Scraping By in the Big Eighties (American Lives)

Book Description

Natalia Singer's plan, when she headed for Seattle in 1979, was to get laid off, go on unemployment, and become laid back. Meanwhile she would train herself to become a writer. Rejecting the avid materialism of her generation and the violence of American culture, she vowed to surround herself with natural beauty, steer clear of her mentally ill mother, and contribute nothing to the fluorescent-lit, acronym-ridden, anesthetizing military-industrial complex. Her quest, which she hoped would bring her peace, safety, and creative fulfillment, actually put her increasingly in harm's way. It has, however, paid enormous dividends for readers who here have the perverse yet exquisite pleasure of following Singer's low-budget search for a bohemian haven during the last gasp of the cold war.

Singer's tortuous path, chronicled with self-deprecating wit and disconcerting candor, leads her to a duplex in Seattle, a Buddhist monastery in the Catskills, a ghost town on the Olympic Peninsula, a beach hut in Mexico, graduate school in western Massachusetts, and even a Left Bank convent, but it never frees her from her identity and obligations as an American, either at home or abroad. Singer blends memoir with cultural history to critique Reaganomics, military buildups in the face of eroding social programs and growing national debt, the hypocrisy of so-called family values, and her own complicity in all of it. Scraping By in the Big Eighties is, more than anything, about taking politics personally. Lyrical, meditative, occasionally heartbreaking, and often darkly comic, this book about mistakes blithely made in decades past is nonetheless still timely today.

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Scraping By in the Big Eighties
Natalia Rachel, And Wolff, Tobias (Editor) Singer
Manufacturer: University of Nebraska Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K05HY4

SCRAPING BY IN THE BIG EIGHTIES. American Lives Series

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SCRAPING BY IN THE BIG EIGHTIES. American Lives Series
Natalia Rachel. Singer
Manufacturer: Univ. of Nebraska Press,
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000N7JSGM

Book Description

A blend of evocative memoir, lyrical travelogue, and passionate golf pilgrimage, Playing Through chronicles the year Curtis Gillespie spent with his family in quaint Gullane, Scotland. A seaside town crammed with championship golf courses, Gullane charmed Gillespie so much as a college student that he vowed to return one day with his father. That journey never came to pass, so thirteen years later Gillespie uprooted his wife and daughters and moved to the small Scottish village, hoping to learn something about himself and the delightfully gruff natives with their peculiarly addicting sport. Against the backdrop of a uniquely beautiful landscape, Playing Through deftly explores the bonds of fatherhood, friendship, and the irresistible lure of links golf, and in the process offers up a story rich in comedy, warmth, and insight.

Book Description

In this insightful book, one of America's leading commentators on culture and society turns his gaze upon cinematic race relations, examining the relationship between film, race and culture.

Norman K Denzin argues that the cinema, like society, treats all persons as equal but struggles to define and implement diversity, pluralism and multiculturalism. He goes on to argue that the cinema needs to honour racial and ethnic differences, in defining race in terms of both an opposition to, and acceptance of, the media's interpretations and representations of the American racial order.

Acute, richly illustrated and timely, the book deepens our understanding of the politics of race and the symbolic complexity of segregation and discrimination.

Book Description

Chuck Klosterman IV Consists of Three Parts:

THINGS THAT ARE TRUE

Profiles And Trend Stories: Britney Spears, Radiohead, Billy Joel, Metallica, Val Kilmer, Bono, Wilco, The White Stripes, Steve Nash, Morrissey, Robert Plant -- All With New Introductions And

Footnotes.

THINGS THAT MIGHT BE TRUE

Opinions And Theories On Everything From Monogamy To Pirates To Robots To Super People To Guilt And (Of Course) Advancement -- All With New Hypothetical Questions And Footnotes.

SOMETHING THAT ISN'T TRUE AT ALL

This Is New Fiction. There's An Introduction, But No Footnotes. Well, There's A Footnote In The Introduction, But None In The Story.

Customer Reviews:

Good for the NEWBIES.......2007-08-21

If you are just getting into Chuck Klosterman's writing, this is the book for you. I was given his previous book, SEX, DRUGS and COCOA PUFFS by a friend and found it to be one of the most entertaining and interesting books I had read in a long time. His insight into pop culture and his take on what is all means is fun and sometimes thought-provoking. I hadn't read any of his previous work, so this anthology of his previous work was a great way for me to catch up. I have since read KILLING YOURSELF, and am about to start FARGO. Enjoy!!!

Great Summer Read.......2007-08-09

The latest Chuck Klosterman, Chuck Klosterman IV:A Decade of Curious People and Dangerous Ideas, has come out in paperback, so I picked it up. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I've been reading this mammoth book on the Algerian war and have been reading some lighter stuff in between for a break and this totally fits the bill. That being said I had read a lot of the essays before, since I use dot regularly buy Esquire magazine, but it was nice to re-visit many of the articles. Love or hate Klosterman, he has a unique perspective on life and pop culture. However, I have to admit that I am a little bit more skeptical about some of his opinions like his defense of McDonalds in "McDiculous"-in which he comes across as a libertarian apologist for capitalism. "The Amazing McNugget Diet" was a mere week and has nothing on the film Super Size Me-a week isn't long enough to do anything to the body. I also found his hypothetical questions, that preceded several of the pieces, tedious.

That being said there are some real gems in the collection. Some of my favorites include:
a profile of Birtney Spears ("Bending Spoons with Britney Spears"-possibly the least self-aware celebrity alive), a profile of Val Kilmer ("Crazy Things Seem Normal, Normal Things Seem Crazy" -possibly the most self-aware celebrity around), a Johnny Carson obituary ("Here's `Johnny'"-the collapse of the common pop culture), a mediation on your nemesis and archenemy ("Nemesis"), the pop culture concept of Advancement, which I still don't quite grasp ("Advancement"), the problems of rooting for your country in the Olympics ("I Do Not Hate the Olympics"), fashion ("Three Stories Involving Pants," pop opinion vs. your opinion ("Cultural Betrayal"), the problem of monogamy ("Monogamy"), the significance of reality TV ("4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42).

All in all, it is extremely entertaining, thought provoking, but not too taxing. I guess that's the definition of a perfect summer read.

Make it past the opening chapter and you're in for a long, strange trip.......2007-07-30

Chuck Klosterman's fourth essay collection, consisting of things that are true, things that might be true, and something that isn't true at all, is a snarky, intelligent collection with an absolutely terrible opening essay. I listened to the audiobook version, and during the opening piece, a dreadfully long, directionless anecdote about a junior high school basketball game, I nearly turned the audiobook off for good. There mere fact that Klosterman thought this was not just good enough to publish, but worth of opening his self-titled fourth book, cast doubt about the quality of the work as a whole.

Was he testing us? Would only his true fans make it past that opening chapter?

Fortunately, the next chapter, a 2003 article in which Klosterman deconstructs Britney Spears, was so riveting that I promptly forgot the painful moments of my life I lost to junior high basketball. Klosterman interviews Spears and observes her lack of self-awareness, eerily predicted her early 2007 meltdown under the media glare. He also takes us inside Val Kilmer's New Mexico buffalo ranch, to Dublin with Bono, and to certain celebrity interviews that were never published. Learning the story behind the unpublished pieces is almost as much fun as reading the essays themselves.

Klosterman also treats us to philosophical logic puzzles and his authoritative personal philosophies--the nemesis vs. arch-rival iconography, frustrated at people who are "betrayed" by the cultural mainstream, and his take on artists who are overrated, underrated, and perfectly accurately rated.

The concluding chapter is a long, ambling pseudo-autobiographical tale (with bonus angel dust use and a badass slacker narrator who happens to be a pop culture journalist at a Midwest paper) that succeeds in all the ways the first chapter fails. It's a long strange trip, indeed, with an ending open to interpretation.

Klosterman wins on most all counts..........2007-07-27

If you are familiar with Klosterman's work in such fine publications as Esquire or Spin, you know that his one article alone can sometimes make the longest lasting impression of that month's read. His fourth book, which is partially compiled from those essays, shows why many believe Klosterman is perhaps America's greatest critical/cynical observer of the modern life since guys like HST and Lester Bangs roamed the earth. (without the drugs of the former.) CK's stand-back-and-see what's-really happening take on everything from a Britney Spears photo shoot (is she just not self-aware or really extra savvy?), to a Dublin spin in Bono's Maserati, to senseless Olympic 'faux-patriotism' fandom, reality TV and the myth of monogamy, seriously questions one's own thinking with it's detached analysis and an overwhelming sense of "Oh, really?". (Plus, He's the only guy I know who bothers to make a list of bands that are 'accurately rated.') Of course, whether trying to be or not, this self acclaimed Gen-Exer is often dropkick hysterical. The book is divided into three sections - "Things That Are True," "Things That Might Be True" and "Something That Isn't True at All" the latter of which is the author's attempt at short fiction. What is true is that Klosterman wins on most all counts. Whether you agree with him or not, he puts his views front-and-center (or not) and let's you know that he doesn't necessarily look at life through the same filters as everyone else. In short, Klosterman rocks. - BlogOnBooks

Hilarious.......2007-06-02

I'm a big fan of Chuck Klosterman's writing, and he did not disappoint with this book! It wasn't quite "Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs" but I like it better than "Fargo Rock City". The last section of the book was my favorite.

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Emms ... on great chess moves.

great puzzles, why cripple them?

Interesting Book

Most Amazing Chess Moves of All Time
John Emms
Manufacturer: Gambit Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Chess | Board Games | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1901983293

Book Description

Very occasionally, a chess move is played that astonishes the whole world. It may be a move of astounding complexity, unearthly beauty, deep paradox...or all three. The move is discussed and analyzed around the world as chess-players attempt to fathom both why the move works, and how on earth anyone thought of it in the first place. In this book, John Emms has selected, from hundreds of candidates, the 200 most amazing chess moves of all time. In each case, the reader is given the chance to try to find the move for himself -- making this one of the most challenging chess puzzle books ever published. He provides full solutions, focusing on what can be learned from each Amazing Move, and what made it so hard to see. These moves are not, on the whole, completely beyond the comprehension of ordinary players. A standard reaction to these Amazing Moves is "Of course! Why didn't I see that!" By studying this book, you will both improve your chess, and increase your chances of becoming the proud player of an Amazing Move, rather than being the dumbfounded victim.

Customer Reviews:

Emms ... on great chess moves........2003-10-30

Before you read my review, you should know that I am a Life-Master of Chess.

And lately, it seems I have been bashing books - my reviews have generated a lot of e-mail - some has been rather negative. But I am always honest, and I always try to point out any flaws or mistakes that I find. As the man says: "I call 'em the way I see 'em."

So it is with a great deal of pure joy that I tell you ... I LOVED THIS BOOK!!
(In fact, I have created several new web pages ... just with the material that this book contains. With a search engine, you should find it easily.)

This book is NOT perfect; I have found quite a few errors. For example: on page # 168, (second column); the note after move after move 35.Ne6, the author gives: "Also losing is 35.Rdb1, Nh3+; 36.Ke1," etc. BUT 35...Nh3 is NOT the best move. (35...Ne4 is MUCH better.) In fact, ...Nh3 is NOT even check!!

And I do not entirely approve of the author's "Top Ten." #1 is from a game where the loser said it was, "one of the worst games he ever played." (But all losers might say this!) His number five is almost an exact copy, (in type, AND theme); to his number one. And on it goes. Games from lesser-known players, games of questionable content, moves that are NOT even real double-exclams. (Real mistakes are the lack of some simple, thorough player and position indexes.)

BUT!!!! All these are minor quibbles, really. (The author covers this ground in his intro.) Consider all the really FANTASTIC THINGS that this book offers:
# 1.) 200 of the BEST - and most astounding - chess moves ever played;
# 2.) EVERY phase of the game is covered. (Opening, middle-game, end-game.);
# 3.) Some really GREAT analysis, I estimate the author worked at least a year on this book. The analysis of some of the moves (alone) ... is worth the price of the book! The author holds NOTHING back!! In one of the examples, the author points out things like themes, recurring tactics, and opening traps!!

Chess IS tactics. And this book is really all about tactics. And there are no easy ones in here. I had my daughter pick about 30 problems at random. Half of these I knew, they are from fairly well-known chess games. But of the ones I did not already know the answer to, I correctly solved only three problems!! (I don't count problems where I guessed the solutions.) If a Master needs to work on this area, how about you?

At last - a FUN book, that if used intelligently - will help you get better at chess. And once you have spent some time with this book, you will have a smile almost as big as mine! Outstanding!!

great puzzles, why cripple them?.......2000-12-30

Mr. John Emms, why diminish the value of your exceptional research by classifying the positions into categories? This effectively makes the puzzles easier to solve, not to mention that many of the captions accompanying the puzzle diagrams divulge key ideas in the position... Enjoyment is reduced (the job is made easier) when you know the position leads to mate, or not ( material gain ), or that a long term sacrifice must happen. On a more positive note, the analysis in the solutions is great and the fact that you include the _entire_ game leading up to the diagram position is fantastic.

Interesting Book.......2000-09-05

This is a book to be read for fun, though stronger players might like to test their analytical and tactical mettle on the problem positions given. A set of problems, drawn from real play, is given in each of ten chapters. Each set is followed by detailed solutions and annotations. The problems require ingenuity coupled with disciplined analysis. The solutions to many are enough to elicit a startled gasp. While the book should appeal to all players above 1600, it seems best suited as training material for ambitious 2100 players trying to break through to 2200 or 2300 strength.

Book Description

Do you want to rearm Venus de Milo, shave Uncle Harry’s beard, or turn gray skies to blue? Have at it with PhotoshopElements 3 For Dummies, your guide to enhancing the effect, fixing the flaws, or adding artistic effects to your photos. You’ll discover how to:

Import and organize your photos
Create, rearrange, blend and manipulate layers to create a composite image
Save photos using the correct file format— TIFF (Tagged Image File Format, PDF (Portable Document Format), or BMP (for PC users)
Save for the Web with JPEG and GIF
Take advantage of the terrific Help Great Help system, including a How To palette with step-by-step tutorials for image editing and features
Create a slide show, a picture package, or a Web photo gallery

PhotoshopElements 3 For Dummies was written by Dele McClelland, award-winning author of more than 75 titles, including Photoshop for Dummies and Photoshop CS Bible, and Galen Fott, writer and reviewer for Macworld and PC Magazine. It includes 16 pages of full-color examples that demonstrate capabilities and show you “before” and “after” photos. You’ll get step-by-step specifics on techniques that can transform your photos, including:

Selecting the area you want to work with using the lasso, marquee, or magic wand tools or the selection brush
Using the healing brush to remove imperfections such as blemishes and the new red eye removal tool to remove that demonic glow
Adjusting color with a variety of tools and techniques
Applying filters such as Blur, Gaussian Blur, Colored Pencil, Diffuse Glow, Glass, Glowing Edges and many more
Color correcting quickly with fast color-corrections
Using the layer styles in the Styles and Effects palette to let your imagination go wild with painting, drawing, applying drop shadows and bevels, adding text, and more
Using the brush, pencil, eraser, shape and cookie cutter tools
Working with the type tools, including formatting options, warping type into unusual shapes, and creating outline type
Making the most of the effects, including frame, image effects, text effects, and textures
Using Photomerge to create panoramic pictures

PhotoshopElements 3 For Dummies doesn’t just give you instructions—it gives you ideas. You’ll be inspired to capitalize on the capabilities and explore different techniques to enhance and share your photos.

Customer Reviews:

A Dummy on Photoshop for Dummies.......2007-05-12

I have six books for Photoshop Elements 3. This one is the best of the lot. Written so I can understand it. Unlike the others, this one does not assume that I am already an expert on the program. If I knew what the others assume I know, I wouldn't need their books.

Let's hear it for the Dummies.

Buy the book to learn more........2007-05-08

I've had Photoshop Elements for some time but was only scratching the surface on what it could do. This easy to read book has shown many, many functions to me that has made the money spent on the software much more of a value to me. I've jumped around chapters to focus on what was most important to me. Don't feel you need to sit and read cover to cover - start with what you want to learn. At times a boring subject the authors fit in humor.

This book is for me, I am a Dummy :-).......2006-03-19

Okay... Altho i am getting better, I still am not very savvy on the computer. Because of this book my friends think I am a photo guru!!! This book is soooo easy to understand and the example pictures are a big help. I am having so much fun!!! I highly recommend this book for beginners.

Photoshop Elements 3 For Dummies.......2005-10-17

I do a lot of scrapbooking and was quite disappointed when I purchased Photoshop Elements because I could not seem to get around in the program. Now that I have the Dummies book I'm navigating the program with the greatest of ease. The book has talked me through step by step in easy to understand language. My pictures are looking much better and I'm able to print the sizes I want and recently I've started creating accessories for my pages. So I highly recommend this book.

Photoshop Elements 3 for Dummies like me.......2005-09-28

I never know how much of a "Dummy" I am until I try to fiddle with a computer program. The Dummies series have always come to my rescue. I enjoy the lively banter-style format which makes me feel like I am getting personalized assistance. With no arguments! Even if I never figure out my software, at least I will have enjoyed the experience! The book covers the subject, but with no consideration to related programs (ie., XP, wherein I believe my problems lie...) XP for Dummies, coming right up!

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Photoshop Elements 3 for Dummies
Deke Mcclelland
Manufacturer: HUNGRY MINDS IDG
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Adobe Photoshop | Digital Photography & Video | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000Q1EX1A

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Photoshop Elements 3 for Dummies

Manufacturer: HUNGRY MINDS (TWLD)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Adobe Photoshop | Digital Photography & Video | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000H9IBAA

Book Description

Early A.A. derived its spiritual ideas from six major sources: (1) Bible. (2) Quiet Time. (3) the teachings of the Rev. Sam Shoemaker of New York. (4) The life-changing program of the Oxford Group. (5) Anne Smith's Journal (kept by the wife of A.A.co-founder Dr. Bob. (6) The Christian literature early AAs studied to develop their program. This particular title has been revised, is now in its second edition, and is priced at $16.95. It tells exactly where the idea of Quiet Time came from in the Bible, how it developed through the ages, how A First Century Christian Fellowship (of which A.A. was a part) used it, how it was used in A.A. through Bible study, prayer, listening, use of helpful books, and use of devotionals such as The Upper Room. This is a valuable book for those who wish to observe Quiet Time as early AAs did ("a must") and observe it in a way that will involve something more than looking at a tiny squib for a minute or two in the morning. Paradise Res! earch Publications, Inc.

Customer Reviews:

An excellent guide for 12 Step prayer, meditation, reading, guidance.......2006-11-18

A Key Work on Morning Meditation and Prayer
Early on, Dick B. discovered that there were plenty of meditation and prayer books, but practically none that showed what early AAs were doing with their Quiet Times. This is an excellent help to me in following the sequence of 'meditation' events: a new birth, Bible study, prayer, seeking God's guidance, studying a devotional like The Upper Room, The Runner's Bible, and My Utmost for His Highest. It's actually a guide in my own daily prayer life, and can be for anyone who wants to be in touch with God each day - just as AA pioneers were

Also recommended: The Akron Genesis of Alcoholics Anonymous by Dick B. New Light on Alcoholism by Dick B. That Amazing Grace by Dick B.

A real help for my Quiet Time.......2000-12-07

Those of us who observe a morning quiet time (that means Bible study, prayer, thanks to God, asking for His guidance, and sometimes the use of collateral materials)welcome this nifty review of quiet time and the morning watch through the ages. It shows the real biblical roots of morning prayer and "meditation" and provides an excellent guide, not only as to what early AAs did, but what we can do today. It is a guide for morning watch and also for seeking God's help throughout the day, followed by a hefty vote of thanks to Him at night.

Book Description

Some of the most savage war in world history was waged on the American Plains from 1865 to 1879. As settlers moved west following the Civil War, they found powerful Indian tribes barring the way. When the U.S. Army intervened, a bloody and prolonged conflict ensued. Drawing heavily from diaries, letters, and memoirs from American Plains settlers, historian Thomas Goodrich weaves a spellbinding tale of life and death on the prairie, told in the timeless words of the participants themselves. "Scalp Dance" is a powerful, unforgettable epic that shatters modern myths. Within its pages, the reader will find a truthful account of Indian warfare as it occurred.

Customer Reviews:

Great First Hand Accounts of Conflict on the Plains .......2006-12-20

The author does an excellent job providing a history of violent contacts between the Plains Indians and whites and between Indians themselves through the use of first hand accounts. What is unique about this format is that the accounts seem to flow freely through the book adding to the story and not detracting from it. The accounts are primarily from whites who were direct witnesses to Indian raids in Colorado, Red Clouds War the Kansas War, The Great Sioux and Cheyene War and the Northern Cheyene's desperate flight back to their homeland. The descriptions discuss not only combat with Indians but the violence extended to victims including gruesome desercations of the victims body, thought to have necessary significance for Indians for an advanatge in the afterlife. The discovery of mutilated bodies understandably created a vengeful lust among friends and family of the deceased. Surprisingly, these accounts include mistreatment of captured women. This seems in sharp contrast to the way northeastern tribes treated prisoners during the mid 18th century where prisoners were used as slaves, barter or assimiliation purposes (see "White Devil" by Stephen Brumwell). The impression the book leaves you is that there was very little of this option with the Plains Indians, which directly speaks to the old proverb "Save the last bullet for yourself". Although the book is primarily from the white perspectives, it does cover the controversial massacre of Sand Creek by Major Chivington as it appears that violence begets violence whether justified or not(The massacre perspective is challenged in "The Battle of Sand Creek: The Military Perspective" by Michael Michno). One thing of note is that General Sheridan was disinclined to trade for white women prisoners if they were held in captivity too long assuming they were no longer fit for society (see "General Sheridan and His Generals" by Paul Hutton). The violent combat is not restricted just between whites and Indians but also between different tribes as one witness observed Crows torturing one of their enemies to death. The book has some balance as Captain Mills from Crooks' army expresses regret for a young Indian child's grief for her deceased mother who was caught in a cross fire at Slim Buttes. It is also noted that whites periodically took scalps (Buffalo Bill) and desecrated Indian graves. Many of the individuals quoted seemed to be very forthright as one scout who survived the siege at Beecher's Island stated that he did not know how many Indians he killed since their attacks were so fast and furious he couldn't follow his shots. The book also highlights the Fetterman Massacre (whites lost), Battle of Washita (some say massacre), Little Big Horn, Rosebud, Slim Buttes and assortment of other campaigns. All in all, the witneses attest to the hard, dangerous and violent life on the edge of the frontier.

Scalp Dance brutal, honest.......2006-11-02

This book does reflect a no screwing around prose about the Indian Wars, with many examples of incidents that had occurred during them-both to settlers, and the various Indian tribes. A very vivid book, and competes up there with Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee. Easy to read, also.

The Most Honest Book About the Plains Wars Available.......2006-08-22

One of the few good things about the 1960s was that, as one set of politically correct attitudes replaced another, there was a brief moment when both were rejected and you got something approximating the truth. In movies like Ulzana's Raid and Duel at Diablo, you got a sense that neither "red man" or "white man" was blameless, that both sides suffered and that what the Indian Wars were about was a clash of civilizations. This made for an honest assessment of the period, an assessment soon lost as the "whites as monsters" ideology replaced the "Indians as monsters" view.

There are very few books, however, which have been able to capture that objectivity. This is the best of them. You get a sense of the irreconcilable views of the two sides. In colorful, exciting but scrupulously accurate prose, the entire period is laid out for the reader. Interestingly, because the author does not tilt his narrative to one side or the other, you get a richer appreciation for the tragedy of that period.

If you read only one book on the Indian Wars, read this one.

America's First War on Terror.......2004-06-09

If you want to understand the dynamics of the plains indian wars, you MUST read this book. Scalp Dance gives you an up close and personal look at the atrocities and danger that frontier people lived with daily. One of my favorite subjects is the Indian Wars (both in the east and west), but anymore it is virtually impossible -- and I mean IMPOSSIBLE -- to find books that aren't extremely PC and insultingly one-sided. This book is the antidote. Before you cast aspersions on the people involved in these conflicts, read this book, and ask yourself, "What would I do in the same situation?"

An enjoyable alternative perspective on this subject..........2004-01-07

As many of the reviews of this book have stated, this book differs from many other accounts of Indian-white warfare on the Great Plains in that it does not start with an agenda which paints the white settlers/soldiers as thieving invaders and the Indians as noble, oppressed victims. What it is is what it claims to be--a scholarly analysis of contemporaneously written accounts of the conflicts which ranged from the Comanche country in Texas to the Sioux plains in the Dakotas and Montana, with a particular emphasis on the Cheyenne tribe which ranged throughout (and regarding Kansas in particular, which State the author appears to be an authority on). However, since it is based upon contemporaneous writing, it largely is the version of white settlers, survivors, soldiers and newspapermen, and the natural reaction after reading it is to see the Indians as bloodthirsty, brutal savages who raped, tortured and killed. This is fine, because they were, to a certain extent. There is no doubt that these things occurred. But if the book fails, it is in not giving the other side of the story (which would be difficult, becuase none of the tribes involved had a written language at the time). However, considering the subject matter, there are more than enough books which detail the white wrongs--broken treaties, outright theft of land, extermination of Buffalo, poor reservations, corrupt Indian agents, punishment of innocent Indians for the acts of warlike tribesmen, etc. Goodrich is clearly not trying to paint the Indians as monsters, but rather is presenting, in highly readable fashion, the written versions of those who were there--which is inevitably the white version, and it details harrowing accounts of Indian torture, rape and murder. The book is excellent and informative, and is highly recommended. Just make sure you read other books on the subject which take a different (some would say "PC") perspective, like Dee Brown's Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee, and then come to your own conclusion, which will be, inevitably, that both sides had justification, right or wrong, for the brutalities each committed, and that what ultimately happened was a sad but inevitable result of a clash of cultures.

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Embracing both sides

God, Time, & Stephen Hawking: An Exploration into Origins
David Wilkinson
Manufacturer: Monarch Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Science & Religion | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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A Brief History of Time

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ASIN: 0825460298

Book Description

(Foreword by Sir Arnold Wolfendale FRS) An examination of the possible origins of the universe from the viewpoints of both science and religion.

Customer Reviews:

Embracing both sides.......2002-10-09

This is an interesting book by a liberal Christian regarding how he combines faith and science. He does not combine them very smoothly. The book lurches as it goes from cosmology to religion. Wilkinson does a good job at describing physics in a readable way, but left me without any new ways of looking at things. I found the book Finding Darwin's God to be more personal and touching in describing that author's struggle to make sense of religious conflicts over biology instead of physics. That is a better book unless one is interested strictly in physics.

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God, Time and Stephen Hawking
David Wilkinson
Manufacturer: Monarch Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1854245449

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