Tuesday, May 22, 2018

Now Exploring "A Place to Which We Belong"


This anthology of nearly fifty short essays by Wisconsin writers explores a personal sense of place. Wonderfully wide-ranging yet united by a common theme, the chapters include both intimate contemplations of lakes or gardens and big-picture overviews of science, politics, and land use. Whether outdoor writers, journalists, storytellers, farmers, social commentators, spiritual leaders, scientists, or conservation activists, the contributors ask, What gives us a sense of place? What make a place worthy of protection and respect?  What binds us to places that somehow touch our minds, hearts, and souls?

Wisconsin Writers on Wisconsin Landscapes
edited by Dennis Boyer and Justin Isherwood 
University of Wisconsin Press, 1998

Book Notes Wild
Nature Writing and Natural Histories
The Nature Pages

Tuesday, April 17, 2018

Reading the History: Lincoln's Final Hours


Kathryn Canavan takes a magnifying glass to the last moments of the president's life and to the impact his assassination had on a country still reeling from a bloody civil war. With vivid, thoroughly researched prose and a reporter's eye for detail, this fast-paced account not only furnishes a glimpse into John Wilkes Booth's personal and political motivations but also illuminates the stories of ordinary people whose lives were changed forever by the assassination.

Lincoln's Final Hours
Conspiracy, Terror, and the Assassination of America's Greatest President
by Kathryn Canavan

Out of the Past
Book List
History and American West Titles

Saturday, April 7, 2018

Reading the History: Rethinking the Civil War Era.


Arguably, no event since the American Revolution has had a greater impact on US history than the Civil War. This devastating and formative conflict occupies a permanent place in the nation's psyche and continues to shape race relations, economic development, and regional politics. Naturally, an event of such significance has attracted much attention from historians, and tens of thousands of books have been published on the subject. Despite this breadth of study, new perspectives and tools are opening up fresh avenues of inquiry into this seminal era.

In this timely and thoughtful book, Paul D. Escott surveys the current state of Civil War studies and explores the latest developments in research and interpretation.

Directions for Research 
by Paul D. Escott 
The University Press of Kentucky, 2018

Out of the Past
Book List
History and American West Titles

Monday, April 2, 2018

Farm and Garden Picks: Gardener's Log Book.


This waterproof log book is designed for recording work in the garden. Use this journal throughout the seasons, from building catalog wish lists early in the year, to noting the first signs of spring, to recording what vegetable crops are planted and their yield, to organizing bulb planting in fall, to, finally, putting the garden to bed for the winter.

A five year grid at the beginning of each month offers space to note annual garden cycles over time, and journal entry pages are lined for notes or graphed for diagramming plantings.

A 5-Year Planner
by The New York Botanical Garden

Home Grown
Growing Guides
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Saturday, February 17, 2018

Now Exploring "Frog Pond Philosophy"

In this wide-ranging volume, philanthropist and philosopher Strachan Donnelley (1942–2008) traces the connections between influential figures such as Aldo Leopold and Charles Darwin, as well as lesser-known but original thinkers that he met during the course of a full life―ministers at his church, friends with whom he fished, and colleagues who shared his passion for research and writing.

He grounds his work in classic philosophers such as Descartes, Spinoza, and Whitehead and reinterprets their writings about the natural world to develop a conservation-centered philosophy, which he dubs "democratic ecological citizenship."

Essays on the Relationship Between Humans and Nature
by Strachan Donnelley
University Press of Kentucky, 2018

Book Notes Wild
Nature Writing and Natural Histories
The Nature Pages

Monday, January 1, 2018

Now Cooking with Raising The Heat


This work provides a range of recipes from around the world which contain a variety of spices. They include: Creole crab soup, Moroccan spiced leg of lamb, Mexican squid fajitas, Lebanese avieli rice and English horseradish sauce.
Cooking with Fire and Spice
by Paul Gayler
Lyons Press, 2001
Cookbooks
Recipe Archive
Farm Kitchen

Thursday, December 7, 2017

What's Cooking with Burgoo, Barbecue, and Bourbon


Award-winning author and chef Albert W. A. Schmid serves up a feast for readers in Burgoo, Barbecue, and Bourbon, sharing recipes and lore surrounding these storied culinary traditions. He introduces readers to new and forgotten versions of favorite regional dishes from the time of Daniel Boone to today and uncovers many lost recipes, such as Mush Biscuits, Kentucky Tombstone Pudding, and the Original Kentucky Whiskey Cake. He also highlights classic bourbon drinks that pair well with burgoo and barbecue, including Moon Glow, Bourbaree, and the Hot Tom and Jerry.

Featuring cuisine from the early American frontier to the present day, this entertaining book is filled with fascinating tidbits and innovative recipes for the modern cook.

Burgoo, Barbecue, and Bourbon
A Kentucky Culinary Trinity
by Albert W. A. Schmid
University Press of Kentucky, 2017

Bourbon
Soups, Stews, Chili and Chowder
Outrider Reading Group