Minnesota Books

People interested in the controversy between Anscombe and C. S. Lewis should read this before they read any nonsense written by Lewis biographers like A. N. Wilson. She reprinted her original response to Lewis, a short reply that Lewis put in the very issue of the Socratic Digest that contained her paper, and also a very useful commentary on the chapter of Miracles that Lewis revised to meet her objections.

There are some other great essays here. I especially recommend "Causality and Determination."

Dale's book is an entertaining and academic look not only at the medium of slapstick itself but also at our need to be entertained by it. The book's examination of silent slapstick includes not only the major players (Chaplin, Keaton, Lloyd) but also covers women in silent comedy. What's also respectable is that Dale discusses Jerry Lewis's important contribution to slapstick in film without putting him on the pedestal other critics (and often Lewis himself) put him on, as well as Lewis's influence on contemporary visual humorists like Jim Carrey and the Farrelly Bros.

Yi-Fu Tuan is a towering figure in cultural geography -- so towering that he rises above the discipline's ceiling and is visible and inspiring as a writer/philosopher to a far broader audience of academics and "lay" readers. You certainly don't need to be a geographer to admire this book for its constant stream of observations and commentary on modern China reflecting Tuan's distinctive sensibility and preoccupations with home and place. Dr. Tuan wrote the book shortly after returning to Wisconsin from his visit to China, which he had not visited in over 60 years. The work is immediate and fresh, not re-worked into thick academic prose. It's a real gift for fans of Dr. Tuan.

Judy McIntyre is one of the world's authorities on loons. This book reflects not only the wealth of her technical knowledge about loons (written in a very readable style!) but also personal glimpses into the lives of loons from someone who has spent years studying them in their natural environment AND in captivity. It's a fascinating read!

The Community Tourism Development manual is a practical tool for students of tourism and for communities that wish to bring its tourism planning to the next level. This is not a dry text that only talks about theory-it offers actionable steps to strategically planning tourism development for your specific community. The design of this manual makes it easy-to-use. The worksheets/exercises provide hands-on planning tools that can be customized to your community or classroom. The case studies bring the best-practices highlighted in the text to life.

The Community Tourism Development manual is definitely a worthwhile investment.

O'Dell's text is one of the few, and quite possibly the best, exploration into the often misunderstood "masochistic" art practices in 1970s America. Covering five artists (Vito Acconci, Ulay & Abramovic, Gina Pane, and Chris Burden), Contract With the Skin offers the reader thought-provoking ideas about what masochism in performance art REALLY means. (It's not about pain, per se.) Kathy O'Dell forces the reader to re-think their assumptions about art practice, and sheds new light on problematic subject matter.

This book is worth the price if only for the paper by Ed Green, which has, with a slight delay, spawned a huge literature in dynamic contract theory. Chapters V and VI, by Townsend and Wallace and Beveniste, will also be looked back upon as neglected early work. Jacklin's paper was quite important as well.

Ann Burckhardt is a former reporter, columnist, and editor for the Taste (food) section of the Star Tribune in Minneapolis. Her fantastic credentials don't stop there, though. She's written and edited dozens of books on food, even the Betty Crocker Cooky Book.

This book brings together her years of knowledge and experience, and her love of the food world. It is full of pleasures--food, good writing, and a writer's passion for her topic. The subject is the food scene of Minnesota. But, this book has appeal far beyond state lines. This long-time journalist's skill at bringing people and places to life makes it a worthy read for any writer. There's nothing about it I didn't enjoy!

If that isn't enough to entice, the recipes surely will ... Lemon-Butter Bars, Créme Brulèe French Toast, and Magic Marshmallow Crescent Treats. Also, there's Marion Ross's Cheesy Macaroni Bake with Spam, or Endlessly Easy Chicken Breasts, among others.

--Review by Sarah Tieck excerpted from The Writer's Notebook, July 2005 issue

Delightful, heartwarming stories of northwoods rural medicine. Dr. MacDonald warmly describes his hearty patients who live on the edges of civilization. You'll meet a colorful cast who don't always see eye to eye with "modern" medicine, but have a great deal of respect for their country doctor, who many times, is having to figure things out on the fly.

A Country Doctor's Chronicle reads like a mixture of James Herriot and Patrick McManus, with a healthy dose of self-depricating humor. Highly recommended for anyone in the medical field or anyone who likes human interest stories and is looking for some diversionary reading. Grade: A.

I bought this book as a resource for camping in Minnesota. Minnesota is blest with many functional, scenic, and fun state parks; therefore, this makes it extremely difficult to get camping reservations. County parks on the other hand are semi forgotten gems. Many have facilities rivaling the state park system. Obviously county parks lack the funding to advertise. This book will provide you with quality reviews on many wonderful, less traveled destinations.
Have fun!