JOHN SHELTON REED |
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One South: Essays in Regional Sociology“Each [essay] contributes in a unique and important way to the study and understanding of regional groups in general and the South in particular.”
(Social Science Quarterly) “[Reed’s] manner is light and engaging, while keeping up a constant flow of information; and his attitude is one of bemused tolerance toward the foibles and mysteries of social behavior. . . . If Reed had not been misdirected during his tender, formative years, he might have turned into a passing fair geographer.” (Wilber Zelinsky, Annals of the Association of American Geographers) “Should be of great value to historians. . . . Reed has a delightful style, and his work is a pleasure to read.” (Henry G. Pitchford, Louisiana History) “Interesting and provocative.” (James A. Tinsley, Georgia Historical Quarterly) “The Charlie Daniels of southern sociology [exhibits] wit, amiability, and a refreshingly cosmopolitan frame of analytical reference. . . . An accomplished social observer [and] a distinctive voice, ebullient and gaily defensive about southern culture, vernacular and disarming.” (Michael O’Brien, Journal of Southern History) “After both the survey data and the rich anecdotes which Reed deploys, the reader will not be surprised that the Irish of Savannah celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with green grits for breakfast, that southern colleges produce so many NFL quarterbacks, and that ‘A Boy Named Sue’ was such a popular song.” (Tony Badger, Journal of American Studies) “The perceptive and suggestive observations of an involved scholar, . . . marked by an easy, informal style.” (Terry L. Seip, The Public Historian) “An important contribution to southern studies . . . . consistently intelligent and well-written. . . . Reed possesses a fine eye for social nuance and an uncanny ability for saying something original on subjects about which much has already been written.” (Daniel Joseph Singal, American Journal of Sociology) “A pleasant reminder that there are able sociologists, in the tradition of Howard W. Odum and Rupert B. Vance, seriously engaged in the study of the South and the role of regionalism in the United States. . . . Illuminating and useful. It is not only instructive to read John Shelton Reed, it is also fun.” (Dewey W. Grantham, Florida Historical Quarterly) |