This is an unusually perceptive and sensitive view of the life and art of Georgia O'Keeffe. The author not only includes information about the friends of Georgia, but samples of the works that very probably influenced her development as an artist. The photographs of Georgia at various times in her life were a nice addition. I learned more about this wonderfully independent artist from this book than from the other dozens of books that I have read about her. Very readable, and highly recommended.

Historic Oglethorpe County Inc. did a very commendable job compiling their Cemeteries of Oglethorpe County Book. The county is divided into sections and the cemeteries for each section are listed into a corresponding section of the book. It is alphbetically indexed in the back, and each cemetery is shown with its latitude and longitude co-ordinates. They even interviewed families to get names for people that are buried in various plots that do not have headstones. For the genealogist researching Oglethorpe County, it doesn't get any better than this. Barbar

An excellent, brief, and well-written and researched melding of politics and history, focusing on the first major constitutional crisis of the new American republic. Professor Norgren correctly concludes that the principled and persistent effort of the Cherokees should be a shining example for all American Indians (and non-Indians) to follow in the quest to maintain and expand fundamental human rights. The larger question that still faces Americans today is why has the U.S. political system been unable to find a way of incorporating cultural or national diversity within the constitutional framework of a federal republic, and instead chosen to remove, marginalize, assimilate or terminate Native Americans?

The Cherokee County Georgia Land Records books are some of the best I have found for searching land records. Not only do the entries make you feel as if you are looking at the deed itself, but the format is easy to understand, and the index is great. A must have for anyone searching in Georgia.

All the books in the series "Land Records of Cherokee County Georgia" are available. All seven are in stock.

For more information write:

Bernice O. Taylor
Post Office Box 63
Powder Springs, GA
30127-0063

THE CHYMICAL COOK: A True Account of
Mystical Initiation in the Georgia Woods,
by Jay Bremyer (Station Hill Openings/
Barrytown, LTD., 1996)

In the summer of 1969, thinking to
attend a yoga workshop, Jay and Sara drive to
Georgia, which sets the stage for their
adventure by dropping them from their Kansas,
university student, '60s activist lifestyle,
right into the redneck South of the time.
Synchronicities begin to erupt in every
direction, and they encounter a quirky sprite
of a woman, Elsie, who quickly draws them in
to the idea they need to spend some time with
her. They return home, gather some friends,
and come into Elsie's mystical circle for a
life-changing experience.

With her ear cocked to inaudible
voices, she exposes them to riddles, to
paradox, to true magic, to great good humor.
They are transported to other realities,
challenged to understand and grow, confused
and confounded. She feeds them well, seems to
be everywhere they individually happen to be,
and gives them simple chores fraught with
meaning. She urges them to look at all they
encountered for the hidden messages.

Bremyer writes this true account in a
compelling, fast-moving, poetic waterfall
prose, a particular style that urges the
reader to see the layer upon layer of meaning
skillfully tucked in between the words. The
book is one that begs multiple readings, and
is likely to be ear-marked and underlined and
annotated, and returned to again and again.
The magic of this book is that for every
question answered, two more arise, and the
reader is invited to actively partake and
participate in the juicy great mystery openly
available to all.

The Chymical Cook is a golden read,
one from the pots of the successful alchemist.

__ Jan Thatcher Adams
Whole Health Editor of The Edge,
Exploring the Evolution of Consciousness

(Excerpted from "Seeds of wisdom sown with
Bremyer's Chymical Cook" which appeared in
the February, 1997 issue of The Edge.)

Having recently moved to Denver, I wanted a good book on Denver history and places/things to do, not only for myself but for visiting friends. I think the book is excellent and found my internet provider (listed as a Top 10 Denver bargain). I signed up immediately.

In this fascinating approach to the issue of gender in the Civil War era, Leeann Whites argues that the men of Augusta, Georgia (and presumably the rest of the South) were emasculated by their loss in that conflict. Through the efforts of white women confederate veterans were able to regain their sense of masculinity by the latter part of the 19th century. Whites argues that in antebellum Augusta, as in the rest of the South, that white men were free because they were not slaves. Their role encompassed protecting white women from outside influences and from those who were not free, obviously African Americans. In exchange for this protection, white women were subservient. When the Union emerged triumphant and slaves were freed, the white men of Augusta lost their pre-eminent position because they had failed in their duty to protect their women. Whites shows how in the years after the Civil War the white women of Augusta began a campaign to restore their men's sense of self-respect via activities such as honoring them through the building of memorials dedicated to the sacrifices of Confederate veterans. In doing so, they began to create the image of the Southern warrior fighting for their war of life against insurmountable odds. This was the Lost Cause that equired the valiant and honorable men of Augusta to take up arms. As a result of these efforts, men felt resurrected as they regained their sense of self, leading to their return to power after Reconstruction. Whites argument is fascinating, she uses numerous primary sources to support her views. Although one cannot come away from reading the book without agreeing that women did play a significant role in the return of men to power, she does ignore any efforts than men made on their own behalf. One has the impression that only the women of Augusta helped the men of Augusta return to their role as protectors. Although she makes a convincing argument that women made a significant contribution, it is only one factor discussed. Having said that, however, this work is essential for anyone studying gender relations, especially in the Civil War era. It is well-written and thorough Additionally, Whites makes a solid contribution to the field of collective memory as she shows how the memorial movement in Augusta changed the way in which Southerners remembered the war.

The book was well wriiten informative. filled with facts.. Learned so much about Savannah.. it's role in the war. Wonderful book...

Book Review

Brook, Stephen. Claws of the Crab: Georgia and Armenia in Crisis. Sinclair-Stevenson, 1992.

This is another treasure of a book about the Caucasus that I unearthed from the bowels of the Wandsworth Public Library system in south London. Only one other person had borrowed it, back in September 1999 when I was working in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi. Reading this book, I discovered that Stephen Brook had got there before me when all the exciting stuff was happening at the start of the nineties. Independence from the Soviet Union, the overthrow of the tyrannical president Zviad Gamsakhurdia and the battles for Nagorno Karabakh - Brook was there or thereabouts. Studiedly sympathetic to the Armenians and guardedly admiring of the Georgians, Claws of the Crab is a rare eyewitness account of many of the events that made independent Georgia and Armenia what they are today. Suffice to say that there's been remarkably little change since the book's completion in 1992.