North America Books

As the Director of Operations for a Silicon Valley company from the Boomer generation, understanding the Millennials can be a challenge! The book is a great resource with helpful tips on communicating effectively with the youngest crop of professionals. Short and filled with valuable to-the-point information.

This is a great book to help understand the new generation, what makes them tick and how to manage them. This is the kind of information that a VP of Human Resources would love and I've already recommended this to several HR executives to help them with current recruitment efforts!

I've been waiting for this book...
I had the benefit of early business advice at the onset of my company (from the author's ad company. Smart people, great info, I highly recommend anything that Orrell has to say about business.

Just when I think I understand the new generation, a book like this comes out and proves me wrong. Good reading for anyone involved with HR, any Managers over 30, and/or anyone who owns their own business and needs to hire the new young professionals. This book has practical advice that will change the way I do everything from hiring to incentive programs. Good stuff!

I review and promote a lot of business books on my community website for business professionals. I have not found one current book that discusses who the Millennials (Generation Y) are and how to best deal with these 20-somethings now entering the professional workforce. This is a very hot topic and something that has companies throughout the country concerned and baffled. Lisa's book is a personable quick-read packed with good info that any HR exec or Boomer/GenX manager will benefit from.

-- Gillian Parrillo, Founder and Publisher of [...], and retired Senior Executive of a Fortune 1000 Corporation.

Great novel. I would recommend it to anyone interested in the Civil war, American History.

Winner of 1997 Cader Cox Historical Fiction Award by the North Carolina Society of Historians

This book is a generous gift to anyone interested in not only the facts of the Civil War, but also how it was lived by those engaged in it. It depicts desperate battles that, though they may be listed as "skirmishes", were nothing less than horrific fights for survival for the participants. At the same time, it puts the reader in the trenches around Petersburg, fighting rain, sun, disease, mud, sharpshooters and monotony. This is not just good history, its a great read.

Picked this one up through a friend, much better than Frazier's "Cold Mountain". Must-have for any Civil War buff.

This book will live. it is a work that transcends history or fiction. a book to treasure forever, it takes the reader into the American Civil War as no other has. I recommend it highly

I bought this book and the contents are very helpful in identifying birds. The problem is it has the information duplicated from pages 145 to 176, skipping from page 112. I have tried to exchange it with another one, but it had the same problem. I tried to do that for the third time, and now I am waiting for it. I hope it arrives with all the pages and no duplications.

I have quite a few birding books and have been birding for 30+ years. I feel that this book has been a key for improving my skills, more than any of the other books with the exception of the new Sibley guide and perhaps the old out of print "The Western Birdwatcher" by Zimmerman.

Kuaffman's books taught me some key points that I still employ when checking the scaups, dowitchers, gulls and looking for Western Sandpipers among other difficult identifications. His succinct descriptions and comparitive sketches make it much more possible to know how to identify a juvenile Western Sandpiper as opposed to a Semipalmated Sandpiper. I found that I would often go back to this book rather than the other shorebird books I had. Another key section in the book is the coverage of identification tips for the Terns. I had always found it difficult to separate Forster's and Common in the field despite the seemingly easy differences in field guides. This book helped out with good wing pattern comparisons and other marks that were not included in the guides. The pattern drawings of the Terns and Shorebirds alone are worth the cost of the book.

If you are ready to start on Iceland and Thayer's Gull or Rufous and Allen's Hummingbirds you can't go wrong by getting Kauffman's Advanced Birding.

This book is appropriate for anyone who wants to improve his bird identification skills, whether he is already "advanced" or not. Kaufman does an excellent job detailing how to go about identifying birds in many problem groups, such as accipiters, dowitchers, and fall warblers. In some cases the information amounts to helpful hints that will make identification a little easier (did you know that the nail on a Greater Scaup's bill is substantially larger than that on a Lesser Scaup's?). In others, the information is a practical necessity if you ever plan on unraveling the species in question (if you're trying to identify a Thayer's Gull without this or some even more esoteric work, forget it).

My only quarrel with this book is that Kaufman sometimes places more emphasis on small field marks, and less on overall shape and other amorphous characteristics ("jizz," to the Brits), than I think appropriate. Otherwise, darned close to perfect.

This book rocks the house

This is a great book for serious birders. It contains a great amount of important information that is well organized and helpful. This is a technical book that I would not recommend for the beginner, however, I found it practical in its structure and content.

I strongly recommend this book. I held back from awarding a full five stars because I felt that their illustrations lacked a little "life" although experienced birders will probably not find this to be a problem.

The book came very quickly and was described well in the ad. I was very pleased with the timeliness of the delivery

"The African American Odyssey" just got better with the release of the 3rd edition. Updated accounts, in-depth coverage, a broadened focus (the American West, and beyond America), and the wonderfully helpful enclosed CD which allows for additional research, all make this a comprehensive volume for any and all students of African American history.

The blending of the famous and the unknown, men and women, North and South, slave and free, provides for a tapestry that weaves together both the terror and the triumph of the African American experience which enabled them to move beyond the suffering to a place of healing hope. The faith-basis for so much of the African American triumph could have been covered more comprehensively, though it is more than hinted at in the original sources covered.

Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction .

I received this order on time and in excellent condition. I will do business with again.

"The African American Odyssey" just got better with the release of the 3rd edition. Updated accounts, in-depth coverage, a broadened focus (the American West, and beyond America), and the wonderfully helpful enclosed CD which allows for additional research, all make this a comprehensive volume for any and all students of African American history.

The blending of the famous and the unknown, men and women, North and South, slave and free, provides for a tapestry that weaves together both the terror and the triumph of the African American experience which enabled them to move beyond the suffering to a place of healing hope. The faith-basis for so much of the African American triumph could have been covered more comprehensively, though it is more than hinted at in the original sources covered.

Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction , Soul Physicians, and Spiritual Friends.

An effective book, which the young new generation of African Americans can really gain their sense of knowledge from.

There are some books that are just so informative that no library should be without them. There are some books that are written so well that it is a positive joy to read the text. There are some people who have such a way of looking at the world that you feel comfort hearing them speak. There are people who have seen so much that their opinion is something you seek.

All of these traits are combined in this volume that only Foote's Civil War trilogy can compare with. The small stories that are routinely missed (such as the origin of "the real McCoy) and the relevence of these ordinary people making extrodinary things happen are coupled with the tales of the extraordinary people who had their ordinary vices. (Franklin's advice to take an older mistress because they are both more discreet and more grateful) Both named and unnamed he tells their tale as it fits in the piece of this puzzle of America

Unlike much of history which seems to have an agenda, Cooke's masterpiece is classical, telling a story of grandur without fawning and of warts without lambasting. It is a grand overview rather than a list of presidents, wars and laws. He captures the essense of what is importnat. It is as if he wished to give a consice guide to his compatriots in England of what facinates him about this land that he eventually settled as did many in his story.

It captures what America and Americans are very well and would be an excellent guide to any person who wants to understand us. With so many Americans ignorant of their own history it would be an even better guide to todays college or high school students to make them understand this land of their birth and how it came to be what it is.

This book is 30 years old as I write this (July 4th 2003) at the time he wrote this Cooke was in his 27th year of his Letter from America Broadcast for the BBC. When you finish this book you will find yourself wanting more. Have no fear Mr Cooke is now in his 57th year of his broadcasts telling the story of America 15 minutes at a time continues. Lets hope he dictates a sequel filling in these 30 years.

Besides being a beautifully written, poetic portrait of America's history, the author's British background provides for a totally different perspective. This viewpoint provides a different insight on people and events that an American writer might not have grasped and that I found very interesting and refreshing.

No stiff upper lip Brit here, not at all. As a transplanted British journalist Alistair Cooke who studied in America's Ivy League universities and then returned to America as a BBC correspondent seems to have been deeply affected and impressed by what he saw here. He stayed here and became a citizen. If the little man and his small cracker-barrel anecdotes represented the collective spirit of the country Alistair Cooke's fascination of the common man's philosophy captured that spirit simply and eloquently in his writings. This simple eloquent approach addressed and exposed the heart and feeling of the people that drove the great country for higher aspirations of the human experience. This is what he wrote about. His observations and examination of the Civil War capture the fervent feelings that Americans held be they morally right or wrong. Yet at the end of this struggle the common purpose of the people did not deter them to find their destiny in this land. The spirit never died and that is what Cooke seems to capture, explore and explain in such eloquent words.

His prose depicting the American people throughout our nation's historical record are eloquent and shear poetry to read. His endearing objectivity and love of this land through his insightful words are stirring and heartwarming. You do not come across this type of writing with genuine devotion, respect and love for what comprised the greatness of the American spirit.

Alistair Cooke, who died very recently, was a Briton who first came to America during the dark days of the Great Depression as a very young BBC correspondent. The venerated justice Oliver Wendell Holmes was one of the very first people whom he met - and he writes eloquently of that encounter in the Civil War chapter of this book. Finding our spirit and our optimism contagious, Cooke spent much, if not most of his life here for the next seven decades, getting the know the best and the brightest, the celebrity and the common man on the street, learned about our history with an appreciation that very few - even many Americans - have for this country.

The result is "Alistair Cooke's America" first published as a loving tribute to this country at its Bicentennial in 1976, with a revised forward in 2002, though with no mention of the tumultous events of September 11, 2001. Cooke writes movingly of our history and of the spirit of the American people, the fight for Liberty during the American Revolution, the move westward, that "firebell in the night" (to quote Thomas Jefferson) as the country tore itself apart over the question of Slavery. He writes of the Civil War, interestingly considering Antietam to be a much more significant battle than Gettysburg. His views on Abraham Lincoln are also surprising, in his view that President Lincoln was venerated in great part due to his death, and being the leader of the winning side.

Cooke also spends much more writing space on Woodrow Wilson, whom he clearly admires for his domestic and foreign policies, but either ignores or just wasn't aware of Wilson's Racist policies. By contrast, Theodore Roosevelt, whose Presidency bridged the gap between the Civil War years and America becoming a major power, gets barely two pages.

Cooke's chapter on the "Arsenal of Democracy" is a revelatory look at how America's policy of "Lend Lease" and our subsequent entry into World War II did save the world from Hitlerism, especially when France had fallen and Britain was on the ropes.

Despite some of his views, or perhaps because of them - This well-written and profusely illustrated book deserves the five-star review because Alistair Cooke wrote a history that belongs on every thoughtful American's bookshelf alongside Stephen Ambrose's "To America". The things we take for granted about how great this country is were never missed by this great British writer.

As the youngest son of Jim Thorpe, I want to thank Bill Crawford for finally bringing out the truth in writing as to what happened to our father. For years our family and others have tried to clear his name. Much still needs to be done. Although his Gold Medals from the 1912 Olympics have been returned, dad is only named co-winner. His trophys from the games are still held by the IOC.

Mr. Crawford writes a wonderfull book. But,there is still a lack of understanding of the Indian culture,and what took place in the Indian School System during the early years of the last century, the Indian were not citizens of the United States and held on legal status. Dad did what he was told to do and suffered for his lack of knowledge and having no legal support.

As a family, we still want his name fully cleared and his full honors returned. Then the day would come when he can be put to rest.

Bill Crawford has written a fairly thorough and detailed account of Jim Thorpe, without a doubt the greatest athlete of the 20th Century. Mr. Crawford, however, fell short when relating, on pages 231-232, Thorpe's passing and eventual burial. At his death he was brought back to Shawnee, Oklahoma, by his family. He was NOT BURIED, as Mr. Crawford states, but his body lay in the mausoleum at Fairview Cemetery. Many local people visited the site in respect, myself included. During the months his body rested there several prominent citizens began work on a project to build a permanent monument for him. Designs for a burial place and a museum were developed and funds began to be raised. Preliminary plans were to put it between the football and baseball field on the west side of town. However, before the total could be raised and the plans finalized Thorpe's body disappeared, literally, in the middle of the night - much to the surprise of his family and to Shawnee citizens. It was a terrible disappointment. In 1949, on one of his trips back to Oklahoma, he had stated that he was born May 28, 1888 "near and south of Bellemont - Pottawatomie County - along the banks of North Fork River . . hope this will clear up the inquiries as to my birthplace", signed Jim Thorpe. (Bellemont was on the county line between Pottawatomie and Lincoln counties, 8 miles off Hwy 18 - Shawnee is the county seat of Pottawatomie County and about 11 miles from the site). Thus, Shawnee citizens were very proud to be known as the home of the greatest athlete of all time. When the town didn't get to be the resting place of Thorpe's body it was decided to name the football stadium in his honor anyway, and it's known as Jim Thorpe Stadium to this day. It was surprising to read in Mr. Crawford's book that "Shawnee refused to erect a memorial for her husband". It just wasn't so and a little further research on his part, maybe perusing copies of the Shawnee News-Star in the local library. Also, just a few years ago (haven't been out there in a while), there was a marker on the vault at Fairview describing that was where Jim Thorpe's body had lain.

Bill Crawford's "All American: The Rise and Fall of Jim Thorpe" is a well crafted, insightful and poignant portrait of one of the 20th century's greatest athletes. That alone would be sufficient to give it all-star status among the scores of sports books published in recent years. "All American," however, is far more than that because paints a unique and compelling picture of "amateur" intercollegiate athletics in its infancy and thereby helps us to understand behemoth that it has become today.

Jim Thorpe's story has been told in other biographies as well as in a grade B movie. Crawford's contribution is its investigation of the complex relationship between Thorpe and his legendary coach, Glenn "Pop" Warner - the same Pop Warner who is the namesake of the youth football leagues that are supposed to instill in young men the spirit and ideals of honest and fair competition. Yet, as early as the first decade of the century, Warner, the football coach at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, was earning more than his school's president, was recruiting "student athletes" who were far more athlete than student and was disbursing under the table cash. Although Warner won the trust and loyalty of Thorpe, he ultimately betrayed him by denying that he knew that he had played semi-pro baseball for petty cash. As a consequence, the Amateur Athletic Union and the American Olympic Committee ruled that Thorpe had compromised his amateur status and stripped him of his 1912 Olympic medals. In fact, Crawford makes clear, Warner not only was aware of what Thorpe had been doing in football's off-season, he most likely made the arrangements.

"All American: The Rise and Fall of Jim Thorpe" should be required reading for anyone wishing to gain a perspective on the sports scandals du jour. It's an important book and a great compliment to the daily sports section.

This book provides the most detailed history yet of America's greatest athlete. In an era where athletes could not enhance their performance with drugs, Jim Thorpe was clearly, naturally the best. Bill Crawford's detailed account of Thorpe's life leaves no doubt in my mind. I am amazed by the amount of information Crawford provides on Thorpe as well as other athletes of the time. The history he provides of Carlisle and the Indian school system in general illustrates how poorly the BIA and the US government treated Indians. "All American: The Rise and Fall of Jim Thorpe" should be required reading for all BIA officials as well as strongly recommended reading for others in government. Certainly student athletes and athletic officials would enjoy and learn from it.

All American: The Rise And Fall Of Jim Thorpe is the biography of one of the greatest athletes of the twentieth century - who was also at the center of one of the greatest scandals. Jim Thorpe was a grand football running back, a proud Native American, a college player who led his Carlisle Indian Industrial School team to victory, and the winner of gold medals for the decathlon and the pentathlon at the 1912 Olympic Games. Yet a scandal ensued over whether he was truly worthy of "amateur" sports status, whether playing in certain professional ball games required that he be stripped of his titles. The scandal dragged his reputation through the mud and left a black mark on his life, even though he would go on to play professional baseball and become president of what would one day be the National Football League. All American is the candid portrayal of a courageous and dedicated athlete, and one who was essentially used as a guinea pig to determine the rules - who is an amateur, and who is a pro, and what amateurs and pros are allowed to do or not do. Enjoyable in its own right, All American is a welcome addition to prominent Native American biography collections, and highly recommended for American sports history shelves.

This is a must read for any true Baptist that refuses to be led astray by those who have rewritten history. One of the most well researched books on the Baptists in America and their influence upon the documents that we as Americans all hold dear. Bro. Beller spent much time in the Library of Congress in gathering information - several years to write this gem of an expose' of our history as Baptist people. As a student of true history, I have thoroughly enjoyed it and have found his statements and most of his conclusions to be accurate and correct. Beller states that whoever is in power will rewrite history as proof of their doctrines, their philosophy, etc. He is absolutely correct. Here is true history from an unshaded vantage point, because it comes from the position of truth..."once delivered to the saints..."

This book is a breath of fresh air in a day when people would like to change the history of our country. Dr. Beller goes beyond even the declaration that our country is Christian...he goes to the heart of the matter; that Baptists had a major influence in the foundation of this nation.
Dr. Beller points out the facts that We as Americans have lost touch with our heratige, and those of us who are Baptist have lost touch with our heratige. Neither of which is a good thing! He remedies the problem by giving the facts, and in a way that it is a joy to read.
Dr. Beller has several other books which are worth the time spent reading them. He also gives lectures on the Coming Destruction of the Baptist People, which are also excellent!

This book has a wealth of information that can not be dismissed becasue of the facts and that the Baptist is not just another religon it is Bible.

This is simply the best Baptist/American history book out there. A real treasure in the Christians library.

"America is a Baptist nation"
From this quote on I was spellbound. This is unlike any other history book I have ever read. The facts are presented, but in a way to inspire, encourage, and enflame the child of God to run the race seeing "we are surrounded with so great a cloud of witnesses."
I had no clue that our nation was founded so firmly on Baptist principles. I knew our founding fathers were moral, but had no idea such a large majority were Baptist.
This book has deepend my appreciation for the Baptist and the doctrinal (Biblical) stance they have taken through the couse of history. I pray The Lord will once again bless our nation with more Shubal Sterns', Daniel Marshall's, John Clarkes, Isaac Backus', Obadiah Holmes', and others. Men who stand on the truth of Scripture - who live by it and die by it!
This is most definitely an absolute-must read for every Christian. If you haven't read it - READ IT! If you have read it - RE-READ IT!

There has been occasional grumbling from Osprey series authors about the limits of the format in the various Osprey series ( Men-at-Arms, Warrior, etc.). Within the 64 page limit for the Warrior series this is a fine reference work. However, it is not an exhaustive study of all Ranger units operating in the time period and geographic region indicated. Mr. Zaboly is clearly an expert in the Ranger units associated with Robert Rogers. But there is very little mention of other Ranger units that existed in the same place and time. The activities of Roger's units are illustrative of most aspects of Ranger operations though. Roger's Rangers exploits are generally acknowledged to represent the pinnacle of Ranger achievements at the time. There are stirring tales of struggle in accomplishing epic raids deep into enemy territory here. There is also no shying away from Ranger participation in the grislier aspects of frontier warfare. Overall, Mr. Zaboly's historical text is informative, substantive and fully informed by many first-hand source documents.

What sets this study apart from other Osprey Warrior series titles though are the illustrations. Mr. Zaboly is an accomplished artist who has illustrated his own work. The numerous drawings by the author that populate this book are vivid illustrations of the way Rangers dressed, encamped, fought and survived in the Eastern wilderness. These outstanding drawings make the modest price of this publication a real bargain. As long as the reader is not dismayed by a tight focus on Roger's Ranger units, this title will not disappoint.

An excellent source on the colonial rangers, experts at surviving in brutal situations-and an even more brutal war. These rangers, many being Scotch-Irish in descent, formed a unique fusion of European and Indian tactics and fighting styles which proved to be both effective and savage. The author's text is readable, interesting, and detailed, while his color plates are absolutely awesome.

The quality of Osprey's illustrated military histories varies widely. Some volumes are produced by qualified authorities who know their respective subjects inside and out. Others are shoddy rush jobs put out by hacks. Gray Zaboly's _American Colonial Ranger: The Northern Colonies 1724-64_ deserves to be ranked among Osprey's best. Indeed, it is unexcelled by any volume that Osprey has put out in the past thirty years.

_American Colonial Ranger_ is the result of decades of intensive research. Zaboly is universally acknowledged as one of the leading interpreters of the history, dress, weapons, and equipment of Rogers' Rangers and the other ranger units raised in the North American colonies to battle the French and their Indian allies. His mastery of a wide array of sources is evident from the text, which is as well written as it is authoritative. Zaboly is not only a skilled wordsmith, but he is also a leading historical artist, and his superbly rendered color plates make this book a feast for the eyes. In too many books of this type, the plates resemble groups of mannequins modeling various uniforms. In _American Colonial Ranger_, six of Zaboly's plates are painted scenes that capture important moments in ranger history -- as well as giving the reader a good view of what these remarkable frontier soldiers wore and carried.

With _American Colonial Ranger_, Osprey has set a new standard for itself and its competitors. It can only be hoped that it will commission Zaboly to turn out more titles as outstanding as this one.

This is easily one of Osprey's best titles in the Warrior series. Not only the usual color prints but several of the authors own drawings. It mixes facts with folklore which makes this title very informative. A must read for French and Indian war studies!

One of my uncles served in the Rangers during world war two, faught in Anzio. My father served in the Rangers in Korea. He idolized Robert Rogers. His favorite novel was North West Passage, and was just as fond of the movie. And if either were alive today, I would send them this book.

This is the best book on the Colonial Rangers I have yet found. though Sketch Book 56 volume one Rogers'Rangers by Ted Spring is a good second. Very informative. Well illustrated. Straight to the point. Each of its sixty three pages is solid information gold.

For those with a desire to know more about this subject this is The Book to get.

It is probably the best book produced by Osprey.

Outstanding book; fascinating stories told by an amazing woman; so important for minority women writers and all serious readers.

Wonderful book. Gives insight into not only Lakota Cultural Past and Present, but very personal looks at life through the eyes of a Lakota woman at a tenuous time in US history.

Zitkala-Sa: American Indian Stories, Legends, and Other Writings edited with an introduction and notes by Cathy N. Davidson and Ada Norris. Highly recommended.

Zitkala-Sa (Gertrude Simmons Bonnin), a South Dakota Sioux (through her mother; her father was white) born in 1876, the year of the Battle of the Little Big Horn, was an educator, musician, writer, and activist. She served as the secretary and treasurer of the Society of American Indians (SAI) and as editor of SAI's American Indian Magazine.

This collection of Zitkala-Sa's work includes background information about the author; a chronology of contemporary events; selections from "Old Indian Legends" (retellings of oral story traditions); "American Indian Stories"; selections from American Indian Magazine; and some of her poetry, pamphlets, essays, and speeches.

"Old Indian Legends" introduces Sioux traditions, including Iktomi (a trickster who often takes the form of a spider), Iya the glutton (able to consume whole villages), and the characters of the Sioux world-coyotes, ducks, the terrifying Red Eagle and the stranger who slays it, turtles, toads, mice, bears, badgers, and more. While at first these traditions and stories may strike the outsider as different and alien, to some extent they can evoke some European fairy tale traditions (which also may seem alien to modern sensibilities). Some of the most charming, like "Dance in a Buffalo Skull," are written in human terms but have no human characters. "Dance," with its "two balls of fire" growing "larger and brighter" and building of suspense, is an excellent short horror story as well.

The editors note that Zitkala-Sa "makes significant changes to the traditional tales in order to address key political and social issues . . . specifically, land infringement, challenges to tribal sovereignty, and the effects of missionary boarding schools on Yankton or Sioux culture more generally." Careful in her use of her second language, English, Zitkala-Sa makes a telling transposition in her preface to "Old Indian Legends"; the Indian is the "little black-haired aborigine," while the European-American is the "blue-eyed little patriot." Can the people who subjugate and destroy the original natives of the land be anything more than "little" patriots? How great can their patriotism be? The answer is implicit, but Zitkala-Sa believed the old Indian legends belong as much to him simply because of "our near kinship with the rest of humanity" and because "After all, he [the Indian] seems at heart much like other peoples."

Several of "American Indian Stories" (which established Zitkala-Sa's literary reputation) are mostly autobiographical. Some describe her representative experience at a Quaker boarding school in Wabash, Indiana. In these, Zitkala-Sa masterfully makes the reader feel how shocking and horrifying our comfortable culture was to children who grew up in a different-but comfortable-culture, beginning with the cutting of her hair. There are the "loud, metallic voice" of the bell and the "annoying clatter of shoes on bare floors." There is always a "clash of harsh noises"-but mostly there is the "murmuring of an unknown tongue." Zitkala-Sa and others are lured to the school by the promise of "red apples"-a clear reference to Genesis. She refers to her own culture for her revenge on the devil.

The most poignant tale, one that is frequently anthologized, is "The Widespread Enigma Concerning Blue-Star Woman," in which a woman must obtain rights she never would have needed but for white man's law through the trickery of two Indian men who have learned dishonesty in the white men's schools. "A Warrior's Daughter," also often anthologized, tells of an Indian woman who takes action and therefore fate into her own hands-Zitkala-Sa's prescription for women and for her people.

"Selections from American Indian Magazine" and "Poetry, Pamphlets, Essays, and Speeches" are largely exhortations and expositions of Zitkala-Sa's viewpoint. In "The Red Man's America," she satirizes "My Country, 'tis of Thee" to reflect the Indian's disenfranchisement-a favourite theme. Although her advocacy of Indian citizenship was not shared by all Indians (for example, the tribes of the Iroquois Confederacy), Zitkala-Sa felt that, without that right in their own country, Indians would continue to languish unnecessarily as wards of the state, without power or basic rights in a democratic land. Other topics include warnings against the use of peyote; the bravery of Indian soldiers during WWI as well as the place that bravery should have earned the Indian in American society and the brotherhood of man; the need for Indians to become educated and to learn English (her own painful school experience notwithstanding); and the Black Hills claim and similar injustices, such as theft of Ute grazing land, the laws against Indian dance, and the lost treaties of the California Indians. To Zitkala-Sa, Indians were not on an even playing field with whites and, until they took action to educate themselves, secure their rights, and obtain the power of legislative and legal representation, they would continue to be helpless to manage their future.

I recommend that you read Zitkala-Sa together with On the Rez, Ian Frazier's description of today's life on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Together, they tell a tragic tale of the past 130 years that does not bode well for the "brotherhood of man."

Diane L. Schirf, 22 September 2003.

There are two short stories by Zitkala-Sa (Gertrude Bonnin) that have greatly effected my consciousness.

"Why I Am a Pagan," writen for the Atlantic Monthly in 1902 is a brilliant essay. It deals with the spritual independence of Native Americans. An independence found outside the walls of a church, as Bonnin herself writes:

"A wee child toddling in a wonder world, I prefer to their dogma my excursions into the natural gardens where the voice of the Great Spirit is heard in the twittering of birds, the rippling of mighty waters, and the sweet breathing of flowers. If this is Paganism, then at present, at least, I am a Pagan."

Her voice is innocently defiant, because she is a native of a land under the occupation of a foreign government. Only by being conquered are her beliefs, and customs, found to be immoral. To hold on to them in the face of oppression takes great courage.

This theme is continued in another short story "The School Days of an Indian Girl" (Atlantic Monthly, 1900). In this short story, Zitkala-Sa, writes about the experience of a young Native girl going to a distant "White" school. The story hits upon the cultural clashes that occur.

At home the young Native girl is the apple of her mother's eye. Taken from her home she becomes a subject to authority. Zitkala-Sa describes the event of her hair being cut at the "White" school:

"I cried aloud, shaking my head all the while until I felt the cold blades of the scissors against my neck, and heard them gnaw off one of my thick braids. Then I lost my spirit. Since the day I was taken from my mother I had suffered extreme indignities."

Zitkala-Sa's writing is unrelentingly honest, but has some comedic tones in it as well.

"American Indian Stories, Legends, and Other Writings" is a collection of pieces by Zitkala-Sa (also known as Gertrude Simmons Bonnin). The book is edited, with an introduction and notes by, Cathy N. Davidson and Ada Norris. Born on the Yankton Sioux reservation in South Dakota in 1876, Zitkala-Sa worked as a writer and activist for Native American causes, and died in 1938.

The editors divide Zitkala-Sa's writings into 4 main sections: "Old Indian Legends," "American Indian Stories," "Selections from _American Indian Magazine_," and "Poetry, Pamphlets, Essays, and Speeches." I really loved the legends, which are Zitkala-Sa's versions of tales that had been passed down orally. These stories are full of magic, transformations, fantastic beings, and amazing feats. Many tales feature Iktomi, a "spider fairy" who is a mischievous trickster.

The section on stories features realistic narratives of Indian lives. All together these stories create a vivid and fascinating portrait, with details about Indian crafts, food preparation, and social customs. The many nonfiction pieces in the book cover a number of topics, such as Native American soldiers in World War I, Native American religion, and Indian political issues. Many of these pieces show the author to be a really forward thinking woman with a global perspective; her acknowledgement of the "universal cry for freedom from injustice" really seems to foreshadow the work of Martin Luther King, Jr. and other great activist-writers of the later 20th century.

The book is full of great supplemental materials: a comprehensive introduction; a lengthy bibliographic list of suggestions for further reading; an informative note on the texts; and endnotes. Zitkala-Sa is truly a fascinating figure. As the book's introduction notes, she "trod the unstable terrain between radicalism, separatism, assimilationism, and intermittent conservatism." The American Indian experience as embodied in her writings shows both fascinating parallels and contrasts with other ethnic American experiences. I consider this book a valuable contribution to Native American studies, women's studies, and American literature; I recommend it highly both for classroom use and individual reading.

I have had a long-time interest in the Aztecs but had not yet had the chance to read extensively on their culture. I was looking for an overview, and this book was excellent in its sensible organization, which was easy to grasp for someone unfamiliar with social science research and writing in general.

The book title reflects the contents perfectly. Professor Dossick covers rituals and history associated with birth, early life, social and moral education, religion, the military, arts and sciences, and agricultural and vocational pursuits - and he ends with death rituals. The book was both readable and informative. I feel that it gave me a good start in understanding this fascinating culture.

Historically, women have had to find a way to live in the patriarchal societies throughout the world, as their destinies most often involved marriage. Marriage offered safety and social acceptance; the man was the unquestioned breadwinner.

The world of the ancient Aztecs was governed by men.

The story of the Aztec men and women can be seen as an object lesson in stoicism and strength, religious devotion, and attendance to duty.

As the officers, politicians and church leaders commanded the soldiers and farmers, so the men tended to command the women. The oppression becomes very real, as the rules of the state and the church break whatever resistance they might encounter with the application of utter control and overwhelming brutality. The women spend their time cooking, cleaning, spinning cloth, and tending to the children.

The tales of sacrifice, and their methods, are ever-present.

Professor Dossick intelligently weaves the social issues together into a communal narrative that slowly generates a life of its own.

What emerges is a portrait of a brilliant and creative people that nourishes introspective contemplation and a profound examination of the patriarchal society.

The socioeconomic, political, and emotional complexity within The Ancient Aztecs, always understated, delivers a harrowing tale of a people's struggle to survive in a hostile environment.

The intricacies of the roles of men and women emerge, as the state forcefully oppresses all those who resist.

The Ancient Aztecs by Dossick leaves the reader with an unforgettable experience from an economical, political, historical, social, and psychological perspective.

My younger brother is planning a long trip through Mexico, and has become interested in all things related to Mexican history. I bought several books for him and his wife, and this one quickly became their favorite.

It's eminently readable and authoritative. After reading it you'll be able to visualize what life was like for the Aztecs as you roam their ruins in Mexico.

Perhaps Dossick's best

The Ancient Aztecs - A complete account of the life of the ancient Aztecs from birth to death - is painstakingly detailed,
referenced, and scholarly.

Well thought out, well reasoned, and well written, Professor Dossick ties together events and history masterfully.

The book has a discernable thesis: that the fall of the Aztec nation before the Conquistadores, which resulted in the
loss of its religion, its art, its social structure, and its language, was a complete disaster for these singularly remarkable
people.

The Ancient Aztecs progresses by argument and example, and does not suffer from some of the assumptions of prior knowledge
that many other books on the subject do.

Overall a top choice for anyone interested in this eternally fascinating subject.

This book goes into wonderful detail on the daily lives of the Aztecs, one of the most formidable empires the world has seen. The rich imagery provided by the author touches on all aspects of the culture and society. The author also goes into great depth on the educational system of the Aztecs, which I found particularly interesting in comparison to our own modern educational practices.