Sunday, August 6, 2017

Reading the History: Talking Machine West.


This book brings together for the first time the variety of cowboy, cowgirl, and Indian music recorded and sold for mass consumption between 1902 and 1918.

In the book’s introductory chapters, Michael A. Amundson explains how this music reflected the nostalgic passing of the Indian and the frontier while incorporating modern ragtime music and the racial attitudes of Jim Crow America. Hardly Old West ditties, the songs gave voice to changing ideas about Indians and assimilation, cowboys, the frontier, the rise of the New Woman, and ethnic and racial equality.

In the book’s second part, a chronological catalogue of fifty-four western recordings provides the full lyrics and history of each song and reproduces in full color the cover art of extant period sheet music. Each entry also describes the song’s composer(s), lyricist(s), and sheet music illustrator and directs readers to online digitized recordings of each song.

A History and Catalogue of Tin Pan Alley's Western Recordings, 1902–1918
by Michael A. Amundson
University of Oklahoma Press, 2017

Out of the Past
Book List
History and American West Titles

Monday, January 23, 2017

Farm and Garden Picks: The Beekeeper's Problem Solver

Whether you're a newcomer or an old hand, this book provides the information you need to nip problems in the bud and, better still, avoid them in the first place. Longtime bee keeper and apiary expert James E. Tew guides readers through 100 common problems faced by beekeepers, spelling out in clear and simple terms what the underlying cause is and how to solve it. Each one is tackled in depth, with photographs and diagrams, as well as a wide range of practical tips and useful insights. The problems are divided into ten chapters covering the main areas of beekeeping, from health to housing and parasites to predators. A subject-specific index is also included for easy reference.

100 Common Problems Explored and Explained
by James E. Tew
Quarry Books, 2015


Outrider Reading Group
Animal Husbandry Books
Homegrown Honey Bees

Friday, January 13, 2017

Farm and Garden Picks: The Backyard Field Guide to Chickens

Fueled by the local and organic food movements, as well as a sea change in local ordinances, backyard chicken keeping is booming. Anyone who's decided to join the new wave of chicken keepers knows that the poultry breeds available are dizzying in their variety.

This is a guide for backyard chicken keepers in search of chickens that best fit their needs.

Each breed of chicken listed in the field guide is thoroughly described and is illustrated by color photos. The book tells you all about the bird, detailing each breed's particular usefulness, adaptation to climate, coloration, number of eggs typically laid, foraging ability, temperament, and unique qualities.

Chicken Breeds for Your Home Flock
by Christine Heinrichs
Voyageur Press, 2016

Outrider Reading Group
Animal Husbandry Books
Husbandry

A New Guide To... Extreme Coloring: Tatoos.

This unique adult coloring book is from the Extreme Art series of high-quality, lavishly packaged, and specially commissioned artwork to color that will challenge, entertain, and stimulate.

In this volume, there are a whole range of detailed tattoo illustrations accompanied by descriptive copy that will intrigue and inform as they are colored. Perforated pages allow for sharing creations, which include intricately detailed dragons, spectacular angels, incredible wolves, a rising phoenix, a serpent-headed Medusa, and exotic orchids.

Relax and Unwind, One Splash of Color at a Time
by  Carlton Publishing Group
Barron's Educational Series, 2017

The Book Stall
Artwork
Book List

Friday, November 18, 2016

A New Guide To... Gardening in the Green Mountain State.

The Vermont Gardener's Companion tells how to get the most out of Vermont's short gardening season and details how readers can use organic methods to improve soil, deal with diseases and pests, and get better results with their plants in a state where “winter temperatures plunge far below zero and rocks left by the glaciers pop out of the ground each spring like bread from hyperactive toasters.”

With good humor and a natural teacher's gift for explanations, Henry Homeyer makes gardening fun and readily accessible to all.

The Vermont Gardener’s Companion is the only guide focused on the challenges of cultivating a successful garden in the Green Mountain State. Whether you are an experienced green thumb or a curious novice, whether you live in the Green Mountains or along Lake Champlain, this easy-to-understand guide will help you grow bountiful vegetables, abundant flowers, and lush lawns.

An Insider's Guide to Gardening in the Green Mountain State
by Henry Homeyer
Globe Pequot Press, 2016

The Book Stall
Guidebooks and How-to Titles
Farm and Garden Books

Saturday, November 12, 2016

Reading the History: Wild Spaces, Open Seasons.

This book traces the theme of hunting and fishing in American art from the early nineteenth century through World War II. Describing a remarkable group of American paintings and sculpture, the contributors reveal the pervasiveness of the subjects and the fascinating contexts from which they emerged. In one important example after another, the authors demonstrate that representations of hunting and fishing did more than illustrate subsistence activities or diverting pastimes. The portrayal of American hunters and fishers also spoke to American ambitions and priorities.

In their depictions of the hunt or the catch, American artists connected a dynamic and developing nation to its past and its future. Through the examination of major works of art, this book brings to light an often-overlooked theme in American painting and sculpture.

Hunting and Fishing in American Art
edited by Kevin Sharp
University of Oklahoma Press, 2016
Out of the Past
Book List\
History and American West Titles

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

A New Guide To... Virus.


This book provides a rare window into the amazing, varied, and often beautiful world of viruses. Contrary to popular belief, not all viruses are bad for you. In fact, several are beneficial to their hosts, and many are crucial to the health of our planet. Virus offers an unprecedented look at 101 microbes that infect all branches of life on Earth -- from humans and other animals to insects, plants, fungi, and bacteria.

Featuring hundreds of color images throughout, this guide begins with a lively and informative introduction to virology. Here readers can learn about the history of this unique science, how viruses are named, how their genes work, how they copy and package themselves, how they interact with their hosts, how immune systems counteract viruses, and how viruses travel from host to host. The concise entries that follow highlight important or interesting facts about each virus.

An Illustrated Guide to 101 Incredible Microbes
by  Marilyn J. Roossinck
Princeton University Press, 2016

The Nature Pages
Guidebooks and How-to Titles
Out There
Book List