North America Books

The History Of Special Education: From Isolation To Integration by Margret A. Winzer is an astutely presented, coherently organized, and comprehensive discourse of how Western and North American society has regarded, treated, and educated the disabled and mentally retarded from before the eighteenth century down to the modern day. Offering an extensive discussion of widespread philosophical beliefs, scientific learning, the rise and fall of eugenics theory, the evolution of institutions and practices, and so much more, The History Of Special Education is both an excellent study text and a detailed historical resource recommended for anyone seeking to learn more of the background of the special education field -- especially those seeking to enhance their knowledge of a possible career in the field. A seminal 463-page work which includes both a Subject Index and an Author Index, The History Of Special Education is a welcome and highly recommended addition to Education History reference collection.

This book is one of the best written and researched books on education that I've had the good luck to come across. Winzer did a phenomenol job on what could be a dry subject. She also provides a great bibliography section which can further be used for references and research. I came across this book while doing research on deaf education and eugenics in the U.S. Not only does she have all the information that I had previously seen in books on the eugenics movement, but she provides more details and further references that the other books did not provide. The struggle for educational equality for those with disabilities has been a long, ongoing battle. It is not yet finished, since educational equity is still elusive for those of us with disabilities. The same attitudinal problems which those people of different races have encountered, are even more engrained in society for those with disabilities. The idea of having a disability, whether physical, mental, or emotional and behavioral is still equated with the concept that we are intellectually deficient as well as being less abled in hearing, sight, mobility, etc. Even teachers and professors continue to put educational barriers in front of those with disabilities, and educational ethics has a long way to go for this particular group due to financial and political concerns in school districts and throughout social/political systems in the world. It is only through good educational books such as Winzer has written that we can change the problems that people with disabilities face in education and employment, and equal opportunities. It is of utmost importance that educators of all kinds throughout the universities require that this book be read as part of regular educational requirements. Karen L. Sadler, Science Education, University of Pittsburgh

I am working on my thesis on The History of Special Education. I found this book very useful. I was able to locate primary and secondary sources from the complete reference section. The historical detail was very useful. I wish there had been more detail about the twentieth century. I would have liked to have seen more detailed information regarding WWI to present.

I am puzzled and very disappointed that this book is not being widely enough read and written about. I suspect its reputation is growing underground as people pass on copies and recount their experiences in reading it. Collins is a fine writer who brings an awsome command of history, Biblical scholarship, cultural appraisal, literary studies into focus such that the reader is made to see in startlingly new ways what a mess America has been brought to by its present leaders. This is not a superfical glance at the neocons, G W Bush, the Iraq war; it is rather a deeply thoughtful consideration of much that has gone into the long prehistory of the American nightmare -- ancient narratives, the structure of the language, the nature of metaphor, the inner workings of the evangelical mind. The book builds to a conclusion that will have you thinking in new ways about the recent past, not necessarily with bright hopes. Collins has a wonderful sense of humor, low-key, understated, sharp. I recommend this book.

This is a marvelous work of scholarship that exposes the dangerous myths powering the American worldview. Ought to be required reading in American political science curricula.

Review of Homeland Mythology, by Christopher Collins (Penn State Press, 2007) 262 pp.


Christopher Collins' Homeland Mythology: Biblical Narratives in American Culture exposes layers of sediment that have occluded our view of what is American. To all those who love to quote one side of a coin, "In God We Trust," never turning it over to read "In Diversity United," this is essential reading. All cultures survive and perish on their stories, but the unexamined story, as Collins demonstrates, is a perverse lie, a tool for propagandists and tyrants. It is one thing to suspend disbelief when listening to a work of fiction, but if we carry our fairy tales into adulthood, then we risk delusional behavior on a collective level. Worse, we act on beliefs we believe are already ordained by God, with drastic consequences: imperialistic expansion, racism, disregard for human rights, disregard for the environment, war.

Collins traces a direct line from the Christian interpretations of Biblical stories from the beginning of European history and Anglo history in the New World right to the current White House and to a vast array of rhetorical givens in the media and collective consciousness. He shows that not all narratives assume the same idea of time or history. The Hebrew Bible looks to the past, embracing ancient traditions: Isaac "follows" Abraham. The Christian appropriation of The Hebrew Bible, much like the Islamic, imposes a tortured interpretation, declaring the Hebrew Bible to be a foreshadowing of the coming (and coming again) of Jesus Christ, a forward narrative movement.

Pointing out how politicians have scoured the Bible for fear-mongering language is pretty easy, but exposing how they have used Bible stories, already embedded in a collective psyche, to justify horrific acts requires insight and careful documentation, which Collins has achieved. Collins' work is to the study of the Judeo-Christian traditions what Bernard Lewis' works have been to our understanding of Islam. And Like Lewis, Collins is scholarly without ever being pedantic. Bringing together literary analysis, rhetorical theory, and cultural anthropology, Collins adeptly presents us with a book that is both profound and reader friendly.

Marlon L Fick

This book was a great help in my quest to acquire more information regarding the interaction between the Native American People and their horses. It is very difficult to find any information on this subject, let alone such specific information about the interaction between a particular tribe and their animals. I highly recommend this book. Now someone needs to do the same thing for the other Native American tribes.

I enjoy the authors convictions in preserving the Blackfoot Indian's knowledge of horsemenship. He provides an excellent review of early pre and post white contact and horse knowledge. Out of all the subjects I have studies within the field of Anthropology and the books I have read from archaeological subjects to cultural material of pre contact and paleoindians of the High Plains Ewer's book is by far the best I have studied. I would give my eye teeth to own a copy!!

As an early ethnographer of Native life on the northern Great Plains Ewer's work is always of interest.
He has been criticised for "inaccuracies" but I contend this is unavoidable in any work of ethnology or history. Change over time, inaccuracies of memory, and inconsistent accounts by different informants (and sometimes the same informant) contribute. Difficulties in language interpretation are unavoidable, even in native speakers. (Anyone who has ever played the game "Telegraph" knows this!)
The role of the horse was so central to Plains culture made it a clear window into Native culture in general. As with religion it was inextricably intertwined with most aspects of aboriginal life. Thus, the book treats not only with the horse but with economy, warfare, crafts, religion, nomadic patterns, ownership practices, hunting, and many other aspects of Blackfoot life.
Highly recommended.
Also see the excellent works of Hugh Dempsey, Beverly Hungry Wolf, Adolph Hungry Wolf, Paul Raczka, and Clark Wissler.

This collect of Native American poetry is excellent. Joy Harjo relates her experience in a way that is accessable and meaningful. Mrs. Harjo is a poet that needs to be read and read again to explore her depth. We discussed several of her poems in a Great Books book club.

I have followed Harjo's poetry (and recorded music) for many years, ever since I saw her on PBS reading from "She Had Some Horses". This volume contains selections from her available books: "She Had Some Horses", "Secrets from the Center of the World", "In Mad Love and War", "The Woman Who Fell from the Sky" and "A Map to the Next World". As is frequently the case, the selections for this book are not precisely the poems I would have chosen. It does include the most powerful poems, for example "She Had Some Horses" with it's pounding litany rhythms, "Letter from the End of the Twentieth Century" which is the title track of her cd, "The Creation Story" with its exquisite line "I never had the words / to carry a friend from her death / to the stars / correctly." Somewhat to my surprise, the poems from Secrets from the Center of the World which fit the photographs so precisely in their original context, also succeed as poetry only in this volume (although I'd still recommend the original).

New to me in this volume are the poems from her early chapbooks "The Last Song" and "What Moon Drove Me to This?" as well as new poems from 1999-2001. The chapbook poems are interesting as the beginning of Harjo's development as a poet as well as being interesting poems in their own right .."Four Horse Songs" and "I Am a Dangerous Woman" stand out. In the new material, "Morning Prayers" has memorable lines "the nothingness / is vast and stunning, / brims with details ..." as does "Faith" with "I might miss / The feet of god / Disguised as trees."

Harjo's poetry is strongly political - a Native peoples voice angry at the European invaders/immigrants. More importantly, her voice is one seeking a way to live well in contemporary society where living well requires memory of a time we lived with greater respect for our environment, greater responsibility for our network of relatives.

It is profound, inspiring experience to read this collection. These writings are courageous and life-affirming.

Excellent little field guide. Great writting and very nice art. Great for adults and children.

My grandmother had this book, which was a gift from my mother. A friend borrowed it and failed to return it, which almost broke my grandmother's heart! She really enjoys her hummers (averaging 25-30 on just two feeders!), and refers to this book on a regular basis. It's full of facts that everyone can enjoy.

I wrote on my Backyard Habitats page that this is a wonderful little book, perfect for putting in your purse. It's as informative as it is artful. Gorgeous drawings and tons of info about all of the hummers found around the USA

Of course, everyone loves the feisty, peppy hummingbird with it's glorious colors. This book shows details that the average birdwatcher never sees. The close up photos, some in action sequence, are a delight and there are pictures even showing the nests made of cobwebs, feathers and lichens.
The text supplements the photos giving details of the author's observations on hummingbird behavior.
One section covers the different hummingbirds, giving each variety a two-page spread. There are several photos plus a listing of the field markings, range, breeding range, winter range, nesting, migration and habitat for each.
Additional graphics are quite useful, like the one showing the names for the body parts of hummingbirds. What a useful (and beautiful) book!

The wife and husband team of Esther and Robert Tyrrell logged over 30,000 miles of travel to photograph and document the 16 species of North American hummingbirds. Using his own special high-speed strobe techniques, Robert has photographed the tiny colorful birds in a variety of activities flying, perching, and nesting. The book contains over 200 amazing photographs, reproduced in dazzling color. In her text, Esther has culled information from hundreds of sources and provides a comprehensive and well-written overview of the birds' anatomy and behaviors. A must for any bird lover!

This book conains the most amazing photography imaginable (the authors' companion book Hummingbirds of the Caribbean is just as wonderful). Dazzling colors and awesome stopped-action shots. I can't imagine how it was done.

My name is Simone. I live in Oklahoma. My family and I have evangelized and sang all over the U.S. and Canada. We met a colony of Hutterian Brethren through a church pastor whom lives in PincherCreek, Alberta, Canada, whom invited us to preach at his church. We became really good friends with the Hutterites. I have been communicating by phone and letter over 11 years with them. I found out from my Hutterite friend Janet Walter from Lamona, Wash. that this book was coming out. I have actual pictures from this book that I've had for years from past letters. The Hutterite people usually don't associate with outsiders, but, by extraordinary happenstance, if invited into their way of life, they will be your friends-for-life; always possessing a place in their hearts. The Hutterites live in colonies and are a hard-working, God-fearing, and family-focused people. I love the Hutterites . . . so will you!

My name is Simone. I live in Oklahoma. My family and I have evangelized and sang all over the U.S. and Canada. We met a colony of Hutterian Brethren through a church pastor whom lives in PincherCreek, Alberta, Canada, whom invited us to preached at his church. We became really good friends with the Hutterites. I have been communicating by phone and letter over 11 years with them. I found out from my Hutterite friend Janet Walter from Lamona, Wash. that this book was coming out. I have actual pictures from this book that I've had for years from past letters. The Hutterite people usually don't associate with outsiders, but, by extraordinary happenstance, if invited into their way of life, they will be your friends-for-life; always possessing a place in their hearts. The Hutterites live in colonies and are a hard-working, God-fearing, and family-focused people. I love the Hutterites . . . so will you!

This is a book to return to over and over again. I've opened it in the midst of a hectic, demanding day and the clean black and white images made me feel refreshed and hopeful. The photographs embody a kind of peace I think we all yearn for.

This is one of those books that you find laying somewhere burried in the back of the library perhaps covered in dust that has been long forgotten! Nevertheless, this is a little gem of a read! The main reason why I liked it so much was because of the eloquent creative and heartfelt ways in which the Native Americans conveyed all their messages. So genuine, trusting, and true were their words and not conjured up by money or greed.

Thie book Just might have even Americans of today looking at themselves and questioning our seemingly prevailing atrtitudes that "we are the best" and that "more" and "bigger is better"... It will have the reader questioning a Government's activity towards national expansion in the name of freedom, while opressing many others at the very same time. These "others", who, the reader will learn, actually taught settlers how to survive in the new frontier.

Among other reasons I liked this book is that it made me look at myself and learen something in how I live. "I Have Spoken" had me looking at our current lifestyles that we so embrace as "having it so good", as perhaps the total opposite, and that perhaps it is we, the people of today, who struggle more to survive in this convenient lifestyle, more so than ever did the native peoples to sustain their lifestyle!

As many at the time in history which this book covers, looked at Native Americans as "inferior", the reader will learn why many Native Americans began to look at the settlers as inferior. This is a refreshing change of opinions we may have been used to hearing in history, and a welcomed one at that!

Through the many eloquently expressed words of Native Americans the reader will guess that they they viewed our lifestyle as somewhat being "enslaved" by adopting and living in such a system that has us "working for..and oweing money" to be able to sustain ourselves and lifestyle. They recognized a stressful life in this resulting in menatal and physical sickness of which was virtually non-existent in their lives.

This book is a really thought provoking read and at least for me, has left me looking around at all so called "progress" in our culture and questioning whether it is really progress at all if it destroys the very gifts nature "God" or "The Great Spirit" has bestowed upon us to make ALL life possible.

I strongly suggest this read to anybody, especially those who seek to not see the world as something we "own" and can see that this notion is really the root of all humankind conflict with each other.

Another final thought this book inspired in me was perhaps looking at history through the eyes of other cultures around the world, and seeing how they came to be, so we shall better understand each other and accept each other's customs without forcing them to live and think as we do. Maybe this can go a long way in preventing conflicts with other nations. Read the book "I Have Spoken" and this review will then come into perspective for anyone who is reading it now!

We used this text at the University of Minnesota back in 1971 for a Native American History course. The book voices treaty interpretation and words used by Tribal representatives. I won't use the word "Chief's" because the Government did'nt always get the real leadership to sign treaties. But, we noted a lack of aggressive language at the beginning of colonization (east coast), but by the time we read text from treaties from the Plains Natives the verbage used more aggressive and warlike themes. Sum it up! Indians found the need to be aggressive and began to use words to voice their frustrations with negotiations with Government respresentatives.

Any "red blooded" American citizen would surely have a "red face" from embarrassment after reading the compilation of words and speeches from original settlers of our beloved country in "I Have Spoken, American History Through the Voices of the Indians." From those documents so meticulously collected by Virginia Irving Armstrong and introduced in this book for all to read, one concludes that even here in America, an atrocious holocaust took place.

The book tells the truth. It will make you mad. It will make you sad. You will feel ashamed to belong to the culture that was responsible for the near extinction of the once prosperous, peaceful people who just wanted to live life as they had been taught by their ancesters. Simple and earth loving.

"I Have Spoken" should be offered in every school as a learning tool on an important aspect of our American history. We made a mistake. We cannot bring them back, but we can read aloud what they said and feel their spirits.

The photos that were included in the June, 1971 and August, 1972 editions are sadly not included in the most recent copies for sale now. It's more of an impact to see their faces as well as read their words. I hope subsequent issues will reincorporate those photos, especially of the ones of the Wounded Knee massacre. "...I will fight no more forever." Chief Joseph, Nez Perce nation, 1877.

This is a wonderful story about a white woman that became a medicine woman (winan pejuta).

At the beginning of the book Ms. Eaton was living in a shack, in ill health, and barely surviving. A friend suggested that she go to a medicine man (wicasa pejuta) and ask for a healing at a sweat lodge. As time goes by; attends cerempnies, and as more time passes she goes through fasts, and later obtains a Catlinite (pipestone) pipe and becomes a medicine woman, and used her gift to help the people around her until her death in 1983.

Unfortunately; she had MANY problems with some indians because she attended the ceremonies, and was a pipe carrier. It did NOT matter to them that she helped the people, she had undergone three fasts, and the spirits had chosen to work with her.

This animosity is STILL going on from some indians to whites, and mixed bloods that are not indian enough (in their opinion) to practise this form of spirituality. I have received some very angry E-Mails from people that claim to be indians, and are offended that I am a pipe carrier, and choose to follow this path. One person went so far as to challenge me with "Your people stole our land, and how dare you now steal our religion!".

I am not stealing anyones religion. I am only following a path that works for me. I know there is real spirituality in this path, and it answers more of the questions I have (It even explained the experiences I had 40+ years ago). I have studied most religions from agnosticiam to zen.

Now; I do have a few minor problems with this book.

1. There are several misspellings in this book.

2. She incorrectly assumes that all medicine people or holy people MUST use a Catlinite (pipestone pipe).

The spirit helpers choose to work with the person based on their integrity, and sincerity. In 1999; the Bear Totem animal would NOT be denied. The Bear repeatedly showed up trying to get my attention and let me know that it had decided to work with me. At that time I neither had a pipe, nor used tobacco in any way...

I happened across this book in the strangest way. It certainly makes a person wonder when something like this happens. Only a few days before I purchased this book, I had the distinct pleasure of talking to Terry Eaton, who just happens to be Evelyn Eaton's daughter. Terry had called me to inquire about a writers workshop I was going to sponsor. Because of the attack on the WTC, the workshop had to be cancelled, but I did talk to Terry a couple of times on the telephone. During our first conversation, she told me she had written and published a book titled "Joy Before Night". Impressed with her conversation, I looked the book up on the Internet. We talked on the phone a few days later and I told her how nice I thought it was that she had written a book in honor of her mother. Terry said she thought I might enjoy looking at some of her mother's work. She hit the nail on the head. I ordered "I Send A Voice" and after I finished reading it I ordered two more of Eaton's books.
I was amazed by Eaton, who was born in 1902, being among the Indians in 1965 at the age of 63 and learning the spiritual teachings of her Indian ancestors. Eaton's journey took her into many Sweat Lodge healing rituals, several Fasts, and even found herself worthy of having a Sacred Pipe. After many years of being active in the Indian way of life, she fell into the political war of Indian against White Man. Indians she had developed a friendship with came to resent her presence and shunned her. Because she was a non-Indian and of white skin, she was no longer accepted. It broke her heart but it didn't break her spirit.
Eaton's last paragraph of her introduction to this book pretty well sums up the things she learned during her time spent with the Indians: If we ask aright, with integrity and total committment, the way will be revealed, step by gentle step. So it is for me, so it is for you, so it is for everyone.
I highly recommend this book.

Evelyn writes as a long-time sister/friend, who opens her life and heart to you in a way that makes you feel she is sitting beside you in the desert. Her words cause you to feel every step of her journey as your own. Don't even consider asking your elder for the honor of becoming a pipekeeper without understanding the sacredness of this responsiblity. I understand that Evelyn is no longer walking this mortal path, but I am sure wherever she is the adventure is one of Honor. A respectful, and authentic picture of the Native American through the eyes of a woman who will become one of your heros.

The late Tom Grimshaw was always an effective, entertaining story teller and this book about John Buffum and the early days of stateside stage rally competition is a 'must read' for any true rally fan, American or not. Written by the man who teamed with "JB" to win many rallys and titles, the book is as 'inside' a look at our sport as is available. Buy it! Read it! Display it and then read it again!

M. E. "Mad Mike" Halley
Rally driver, 1977 - present

As one of the few Pro Rally fanatics in the U.S., I have followed John Buffum's rallying exploits since the early 1970s. This book provides excellent coverage of JB's activity, event by event, as well as providing history on the sport in general.

Tom Grimshaw can tell a story with the best of them, and much of this story comes from his memories of those rallies as he was there, co-driving for John and for other top drivers of the 1970s and 1980s. This is a must read for anyone who wants to know about the history of the SCCA Pro Rally series and competing series in the U.S., and the man who is undoubtedly the finest rally driver ever produced in America.

I really enjoyed this book. Being new to SCCA PRO Rally, I found the history of PRO Rally to be very interesting. Of course, who can get enough stories about John Buffum???