5 comments about Entertaining Satan: Witchcraft and the Culture of Early New England.

1. Entertaining Satan: Witchcraft and the Culture of Early New England is an example of cultural and psychological history done within the realm of the witchraft phenomenon in early New England. In his book, the author effectively ties in all the data possible pertaining to witchraft during the 17th Century and analyzes it from different perspectives including cultural, psychological, sociological, and combining all of these creates a lucid and well-documented history. In part one, John Putnam Demos carefully examines all aspects of the biographical nature of witches in the 17th century that are available to him. He first and foremost states that the witch trials of Salem were not (as popular belief has it) the only witch trials in America during the period. He then is extremely careful in presenting evidence in formulating a biographical sketch of the typical witch. In the first part, John Putnam Demos leads me to recall Laurel Thatcher Ulrich's A Midwife's Tale in that, through murky and tenuous records and evidence, he manages to draw out and breathe life into what would otherwise be simple court records and disjointed data. He is also very self-critical and, before each interpretation of Rachel Clinton and John Godfrey's biographical sketches as well as the findings of family life in 17th Century New England, the author presents a host of caveats relating to the evidence. Sentences like "This material cannot meaningfully be quantified" (74) and "the extant records do not yield fully adequate information," (76) are common phrases Demos uses before drawing conclusions from the information available to him. In Part Two of Entertaining Satan, John Putnam Demos gives us a convincing psychological argument as to the character and nature of not only the suspected witches themselves, but the psychodynamic structures of the 17th century community. He offers a myriad of psychoanalytic tools, most notably projection, in attempting to understand what propelled the fear of witchcraft. By placing psychology in the context of his understanding of history of witchcraft in 17th Century New England, it's apparent that Demos effectively carries out what I think Peter Loewenberg was trying to do in Decoding the Past: The Psychohistorical Approach. Instead of relying on one psychological method (Freud), Demos recognizes the dangers of overly relying on one model of interpretation, which is why his evidence and argument are much more convincing than were Loewenberg's. John Putnam Demos executes effectively what Peter Loewenberg ignores entirely (with the exception of the Nazi Youth Cohort article), namely, a psychology of the group with respect to 17th century community and witchcraft. Part Three is aptly titled "Sociology" because it is here where Demos examines the power of local gossip through records and his own interpretation of them. For instance, a record might reveal nothing substantial but once he studies it, Demos can argue that certain families were predisposed to witchcraft condemnation exactly because of societal reasons. This sociological approach to history also makes me recollect The New Cultural History in that, in much the same ways, Demos is learning about a society through their collective conscience and unconscious and thus can explain what contributed further to the witchcraft phenomenon. In Part Four, Demos again makes the argument that not only were the Salem witch trials not an isolated even, but that witch trials were continuous through history. He studies the witchcraft phenomenon through other towns such as Hampton as well as records pertaining to its inhabitants. In these last chapters, Demos also stresses how, although the majority of them were, not all towns with inhabitants accused of witchcraft were "Puritan." Though studying Hampton and the town of Wethersfield, Demos sketches a convincing history of communities in New England and what diseases/maladies/afflictions they may have had that would supplant evidence of "witchcraft." This last part draws together well-argued biographical sketches as well as the psychology and sociology of a given community to provide a general history of the communities and the impact witchcraft had on them. Entertaining Satan by John Putnam Demos is a coherent, extremely well-rounded history of witchcraft on 17th Century New England. But while it is a solid history book, it is also an excellent example of psychological history done well. Because it is such an excellent psychological history, it is excellent cultural history in that it supplies, analyzes, and interprets the community as a force and a power that is capable of shaping and creating its own historical destiny. I liked Entertaining Satan because for me, it recalled all the other books I have read for this class up to this point and gave them all a new meaning in as to how to approach history. Had I read Entertaining Satan before reading The New Cultural History, A Midwife's Tale, or Decoding the Past I may have been much more critical of the book. But knowing now how difficult it is to write a firm, convincing cultural history of a subject using data, psychology, and interpretation, I have a large amount of respect for how well-rounded a history Entertaining Satan is.



2. Why did the village of Salem Village (modern Danvers) rise up against some of its most prosperous and respected inhabitants? Why did ordinarily sensible farmers allow themselves to be whipped into a frenzy that spread throughout eastern Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and what would become Maine? Why were the claims of some hysterical teenagers accepted as "real" evidence against various men and women, leading some to death, others to long incarceration, and others to loss of their property? There are no simple answers, as the scores of books on the subject testify. If you are going to read only one book on the subject of witchcraft in 17th. c. New England, then _Entertaining Satan_ would be a good choice. If you are going to read many, start with this one and use the excellent bibliography to lead you in additional reading. With his close examination of the various factors and his in-depth understanding of 17th c. New England social life, John Demos gathers the evidence into a coherent, compelling, and highly readable account of a tragic time. My only quibbles are that I think Demos understimates the role of long-standing squabbles among neighbors and the long-term effects of the trials on the families of the accused. More consultation of the genealogical research available for the accused and their families or tracking their movements might have led Demos to different conclusions. However, these criticisms do not prevent my heartily endorsing this book.



3. This is absolutely one of the most boring books I have ever been subjected to in my life. I only had to read 5 chapters of it for a class, it was truly one of the worst experiences of my life. Seriously, save yourself, stay away from this book if you have a choice. Trust me.



4. Demos used an Inter-Disciplinary approach to writing this book. It resulted in a book that is dull and boring. Demos utilized Biography, History, Psychology, and Sociology in an attempt to better understand the witch crazes that periodically swept New England in the 17th century. Psychology is a load of garbage and Sociology is not much better. Demos should have kept his focus on his area of expertise: History. He focused on other outbreaks of witch hysteria other than Salem in 1692, and this proved to the book's only strong point. Salem is the best known outbreak of mass hysteria relating to witchcraft in Colonial America, but it was not the only one. Some outbreaks were simply accusations against 1 or 2 people at most. Other outbreaks may have seen several people accused, but not on the scale of Salem. I give this book a "1-star" rating simply because Amazon does not have one for "0-star" books.



5. The witchcraft hysteria of colonial America is a topic of enduring fascination, perhaps just because it is so difficult to understand while also a tempting stage for ridiculous theories and tabloid fantasies. This book avoids all nonsense, while scrupulously examining the real, and most minute, facts and details of the lives and communities. But it is no arid exercise in cataloguing details, and the author employs broad knowledge of psychology and sociology to illuminate the culture and mindset where this unique mass hysteria flourished. It reflects wonderful analysis and presentation, painstakingly built on factual minutia. Yet it is broad in scope and deep in humanistic analysis of the witchcraft phenomenon.

2 comments about Insiders' Guide to the Maine Coast, 2nd (Insiders' Guide Series).

1. INSIDERS' GUIDE TO THE MAINE COAST, 2ND EDITION is a great guide to the entire coast of Maine. It's also the perfect companion to INSIDERS' GUIDE TO PORTLAND, MAINE, and like the former book, contains descriptions of the Maine Mall and Bull Moose Music, both places where a guy can buy music to ask his girlfriend for a dance to and thus keep her happy. Like its Portland companion, this book provides other ideas on how a guy can keep his woman happy, such as numerous hiking, swimming, cycling, and boating areas where he can get in shape for her. Overall, you need to get this book and INSIDERS' GUIDE TO PORTLAND, MAINE together, along with the Fodor's and Frommer's guides to the Maine Coast- preferably all at once.



2. This book is organized not by area, but by sections on restaurants, accommodations, attractions, etc. As someone who is unfamiliar with the different towns in Maine, I had to consult the map each time I wanted to know where a particular attraction is located. I personally am more interested in a book organized by geographical area. It also pretty much entirely skips over the Blue Hill Peninsula, aside from a few paragraphs describing it. It offered no info on what to find there as far as places to stay, etc.

3 comments about String Too Short to Be Saved (Nonpareil Books, No. 5).

1. Donald Hall is a writer beautifully tangent to and cognizant of the New England spine we all wish to immulate in our thoughts of the 'old American spirit', a spirit too seemingly on the wane at present -even on 4th of July celebrations this year. His most recent collection of short stories , WILLOW TEMPLE , was my introduction to this Whitmanesque, Robert Frost-like wonder boy of observation. In returning to his early work in the Nonpariel Books reissue of STRING TOO SHORT TO BE SAVED one wonders why he has remained in the background, and hasn't found the wide audience he deserves.

   "STRING..." is a series of short stories of Hall's recollections of spending his summers with his beloved grandparents in New Hampshire. All phases of farming and maturing from a small child to a young adult are addressed in a wholly readable, poetic, illuminating fashion. Hall knows how to describe nature as well as anyone writing today. He also revives an appreciation for his roots that we could all study as journeys toward finding ourselves. "To be without history is to be forgotten" he writes."My grandfather did not know the maiden names of either of his grandmothers. I thought that to be forgotten must be the worst fate of all." Hall invites us to accompany him on his memories of haying, picking blueberries, visiting the odd group of people who have become indelible American daguerreotypes for him. "The farm was a form: not a set of rules on the wall, but like the symmetry of winter and summer, or like the balance of day and night over the year, June against December. My grandfather lived by the form all his life, and my summers on the farm were my glimpse of it."

   Simple gifts, these. And the simplicity of Donald Hall's writing is what makes it so readable and so memorable. The book stands solidly on its own as a definitive New England memoir. In this new reissue there is an added Epilog which traces Hall's return to his Hew Hapshire memories and farm after many life changes. This Epilogue is worth the price of the book. If only this edition weren't tainted by the crudely inappropriate pen and ink pictures imposed on the pages of each new chapter. But that is the only unnecessary clutter in this otherwise tender book.




2. A very poetic and wise account of a fading world that the author was lucky enough to be a part of. Quite moving in places, funny in others. A very satisfying book.



3. If you claim to like poetry or writing where the ink squiggles can actually allow you the experience of feeling the grist and sand of a place between your toes...take out any work by Donald Hall and you'll feel the tide of the New England coast coming in over your feet...Often mislabled with the churl quip, "regional writer", Mr. Hall is much more....
   a master of making you feel you are where he wants to
   take you...His characters come with the authenticity of having either been known, met, or viewed by Hall, or conjured from his collective memories and boiled down like a fine cider from actual sips of experience he's had with like individuals in his native New England...
   ...And what individuals he finds and has found in the ernest incredibly delicious confines and environs of the North East...In "String Too Short", Hall takes on the not inconsiderable task of fleshing out the rich hues of his own New England ancestory..You can smell his grandmother's kitchen, taste the dusty hay from his grandfather's barn, and feel the New Hampshire sun on your face via his entrancing and detailed prose...
   Mr. Hall? Are you out there? As a one time correspondent known to him as "John-Tom" I hope all is well with the venerable "Don" of Eagle Pond...Mr. Hall has taken himself off the pony express of fans he has deservedly developed over the years...and as one who has come across his work and spent pleasant minutes and hours in fine examples of his work, recommended to other readers here such as " Their Bright And Shining Eyes", " Without", " Here At Eagle Pond", and lately, " The Painted Bed", Mr. Hall has well earned praise and a rest in the bright sun of poetry and masterful observations on life around us he has picked up through his well lived adventures and travel...ALL OF HIS WORK..highly recommended!

2 comments about Vineyard Harvest: A Year of Good Food on Martha's Vineyard.

1. This book is terrific. The recipes are tempting, the comments in between are interesting and informative, and Alison Shaw's photographs are extraordinary. It's a pleasure from beginning to end. Thank you, Ms. Miller and Ms. Shaw!



2. Vineyard Harvest:
   A Year of Good Food on
   Martha's Vineyard
   By Tina Miller with Christie Mathewson
   Photography by Alison Shaw
   
   This cookbook concentrates on the simple and pure. This simplicity is evidenced by uncomplicated, relatively short recipes. The book is a seasonal sequence of tempting dishes prepared from the bounty springing from the seas and soils of Massachusetts' Martha's Vineyard. Between many of the recipes are profiles of some of the caring citizens of the island.
   
   Here's some recipe samplings:
   
   Corn-Crusted Calamari with Roasted Red Pepper Remoulade -
   With the simple ingredients, of cornmeal and cornstarch, the calamari is cooked. The Remoulade contains capers, chopped cornichons, garlic, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard and a touch of cayenne.
   
   Strawberries with Sweet Crème Fraiche -
   Just add sugar, lemon juice, heavy cream, sugar and vanilla.
   
   Martha's Vineyard Mock Maki -
   Combines cucumbers, lobster meat, red bell pepper, pickled ginger and sprouts. An accompanying dipping sauce contains soy sauce, lime, sesame oil, mirin and chopped scallions.
   
   Zucchini and Tomato Casserole with an Asiago Crust -
   Blend with shallot, bread crumbs, olive oil, seasoning and fresh basil.
   
   Bumper-Crop Cucumber salad -
   Calls for red onion, fresh dill, crème fraiche, lemon juice, olive oil and seasoning
   
   Sold-Out Grilled Lobsters with Lime Butter -
   Seems simplest of all - limes, lime zest, limes quartered and butter.
   
   Watermelon and Champagne Parfait -
   Mix raspberries, lemon zest, champagne and Chambord liqueur.
   
   Broccoli Soup with Essence of Morels -
   This is a mixture of olive oil, onion, chicken broth, seasoning, grated nutmeg and fresh spinach leaves
   
   Great Pond Oyster Pan Stew -
   Use butter, onion, a leek, cream sherry, a little ketchup, shucked oysters with their liquor, heavy cream, seasoning and a few dashes of hot sauce
   
   Morning Glory Farm Pumpkin Crème Brulee -
   Calls for heavy cream, allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, eggs and sugar.
   
   Vineyard Lobster Salad with Asian Twist -
   Combine olive oil, sesame oil, fresh ginger, scallions, mirin, lemon juice, light soy sauce and mayonnaise
   
   Two Winter Pizzas -
   Smoked Salmon Roasted Red Onion Pizza:
   Plus Crème Fraiche, fresh tarragon, olive oil and capers.
   Spinach and Goat Cheese Pizza:
   Plus red onion, olive oil, spinach leaves, fresh rosemary, parsley and garlic.
   
   Red Cabbage Salad with Blue Cheese, Walnuts and Oranges --
   Combine Orange juice, balsamic vinegar and olive oil for the dressing
   
   Portuguese Codfish with Linguica and Littlenecks -
   This calls for olive oil, onion, fresh thyme, clam broth, a diced tomato and tomato paste.
   
   Reviewed by Marty Martindale, owner Food Site of the Day.

2 comments about A Thyme to Entertain.

1. I love this book. Not only does it have great photos of all the food and wonderful descriptions of different Annapolis events throughout the year, it also has terrific recipes. The Sweet Vegetable Dip, White Corn Salad, Peppercorn Tenderloin and YumYum Bars are among my favorites!!



2. This Junior League cookbook is wonderful! I love that recipes are from real people like myself and not someone with years of culinary training. The book looks great on a coffee table or on the kitchen counter.

1 comments about AIA Guide to Boston, 3rd: Contemporary Landmarks, Urban Design, Parks, Historic Buildings and Neighborhoods (Aia Guides).

1. Boston, America's London, is such an awesome ensemble of urban architecture that any author is presented with both a formidable task and the enjoyment of endless variation. With such an enormous canvas, the resulting work can be either a sloppy, undisciplined patchwork or a masterpiece. This little book is a masterpiece.
   
   What can I say? It's exactly what an AIA-sponsored architecture catalog should be. The selection of sites is diverse, interesting and distinguished. The essays for each site are complete: They're long enough to be instructive and short enough to keep your attention. The photographs are all monochrome, but they're large, numerous and of revealing composition as to add real value to the text. There's no long introductory essay, but a simple preface to introduce the city and the book, and there's a nice set of simple, functional maps in the appendices.
   
   The binding and the pages are sturdy to allow for hands-on field work as well as browsing. In many ways, this book resembles the AIA Guide to Detroit, which is also a benchmark for the AIA-sponsored series.
   
   As for the architecture... Anyone familiar with Boston and the surrounding towns knows that there are thousands of noteworthy sites. This book captures about 600 of the best of them, and your favorite sites are sure to be in here, be they buildings, parks or public artwork. Since historic sites play such an important role in Boston's urban cohesion, they are appropriately represented here. Important modern structures aren't neglected either. In fact, Boston includes a real critical mass of fascinating modern buildings, all appropriately included as well.
   
   Surprising to me is that Boston contains less colonial and Federal architecture than one might expect from its reputation and history as a colonial metropolis. There are few dense areas of unspoiled colonial or Federal urbanism, Beacon Hill and Charlestown being the obvious exceptions; rather, colonial and Federal sites tend to be widely distributed throughout the modern city. Maybe I'm just stating the obvious, but the city doesn't have the cohesive historical atmosphere and quaint sensuality of places like Charleston, South Carolina and Providence, Rhode Island, for example. It's more like Washington, DC, with its historic enclaves at Georgetown and Alexandria. That's not a bad thing, of course, but just an observation. Boston has its share of fire, neglect and urban renewal nightmares too, as this guide carefully notes. Two inexplicable omissions: Harvard Business School and the Radcliffe College buildings. Fenway, with its mindboggling cluster of important institutions, gets a bit of the short end as well.
   
   The catalog stays largely focused within the Boston city limits, but there are nice, (almost) complete excursions to Harvard, MIT and the neighborhoods surrounding those important institutions. Each chapter begins with a brief essay describing the history, general character and orientation of the particular neighborhood, and many important historic streets and public spaces are discussed within.
   
   If you're an architectural historian, architect, preservationist, serious enthusiast or cultural tourist, your architecture library is incomplete without this one.

5 comments about Heavenly Weekends: Travel Without A Car: 52 Daytrips, Overnight and Weekend Getaways Near NY (City and Company).

1. This is the most enjoyable travel book I've read to date! I enjoyed just reading it & can't wait to plan some of the trips! As a resident of New York City, my access to a car is limited. I love the idea of not having to worry about getting a rental car, paying for it, or having to return it! Not to mention, being able to start my vacation immediately rather than waste time sitting in traffic! To the authors: Keep up the good work! I'm waiting for a follow up!



2. I picked up this book not too long ago. I loved it I have already begun planning my travels. I want to start with the firt place mentioned. I would recommend it to anyone!



3. This is a very helpful book for people wanting to take a day or overnight trip from New York City without a car. I find that for a short trip, taking a car adds many hassles. Just driving out of NYC can be so time consuming not to mention aggravating. Here is the perfect book for people who want to concentrate on looking out the bus or train window on the way, and using their legs a bit when they get there. I've used this book to plan trips to Southbury, CT (wonderful place!), Red Bank, NJ (great antique browsing and/or collecting), Rhinebeck, NY (fantastic inn), and Sag Harbor, Long Island NY (beautiful town) to mention a few.



4. When I first saw this book I fell in love with it. First of all, it has a very lovely cover and I love the fact that you don't need a car for any of the trips listed in this book. Because of a personal dilemma I had, I felt a need to leave the city and I needed to leave right away, but I didn't know where to go. I grabbed this book and breezed through it to find the right place for me to go. I went online to check the bus schedule, packed my bags in 20 minutes and left! I felt the urge to leave the city quickly; this was my most spontaneous trip and this book helped me to do that. I enjoyed my weekend trip (arrived there friday evening and left sunday afternoon) and felt refreshed, with a renewed outlook on life.



5. It's not that this book doesn't offer some decent ideas for where to go for a weekend away. There are some. But what the book lacks is variety of type of escape and colorful, insider-info writing. Written by two moms who met on a park bench while their kids were playing in the sandbox, all of the trips tend to take on a girls-weekend-away feel, combined with soft, gushy writing about delightful places to have lunch, quaint towns, and cute places to stay. I was turned off by several places that just seemed too precious and longed for more variety in the types of places to visit.

No comments about Classic Starts: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Classic Starts Series).

3 comments about Trout Streams of Northern New England: A Guide to the Best Fly-Fishing in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine, First Edition.

1. A nice collection of maps and general info, however, this title doesn't supply much more information than the NH Gazetteer. Can't speak as specifically to the VT and ME sections. Little info on when to fish, just general descriptions of how to get there and what may or may not be stocked. Really just a surface survey.



2. Actually, I would normally rate this book a 4 but I thought the previous rating showing a 2 was too low. I found the book to be very helpful. Not being familar with Maine, VT, or NH, I was able to quicky determine not just where to fish but where not to fish. The book is targeted more toward fly fishermen (I am one of those) and it lists what hatches are on the stream. A familar fly fisherman knows roughly what month such hatches are around. I would highly recommend this book over a Maine Gazette map which will not give you the detailed directions to some popular fishing spots.



3. Looking through the Book, I will keep it with me while on road trips and when planning camping trips. I bought the book to see if I could learn anything more about my area central & northern New Hampshire. It only dedicates about 10 pages to Northern NH and everything that is listed on central NH I already knew.

5 comments about Potluck at Midnight Farm: Celebrating Food, Family, and Friends on Martha's Vineyard.

1. i bought the book because i have spent 25 years going to martha's vineyard--the book is inspiring because it makes you want to have a potluck party at your own home--but dont buy it simply for the recipes--they are fine--buy it because its a fun addition to your collection and inspires you to celebrate family and friends-- and martha's vineyard--
   the author's friends (whom she touts as a very eclectic group) happen to include all of the island's celebs---which does make it fun to look at the pics and read their recipes--



2. The New York Times was right: This book makes the Vineyard look like "a minimal-security prison for the criminally self-absorbed". There are so many better Vineyard-based cookbooks (like The Martha's Vineyard Cookbook--out now in its 3rd edition!)

   The recipes are so-so but the text you have to wade through to get to them will ruin your appetite.




3. This book was given to me as a hostess gift during our first cocktail party (Ina Garten and Barefoot Contessa inspired) from a friend who knows that I love all things New England, especially Cape Cod and the Islands.

   The photographs are delicious in and of themselves, even inspiring a few unusual bouquets of flowers and eclectic ideas for table settings. There are a few recipes that seem unappealing to me, but that is true of any book. An author simply cannot please everyone! For the most part I have found these recipes to have different and creative twists on many favorite flavors.

   I recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in the "magical" element of the Vineyard as well as its' celebrity life. This is certainly not a book for those who want to throw hot dogs on the grill behind a split -evel home - not that there is anything wrong with that! It is for those who want to add an element of style to their backyard picnic behind that same split-level home. Potluck at Midnight Farm is about doing things with grace, that is, a Vineyard-style grace.




4. This book was given to me as a hostess gift during our first cocktail party (Ina Garten and Barefoot Contessa inspired) from a friend who knows that I love all things New England, especially Cape Cod and the Islands.

   The photographs are delicious in and of themselves, even inspiring a few unusual bouquets of flowers and eclectic ideas for table settings. There are a few recipes that seem unappealing to me, but that is true of any book. An author simply cannot please everyone! For the most part I have found these recipes to have different and creative twists on many favorite flavors.

   I recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in the "magical" element of the Vineyard as well as its' celebrity life. This is certainly not a book for those who want to throw hot dogs on the grill behind a split -evel home - not that there is anything wrong with that! It is for those who want to add an element of style to their backyard picnic behind that same split-level home. Potluck at Midnight Farm is about doing things with grace, that is, a Vineyard-style grace.




5. I read the reviews and had to grin. Martha's vineyard has a groove,..a flow all it's own,..and it is what it is. If you don't get Martha's Vineyard,..then I can understand why alot of people don't get the book. I was bothered by the celebrity comments,..because on the island everyone mixes with everyone,...leather faced fisherman,..the town bar fixtures and awesome characters and yes even the celebrities. Good book for those who love the island, and get the mind set.