On the Bookshelves...


Book Banning

An important issue right now is the potential banning of the book Gender Queer from the Marathon County Public Library shelves. The topic is likely to be brought up at the Library Board meeting Monday, Oct. 17, 12 noon in the Community Room at the Library. Many people who think the book is inappropriate for young people have spoken up to the Board members. People with different views may be unaware this issue is even going on. Gender Queer: A Memoir is a 2019 graphic memoir written and illustrated by Maia Kobabe. It recounts Kobabe's journey from adolescence to ...

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ON THE BOOKSHELF

ROUGHNECK GRACE (Farmer Yoga, Creeping Codgerism, Apple Golf, and other Brief Essays from on and Off the Back Forty) was written by Michael Perry. Michael Perry is a New York Timex Bestselling Author. He lives in rural Wisconsin with his wife and daughters. He is a first responder with the local fire department. He can be found online at www.sneezingcow.com ROUGHNECK GRACE is a collection of brief essays from his Sunday Wisconsin State Journal column, “Roughneck Grace.” He writes about everything in his life from his chickens to his book tours, from his neighbors ...

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ON THE BOOKSHELF: CHANGE THE STORY, CHANGE THE FUTURE

climate
Today we are looking at a significant book by David C. Korten entitled CHANGE THE STORY, CHANGE THE FUTURE (A Living Economy for a Living Earth). Currently we-the-people are up against Corporations that control everything, including politics, education and health. The people work hard to offset total corporate control, but can we do enough? David Korten looks beyond the laws and policies of our government to something more basic...that is the story we live out of. What informs our daily thoughts and actions? What makes the world go around for you? Most of us live ...

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ON THE BOOK SHELF: THE END OF JOBS (Freedom Without the 9-5)

Entrepreneur
Taylor Pearson is the author of THE END OF JOBS (Freedom Without the 9-5). The book tells how to be an entrepreneur to “create freedom, meaning and wealth in their lives.” Taylor Pearson spent 3 years meeting with hundreds of entrepreneurs from Los Angeles to Vietnam, Brazil to New York. He worked with dozens of them in industries. He found one commonality: “entrepreneurship was more accessible, profitable and safer…while jobs were riskier and less profitable. The jobs are spin-offs of the internet, such as online marketing, content editing, travel gear ...

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ON THE BOOKSHELF – “Devil in the Grove”

Book Cover and author image
ON THE BOOKSHELF By Steve Grillo Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America. By Gilbert King Our storied history, wrought with racial injustice and racial strife, is one which has left an indelible mark on a democracy which was built on the foundation of principles heavily rooted in equality and justice. Understanding that history and how its complexities are interwoven into our daily lives today is paramount to being able to effect the lasting change so many strived for throughout our struggle to end racial injustice. ...

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ON THE BOOKSHELF…..SEVENTH GENERATION EARTH ETHICS (NATIVE VOICES OF WISCONSIN)

ON THE BOOKSHELF…..SEVENTH GENERATION EARTH ETHICS (NATIVE VOICES OF WISCONSIN) by Patty Loew Foreword by Winona LaDuke Patty Loew, PhD. Is an enrolled member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe and a recipient of the Outstanding Service Award of the Great Lakes Intertribal Council. She is a professor in the Department of Life Sciences Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and affiliated faculty with the American Indian Studies Program. She is the author of the bestseller Indian Nations of Wisconsin. For twenty years she hosted ...

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ON THE BOOKSHELF…..THOMAS PAINE AND THE PROMISE OF AMERICA

Thomas Paine Plaque
Thomas Paine and the Promise of America was written by author Harvey J. Kaye. Kaye is the Ben and Joyce Rosenberg Professor of Social Change and Development at the University of Wisconsin—Green Bay. He is an award-winning author and editor. “These are the times that try men’s souls.” I say this often in our hectic and uncharted times. However, Thomas Paine first said those words to the colonial soldiers fighting for independence from England. Thomas Paine (1737-1809) is a symbol of patriotism. For the past 240 years, Americans have claimed Paine as the figure ...

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ON THE BOOKSHELF…TOUCHING SPIRIT: THE LETTERS OF MINOMINIKE

I am honored to review this marvelous book by James C. Washburn, a retired teacher living in Marshfield. This book has reached #4 on the Amazon Best Seller list for Spirituality. A white infant is orphaned in northern Canada and is adopted by a childless Ojibwa/Inuit couple. The young boy enjoys the beautiful environment and is lovingly raised with full awareness of the Spirit Within. He goes south for seminary and becomes a pastor where he loses touch with the Spirit. When his father dies, he returns to his childhood home and finds letters written by his grandfath...

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ON THE BOOKSHELVES . . . . . THE OTHER WES MOORE

Picture of book
One Name, Two Fates….”The chilling truth is that his story could have been mine.  The tragedy is that my story could have been his.”   This wonderful book by author Wes Moore must be included in conversations about disparity, race and poverty. Two young African-American boys grow up within city blocks of each other in Baltimore. Each is named Wes Moore. One is currently serving life-imprisonment for murder. The other grew up to be a Rhodes Scholar, decorated combat veteran of Afghanistan, White House Fellow and business leader. Author Wes Moore was a ...

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ON THE BOOKSHELVES . . . . . BADGER STATE OF MIND

Badger State of Mind Book
The Beauty of Wisconsin Through Photos and Stories This wonderful book by author and photographer Kelly Maddern tells about our beautiful state and features agriculture, recreation, wildlife, weather and small business. There is a special section for Northwoods, Southwest and Southeast Wisconsin. It is a book for all seasons, for browsing through on long winter days, or for trip-planning in summer. Maddern loves to hop in the car and drive until she gets lost. This brings her to some hidden treasures in Wisconsin. She and her family traveled throughout the state, ...

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