The Riddle of Amish Culture

by Donald B. Kraybill

Book Overview

Revised edition of this classic work brings the story of the Amish into the 21st century.

Since its publication in 1989, The Riddle of Amish Culture has become recognized as a classic work on one of America's most distinctive religious communities. But many changes have occurred within Amish society over the past decade, from westward migrations and a greater familiarity with technology to the dramatic shift away from farming...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 080186772X
• ISBN13: 9780801867729
• Release Date: November 2001
• Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
• Length: 424 Pages
• Weight: 1.31 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.0" x 9.0"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

The Riddle of Amish Culture

This is a great book. I used it in a reference to my Technology of History class. It is a great product to use to learn abotu the Amish culture and their meanings behind their way of life.

They call everybody English!

My experience with Amish people is limited to having lunch with an Amish family who were neighbors of friends in Ohio. My (ex)wife expressed approval that corn-on-the-cob was being served. The hostess said, "I didn't realize English liked corn-on-the-cob!" My wife (whose name was Ryan) replied, "Irish, not English!" This little vignette is an example of Amish anomaly. If you want to read about the whole thing - why and how, read this book. The most fascinating thing I learned is that the Amish leadership do not apply their rules in a rote fashion. Each modern technology is considered by the criteria of whether or not it will help or hurt the unity of the Amish family and people.

Great book

Timely shipment and in great condition. I was very pleased with order. Very educating.

Amish life: the same and yet so different

Not your typical photographic essay. Discusses in depth the complexities of the Amish nation's dynamic interelations with the larger English society. Amish life has, apparently, changed greatly in the last century, whether it be gas stoves, business ventures, fiberglass buggies, or toxic chemicals spewn from modern devices pulled by horses, although such details vary somewhat from church district to church district. There are no easy outs for those born into the faith and no easy ins for those born outside. A more truly revealing book on the Amish would have to be written by someone in the inside, which will not happen. However, Kraybill's work is a sympathetic, comprehensive, and revealing work. An informative read also suggested for public and academic libaries.

"The telephone is still on probation"

Have you ever wondered what happened to the Anabaptists? Or why the Mennonites and Amish have similar customs? Or why an Old Order Amish kitchen might have a gas-powered refrigerator but not an electric one?It's easy to distinguish the Amish farms in our area: no electrical lines running to the house; no T.V. antenna; and there are usually draft horses hitched to a piece of farm equipment or ambling through a pasture.One of my questions--how did the Amish emigrate to the middle of Michigan in the latter half of the twentieth century without driving a truck or car--was answered almost immediately by this lively, interesting book: it's okay to ride in an internal-combustion vehicle if a non-Amish ('English' they call us) is driving. "The Riddle of Amish Culture" isn't merely a thousand-and-one-facts-about-the-Amish guide. It is a sociological expedition into the heart of this religious order's faith and practices. The author also delves into the history of the Anabaptists and their descendants in faith, the Mennonites and most especially the Amish. He tells of a vigorous, albeit reclusive culture, and could almost be accused of serving as this religion's apologist if it weren't for his balanced treatment of Amish educational practices.This was the most disturbing part of the book for me, as the Old Order Amish do not educate their children past eighth grade. Nor are Amish teachers educated beyond eighth grade, and no science is taught to the children---none at all, much less Copernican astronomy or the theory of evolution. Amish children who stay within the church never become physicians, lawyers, or other lengthily-educated professionals.Luckily, the Amish have no qualms about hiring these skills from those of us the author refers to as 'Moderns.' Although there are some striking anomalies, the Amish have turned away from technological progress in the name of a peaceful, collective way of life where families and neighbors are bound together from cradle to grave. No computers. No central heating. No power lawn mowers. However, according to the Amish themselves, "the bottom line shows that they are subsidizers, rather than parasites, of the larger economic system." They pay taxes but refuse government handouts like Social Security or farm subsidies.Heck, they even pay school taxes even though their own children do not attend public schools.This book omitted one topic that seemed appropriate for a sociological text: I would have been interested in the author's treatment of the challenge facing the Amish regarding intermarriage within a relatively small gene pool. It is a minor omission in an otherwise in-depth account of the Amish way of life.