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Dakota Circle Excursions on the True Plains is written by Dr. Tom Isern. It tells of his experiences with numerous places, peoples, and tales of the Great American Plains. The book illustrates local views, speaks of different innovations specific to the plains, and contains interesting stories which people of our area can closely relate to. He starts by describing the Dakota Circle as being the type of social gathering you might find at a family reunion where everyone simply sits around the living room and shoots the breeze. Then he describes some wild life and landscape of the plains. Next, he describes the Verendrey fiasco and how it is highly unlikely that a dog thought the tablet was a pork chop. He transitions into farm life on the plains and how the steam threshers have become monuments to plains heritage. Jerry built contraptions are found all over the plains, most of them look pretty tacky but they serve their purpose, for instance, an ugly windmill that we saw in our lectures. After talking about plum butter and cattle owners, Dr. Isern finished up with a comical chapter that will only be funny if you are from the area.

This book complimented the entire semester because it brought us all across the plains and covered topics like ethnic foods, adaptation, and it followed the development of the plains culture. The different stories helped to relate the main lecture ideas to their roots, for instance, the threshers becoming solemn monuments. I especially liked the last chapter because it sort of sealed the deal for me, I had been able to relate to the book the whole time, but those jokes brought it straight to heart. Is the plains culture something that has been carried on with those who have left the plains?