What do you think?
Rate this book
The Amish
Companion to the acclaimed PBS American Experience documentary. Winner of the CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title of the Choice ACRL The Amish have always struggled with the modern world. Known for their simple clothing, plain lifestyle, and horse-and-buggy mode of transportation, Amish communities continually face outside pressures to modify their cultural patterns, social organization, and religious world view. An intimate portrait of Amish life, The Amish explores not only the emerging diversity and evolving identities within this distinctive American ethnic community, but also its transformation and geographic expansion. Donald B. Kraybill, Karen M. Johnson-Weiner, and Steven M. Nolt spent twenty-five years researching Amish history, religion, and culture. Drawing on archival material, direct observations, and oral history, the authors provide an authoritative and sensitive understanding of Amish society. Amish people do not evangelize, yet their numbers in North America have grown from a small community of some 6,000 people in the early 1900s to a thriving population of more than 320,000 today. The largest populations are found in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Indiana, with additional communities in twenty-eight other states and three Canadian provinces. The authors argue that the intensely private and insular Amish have devised creative ways to negotiate with modernity that have enabled them to thrive in America. The transformation of the Amish in the American imagination from “backward bumpkins” to media icons poses provocative questions. What does the Amish story reveal about the American character, popular culture, and mainstream values? Richly illustrated, The Amish is the definitive portrayal of the Amish in America in the twenty-first century.
520 pages, Paperback
First published April 29, 2013
76 people are currently reading
414 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
July 30, 2013
This is a comprehensive look at the Amish culture and religion. It is well-researched and well-written and is divided into five sections and twenty-two chapters. Each chapter begins with an extract of the material to follow. I am focusing my review on several sections that stood out from the rest of the material in the book for me.
The extract of the first chapter begins with a glimpse of how a "national crusade for educational progress... had a bump on the back roads of rural America" when in the fall of 1954, some 100 Amish people were arrested for refusing to send their children to school beyond the eighth grade. I thought this chapter was going to be about Amish education, but it was actually about how the Amish are a thriving people and their constant struggle with modernity. This is the only chapter in which I felt the extract did not match the contents of the chapter. All the rest of them were right on.
In the second section there is a chapter on religious roots that I consider one of the best in the book -- from the extract to the end. For so long, I have been trying to put into words the Amish belief system, and I always feel I fall short. And here it is, well conveyed. The chapter begins with an Amish church service being held in the upstairs of a barn, and just as the people in the congregation turn to face their benches to pray, the host rises and pulls the barn door shut. Afterwards, when a visitor asks why he did that, the elderly bishop states, "Because Jesus taught us to pray in private." This conveys the humility of the Amish faith. Theirs is also a faith steeped in martyrdom and deep traditions, which is best described in the following chapters on sacred rituals in the gathered community, the Amish way, and their symbols and identity.
In the third section, there is a chapter called "Rumspringa to Marriage," which is another one of my favorite chapters in this book. I want to say "Bravo!" to the authors for challenging seven different myths and giving real information about what rumspringa is and is not. For example for "Myth Two: Parents encourage their children to explore the outside world," the authors state "Some pundits say that the church has established a cultural `time out' for that purpose, but this is simply false." They quote an Amish woman as saying, "Rumspringa as people talk about it is a lie. What group of parents that love their children would say, `Go out and do whatever you want and decide whether you want to be like we raised you'?" After reading this chapter, I no longer feel so alone in trying to shatter the myths about rumpspringa. The one thing I would have added is that there are several Amish communities that require their young people to become members of the church before they are allowed to date. That gives the church authority over the young people's actions, which does not allow for any relaxing of the rules of the Ordnung.
I have pondered the reason why the people in mainstream culture have latched onto the idea that the Amish allow their young people a time to make a conscious choice about whether they stay or leave. I think there is a desire to superimpose our values on their culture. We are the ones who value choice and therefore deem the Amish a better society if they give their young people a conscious choice. But that is not at all what the Amish are about. Their culture is about sacrificing personal freedom for the sake of the community. Having a conscious choice about being Amish is the polar opposite of the experience of most Amish youth who know they are expected to join the church, be baptized, marry, have and raise children in the same faith as their parents, their grandparents, and many other generations before them and live out their lives in an Amish community. If they do so, they experience a close community throughout their lives, while we get our personal freedom. As the Amish put it -- it's impossible to have both.
The chapter on Amish education is literally the only chapter in the whole book with which I disagree, almost completely. I would have liked for the authors to grapple with the ethical and moral dilemmas that result from exempting one religious group from compulsory education and child labor laws. It was argued in the 1972 landmark Wisconsin v. Yoder Supreme Court case that the Amish culture would not survive if they were bound by the same laws as everyone else. This begs the question of whether it is ethical or moral for the Amish to deprive their children of an education beyond the eighth grade so that the culture can survive. This is not unlike many of the other aspects of Amish culture, in which they are held to a different standard than the rest of society.
Rather than deal with these issues, the authors focus on the long and contentious struggle for the Amish to become exempt, the demise of the little red schoolhouse, and the explosion and structure of Amish schools. They also write about teachers, diversity of Amish schools, the academic outcomes of Amish schooling, and "different world, different aims." Unlike the rest of the chapters, this one feels unbalanced to me.
At the Amish conference in June 2013, one of the authors stated publicly that there are some Amish groups that would like to educate their children beyond the eighth grade, but out of solidarity with other Amish affiliations, they are not doing so. They are concerned that it will cause controversy in more conservative groups because the authorities can point to the Amish groups allowing more education as a way to force the more traditional groups to follow their example. The author may have a point but it's not the only area in which the conservative Amish struggle with authorities and the liberal groups do not, such as with the issues of triangles on buggies, compliance of building codes, and outhouses.
It took me years after leaving the Amish to realize that level of education is not determined by the Ordnung of the Amish church. The expectation that parents limit their children's education lives somewhere outside the rules of the church, but is deeply ingrained in the Amish psyche. If it were included in the rules of the church, it would technically be open to debate every six months when the bishop of each church district reviews the rules of the Ordnung because all the members of the church get a vote about whether they agree. It is rare that anyone disagrees, but this point of distinction is still a valid one. It begs the question of why education is a controversial issue if limiting education of children to the eighth grade is not one of the rules in the church.
If I could change anything about the culture that I was raised in, it would be that the Amish educate their children beyond the eighth grade, even if it's for two more years in their own schools. I think so much good would come of this. If indeed more people leave the community as a result of realizing they have a choice, then the people who decide to stay would have made a more conscious choice to do so.
Overall, the authors did a very good job of looking at two sides of the various issues and they wrote with a unified voice in "The Amish." I appreciate that the book as a whole represents an exhaustive amount of research and an unwavering commitment to writing and editing as a team. The end result is a body of work that will be excellent reference material for years to come.
Disclaimer: I did not receive a free copy of this book in exchange for a review... I purchased the book from Amazon.
The extract of the first chapter begins with a glimpse of how a "national crusade for educational progress... had a bump on the back roads of rural America" when in the fall of 1954, some 100 Amish people were arrested for refusing to send their children to school beyond the eighth grade. I thought this chapter was going to be about Amish education, but it was actually about how the Amish are a thriving people and their constant struggle with modernity. This is the only chapter in which I felt the extract did not match the contents of the chapter. All the rest of them were right on.
In the second section there is a chapter on religious roots that I consider one of the best in the book -- from the extract to the end. For so long, I have been trying to put into words the Amish belief system, and I always feel I fall short. And here it is, well conveyed. The chapter begins with an Amish church service being held in the upstairs of a barn, and just as the people in the congregation turn to face their benches to pray, the host rises and pulls the barn door shut. Afterwards, when a visitor asks why he did that, the elderly bishop states, "Because Jesus taught us to pray in private." This conveys the humility of the Amish faith. Theirs is also a faith steeped in martyrdom and deep traditions, which is best described in the following chapters on sacred rituals in the gathered community, the Amish way, and their symbols and identity.
In the third section, there is a chapter called "Rumspringa to Marriage," which is another one of my favorite chapters in this book. I want to say "Bravo!" to the authors for challenging seven different myths and giving real information about what rumspringa is and is not. For example for "Myth Two: Parents encourage their children to explore the outside world," the authors state "Some pundits say that the church has established a cultural `time out' for that purpose, but this is simply false." They quote an Amish woman as saying, "Rumspringa as people talk about it is a lie. What group of parents that love their children would say, `Go out and do whatever you want and decide whether you want to be like we raised you'?" After reading this chapter, I no longer feel so alone in trying to shatter the myths about rumpspringa. The one thing I would have added is that there are several Amish communities that require their young people to become members of the church before they are allowed to date. That gives the church authority over the young people's actions, which does not allow for any relaxing of the rules of the Ordnung.
I have pondered the reason why the people in mainstream culture have latched onto the idea that the Amish allow their young people a time to make a conscious choice about whether they stay or leave. I think there is a desire to superimpose our values on their culture. We are the ones who value choice and therefore deem the Amish a better society if they give their young people a conscious choice. But that is not at all what the Amish are about. Their culture is about sacrificing personal freedom for the sake of the community. Having a conscious choice about being Amish is the polar opposite of the experience of most Amish youth who know they are expected to join the church, be baptized, marry, have and raise children in the same faith as their parents, their grandparents, and many other generations before them and live out their lives in an Amish community. If they do so, they experience a close community throughout their lives, while we get our personal freedom. As the Amish put it -- it's impossible to have both.
The chapter on Amish education is literally the only chapter in the whole book with which I disagree, almost completely. I would have liked for the authors to grapple with the ethical and moral dilemmas that result from exempting one religious group from compulsory education and child labor laws. It was argued in the 1972 landmark Wisconsin v. Yoder Supreme Court case that the Amish culture would not survive if they were bound by the same laws as everyone else. This begs the question of whether it is ethical or moral for the Amish to deprive their children of an education beyond the eighth grade so that the culture can survive. This is not unlike many of the other aspects of Amish culture, in which they are held to a different standard than the rest of society.
Rather than deal with these issues, the authors focus on the long and contentious struggle for the Amish to become exempt, the demise of the little red schoolhouse, and the explosion and structure of Amish schools. They also write about teachers, diversity of Amish schools, the academic outcomes of Amish schooling, and "different world, different aims." Unlike the rest of the chapters, this one feels unbalanced to me.
At the Amish conference in June 2013, one of the authors stated publicly that there are some Amish groups that would like to educate their children beyond the eighth grade, but out of solidarity with other Amish affiliations, they are not doing so. They are concerned that it will cause controversy in more conservative groups because the authorities can point to the Amish groups allowing more education as a way to force the more traditional groups to follow their example. The author may have a point but it's not the only area in which the conservative Amish struggle with authorities and the liberal groups do not, such as with the issues of triangles on buggies, compliance of building codes, and outhouses.
It took me years after leaving the Amish to realize that level of education is not determined by the Ordnung of the Amish church. The expectation that parents limit their children's education lives somewhere outside the rules of the church, but is deeply ingrained in the Amish psyche. If it were included in the rules of the church, it would technically be open to debate every six months when the bishop of each church district reviews the rules of the Ordnung because all the members of the church get a vote about whether they agree. It is rare that anyone disagrees, but this point of distinction is still a valid one. It begs the question of why education is a controversial issue if limiting education of children to the eighth grade is not one of the rules in the church.
If I could change anything about the culture that I was raised in, it would be that the Amish educate their children beyond the eighth grade, even if it's for two more years in their own schools. I think so much good would come of this. If indeed more people leave the community as a result of realizing they have a choice, then the people who decide to stay would have made a more conscious choice to do so.
Overall, the authors did a very good job of looking at two sides of the various issues and they wrote with a unified voice in "The Amish." I appreciate that the book as a whole represents an exhaustive amount of research and an unwavering commitment to writing and editing as a team. The end result is a body of work that will be excellent reference material for years to come.
Disclaimer: I did not receive a free copy of this book in exchange for a review... I purchased the book from Amazon.
December 19, 2017
Човечеството отдавна е навлязло в модерната епоха и живее в нея може да се каже по-добре от всякога в цялата си история - хората са по-богати, по-здрави, живеят по-дълго, имат повече свободно време, повече забавления, науката и изкуството са в апогея си...
В същото време, броят на психичните заболявания главоломно расте, стресът и депресията се превръщат в национални епидемии на най-развитите държави, технологичните визионери на света като Стив Джобс и Зукърбърг не позволяват на децата си да ползват смартфони и таблети, все повече хора избират да нямат деца или просто не могат да си намерят партньор и живеят в самота, а естественият прираст на населението в развития свят, след един период, в който беше нулев, сега стабилно започва да си е отрицателен.
Много сме модерни, много сме научни, много сме културни и живеем бъдещето, само че защо ли традиционните общества, които зачитат религията повече от науката и гледат да създадат семейство още млади и да си народят деца, някак успяват не само да са по-щастливи и удовлетворени от живота, но най-вече и по-конкурентоспособни в биологичен и културен еволюционен план, като практически започват да превземат чрез раждаемост и емиграция цивилизованите такива?
От всички традиционни общества, Амишите са може би най-интересни, защото фрапиращата липса на модерност в техния живот е по избор, а не поради забавено развитие. Това е една религиозна секта в САЩ, които са се отказали да ползват автомобили и електричество, придвижват се с конски каручки, светят си с газови лампи, ходят облечени само в най-прости дрехи като извадени от 17в. и имат по шест-седем деца, които учат само до осми клас.
И като казвам "отказали се" имам предвид точно това - те не практикуват характерното за останалите религии и секти на християнството и исляма промиване на мозъци от детска възраст. Напротив, младите им хора имат доста голяма свобода и чак при навършване на пълнолетие - ако пожелаят - биват покръстени като членове на църквата и тогава вече за тях почват да важат всички строги ограничения, изведени както от Библията, така и от собственият им кодекс на поведение наречен Die Ordnung.
Всяко от тия ограничения е било и все още е обект на размисъл и дебати в общностите на амишите и има своя дълбок смисъл. Например, те не ползват телефони, защото смятат, че телефонът те изкушава да се обадиш на роднините и приятелите си, вместо да отидеш да се видите. Автомобилите ти позволяват да пътуваш и да се отдалечаваш от приятелския и съседски кръг на най-близките ти хора. Не ползват обществената осигурителна система, обществени електричество и водопровод и т.н. защото искат да са зависими само от общността си, а не от правителството. Въпреки, че са изкусни дребни бизнесмени, никога не използват опцията "фалит" защото го смятат за нечестно измъкване от поети задължения.
Изобщо за тях връзката с общността, със семейството, роднините и приятелите е най-важното нещо на света (след връзката с Бог, според тях, но според мен на практика даже преди нея) и цялата им обществена уредба е насочена в подкрепа на това.
Книгата на Доналд Крейбил е чудесно и подробно описание на живота на амишите, на техните разбирания, обичаи и порядки и ги показва в доста положителна светлина. Тя поставя, но оставя на читателя да си отговори на въпроса защо един такъв простичък и на пръв поглед нелогичен начин на живот носи толкова голямо удовлетворение на хората (много малко хора се отказват от живота на амиши, въпреки че почти няма пречки за това) и толкова добри обществени резултати (почти липсваща престъпност, семейно насилие, психични заболявания, самотни възрастни хора, фалити и т.н.).
В същото време, броят на психичните заболявания главоломно расте, стресът и депресията се превръщат в национални епидемии на най-развитите държави, технологичните визионери на света като Стив Джобс и Зукърбърг не позволяват на децата си да ползват смартфони и таблети, все повече хора избират да нямат деца или просто не могат да си намерят партньор и живеят в самота, а естественият прираст на населението в развития свят, след един период, в който беше нулев, сега стабилно започва да си е отрицателен.
Много сме модерни, много сме научни, много сме културни и живеем бъдещето, само че защо ли традиционните общества, които зачитат религията повече от науката и гледат да създадат семейство още млади и да си народят деца, някак успяват не само да са по-щастливи и удовлетворени от живота, но най-вече и по-конкурентоспособни в биологичен и културен еволюционен план, като практически започват да превземат чрез раждаемост и емиграция цивилизованите такива?
От всички традиционни общества, Амишите са може би най-интересни, защото фрапиращата липса на модерност в техния живот е по избор, а не поради забавено развитие. Това е една религиозна секта в САЩ, които са се отказали да ползват автомобили и електричество, придвижват се с конски каручки, светят си с газови лампи, ходят облечени само в най-прости дрехи като извадени от 17в. и имат по шест-седем деца, които учат само до осми клас.
И като казвам "отказали се" имам предвид точно това - те не практикуват характерното за останалите религии и секти на християнството и исляма промиване на мозъци от детска възраст. Напротив, младите им хора имат доста голяма свобода и чак при навършване на пълнолетие - ако пожелаят - биват покръстени като членове на църквата и тогава вече за тях почват да важат всички строги ограничения, изведени както от Библията, така и от собственият им кодекс на поведение наречен Die Ordnung.
Всяко от тия ограничения е било и все още е обект на размисъл и дебати в общностите на амишите и има своя дълбок смисъл. Например, те не ползват телефони, защото смятат, че телефонът те изкушава да се обадиш на роднините и приятелите си, вместо да отидеш да се видите. Автомобилите ти позволяват да пътуваш и да се отдалечаваш от приятелския и съседски кръг на най-близките ти хора. Не ползват обществената осигурителна система, обществени електричество и водопровод и т.н. защото искат да са зависими само от общността си, а не от правителството. Въпреки, че са изкусни дребни бизнесмени, никога не използват опцията "фалит" защото го смятат за нечестно измъкване от поети задължения.
Изобщо за тях връзката с общността, със семейството, роднините и приятелите е най-важното нещо на света (след връзката с Бог, според тях, но според мен на практика даже преди нея) и цялата им обществена уредба е насочена в подкрепа на това.
Книгата на Доналд Крейбил е чудесно и подробно описание на живота на амишите, на техните разбирания, обичаи и порядки и ги показва в доста положителна светлина. Тя поставя, но оставя на читателя да си отговори на въпроса защо един такъв простичък и на пръв поглед нелогичен начин на живот носи толкова голямо удовлетворение на хората (много малко хора се отказват от живота на амиши, въпреки че почти няма пречки за това) и толкова добри обществени резултати (почти липсваща престъпност, семейно насилие, психични заболявания, самотни възрастни хора, фалити и т.н.).
May 21, 2017
This book is extremely detailed and thorough on many topics. That is both a good thing from a scholarly perspective, and a bad thing from a casual curiosity perspective. I ended up skimming a lot because it was redundant or more detailed than I was interested in. But I really appreciate the research and insight the authors provided, and their attempts to be even-handed. This is a book that solidly attempts to educate non-Amish on the great diversity of Amish experience and what that really means, rather than a romantic/nostalgic vision based on misinformation or stereotype.
July 23, 2023
DNF - made it about halfway through. An academic overview of the Amish peoples. While it was a good intro to the history and basis of the Amish cultures, the authors did gloss over the social history and implications of their beliefs. I wish there had been more focus on the effects of the strict gender roles and restrictive culture on Amish people.
November 5, 2025
very cool way of living but unfortunately i'm addicted to twitter
January 21, 2019
This book is a very thorough depiction of ACTUAL Amish culture. I desired to further my understanding of Amish culture because I am continually interacting with Amish Enterprise (Lumber Mills).
The secular assumption is that newer is faster and better. However, the Amish approach is to go slow, be cautious, and consult with the community.
The Amish are primarily focused on community. They do not promote individuality. Their Christian religion drives ALL of their life. Church is life.
The Amish traits are very admirable, and I often think they are misunderstood and mysterious. The Amish do not have much bureaucracy, and their own communities have LARGE differences. This book exhausts the difference between Amish affiliations.
This book is ONLY worth reading if you are extremely interested and want to deep dive their culture. It was ok.
The secular assumption is that newer is faster and better. However, the Amish approach is to go slow, be cautious, and consult with the community.
The Amish are primarily focused on community. They do not promote individuality. Their Christian religion drives ALL of their life. Church is life.
The Amish traits are very admirable, and I often think they are misunderstood and mysterious. The Amish do not have much bureaucracy, and their own communities have LARGE differences. This book exhausts the difference between Amish affiliations.
This book is ONLY worth reading if you are extremely interested and want to deep dive their culture. It was ok.
December 10, 2023
The Amish are a very interesting case study in living a slower, less technologically heavy life in a much denser web of family and community. This book studies that case in easy to read detail.
All I knew about the Amish at the outset was popular media representations of them. Donald Kraybill gives an extensively researched multifaceted view of everything from their lives and beliefs to the variation between different settlements. There's so much more to Amish life than no phones and horse and buggies.
Time and time again while reading, I felt there was wisdom to be gained from The Amish Way. Implementation is tricky since their approach is a cohesive way to live and it's hard to take a piece here and there to integrate into a typical American life. I'm still glad I read the book and feel like my life will be richer for it in unexpected ways over the years.
All I knew about the Amish at the outset was popular media representations of them. Donald Kraybill gives an extensively researched multifaceted view of everything from their lives and beliefs to the variation between different settlements. There's so much more to Amish life than no phones and horse and buggies.
Time and time again while reading, I felt there was wisdom to be gained from The Amish Way. Implementation is tricky since their approach is a cohesive way to live and it's hard to take a piece here and there to integrate into a typical American life. I'm still glad I read the book and feel like my life will be richer for it in unexpected ways over the years.
December 27, 2024
3.5 stars, rounding down.
A very interesting topic with a lot of interesting aspects. Nevertheless rounding down as the book itself didn't have a good readability. Moreover, some aspects were repeated and others were confusing. That's why I took fovever to read further and finish it.
Still it's for all who are interested in this topic or in cultural/sociological topics.
3.5 Serne, abgerundet.
Sehr interessantes Thema mit sehr, sehr vielen interessanten Punkten.
Ich habe trotzdem abgerundet, weil das Buch an sich nicht rund war und es keinen guten Lesefluss hatte, weshalb ich auh ewig gebraucht habe, um weiter- und es fertig zu lesen.
Trotzdem für alle, die das Thema oder kulturelle/soziologische Themen interessieren.
A very interesting topic with a lot of interesting aspects. Nevertheless rounding down as the book itself didn't have a good readability. Moreover, some aspects were repeated and others were confusing. That's why I took fovever to read further and finish it.
Still it's for all who are interested in this topic or in cultural/sociological topics.
3.5 Serne, abgerundet.
Sehr interessantes Thema mit sehr, sehr vielen interessanten Punkten.
Ich habe trotzdem abgerundet, weil das Buch an sich nicht rund war und es keinen guten Lesefluss hatte, weshalb ich auh ewig gebraucht habe, um weiter- und es fertig zu lesen.
Trotzdem für alle, die das Thema oder kulturelle/soziologische Themen interessieren.
May 21, 2025
I had to take this in bits and pieces; however it is well written. While reading it and learning more, I was able to also run by what I was reading with dear friends that did grow up in Ohio Amish groups. I highly recommend.
August 11, 2017
I thought I'd skim sections of this book, but I found myself unable to skim. It was fascinating and I had to read it all.
August 19, 2018
Excellent!
October 2, 2018
An excellent look at Amish history, traditions, and way of life. It's a textbook that's very readable.
May 10, 2020
Excellent book. Well researched and ordered. Definitely recommend for anyone who is interested in learning about the Amish.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 13, 2023
Basically a sociological examination. DNF
August 13, 2023
Very detailed account of Amish life from all aspects. Several pages of references at the back of the book. Not easy to read due to all the minute details and geographical references.
February 28, 2024
This is an interesting book to have a quick glance of the Amish lifestyle and surrounding the events that happened.
October 19, 2013
This is a recently published book that I would highly recommend. It is a scholarly study of some aspects of the Amish culture. Not all aspects are discussed, but I feel it is very comprehensive in helping to understand the Amish. One thing that I particularly got from the book is that despite the given name "Amish", there are just as many differences within subgroups and among families as there are in any other culture. I have read a lot of research on the Amish over the years, but I found this book to be the most helpful.
September 1, 2013
My husband thought it was funny that I was reading this "for pleasure", but if you are interested in the Amish this is a great resource. It is very thorough and covers all ways of life. I didn't realize how widespread the Amish are within the United States. This is a fascinating culture that has done a great job of preserving itself in a changing world.
March 21, 2014
Don't judge a book by its movie.
I read this book after watching a PBS documentary of the same name. Very informative, very interesting, just one "dry" spot == when explaining that some Amish use "air motors" for running some appliances, I wondered why the author couldn't just call a windmill, a windmill. An good, informative read.
I read this book after watching a PBS documentary of the same name. Very informative, very interesting, just one "dry" spot == when explaining that some Amish use "air motors" for running some appliances, I wondered why the author couldn't just call a windmill, a windmill. An good, informative read.
September 26, 2014
I enjoyed this book. It was an easy read and very informative. I felt like the author did a good job at objectively writing on this subject - I didn't feel he had a bias one way or the other - which is good. I learned a lot about the Amish from this book.
I didn't actually finish the book. It was on loan from a library outside our district so I had to return it but I got most of it read.
I didn't actually finish the book. It was on loan from a library outside our district so I had to return it but I got most of it read.
July 21, 2015
Has amazing detail and insight into the history, religious practices and beliefs, and daily lifestyles of different communities of Amish people in the United States. But, it was way too long. At some points it was as dry as a dissertation. At other points, it was approachable and fluidly written. So, read what you like and don't feel like you need to finish it.
November 16, 2015
A thorough exploration of the Amish people, both in their history and in their contemporary presence in society. Well written, cleanly presented, and a valuable resource for anyone interested in this culture who wants an eyes-in perspective, rather than a romanticized one. Absolutely respectful, definitive portrayal.
July 1, 2013
This becomes the standard survey work on the Amish in North America. There is some repetition of themes between chapters, and the Ontario Amish are virtually invisible in the chapter on government and civic relations. But there are many good insights.
February 7, 2015
Interesting, neutral viewpoint, good background knowledge to combat the slew of TV garbage staged to shock.
June 23, 2013
A bit dry and repetitive but definitely extremely detailed and informative.
August 30, 2013
Excellent research, well-written, interesting. Everything you ever wanted to know about the Amish, and more!
February 15, 2014
I liked it. I found it informative and interesting. :)
Read
December 30, 2013Excellent book on Amish life
March 1, 2014
Very informative.
September 9, 2016
Brief glimpse into modern day Amish lives. Interesting as an opener.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews