I would appreciate hearing from Mr. Micheal Coe regarding the several, separate finds of skulls showing morphology of possible proto-Caucasoid characteristics, recently the Kenniwick Man. On page 15 of the Atlas of Ancient America, written some tens years ago, Mr. Coe states catagorically " -----there is no doubt among physical anthropologists that native Americans are all of Mongoloid racial stock". Will he be willing to consider the possibility of even earlier migrants coming from other places of the Old World

I recently carried this book along for a driving trip (carrying bicycles) that my daughter and I took down the Southern Atlantic coast (NC, SC, GA), veering to north central Florida before turning around for home. The book was ok, but only for pointing us in a general direction and then mapping out our own rides from there. The maps are relatively easy to follow and they do a good job categorizing the type of rides from Rambles up to Challenges, but I found myself wanting more 'challenge' on the Cruises and Rambles and less 'challenge' for the Classics and Challenges. Perhaps it's just a matter of personal preference.

Our first stop was Jekyll Island, GA. We were not too pleased to learn that the Jekyll Island Ramble, noted as "an excellent bike ride for the entire family", was in reality a highly dangerous path (~3 ft. wide) shared with other cyclists and pedestrians coming and going from both directions. Was appalled to read the island maps and literature strongly suggesting that cyclists stay off the real roads and on these hazardous paths. My daughter and I ignored that suggestion for the most part, but still had to navigate around a few cyclists riding on the left side of the road so to stay with their riding partners who had opted to stay on the path. I understand why some people might prefer or be attracted to bicycle paths. However, I think that ALL bicycle riders would do well to understand that the basic rules of cycling are pretty much the same as the rules of the road for drivers. IMO, if people would ride with this awareness, there would be very little need to sequester cyclists (or cyclists to sequester themselves) onto choked and dangerous little paths with pedestrians as is the case on Jekyll Island. The marsh and harbor side of the island was very quiet and sparsely traveled as compared to the ocean/beach side. We did follow the bike path for a bit because it veered away from the road and was very scenic.

Our next stop was St. Augustine, FL. Car traffic along A1A was far too heavy and the streets way too narrow to even attempt the St. Augustine Ramble - my 12 year old is a good road rider, but easily overwhelmed. To sandwich her between all those cars would have been cruel and unthinkable. We did walk down St. Georges Street, but I can't imagine attempting to cycle through all that pedestrian traffic as the book suggests. I was tempted to snatch a few of the children on scooters and scold them for weaving in and out so closely among the walkers - what the heck were their parents thinking, or were they thinking??

On to North Central Florida, location of the Suwannee River Classic ride. No way was my short-legged 12 year old going to ride 98 miles, but to our good fortune, most of the country roads in that area were lightly trafficked by motor vehicles so that we were able to tailor our riding distances accordingly. Falling Creek Falls was a very lovely and scenic stop and not one that would normally be found by most tourists. I wished that the book had highlighted more of the gorgeous fresh water springs in that area and/or mapped some rides to them. The one listed, Ichetucknee Springs, was a pretty place, but not particularly bicycle friendly. People might do well to pick up the Bicycle Facilities Map for North Central Florida at any of the tourism offices - I thought it listed a better and more extensive range of rides and intend to return one day to explore them more thoroghly.

We wound up back on the NC coast to finish off our vacation. By then it was the weekend. I would NOT suggest doing the Cape Fear Challenge ride on a weekend day, even to my worst enemy. I'm not sure when would be the best time to do a ride like this. 421S on the front end of this trip is always car-packed. One must also watch out for hwy 133N on the backside. On Saturdays and Sundays, this is a 2 lane road with NO shoulders heavily trafficked by pickup trucks and SUVs towing big boats on trailers. An early morning weekday jaunt down 133N to Orton Plantation and the Brunswick Historic Site might be quite pleasant, however. Do remember your bug spray as the book suggests! The biting flies and 'no-see-umms' are already thick as of this posting - late April. We stayed in Southport and this area is close to 'home' territory to me. We didn't attempt the Cape Fear Challenge, tho I ran into two cylists who had tried unsuccessfully to cyle out 133N and back. I rode Bald Head Island (all golf-carts, no cars) with my daughter on Saturday and then took a lone early Sunday morning jaunt from Southport to Oak Island - very pleasant!

To sum it up, this is not the worst book of rides, but not the best either. I do appreciate that the book was helpful in providing a little direction for us to head towards, even though we tailored and altered most of the listed rides to suit our own riding style and abilities.

A friend loaned me The Checkered Years, and after reading it, I purchased two copies, one to give away and another to lend and ultimately to keep in my library. From the day-to-day writings of Mary Dodge Woodward, the reader begins to understand the central role of weather in the life of the early Dakota settlers - the awesome cold, wind, and heat; the blizzards, drought, and flood - all matter-of-factly but beautifully described in an unpretentious diary. The diary entries give a hint of the tremendous effort it took on Mary's part and that of her family to build up a large wheat farm, and along with that, the uncertainties she faced as a widow growing old. I wish the book had more background information in its introduction and more diary entries that, even though they probably would have seemed repetitive, may have given more focus to the people mentioned in the selections.

Written in 1899, at the end of the heyday of the sentimental romance genre, this was--I feel--a subversive application of the style. Likely written for a white audience, the African-American authoress was determined to counter some of the more pernicious rumors about blacks, especially black women. To use today's terms, Hopkins was floating her own memes, including the idea that the mulatto, rather than being a tragic figure that could not survive in either the black or white world, was actually a strong bridge between the two races. Or that black women were not "hypersexual," but that the intermixture of the races was much more the fault of white male desires.

As fiction, it suffers from the conventions of its genre as much as Hopkins obvious proselytizing. For the student of history, however, its depiction of black life in the 1900s is a treasure trove. Hopkins even recreates the famous debate between Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois through the mouths of her characters. Interesting as a historical document; not sure that I could recommend this for entertainment, however.

Place plays an important part in the literary scope of the authors represented in this anthology. Contained in this volume is a collection of poetry and prose pieces by contemporary Native American writers of the Pacific Northwest.

Native American literature has been stereotyped as being primitive, naive and exotic. The theme of " The Vanishing American" is the typical literary description given to Native American works. It is the purpose of this volume to deconstruct such myths that have been imposed by outsiders. The pieces challenge the social, political and mores of American society.

The majority of this text contained poetry. I assumed through the title that there was an equitable mix of both but that wan't the case. I found the title misleading and wished there were more prose pieces. For those interested in Native American Poetry for study, particularly of the Northwest, this is an excellent text and I recommend it. For those of us who are more interested in prose, I would say find another anthology specializing in the region with prose writers. In any case this work will open your eyes in looking at Native American writing, in particular poetry, from a contemporary perspective.

I've read two of McCrumb's mystery novels now and had the same reaction: witty murder is hard to take. I won't be reading more because I seem to take murder a bit too seriously for this light, fluffy sort of treatment, where the author's emphasis is often on cute dialogue and witty repartee.

That said, the story here has three young people dabble in murder detection and forensic science because-naturally-grownups don't care. Several passages are very well written and McCrumb maintains a tongue-in-cheek touch elsewhere. Don't rely on either the science terminology and interpretations to be accurate even for the 1985 paleo-computer age. Other than the pedagogy, this story will entertain young readers and introduce them to an unusual Appalachian setting and the issue of proving Indian land claims.

This belongs at the lighter end of the crime novel spectrum,although this does not prevent it from making a sharp point or two about ethnicity and the way it impacts on the bureaucratic mind,especially in these days of political correctness.
Trying to establish their right to Native American tribal status, and by so doing preserve the land from the depredations of strip mining,the Cullowee people of the Appalachians invite the local University to carry out an archaelogical dig on theor land.When the expedition leader Professor Lerche,is murdered suspects are not exactly in short supply.
A local deputy sheriff does not want the dig to proceed as he stands to gain financially from any mining operation;the professor has broken off an affair with a graduate student ,to her intense displeasure and he has publicly humiliated a pompous undergraduate.Events taken an even darker turn with a second murder folowing hard on the heels of the professor's demise.
Heroine and series regular Elizabeth MacPherson steps in to unravel the case.
it is well written but lightweight and I suspect will be enjoyed mainly by devotees of the cosy and academic mysteries
McCrumb's Ballad novels are brilliant.This is not but it is a polished and professional diversion that satisfies on its own terms

Yet another warm and witty treasure from the very talented McCrumb. Offers all the pleasures of mystery reading with considerably more depth of setting, character and significance of plot than in most crime novels. Not to mention a whole heck of a lot funnier.