Renewal

Patty Loew takes a novel approach in this book and uses Native American sources to tell Native American history! Oral history, treaty minutes, recorded speeches by Native American leaders, and other Native sources are used over the traditional "white" sources that make up the majority of Native American history. The book reads extremely well and is intensely interesting. Each chapter tells the story of a Wisconsin Indian nation from the point of view of that nation. This is an enjoyable book to read for anyone interested in Native American history. Moreover, it is an invaluable addition to scholarship and a (hopefully) trend-setting example of using Native sources to tell Native history.

Peter Harnik had his own reasons having to do with population densities for determining which 25 cities to choose for description in his book. Many theoretical books about landscape architecture or public recreation discuss city parks in a summary manner, as, for example, "The Politics of Park Design," by Galen Crantz, but they do not focus on individual parks nor draw their conclusions from close observations. Harnik chose landscape architect Joe Brown, EDAW, Inc., to write the introduction. This was not a wise choice for though Brown is complimentary, he is anxious to justify his own work which he describes as belonging to a "smart park" concept, which to him means the opposite of what Frederick Law Olmsted and his associates were doing in creating "pastoral" parks. It may be inevitable for landscape architects to believe that anybody but themselves is out of touch with the times, but such is not Harnik's view. He claims that administrators and politicians have made mistakes when they failed to heed the advice of the pioneer planners of this country's most famous city parks. Tellingly, it is the 19th century parks designed by Olmsted and followers, such as Central Park (New York), Prospect Park (Brooklyn), Franklin Park (Boston), Jackson Park (Chicago), Forest Park (St. Louis) and Golden Gate Park (San Francisco) that today evoke the most praise from park enthusiasts.

"Inside City Parks" is an invaluable resource for anybody interested in contemporary parks. It highlights common problems, such as underfunding, crime, vandalism, dogs, mountain bicycles, cars, parking lots, crosspark expressways, buildings and the sometimes willful, sometimes unconscious destruction wrought by the homeless which, in city after city, have become nuisances to a number of park visitors.

Harnik tries to maintain a neutral stance in his survey of cities. He does not question the practices of park departments though he is critical of politicians, such as Mayor Rudolph Guiliani (New York City) and Mayor Wille Brown (San Francisco). Conversely, Mayor Ray Flynn (Boston) and Richard Daley (Chicago) get high marks for their support of old and new park activities. Harnik gives the blemish to Chicago's famous Lake Shore Parks by the unsightly McCormick Place Exposition Center passing mention, claiming the creation of 16 acres of new park land will mitigate the Center's massive expansion. He concentrates on what park departments are doing. Since what they are doing is anticipating the future, it is not clear what will happen next. Will the city parks get their appropriations, hire the right managers, appease conflicting park users, generate support? Will the Hudson River Park, the Bronx Greenway, a Harbor Islands Park and Greenway over Boston's now building underground highway, the conversion of Meigs Field Airport into Chicago's Northerly Island Park, or San Francisco's 1,480-acre Presidio Park --- a national park and thus not part of Harnik's study (though hard to ignore) --- become assets promoting recreation and business?

While not suggesting that anyone solution is applicable to all park systems, Harnik favors exploiting all avenues for park support . . . grants, bond issues, taxes, donations, fees for services, private and commercial sponsorship. He describes how the Urban Land Institute, the Trust for Public Land, park conservancies, business improvement districts and similar organizations have stepped in to acquire park land or to protect lands which are in danger of slipping away. The influence of Jane Jacobs, one of the three people to whom Harnik dedicated his book and the author of "The Death and Life of Great American Cities," may be detected in Harnik's comments favoring multiple use parks, such as a contemplated 123-acre park on the site of a former USX South Works Steel Mill in Chicago or the 1.7-acre Post Office Square Park in Boston that replaced a run-down garage with automobile parking and a park with outdoor cafe, fountains, sculptures, movable chairs and landscaping on top.

Since it does not conform with the Bureau of Census 1998 population estimates, Harnik's choice of cities may show his partiality for some cities. His ordering of parks within the three density classifications --- high, medium and low --- may indicate a personal bias rather than a formal rating system: New York City, first in the high, Detroit first in the medium, and San Diego first in the low. If the book is the start of a continuing study, perhaps Harnik will cover missing cities later.

It may be that some of Harnik's statistics are suspect. There is an abundance of them from lists of cities profiting from developer impact fees, to tables showing total parks and open spaces by acres in cities, to the number of public swimming pools per 100,000 city residents. Park Departments may exaggerate their figures to show that they are best in one way or another. To say that a city has so many acres of park land may not be true. Is it "dedicated" park land that cannot be taken away except by vote of the people? Is it "open space" that can be seen but not visited? Is it a view point, a play field, a school lot, a community center, or an abandoned lot that is used temporarily for gardens or play courts? Is it, in the case of Houston, a 10,534-acre flood-control facility leased by Houston from the U.S. Corps of Army Engineers and equipped with sports fields, trails, restrooms and picnic tables that is periodically inundated by 10,000 acres of water? This is not to say that Harnik's figures are not important as indications of how a city is developing or how it compares with others. It is, however, a caution that statistical information can change over time or when different methods of evaluation are employed.

Despite these cavils, park lovers in the cities covered, including Philadelphia, Miami, Baltimore, Los Angeles, Detroit, Minneapolis, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Seattle, Cincinnati, Portland, Oregon, Denver, Phoenix, Tampa and Kansas City, and in those no less important cities that are not, including San Antonio, San Jose, Jacksonville, Columbus, El Paso, Memphis, Milwaukee, Austin, Washington, Nashville and Charlotte, should read "Inside City Parks" because it shows the weaknesses and strengths of today's park systems and indicates means to make them better.

I picked up this book and couldn't put it down until I finished it. It captivates you with such honest sharing and deep thoughts of the ways that God moved in Che's life. The stories are inspiring and motivating to seek more of God and to have more of God in our lives.

this book is great for anyone in any type of career/life change. The book gives you items to reflect upon, and workbook excercises that allow you to evaluate where you are in life/career. It enables you to see clearly your past, your present, and direction for your future.

Islam: A Mosaic, Not A Monolith by Vartan Gregorian (President of the Carnegie Corporation of New York), is an informed and informative survey of the Islamic faith since its inception some 1,400 years ago. Examining Islam's tenets, institutions, changes, role in history, crucial questions that have caused strife among Muslim states, and a great deal more, Islam: A Mosaic, Not A Monolith is readily accessible to non-specialist general readers, yet thoughtful enough in its study and presentation of complicated issues of faith, politics, and culture to be of considerable value for scholars and dedicated students of Islamic Studies as well. In view of contemporary American efforts to combat the threat of international terrorism arising from fundamentalist Islamic extremists, Islam: A Mosaic, Not A Monolith should be present in the collections of every school and community library system in the country.

This book provides a concise and very readable summary of John Paul II philosophy of the human person. The main section of the book presents John Paul's philosophy of education by gathering together his many written thoughts on the matter -- works from both before and after becoming pope.
The entire book is very readable and understandable for all, whether or not you have a good grounding in philosophy. It gives some good "food for thought" for all educators.

There were so many wonderful "Ahhh's" and "That's where that feeling came from", in this book that I felt sorry to actually run out of pages at the end. It feels as though you are listening to long-forgotten,loving friends, when reading what Cameron and Carole had to impart. It felt like being....home. I can hardly wait for Carole to get the next one out in this series, even though my limited brain can't imagine to what new heights she could take us.

This book really opened my eyes to how the "nationalist" Americans really treated the Japanese-Americans. This book totally blew my mind and made me angry. I was angry because we were just as bad as those nazi's. All in all i'd recommend this book if you want to learn the truth.

Donald Paul Hustad has been the stabilizing force upon many good and gifted Church Musicians. When I first met him with my wife Barbara we were attending the National Conference of Southern Baptist Church Musicians held in Louisville, Ky. Barbara and I slipped up behind him. As she spoke her name quietly in his ear, he jumped and gave her a bear hug. Since he had been her first piano teacher while serving her Mother's First Methodist Church of Oskaloosa, Iowa, this was the first time we had the chance to renew his friendship.

From 1968 until today we have corresponded, exchanged visits, been gifted with Don's books, compositions, organ recitals and choral conferences for all four churches where we served. When I had time to re-read Jubilate II the title of the Foreword caught my eyes. "The Pilgrimage of a Schizophrenic Musician" became for me the most unexpected and unlikely title he could have chosen!
I doubt that many of his close friends would have chosen that title very fitting for the Donald Hustad who is familiar as the stabilizing and motivating personality who keeps us on an even keel for nearly forty years of turmoil in Church Music!

This collectors'gem of an inclusive account of notable changes in Church Worship thru Music has the trademark of the composite Church Musician. Don begins the book before the Foreword with his dedication to Donna, Sondra and Marcia. Not one of us as a Father would risk that personal touch to daughters without being proud of our accomplishments!

Leading with his commitment to Moody Bible Institute and the Billy Graham Team, he moves on to a lengthy tenure as teacher, composer and editor with Southern Seminary and Hope Publishing Co. His thirty-three pages of Notes and Bibliography reflect the comments and quotes of C. S. Lewis, Suzanne Langer, Richard Niebuhr, Robert Shaw, William Temple, Evelyn Underhill. The printed bookcover carries accolades from eleven outstanding persons from Erik Routley, English to Austin Lovelace, Carlton Young and William J. Reynolds, each representing varied church groups and interests.

May this outstanding and thoroughly created work receive its deserving acclamation!
Retired Chaplain Fred W. Hood

THE LANGUAGE OF SPRING is a marvelous anthology, which means it's full of marvels. The illustrations are beautiful too. And Maxine Kumin was the right poet to introduce it. A gift that will be appreciated by people who love poetry and spring. A gift to yourself (I did). A true treasure and treasure chest. A little on the expensive side but worth every penny.