Fur, Fortune, and Empire: The Epic History of the Fur Trade in America.
By Eric Jay Dolin, W. W. Norton, 500 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10110, www.ericjaydolin.com, hardcover, $29.95.
Beginning his epic history in the early 1600s, Dolin traces the dramatic rise and fall of the American fur industry, from the first Dutch encounters with the Indians to the rise of the conservation movement in the late nineteenth century. Dolin shows how the fur trade, driven by the demands of fashion, sparked controversy, fostered economic competition, and fueled wars among the European powers, as North America became a battleground for colonization and imperial aspirations.
Women’s Guide to Shotgunning
By Shari LeGate, FMG Publications, 12345 World Trade Drive, San Diego, CA 92128, www.gunsmagazine.com/womens_shotgunning.html, DVD, 68 minutes, $24.95.
Champion shotgunner LeGate helps women of all ages learn and enjoy shotgunning sports by helping choose the right gear and gain knowledge and confidence before stepping out onto the range. The DVD begins with the basics, the parts of a gun, eye dominance and gun fit, and discusses equipment, stance and how to move to the target. “Getting involved in the shooting sports can be really scary for a woman,” LeGate said. “They don’t know where to go, what to do, who to ask, what kind of guns to buy, what kind of games to play, what ammunition to get. This video will help them get started.”
Write that Book Already!
By Sam Barry and Kathi Kamen Goldmark, Adams Media, 57 Littlefield St., Avon, MA 02322, 508-427-7100, www.adamsmedia.com, paperback, 240 pp., $11.96.
Subtitled, “The Tough Love You Need to Get Published Now,” this book features insight from literary superstars like Stephen King, Amy Tan and Rita Mae Brown, with a forward by Maya Angelou. From transforming an idea into a manuscript to finding an agent to working with an editor to marketing your book, publishing insiders Sam Barry and Kathi Kamen Goldmark provide aspiring authors with tips from top industry professionals, booksellers and successful self-published writers.
Moments of Discovery
By Kevin Winker, University Press of Florida, 15 NW 15th St., Gainesville, FL 32611, 352-392-1351, www.upf.com, hardcover, 384 pp., 50 black and white illustrations, $75.00.
University of Alaska, Fairbanks, professor of biology and wildlife Kevin Winker edited this collection of 20 autobiographical descriptions of pioneering field work in Mexico and Central America. The book looks beyond the reports and scientific papers of work from Miguel Alvarez del Toro, Charles Sibley and John T. Emlen Jr., to the adventure, sense of discovery and unexpected humor of their time in the field.
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