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.
