Bridging the Distance

David B. Danbom is the Fargo Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Professor Emeritus at North Dakota State University, USA, where he taught for 36 years. He has authored six books, most recently Born in the Country: A History of Rural America and Sod Busting: How Families Made Farms on the 19th-Century Plains.

"Bridging the Distance is an intriguing book that approaches the problems and concerns of isolated western communities from a variety of perspectives. It is highly recommended for interested readers and post-secondary classroom use, especially for courses in history, political science, and community planning. This collection is a welcome corrective to the assumption that urban spaces have a monopoly on all that is interesting and useful in America." --South Dakota History "Several stellar essays detail the social, cultural, economic, political, and technological structures that perpetuate tensions [in the rural West]." --Pacific Northwest Quarterly "The multidiscipline case study approach effectively conveys the complexity of the region. Furthermore, every one of the essays directly relates to the issue of distance. Readers learn how rural westerners overcame some problems associated with distance and how they failed to resolve many other problems. Scholars interested in addressing common issues of the Midwest should pay close attention to Bridging the Distance and draw inspiration from its success." --Middle West Review "This book represents current thinking across a variety of disciplines regarding the rural West. It is up-to-date and offers a fresh look at current challenges facing the region. By combining data with thoughtful reflections and proposals the book provides a foundation for further investigation and discussion." --Brian Q. Cannon, co-editor of Immigration to the Far West and co-author of The Awkward State of Utah: Coming of Age in the Nation, 1896-1945