More genius is displayed in this work than we have seen in any other single volume since the publication of Childe Harold. Although entirely different in form, it is, like that magnificent poem, a discursive philosophical essay; but, while Byron cast his glowing thoughts in the mould of Spenser, our anonymous author has clothed his ideas in the nervous prose of the best old English writers. Unfortunately, at the same time that he emulates the power...

Replete with Southwestern spirit and humor, the story shares the entwined lives of the Cimarron family of the Four Corners region with their lifelong friends, the Rosas family of Santa Fe, New Mexico. The Nuevo Mexico Territory of 1881 serves as the colorful backdrop, in which the families embark together on adventures involving fiestas, siestas, jewelry thefts, kidnappings, horse wrangling, and of course, cowboys and cowgirls around campfires. Sprinkled...

If one were to be asked which states played the most prominent role in our nation's history in the middle of the 19th century most people would reply California or Utah or Texas, or states involved in the conflict over slavery. Few would probably suggest including Minnesota on such a list, but an argument can be made for its inclusion. For starters, the Dread Scott decision which helped lead to the Civil War came about when an enslaved man sued...

Gardening is one of America's most popular hobbies, and attendance at public gardens and arboreta continues to rise. Gardens Across America is a comprehensive two-volume guide to nearly 2,000 gardens. Each entry in this state-by-state guide contains such basic information as hours of operation and directions as well asa listing of activities, educational programs, and any unique botanical features. Gardens are also indexed by type (Japanese, children's...

Claude Brown called Black English "Spoken Soul." Toni Morrison said, "It's a love, a passion. Its function is like a preacher's: to make you stand out of your seat, make you lose yourself and hear yourself. The worst of all possible things that could happen would be to lose that language." Now renowned linguist John R. Rickford and journalist Russell J. Rickford provide the definitive guide to African American vernacular English, from its origins...