Abstract
North American Archaeologist has a long-standing tradition of incorporating book reviews into each issue. It is my belief that these reviews are a significant part of any journal and provide a critical opportunity for archaeologists to explore topics outside of their area of focus, make comparisons with the work going on inside their own field, and become inspired by unfamiliar voices. These book reviews also provide a platform for authors to share their work with audiences across North America and beyond.
With this issue, I would like to introduce myself as the recently appointed Book Review Editor for the journal. My role is to identify books of interest to our community and select individuals to review these titles for publication. Topics can and should cover a diverse range of focuses that reflects the interests of the readers. Although the journal emphasizes North American archaeology, I welcome reviews from other regions, especially work that applies innovative methods and theories that can inform the research going on here.
As a PhD candidate at the University of Oklahoma, I aim to maintain a broad and diverse perspective in my own doctoral work. Although my current research focuses on the Late Precontact occupation of the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains, past opportunities have allowed me to explore sites and collections from the Paleoindian period to the mid-20th century across Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Colorado, New Mexico, and Sonora, Mexico. I’m pleased to bring these experiences to the journal and have the opportunity to expand my own knowledge through this process.
Our Editor, Roger Moeller, strives to make this journal responsive to the diverse needs of the subscribers by incorporating a vast range of voices, geographic focuses, theoretical perspectives, and multidisciplinary work. I echo this sentiment and will work to incorporate this same diversity into the book reviews we present. However, to accomplish this goal, I will need the help of all readers to suggest books for review and offer their own unique voices as reviewers. With my new role, I am taking the time to compile a list of potential books as well as reviewers and the topics of interest to them. Please contact me at delaney-cooley@ou.edu to suggest books for review or provide reviews for the journal. I look forward to hearing from you!