John Thurston Libri

A nine-day canoe trip turns into a profound, life-altering event as Louis discovers the untold stories of Voyageurs and Native Americans in his family's history. This thrilling adventure tells of Louis's family and his Scouting friends. They discover themselves through trial by terrain and weather, accomplish goals through teamwork, and learn the basic skills of Scouting as they have never applied them before. The story takes place in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness with its rich history and natural beauty, a million-acres of forest, lakes, streams, portages, and wildlife. There are no roads or motors allowed, so much of what is experienced is as it has been for centuries. For Louis, his paddle serves as a time machine as he shares a trip like those first taken by his French and Native ancestors. They traveled through this area over 300 years ago, paddling birch-bark canoes along the fur trade routes to northwestern Canada. The Charles L. Sommers Wilderness Canoe Base has served Scouting for nearly a century. From the founders who banded together to acquire the land, the staff today continues to ensure a future filled with stories of fun and adventure.

The story of the audacious carnie who built the greatest carnival dynasty in North America. Enter the realm of the Carnie King, Patty Conklin, the flamboyant founder of the world’s largest carnival company. From his beginnings as a small-time operator willing to try anything to promote his show, he transformed into a carnie celebrity, himself the main attraction. Winning the midway contract for the Canadian National Exhibition in 1937, he made it his personal world’s fair. That laid the foundation on which his son and grandson expanded Conklin Shows to play the biggest fairs and exhibitions in North America. Not only a history of Conklin Shows, Carnie King explores the inner working of midways, providing a fascinating story based off scores of interviews with carnies and access to the Conklin archives. The resulting history is at once a startling, nostalgic look at a unique part of twentieth-century North American culture and a vivid account of three generations of showmen and their dominance of midways across the continent.

Discover the rich symbolism and meaning behind religious imagery in this beautifully illustrated and insightful book. J Thomas and John Thurston explore the use of images, icons, and symbols in various religious traditions, providing readers with a deeper understanding of the beliefs and practices of Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and other faiths.