John Elder is a genius! The spirituality of Emerson's "Nature" is a perfect compliment to the deep philosophical naturalism of Thoreau's work. It just came in the mail an hour or so and i can't put it down! I'm going to reccomend it to all of my friends.

Elder John Sparks is an ordained minister in the United Baptist denomination and thus is intimately tied to the richly historical traditions of what is general known as the "Old Time Baptists" of central Appalachia, divisions such as Regular Baptists, Old Regular Baptists, Separate Baptists, United Baptist, and a host of other groups, including a wide range of Primitive Baptists. Sparks sets out to document the influence of Shubal Stearns on this entire Old-Time Baptist phenomenon, and his work in excellent in scholarship and analysis.

For those of use who have labored in this this particular field of scholarship, it is a joy and an inspiration to see the field of study added to so wonderfully by an individual who has come from the indeginous base of the phonomenon. Sparks received a degree from Pikeville College in Pikeville, Kentucky, and promptly turned himself in to a excellent scholar. Read this book. You will be rewarded with a much deeper understanding of Appalachian religious history than has heretofore been provided.

Howard Dorgan Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus
Appalachian State University

I love nature writing, so to my mind, this is a grand book. All the great writers are here, with one exception: there is a signal lack of modern nature writers (last half of the 20th Century). Beyond that, the selection of great nature writers is first rate.

The real problem with this book is that it is so big and the binding so weak you really can't take this book into nature to read it. I took it with me during a trip to the north end of the Queen Charlotte Islands; the moment I found a spot to relax and got the book out, I found I was wrestling with a ten pound weight that flopped all over the place. So, a warning: this book is for the fireside or a cozy evening in bed, not the field. Otherwise, wonderful!

From Charles Darwin and Aldo Leopold to Edwin Teale and Laurens Van Der Post, this covers the history and tradition of nature writing in English. Essays and insights by some of the most famous nature writers in the language include writers of diverse ethnic backgrounds and from around the world. A widereaching collection, this will appeal to both science and literary collections.

Well-written and well-researched, with a lovely romantic touch. It would be nice to have a sequal to it, and also to resolve the question which has been raised of whether or not they were married, as Ms. Elder stated in several interviews.

I enjoyed this book as I have few others. The story of Kate had me completely captivated and I could not put it down. I knew little of this fascinating woman before reading the book, but Jane Candia Coleman makes her live. She makes it so believable and real that I could almost feel myself on the trail to Dodge with Kate and Doc. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys history.

Jane Coleman has written a wonderful book on Kate Elder. Most importantly, even though the book is clearly labeled historical fiction, Jane's sources and research makes even the fiction ring true, and presents new facts as it goes. I normally don't read fiction but could not put down Doc Holliday's Woman. George Laughead Jr., President, Ford County Historical Society, Dodge City, KS (it goes without saying that Karen Holliday Tanner's book, Doc Holliday: A Family Portrait, is also a must-read for anyone interested in the Old West--but everyone else has already said that!)

I would not recommend this book for someone looking for personal histories of prostitutes, johns, pimps, etc. To be honest, opening the book at almost any page, one is confronted with the most tedious 'sociological' jargon: tongue-twisting sentences, theoretical analyses of 'data', 'semi-structured interview schedules'... The lack of an index is a big drawback in a book of essays: it is impossible to find the answers to the interesting-sounding questions proposed by the jacket blurb (eg. 'Is it possible for prostitutes to enjoy their work?') without becoming tired of wading through statistics and jargon. I think this is of more interest to other academics working in the same field. I like the cover though.

Whether your a student doing reserch or a woman contemplating the profession, this book answers many questions and creates more on the topic of prostitutution and our society. Every adult should become aware and educated on this topic.

This book is another of the many books that speak about the subject of prostitution. This book is rated highly for it's honesty in the field and its description of what occurs on an everyday basis. I give this book a high rating.

I found this book to be vague and uninformative. It was unclear at the end of the book just what community-based education was trying to accomplish. I would not recommend this book.