North America Books

Great book fo native fishes written for the beginner and advanced hobbiest alike. Easy reading with many color photos.

I recently managed to buy a copy of this book and from what I have read so far it is a book that should be on the shelves of fishophiles everywhere, aquarist or not. The book covers a wide range of species, mostly darters and cyprinids and goes into good detail on how to keep and breed them. With native fish keeping resources being rare this book may very well be the best of it's kind. One feature I really liked was the chapter covering the laws and regulations of various states, something that many people are curious about when out collecting. About the only thing I didn't like was that it neglected to mention many of the larger species. Bullheads, perch, bass, trout and many others are not given a lot of attension if any at all. The author deems them either to large or to dificult to breed in captivity so he leave them out.

The book in its entirety is fairly good. The authors tried to cover a broad scope. This book may be useful for the breeder in that there is specific information on each species. Please note that you may need to combine the information in this text with information from other sources (print, web, etc.) to take complete care of your native fishes.

This comprehensive reference volume will appeal to both specialty and general-interest libraries: American Aquarium Fishes provides over 118 color and over 200 black and white photos of various species of aquarium fish, providing detailed discussions on where to find native fishes, how to collect and transport them around the globe, and regional rules of collecting. The depth and detail and the vivid photos are impressive.

It's about time that a talented group of aquarium hobbyist (who are also biologists I believe) got together to write a book that the layman can understand and appreciate. You will not find convuluted passages common in the scientific literature. Each species account is well written and contains the information that the hobbyist wants.

Goldstein, Harper, and Edwards are well known hobbyist and if there are any real experts in the field, it's these guys.

This is an all around great reference for the North American native fish hobbyist.

One of my uncles served in the Rangers during world war two, faught in Anzio. My father served in the Rangers in Korea. He idolized Robert Rogers. His favorite novel was North West Passage, and was just as fond of the movie. And if either were alive today, I would send them this book.

This is the best book on the Colonial Rangers I have yet found. though Sketch Book 56 volume one Rogers'Rangers by Ted Spring is a good second. Very informative. Well illustrated. Straight to the point. Each of its sixty three pages is solid information gold.

For those with a desire to know more about this subject this is The Book to get.

It is probably the best book produced by Osprey.

There has been occasional grumbling from Osprey series authors about the limits of the format in the various Osprey series ( Men-at-Arms, Warrior, etc.). Within the 64 page limit for the Warrior series this is a fine reference work. However, it is not an exhaustive study of all Ranger units operating in the time period and geographic region indicated. Mr. Zaboly is clearly an expert in the Ranger units associated with Robert Rogers. But there is very little mention of other Ranger units that existed in the same place and time. The activities of Roger's units are illustrative of most aspects of Ranger operations though. Roger's Rangers exploits are generally acknowledged to represent the pinnacle of Ranger achievements at the time. There are stirring tales of struggle in accomplishing epic raids deep into enemy territory here. There is also no shying away from Ranger participation in the grislier aspects of frontier warfare. Overall, Mr. Zaboly's historical text is informative, substantive and fully informed by many first-hand source documents.

What sets this study apart from other Osprey Warrior series titles though are the illustrations. Mr. Zaboly is an accomplished artist who has illustrated his own work. The numerous drawings by the author that populate this book are vivid illustrations of the way Rangers dressed, encamped, fought and survived in the Eastern wilderness. These outstanding drawings make the modest price of this publication a real bargain. As long as the reader is not dismayed by a tight focus on Roger's Ranger units, this title will not disappoint.

The quality of Osprey's illustrated military histories varies widely. Some volumes are produced by qualified authorities who know their respective subjects inside and out. Others are shoddy rush jobs put out by hacks. Gray Zaboly's _American Colonial Ranger: The Northern Colonies 1724-64_ deserves to be ranked among Osprey's best. Indeed, it is unexcelled by any volume that Osprey has put out in the past thirty years.

_American Colonial Ranger_ is the result of decades of intensive research. Zaboly is universally acknowledged as one of the leading interpreters of the history, dress, weapons, and equipment of Rogers' Rangers and the other ranger units raised in the North American colonies to battle the French and their Indian allies. His mastery of a wide array of sources is evident from the text, which is as well written as it is authoritative. Zaboly is not only a skilled wordsmith, but he is also a leading historical artist, and his superbly rendered color plates make this book a feast for the eyes. In too many books of this type, the plates resemble groups of mannequins modeling various uniforms. In _American Colonial Ranger_, six of Zaboly's plates are painted scenes that capture important moments in ranger history -- as well as giving the reader a good view of what these remarkable frontier soldiers wore and carried.

With _American Colonial Ranger_, Osprey has set a new standard for itself and its competitors. It can only be hoped that it will commission Zaboly to turn out more titles as outstanding as this one.

An excellent source on the colonial rangers, experts at surviving in brutal situations-and an even more brutal war. These rangers, many being Scotch-Irish in descent, formed a unique fusion of European and Indian tactics and fighting styles which proved to be both effective and savage. The author's text is readable, interesting, and detailed, while his color plates are absolutely awesome.

This is easily one of Osprey's best titles in the Warrior series. Not only the usual color prints but several of the authors own drawings. It mixes facts with folklore which makes this title very informative. A must read for French and Indian war studies!

Outstanding book; fascinating stories told by an amazing woman; so important for minority women writers and all serious readers.

Wonderful book. Gives insight into not only Lakota Cultural Past and Present, but very personal looks at life through the eyes of a Lakota woman at a tenuous time in US history.

"American Indian Stories, Legends, and Other Writings" is a collection of pieces by Zitkala-Sa (also known as Gertrude Simmons Bonnin). The book is edited, with an introduction and notes by, Cathy N. Davidson and Ada Norris. Born on the Yankton Sioux reservation in South Dakota in 1876, Zitkala-Sa worked as a writer and activist for Native American causes, and died in 1938.

The editors divide Zitkala-Sa's writings into 4 main sections: "Old Indian Legends," "American Indian Stories," "Selections from _American Indian Magazine_," and "Poetry, Pamphlets, Essays, and Speeches." I really loved the legends, which are Zitkala-Sa's versions of tales that had been passed down orally. These stories are full of magic, transformations, fantastic beings, and amazing feats. Many tales feature Iktomi, a "spider fairy" who is a mischievous trickster.

The section on stories features realistic narratives of Indian lives. All together these stories create a vivid and fascinating portrait, with details about Indian crafts, food preparation, and social customs. The many nonfiction pieces in the book cover a number of topics, such as Native American soldiers in World War I, Native American religion, and Indian political issues. Many of these pieces show the author to be a really forward thinking woman with a global perspective; her acknowledgement of the "universal cry for freedom from injustice" really seems to foreshadow the work of Martin Luther King, Jr. and other great activist-writers of the later 20th century.

The book is full of great supplemental materials: a comprehensive introduction; a lengthy bibliographic list of suggestions for further reading; an informative note on the texts; and endnotes. Zitkala-Sa is truly a fascinating figure. As the book's introduction notes, she "trod the unstable terrain between radicalism, separatism, assimilationism, and intermittent conservatism." The American Indian experience as embodied in her writings shows both fascinating parallels and contrasts with other ethnic American experiences. I consider this book a valuable contribution to Native American studies, women's studies, and American literature; I recommend it highly both for classroom use and individual reading.

Zitkala-Sa: American Indian Stories, Legends, and Other Writings edited with an introduction and notes by Cathy N. Davidson and Ada Norris. Highly recommended.

Zitkala-Sa (Gertrude Simmons Bonnin), a South Dakota Sioux (through her mother; her father was white) born in 1876, the year of the Battle of the Little Big Horn, was an educator, musician, writer, and activist. She served as the secretary and treasurer of the Society of American Indians (SAI) and as editor of SAI's American Indian Magazine.

This collection of Zitkala-Sa's work includes background information about the author; a chronology of contemporary events; selections from "Old Indian Legends" (retellings of oral story traditions); "American Indian Stories"; selections from American Indian Magazine; and some of her poetry, pamphlets, essays, and speeches.

"Old Indian Legends" introduces Sioux traditions, including Iktomi (a trickster who often takes the form of a spider), Iya the glutton (able to consume whole villages), and the characters of the Sioux world-coyotes, ducks, the terrifying Red Eagle and the stranger who slays it, turtles, toads, mice, bears, badgers, and more. While at first these traditions and stories may strike the outsider as different and alien, to some extent they can evoke some European fairy tale traditions (which also may seem alien to modern sensibilities). Some of the most charming, like "Dance in a Buffalo Skull," are written in human terms but have no human characters. "Dance," with its "two balls of fire" growing "larger and brighter" and building of suspense, is an excellent short horror story as well.

The editors note that Zitkala-Sa "makes significant changes to the traditional tales in order to address key political and social issues . . . specifically, land infringement, challenges to tribal sovereignty, and the effects of missionary boarding schools on Yankton or Sioux culture more generally." Careful in her use of her second language, English, Zitkala-Sa makes a telling transposition in her preface to "Old Indian Legends"; the Indian is the "little black-haired aborigine," while the European-American is the "blue-eyed little patriot." Can the people who subjugate and destroy the original natives of the land be anything more than "little" patriots? How great can their patriotism be? The answer is implicit, but Zitkala-Sa believed the old Indian legends belong as much to him simply because of "our near kinship with the rest of humanity" and because "After all, he [the Indian] seems at heart much like other peoples."

Several of "American Indian Stories" (which established Zitkala-Sa's literary reputation) are mostly autobiographical. Some describe her representative experience at a Quaker boarding school in Wabash, Indiana. In these, Zitkala-Sa masterfully makes the reader feel how shocking and horrifying our comfortable culture was to children who grew up in a different-but comfortable-culture, beginning with the cutting of her hair. There are the "loud, metallic voice" of the bell and the "annoying clatter of shoes on bare floors." There is always a "clash of harsh noises"-but mostly there is the "murmuring of an unknown tongue." Zitkala-Sa and others are lured to the school by the promise of "red apples"-a clear reference to Genesis. She refers to her own culture for her revenge on the devil.

The most poignant tale, one that is frequently anthologized, is "The Widespread Enigma Concerning Blue-Star Woman," in which a woman must obtain rights she never would have needed but for white man's law through the trickery of two Indian men who have learned dishonesty in the white men's schools. "A Warrior's Daughter," also often anthologized, tells of an Indian woman who takes action and therefore fate into her own hands-Zitkala-Sa's prescription for women and for her people.

"Selections from American Indian Magazine" and "Poetry, Pamphlets, Essays, and Speeches" are largely exhortations and expositions of Zitkala-Sa's viewpoint. In "The Red Man's America," she satirizes "My Country, 'tis of Thee" to reflect the Indian's disenfranchisement-a favourite theme. Although her advocacy of Indian citizenship was not shared by all Indians (for example, the tribes of the Iroquois Confederacy), Zitkala-Sa felt that, without that right in their own country, Indians would continue to languish unnecessarily as wards of the state, without power or basic rights in a democratic land. Other topics include warnings against the use of peyote; the bravery of Indian soldiers during WWI as well as the place that bravery should have earned the Indian in American society and the brotherhood of man; the need for Indians to become educated and to learn English (her own painful school experience notwithstanding); and the Black Hills claim and similar injustices, such as theft of Ute grazing land, the laws against Indian dance, and the lost treaties of the California Indians. To Zitkala-Sa, Indians were not on an even playing field with whites and, until they took action to educate themselves, secure their rights, and obtain the power of legislative and legal representation, they would continue to be helpless to manage their future.

I recommend that you read Zitkala-Sa together with On the Rez, Ian Frazier's description of today's life on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Together, they tell a tragic tale of the past 130 years that does not bode well for the "brotherhood of man."

Diane L. Schirf, 22 September 2003.

There are two short stories by Zitkala-Sa (Gertrude Bonnin) that have greatly effected my consciousness.

"Why I Am a Pagan," writen for the Atlantic Monthly in 1902 is a brilliant essay. It deals with the spritual independence of Native Americans. An independence found outside the walls of a church, as Bonnin herself writes:

"A wee child toddling in a wonder world, I prefer to their dogma my excursions into the natural gardens where the voice of the Great Spirit is heard in the twittering of birds, the rippling of mighty waters, and the sweet breathing of flowers. If this is Paganism, then at present, at least, I am a Pagan."

Her voice is innocently defiant, because she is a native of a land under the occupation of a foreign government. Only by being conquered are her beliefs, and customs, found to be immoral. To hold on to them in the face of oppression takes great courage.

This theme is continued in another short story "The School Days of an Indian Girl" (Atlantic Monthly, 1900). In this short story, Zitkala-Sa, writes about the experience of a young Native girl going to a distant "White" school. The story hits upon the cultural clashes that occur.

At home the young Native girl is the apple of her mother's eye. Taken from her home she becomes a subject to authority. Zitkala-Sa describes the event of her hair being cut at the "White" school:

"I cried aloud, shaking my head all the while until I felt the cold blades of the scissors against my neck, and heard them gnaw off one of my thick braids. Then I lost my spirit. Since the day I was taken from my mother I had suffered extreme indignities."

Zitkala-Sa's writing is unrelentingly honest, but has some comedic tones in it as well.

I have had a long-time interest in the Aztecs but had not yet had the chance to read extensively on their culture. I was looking for an overview, and this book was excellent in its sensible organization, which was easy to grasp for someone unfamiliar with social science research and writing in general.

The book title reflects the contents perfectly. Professor Dossick covers rituals and history associated with birth, early life, social and moral education, religion, the military, arts and sciences, and agricultural and vocational pursuits - and he ends with death rituals. The book was both readable and informative. I feel that it gave me a good start in understanding this fascinating culture.

Historically, women have had to find a way to live in the patriarchal societies throughout the world, as their destinies most often involved marriage. Marriage offered safety and social acceptance; the man was the unquestioned breadwinner.

The world of the ancient Aztecs was governed by men.

The story of the Aztec men and women can be seen as an object lesson in stoicism and strength, religious devotion, and attendance to duty.

As the officers, politicians and church leaders commanded the soldiers and farmers, so the men tended to command the women. The oppression becomes very real, as the rules of the state and the church break whatever resistance they might encounter with the application of utter control and overwhelming brutality. The women spend their time cooking, cleaning, spinning cloth, and tending to the children.

The tales of sacrifice, and their methods, are ever-present.

Professor Dossick intelligently weaves the social issues together into a communal narrative that slowly generates a life of its own.

What emerges is a portrait of a brilliant and creative people that nourishes introspective contemplation and a profound examination of the patriarchal society.

The socioeconomic, political, and emotional complexity within The Ancient Aztecs, always understated, delivers a harrowing tale of a people's struggle to survive in a hostile environment.

The intricacies of the roles of men and women emerge, as the state forcefully oppresses all those who resist.

The Ancient Aztecs by Dossick leaves the reader with an unforgettable experience from an economical, political, historical, social, and psychological perspective.

My younger brother is planning a long trip through Mexico, and has become interested in all things related to Mexican history. I bought several books for him and his wife, and this one quickly became their favorite.

It's eminently readable and authoritative. After reading it you'll be able to visualize what life was like for the Aztecs as you roam their ruins in Mexico.

Perhaps Dossick's best

The Ancient Aztecs - A complete account of the life of the ancient Aztecs from birth to death - is painstakingly detailed,
referenced, and scholarly.

Well thought out, well reasoned, and well written, Professor Dossick ties together events and history masterfully.

The book has a discernable thesis: that the fall of the Aztec nation before the Conquistadores, which resulted in the
loss of its religion, its art, its social structure, and its language, was a complete disaster for these singularly remarkable
people.

The Ancient Aztecs progresses by argument and example, and does not suffer from some of the assumptions of prior knowledge
that many other books on the subject do.

Overall a top choice for anyone interested in this eternally fascinating subject.

This book goes into wonderful detail on the daily lives of the Aztecs, one of the most formidable empires the world has seen. The rich imagery provided by the author touches on all aspects of the culture and society. The author also goes into great depth on the educational system of the Aztecs, which I found particularly interesting in comparison to our own modern educational practices.

My father told me that no Irishman lets the truth stand in the way of a good story. Who knows what of history is true in any culture. This book recognizes it and makes it an excellent blend and easy reading.

Seumus MacManus is a great story teller in the finest of the shanachie tradtion. This is history through story telling. Most is factual, but the folklore is weaved into the telling of the tale. The descriptions of the life and work of Daniel O'Connell are priceless. As a boy, growing up, I was never certain of what was real and what was fanciful about my Irish heritage. But, isn't that much of the charm of the Irish? I highly recommend this book to the reader who wants to be entertained and disdains dry history books. This is a fun read and a wonderful way to learn of the surprising and incredibly interesting history of an amazing people. I also recommend a new book by Frank Delaney, Ireland, published in 2004. Read it and you will understand why I prefer my history learning to include people like the Shanachies who passed on the oral traditions. But, if you really want to learn about the Irish, go to Ireland, and let the people tell you of their history and culture. I learned more in 16 days in Ireland than anything I have ever read. It is a proud culture of wonderful people. It is important for the reader to know that this was published in 1921 and reflects the attitudes of that time in Ireland.

A classic work of Irish-American partisan history. This was the Irish history taught at our grandparents knee and stories both whispered and shouted at many an auld shebeen. Unfortunately, much of it is highly exagerated and based more upon cultural politics than verifiable history. There is no doubt that the history of the English occupation has been long and cruel, but that in and of itself does not make all things Irish angelic. According to the poet MacManus, Ireland before 1169 was an idylic wonderland inhabited by saints and scholars and noble warriors. Do not misunderstand: I love this book. I retell these tales to any and all who will listen. But it is not history as much as folklore. His dedication to his deceased bride- the poet Ethna Carberry- is touching and sad, but gets obsessive as she is mentioned in almost every chapter. My old copy - 1921- contains blank pages in the back with the instructions to paste the newsclippings about the Treaty there. This book is perhaps one of the last places one can find the stories of Fin MacCool, St. Patrick, Owen Roe O'Neil, Patrick Sarfield and the Fenians all in one volume, and each capter ws writen by different experts (and Nationalists).

The gentle nature of the Irish people is greatly emphasized in this book. The ideas of democracy were practiced in ancient Ireland, according to MacManus. Women were treated as equals in a time when they were but chattle in other areas of the world. The desire to aquire knowledge is clearly evident in the way the scholars of celtic culture were respected and looked to for direction. I was amazed by the Englishmen that participated in the destruction of Irish culture. In particular, Sir Walter Raleigh and the masacre of the Spanish soldiers that came to assist the rebellion of the English invasion of Ireland. That is a part of history not taught in American schools today. We were taught that Raleigh was an heroic man. This book opened my eyes to the true barbarian he was. These are only a few of the details that shocked and interested me about my heritage. I am still reading and anticipate the aditional information I to come.

Genocide has recently become an issue again in current events. The Yugoslavians are having at the Albanians. Africans have and are decimating Africans. Germans have reduced Jewish and Roman Catholic numbers efficiently and effectively. Spanish, French, Scandanavian and English swacked the native Americans and their cultures from Alaska to the southern most end of South America. It's an old story. The English are not alone in their chapters. In fact, they still pompously and righteously perpetuate their own form of genocide at the hands of the native Irish, as they have with South Africans and Indians.

Seumas MacManus allows this to be perfectly clear, not as a biased self appointed judge, but as a historian making available in print information previously unavailable to me and others of Irish descent who have lost their roots because they've been hacked away from them by shame.

It seems once again unjust that a work which salutes the dignity, power and grace of a people is left to die its own death and is no longer published. I was looking for a copy to purchase so I could leave it for my children and their children. I know of no shenachies to continue the tales. Another positive cultural influence destroyed by the insecure British. Just think of what could have been if the British weren't so afraid of the people they didn't understand and therefor massacred and worked with them toward their mutual benefit. We'll never know.

Wonderful history of the native Indians of the Connecticut River Valley and their ancestors from Canada. As you read each chapter, the author provides you with a visual view of the life of her family and those who played a part in their lifetime. You are left with a great respect for your environment and the care that all of us need to take with it or we may loose it. Ms Parker causes you to pause and smell the sweetgrass, listen to the crunch of snow under your feet and appreciate every living thing for the part each plays in our existence. A thoroughly enjoyable book!

Wonderful history of the native Indians of the Connecticut River Valley and their ancestors from Canada. As you read each chapter, the author provides you with a visual view of the life of her family and those who played a part in their lifetime. You are left with a great respect for your environment and the care that all of us need to take with it or we may loose it. Ms Parker causes you to pause and smell the sweetgrass, listen to the crunch of snow under your feet and appreciate every living thing for the part each plays in our existence. A thoroughly enjoyable book!

Aunt Sarah Woman of the Dawnland was a book I would recommend to anyone who wants to read a book that will give you the opportunity to learn and be amazed at the same time. This book tells the life story of Sarah, a Native American Healing Woman and the 108 years that she lived. The author really put her heart and soul in writing this book. I don't want to reveal too much. I just want to say this is a must read book!

Wonderful history of the native Indians of the Connecticut River Valley and their ancestors from Canada. As you read each chapter, the author provides you with a visual view of the life of her family and those who played a part in their lifetime. You are left with a great respect for your environment and the care that all of us need to take with it or we may loose it. Ms Parker causes you to pause and smell the sweetgrass, listen to the crunch of snow under your feet and appreciate every living thing for the part each plays in our existence. A thoroughly enjoyable book!

I was at the Big E in Springfield last year (1998) and I saw a Native American woman that I was compelled to speak with. Her story started coming out at the beginning of the conversation and continues with me to this day. In between I read this book and it was inspiring and yet historical. It was nice to read something about Native Americans that was positive; something that showed their love and devotion to their families; something that talked about their culture; something that spoke about their spirit; something that spoke about the early settlers from their perspective..... I could go on an on. If you want a book that you won't be able to put down -- this is it. If you liked Angela's Ashes and the other McCourt books, you will love this. If you are a Native American you will finally be proud. If you are a human, you will relate to this story. It can have a profound effect on your life.

I like reading about other people's experiences in the spirtual realm. This is a good book about following your inner intuitions and getting back in touch with the root matters of life. A bit depressing at times, supporting at others, this book makes for a great read to add to your spiritual repretoir.

Spirituality lived in real life; the way this man literally follows his dream was so inspiring my husband and I set out on a journey of our own especially to meet the writer.

Spirituality lived in real life; the way this man literally follows his dream was so inspiring my husband and I set out on a journey of our own especially to meet the writer.

I could not put the book down. He had a spiritual repeative dream an he followed it across the country. You must read the book, I don't want to give anything away. Very spiritual. I want to know where the Totem is , Jonathon .

Transcending time, space and material reality, this author takes a giant leap of faith by following his divine visions and dreams to fulfill an ancient Hopi prophecy. His nearly 10 year journey takes him through a series of spiritual awakenings and mystical revelations that compel the author to carve an enormous totem pole which must then be transported from his home in Maine, to an unknown location in Arizona.

This book stirs not only the longing to believe in guidance from a higher source, but also the awakening to the understanding of a greater purpose that we are here to serve. From the mystical to the practical, Jonathon shares his emotions, pain, doubts and fears. An ordinary man (an artist and a carpenter) with an extraordinary gift of vision, he ultimately helps us to understand the power of our spiritual connection to one another and to other frequencies of existence within our universe. Never again will I feel afraid to trust in the divine! This book has answered so many questions about the meaning of life and the discovery of true bliss. A must read for anyone who wishes to rise above the fear and control consciousness of planet earth, to reconnect with the essence of the divine.

We used this book every day - and usually more than once. It is filled with great suggestions and recommendations. We found a few entries "outdated," but that can be expected. The suggestions for which shops to visit in small and large cities I found to be particularly helpful. Best book I have ever bought for travel.

Best Places Alaska is an outstanding travel guide that features only the 'best' restaurants, lodgings, and destinations in Alaska, including guides and outfitters in its lists of recommendations for particular Alaskan regions. An excellent, involving survey of Alaska's best places, Best Places Alaska is a recommended take-along tote.

A fantastic guidebook describing some of the off beat places in Alaska. If you want the true Alaskan experience, get this book. It contains over 200 restaurant and lodging reviews and stories of the 'best' places in Alaska. One of the three must travel books (Milepost, Discovering Denali, and Best Places Alaska) if you are going to the Last Frontier.

When planning our Alaska vacation to celebrate my parent's 50th anniversary, we bought this for them to read (since they don't use the internet). They read it with regards to all the stops on our itinerary for the cruise/land package we were taking and found it tremendously helpful!

I have to admit. I went to Alaska alone without a guidebook. But I had a great time anyway! When I came home, I decided to go back again, but this time with a guidebook. After going through many of the guides, we choose this one, because it was written by people who live and work in Alaska. It's full of practical tips ("Bears and Humans), offbeat trivia ("Chicken"), and subtle information ("Eskimo Etiquette"). From small towns way up north, to the rugged beauty of the Kenai Peninsula, and to the urban fun of Anchorage, this guide covers it all. Read this, and you'll be calling the airlines to book your flight the next week!

THIS BOOK IS ANOTHER MANDATORY READING FOR ANYONE WHO IS INTERESTED IN THE EXCHANGE OF CULTURES OF THE INDIGENOUS OF TURTLE ISLAND AND THE AFRICAN, WHICH HAS BEEN GOING ON BEFORE THAT THUG COLUMBUS CAME OVER HERE.

Until now I have only read excerpts from bell hooks' works. Then I recently saw a C-Span program in which bell hooks led a discussion with a college audience. Reminded of the intriguing excerpts I had read, I chose Black Looks as my first full encounter with this intriguing woman's thoughts.

I did not examine the readers' comments on Black Looks until completing the book, but I too would like to take the opportunity to give the book my whole-hearted endorsement for everyone's perusal.

Unlike the reader who began a review highlighting his leftist political affiliation and interracial marriage/family, I DO believe that this book was intended for that individual reader, as it was intended for me, a white female -- and for all men and women of all colors, backgrounds, and sexual orientations. One's skin color, (marriage) partner, children, class status, political affiliation, sexual orientation, and gender, among many other characteristics, do not determine one's dedication to overcoming the racist, heterosexist, capitalist patriarchy. Indeed, I think that this idea is a theme running throughout Black Looks, as evidenced in bell hooks' essays on Clarence Thomas and Madonna.

I do not find incivility in bell hooks' thoughtful expressions and critiques. Rather, I find a much-needed naming of the incivilities that happen to people in this world, due to various "-ism"s and those who espouse them.

Complaints of "bias" or "slant" in bell hooks' essays and other works seem nonsensical to me, when I recall that no human being's thoughts, feelings, and perspective are "objective." Moreover, "objectivity" is not a quality that one desires in cultural criticism, which functions to set forth an alternative point of view that is so often silenced. An individual who feels the need for "objectivity" in Black Looks might seriously question whether any book, television program, song, or other form of media is "objective," including those forms of communication that comprise mass media.

I think that an individual who can accept that this book is for him/her can also begin to look at mass media with a more critical gaze, an activity that is sorely needed after the hours of unquestioning consumption of TV/movies that fills the evenings and weekends of many Americans.

I'm biracial . . . my father is white and my mother is black, Latina, and Asian. hooks makes us look deeply and critically at the linkages of race, class, gender, and sexuality in ways that are painfully honest and moving. Oppression is never an easy topic. As she has stated, reading hooks' work should make us feel angry, sad, & uncomfortable. Finally, an intellectual who goes beyond the "taken-for-granted" simplistic non-analysis and makes us THINK DEEPLY! This book is a classic!

The book speaks for itself. There aren't enough adjectives in the english language to describe the dynamics of this book. I don't have anything more to say,except 'READ IT.'

The cover of this book caught my attention at the library, so I just had to check it out. I must say, Bell Hooks's ideas and opinions are right on the money. She mentions issues such as black male masculinity, feminism, and racism and breaks them down very well. She's not the average traditional black feminist. She's not afraid to talk bad about white folks (like Madonna) and she's brave enough to use the word "white supremacy"; not in a militant way, but more reserved. It's easy to tell she's a liberal, but she's not restricted to traditional left-wing philosophy because of her strong Afro-centric view-points. This is a must read for all Black people, especially Black women who hardly have any intellectual role-model to look up to.

The essays and poems in this collection, which would make a good gift book, are meaningful, and the American Indian tone is meditative and enriching. Even the cover, in dark colors and smooth to the hand, encourages contemplation.

This book is a beautiful collection of stories and references to ceremonies, a good addition to any library of books on native ways or shamanism. It is not a "cookbook" of rituals or ceremonies, but a book that honors the beliefs and energies behind the ceremonies as important.

The primal wisdom that emanates from these ancient teachings lifts up the spiritual practice of reverence-one that is often lacking in modern times. Horn demonstrates a kind of radical amazement, a deep feeling tinged with both awe and wonder as he sees the sacred in all things. These ceremonies touch the heart because they arise out of a felt sense of participation in the universe, a kinship with all beings and with matter.

Anyone wanting ceremonial richness in their own lives will cherish this book and will feel emboldened to start where they are right now-even in the middle of a city, far from the kind of natural surroundings available to the ancients. "It is the spirit of the ceremony that is most important," reassures a grandmother. This is treasure to own and consult, a treasure to give.-SA

The Book Of Ceremonies is an intensely sensitive, reverent collection of Native American sacred songs, poems, stories, observations, and ceremonies. It's prayerful tone is beautifully underlined by the delicate, perfect black and white art work by the author's son, Carises Horn. Drawing from a variety of sources, The Book Of Ceremonies unifies and presents thoughts on Preparing, Greeting and Gratitude, Love, Marriage and Divorce, Birth and Death, Dreams and Visions, and Seasons and Healing. An additional list of recommended reading includes Native Heart: An American Indian Odyssey by Gabriel Horn, and other selected books by Kent Nerburn, Jason Gardner, and Loree Boyd. The Book Of Ceremonies is a beautiful book to be treasured and shared.

Nancy Lorraine, Reviewer