Tony Chamberlain is my english teacher. I've never read this book, but I can make the assumption that it will blow you away. If, of course you "swing that way" you know, ... skiing. Oh well, stay safe on the slopes this winter! And be sure to wear your coat, however cheaply made it is.

If you are thinking of a cruise on the Erie Canal, ChamplainCanal, Oswego or Cayuga-Seneca Canals in New York State this year orin the future? We think that you should take a close look at The Cruising Guide to the New York State Canal System guide/chart book published by Northern Cartographic for the New York State Canal Corp. In the summer of 1997 my wife and I circumnavigated the Adirondacks (Lake Champlain, Champlain Canal, Erie Canal, Oswego Canal, Lake Ontario, St. Lawrence River, Richelieu River, and back to Lake Champlain). We both wish that this new chart/guide book had been available then - it would have been the perfect companion for the NY canal system.

This is a true chart/map product. The mapping detail is excellent. Road layout for major highways as well as local streets is precise. All major roads are labeled, and secondary roads as well as city, town, and village streets are clearly defined if not labeled. In addition to the usual waterway information, the guide has restaurants, parks, historic sites, the canalway trails, and other points of interest are shown with the same level of geographic accuracy. This detail extends up to three miles from the canal. The legends, information boxes, and tables are clear and easy to read, and well organized. The size is a very convenient 11 by 15 3/4 inches. The paper quality and color printing are excellent.

We think that the New York State Canal Corporation has done itself proud on this guide. We do feel that the binder could be improved and a waterproof front and back page would be a welcome addition. If this product was available in 1997 we'd still be on the canal. END

This book is a must for anyone planning to visit or move to New York City. The author, a native of NYC, presents information about the City, that is to the point and straight from the shoulder. The book is a commentary on the basics of surviving in New York, a summary of information about the different neighborhoods and boroughs of NYC, what makes New York City - New York and the general point of view of a native of the City. New York at Your Door gives you an inside look at what makes New York City tick and still intices you to come and try it for yourself. I would recommend this book as a welcome addition to the readers' libraries, who are natives or soon to be citizens. It is well worth the reading! Enjoy!

This is a very nice book to have. An author wrote about every nice places and every activities you could do within 2 hours drive around Baltimore...He also included the phone numbers and the addresses of every place he had mentioned in the book..It's also good for escaping.

I live in the Phila. area, and can tell you that this is an excellent source of ideas for visiting the area. I borrowed a copy when a visitor was coming from England, and then decided to buy it because it was so helpful. I plan to use it when my family and I are looking for places to go for the day. There's helpful itineraries and maps, along with ratings for special places. I highly recommend this book!

This review appeared in the November issue of the Oklahoma Indian Times newspaper. Reprinted with permission

Debating Democracy -- A book review

By Jim Gray co-publisher Oklahoma Indian Times

Getting the historical evidence to document Native American contributions to the founding of the this country is easy to do, says Indian historian Bruce Johanson and co-author of the new book, Debating Democracy, it's getting educators today to teach it to students is apparently the problem.

The division between Indian Studies educators and constitutional scholars has widened in the past twenty years and over his professional career, Bruce Johanson, has documented the intense debate in education circles between these two histories. Today, the debate has become personal and often vindictive. Johanson is a Professor of Communication and Native American Studies, at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. His co-authors are Donald A. Grinde, Jr. a Yamasee Indian who is professor of History and Chairman of the Ethnic Studies Program at the University of Vermont, and Barbara Mann, Ph.D., who specializes in American Studies, Native American Studies and African American Studies.

The book documents roughly 30 years of work between the two men in their efforts to make historical fact the contributions that the Iroquois Confederacy made to the founding of the U.S. Constitution. The authors make a simple point: That the Iroquois played a role as important to the founding of the Constitution as did the Greeks, Romans, the Magna Carta or the Swiss Cantons. Mann writes an epilogue "that examines Eurocentric assumptions of racial, cultural, and intellectual superiority that continue to govern education and scholarship, affecting the ability of non-Europeans to participate fully in our society."

As it is known the "Influence Theory" has many opponents and for reasons spelled out in the book, paint a very dubious picture of the guardians of the intellectual wisdom occupying our nation's colleges and universities. Various scholars from around the country stepped up in academic circles and denounced the "influence theory" and through ridicule, trivializing the authors arguments, appealing to unnamed authorities, ignoring the arguments and focusing on the motives of the authors, exaggeration of the authors' point so it could be easily discredited and finally to patronize the growing field of Indian Studies who opponents see as an attempt by the authors to achieve some "late twentieth century respect."

The authors readily admit that they were surprised at the notion that the influence theory "incited so many incredulous reactions, especially vehement denial among many people who know very little of the historical context-and even some, such as Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., who do," said Johanson in the book's introduction.

The book is more than just a story of an argument between professors, Johanson writes, "For those who are attached to the notion that our intellectual history is exclusively European -- and that European culture is superior to that of the rest of the world, the introduction of Native America into this discourse poses some fundamental problems of historical interpretation and even -- or especially -- self-definition concerning who we believe ourselves to be as Americans."

As you read each chapter, the author lays out in detail where the opposition has staked out its argument that the Iroquois Confederacy had nothing to do with the founding of the U.S. Constitution. And over time the reader begins to see the pattern of escalation, with each argument answered, another one raised. Over and over again for twenty plus years the two authors have presented the idea, only to have somebody from the establishment come forward to counter each and every attempt.

During the 200th anniversary of the Constitution, national attention was given to the familiar belts that signified the Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy, stating that THIS was the nation's first Constitution. And as the nation's cynics began the national outcry against Political Correctness, the influence theory had suddenly found new and more persuasive opponents. But still the authors continue the fight. From National Public Radio segments, to town hall meetings in upstate New York, Johanson, Grinde and Mann have proven to be eloquent as well as determined to settle this matter once and for all.

Indian people from around the country have, to one degree or another, been exposed to the Iroquois Confederacy history; most never learned it in school. Yet for the many who have been trying to make that possible that what our schools teach our children in the classrooms across America be fair to the Indian community. That a non-European people can actually create a government not only with checks and balances but make it work for over 600 years prior to European contact. Especially when you consider that is was done without destroying the environment, or having our elected leaders being bought out by the captains of industry, or denying women's suffrage or creating a permanent working class poor in a peaceful union of five distinct and different peoples. Yes, you can tell the founders of the U.S. Constitution did not copy the Great Law of Peace, but they borrowed from it enough, to win a revolution and establish the concept of state's rights.

Now you can see what is behind all this, from Rush Limbaugh and Pat Buchanon beating the issue down to mere political correctness, students of Indian history have something to pick up the next time a so-called, "friend of the Indian" tells you your own history.

With a forward by Vine Deloria Jr., Indian Country's most eloquent spokesman, one cannot deny the importance of revealing the intense debate going on in academia.

Read, Debating Democracy, published by Clear Light Publishers, Santa Fe, NM. It's like a dispatch from the front of the new Indian Wars, the war for the soul of democracy in America.

Ideal for planing your trip to New England area. You will have several routs to explore this part of the country. Tips, Maps and Photographs that give you a very good picture of your trip. This will help you to don't miss any of the important places of the road.

"Diamonds in the Coalfields" is a documentary of life in the 1920's, 30's, and 40's. William Kashatus has done an excellent job of organizing the history of the mining communities, from a perspective of how baseball affected everyone's lives in those happy, glorious years. You can get an estimate of his effort by looking at his detailed reference notes and bibliography at the back of the book. He has devoted a huge amount of time in research and interviews in the writing of this book.
The accuracy of his descriptions is uncanny, for a person who did not "live it", except vicariously, through the eyes of others. My father pitched for the Glen Lyon Condors, in the 1920's. I lived through the era of Zig Najaka, Stan Pawloski, and Bob Duliba, at Newport Twp. High School. This is a personalized view of early baseball history, a meaningful picture for all baseball fans. My complments to William Kashatus for giving us such an accurate picture of those happy times in our lives. He has done a great job of documentation with an entertaining accent to this portrayal of life in the coal towns. I am purchasing additional books for my uncle, brother-in-law, and three sons, who also share an interest in the nostalgia for sports in the Wyoming Valley. (Pennsylvnia)

In preparation for a special trip to New England, I reviewed all the New England guides I could find. This was the best. We stayed at five locations mentioned, and had a great experience at each. The description provided was on target. I would trust the simple inclusion by the authors of any property as an indication that it is a good bet for an excellent experience. I also found this to be the most up-to-date of the reviews.

I've never been one to enjoy reading historical writings very much, but I loved this book. Ruth searched and found many great writings, along with photos to go with them, that tell the stories of early settlers, the "cottagers" and the year round residents of Bar Harbor. Bar Harbor/Acadia is my favorite spot in New England and we will return their again this summer. I will have a better appreciation of the life these people lived in the late 1800s and will better appreciate how fortunate we are to have Acadia as protected natural lands.