North America Books


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North America Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

North America
The Gay Academic
Published in Hardcover by Etc Pubns (1978-01)
Author: Louie Crew
List price: $24.95
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Average review score:

A Scholarly Presentation
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2000-02-15
"...a refreshing collection of essays by some of today's leading gay spokespersons on national campuses. Gay/lesbian movement activities and gay research are analyzed by gay professionals from a broad cross-section of scholarly disciplines. Endnotes, bibliographies and a comprehensive index are especially helpful for scholars and the scope and diversity of the general material can benefit anyone interested in the subject of homosexuality."

Gay Studies
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2000-02-15
"The compilation is an original presentation in a burgeoning concern of scholarly inquiry."

A scholarly treatise on all aspects of homosexuality
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 1998-10-05
An exceptionally important book of an entirely new kind: a collection of 26 original essays written by 22 different authors who are serious scholars, openly gay, and neither apologegic nor polemical. Significant insights.

Academic Disciplines from a Gay Perspective
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2000-02-15
"Reading THE GAY ACADEMIC...would be a worthwhile experience for most people connected with the academic world. Readers will find articles in their own fields of expertise viewed from a gay perspective; they will also have a chance to learn something about the situation of the homosexual in an academic setting."

North America
Genocide of the Mind: New Native American Writing (Nation Books)
Published in Paperback by Nation Books (2003-09-18)
Author:
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Average review score:

great book for the reality of todays' world
Helpful Votes: 15 out of 15 total.
Review Date: 2005-09-20
I am still reading this addictive collection of personal essays about being a native american in today's America. It makes you laugh and cry and really ponder what the next step for native americans - self identified or otherwise - ought to be. The essays are sometimes very challenging and certainly function as an antidote to the Dances With Wolves type ideology. Reading this book has made me re-think my own heritage, and ultimately helped me to feel more clear about it means to have a native american legacy, acknowledging the responsibilities which come with that. In graduate school, one of the first things I learned was not to essentialize, that is to avoid painting the members of any kind of group with the same broad brush. Everyone has their own story to tell - their own unique and 'situated knowledges'. This collection of essays really brings this home, in a beautiful, accessible, diverse blend of writings which I have loved to dip into and taste. You have to take the bitter with the sweet, but there is much here to refresh the spirit. I think this text would be great in a classroom setting, as well as a great personal read for anyone - regardless of their ancestry.

Genocide of the Mind - A captivating read
Helpful Votes: 33 out of 33 total.
Review Date: 2004-12-18
GENOCIDE OF THE MIND - New Native American Writing

Having a genuine interest and concern in the contemporary issues confronting Native Nations and their respective communities today, I found this book, by Native writers, to be a totally absorbing and captivating literary work.

How refreshing it is, at last, to have a host of Native writers from various Nations, diverse geographical locations and different personal and professional backgrounds address their issues and to share their own lives and innumerable experiences with us, the readers. The spirit contained within the words of this exceptionally well-written, thought-provoking tome, reaches right out from the pages to embrace, envelope and captivate the reader from the very outset.

Make no mistake - these are hard-hitting short auto-biographies, long overdue and at last dispensing with the shroud of myths, wealth of stereotypes and misconceptions surrounding Native American Indian people - the writers do not pull their punches and rightly so. This is a book that tells how it has been, how it is and the many aspirations for how it could be. This is a book that expresses the, at times, overwhelming hurts, the all consuming pain, the denial, the shared fears, the justifiable anger, the numerous abuses, the frustrations and the many disappointments that have had to be endured by Native American Indian People. The accounts within its pages address the lies, the deceit and to any decent human being, the abhorrent and despicable mistreatment meted out to Native People in its entire perverse, covert guises and overt forms. However, what is also readily apparent and conveyed to the reader is the desire to forgive, to heal from past hurts and to take a renewed cultural pride in being a Native individual combined with a sense of urgency to retrieve, restore, teach and maintain Native languages, Traditions, Customs and Ceremonies, for the benefit and well-being of future generations.

This is an intense, dramatic, uplifting and at times, moving `roller-coaster' ride into the annals of European/American and Native relations. After more than 500 years this book more than amply highlights the fact that as Nations and peoples with their own cultures, languages, Traditions, Customs, values and belief systems, they always have been and continue to remain woefully misunderstood by mainstream American society. In my estimation, this book should be compulsory reading in schools throughout the United States, Canada and even here in the United Kingdom. Thereby, educating and raising awareness into an era of history and current contemporary issues that have been misinterpreted, misrepresented, entirely misunderstood and incorrectly portrayed, in books, media and film.

In conclusion, I highly recommend this book to anyone who is genuinely interested in learning `how it is' for the Indigenous People of the North American Continent, today. As stated on the review on the back panel of the book, it brings the Native experience into the 21st Century and in my personal opinion not a moment too soon.

This review would not be complete if I failed to express my gratitude to the Native writers who have chosen to address their issues, share their own lives and personal experiences with us the readers. To each of these contributors, I would like to convey with respect. . . .

Chi Mii-gwech, Nya wenha and Ama' ya

Genocide of the Mind: New Native American Writing
Helpful Votes: 36 out of 39 total.
Review Date: 2003-10-26
I really appreciate the fact that this book was written from the american indian perspective. This perspective is highly undervalued in historically white supremacist america. I got to read from people from different tribal nationhoods and different ages and stages of life. Part 5 "Who We Are and Who We Are Not" was particularly amazing. I liked Paula Gunn Allen's (Laguna/Metis) piece, "'Indians', Solipsisms, and Archetypal Holocausts" and the surreal poetry and writing of Carter Revard (Osage father) "Postcolonial Hyperbaggage: A Few Poems of Resistance and Survival" Each section of the book is educational and culturally enriching. I love the cover design.

The mascot issue is still pervasive in the american mainstream. People think of Indians as less real as if their opinion doesn't matter anymore. It's like they forget the mainstream just happily, comfortably, and complacently forgets that Native Americans even exist. It's sick. A mental illness that pervades society. That is not how you treat a fellow HUMAN BEING on the planet. How can you claim to be a progressive democratic union when you blatantly misuse stereotypical images of "savage" "ignorant" "crazy" CARICATURED minority populations in order to propel the spirit of aggression in a measly sporting event? Wake up and look in the mirror america... this is reality. This is what is going on in 2003. Meanwhile many natives have given up on life and turned to self sabotaging behavior. People forget about them, they become invisible, their issues and concerns don't matter and the end result is often a deep sense of meaninglessness on what is supposed to be your people's sacred home lands...

I'm glad I read this book. I highly recommend it!

I not an american indian myself. I am igbo from west africa.

blessings...

Eye-opening, diverse in its opinions, a good read.
Helpful Votes: 37 out of 38 total.
Review Date: 2003-10-24
Genocide of the Mind: New Native American Writing is a series of essays on a variety of Native American topics, from the naming of mascots to stereotypes to growing up with a mixed background. There are even opinions about whether it's appropriate to use the term Indian, Native American, or indigenous people.

One question it presents is whether Native Americans have a different way of relating to the world than other Americans. Also, there is much in here about racism, the more subtle racism that exists today vs. the obvious genocide that occurred in past centuries. Reading the book, I felt sad that my family traditions were lost, wondering if my great-grandfather was forced to assimilate. Perhaps he was sent to a boarding school or resettled with a white family. Was it because of racism that he did not pass down the culture or even the name of his tribe?

The book is a compilation of essays, so there are many different viewpoints. Because many Native Americans are now also part-European, there was much discussion on what is a real Indian and if that question is even valid. Some people believe that you can never be Native American if you were not raised in that culture. Another idea I've heard elsewhere repeated here is that no one is part Indian - you are either Native American or you're not. Some wrote that it was important to learn and preserve your tribal languages and customs, even if your predecessors did not do so.

The essays on mascots was very eye-opening. Previously, I always thought that mascots shouldn't be a big issue, as long as we have teams called "the vikings", why not "the Indians". But after reading several essays on it, I have completely changed my mind. Apparently "redskin" has nothing to do with skin color but because of a bounty that the English government put out on native americans (red - i.e. bloody). In that light, it is really horrible that "redskins" is a team name! To continue on the topic of my reactions to the book, I have wondered whether I would have the same strong reactions if I was reading a book about a different race, one that I have no connection to.

The book made me think about a lot of things that I haven't thought about it before, or not all at once. I especially could relate to the sections written by people who were of mixed ancestry like myself. We have had a lot of common experiences, from comments on our hair and skin color to confusion about our ancestry. As it turns out, I am not the only one that is often mistaken for Spanish or Italian!

The last section was about perceptions of Native Americans vs. the reality. For example, many Americans believe that Native Americans have died out. History and anthrolopogy books speak about Native American tribes in the past tense. Then there are the depictions of Native Americans on television and in children's books. Pocahontas, the nymphette of the Disney movies, does not represent Native American woman. Nor does Sacajawea. Or any of the Western sidekicks or villains.

Because of these stereotypes, some modern Native Americans have been told that they are not Native American by Caucasians because they do not conform to the stereotype - i.e. the feathers, the tipi, etc. This story sounded so familiar that I was quite sure it had happened to me as well.

North America
Ghost Dancing: JD Challenger
Published in Hardcover by Stewart, Tabori and Chang (1998-06-01)
Author: E. Daniels
List price: $75.00
Used price: $24.25

Average review score:

Excellent reproduction of JD's paintings.
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 1998-07-10
The book is of the finest quality in printing and binding. The content is very educational and the reproductrion of JD's paintings is superb.

Ghost Dancing Sacred Medicine and the Art of JD Challenger
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2001-04-27
Descriptive words of Ghost Dancing, joined with the timeless wisdom contained in the words of Native America. Couple this with the paintings of JD Challenger and you have an opportunity to not read about but really feel. This is not a book just narrating the past but speaks volumes to the future. This book called to me from the library shelf and I have ordered to place in a prominent place on my shelf. This is a book to share with others and come back to often.

Beautiful Visual Experience
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 1999-02-28
The text of this book is extremely informative on the Ghost Dance Religion of Native Americans. It covers the origins of the religion, its climax and the results thereof. Adding to this educational context is the Beautifully compelling work of artist JD Challenger. His riviting paintings jump from the pages virtually reaching out from the book and pulling you in. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about Native Americans and most assuredly to anyone who loves art that emits emtional impact. I constantly go back to this book as a source of inspiration and to gain understanding of Native American's plight.

Art for the Soul
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 1999-10-07
JD challengers work was the first original art that I have purchased. When I saw his work in a gallery in Santa Fe, I was mesmorized by the character of his subjects. Ghost Dancing provides a good overview of many of his prints that are available.

North America
The Give-Away: A Christmas Story
Published in Hardcover by Abingdon Press (1999-09)
Author: Ray Buckley
List price: $18.00
New price: $11.14
Used price: $10.99
Collectible price: $18.00

Average review score:

Refreshing Viewpoint
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2001-08-03
The best book I have ever read regarding the birth of Christ from an aboriginal viewpoint. Those in the pulpit need to move over and make room.

Beautiful Story - great illustrations.
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2000-10-22
The Give-Away is beautifully written and illustrated. Mr. Buckley's story is simply the story of Christmas, based on the tradition shared by many Native people known as 'the give-away." A friend recommended this book and I share that recommendation with you. The Native people have much to teach in their tradition of the give-away.

Great book used in religious education class
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2000-03-24
Both the illustrations and the story are wonderful. The book artfully combines Native American spirituality aspects with Christian aspects. I used this book in a "children's church" class at our Native American / Catholic church at Christmas. The kids loved the story and afterwards made a collage of Jesus in the manager surrounded by all the animals mentioned in the story. The book could be used during Easter as well or during a discussion about Native American give-aways.

Great story for adults and children
Helpful Votes: 7 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2000-11-28
I became aware of this book yesterday when I heard Ray Buckley read it at a Christmas Tea & Tree for the Red Bird Missionary Conference. The book touched the hearts of each of those present. Small children, youth and adults were warmed with the story.

The Give-Away is for all families, with children and without. It would be an excellent resource to give to families that do not attend church.

Ray re-presents God's story of love and self-giving by sharing from his tradition the story of giving.

North America
Giving Birth to Thunder, Sleeping with His Daughter
Published in Paperback by Harper Perennial (1990-12-01)
Author: Barry H. Lopez
List price: $12.95
New price: $5.98
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Average review score:

Hairball "Roots"
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2000-06-08
Lopez heralds a message to our so-called "modern" Judeo-christian culture from the stone-age past: You can't separate the good from the bad. Coyote resembles nothing short of an agent of Bacchus, welding god-like powers of creation, with basal human desires and weaknesses.

In his anthology, Lopez has focused strictly on the Coyote of Native American lore, and thus has attempted to filter out most of the more modern interpretations and spin-offs, as well as removing any european influences. The observation that Lopez was not entirely successful in this effort shows the difficulty of such a task. The last story, "Coyote Finishes His Work", shows a distinctly "Euro-christian" influence. However, Lopez was at least successful enough to distinguish this piece from Bright's "Coyote Reader". Both are excellent works, and deserve your eye.

Best Coyote Mythology Book Ever
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2001-08-10
Of all the Coyote mythology collections I've read, this is the best. It features an assortment of styles from over 30 tribes, giving a broad sense of what the Coyote is. The author takes great pleasure in the introduction when he states that the greatest mistake is to generalize the Coyote, even to say he is a trickster is sometimes wrong. This book is just as if someone took all their favorite Coyote stories and put them in order (he starts the book at the creation of the Earth, and Man. Ending when "Coyote finishes his work.")

I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn about the Coyote.

A wonderful book full of adventures by coyote trickster
Helpful Votes: 8 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 1998-04-28
I know this book is out of print and hard to find, but if you can let Amazon.com search it out for you, it is worth the effort. Lopez is at his best form in telling these stories of the coyote trickster. Some of the stories can best be described as ribald versions of the Brer Fox and Brer Rabbit stories. However, these are fresh stories that will engage your imagination and tickle your funny bone. I once entertained a group of young men with these stories one evening around a campfire...young men who thought they were too old to be read to. They laughed and wouldn't let me stop reading until my throat was hoarse. Find a copy if you can!

Intelligent Design, Coyote-style
Helpful Votes: 9 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2005-09-11
For those people who are still trying to decide between evolution and intelligent design, here is yet another creation story to ponder (or add to the curriculum), this one involving Coyote, who "was not necessarily a coyote, nor even a creature of strict physical dimensions." The subtitle of this book is "Coyote Builds North America."

"Giving Birth to Thunder, Sleeping with his Daughter" is a magical read, like all of this author's books. It is mythology without the density of "The Golden Bough," but still with the serious purpose of teaching world views that may seem strange to non-Amerinds.

I needed to ponder the implications of these stories. I wondered if coyote creation myths were any more unbelievable than the invention of a CNN 'faith and values' correspondent, or the news of a televangelist encouraging his fellow Christians to assassinate a foreign head-of-state. Are they stranger to the human experience than mullahs issuing death fatwas against authors or encouraging followers to gang-rape young women?

Coyote steals, rapes and murders in these sixty-eight stories from forty-two different First Nation tribes. He is a Creator, dupe, loving husband, and lusty rogue; a sorcerous Rhett Butler with a brushy tail and extreme bipolar disorder. My favorite stories involve other clever creatures who dupe the Trickster into eating his own anus or tossing his eyeballs into a tree. It's always good to see a powerful bully with an uncertain temper taken down a notch or two.

Luckily Coyote is able to laugh at himself, unlike certain gods on the other side of the Atlantic.

North America
Glory Land
Published in Hardcover by Zondervan Publishing Company (1999-05-01)
Author: Lyn Cryderman
List price: $14.99
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Average review score:

A Wonderful Trip
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 1999-05-05
While reading "Glory Land" I was taken on a wonderful trip to a wonderful place that I haven't been to in a long, long time. Thank you Lyn Cryderman for making me cry, laugh out loud, and seriously consider those who, during the course of my life, have been instrumental in helping me find my way to the cross. Praise the Lord.

I felt the story of GLORY LAND was my story, too.
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 1999-07-23
Rarely has such a small book carried such a big surprise for me. GLORY LAND captures every Baby Boomer's heart IF they grew up churched. While the geography and names were different, Lyn Cryderman's story was my story, too. His memoirs served to reactivate my own memories of growing up in the turbulent, radical sixties as one of those "good kids" in church. The graphic recollections and honest, sometimes humorous admissions embrace the reader and then lead the reader to a heart-melting conclusion. GLORY LAND redeemed all the embarrassment, shame, and even the irritating feelings I had about my conservative, religious upbringing. GLORY LAND, while one person's story, becomes all the readers' stories. The author, then, stuns us with the gracious fact that we actually grew up in the Greatest Story of all--God's story. And the ending to that story...hey! it's awesome!

Made to feel grateful for "a lifetime in church"
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 1999-05-17
I am about the same age as the author, grew up in the same denomination he did, experienced church much the same as he did, attended the same Christian college at the same time he was there, went to the same church across the street from the college, and know many of the same people he writes about. Yet until reading his book I have taken for granted how much that same background means to me. Even though a minister I have always had sort of a love-hate relationship with "the church." But while reading the last chapter--in my opinion the best in the book--I cried, and then upon finishing it, literally dropped to me knees and thanked God for the privilege of "a lifetime in church." Thanks, Lyn. See you in Glory Land!

Garrison Keillor Meets Adrian Plass
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 1999-05-18
Blending Heartland humor with tongue-in-church-cheek persiflage, "Glory Land" has solved a profound mystery for me. Each Sunday as our eight-year-old Preacher's Kid wiggles in a front row pew, I wonder if she sees church life differently than those of us who volunteered to come. Rather than remain pew bound, this child sinks to her knees with her back to her father. Using pew seat as writing desk, her stylus fills a magic silver slate. As my middle aged vibrato breaks in mid-hymnody, she looks up from her work and stares me down with a toothless grin. Then her eyes drop back down and she scribbles furiously. Thanks to Lyn Cryderman, I now know what she is doing. She is writing a book like "Glory Land."

Growing up in a similar pew, Cryderman had his sights set on all us church mice. His sacred diary is a warm and playful one. The mere mortals he describes make a congregation into a community and a church far more than mortar and bricks. Pastoral families can take heart that a PK can come away from childhood with an unquenchable passion to be part of a local family of faith. This is a great read for those who find Sunday morning worship the high point of their week.

North America
Good Dirt: Sun Valley, Idaho Mountain Bike Guide
Published in Mass Market Paperback by Perpetual Motion (1998-06-01)
Author: Greg McRoberts
List price: $14.95
Used price: $178.55

Average review score:

Finally, a great accurate guidebook for the Sun Valley area
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 1998-08-25
Hands down, one of the best guidebooks I've had the pleasure to read cover to cover. I truely couldn't put it down. Thank you McRoberts'.

Outrageous!!!!!!!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 1999-05-12
This guidebook sets the standard for other guidebook authors to follow. Clear, concise and accurate information at your fingertips! Good Dirt rocks!

Best mountain bike guide I own!
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2002-01-22
The authors actually thought of everything in this book, aside from GPS points. It has it all, comedy, details and more details. I've read many guidebooks over the years and this one is definitely one of the best. From tons of rides in every ability level, to lodging, camping, eats and extra curricular activities. Don't think about, just buy this book and go to Sun Valley mountain biking!!

Excellent book with many awesome rides.
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 1999-07-19
This book is laid out well with concise and accurate information about many wonderful mountain bike trails. The rating system, general description and mile by mile directions are very good. The only reasons I don't give it five stars is that the trail names in the book don't always match the trail names on sign posts (we got lost). Maybe they've changed the signs since the book was published. Also, the grid indicating elevation gain is a bit misleading. You can't compare one ride to another using their grid system. We used this book for 4 different trails in Sun Valley and one near Stanely and really had fun. Believe them when they classify a couple rides as "abusive".

North America
The Gospel of the Redman (The Library of Perennial Philosophy. Spiritual Classics Series)
Published in Paperback by World Wisdom (2005-04-25)
Author: Ernest Thompson Seton
List price: $17.95
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Collectible price: $35.00

Average review score:

Goes beyond a simple observation on Native American mindset
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-06
I work summers at a Boy Scout camp; apparently this is one of thsoe books that just sort of hang around such places, because it has been my goal to read it for quite some time now. Frankly, I was not all that sure what to expect based on the rather politically incorrect title.rnrnHowever, if one is able to forgive old-school titles, one will realize that this is a work that does nothing but praise the overall Native American culture. Indeed, I think Ernest Seton hates his own race.rnrnFull of quotes and observations from plenty of other respectables sources, Seton puts forth his views on Native American spirituality, society, and world view, all in thought-provoking praise. And Seton truly knows his subject and most assuredly points out discrepencies with the still-current view that Native Americans are stoic, ultra-noble beings. They are human still, and for that Seton loves the culture all the better.rnrnIt's a quick read and not exactly and indepth research, but it is an inspiring work regardless of whatever its topic. I loved it.

Of all the stories you will ever know...these are the greatest
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-08-01
If any book is one to be read aloud, to be remembered, to be shared, to be passed down, it has to be this one. These are words not heard often enough and too often forgotten. It is marvelously simple and even more wonderful. It's small, the stories are nothing special, but when you read them they are.

great!... better than pie...
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 1999-01-09
Despite the annoyingly sterotypical title, this book describes the wonder of Native American life before it was destroyed by Europeans... Order of the Arrow members will especially enjoy it.

A "bible" for the spiritually advanced
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2005-08-14
Alternate title?: "Pocket guide for mystics"

In this little volume, written generations ago by one of the founders of the much-maligned-lately Boy Scouts, we find great wisdom about our relationship with the earth and "God" (whatever you choose to call Him/Her/It.)

Seton was an intense and noted student of American Indians. The very un-PC title's use of Redman reflects his times. Occasionally inside there will be a moment of patronization, but for the most part it is volume that speaks of respect and honor.

In the forward are numerous endorsements by many, many faiths. Not the modern literary business endorsements, but leaders of major faiths way back then. From Quakers, Masons, Unitarians, Greek Orthodox, mainline Christian and Jew, the acclamation is universal. "But this is straight Judaism!" and similar.

Seton acknowledges the difficulty in summarizing the spiritual traditions of many tribes, cultures, and regions. But he does a good job.

If you have reached the stage in your spiritual growth where you find religion constricting, where you see the brotherhood/sisterhood in all of creation, where you embrace mystery instead of dogma, buy this book.

North America
The Great Journey: The Peopling of Ancient America
Published in Paperback by Thames & Hudson (1989-03)
Author: Brian M. Fagan
List price: $12.95
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Average review score:

Excellent Book on the Origin of the American Indians
Helpful Votes: 13 out of 13 total.
Review Date: 2006-07-02
Brian Fagan first published this book in 1987 and an undated version was published in 2004. You want the updated version as it summarizes new developments and changes in thought in an introductory chapter.

What has not changed is the eternal dispute about when man first arrived in the New World. The conservatives, among whom one could probably include Fagan, say less that 15,000 years ago. The dissenters say 20,000 to 50,000 years ago. In a book for the general reader Fagan undertakes a careful summary of the evidence. He looks at the spread of Homo sapiens from their place of origin in Africa to the rest of the world. He examines the archaelogical evidence for man in Siberia -- the jumping off place for the New World -- and in Beringia, the now vanished land that linked Siberia and Alaska during the last Ice Age. He evaluates migration scenarios for paleo-Indians from Beringia south to the Americas and the archaelogical evidence from a multitude of ancient sites. Along the way, he illustrates the relevance of things such shovel-shaped incisors and linguistic theories. A thoroughly fascinating presentation!

The author has no ideological axe to grind but the weight of the evidence he presents supports the conservative view of a Paleo-Indian arrival in the New World about 15,000 years ago and a rapid dispersal reaching as far south as Chile by 13,000 years ago. But the evidence is thin and dissenters will find theories more to their liking also evaluated by the author. My opinion hardly matters, but I stand among the conservatives, However, I have a nagging doubt. How did those people get to Chile so fast? Is the famous Monte Verde site there mis-dated? Does hope still exist for for those who believe paleo-Indians arrived in the Americas 20,000 years ago?

Unlike many archaeologists, the author doesn't get lost in fascination with pottery shards or chopper blades, but keeps his eye on the goal of presenting a comprehensible, reasonable, scientific, and interesting tale of how the Americas may have become populated.

Smallchief

EXCELLENT - WELL DONE
Helpful Votes: 14 out of 15 total.
Review Date: 2004-09-30
I enjoyed this very readable book. I first read it in 1988 and after doing so, actually went out and bought the thing. The author has some very nice theories as to the peopling of North America and is quite well able to back them up. The book is easy reading and logical. While not all may agree with the author's explanations, they do give food for thought. Recommend you add this one to your collection.

Excellent readable book on the first "Americans"
Helpful Votes: 14 out of 15 total.
Review Date: 1998-11-04
I first came across this book in 1990. I have read this book 4 times since then. The book is very easy to read and comprehend.

The saga of how Asians came across the land bridge following the mega fauna is very interesting. Based on speech and dental patterns, the history of at least two waves of people moving into North America and southward is unfolded.

Fagan explains how the evidence of the nomadic cultures was discovered and how this evidence shows how these people survived. From this discovery of Clovis points to group kills of now extinct species, Fagan tells a fasinating story of how the native Americans arrived here.

The extinction of the mega fauna, the land bridge, and ice age's impact on the peopling of North America are interwined into a good reading book.

I wish all anthropolgy books could read so smoothly!

Tracing the one-way track
Helpful Votes: 21 out of 23 total.
Review Date: 2005-03-29
Updating an older book on a broad and varied topic is a risky enterprise. If much work has been done in the ensuing years, a complete rewrite is usually in order. Too few results can fail to justify the reprise. Fagan's original effort on the peopling of the Western Hemisphere was an excellent survey. This edition is essentially that first account, with an explanatory chapter inserted at the beginning of the book. That technique has the advantage of warning the reader what to look for while going through the text. And while much new information has come into view, Fagan reminds us that the underlying questions about where "Native Americans" originated, and when, remain unanswered.

The human diaspora begins in Africa, some five million years ago according to Fagan - [recent finds emerged too late to appear here]. Unique among migratory species, Homo sapiens sapiens moved in but one direction. From our origins on the savannah, the author traces our path into north-eastern Asia. When conditions permitted, glacial ice having trapped enough water to reduce sea levels some 300 metres, these ancient Asians moved onto a lost continent now named "Berengia". This link between Asia and North America must retain evidence of human occupation, but retrieval from the sea bottom is difficult. Fagan describes the intense research into climatology, palynology and other fields to explain how the data has been accumulated over many years.

Hidden evidence provides opportunities for speculation and controversy and the studies of ancient Americans is rife with both. Fagan describes what research has revealed and reviews the suppositions drawn from the scattered and inconclusive evidence. Fagan examines the various theories of when humans entered the Americas and what dispersal paths they followed. He lists the dig sites with the opinions derived from the evidence, weighing the contending arguments with care and a considered detachment. Where dating is flawed or suspect, he resists ill-considered judgment, calling for further investigation. A few anomalous sites, such as Monte Verde in Chile and Meadowcroft in Pennsylvania receive extra attention. He's quick to praise diligent methods while readily disparaging hasty proclamations. The Pedra Furada site in Brazil, once extolled as "challenging ideas on the First Americas", is given a lengthy description, but is dismissed as poorly investigated and reported. As Fagan notes, tracing the movements of humanity in ancient times is a detective's work, with clues assessed only with extreme care.

Some points of contention the author passes over with summary evaluation. After his presentation of Paul Martin's thesis that the disappearance of large mammals was due to human predation, Fagan dismisses it. Climate shift, he states, changed the nature of plant life leaving these prey species bereft of fodder. Yet Tim Flannery, in two books published since the original edition of Great Journey, demonstrates that browsing and grazing species would have adapted to climate change. The timing of human occupation and megafauna extinction is too proximate to be ignored. The prime example of Maori hunting of moa species in New Zealand is symptomatic and well documented. Martin may have been wrong in details, but his basic thesis has withstood criticism.

These flaws don't negate the exceptional worth of Fagan's achievement in this study. It's a powerful and informative narrative of Western Hemispheric archaeology, its practitioners and their results. Starting with early views of the first European invaders, he explains how improved scholarship, better technology and disciplined approaches have clarified the picture of Native American life. Fagan provides photographs and maps for additional support of the text. This remains a valuable book, easily read and understood. It has not been replaced and will keep its well-earned reputation. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

North America
Great Lakes Lighthouses Encyclopedia
Published in Hardcover by Boston Mills Press (2006-11-01)
Authors: Larry Wright and Patricia Wright
List price: $45.00
New price: $29.64
Used price: $29.99

Average review score:

outstanding
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-03
the best lighthouse book we have seen, and we have several excellent books, this is concise, easy to read and laid out so you can make a lighthouse color tour.

A Complete Resource
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-01
If you're looking for information on the lighthouses of the Great Lakes, you will find no better resource than this book. It covers every single light out there, and yet there is still plenty of room for interesting stories and great photographs.

Be aware, however, that if you're looking for a book that you can tuck in your back pocket and take with you on a trip, you will need to look elsewhere. The book is too big and heavy to carry around overly much.

Great Resource.
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-15
This book provides more information about the lighthouses of the Great Lakes, past & present, than any I have read before. It is an outstanding resource.

All you need to know about the lighthouses of the Great Lakes
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-22
This is really a great lighthouse book. It has beautiful pictures and a lot of information about the history of over 600 lighthouses of the Great Lakes. It even has information on lost lighthouses such the Kalamazoo River Light near Saugatuck, Michigan. I know of no other book which has more comprehensive coverage of all of the Great Lakes lights and has it all in one volume. And my copy was a real bargain purchased a lower price here than any of the bookstores in my area.


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