Made From This Earth: American Women and Nature (Gender and American Culture)

Book Description

The broad sweep of environmental and ecological history has until now been written and understood in predominantly male terms. In Made From This Earth, Vera Norwood explores the relationship of women to the natural environment through the work of writers, illustrators, landscape and garden designers, ornithologists, botanists, biologists, and conservationists.

Norwood begins by showing that the study and promotion of botany was an activity deemed appropriate for women in the early 1800s. After highlighting the work of nineteenth-century scientific illustrators and garden designers, she focuses on nature's advocates such as Rachel Carson and Dian Fossey who differed strongly with men on both women's "nature" and the value of the natural world. These women challenged the dominant, male-controlled ideologies, often framing their critique with reference to values arising from the female experience. Norwood concludes with an analysis of the utopian solutions posed by ecofeminists, the most recent group of women to contest men over the meaning and value of nature.

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Made from This Earth American Women and Nature
Vera Norwood
Manufacturer: NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N7GL1W

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Fourteen-year-old Shawn McDaniel loves the taste of smoked oysters and his mother's gentle hugs. Unfortunately, it's impossible for Shawn to feed himself or to hug his mom back. Shawn has cerebral palsy, a condition he has had since birth that has robbed him of all muscle control. He can't walk, talk, or even focus his eyes on his own. But despite all these handicaps, despite the frustration of not being able to communicate, Shawn is still happy to be alive: "Somehow all the things I think about and remember turn to joy... favorite movies... pinecones... chocolate pudding... the scent of Comet in a stainless steel sink.... Life can be great, even for me. Even for me." That is why he panics when he begins to suspect that his father is thinking of killing him. Shawn knows that his father is trying to be kind; he imagines that his son's life is an endless torment. His dad has no idea of the rich life that Shawn lives inside his head. And Shawn, helpless and mute, has no way of telling him.

Stuck in Neutral is a truly unique journey into the mind of a truly unique character. Shawn McDaniel, who is literally trapped in his own body, will serve as a powerful metaphor for teens who feel cornered by circumstances or their own physical shortcomings. Terry Trueman's first-person portrayal of Shawn is made all the more poignant by the fact that Trueman's own son, Henry, also suffers from cerebral palsy. This is an original and moving debut. (Ages 11 to 15) --Jennifer Hubert

Book Description

Shawn McDaniel is an enigma and a miracle--except no one knows it, least of all his father. His life is not what it may seem to anyone looking at him. Not even those who love him best have any idea what he is truly like. In this extraordinary and powerful first novel, the reader learns to look beyond the obvious and finds a character whose spirit is rich beyond imagining and whose story is unforgettable.

My life is like one of those "good news-bad news" jokes. Like, "I've got some good news and some bad news--which do you want first?"

I could go on about my good news for hours, but you probably want to hear the punch line, my bad news, right? Well, there isn't that much, really, but what's here is pretty wild. First off, my parents got divorced ten years ago because of me. My being born changed everything for all of us, in every way. My dad didn't divorce my mom, or my sister, Cindy, or my brother, Paul--he divorced me. He couldn't handle my condition, so he had to leave. My condition? Well, that brings us to the guts of my bad news.

Books for the Teen Age 2001 (NYPL), Books for Youth Editor's Choice 2000 (Booklist), Top 10 Youth First Novels 2000(Booklist), 2001 Best Books for Young Adults (ALA), 2001 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Readers (ALA), and 2001 Michael L. Printz Honor Book

Customer Reviews:

The Neutral Boy with a Crazy Mind.......2007-05-25

The book wasn't really a page-turner it was more of a life lesson, because nothing
excited because of Shawn's immobility. It wasn't hard to concentrate on the book, but I
couldn't get into the book. I like the style of writing and how the author thinks about
what mentally retarded people are capable of doing. The book was pretty boring because
of Shawn's condition and my mind occasionally started to wander. The plot was
somewhat believable because I think maybe mentally retarded people can do things like
Shawn even though it looks like they can't do anything. I think anybody who has a
relation to a mentally retarded person would enjoy this book because they can relate to
how the family feels. I would like to give this author another shot to see if he writes
anything captivating.

Very Good Book..........2007-05-08

What if you couldn't move, couldn't talk, or even control what your body did? On top of that, your Dad has told you that he wants to kill you out of, but you cannot talk to him and tell him that you really do have a mind, and love your life. What would you do? This is the story of Shawn McDaniel. He has cerebral palsy and cannot control anything on his body. Even though he has all these disablilties, he still loves his life, and wouldn't give it up for anything. But, when his father thinks that nothing is going on inside Shawn's head, he tells him he wants to put him out of his misery. Mr. McDaniel imagines that his son's life is an endless torment. His dad has no idea of the rich life that Shawn lives inside his head. Shawn, helpless and mute, has no way of telling his that he loves life, and doesn't want to go.

This book has got to be on the top of the list for any reader. The book was literally glued to my face. I liked it a lot, because it was like you were in his mind, and he was telling you every thought of his. I also thought it was very good, because it was almost like a mystery and we had to figure out what Shawn and his dad were going to do. I give it 4 1/2 out of 5 stars.

I would reccommend this book to kids around the ages of 11 or 12. It is a fairly easy book, and very short. There is some mature humore, that younger kids might not understand. But, other than that, it would be a perfect fit for kids in 5th and 6th grade, and would teach them a lot.

Jeezy luezy bluezy... this is a great book .......2007-05-07

Stuck in neutral is a great book. Any one who doesnt like the book is KWAZZZY!!!!!! I LOOVVE the book. It is cool. Very good. Like it. Cool. Like an ice cube. The middle could need work though. All it talked about was him thinking his dad was going to kill him. Except for when collin was killed by his own daddy. Pleeeeeezz read the book.

Colby's Review.......2007-05-07

Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman is about a kid named Shawn who is a 14 year old, bright and brilliant kid, with the ability to recall whatever he has heard in his life. But the bad part to his life is he is "stuck in neutral" in his wheelchair due to a problem with his brain: cerebral palsy. He can't even speak. Each day he has a seizure and he enjoys it. He floats of out of his body into his spirit and he feels like he can move and speak and touch. To him it feels great, but his father thinks he is suffering, and he wants to end his pain by killing him.

This book is sad, but amazing. Readers who are into depressing yet suspenseful books should read this. However, the end could use a better ending; the reader never really knows what is going to happen to him.

christians review.......2007-05-07

Shawn McDaniels is one of the brightest 14 years olds ever. Everything he says, hears, or reads is imprinted in his memory eternally. Although he has a photographic memory, he is considered a retard because of his cerebral palsy. He cannot move any of his body because of this . On top of his impairment, his father's out to kill him. As readers join him they jump into the mind of a hidden prodigy and see what life is like though his eyes.

Terry Trueman's Stuck in Neutral is a twist on the idea of the vegetative state theory. His writing is a brand new frontier of paperback exploration, and his ability to tell stories is simple and fun to read. This fast read is not for the weak hearted, but it's worth readers time.

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stuck in neutral
Stuck In Neutral
miranda wilbanks
Stuck in Neutral Review

Stuck in Neutral
Cathie Jo Martin
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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U.S. | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Combining hundreds of in-depth interviews with careful quantitative analysis, Martin shows that there is strong support among managers for government-sponsored training, health, work, and family initiatives to enhance workers' skills and productivity. This support does not translate into political action, surprisingly, because big firms are not organized to intervene effectively. Every large company has its own staff to deal with government affairs, but overarching organizations for the most part lobby ineffectively for the collective interests of big business in the social realm. By contrast, small firms, which cannot afford to lobby the government directly, rely on representative associations to speak for them. The unified voice of small business comes through much more clearly in policy circles than the diverse messages presented by individual corporations, ensuring that the small-business agenda of limited social policy prevails.

A vivid portrayal of the interplay between business and politics, Stuck in Neutral offers a fresh take on some of the most controversial issues of our day. It is a must read for anyone interested in the past, present, and future of the American welfare state and political economy.

Download Description

According to conventional wisdom, big business wields enormous influence over America's political agenda and is responsible for the relatively limited scale of the country's social policies. In Stuck in Neutral, however, Cathie Jo Martin challenges that view, arguing that big business has limited involvement in social policy and in many instances desires broader social interventions. Combining hundreds of in-depth interviews with careful quantitative analysis, Martin shows that there is strong support among managers for government-sponsored training, health, work, and family initiatives to enhance workers' skills and productivity. This support does not translate into political action, surprisingly, because big firms are not organized to intervene effectively. Every large company has its own staff to deal with government affairs, but overarching organizations for the most part lobby ineffectively for the collective interests of big business in the social realm. By contrast, small firms, which cannot afford to lobby the government directly, rely on representative associations to speak for them. The unified voice of small business comes through much more clearly in policy circles than the diverse messages presented by individual corporations, ensuring that the small-business agenda of limited social policy prevails. A vivid portrayal of the interplay between business and politics, Stuck in Neutral offers a fresh take on some of the most controversial issues of our day. It is a must read for anyone interested in the past, present, and future of the American welfare state and political economy.

Customer Reviews:

stuck in neutral.......2003-05-05

I thought this book was a great way to show kids our age how hard it was to live in the situation that he was. I recomend that all students should read this book if look down on other people.

Stuck In Neutral.......2003-04-16

I thought this book was okay. It was very interesting trying to figure out if Shawn's dad was really going to kill him or not. But I didn't think that it was a book that most teenagers would like to read. I would reccomend this book to anyone who likes adventure and a little mystery

miranda wilbanks.......2003-04-16

I thought this book is awesome a very entertaining! I kept interested in the events and the plot. A sumary of the book is about a boy, Shawn, with crebral pralsie and he thinks his father is trying to kill him. He trys to figure out if his father really wants to "end his pain". Shawn knows that if his father doea try to kill him his brother and sister will do their best to try and protect him. I would rate this book a 4 out of 5 stars because it catches your attention and keeps you interested.

Stuck in Neutral Review.......2002-09-11

This book is awesome!
It is about a boy who has cerberal palsy and he thinks his father is trying to kill him. His father doesn't know how bright he is mentally because cerberal palsy effects one's muscle ability. He can not express himself at all verbally or otherwise. To find out what happens read this book....it has an interesting twist.

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Stuck In Neutral
Terry Trueman
Manufacturer: Hodder
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OIINAC

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Stuck in Neutral
Terry Trueman
Manufacturer: Hodder Children's Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OIRNH6

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Courtesy of Teens Read Too

Stuck in Neutral
Terry Trueman
Manufacturer: Scholastic Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: 0439399947

Customer Reviews:

Courtesy of Teens Read Too.......2007-01-17

I'll admit, right off, that I'm a very opinionated person. I believe that's why I love books that have endings that leave it open to personal intrepretation--I can use my own belief system, my own views on the rights and wrongs of a situation, to concoct my own ending. Whether it be a happily-ever-after or a tear-jerker, whatever ending you prescribe to STUCK IN NEUTRAL will, no doubt, leave you pondering the book for days.

That being said, Terry Trueman is the kind of author I love to hate. I love the way he writes, the kinds of stories he tells, the way that, with only a few well-placed words, he can make his characters come to life. I hate it for all of the above, in that I can't do what he does! Oh, to have the ability to influence someone so deeply that all they can do after reading your words is, for days afterwards, think about what you've read. It's an awesome talent, and nothing showcases Mr. Trueman's true gift of storytelling better than the life history of Shawn McDaniel, the boy at the center of STUCK IN NEUTRAL.

Shawn is what many people, "normal" people, would call a retard, a vegetable, a shell of a boy with no one home inside. In a way, they'd be right, but in all the ways that matter, they would be horribly, horribly wrong. Because Shawn is, without a doubt, one of the most interesting young men you could ever hope to meet. Although he can't speak, can't walk, and can't even control any of his movements as simple as winking his eyelids, Shawn is, in effect, a genius. He can remember everything he's ever heard--from a television commercial, to a music lyric, to a conversation overheard while waiting for the bus. He's also extremely brilliant, maybe even more so than a "typical" teen with an IQ of 180. Shawn learned to read by listening to his older sister, Cindy, play school. He learned about girls and beer from listening to one-sided conversations his older brother, Paul, had with his buddies on the telephone. He learned what unconditional love is by watching his mother bathe him, feed him, and take care of him every day of his life. And he learned what abandonment, brought on by love mixed with fear, was when his father, a Pulitzer-winning poet, left their family.

To say that STUCK IN NEUTRAL is about Shawn's fear that his father is planning to kill him would be correct, but it would also be wrong. Shawn knows the world only through what he glimpses when everyone thinks there's no one home inside his worthless body, and this book is, more than anything else, his story of life, love, loss, and hope. This is the story that everyone who has ever uttered the words "I'd do anything for my children" needs to read. This is the book that everyone who's ever laughed at the "retarded" kids in school needs to read. This is, without a doubt, the story everyone, for whatever reason, needs to read.

Shawn will stay with me for the rest of my life. My hope is that eventually my two children will read STUCK IN NEUTRAL and be better people because of it. In fact, my hope is that I'll now be a better person after having read it. Yes, it's that good, and yes, you need to read it today. If it doesn't affect you in some way, all I can say is that you're more of a vegetable than Shawn will ever be.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"

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Courtesy of Teens Read Too

Stuck in Neutral (Signature)
Terry Trueman
Manufacturer: Hodder Children's Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Issues | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0340817453

Customer Reviews:

Courtesy of Teens Read Too.......2007-01-17

Engine plant project stuck in neutral: Congress ordered the plant closed in 1995 when it passed the Army Base Closure Act. The act closed various Army ... from: Fairfield County Business Journal

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Engine plant project stuck in neutral: Congress ordered the plant closed in 1995 when it passed the Army Base Closure Act. The act closed various Army ... from: Fairfield County Business Journal
Dan Strempel
Manufacturer: Westfair Communications, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Fairfield County Business Journal, published by Westfair Communications, Inc. on February 4, 2002. The length of the article is 652 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Engine plant project stuck in neutral: Congress ordered the plant closed in 1995 when it passed the Army Base Closure Act. The act closed various Army installations across the country.(Stratford, Connecticut)(Brief Article)
Author: Dan Strempel
Publication: Fairfield County Business Journal (Magazine/Journal)
Date: February 4, 2002
Publisher: Westfair Communications, Inc.
Volume: 41 Issue: 5 Page: 19(1)

Article Type: Brief Article

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Fiscal crisis has TSB stuck in neutral.(Transportation Strategy Board ): An article from: Fairfield County Business Journal

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Fiscal crisis has TSB stuck in neutral.(Transportation Strategy Board ): An article from: Fairfield County Business Journal
Dan Strempel
Manufacturer: Westfair Communications, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Fairfield County Business Journal, published by Westfair Communications, Inc. on October 13, 2003. The length of the article is 481 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Fiscal crisis has TSB stuck in neutral.(Transportation Strategy Board )
Author: Dan Strempel
Publication: Fairfield County Business Journal (Magazine/Journal)
Date: October 13, 2003
Publisher: Westfair Communications, Inc.
Volume: 42 Issue: 41 Page: 8(1)

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Stuck in neutral. (Hawaii's automobile dealers): An article from: Hawaii Business

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Stuck in neutral. (Hawaii's automobile dealers): An article from: Hawaii Business
Lybia Ma
Manufacturer: Hawaii Business Publishing Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Parts | Automotive | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B00092TFT6
Release Date: 2005-07-28

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Hawaii Business, published by Hawaii Business Publishing Co. on October 1, 1993. The length of the article is 1180 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Stuck in neutral. (Hawaii's automobile dealers)
Author: Lybia Ma
Publication: Hawaii Business (Magazine/Journal)
Date: October 1, 1993
Publisher: Hawaii Business Publishing Co.
Volume: v39 Issue: n4 Page: p36(3)

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Stuck in Neutral.(Review)(Young Adult Review)(Brief Article): An article from: The Horn Book Magazine

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Stuck in Neutral.(Review)(Young Adult Review)(Brief Article): An article from: The Horn Book Magazine
L.a.
Manufacturer: Horn Book, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Horn Book Magazine, published by Horn Book, Inc. on May 1, 2000. The length of the article is 465 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Stuck in Neutral.(Review)(Young Adult Review)(Brief Article)
Author: L.a.
Publication: The Horn Book Magazine (Magazine/Journal)
Date: May 1, 2000
Publisher: Horn Book, Inc.
Volume: 76 Issue: 3 Page: 322

Article Type: Book Review, Young Adult Review, Brief Article

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