Commerzbank Frankfurt: Prototype for an Ecological Highrise (Watermark Publications, London)

Book Description

The Commerzbank building in Frankfurt, completed in May of 1997, is the tallest building in Europe. However, this fact alone is not the reason for a detailed documentation. Most high-rise office buildings follow the conventional American model: fully air-conditioned spaces, little natural lighting, a centrally organized building technology and spatially separate yet otherwise identical floors. The new Commerzbank building is quite different from this model: it receives natural daylight and ventilation, has an atrium reaching from the ground to the top floor, and each office or department enjoys an unobstructed view to the outside. Four-story garden landscapes are distributed throughout the building and make the interior accessible while at the same time creating a totally new work environment. Designed by Sir Norman Foster, this building represents as does his famous Hong Kong Bank a radical reinvention of the high-rise office building.

This book traces the complete history of the Commerzbank building, from design to realization. Illustrated essays explain the many innovative aspects of this architecture, and series of attractive photographs and precise texts elucidate successive phases of the construction process. It is path-breaking architecture, and architects, engineers, contractors, and clients, as well as anyone interested in the architectonic shaping of our environment will welcome this vivid documentation.

Average customer rating:

My Review for Chicken Soup for the Sports Fan's Soul

Possibly the Best Book I Have and Ever Will Read

Better but not great

great book on the good things in sports and life

An entertaining compendium of anecdotes

Chicken Soup for the Sports Fan's Soul: Stories of Insight, Inspiration and Laughter in the World of Sport
Jack Canfield , Mark Victor Hansen , Jim Tunney , Chrissy Donnelly , and Mark Donnelly
Manufacturer: Health Communications, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Sports | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Inspirational | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Canfield, Jack | ( C ) | Authors, A-Z | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
General | Baseball | Sports | Subjects | Books
General | Sports | Subjects | Books
Look Inside Religion & Spirituality Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Look Inside Sports Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Chicken Soup for the Baseball Fan's Soul: Inspirational Stories of Baseball, Big-League Dreams and the Game of Life (Chicken Soup for the Soul (Paperback Health Communications))

Chicken Soup for the Fisherman's Soul: Fish Tales to Hook Your Spirit and Snag Your Funny Bone (Chicken Soup for the Soul)

Chicken Soup for the Golfer's Soul

A 5th Portion of Chicken Soup for the Soul : 101 Stories to Open the Heart and Rekindle the Spirit

Chicken Soup for the Nature Lover's Soul: Inspiring Stories of Joy, Insight and Adventure in the Great Outdoors (Canfield, Jack)

ASIN: 155874875X
Release Date: 2000-11-17

Book Description

For pure exhilaration and drama, there's nothing quite like sports: It's the crack of the bat as it connects with the baseball, hurtling it into the bleachers for a home run; the swish of the basketball as it drops into the net for a three-point play at the buzzer; the roar of the crowd as the quarterback delivers a perfect spiral pass for the winning touchdown. Most importantly, sports bring out the best in the human spirit. There is an intensity and a richness inherent in every sporting experience that amplifies our emotions and our connection with the moment and, indeed, with ourselves. This latest collection of Chicken Soup honors all that is good in the world of sports. From major leaguers to little leaguers, from hockey stars to figure skaters, and from horseracing to mushing, the stories in this book highlight the positive and transformative nature of sports. Readers will come to see sports as one of our most important and powerful teachers. They can teach us to focus and stay the course, or to develop a new strategy and rededicate ourselves to a goal. They can teach us to be humble in victory and gracious in defeat. They can teach us the importance of teamwork and remind us that we must strive to give our individual all. At their best, sports will build us up and they will wear us down; they will build character and teach us to overcome adversity. This book is for anyone who has ever enjoyed watching or participating in any sport, from the professional athlete to the weekend warrior, from the soccer mom to the diehard sports fan, from the marathon runner to the neighborhood jogger.

Customer Reviews:

My Review for Chicken Soup for the Sports Fan's Soul.......2005-12-14

I thought Chicken Soup for the Sports Fan's Soul was excellent. I enjoyed reading the large amount of insightful stories. My favorite story in the book is "Best Seats in the House" by Barney Cohen, which was about his season tickets to the New York Giants NFL football team and how important they were to him and his family. Reading all of these stories made me want to write about my athletic experiences like all the people did in this book. I learned more about famous athletes and what they do outside of sports and in the community. Such as the story in this book "Stadium Nights" by Bob Greene. It was about Michael Jordan and how caring he was. He had a conversation with a young boy in a wheel chair instead of anyone else in the paparazzi and also made sure one of his extremely disabled fans who had made him a valentine got free tickets to the remainder of the season. I learned that some athletes do have a soft-side and sports aren't the only thing their life revolves around. I'd recommend this book to anyone who shares a true passion for athletics.

Possibly the Best Book I Have and Ever Will Read.......2004-01-30

"Chicken Soup For The Sports Fans Soul" is a phenomenal book. It tells many stories including goof ups, sports stars who have done great things for other people, and just about every headline story in the world of sports. It is a very inspirational book. One of my favorite stories was when a team takes one of their players out of the hospital when he is lying in his bed so he could celebrate a victory. I recommend this book to any person interested in sports. The sports in this book range from golf to rugby. The writers of this book including Jack Canfield are all great.
I will tell you the truth though. Some people will agree that some of the stories are a little boring. If you like "Chicken Soup for the Sports Fan's Soul", I suggest you read "Chicken Soup For The Baseball Fans Soul". If you do read "Chicken Soup For The Sports Fans Soul" I know you will love it. I rated this book 5 stars and I think you will too. Go get it now.

Better but not great.......2003-03-29

At least the diversity of sports used in this tape kept my attention and I did like some of the stories. I even learned some things that I didn't know about some sports luminaries. I wouldn't buy the tape again. Come on, Jack, get some humor in your stories and on the tape. Not everything has to be so serious.

great book on the good things in sports and life.......2002-03-07

Chicken Soup for the Sports fan's soul is a wonderful book that talks about the good and rich things in both sports and sport life. the book isn't biased and covers everything from baseball to football to hockey and even to baseball card collecting. there are some really nice and touching stories in here.
stories include with Roger Maris, Joe Montana, Michael Jordan, John Elway, and Mickey Mantle to name a few.
great book for anyone who loves sports.

this book will not only make you feel good about yourself, but also give you a greater appreciation for the game.

An entertaining compendium of anecdotes.......2001-01-03

From humorous to serious, the stories contained in this book are well worth reading. Some of the stories are written by the athletes themselves, others by the journalists who covered them, and still others by the everyday sports lover no one has ever heard of outside the communities in which they play and coach. This book covers virtually every sport from little league to the Olympics and professionals, although my four star rating rather than five is a result of the fact that only one soccer and one or two hockey stories appear in the book. Notwithstanding the lack of coverage of my two favorite sports, however, this book made me laugh aloud, and made tears well in my eyes as an athlete, a coach, and a father. The book is worth buying if only for the quotations that precede several of the chapters. Overall, it is a book that can be read in one sitting, or a story at a time; either way, it will inspire and delight anyone who loves sports, and the best and worst in all of us they evoke.

Chicken Soup for the Sports Fan's Soul: Stories of Insight, Inspiration and Laughter in the World of Sport (Chicken Soup for the Soul)

Average customer rating:

Chicken Soup for the Sports Fan's Soul: Stories of Insight, Inspiration and Laughter in the World of Sport (Chicken Soup for the Soul)
Jack Canfield; Mark Victor Hansen; Jim Tunney; Chrissy Donnelly; Mark Donnelly
Manufacturer: HCI
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKTJEE

Average customer rating:

Chicken Soup for the Sports Fan's Soul: Stories of Insight, Inspiration, and Laughter
Hansen, Donnelly, Donnelly, Tunney, Jack, Mark, Mark, Chrissy, Jim Victor Canfield
Manufacturer: audible.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Download

General | Baseball | Sports | Subjects | Books

General | Football (American) | Sports | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000B5VEEU

Chicken Soup for the Baseball Fan's Soul: 101 Stories of Insights, Inspiration and Laughter from the World of Baseball (Chicken Soup for the Soul (Audio Health Communications))

Average customer rating:

Wrong Year
very inspiring
A great read!
A great book about baseball and life lessons

Chicken Soup for the Baseball Fan's Soul: 101 Stories of Insights, Inspiration and Laughter from the World of Baseball (Chicken Soup for the Soul (Audio Health Communications))
Jack Canfield , Mark Victor Hansen , Mark Donnelly , and Chrissy Donnelly
Manufacturer: Health Communications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

Inspirational | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Essays & Writings | Baseball | Sports | Subjects | Books

General | Baseball | Sports | Subjects | Books

General | Sports | Subjects | Books

Sports & Outdoors | Books on CD | Audiobooks | Formats | Books

General | Books on CD | Audiobooks | Formats | Books
Similar Items:

Chicken Soup for the Sports Fan's Soul: Stories of Insight, Inspiration and Laughter in the World of Sport
Tales from the Dugout : The Greatest True Baseball Stories Ever Told
The Greatest Baseball Stories Ever Told: Thirty Unforgettable Tales from the Diamond
Steal Away: Devotions for Baseball Fans
The Greatest Baseball Stories Ever Told

ASIN: 1558749675

Book Description

"Play Ball!" These words resonate with special meaning in the minds of anyone who has ever enjoyed a game of baseball. Every fan will be amused and touched by stories of sportsmanship and victory gathered from the clay diamonds of America. A tribute to America's favorite past time, Chicken Soup for the Baseball Fan's Soul is written by people at every level of competition, from World Series champions to tee-ball moms. Their inspiring stories highlight the best of baseball, the importance of sportsmanship and a love of the game. Whether these stories take place on the field of a local YMCA or under the bright lights of a major league ballpark, the focus is the same: The Love of the Game.

Customer Reviews:

Wrong Year.......2007-03-05

I love this book, but someone ought to tell Bill Goldberg (The Whistle Story)that the Bucky Dent playoff game was 1978 not 1977. What true NYY fan - from the Bronx, no less - not only doesn't know that, but let's it get to print??????????? Pretty shameful if you ask me.

very inspiring.......2004-05-18

this book was very inspiring. The stories are all well written and ammussing. I haven't read any of the other books in the series and I don't plan on reading them either but I really enjoyed this one though and I recomend this book to all baseball fans

A great read!.......2002-12-27

As a baseball fan, I thought it was wonderful to read about the many sides of baseball. There are stories from both fans and people actually involved in the baseball world. With baseball having such a depressing last couple of years, and not having the results as we have come to expect, it was wonderful to know that there are people in the world that still love this sport! I am one of them. :o)
(I would have said still the American sport, but since I am Canadian I don't think that always applies...)

A great book about baseball and life lessons.......2002-04-25

Chicken Soup For The Baseball Fan's Soul is one great book. The stories are about personal experiences, humor, sportsmanship, life lessons, and the fun that baseball provides.

Some of the stories are actually written by the athletes themselves with others by journalists who have covered the games with their views on the game and the players, and other stories by the everyday sports fan just like you and me. Some of the stories are very humorous while others touching. Before each chapter are very inspiring quotations. Added between some of the stories are baseball comics that will make you laugh.

Every story in this book is well worth-reading from the humorous to the serious stories. This book made tears swell in my eyes and laugh out loud in some stories as a baseball player. This book will inspire the true baseball player or fan. This book is easy to get into it and want to keep reading for a long time, but is also a great book to read one story at a time.

This book really shows how hard you have to work to get better at baseball or any sport and how it can pay off. This is a must-read book for any baseball fan who wants to enjoy a great book about a great sport.

Book Description

This thoroughly modern and accessible course in Hindi teaches both Hindi and romanized script. Colloquial Hindi is easy to use and completely up-to-date. Specially written by an experienced teacher for self-study or class use, the course offers you a step-by-step approach to written and spoken Hindi. No prior knowledge of the language is required.

What makes Colloquial Hindi your best choice in personal language learning?
* it's interactive - lots of exercises for regular practice
* it's clear - concise grammar notes
* it's practical - useful vocabulary and pronunciation guide
* it's complete - including answer key and special reference section.

Cassettes accompany the course to help you with listening and pronunciation skills. By the end of this rewarding course you will be able to communicate confidently and effectively in a broad range of situations.

Customer Reviews:

Was expecting a little more........2007-09-25

Although it's a great intro with lively discussions and a great deal of vocabulary is introduced and incorporated, it's not all toghether "the" best primer available, especially since it lacks heavily in regards to verbs, conjugations, and other aspects. It's GREAT for complete beginners, but a speaker with some working knowledge may find it a tad bit unchallenging.

if you're a complete newbie, i recommed getting this fair-quality book, but just know its not great.......2006-06-17

ok, this is a good book. by studying from this, you'll develop a knowledge of basic hindi grammar backed by a couple hundred words. it is broken into 2 parts. the first 10 lessons is about speaking and the second last six is about writing. i'm now on lesson 9 of the first part and spending a little reviewing the previous lessons.

i have 1 major complaint about this book. WAY TOO MUCH VOCAB IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE FIRST TEN LESSONS. by this, i mean that if u want 2 learn how to count, say colors,illnesses, and common everyday foods, u must look at the glossary.most aren't included in the dialogues. hindi #'s are very,very irregular compared 2 english and trying to look it up in the glossary and memorize like that makes things harder. (i can only count up 2 twenty so far and i'm on the 9th lesson!). the same goes for the other things i mentioned.

and 2 add a little more, the author likes to explain things clearly. but explain things clearly by using linguistic or language jargon. i had to find out on my own wat transitive and intransitive verbs were on own 4 example.

but other than these, everything seems fine to me. but i havent tried the writing lessons. and do get the cd's. but if u can't u'll survive with the cassettes(although that'll be a little harder with those)

BUT BEWARE! SUM INDIAN PEOPLE ARE RUDE AND UNFRIENDLY!(NOT EVERYONE IS LIKE THAT THANK GOODNESS). i know this personally. they might think u to be a criminally insane freak 4 ur interest in the language.

but pakistanese on the other hand are people u won't have to worry about. the ones i've met are very impressed by my limited knowledge of hindi.

good luck!

Suitable For Whetting Your Curiosity And More.......2006-05-23

I purchased both the book and the audio CD, and so far I've read maybe 8 or so pages, but have played the CDs quite a bit as a companion to my daily commute. Bhatia is my first exposure to Hindi langauge instruction. So far the experience has been enjoyable, though a lot of Hindi letters sound alike to my tin ear.

Compared to products I've used for other langauges (mostly Berlitz tapes), the Hindi CD is a vast improvement, moving beyond "set piece conversation" into more general usage.

Obviously, I'm not in a position to critique Bhatia's style of instruction or other technical details.

The CDs I received are "burned" (CD-Rs) with one-color silk screening, and not pressed. That's OK, but for extra safety, ripping a copy for general use is recommended. Keeping CD-Rs in hot cars is an express ticket to data oblivion.

My only minor gripe is that I wish that those who write about Hindi or Indian culture would stop apologizing for India's social problems. Remember, the USA broke away from Great Britain in 1776 with a population of about 3 million. India started her own path in 1947 with a population hundreds of times greater. It took the USA roughly 70-80 years to achieve social and economic milestones comparable to Europe. So just chill and remember that respect comes to those with lots of money and power (such as one gains by splitting the atom.)

User-friendly intro to an extremely important world language.......2005-06-20

Bohut acche! Tej K. Bhatia's book is an outstanding, gentle, yet comprehensive introduction to the Hindi language for a beginner. It's difficult to cite the numerous reasons why this book is so valuable for the apprehensive beginning language-learner, but I'll make an attempt to summarize the high points:

(1) Bhatia is careful not to overwhelm the beginning learner with the complexities of the Devanagari script too early. He has the perfect instructor's touch here, rendering most of the early dialogues in Roman characters while gradually easing the learner into Devanagari as he/she gains more confidence in the basics of speaking and comprehending.

(2) Bhatia's book has just enough grammar to give any Hindi learner a handy mental framework for organizing the rules of sentence construction, without being too intimidating. Happily, Hindi grammar resembles that of Mandarin Chinese in some respects, though not quite as simple as Mandarin-- it's fairly consistent, broad-brushed enough to allow sophisticated emotional and logical expression yet accessible enough that even beginning students can basically vocalize their thoughts after just a couple weeks of study. Bhatia does a fine job of really organizing this grammar in the right sequence, explaining the niceties of Hindi syntax while taking some of the language's trickier aspects (e.g. postpositions, as in Japanese, participles, causatives, the oblique) and making them seem eminently manageable.

(3) Pronunciation, often neglected in self-teaching language books, gets more than a cursory treatment here, an asset not to be downplayed!

(4) The tape/CDs have a wealth of spoken material and can be conveniently played at home, on the road or on the plane or train or bus.

(5) Bhatia's book, as the series title suggests, really focuses on Hindi as a colloquial idiom. While this may at first seem trivial, it's a very important asset to his book! In India, there are in effect two forms of Hindi-- the formalized literary version used in ceremonial and official circumstances, and the popular "Bollywood" Hindi that's used on the street and in the markets throughout India and, indeed, much of the world (including in quite a few South Asian shops in New York City, where this "common Hindi" is a sort of lingua franca). It's this colloquial Hindi (very closely resembling Urdu), essentially, that's so rapidly become a world language and taken much of the world by storm as Bollywood movies and music, among other Indian exports, become so popular.

In practice, this "colloquial Hindi" isn't even entirely Hindi, but a hybrid spoken tongue with a Hindi foundation plus plenty of contributions from Malayalam, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, and other Indian as well as European languages tossed in to spice the mix, popular throughout the Subcontinent in its varieties. While Bhatia doesn't delve too much into the varied vocabulary of this "dialectical Hindi(ish)" language, his dialogues and idiomatic expressions do a fine job of conveying true conversational Hindi to the learner and thus providing a nice basis for communicating in the popular Hindi that's actually used between native speakers.

In its dialectical varieties, Hindi-Urdu has close to a billion speakers worldwide, may soon become a UN official language and-- along with Spanish and Mandarin Chinese-- may well be one of the "essential languages" of the 21st century as India continues its ascent. Moreover, since Hindi is a fellow Indo-European language, it has enough similarities to intrigue and delight a native European-language speaker and smooth the learning process. In fact, if you've already learned an important European language like French, German or Spanish-- or Farsi Persian or Dari, which Hindi-Urdu in many ways resembles-- you'll have a headstart in mastering the quirks and structures of Hindi, especially as Bhatia presents it.

Besides which, Hindi is a beautiful and poetic language that sings as much as it speaks, equally at home conveying complicated scientific concepts as in expressing the deepest emotions of the heart. Bhatia is an experienced and talented teacher of this wonderful language, and after just a couple months of studying you'll find yourself able to communicate at a decent level, maybe even humming some Hindi music during your lunch break.

Barhaiya! Really excellent.......2005-01-22

This is a fantastic resource. I have just received my copy and already I am in love with it. It is very well-written, and strikes a nice balance between the structure of the langauge and usability. I especially like that the author is no fan of prescriptivists, and so presents "Hindi as she is spoke". I would not say that it is "better" than Snell's TYH, but it takes a slightly different approach, and is, in my opinion a great complement to the other work.

My only gripes are the way that all the devanagari is stuck at the back (grr!) and that I had to buy the book and CD separately. Even with those minuses, it is absolutely worth it, and I would rate it a must have.

Colloquial Hindi, 2e: The Complete Course for Beginners (Colloquial Series)

Average customer rating:

Colloquial Hindi, 2e: The Complete Course for Beginners (Colloquial Series)
Tej Bhatia
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: CD-ROM

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books

Study & Teaching | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books

Pedagogy | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0415395275

Book Description

Colloquial Hindi is easy-to-use and completely up-to-date. Written by an experienced teacher for self-study or class use, the course offers you a step-by-step approach to written and spoken Hindi with no prior knowledge of the language required.

This course is interactive, includes clear and concise grammar notes, contains a useful vocabulary and pronunciation guide and includes an answer key and reference section.

This new edition features extended advice and information on Hindi scripts, in particular Devangari, and two sixty-minute cassettes or CDs are also available.

Colloquial Urdu: The Complete Course for Beginners (Colloquial Series)

Average customer rating:

hmmmm...

Colloquial Urdu: The Complete Course for Beginners (Colloquial Series)
Tej K. Bhatia
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

General | Books on Cassette | Audiobooks | Formats | Books

Conversation | Etiquette | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books

Linguistics | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books

Reference | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books

Study & Teaching | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Colloquial Urdu is easy to use and completely up to date. Specially written by experienced teachers for self-study or class-use, the course offers you a step-by-step approach to spoken and written Urdu, including some Urdu script.

Customer Reviews:

hmmmm..........2003-11-13

This book is fine, a pretty hum-drum outfit like any other 'teach yourself' book. It's pretty good. However, I'm writing this review to let people know that the 'handwriting units' are utterly useless, unless you actually wanted to learn an incomplete alphabet in a childish scrawl. Also, the printed nasta'liq is very tiny, spidery and hard to read. If you have no previous knowledge of Arabic or a derived script, I cannot imagine how you will manage.
I recommend 'Urdu Grammar' by Ruth Laila Schmidt.

Book Description

When we think of the key figures of early American history, we think of explorers, or pilgrims, or Native Americans--not cattle, or goats, or swine. But as Virginia DeJohn Anderson reveals in this brilliantly original account of colonists in New England and the Chesapeake region, livestock played a vitally important role in the settling of the New World. Livestock, Anderson writes, were a central factor in the cultural clash between colonists and Indians as well as a driving force in the expansion west. By bringing livestock across the Atlantic, colonists believed that they provided the means to realize America's potential. It was thought that if the Native Americans learned to keep livestock as well, they would be that much closer to assimilating the colonists' culture, especially their Christian faith. But colonists failed to anticipate the problems that would arise as Indians began encountering free-ranging livestock at almost every turn, often trespassing in their cornfields. Moreover, when growing populations and an expansive style of husbandry required far more space than they had expected, colonists could see no alternative but to appropriate Indian land. This created tensions that reached the boiling point with King Philip's War and Bacon's Rebellion. And it established a pattern that would repeat time and again over the next two centuries. A stunning account that presents our history in a truly new light, Creatures of Empire restores a vital element of our past, illuminating one of the great forces of colonization and the expansion westward.

Customer Reviews:

Well its about cows.......2007-10-11

This book is interesting, yet sometimes abit to general. While Anderson stays down the middle and doesnt blame one side or the other, she often generalizes. She did a wonderful job in making a distinction between N.E. and Chesapeake Bay, but does not clearly define which tribes she is talking about and gives the reader the assumption that all tribes reacted in similar ways. As a graduate student of history I believe this book has its purpose, but over generalizing is often dangerous. Overall it is a good book, well writte, and if you are curious as to what sorts of changes livestock had on America--this book is for you.

I have one suggestion.

Becareful not to take the idea to literally that livestock caused wars. Anderson fails to show how numerous things resulted in Indian resistance. Another book that complements this one is "Changes in the Land" Cronon. This book gives an ecological argument to support the livestock problem. Also, Facing East by D. Richter illustrates some economic, political, and military problems in the new world. However, if you read Richter, read it carefully--much is based on imagination not sources. With that said, Richters discussion on politics, military, and economics is very good. These three books give a good backdrop for native resistance.

Excellent account.......2007-03-10

The nature of the colonial relationships between the European settlers and the Native Americans has been readjusted to include livestock in a central rather than marginal role in the shaping of American history.

Virginia DeJohn Anderson's Creatures of Empire culminates around the way in which the colonial settlers and natives viewed the very nature of animals and therefore the way in which their relative reactions affected their relationships with each other. Anderson seems to say that if Native Americans and settlers were opposing teams in the championship game, then the livestock were as pivotal as the field on which the game was played.
Through her research, Anderson is able to reconstruct accurate tales of interaction between the natives, settlers and their imported livestock, which eventually lead to conflict and European expansion. There are three main purposes of Creatures of Empire that serve to further illuminate colonial history. The first purpose is deducing how natives and settlers view fauna independently of one another. Second, by analyzing the clear difference in point of views, Anderson is able to realize how conflicts arose and were potentially solved between the two parties, because of their interaction with various animals and finally, she is able to reason how these conflicts or resolutions shaped Colonial America and its future.
Virginia DeJohn Anderson received her Ph.D. in History from Harvard University and is currently a Professor of History at the University of Colorado at Boulder as a Colonial and Revolutionary historian. Her previous publications include New England's Generation and co-author of the textbook The American Journey: A History of the United States ([...]).

In Creatures of Empire, Anderson works in the guise of folktales in order to convey her central theme of the importance of livestock in the shaping of native-settler relations, primarily in the New England and Mid-Atlantic regions. Each folktale is explained in a well-written and well-documented light, which makes this book both accessible to Anderson's colleagues and to persons who have no background in either Colonial America or animal husbandry. The retail value of $[...] is a reasonable asking price for this book, particularly since there are only a few, minor illustrations and the bulk of the book is text. Although it is mostly text, Anderson paints a marvelously clear picture of events with her words. This book is a gem that should be examined by those investigating the middle ground between Native Americans and European settlers, or just those who enjoy a fascinating, yet authentic read.

The author makes heavy use of letters and original journals from settlers in the colonial period, such as The Complete Works of Captain John Smith (1580-1631) and The Pynchon Papers, a collection of correspondence between John Pynchon and John Winthrop, Jr., dated mid to late 1600s. With the aid of historical commentary and supplementary scholarship, such as multiple references to Richard White's renowned Middle Ground, as well as data gathered through other channels for example, archaeological, dietary, mortuary, etc., Anderson is able to make well-informed ethnohistorical commentary on the colonial culture, beliefs and values of the natives and settlers. It is through this commentary that she is able to deduce the how and why of the relationships between the two cultures.

Due to this thorough examination of evidence, the conclusions that Anderson draws in this work are highly plausible, especially as she lays the foundation for these conclusions through many points of view. For example, Anderson undoubtedly concludes that native and settlers did not view animals from the same perspective (p. 6). This is widely understood throughout American studies, however Anderson reaches further to deduct why this is true: on the side of the Native Americans, animals had a manitou or guardian spirit and "deserved respect from humans, and could enact revenge if treated inappropriately"(p. 41). Anderson contrasts the European settlers understanding of animals, in order to root causes of conflict: according to "Christian tenets...[which] denied animals any independent spiritual status, and sanctioned human domain over the natural world...animals could be made into private property"(p. 70). Through these facts, Anderson deduces the nature of these conflicts and is able to delve into the psyche of each party.

Though Anderson mentions in the prologue, historian and geographer Alfred Crosby's 1972 work The Columbian Exchange: Biological and Cultural Consequences of 1492, the topic of animals shaping the American society as a whole, is extremely unique and hard to find. This, of course could be due to the fact that, even though Anderson indicates that animals, namely livestock, is mentioned far and wide in colonial records and that animals were a pivotal part of American life. However, Americans have a notion that the masters make the decisions, not the chattel; therefore America favors the accomplishments of great men, rather than their vulnerability in the face of nature. Anderson points out in Creatures of Empire that this is simply not the case. Many conflicts were created due to the fact that colonists could not keep their livestock in check (p. 176 & 189). In comparison to Crosby's work, Anderson, delves more fully into the importance on the imported livestock and its effects on in interpersonal relationships of the colonial populations. Anderson only touches on the seemingly domesticated dogs visible in native villages (p. 34, 35 & 36), however, Jon T. Colman's 2004 book, Vicious: Wolves and Men in America examines this subject more extensively.

Through her work, Anderson has shifted the view of the experience of colonial America away from the quintessential tails of great men and seemingly miraculous battles in order to help the reader see the importance of the rather mundane aspects of colonial life that in essence were the very foundations of American expansion. The true uniqueness and value of Creatures of Empire is that Anderson uses the interaction between settlers and livestock, natives and both fauna and livestock and native and settlers over livestock as a method through which she could delve into the psyche of both native and settlers and explain the motives of both.

Teresa Pangle
September 2006

Fascinating theme.......2004-11-21

The underlying premise that Virginia Dejohn Anderson's terrific book makes is that animals have been key driving forces in human history; that argument has been used in other books such as Jeffrey Lockwood's LOCUST: THE DEVASTATING RISE AND MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE OF THE INSECT THAT SHAPED THE AMERICAN FRONTIER and GRASSHOPPER DREAMING. Ms. Anderson provides an intriguing and entertaining case that farm animals (cattle, pigs, and sheep) are as critical to American History as apple pie, Pilgrims, and Founding Fathers. CREATURES OF THE EMPIRE argues using historical references and interesting anecdotal examples that livestock changed the landscape especially the relationships between people. She concentrates on Colonial America as she makes the point that domestic farm animals in New England and Virginia were key segments of shaping society and led to conflict over land ownership between the settlers and the Indians. Besides making a strong case in support of her theory, Ms. Anderson's book is a well written easy to pick up and put down thought provoking volume that history buffs will appraise and then argue the fascinating premise over the water cooler.

Harriet Klausner

Creatures of Empire: How Domestic Animals Transformed Early America

Average customer rating:

Creatures of Empire: How Domestic Animals Transformed Early America
Virginia Dejohn Anderson
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKDQWA

Creatures of Empire: How Domestic Animals Transformed Early America.(Book review) : An article from: Journal of Southern History

Average customer rating:

Creatures of Empire: How Domestic Animals Transformed Early America.(Book review) : An article from: Journal of Southern History
David J. Grettler
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Journal of Southern History, published by Thomson Gale on May 1, 2006. The length of the article is 640 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: Creatures of Empire: How Domestic Animals Transformed Early America.(Book review)
Author: David J. Grettler
Publication: Journal of Southern History (Magazine/Journal)
Date: May 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 72 Issue: 2 Page: 443(2)

Article Type: Book review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Creatures of Empire: How Domestic Animals Transformed Early America.(Book review): An article from: Journal of Social History

Average customer rating:

Creatures of Empire: How Domestic Animals Transformed Early America.(Book review): An article from: Journal of Social History
Brett Mizelle
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Journal of Social History, published by Thomson Gale on December 22, 2006. The length of the article is 1264 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: Creatures of Empire: How Domestic Animals Transformed Early America.(Book review)
Author: Brett Mizelle
Publication: Journal of Social History (Magazine/Journal)
Date: December 22, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 40 Issue: 2 Page: 510(4)

Article Type: Book review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books