact a highly readable book and I recommend it and any other work by John Janovy without reservation.

There are books by scientists and nature writers that inspire an attitude of awe and wonder, and they do it with a graceful style of coolly elegant prose. This is not one of those books. Janovy, a University of Nebraska biologist specializing in parasitology, is often awestruck by nature, but his style is wonky and comically ironic, using the kind of classroom lecture technique meant to engage undergraduates by seeming to be anything but reverential about subjects he loves, enjoys, and deeply cares about.

Unscientifically, he personalizes and humanizes the species he discusses (termites, snails, fish, birds) and even the places where he and his students do their field work - the Platte River, the waters of man-made Lake McConaughy, the streams and marshes that feed into it, and the Nebraska Sandhills. And there are references as well to beer drinking, the Doors, and Waylon Jennings. He refers to himself sometimes in the third person and easily reveals his own embarrassments and frustrations as his attempts to unravel nature's mysteries are sometimes less than successful. Waxing philosophical at nearly every turn, he eventually reaches a state of mind he calls the "Ogallala blues."

Meanwhile, like a great teacher who inspires with his enthusiasms, he opens a world unknown to anyone unaware of the subtle and complex relationships between species. And he's able to do this by focusing on just a few life forms, including one-celled animals, in a small area of western Nebraska. Janovy invites you to take the nearest exit ramp within range of open fields and streams - even a patch of weeds - and just feast your senses on the flora and fauna. His book is full of fascinating material for the nonbiologist and a pleasure to read.

This story is very specific in its content, which is great for a biologist like myself, but because it is so specific it may appeal only to a limited audience. I especially enjoyed the field trips described and felt I was there, leaky waders and all, plus battles with barbed wire and seeking permission from land owwners to trespass their property.

The use of common names in addition to scientific names may have contributed to its readability. More illustrations would help too. I recommend this book to anyone interested in biology, particularly those over age 15.

This book is a quiet masterpiece. I am not a biologist, but I did not find the book too specific or too technical. Janovy sees lessons everywhere. He teases them from his subjects, his students, his experiences. When he wades into Whitetail Creek with his twenty biology students, he changes the lives of those that follow him, whether in the water or on the page. He writes of the Rock Wren, "Live in a place where you are not tested, and you are living in a place of inferior quality." True, the book is about parasites, and his treatment of parasites is fascinating. But the parasites are packed in among his observations about human being and place and the workings of the world. His writing style is graceful and enticing. I can't wait to read more.