A shot of the book-signing table, as Country Views: The Essential Agrarian Essays of Zachary Michael Jack hits bookstores on October 24th as part of a nationwide publisher release. Join Zachary Michael Jack at the Presidential Politics Conference in Sioux Center and at Beaverdale Books in West Des Moines for an exciting book launch in heart of the agrarian heartland: central Iowa.
PRAISE FOR COUNTRY VIEWS:
“Like Art Cullen or Sarah Smarsh, Jack can be angry, funny, nostalgic and hopeful by turns, with a sharp eye for detail and lean, economical prose. Not content to merely idealize rural America, he cherishes it, asking hard questions about how it has changed, what it still has to offer, and what it demands of those who live here and of those who do not.”
–Laura Sayre, editor of Fields of Learning: The Student Farm Movement in North America
“Zachary Michael Jack’s writings illustrate that those whose roots are close to the soil, where plants and animals live or die, carry through life an uncommon sensitivity.”
–Dr. Duane C. Acker, former president of Kansas State University, former assistant secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture for Science and Education
“After reading Country Views, I felt like “someone had remembered me.” The commentaries are a delightful mix of sentimental journeys, statistical analysis, and rural policy issues relevant for any legislator to ponder.”
–Dr. Jeff Kaufmann, Former Speaker Pro Tem, Iowa House of Representatives, Professor of History, Muscatine Community College
“Zachary Michael Jack has given us more of his witty, insightful commentaries in his newest book. Jack offers a unique perspective on the lighter side of complex agrarian issues, addressing everything from “barnyard English” to “rural ghouls.” I highly recommend Country Views.”
–-Dr. Dana Hoag, Professor of Agricultural Economics, Colorado State University
Reading Country Views is like sitting down to a plate heaping with delicious home-cooked servings…. Whether you grew up agrarian or are tasting agrarianism for the first time, you are not only in for a treat but also may be surprised by what you learn that will influence how you think about rural America.
—Loren Kruse, retired editor-in-chief, Successful Farming magazine