Going Wild, a book by Jan Dizard, takes us to the Quabbin Reservoir in central Massachusetts. This watershed and the surrounding 'wilderness' has become a focal point of many very complex issues regarding nature and how we treat it. The problem: too many deer. Dizard puts forth a thorough set of arguments as to whether this is a problem, what the problem actually is, and what to do about it. The reader gets a sense that animal rights, as well as human's rights, are a much more complex issue than a superficial glance would reveal. Dizard spends time addressing the question of what wilderness really is. She quotes Thoreau and some of the other early environmentalists in an attempt to answer this question. While the Quabbin may appear very wild and natural to the outside observer, it has definitely been touched by the hand of man. The organization in charge of managing the area, the Metropolitan District Commision (MDC) worked hard to balance the purpose of the reservoir, drinking water, with the aesthetics of a forest. This management, which some argue as short sighted, led to a deer explosion in the 1980's which was claimed to be endangering the forest and would eventually lead to the water being in danger. There were several public meetings held to discuss the deer problem. Filled with emotional and passionate arguments on both sides tensions ran high in the community. Some argued that the deer weren't actually a problem. To those knowledgeable about healthy forests, even those that were against the hunt, it was quite obvious that there was a serious issue. A healthy forest would be thick with undergrowth and would be very hard to traverse except for carved out paths. However the Quabbin was a virtual park, with a high canopy of trees and a floor of low lying ferns. The in-between area was open, one could see for great distances through the trees. Those that could admit a problem, were then often skewed as to what to do about it. While the MDC was fairly unified publicly, those critical of it were in factions. In 1991, the decision was made... the hunt would take place. Access to the Quabbin was restricted, and orientation sessions were required of the hunters. It was explained, in no uncertain terms, what the purpose of the hunt was and rules were laid down. The first day, both critics and supporters were on edge. If there weren't many deer killed, there'd be an argument that maybe there were not that many deer after all. Had a hunter been killed or had any accidental shootings taken place, this would of provided an argument against the hunters being the proper 'tools of management'. Had an eagle or moose been killed, it would have been a public relations disaster for the MDC. There's a central theme presented throughout the book, voiced from many different perspectives, and this is whether management of nature is an impossibility. Many were quoted with opinions stating that we as humans can ever fully understand the web of complexities found in nature. Are our attempts at managing nature simply disrupting an equilibrium? Is man essentially separate from nature? These questions were purposed, with some interesting answers in this book. I personally tend to agree with those that argued that while yes, if wilderness still existed, then we should leave it alone to it's own regulation mechanisms. However, true wilderness died hundred's of years ago. Now that we, as mankind, have gotten involved with managing of nature, we have the obligation to continue the management as long as we try to coexist with it. We've essentially adopted the earth, and now are left its stewards.

The focus of this book is our relationship to what is often termed "wilderness" and to the various flora and fauna that inhabit it. Particularly, Dizzard examines the controversey surrounding a particular area in Massachusets. The story he tells, and this book reads like an good novel, is the larger story of the history of the white man's relationship with North American land, animals and plants. One chapter is a history of hunting here in the U.S.A. and is particularly illuminating, especially since the popular image of the recreational hunter seems to have changed so much.

Dizzard is obviously sympathetic towards the use of hunting as a valid and effective control on a particular deer population (in Massachusets)in this special case. However, he shows the problems that hunters create and some of the myths and outright lies that they perpetrate. As a hunter myself I think a book like this is long overdue. He also subjects members of the animal rights/anti-hunting community to the same scrutiny.

All in all, an excellent book for anti-hunters, hunters, and lovers of wildlife who wish to understand it better. Dizzard's objective style is much appreciated amidst all the polarized brouhhaha and pap that passes these days as either pro or anti hunting philosophy.

This book is truly a wonderful work. The first time I was ever introduced to the art of Tomie De Paola was on Martha's Vineyard. I was a follower of the Grateful Dead at the time, and this book reminded me of many things going on in my life. The fable is entertaining and makes you think. I can't wait to get my new copy!

THE NANTUCKET BOOK is one good read! There are well-researched chapters on the Island's history, and culture. Did you know that Nantucket has more toally preserved buildings in the National Register of Historic Places than Boston, Salem, or Plymouth? And that it was a refuge for escaping slaves and free blacks after slavery on the island was abolished in 1770? The book is also chucked full of lodging, eating, shopping, environmental, and recreational information. I used it to plan my summer vacation. But its a great read for armchair travelers too.

I devoured this book when it came out in 1975, and it still holds up: Anyone who was ever a teenage girl, who loves to read about New York or Boston, or the late 1940s. Anne Bernays is a master prose stylist, and this is still my favorite of her books.

O'Brien has captured the essence of the mystery, beauty and natural wonders of Cape Cod. This book is essential for anyone who wishes to find the elusive nest of the Gull Winged Shepherdor or to identify the mating call of the migrating Flavell. O'Brien, a Cape Cod naturalists who has study the flora and fauna of Old Cape Cod since 1937, has given us a precious resource with the "Guide to Nature on Cape Cod and the Islands."

The series of volumes encompasses a full range of information from historical data to specific piece identification. Research & depictions are quite clear & detailed. A must-have reference for collectors. Information is impeccable, both authors exceptional. Reasonable investment.

The "Handbook of Massachusetts Evidence" is now in its seventh edition, and it only gets better each time. Brodin and Avery have done a fine job of updating this survey of evidence law in Massachusetts. In particular, their review of the law governing experts is particularly helpful at a time when experts are becoming central to many cases. Organized in a logical manner with an easy to use table of contents and comprehensive index, this is an excellent quick reference or starting point for research. Given the Commonwealth's reticence to enact rules of evidence, this handbook is the next best thing.

John Brooke's HEART OF THE COMMONWEALTH is an amazing book. Specifically, it is about Worchester County, Massachusetts in the years 1713- 1861. Anyone interested in early Massachusetts history simply must read this book.

But HEART is much more than that. Brooke's book is what historians call a microhistory, a study of a small place that, because it is so attentive to detail, is able to shed light on American History as a whole. HEART OF THE COMMONWEALTH does this, explaining how different political ideologies in the years after Queen Annes War developed into the ideas of Republicanism and Liberalism that are so much discussed by historians in the acadamy today.

Whether interested in Massachusetts, politics, society, or any aspect of early American life, HEART OF THE COMMONWEALTH is a book worth reading. It belongs on the self of everyone interested in the story of America.

The 22nd Massachusetts Infantry was raised through the efforts of Republican senator Henry Wilson. It met its first trial by fire at Yorktown. Later, the regiment suffered tremendous casualties at Gaines' Mill. The regiment, part of the Fifth Corps, was engaged at Malvern Hill, Shepherdstown, Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville. At Gettysburg, the 22nd Massachusetts and the 2nd Company Massachusetts Sharpshooters, which was attached to the regiment, were engaged in the wheatfield, near the Rose woods. In 1864, the regiment served in the Wilderness and Spotsylvania battles, losing a large portion of its rank and file. Due to its heavy losses throughout the war, the 22nd Massachusetts Infantry earned the distinction of being one of Fox's "Fighting 300" Union regiments. Included is information about the 2nd Company of Massachusetts Sharpshooters and the 3rd Light Battery, both of which were attached to the 22nd Massachusetts.