Wisconsin Books

On the night of October 8, 1871, the Great Chicago Fire began, killing some 300 people. Much less known, however, is the fact that in the "thumb" region of Wisconsin, on the very same night, a fire swept through the pine forests, overtaking many farms and small towns - killing some 1200-2500 people! Indeed, the damage was so extensive that the true number of dead will never be known.

In this book, the author brings that night to life, showing the heroism, the cowardice, the stupidity, and the unrelenting horror. Overall, I thought that the author did an excellent job, telling the story with candor and clarity. I really enjoyed this book, and think that you will as well.

Often when I read a poem by Rony Someck I wish I had written it - such sparks fly when such antithetical subjects are encompassed in a single poem, a few lines. But now when I read the translations of Dor and Goldberg, I wish I had been able to do translations like that! To render the erotic and the political, the historical and the contemporary like that! One example, "On the Way to Arad" in which a simple description of lambs in the desert resonates with the terror and responsibility of living in the Holy Land. "The white lambs on the way to Arad/are like milk teeth in the desert's jaw. The war goes on, the wolf/who will dwell among them not yet born." Living in a time between the Biblical prophecies and the uncertain future, Someck captures the memory and anticipation, the fear and the hope.

Since there is no description of this book I am using this review to inform buyers of the contents of this volume. Part IV Chapter 1: Photographs of handguns - Automatic pistols arranged by caliber. Chapter 2: Revolvers and nonautomatic pistols arranged by caliber. PART V Other Illustrations of handguns Chapter 1: Automatic pistols arranged alphabetically Chapter 2: Revolvers and nonautomatic pistols arranged alphabetically. PART VI Photographs of trade marks and other indentification marks.

"First the Seed" is a wonderfully documented account of the history of agriculture since the "discovery" of America. I found this book when I was doing research on threats to genetic diversity in Mexico under NAFTA and the book gave me an insightful lens to understand the problems that are occuring from the mechenization of agriculture and the patenting of genetic material.

Anyone who is studying food production systems must have this book in their library.

This is one of a series of fishing guidebooks to northern Wisconsin by this publisher. This review equally applies to all other books of the series. I have found these books invaluable for planning my fishing trips to northern Wisconsin. This particular book covers 68 lakes in 140 square miles surrounding Eagle River, Wisconsin. It contains maps and information about each lake's size, depth, fertility, public access, fish species, and describes the best fishing spots and recommended lures and techniques. The book is a convenient size (8 1/2 x 5 1/2) and fits into a tackle box. The other volumes of the series are similar. These books went out of print because the publisher found it more profitable to sell individual lake maps. Their maps provide the same information but are available only for the most popular lakes, and a book is easier to use than a pile of maps. Using these books to plan my fishing trips, I can fish more lakes and spend my time on the most productive spots. This is especially important to me because I live over 2,000 miles away and visit this area only once every five years. I fish for muskies but bass, walleye, and pan fishermen also will find these books handy. I give them 5 stars because the information is very complete and not readily available otherwise. I was not paid for this review and have no affiliation with the publisher. I am simply a fisherman who likes this product a lot for the reasons stated above.

Each piece is so different in content, and in some cases style as well, yet what remains consistent is the beautiful storytelling conducted by a translator who makes you feel as though you are truly there--there in the rural jungles of Columbia, there in a small town barbershop, there on the steps of the urban catholic school. A can't miss collection for those who know nothing of Columbia and for those who know it quite well.

Whether fishing creeks, rivers, ponds, or lakes, Wisconsin and Iowa offer some of the best fly-fishing sport in the nation. "Flyfisher's Guide To Wisconsin & Iowa" by fishing and hunting expert John Motoviloff is a 600-page compendium of information covering more than 275 of the best fly-fishing waters for trout, steelhead and salmon, small-mouth bass, and all of the other warm water species to be found throughout Wisconsin and in the Northeast region of Iowa. "Flyfisher's Guide To Wisconsin & Iowa" provides illustrated and detailed descriptions of the various waters, the fish, and is profusely illustrated with maps throughout. The text is enhanced further with listings for sporting goods outlets, guides and outfitter resources, restaurants and lodging resources, campgrounds, airports, car rentals, and even hospitals. Anyone planning a fly-fishing expedition anywhere in Wisconsin or the adjoining northeast areas of Iowa would be very well advised to obtain a copy of "Flyfisher's Guide To Wisconsin & Iowa" as an instructive, take-a-long reference and guide for their fishing trip itinerary.

I used this book in a mythology class project and it was a great help. The book reveals a great deal of the Winnebago tradition through the history detailed in the stories. This book is well worth the money and is a necessary piece to any Native American collection.

This is a wonderful collection of recipes, guaranteed to make you agree that Wisconsin is a state that knows how to party hearty!

In addition to a wide variety of recipes -- from brewed sauerkraut to potato dumplings, cranberry porkchops to cheese beer fondue, bourbon pecan pie to venison jerky -- there is a good deal of history and background information included.

The author writes clearly and humorously. He cleverly organizes the recipes according to both region and type of food.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes good food and doesn't mind a laugh or two while preparing their dinner. Bon Appetit!

The failings of the troubled Milwaukee social services system in many respects parallel those of other systems.

Today, some short years have passed since an entrenched child welfare bureaucracy thwarted the reform efforts of Hagedorn and his Youth Initiative. The results have been tragic for children, and promise to worsen.

After his departure, the American Civil Liberties Union filed suit against the troubled Milwaukee County Department of Social Services, essentially charging the Department with failure to provide services to children, and with abuse and neglect of the children in its care.

Today, a state takeover of the Milwaukee child welfare system looms imminent. It has been reported that as the takeover nears that conditions for children and families continue to deteriorate. It is expected that as the state takes over the troubled system, that the removal of children from their homes will double in number.

All of this could have avoided had the bureaucracy not resisted the reform efforts of the Youth Initiative. As Hagedorn explains: "The last of our reform team left the Department of Social Services by the end of 1993. The good old boys whom we had tried to depose returned victoriously, and completely, to power."

His observations are particularly timely in view of the recent departure of court-appointed receiver Jerome Miller, whose efforts at reforming the troubled District of Columbia child welfare system were chronicled in the Washington Post. Miller recounts that from his earliest days as receiver, the District's child welfare bureaucracy shored itself up in an effort to thwart his efforts. Once he departed it took the Department less than a week to undo the few reforms he had managed to implement, handing contracts back to favored service providers.

John Hagedorn takes the reader into the innermost circles--the very nooks and crannies of the child welfare bureaucracy, explaining not just the how but the critical why underlying the failure of nearly every effort at reform.

Challenged here are the most cherished assumptions about child welfare, among them the "myth of classlessness." Hagedorn recounts how the results of a study were suppressed when it was found that the vast majority of child abuse reports came from impoverished areas of the county--contrary to what the report was originally intended to convey.

Also challenged are the commonly held assumptions about high caseloads, the lack of resources, and the core tasks of social workers--those tasks which define what they do on a day-to-day basis.

But there is one most pervasive myth of all--central to the continued existence of child welfare as we know it--which Hagedorn boldly confronts. "It's simply too risky for bureaucrats to admit that their agency may not be 'doing good.' The erosion of that myth may lead someone to investigate them or even propose cutting their budgets."

The failings of the Milwaukee system are in many respects typical. Indeed, as of early 1998, legislators have called for a complete audit and investigation of the Los Angeles Department of Social Services, an "underbudgeted" agency which somehow or other manages to spend half a billion dollars per year on foster care services alone. In New York City, a lawsuit seeks to push the troubled child welfare agency into court receivership. New York City spends more per capita than any other city in the country, notes Children's Rights, Inc. It should have one of the best child welfare agencies in the country--instead it has one of the worst.

No other volume serves better to illuminate the inner workings of the shadowy institution of child protective services than does Forsaking Our Children. Only Hagedorn answers the questions of how and why these more recent efforts at reform are likely to fail. But he does not stop there. He also provides a critical recipe for meaningful and lasting reform.

No student of the child welfare system should be without this thoroughly researched and annotated volume. While some others may have learned their lessons in the classroom, Hagedorn has learned his battling the child welfare bureaucracy head on.