Depression Books

I have done Genealogy for over 5 years, I have read, listened to, and done more stories than I care to admit. But, I was very blessed with the fact that my dear Aunt Lena, wife of Hollis (Read the book!) introduced me to this book and the author, Harold C. Rosser. I was blessed with the opportunity of meeting the author, and getting the book and reading the compasionate, wonderful account of his childhood. My father grew up near him, and I can tell you, I never heard such wonderful accounts of growing up in Scott Co, TN during that era. And I was one who thought they were knowledgeable about the subject! It is of great interest wether you know the people or not, for it is a true intrpretation of life during these times. I recommend this book for anyone, esp. anyone studying TN history. It is a great read, and a great read for teachers to read aloud 3 - 6.

Developed and written for children ages 5 to 10 by Kathy Khalsa, Taking Depression To School is part of the JayJo Books' "Special Kids in School" series and brightly illustrated by Tom Dineen. Emily is a little girl who became depressed and needed help in overcoming her chronic sadness. Children will easily relate to this "kid friendly" approach to explaining a common childhood condition. Parents, teachers, and librarians will appreciate "The Kids' Quiz" which helps young readers review what they've learned about depression. Enhanced with "The Ten Tips for Teachers" and "Additional Resources" sections, Taking Depression To School is an ideal acquisition for school and community libraries, as well as Child & Family Therapy Clinic resources.

I was captivated by the book as soon as I saw the cover. Having an expectation of what the book was like, I opened it and recieved an unexpected book. What I thought was going to be a historical account of what went on in Pilot Grove since the turn of the century, turned out to be one persons account of how he grew up, and became a man during some of the most troubling times of our country. The very details that he remembered and captured into words concerning some of the littlest things and the biggest things that he did. Such as when he used to by ice cream in the local ice cream parlor, or when he worked on the railroad when he was just fifteen years old. He described how he managed a crew of older men that could well have been his grandfathers with such detail, that I felt like I was right there with him. I felt a sense of aw when he related his motor cycle troubles with the reader. I was in complete attention when he commanded a quad fifty-caliber machine gun in Korea, and especially when he unleashed a halo of fire into a bunker of Chinese, that were trying to take out his entire unit. I felt saddened when he came back to a town that had changed so significantly, by taking out the railroad, the one thing that had meant so much to him, and his father. I think that the raw feelings of this man's story was there, and if somebody else were to read the book they would be in agreement with me. Thank you.

The struggle for a single woman to provide for her children has been an ongoing social problem that has never gone away. This tale is of a family's life happening in southern Indiana during September, 1937 and continuing into spring. The mother, Zel, having previously lost a son and husband by death, and a daughter because she struck out on her own, moves her remaining 2 children into town. Zel works in a hotel. She hopes to give the 2 kids a better life than the one they were experiencing in the hilly woods of the Hoosier state. Like other women, she hopes to provide better for her kids, but finds even more hardship after the relocation.

The story is told by daughter Seely (17), who takes on work of her own to try and help with the needed financing of the trio's survival. Even younger brother, Robert, comes up with a plan to assist. With poverty also comes heartache, and disputes, but also the working together can bond a family in greater love.

"A Taste of Daylight" (Zel's phrase for getting out of the dark woods and into the city light) is more than historical fiction. It is a story of a way of life similar to many contemporary families consisting of a single parent and child dependents. A well written story of common people facing a small town lifestyle.

Author, Crystal Thrasher, a Hoosier author, wrote 5 books, this being her last. All of her stories were events surrounding this same Robinson family. The first of the series began in the Depression Years and the five books end with a true delightful 'taste of daylight' so to speak.

This is a gem of a book. It will take you back to your childhood with a vivid story of small town adventure and growing up through hard times. It's a story that will keep you turning the page, with characters that you'll feel like you know when your finished, and that you'll be sad to see go. Taste the Pigweed is a book I love to read.

This book has it all about CBT and very intersting and easy to follow. Great buy and service from seller. Thanks!

Tobey is brilliant! His analysis of New Deal policy and its impact upon electrical modernization is astounding and obtuse. While his prose is didactic, his ideas are stellar! He cooks too. A must read for any historian of science or his loyal spouse.

this is a good book to read when you are just feeling in the pits..need help? pick up the book.

Just as the Dust Bowl and The Great Depression wreaked havoc in the USA in the 1920's and 30's, it brought incredible hardship to Canadians as well. This book gives us short, first-hand accounts of many of those who lived through that time. The author traveled across Canada 4 times with a tape recorder collecting these first-hand accounts back in the early 1970's. The stories are just amazing. And there are hundreds of them. Stories of those who buried their pride and went on the dole. Stories of others who steadfastly refused to do so, and suffered greatly. Stories of some who left the cities and went into the Canadian wilderness and built cabins or trapped animals. Stories of those who took to the rails. Perhaps because their identities were kept private, those interviewed here were brutally honest - describing crimes they committed or abuses they had to endure. I don't know how these people did it.

One of my favorite stories in the book is that of a man who takes a young Indian wife and the two of them go to live in the woods. Against incredible odds, they do pretty well for themselves. But it ends in tragedy.

No one knew the Great Depression better than those who lived through it. I don't know why this book hasn't been more widely read. Any student of history will find it fascinating. It is an historical treasure. Highly recommended.

President Franklin Roosevelt, confronted with the hardship of millions of unemployed Americans and radical political ideas blossoming around the world, put millions of unemployed Americans to work building bridges, roads, buildings and other elements of America's infrastructure. These fine work projects are seen across America and represent a hard period in American history, and a period of hope and achievement.

I found this H-Net review of this book on the Internet.

"Carroll Van West. Tennessee's New Deal Landscape: A Guidebook.
Reviewed by Edward Salo, Geo-Marine, Inc.
Published by H-Tennessee (September, 2002)

"Creating a Modern Tennessee through the New Deal
When most people think of the New Deal's impact on Tennessee, the concrete dams of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) are the image that comes to mind. However, like many states, Tennessee's public landscape was drastically affected in other ways by a variety of New Deal projects. In Tennessee's New Deal Landscape, Dr. Carroll Van West, project director for the Center for Historic Preservation, Middle Tennessee State University, examines over 250 of Tennessee's historic sites constructed during the New Deal and uses that information to catalogue how Depression-era federal government work changed the built environment of the state. West's book serves both as a heritage tourism guidebook and as a scholarly work. It also succeeds in illustrating how "New Deal agencies transformed the state's public landscape, leaving in their wake the infrastructure for the emergence of a modern--and different--Tennessee" (p. xii).

"Students of Tennessee's cultural landscapes and historic preservation will be familiar with West's earlier scholarship. Because of his work at the Center for Historic Preservation, West has either written about or is familiar with most of the New Deal historic properties in the state. His previous book, Tennessee's Historic Landscapes, is the definitive study on the different historic landscapes across the state. West's new contribution focuses exclusively on the historic properties that were constructed during the New Deal era in Tennessee. He has mined both primary and secondary sources on Tennessee's New Deal experience, including TVA records, the WPA guidebook on Tennessee, cultural resource reports, and National Register of Historic Properties nominations to produce a similarly authoritative examination of the state during the 1930s.

"In his first chapter, West presents a short thematic history of the New Deal, identifying the ten major New Deal agencies that worked in Tennessee. Unlike his previous book, which looked at the state's regions, he divides New Deal Landscapes into chapters based on the resource's property type. The next seven chapters include discussions of state offices and county courthouses; federal courthouses and post offices; community buildings and institutions; schools; housing; parks, memorials, and museums; and infrastructure. Each chapter contains a short narrative focusing on political, cultural, and social patterns that influenced the resources, as well as individual descriptions of other examples across the state, organized alphabetically by county. By not designating the properties as belonging to West, Middle, and East Tennessee, West makes his information accessible to those unfamiliar with Tennessee's traditional geographic divisions. A bibliographical essay also directs readers to important sources for further research.

"West makes it clear in his preface that the book is not comprehensive. The examples he uses are fairly divided between the rural and urban sections of the state. Many of the properties discussed in the chapters are representative and are not the only examples in the state. The identification and description of New Deal property types, however, is one of the book's strengths, making it easier for local historians to examine Depression-era landscape and distinguish significant buildings.

"The examples that West uses illustrate two interpretations of the New Deal in Tennessee: construction and destruction. Although many projects created new buildings, some, such as the TVA dams, also destroyed rural areas and displaced people from their traditional homes. Additionally, the construction of TVA lakes disrupted rural life, while also laying the groundwork for Tennessee's economic growth during World War II and the Cold War. This dichotomy shaped many Tennesseans' attitude toward the federal government both during and after the New Deal years.

"Although the book's only problems are cosmetic in nature, a few changes would have helped the reader. First, all of the pictures in the book are modern, but many readers would appreciate historic views of some of the buildings. Additionally, sidebars with brief descriptions of architectural elements or styles (for example, WPA Moderne style) would have made the book more accessible to laymen. Also, with the growing interest in environmental history, West's discussion of the creation of state parks and soil conservation only begs for more study.

"The study of New Deal landscape has bloomed during the 1990s. Many state historic preservation offices have developed New Deal theme studies to assist in placing 1930s properties on the National Register of Historic Places. Although these theme studies are helpful for historic preservation planning, they are not easily accessible to the public. Public historians should use West's book as an example on how better to communicate historic landscapes to the general public. The book takes "gray literature" and presents it in a manner that is useful. The framework that West has developed also lends itself to other possible historic themes, such as railroads, military, agriculture, industrial, and ethnic landscapes. This book should be read by public historians not only for the content but also for the methodology."