Wisconsin Books

This is not only the best book written on Wisconsin reptiles and amphibians, I believe it is the best written for any state or region in the country. I am a lifelong lover of reptiles and amphibians and grew up reading this book over and over again. It is well-written, well-researched, and the author knew his subject with a thoroughness that few naturalists achieve. I have read it more than 30 times. I also have read or own herp fauna books for the Great Lakes, Arkansas, Virginia, Minnesota, Missouri, and this one is by far the most thorough and accurate. Many of the other books for nearby states have simply paraphrased Vogt's accounts. The photos are excellent, too.

If you live in the Midwest, particularly Wisconsin or Upper Michigan, this is the reptile and amphibian book to get, period.

Richard Vogt has written a winner here. This book describes, in detail, amphibians, reptiles, and snakes most commonly found in Wisconsin. He follows their history and leads us right into their everyday lifestyles and mannerisms. His personal insight into the individual species of the book had me smiling more than once. I recommend this book to any student, teacher, or writer looking for factual, entertaining reading.

Korman, Gerd. "Nightmare's Fairy Tale: A Young Refugee's Home Fronts", University of Wisconsin Press, 2007.

Fleeing the Nazis

Amos Lassen and Literary Pride

University of Wisconsin Press has been dong some exciting publishing in the field of Holocaust Studies and now we are going to have the exhibit from the national Holocaust Museum here in Little Rock, its important to make ourselves familiar with some of the literature. "Nightmare's Fairy Tale" is the story of the Korman family who had been scattered from a Polish refugee camp but had hopes of reuniting in America. Unfortunately that did not happen. Father Korman fled to Cubs aboard the ill-fated St. Louis. Mother Korman left for the United States after sending her two sons, one of whom is the author, Gerd, to a Kindertransport.
In his book, Korman tells us of his childhood years as a refugee in Europe after the war and then as an immigrant to America. Analyzing history, he uses his own personal experience to look at the American-Jewish immigrant community and how growing up in several countries influenced both him and others. Eventually reunited with his parents, his story is one of success while others were not so lucky. His teenage years as a wanderer were the trauma that shaped his identity. Here in America, he became an American Jew anxious to embrace his new home but his accent often betrayed him. Yet he is eager to tell the story of how he was defined by history.
The book is extremely moving and the trial of a family as seen through the eyes of a twelve year old boy is heartbreaking. But he also sees the historical importance of the Holocaust and acknowledges the connections he has made by attempting to understand it.
This is not just a memoir but a story that compels you to keep reading as Korman gives his observations on memory and identity. As a personal narrative it is an important contribution to the field of Holocaust studies which is narrowing as the survivors are beginning to die off. It is not easy to read books like this as it jars us to a state of reality about man's inhumanity to man. We MUST read these books so as to never forget the darkest period in the history of the world as painful as reading this is there is a reward in knowing that we are alive and determined not to let something like this happen again.

Nightmare's Fairy Tale: A Young Refugee's Home Fronts by Gerd Korman (Professor Emeritus of American History at Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations) is the personal and eye-opening story of a young man and his broken family's escape to the refuge of America only months before the beginning of the second world war. As a detailed auto-biographical account of Korman's childhood through a Kindertransport near Warsaw, deportation from Hamburg, a temporary stay with an Anglican family and the reunification of his family and Jewish homage in New York. Very highly recommended for its vivid depiction of unseen historical afflictions, Nightmare's Fairy Tale is an ideal addition for the reading lists of non-specialist general reading fans with an intrigue for historical, Judaic, and World War II memoirs.

Several of the stories in this book had a heart touching feel to them. The tale of his death was expecially moving. A must for any whitewater enthusiast. Great pictures and stories of this wild land.

James

The author's love of wildwater boating and his love for the scenic rivers described in this book gushes out of each page. The reader can vicariously descend these rivers and enjoy the rapids and falls seen through the eyes and spirit of Minnesota's premier kayaker --- The Commodore. For those lucky to have the time and talent to paddle wild rivers this book will excite and inspire a Spring paddle down the Brule, the Baptism and the Presque Isle.

A must read for anyone who is worn out from city living, the corporate life, etc. You can escape from it all in this book. This is the kind of book you'll want to sit by the fireplace and read on a raw Wisconsin night. Awesome book with great stories, essays and drawings.

As a boy, I used to love to walk through the countryside and let my mind wander. After a while, thoughts would become more organized and answers would come. As opposed to sitting in a dark room with a scotch to think, completely stimulating the senses with nature seems to stimulate complete thoughts and bring a reality of scale to the relative unimportance of the days problems.
The author enjoys this type of outdoor meditation and, apparently, feels his thoughts are worth sharing with those of us not fortunate enough to have a Wisconsin prairie out the back door. I agree -- well worth reading. In fact, as I began to find the author's rythm, I was there. I could smell the air, hear the cattails wave in the wind, and sitting in my chair here in Florida could enjoy a crisp Midwestern morning.
I can't wait to find another book that lets me float away.

Horror fans... Shawn Salzman's debut novel delivers! Grab a fresh tankard of ale, stoke the fire, and settle in with "Order Of The Wolf." Oh, and don't forget to bolt the doors and windows. Fast-paced and entertaining. First-rate!

All I can say is spectacular! From the 1st page on I was hooked, I cannot even believe this is the authors 1st book! You wouldn't expect this from a new writer! I recommend this to anyone who loves a book that can take you off to another world and have you so interested that you cannot stop thinking about it until you are finished but at the same time don't want it to end. This is a thrilling page turner!

This exceptional and consistent trail guide offers eighty-two different sections to paddle on thirty-two rivers in southern Wisconsin, flexible enough to be made into day trips or overnight camping trips. Each stretch of river highlighted is done with great attention to what needs to be known and little information seems to be left out. River segments are treated similarly, the number of miles are stated, the launching and landing points of access are described, where camping, rentals and shuttle services are available (just phone numbers are supplied), the general gradient (rate of descent) in average conditions, other places to paddle within the chosen area, notes of history, full page maps and many small but nice black & white pictures. A detailed dialogue of each trip is also given, providing a sufficient idea of what to expect around the next river bend.

The book has a very thorough introduction that doesn't overlook the crucial skills and dangers to be aware of. It frequently mentions the importance of being informed about changing water levels and directs the reader to websites for finding such up-to-date info. The book also has a host of reference materials relevant to Wisconsin such as a list of annual events, clubs & organizations, websites, recommended reading (including bike trails and fishing!). Recommended books and videos for improving skills and a categorized list of certain river sections suitable for beginner, intermediate or expert paddlers plus a list of what fish are found most plentiful in each river.

The information you'll find here exceeds that of an average guidebook. Revealed are the many charms of Wisconsin to be found along its waterways. Unusual rock formations, old dams, waterwheel mills, historic buildings, covered bridges, rolling hills, valleys and narrow coulees, farmland, woodland, marshes, fun riffles and rapids, wildlife and so much more. Best experienced and discovered from the unique vantage point of a canoe or kayak. [reviewed at amazon.com by tilley_traveler]

Paddling Southern Wisconsin showcases 83 fun and memorable canoe and kayak excursions on southern Wisconsin waterways. Mike Svob offers the Wisconsin canoeing enthusiasts precise maps of roads, put-ins and take-outs, significant rapids, mileage, and other practical information. A detailed description for each of the 82 suggested trips provides a reliable idea of what to expect. General summaries cover camping opportunities, water levels, shuttle routes, access points, canoe rentals, even shuttle services (when available). A very highly recommended "do-it-yourself" reference and planning guide, Paddling Southern Wisconsin is enriched further with additional sources of information on fishing opportunities, river reading and maneuvers, as well as special safety factors for the canoeist or kayaker.

An absolutely superb resource for paddling in southern Wisconsin. So many rivers and lakes and so little time - this book helps you figure out where to spend that rare resource - your time on the water.

I was happily surprised at the amount of information in this book. I was particularly looking for information on kayaking Wisconsin rivers that have few rapids. (recreational family touring)This book contained excellent maps, information on where to enter and exit rivers, areas that may need to be portaged, what types of rapids you will encounter (all the different classes of rapids), what you will see, etc. I am very happy with this book. I also purchased PADDLING NORTHERN WISCONSIN: 82 GREAT TRIPS BY CANOE AND KAYAK.

If anyone on Earth wants to discuss this extinct specie; I guaranttee that my e-mail address is the place to visit. I have had a unswerving fascination with ectopistis migratorius since 1965. Schorger's book is the backbone of any serious study of "The Wild Pigeon" of North America.

Schorger's book is the definitive study of the wild pigeon of North America; it covers all matters concerning the birds' natural history and extinction. People with an interest in North American history, ornithology, conservation and the preservation of natural resources will greatly broaden their background and understanding through this detailed and anecdotal study. It contains 424 pages revealing a powerful aspect of North America's history unknown to current generations: skies filled with inconceivable numbers of birds,-as many as two billion in a single migration. Schorger paints a vivid and poignant picture of a world we have lost, tragically, through our own greed and ignorance. If anyone would care to discuss this book or its subject matter further, I would be pleased to dialogue either by e-mail or letter. I have made the study of the Passenger Pigeon an integral part of my life for the past thirty-three years. Sincerely, Holland E. Shaw

"Plants of Life, Plants of Death" has been selected for listing in "Religion and Psychoactive Sacraments: An Entheogen Chrestomathy." http://www.csp.org/chrestomathy

Plants of Life/ Plants of Death by Frederick Simoons is a terrific book. I am a garden writer myself (Allergy-Free Gardening) and I appreciate well-written horticultural material.
This book is full of unusual and interesting facts and stories that you probably won't find any where else (pregnant women are in special danger from eclipses, garlic warms the body, makes fighter more pugnacious, and increases semen). Garden writers would be wise to own a copy of this for reference. Folks who enjoy gardening, botany, nature and history, will appreciate
this treasure. There are quite a few useful and interesting illustrations in the book but probably what most impresses is the thoroughness of the work. It is obvious that many years of study and research went into this labor of love and the results are evident. I highly recommend Plants of Life/ Plants of Death.

Peter Brown is one of the greatest living historians of the 4th-6th centuries and this book is a fine example of the quality and incisive nature of his insights and writing.

In four clear and concise chapters, Brown offers deeply clarifying and engaging examples of how the Roman Empire was "christianized:" not in moving closer to embodying the Way of Jesus Christ, but in shifting power from the old urban elite to the bishops and their clergy. The key theme is the shift from focus on the power of local elites to contain and control imperial governors to the "love of the poor" which expanded and transformed the social understanding of civic identity and its relationship to "the center" of imperial power in Rome. Brown shows clearly how theology and politics are never separate by offering numerous illustrations of how the state of the Roman Empire greatly shaped the power shift he documents and describes so clearly.

These lectures are an easy to read foundation for understanding both the Roman world of the 4th-6th centuries and the ways in which that world shaped the christological doctrines that have remained at the heart of the creeds professed by Catholics and Protestants alike to this day.

Peter Brown, professor of History at Princeton University is the father of the field of Late Antiquity and this monograph is yet another invaluable contribution. While most people believe the popular fallacy that the Roman Empire was in a state of decline in the 4th Century, Professor Brown shows us the Roman state at the peak of its power. He discusses what bound the various local elite to the emperor, arguring that a shared sense of education and culture provided a crucial sense of coherency to the Empire. In addition, he discusses the nature of public largess in the late empire, how local nobles maintained their positions as "nourishers of the cities."
He chronicles a world undergoing intense change, and the focus of the book is largly how the Christian clergy adopts traditional methods of "power and persuasion" to establish itself as the leading power in cities.
Students of Classics tend to ignore the 4th and 5th centuries, brusquely declaring them "medieval" and thus inconsequential to a student of Rome's classical glory. Brown's book brings to life a dynamic and important moment in Roman history, a moment at once rooted in traditional Roman values, yet at the same time caught up in a whirlwind of religious change. As always, Professor Brown writes with a humane and style, making the book a joy to read.