Wisconsin Books

This is a great book for kids who are interested in the history of the Green Bay Packers. Additionally, any teacher who wants to spark students' interest in a sports hero while giving them a great piece of literature should purchase this book.

Before starting this book, I had begun reading the better known "Dr. Johnson's London" by Liza Picard. But as an American reader, I became frustrated. For example, Ms. Picard refers to prices in terms of "d." [6 d. etc.] I suppose that any British reader knows that the "d." stand for, but I was wondering, "Pound? Quid? Shilling?" Schwartz specifically explains that 4 farthings = 1 penny, which is abbreviated as "d."
Ms Picard is British, and assumes that the reader knows many other incidentals that American readers may not know. Half way through that book, I turned to this one instead. Perhaps because Richard Schwartz is American, his book is more accessible for "Yanks." His writing is lucid, yet this short book is crammed with fascinating details about 19th century English life. It includes such specifics as the fact that wigs were greased before being powdered, and that insects infested the wigs! There are countless other similarly specific details. For example, Schwartz is specific about what 19th century folk spent on various items, even comparing the prices of traveling by coach vs. wagon etc.
Now that I have finished reading this marvellous introduction to the era, I will go back and finish reading Picard's "Dr. Johnson's London" and will hopefully get more out of it.

This is a must read. The author really has a way of sucking you into the story, I felt like I was there. This is one book that you should start early because you will not be able to put it down until you are finished!

brilliant, true and a rare gem. Dance is an up-and-coming art experience that will soon be genuinely valued.

This would be a fascinating book for someone interested in overcoming panic disorder. But it is actually so much more. If that phrase were not in the title, it would more accurately reflect the book -- a wonderful entertaining and engaging story about one man's life.
I quickly found myself very interested in this author; being drawn in to care about what was happening to him and how he was dealing with it. It's all about how he dealt with his panic disorder, but the telling is far more entertaining than it sounds. He leaves nothing out either -- the funny stuff, the heart breaks, the embarrassment, the girls and the sex. Often, I couldn't put the book down until I had finished a chapter.
Rand's descriptive writing is awesome -- rich and flavorful and entertaining. It shows that even a calm, studious, serious fellow can have a very lively and engaging life.
In addition, I found his dealing with the racial issues very frank and refreshing. (By way of explanation, Rand took up Zydeco dancing, which is from the Black Cajun culture of Louisiana and he spent considerable time there in the backcountry.)
Overall, it was an excellent read. I highly recommend it.

Written by Mary Carpenter with the collaborative assistance of Quentin Carpenter (veteran vendors at the Dane County Farmer's Market since the year 1983), The Dane County Farmer's Market: A Personal History brings together black-and-white photographs, oral histories, anecdotes, insider's tips, recipes, and more concerning this engaging tradition of commerce, confusion, fun and fresh food. A warm and inviting testimonial and celebration, The Dane County Farmers' Market is a unique and welcome contribution to personal reading lists and Wisconsin Historical Studies library collections.

Now in a newly revised and expanded edition, Danes In Wisconsin is a brief history of Danish immigrants and their contribution to Wisconsin settlement and history during the 1800's. Vintage black-and-white photographs illustrate this fascinating introduction, written for lay readers, to how Danish settlers lived and how they struggled to preserve their culture. New to revised and expanded addition are the letters of Andrew Frederickson, written over a forty-year span, which succinctly capture the personal experiences of a Dane who made a new life for himself in Wisconsin. A brief yet savory and entertaining tidbit of Wisconsin history, especially recommended as a gift or souvenir book.

Lucretius isn't an author most come across, but nevertheless the DE RERVM NATVRA is truly a classic. In it he explains his version of epicureanism, taken from Epicurus and tweaked by Lucretius himself. Don't think our word 'epicurean' and this epicureanism are the same thing: epicurean has taken on a set of meanings that usually aren't present in the early philosophy, or in Lucretius's laying-out of it. Epicureanism should appeal to moderns as a very scientific view of the universe (L. offers scientific explanations of natural phaenomena, and isn't afraid to suspend judgement), including early atomic theory. On the other hand, the poetry and storytelling are moving. It is philosophy rimmed with the honey of poetry (as Lucretius puts it himself). As per this edition, it's pricey, but well worth it to completely understand the poet. The book itself is handsome and just the right size, and layed out well. The commentary is actually useful, unlike so many classical commentaries. It's advanced, but doesn't neglect or take for granted too much. At the same time, it doesn't concentrate on matters with a specialistic or only tenuous connection to the poem. In all, this is the place to study Lucretius, and to read a beautiful poem containing a beautiful (because thoughtful and insightful) philosophy.

THIS BOOK WAS VERY WELL-WRITTEN, IN DETAIL, OF GERDA'S HUSBAND GOING THRU THE LAST STAGES OF HIS LIFE WITH AN ASTROCYTOMA TUMOR. SINCE MY DAD IS NOW AT THIS POINT IN HIS LIFE, IT GIVES ME AND MY FAMILY INSIGHT AS TO WHAT MAY HAPPEN NEXT AS HE LIVES EACH FORTHCOMING DAY. IT IS A NEEDED BOOK FOR INSIGHT FOR THOSE WHO ARE CARING FOR ONE WITH THIS TUMOR. WE WOULD NEVER HAVE KNOWN OF ALL OF WHAT IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING, AND IT'S RELATIONSHIP TO THE BRAIN CANCER IF WE HAD NOT READ THIS BOOK. THIS IS OUR SECOND COPY WE ARE GETTING! A MUST-HAVE BOOK!!!THANK YOU FOR KEEPING THE JOURNAL, GERDA, AND FOR HELPING THE REST OF US COPE.

When reading of the locations Dennis goes to you feel you were in the back seat with him. He gives very vivid detail of exact places.
One place he reviewed was Manistee Michigan the Victorian Port City. the Milwaukee House was owned by Great Grandfather and Grandfather Diefenbach and we know the information was factual and interestingly portrayed.
There are many such articles that make you want to go to these byways he deplicts.