This is one of a pair of books by Johnson which gives detailed information for cruising the coast of Maine. The companion book is Cruising Guide to Maine Vol II Rockport to Eastport. The books provide an excellent set of discriptions of the various ports and thier attractions including restaruants, marine supplies, fuel water etc. The books are loaded with charts that show prefered routes into tricky harbors with rocks and other obstructions clearly identified. A must for the cruising sailor who wants to explore the mysteries and splendor of the Maine coast.

Divided into state, region, city and then cemetery, with directions to each, this illustrated resource covers the states of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. Over 300 interees listed in over 130 cemeteries, a few paragraphs are dedicated to each.

A wealth of information.

In Disowning Slavery, Joanne Pope Melish strongly refutes the myth of a free New England, untainted by slavery and racial disharmony. While slavery did not exist in either quantity or duration on a scale comparable to the South, Melish conclusively shows that it existed in the northern states well into the 19th century, and argues that it was an important component of New England's economic success. Like feminist historians who have argued that women's domestic labor was crucial if men were to be able to engage in economic activity outside the home, Melish shows that as domestic servants and agricultural laborers, slaves performed the drudgework that Yankee entrepreneurs would otherwise have been employed in. Because such urban entrepreneur slaveowners were a small (though influential) percentage of the population, slavery was allowed to gradually die out in New England, most often through judicial interpretation. Gradual emancipation meant that there were few great political battles over ending slavery in the North, allowing New Englanders to erase their memories of its very existence.

However, because slavery was allowed to die without the benefit of public debate and legislative control, freedmen's legal and social status was never clearly defined, nor was the means by which former slaves were to be integrated into free society. Whites were able to congratulate themselves on their moral superiority as free societies without having to concern themselves with the welfare of now-emancipated slaves. In turning their backs on the problems of freedmen trying to adjust to their new status, they prevented blacks from becoming full members of their communities. They saw proof of blacks' inability to provide for themselves as an insurmountable racial characteristic even as whites refused to provide economic or legal opportunities that would have allowed former slaves to improve their condition. Over time such self-reinforcing racial attitudes grew into a fully developed philosophy of racism, embellished by exaggerated depictions of black caricatures in the popular culture of the North.

Indeed, Melish cites a vast array of cultural documents (popular literature, newspaper editorials, plays, and pop art) to demonstrate New Englanders' racist attitudes. Her narrative also amply demonstrates how the process of gradual emancipation allowed the North to forget that slavery had ever been part of their society, leading to their smug moral superiority. However, neither her evidence nor her reasoning adequately explains why it was necessary for Northerners to adopt racist attitudes. It does not seem that the limited number of freed blacks in the North were a significant economic or social threat to whites; there seem to be no concrete reasons for the development of racist attitudes, especially considering how committed many northern whites were to ending slavery in the South for moral reasons. Melish seems satisfied to accept that people have a natural need to define themselves by creating an "other" as a point of (negative) comparison; her work would be greatly enhanced by exploring the reasons that this might be so.

Oberg's historical review of the indians interactions with the first settles is complete and easy to understand.

I have been researching the history of gardening in America and have not found a better rescource than Ann Leighton's books, specifically Early American Gardens: For Meate or Medicine. This book is full of good facts and is very readable. Covering the colonization of North America from its earliest years, this book goes into detail on primary sources as well as recent scholarly efforts. This book will be useful for anyone interrested in gardening (especially if making an historic garden on your own property) or in history (especially if you are bored reading about political history).

"Earthmagic" is a practical introduction to 52 common wild herbs that grow everywhere (except in the desert). Corinne has a deep connection to the Earth and how the plants that share it with us add to our sense of home. Excerpts from her Journal personalize the plants for us and she has provided space for our own journal entries and recipes. Both Corinne's book and various titles by Tom Brown relate personal experiences that make it easier to remember specific uses for each plant. My one criticism is that the sketches included are in black and white and are often hard to identify if one is not already familiar with the plant. Her information on gathering, storing and turning plants into medicine is nothing short of "earth magic".

Great Pictures. This book depicts the centers of commerce, industry, farming and leisure back in the 1800's and early 1900's in East Providence, RI. Unfortunately, alot of history was lost when the City Hall burned in the 1970's. It could use more historical facts. A large percentage of the book is based on old houses some of which are still standing. A lot of pictures of beautiful old schools that were torn down for the highway to be built. Worth while purchase for anyone who grew up in East Providence.

As a lay person, knowing more of Roger Lundin's academic reputation than of Emily Dickinson's life and work, I was intimidated by the prospect of reading his biography of the poet, "Emily Dickinson and the Art of Belief." However, as the foreword assures us, this book is not meant for the "cognoscenti" alone, but for us "uninitiated outsiders" as well. And as the departing shore of the book's introduction became faint, I found only the calm seas and smooth sailing of a real page turner. I was soon fascinated by Dickinson's enigmatic life as Lundin carefully unfolded the practical details of her life in nineteenth century Amherst, as well as her development as a poet, an intellectual, and a religious thinker in an era on the edge of modernity. One of the most poignant themes in the book was Dickinson's progressive reclusiveness--and for all the reasons Lundin gives for it, I wasn't completely satisfied until the very last chapter. A surprising dimension of the book is the discussion of Emily's political, cultural, and religious milieu--which we eventually come to learn is key to understanding Dickinson's discomfiting questions and world view. The only fault I find in the book is not at Lundin's hand, but Emily herself. Though she leaves us in awe of her literary genius and spiritual sensitivity, her seemingly selfish reclusiveness and her failure to ever clearly declare the state of her soul left me feeling sorry for her. Although I have been taught never to judge in these matters, as a Christian I can't help but wonder, "was she or wasn't she?" Did she ever make the leap of faith? Lundin never gives us a definitive "yes" or "no," but yet gives enough data that we can make our own educated determination. I only hope that when I have "forded the mystery" and turn the corner of Heaven, I will find Emily at the feet of Jesus, having set aside her pondering pen, happy and content to finally be a bride. "Emily Dickinson and the Art of Belief" gives me that much hope

I truly enjoy this book. working with people who have disablities and having the opportunity to reach and accomplish their dream is exciting. Our mission is changing the world for people with disablilites by providing opportunties and skills necessary to fulfill needs and pursue dreams. this is exactly what the book is about.

This book was an interesting history of Ct. geology and the human history associated with it. Many interesting factoids about Ct's history and how geology shaped it. You see geologic processes and human history combined.