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  Ethiopia - through writers' eyes

  Yves-Marie Stranger

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  Ethiopia is one of only a handful of countries that shock the traveller with their unique perspective. These places awaken a deep sense of wonder and offer a rare opportunity to observe the world from a different angle, to see things anew. Ethiopia: through writers' eyes is the perfect companion to any exploration of this idiosyncratic country, be it from the precarious saddle of an Abyssinian mule, or the comfortable folds of an armchair. A compendium of all things Ethiopian, with excerpts translated from writings in a number of languages including Amharic, the book peoples the land with a caste of priest-kings descended from Solomon and Sheba, and with many of the eccentric adventurers who have been drawn there: Jesuit explorers and missionaries, foolish would-be conquerors and writers of all stripes.

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  Germania

  Publius Cornelius Tacitus

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  The Germania (Latin: De Origine et situ Germanorum, literally The Origin and Situation of the Germans), written by Gaius Cornelius Tacitus around 98, is an ethnographic work on the Germanic tribes outside the Roman Empire. Germania fits squarely within the tradition established by authors from Herodotus to Julius Caesar. Tacitus himself had already written a similar essay on the lands and tribes of Britannia in his Agricola. The Germania begins with a description of the lands, laws, and customs of the Germanic people; it then segues into descriptions of individual tribes, beginning with those dwelling closest to Roman lands and ending on the uttermost shores of the Baltic, among the amber-gathering Aesti, the primitive and savage Fenni, and the unknown tribes beyond them. 
  Tacitus’ descriptions of the Germanic character are at times favorable in contrast to the opinions of the Romans of his day. He holds the strict monogamy and chastity of Germanic marriage customs worthy of the highest praise, in contrast to what he saw as the vice and immorality rampant in Roman society of his day, and he admires their open hospitality, their simplicity, and their bravery in battle. One should not, however, think that Tacitus’ portrayal of Germanic customs is entirely favorable; he notes a tendency in the Germanic people for what he saw as their habitual drunkenness, laziness, and barbarism, among other traits. Tacitus says that physically, the Germans appeared to be a distinct race, not an admixture of their neighbors. In Chapter 4, he mentions that they have common characteristics of blue eyes, blond or reddish hair and large size. 
  In Chapter 7, Tacitus describes their government and leadership as somewhat merit-based and egalitarian, with leadership by example rather than authority and that punishments are carried out by the priests. He mentions that the opinions of women are given respect. In Chapter 9, Tacitus describes a form of folk assembly rather similar to the public Things recorded in later Germanic sources: in these public deliberations, the final decision rests with the men of the tribe as a whole. 
  Tacitus further discusses the role of women in Chapters 7 and 8, mentioning that they often accompany the men to battle and offer encouragement. He says that the men are often motivated to fight for the women because of an extreme fear of their being taken captive. Tacitus says that the Germans are mainly content with one wife, except for a few political marriages, and specifically and explicitly compares this practice favorably to other barbarian cultures, perhaps since monogamy was a shared value between Roman and Germanic cultures. He also records that adultery is very rare, and that an adulterous woman is shunned afterward by the community regardless of her beauty. 
  This translation by Alfred John Church and William Jackson Brodribb, was first published in 1877. (Summary from Wikipedia.)

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  Winter Gardening in the Maritime...

  Binda Colebrook

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  Many gardeners can supply a significant amount of their own food during the plentiful summer harvest. But the key to substantial savings on your food bill is putting fresh, homegrown produce on your table every month of the year. And in the mild, forgiving climate of the maritime Pacific Northwest, it can be easier than you might think.In Winter Gardening in the Maritime Northwest, Binda Colebrook provides a complete guide to cool-season crops and how to raise them. Gardeners from Southeastern Alaska to southern Oregon will benefit from her clear, practical advice on:Selecting and preparing the ideal winter gardening siteMaximizing production and minimizing pests with cloches, cold frames, mulches and companion plantingChoosing the best strains and hardiest varieties for a year-round growing season.An excellent companion volume to The Winter Harvest Cookbook, this revised and updated edition of the classic text will have you serving up fabulous alternatives to bland, expensive and tasteless imported supermarket vegetables in no time. Whether your favorite meals include hearty roots or succulent greens, Winter Gardening in the Maritime Northwest will help you maximize your food production year-round.

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  Billion-Dollar Fish - The Untold...

  Kevin M. Bailey

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  Alaska pollock is everywhere. If you’re eating fish but you don’t know what kind it is, it’s almost certainly pollock. Prized for its generic fish taste, pollock masquerades as crab meat in california rolls and seafood salads, and it feeds millions as fish sticks in school cafeterias and Filet-O-Fish sandwiches at McDonald’s. That ubiquity has made pollock the most lucrative fish harvest in America—the fishery in the United States alone has an annual value of over one billion dollars. But even as the money rolls in, pollock is in trouble: in the last few years, the pollock population has declined by more than half, and some scientists are predicting the fishery’s eventual collapse. In Billion-Dollar Fish, Kevin M. Bailey combines his years of firsthand pollock research with a remarkable talent for storytelling to offer the first natural history of Alaska pollock. Crucial to understanding the pollock fishery, he shows, is recognizing what aspects of its natural history make pollock so very desirable to fish, while at the same time making it resilient, yet highly vulnerable to overfishing. Bailey delves into the science, politics, and economics surrounding Alaska pollock in the Bering Sea, detailing the development of the fishery, the various political machinations that have led to its current management, and, perhaps most important, its impending demise. He approaches his subject from multiple angles, bringing in the perspectives of fishermen, politicians, environmentalists, and biologists, and drawing on revealing interviews with players who range from Greenpeace activists to fishing industry lawyers. Seamlessly weaving the biology and ecology of pollock with the history and politics of the fishery, as well as Bailey’s own often raucous tales about life at sea, Billion-Dollar Fish is a book for every person interested in the troubled relationship between fish and humans, from the depths of the sea to the dinner plate.

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  O Canada Here I Come

  Aine Moorad

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  Eight-year-old Zayd is migrating from Pakistan to Canada. Though he's sad leaving his grandparents behind, he's excited at the thought of reaching Canada. From the moment he boards the airplane, he experiences all things Canadian: from the famous Canadian poutine to the Canadian provinces. But the most fascinating of all: Zayd enters a magical world of the Canadian Arctic, where he's surrounded by grizzly bears, Canadian geese, dog sleds, and a very special polar bear, named Jackson. For Zayd, the adventure has only just begun!

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  Felt Wee Folk - Enchanting Projects

  Salley Mavor

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  A Foreword Reviews’ GOLD WINNER for Crafts & Hobbies. “If you enjoy felt sculpting, doll making, or fun fabric embellishment, check out Felt Wee Folk!” —Needle ’n Thread 
   
  Salley Mavor’s charming, bendable Wee Folk fairies and dolls are real show-stoppers. Learn to create your own tiny figures and accessories using wool felt, chenille stems, simple embellishments, and Salley’s new step-by-step guide. Take your work along with you anywhere—no sewing machine needed!18 complete Wee Folk projects feature dolls, pins, purses, checkbook and cell phone covers, pillows, and scenic backdropsTechniques include appliqué, embroidery, thread wrapping, and painting, plus add your own buttons, beads, natural materials, and “found objects”Ideal for dollmakers, quilters, and embroiderers of every skill level 
   
  “The projects in this book will tempt us all to the needle and felt . . . Thank you for a wonderful book about the doll form and its application in miniature.” —Elinor Peace Bailey, author of Storytelling with Dolls 
   
  “An inspiring hands-on book that awakens us to the beauty and magic of the forest, and encourages us to pick up our needles and create.” —Ruth M. Keessen, publisher of Soft Dolls & Animals, Contemporary Doll Collector, and Miniature Collector magazines

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