The Dynamic and Volatile World of Commercial Fishing
The Dynamic and Volatile World of Commercial Fishing
It is said that George Moskovita bought, repaired, traded, and sank more boats than most fishermen would work on in a lifetime. Moskovita spent his adult life out on the Pacific Ocean. When he first started fishing at the age of 16, he thought to himself, “Boy, this is not for me!” but he couldn’t have been more wrong. “But of course it was for me!” he later said. There is nothing like being out on the open ocean, surrendering yourself to the dangers of the waves and witnessing the beauty around you.
2015 Holiday Sale
Now through December 31st, enjoy 30% off these selected titles when you order directly through the OSU Press website. Enter the promotion code 15HOLIDAY at checkout. This special holiday discount is valid on these titles:
Among Penguins: A Bird Man in Antarctica by Noah Strycker; Regularly $19.95 - SALE PRICE $13.97
The Brightwood Stillness: A Novel by Mark Pomeroy; Regularly $18.95 - SALE PRICE $13.27
Psychic Numbing and a Rational Arithmetic of Compassion
We are constantly bombarded with ever-increasing amounts of information, creating a real challenge for our brains to process it all. Yes, the human mind is powerful and able to accomplish amazing things, yet how can we deal with everything? From the violence woven throughout fictional media to the real-world horrors presented 24/7 on the news, these stimuli can easily desensitize us. Scott and Paul Slovic describe how such psychic numbing can be countered in their book Numbers and Nerves. Today Paul Slovic explains how psychic numbing and desensitization may occur and how it affects us. If you missed Scott Slovic’s post from last week, read it here.
The Dance of Reason and Effect
According to Scott Slovic, there is “a new kind of power to appreciate what’s happening in our heads” and that statement couldn’t be more true. Our minds are a powerful thing, and being able to understand them better can help us become more self aware and develop a stronger ability to interpret the world around us. In Numbers and Nerves, Scott Slovic and his father Paul Slovic write about psychological concepts and how they can empower us. This week Scott Slovic talks to us about how Numbers and Nerves came to be and what he would like authors and readers to take away from the book. Next week Paul Slovic will talk about the human mind, psychic numbing, and desensitization.
In Conversation with Larry Landis, author of A School for the People: A Photographic History of Oregon State University
Today, in celebration of University Press Week (November 8-14), we join dozens of other University Presses for a blog tour. Today's topic is "In Conversation with Authors." We hope you will enjoy our conversation with Larry Landis, author of A School for the People. And we hope you'll take the time to visit the blogs of other participating university presses. You'll be amazed by the breadth, depth, and diversity they represent.
20th Century Culture Wars
The rugged Pacific Northwest known to the earliest settlers was not for the faint of heart. These settlers had come to work in the mines and forests, but their free time was spent in the saloons, gambling halls and brothels. This was not a place built for families and religious peoples. In his new book Outsiders in a Promised Land Dale Soden writes about how early Protestants, Catholics, and Jews worked together to provide social institutions in the Pacific Northwest. Today Soden shares with us his personal experiences as an undergraduate student during the 70’s and how he became interested in studying religious activists in the Pacific Northwest.
Ground-Truthing: Research Through Hiking, Exploration, and Adventure
Today we welcome Jessica McDonald and Lorraine Anderson, joining them for their interview discussing what it was like working with their contributers and doing hands-on outdoor research for Wild in the Willamette. This is the second post about the newly published book. If you missed Jessica's background story for the book in the first post, you can find it here.
---------------------------------------
How Women Made History in the West
We may not have bravely led others across the country like Sacagawea, Narcissa Whitman, and Mother Joseph Pariseau. We may not be actively fighting for women’s rights like Abigail Scott Duniway had. Just because we aren’t the Emily Carr of our time, doesn’t mean we are less than extraordinary. Even if we are not seen as influential leaders, women throughout history have shaped their communities and fought for the protection of their families. These contributions are important and should not be undervalued. Not everyone needs to be the superhero. Using her three decades of research and teaching experience, Sue Armitage wrote about “the famous, the forgotten, and all the women in between” in her new book Shaping the Public Good. Today she expresses her personal reasons for wanting to write about women who were more than just “ordinary”.
Of Jeans and Birkenstocks: The American Jewish Identity in Oregon
While not all Oregonians, nor all Oregonian Jews, wear jeans and Birkenstocks with socks, there is a certain flavor of life in Oregon that can’t be found anywhere else. It takes a certain kind of personality to wear jeans and Birkenstocks with socks to synagogue services, someone who is very comfortable with who she is. Our identity is how we perceive ourselves. This perception grows and changes over time, influenced by our life experiences. It is with this identity that we relate to others within social groups and how we come to find connections. Traditionally, the Lower East Side of New York is considered to be the “authentic” American Jewish experience, however that certainly doesn’t make it the only experience. Embracing a Western Identity by Ellen Eisenberg explores Jewish Oregonian history starting with pioneers in the mid-nineteenth century to Portlanders of the mid-twentieth century. In an excerpt from the introduction to her book, Eisenberg writes about how growing up on the east coast helped foster her interest in understanding the differences between the eastern and western American Jewish identity.
Behind the Inspiration for Wild in the Willamette
Wild in the Willametteis the essential guide to nature in the Willamette Valley. Dedicated to the memory of Gail Achterman, Wild in the Willamette shares Achterman’s love for the outdoors and her desire for people to explore the area around them. Collected history and essays written by local authors are available to those who wish to travel from the comfort of their own home, while ideas for outdoor adventures friendly to all ages can be enjoyed as well. This week Jessica McDonald joins us with a sneak peek providing the inspiration behind Wild in the Willamette and how it came to be.