North America Books

I've got it and you don't! Too bad. It's outta print. I called the publisher and they are not reissuing. Go find it used. It is worth every penny ($85 I paid) if you need or desire to ID gulls.

This book is a must have for every birdwatcher! If you have problems with indentifying gulls, this is the book to have! It anwers all my questions I have about gull distribution and indentification. Now I know how to Indentify those Ring-billed Gulls that I see in the parking lot. Also I have a better outlook on where they came from as Well!

The size and massive detail in this new book on identifying the gulls of the Northern Hemisphere is likely to deter most readers from more than a cursory leafing through its lovely paintings and photographs. But if you're curious to learn more about these common but highly varied, many-shades-of-gray birds around us, and you happen to live in a coastal area as I do, with more than a few gulls that are hard to identify during the winter, this might be a book to look into more thoroughly.

A caution though: gulls can be notoriously difficult to identify accurately, since they have so much finely detailed, age-related plumage variation. But an effort to simply knuckle-down and learn more about all this, such as this book amply provides, can pay off greatly in much greater detective-fun trying to figure out all these heretofore anonymously gray gulls sailing and prowling around us here each year. It's already helped me develop better skills in figuring out nearly all the varied groups of gulls around us here more quickly than I would have heretofore thought possible. And to more quickly decide which birds you can or cannot more accurately identify...and why.

The detailed accounts and maps of the distribution and relative abundance of various gull species have also helped me better understand where the gulls that migrate through or winter in our area are likely to have come from. And, finally, as you delve more deeply into what's known about all these gull species, and their European and Asian counterparts, it becomes obvious that the series of beautiful, comparative paintings and color photographs provided in such detail for each species in its various age-plumages, subspecies, and hybrid-forms is worth the price of the book alone.

Well....maybe not easy....but, not through any fault of this book! The book starts with a lesson on the various body parts, as you will need to know many of these in order to ascertain what gull you have sitting in front of you. A comparison of the wings comes next. Then, it goes through each gull species and all of its plumages, including the months you might expect to see them in that plumage. It ends by discussing the various hybrids. If you ever hope to get beyond referring to gulls as "gull sp.," this book will do it. When you hear other birders refer to "the gull bible," this is it!!! However, don't think that this is a field guide you might want to carry in a fanny pack...it's a heavyweight!

growing up with the knowledge that there are just a few "kinds" of gulls and realising after a while that all the gulls you knew are now called somthing compleatly different (the whole herring,yellow legged,caspian,armenian,lesser black backed,sibirian etc. complex). this is the book we were all looking for, easy to use and extremly proffesional.
another good birding book to have around.

Russell S. Smith was the Police Chief in San Angelo, Texas for years. He was an outstanding officer. There were many twists and turns in this book, it kept my interest and eyes on the printed page. He is a true detective, enjoying the chase as he traced the facts in order to find the truth.

What a great book! Author, retired Texas Police Chief Russell Smith, has a unique way of talking to the reader. This is an interesting account of the "Caveman Bandit" - in a time much like the Wild West but in the 1960's. Most certainly all those who have roots in West TX would be interested as well as Texans everywhere. As a Californian, who has never been to that part of the country, I referred to a TX map to visualize the expanse of land that the Bandit inhabited. Wow - it is really incredible to think that a human was capable of covering such an enormous territory. Also incredible is the way this man slinked in and out of businesses, houses, rugged terrain, in and out of Mexico and Texas -without detection - sometimes underneathe the noses of those who so desperately hunted him. Yes, the bandit was incredibly animal-like: digging for shelter in caves, surviving off the land, outwitting and outrunning his prey. You will have to read this book for the interesting details and to see how the story ends. Bravo Chief Smith!

Russell Smith has a way of telling a story so that you see every event, almost as if you were there when it happened. You see the rugged country and the people very vividly in your mind. You feel the suspense as the caveman bandit enters a home at night while the occupants are sleeping. You laugh as two macho teenage boys decide they will be heroes and catch the bandit one dark, cold night. I got so involved in the story, I didn't want it to end.

What a great book. I could visualize the caveman bandit, his hiding spots, the rough land, the houses and the people. Russell Smith brings the characters and the landscape to life. Chapter 1 was a great way to start the book and it hooked me. I can't wait to read his next book.

"The Gun That Wasn't There" is an interesting true story about a man who lived off the land, the ranches, and the businesses of the area he was in. The local people knew about him, had often seen him, but it wasn't unusual for "illegals" to cross their ranches so they didn't pay much attention to him until he broke into a house while the people were home and attacked them. This is a story about man against man, one wanting to be left alone to survive the way he knew best, and those who wanted to stop him.

The book includes several original photographs as well as recent photos of the area. The author paints such a vivid description of the area that you already know what is there without seeing the photographs. There are numerous endnotes that historians and genealogists will love.

If you want to get your mind around Thoreau's mind and the more significant facts of his life, buy and read this book. Because the chapters are brief but meaty, and because Richardson's an accomplished prose stylist in his own right, this book is a joy to read and, I have found, is wonderful to come back to periodically, particularly when looking for a great way to spend ten to twenty extra minutes profitably.

Robert D. Richardson takes the busy-bodied world of Thoreau and places each of his accomplishments into context starting with their respective intellectual origin. In the process of doing this, Richardson constructs the world of Thoreau's Concord and creates it for us vividly and realistically. This is by far the best Thoreau bio out there and serves a perfect book-end with his Emerson bio, The Mind On Fire.

As a young man my Holy Trinity was: Emerson, Thoreau and Whitman. Emerson's essays are pure poetry; Thoreau's "Walden" and "Civil Disobedience" became a blueprint on how to live and why to write; and Whitman's life and "Leaves Of Grass" taught me about myself.

"A Life Of The Mind" filled each page with the authenticity and richness of a life well lived. Thoreau, the humanness, the naturalist, the friend and son; the poet of the unraveling, entangled soul beating within the humdrum of everyday and ordinary life, leaps from every page. I have read other biographies on Thoreau which never captured the mind and writer of "Walden". Here the man and life equalled and qualified the literature.

Richardson is more than a biographer of Thoreau; he's made from the same stock. He didn't simply tell of a man and his life, he savored, and shared in the same poetics and struggles as the man he researched. The theme of Thoreau's life was an opportunity to express his own convictions and struggles.

It was while reading an anthology of Thoreau's work that I first understood why some poets and writers must write. I came to understand how every sentence could be layered with meaning and timelessness. After reading this biography I must reread my annotated "Walden". I must sit in my backyard amongst the leaves and flowers and shapes and densities I've not paid attention to in some time.

This book remains the best biiography about Thoreau. There is much here to interest both the detail-seeking scholar and the casual reader. Richardson does an admirable job in bringing Thoreau and his ideas to the fore. I found this work very useful when editing my own volume - Profitably Soaked: Thoreau's Engagment With Water, which presents a more bodily than conceptual Thoreau.

In the concluding chapter of "Walden", Henry David Thoreau offers a parable of a great artist in the city of Kouroo "who was disposed to strive for perfection." In Thoreau's story, the artist spends eons working to carve the perfect staff. By the time the artist was satisfied, his friends had died, Kouroo was no more, the dynasty of the Candhars had ended, the polestar had changed, and "Brahma had awakened and slumbered many times". Yet, the artist saw that "for him and his work, the former lapse of time had been an illusion, and that no more time had elapsed than is required for a single scintillation from the brain of Brahma to fall on and inflame the tinder of a mortal brain. The material was pure, and his art was pure: how could the result be other than wonderful?"

This parable of the nature of the self, freedom, and high purpose, told in the language of Eastern thought, is one of many aspects of Thoreau that Robert Richardson illuminated for me in his biography, "Henry Thoreau: A Life of the Mind." (1986) Richardson's biography of Thoreau is the first of what has become an outstanding trilogy of studies of American thinkers. Its companions are "Emerson: A Mind on Fire" and, most recently, "William James: In the Maelstrom of American Modernism." These three biographies cast great light on intellectual and spiritual life and their continuing influence in the United States. Richardson was a professor at the University of Denver when he wrote "Thoreau". He is now an independent scholar.

Richardson's biography of Thoreau (1817 -- 1862) does not begin until its subject reaches the age of 20 and returns from Harvard to Concord, Massachusetts to teach school. Thoreau becomes friends with Ralph Waldo Emerson who encourages the younger man to keep a journal, a habit that will remain with him throughout life and which will constitue the best evidence we have of Thoreau's inner life. Richardson's study draws heavily on the Thoreau's Journal, which when completed ran about 2,000,000 words and which was the source, with Thoreau's other notebooks, for much of his published work.

Richardson aptly characterizes Thoreau as leading a "life of the mind" and his study focuses on Thoreau's intellectual development and on the books which he read. Richardson uncovers and elucidates Thoreau's broad reading over the course of his adult life. Thoreau read broadly in the ancient Greek and Roman classics, and he was greatly influenced by German writers, especially Goethe. His transcendental philosophy was heavily German in origin, as mediated by English writers such as Coleridge. Thoreau read copiously on the history of New England and Canada and on the Indians. He was a careful observer of nature, as is well known, and was influenced by Aristotle's writings on biology, as well as by the classification work of Linneaus, and Agassiz. After the publication of the "Origin of the Species", Thoreau was won over to the developmental theory of Darwin.

I was particularly struck with the influence of Hindu and Indian thought upon Thoreau. This influence is shown in the parable of Kouroo, discussed above, and throughout "Walden" and "A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers". Richardson also made connections between Thoreau and writers and friends on an individual level. For example, Richardson discusses Melville's "Typee" and the influence this book had upon Thoreau in its depiction of human nature, and allegedly primitive peoples. Melville's influence appears lasting upon Thoreau. Richardson discusses Thoreau's friendship with the former Unitarian minister, Harrison Gray Otis Blake, and the letters the two men exchanged. (These letters have been compiled in a volume titled "Letters to a Spiritual Seeker.") As a final example, Richardson also discusses Thoreau's meeting, late in his life, with Whitman and how these two writers came to view each other.

Richardson's book brings home Thoreau's conviction that human nature is basically the same everywhere and throughout time. Thus, for Thoreau, persons in his time or our own, are capable of leading a life of freedom and meaning upon the making of effort. Even though Thoreau was fascinated with the Greek, Roman, and Indian past, these sources taught him that people retained the potentiality of living for themselves. Richardson emphasizes the love of wildness in Thoreau, in man, animals, and nature, just below the surface of what he regarded as some of the superficialites of civilization. In addition to Thoreau's self-sufficiency and love of freedom, Richardson emphasizes Thoreau's love of good companionship. Richardson also argues that following the publication of Walden in 1854, Thoreau's interests turned from the self-sufficiency and freedom, to a recognition of the interconnectedness of all things in nature.

The strongest effect on me of Richardson's book was in making me revisit and rethink the inspiring conclusion of "Walden". After a paragraph devoted to life and the ever-present possibility of regeneration, Thoreau concludes Walden as follows:

"I do not say that John or Jonathan will realize all this; but such is the character of that morrow which mere lapse of time can never make to dawn. The light which puts out our eyes is darkness to us. Only that day dawns to which we are awake. There is more day to dawn. The sun is but a morning star."

Richardson's book inspired me and it encouraged me to want to read and reread Thoreau. Those readers who are also moved to rediscover Thoreau may want to explore the two large volumes of his works available in the Library of America.

Robin Friedman

I enjoyed this book very much. Tarleton's deductive and vainglorious writings are very informative yet do not dwell on American victories but rather American humiliation. I would not recommend it if you are not altogether serious though.

A fascinating book, plainly and well written. It took a moment or so to get used to the vernacular but it's a smooth read. I was particularly interested in Tarleton's say on what happened during the Buford Massacre because he implies (in my opinion) that the slaughter of the American troops was not ordered by him but rather, a circumstance of war and the crazed emotional upheaval that accompanies the heat of battle. The book presents an interesting view of the American War of Independence from the "other side". Well worth it.

After over 113 years of being out of print, Banastre Tarleton once again speaks (at an affordable leavel no less) of his experiences and knowledge of the battles he and his British compatriots went through. Mind you, it is a bit of a dry read as that his legal style of writing shows through the whole thing. If you ever wanted insight as to the British side of the American Revolution,here's your book!

The style of the antique font is most appealing to devotees of British Militaria. It is though one is reading the dispatches from "Bloody Bana" himself. This is the point of view never learned in America. If you enjoyed "The Patriot" you will enjoy this book. Refers in the 1st part to Major Patrick Ferguson, the inventor of the Ferguson Breechloading Flintlock rifle. The descriptions of the terrain and hardships as well as surrender terms and stores captured are thoroughly detailed.

A very detailed history of the Southern Campaigns of the American Revolution. At times a little self serving. It is enjoyable in eighteenth century text. Detailed maps.

How To Read How-To And Self-Help Books by psychologist and management consultant Janne Ruokonen is a simple and practical guide to getting the best use out of personal development books, tapes, and seminars. With informative tips for avoiding myths about self-help, cogent advice against pitfalls that block one's ability to absorb wisdom, illustrative anecdotes, "real world" solid techniques for achieving consistent improvement, How To Read How-To And Self-Help Books is very highly recommended for the non-specialist general reader and a superb addition to any personal or community library self-help reference shelf.

Self-help books are amongst the most popular of all the books sold. They are almost always at the top of the bestseller lists. Yet, how many have you bought that sit dusty on your bookshelf, testament to a failed attempt to changing a habit or gaining a new skill?

Was the problem the book or was the problem within you? Author Ruokonen lists a spectrum of ideas and advice on getting the most out of self-help and getting the results you want.

The chapters in Part Two: Why Self-Improvement Fails and How to Succeed tell a lot about what is in Ruokonen's valuable book:

Here's Why you Failed Before
Why Goals, Planning and Hard Work are Not Enough (!)
Why Knowledge Does Not Equal Learning (!!)
Learning Effectively
Avoiding the Self-Help Pitfalls
Dealing with Paradoxes and Contradictory Advice
Breaking the Barriers to Success

and from Part Three:
Putting Advice into Practice

I recommend this as a MUST-READ not only for anyone embarking on a course of self-improvement, whether through a book, a seminar or a course, but also for every Human Resource and Training professional who will be spending company funds on books, courses and seminars for employees. I will be recommending this book at my company because I think it will help us get the most from any training we do in future.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!

I've read too many advice, self-study, skill devopment and self-help books to count. Some of them have been useful to me, most not.

The problem for me has been either due to achieving no measurable results or having conflicts with what I've read or tried earlier. It can be difficult to know what to trust and which things to try.

If time wasn't limited, I could of course try them all. However, like for most of us, time is pretty scarce resource for me.

What this book writes about is very useful to me. It breaks down failures and success of using advice (from books) into something that is practical and applicable in real life.

While it may not score the highest points in terms of motivational liturgy of wonderful stories, it is one of the most practical and useful books on the field that I have read.

As such, I intend to revisit it again on a regular basis. Not because the content is difficult, but because the practical advice it gives is so profound that it sometimes easy to forget and not to apply it oneself. This is especially true with some of the more conceptual books that lack almost any useful instructions on how to utilize all the information contained within.

If you read self-help books or want to get more benefits out of them, I highly recommend this one.

Self-help books are amongst the most popular of all the books sold. They are almost always at the top of the bestseller lists. Yet, how many have you bought that sit dusty on your bookshelf, testament to a failed attempt to changing a habit or gaining a new skill?

Was the problem the book or was the problem within you? Author Ruokonen lists a spectrum of ideas and advice on getting the most out of self-help and getting the results you want.

The chapters in Part Two: "Why Self-Improvement Fails and How to Succeed" tell a lot about what is in Ruokonen's valuable book:

Here's Why you Failed Before
Why Goals, Planning and Hard Work are Not Enough (!)
Why Knowledge Does Not Equal Learning (!!)
Learning Effectively
Avoiding the Self-Help Pitfalls
Daling with Pardoxes and Contradictory Advice
Breaking the Barriers to Success

and from Part Three:
Putting Advice into Practice

I recommend this as a MUST-READ not only for anyone embarking on a course of self-improvement, whether through a book, a seminar or a course, but also for every Human Resource and Training professional who will be spending company funds on books, courses and seminars for employees. I will be recommending this book at my company because I think it will help us get the most from any training we do in future.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

"If you feel that you have fallen short of getting the promised results from self-help programs, you need to know that the real problem isn't you personally or the advice you've received." -Janne Ruokonen

What do you dream about becoming? There is probably a book out there for just about anything you have ever thought about. But how do you achieve your dream? Is reading the book enough?

This is the first guide to show how you can use personal development books, tapes and seminars. Janne Ruokonen will show you how to:

1. Find and use the best personal development advice
2. Understand why you may have failed before
3. Avoid the common self-help- pitfalls
4. Make sense of gurus and their ideas and methods
5. Discover how ordinary people achieve extraordinary results

By reading this book you will see how to get the most out of the advice self-help books give. This is a realistic guide that shows you what works in real life and how you can create lasting change. Janne has come to the realization that many books fail to show the reader how to take the advice and use it to achieve maximum results.

He started collecting self-help books, interviewing people who used the books and participated in online discussion groups. He soon saw a pattern emerging. In the last section of the book, he lists page after page of books you will want to read. I've always thought a good book was one that recommends other good books!

The Contents Include:

Part One: What You Can Achieve and Whose Advice to Follow
Part Two: Why Self-Improvement Fails and How to Succeed
Part Three: From Advice to Action: Making a Lasting Change in Your Life

Janne also gives lists of what people are reading and listening to. Then he shows you how to read effectively and "actively." I like that he says you should make notes and almost "review" the book. I've found that if I review a book I really do absorb more of the content. I'm not sure I could only read two chapters per week, but many people are probably encouraged if they can read two chapters of a self-help book each week. After all, that might not be all you are reading.

Janne Ruokonen has worked as a manager and consultant. He knows how to put personal development ideas to work for himself and his staff and his career includes working at a leading personal development and sales training company.

In this book you will realize that life is far too short to learn everything on your own by trial and error. Why not learn from other people's mistakes or success?

Who would have thought you would need a self-help book to read self-help books, but it makes complete sense.

One of my main problems is that I tend to think Big and then try to take Big steps. That is why I've failed with self-help on numerous occasions. When I sat down and realized that each time I tried to get fit, I was jumping in too fast and exhausting myself from the onset, I started to realize that at time if you take smaller steps at the start, you will be able to more easily reach your final goal. You would think this would be obvious, but ambition can often blind you to reality.

I mean, you can sit and watch a workout tape all day, but if you don't get on the floor and start working out, it isn't going to get you very far. Sure, the tape is fun to watch and review, but the satisfaction comes from looking in the mirror and seeing the results you have achieved. I also found that watching movies while walking on the treadmill keeps me more interested in walking. So, everyone had to find that secret way to motivate themselves. Rewards do seem to work.

Janne says that many people go wrong because they try to just focus on the "goal" and not on the "steps" to get to that goal. He also discusses Procrastination and "The Overload Barrier."

"How to Read How-To & Self-Help Books" is a balanced approach to achieving your goals, gives you the motivation to take the steps needed to improve your life and shows you how to realize your dreams!

~The Rebecca Review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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