If the purpose of regional studies is to arrive at an understanding of the character of the people of an area, and how that character is reflected in the material constructions of those people, then Isern has it nailed. Among the fascinating range of issues pertaining to Dakota culture that he discusses is how the creative/artistic impulse of a people is sometimes found in the mundane.
For many Dakotans, whose lives are shaped by a pioneer inheritance, whose forebear's lives were hard and economic existence precarious, 'art for art sake' just doesn't seem right. The inherent desire for artistic expression sometimes found, and finds, its outlet in the practical, such as in the design and construction of barns, calf feeders or windmills.
For many Dakotans, huge roadside monuments, like the world's biggest buffalo, pheasant, dairy cow, etc., would be hard to appreciate if they were 'merely' artistic expressions. They would probably be seen by most of us as monuments to someone's ego. But done for a bigger purpose, such as for the benefit of the artist/creator's community, it is much easier to appreciate. But that's this Dakotan's view.
Most interesting of all is Isern's reflection on the desire of many here to create a mythology of our own. Hence the tales of the Welsh among the Mandan, or the Vikings along the James River, as well as our desire to believe these tales. (They're called tales only because they haven't been proven. Yet.)
In the end, a study of regional culture tells us something about what is intrinsic to the whole of humanity. It's rare to come upon a regional study that is genuinely wide ranging. Rarer still to come upon one that is free of the pedantic stuffiness that is found in so many other regional studies. For locals, this is an 'ah-hah' book. Isern's got us down cold. And coming from the Dakotas, that's saying something.

Dana Ransom writes vivid, engrossing characters in a western that goes far beyond the ordinary. The story of the Prescotts holds strong through the entire four novel series. Well worth reading.

Third in a series of four books, Dakota Destiny is by far one of the best books ever written. For me it ranks right below Gone With the Wind. I have read this book on numerous occasions and find that I have trouble putting it down every time. To fully appreciate the value of this nove, one must read the others in the series also. However, I read this book first and was still completely enthralled. This book is definately not just another boringly predictable romance novels, nor is it just a book about sex although it does have its fair share of steamy pages. It is a wonderful story about family, love, and devotion all wrapped up in a sexy, suspensful, endearing novel with true to life characters.

Dominique ( Gen. Custer's niece) falls in love with a man named Jacob. He is really an adopted son of the Sioux. He takes her to his village because she finds out that he is working for the Sioux during the war. He secretly marries her. She finds out a few days later. Well things go pretty good from then on out. Then Dominique shows herself to the soldiers because Jacob tells her to. She thinks Jacob was killed so she decides to go back home with her aunt but she finds out she's pregnant! So then she decides to stay.Later on Jacob and Dominique meet again and Dominique finds yet another surprise about Jacob.

My son and I loved this book. It is a touching story of a young couple, with a great take home message at the end. After reading it I was able to tell my son about my great grandfather living in a dugout when he came over from Germany.

. . . North Dakota gave the nation Bill Langer. The author is a Liberal Democrat but Langer, even after two generations, still has his admirers from all points of the political spectrum.

Geelan is a master story teller and even though I am too young to remember Bill Langer, I can't help but admire how he tweaked the noses of the rich and powerful and served the common man-- not in a pseudo-form when the television cameras were rolling or the spin doctors were at work-- but in a genuine down-to-earth form.

Would that politics would produce more Bill Langers!

This is a must read. The author really has a way of sucking you into the story, I felt like I was there. This is one book that you should start early because you will not be able to put it down until you are finished!

This book was very good. The main characters are Dakota and Treacle. The main idea is Dakota has to find Medusa's gem covered turtle. Medusa is a weird woman. Her favorite color is green. Medusa thinks that her turtle is her husband. To break the spell, Dakota and Treacle have to find a diamond the size of a pea. When Medusa fits the diamond on the turtle's shell he will turn back to a human. Again this was an awesome book!

For many years, I, like so many others, have labored under the assumption that the Native American 'story' was somewhat like the depictions we had all seen and read.

The voice of the current Native Americans speak to the atrocities perpetrated upon them by the insensitive advancement of land hungry europeans.

This book, written by Samuel Pond, simply describes how the Lakota Sioux actually 'were' in Minnesota in 1834.

Samuel and his brother Gideon Pond were missionaries to the Sioux and, among other exceptional work, compiled a comprehensive lexicon of the Sioux language, subsequently translating the Bible into Sioux.

For those of you who would like to gain an unbiased view of the true Native American, this book is a 'must'.

It is also possible that after learning about Samuel and Gideon Pond, you will develop a deep appreciation of the dedication and hardships suffered by, and the good intentions and pioneering spirit of the missionaries who wanted to enrich the souls of Native Americans.

Samuel and Gideon Pond were truely 'unsung heros' of our American heritage. Their efforts have been annotated in this book, however, and so their exploits still live in the minds of the reader.

Even if you choose not to purchase this book, it would be well worth your time to 'surf' their names in the internet. You will be rather surprised at the results.

Hamilton was one of the small ranchers who traveled to Dakota after the Civil War to find his fortune. Written years after the events described, the clarity with which he recalls the events and the details of daily life are amazing. The good-humored style and the simple stories have the power to make you wish you could have gone along with those hardy pioneers.