Wisconsin Books

Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson holds no punches in this book. He brings the question of the ability of the planet to sustain today's consumption-driven American lifestyle into clear focus in "Beyond Earth Day". His report card on the planet is dire but believable.

The book provides a strong case that more dire consequences are up ahead for all of us, unless the current political leadership in Washington abandons its "business as usual" mentality regarding the environment and begins to recognize the urgency and gravity of the situation we are getting into with regard to air, water, land and climate.

"It is time for the president and Congress to reach an agreement that sustainability is the challenge of our time and design a plan of action for the future... There is no room, nor time, for partisanship. The president and Congress should face this issue in a unified and cooperative way and should persist until we reach the goal", laments Nelson.

Nelson recommends that the president of the United States deliver a "State of the Environment" speech to the American public and the world which outlines environmental challenges meriting the nation and the world's immediate attention, and the challenges that lay on the horizon. Such an address, Nelson says, is what is needed "to start public dialogue on the serious environmental problems facing the country and world today". People everywhere need to realize that maintaining the environmental sustainability of the planet is the most important responsibility we all have, because all life on Earth is interrelated, and because our economy is inherently dependent on the environment's "underlying resource base of forests, water, air, soil, and minerals".

"Beyond Earth Day" gives an amazingly thorough look at the state of our planet, then and now. Discussions of issues are well-referenced and Gaylord Nelson courageously presents honest solutions to problems that many people take pains to ignore. He offers history, wisdom, and guidance in an age when "environment" is an important issue to Americans, yet many are unaware of the seriousness of the issues our water, air, soils and biodiversity face. An America united by the knowledge offered by Senator Nelson has the capability to change the course of catastrophic events involving the very elements needed for life. Share the intelligence of this important book with everyone you know.

This book covers what should be the most important Issue to all people in the human-rat race. It's an attempt to make people realize how fast we are using up our natural resourses.
I can only hope that this book makes it to the top 10 best sellers list, so that it gets read by a large segment of the population. It's a vary important message and it's easy to read in a short amount of time, and once you read it it would be wise to give it to a friend and have them read it and pass it on to someone else.
Why can't an American president stand up, and run on smaller population and less consumption? Humans will gain less and less with over-population.

Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson holds no punches in this book. He brings the question of the ability of the planet to sustain today's consumption-driven American lifestyle into clear focus in "Beyond Earth Day". His report card on the planet is dire but believable.

The book provides a strong case that more dire consequences are up ahead for all of us, unless the current political leadership in Washington abandons its "business as usual" mentality regarding the environment and begins to recognize the urgency and gravity of the situation we are getting into with regard to air, water, land and climate.

"It is time for the president and Congress to reach an agreement that sustainability is the challenge of our time and design a plan of action for the future... There is no room, nor time, for partisanship. The president and Congress should face this issue in a unified and cooperative way and should persist until we reach the goal", laments Nelson.

Nelson recommends that the president of the United States deliver a "State of the Environment" speech to the American public and the world which outlines environmental challenges meriting the nation and the world's immediate attention, and the challenges that lay on the horizon. Such an address, Nelson says, is what is needed "to start public dialogue on the serious environmental problems facing the country and world today". People everywhere need to realize that maintaining the environmental sustainability of the planet is the most important responsibility we all have, because all life on Earth is interrelated, and because our economy is inherently dependent on the environment's "underlying resource base of forests, water, air, soil, and minerals".

I wasn't sure what I'd think of this book. I didn't read the first one beforehand or anything, but--wow! It's funny, exciting, smart, and sad. So I'd recommend it. Some of it is kind of hard but it's well worth it. Most of it isn't hard to read, though. They ought to make a movie out of it. It's definitely one of the best books I've read in the past couple of years, and I read all the time. Now I've bought the first book, the Driftless Zone, and have read 50 pages or so and am loving it, too. I'll let you know what I think when I finish it.

Mordant adventures along the Mississippi River with motorcycle gangsters, bar flies, unemployed detectives, victims of meaningless violence and violent meaninglessness, Rick Harsch unfolds the second volume of his grimly hilarious 'La Crosse Trilogy'. This time the 'hideously ugly' Billy Verite seizes the day when a friend, soon to be murdered himself, places in Billy's care the trenchant and maltreated Lola, endangered witness to crimes and corruption in the town, which is on the verge of war between rival gangs. Two corrupt undercover cops, Stratton and Torgeson, who first made their appearance in Harsch's excellent first novel, THE DRIFTLESS ZONE, reappear, as before, up to no good. It's in this milieu of vicious low life in a waterfront town that the decidedly unheroic Billy Verite takes action to reveal a comic, disturbing, non-standard heroism of sorts. As in Harsch's previous novel, Billy's tale is told with unexpected turns of language, plot and point of v! iew, fascinating juxtapositions of hard-edged realism and flights of fancy as in the early films of Federico Fellini, a harsh view of small town life in the middle of America enlivened and illuminated by close attention to local detail, fantastic insights into the existential pathology of the trapped citizenry of middle America at the end of the second millennium and a will to dark comedy. BILLY VERITE entertains with the best of Graham Greene's "entertainments," and we look forward to more.

As much as I liked The Driftless Zone, I think Rick Harsch has topped himself with this one. He has a knack for creating unique, well-drawn characters, and has become a sharper storyteller. He also shows a strange affection and deep feeling for La Crosse's (Wisconsin) natural and unnatural wonders. After reading Harsch's first two books, I feel like I've been there for a six-month visit, even though I've never been within 500 miles of the place. Harsch promises Billy Verite is the second of a "La Crosse Trilogy" and I can't wait to return.

Don't be put off by the fact that Billy Verite is the second book in a trilogy: if you haven't read Harsch's quirky and brilliant first book, The Driftless Zone, there'll be plenty of chances to come. In the meantime, Billy Verite is provocative entertainment--funny, suspenseful, and sharply intelligent--and you shouldn't hesitate to pick it up. Then, if you haven't already, pick up The Driftless Zone. Despite its many connections to Billy Verite, Harsch's first novel is a different creature--more philosophical and poetic, while still containing enough hilarity, sex, action, and wild originality to split the seams.

This book was a GREAT read but left me feeling extremely sad at the hopelessness of ever finding true justice for this two children.

The mother I feel is too blame, and I'm sure you will come to that conclusion as well once you read the whole story.

Makes for some interesting conversations, a LOT of head shaking and scratching and sleepless nights wondering aloud at everything that transpired during the search for the killers of these two boys.

This true crime book is a very interesting look into what can happen when the police fail to do their job. A true story of two young children's deaths which will keep you guessing with all the twists and turns revealed by Ms. Jewels' careful and extensive research and interviews. She has a descriptive writing style that keeps you interested and keeps you guessing. I'm looking forward to her next book.

I could not put the book down. I had to find out what was coming next! The whole story had twists and turns and you dont know what is going to come up next. It is a very sad story about two brothers who were killed and no one seemed to do a lot about it. The author did an excellent job prying for important information and presenting the true story in an exciting manner. I cant wait for her next book!

It was a fascinating read! I could tell the author wrote this book for Robert and Ben Moore. The relationship between the children's mother and the author, Kathryn Jewel took many twists and turns. I think this writer took chances with her bold truthful style. I feel sad that no one seemed to take enough interest in these childrens death until now. I look forward to reading her next book.

My 6-year-old daughter designated this her favorite book on her class questionnaire. She cherishes her own copy and gave it to two friends for Christmas. Author Mary Eccles has a wonderful ability to write of family dynamics with humor and insight and to create very believable child characters and situations. The format is also appealing: Each chapter corresponds to a month in one year of 9-year-old Lizzie's life. I read the book aloud to my daughter--but it is a good read-alone for young people ages 8 to 10. And I won't give away one surprise but will say that, once you read this book, you will never again pour dry cereal from a box without first checking inside. My daughter is hoping for a sequel and a chance to share more adventures with Lizzie.

BY LIZZIE is an exciting novel.Lizzie is a nine year old in the middle of her family. She has an annoying older brother named Norman, and a younger copycat sister named Ellie. The story starts on January 1, the day after Lizzie's ninth birthday. Lizzie is looking for her dog Winston's leash,and ends up finding her mom's old typewriter. She decides to record and write down the year before she turns ten.Lizzie writes a story for each month. My favorite month is March, when Lizzie calls swimming lessons "water torture", because she's the oldest in the beginner class by far, and she can't swim! Mary Eccles uses many details in her writing. I highly recommend this book for eager readers.

By Lizzie is a great story with characters that young readers will identify with, laugh with, and care about through the end of this book and beyond. I am already looking forward to reading more stories "By Lizzie" and Mary Eccles. Young readers (and adults!) will enjoy this glimpse into Lizzie's year -- from the trials of family life to laughing through her escapades... mice in cereal boxes, secret codes, Brownie the puppy, getting even with her big brother and more. Lizzie and her story are both winners!

I enjoyed the way this book is structured: a 9-year-old girl is frustrated with aspects of her life, and desides to chronicle each month as she waits to turn 10. Each chapter is an account of a difficulty she faces at school or at home. The problems are ones all children would recognize--annoying siblings, worries about a new teacher, for example. The chapters are written with good humor and not a trace of condescension.

PLEASE GIVE CHAPTER AND VERSE FOR YOUR PENTECOST AND YOUR RESTORATION

History is. This book is about history. Few people (let alone christians) know the history of christian religious experience in the United States. This book provides a detailed and rare scholarly description of what happened during the August 1801 revival in Kentucky which has come to be known as the Cane Ridge revival. This book makes no attempt to provide a theological framework for revival, either for or against, nor the many experiences which may occur during and after revival. Rather, it is an honest and unbiased effort to give you a window to the past so you can see what happened and come to your own conclusions. I wish all books on revival were this well written!

Coming from a background that is neither of the Restoration Movement, nor of the Holiness movements that came from the Cane Ridge American revival period, I still found this book to be objective and interesting. Conkin, as previously stated by other reviewers, does an excellent job of presenting the materials in a way that is neither flattering, nor insulting to the frontier's people. Instead, he gives rational explanation for why they behave how they do and a peek into the 17th century religious mindset that would prompt the religious exercising. This is a book worth checking out, even according to this 20-something Bible College student.

Much has been written about the "objectivity question" in history. Can a historian put his biases aside and write an objective account of an historical event? Conkin's Cane Ridge demonstrates with what dignity and power a historian is able to treat a religious movement to which he has little spiritual or emotional attachment. Conkin has written a first-rate intellectual history that includes the best delineation of biblical Christianity by a non-believer that I've ever read.

Conkin's careful examination of the 1801 Kentucky revival demonstrates that the religious changes which began there had roots deep in devout, but staid, Presbyterianism. Conkin rejects the notion that the revival was simply an example of frontier backwardness and downplays the swooning and "barking" that continue to be the staple of college lecturers.

This is the first volume in Shakhashiri's unequalled Chemical Demonstrations series. There are over 80 demonstrations in this book, each one with a list of required materials, a detailed procedure, notes on hazards and disposal, a discussion of the chemical principles involved, and references. The demonstrations cover the areas of thermochemistry (Chapter 1), Chemiluminescence (Chapter 2), Polymers (Chapter 3), and Equilibria of Metal Ion Precipitates and Complexes (Chapter 4). Included in the introductory text is an article by Richard W. Ramette entitled "Exocharmic Reactions" which relates how chemical demonstrations for teaching purposes have evolved and what qualities the successful demonstrator should possess for maximum impact.

There is absolutely nothing so good as a demonstration for getting students interested in chemistry and keeping them interested. Demonstrations may take a bit of extra work on the part of the teacher, but they are worth the effort, and the effort is minimal when Shakhashiri has written such a magnificant collection of useful experiments.

I acutally love this book for chem demonstrations. Shakhashiri gives in depth explanations for all of his demonstrations and it is just a great book. I recommend this book to anyone who is doing any demonstrations.

The book is very interesting and useful for teachers whom use the lecture and demostration method in teaching chemistry. The experiments are well tested and one can create some other new experiments taking the basis from this book. I recommend the whole series (Vols. 1 to 4). Dr. Shakhashiri is a talent chemistry teacher and he transmits his enthusiasm in teaching this science.

I am a first year teacher and this book has been the best investment I've made. I may have had to buy it with my own money, but it has been worth every cent. Lots of ideas are presented in this book and it gives really good ways to integrate the demonstrations to teach particular concepts. I plan to buy the other three books by this author.

For our camping family, this is absolutely great. We had no idea such a book existed or so many county parks could be found in Wisconsin. Accurate and detailed information on so much. Extremely useful!

This book is so easy to use! It's organized very logically and gives a good summary of the state's county parks. I took it out of the library and have used it to find great camping destinations, but there's also information on other specific activities; i.e., fishing, canoeing, hiking, etc. When used in conjunction with the websites which most of the state's counties now have, it makes planning a camping trip a breeze. I plan on buying the revised addition. All in all, an excellent resource for families or individuals who enjoy the outdoors in the Badger state.

This is one of the best book on parks that I have ever seen. I have 11 excellent books on Wisconsin (camping, hiking, state parks, backpacking, and touring), but this is the best book for finding a good county park while traveling or planning a vacation. This book is a hidden treasure: it contains information on 600 wonderful county parks in Wisconsin. This appears to be the only consolidated book on county parks in Wisconsin. The book is incredibly well-organized: 1- They provided a chapter on the 25 best parks. (This is useful if you are specifically planning to go to one of the best parks out of 600 county parks.) 2- The 600 parks are organized by location, which means when you are traveling in a particular county, you can easily find a county park. The book is organized first by location, and then alphabetical. It is a very clever and helpful way to organize a book because you can find a park in the area you want very quickly. This makes vacation planning so easy. (I own State Parks, Wisconsin by Bailey and while a good book, it's not organized like this, which makes planning a vacation more of a challenge because the parks are scattered in the book because they are not organized by location.) This books is an excellent tool for planning a vacation. 3- Each county represents one chapter in which that one county's parks are described. At the top of each chapter on each county, they have a really handy picture where the county of interest is bolded on miniature Wisc map. So, if you are planning a trip up North, but you're not familiar with all of the names of the northern counties, you'll instantly know if this chapter is the right area for you, just by looking at the picture. This makes it really efficient to find what you need. 4- It's the only book (out of the 11 Wisc books that I bought) that also has a chapter that covers best parks for a particular use. It's "Best Parks for Special Uses" chapter tells you where to find the best parks for: a) Nature Study, b) Horseback riding, c) out-of-the-way camping, d) historic sites, e) bird watching, f) folk art, g) waterfalls, h) Native American history, i) Caving, j) cannoeing, k) family camping, l) winter sports. 5- When describing a park, the book provides the following information: a) directions, b) facilities (e.g. none, swimming, beach, picnic tables, outhouses, toilets, hiking, cross-country skiing, mountain biking, playground, boat landing, grills, picnic shelter, tent sites, trailer sites, hiking, nature trails, etc.) It's a very handy book because of the depth of material that is displayed in a very effective way. I highly recommend this book. It's excellent.

I picked up this book at the library. It is a listing of county parks in Wisconsin and what the facilities are in each. I began bookmarking the pages that I wanted to copy information from. When I got to 30, I decided to buy the book.

This book is especially useful for those that camp. Wisconsin state parks have raised the camping rates and this year even the National Forest sites have to be reserved. This book is a powerful tool for those that make spontanious decisions about how and where to spend week-ends.

I was very satisfied with the biology book. It arrived 2 days after I ordered it with no flaws. Thank you!

I am learning a lot of things from the book and study card useful for class.

My 16 year old just finished this book for homeschool biology. It was comprehensive, thorough, yet easy for her to follow. The illustrations are excellent and prolific. It had quizes she could take to track her progress. I highly recommmend this book for high school biology.

I used this book to homeschool my 13 year old daughter, who went on to obtain a 750 on the SAT II Biology. I also taught a class to homeschoolers using THE WAY LIFE WORKS (much cheaper) as the main text, but using many of the CD-ROM activites from ESSENTIAL BIOLOGY as class material. I especially liked the MendAliens for genetics problems! There are many useful activites, quizzes, and chapter tests, wonderful graphics. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand "essential" biology.

Lippman's erudite and insightful observations about the world around him are still very pertinent today. Lippman goes on throughout the book to make keen observations about the society around him hoping the reader will take note. The main idea is that the culture has approached a crossroads and will need to make a decision about where to go next: Should the changes and cultural norms be mastered? Or will we just drift along letting them control us. This is one of the first and monumental Lippman works, differing from his post WW1 analysis of the world. Keep in mind this work is the last where Lippman contends that we can still take hold of our destiny and master the changes. With the publication of "Public Opinion" and the new idea of the Phantom public, Lippman has no faith in the public or their observations to take charge and master the world around them. Overall great introduction to Lippman and culture in the progressive era.

Walter Lippmann's vision of a cooperative America in 1914 has withstood the test of time as a paradigm for retaining our humanity during industrialization. His emphasis on science, communication, labor organization, and the women's movement has uncannily mirrored the intervening 90 years. Although a few of his sentiments and observations are outdated, the majority of his recommendations are still applicable to today's society.

The title is the clearest indication of the timeless pertinence of this work. In all eras of change, drift has been of the utmost importance. In today's world of exponentially progressing technology and corporate mechanization, we often feel helpless against the tides of nation-wide change. Mastery, then, is the ability to band together and set those changes on the course of prosperity without sacrificing our individuality.

Lippmann outlines the problems, solutions, and repercussions of mastery. Despite some aspects of the text being idealistic or anachronistic, much of what he predicted has come to pass. Although the average reader like myself may not be able to put Lippmann's ideas into direct action, his concepts still ought to help understand our responsibilities as citizens.

This is Walter Lippmann's erudite and often perspicuous examination of the "progressing" American society of the early twentieth century. For Lippmann society is in a constant state of drift and confusion. The confusion is promulgated throughout society by means of the large scale shift from pre-modern industrialism to modern industrialism. In order to obtain mastery what new forms of cohesion have to emerge? Lippmann rejects laissez-fair, William Graham Sumner's brand of individualism, and aligns himself with men like Herbert Croly (his soon to be partner at the New Republic). Society needs cohesion. Lippmann's answer, similar to Croly's, is pluralism (this is mastery). He does not buy the totally homogenous vision of society. Instead his vision is pluralist - large interest groups are emerging and social order can be achieved if a balance or common principle can be met between these common interest groups. In Drift and Mastery Lippmann discusses organized labor (in which he welcomes unions distinguishing himself from Croly), the consumer movement (the importance of objective consumer advice), the women's movement, and corporate managers (Lippmann had already abandoned his previous attraction to socialism. For Lippmann socialism was no longer needed because the robber barons were being replaced by socially minded managers who wanted to establish market share. Ownership is being democratized by the share of stock.
The book is rooted in actual observation allowing its readers to identify with it immediately. In it they observe the new modern era that is taking shape. How will the problems be solved? Lippmann sees science replacing religion as the primary device for solving peoples' problems. Science is the discipline of democracy. Science is no longer a threat. Instead it is a good thing in the Progressive Era.

This is Walter Lippmann's erudite and often perspicuous examination of the "progressing" American society of the early twentieth century. For Lippmann society is in a constant state of drift and confusion. The confusion is promulgated throughout society by means of the large scale shift from pre-modern industrialism to modern industrialism. In order to obtain mastery what new forms of cohesion have to emerge? Lippmann rejects laissez-fair, William Graham Sumner's brand of individualism, and aligns himself with men like Herbert Croly (his soon to be partner at the New Republic). Society needs cohesion. Lippmann's answer, similar to Croly's, is pluralism (this is mastery). He does not buy the totally homogenous vision of society. Instead his vision is pluralist - large interest groups are emerging and social order can be achieved if a balance or common principle can be met between these common interest groups. In Drift and Mastery Lippmann discusses organized labor (in which he welcomes unions distinguishing himself from Croly), the consumer movement (the importance of objective consumer advice), the women's movement, and corporate managers (Lippmann had already abandoned his previous attraction to socialism). For Lippmann socialism was no longer needed because the robber barons were being replaced by socially minded managers who wanted to establish market share. Ownership is being democratized by the share of stock.
The book is rooted in actual observation allowing its readers to identify with it immediately. In it they observe the new modern era that is taking shape. How will the problems be solved? Lippmann sees science replacing religion as the primary device for solving peoples' problems. Science is the discipline of democracy. Science is no longer a threat. Instead it is a good thing in the Progressive Era. Lippmann even uses the word diagnose (a word with explict scientific conotations) in the subtitle.

Concise and interesting. A wonderful link between the anecdotes of folklore and the juggernaut of scientific research. The photos make this book possible possible for use in the field, albeit a bit bulky for travel.

Excellent, not limited to Minn and Wis. An excellent overview of 100 plants from the Prairies and forests of the upper midwest. In-depth review of historical uses balanced with the author's own clinical experience and practical how-to informaiton. Good safety data and recommendations. Most of these plants grow around me in Colorado, and everywhere in the 1500 miles to the authors home, so the book's title is too limited.

I wouldn't say this is the one and only book you'll ever need. But it certainly is a GREAT addition to anyone's herbal library. It's relatively easy to use, because the plants are listed in alphabetical order by their common names. The food qualities and health benefits of the plants are thorough and informative, as well as their habitat and visual description. Points of interest are easy to find and there is a listing of plants that are good for certain illnesses. Plus short descriptions of how to use and prepare them.

This book is very scientific and seems to cover it all in an up-to-date fashion. But if you're not familiar with terms in botany and biology you'll find this book a little difficult to understand. It has a good glossary but a dictionary is still handy at times.
None the less the book has true to life color photos, which are the best I've seen for wild plant identification. Considerably this just may be the answer book for this topic. It's defiantly worth the price, if you desire to take wild herb collecting seriously.

A disclaimer at the beginning of Edible & Medicinal Wild Plants Of Minnesota & Wisconsin warns that some wild plants are toxic or even deadly; though the author Matthew Alfs has made every effort to completely describe safe ways to recognize, harvest, and prepare edible wild plants, they cannot be held liable for any adverse effects. With that sober caution in mind, Edible & Medicinal Wild Plants Of Minnesota & Wisconsin is a truly impressive compendium of information and lore about the art of foraging. A beautiful section of color photographs aptly illustrates the many species of edible plants discussed and described herein. User-friendly introductions to using wild plants for food and health benefits are written in clear, concise text easily accessible to the lay reader. A glossary, exhaustive list of references and comprehensive index round out this superbly presented and very highly recommended guide.