Mississippi Books

This awakening-to-consciousness journey laid before the reader is rich and enlightening; painting the pictures of lands and beliefs with a full colored brush.
The true story gives us a look into how Nazi Germany bent and broke both Jewish and Christian people in subtle and shocking ways; ultimately-in the wake of its destruction-sending one young man, whose indoctrination into the Hitler youth estranged him from his own family and the reality of the plight of Jewish countrymen, across nations on a spiritual search for meaning in an exploration of the religions of the world.
Information and insights on Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism and Christianity broaden the reader along with this pilgrim.
The route from conquered Germany through places like impoverished streets of Bombay, a cave in the Himalayas, ashrams in India, sand stormed deserts in Pakistan, Babylonian excavations in Iraq, the Jordanian border to Jerusalem is filled with richly described encounters, hazards and life lessons. Getting from point A to point B is alternately smooth and tense with risks.
The end leaves one wanting to know more; believing that if peace and reconciliation can be possible for this man, with all his baggage on his search for a meaningful life of peace, then it is more than a nebulous vision for the rest of us with our multi-patterned, cultural valises in tow.
I recommend this book to everyone- if for no other reason than to garner a glimpse at Oskar/Asher's winding paths and how it is in the daily existence of those who we may never meet, in lands we may only read about or see in snatches of media.
This author has sensitively and honestly written this insightful biography which shows practical applications for today's journeys to the possibilities of peace between nations and people with myriad belief systems.
It says so completely that it is not necessary to go down the path of destruction again.
This would be an excellent book for reading groups/ethical societies where discussion is included.
My recommendation is: read and share with others.
You will want to discuss this book!

This is an amazing story of a man who was in the hitler youth, and became an orthodox Jew living in Israel. The story of his journey - spiritual and physical - is incredible. The book is written so that you feel as if you are experiencing the story with Oskar/Asher. Definitely recommended reading!

This is not your typical fiction or even non-fiction book. I understand this book to be loosely autobiographical, which makes it even more fascinating. I read this book in two hours -- I could not put it down. I have since read it two more times and will read it again, as there is so much to grasp. It is painful, gripping, strange, and beautiful.

Simply a stunning object of literature and art. The layout of the book underscores its existence as an art object as well as a slice of devastatingly important historical literature. I picked it up and did not put it down, literally, until I had finished the final page. I loaned it to friends and they had the same experience. This book takes its place among the breaths of writing that change all who interact with it. This is a book to be loved.

John Baeder is one of the most talented artists to come out of the photo-realist school of the 1960's. This volume is a survey of his painting career and catalogs a current traveling museum show that will be in Asheville, NC this summer and in his home town of Nashville, TN in December. Anyone who is interested in the built landscape of the 20th Century, masterful painting or Diners and their history, will truly treasure this volume. It's just interesting on a number of different levels from history to architecture to our social culture to art. It's a very nicely made paper cover book and is quite reasonably priced.

For 30 years, Atlanta-born artist John Baeder has been known for his atmospheric depictions of diners, which were disappearing from American highways and byways when Baeder began painting them in the '70s; in fact, many of Baeder's subjects are buildings in various stages of deterioration (plenty of metaphor there!). Over the year, "roadside retro" since become a subject that resonates not just with collectors but the American public in general. As for diners, those icons of the American road they have resurged big-time, at least in the Northeast (albeit in gltizy, supersize versions), for an eating public hungry for nostalgia.
We can give most of the credit to Baeder for both trends.
The University Press of Mississippi's "Pleasant Journeys and Good Eats Along the Way: The Paintings of John Baeder" is a good survey of Baeder's work that includes not only his newer diner images but lots of lesser-known gems, such as his paintings of Los Angeles taco trucks.
The book is a knockout, although bigger would have been better: As devotees of Baeder's work are aware, he's done a lot of fantastic images yet unpublished in book form. Nonetheless, "Pleasant Journeys" will definitely hook the uninitiated; "roadside" devotees, who know him well, will find even more to appreciate. I guarantee: Leave this book on your desk in your office wheere your coworkers can see it, or in your living room when guests are over, and it will be picked up and passed around in no time flat.

I do a lot of research on Missouri archaeology and this is always the book that I start with to get background information on a site. It is the BIBLE as far as my work is concerned. The bibliography alone is an awesome resource and has been immensely helpful in pointing me to other sources of info. Dr. Wood and Dr. O'Brien are both great, well-respected archaeologists; anything with either of their names on it is gold in my opinion. Both have a writing style that is easy to digest, which is something I always appreciate. I have an office copy and am now ordering one for my personal collection. I have yet to read it cover to cover (will as soon as I get it), but, by simply using the index, it has proven to be an invaluable tool for what I do.

This is one of the few books I have read, then reread portions of several times. O'Brien and Wood have done more than justice to their subject; they have created a new direction through their serious consideration of archaeological systemics. I especially appreciate the strong thread of honesty and humility that runs through the entire text. This is particularly evident in the introductory chapter, "Time, Space, and Form in Americanist Archaeology" and the final chapter, "A Further Consideration..." I have long suspected that we know a whole lot less about prehistory in general than the public imagines or scholars would like to believe, and I am frustrated by the plethora of virtually meaningless labels and conjectures in other works. In between the first and last chapters,is the mass of knowledge these gentlemen share. Their story of the peopling of America is fresh and open with consideration for truly iconclastic possibilities. They view the Dalton tradition probably the immediate successor of the Clovis tradition in mid-America, and the discussion is well thought out, but leaves open minds for so much more to be discovered and understood in the future. They bring the reader through the ages in the pivotal state of Missouri by clearly and objectively looking at the evidence. This book is well worth your examination whether you reside in Missouri or elsewhere.

Redgunk Tales is quickly becoming one of my favorite short story collections. The stories combine the best of fantasy and horror writing with a humorous, philosophical style. I've only had the book for two weeks but I'm already enjoying some of the stories a second time.

Redgunk Tales is quickly becoming one of my favorite short story collections. The stories combine the best of fantasy and horror writing with a humorous, philosophical style. I've only had the book for two weeks but I'm already enjoying some of the stories a second time.

When I was in college I read a collected edition of the poems of Robert Lowell and its pages amazed me. They were like nothing I'd ever read before. I was completely inspired, but knew that his genius was something one could not easily approach. It's actually a good feeling though because it's nice to be reminded of the heights to which we can aspire. That being said I knew very little about the specifics of his life apart from the fact that he had experienced several breakdowns and spent time in a mental hospital.

The brilliance of Lowell's poetry is what caused me to purchase Hamilton's biography. Mr. Hamilton is an outstanding writer in his own right and this is a finely crafted narrative. Some readers may not appreciate this author's extensive use of primary source materials, but I think it's a strength overall. Allowing those who knew the man to give their accounting--via private letters and published works--provides readers with the most telling portrait of a subject's life and times. Length wise this volume was perfect.

As far as Lowell goes, this narrative (which is the truth) thoroughly knocks him off the pedestal. He spent a good bit of his life paralyzed by mental illness and was a burden to both friends and family. His is an ugly tale. His relationships were a horror show and Lowell was very lucky that he kept the associations he did given his bizarre and occasionally malicious behavior. Hamilton's biography also has value as a testament to the growth of modern psychiatry. How easy it is to forget that only a few decades ago bipolar disorder was a thoroughly debilitating illness one often leading to imprisonment, confinement in an institution, and an early death. Thank God for lithium along with all the drugs that have evolved in the time since.

This book, in addition to being a well written and entertaining biography, can give insight into the complexities of having a family member with Manic Depression.

Nick does a great job in this book telling about his canoe trip down the whole Mississippi with great flashbacks on the history of the people who lived on the river and some of the things they did during early contact with the Eroupeans. It appears that the author grew a lot from this trip and possibly changed his life in a good way. A must read for folks interested in what a man can do if he wants to really try to overcome obstacles and find inner peace

Once I picked this book up, I couldn't set it down. Just thinking about the authors adventure from Lake Itasca to New Orleans makes me want to drop everything and hit the open river myself. Because I read this book, I feel I have a deeper understanding of the history surrounding my childhood town and the mighty Mississippi that runs through it. This story of a very courageous and confident man finding happiness and love on the river that has given life to it's people for thousands of years will always stay with me, and I would certainly recommend it to anyone with some adventure in his or her own soul.

This is an amazing book, documenting the early graphic artist, a French man. His drawings and accompanying text, translated into English, are droll and wry. The format is a trifle large to hold, as the book is oversize. I recommend this book to followers of comedy and artists!

At long last the father of comics, Töpffer, has made it back into print in grand style. This exceptionally researched volume by David Kunzle is a compilation of Topffer's early experiments in picture stories that were the impetus for modern comics everywhere in Europe and the United States. Before this publication these works were only available in research libraries and rare book collections. It not only includes all eight of Töpffer's puplished stories it also includes a few never before seen omissions, variants, and a few unfinished works. This is not just for comic enthusiasts or historians these are genuinely entertaining stories that have an absurdist vein that is startling and engaging. Töpffer is was not a primative or a novice, but an exceptional visionary who saw a new way to tell stories as if they were actually happening in front of you over time. He played with this innovation drawing out some remarkablly original ways of telling stories that channeled the spirit of Tristam Shandy and put it in the body of James Gilray.

This book tells the story of two very different people, both residents of Sunflower County, Mississippi from the early 1900s to the turbulent decades of the 1940s, 50s and 60. If you like history, you'll love the book; it is factual, well researched and full of meaningful anecdotes. If you don't like history, you'll love this book, too. It is great fun to read because Myers includes reflections about his personal experiences as a teacher in Sunflower County.

At first, the two protagonists seem to be a study in contrasts. James Eastland was a wealthy planter and segregationist U.S. Senator with an enormous influence in Washington. Fanny Lou Hamer, the daughter of a poor black sharecropper, became a leading figure in the civil rights movement. Surprisingly, Myers finds common ground. He treats both subjects with sensitivity.

It's nice to read a history from someone who unabashedly says in the first sentence of the preface: "I love Sunflower County, Mississippi." As you read this book, you'll see why and you'll gain an understanding of the problems, prospects and beauty of this corner of the world.

This book is a must read for any person interested in Mississippi or the civil rights movement. Chris Myers Asch has weaved the crucial historical facts relating to two juggernaughts from Sunflower County, Mississippi - Fannie Lou Hamer and Sen. James Eastland - into an incredibly compelling narrative. In so doing, Dr. Asch explains the journey of these two characters in a fair, hard-hitting way that does not unnecessarily deride Sen. Eastland or excessively over-promote Ms. Hamer. He just tells it like it is. I went through two highlighters underlining my favorite passages!

I particularly enjoyed Dr. Asch's masterful ability to highlight the historical irony surrounding these two extraordinary figures: despite Ms. Hamer's long fight to bring voting rights to blacks in Mississippi, Sen. Eastland - and not Ms. Hamer - in many ways emerged (at least during their lifetimes) as having adapted better to the social and political changes brought about by the civil rights movement. Talk about food for thought.

Having worked with Dr. Asch in Sunflower County and having followed his career with keen interest, I am thrilled we all have an opportunity to appreciate the important contribution he has made to American historical scholarship.

Shawn Raymond
Houston, Texas

I found this book to be a very interesting look at the conscience of a laywer as he wrestles with the dilemma of winning a case or doing the right thing. Adding to his problem is the discovery of his father's diary.

As entertaining as Grisham, but, without the political correctness

An excellent debut by an Assistant Attorney General who knows what "real" law is all about. Fraiser takes you through a "normal/everyday" murder and the "normal/everyday" process by which an attorney is appointed to defend the man. The attorney does a little lying. So what, it's all to serve his client--what an attorney does, right? Then "!!! BAM !!!" the attorney's life is turned upside down--not to mention he is probably going to be killed.. Do morals make a difference? His father thought so, but this is the 90's. And the suspense and the danger builds and builds and builds.

Published by one of the smaller presses, and therefore certain not to get the advertising dollars that the bigger publishers spend on their authors, this novel will be overlooked by some--much to their loss. A great story