Bucks County area authors produce books on many subjects

Books by local authors make great holiday gifts and there’s no shortage of them in Bucks County. Here are three notable books that may suit your needs well.
Barnstorming in Eastern Pennsylvania & Beyond by Jeffrey L. Marshall,·Volume XI of the Annual Publication Series of the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center at Kutztown University.
Marshall, who recently retired from his position of president of Heritage Conservancy has written severl books on barns. In “Barnstorming” he explores this quintessentially American structure through the eyes of a barnstormer, in colorful photo essays and plain language, which will appeal to a broad range of audiences at every level of interest, from the academician to the hobbyist.
With 40 years of fieldwork in historic preservation behind him, Marshall explores the experiences, meanings, and discoveries that take place within the barns of the region. He introduces ways to identify and understand unique barn forms and functions, with special emphasis placed upon details of use and significance in farming operations.
“This book is designed to kindle that appreciation and unlock the hidden stories of barns in this region and encouraging present and future generations to explore and appreciate these historic structures, with the potential to make barnstormers of us all,” Martshall says.
To order the book contact the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center, 22 Luckenbill Road, Kutztown, Pa. 19530. Phone 610-683-1589 and heritage@kutztown.edu.
The Prophetic Quest: The Stained Glass Windows of Jacob Landau, Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania by David S. Herrstrom and Andrew D. Scrimgeour, Penn State University Press.
“The Prophetic Quest,” celebrates the legacy of Philadelphia native Jacob Landau’s 1974 stained glass window installation in the Keneseth Israel synagogue in Elkins Park.
The book also features the photography of Tom Crane and contributions by Alicia Suskin Ostriker, Rita Rosen Poley, and Lance J. Sussman, along with additional reflections from artists, art historians, poets, clergy, and congregants.
The book celebrates the breathtaking series of 10 monumental stained glass windows in the Keneseth Israel synagogue, just north of Philadelphia.

Landau’s series, titled “The Prophetic Quest,” encompasses 10 masterful abstract pieces of stained glass that depict the lives and words of the biblical prophets, each towering nearly 25 feet high and spanning 5 feet across. A native of Philadelphia, Jacob Landau’s work explores human suffering as well as the search for peace and human understanding. He addressed events such as the Great Depression and the Holocaust in his drawings, paintings, and designs, many of which can be found in the permanent collections of museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Library of Congress, the Museum of Modern Art, and the National Gallery.
Author Herrstrom is an independent scholar and president of the Jacob Landau Institute. Co-author Scrimgeour is dean of libraries emeritus at Drew University, archivist emeritus of the Society of Biblical Literature, and the founding archivist of the American Academy of Religion.
The book is available at Penn State University Press, 820 N. University Dr., USB 1, Ste. C University Park, Pa. 16802-1003, psupress.org.
And for athletes, young and older, something different: Welcome to Karate: Unlocking the Wisdom of the Beginner’s Mind by Bruce Costa of Granite Forest Dojo, Perkasie.
Teruyuki Okazaki, founder of the International Shotokan Karate Federation, writes in his forward, “It is always heartwarming for me when a student of mine not only continues to train but also makes the decision to share experience and training with others. Bruce first began his Sholotan karate ttraining with me as a student at Temple University. Many university students, once they finish their academic commitment, discontinue their karate training. However, it fortunate for the many students Bruce had guided in the karate community that he remained true to this martial art.”
The book is a manual for beginner students. It explains the dojo etiquette an the basic kihon, kata and kumite.
Karate teaches the tools for protection but it also teaches how to treat others with respect and courtesy. “Respect and courtesy are contagious,” Okazaki wrote,” When we treat each other this way, we will be making a contribution to making the world a better place. This is our ultimate goal.
Costa’s initial advice in the book is for students to do two things, show up and try hard. “Without ever having met you, I can guarantee that if you do those two things, you will measurably – and not at all contrarily – grow in both confidence and humility.”
Sensei Costa has presented and taught throughout America and Western Europe. He established Granite Forest Dojo in 2002. For copies of “Welcome to Karate,” contact graniteforestdojo.org or call 215-896-1126.

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