North Carolina Books

THIS BOOK IS PART MEMORIES AND PART SOCIOLOGY AS IT EXAMINES THE UPS AND DOWNS OF BEING A FANATIC OF ANY MAJOR COLLEGE TEAM (IN THIS CASE THE BASKETBALL TARHEELS). THE MEMORIES OF THE AUTHOR ARE AUGMENTED BY THE DIARIES KEPT BY 15 DIEHARD UNC FANS FROM THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY AND BEYOND. ITS A GREAT BOOK ABOUT BASKETBALL AND MORE IMPORTANTLY WHAT ITS LIKE TO BE A FAN IN THE AGE OF TELEVISION AND THE INTERNET. A MUST READ FOR ANY SPORTS ENTHUSIAST.

THIS A COMPILATION BETWEEN MEMORIES OF CAROLINA FANS AND A STUDY OF MAJOR COLLEGE FANATICS. THAD DOES A WONDERFUL JOB TALKING ABOUT HIS HISTORY GROWING UP AS A TAR HEEL FAN. THE DIARISTS ALSO PRESENT AN INTERESTING PICTURE OF THE UPS AND DOWNS OF A COLLEGE BASKETBALL FAN. THE LAST SEGMENT OF THE BOOK PROVIDES INSIGHT INTO THE BASKETBALL FAN IN THE AGE OF THE INTERNET AND CHAT ROOMS. ALL IN ALL A GREAT BOOK AND A WORTHY ADDITION TO YOUR BASKETBALL LIBRARY.

I'm a student at UNC and when I first got here I didn't know much about our basketball team. I thought this book was really cool because it has so many fun facts in it and I learned so much about the proud tradition of UNC Basketball!

Mr. Williamson's unique position, growing up in Chapel Hill with close connections to the Carolina program, provide him with a perfect vantagepoint from which to view and analyze the phenomenon that is Carolina Basketball. Part history, part social analysis, part simple fandom, More Than A Game is an extremely interesting and impassioned book which provides the reader with questions to answer for him or herself about extremism vs. a fun hobby. Particularly interesting is the fan survey which gives us a look at the nuances of everyday life from alumni, fans and those who take it to another level altogether (like myself). Reading the book took me for a stroll down memory lane, comparing Mr. Williamson's view of Carolina basketball history to my own. Sports fans, hoops fans and recruiting junkies will love it.

First off, I'll admit that I'm biased - I'm a member of the email list-serve that figures so prominently in this book. But the appeal of Thad's work reaches far beyond this core constituency. It presents a scholarly analysis of the good and the bad of fandom, and an insight into how one arrives at the stage where a basketball team can mean so much. Divided into four parts, there's something here for everyone: social commentary, philosophy, statistics, and yes, basketball. Carolina basketball, no less! The combination of the fan diaries and the survey give powerful insight into the UNC fan community - at least, that portion of the community on the internet. To my knowledge, such an honest assessment has never been performed on any team's fans before now, but it's worth the wait. If you've ever felt the Fever, and wondered, even for a moment, whether it was a good thing, pick up this book and let it help you decide for yourself.

I got this book because Magnolia Grill is a favorite restaurant. It's a gorgeous book with incredible photographs, but after seeing the authors of the Food Network the other night I am inspired to get it dirty in the kitchen. The recipes they cooked on the air were not terribly complicated and they looked yummy. I particularly like the Barkers' advice to break the rules and adapt the recipes to your own tastes and to what fresh ingredients are available.

I'm a recent transplant from New York and have been spoiled rotten by its hundreds of cutting-edge restaurants and innovative chefs. But I have to tell you, the Barkers and Magnolia Grill are right up there. As a rule, I find chef cookbooks beyond the capabilities of the average-- or even the advanced-- home cook. NOT AFRAID OF FLAVOR is the exception. Not only are its recipes inviting, they're approachable. Moreover the story of the Barkers and their Durham, NC restaurant is warm and appealing. Thanks to the Barkers (not to mention several other local chefs they've mentored), this red-clay country is no gastromic wasteland. Even my New York City friends are impressed. I've given NOT AFRAID OF FLAVOR to half a dozen of them and they're as impressed by the cookbook as they are by the cooking they sampled at Magnolia Grill. From a huge Barker fan.

The author run the Magnolia Grill restaurant in North Carolina and here provides a cookbook of their dishes and Southern culinary traditions. The restaurant's favorites have been adjusted for the home cook and include fine innovations ranging form Salmon Choucroute in Creamy Mustard Sauce to Roasted Duck Breast with Sun-Dried Cherry Conserve. Color photos pepper and finish the presentation.

Having desired this cookbook for awhile, not disappointed in the least now that its in my collection.

This is rich book, with a rectangular format with big print and nice photos accompanying each recipe, which is given in adequate instructions and comments.

Knocked out by the variety and creativity of this recipe collection. They combine so many tastes and styles here --- Moraccan, Asian, Mexican, etc. Try these and you'll go bonkers as I--- Spicy Green Tomato Soup with Crab & Country Ham, Moraccan Roasted Eggplant Bisque with Grilled Chicken and Minted Yogurt, Roast Squab with Blackberry Essence & Carrot-Thyme Spaetzle, Pan Fried Mountain Rainbow Trout with Green Tomato and Lime Brown Butter Salsa on Sweet Potato, Artichoke and Crawfish Hash, or Grilled Sturgeon on Wild Rice Risotto with Butternuts, Grilled Leeks, and Cider Reduction.

Desserts are exceptional here, especially: Brown Sugar Pear Poundcake, and the Banana Pecan Crostata with Jack Daniels vanilla ice cream.

Super creative food, that takes some time and attention to prepare, but the results are worth it.

Recommended for the serious cook who likes this food which ventures to truly zap the diner with flavor, flavor, flavor. Excellent!

Not Afraid Of Flavor: Recipes From Magnolia Grill showcases more than one hundred Southern dishes that are simply delicious and ingredient-driven. From Spicy Grilled Shrimp with Grits Cake, Country Ham & Redeye Vinaigrette, Gabriel's Favorite Crispy Parmesan Chicken with Lemon & Capers, and Molasses Mashed Sweet Potatoes, to Pickled Pepper Relish, Deep-Dish Apple Cinnamon Crisp with Brandied Vanilla Ice Cream, and Watermelon Ganita, Not Afraid Of Flavor is a beautifully illustrated, aptly elegant, and very welcome addition to any kitchen cookbook collection.

I learned more about the personalities in the Washington and Lee families and the history of food. It was really enjoyable.

I'm seventh cousin to U.S. Grant but have always had tremendous respect for, and interest in, the family of General Robert E. Lee. Altho we know that General Lee was a man of impecable morals and a champion of valor and honor, less has been known of his immediate family. Anne Carter Zimmer's book gives us a window in time into the life of the family of her great grandparents and a look at 19th century housekeeping. I grew up in Ohio before moving South and some of Mary Lee's household hints were utilized by my grandmother and mother. This is a fantastic book, warm, humorous, informative and with photos and shetches enough to make one sense that they might have felt at home in the Lee household.

Please, Anne, let us hear from you in the future. I'd very much like to know more about your singular family!

Anyone who is interested in knowing more about the personal side of Gen. Robert E. Lee and the people who stood behind him and allowed him to become great (his family) will enjoy this insight into their everyday lives and the heritage the author (Lee's great-granddaughter) has had to live up to throughout her life.

I would strongly recommend this.

This book is a great one for providing us a glimpse into life over 100 years ago. It is hard to imagine what a woman had to do back then to create the genteel life. Every household had to be self-sufficient, as this remarkable volume shows, making its own foodstuff, soap and cleansers. I loved this book and have shared it with good friends.

Mix together some spicy ingredients of Southern history, add "receipts" (aka recipes) for food, plus personal memoir, and a fascinating book is ready for you to devour or to send to friends as a gift.
What a marvelous, brilliant weaving together of the family history of the Robert E. Lee family, along with insider Civil War history, social history, food history, family characters and so on, have been put together by Anne Carter Zimmer, who gives us recipes one longs to try. I definitely want to attempt the Charlotte Russe and certainly the Sally Lunn. (Wish I had the courage for the oyster dish where, halfway throughout, you throw out one batch of oysters and add a fresh batch.) When I read the book's first line, "We didn't make much of ancestors when I was growing up," (this from the great-grandaughter of Robert E. Lee), I knew I was in touch with an authentic voice and that I would love this book. And love it I did.

This book is one of those great sports tales that they make an move of.It is not written just for the fotballfans.If u are just an guy that likes sports this book will be an great read for u.But if you are an Panthers fan or u got an Panthers fan in your family the book is a must.It covers everything that happened that season on the field in the locerroom and of the field.It makes you wanna play football.And it really touches you when you read how strong Sam Mills was to fight cancer be a couch and father at the same time.Man you just got to read it.That is all I got to say to you.Scott Fowler wrote a great book I became an Panthers fan after I read

Tales from the Panthers Sideline is a must-read for Panthers fans! This book is filled with funny and fascinating behind-the-scenes stories, and includes recaps of electrifying Panther moments on the field. I laughed out loud often while reading; and nodded my head and said, "cool", many times... If you have a short attention span, as I do, you'll appreciate that the book is broken up into short stories, so you can skip around without losing continuity.

I got this book for christmas, and it didnt take me long to find out this was my favorite present. After reading just a few stories, I was hooked. I am a HUGE Jake Delhomme fan, and i even have my own website ( www.cajunpride.cjb.net ). And if you love Jake Delhomme, Steve Smith, or any of the fabulous cardiac cats, you'll LOVE this book. Scott Fowler tells some of the funniest stories you'll ever read in here, and tells everything about the Panthers from the very beginning to the Superbowl last year. Every panther fan should have this book, and it's well worth the money.

As a die-hard Panthers fan and Jake Delhomme fan living in Canada, I knew I had to have this book. I wasn't disappointed after reading it in one sitting - I couldn't put it down.

Fowler's writing style is perfect for conversations over beer and wings with other football fans - Fowler shares short bursts of inside information all organized neatly into sections about either your favourite player or historical season through to last year's Superbowl trip... perfect for sharing "did you know" stories with your football buddies, Panther fans or not.

The stories are amusing (three words... Delhomme. Karaoke. Hilarious...), insightful (just who IS Steve Smith), unprecedented (the story behind THAT Rams game) and even humbling (detailing Sam Mills' and Mark Fields' bouts with cancer).

This book is a must-have for Panther fans and fans of any team will enjoy it too. It is a true behind-the-scenes look into the players you've grown to love every Sunday and I highly recommend this book.

When I read Scott Fowler's book, Tales From The
Carolina Panthers Sideline, I felt like I was pacing the sideline with the Panthers. Fowler was able to take me to the sidelines and locker room of this exciting and mercurial
team. I have been a faithful reader of Scott Fowler's columns over the years in The Charlotte Observer newspaper and felt certain my personal time devoted to reading this book would
be time well spent, and it was. I feel as though I now know the players, coaches and owner in a way the average fan wishes they could. The journey through the storied 2003-2004 season which
took the Panthers to an appearance in the Super Bowl has been captured by Scott Fowler in such a way that any Panthers fan will want to relive the ride again and again. And with Tales From The Carolina Panthers Sideline, they can. This is a must have for any football fan -- and especially Panther fans!! Enjoy!!

Fantastic message. Every parent of a young athlete should read it, and every aspiring young athlete should read it. Alan Williams demonstrates everything that is still right about wanting to succeed as an athlete... and the way to go about it. And for those athletes that are a "can't miss" or already there, the example and impacts that a Robert O'Kelly can make on those kids fighting to succeed are priceless. I made every girl on my 12U AAU basketball team read it.

They always say if you want to know what the Coach or the star of the team is really like, then you should ask the last player on the bench. This is exactly what Allan Williams does as he takes you on a journey through his life and times of triumph and dejection on the Wake Forest men's basketball team. It's a great story for basketball players and non players alike. truly inspirational

Walk-on is a must read for coaches, parents (especially fathers),star athletes and "bench-warmers." Alan Williams is a living example of what it means to be a team player. His story is a great encouragement to the athlete who loves his/her sport, but rarely "gets in the game." The book also brings out the positive relationship he has with his father.

Realistically describes the role of the non-starter in college athletics; worth reading for the roles of determination, family and faith in an individual's life. Good to share with high school athletes aspiring to play in college. Quick read, not the very best writing, but not awful either.

This book is incredibly inspiring and one that anyone will enjoy reading. I would give it six stars on a scale from 1 to 5!!!!!

The Blue Ridge Parkway, almost 450 miles long, connects Shennandoah National Park in Virginia with Great Smoky Mountains National Park astride the North Carolina - Tennessee border. In between it traverses some of the most beautiful mountain areas in North Carolina and Virginia. Although it provides splendid views from the road itself and from its many roadside overlooks, it is much more than a scenic drive. It is a ribbon of land administered by the National Park Service, at several places broadening into wider mini-parks. All of those parks as well as various other spots along the parkway's route have hiking trails that give visitors a closer look at the many natural wonders there. This book, as a comprehensive guide to those trails, is the one most indispensable guide to getting beyond your car and the overlooks in this remarkable National Park Service land. All of its official trails are rated in this book as to difficulty, from very easy to quite strenuous. Thus there are ample hikes for whatever level of wilderness adventure you're up for. Each hike is described in details, with points of interest described in the order you'll encounter them, with mileages to each from the trailhead. Some hikes described herein also get beyond the parkway's own lands, into National Forest lands that border the parkway in many places, as well as occasional adjacent commercial attractions such as Grandfather Mountain. Any visit to the Blue Ridge Parkway should be quite rewarding, and this book is one of the best resources for making it even more so, showing that you'll never be very far from places to park and take a walk for a more intimate view. And you definitely should sample at least some of the shorter and easier walks, if not the longer or more challenging ones, depending on what you're up to. This parkway is a natural treasure well-worth exploring, and this book may well be the quickest way to learn that there is so much more there than meets a casual eye.

for a day trip, a weekend trip, or a long vacation. We have hiked and camped in several of the places mentioned. I have lived in NC all of my life and did not realize there was such enriching trails and escapades off the parkway. I wish I had known about this book while attending WCU! Take it with you, it is very worthwhile.

Designed as a "drive awhile - stop awhile" recreational road, the Blue Ridge Parkway is the most visited unit in the National Park Service. It has 17 million visitors a year as compared to 10 million a year for the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. But the Parkway is more than a beautiful drive; it is also a good base from which to hike. Adkins describes all the ways that we can get out of the car as we explore the Parkway. From a leg-stretcher to a view of Glassmine Falls Trail to the eighteen miles of the Shut-In Trail, Adkins gives a contextual introduction to the hike as well as step-by-step directions. He rates each hike from an easy leg-stretcher to strenuous.

My only objection to the rating is that the author considers too many hikes as strenuous. For example, Adkins labels the Snooks Nose Trail, eight miles round trip and described as "not well-maintained and hard to locate" as strenuous. The two-and-a-half mile round trip hike up to Mt. Pisgah, on a clear, well-marked trail, is also rated as "strenuous". Hikers will have to decide what strenuous means to them. Ratings aside, the book is necessary to anyone looking for a variety of hikes in the area. The appendices are also a wealth of information. He lists every feature on the Parkway along with its mileage, all the inns and campgrounds as well as a roadside bloom calendar

My wife and I have just come home from a 3 week trip along the entire parkway. We started the trip with Hiking the Blue Ridge Parkway, but ended up buying Walking the Blue Ridge at one of the visitor centers. While Hiking was ok, we found Walking the Blue Ridge to be the better of the two. It was very easy to use, easy to find information, and full of wonderful tidbits. The way the mileage data was set up in a vertical way made it very easy to use while we were hiking the trails, simple to always know where we were. In the Hiking book we had to wade through a lot paragraphs just to match up the descriptions with where we actually were on the trail. Also, it was obvious that the author of Walking the Blue Ridge had actually walked every one of the trails he was writing about. It was also nice knowing that it gave descriptions of every one of the trails along the parkway, even if it was just a short pathway; the other book neglected some that we found to be truly delightful. In addition, its smaller weight and size made it much easier to carry while on the hikes.
All in all, we were happy to have found Walking the Blue Ridge and will be using it often.

The Blue Ridge Parkway, almost 450 miles long, connects Shennandoah National Park in Virginia with Great Smoky Mountains National Park astride the North Carolina - Tennessee border. In between it traverses some of the most beautiful mountain areas in North Carolina and Virginia. Although it provides splendid views from the road itself and from its many roadside overlooks, it is much more than a scenic drive. It is a ribbon of land administered by the National Park Service, at several places broadening into wider mini-parks. All of those parks as well as various other spots along the parkway's route have hiking trails that give visitors a closer look at the many natural wonders there. This book, as a comprehensive guide to those trails, is the one most indispensable guide to getting beyond your car and the overlooks in this remarkable National Park Service land. All of its official trails are rated in this book as to difficulty, from very easy to quite strenuous. Thus there are ample hikes for whatever level of wilderness adventure you're up for. Each hike is described in details, with points of interest described in the order you'll encounter them, with mileages to each from the trailhead. Some hikes described herein also get beyond the parkway's own lands, into National Forest lands that border the parkway in many places, as well as occasional adjacent commercial attractions such as Grandfather Mountain. Any visit to the Blue Ridge Parkway should be quite rewarding, and this book is one of the best resources for making it even more so, showing that you'll never be very far from places to park and take a walk for a more intimate view. And you definitely should sample at least some of the shorter and easier walks, if not the longer or more challenging ones, depending on what you're up to. This parkway is a natural treasure well-worth exploring, and this book may well be the quickest way to learn that there is so much more there than meets a casual eye.

I am on a one year leave from teaching second grade to stay home with my 5 month old. The teacher in me purchased this product because I wanted to make sure my baby was not missing out on any learning. I wish I would have discovered it sooner as the guide is set up for babies not able to sit up, babies able to sit up, and babies able to crawl. It gives activities to do at each of these stages. It is easy to use and activities are divided into categories: listening and talking, physical development, creative and learning from the work around them. We were already doing some of the activities included, but the book offers many ideas I would not have thought of. Overall, I feel it is a great resource to have.

As a first time mom,of a child with special needs to boot, I had no idea. This book and the others in the series are great resources for finding things to do with your child other than watching Teletubbies for the thousandth time. If your child needs extra help in a certain area, like fine motor or listening skills, you can easily find a variety of exercises to help here. The later books in the series (Threes, Fours, and Fives) would also be a great resource for a homeschooling parent.

It's almost overwhelming. There is no way you can spend this much time teaching everything, but it's nice to be able to pick and choose fun things to do with your baby. It's easy to use in a well thought out layout from birth on, divided by sensory perception.

Not just for daycare! I am a first-time, stay-at-home mom and needed a way to tell if I was "doing all the right stuff" in regards to play, development, speech, music, etc. This book gives you exercises that are so easy for each stage of the first year of life. There is not a lot to read like a typical baby care book, but each section outlines what the child should be accomplishing and gives you exercises to ensure that your child reaches those development milestones. If you can look past the idea that it is written for daycare providers, you will find this book extremely helpful. I knew I was giving my child all he needed because I had these exercises to use as a handy guide. Good luck to you!

I absolutly recommend this book for all providers working with infants. It is loaded with ideas and learning expeirences for babies. A must for providers and mothers who want to expand their child's learning!

I first read this book after coming across it in my local library. I checked it out and found myself lovingly dipping into it, looking forward to it each time I picked it up, savoring every moment, and thinking of it all the time I had to put it down. I soon found that I couldn't bear to turn it in (although I loved the idea that others would discover it there as did I). So I came here and bought it, to treasure:

For anyone who loves the richness of this land (or ANY land), and have wondered about its history, this book is a treasure. If you've wondered about the wildness that lives unseen deep in the hills, this book is a treasure. If you just want exceptional armchair adventure high in the Smokies and the Blue Ridge, this is ... well, you know.

But instead of reading this as my recommendation, read this as what I experienced in this book. Which is what ANY good book should do - not just read through, but to EXPERIENCE fully, as if you are there. And, better, to CHANGE you and enrich you.

Of course, I am a lifelong Appalachian mountain devotee, so I'm biased. But anyone who loves mountains, and loves the rich history and culture (wild and human) of a place, you will appreciate it. Camuto's writing takes you there, so that you feel the wind on your face, smell the crisp mountain air, hear the howl of the red wolf -
But I digress.
I deeply enjoyed this book, and I hope it will move you as it did me.

PS - If you liked this, you will enjoy "Where There Are Mountains: An Environmental History of the Southern Appalachians" by Donald Edward Davis. While somewhat more technical, it still will take you back to the southern Appalachians, long before the white settlers and explorers came to take it from the Cherokees and cleared so much of the land. The picture it paints of vast open forests of old-growth Chestnut trees (pre-blight), with deer and bison grazing on its mast beneath, massive flocks of wild turkeys nearby... is enough to fire your imagination.

Most of all, get out there and enjoy the mountains!

to be rushed through while reading it. It is a book meant to be savored, thought-upon and reflected upon. This book is haunting in its thoughts and language as the author travels the backcountry of the Great Smoky Mountains. It is also a book on the re-introduction of the Red Wolf back into its natural habitat. It is also a book that explores the history of the Cherokees, who used to roam over the land and lived off the vast wealth of the forest, mountains and rivers before driven off in the unnatural (or perhaps natural) stem of progress. It is a reflective book meant to be savored over a period of time, as the language of the author is dense, lyrical and very thoughtful. It is a beautiful book. It is a sad book. It is a book meant to capture a time now lost to the mists of time.

I picked this book up while visiting the Great Smoky Mountains last September. Out of the pile of books I bought then, this was the first one I picked up and I put it down after a month since it was too much to read in the midst of a crazy lifestyle. I picked it up again several months later to savor the words and thoughts of this author. Then I put it down again. This last few days, I picked it up since I have a craving to go back to the Mountains and teach my children what has happened in the past and what may happen in the future ~~ and I finished it in two days.

Christopher Camuto is a wonderful naturalist writer and a keen observer. I have only been to the Great Smoky Mountains once and we did your basic touristy things simply because my boys were too young to even hike the regular trails. That doesn't mean that we're not going to eventually because we do want to in the future. We want our children to preserve their heritage, what is left of it. We want them to see the magical wonder of being so close to nature and see the natural beauty of this world. And reading this book helped confirm that "want." Camuto goes back and forth from talking about the Red Wolf program in the Great Smoky Mountains, the Cherokee visions and his own observations while hiking along forgotten trails. They all tie together in a beautiful book that is sure to be treasured.

Need an introduction to Mother Nature and her history? I think you should start with this one. It's an unforgettable journey back through the mists of time.

7-30-06

Have you ever read a book that you loved reading so much you could not stand to finish? Another Country was such a book for me. I have felt so alone for so long as I have both loved my time in the outdoors and equally mourned the loss of it. Every time I pass a mountain and see the red-dirt scar of a new home perched atop it, every time I see a wooded lot scalped completely clean of all life for a new development, I mourn. Christopher Camuto has helped me feel less alone and helped me more completely appreciate the oft-ignored gift of beauty, variety, and history that the land, the Cherokee, and the wolf give us.

Another Country is a search for the soul of a land almost destroyed. Christopher Camuto writes a powerful narrative describing his exploration of the Cherokee homeland in the appalachians. He seeks communion, a connection he can sense in what is left of the natural landscape and wildness around him. It is as elusive as the dying Cherokee myths, as tangible as the arrowheads and village sites he finds. Camuto refers to the Appalacians as the Cherokee Mountains, their former nomenclature, because it is to the Cherokees they really belong. The rape and exploitation of their land parallels the rape and exploitation of their culture. Camuto's search for a wildness, that now remains only in remnants, is set in counterpoint to the reintroduction of the red wolf into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The most important clan animal of the Cherokee, it is symbolic of the differences between the Cherokee and the early Europeans. One revered its wildness and sought to preserve it. The other despised and killed it. One honored the wolf's home, seeking harmony with the land and its spirits. The other saw something untamed that must be destroyed. The author's journey begins as the wolves are being set free. Like many of the members of this first Canus Rufus release who step beyond their shrinking boundaries, Camuto confronts the vestiges of civilization at almost every turn. Set against continual references to Native-American mythology, and the history of the area, Camuto's book allows the reader to share his insight into the Cherokee view of the world. Unlike many who write about early culture, he does not attempt to steal it as his own. His statement that he is not Cherokee and thus can never totally understand, adds credibility to the objectiveness of his observations. It also demonstrates humbleness of endeavor, a bow of respect to the Cherokee nation. The book is firmly rooted in place as it combines the ethereal with the tangible landscape. Those who cherish wildness and honor those first here, will also treasure this book. In many ways , it is a sad obituary, lamenting that which was, as it examines what is left. The reintroduction of the red wolf represents one small, but hopeful, step in the restoration of that which is lost.

I've searched for years for just the right book that sums up my feelings for lost wilderness and finally found it with this book. I find Mr. Camuto's contrast with William Bartram's descriptions of the mountains both startling and sad. I've walked these mountains for over 30 years and in just the last 10 have I begun to realize the tragic consequences of overdevelopment and urban sprawl. Mountains and streams once largely clean and pristine now are considered off limits for fishing and drinking and I wonder why we have no love for the complexity of our natural environment. Like a Sand County Almanac, Chris Camuto has begun a modern discussion of the land ethic. An ethic our country, I fear, has so far refused to acknowledge or accept.

Fast paced thriller that is hard to put down. Provides a glimpse into the past (1961) with many memories for baby boomers. Looking forward to the next in the series.

It's the `60s and tension is high between John F. Kennedy, Jr. and Fidel Castro, the cold war is raging, and you can buy a bomb shelter in a kit. But in the small town of Charlotte, North Carolina, life is slow and easy until John Lattimore, one of the town's most esteemed members, is arrested for murdering his girlfriend, Delores Green. Lattimore claims he found Delores's dead body at his cabin and simply brought her home, but he made one grave mistake. He bullied Delores's son, Greg, into helping him create the impression she died of natural causes. But 200+ bruises over Delores's body prove otherwise.

Former newspaper reporter Steve Harlan has set up office as a private investigator and is barely making ends meet. When Lattimore's defense attorney asks Steve to investigate Delores's death, this offer seems like a godsend. Steve learns Delores was an alcoholic and took prescription medicine, and this becomes Lattimore's defense. Although Steve does not believe Lattimore is innocent, his investigation leads him to a gas station robbery in a nearby town and back to Lattimore's cabin, where danger awaits.

Hoover's Southern ambiance and dialect read true to the time and place. Harlan is a likeable character, a man of principle whose first priority is his family. This debut in the Steve Harlan mystery series is a fast-paced whodunit with plenty of red herrings and suspense.

I've been longing for a good male PI for a while now. Steve Harlan more than fills the bill. Hoover is destined to rank among the likes of Hammett and Parker. From the first page through to the last Steve Harlan peels back the layers of this thriller and his complex character until, at the end, we are left with only the highly polished pearl of truth.

"Double Dead" plops the reader down in a hot, sultry summer and a 1960s murder in a South those who flock to Charlotte for modern-day jobs at the big banks might not recognize. Visiting Charlotte in that time and place is a real treat. Hoover takes the seeds of history and weaves a suspenseful tale that will have you hooked from the first scene. Did he ... or didn't he? The courtroom scenes will have you reaching for a cardboard funeral home fan in hopes of generating a cool breeze. The details are finely wrought, and newspaper-reporter-turned-PI Steve Harlan is a real hero -- the kind of guy who takes care of his family and loves his wife and fights for right. Trouble is, it's hard sometimes to know what's right. Come sit for a spell and enjoy!

In 1961 Charlotte, North Carolina, defense attorney George Warren hires former reporter turned private sleuth Steve Harlan to help him with his case defending his client State Mutual Bank President John Lattimore accused of killing his mistress Delores Green. Lattimore confessed to bringing home the corpse of Delores, but insists he did not kill her. He also admits that he bullied her thirteen years old son Greg to cover for him. The Medical Examiner states that a homicide occurred as the victim had over two hundred bruises on her body.

Having lost his father when he was ten, Steve detests Lattimore for his treatment of Greg, but conducts his inquiries in a professional manner. His best witness to affirm Lattimore's contention that Delores had the bruises two days before she died, auto mechanic Jack Cotter vanished. Her friends paint a diverse picture of her as one insists she abused alcohol while another insisted she detested alcohol and drugs. As Steve digs deeper, someone threatens his beloved wife Susie and their two preadolescent children in order to force him to back off from learning the truth.

This is an enjoyable historical legal thriller with much of the story line focusing in on Steve's investigation. Like Steve, readers will wonder why Lattimore moved the body and put undo pressure on a young teen. All that accomplished was to make him look more guilty. Readers will enjoy the hero as he overcomes his gut loathing of Lattimore to uncover the truth behind the death of the rich man's mistress.

Harriet Klausner

The theme of slave trade dominates the book.
However, it is neither monotonous nor depressing.
In fact, it was necessary to do so, because the book did clearly explain the political factors and social rules of an influential white society that has forged the irrevocable fate of slaves.
After reading the book, one might wonder what decisive role, did the Africans in Africa play in the slave trade?
The book also addresses the issue of the effects of religion on African slaves brought to the United States.
It is fascinating to read about how ethnic African traditions and deep rooted religious beliefs got mixed up with the teachings of a White Church in America.
We see here two divergent Christianities: A white Christianity and a black Christianity.
Equally fascinating is how African slaves tried to preserve their ethnic language, traditions and way of life, later to adopt a new form of linguistic expression stranger and incoherent to both the American white society and the oppressed black community.
The book is a chronicle of the human drama and social conflict; a conflict that one day will explode to create a new identity for African American in a capitalistic and threatening society.

This book is excellent. Like someone said everyone of African ancestry needs to read this book. I had to buy my own copy.

This is an excellent book. I want every one of African descent to read this book. It is fantastic. This book is in my 10 list.

Early on the Africans were well aware of their ethnic identities, but over time, they were forgotten, and a new people emerged. Now this took generations. It was a slow and torturous process.

If you want to educate yourself about black folks in America and where they came from, and how they evolved, read this book.

This book is of decisive importance, for by studying the convergence of an African American nationality out of the various nationalities and ethnicities that people were brought here from Africa, Michael Gomez underlines the function of the African-origins cultures and the construction of an African-American culture in a process of resistance and opposition to the inslavement, dehumanization, and degredation that Africans and their descendants have face.

Contrary to many popular assumptions, Gomez shows that in colonial and early independent America slave holders and slaves were quite aware of the different African cultures and ethnicities represented among the enslaved. Trade patterns, affinities of slave buyers for certain types of ethnicities, beliefs that some peoples were good for some tasks, others for others, led to many concentrations of slaves from the same culture and language groups in colonial America. This ensured that Africans in American tended to preserve very much of their native cultures, religions, and outlooks.

Indeed, Gomez illustrates that in language and religion large sections of the African American people in becoming retained their African religion, and at first retained their African languages, and then began our own African American language (Black English) precisely because the context of the dominant culture and its language and religion were hostile to the human dignity of Africans in America and their descendants.

Gomez's solid research and clear evaluation of massive amounts of original sources upsets many ideas on African American history that were assumptions and not facts. One of the most important is the lateness and difficulty that Christianity had in gaining seizable conversions among Africans in America and their descendants. He suggests that only by the time of the Civil War were African Americans substantially Christian. Gomez demonstrates that except for an overly assimilationist minority among "freed" slaves, Christianity only caught on where African religeous practices were mixed into it. More importantly, Gomez explains the reason for the final victory of Christianity is that it could be manipulated to provide a rationale and hope of liberation from racism and oppression both metaphysical and physical, that the individual African religions could not provide. Gomez illustrates that what occured was the development of an African American religion, rather than the adoption of a European religion.

In the process, the reader will learn new and more accurate views of whence and when Africans were brought to America during the period of slavery. The reader will learn the general political and religious outlooks of the different major groups of Africans who came here. The reader will learn a survey of the historical, economic, and political upheavals in AFrica wrought by the slave trade.

This is a serious and important book, written at the highest level of scholarship. Thus, it is sometimes not easy reading and certainly is not written as a popular entertainment. Yet, even the casual reader who sticks with this book and turns to Gomez's notes and bibliographic material for more to read will be vastly rewarded.

A superb book that is a "must read" for every African African American man, woman and child. This book is the stuff of seminars, workshops and discussion groups at all levels. One of the fascinating positions exposed by Gomez was why it took the diverse ethnic Africans to achieve an African American consciousness. The depth of documentation was monumental. I always wondered why the color "red" had such significance in the African American "red clawt" tales. Gomez' book inspired me to research this aspect of African American tales. Thank you Mr. Gomez!