The Accommodated Animal

"Likewise to every beast of the earth and to every foule of the heaven, and to every thing that moveth upon the earth, which hath life in it selfe, every greene herbe shall be for meate."
Genesis 1:30

While the early Bible attentively noted the presence of other creatures in our world, they are never referred to by the English word "animal" in the Great Bible of 1539, the Geneva Bible of 1560 or the King James Version of 1611.


The widely used noun is likewise missing from almost all of Shakespeare's oeuvre, save eight instances, while the words "beast" and "creature" appear more than a hundred times and references to specific species are everywhere:

"Exit, pursued by a bear."

The distinction is significant, according to professor Laurie Shannon, reflecting an important change in our relationship with the natural world and its non-human creatures, denying "animals" a place in the world that our thinking previously accommodated.

The Accommodated Animal

Cosmopolity in Shakespearean Locales

by Laurie Shannon

University Of Chicago Press, 2012

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Farm and Garden Picks: Storey's Guide to Raising Turkeys

Not only are turkeys an excellent source of succulent meat, rich eggs, and nutrient-dense manure, but they are curious, social, and friendly as well: a perfect and profitable choice for many farmers. Don Schrider brings his hands-on experience to this one-stop reference for humanely raising healthy turkeys.

Here is everything you need to know to raise turkeys successfully, from selecting the right breeds to housing, feeding, breeding, health care, marketing, and much more.

Storey's Guide to Raising Turkeys
Breeds * Care * Marketing
by Don Schrider
Storey Publishing,, 2013

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Review: Contagious

Word-of-mouth often leads to popularity, or notoriety. It is much more effective than any form of traditional advertising and it seriously impacts the products people buy, the way they behave, and what they discuss.

So, how do you get it? What makes people talk about certain subjects rather than others? What makes some online content go viral? According to marketing professor Jonah Berger, the answer came be found in the psychology of social transmission.

Continued in Selling Points

Contagious

Why Things Catch On

by Jonah Berger

Simon & Schuster, 2013

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Review: Drinking History

Food historian Andrew F. Smith takes some 300 pages in his latest book to examine the wide assortment of beverages that Americans consume, try to figure out why certain drinks have become popular, and distill his findings down to 15 pivotal events that defined the culture's drinking habits.

Those "pivotal" events include Prohibition and the Tea Parties, of course, as well as the diversity of beverages introduced to the continent with colonial settlement from Europe. The growth of the rum trade in the Americas was pivotal, as was the development of local whiskeys, hard cider, and beer.

Subsequent chapters focus on the development and impact of milk, cocktails, fruit juices, soft drinks, kids' beverages, wine, bottled waters, and coffee on Americans.

Continued in The Book Stall

Drinking History

Fifteen Turning Points in the Making of American Beverages

by Andrew F. Smith

Columbia University Press, 2012

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Reading the History: The Kentucky Derby

If the Super Bowl had been played in the same city each year, say a working class community like Green Bay, and still grew up to become a multi-billion-dollar spectacle attracting the world's rich and famous as well as the beer-swilling, tattooed commoners then it would be an event comparable to the Kentucky Derby, especially if you added an extra hundred years of tradition to its history.

An unabashed  thoroughbred horse enthusiast and Kentucky Derby fan, the author nevertheless provides a straightforward history and honest assessment of the event and its evolution.

The book follows the progress of the Derby through the decades as it broke away from a pack of other races to become America’s premier thoroughbred event.

The Kentucky Derby

How the Run for the Roses Became America's Premier Sporting Event

by James C. Nicholson

The University Press of Kentucky, 2012

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Review: Hot Drinks

Original recipes and new interpretations of hot beverage classics from around the world are served up in this slim volume by  Mary Lou and Robert J. Heiss.

Illustrated with historic photos, colorful advertisements and drawings, and spiced with both practical and unusual recipes, this enticingly clever text is a fun browse and a mouth-watering temptation.

Look inside for some liquid holiday cheer in the form of Mistletoe and Holly (part cranberry juice, part peppermint schnapps), the traditional wassail (a British ale-based drink with spices and apples) or a basic Hot Buttered Rum.
The 50 drink recipes include mixed coffees, special teas, festive punches, spiked cocoas, warm ciders and sophisticated cocktails.

Hot Drinks

Cider, Coffee, Tea, Hot Chocolate, Spiced Punch, and Spirits

by Mary Lou Heiss and Robert J. Heiss

Ten Speed Press, 2007.

continued in The Book Stall

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Farm and Garden Picks: Homegrown Honey Bees

This beginner’s guide to beekeeping clearly explains everything you need to know, from getting your first bees to harvesting your first crop of honey.

Spectacular macro photography brings the inner workings of the hive to life, while the playful text gives you the information you need to make it through your first year.

Everything is addressed here, from allergies, permits and restrictions, and how to deal with the neighbors to hive structure, colony hierarchy, and bee behavior.

Homegrown Honey Bees

An Absolute Beginner's Guide to Beekeeping

by Alethea Morrison

Storey Publishing, 2013

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