Zen and the Art of Local History

The only thing better than a Carol Kammen 'On Doing Local History' essay is sixty-eight Carol Kammen essays. The only thing better than sixty-eight of Carol's insightful, spot-on, wonderfully crafted essays is marrying each with a talented colleague laboring in our rich field somewhere in this great country who provides equally compelling commentary and reflection. This volume is a superb idea taken to the max - at once readable, cerebral, practical, philosophical, and fun. Buy it. Read it. Pass it on. * AASLH History News *
Carol Kammen...has a gift for putting into crafted simple prose the thoughts that many of us have floating around rather vaguely in our minds. Zen and the Art of Local History is a constantly stimulating read. I have rarely seen a better book about local history, or been more impressed by the combination of wisdom, humanity and practicality which it offers. * The Local Historian *
Those in search of the higher purpose of history—be it local, regional, national, or global—would do well to acquaint themselves with Zen and the Art of Local History. It is a welcome reminder of what attracted many of us to the field of history and then kept us here. It speaks from the soul. Kammen and Beatty have produced a work that accurately defines the place of local history within the big tent of public history. It is a good introduction to local history and a road map of some of its contentious as well as more Zen-like paths. * Journal of American History *
Carol Kammen has been providing thoughtful commentary to History News readers for more than two decades. This volume is a retrospective of her columns followed by responses from her colleagues (and yours). Together, Carol and American Association for State and Local History’s own Bob Beatty have put together a book that will challenge your thinking and approaches to our work. -- Terry Davis, president and CEO, American Association for State and Local History
The only thing better than a Carol Kammen “On Doing Local History” essay is sixty-eight Carol Kammen essays. The only thing better than sixty-eight of Carol’s insightful, spot-on, wonderfully crafted essays is marrying each with a talented colleague laboring in our rich field somewhere in this great country who provides equally compelling commentary and reflection. This volume is a superb idea taken to the max—at once readable, cerebral, practical, philosophical, and fun. Buy it. Read it. Pass it on. -- D. Stephen Elliott, Director/CEO, Minnesota Historical Society
Carol Kammen and Bob Beatty provide timeless thought-fuel about the presence of local history in our daily lives. You’ll be engaged, inspired, and armed with a broader perspective that invites you to dig into the important task of making history accessible to others. -- Colleen Dilenschneider, chief market engagement office for IMPACTS and author/publisher of the blog Know Your Own Bone.