In the Work of Their Hands is Their Prayer


Book Description

"Enlisting works by Mark Twain and Willa Cather, as well as noncanonical sources, such as private journals, Daehnke examines the manner in which the imagery of the human figure at work and play in the frontier landscape participated in the nationalist, "civilizing" project of westward expansion. While acknowledging the growing secularization of American life, Daehnke surveys the continuing claims of the Christian redemptive scheme as a powerful symbolic domain for these writers' reflections on social progress and the potential for human perfectibility in the landscapes of the West."--Jacket.




The Story Behind Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn


Book Description

"Discover how the mighty Mississippi River and the idea of freedom inspired a children's classic"--Back cover.




Adventure


Book Description




Nevada Adventure Guide


Book Description

We travel to grow - our Adventure Guides show you how. Experience the places you visit more directly, freshly, intensely than you would otherwise - sometimes best done on foot, in a canoe, or through cultural adventures like art courses, cooking classes, learning the language, meeting the people, joining in the festivals and celebrations. This can make your trip life-changing, unforgettable. All of the detailed information you need is here about the hotels, restaurants, shopping, sightseeing. But we also lead you to new discoveries, turning corners you haven't turned before, helping you to interact with the world in new ways. That's what makes our Adventure Guides unique. This signature Hunter series targets travelers eager to really explore the destination, not just visit it. Extensively researched and offering the very latest information, Adventure Guides are written by knowledgeable, experienced authors. The focus is on outdoor activities -- hiking, biking, rock climbing, horseback riding, downhill skiing, parasailing, backpacking, waterskiing, scuba diving -- and these user-friendly books provide all the details you need, including prices. The best local outfitters are listed, along with contact numbers, addresses and recommendations. A comprehensive introductory section provides background on history, geography, climate, culture, when to go, transportation and planning. The books then take a region-by-region approach, plunging into the very heart of each area and what adventures it offers, as well as a full range of accommodations, historical sites, walking tours, museums, shopping, restaurants for every budget, and festivals. Adventures throughout the state, from Great Basin National Park to Winnemucca, Ruby Mountain Wilderness to Angel Lake, from Cathedral Gorge State Park to the Las Vegas strip. Urban and rural destinations offer a good mix of activities. There's something for everyone, so take your pick! Useful tips on travel in the wilderness included. "The print edition of this book is 210 pages. It's a guide to every corner of Nevada - what to see and do, where to stay, the best places to eat, the ghost towns, the mountains, the lakes the towns and the cities - with an accent on enjoying the great outdoors. The author details the best places for hiking, mountain biking, jeeping, boating and fishing, with info on all the outfitters and guides. There are 22 state parks in the state, plus 14 national recreation areas, 14 wildlife refuges and a sliver of the newest national park, Death Valley. He covers them all - what to see and do, how to get there, how to get around. Lake Tahoe and Lake Mead are covered as well. While everybody else heads for the Strip, with its faux Sphinx, plastic volcano and campy lounge acts, you can head out to the Great Basin, with this book on your laptop, where you will have the whole wild and naturally amazing state almost to yourself." -- Amazon reviewer




Pioneers, Passionate Ladies, and Private Eyes


Book Description

Despite efforts of contemporary reformers to curb the availability of dime novels, series books, and paperbacks, Pioneers, Passionate Ladies, and Private Eyes reveals how many readers used them as means of resistance and how fictional characters became models for self-empowerment. These literary genres, whose value has long been underestimated, provide fascinating insight into the formation of American popular culture and identity. Through these mass-produced, widely read books, Deadwood Dick, Old Sleuth, and Jessie James became popular heroes that fed the public’s imagination for the last western frontier, detective tales, and the myth of the outlaw. Women, particularly those who were poor and endured hard lives, used the literature as means of escape from the social, economic, and cultural suppression they experienced in the nineteenth century. In addition to the insight this book provides into texts such as “The Bride of the Tomb,” the Nick Carter Series, and Edward Stratemeyer’s rendition of the Lizzie Borden case, readers will find interesting information about: the roles of illustrations and covers in consumer culture Bowling Green’s endeavor to digitize paperback and pulp magazine covers bibliographical problems in collecting and controlling series books the effects of mass market fiction on young girls Louisa May Alcott’s pseudonym and authorship of three dime novels special collections competition among publishers A collection of work presented at a symposium held by the Library of Congress, Pioneers, Passionate Ladies, and Private Eyes makes an outstanding contribution to redefining the role of popular fiction in American life.




Understanding Society, Culture, and Television


Book Description

What is the real nature of television, and what is its place in contemporary society and culture? In a provocative rethinking of the medium and its ensuing effects, this book argues that we have misunderstood television and have thus contributed to a distorted view of art and culture in the 20th century. During the final quarter of this century both in academic and popular circles, we have spread wildly exaggerated claims about television's undermining of human consciousness and behavior. Television has become a scapegoat for all sorts of societal and cultural ills. The arguments presented by many researchers on behalf of the ill-effects of TV are fundamentally weak and flawed. On the eve of the 21st century, the claimed distinctions between high art and popular culture have become a final, hopeless repository of pedantry. Television can be understood only by viewing it as an art form, and measuring its role in society and culture in concert with the first principles of human reason and liberty.




Search for the Swan Maiden


Book Description

In Sam London’s third adventure with the Department of Mythical Wildlife, the boy who saw the gryphon will face his greatest fear. Following the heartbreaking conclusion of his second case, Sam has spent his days searching for the swan maiden. Driven by his belief the maiden is still alive, he sets out with Dr. Vance Vantana and Tashi on a forbidden quest to reunite his family. But the journey is long and treacherous and will lead them through the lair of the Mongolian Death Worm—a terrifying creature that has broken the Gryphon’s Law and is attacking anyone who dares to cross its path. And if this wasn’t enough, an old enemy from Vance’s past returns to exact a revenge that will doom all of humankind. With the future of his family and the fate of the world at stake, Sam must make an impossible choice that will change the course of his life and those he loves forever. Can Sam right a wrong or will Gaia, itself, decide to fight back?







Diamonds


Book Description

When two Kentucky prospectors, John Slack and Philip Arnold arrived penniless and near starving in San Francisco to deposit raw 'American' diamonds in the Bank of California, it caused quite a stir. Rumors flew across the city. This was going to be bigger than Kimberley and everyone wanted a piece of the action. But Slack and Arnold would be hard men to woo. This is a true story. What begins as a trickle in the Colorado mountains would grow into the great rush of 1872 and ruin the lives of almost everyone it touched.




Mark Twain for Kids


Book Description

Nineteenth-century America and the world of Samuel L. Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, come to life as children journey back in time with this history- and literature-laden activity book. The comprehensive biographical information explores Mark Twain as a multi-talented man of his times, from his childhood in the rough-and-tumble West of Missouri to his many careers—steamboat pilot, printer, miner, inventor, world traveler, businessman, lecturer, newspaper reporter, and most important, author—and how these experiences influenced his writing. Twain-inspired activities include making printer’s type, building a model paddlewheel boat, unmasking a hoax, inventing new words, cooking cornpone, planning a newspaper, observing people, and writing maxims. An extensive resource section offers information on Twain’s classics, such as Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, as well as a listing of recommended web sites to explore.