Koncocoo

Best U.S. State & Local History

The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
The #1 New York Times –bestselling story about American Olympic triumph in Nazi Germany and now the inspiration for the PBS documentary “The Boys of ‘36” For readers of Unbroken , out of the depths of the Depression comes an irresistible story about beating the odds and finding hope in the most desperate of times—the improbable, intimate account of how nine working-class boys from the American West showed the world at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin what true grit really meant. In doing so, he offers a vivid picture of the socioeconomic landscape of 1930s America (brutal), the relentlessly demanding effort required of an Olympic-level rower, the exquisite brainpower and materials that go into making a first-rate boat, and the wiles of a coach who somehow found a way to, first, beat archrival University of California, then conquer a national field of qualifiers, and finally, defeat the best rowing teams in the world.
Reviews
"But by taking every sliver of hope, and mixing in superb craftsmanship (from George Pocock), excellent coaching (Al Ulbrickson), and these nine perfectly attuned young men learning together........the result was perfection. It is nice to learn something you never knew, but is common knowledge to an entire set of other people. Concepts from Daniel Brown to consider that are mixed into the story to teach all of us: 1) One of the fundamental challenges in rowing is that when any one member of a crew goes into a slump the entire crew goes with him. The speed of a racing shell is determined primarily by two factors: the power produced by the combined strokes of the oars, and the stroke rate, the number of strokes the crew takes each minute. There are other great ideas to ponder in this epic almost 400 page, could-not-put-down story."
"held local discussions, and had an opportunity to meet the author locally.If you like learning about history through a good story, this is the book for you."
"But I had never read this book because I didn't think I would be interested in an athletic story, especially one about rowing (a sport I never follow)."
"Every college student should read this and stop complaining, this guy worked very hard to obtain his education, something that most young people take for granted these days."
"Even knowing the outcome did not diminish the excitement of the quest, and weaving the story of Hitler's rise to power during the 1936 Olympics captured the irony of his policies."
"The men in my life had been trying for years to get me to read this book."
"Boys racing boats?"
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Humans of New York : Stories
Now, Brandon is back with the Humans of New York book that his loyal followers have been waiting for: Humans of New York: Stories . “As the quotes grew longer, and the interviews deeper, Stanton developed a signature storytelling style―one that blends the lure of urban voyeurism with an eye for the extraordinary detail in seemingly ordinary subjects.
Reviews
"~~~~~~~~~It appears Amazon posted my review under both books Humans of New York and HONY Stories. If you are deciding on whether or not to buy the book, consider the following, which Brandon posted on the HONY facebook page: "I want to take a quick opportunity to remind everyone that HONY is advertisement free and almost entirely financed by book sales. By purchasing a book, you can help HONY continue to grow in a way that remains focused on telling people’s stories--- and nothing else."
"I've purchased all three Humans of New York books and have loved them all, but in Humans of New York - Stories, it all comes together. Even something went unspeakably wrong and against all odds the book was garbage (it isn't) you STILL should buy it, if for nothing more than to cast a vote of support for the JOY, LOVE, and EMPATHY that HONY provides."
"It makes a great coffee table book and everybody that has come over has picked this up and started reading it."
"An amazing collection of photos and personal stories."
"I follow the Facebook page but there's something about holding a tangible book and reading through all the stories in 2 nights that make it better."
"Love this book."
"In the midst of ISIS, corruption, American elections, tanking economy and a degree of narcissism that boggles the mind... another great bit of sanity, sharing, true storytelling and remembering what it is to be human."
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Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI
From New Yorker staff writer David Grann, #1 New York Times best-selling author of The Lost City of Z, a twisting, haunting true-life murder mystery about one of the most monstrous crimes in American history. In the 1920s, the richest people per capita in the world were members of the Osage Indian nation in Oklahoma. In this last remnant of the Wild West—where oilmen like J. P. Getty made their fortunes and where desperadoes like Al Spencer, the “Phantom Terror,” roamed—many of those who dared to investigate the killings were themselves murdered. In Killers of the Flower Moon, David Grann revisits a shocking series of crimes in which dozens of people were murdered in cold blood. Based on years of research and startling new evidence, the book is a masterpiece of narrative nonfiction, as each step in the investigation reveals a series of sinister secrets and reversals. The Amazon Editors' Pick for the Best Book of 2017: In the 1920s, the Osage found themselves in a unique position among Native Americans tribes. As other tribal lands were parceled out in an effort by the government to encourage dissolution and assimilation of both lands and culture, the Osage negotiated to maintain the mineral rights for their corner of Oklahoma, creating a kind of “underground reservation.” It proved a savvy move; soon countless oil rigs punctured the dusty landscape, making the Osage very rich.
Reviews
"This story needed to be told, and it fascinating the amount of detail that went into describing the horrors of that period of time. One aspect that had it been included, would have really helped solidify some of the information is a time line with events and people."
"This is one of the best true crime historical accounts I've ever read."
"You should read it."
"Having been a huge horse racing fan when I was a teenager, I knew about the wealth of the Osage Nation in the 1920s. I had no idea how rich the Osage really were, and I certainly didn't have a clue that the government didn't trust them with all that money. It had to madden many whites that, although they'd shoved the Osage onto a piece of land they deemed unfit for themselves, oil would be discovered and the Osage would turn out to be the wealthiest people in the world. The one way they had of trying to horn in on this wealth was by declaring that the Osage were not fit to use their own money wisely."
"The author captures an era of lawlessness and greed in frontier life and shares a piece of history that almost remained untold."
"The novel, which I would characterize more along the lines of a "written documentary," describes the lives of and context for the Ossage tribe, as well as the early works of the FBI, the interaction between federal and local actors, and the personal stories and dramas of the families affected and the perpetrators."
"It is not pretty history, but necessary history."
"This book requires the reader to pay attention to details as they read a fascinating history of a series of traumatic events in American History."
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Best Native American History

Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI
From New Yorker staff writer David Grann, #1 New York Times best-selling author of The Lost City of Z, a twisting, haunting true-life murder mystery about one of the most monstrous crimes in American history. In the 1920s, the richest people per capita in the world were members of the Osage Indian nation in Oklahoma. In this last remnant of the Wild West—where oilmen like J. P. Getty made their fortunes and where desperadoes like Al Spencer, the “Phantom Terror,” roamed—many of those who dared to investigate the killings were themselves murdered. In Killers of the Flower Moon, David Grann revisits a shocking series of crimes in which dozens of people were murdered in cold blood. Based on years of research and startling new evidence, the book is a masterpiece of narrative nonfiction, as each step in the investigation reveals a series of sinister secrets and reversals. The Amazon Editors' Pick for the Best Book of 2017: In the 1920s, the Osage found themselves in a unique position among Native Americans tribes. As other tribal lands were parceled out in an effort by the government to encourage dissolution and assimilation of both lands and culture, the Osage negotiated to maintain the mineral rights for their corner of Oklahoma, creating a kind of “underground reservation.” It proved a savvy move; soon countless oil rigs punctured the dusty landscape, making the Osage very rich.
Reviews
"This story needed to be told, and it fascinating the amount of detail that went into describing the horrors of that period of time. One aspect that had it been included, would have really helped solidify some of the information is a time line with events and people."
"This is one of the best true crime historical accounts I've ever read."
"You should read it."
"Having been a huge horse racing fan when I was a teenager, I knew about the wealth of the Osage Nation in the 1920s. I had no idea how rich the Osage really were, and I certainly didn't have a clue that the government didn't trust them with all that money. It had to madden many whites that, although they'd shoved the Osage onto a piece of land they deemed unfit for themselves, oil would be discovered and the Osage would turn out to be the wealthiest people in the world. The one way they had of trying to horn in on this wealth was by declaring that the Osage were not fit to use their own money wisely."
"The author captures an era of lawlessness and greed in frontier life and shares a piece of history that almost remained untold."
"The novel, which I would characterize more along the lines of a "written documentary," describes the lives of and context for the Ossage tribe, as well as the early works of the FBI, the interaction between federal and local actors, and the personal stories and dramas of the families affected and the perpetrators."
"It is not pretty history, but necessary history."
"This book requires the reader to pay attention to details as they read a fascinating history of a series of traumatic events in American History."
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Best United States History

Obama: An Intimate Portrait
Relive the extraordinary Presidency of Barack Obama through White House photographer Pete Souza's behind-the-scenes images and stories in this #1 New York Times bestseller--with a foreword from the President himself. During Barack Obama's two terms, Pete Souza was with the President during more crucial moments than anyone else--and he photographed them all. "The book, which distills the 1.9 million photographs that Souza took of Obama's eight years in the White House down to about 300 images, it as once warm and nostalgic, worshipful and respectful, sad and wistful-in a sense, not so different from the framed JFK portraits that everyday Americans hung in living rooms, right through the Nixon administration. In conveying both the weight of the office and President Obama's full engagement with its demands, Souza fuels our admiration--and stokes our regret.
Reviews
"I'd like to say up front here that this is one of those reviews where I am struggling so hard to put thoughts into words, because of how many thoughts I have, and how difficult it is for me to express them. He was funny and personable, and every time I heard him speak I felt suddenly prouder and more patriotic. Because all the rest of that time I wasted being blind and hateful. I'm not really the kind that normally runs off to scrounge around for books they can't afford, but this is the second photography book of the Obamas I've done so for, and it captured my heart as much the second time, as it did the first. UPDATE: Thanks to so many of the kind, heartwarming offers, I have received a copy of this book."
"Well, I guess it is the idea of the unconditional love that I have personally felt by dogs.....and the fact that it least in my mind that is what our former President and First Lady gave us for 8 years. I pray that someday Obama haters or hopefully their children will view the pictures in this “must have” Obama memorabilia and appreciate not only the historical significance of this man to US and world history but also feel his unconditional love of America ; its history, culture and people in every page."
"Obama wasn't perfect, but seeing his two-term administration, not riddled by scandal or buffoonery, captured in this historic volume brought tears to my eyes."
"As I thumb through the pages, I realize how much of my vision of President Obama was formed by the photographs of special moments captured by Souza."
"In capturing the defining moments of the Obama presidency, Mr. Souza has given the common citizen a personal, vulnerable look into the remarkable 8-year tenure of the 44th president."
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Best Western United States History

Bill O'Reilly's Legends and Lies: The Real West
Included are the ten legends featured in Bill O'Reilly's Legends and Lies docuseries -from Kit Carson to Jesse James, Wild Bill Hickok to Doc Holliday-- accompanied by two bonus chapters on Daniel Boone and Buffalo Bill and Annie Oakley. Heavily illustrated with spectacular artwork that further brings this history to life, and told in fast-paced, immersive narrative, Legends and Lies is an irresistible, adventure-packed ride back into one of the most storied era of our nation's rich history. The iconic anchor of The O'Reilly Factor led the program to the status of the highest rated cable news broadcast in the nation for sixteen consecutive years. He was a national correspondent for CBS News and ABC News as well as a reporter-anchor for WCBS-TV in New York City among other high profile jobs. He holds a history degree from Marist College, a masters degree in Broadcast Journalism from Boston University, and another masters degree from Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government.
Reviews
"Love all his books, especially if you like history."
"While it was pretty interesting, some parts dragged on a bit or were pretty dry so I did skip a few parts."
"Very informative book about hero's and villains of the old west.Easy to read and understand the truth about the way things were back then in the growing of America."
"It was a gift."
"great new condition."
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Best American History

Obama: An Intimate Portrait
Relive the extraordinary Presidency of Barack Obama through White House photographer Pete Souza's behind-the-scenes images and stories in this #1 New York Times bestseller--with a foreword from the President himself. During Barack Obama's two terms, Pete Souza was with the President during more crucial moments than anyone else--and he photographed them all. "The book, which distills the 1.9 million photographs that Souza took of Obama's eight years in the White House down to about 300 images, it as once warm and nostalgic, worshipful and respectful, sad and wistful-in a sense, not so different from the framed JFK portraits that everyday Americans hung in living rooms, right through the Nixon administration. In conveying both the weight of the office and President Obama's full engagement with its demands, Souza fuels our admiration--and stokes our regret.
Reviews
"I'd like to say up front here that this is one of those reviews where I am struggling so hard to put thoughts into words, because of how many thoughts I have, and how difficult it is for me to express them. He was funny and personable, and every time I heard him speak I felt suddenly prouder and more patriotic. Because all the rest of that time I wasted being blind and hateful. I'm not really the kind that normally runs off to scrounge around for books they can't afford, but this is the second photography book of the Obamas I've done so for, and it captured my heart as much the second time, as it did the first. UPDATE: Thanks to so many of the kind, heartwarming offers, I have received a copy of this book."
"Well, I guess it is the idea of the unconditional love that I have personally felt by dogs.....and the fact that it least in my mind that is what our former President and First Lady gave us for 8 years. I pray that someday Obama haters or hopefully their children will view the pictures in this “must have” Obama memorabilia and appreciate not only the historical significance of this man to US and world history but also feel his unconditional love of America ; its history, culture and people in every page."
"Obama wasn't perfect, but seeing his two-term administration, not riddled by scandal or buffoonery, captured in this historic volume brought tears to my eyes."
"As I thumb through the pages, I realize how much of my vision of President Obama was formed by the photographs of special moments captured by Souza."
"In capturing the defining moments of the Obama presidency, Mr. Souza has given the common citizen a personal, vulnerable look into the remarkable 8-year tenure of the 44th president."
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Best Midwest U.S. Biographies

Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World
You can't even begin to answer those questions until you hear the charming story of Dewey Readmore Books, the beloved library cat of. Spencer. , Iowa. . As his fame grew from town to town, then state to state, and finally, amazingly, worldwide, Dewey became more than just a friend; he became a source of pride for an extraordinary Heartland farming town pulling its way slowly back from the greatest crisis in its long history. She lives in. Spencer. , Iowa. .
Reviews
"Being a relatively recent (5 years) cat guardian, I cannot imagine life without my kitty."
"While Myron doesn't shy away from telling the bad with the good, there are numerous passages explaining Dewey's playful side and the uplifting effect he had on his human companions. (As an aside, I actually felt more sorrow for Myron's parent's cat, Max, who was killed due to neglect at the veterinarian's office in the prime of his life.). Thank you Vicki for the book and for taking care of a wonderful feline friend, and thank you Dewey for being an emissary for the human-animal bond and reminding ourselves of the value of love and friendship."
"If you've ever owned a cat, you will just eat up every word, every adventure, every cuddle in this book."
"Because I enjoyed the first book about Dewey, I wanted to see how much of the story would be included in the children's book."
"Dewey is a delightful story for cat lovers."
"I read this book as a book club selection and would never have read it otherwise, not being a fan of sickly-sweet cat books."
"My children thought the song was for our cat, not the other way around, the years do not dim the LOVE."
"Although I knew what was coming in the end of the book, I still found myself sobbing out loud (in my gym on the exercise bike!)."
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Best Military Policy

The Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a Nuclear War Planner
From the remotest air bases in the Pacific Command, where he discovered that the authority to initiate use of nuclear weapons was widely delegated, to the secret plans for general nuclear war under Eisenhower, which, if executed, would cause the near-extinction of humanity, Ellsberg shows that the legacy of this most dangerous arms buildup in the history of civilization--and its proposed renewal under the Trump administration--threatens our very survival. "The Doomsday Machine is being published at an alarmingly relevant moment, as North Korea is seeking the capability to target the United States with nuclear missiles, and an unpredictable president, Donald Trump, has countered with threats of 'fire and fury.'". "One of the best books ever written on the subject--certainly the most honest and revealing account by an insider who plunged deep into the nuclear rabbit hole's mad logic and came out the other side." "Ellsberg’s brilliant and unnerving account makes a convincing case for disarmament and shows that the mere existence of nuclear weapons is a serious threat to humanity." When the author hurriedly copied the contents of his RAND Corporation safe to reveal, in time, what would become known as the Pentagon Papers, that was just the start of it. "History may remember Ellsberg as the whistleblower who leaked the Pentagon Papers and helped end the Vietnam War, but his alarmingly relevant new book should also assure his legacy as a prescient and authoritative anti-nuclear activist. The Doomsday Machine , which takes its title from Dr. Strangelove, reads like a thriller as Ellsberg figures out that America's pledge never to attack first was fiction and that the so called 'fail-safe' systems are prone to disaster." "Ellsberg presents his thoughts on how best to dismantle a program that could lead to global annihilation, while once again proving how deeply disturbing and radically ignorant our country's leaders are when it comes to thermonuclear warfare." "In the era of barbed insults regarded as precursors to nuclear threat, the warnings yielded by The Doomsday Machine have become required reading. The Doomsday Machine is essential reading--both a terrifying ‘Doctor Strangelove’ saga and a hopeful consideration of future scenarios." The Doomsday Machine is not for the faint of heart, but its sense of urgency should make it required reading, and―more importantly―a call to action." "This long-awaited chronicle from the father of American whistle-blowing is both an urgent warning and a call to arms to a public that has grown dangerously habituated to the idea that the means of our extinction will forever be on hair-trigger alert." He introduces us to the men who have coldly and with a God-like sense of righteous entitlement, put in place a plan that can, on a whim--not virtually, but literally--annihilate life on Earth. "A fascinating and terrifying account of nuclear war planning by a consultant from the RAND Corporation at the highest levels of government in the Kennedy administration.
Reviews
"While Ellsberg confesses to having held dangerous and delusional beliefs that he no longer holds, to having worked within an institution plotting genocide, to having taken well-meaning steps as an insider that backfired, and to having written words he did not agree with, we also learn from this book that he did effectively and significantly move the U.S. government in the direction of less reckless and horrific policies long before dropping out and becoming a whistleblower. In any case, we now have a book that draws on Ellsberg’s memory, documents made public over the decades, advancing scientific understanding, the work of other whistleblowers and researchers, the confessions of other nuclear war planners, and the additional developments of the past generation or so. Here we read an up-close account from within the White House and Pentagon of a group of people making plans for nuclear wars based on a completely false conception of what nuclear bombs would do (leaving the results of fire and smoke out of casualty calculations, and lacking the very idea of nuclear winter), and based on completely fabricated accounts of what the Soviet Union was doing (believing it was thinking offense when it was thinking defense, believing it had 1,000 intercontinental ballistic missiles when it had four), and based on wildly flawed understandings of what others in the U.S. government itself were doing (with levels of secrecy denying both true and false information to the public and much of the government). This is an account of extravagant disregard for human life, outdoing that of the creators and testers of the atomic bomb, who placed bets on whether it would ignite the atmosphere and burn up the earth. Ellsberg’s colleagues were so driven by bureaucratic rivalries and ideological hatreds that they’d favor or oppose more land-based missiles if it benefited the Air Force or hurt the Navy, and they’d plan for any combat with Russia to immediately require the nuclear destruction of every city in Russia and China (and in Europe via Soviet medium-range missiles and bombers and from the close-in fallout from U.S. nuclear strikes on Soviet bloc territory). Combine this portrait of our dear leaders with the number of near-misses through misunderstanding and accident that we’ve learned of over the years, and the remarkable thing is not that a fascistic fool sits in the White House today threatening fire and fury, with Congressional committee hearings publicly pretending nothing can be done to prevent a Trump-induced apocalypse. “The declared official rationale for such a system,” Ellsberg writes, “has always been primarily the supposed need to deter—or if necessary respond to—an aggressive Russian nuclear first strike against the United States. The nature, scale, and posture of our strategic nuclear forces has always been shaped by the requirements of quite different purposes: to attempt to limit the damage to the United States from Soviet or Russian retaliation to a U.S. first strike against the USSR or Russia. threats of ‘first use’—to prevail in regional, initially non-nuclear conflicts involving Soviet or Russian forces or their allies.”. But the United States never threatened nuclear war until Trump came along! They have used them in the precise way that a gun is used when it is pointed at someone in a confrontation.”. U.S. presidents who have made specific public or secret nuclear threats to other nations, that we know of, and as detailed by Ellsberg, have included Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Donald Trump, while others, including Barack Obama, have frequently said things like “All options are on the table” in relation to Iran or another country. Not only did Congress just hear from a lineup of witnesses who each said that there might be no way to stop Trump or any other president from launching a nuclear war (given that impeachment and prosecution should not be mentioned in relation to anything so trivial as apocalypse prevention). Here’s Ellsberg: “Nor could the president then or now—by exclusive possession of the codes necessary to launch or detonate any nuclear weapons (no such exclusive codes have ever been held by any president)—physically or otherwise reliably prevent the Joint Chiefs of Staff or any theater military commander (or, as I’ve described, command post duty officer) from issuing such authenticated orders.” When Ellsberg managed to inform Kennedy of the authority Eisenhower had delegated to use nuclear weapons, Kennedy refused to reverse the policy. Ellsberg recounts his efforts to make civilian officials, the secretary of “defense” and the president, aware of top nuclear war plans kept secret and lied about by the military. It has been reported by insiders and scholars to have been a critical influence on U.S. strategic war planning ever since.”. Ellsberg’s account of the Cuban Missile Crisis alone is reason to get this book. While Ellsberg believed U.S. actual dominance (in contrast to myths about a “missile gap”) meant there would be no Soviet attack, Kennedy was telling people to hide underground. While everyone who nudged this crisis in the right direction may have helped save the world, including Vassily Arkhipov who refused to launch a nuclear torpedo from a Soviet submarine, the real hero of Ellsberg’s tale is, in the end, I think, Nikita Khrushchev, who chose predictable insults and shame over annihilation. Of course, Germany had already bombed civilians in Spain and Poland, as had Britain in Iraq, India, and South Africa, and as had both sides on a smaller scale in the first world war."
"This book exposes for the first time the secret plan developed by the government and approved by the President and the Joint Chiefs of Staff to launch a nuclear strike against Russia and China, under a range of possible circumstances, that they knew was likely to kill 600,000,000 people worldwide."
"Daniel Ellsberg made history by leaking the Pentagon Papers, and it is possible that he is the person most responsible for ending the atrocity of the Vietnam War. Ellsberg reveals that he personally wrote plans and reviewed strategies for the US to fight a nuclear war, against the Soviet Union or China. In the SIOP, for massive retaliation and Mutually Assured Destruction, Ellsberg reveals the the US planned to attack both the USSR and China in the event of war, no matter who started it or why. This extraordinary book reveals that he believed in the Communist threat and the domino theory enough that after he left academia, he actually went to RAND and then the Pentagon and personally wrote plans for waging nuclear war. As a metaphor, he went to Hell and made an alliance with the Devil, developing plans to end life on earth...and then he changed and became nearly a saint."
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Best Soccer Biographies

The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game
Then two great forces alter Oher: the family's love and the evolution of professional football itself into a game in which the quarterback must be protected at any cost. As in Moneyball (**** July/Aug 2003), which chronicled the strategies behind the Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane, Berkeley-based author Michael Lewis takes a personal look at a complicated game in his newest nonfiction extravaganza.
Reviews
"This was a pretty good book for someone who hates football."
"Love the book, you don't necessarily have to like football to like the book."
"What a great book. Michael Lewis not only knows how to put together a captivating story, he does so with subtle wit and plenty of insight. For a casual movie fan, the film is enough, but if you like both the movie and football I cannot recommend this book enough."
"If you're a fan of high school, college, or NFL football, this book is a great read. Or if you just want to read a book that will make you laugh, challenge you, and sometimes make you questions of the motives of the protagonists, this book is a great read."
"Very good book."
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Best General Georgia US Travel Guides

Gullah Home Cooking the Daufuskie Way: Smokin' Joe Butter Beans, Ol' 'Fuskie Fried Crab Rice, Sticky-Bush Blackberry Dumpling, and Other Sea Island Favorites
In this enchanting book, Robinson presents the delicious, robust dishes of her native Sea Islands and offers readers a taste of the unique, West African-influenced Gullah culture still found there. Beautiful photos of island life and a relaxed attitude toward cooking ("these are recipes, not rules") make for accessible additions to anyone's Southern repertoire, with homespun dishes like Tada Salad, Sea Island Okra Gumbo and Fuskie Crab Patties. Pot Full O' Coon and Fried Squirrel may not be the next trendy item on a Manhattan menu (Robinson admits she doesn't cook possum anymore), but these are the recipes that give the book its unique, almost anthropological intrigue.
Reviews
"Since I already taught myself Cajun/Creole/Caribbean cooking 33 years ago, I ordered this book to better prepare for my upcoming trip to the Low Country. Call it bland, but limited budgets and kids who complain of spicy food tends to keep cooking very simple. Once one starts experimenting and getting fancy, they risk cooking disasters that will never make it to the finest tables in gourmet restaurants."
"There is so much history of the area and of great home cooking Gullah dishes."
"Wonderful recipes and history."
"I loved the story prior to the runaway fried chicken recipe."
"excellent."
"I loved learning about what it was like growing up on Daufaskie, but it had a lot of recipes starting with onion, bacon grease, etc."
"Again, easy to read."
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Best Louisville Kentucky Travel Books

Secret Louisville: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure
Secret Louisville: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure is a book that answers questions you didn't even realize you had about the city that stands proudly along the Ohio River. You get the picture: Think of this book as a scavenger hunt of sorts for Kentucky's largest city, covering the strange, the surprising, and sometimes the silly locales, history, and facts.
Reviews
"I brought this book for my Mom's birthday."
"Interesting read."
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Best Indianapolis Indiana Travel Books

Indianapolis Union and Belt Railroads (Railroads Past and Present)
In an era dominated by huge railroad corporations, Indianapolis Union and Belt Railroads reveals the important role two small railroad companies had on development and progress in the Hoosier State. An interesting history not only of these two railroads but how they ultimately served as a model for the many other belt railroads . This is a great history book, neatly telling the value of railroads in the development of the United States as well as in Indianapolis.
Reviews
"I worked in Indianapolis for over seven years and was fascinated by Union Station and the railroads."
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