This history of a river swamp that threatens to capture the Mississippi is a wonderfully balanced and thought-provoking account of engineering conquest and the politics of public works. Published by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers through the indiscriminate Government Printing Office, the publication stands apart from the usual history-as-public relations effulent from agencies such as the Corps. DESIGNING THE BAYOUS, a work of scholarship despite the in-house publication, moves well beyond agency ego. Topics include the history of the Mississippi River, flood control and navigation, environmental assessment, interagency squabbles, scientific contributions to river engineering, and the unintended consequences of technological progress.

This is by far the best dictionary of any of the French creoles I've seen to date. As such, it's a must-buy for people interested in Louisiana Creole or any of the other French Creoles, Cajun, general French dialects, or dialects of American English in general, and certainly in Southern US dialects or Black Vernacular English. (In fact, until someone puts this kind of work into a Haitian lexicon, the /Dictionary of Louisiana Creole/ might have to do if you need a nice big Haitian-English-Haitian lexicon.)

This lexicon uses a coherent phonemic orthography, has a wide base of sources, and has lots and lots of example sentences (something I always appreciate). The lexicon deals well with lexical variation, which is a problem area in any dictionary of Creole. The lexicon is well printed -- in organization of entries, choice of font faces and sizes, and in quality of reproduction. And, altho it's new and only time will tell, it seems well bound.

The notable parts of this edition are:

* An about 20 page grammar sketch of the language.

* About ten pages on using the dictionary, orthography, and bibliography.

* About 470 pages comprising the creole lexicon. Each entry here consists notably of the Creole headword (and alternate forms); translation into American English; translation into Modern French; and example sentences in Creole (each translated into American English, but not into French). Then if there are subentries, those are listed too, with their own translations and examples. There are abbreviations noting the source of the data.

* An English-to-Creole index. About 80 pages.

* A French-to-Creole index. About 80 pages.

What a great resource on the issues facing educators of the 21st Century. Ms. Hill really utilized excellent resources. Every high school teacher and student teacher should read this!

Besides a good collection of everyday Cajun food, this book is rich in the history and lore of the area. Thanks to Eula Mae Dore and Marcelle Bienvenue, the history as well as the recipes of this area will not be lost.

From zydeco to jazz to the casket girls, Exploring New Orleans is a great fun-to-read book that is a must for any visitor or resident of this seductive city.In her humorous style, Larenda Lyles Roberts explores the history of jazz, voodoo, cities of the dead, Cajun and Creole culture and popular attractions in a readable, interesting style. She even includes recipes from authentic Cajun cooks! This book makes a wonderful guide to the city and made me fall in love with New Orleans!

If you plan to visit New Orleans (the Big Easy) be sure to consult your Fodor's Guide BEFORE you go. You'll know where to stay, where to eat, and how to enjoy your trip the best. Take the tours and visit the Jazz Clubs...and definitely eat the best food in the world.

This is an unusual book. It offers a glimpse into a treasure trove little known beyond south Louisiana. How appropriate that LSU press should dedicate resources to preserving this material and making it available to a wider audience.

For those of my parent's generation who grew up in Baton Rouge, getting a "Fonville" portrait was as much a rite of passage as visiting the Paramount Theatre (now a parking lot) on Third Street (now Riverside Mall).

Fonville Winans' reach went beyond documenting the lives of Baton Rouge society, however, and this book capture the remarkable range of his interest. All the major figures in Louisiana politics are here, either out on the stump or in more formal posed portraits. There are also photographs of other parts of Louisiana life: music, festivals, farmland and river bottoms.

The book offers a rare glimpse into a long-gone time and place. Though it's a much bigger and elaborate book, it's reminiscent of Eudora Welty's _One Time, One Place_. A special treat is the evocative CD that paints an aural picture to match the photographs.

So now you, too, can have a Fonville.

No lo he visto, pero es importante para la comunidad de la Escuela Henry W. Longfellow de San Germán, Puerto Rico.

Nancy Dixon's Fortune and Misery has won the Lousiana Endowment for the Humanities Book of the Year Award for 2000.

Being close to New Orleans, I have seen the author on local cooking shows. The Shrimp and Okra Gumbo in this book is one of the best ever..when I prepare it, as I do every year at Christmas, everyone wants the recipe. The other recipes are just as good..