Gary C. Anderson is considered an expert on Dakota/Sioux history, largely due to this book, "Kinsmen of Another Kind: Dakota-White Relations in the Upper Mississippi Valley, 1650-1862." It is a reprint, I believe, of his doctoral dissertation, and includes a new introduction of the original 1984 printing ... For a neophyte such as myself, the book is a bit too detailed for an introduction to Dakota history, but Anderson does help the beginner by vigorously emphasizing general themes throughout the book.

Anderson's central theme in his book is one of kinship ties. In Dakota culture, Anderson argues, one could be "adopted" into a tribe, band, or Dakota family by going through either a ceremony or marrying a Dakota. Once this was done, that person (and there is no distinction among Indians or Whites in this matter) is considered a part of the tribe. White traders as early as the French in the 17th century used these ties to great effect because it allowed the traders to employ Dakota hunters as fur gatherers. But the ties also required the traders who used them to treat their new Dakota kin as family, something some traders failed to do on a regular basis. Some of these traders let the relationships lapse, or did not give gifts to their Dakota kin (an essential aspect of the give and take of the relationship). Throughout the book, Anderson sledgehammers this concept again and again, showing how kinship bonds so heavily relied upon in the earliest days of Dakota-White contact faded into obscurity as time went by and Whites gained the upper hand in the region in terms of military, political, and economic strength. By the time of the Dakota uprising of 1862, kinship ties were nearly nonexistent.

An effective way to read this book, and one that my professor is trying to drill into our heads, is to try and examine Anderson's findings from an Indian perspective. When this is done, numerous problems with the book emerge.

First, Anderson relies heavily on European sources for his information. While his list of these sources in the back of the book is truly impressive (he examines everything from diaries, travelogues, journals, letters, government documents, books, and treaties), his use of native oral tradition is scarce. Dakota oral stories do exist concerning contact with Europeans, but after reading this book, you would never know it. This may stem from the time in which Anderson wrote the book, as there is now a greater awareness of the need to utilize these sources in order to achieve a finer balance and larger historical picture.

Second, for an Indian scholar, Anderson at times shows a slight insensitivity to the Dakota. It is easy to get carried away with this point and indulge in the type of reckless statements made by the politically correct crowd, but a few statements Anderson makes could be considered crass. For instance, he calls Andrew Jackson's removal program, a program that forced Indians throughout the United States off of their land (often at gunpoint), "humane." During his exposition of the Dakota uprising in 1862, Anderson incessantly refers to Dakotas as either "friendlies" or "hostiles." Now this may be true from the standpoint of the settlers in the region dodging Indian bullets, but it probably had different connotations for those Dakotas who participated in the revolt.

Despite the few biased comments, Anderson doesn't disregard the shameful aspects of the treaty process between Dakotas and the United States government. Time and time again, treaties signed with the Dakotas promised much and delivered little. It was the traders who committed the most egregious sins; they used their position as suppliers for the Dakota to falsify debt records, presenting bills to the federal government for outlandish amounts of money "owed" to them by the Dakotas. When the treaty money finally came through, the traders skimmed this amount right off the top, often getting the amounts written directly into the treaty agreements. As if that isn't bad enough, some of the treaty commissioners indulged in a little corruption themselves, taking tens of thousands of dollars as "fees" for transporting the payments from Washington to the Dakota tribes in Minnesota. At least when this happened, it still meant the Dakotas got some of the money. Oftentimes, either the money didn't come through at all, or would be delivered months late, leading to starvation for the tribes who needed the funds for essential supplies. Eventually, the government realized they could purposefully withhold the money in order to force the Dakota to do things the government wanted done. This withholding of funds is what led to the destructive uprising in 1862, leading to the deaths of hundreds of Dakotas and Whites.

It would have been extremely helpful if Anderson included some decent maps in this book. We get two, one puny map of the upper Mississippi area and one of the Dakota reservations along the Minnesota River. Neither does effective service to the huge amount of place names Anderson drops during the course of his work. They also fail to help the reader place the various tribes within the Dakota Nation. This is important because Anderson often refers to the Mdewankantons, Sissetons, Wahpekutes, etc. These are the separate Dakota tribes, and they move about frequently, so frequently that locating them on the maps provided defies even the hardiest efforts.

For a detailed, scholarly history of the Eastern Dakota tribes, this book, despite its many flaws, does the trick. The research, for the sources it does utilize, is well done. Gary Anderson is to be commended for a fascinating look at a way of life long gone from the American scene.

I was looking for a book on how to design notes databases. This wasn't it. No fault to the author of the book. It is very well written and explains the use of Notes inside and out. However it doesn't cover programming at all. I didn't read the description provided well enough to see that before I bought it.

If you are interested in a book that shows you how to get the most out of the Notes client, then this book is for you. There are some great tips and tricks to get more out of the client.

As a full-time computer programmer, I have reviewed nearly every book out there on the basics of C++ and Object-Oriented Programming. Far and away, this book is the single volume you should purchase when you are starting out. This book has a lot going for it. First of all, you can't beat the price. This one is really a bargain! When you buy it you'll want to get started right away. Be sure to check out the portion of the Introduction called "How to Use This Book." Based upon what you want to do, this section outlines which lessons to focus on and how to proceed.

The writing lives up to Mr.'s Cay S. Horstmann, John A. Roberson, Clayton T. Crowe of a "good-humored, plain-English, beginner-friendly style." The format of 24 one-hour lessons is easy to live with and increases retention of each topic. They includes great introductions to C++.

This book is rich with examples, and each lesson includes a summary (very useful for reference later on), Q&A, a quiz, and activities. The quiz and activities are aimed at adults, so you won't feel like you just bought a college textbook. Give them a try. You'll quickly see how much you've learned from the quiz and the activities will build both your skills and confidence.

My colleagues ask for book recommendations from me every day. Many times I have to tell them that the book they heard was so great is only good if you need a doorstop. I highly recommend this one to all my colleagues. --This text refers to the Paperback edition

For many people, the name W.R. Grace is connected with lawsuits and legal nightmares. But, for a true look at the birth of this amazing enterprise, one should read "The Story of W.R.Grace". Apart from the civil actions that Grace has confronted in the past 50 years(which you will not read about in this book), the company and its fascinating founder, William R. Grace, hold a rich history and an incredible story of rags to riches.

As a young Irish boy, W.R. Grace came to America with a dream of wealth and commerce tied with a honest and sound approach to business. At a time when America's industrial revolution was booming and business pratices were not as regulated as they are today, Grace came forward with a honest and upfront approach that would change the face of America Commerce and would launch Grace into the spotlight, good and bad, for years to come. A must read for anyone in business!

If your looking for new disciplines, rules and additions, then go somewhere else. If your looking for a dark look into the mind and motives of a Sabbat member; then this is your book. The Sabbat guide answers long awaited questions, and expands on this dark sect, without making you go back and recreate your character due to totally new rules. All in all, a good book.

Moongather is book 1 in the Duel of Sorcery trilogy, and tells the story of Serroi, a "misborn of the windrunners", as both young girl and young woman (the two stories being told in parallel fashion throughout the book). For those readers who like strong female lead characters, this book would be a good choice.

The writing is very good and moves the reader along briskly. Some of the magic presented will seem familiar to D&D aficionados, not necessarily in specifics but rather in form. The tajicho, for example, an object which acts to hide its bearer from magical eyes, is created by removing an eggshaped growth in the center of the brain case of a monster called the Nyok'chui and calling down lightning on it. The various levels of Nor (or magicians) wield power through the calling and controlling of various types of demons.

This book was released in conjunction with an exhibition of the artists work at the Mexican Museum in San Francisco. Nahum B. Zenil is a Mexican artist who paints in a very personal style. He has been compared to Frida Kahlo. The comparisons are based primarily on the fact that he is portrayed in his paintings in self portrait as Frida did. The book also has a very revealing interview conducted originally by Cristina Pacheco for the Mexican press in La Jornada Semenal from 1995 for a different exhibition. In the interview Zenil reflects on his art and interestingly enough reveals that for a long time he was unaware of Frida Kahlo's art and it wasn't until the comparisons were made did he learn about her. As a result he has painted several paintings in which Frida and or Diego Rivera are present which are amazing tributes to the giants of Mexican art. His art may shock some people because several of his self portraits show his genitalia. He also is a gay artist and an advocate of gay rights in macho Mexico. I personally had never seen any art like this and was taken back by it at first. The majority of reproductions in this book are not of the nude variety but show his original style to be concerned with various social and cultural issues. He has a very unique style, although it is quite reminiscent of Frida Kahlo it is still unlike anyhing you have likely seen. The book has a complete listing with media details of the works in the exhibition, a biography and exhibition history , and a short selected bibliography is included to compliment the insightful interview and colorful reproductions. If you have an open mind I think you will find the art work to be superb, highly imaginative and one of the most original detailed expositions of the human spirit. If you want to see a very good self portrait painter in the vein of Frida Kahlo than find his book. Recommended for art enthuisiasts who are not easily shocked by male nudity.

Mr. Clayton has done a good job on detailing the actions of the French army during the First World War, keying on the first two years and the horrific battles therein.
Plenty of facts and little known stories that make the reading enjoyable. However, as a European, he constantly refers to the metric system when describing advances or retreats. Also, he employs French terms for many of his passages and since I don't have a working command of the French, I was a bit stumped on several occasions.

Still, a good book that explains the French tactics, commanders, battles and issues within the army: the horrific casualties, leaves, desertion, the use of colonial troops and of course, the infamous 'mutiny' issues.
IronMike

This is a pot boiler historical thriller based around a historic and contorversial Canadian fighter jet. It's a good pageturner and a bit of "what might have been" speculation thrown in for good measure. For any Aviation buff. Especially Military Aviation.

I used this book along with the Lightfoot/Harmer/Holmes translation of the Apostolic Fathers. I found the format as well as the content to be helpful. It provides a more useful introduction than what is found in the translation. My one criticism is that it doesn't provide an explanation for for some of the more difficult passages in the Apostolic Fathers.