In 1975 Gary and Pam Mount bought Terhune Orchards, a 55-acre farm near Princeton, New Jersey, determined to create a prosperous working farm and retail operation. Now with 250 acres and hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, the farm is celebrated through the articles Gary published in Terhune Orchard's newsletter--now collected in this book, illustrated with color and black and white photographs.
When Europeans first made contact with the Osages, they lived in present-day Missouri, along the Osage River. After being forced onto a reservation, the Osages purchased land from the Cherokees in Indian Territory and resettled in northeastern Oklahoma in the later part of the nineteenth century. Today the Osage tribe numbers about 18,000, but only two elders still speak the traditional language, a member of the Siouan family of languages. Osage Grammar is the first documentation of how the Osage language works, including more than two thousand sentences from Osage speakers, and a detailed description of its phonology, morphology, and syntax. Also featured are such components as verb conjugations, derivation, and suffixes; kinship terms; and the nominal system. The importance of documenting a language, especially when on the verge of extinction, can hardly be overstated. Growing up in Osage County, Oklahoma, Carolyn Quintero has been documenting the Osage language for twenty years, speaking to more than a dozen elders and transcribing hundreds of hours of interviews. Her research could not now be repeated since most of the elders whose words appear on these pages are gone. This book will become an essential reference and guide for all scholars and students interested in the Osage language and in other Siouan languages of the West. Osage Grammar will also serve as a bedrock for the present revitalization of Osage culture and language within the community.
Coining the term, The Book of Mindkind is a philosophy of hope in a time of despair, a wakeup call in a time of danger, and an engaging quick read for the curious-minded. The theory of Mindkind is an entirely original philosophy, likely the first to be conceived in the past century, certainly the first of the new millennium. People are looking for new ways to think about the human society rapidly evolving around them, and they are searching for answers and solutions to the age-old questions of existence. The world may not be spinning out of control, but it can no longer be held together by the beliefs of the past. Now, more so than ever, with political extremism-driven by corporationalism and religious fundamentalism-shutting down democratic processes and suppressing rationalism, there is a critical need for social, spiritual, and political alternatives. The Book of Mindkind is not a new-age philosophy-rather it presents a logical foundation for a practical worldwide solution for the social, economic, and environmental crises facing human existence. The book brings together the scientific elements of time, Earth, and humanity in exploring the evolution of the brain and the mind it produces, and it examines religion and culture in developing the thesis that humans are members of a Universal Mindkind. Essentially, the philosophy theorizes that humans, as the Children of Mindkind, are on the verge of flying from their earthly nest, as soon as the diseases of deception, hatred, and violence are cured and every child is provided with equal access to nutrition, health care, and education. Collectively, these concepts are brought to focus on the future of human existence. Mindkind projects a vision of a bright unlimited and creative future, but necessarily considers a darker and more destructive alternative in which humanity continues to organize as warrior societies. It concludes with thoughts about the physical nature of the soul and the aura of mind. Mindkind has an appeal to thinking people of every culture and every language, who are seeking purpose in their lives. It especially speaks to young people, who are questioning ancient religions and current governments, and to women, who are weary of the discrimination they suffer in male-dominated societies.
Osage, a language of the Dhegiha branch of the Siouan family, was spoken until recently by tribal members in northeastern Oklahoma. No longer in daily use, it was in danger of extinction. Carolyn Quintero, a linguist raised in Osage County, worked with the last few fluent speakers of the language to preserve the sounds and textures of their complex speech. Compiled after painstaking work with these tribal elders, her Osage Dictionary is the definitive lexicon for that tongue, enhanced with thousands of phrases and sentences that illustrate fine points of usage. Drawing on a collaboration with the late Robert Bristow, an amateur linguist who had compiled copious notes toward an Osage dictionary, Quintero interviewed more than a dozen Osage speakers to explore crucial aspects of their language. She has also integrated into the dictionary explications of relevant material from Francis La Flesche’s 1932 dictionary of Osage and from James Owen Dorsey’s nineteenth-century research. The dictionary includes over three thousand main entries, each of which gives full grammatical information and notes variant pronunciations. The entries also provide English translations of copious examples of usage. The book’s introductory sections provide a description of syntax, morphology, and phonology. Employing a simple Siouan adaptation of the International Phonetic Alphabet, Quintero’s transcription of Osage sounds is more precise and accurate than that in any previous work on the language. An index provides Osage equivalents for more than five thousand English words and expressions, facilitating quick reference. As the most comprehensive lexical record of the Osage language—the only one that will ever be possible, given the loss of fluent speakers—Quintero’s dictionary is indispensable not only for linguists but also for Osage students seeking to relearn their language. It is a living monument to the elegance and complexity of a language nearly lost to time and stands as a major contribution to the study of North American Indians.
Everyone wants: High schoolers to graduate well-prepared for jobs. Improved STEM literacy. Greater achievement for inner-city children. Happiness for all children. So why are liberals spending billions of dollars working against those goals? In Race to the Bottom, Luke Rosiak uncovers the shocking reason why American education is failing: Powerful special interest groups are using our kids as guinea pigs in vast ideological experiments. These groups’ initiatives aren’t focused on making children smarter—but on implementing a radical agenda, no matter the effect on academic standards. Nonprofits pump billions into initiatives meant to redress racial inequities. Rather than fixing the problem, districts with a big gap between white and black test scores hire consultants who claim the tests are meaningless because they are “racist.” These consultants’ judgments allow school districts to ignore their own failures—ultimately hurting minority students and perpetuating racism. That is just one example. Drawing on his years in investigative journalism, Rosiak did a deep dive into school files, financial records, and parents’ stories. What he found is that nonprofit influence has crept into the educational bureaucracy all over America. Corrupt school boards and quack diversity consultants abound. Teachers drawing government pay claim it’s unsafe to return to in-person school, but “double dip” teaching in-person private classes. And amid all this focus on money and equity, academic standards are crumbling, which hurts American kids in ways we’ll be suffering for decades. Race to the Bottom is the first comprehensive exposé of the way radical ideology and self-serving administrators are destroying academic quality in America’s K-12 schools. Rigorous and deeply-researched, this is essential reading for anyone who cares about the future of our kids.
With an emphasis on simple preparation and fresh foods, the author offers seasonal recipes for Forth of July picnics, Valentine's Day treats, and warming winter meals.
Every year around August, large flocks of Eastern Curlews leave their breeding grounds in the Arctic and embark on a perilous 10,000km journey to the coast of Australia. The birds cannot swim; if they become exhausted and fall into the ocean, they die. But it’s a journey they have taken for tens of thousands of years, tracing invisible flyways in the sky in what is one of the most spectacular mass migrations in the animal kingdom. Following the Eastern Curlew along its migratory path, award-winning nature writer Harry Saddler explores how these incredible birds have impressed themselves on the cultures of the countries they fly through, the threat to their survival posed by development, and the remarkable ways these birds and humankind may be entwined. The Eastern Curlew is a delightful and vivid portrait of a fascinating natural phenomenon.
