Here at Copper Country Explorer we tell the legend of a forsaken empire that once reigned over the scenic shores of the Keweenaw Peninsula; an empire ruled by copper. In no other place in the world did it occur in such purity and abundance. Its discovery led to one of the great colonizations of the modern age; transforming the remote and rugged wilderness of the Keweenaw into an industrial metropolis of over 100;000 people. It was not to last however. After over a century of rule; the empire would draw its last breaths. The mines closed; the people left; and the industrial metropolis returned to the wilderness from which it had come. In its place would be only ruins; the crumbling remnants of a lost civilization we know today as the Copper Country.It is within the shadows of the lost empire that this field guide wanders; exploring the ruins and remnants of a land lost in time. While the empire may have fallen; its legacy endures - crumbling ruins buried in the rugged wilderness; soaring stacks rising high above sprawling forest; and grand sandstone buildings lining quaint village streets. It is this field guide's mission to document these glimpses into history; and share the stories they tell.Featured in this volume... The great Copper Empire was complemented by an equally impressive network of rail; roads of iron that connected shaft to shaft; mine to mill; and mill to shore. Joining these mine railroads was even more rail; a trio of common carriers along with a street railway transporting people and freight to and from communities all across the peninsula. In the end the Copper Country would boast over a dozen railroads and several hundred miles of track; creating one of the densest and most prominent rail networks in the nation. A century later finds those mines closed and the railroads that supported them abandoned. Yet a great deal of the old rail network remains; hidden alongside the road and deep within the forest; scattered remnants of a great empire that once was.
#1139445 in Books Polity 2016-12-12Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 7.30 x .60 x 4.80l; .0 #File Name: 1509509763112 pagesPolity
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Very readable; thought provoking calls to action from a foremost proponent of liberation theology and Christian socialismBy A. I. McCullochNote: This is a version of a review first published by me on UK. The review is of an as-published copy of a book supplied to review without cost; by UK Vine .This is a book which is easy to read in the sense that the author's arguments are clearly and logically explained; and yet also takes time; in that Teresa Forcades gives the reader plenty to think about in her arguments.I often put the book down to properly digest what I had read; to pick it up again the following day.The book is laid out sections which are in the same sequence as the Benedictine monastic daily cycle of prayer; from pre-dawn Matins to the evening service of Compline. It links each of the five parts of the Benedictine day; plus recreation; with a unifying theme.The theme of the section titled 'Matins' is social justice; Lauds; has the theme of love and freedom; Sext; public health; Vespers; faith. As well as the philosophical and theological discussion points; Sr Teresa Forcades outlines the nature and particular atmosphere of those services.The author's almost unique perspectives as physician; nun; feminist and social activist make for some extremely thought provoking pieces.I'm not a Catholic and found my essential faith by attending an evangelical Christian church as a child which in later years embraced Creationism; which I did not. (Creationism generally has far less acceptance in UK Nonconformist churches than in the USA; at least in my experience.)The idea of a nun skipping Biblical verses in a reading during a service when she personally disagreed with the content was in itself something that I found initially a little surprising- but why not?Paul's letter to Timothy in which he says 'I permit no woman to teach or have authority over a man; she is to keep silent' is an instruction I have disobeyed just about every day of my working life as a teacher and tutor.As with many feminist writers Sr Teresa feminises God; something most readers of the canon will be used to seeing in print; but still a slight surprise in the writings of a Benedictine nun. She has been chastised by the Vatican; but it hasn't made her change her style.A book full of slight surprises; I've given this five stars because I very much enjoyed the way it made me think.I have Faith and Freedom as a bedside book and enjoyed the time spent in quiet contemplation of a wide range of matters. Particularly the compatability of a nationalist viewpoint allied with a socialist one - Forcades is a Catalan nationalist and anti-capitalist who in 2013; co-founded a political movement for Catalan independence. (Catalonia being a non-autonomous region of Spain).Equally compelling were sections on the injustices of big pharma; the subject of a book by her in Spanish just over 10 years ago; and compelling from a theological perspective the intriguing apocryphal Gospel of Judas. Her pieces are rallying calls to action for believers and those committed to social justice.This is the author's first book in English; I hope that it will not be the last. Accessible; readable and thought provoking.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Interesting and differentBy A readerThis is a somewhat odd but fascinating book by Benedictine nun Teresa Forcades i Vila. Sister Teresa has an extremely impressive background: doctorates in medicine; feminist theology; and Fundamental Theology; as well as considerable experience as an activiist.In this book; she covers an unexpected range of subjects; from corporate greed to BIg Pharma; to queer theory; to her interpretation of the Gospel of Judas; to the thirteenth century German theologian; Gertrude of Helftha; etc. She includes much lovely discussion of her own spiritual views; ending with a simple statement of her own beliefs.The book is very readable. Each chapter is named after one of the canonical hours; outlining the rituals and events of the day in her monastery.Very lovely and warm; though the material in each chapter doesn't always quite match the description a the beginning.This book will very likely appeal most to those with an open mind and a philosophical bent. Recommended to people open to new idesas within the church.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Interesting in content and formBy sanoe.netIt took me just a bit to get into Teresa Forcades's "Faith and Freedom" but that was only due to my realization that I am a lapsed Catholic because I had a little trouble with some of Forcades's terminology even though I read the introduction. That said; once I got past that personal block; I got into the flow of Sister Teresa's points.The book is a slim volume at under 125 pages. She speaks of faith and freedom in the sense of faith as discipline of contemplation and freedom for social justice. That one can be part of the other. Some topics; like Catalan independence; is specific to Sister Teresa but it lends itself to the more universal topics such as health care; public service; freedom.As I was reading; I didn't feel a need to agree with everything Sister Teresa was espousing in terms of her politics; but I always felt like I could appreciate the form and discipline that she lives her life and I like how she structured the book to follow a specific rhythm for monastic daily life. It ended up being a very interesting read both in content and form.
