Plain, Honest Men

Today’s post is from Douglas at Davis Library:

 

 Plain, Honest Men: The Making of the American Constitution by Richard Beeman

This book provides a unique look at the men that created the Constitution. It is very interesting to note that several of the arguments these fifty-five men had in the summer of 1787 are still being discussed today.

Mr. Beeman is very good at explaining who did not sign the Constitution and why. He highlights many of the delegates that seldom receive notice, and shows how their contributions were essential to the completed document.

I recommend chapter 20 to all high school students and teachers.  This chapter presents a concise review of the arguments and challenges of each of the ratifying state conventions.

It is also recommended to anyone interested in the Constitution or those that served during the Constitutional Convention.

Weird Texas

Today’s post is from Erik at Schimelpfenig Library:

Weird Texas by Wesley Treat, Heather Shade and Rob Riggs.

I picked up this book because  my son and I are going on a short road trip next week and I thought there might be something cool in there to see on the way.  I own Weird U.S. and thought this would be right in that same vein.  Come to find out, I actually like Weird Texas a whole lot better!  Maybe it’s because I have been to some of the places they describe, or that some of the legends had their heyday when I was young and impressionable (and therefore impressed) or maybe it’s just my Chuck Norris/Rick Perry fanatical pride in my home state.  Whatever the reason I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Did you know that Jesse James is buried in two different graves here in Texas; one in Blevins when he died at 95 and one in Granbury when he died again at 103 and neither one of those have anything to do with the Jesse James buried in Kearney, Missouri when he died at 34.  Have you heard of the Marfa Lights?  They’ve been explained away as everything from swamp gas to the souls of dead Indian bandits.  I’ve seen them myself and they totally rock;  and there are no shortage of visitors and locals on hand on any given night who LOVE to share their opinion as to the lights origins.  It’s a heckuva drive from here but it’s well worth it…if you dig that sort of thing.  If not, well at least the movie Giant was filmed there so you have that going for you…which is nice.

Anyway, you get the idea.  Texas is a big state and there are stories in every nook and cranny of it.  This book does an excellent job making them accessible and provoking.  If you’re going on a trip, I highly recommend picking up a copy and seeing what you can find on the way.  If not, it’s good to sit back, relax and reflect on what a wonderful and weird place we choose to live.

The Way Things Never Were

Today’s post is from Peter at Davis Library:

The Way Things Never Were  by Norman Finkelstein

When someone reminisces about the good ol’ days of the 1950s, suggest he or she read this book.  In a light and breezy fashion, it dispels many of the myths of what people commonly associate with the era of Leave it Beaver and Father Knows Best.  It dives straight into topics like polio, the Cold War, lack of opportunities for women and minorities, crime, poverty, and the fear of imminent nuclear destruction.  The Way Things Never Were offers a holistic perspective of the immediate post World War II period, and illustrates how each generation makes its own contribution to our culture, with its unique successes and problems.