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Why do so many Americans drive for miles each autumn to buy a vegetable that they are unlikely to eat? While most people around the world eat pumpkin throughout the year, North Americans reserve it for holiday pies and other desserts that celebrate the harvest season and the rural past. They decorate their houses with pumpkins every autumn and welcome Halloween trick-or-treaters with elaborately carved jack-o'-lanterns. Towns hold annual pumpkin festivals featuring giant pumpkins and carving contests, even though few have any historic ties to the crop. In this fascinating cultural and natural history, Cindy Ott tells the story of the pumpkin. Beginning with the myth of the first Thanksgiving, she shows how Americans have used the pumpkin to fulfull their desire to maintain connections to nature and to the family farm of lore, and, ironically, how small farms and rural communities have been revitalized in the process. And while the pumpkin has inspired American myths and traditions, the pumpkin itself has changed because of the ways people have perceived, valued, and used it. Pumpkin is a smart and lively study of the deep meanings hidden in common things and their power to make profound changes in the world around us.
Mark F. Sohn's classic book, Mountain Country Cooking, was a James Beard Award nominee in 1997. In Appalachian Home Cooking, Sohn expands and improves upon his earlier work by using his extensive knowledge of cooking to uncover the romantic secrets of Appalachian food, both within and beyond the kitchen. Shedding new light on Appalachia's food, history, and culture, Sohn offers over eighty classic recipes, as well as photographs, poetry, mail-order sources, information on Appalachian food festivals, a glossary of Appalachian and cooking terms, menus for holidays and seasons, and lists of the top Appalachian foods. Appalachian Home Cooking celebrates mountain food at its best.
Religions respond to capitalism, democracy, industrialization, feminism, individualism, and the phenomenon of globalization in a variety of ways. Some religions conform to these challenges, if not capitulate to them; some critique or resist them, and some work to transform the modern societies they inhabit. In this unique collection of critical essays, scholars of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Native American thought explore the tension between modernization and the family, sexuality, and marriage traditions of major religions in America. Contributors examine how various belief systems have confronted changing attitudes regarding the meaning and purpose of sex, the definition of marriage, the responsibility of fathers, and the status of children. They also discuss how family law in America is beginning to acknowledge certain religious traditions and how comparative religious ethics can explain and evaluate diverse family customs. Studies concerning the impact of religious thought and behavior on American society have never been more timely or important. Recent global events cannot be fully understood without comprehending how belief systems function and the many ways they can be employed to the benefit and detriment of societies. Responding to this critical need, American Religions and the Family presents a comprehensive portrait of religious cultures in America and offers secular society a pathway for appreciating religious tradition.
Revised and Expanded Second Edition. The full story of barbecue in the United States had been virtually untold before Robert F. Moss revealed its long, rich history in his 2010 book Barbecue: The History of an American Institution. Moss researched hundreds of sources—newspapers, letters, journals, diaries, and travel narratives—to document the evolution of barbecue from its origins among Native Americans to its present status as an icon of American culture. He mapped out the development of the rich array of regional barbecue styles, chronicled the rise of barbecue restaurants, and profiled the famed pitmasters who made the tradition what it is today. ,,,
An instant New York Times Bestseller! The new uplifting book from Matt Haig, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Midnight Library, for anyone in search of hope, looking for a path to a more meaningful life, or in need of a little encouragement. Named by The Washington Post as one of the best feel-good books of the year "It is a strange paradox, that many of the clearest, most comforting life lessons are learnt while we are at our lowest. But then we never think about food more than when we are hungry and we never think about life rafts more than when we are thrown overboard." Don't miss Matt Haig's new novel The Life Impossible, coming September 2024 THE COMFORT BOOK is Haig's life raft: it's a collection of notes, lists, and stories written over a span of several years that originally served as gentle reminders to Haig's future self that things are not always as dark as they may seem. Incorporating a diverse array of sources from across the world, history, science, and his own experiences, Haig offers warmth and reassurance, reminding us to slow down and appreciate the beauty and unpredictability of existence.
By Thuy Da Lam. You can go home again. When twenty-three-year-old Maia Trieu, a curator’s assistant at the Museum of Folklore & Rocks in Little Saigon, Orange County, is offered a research grant to Vietnam for the summer of 1991, she cannot refuse. The grant’s sponsor has one stipulation: Maia is to contact her great-aunt to pass on plans to overthrow the current government. The expatriates did not anticipate that Maia would become involved with excursions in search of her mother or attract an entourage: an American traveler, a government agent, an Amerasian singer, and a cat. ...
Grief comes in all shapes and sizes. Grief comes in many different forms. You may have lost a loved one, you may be experiencing a separation or relationship breakup, you may have had a major change in your life, you may be battling through health issues, you may have a friend or loved one who is grieving, or maybe you work with people experiencing grief. Whatever your reason, Words of Comfort is here to help. Treat it as a companion in your grief, an empathetic safe space and a beacon of hope. All of your feelings are welcome here. This book explores the experience of grieving and the emotions and thoughts that may surface. It offers strategies to help you navigate through your grief, and takes a look at some of the things we can learn from the journey. I hope you find some comfort in these pages.
By Sam Cook and Bob Cary. Camp Sights invites you to experience the intimate beauty of camps--quiet camps for fathers and daughters; familiar camps on a favorite lake with good friends; hunting camps with their rich histories and traditions; serene camps under the starry sky of a summer night; peaceful camps warmed by supper cooking on the stove. You’ll also experience the rugged power of nature--an Arctic camp braced against howling winds; a canoe-country camp threatened by lightning.Sam Cook writes with humor, compassion and powerful imagery. In this collection of essays, Sam offers insights into the subtleties of the natural world that all too often go unnoticed. CampSights invites you to see your world anew.
Slow down and enjoy life's special moments! Moments of Comfort: Embracing the Joy in Life's Simple Pleasures is a beautifully illustrated book that delivers the little moments of warmth, reassurance, hope, and optimism that every so often, is just what you need to get through the day. The perfect antidote to a difficult day or a long week, Moments of Comfort explains why the small pleasures and shots of joy are so important and offers advice, perspectives, insights, and ideas into how you can include them in your everyday life. In this book, you'll get: Practical ideas and insights into how you can take advantage of more of life's simple pleasures Guidance on how you can find more peace, encouragement, and connection in the world around you Advice on finding the strength to keep going through the difficulties, challenges and tough times in life Ideal for anyone looking for some encouragement and enjoyment in their life, Moments of Comfort is a perfect gift for someone you know who might need some support and reassurance, inspiration and hope right now. And of course, that someone could be you!
Four years ago, author Jessica Swift's husband, Ryan, passed away. She started painting rainbows to commemorate Ryan, but the rainbows morphed into a way for her to express her gratitude for the incredible and overwhelming outpouring of support, love, generosity, and compassion that she received after he died. A perfect gift for anyone going through a hard time, Radiant Rainbows includes the paintings inspired by Ryan's passing, meant to be the hand that lifts you up and nudges you to keep going. Each page of this gorgeous, eye-catching book will contain a healing wish, prayer, mantra, or affirmation to help you pick yourself up and put one foot in front of the other. Some included topics are love, intuition, courage, expansion, resilience, and acceptance. By gifting this book to yourself or to someone you know who needs love and support, you'll also be adding some hope and beauty to the world and helping people feel a little less alone.
