A New York Times bestseller: “This terrific new book . . . [explores] the ‘notion of whiteness;’ an idea as dangerous as it is seductive.â€â€•Boston Globe Telling perhaps the most important forgotten story in American history; eminent historian Nell Irvin Painter guides us through more than two thousand years of Western civilization; illuminating not only the invention of race but also the frequent praise of “whiteness†for economic; scientific; and political ends. A story filled with towering historical figures; The History of White People closes a huge gap in literature that has long focused on the non-white and forcefully reminds us that the concept of “race†is an all-too-human invention whose meaning; importance; and reality have changed as it has been driven by a long and rich history of events. 70 black-and-white illustrations
#120849 in Books W W Norton Company 2005-02-17Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.30 x .90 x 5.50l; .64 #File Name: 0393325709320 pagesW W Norton Company
Review
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Truly an excellent readBy SanSerifOne of the best books I've purchased. Not only do the authors do a great job with capturing the feel of the race to Nome; but also you can really tell that they did their research. The pictures that they have in the center of the book are beautiful; and would be worth the price of the book alone.Granted; there are some filler chapters as they talk about the native style of life and how mukluks etc are made; but these parts are short enough that interest is not lost and they don't interrupt the flow of the narrative either.I've purchased this book three times now: Once for myself and twice as a gift. This is an excellent book for anyone who has an interest in history; medicine; dogs and the story behind the fiction0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A story of adventure and survival that brought tears to my eyes.By Psy-Op InvestigationsI did not know the history or reason for the Iditarod race. All I knew was it was an arduous race with sled dogs that takes place in Alaska each year. If you love stories of adventure and survival; this history ranks with the best of the genre. It outlines the urgency to get Diphtheria antitoxin to Nome; Alaska in 1925 during one of the worst cold spells of the winter. Dog teams were the only viable method of delivering the serum to Nome. As I read the book to learn about the Iditarod race; I would like to outline some of the differences between the 1925 event and the modern day race.In 1925 the mail was delivered to Nome by dog sled. At that time as today; Nome was completely isolated from the other towns in Alaska during the winter months as there are no roads; In summer it is reached by ship; but during the winter the only way to get there is by dog sled. It's a long trip. The 1925 event utilized numerous dog teams that relayed the serum to Nome much like the Pony Express. There were around 20 men each with their own dog team involved in the effort. Some teams carried the serum as little as 18 miles while the most arduous run was 91 miles done by the renowned musher; Leanard Seppala with his lead dog Togo which he had raised from a puppy. The serum finally arrived in Nome carried by Gunnar Kaasen; with lead dog Balto who subsequently received much notoriety. There is even a bronze statue of Balto in NYC's Central Park honoring his heroism. However; every dog team deserves credit for their part in this 674 mile race against time which took 5 and 1/2 days. Dog teams are very dependent on the lead dog and not just any member of the dog team can take the place of lead dog. Just like with humans; there are leaders; and there are followers. The 1925 event took place in extremely cold and harsh conditions. Even with many dog teams and men; it required courage; stamina and knowhow. The dogs teams of 1925 were mostly Malamutes and Siberian Huskies with thick double coats well suited to the extreme conditions. These dogs can be comfortable in 50 below zero conditions. Much of this is in contrast to the modern day Iditarod race.The modern day Iditarod was established in 1973 to commemorate the 1925 run. What is different is that the modern race is farther; around 1;000 miles in length; and single dog teams limited to no more than 16 dog run the entire distance with a single musher. The modern dogs are different in that they are bred for speed and are not as well suited to the cold as the classic Alaskan dogs. Nevertheless they run the race faster albeit sometimes with jackets on their backs; and boots on their feet. The modern race has mandatory check points; and rest stops with food delivered to the dogs by airplane. Veterinarians are stationed at each check point and check the health and condition of the dogs. Any dogs which are sick or injured are ferried back by Bush Pilots to receive proper veterinary care and then loving friendship from the inmates of the state prison. While dogs can be dropped from the team by the musher or at the insistence of a veterinarian; no fresh dogs may be added. There is just a single musher who must complete the race by him or herself with their own team. The trail of the modern race is well marked. I'm not sure that it was in 1925 I believe it was more up to the dogs to stay on the path. In any case it is the lead dog that has a great ability to sense the suitability of the trail.The take away from both events is man's special relationship with dogs and their loyalty to man. The dogs love to run; and the shared of weight they pull is not great for each individual dog. Nevertheless it takes great stamina to win or even complete the race. About half of the modern competitors give up on the race before they reach Nome. It's not possible to win the race by abusing the dogs. A good musher has to know their limits and encourage the dogs to perform their best. To win the dogs by necessity need adequate rest and proper nutrition. The musher too; must get enough sleep; although at times the musher can catch a "cat nap" on the sled as the hearty dogs pull on. The winning dog team seems to know that they are in the lead and they are reluctant to give it up to another team. In reality all the dog teams cover the ground at about the same speed. It is the craftiness; good judgment; and endurance of the musher that brings home the big prize. It's not like a short horse race were the animal is spurred up to full speed. The dogs do it because they love running on the trail; and they love the humans who support them. The dogs carry on for not only hours; but days at the same pace of between 7 and 10 MPH.I found this book to be a great read; as it increased my knowledge of dogs' special abilities and their relationships with the humans who breed and care for them. The book brought tears to my eyes and a stuffy nose on many occasions. What more can I say?0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. This is an outstanding true account of the famous dog ...By JazziegirlThis is an outstanding true account of the famous dog sled run that carried serum to Nome; Alaska to stop an epidemic. The author has done a lot of research which is listed if the reader wants to dig deeper on the subject. The author acknowledges where conflicts some times appeared in the research and how he decided on how to write that part of the story. it will give you a real appreciation of the dogs and the mushers who had to deal with weather that is beyond comprehension. It also gives the history of how airplanes began to evolve after this famous dog sled run. In present history the Iditarod Dog sled race is a competition that is done annually in memory of the original run to Nome.
