North America Books

"A Geography of Oysters" is the guide that I've been looking for. I love raw oysters, but they have a mind-boggling number of names and farming methods that I never could sort out. The people selling them are of limited help. I've read books about oysters, but they said little about particular species or origins. Now Rowan Jacobsen has made sense of it all in this practical guide to oyster eating in North America. Like European wines or single malt whiskies, oysters taste like the place they come from, so Jacobsen takes us all over North America to learn how and where 132 common oysters are farmed. Although there are some recipes in the back, "A Geography of Oysters" is primarily dedicated to raw oysters, so this is for those of us who like to slurp the slimy things out of their shells.

The guide has three parts. The first, "Mastering the Oyster", tells us about the 5 species of oyster that are cultivated in North America, explains the life cycle of an oyster, oyster harvesting, farming, and hatcheries, how different methods of cultivation affect texture, taste, and shelf life, how and why season and place affects taste, and how modern aquaculture has created an environmentally beneficial, diverse oyster industry. It's a solid introduction to oysters. The meat of the book is the second part, "The Oyster Appellations of North America". This is where we get an ostreaphilic tour of the continent. For each region, state, or province, Jacobsen provides a history of oysters in that region, followed by how, where, and other particulars for the major oysters in that area.

The final section, "Everything You Wanted to Know about Oysters but Were Afraid to Ask", gives advice on how to choose an oyster, storing oysters, shucking oysters, serving oysters, wines that go well with oysters and those that do not. Jacobsen prefers his oysters raw but offers 21 recipes -which will presumably be reserved for those unfortunate occasional bland oysters. There are several recipes for mignonette to top your oysters, oyster stew, and oysters roasted, baked, fried, pickled, and even drunk. That's followed by notes about safety, nutrition, and a helpful list of oyster bars, festivals, and growers that ship direct. As the man says, we don't eat oysters because we are hungry. We eat them to experience them. "A Geography of Oysters" will help you experience more oysters.

I love oysters. I don't know why, but I just do. Every now and then I get strong cravings and I just have to have them. I also have a lot of books about oysters because of it. "Consider the oyster" a great book, and others. But they are all mainly cook books with very little detail about the oyster, where it comes from and it's history.

This book is incredibly well written, witty at times and very informative. You can learn how oysters are farmed and their various techniques. Things I didn't even find on wiki. I learned how they get to harden those shells. I purchased some Carlsbad Blondes, and those shells would just snap in half. Terrible oysters. I know why because of the book.

I'm not sure how the author did it, but it seems he has had the incredible opportunity to sample a great many oysters. I can see his tax return $1000 spent as "research" for his book. What a great way to do research. Upon one of the authors great descriptions, I ordered three dozen Hama Hama's. They were fantastic.

The author picks five or six farms and gives incredible detail about the location, the owner/farmer and his/her history and the oysters themselves. This is a book to own now, because it is relavent now with the current oyster farmers listed. It is a chance to learn about the worlds best and to learn how to sample them.

The only thing I would have loved to see in the book, would be a travel guide on how to visit the various farms the author so nicely listed. That's one of the things I plan on doing is to travel up and down the coast visiting oysters farms along the way. I would have loved this book to have a guide like that.

There is a section on "what kind of oyster" person are you? But I didn't find that very useful or informative. A very minor drawback for an incredibly informative book on oysters. Every connosieur(sp?) should have a copy. A book for oyster lovers by an oyster lover.

Jacobsen has turned the art of eating oysters to a higher level.

You can't wait to finish the book so you can start trying out his great recommendations. Whether you're an oyster novice, blindly feeling your way around the oysters beds, or, a seasoned connoisseur, this book is a must read. Great work Rowan!!

This book was one I bought as a potential reference book, however once i picked it up I just kept reading it. This is far from a dry review of oysters it is funny and insightful. My oyster vocabulary has blossomed.

Three friends have requested that I stop talking about oysters and buy them a copy for their birthdays.

It tells about the oysters and then how to get them delivered to your door for dinner. I love this book.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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!

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.

"... the most useful guidebook... a great reference." The Traveling Golfer

A guide written by golfers for golfers. Hundreds of resorts are described in this book, with details including fees, course profile (par, hazards, yardage), resident pro information, accommodations (with prices), dining options and equipment rentals. All establishments are open to the public.

"If you love golf, Golf Resorts is for you." Relax Magazine

Northwest Airlines WorldTraveler Magazine: " Make sure you have a copy on hand. This tome is the only pre-trip guide you'll need to research not only golf courses, but nearby lodging, restaurants, and additional recreation - for after-golf or non-golfing spouses. The book covers more than 600 courses. The authors have rated the top 50, breaking those down into 38 large and 12 small resorts."

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'.

This guidebook sets the standard for other guidebook authors to follow. Clear, concise and accurate information at your fingertips! Good Dirt rocks!

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!!

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".

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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!

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]

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.

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.

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.

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.