Synopsis
For more than thirty years John Shelton Reed has been "minding" the South-watching over it, providing commentary upon it. His primary focus is upon Southerners' present-day culture and consciousness, but he knows that one must approach the South historically in order to understand the place and its people. His essays cover everything from great thinkers about the South-Eugene D. Genovese, C. Vann Woodward, M. E. Bradford-to the uniqueness of a region that was once a hotbed of racism, but has recently attracted hundreds of thousands of blacks transplanted from the North. Reed writes with wit and Southern charm, never afraid to speak his mind, even when it comes to taking his beloved South to task. While readers may not share all his opinions, most will agree that John Shelton Reed is one of the best "South watchers" there is.
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Reed just gets better and better.