Farm and Garden Picks: In Business with Bees

This book takes serious beekeepers past the beginning stages and learning curves and offers practical, useful advice to move your passion into a part-time or full-time career with measurable results.

It includes in-depth advice on determining what facilities are needed and how to acquire them; getting and installing the right equipment; cooperating with other local businesses; stocking inventory and managing warehouse space; finding customers; raising and selling queens, packages, and nucs; expanding pollination, including contracts to protect you; making and selling peripheral products from wax, propolis, and honey.

In Business with Bees by Kim Flottum
How to Expand, Sell, and Market Honeybee Products and Services including Pollination, Bees and Queens, Beeswax, Honey and More

Husbandry
Farm and Garden Books
list your book on Buy Direct Directory

Healthy Advice for the Common Cold.

Ah-Choo! The Uncommon Life of Your Common Cold by Jennifer Ackerman.

Explains what, exactly, a cold is, how it works, and whether it's really possible to "fight one off."

Ah-Choo!

The Uncommon Life of Your Common Cold 

by Jennifer Ackerman

Twelve, 2010

Health & Beauty
Good Weight
Health & Fitness Magazines

Good Guides: Cleveland's Catalog of Cool

From polka bands to popcorn balls, the more recently bumbling Browns to the thankfully no- longer- burning river, Michael Murphy shares his Cleveland. Raised in The Land, Murphy returns to see that the quirky character of his hometown is no longer mocked, but celebrated (mostly). The city, where high cuisine used to be Manners Big Boy or the Woolworth’s lunch counter, has turned into a culinary hub with multiple James Beard Award- winning chefs. There are now boating festivals and kayaking clubs on the once polluted Cuyahoga River. Cleveland has become a place that people actually intend to visit, not just get stuck in when the airport is snowed in.

This foodie guide mixes contemporary with vintage stories and profiles of essential Clevelanders, past and present, like the well- known like Jimmy Brown and Chef Michael Symon, the late Harvey Pekar, and, of course, the most quintessential of all Clevelanders, Ghoulardi.

Cleveland's Catalog of Cool

An Irreverent Guide to the 'Land

by Michael Murphy 

Countryman Press, 2018

Guidebooks and How-to Titles
Food and Drink Magazines
The Book Stall review archives

Good Guides: Exploring Wisconsin Trout Streams

Drawing on years of conservation and angling experience, Steve Born and Jeff Mayers tell you about great fishing opportunities unique to Wisconsin. They profile twenty streams, from the bucolic Green River in the southwest to the historic and wild Bois Brule in the north.

This new edition includes updates throughout, new photos, and a new chapter detailing improvements in fishing opportunities since the mid-1990s.

Exploring Wisconsin Trout Streams
The Angler's Guide
by Steve Born, et al
University of Wisconsin Press, 2014

Guidebooks and How-to Titles
The Nature Pages
Nature Writing and Natural Histories

Reading the History: Ten Tea Parties

Everyone knows the story of the Boston Tea Party, in which colonists stormed three British ships and dumped 92,000 pounds of tea into Boston Harbor. But who remembers the Philadelphia Tea Party of December 1773? How about the York, Maine, Tea Party of September, 1774? Or the Wilmington, North Carolina, Tea Party of March, 1775?

Ten Tea Parties is the first book to chronicle all these uniquely American protests.

Ten Tea Parties

Patriotic Protests That History Forgot 

by Joseph Cummins 

Out of the Past
Book List
History and American West Titles

Now Exploring "Meet the Southwest Deserts"

An introduction to the Southwest's deserts and their life forms by Philip Welles.  Illustrated with photos by Marvin H. Frost, Sr. Published by Dale Stuart King, 1973.

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?

A Place to Which We Belong

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

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

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.

Rethinking the Civil War Era

Directions for Research 

by Paul D. Escott 

The University Press of Kentucky, 2018

Out of the Past
Book List
History and American West Titles

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.

Gardener's Log Book

A 5-Year Planner

by The New York Botanical Garden

Home Grown
Growing Guides
list your book on Buy Direct Directory

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."

Frog Pond Philosophy

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

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.

Raising The Heat

Cooking with Fire and Spice

by Paul Gayler

Lyons Press, 2001

Cookbooks
Recipe Archive
Farm Kitchen

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

The Nature Pages: The Naturalist's Notebook.

This book is both a guide to nature journaling and a calendar for recording events and observations by date over a five-year period. Inspired by the garden calendar of Gilbert White in the 18th century, it is designed to accommodate brief periodic natural history observations that evoke an "immersion in the familiar" that assure "all is right with the world."

The text suggests ways to become a more attentive and observant naturalist. It explains how to record and organize observations of the natural world so as to better analyze them and recognize subtle patterns. And it describes simple experiments like putting a plastic bag over the buds on a tree to see if it hastens budding. Or changing the mix or quantities of seed in birdfeeders to see what difference it makes in the birds that come to dine.

The Naturalist's Notebook

An Observation Guide and 5-Year Calendar-Journal

by Nathaniel T. Wheelwright and Bernd Heinrich. 324 pp. Mariner Books, 2017.

continued in The Nature Pages

The Nature Pages
Reviews Archive
Outrider Reading Group

Review: The Backyard Homestead Seasonal Planner

Author and Wisconsin homesteader Ann Larkin Hansen compiled this homesteading planner that outlines the seasonal chores needed to maintain a healthy and productive, garden, orchard, woodlot, beeyard, and farmstead.

"Doing a thing in its proper season - when it would naturally occur, or when conditions make the job most efficient and comfortable - is how you spread the work more evenly through the year," she explains. "This is what makes it possible to get it all done and still have some leisure time."

Her planner is divided by seasons, beginning with Midwinter and Late Winter and continuing through to Early Fall and Early Winter of the same calendar year. Suggested chores and priorities are presented in each time period along with tips and primers on weaning animals, constructing wetland crossings, butchering chickens, drying herbs, mulching, planting a garden, and more.

The Backyard Homestead Seasonal Planner

What to Do & When to Do It in the Garden, Orchard, Barn, Pasture & Equipment Shed

by Ann Larkin Hansen

Storey Publishing, 2017

continued in The Book Stall

Reviews Archive
The Book Stall
How To Do It Books
Artwork: The Backyard Homestead Seasonal Planner

Farm and Garden Picks: The Backyard Homestead Seasonal Planner

This planner offers expert advice on what tasks to do around your farm and when to do them — no matter where on the planet you call home.

Author Ann Larkin Hansen sets the priorities for each area of the farm, including the barn, garden, orchard, field, pasture, and woodlot. For every critical turn of the year (12 in all), Hansen provides an at-a-glance to-do list along with tips and a more in-depth discussion of key topics for the season.

Easy-reference charts, checklists, and record-keeping sections help you keep track of it all.

The Backyard Homestead Seasonal Planner

What to Do & When to Do It in the Garden, Orchard, Barn, Pasture & Equipment Shed

by Ann Larkin Hansen

Storey Publishing, 2017

Home Grown
Farm and Garden Books
Animal Husbandry Books
Plants & Seeds

Now Exploring "The Naturalist's Notebook"

Biologist Nathaniel T. Wheelwright and best-selling author Bernd Heinrich teach nature lovers of all ages what to look for outdoors no matter where you live, using Heinrich’s classic illustrations as inspiration. As you jot down one observation a day, year after year, your collected field notes will serve as a valuable record of your piece of the planet.

This deluxe book, with a three-piece case, gilt edges, a burgundy ribbon bookmark, and a belly band with gold foil stamping, is a perfect gift for all nature lovers.

The Naturalist's Notebook

An Observation Guide and 5-Year Calendar-Journal

by Nathaniel T. Wheelwright and Bernd Heinrich

Storey Publishing, 2017

Book Notes Wild
Nature Writing and Natural Histories
The Nature Pages

Now Cooking with The Historic Kentucky Kitchen

from
The Historic Kentucky Kitchen
Traditional Recipes for Today's Cook
by Deirdre A. Scaggs and Andrew W. McGraw
The University Press of Kentucky, 2013

According to authors of The Historic Kentucky Kitchen, this 1897 soup recipe packs a lot of flavor, considering how simple it is and how few ingredients are in the recipe. To make the soup more elegant and add texture, reserve the tips of the asparagus spears after poaching to use as a garnish.

full recipe in The Recipe Archive

Artwork: Asparagus Soup
Recipe Archive
Farm Kitchen
Asparagus
Cookbooks

Farm and Garden Picks: Storey's Illustrated Breed Guide to Sheep, Goats, Cattle and Pigs

From the large-tailed Karakul sheep to the floppy-eared Gloucestershire Old Spot pig, North America is home to an extraordinary array of livestock.

Storey’s Illustrated Breed Guide to Sheep, Goats, Cattle, and Pigs features full-color profiles of 163 livestock breeds. Whether you’re looking for a gentle domestic backyard animal or are hoping to introduce a rare heritage breed on your farm, you’re sure to find an animal that’s perfect for your needs.

If you need solid, up-to-date information on common domestic animals or you are hoping to introduce a rare heritage breed to your farm, this definitive guide has the information you need on the animals that interest you.

Storey's Illustrated Breed Guide to Sheep, Goats, Cattle and Pigs
163 Breeds from Common to Rare
by Carol Ekarius
Storey Publishing, 2008

Animal Husbandry Books
Husbandry
list your book on Buy Direct Directory

Farm and Garden Picks: Grow Native.

Learn how to transform your yard into a beautiful landscape using native plants. In master gardener Lynn Steiner's book you'll find guidance for planting stunning gardens using native species that support your local ecosystem. Organized in an easily accessible way, the book offers instructions for planting, maintenance instructions, helpful tips about soil, watering and fertilizing as well as gorgeous photography. With guidance about how to weave native plants into your landscape and replacing common ornamentals with natural plants, this book should have a place on every gardener's bookshelf.

Grow Native combines inspirational garden shots of native landscapes with plant specific chapters and photos.

Grow Native
Bringing Natural Beauty to Your Garden
by Lynn M. Steiner
Cool Springs Press, 2016

Home Grown
The Book Stall
Farm and Garden Books

Now Cooking with The Scout's Deck of Outdoor Recipe Cards

Packed in a heavy-duty cardboard box, this Campsite-Cooking Card Pack contains 64 trail-tested and Scout-approved recipe cards for every meal and snack that both boys and Scout leaders will love come chowtime.

Also, inside each box, pre-wrapped in its own plastic bag, is a rugged metal carabineer.

Each Campsite Recipe card comes a pre-punched corner hole so Scouts and pick and choose what recipes they’ll enjoy on a camping trip, clip them together on their carabineer, and have a ready-made meal plan and ingredients list.

The Scout's Deck of Outdoor Recipe Cards
by Christine and Tim Conners
Falcon Guides, 2015
Cookbooks
Recipe Archive
Outgoing

Good Guides: The Backyard Field Guide to Chickens

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

Animal Husbandry
Guidebooks and How-to Titles
How To Do It Books

Review: Red 4WD Tractors

"All the colors of tractors and the people who made them have good stories, and those stories share a common thread: innovative farm boy geniuses who built solutions to a problem rooted in the growing American farm," writes Lee Klancher in his introduction to this substantial history of high-horsepower four-wheel-drive tractors manufactured by International Harvester, Steiger, J.I. Case and Case IH.

This history covers six decades from the winter of 1957 -- when Douglass and Maurice Steiger converted a Cat DW-15 scraper into a high-horsepower farm tractor in their dairy barn in order to make their Minnesota family farm more efficient -- to the present day.

Red 4WD Tractors

by Lee Klancher

Octane Press, 2017

continued in The Book Stall
Reviews Archive
Tractor Books
Tractors and Tractor Parts
Artwork: Case IH Steiger 620 Quadtrac Tractor

Farm and Garden Picks: Red 4WD Tractors

In this book, the story of the four-wheel-drive tractors built by Steiger, International Harvester, Case and Case IH is told in dramatic fashion. Starting with the development of early four-wheel-drive systems at International Harvester, it traces the evolution and design some of the most powerful and capable tractors of the 20th century.

The book includes the complete story of Steiger tractors, which were originally built and designed in the barn of John, Douglas and Maurice Steiger located near Red Lake Falls, Minnesota. With interviews with more than 50 of the people who built Steiger from a barn to a world leader, Red 4WD Tractors traces the evolution of the lime green Steigers in engrossing detail. .

Red 4WD Tractors

by Lee Klancher

Octane Press, 2017

Outrider Reading Group
The Book Stall
Tractor Books

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.

Talking Machine West

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

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.

The Beekeeper's Problem Solver

100 Common Problems Explored and Explained

by James E. Tew

Quarry Books, 2015

Outrider Reading Group
Animal Husbandry Books
Homegrown Honey Bees

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.

The Backyard Field Guide to Chickens

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.

Extreme Coloring Tattoos

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

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.

The Vermont Gardener's Companion 

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

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.

Wild Spaces, Open Seasons

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

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.

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

Reading the History: Drawn to Yellowstone

Thomas Moran, Albert Bierstadt, Frederic Remington, Louis Comfort Tiffany, and dozens of other artists braved difficult conditions to capture the splendors of Yellowstone in many media, from delicate watercolors and pen-and-ink sketches to powerful oils and popular lithographs.

Peter H. Hassrick traces the artistic history of the park from its earliest explorers to the present day in this new edition of Drawn to Yellowstone, a richly illustrated account of the artists who traveled to and were inspired by Yellowstone.

Drawn to Yellowstone

Artists in America's First National Park

by  Peter H. Hassrick

Buffalo Bill Center of the West, 2016

Artwork: Grand Canyon of Yellowstone by Thomas Moran
Out of the Past
Book List
History and American West Titles

A New Guide To... Amphibians and Reptiles.

Known for its natural beauty, Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area is the largest inland peninsula in the United States. Consisting of 170,000 acres of forested and protected public land between Kentucky Lake (Tennessee River) and Lake Barkley (Cumberland River), this scenic sanctuary is visited by more than 1.4 million nature lovers annually and encompasses many diverse habitats, each supporting a particular community of plants and animals.

This is your guide to some of the often-overlooked residents of this unique ecosystem. The authors offer detailed descriptions and stunning color photographs of the salamanders, frogs, toads, turtles, lizards, and snakes found in the region. Each entry includes the species' scientific and common names as well as information on its distribution, habitat, and natural history. An extensive glossary assists readers in identifying the animals.

Amphibians and Reptiles of Land Between the Lakes

by  David H. Snyder, A. Floyd Scott, Edmund J. Zimmerer and David Frymire

University Press of Kentucky, 2016

The Nature Pages
Guidebooks and How-to Titles
Book List

A New Guide To... Frugality.

From Socrates to Thoreau, most philosophers, moralists, and religious leaders have seen frugality as a virtue and have associated simple living with wisdom, integrity, and happiness. But why? And are they right?

The Wisdom of Frugality explores what simplicity means, why it's supposed to make us better and happier, and why, despite its benefits, it has always been such a hard sell. The book looks not only at the arguments in favor of living frugally and simply, but also at the case that can be made for luxury and extravagance, including the idea that modern economies require lots of getting and spending.

The Wisdom of Frugality

Why Less Is More - More or Less

by  Emrys Westacott

Princeton University Press, 2016

The Book Stall
Guidebooks and How-to Titles
Book List

Reading the History: The Baker Massacre

On the morning of January 23, 1870, troops of the 2nd U.S. Cavalry attacked a Piegan Indian village on the Marias River in Montana Territory, killing many more than the army’s count of 173, most of them women, children, and old men. The village was afflicted with smallpox. Worse, it was the wrong encampment. Intended as a retaliation against Mountain Chief’s renegade band, the massacre sparked public outrage when news sources revealed that the battalion had attacked Heavy Runner’s innocent village—and that guides had told its inebriated commander, Major Eugene Baker, he was on the wrong trail, but he struck anyway. Remembered as one of the most heinous incidents of the Indian Wars, the Baker Massacre has often been overshadowed by the better-known Battle of the Little Bighorn and has never received full treatment until now.

Author Paul R. Wylie plumbs the history of Euro-American involvement with the Piegans, who were members of the Blackfeet Confederacy. His research shows the tribe was trading furs for whiskey with the Hudson’s Bay Company before Meriwether Lewis encountered them in 1806. As American fur traders and trappers moved into the region, the U.S. government soon followed, making treaties it did not honor.

Blood on the Marias

The Baker Massacre

by Paul R. Wylie

University of Oklahoma Press, 2016

Out of the Past
Book List
History and American West Titles

A New Guide To... Fermentation & Home Brewing.

People everywhere are rejecting industrial food to produce their own—and fermentation is at the zenith of this movement. It is slow food at its slowest; optimizes nutritional health; and confers unique flavors and textures.

This mouthwatering survey presents a world of recipes for fermented foods and beverages to make at home, from bread and beer to ketchup, kombucha, and kimchi. Featuring tantalizing photography and tips from the pros, this book is the ultimate resource for everyone from the newbie to the seasoned fermentation enthusiast.

Fermentation & Home Brewing
by Jessica Childs and Eric Childs
Sterling Epicure, 2016

The Book Stall
Guidebooks and How-to Titles
Farm Kitchen

Now Serving... More Kentucky Bourbon Cocktails

Ninety-five percent of the world's bourbon whiskey is produced in Kentucky, and the drink is as distinctive to the state as Thoroughbred horses and Bluegrass music. As America's native spirit enjoys booming popularity worldwide, award-winning bartender Joy Perrine and celebrated restaurant critic and drinks writer Susan Reigler return to offer new recipes that will delight both the cocktail novice and the seasoned connoisseur.

Following up on their best-selling The Kentucky Bourbon Cocktail Book, the duo returns with more reasons to appreciate bourbon whiskey. This mouthwatering volume features more than fifty delicious new concoctions―including variations on classics such as the Old Fashioned and the Manhattan―and even adds a splash of Kentucky flavor to mojitos, sangria, lemonade, and coffee. It also serves up recipes from leading bartenders, prizewinning drinks from cocktail competitions, and a bourbon-inspired buffet featuring edibles that will be a feast for aficionados.

More Kentucky Bourbon Cocktails

by Joy Perrine and Susan Reigler

University Press of Kentucky, 2016

Good Spirits Online
Beverage Supplies
Bourbon
The Kentucky Bourbon Cocktail Book

Now Cooking with Bourbon Desserts

The flavor of bourbon adds flair and sophistication to every occasion. Celebrations in the Bluegrass State―or any state, for that matter―are never complete without the unique richness of this signature drink. Every holiday party is made warmer with bourbon balls and velvety bourbon eggnog, and no respectable Kentucky Derby party is complete without ice-cold mint juleps. 

Bourbon Desserts features more than seventy-five decadent desserts using America's native spirit. Celebrated food writer and home chef Lynn Marie Hulsman brings together a collection of confections highlighting the complex flavor notes of Kentucky bourbon, which are sure to delight the senses. Organized by category and beautifully presented, the delectable recipes include Bourbon Crème Brulee, Watermelon Julep Pops, Drunken Hot-Fudge Pudding Cake, Derby Morning Maple-Bourbon Hotcake Syrup, and Grandma Rose's Big Race Pie. Giving readers the confidence to prepare these easy-to-execute desserts, this cookbook also features fun facts about bourbon and its origins as well as tips and tricks for working in the kitchen. 

Bourbon Desserts

by Lynn Marie Hulsman

University Press of Kentucky, 2016

Cookbooks

Outrider Reading Group

Bourbon

Good Spirits Online

One-Year Dynasty

Relive the games, moves, and players of the hard-hitting team that won the 1986 World Series.

Vin Scully called the tenth-inning groundball in Game Six of the 1986 World Series—Mets versus Red Sox—that sealed a comeback, fueled a curse, and turned a batting champion into a scapegoat. But getting there was a long, hard slog with plenty of heartache. After being knocked out of contention the previous two seasons, the Mets blasted through the National League that year. They won blowouts, nailbiters, fights, and a 14-inning game that ended with one pitcher on the mound, another in right field, and an All-Star catcher playing third base.

One-Year Dynasty

Inside the Rise and Fall of the 1986 Mets, Baseball's Impossible One-and-Done Champions

by Matthew Silverman

Lyons Press, 2016

Playbooks
The Roster
Baseball Magazines

A New Guide To... Connecticut Made.

A unique guidebook and local resource full of hundreds of things to find and buy, crafts to discover, factories to explore, and history to uncover – all made in Connecticut.

Hundreds of the state’s top cottage industries––all places that you can shop and/or tour––are showcased. Organized by product type, categories include ceramics/pottery, clothing/accessories, furnishings/furniture, glassware, home décor, jewelry, specialty foods, toys/games, and so much more. Together, these homegrown establishments help make up the identity of the Nutmeg State and are part of the larger fabric of what is distinctively New England.

Connecticut Made

Homegrown Products by Local Craftsmen, Artisans, and Purveyors

by Cynthia Parzych

Globe Pequot Press, 2016

Outrider Reading Group
Guidebooks and How-to Titles
Handmade
Connecticut Farmers Markets Directory

The Nature Pages: Dirt

The three dozen essays in this anthology explore and explain and celebrate the virtues of Earth's outer surface or, to put it simply, dirt. Edited by novelist Barbara Richardson, the collection includes a wide range of writings by artists, scientists, poets and farmers reflecting on diverse topics emerging from a common soil.

Contributors who could be labeled as "nature writers" include Julene Bair, Wes Jackson, Edward Kanze, Lisa Knopp, John T. Price, Janisse Ray, Jeanne Rogers, Donald G. Schueler, and Liz Stephens.

In her preface, Richardson refers to Walt Whitman's directive "Look for me under your boot-soles" and extols the divinity of dirt. "Grab a shovel. Hike a ravine. Breathe a dust storm. Reek like old goat and sleep like Venus after a dirty long day. Relish dirt's unbiased receptivity. Worship, if you will, the endless fecundity of soil. Or better yet, fall in love. Dirt makes a resilient, astounding lover."

Dirt

A Love Story

by Barbara Richardson

ForeEdge, 2015

continued in The Nature Pages

The Nature Pages
Reviews Archive
Outrider Reading Group
Farm and Garden Books

Reading the History: Burley

Once iconic American symbols, tobacco farms are gradually disappearing. It is difficult for many people to lament the loss of a crop that has come to symbolize addiction, disease, and corporate deception; yet, in Kentucky, the plant has played an important role in economic development and prosperity. Burley tobacco (a light, air-cured variety used in cigarette production) has long been the Commonwealth's largest cash crop and an important aspect of regional identity, along with bourbon, bluegrass music, and Thoroughbred horses.

In Burley: Kentucky Tobacco in a New Century, Ann K. Ferrell investigates the rapidly transforming process of raising and selling tobacco by chronicling her conversations with the farmers who know the crop best. She demonstrates that although the 2004 "buyout" ending the federal tobacco program is commonly perceived to be the most significant change that growers have had to negotiate, it is, in reality, only one new factor among many.

Burley

Kentucky Tobacco in a New Century

by Ann Ferrell 

University Press of Kentucky, 2016

Out of the Past
History and American West Titles
Outrider Reading Group

Exploring the Nature of... Dirt.

Community farms. Mud spas. Mineral paints. Nematodes. The world is waking up to the beauty and mystery of dirt. This anthology celebrates the Earth's generous crust, bringing together essays by award-winning scientists, authors, artists, and dirt lovers to tell dirt's exuberant tales.

Geographically broad and topically diverse, these essays reveal life as lived by dirt fanatics--admiring the first worm of spring, taking a childhood twirl across a dusty Kansas farm, calculating how soil breathes, or baking mud pies. Essayists build a dirt house, center a marriage around dirt, sink down into marshy heaven, and learn to read dirt's own language.

Dirt

A Love Story

by Barbara Richardson

ForeEdge, 2015

The Nature Pages
Nature Writing and Natural Histories
Farm and Garden Books

Review: The Illustrated Guide to Cows.

Written for backyard farmers and smallholders interested in pasturing cows, this book describes some 50 breeds and their temperaments, giving basic advice on selecting animals and their husbandry. Nicely illustrated, the volume is certainly not encyclopedic in its coverage, but is rather more a friendly homage to keeping cows.

"Cattle are one of the most undemanding and rewarding domestic animals to keep, being in the main healthy and temperate. They are the smallholder's staple, providing the essentials of milk and beef. There are numerous breeds to choose from...," author and illustrator Celia Lewis explains.

A practical volume with useful advice on how to milk a cow, acquire stock, feed, tan a hide, and even make a cow horn, this handsome guidebook will make a decorative addition to the ranch-style decor of any living room or library.

The Illustrated Guide to Cows

How to Choose Them, How to Keep Them

by Celia Lewis 

Bloomsbury USA, 2014

continued in The Book Stall
Reviews Archive
Animal Husbandry Books
Outrider Reading Group

Exploring the Nature of... Four Fields.

In this book, Tim Dee tells the story of four green fields spread around the world: their grasses, their hedges, their birds, their skies, and both their natural and human histories. These four fields—walkable, mappable, man-made, mowable, knowable, but also secretive, mysterious, wild, contested, and changing—play central roles in the sweeping panorama of world history and in the lives of individuals.

In Dee’s telling, a field is never just a setting for great battles or natural disasters, though it is often this as well. A field is the oldest and simplest and truest measure of what a man needs in life, especially when looked at, contemplated, worked in, lived with, and written about.

Four Fields

by Tim Dee

Counterpoint, 2015

The Nature Pages
Nature Writing and Natural Histories
Book Notes Wild

Farm and Garden Picks: The Illustrated Guide to Cows

Keeping cattle as a smallholder can be a rewarding enterprise, supplying you with food and milk and helping with the management of grassland on your property. This delightfully illustrated and informative book is ideal for anyone interested in keeping a cow or two, who would like to choose the best breed for their circumstances.

The Illustrated Guide to Cows by Celia Lewis covers the 58 most familiar breeds of cattle in Europe and North America.

The Illustrated Guide to Cows

How to Choose Them, How to Keep Them

by Celia Lewis

Bloomsbury USA, 2014

Animal Husbandry Books
Husbandry
Outrider Reading Group

A New Guide To... Artisanal Foods.

Artisanal foods are making a comeback as more and more people seek to stock their pantries, and their bellies, with handcrafted or locally grown and made foods. Specialty markets and sections at grocery stores are catering to this new desire for the special, the unique, the carefully made foods.

This book colorfully details the landscape of the newest wave of the artisanal food revolution by looking at four foods that whet our appetites for specialty.

Small Batch

Pickles, Cheese, Chocolate, Spirits, and the Return of Artisanal Foods

by Suzanne Cope

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2014

Outrider Reading Group
Guidebooks and How-to Titles
Specialty Foods
Farm Kitchen

Book Stall Review: The Five Seasons

This is a self-help guide to achieving an enlightened, enjoyable life by establishing balance with nature in your mind, body and spirit. Based on the idea that each season has its own unique natural energy, it offers holistic techniques for balancing your emotions, creativity, productivity, decision making and more.

The holistic and non-pharmaceutical techniques, are familiar: using music, meditation and breathing exercises, positive thinking, walking outside.

The Five Seasons

Tap Into Nature's Secrets for Health, Happiness, and Harmony

by Joseph Cardillo

New Page Books, 2013

continued in The Book Stall

Reviews Archive
Outrider Reading Group
How To Do It Books