Search results for ""Author Gregory McNamee""

Not much can be said with certainty about the life of Claudius Aelianus, known to us as Aelian. He was born sometime between A.D. 165 and 170 in the hill town of Praeneste, what is now Palestrina, about twenty-five miles from Rome, Italy. He grew up speaking that town's version of Latin, a dialect that other speakers of the language seem to have found curious, but--somewhat unusually for his generation, though not for Romans of earlier times--he preferred to communicate in Greek. Trained by a sophist named Pausanias of Caesarea, Aelian was known in his time for a work called Indictment of the Effeminate, an attack on the recently deceased emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, who was nasty even by the standards of Imperial Rome. He was also fond of making almanac-like collections, only fragments of which survive, devoted to odd topics such as manifestations of the divine and the workings of the supernatural. His De Natura Animalium (On the Nature of Animals) has a similar patchwork quality, but it was esteemed enough in his time to survive more or less whole, and it is about all that we know of Aelian's work today. A mostly randomly ordered collection of stories that he found interesting enough to relate about animals--whether or not he believed them--Aelian's book constitutes an early encyclopedia of animal behavior, affording unparalleled insight into what ancient Romans knew about and thought about animals--and, of particular interest to modern scholars, about animal minds. If the science is sometimes sketchy, the facts often fanciful, and the history sometimes suspect, it is clear enough that Aelian had a fine time assembling the material, which can be said, in the most general terms, to support the notion of a kind of intelligence in nature and that extends human qualities, for good and bad, to animals. His stories, which extend across the known world of Aelian's time, tend to be brief and to the point, and many return to a trenchant question: If animals can respect their elders and live honorably within their own tribes, why must humans be so appallingly awful? Aelian is as brisk, as entertaining, and as scholarly a writer as Pliny, the much better known Roman natural historian. That he is not better known is simply an accident: he has not been widely translated into English, or indeed any European language. This selection from his work will introduce readers to a lively mind and a witty writer who has much to tell us.

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In this entertaining history, Gregory McNamee explores the many ethnic and cultural traditions that have contributed to the food of the Southwest. He traces the origins of the cuisine to the arrival of humans in the Americas, the work of the earliest farmers of Mesoamerica, and the most ancient trade networks joining peoples of the coast, plains, and mountains. From the ancient chile pepper and agave to the comparatively recent fare of sushi and Frito pie, this complex culinary journey involves many players over space and time. Born of scarcity, migration, and climate change, these foods are now fully at home in the Southwest of today—and with the “southwesternization” of the American palate at large, they are found across the globe. McNamee extends that story across thousands of years to the present, even imagining what the southwestern menu will look like in the near future.

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Take the guesswork out of vacation planning. Frommer’s hires only seasoned experts, in this case two renowned journalists who live full-time in Arizona. Their advice is savvy, dependable, and based not on one or two short trips to the state, but on a lifetime of exploration.They offer an up-to-date, detail- and tip-rich commentary on Arizona’s iconic sights, and will introduce you to restaurants, off-the-beaten-path attractions, nature spots, tours, bars, and shops, that few tourists know to visit. Most importantly, this book was fully re-researched after the pandemic lockdowns.So whether you’re going to be rafting the Grand Canyon, hiking in Sedona, living the high life in Phoenix and Scottsdale, or walking in the path of Native American history, this is the book for you.Frommer’s Arizona and the Grand Canyon contains: Dozens of stunning, full-color photos throughout Helpful maps throughout, including a fully-detachable fold-out map Strategic itineraries, including for families and weeklong stays, so you can make the most of your time Authentic experiences to help you appreciate this unique Southwestern culture, cuisine, historic sights and customs like a local Candid reviews, with star ratings of the best restaurants, attractions, tours, shops, and experiences—and advice on the ones not worth your time and money Accurate, up-to-date info on transportation, useful websites, costs, telephone numbers, health care options, and more Budget-planning help with the lowdown on prices and ways to save money, whether you’re traveling on a shoestring or in the lap of luxury. Note: Frommer’s always lists exact prices, not ranges, so there’s less guessing with this guidebook About Frommer’s: There’s a reason that Frommer’s has been the most trusted name in travel for more than sixty years. Arthur Frommer created the best-selling guide series in 1957 to help American servicemen fulfill their dreams of travel in Europe, and since then, we have published thousands of titles became a household name helping millions upon millions of people realize their own dreams of seeing our planet. Travel is easy with Frommer’s.

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