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  • Book cover of Poison Arrows

    A comprehensive survey of organic compounds used as poisons—on arrows and spears, in food, and even as insecticides—by numerous Native American tribes. Biological warfare is a menacing twenty-first-century issue, but its origins extend to antiquity. While the recorded use of toxins in warfare in some ancient populations is rarely disputed (the use of arsenical smoke in China, which dates to at least 1000 BC, for example) the use of “poison arrows” and other deadly substances by Native American groups has been fraught with contradiction. At last revealing clear documentation to support these theories, anthropologist David Jones transforms the realm of ethnobotany in Poison Arrows. Examining evidence within the few extant descriptive accounts of Native American warfare, along with grooved arrowheads and clues from botanical knowledge, Jones builds a solid case to indicate widespread and very effective use of many types of toxins. He argues that various groups applied them to not only warfare but also to hunting, and even as an early form of insect extermination. Culling extensive ethnological, historical, and archaeological data, Jones provides a thoroughly comprehensive survey of the use of ethnobotanical and entomological compounds applied in wide-ranging ways, including homicide and suicide. Although many narratives from the contact period in North America deny such uses, Jones now offers conclusive documentation to prove otherwise. A groundbreaking study of a subject that has been long overlooked, Poison Arrows imparts an extraordinary new perspective to the history of warfare, weaponry, and deadly human ingenuity. “A unique contribution to the field of American Indian ethnology. . . . This information has never been compiled before, and I doubt that many ethnologists in the field have ever suspected the extent to which poison was used among North American Indians. This book significantly extends our understanding.” —Wayne Van Horne, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Kennesaw State University

  • Book cover of Evil in Our Midst

    Evil in Our Midst provides a chilling glimpse of fifty dark angels, each of which represents a culture’s greatest fears. Every chapter opens with a story that shares the legend of a demon, and then offers fascinating information on the culture that, in many cases, perpetuates this belief. For those who believe in these creatures, this book gives reason to fear the unknown. For those who do not believe in demons, it provides terrifying reading for a stormy night.

  • Book cover of Sanapia

    Life histories are an excellent means of crosscultural understanding. In detailing the life of a Comanche medicine woman who wanted her methods recorded, Jones demonstrated such an intense interest in her training and experiences as a shaman that Sanapia not only accepted him as a valued biographer but also adopted him as a son. Readers will enjoy this intimate portrait of the last surviving Comanche Eagle doctor, revealed in descriptive accounts of her ritual behavior, her attitude toward the profession, the paraphernalia she employed, and her function in Comanche society.

  • Book cover of Native North American Armor, Shields, and Fortifications

    The first systematic comparative study of the defensive armor and fortifications of aboriginal Native Americans. From the Chickasaw fighting the Choctaw in the Southeast to the Sioux battling the Cheyenne on the Great Plains, warfare was endemic among the North American Indians when Europeans first arrived on this continent. An impressive array of offensive weaponry and battle tactics gave rise to an equally impressive range of defensive technology. Native Americans constructed very effective armor and shields using wood, bone, and leather. Their fortifications ranged from simple refuges to walled and moated stockades to multiple stockades linked in strategic defensive networks. In this book, David E. Jones offers the first systematic comparative study of the defensive armor and fortifications of aboriginal Native Americans. Drawing data from ethnohistorical accounts and archaeological evidence, he surveys the use of armor, shields, and fortifications both before European contact and during the historic period by American Indians from the Southeast to the Northwest Coast, from the Northeast Woodlands to the desert Southwest, and from the Sub-Arctic to the Great Plains. Jones also demonstrates the sociocultural factors that affected warfare and shaped the development of different types of armor and fortifications. Extensive eyewitness descriptions of warfare, armor, and fortifications, as well as photos and sketches of Indian armor from museum collections, add a visual dimension to the text. “This succinct book is well written and systematically organized and it will serve as the starting point for any future studies on the subject.” —Military History of the West “This book provides the first and only comprehensive survey of armor, shields, and fortifications [of American Indians]. . . . It has left me with a new appreciation for the sheer diversity of warfare, armor, and fortifications used by Native Americans, and it shatters stereotypes about the nature of aboriginal warfare.” —Wayne Van Horne, associate professor of Anthropology, Kennesaw State University

  • Book cover of Risk, Uncertainty and Profit

    Role of the entrepreneur in a distinct role of profit.

  • Book cover of Women Warriors

    Although their exact numbers are unknown, hundreds of women fought in the American Civil War on both sides of the conflict, often disguised as men.

  • Book cover of The Plays of T. S. Eliot
  • Book cover of The Restoration and the Gifts of the Spirit

    Restoration, what does it mean and is it necessary? When we understand that over time thoughts, ideas, and perceptions change it will reveal a need to search out how something was originally viewed. I feel this is especially true when we approach Scripture. We change, Scripture does not. The question that should be asked is "which direction are we going in?" In many ways, we cannot go forward until we establish a solid starting point. The further we get away from the starting point, the more the need is to return to the beginning. It is with this thought that this work was written. Many have removed themselves from the gifts of the Ruach (Spirit) because of misconceptions, or actions that may be viewed as unscrupulous or unscriptural. This book will show you how the Ruach (Spirit) moved throughout the entirety of Scripture following into how this affects our lives today.

  • Book cover of Martial Arts Training in Japan

    It is a goal for many practitioners of martial arts to study with masters in Japan. But it is not so simple for a Westerner to simply show up and sign up. There are rules and customs to be followed. As a Westerner who did study in Japan, author David Jones will help guide you through the pitfalls and achieve an invaluable learning experience. Martial Arts Training in Japan features detailed explanations in the ways of Japanese martial culture, including specific tips and caveats on how to apply for classes as well as how to get the most out of one's training. If you ever plan to study martial arts in Japan, this indispensable manual will guide you through the ins and outs of what you need to know to get the most out of your trip.