Yesterday's People-Pa

by Jack E. Weller

Book Overview

The distinctive way of life of the Southern Appalachian people has often been criticized, romanticized or derided, but rarely has it been understood. Yesterday's People, the fruit of many years' labor in the mountains, reveals the fears, anxieties, and hopes that underlie the mountaineers' way of thinking and acting, and thereby shape their relationships in family and community. First published in 1965, this book has been an indispensable guide for...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0813101093
• ISBN13: 9780813101095
• Release Date: January 1995
• Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
• Length: 184 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.7" x 8.7"

Customer Reviews

Life in contemorary Appalachia

Please not first this is the only 1965 edition ever printed. Any other book sold as a 1965 edition is incorrect. I checked with the publisher. This is a wonderful book that looks closure into the daily life of the appalachia children and adults. Covering everything from education to how they deal with daily events. 163 pages seems like a small amount but they are filled with information and insight. I personally would of rated it higher than 5 stars. key notes of this book 1) Author Jack Weller - Award winning Author 2) University of Kentucky press 1965 3) Introdiction by: Rupert B Vance 4) Emphasis placed on: Church, Community, Clubs, and daily life 5) Limited first edition with less than 5,500 of this cover printed.

Principles That Persist Over Time

The principles presented in this book are not dated. They only seem dated because they have been passing through generations for so long. Generational poverty has been a part of Appalachian culture for centuries and it continues to be an enormous challenge. There are those who press through the oppression and dream but the majority of Appalachia is summed up beautifully in this author's presentation.I have lived and worked my entire life in the area studied by the author. I can confirm his findings to be true and insightful. This book will inform the reader about a complex problem that is sure to span the ages.

Excellent Insight into the Appalachian culture

Weller's book does an excellent job of portraying the subtleties, and sometimes things not so subtle, of the culture of West Virginia and of a large part of the rest of southern Appalachia. West Virginia is the only state almost entirely lying within Appalachia so it is a good representation of the region. All the other states in the region are no more than about one-third in Appalachia. The anecdotes about reactions to events ring true and are very revealing. As a native West Virginian I got new insights into the culture from which I came.

Outstanding

This is one of the finest books of its' genre. Applalacian poor whites are for the most part a secretive and difficult people. Their mores and folkways are a puzzle for some and unrecognised by most. This author has furnished a touchstone upon which everyone from social workers to public defenders can gain insight. The book was first recommended to me by a superintendant of a correctional institution after a particularly senseless and brutal murder involving an number of this type of individuals. Since then, I have bought several copies of this book, loaned them out and none have been returned.