North America Books

I do not dispute Newcomb's scholarship. It is first rate. I do however, take issue with some aspects of his central argument. There is no question that American attitudes, inclusive of law and politics, is inherently biased against American Indians, as well as being rife with racism. What is not depicted, however, is that despite these attitudes, America and its colonial predecessors had no choice but to deal with Indian Nations, and recognise inherent rights to sovereignty. It was not until Chief Justice Marshall engaged in revisionist history in reinterpreting the Royal Proclamation of 1763 that the racism became the law in the case of Johnson v. McIntosh (1823). This was done for political reasons covered well in Conquest by Law by Lindsay Robertson.

Although clearly not intended, if the rationale for this book were accepted as legal cannon, it would severly undermine the notion that sovereignty and self government are pre-existing rights that are inherent based on the legal history. If such rights were never recognised in the European derived legal history, then any contemporary assertion of these rights could ONLY come about at the whim of the colonial nation-states.

The reality was that contextually, despite words to the contrary, state practice clearly recognised Indian sovereignty and ownership. They had no choice as Indian Nations were politically and militarily strong. True military dominance was not achieved until the mid 1800's and that is of course when the legal system came to the conclusion that tribal sovereignty and self government was a legal fiction rooted in paternalism.

So, while one would be inclined not to criticise this book, it would be unwise for the reader not to explore further. I staunchly support tribal sovereignty, and while this work is informative it does not provide the entire context. Well worth the read, thogh.

Is the United States policy on the Native American Indians far more based in religion than we believe? "Pagans in the Promised Land: Decoding the Doctrine of Christian Discovery" is a look at the government's relations with the native people of this country and how the treatment of the natives, non-Christian indigenously, may be part of a sub-conscious Christian doctrine that the country has been following for centuries. Intriguing information from first page to last, "Pagans in the Promised Land: Decoding the Doctrine of Christian Discovery" is deftly written and highly recommended to community library Native American studies collections.

Every educator or world peace advocate must read this book. Passionate and compelling arguments inspire readers to be more informed about overlooked and archaic policies in the U.S. Government. This contemporary work examines and explores doctrines that began with Indian Nations and are still being implemented in other areas of the modern world. Pagans in the Promised Land written by a Native American Scholar, Steven Newcomb, delivers some stimulating arguments based on over 20 years of research. This book is a must read for all universities prompting engaging classroom discussions.

Newcomb delivers an analysis on U.S. federal Indian law that traces its racist history to Christian discovery and dominion. The entirety of the book is devoted to elucidating the idealized cognitive models (ICMs) present in U.S. Indian policy that originated in the expansion of Christendom and the entitlement of Europeans as chosen people and conquers on native lands.
The final chapter is definitely worth waiting for as Newcomb summarizes and projects into the present-day his well-researched and professional perspective on how and why American Indians have always faced such extremely racist treatment from the United States. For example, he writes

"Because other books have dealt quite capably with U. S. statues and legal decisions dealing with Indians, the aim of this work has been to use some of the findings of cognitive theory to account for the mentality of empire and domination that has resulted in the assumption that originally free and independent Indian nations and peoples are now subject to the plenary power and dominion of U. S. government. The same mentality has also resulted in Indian people losing before the Supreme Court more than 80 percent of the time, more often than convicted criminals seeking reversals of their convictions."

He goes on to relate the well-developed, Christian-based, American psychology of dominion over indigenous people in the United States to the post-9/11 American Empire. Pagans in the Promised Land is an essential perspective for Americans of European-decent to grasp as even citizens of an atheist background will realize the depth to which our cultural attitudes and prejudices (racism, sexism, classism, etc.) are rooted in the Christian doctrines of domination, entitlement, evangelism, and superiority.

This is a great sinopsis of NW Coast archeology with beautiful maps and pictures. Although the authors' theory of a connection between large pithouse villages on the Columbia Plateau and extensive shell middens on the coast has been brought into quesiton by recent work on the Queen Charlette Islands, the book contains insightful information and analysis pertinent to the area's prehistory.

This book is highly recommended for both serious students and archeology hobbyists.

Peoples Of The Northwest Coast presents a condensed thematic overview. "The evolution of ranking and stratification among Northwest coast societies is at the heart of any understanding of the coast's cultural history (p. 254)." The text goes on to say "..obsidian evidence shows large -scale exchange networks existed on the coast by...10,000 B.C." This is a summary-survey of Northwest Coast archaeology with an emphasis on the role of variability in prehistory and cultural development. Written by two renowned professors of anthropology, the style and language of Peoples Of The Northwest Coast have been made deliberately accessible . The spare text is enriched by copious black and white photos, illustrations, maps, and diagrams. The richness and beauty of the Northwest Coast from Oregon to Alaska is always present in this 13,000 year archaeological history of its peoples. Cautious in tone, wary of leaping to generalizations or stereotypic thinking, the text achieves the authors' goals of educating the interested public with pleasure, presenting Northwest archaeology for popular consumption, and introducing to specialized students the pressing research questions of Northwest Coast excavation, and finally to present some of the value of archaeology to First Nation Peoples, the fourth audience. It is seen as another means to supplement and display the Coast Peoples' traditional oral histories.

Writing such a book is an ambitious undertaking. The result is well worth exploring. The role of art in these prehistories is especially presented in the ninth chapter titled "Northwest Coast Art." Nonlinear prehistory is not the oxymoron it might at first seem to be. Focussing on ecology, environments, oldest cultures, later Pacific and Modern Period Northwest Coast Subsistence Status, Ritual and Warfare, the chapters lead to a condensed complex of conclusions about variability, regional similarities, and cultural richness. The pathway to conclusions about community organization and social stratification is well defined.

Peoples Of The Northwest Coast is a respectable rave of a book.

Nancy Lorraine, Reviewer

It is all too often that the general public gets the impression that Native American cultures were monolithic, unchanging societies, with little or variation through the centuries. The greatest contribution of this book is to counter this misconception. Through its pages unfolds the story of a dynamic culture whose history contains as many twists and turns as any more familiar civilization. The text is enlivened by excellent illustrations and chapters focusing on specific aspects such as warfare and art. There is nothing in the book which should not be there, and very little that is missing, and although some less scholarly readers may get bogged down in the details, it is an invaluable reference for anyone interested in the subject.

Peoples of the Northwest Coast is a rich volume dealing with the archaeology of the Alaska, B.C. and Washington coasts. The thematic nature of the book allows the reader to explore topics such as Ecology: Environments and Demography, Northwest Coast Subsistence, and Households and Beyond. Photographs and illustrations offer an additional insight into prehistoric life on the northwest coast. Ames and Maschner have presented "their view of things", which may frusterate some readers; however, it remains the first synthesis of northwest coast archaeology and prehistory: a valuable book.

Perfect size, fits in a pocket. Has two maps. Subway map, greater philly map, and independence mall area map.

I love this map. fits right in your backpocket and is perfect for walking around where you don't know your way. The only downside to the small size is, well, the small size. I wear reading glasses of +1.75 strength, which is not too much, but without my glasses it's a struggle to read it. For those who don't need reading glasses, it will be perfect.

I took a trip up to Philadelphia with some friends and the friend we were visiting gave us this map to use when we go around. This map is AWESOME. It is everything you'll need to get around Philadelphia and it fits right into your pocket, literally.

SIZE ASSESSMENT
I first kept it in my purse and it was actually kind of cumbersome to constantly take out, so we started keeping it in jacket or pants pockets, and it rested there easily. Also, it's very small and discreet, so you don't feel like a tourist-moron when you have to bust it out to figure out where you are.

MAP ASSESSMENT
It has maps of the greater Philadelphia area, the Historic District (where the Liberty Bell, etc. are) and the Subway routes. They even suggest a "walking tour" that you can take to visit all of the places around the Historic District (takes about 1.5 hours). When it folds out, there is about an inch margin on either side that goes past the protective cardboard cover, and the mapmakers use this space to detail information about the best hotels, restaurants and sightseeing attractions. Everything is easily legible and the legend is also easy to find.

OTHER NOTES
I liked the map so much that I wanted to buy one for when I go to Stockholm this summer, but the typical sites (Amazon, Borders, Barnes and Noble) garnered no results or results that had extremely high shipping charges. However, I finally found a site that sells all the Pop-Out maps available (http://www.mapeasy.com/prod_polist.html) and even charges only $2 for shipping. After contemplating paying anywhere from $11 (in the Buy New/Used part of Amazon) to $20 (Amazon.com.uk), I was happy to get it under $9 (total) from this reputable website. Also, it's easier to find every single one, since they're in a list style, on this webpage. No more searching for me! I'll always know where to look to get my next pop-out map.

This is an excellent map.
It is detailed, but the writing is clear (no need for the magnifying glass).
It has Downtown Philadelphia in a popout map on one side (which includes some of the major shopping areas!) and Historic Philadelphia in a popout map on the other side. It includes a walking tour around Independence Mall. The back has a handy at-a-glance guide to Downtown Bus & Trolley Routes.

It has all the information you will want, popout the section you need and it folds back down again and can fit in a pocket or purse.

I am a Certified Arborist and this book is one of the best in my library when it comes to an all-around great reference book on the many facets of tree health and maintenance. I highly recommend it.

Printed by Oxford University Press, Pirone's Tree Maintenance has the heft and durability to withstand countless consultations. The text is informative beyond measure and very readable. The photography is black-and-white and didn't reproduce all that well, especially for small and detailed items; photos range from 'Fig. 7-15. Brush chipper and dump truck' (oh please...) to a hollowed-out, decayed Silver Maple resting comfortably on what appears to be a four-bedroom Dutch Colonial (illustrating the section on Identifying Hazard Trees). Good section on insects and diseases (with the caveat that the photos aren't that great); excellent tree-specific section. You will learn a lot from this book--it's a must if you want to rely on another source besides the local tree guy with a chainsaw.

This classic text gives a broad introduction to the field of tree management, including common health problems associated with trees and practical advice for solving them. It is an excellent primer for the novice arborist.

Pirone's Tree Maintenance (Seventh Edition) is one of about a half dozen books I keep within arms reach. While Parts I and II provide a fantastic amount of information on the care of trees and identifying problem, it is Part III that I use the most. This section lists common insects, diseases, and problems associated with specific tree species. While by no means comprehensive, it is an excellent place to start when trying to figure out what is going on with a tree.

Like any such book, be careful when looking at the pesticide recomendations. Chemicals come and go and the labels change (and the authors remind you of that). There are several products that are off the market that are listed in this book.

Back when the now-infamous Top 100 Books of the Century list was proposed, there were a number of glaring omissions, including Djuna Barnes's Nightwood, William Gaddis's The Recognitions, Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow and, yes, The Place in Flowers Where Pollen Rests. With the exception of William Gass's The Tunnel, I have never read such stunning prose so effortlessly rendered. The book centers around Oswald Beautiful Badger Going Over the Hill; too primitive to adopt white mentality, he is "too tainted with book smarts to be at ease among this tribe." He is overshadowed by the looming presence of his uncle, George The Place In Flowers Where Pollen Rests, a legendary carver of kachina dolls. Haunted by his involvement in the death of a porn actress, Oswald is forced to leave the low-budget film industry. A short time later, the Vietnam War pushes him to the perimeter of sanity. Whitmanesque in its simplicity and affinity for nature, West achieves a lyricism that brings concepts as overarching as constellations into the drawing room and hangs them there like bright mobiles. So detailed and incisive are West's descriptions-whether of life on the mesa, George's carving or Oswald's thoughts-the book is more an experience than a piece of literature. Uncle George tells Oswald "a doll covered with chisel scars is not more beautiful than the universe, of course not; but it is cut to our size, like the television." So West takes art, myth and Hopi cosmology and gives them to us in something handy enough to carry on the subway or leave on the bedstand. West's inexhaustible imagination and uncanny skill with language make the reader realize, as Oswald does, that she or he is part of something as eternal as the seasons and as incalculably vast as what surrounds us.

This is a difficult, provocative, awesomely beautiful book -- easily one of the great novels of the twentieth century. I can only think of a handful of other books I've ever read that are as brilliantly and thrillingly written: Styron's The Confessions of Nat Turner; Robert Penn Warren's All the Kings Men, and Faulkner's Sound and the Fury come to mind. It is the story of a man looking for his place in the universe, a member of a dying tribe trying to keeps its legends alive. It is the story of an artist, the story of someone merely trying to live and make sense of what living means. It is the story of every person, every culture, every tribe. I loved it.

Back in the fifties, a writer named Jack Green wrote a series of articles blasting the critics for ignoring the genius of William Gaddis's `The Recognitions'. By and large, the reviews were incompetent and had been cribbed from one another-most reviewers had not even read the book. Green went so far as to take out a full-page ad in the Village Voice, at his own expense, exhorting people to buy `The Recognitions'. That is the way I feel about `The Place In Flowers Where Pollen Rests'. The reviewers were anything BUT incompetent-all the reviews I have read have extolled its lyricism, its out-and-out originality and the sheer vision of the author. Readers, however, seem not to have given it its due.

Set on the Hopi mesas of northern Arizona and in the jungles of Vietnam, the book is told alternately by George The Place In Flowers Where Pollen Rests, his nephew Oswald Beautiful Badger Going Over the Hill ("not so much a name as an expedition") and even Sotuqunangu, a Hopi god. "Unhandy names, these," West writes, but they bring something to life on the mesa: a touch of color, which is the obvious thing to say, but also, to the very act of naming, something narrative, as if all of nature had been in motion at the moment of your birth. It was."

Oswald, who has learned to speak English and made his living in Los Angeles as a porn actor, returns after the accidental death of one of the actresses he was working with. He tries to re-establish the relationship with his "uncle", George, a carver of one-of-a-kind kachina dolls (a kachina is a kind of Hopi angel) who is considered the Picasso of his art. Nearly blind and hampered by a failing heart, George, for the first time, has need of Oswald-who is in fact his son-not only as someone to guide him through his perpetual dusk, but to listen to his stories of Hopi gods, Jimsonweed girls and the ghosts of his past. Ironically, it is Oswald who, in his confusion of two cultures, receives guidance and it George's voice, perhaps, that is Oswald's salvation while fighting in Vietnam.

Returning to the mesa after his tour of duty, Oswald tries, after his uncle's fashion, to get up-close and personal with stone formations, with the desert wind and even, after picking up a book on astronomy, with the stars.

There is no page you can turn to in this book where you will not find a sample of an extraordinary prose style or an observation that a lesser novelist would have saved as the punchline to end the book. For example, on the topic of happiness, West writes, "Don't try. Don't try not to try. Happiness is an incidental thing like feathers falling from a bird in flight. Fly, be a bird, and feathers will fall." In these few sentences West has captured the essence of the Baghavadgita and its "Way of Right Action." The book is simply loaded with stunning insights and beautiful sentences--the kind that put many younger authors of "Big Books" (Franzen, DeLillo) to shame. One of the absolute best novels I have ever read, readers have far too long ignored this masterpiece.

PS -- the Voyant edition has two previously unpublished essays at the back of the book; "The Backlash Against the Novel" is a fascinating read all by itself.

To merely say that the prose is lyrically buoyant is not enough, to say that the writing is merely insightful is not enough. I'd probably need the gifts of Paul West to be able to adequately get across to you just how beautiful the experience of reading this book (3x) was for me.

For me to comment on the book's story or plot would be a waste of time, because turning the pages for me was not a matter of what will happen next but a matter of what deftly rendered prose was waiting. You can get lost in it like a Faustian moment, a Coltrane solo, or an inspiration that makes you miss every exit home.

This is West's best work by far, as well as one of the best works to come out of 20th century literature. He is in absolute command of his voice, of his subject, and of his characters. If you love to read for the sake of reading, read this book. You won't be disappointed.

The late Carl Sagan thought that science should be "user-friendly," presented not in jargon but in regular English. He believed that the general public could -- and should -- have access to the latest scientific discoveries.

Sagan would be proud of _Planet Ocean._ The central theme of the book is stated clearly on page 1: "Nature is a workshop, not a temple." Matsen spends the rest of the book supporting this concept, explaining that life is not a stately, well-executed design where species climb a ladder of progress; rather, evolution is an inescapable and completely random condition. Animals and plants breed, have offspring that are slightly different, and continue to become slightly more different with each successive generation until the distant grandkids look nothing like the original parent. In addition, through totally weird, sometimes avoidable and sometimes unavoidable circumstances, the species as a whole will either do very well, or get pushed out of the scene. The environment works like the stock market -- fortunes are made, and fortunes are lost. (The metaphor of "rolling the dice" comes up more than once.)

Matsen's prose is engaging, entertaining, and extremely informative. In one of my favorite sections, he describes the success of the trilobites (who survived for 300 million years in Earth's oceans):

"They would eat anything and breed anywhere, and they made themselves as unattractive to predators as possible. We all have relatives like them. From [trilobites] and their success and longevity, an evolutionary rule of thumb has emerged: 'The more specialized a species, the less able to cope with change it will be once the inevitable happens and old habitats change beyond the point of recognition' [...]. In other words, generalists usually outlast specialists, and evolutionary progress is not necessarily a matter of refinement. [...] Ninety percent of success is just showing up. Ask an arthropod, like a trilobite or a cockroach. [...] Generalism won't get you to Carnegie Hall with your cello, but a cockroach doesn't need a cello." (p. 14).

This conversational tone is used throughout the book, and it really works. Matsen's prose reminds one of an after-class discussion with a very generous, patient biology teacher -- the kind you always wished you had, and didn't. Matsen takes otherwise very difficult subject matter and explains it in understandable terms that don't insult the intelligence of the reader. He even suggests amusing mnemonics to remember the order of epochs in the Palaezoic and Mesozoic eras ("Crying over sleeping dragons may puzzle people, terrify, (or) joyfully convert") as well as for the Cenozoic era ("Palaeontologists eat only murky plankton porridge hot").

Interwoven with the education that Matsen offers is the story of his and artist Ray Troll's voyage of discovery. Brad and Ray actually travelled to many of the sites discussed in the book, and the little personal touches -- Brad's vision of the Cretacious sea as they drove across Kansas, Ray's discovery and naming of a totally new species of pterasaur, and the fishing trips enjoyed by both -- really draw in the reader. One becomes intimate with the friendly voice, the casual, personal stories, and history of life on Earth.

Not to be missed, of course, is the wonderful art. Ray Troll is a meticulous artist, and his offbeat sense of humor is perfectly in place with the spirit of the book. For example, his illustration of a lungfish's hesitant voyage out of water is captioned, "Out of the ooze and born to cruise." Not to be missed are his "ads" for a wrist watch that measures geologic time; Burgess Brand Primordial Soup; and that great French wine, Chateau Mosasaur. Doodles, sketches, and highly detailed pastel paintings are strewn throughout, and they are worth the price of the book by themselves. (Interested readers can preview some of Ray's art at his homepage, www.trollart.com)

This book is an excellent introduction to evolution, palaeontology, marine biology, and/or marine science. Alternately light and serious, one is sorry to finish the book. It -- like the 650 million year history it encapsulates -- is such a joy to experience. Highly recommended.

Brad Matsen and Ray Troll's "Planet Ocean" is a lively swim through the fossil record, beginning at the beginning 650 million years ago in the watery depths.

Troll's whimsical illustrations accompany Matsen's humorously accessible explanations of what we've learned - and think we've learned - from the earliest fossils. Matsen traces evolution from the primordial soup to the first colonies of multicellular organisms to the ubiquitous trilobytes - "the most diverse and successful animals on Planet Ocean until the Permian extinction claimed the last of them."

He discusses the engineering that went into chambers (the nautilus) and hard shells and the arrival of backbones and speculates (with the experts) on the role of extinctions in evolution, including our own.

Although he sometimes demolishes or supports theories without sufficient scientific explanation, Matsen's watery perspective is well-organized and refreshing and Troll's drawings and paintings are as likely to be detailed and informative as they are fanciful and quirky.

I bought this book essentially to serve as additional curriculum support to my 'Science & The Art of Discovery' workshop designed for kids, 8-12. I have kept it in the office library where the kids can have ready access.

Participating kids often like to take out the book to browse. I often find them transfixed with awe.

The book is a wonderful visual & intellectual treat. The printed text integrates natural history, paleontology, geology, & biology into a wholistic narrative about the origins of all life on earth.

I like to conclude this review with a quotation from the book: "We shall not cease from exploration. And the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started. And know the place for the first time. (T S Elliot, 'Four Quartets')"

I would enthusiastically recommend this entertaining book to your kids, particularly when they have an interest in science.

This book was a pleasure to read- even though it was mostly facts (and this is coming from a teenager)! Sure, I love learning about evolution and fossils, but I rarely sit down to read long, boring books about it. But this book is fresh, colorful, full of information, and INTERESTING!!! I congratulate the author and illustrator for putting out such a masterpiece! It is sure to recruit paleontologists for the next generation!

This is an important study on some of the descendants of the Plantagenet family, whose ranks include many kings, queens, princes, princesses, dukes, duchesses, counts, and many more of the ranks of royalty and nobility, in almost every country of the world. The sources used are original or transcriptions of original records (as much as possible), along with other records, to document the family ties between the people listed in this book. Mr. Richardson et al, have also attempted to give many of the individual royal and noble titles held by each person (if any), to aid in finding these persons in other original and printed resources. Though I'm sure there are mistakes here and there, Mr. Richardson et al does a wonderful job straightening out as many of the known errors as well as a few new ones that had yet to be addressed. The great part is that this work seems to be an ongoing work - I haven't as yet gone online to check out the website, and we can look forward to many new family tidbits in the future. This book is a "must have" for those researching historically or for those with family ties to the Plantagenets!

One of the best sources for the amateur and professional alike, Douglas Richardson's books rank as the be all and end all along with John Dorman's Adventurers of Purse and Person for those wishing to tie their American genealogical lines with the petty nobility and royalty of Europe. A must-have for every genealogist. Extremely well sourced.

Exceptionally well-sourced and well-indexed. One can tell at a glance which immigrants are descendants of each person listed. Where possible, the author has listed both parents for each person, along with all possible siblings. A must-have for anyone doing research on American colonial ancestry.

Even though I do not, to my knowledge, have a single drop of royal blood in my veins, I have a longstanding interest in peerage genealogy -- if only because the earliest surviving records concern the lineages of European society's movers and shakers, not the yeoman farmers and small tradesmen whose genes I carry. Richardson is well known and widely respected in this field, having published numerous peerage articles in the most respected journals and having been a contributor to the last couple of editions of Weis. Those of us who hang out on the soc.genealogy.medieval newsgroup have watched for years as this massive work took shape (always keeping in mind that the level of discourse in that venue often verges on the sophomoric). The final result is close to being a masterpiece not only of genealogy of the traditional sort but of comparative historiography. His purpose is to document the lines of descent for about 190 individuals who immigrated to the North American colonies before 1700 from the Plantagenet dynasty who ruled England from 1154 (the accession of Henry II, Duke of Anjou) to 1485 (the defeat and death of Richard III at Bosworth Field at the hands of Henry Tudor). He notes that his work is an expansion and major revision of David Faris's _Plantagenet Ancestry of Seventeenth-Century Colonists,_ but the new work is so very extensive, this must really be regarded as an entirely new work; Faris considered only the descendants of Henry III (who died in 1272), where Richardson traces the progeny of all sixteen of Geoffrey's great-grandchildren who left descendants, both legitimate and illegitimate. Further volumes are planned to cover descents from Magna Carta sureties, the early feudal barons, and the Emperor Charlemagne. (Remember that anyone who descends from a single royal house in Britain or on the Continent will also have descents from most of the others.)

The plan of organization is reminiscent of that devised by Frederick Weis, with each family's listed lineage beginning at the point of bifurcation from the previous, earlier lines; all generations are numbered from Geoffrey, Count of Anjou, the first "Plantagenet." Citations are very, very full, which is sure to make this a heavily cited secondary source itself. In fact, Richardson seems to have read everything (the bibliography is the most complete I have ever seen, running to more than seventy-seven pages!) and obviously has thought very carefully about what he read. A number of important discoveries and changes to previous scholarship are included, such as the proven parentage of both Margery de Bohun and Joan Hastings (both major problems for decades), and the maiden name of Margaret de Mowbray (important for descendants of Mayflower passengers). Even more important is the discovery that the "Fair Rosamond" Clifford, mistress of Henry II, was not the mother of William Longspée (created Earl of Salisbury); that dubious honor now goes instead to "Countess Ida," wife of Roger Bigod, Earl of Norfolk. Nor does he consider his work to be complete: His snail-mail and e-mail addresses are included, as well as a website address, with the plea that new discoveries, additions, and corrections will be submitted by readers. This oversized volume was my birthday gift to myself this year and it already has two dozen bookmarks tucked into it.

Charles Young's fascinating, intensely readable novel vividly recreates the relatively recent history of eastern Connecticut's Native Amnericans, how they lived and worked, interacted, squabbled and dreamed of a better future, soon to be realized. In riveting, cleverly evoked flashbacks, the author takes us back more than 275 years to dramatize how Potassett's forebearers survived tribal jealousies, betrayals, bloody warfare and meager resources to sustain hope for future generations. A marvelous reading experience which shows how indomitable spirit and will bring triumph in the end.

Charles Young has a neat way of combining history with fiction. The book describes the life of the protagonist, a native American male, from childhood to manhood in a modern Indian village set down amidst the populous Connecticut shore. Along the way he is surrounded and educated by crusty, eccentric, lovable characters.

There is a sweet love affair, and the solution to a mystery about the tribe's heartbreaking past.

The action precedes the establishment of the casino of the Mashantucket Pequots.

I found Potassett to be both entertaining and educational. Charles Young has done a masterful job of combining a story of the early history of the Indians of eastern Connecticut with a modern day account of Native Americans of the same tribe in the pre-casino era, and all in an engrossing and delightful novel. I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in the history of Native Americans in New England or who just want to read a good novel.

When legend and ancient civilizations converge narrowly on the past, it is up to our authors to recreate the world and let those long dead live again. Instead of paying homage to older notions of indian representation, Charles Young hits the New England coastline with a un-biased trowel and digs in search of his own arrowheads.

In his fictional account, Young sets his anti-hero in past and present and allows him to identify with his roots and find his place as a bright, contemporary, though somewhat nerdy, native american.

The story spans several eras from pre-colonial to the present day construction of the casinos in Connecticut. With the help of his girlfriend/teacher/mentor, the protagonist, a budding archaeologist, searches for the ancient past, and focuses his attention on one question: what happened at blood creek?

Young stretches typical conceptions of native americans, and even isn't afraid to portray Uncas as an unseemly character (in your face Cooper). The book was a good read, filled with authentic local flavor and historical faction.

Blending together elements from several eras, Young shows the native american as a man who can scoff at assimilation and flourish in the land that was his by birth-right. The main characters are generally handled with dignity, and compassion; however, some of the lessers act as negative metaphors or somewhat overbearing stereotypes.

The story is well written and worth the time. I recommend you take a look.

Become aware of life in the New World between invading Eurpeans and Native Americans in this beautifully and powerfully written book. It will inform and shock you with it insights into the two vastly different cultures and shed light on modern day American values that have often go astray. Another book of insight, passion and info on Native Americans is Walking the Trail, One Man's Journey Along the Cherokee Trail of Tears by Cherokee author Jerry Ellis. He was the first person in modern history to walk the 900 mile route and the book was nominated for a Pulitzer and National Book Award.

Gleach does a wonderful job of presenting both worlds while maintaining an objective outlook. I have truely enjoyed reading this selection based on that alone. Gleach manages to keep you informed of the details yet helps you to gain new prospective on the view of both cultures. He not only tries to make sense of what happened in the contact period but does a good job of making you understand why it happened the way it did. Not your average Native American/ Colonial Conflict documentary. A wonderful job of teaching the Native side that you never learned in school. Blaming neither side for the outcome Gleach will make hard work of any other writer pulling off one as good.

In this book, Gleach (Cornell University), who was a consultant on Terrence Malick's new movie "The New World," provides a wise, interesting, and readable analysis of the much-fabled Native American-English encounter in what became Virginia. AMong other things, his analysis makes sense of an incident that most everyone has heard of and many (not least the Disney studio) have sentimentalized: Pocahontas's intervention to save Captain John Smith in 1608.

What Gleach does convincingly in this book is to draw on his extensive knowledge of Algonquian(-language-speaking) peoples to interpret the scant records of Powhatan culture and cultural assumptions. To understand Powhatan reactions to the English immigrants, we need to put aside our knowledge of who won in the long run. It was far from obvious to the Powhatan that they were going to be subordinated by aliens who were barely surviving. An earlier attempt to establish a Spanish colony had failed. The Powhatan sought to incorporate the English within their society (the one to which the English had immigrated), though none of the English ever seemed to conceive that "heathen inferiors" believed that they could and should make the rules for uninvited and unruly immigrants to the Powhatan homeland.

The English view prevailed, and colonial history has been written from the viewpoint of the winners. As Marshall Sahlins has done for the native Hawaiians' understanding of Captain Cook's incursions, Gleach has recovered a plausible picture of "how natives think" (the title of Sahlins's second book about initial English-Hawaiian contacts). In addition to showing the rationality within their own understandings of the world and proper human interaction of how the Powhatan tried to educate (literally reform) those who thrust into the Powhatan world by drawing on studies of other Algonquian cultures, Gleach also draws on extensive knowledge of English culture ca. 1600 when the Church of England was relatively new and in the English view recently legitimated by the defeat of the Catholic would-be invaders.

Fred Gleach's piece is both acute and aggresive. Fered Gleach writes this book like only Fred Gleach can. This means a lot. Not everyone can live up to their potential. Fred Gleach lives up to his potential here. I tell you- this is Fred Gleach writing from Fred Gleach's heart. This means a lot. Some of us write, and it is not from the heart, or it is to get tenure. But Fred Gleach here writes this book like only Fred Gleach can. Some things, like the truth, is important. This Fred Gleach's message. This book is very Gleachian. This means a lot.

Buy it.

I was so impressed with this book - it struck so close to home - that I could not read it all at once. Like Mohatt, I lived with these people, I Sundanced with Joe Eagle Elk's father, ceremonied, got drunk, into trouble & rose again to help people. Mohatt's text is so close to the actual truth of the conditions on the reservation it literally scared me. That's why I had to stop reading from time to time. The Price of a Gift is the equal of Lame Deer, Seeker of Visions, which is one of the great books about Lakota spirituality.

This is a remarkable work that honors the true voice of a Lakota medicine man and the voices of his people. Mohatt's labor is not to analyze or interpret so much as present an experience which can only begin to be appreciated or understood when the suffering, missteps, fears, and clowning of the healer are shown along with their transcendence. Eagle Elk was an ordinary man who resisted but finally gave himself over to his calling. There are many books that romanticize tokens of Native cultures or presume to make use of them; this is not that sort of book. Like Fadiman's, The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, this is a work of great reverence.

The story of Joseph Eagle Elk, Lakota Healer (1931-91), as told to Gerald Mohatt, cross-cultural psychologist, is simply and beautifully told.The effect of many mirrors of the gift of Joseph Eagle Elk derives in part from testimonials by people who he knew and helped to heal themselves. The sacrifice, persecution, and exhausting , demanding life of the traditional Lakota healer are fully portrayed. But the beauty that sings through in Price of a Gift is undeniable. Just to read such a book, just to know such a person lived and touched others, is profound and impacting in itself. An awareness of the core value of our lives radiates through the stories of the life of Eagle Elk. It is impossible to avoid the basic message of this book, with all its humble compassion. Without distortion, greed, evil, or pettiness, the matter of spiritual healing both as duty and joy is its glorious burden. Black Elk's vision included an awareness that the Lakota legacy would include an intrument of healing. The Price Of A Gift is evidence of that legacy. What a gift it is, to us all.

Nancy Lorraine, Reviewer

This is a must-read for everyone interested in healthcare, healing, mental health and/or Lakota culture and spirituality. It's a biography of the late Joseph Eagle Elk, which is riveting and remarkable. And as an extra bonus, the last chapter consists of a lively, multicultural discourse on the spiritual aspects of health and healing. I wish it were required reading for all healthcare professionals in the U.S.! As a Lakota, I found the book accurate and very moving. It's also one of the few books about Indigenous Tribal People written by a European-American that is truly and deeply respectful. The author conveys the complexity of Lakota culture without being patronizing or pseudo-mystical. Thank you, Mr. Mohatt, for this beautiful book.