Shamanism in North America: The Definitive Bibliography

Shamans and Shamanism: A Comprehensive Bibliography of the Terms Use in North America

Shamanism… what is it? Is it a phenomenon with a clear definition or with a set of clearly definable attributes? Has the phenomenon changed over time, or are today’s versions found in suburban basements the same as those that were practiced hundreds of years ago by various tribal people? What can we figure out about shamanism if we simply look at the term itself and how it has been employed over time? What if we restrict ourselves to one geographic location? These are some of the questions grappled with, and partially answered, in this book. By discussing the historical use of the terms shamanism and shaman in North America, Peter N. Jones offers fresh insights into the history of this phenomenon. Comparing current understandings and descriptions of the phenomenon with those of the historical and archival record, Shamans and Shamanism presents a comprehensive analysis of the terms use over time. Included in the book is a comprehensive bibliography of the term’s use in North America. Shamans and Shamanism is an important resource for anyone interested in this phenomenon. It provides new insights into the history of the terms, their use in both academic and pop literature, and offers a starting point for future investigations of the phenomenon.

Check out Shamanism and Shamans in North America: The Comprehensive Bibliography here.

Marketing and Selling Your Book to Libraries

One of the biggest dreams many authors and writers have is to see their book on a library shelf. Getting your published book(s) into libraries, including public, municipal, state, university, research, and private libraries can seem like a challenge. How do you accomplish your goals and reach your dreams of selling your books to libraries? Although there is no guarantee that a library or librarian will buy your book, there are several general rules and guidelines one can follow in maximizing their chances.

Target Your Local and Regional Libraries

Most local and regional libraries actively seek books that are written by local authors and/or published locally. They are often especially interested in those books written about or that take place in the library’s city, region, or state. As a library books are often selected based on whether the content is written for the general reader or for the specialist or practitioner. Public libraries focus on books written for the general reader, while university and research libraries focus more on specialist or practitioner books.

Make Sure Your Book Has All The Necessary Features

Most libraries only accept books that have been commercially published. Some indications of commercial publication are a sturdy binding, preferably with the title on the spine; a title page clearly stating (on either the front or the back) the author, title, publisher and date of publication; an International Standard Business Number (ISBN) listed somewhere on the book or the jacket; and a price listed on either the book or the jacket.

Because books in most libraries get heavy and sometimes careless use from the public, librarians often look for ones which are sturdily bound, preferably sewn or glued. Spiral and comb bindings do not stand up well in libraries. Likewise, books with pages designed to be filled in by the reader, or torn out, do not fit in a library setting. Books that include objects such as toys, or crafts kits are also not appropriate.

Read more tips on selling and marketing your book your library here.

Arabian Architecture: Traditions and Changing Times

The Persian Gulf, also known as the Arabian Gulf, is an area of the globe that has a fascinating history, one that is not only culturally intertwined with the environment, but that is also physically tied to it. Unlike many other parts of the world where the resources are abundant, allowing the culture to develop in a manner free of environmental constraints, in the Persian Gulf the cultures that have developed have been directly shaped by the region’s environment. This environmental influence on the cultures and peoples of the Persian Gulf is perhaps reflected in no better way then through the traditional architecture of the region. In a stunningly comprehensive and photographically rich book, Professor Ronald Hawker has brought this long and complex intertwining of culture and environment to light.

Traditional Architecture Of Arabian Gulf: Building a Desert Tides chronicles the florescence of architecture in the Persian Gulf after the expulsion of the Portuguese in the early 1600s. Documenting the building and crafts of this era, Ronald Hawker expertly analyzes the change in Persian Gulf architecture within a larger framework of political, economic, and social information. Relying on primary sources from the period, including well over 100 photographs, this book provides an intelligent and accessible study of this region.

The Persian Gulf, in the Southwest Asian region, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula. Historically and commonly known as the Persian Gulf, this body of water is sometimes referred to as the Arabian Gulf by certain Arab countries or simply The Gulf, although neither of the latter two terms are commonly used in the U.S. Ronald Hawker uses the term Arabian Gulf throughout this book, but as he explains, it is not for political reasons but sentimental ones. “Many people refer to the region as the Persian Gulf, but my first introduction to it was through Dubai in the United Arab Emirates on the eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. For me, the Gulf, khaleej in either Arabic or Farsi, will always be the Arabian Gulf” (p. xix).

Read more about traditional Arabian architecture and culture here.