Book Description
In nineteenth-century America, the law insisted that marriage was a permanent relationship defined by the husband's authority and the wife's dependence. Yet at the same time the law created the means to escape that relationship. How was this possible? And how did wives and husbands experience marriage within that legal regime? These are the complexities that Hendrik Hartog plumbs in a study of the powers of law and its limits.
Exploring a century and a half of marriage through stories of struggle and conflict mined from case records, Hartog shatters the myth of a golden age of stable marriage. He describes the myriad ways the law shaped and defined marital relations and spousal identities, and how individuals manipulated and reshaped the rules of the American states to fit their needs. We witness a compelling cast of characters: wives who attempted to leave abusive husbands, women who manipulated their marital status for personal advantage, accidental and intentional bigamists, men who killed their wives' lovers, couples who insisted on divorce in a legal culture that denied them that right.
As we watch and listen to these men and women, enmeshed in law and escaping from marriages, we catch reflected images both of ourselves and our parents, of our desires and our anxieties about marriage. Hartog shows how our own conflicts and confusions about marital roles and identities are rooted in the history of marriage and the legal struggles that defined and transformed it.
Customer Reviews:
The Way They Were.......2001-02-24
With numerous deftly chosen stories of husbands and wives and their contact and experience of the law from the Colonial Era to the present, Hartog describes the slow development of our modern conception of individual rights. This is for the most part the story of wives' evolution from the state of coverture (where the husband was sovereign) to that of an equal partnership of two individuals. Along the way, Hartog develops some striking insights such as his conception of frontier states competing in a "divorce market" for divorcing couples in order to draw potential settlers to their states. Other states, such as California, wrote liberal laws that promised equal treatment for wives as a way to entice women settlers to there -- a kind of rights marketplace. His great achievment is to evoke over the course of U.S. history, the changing expectations and the responsibilities of husbands and wives as to what constitutes a proper marriage. At the same time, he discusses societal ideals embedded in the law, and the pragmatic judges who refashioned those ideals to better reflect the evolving relationships of husbands and wives. He shows that the institution of marriage, ostensibly the most intimate and private and natural of all personal relationships, has close and obtrusive links to conceptions of public governance and individual rights. Too, he show that the two "institutions," which seem so different from one another -- marriage, (private and personal), as compared to the state (public and bureaucratic) -- modify and reinforce each other through the agency of the judiciary. Thoughtful, illuminating, substantial, this is a long pleasant walk through the past with a very engaging, studious and knowledgeable, but never pedantic, friend.
Book Description
Over a period of six years, at factory and warehouse, at the tavern across the road, in their homes and union meetings, on fishing trips and social outings, David Halle talked and listened to workers of an automated chemical plant in New Jersey's industrial heartland. He has emerged with an unusually comprehensive and convincingly realistic picture of blue-collar life in America. Throughout the book, Halle illustrates his analysis with excerpts of workers' views on everything from strikes, class consciousness, politics, job security, and toxic chemicals to marriage, betting on horses, God, home-ownership, drinking, adultery, the Super Bowl, and life after death. Halle challenges the stereotypes of the blue-collar mentality and argues that to understand American class consciousness we must shift our focus from the "working class" to be the "working man."
Customer Reviews:
Fascinating Insider View.......2004-02-18
It took David 7 years, as a research project, to "infiltrate" a NJ chemical plant, which is what it took to get the workers to trust him and reveal the secrets of how plants are *really* run. I worked for a chemical company for 13 years (not in a plant) and this book was an eye-opener. But then the behaviors of plant personnel made much more sense. The book helped me understand a very serious issue that went on in one of our plants. This information is very pertinent though may be less current due to increased automation of plant functions. A needed social project that involved a enormous commitment!
Amazon.com
Dr. Douglas Owsley, curator for the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History and forensic scientist "reads bones like most people read books." He also gains as much knowledge from them. In No Bone Unturned: The Adventures of the Smithsonian's Top Forensic Scientist and the Legal Battle for America's Oldest Skeletons, Jeff Benedict presents a double story: a sensitive portrait of this extraordinary scientist and a thorough reporting of the landmark 1996 lawsuit, Robson Bonnichsen et al v. U.S. et al. Benedict admits that his initial plan was to focus on the lawsuit, in which a group of scientists sued the federal government for the right to study the remains of 9,600 year-old Kennewick Man--the oldest complete human skeleton to be found in America and claimed by the Umatilla Native American tribe for reburial, but shifted his focus after hearing about Owsley. The result is a fascinating account of how one man's commitment to science and knowledge could help rewrite North American human history.
Owsley is among the country's leading authorities in skeletal research and physical/forensic anthropology. In addition to curating the Smithsonian's vast Native American skeletal collection, he has assisted various government agencies to identify remains in historic cases ranging from the war in Bosnia and Waco to September 11. By reviewing Owsley's input in these cases, Benedict shows how his involvement in (and impact on) the Kennewick man case is a logical outgrowth of his professional standing and brilliance. Part detective story, part thriller, the lawsuit at the heart No Bone Unturned provides captivating reading. Benedict tells this high-stakes story, replete with legal twists and high-powered political maneuvering, clearly and dynamically. One might think that a story about a scientist and a lawsuit could be, well, as dry as the bones Owsley studies. Far from it--No Bone Unturned makes the case for donning a lab coat and fighting the good fight. --Silvana Tropea
Book Description
When he's not at a notorious disaster, Doug Owsley is entering tombs and crypts, unwrapping mummies, or climbing into caves to unlock the secrets of bones.
In No Bone Unturned, investigative journalist Jeff Benedict not only unveils a compelling portrait of the man behind America's most notorious cases but also gives us a fascinating look inside the world of forensic science as seen through the eyes of a leading specialist.
Doug Owsley's extraordinary talent has put his phone number on speed dial for federal agencies, from the FBI to the CIA and the State Department. When the Branch Davidian compound in Waco caught fire, when a terrorist-flown plane crashed into the Pentagon, and when mass graves were uncovered in Croatia, the authorities called Owsley. Through cutting-edge science, instinctive artistry, and dogged tenacity, Owsley painstakingly rebuilds the skeleton, and helps identify it and determine the cause of death.
A curator for the Smithsonian's Museum of Natural History, Doug Owsley has handled over ten thousand human skeletons, more than anyone else in America. He has worked with America's historic skeletons, from, colonial Jamestown burials to Plains Indians to Civil War soldiers to skeletons tens of thousands of years old.
That includes the Kennewick Man, a 9,600-year-old human skeleton found in shallow water along the banks of Washington State's Columbia River. It was a skeleton that would turn Owsley's life upside down.
Days before Owsley was scheduled to begin studying the skeleton, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers seized it and announced they would repatriate Kennewick Man, burying his bones on the land of the Native American tribes who claimed him. Along with seven of America's leading scientists, Owsley sued the U.S. government over custody. At stake was a wide body of knowledge about our past and our history that would be lost forever if the bones were reburied. For six years, Owsley fought a legal and political battle that put everything at risk, jeopardizing his career and his reputation.
Customer Reviews:
Benedict Rocks.......2006-04-26
I first became a Benedict fan reading his books about professional athletes and their ability to get away with violence off the field of play. He's a remarkable storyteller with a journalistic style. I was again outraged at my government taking a lax view of science unless it serves the corporations' interests. I certainly want to know more about Kennewick Man. Well done, Jeff!
the importance of forensics in the study of history.......2005-09-07
I found the book enlightening about the forensic work of Doug Owsley and the legal pursuit of some scientists against US government agencies to make the skeleton known as Kennewick man available for study. I was amazed at just how much information such a skeleton could reveal about the physical and even cultural aspects of early americans.
Where Science Meets the Law.......2005-08-09
Forensic science, at least by one definition, is science applied towards resolving legal issues. This excellent book certainly contains what one would expect in a book on forensic science - primarily the identification of the remains of recently (and not so recently) deceased individuals. The book is centered on the life of forensic anthropologist Dr. Doug Owsley and includes what are probably some of his more exciting cases. About two-thirds of this book is about a legal battle pitting Dr. Owsley and a team of like-minded scientists (represented by a devoted pair of first class lawyers) against the U.S. government regarding the right of the scientists to study an ancient 9800 year old skeleton recently found near Kennewick, Washington, instead of immediately giving it to local Native American tribes for reburial; the skeleton - dubbed Kennewick Man - was found to be anthropologically inconsistent with Native Americans. The book is very well written, exciting and difficult to put down. It would be of interest to forensic science buffs as well as those with an interest in legal issues and how they may be resolved. Highly recommended!
Dr. Doug Owsley.......2005-06-20
I have met and worked with Dr. Owsley myself at a dig site and this book truly shows what a fascinating person he is. Jeff Benedict transforms this legal battle into a page-turning, intriguing story. Definitely a good read.
Fascinating.......2004-07-16
Investigative journalist Jeff Benedict does a masterful job of detaling the story of Kennewick Man - a skeleton dating back 9600 years, causing anthropologists to re-think theories about human migration into the New World, and its court case, causing lawyers and scientists to re-think the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. A fascinating read, with facts, details and court room drama more reminiscent of fiction than the true story it is. Recommended reading.
Product Description
History: Fiction or Science? is the most explosive tractate on history ever written - however, every theory it contains, no matter how unorthodox, is backed by solid scientific data. The book is well-illustrated, contains over 446 graphs and illustrations, copies of ancient manuscripts, and countless facts attesting to the falsity of the chronology used nowadays, which never cease to amaze the reader. Eminent mathematician proves that: Jesus Christ was born in 1153 and crucified in 1186 The Old Testament refers to mediaeval events. Apocalypse was written after 1486. Does this sound uncanny? This version of events is substantiated by hard facts and logic - validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources - to a greater extent than everything you may have read and heard about history before. The dominating historical discourse in its current state was essentially crafted in the XVI century from a rather contradictory jumble of sources such as innumerable copies of ancient Latin and Greek manuscripts whose originals had vanished in the Dark Ages and the allegedly irrefutable proof offered by late mediaeval astronomers, resting upon the power of ecclesial authorities. Nearly all of its components are blatantly untrue! For some of us, it shall possibly be quite disturbing to see the magnificent edifice of classical history to turn into an ominous simulacrum brooding over the snake pit of mediaeval politics. Twice so, in fact: the first seeing the legendary millenarian dust on the ancient marble turn into a mere layer of dirt - one that meticulous unprejudiced research can eventually remove. The second, and greater, attack of unease comes with the awareness of just how many areas of human knowledge still trust the three elephants of the consensual chronology to support them. Nothing can remedy that except for an individual chronological revolution happening in the minds of a large enough number of people.
Customer Reviews:
Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03
Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.
Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19
Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.
Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09
There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.
For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.
Very Interesting.......2007-03-07
It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.
History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10
Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.
I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.
Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.
Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.
I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.
This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.
Product Description
BOXED SET OF 6 PAPERBACK BOOKS: IN CHANCERY AND AWAKENING: THE SILVER SPOON AND PASSERS BY: THE WHITE MONKEY AND A SILENT WOOING: THE MAN OF PROPERTY AND INDIAN SUMMER OF A FORSYTE: TO LET: SWAN SONG.
Average customer rating:
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A man of property
Davidyne Saxon Mayleas
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0070412081 |
Book Description
The Forsyte Saga is John Galsworthy's monumental chronicle of the lives of the moneyed Forsytes, a family whose values are constantly at war with its passions. The story of Soames Forsyte's marriage to the beautiful and rebellious Irene, and its effects upon the whole Forsyte clan, The Forsyte Saga is a brilliant social satire of the acquisitive sensibilities of a comfort-bound class in its final glory. Galsworthy spares none of his characters, revealing their weaknesses and shortcomings as clearly as he does the tenacity and perseverance that define the strongest members of the Forsyte family.
This edition contains the three original novels -- The Man of Property, In Chancery, and To Let -- and their connecting interludes, Indian Summer of a Forsyte and Awakening.
Customer Reviews:
Galsworthy masterpiece.......2007-02-24
Everyone's heard of "The Forsyte Saga," the BBC family epic of the late Victorian Age. Fewer have read the Galsworthy book, and that's a shame, because it's fascinating on so many levels.
On the surface it's the story of Soames Forsyte, the quintessential icon of the growth of the upper middle classes and the decline of the nobility during the Victorian era. Descended from a farmer in Dorset in the not-too-distant past, Soames is a lawyer and a man of property. He buys wisely, sells more wisely, and husbands his wealth and that of the family. He is in control of everything that affects him, except one thing--his wife. Desiring to possess the sensitive, beautiful, genteel but poor Irene, and with the help of a callous mother, Soames pressures Irene into becoming his wife. From this single mistake, the one time Soames let passion rule, his life and the lives of his family and their descendants are changed in unpredictable and frightening ways. Galsworthy's theme is the constant tussle in life between property and art, love and possession, freedom and convention. In the fine tradition of family sagas, these themes play themselves out over and over with each generation.
On another level, this is the story of an age, the story of the British Empire at its peak. Galsworthy packs his book with allusions to the great crises of the time, the Boer War and WWI, the rise of Labour, the death of the Queen, the spread of "democracy." The Forsyte homes are meticulously detailed, from the French reproduction furniture to the dusty sofas to the heavy drapes, to the fireplace grate, to the electric lights in the old chandeliers. Soames collects art, and Galsworthy showers us with the opinions of a British gentleman of the great and not so great art of the day. The Oxford edition is carefully footnoted, which can be distracting but for this novel, it adds a fascinating level of detail.
The saga was written over a period of many years, and on yet another level I found the the changes in Galsworthy's style from the rather clipped, detailed recitations of events and commentary typical of the 19th century to the more expressive style of the 20th. Especially in the first volume of the three, family relationships are painstakingly laid out, the rounds of dinners and family gatherings carefully chronicled. By the third volume, To Let, Galsworthy reveals the love of the countryside and the pain of repressed emotions that the family members a generation ago would have hidden. The writing is very beautiful--as in this sentence: "Fleur raised her eyelids--the restless glint of those clear whites remained on Holly's vision as might the flutter of a caged bird's wings."
The Oxford edition has an indispensable family tree and an interesting forward, as well as the extensive endnotes. Except for the family tree, these can be safely ignored if you like--the plot carries the reader swiftly along. It took me a good six weeks to plow through The Forsyte Saga, but it was worth it.
Forsyte Saga DVD's.......2007-01-12
I could not be more pleased with this item. I have had hours of enjoyment watching these DVD's. I thank the sender for sending me this most enjoyable item.
E.A.'s reveiw.......2006-11-07
I bought this book for my book club and I have had a very hard time reading it. The characters are too life-like in my opinion for me to have any sympathy towards them. I have read other novels from the Victorian Period that I have liked, but this one seems overly wordy and dull in my opinion. I gave two stars instead of one for the mini novel Indian Summer of a Forsyte, the best part of the series, which saved this from a one star reveiw. It was touching and beautiful to read. If only the rest of the books followed such a formula.
The Best Book I have read in years .......2006-07-09
I was bored one night and picked up this book that had been on the shelf for probably 20 years. Oh my goodness -- if you love Jane Austen and England, you will love this book. I could not put it down. The characters -- although numerous and many with the same Christian names! -- are kept distinct and are extremely vividly drawn. One realizes how the social sanctions of the day kept people in their place -- just the discussion of what divorce did to a family alone is worth its weight in understanding how social mores have changed. I thought I would be bored stiff and came away 4 days later after finishing this book wanting to start the next one, 700 pages and all. Enjoy!
Read them all!!!.......2006-01-04
First book marvelous, then all the rest too. Very, very detailed. And the interlude about Joblen's death so, so rich in the beauty of life and nature. A fine appreciation of life. And one cannot help pitying Soames. What Galsworthy has done here is dissect the nature of a man, and a not very likeable one at that, Soames. But if you read through to the very end, you may come to at least have understanding and compassion for this being, who is caught in his own nature. He cannot help being what he is. This trilogy is one of the best reads of my life. The newer Masterpiece Theatre version captures it very well. I have not seen the older one.
Amazon.com
Poor Kennewick Man--over 9,000 years old and embroiled in an incredibly complex, protracted, and acrimonious contemporary litigation. It's probably a good thing he's dead. Bits of him have gone missing. He's been transported in Ziploc bags accompanied by armed guard. He's been buried, washed up, warehoused. His is a crisis of identity of epic proportions in an era and culture in which identity and ethnicity are key. Who is he? It depends, as journalist Roger Downey notes in Riddle of the Bones, on whom you ask. Downey has covered the story since the skeleton's discovery in 1996, and in that sense he is an expert and participant. What Downey is not is an archeologist, an anthropologist, or a member of the Army Corps of Engineers, the Clinton administration, or any tribe claiming pre-Columbus roots in this country. As a result, his book portrays the frustrations of these groups without being partial and without being so steeped in one set of lore, expertise, or ideology as to make his account either impenetrable or biased. And its colorful cast of characters and jaunty prose make this a good book for the general reader: "As Van Pelt saw it, the law was clear... Chatters's Corps permit to dig at a site more than a mile downriver no more gave him the right to investigate or even handle remains from another than it licensed him to dig in Egypt's Valley of the Kings. This just might be a chance to catch Jimmie with his scientific pants down." --Julia Riches
Book Description
From its discovery in the Columbia River shallows three years ago, reporter Roger Downey has chronicled the epic adventures of the skeleton called "Kennewick Man": first as pretext for a media feeding-frenzy, then as centerpiece of a legal circus pitting celebrated scientists against Native Americans, the Corps of Engineers, and the Clinton White House, finally, at the long last, as object of rational scientist study. The saga of Kennewick Man offers abundant opportunity to explore todays rapidly changing scientific theories about how the Americans first came to be settled, and by whom. But it also casts light on the divisions within the fields of anthropology and archaeology concerning the role of politics and race in the pursuit of scientific goals, what constitutes ethical procedure in dealing with ancient remains, and the very purpose and direction of the scientific enterprise itself.
Customer Reviews:
An inconsequential book.......2006-01-06
I generally reserve one stars for books I can't finish, but it was tempting to give this only one. This book is poorly documented and the author is so obviously biased that I am unwilling to accept his unsupported word, and most of his words are unsupported. I would recommend this only to people who want to read absolutely everything written on the Kennewick controversy. Otherwise, there are plenty of better books. David Hurst Thomas' superb and profound Skull Wars: Kennewick Man, Archaeology, and the Battle for Native American Identity is much better than this, especially for the social/historical/political aspects that are its main focus. It has at least as much information about theories of populating the Americas as well. One might also read Elaine Dewar's Bones: Discovering the First Americans, which is seriously flawed, but still much better than this. She focuses more on various theories and archaeological evidence.
I have read Chatters' book, Ancient Encounters: Kennewick Man and the First Americans and Jeff Benedict's admiring account of Douglas Owsley, No Bone Unturned: The Adventures of a Top Smithsonian Forensic Scientist and the Legal Battle for America's Oldest Skeletons, and I specifically wanted a book to present the other side. Although Downey opposes both men, he utterly fails to articulate a coherent case for the opposite position. His rather random snipings at the plaintiffs' case don't qualify as a meaningful rebuttal. He relies on innuendo, broad generalizations and the implication that any right thinking person will agree with him, presumably even before opening the book. He doesn't appear to want to waste time convincing wrong-thinking people. He seems to regard it as a shocking abuse of the system that people who disagree with him use the usual venues of the courts, the press and the legislature to present their case. This reminds me of the many people I know of, from arch conservative to knee-jerk liberal who are loud in their praise of freedom of speech, until someone says something that they don't like.
Consider his contrasting treatment of Jeff Van Pelt of the Umatilla and James Chatters (the first anthropologist to examine the bones). Van Pelt presents his triumph over adversity mostly in the first person (I presume that the occasional third person insertions are paraphrases, although Downey doesn't tell us). There are no questions, factchecking or comments from Downey. Fine, as far as it goes, but Chatters' life is recounted in the third person, carefully written to present him as a loser, with no source for most of the facts. Maybe Chatters is a loser, but I wouldn't take Downey's very biased word for it.
Downey presents disingenuous arguments that the Kennewick bones are insignificant or that all conflict is the result of Chatters' bungling. First he argues that there are at least a half dozen other sets of very old bones, as if this was a large number. As I understand it, there would be ten or twelve sets of bones, but others has been buried. Presumably if the Kennewick bones should be given to the Native Americans for reburial, so should the rest. He presents the case of a partial skeleton known as "Beulah" - Native Americans in Idaho gave permission for the remains to be studied before reburial. This, he argues shows that there is no problem finding an amicable solution. The "Beulah" case actually ended in a certain amount of acrimony, making it a dubious example for future cooperation. Whether or not Chatters handled the situation badly, it is also true that the 5 tribes made little effort to defuse the situation, perhaps by offering cooperation for concessions of their authority that might have created useful precedents in the future. A zero-sum game is always hazardous. If their religion absolutely forbids such compromises, then there is no basis at all for cooperation with their antagonists. Actually, Thomas' Skull Wars offers numerous hopeful examples Native Americans and scientists, some of them Native Americans, working together.
Still, these have-our-cake and eat-it-too solutions probably won't eliminate all conflict. Downey ought to know from his studies of the subject that new tests and new questions cause remains to be re-examined. If we rebury the bones, even after intensive studay, we will lose some of what we might have known. BUT MAYBE THAT'S O.K. After all, we don't allow researchers to go to any extreme in the search of knowledge. (We wouldn't allow neurosurgeons to cut of people's hands just to let them practice reattachment.) Fascinating though all this is, do we really need to know it - would human culture crumble if Kennewick had never been found? The problem is, since Downey doesn't acknowledge the situation, he can't defend restraints on research.
Downey's inadequate considerations of the issues make me all the more impatient with his "novelistic" touches. In a book of 189 pages, do we really need four and a half to describe the events leading up to the teenagers wading in the river where they found the bones? I don't really care if they meant to get up early but slept in after a night of drinking. A paragraph or two would have sufficed.
The index is the best part of the book. With the exception of very famous entries, such as the FBI, most references to people places and things and followed by a brief annotation that is often enough to refresh one's memory, and in some cases supplies information that is not in the text.
Other than that, since this is short, if you insist on reading it, you won't waste much time.
Finally exposed........2003-12-23
This book, or rather essay of populist sensaltionism, desperately tries to promote the scientific community as an alien group of dimwitted subversives. Fortunately I read this book after reading a more accurate and realistic account of the Kennewick Man,"No Bone Unturned". Looking back from the end of the year 2003 it is obvious that this book "Riddle of the Bones", is an unfair and ultimately falsely orchestrated piece by an obviously very biased journalist.
Very biased, but why?.......2002-12-04
He makes no attempt to be impartial and obviously has a bone to pick with Dr. Chatters. Mr. Downey seems quite suspect of all scientists and scientific institutions, to the point of coming off as bitter. I also must second those who have said that questioned Mr. Downey's research. He briefly discussed the Smithsonian Institution's interest in NAGPRA, but he failed to mention (maybe because he was unaware of it) the National Museum of the American Indian Act. SI is governed by the NMAI Act (1989), not NAGPRA (1990). This is just one of a number of omissions and misrepresentations. I would recommend Dr. Chatters' book Ancient Encounters instead of or to balance out this bookd. At least you know Dr. Chatters' stake in the Kennewick case.
Skip This One.......2001-04-04
Sloppy writing and sloppy research make this an embarrassingly bad book. The issues raised by the discovery of Kennewick Man are better described in other current books, and complete copies of the most recent studies relating to Kennewick Man as well as many of the legal briefs filed in the continuing legal dispute over the remains may be read on the web site maintained by the National Parks Service Archaeology and Ethnography Program.
Author Downey seems more interested in making sarcastic remarks about everyone involved in the history of the legal dispute than in providing insight into the historical and cultural issues underlying their positions. His ignorance of science is appalling. When Downey doesn't understand something - statistics, for example - he dismisses it with phrases such as "statistical prestidigitations," implying that it's a slick trick instead of a sophisticated and useful method of analysis. His generalizations are silly: "Archaeologists are not, on the whole, highly sociable human beings." I can vouch for the hundred or so archaeologists that I know: they have families, friends, strong community ties and good table manners. Downey consistently uses the phrase "scientific myth" when he means "scientific hypothesis," betraying the fact that he doesn't understand that science progresses by developing, testing and often discarding hypotheses. His lack of interest and insight about widespread Native American beliefs and feelings about repatriation and reburial of human remains are disrespectful, to say the least. Typographical and grammatical errors begin on page one and continue throughout the book. I suspect the proofreader couldn't stay awake through this useless volume.
Politics, not science, and the story of Kennewick Man.......2001-02-20
Roger Downey is an excellent reporter -- we get a clear idea of the people involved in the case, and the story moves along. Much of the material is clearly (assuming it's true!) the result of interviewing and ferreting, for example he seems to have found out that a principal researcher wasn't completely open about the methodology of Kennewick Man's first analysis. Note, however, that this praise is for the political story -- not the science.
The main scientific question, I thought, is whether Kennewick Man really has features that are present among "caucasoids" or perhaps Asian groups but rare among North American Indians. Downey almost ignores this. He mentions that some researchers see significance in the sockets, the tooth roots, the cheek bones, the lack of an inca bone, etc.; however, he doesn't go on to discuss whether the researchers are right or wrong. In fact, I have the impression that Downey simply doesn't care.
More important, to him, is the process of science (so he covers anthropological meetings and looks for signs of personal conflict), or the right way to interact with affected parties (so he devotes a chapter to an unrelated dig in Buhl Idaho). The history of other finds (Folsom, Clovis, Monte Verde) rates a large amount of space. The included layman's guide to carbon-14 dating is one of the best I've seen. But these are not part of the specific problem of Kennewick Man, they are part of the more general paroblem of North American anthropology.
Roger Downey mentions (p.146) that "the European Mesolithic [was] the period of greatest flourishing of our relatives and perhaps ancestors the Neanderthals" (actually the Neanderthals died out before the European Mesolithic began). He says that some migration theories involved "Homeric Atlantis" (actually Homer never mentioned Atlantis). Nobody should carp at a book's minor errors, but I note them to show that some cautious reading is needed.
The competion to "Riddle Of the Bones" appears to be Thomas's "Skull Wars" -- which is even more concerned about the politics and contemporary issues. People interested solely in Kennewick Man and what we might glean about history from this or similar finds, will have to wait for a book by someone who cares.
Books:
- Manchild in the Promised Land
- Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer (P.S.)
- New Menopausal Years, The Wise Woman Way: Alternative Approaches for Women 30-90 (Wise Woman Herbal Series, Book 5) (Wise Woman Ways)
- North Shore Long Island: Country Houses, 1890-1950
- Nostromo (Everyman's Library (Cloth))
- Paradise Lost (Penguin Classics)
- Perrine's Sound and Sense: An Introduction to Poetry
- Phil Gordon's Poker Box Set: Phil Gordon's Little Black Book, Phil Gordon's Little Green Book, Phil Gordon's Little Blue Book
- Pigs in the Parlor
- Poems and Selected Letters (The Other Voice in Early Modern Europe)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Strategic Brand Management, Second Edition
- Natural Swimming Pools: Inspiration For Harmony With Nature
- Kinsey: Public and Private
- Kimura: Paintings and Works on Paper, 1968-1984: The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C., January
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- Party Receipts from the Charleston Junior League: Hors D'Oeuvres, Savories, Sweets
- My Secret Garden
- The Complete Idiot's Guide to Tax Breaks and Deductions
- Dirigir En El Filo de La Navaja
- Fox's Who's Who Among South Dakotans. A biographical directory of citizens who are prominent in prof
Public Vows: A History of Marriage and the Nation
Governing the Hearth: Law and the Family in Nineteenth-Century America (Studies in Legal History)
Framing American Divorce: From the Revolutionary Generation to the Victorians
Marriage, a History: From Obedience to Intimacy, or How Love Conquered Marriage
A History of the Wife
