| There are two new books written about the effects to a
community when a free college education is promised to the children of that community.
The Power of a Promise: Education and Economic Renewal in
Kalamazoo, by Michelle Miller-Adams, is a very readable,
scholarly look at the social experiment that is the Kalamazoo Promise.
From the W. E. Upjohn Institute's web site:
"What if every high school graduate of a given school district
could go to college for free—not just those with good grades or
financial need, but all of them? And what if this promise was
guaranteed for decades? What kind of transformation might ensue, not
just in the lives of the students themselves but in the communities
that surround them? Such are the questions raised by the Kalamazoo
Promise, an unprecedented experiment in education- based economic
renewal that is being watched and emulated by scores of cities and
towns around the nation.
Now, in the first comprehensive account of the Kalamazoo Promise,
Michelle Miller-Adams charts its initial impact as well as its
potential to bring about fundamental economic and social change in a
community hurt by job loss, depopulation, and racial segregation.
Drawing on cutting-edge research in the fields of education and
economic development, Miller-Adams combines insights from these
disciplines with an unparalleled understanding of the Kalamazoo
Promise based on extensive interviews and observation from the
program’s earliest days. Her book tells the fascinating story of why
the Kalamazoo Promise came about, how the broader community has
responded to its introduction, and its impact—real and anticipated—on
Kalamazoo’s students, schools, social fabric, and economic future.
At a time when communities across the nation are striving for
greater economic competitiveness and expanded educational
opportunities for their youth, Miller-Adams’ firsthand account reveals
both the promise and the challenges inherent in place-based universal
scholarship programs and offers guidance to all those working to
prepare their communities for success in the twenty-first century."
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Available now in both soft and hard cover |
Community Capitalism: Lessons from Kalamazoo and
Beyond, by Ron Kitchens with Daniel Gross and Heather Smith.
This is an engrossing, practical look at the changes made in Kalamazoo
and how those changes can be adapted and applied to other communities.
From the Southwest Michigan First web site:
"Written by Ron Kitchens, Chief Executive Officer of Southwest
Michigan First, in conjunction with Newsweek columnist Daniel
Gross, the book details the region's long-term strategy for economic
growth by focusing community resources into five key areas: place,
capital, infrastructure, talent and education.
Heather Smith, Vice President of Communications at Southwest Michigan
First, also contributed to the book, including penning more than a
dozen compelling case studies scattered throughout the book that
illustrate Community Capitalism at work in companies, communities and
organizations around the world.
What Kalamazoo has accomplished by pulling itself up by its own
bootstraps during the past decade is truly extraordinary," said author
Ron Kitchens. "The city has simply refused to become another dying
Rust Belt town and its initiatives can inspire other communities to
dig deep and mobilize their own resources. We believe that the
principles of Community Capitalism can be replicated globally.
Advance praise for the book has been strong. CNN correspondent and
co-author of the best-selling business book, Mavericks at Work,
said, "Community Capitalism offers up a disruptive point of view on
economic development – one that has not only reshaped the sense of
what's possible for the citizens of one community (Kalamazoo), but
also has the power to help leaders of all stripes re-imagine a better
future for their communities and organizations." |
Available now in hard cover for $24.95 |
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We
are now the exclusive distributor of
Kalamazoo Lost and Found
by
Lynn Smith Houghton and Pamela Hall O'Connor.
This book contains some
of the best historical documentation of the Kalamazoo that was.
The book mourns the lost architecture of Kalamazoo and celebrates the
restored treasures as well as the new buildings that illuminate the city.
Full of before and after photos, it tells the complete story of many, many
buildings.
It would make a great gift
for anyone with ties to the city, as well as a fantastic reference book
for yourself.
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| Another local history
book is City of Kalamazoo Parks, which will tell you the
story behind and history of all the parks in Kalamazoo. Written
by John Urschel, the Records and Information Manager for the City of
Kalamazoo, it was edited by Catherine Larson and the above-mentioned
Lynn Smith Houghton and Pamela O'Connor.
All profits from the sales of this
book benefit the Kalamazoo Municipal Recreation Endowment held at the
Kalamazoo Community Foundation. |
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Detroit City of Champions by
Charles C. Avison
Charles Avison is a graduate of several schools
in Kalamazoo and still lives in Michigan. His book tells the story of
the landmark sports season of 1935-1936 for the city of Detroit.
When he visited us, he reminded us of the
similarities of the economy in the country then and now. With all the
doom and gloom in the news, Detroit was home to multiple sports
champions in everything from checkers to football. There was a a
testimonial dinner to commemorate the accomplishment and Detroit
became known as the "City of Champions."
This book has marvelous photos, team rosters,
season statistics, and reprints of the articles and sports columns of
the day. We highly recommend this book for sports lovers of all
kinds. |
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| This Place Called Portage: Its Past & Present
by Larry B. Massie.
This is a book for anyone who has ever lived, worked, or played in
Portage. Massie's newest book contains more than 200 historic
and contemporary illustrations, and Massie's fast-paced and compelling
narrative tells the story of Portage as it grew from pre-colonial to
modern times.
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| If that is not enough
local history for your needs, try Parkview Hills, by
Barbara Walters.
Published by the residents of
Parkview Hills (just west of our Parkview store) this book chronicles
the planning, building and growth of a community designed to create a
state of harmony between people and the land. Seeing it's
beauty, you will know why people continue to be drawn to live in this
unique environment. |
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| Kalamazoo has an amazing number of talented local
authors. We love to promote them and their books.
Joe
Heywood’s Woods Cop mystery series is vey popular in the stores.
His newest book, Death Roe, is available in hardcover at
our stores.
Joe's Woods Cop mysteries
feature hard-boiled Conservation Officer Grady Service and are set in
Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Anyone interested in the outdoors, the
UP, or looking for a suspenseful thiller will enjoy this series.
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| Writers for the Kalamazoo Gazette (our local
newspaper) have written
wonderful books of essays.
A Perfectly Logical Explanation by
Michael Chevy Castranova. The Flat Cat & Other Tales by Barbara
Walters (see Parkview Hills, above) and
the late Diether
Haenicke, past President of Western Michigan University.
We also carry Dr. Haenicke's book, Wednesdays with Diether. |
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| Other local mystery authors are Maris Soule,
The Crows, Wilma Kahn, Big Black Hole and Kate
Rizor, The Governor’s Wife.
We see Maris Soule quite
often and would be happy to get you an autographed copy of her book.
We also carry a few of her old romance titles...great fun! |
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| Grace Tiffany is a Shakespeare scholar and teaches at
Western Michigan University. Will and My
Father Had a Daughter are two novels that take place in
Shakespeare’s time. She also has written for YA.
Ariel is a mystical tale of a young girl. |
| Other young adult fiction stories include Days
of Gold by Ardyce Czuchna-Curl and Wa-Tonka! Camp
Cowboys by Joe Novara. |
| Several other Western teachers have been published.
Arnold (Arnie) Johnston has done The Art of the One Act: An
Anthology. His newest book, The Witching Voice: A
Novel from the Life of Robert Burns, is in our stores now.
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| Stuart Dybek spent many years teaching at Western
Michigan University in Kalamazoo. He is now teaching in Chicago,
but we can still claim him as a local author.
The Coast of
Chicago, I Sailed with Magellan and
Childhood and Other Neighborhoods are great examples of his
prose. You may reconize his name as a 2007 recipient of a MacArthur
Fellowship (genius grant) for his originality and dedication to
creative pursuits. |
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Looking for books for children?
You can not talk about local authors for kid's
books without talking about Sarah Stewart and her illustrious husband
(he's an illustrator!) David Small. Clever, clever words and
adorable pictures make any book they touch a real winner. We carry
their works (both joint projects and individual) and frequently carry
signed copies of their books. Try The Library,
The Gardener, or The Money Tree, all written by
Sarah, and illustrated by David. They make marvelous gifts for the
book-lovers in your life.
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| Mystic Michigan
series
by Mark Jager
Mark's series consists of seven (and counting!) collections of the
weird and unusual. Highly popular among kids and adults with a love of
the slightly bizzare. Read at your own risk! |
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| Winter's Tale: An Original Pop-Up Journey
by Robert Sabuda. Sure to enthrall young readers and adults
alike, the magic and majesty of a Michigan winter is brilliantly
capture in this artistic pop-up book based on the author's Michigan
youth. |
The Life & Rhymes of Michigan: A
Smile-Invested Tour of a Great Lakes State by Harry and Nancy
Knitter
This book would make great, light reading as well as be an invaluable
aid in the classroom. |
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A Roomful of Questions, by Tracy Gallup is a thoughtful
gift. Written by this artist from Ann Arbor, it has the reader
ponder questions that stir the soul. Illustrated by a series of
"poem paintings" created in India ink, this is a great gift for major
life changes. |
| Cold, Clear, and Deadly by Melvin J.
Visser is a study of man’s destruction of the environment with our use
of PSB’s. Told in narrative, it tells of the chemical impact in
the arctic. This is a very timely topic. |
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The biography of John McConnell by Robert M. Weir highlights
the life of the founder of Earth Day. Bob also wrote a book of
essays called
Cobble Creek. |
| White Hurricane: A
Great Lakes November Gale and America's Deadliest Deadliest Maritime
Disaster by David G. Brown
Read a story like no other about the Great Lakes.
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| There have been 2 books written about the history of
Bronson Hospital and the nursing school that was there.
The Bronson I Knew, Gone but not Forgotten by Dick Vander
Molen and Bronson Women and the School of Nursing.
If you are looking for a copy, call us and we will be happy to check
our shelves. |
| Claude S. Phillips has written a novel of the coal
mining life in Appalachia during the depression. The Shot
from the Mountain: An Appalachian Odyssey gives an historical
perspective with a fiction flare. |
| Michael S. Pritchard has written a memoir
dealing with Alzheimer’s. Moments with Millie, A Memory
Walk. He has also written a story for children to help
understand this illness called,
Phrawg Phables. Marie Bahlke has done the same study of
Alzheimer’s with her work of poetry called One Oar, A Journey
with Alzheimer’s. |
| Along the same lines, Hospice Care of Southwest
Michigan has complied memoir stories in their book, Living
Well, Dying Well. |
Grab On to Me Tightly as if I Knew the Way
by Bryan Charles
Signed copies available
Bryan Charles loves music. In fact, the title for his first novel,
Grab on to Me Tightly as if I Knew the Way comes from the
Pavement song called “Angel Carver Blues.” Bryan’s main
character Vim also loves music. The novel begins in Kalamazoo as
Vim, newly graduated from high school, tries to understand his place
and what kind of future there will be for him. It’s the
nineties, and Nirvana is the soundtrack, Bush Sr. is in office, and
Derek Jeter is bound to be the town hero. |
| Barns
of Old Mission Peninsula and Their Stories, by Evelyn Johnson,
covers a topic loved by many readers and travelers, barns. Ever
wonder about who built that beautiful old barn you just passed? How
old is it? Does anybody still use it? Beautiful color pictures
accompany the fascinating text that chronicles the history of the builders
and the families who live with these marvelous structures. This book
won the State History Award from the Historical Society of Michigan. |
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Otsego and Plainwell (Images of American
Series) by Ryan Wieber and Sandy Stamm.
Filled with hundreds of black and white historic photographs, Otsego
and Plainwell gives us the story of the paper-mill towns through
images. Ryan Wieber, director of the Otsego District Library, and
Sandy Stamm, Plainwell's local historian, have added their expertise and
historical knowledge to the commentary. |
The Life and Legacy of Peter the Great: Famous
Trotting Sire from Kalamazoo by Terry Motychka.
This book provides the first full account of the life of Peter the Great,
a young colt raised in the middle of WMU's present day campus, who first
earned fame by setting a world record in the top harness race in the
nation for three-year-old trotters. His bloodline can be found in
most of the top trotters today. |
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Above the North: Aerial Photography of Northern
Michigan by Marge Beaver.
This gorgeous coffee-table book offers stunning bird's-eye views, rare and
beautiful glimpses of northern Michigan's unique terrains from the lofty
perch of photographer Marge Beaver's camera lens. High above the
Earth, these photographs show Michigan like you've never seen it before.
A great gift. |
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The Lake, the River & the Other Lake: a novel
by Steve Amick. Local residents, summer tourists, and down-staters
all intertwine in this entertaining novel set in the fictional Michigan
resort community of Weneshkeen. Memorable plotlines include roger
Drinkwater's crusade against jet-skiers. |
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