Product Description
This Elibron Classics book is a facsimile reprint of a 1896 edition by Andreas Göbel, Würzburg. ... Read more

Product Description
This Elibron Classics book is a facsimile reprint of a 1737 edition by Arthur Bettesworth and Charles Hitch, London. ... Read more

Product Description
This Elibron Classics book is a facsimile reprint of a 1870 edition by Henry H. & T.W. Carter, Boston. ... Read more

Product Description
This Elibron Classics book is a facsimile reprint of a 1737 edition by Arthur Bettesworth and Charles Hitch, London. ... Read more

Product Description
Amid a whirlwind of drugs, sex, and other temptations of the “English” world, a group of Amish teenagers on their Rumschpringe test the limits of their parents’ religion to the breaking point. The murder of one and the abduction of another challenge Professor Michael Branden as he confronts the communal fear that the young people can never be brought home safely. Along with Holmes County Sheriff Bruce Robertson and Pastor Cal Troyer, Professor Branden works against the clock to find a murderer and a kidnapper, and to break a drug ring operating in the county, determined, wherever the trail may lead him, to restore the shattered community. In his desperate search, Branden struggles with the reluctance of the Amish to trust the law to help them find the answers to their problems. In A Prayer for the Night, his fifth Ohio Amish Mystery, P. L. Gaus deftly balances the pace and practices of Amish life in northern Ohio against the unfolding urgency of a hostage situation. As Gaus has proven before, the mystery gains from its exploration of the ever-widening chasm between the traditional life of the Amish people and their interaction with the outside world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This book is another of P.L. Gaus works. I have read all but one of his Amish Detective series and I loved them. He is a very gifted author. He makes the people come alive in his books and makes you feel as if your there yourself. I find his book very intertaining and I am glued to them once I start page one. I travel to where his books are located and I find they help me understand the Amish very much. If you like Amish stories I recommand that you read these. They will keep you coming back for more.
Thanks again P.L.Gaus for such wonderful books.
Shirley Burdett

Amish teens in trouble
The quiet, withdrawn, close-knit world of the Amish community of Holmes County, Ohio, sets the pace and atmosphere of this series, in a tale of murder and coming-of-age.

The Rumschpringe is the free-form period when Amish teens get to try out the "English" world - no questions asked - before deciding if they want to commit to their church and way of life. This particular group has run more wild than most and one of them turns up dead amid rumors of drugs and violence. When a girl is kidnapped the tension ratchets up, along with the bewilderment of her elders.

Gaus takes the reader deep into the community, informing his prose with the Amish philosophy and the rites, relationships and problems of this isolated people. His measured approach transports the reader into the Amish world, ever beleaguered by the temptations of the outside, battered by the sudden violence, but serene in its choices.

Gaus writes with intelligence and a deep knowledge of his subject
In order to make an informed decision about embracing an Amish lifestyle, young adults from those communities are encouraged to explore the tempting outside world of "the English" (i.e. non-Amish) through a process called Rumschpringe.In A Prayer for the Night, P. L. Gaus' fifth Ohio Amish mystery, this process goes wildly awry, plunging an adventurous group of young Amish into a dangerous world populated by thugs, criminals and drug dealers; as the novel opens, one of their number has been brutally slain, and another has been kidnapped, triggering a police investigation into the murder and a frantic search for a missing girl.

The New York Tines Book Review once described Gaus as "...a sensitive storyteller who matches his cadences to the measured pace of Amish life..."Entirely accurate, that phrase manages to catch both the strengths and weaknesses of Gaus's very formal, very sober, very detail oriented writing style.To those accustomed to the stripped down, faster paced style of writing so prevalent in modern police procedurals, Gaus' prose may seem a bit stilted, as reading him requires patience and attention.That effort is rewarded, however, by the telling glimpses Gaus provides into the lifestyle and thinking of today's Amish.Writing with intelligence and a deep knowledge of his subject matter, Gaus draws readers deep into the novel, making them feel as if they are part of the events unfolding before them.It's these insights and attention to detail that have earned Gaus a loyal audience, and which will help him keep it.

A Splendid Read!
This is one mystery you'll truly enjoy! I love reading about the Amish and this book is no exception. The author displays a keen knowledge of the Amish lifestyle and I love the way the three boyhood friends have become modern day sleuths among the people of the past. You won't be sorry for buying this book!

A Prayer for the Night
What a wonderfully written novel.I loved the story of teens looking to find themselves, whether Amish or otherwise.The mystery and problem-solving - very good.I felt that I knew all the characters well - this book has the story-telling quality like CSI - CSI Ohio! ... Read more

Product Description

This collection is the first scholarly treatment of the relationship between the Amish and the media in contemporary American life. The essays not only focus on the Amish as subjects in mainstream media -- news, movies, TV -- but also view them as producers and consumers of media themselves.

Of all the religious groups in contemporary America, few demonstrate as many reservations toward the media as do the Old Order Amish. Yet these attention-wary citizens have become a media phenomenon, featured in films, novels, magazines, newspapers, and television -- from Witness, Amish in the City, and Devil's Playground to the intense news coverage of the 2006 Nickel Mines School shooting. But the Old Order Amish are more than media subjects. Despite their separatist tendencies, they use their own media networks to sustain Amish culture. Chapters in the collection examine the influence of Amish-produced newspapers and books, along with the role of informal spokespeople in Old Order communities.

With essays from experts in the fields of film and media studies, poetry, American studies, anthropology, and history, this groundbreaking study shows how the relationship between the Amish and the media provides valuable insights into the perception of minority religion in North American culture.

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Customer Reviews (2)

awesome book
Ok I might be a bit prejudiced because the author happens to be my college german professor and good friend, but it is an excellent look at what it is to be amish in Indiana. How dicipline is not only expected of the children, but mandatory.
I feel that in public schools there is too much drugging of children because teachers can't seem to keep control of the classes in any other way and this drugging for dicipline just doesn't happen in Amish society. Dicipline starts at home and is just continued in schools. That is not to say that the children have no play time or aren't allowed to be kids, they just know their place in the Amish society and it seems to give them a sence of belonging and comfort rather than being restrictive. We English as the Amish call us could learn a lot.

Linking educational foundations and societal stability
The Amish Schools Of Indiana: Faith In Education is a close look at Indiana Amish schools from the early 1950s to the twenty-first century. Examining how Amish settlements actively undertook a movement to open their own schools that would provide them with more influence over the education and socialization of their children, and the effectiveness of these institutions in allowing Amish communities and faith to survive the changes of generations, The Amish Schools Of Indiana is a crucial, meticulously researched and studiously presented example of the critical link between educational foundations and societal stability. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Clouds Without Rain
This is the 3rd in a series from this author.Each one is a little better than the last. the characters are carried through from the first book to each sucseeding book. These are mysterys set in The Amish country of Ohio. They are suitable for all ages and just a good read.

clouds without rain: an ohio amish mystery
very well written story i have read all amish mysteries from this author
he keeps on surprising me! cant wait for another hopefully amishkeep up the good work

Best to date
An Amishman is killed when his buggy is hit as he is making a left hand turn into his driveway.Professor Michael Brandon and his friend from childhood, Pastor Caleb Troyer help another old friend, Sheriff Bruce Robertson unravel the events leading to the crash.In the process Paul Gaus shows the Amish as real people struggling to find a way to hold on to the way of life they have chosen. This book does a great job of showing they diversity among the Amish and some of the problems they encounter.

The author has come a long way since the first book in this series which I thought was forced and formulaic.This book is informative and a tight, well-written mystery and well worth reading. ... Read more

Product Description
Holmespun takes the reader on a photographic journey through the largest Amish and Mennonite community in the world, Holmes County.Combining poignant interviews and candid photography, the book reveals an entirely unique society, from barn raisings to volleyball. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Holmespun
A beautiful collection of photos from Holmes County, Ohio along with interesting background information about the people and customs of this area.

AMAZING!
I have been to Holmes County before, and this book accuratly and beautifully shows the Amish of Ohio! I would (and have!) reccomend this book to anyone who loves beautiful photograhy, the Amish, and Holmes County! I couldn't put it down! I would LOVE to own this book!

V. Temple
A wonderfully done pictoral of Holmes County, Ohio.After visiting there, it's a lovely reminder of the people and places.The pictures and stories capture the beauty and simplicity of the Amish/Mennonite communities in Holmes County. This book brings back wonderful memories.

Filled with captivating color photographs
A 2003 Independent Publisher award finalist, and winner of the Benjamin Franklin Award of the Publishers Marketing Association, Holmespun: An Intimate Port-rait Of An Amish And Mennonite Community is a lavishly presented portrait of life in Amish and Mennonite communities. Photographers Amanda Lumry and Loren Wengerd effectively collaborate to produce a thoroughly fascinating and visually wonderful presentation filled with captivating color photographs which are complemented by an informed and absorbing text written by Laura Hurwitz and describing the events of daily life. Holmespun is a simply wonderful addition to personal photography book collections and recommended for community library collections seeking to include commendable materials for readers seeking information on Amish and Mennonite lifestyles and communities.

Holmespun
This book is truly amazing!In this day and age, you would never know that a community of that nature still existed.With the hustle and bustle of my daily routine (I consider my family an "Average American Family"), it really makes you want to live the life of the Amish and Mennonite families.I live in the suburbs of Sacramento and their lifestyle is completely foreign to me.After looking at all of the wonderful photographs, I immediately wanted to cook a home cooked meal and a pie from scratch.I would truly love to visit Holmes County one day and see these kind, hard-working people firsthand.I am going to give this book as a gift to my mother, both of my sisters and my close friends.I know they will enjoy it as much as I have. ... Read more

Product Description

While most books about the Amish focus on the Pennsylvania settlements or on the religious history of the sect, this book is a cultural history of one Indiana Amish community and its success in resisting assimilation into the larger culture. Amish culture has persisted relatively unchanged primarily because the Amish view the world around them through the prism of their belief in collective salvation based on purity, separation, and perseverance. Would anything new add or detract from the community's long-term purpose? Seen through this prism, most innovation has been found wanting.

Founded in 1841, Shipshewana benefited from LaGrange County's relative isolation. As Dorothy O. Pratt shows, this isolation was key to the community's success. The Amish were able to develop a stable farming economy and a social structure based on their own terms. During the years of crisis, 1917--1945, the Amish worked out ways to protect their boundaries that would not conflict with their basic religious principles. As conscientious objectors, they bore the traumas of World War I, struggled against the Compulsory School Act of 1921, negotiated the labyrinth of New Deal bureaucracy, and labored in Alternative Service during World War II. The story Pratt tells of the postwar years is one of continuing difficulties with federal and state regulations and challenges to the conscientious objector status of the Amish. The necessity of presenting a united front to such intrusions led to the creation of the Amish Steering Committee. Still, Pratt notes that the committee's effect has been limited. Crisis and abuse from the outer world have tended only to confirm the desire of the Amish to remain a people apart, and lends a special poignancy to this engrossing tale of resistance to the modern world.

Product Description
Each year, millions of tourists are drawn to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, to experience first-hand the quintessential pastoral--both as an escape from urban life and as a rare opportunity to become immersed in history. The area has attracted visitors eager to catch a glimpse of the distinctive religious community of the Old Order Amish, to appreciate the beauty of the farmland, to enjoy the abundant and delicious food of the Pennsylvania Dutch...and, most recently, to shop at the area's outlet malls. For nearly three hundred years, Lancaster county has been a model of agricultural prosperity, rooted in the family farm. The rural character of the place remains Lancaster's predominant tourist attraction, but is at odds with its rapidly rising population and the commercial and residential growth that has brought.It is the tension between rural tradition, progress, and urbanization that lies at the core of Garden Spot. David Walbert examines how twentieth century American culture has come to define and appreciate rurality, and how growth and economic expansion can co-exist with preservation of the traditional ways of life in the region. Will small farms fail in a culture that has increasingly come to value productivity over quality of life? What impact will further development have on maintaining this region's character? Can rurality and progress co-exist in the 21st century?A vivid portrayal of the land and people, residents and outsiders alike, Garden Spot narrates the history of this region and considers the challenges Lancaster County and its people face in order to preserve their unique place. ... Read more

Product Description
Vintage 1985 softcover quilt book - Amish Crib Quilts by Rachel and Kenneth Pellman. 96 pages. This beautiful book bursts with a wonderful collection of antique Amish crib quilts. Told from an Amish child's point of view, this colorful volume details the variety, beauty and stories of Amish crib quilts. Lovely full-color photographs. ... Read more

Product Description
A compulsively readable new series that explores a fascinating culture set purposely apart.

In the wooded Amish hill country, a professor at a small college, a local pastor, and the county sheriff are the only ones among the mainstream, or "English," who possess the instincts and skills to work the cases that impact all county residents, no matter their code of conduct or religious creed.

When an Amish boy is kidnapped, a bishop, fearful for the safety of his followers, plunges three outsiders into the traditionally closed society of the "Plain Ones." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Intelligent Mystery Set in the Amish Countryside
njoyed this quite a bit.Although a quick read, it's an exceptionally smart mystery, and it certainly does an effective job in telling a sound story full of absorbing insights into the Amish way of life.There are intelligent layers within this story, of both the personal lives of the Professor and his wife, but also of the Amish community and the politics of the English living side by side with the Plain People.The characters were exceedingly interesting with each scene (my personal favorites: the Professor, his wife, and Sheriff Robertson), and I was caught up in the mystery of it all.I had no idea who did the kidnapping, who committed murder, until the scenes unfolded before me.P.L. Gaus has combined the surrounding Amish countryside and charming characters into a developed and well-researched journey of a mystery.This is book one in the Amish-Country Mystery series, so there's no doubt that I'm interested to pick up the next one.

I also must admit that there were times, especially towards the end, when my throat closed up as I read, and I'm pretty sure if someone asked me a question at that exact moment, or tried to talk with me, I'd have to blink back some tears and collect myself before trying to speak.

entertaining amateur sleuth
In Holmes County, Ohio, the Old Order Amish do not trust the "vain" English neighbors.So it is very surprising to see "plain" folk Bishop Eli Miller asks outsider academic Professor Michael Brandon and Pastor Caleb Troyer for help.A decade ago, Miller excommunicated his son Jonah for leaving an outsider addicted teen pregnant.Jonah's illegitimate son Jeremiah remained in the Amish community living with his paternal grandfather.Now Jonah has abducted his ten year old son Jeremiah and Miller is very worried about the lad.

Jonah sends a note to his father that he will return the child by the harvest.Meanwhile Joshua's maternal Uncle Jeff Hostettler, whose sister committed suicide, has vowed to murder Jonah who he blames for his sibling's death.Someone kills Jonah, who was dressed in Amish clothing that seemed to imply he was going to ask for a second chance.The police suspect Hostettler, who threatened to murder the victim, but Brandon is more concerned with where is the missing Jeremiah?

The key to the reprint of the first Amish Country Mystery (hopefully the others will follow) is the comparison of various faiths in which Paul L. Gaus displays a strong respect for all.The twin mysteries of the murder and the missing grandson enhance the overall look at modern day (circa 1999) the Amish lifestyle compared with those of the Mennonites and English living side by side sharing a county in Ohio.Readers will relish this entertaining amateur sleuth.

Harriet Klausner

... Read more

Product Description
Driving the rural roads of Michigan one might suddenly come upon a black buggy driven by a bonneted woman or a bearded Amish man. In 1955 there were fewer than five hundred Amish in Michigan—in 2000 there were more than seven thousand. The Amish, with their unique life-style, are found only in North America where approximately 170,000 live in twenty-four states and one Canadian province. This sensitive and fascinating volume explores the Amish historical background, immigration into Michigan, occupations, marriage patterns, cultural conflicts, community-financed schools, medical practices, and cultural survival. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Fascinating history of a misunderstood group
Amish in Michigan is an accessible and truly interesting history of Amish culture. More importantly, it discusses the reasons why Amish populations are growing. If you are at all interested in the Amish, read this book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

I loved this book!
I absolutely loved this book. I felt like I was visiting the Amish of Holmes County, Ohio first hand. I found it to be quite informative about various aspects of their life and I highly recomend it to everyone that wants to learn about the Amish.

-Ryan Mercer

LearningAbout The Amish
If you have ever wondered what a normal day in the life of an amish man or woman consists of, then you will thoroughly enjoy this book. The chapters are actually articles that were written for a special section in the HolmesCounty newspaper,specifically dealing with the ways of the Amish. Thechapters deal with various customs and traditions of the Amish culture, howthe Amish make their living, what a typical Amish School is like, and whatis expected from them personally in their church.

This book only touchedupon the history of the Amish people,and did not really talk about alltheir religious beliefs,but after reading it,I do feel like I have a betterunderstanding of this culture. I found this book full of detail when itcame down to the every day life of the Amish people.I would recommend thisbook to anyone who is curious about the Amish culture. ... Read more

Product Description
The Amish base their daily lives on the principles of faith, brotherhood, and community. Deeply devout, they keep their traditions alive by separating themselves from the modern world, living close to nature, and tending the land that God has given them. This spirited volume, illustrated with 122 beautiful full-color photographs, explores and celebrates Amish history, beliefs, and culture. Sections include: introduction; discipline and humility: the church in daily life; sacrifice and faith: the home and the farm; celebrations and rites of passage; brotherhood: the comfort of community; and the temptations of modern life. ... Read more

Product Description
Explore the questions most people have about the Amish and Mennonites. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

A good start....
20 Most Asked Questions about the Amish and Mennonites is a slim book of less than 100 pages.The 20 questions are frankly answered with only the most basic information, only a few pages really, but this was not meant to be a in-dept study.The questions, such as Why do they dress that way?and What are their weddings like?seem like something both adults and children may find interesting.I would suggest this book for anybody who wants to take a peek at their societies but does not really wish to spend too much on a huge hardcover book written by a scholar.
Some of the photos are old, having been first published in 1979 and only being reprinted in 1995.But the information itself is sound and many of the facts have been updated. I, frankly, find the reviews in which many people seem upset that the book is not in-dept amazing.A glance at it could tell you this is a Rest Stop Book.While in Pennsylvania I found this book was at every Rest Stop, every book store, gift shop, and every place you might stop to fill up on gas, food and guide books.Right next to the maps and trashy romance novels.If you want more please remember that this is the FIRST in a series of books, The People's Place Book series, and that other books deal with their homes, schools, buggies, recipes and so on.I suggest getting it for a start.

Rather too basic to be really useful
Although the Amish and Old Order Mennonites are remarkably fascinating for their simplicity, peacefulness and deep emotional ties that modern industrial society lacks so much, this book, which I originally found in a bargain bookshop near my home in Carlton, unfortunately does not offer a great deal that curious people (like myself) ought to know about these groups.

The first book in the "People's Place" series, the book answers many crucial question about these groups but does so in a rather shallow and stereotyped manner that is unlikely to help the reader deeply understand and make his or her own judgments about the qualities typical of these groups. Whilst they explain clearly many quesitons like why the Amish reject higher education or why they dress as they do, there is very little effort to relate them together in a coherent fashion to the lifestyle they lead. As a person with a great interest in what motivates people and societies, I cannot consider this a good thing.

The "People's Place" series may not have had a good start, but the much more detailed later books therein show it had much more potential than shown on this first title.

Take A Good Look
Take a good look at them. Anabaptist means rebaptizer. They were accused of being freeloaders on society.

A little too general, may be confusing
I would think most people buying this book are interested in conservative Amish and Mennonite groups, not the liberal/mainstream Mennonites. However, this book seems to make a point of explaining the liberal/mainstream views on issues without necessarily saying it is their stance and is contrary to conservative Mennonite/Amish views. Of course, this may be because the authors are mainstream Mennonite and feel just as much "Mennonite" as the ones in buggies. While I won't dabble with that topic in this review, I'm not so much opposed to them identifying mainstream Mennonite views so much as them not clearly identifying them as such and as a contrast. A bit of history of the conservative vs. mainstream movements during the 20th century would have gone a long ways, even if just a couple paragraphs, to explain why there are pictures on one page of a Beachy Amish congregation with segregated seating a plain dress, and then a woman with a short skirt smoking a cigarette on the other. "You mean, they're both Amish/Mennonite groups? How is that?" a reader may ask.

But, the book does cover some basic questions readers may have about conservative Amish and Mennonites. Perhaps the less publicized book by Stephen Scott, Introduction to Old Order and Conservative Mennonite Groups (People's Place Book 12), by the same publisher would be a good introduction to conservative Mennonite groups. Scott is with a plain church and is a researcher at Elizabethtown College.

Anything by Donald Kraybill is usually a good place to start with the Old Order Amish, but he is a sociologist not an Amish theologian, so you miss something there, though he does detail the whys of what they do.

And you won't find much of anything on rumsprunga in this book. That's because it's an overpublicized media entertainment stunt that is far from portraying universal practice. There are many Amish groups that do not practice rumsprunga, and many more that have a moderate form of it, as in meeting up with the youth to sing hymns. The media's practice is like taking a run-down inner city school and portraying it like it represents all US schools.

Interesting, but somewhat general and some answers incomplete
I found this book to be a quite readable overview of the Amish and Mennonite, although out of necessity it has to be quite general in order to be such a slim volume.My only complaint it that some of the "questions" are not answered satisfactoraly, namely that about the problems that the Amish currently have to contend with.Also, some of the photos (all in the book are black and white) are fairly dark, something which could easily have been avoided. ... Read more

Product Description
From an author who grew up in a Mennonite community, this is an in depth look at the evolution, religion, and customs of a people who continue to live the pastoral life of their forebears, covering everything from language, clothing, cooking, and furniture to the impact of the modern world on the simple-living "Plain People." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Not a good guide to the Amish
Unfortunately, despite its accessibility (lots of fancy layouts and textboxes) and self-conciously quirky style (idiot's guide??!!) this is not a book I can recommend to those seeking an understanding of Anabaptist culture and society at anything other than the most superficial level. The book fails to place Amish society in its proper context as a living, evolving culture, and the apparently indiscriminate 'browsing' done by the author in the work of others for her own book's content means that there are some important factual errors in her story. For those who want information about the Amish that does not treat them as a living tourist attraction I would wholeheartedly recommend the book 'Amish Society' by John Hostetler or work by Don Kraybill, both of whom treat Amish culture with respect but without wearing rose-tinted glasses, and who have done their own research.

A balanced, informative review of the amish and mennonites
I am writing this brief review to express my appreciation for the author's thorough and realistic portrayal of the amish and mennonites, their culture and their society.

No group of people is all good, or all bad.One reviewer here stated "this is the only book I've ever read that doesn't portray the Amish in a favorable light."First of all, the statement is not true.While few in number, there are a number of books and articles that present a balanced view of the Amish....neither idealizing them nor demonizing them.Second, if the quoted statement were true, it would only serve to point out all the more the need for a balanced view of the amish; one that shows them in a light that is neither favorable nor unfavorable, a light that shows them as they are.

As a reader, I want to be treated in a mature manner by an author.When I read a book on a subject, I want to be shown the good with the bad.I want accurate insight into the lives of these people.I want to see it the way it is so that I can form my own opinions.I want the admirable and not so admirable aspects. On all accounts this wonderful little book delivers.If you want to understand this important culture, so often misunderstood and idealized, read this book.You won't regret it.

Verydisappointing!
This is the only book I've ever read that doesn't portray the Amish in a favorable light.
The author seems to be a very disgruntled ex-Mennonite.She resents the fact that the Amish are a patriarchal religion. She paints them as a repressive society where members are forced, sometimes through public humiliation, to conform to the rules or face excommunication and shunning.Other authors have treated this process with less obvious derision.
The book includes a rather large section devoted solely to the horror stories of former Amish people. It's full of stories of physical and sexual abuse.
The author is brief where she should be more detailed, and vice versa.There are far too many typos. She refers to other books, yet she says things that are the opposite of what the other books, which were written by recognized authorities, say!
This book is truly a major disappointment! ... Read more

Product Description
We suspect that casseroles were first created in the kitchens of conscientious cooks who came up on suppertime, having no chance to make the roast or mash the potatoes.All the eat-ers around the table agreed they worked. Those are the recipes we offer here. Sturdy and basic. Now and then a surprise. Economical. But satisfyingly filling.One of 12 cookbooks from Amish kitchens! The recipes in this series overflow with the good, old-fashioned food which comes from some of the world’s best cooks. These handsome cookbooks have sold more than 800,000 copies! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Too much italian food for me!
I have several of her cookbooks and like them.As with this one, the recipes are easy but there is a lot of italian in my way of thinking.I am not a big fan of tomato anything! BB

Amish cooking
Amish cooking has long been one of my favorite hobbies.This book is a reminder of just how simple wonderful can be.

The definition of "Old-Fashioned"...
I have all of these adorable little 'Cook Books from Amish Kitchens', and have really enjoyed them.The are very small and simple... the complete opposite of a coffee-table/display-style cookbooks we see most often today. This is a thin pamphlet with matte paper and does not include interior photos of any recipes (excluding the cover).The text is in a handwritten-style font and clearly explained.The recipes are very homey with basic ingredients and techniques; nothing fancy.Simple, delicious recipes in a simple, small booklet. RECOMMENDED.

Pa Dutch/Amish Cookbook
This little paperback book has a good selection of casseroles.They are fabulous for those of you who like homemade food with simple on-hand ingredients and not overblown with spices and seasonings.These recipes are for good home-cooked comfort food at it's best, least expensive,and easiest. ... Read more

Product Description

"The Amish have been a people of the plow for more than three centuries. An agrarian tradition and a love for the land have shaped their distinctive faith and culture in many ways. The farm provided a crib for nurturing large families and stable marriages, a locus for work, and a haven from the vices of the larger world. This book tells the story of the Amish of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, who have rather rapidly abandoned their plows for the pursuit of profit." -- from the prefaceAmish culture has been rooted in the soil since its beginnings in 1693. But what happens when of the members of America's oldest Amish community enter non-farm work in one generation? How will hundreds of cottage industries and micro-enterprises reshape the heart of Amish life? Will traditional eighth- grade education still prove adequate? What about gender roles, child-rearing practices, leisure activities, and growing ties with outsiders? Amish Enterprise is the first book to discuss the dramatic changes that will affect Amish communities throughout North America. Based on interviews with more than 150 Amish entrepreneurs, the authors trace the rise and impact of micro-enterprises in Lancaster's Amish settlement over the past two decades. They document the proliferation of more than a thousand Amish-owned enterprises in the Lancaster area -- some 14 percent of them boasting annual sales above $500,000. Kraybill and Nolt explain why, at a time when the majority of new American business ventures fail, virtually all Amish businesses succeed. Amish Enterprise offers surprising insights into the cultural transformation of a plain people who are becoming increasingly entangled in the economic web of modern life.

Customer Reviews (1)

Surprising entrepreneurs: Old Order Amish
* Kraybill, Donald B. and Steven M. Nolt.1995._Amish Enterprise; From Plows to Profits_.Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.Pp. xiv + 300.Notes, photographs, references.ISBN: 0-8018-5063-0 (pbk).

Kraybill and Nolt present a history and analysis of Amish businesses in the 1980s and early 1990s.These authors tell how hundreds of Amish in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, engaged in an unprecedented economic adaptation after hundreds of years during which their devotion to family farming as the economic center of life did not change.The new adaptation was a remarkable fluorescence of entrepreneurial activity in which Lancaster Amish created enterprises catering to Amish and non-Amish market needs.These enterprises operate within the strictures of Amish thinking about how people should exist in the world, and this is the central question the authors explore.The contents are broad and include a profile of Amish businesses in chapter three, technology in chapter eight, and marketing and networking in chapter nine.Other chapters cover labor issues, business morality, Amish businesses and the law, and relations with the state.

What is surprising about Amish enterprise is that it exists.To explain this, both in its vigor and in the ways business owners refrain from fully adopting present-day business plans and procedures, the authors use a culture-centered model.They describe how the Amish interpret their beliefs in negotiating the new behaviors and statuses businesses require (pp. 16-19).From one perspective, the process described in this book is a prime example of conscious, selective acculturation.

Negotiation and tension between adopted business behaviors and _Gelassenheit_, a core value informing normative behavior, is highlighted throughout.Gelassenheit asks Amish to be patient and yielding, to submit to the community and to avoid individuation and excess.Gelassenheit asks Amish to be plain and not fancy (pp. 13-16).Business success threatens Gelassenheit.Success creates wealth differentials greater than ones in the farm-based economy.Success affects gender roles because women entrepreneurs own and operate their own enterprises.Success can mean that children receive less attention as business demands increase.Success increases the visibility and importance of business people in district churches, and has fundamental implications for the status of less wealthy but culturally more highly valued farmers.

Kraybill and Nolt do not strive for theoretical finesse but let a few well chosen concepts carry much of their argument about cultural negotiation and economic adaptation.Core values presented early surface throughout as they discuss the problems, solutions and limits of the business adaptation.Like another book that Kraybill edited, _Amish Enterprise_ "...shows no awareness of postmodern theory." (Reschly, 1997).But considering what readers the authors are apparently trying to reach, the anthropological analysis is as theoretical as it should be.That is, Kraybill and Nolt do a workmanly job explaining complex information within a framework of1) economic behavior influenced by religious beliefs;2)seemingly inflexible cultural norms that are malleable; and 3) ideas about the family, community and church that are specifically Amish.

The authors are academic experts on the Amish and base the book on a survey of Lancaster businesses, on intensive interviews profiling entrepreneurs and on ethnographic observation.Anthropologists, rural sociologists, microeconomists, church historians and economic development specialists will all find something interesting and insightful in it._Amish Enterprise_occupies the middle ground between the mass market and a thoroughly academic monograph; the contents are accessible to awide range of readers who have a sincere interest in the Amish and their culture.

The text is well illustrated with photographs.The bibliography provides sources of further reading but it is somewhat dated.Comparative material on Amish economic adaptations elsewhere is missing and would add to the analysis._Amish Enterprise_ is a clear, succinct and detailed discussion of a surprising change in Amish life.

Reference:

Reschly, Steven D.1997.Review of Kraybill, D. and M. Olshan, eds. _The Amish Struggle With Modernity_._Journal of Church and State_ 39(2):372.Spring 1997. ... Read more