Synopses & Reviews
A fascinating look at the octopus through its life, death, robotic replicas, and delicious dinners and#160;
We eat, study, copy, and idealize the octopus. Yet this strange creature still eludes our understanding. With eight arms, three hearts, camouflaging skin, and a disarmingly intelligent look behind its eyes, it appears utterly alien. But octopuses have been captivating humans for as long as weand#8217;ve been catching them. Cultures have created octopus-centric creation myths, art, and, of course, cuisine. For all of our ancient fascination and modern research, however, we still havenand#8217;t been able to get a firm grasp on these slippery beasts.
and#160;
Now journalist Katherine Harmon Courage dives into the fascinating underwater world of these mysterious cephalopods. From her transatlantic adventures to Spain and Greece, expeditions in the Caribbean and back to Brooklyn, she invites readers to experience the scientific discoveries, deep cultural ties, and delicious meals connected to the octopus.
and#160;
Courage deftly interweaves personal narrative with interviews with leading octopus experts. She provides an entertaining yet informative romp through the world of these infinitely interesting creatures.
Review
"[A] well-researched and well-written cultural and ecological history of stubborn perseverance." —USA
Today
"A beautifully considered history…Woodard’s admiration for lobster culture is stirring…[Mainers’] feisty pluck remains undiminished in the face of obstacles." —Newsday
Delves deeply and reflectively into the history of the coast of Maine and its people." —The Boston Globe
"[A] well-researched and well-written cultural and ecological history of stubborn perseverance." —USA Today
"Woodard doesn’t disguise his pique. Maine is worth fighting for-as is any village with distinctly etched local character and community." —The Christian Science Monitor
"A triumph." —Bookpage
"Lively." —The Economist
"Lucid…engaging." —Publishers Weekly
"Thought-provoking…Woodard is a talented writer, a skilled journalist….lively reading for history buffs…an important book for any Maine lover’s bookshelf." —Bangor Daily News
"A feast…Woodard uses the lobster to tell the whole history of Maine." —Working Waterfront
"Highly engaging, intelligent." —Down East
Review
andldquo;Provocative.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;
American Nations by journalist-historian Colin Woodard is a superb book. Woodard makes a compelling argument that the United Sates was founded by contradictory regional convictions that continue to influence current attitudes and policy on a national levelandhellip;.
American Nations smashes the idea of political borders....There is much to grapple with in this well-written book.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;[
American Nations] sets itself apart by delving deep into history to trace our current divides to enthno-cultural differences that emerged during the countryandrsquo;s earliest settlement.andrdquo;
Review
and#160;andldquo;Fascinatingandhellip;.Engrossingandhellip;.In the end...[
American Nations] is a smart read that feels particularly timely now, when so many would claim a mythically unified andldquo;founding Fathersandrdquo; as their political ancestors.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;In
American Nations, [Colin Woodard] persuasively reshapes our understanding of how the American political entity came to beandhellip;.[A] fascinating new take on history.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;Woodard offers a fascinating way to parse American (writ large) politics and history in this excellent book.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;Colin Woodard debunks the simplistic notion of Left Coast, red state, blues state and other broad-brush efforts to peg Americaandrsquo;s differencesandhellip;.
American Nations pulls off the unlikely feat of both offering the tools for just such a broader, deeper understandingandmdash;and demonstrates why, in a larger sense, that effort is doomedandhellip;.The key to the bookandrsquo;s effectiveness is Woodardandrsquo;s skillandmdash;and irreverenceandmdash;in delving into history with no qualms about being both brisk and contrarianandhellip;.[I]n offering us a way to better understand the forces at play in the rumpus room of current American politics, Colin Woodard has scored a true triumph. I am going to order copies for my father and sister immediatelyandmdash;and I hope Woodard gets a wide hearing for his fascinating study.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;[W]ell-researched analysis with appeal to both casual and scholarly readers.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;Colin Woodard offers up and illuminating history of North America that explodes the red state-blue state mythandhellip;.Woodardandrsquo;s
American Nations is a revolutionary and revelatory take on Americaandrsquo;s myriad identities, and how the conflicts between them have shaped our countryandrsquo;s past and mold its future.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;[F]or people interested in American history and sociology,
American Nations demands readingandhellip;.
American Nations is important reading.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;Mr. Woodardandrsquo;s approach is breezier than Mr. Fischerandrsquo;s and more historical than Mr. Garreauandrsquo;s, but he has earned a place on the shelf between them.andquot;
Review
andldquo;Provocative reading.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;[I]f you want to better understand U.S. politics, history, and culture
American Nations is to be required readingandhellip;.By revealing this continent of rivals,
American Nations will revolutionize the way Americans think about their past, their country, and themselves and is sure to spark controversyandhellip;andrdquo;
Review
"and#91;Aand#93; well-researched and well-written cultural and ecological history of stubborn perseverance."andnbsp;andmdash;USA
Today
"A beautifully considered historyand#8230;Woodardandrsquo;s admiration for lobster culture is stirringand#8230;and#91;Mainersandrsquo;and#93; feisty pluck remains undiminished in the face of obstacles." andmdash;Newsday
Delves deeply and reflectively into the history of the coast of Maine and its people." andmdash;The Boston Globe
"and#91;Aand#93; well-researched and well-written cultural and ecological history of stubborn perseverance." andmdash;USA Today
"Woodard doesnandrsquo;t disguise his pique. Maine is worth fighting for-as is any village with distinctly etched local character and community." andmdash;The Christian Science Monitor
"A triumph." andmdash;Bookpage
"Lively." andmdash;The Economist
"Lucidand#8230;engaging." andmdash;Publishers Weekly
"Thought-provokingand#8230;Woodard is a talented writer, a skilled journalistand#8230;.lively reading for history buffsand#8230;an important book for any Maine loverandrsquo;s bookshelf." andmdash;Bangor Daily News
"A feastand#8230;Woodard uses the lobster to tell the whole history of Maine." andmdash;Working Waterfront
"Highly engaging, intelligent." andmdash;Down East
Synopsis
For more than four hundred years the people of coastal Maine have clung to their rocky, wind-swept lands, resisting outsiders’ attempts to control them while harvesting the astonishing bounty of the Gulf of Maine. Today’s independent, self-sufficient lobstermen belong to the communities imbued with a European sense of ties between land and people, but threatened by the forces of homogenization spreading up the eastern seaboard.
In the tradition of William Warner’s Beautiful Swimmers, veteran journalist Colin Woodard traces the history of the rugged fishing communities that dot the coast of Maine and the prized crustacean that has long provided their livelihood. Through forgotten wars and rebellions, and with a deep tradition of resistance to interference by people “from away,” Maine’s lobstermen have defended an earlier vision of America while defying the “tragedy of the commons”—the notion that people always overexploit their shared property. Instead, these icons of American individualism represent a rare example of true communal values and collaboration through grit, courage, and hard-won wisdom.
Synopsis
A thorough and engaging history of Maine s rocky coast and its tough-minded people. Boston Herald A] well-researched and well-written cultural and ecological history of stubborn perseverance. USA Today For more than four hundred years the people of coastal Maine have clung to their rocky, wind-swept lands, resisting outsiders attempts to control them while harvesting the astonishing bounty of the Gulf of Maine. Today s independent, self-sufficient lobstermen belong to the communities imbued with a European sense of ties between land and people, but threatened by the forces of homogenization spreading up the eastern seaboard.
In the tradition of William Warner s Beautiful Swimmers, veteran journalist Colin Woodard (author ofAmerican Character: A History of the Epic Struggle Between Individual Liberty and the Common Good) traces the history of the rugged fishing communities that dot the coast of Maine and the prized crustacean that has long provided their livelihood. Through forgotten wars and rebellions, and with a deep tradition of resistance to interference by people from away, Maine s lobstermen have defended an earlier vision of America while defying the tragedy of the commons the notion that people always overexploit their shared property. Instead, these icons of American individualism represent a rare example of true communal values and collaboration through grit, courage, and hard-won wisdom.
"
Synopsis
This lively book reveals a little known culture that predates the Pilgrims and has remained true to the earliest version of the American Dream: an egalitarian, self-reliant republic. The self-sufficient lobstermen of the Maine coast are models of environmental prudence: at a time when the fishing industry is in crisis, they have conserved the bounty of their waters, even as the once-humble lobster has become a coveted delicacy. How denizens of the coast achieved this balance, even as they withstood assaults from everyone from French raiders to rapacious land speculators, makes for a stellar informal history ... a primer for conservation and the effects of bad politics (The Kingston Observer).
Synopsis
An endlessly fascinating look at American regionalism and the eleven andquot;nationsandquot; that continue to shape North America
According to award-winning journalist and historian Colin Woodard, North America is made up of eleven distinct nations, each with its own unique historical roots. In American Nations he takes readers on a journey through the history of our fractured continent, offering a revolutionary and revelatory take on American identity, and how the conflicts between them have shaped our past and continue to mold our future. From the Deep South to the Far West, to Yankeedom to El Norte, Woodard reveals how each region continues to uphold its distinguishing ideals and identities today, with results that can be seen in the composition of the U.S. Congress or on the county-by-county election maps of presidential elections.
About the Author
Katherine Harmon Courage is an award-winning freelance writer and contributing editor for
Scientific American. Her work covers health, biology, food, the environment and general interest stories and has appeared in books, magazines, newspapers and web sites, including
Gourmet, Nature and
Scientific American.and#160; Read more on her website, www.katherineharmon.com and follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/katherineharmon.