Independent Books

Great tips in this book for the independent traveler. The book is organized in such a way that the tips are easy to find, timeless and relevant. The author peppers the rich book with cleaver stories and experiences that will touch your heart and make you smile. Don't take my word for it - Chuck Yeager endorsed it.... so it must be good!

I can't wait for Dr. Mary's next book about traveling with children. Many of us need a few tips in that department!!!

"Writing Off Ideas" is Randall Holcombe's examination of the role charitable foundations play in shaping public policy in a free society. In it, he explores issues like donor intent and whether institutional incentives exist to ensure that foundation board members are held accountable for their actions.

He begins by pointing out that the vast majority of charitable foundations in the twentieth century were established under very general mandates to promote the public interest. He claims this approach enables board members to address unique problems in society as they occur and prevents their current leadership from being constrained by the desires of their original donors. As foundations are funded entirely by earnings from initial bequests, he believes their board members are essentially free from external oversight and accountable to no one. Thus, he implies that the merits of many programs supported by foundations can be called into question.

In addition, he states that the tax code exacerbates this problem by encouraging wealthy individuals to make large bequests to foundations to avoid inheritance tax penalties. As a result, he claims far more foundations exist under the current tax code than would be necessary under a neutral code.

To illustrate the moral hazard inherent in this arrangement, he provides a revealing quote from former MacArthur trustee Rod MacArthur: "Foundations should be striving to do the kinds of things that the government cannot do. I repeat, cannot do: things that are not politically popular, things that are too risky, things that are just too far ahead to what the public will put up with..."

Predictably, Holcombe uses the legendary exploits of the Ford Foundation during the 1960s as examples of how some boards run amok. However, his criticisms are not restricted to the Left. Surprisingly, he attacks the Manhattan Institute for using foundation money to underwrite the efforts of Charles Murray in "Losing Ground." Although he does not question Murray's conclusions about the proper role of government in domestic welfare policy, he does criticize Murray for claiming that the availability of foundation funding was a motivating factor in his decision to write the book.

In criticizing Murray, he runs the risk of sounding like Elizabeth Drew and other advocates of campaign-finance reform. He walks a very fine line between claiming that individuals who receive tax-deductible funds to promote their views should be subjected to greater scrutiny than those who do not, and claiming that funding used to promote political views should only be distributed via democratic decree. However, as with other forms of political speech, he asserts that members of the public are already well aware of the bias inherent in foundation funding and stops well short of advocating limitations on foundation-sponsored research.

Despite these problems, he asserts that the public expects three things from foundation managers: that they do not use their assets for their own personal gain, that they carry out the mission established by their donors, and that their activities generally benefit members of the public. In his conclusion, he states that the current limitations imposed by Congress on foundation activities have forced their managers to comply with these expectations. Although he does not believe that all foundation activities actually serve the public interest, he recognizes that efforts by bureaucrats to further regulate foundations would have unintended consequences. Ultimately, accusations of political bias should not derail important contributions to the policy debate.

Overall, Holcombe does an excellent job of explaining why foundation trustees face strong incentives to promote radical political agendas that can be harmful to the public interest. He demonstrates an acute understanding of public choice economics when documenting the moral hazards faced by managers of foundations. Most importantly, he recognizes that efforts to stamp out the "bad ideas" produced by these managers would do more harm than good.

More of a mystery than some of the others, as entertaining as the rest. A must read for anyone who wants to know the whole story (movies are great fun, but the books are the backbone of the tale).

Nothing I can say more that hasn't been said alrady. Highly recommend. A must read in the series.

Finally, a book devoted to everyone's favorite bad guy.
Severus does not disappoint in this book.
Another knock out punch from J.K., The Half Blood Prince, has everything we've come to love about the Potter books.
An amazing story, action, and drama to the extreme, "Prince" doesn't let go until the last page.
Yet another brilliant page turner from Rowling and one of the finest in the series.
Highly recommended.

In the Sixth installment of JK Rowlings Harry Potter series, "The Half-blood Prince", she continues the thrill ride. As yet another year passes for Harry Potter, of all the changes that have come to him, the trials, difficulties, and changes, this year will bring some of the most ardent yet.

Pro. Dumbledore begins to teach Harry himself, but these private lessons held in the Master's Office are not the lessons that he is use to. The two takes a 'stroll down memory lane' as it were, reviewing key memories that Dumbledore has managed to collect concerning Voldemort's past and his rise to power. Together they learn the secret to Voldemort's seeming indestructibility, and devise plans to end the Dark Lord, once and for all.

This is the most compelling of the Harry Potter series yet, the heat begins to get cranked a little higher, and the pressure goes up on Harry and his friends. The mystery of the "Half-Blood Prince" keeps you guessing right up until the end.

****WARNING, THE REST MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!!!!****

It was hard reading the end of this book, for somehow I had managed to avoid hearing details of those last few chapters before reading them. Reading that ending, was one of the hardest things I've read I think. Rowlings really makes you feel you know these characters, not just Harry and his close friends, but Dumbledore and the other major characters as well. Standing on the top of that tower, watching helplessly along side Harry as he watches the murder of his mentor, hero, and friend, is nearly heartbreaking.

I highly recommend this story for anyone who is a Harry Potter fan, or just a general fantasy fan(though I suggest reading the first 5 first if you haven't).

RD Williams, author of "The Lost Gate"

This is so far in my opinion the best Harry Potter book, together with the number 3, after the rumbles that the fifth one was, it was really refreshing to see a Harry more focused and centered, the history goes with no annoying moments, and it was one of the quickest to read so far.

OK, more in detail then:
The conflicts between the characters remain, which is great, the bad characters begin to give light that there is something else in them besides the urge to be opposite of being good, an common error in children's books these days, the duality good vs evil, in this book, you see persons with no choice having to do wrong, despite their wishes, a knowledge much harder to grasp for 11-years old, a book for the fans that kept growing.
I haven't read the 7 yet, and am going to keep it at bay for some time, but must say that the ending is really forcing me to find out how the seventh one starts.

Bottom Line:

Great Book, between the 2 best of the Series, great history, great ending, prepare for something shocking, Harry much more mature, Just the title, that has some connection to the book, but to me felt more like the name of a Chapter of instead the name of the book, but go wonder. In the end it certainly made more sense, but still, not enough.

Enjoy a great read.

I love this book, it was a great read.

However, there are simply too many mistakes, misspellings, etc in this version. This is the very worst edition of any book I have ever read. I started highlighting the mistakes on my kindle, but there were just too many and I gave up.

Add to that that the chapters are not marked, and there is no proper index.

If you do buy this horrible edition, be prepared to read around an obvious error every other page or so.

Some examples include:
"There were four others oil the committee"
"And they would sit round die table"

Bottom Line: I want my money back.

This is an incredible book. I was very impressed with how well it is written and amazed that someone in the mid 40's was able to come up with such futuristic ideas and almost shocked at how much of it pertains to the realities of life. I loved every word of it and was almost sad that it was over.

After getting the opportunity to finally soak in this book, I am beside myself that there are even bad reviews for it. There is just two reasons that are possible for bad reviews. One, they are on crack and two, they are jealous that they are unable to write like Orwell.

I came to 1984 after reading a series of novels by Russian authors about life in Stalingrad during the onslaught by Hitler and then after the cruelty of Stalin. It's easy to see how Orwell extended the grim realities of the concentration camps of Germany and the labor camps of Russia into this dark prophecy. Of course, in many instances his vision has become realized. Big Brother seeks to invade our privacy at every turn via electronic media. Governments pose rhetoric immersed in "doublespeak". The Thought Police exist to bully our free expression. Power is exercised by imposing real human suffering upon multitudes. "The essential act of war is destruction, not necessarily of human lives, but of the products of human labour. War is a way of shattering to pieces, or pouring into the stratosphere, or sinking in the depths of the sea, materials which might otherwise be used to make the masses too comfortable, and hence, in the long run, too intelligent." Oil comes to mind here. And munitions. And diverse other commodities. In 1984 the war is endless. "Everywhere there is the same pyramidical structure, the same worship of a semi-divine leader, the same economy existing by and for continuous war." Sound familiar? The High, or the "priests of power" only fall when assaulted by the Middle and usually assisted by the Low classes. Then the Middle becomes the High and oppresses the Low for which change only means a new master. The protagonist, Winston, a "minority of one" questions his own sanity but ultimately defends the "spirit of man" as a force which cannot be overpowered. In the closing pages we see Orwell's true convictions about the infallible power of Big Brother and the triumph of the human spirit. This dark view has real overtones of Nietzsche and Machiavelli, who wrote with the view of realism based upon the inhumanity they witnessed in their heydays by "princes" with the "will to power". But the "spirit of man" is truly formidable and cannot be overcome, except temporarily, by totalitarian figures and corrupt democracies. The next US national election will be telling about down which road America will travel. 1984 is a cautionary, post-World War II tale but to say it's unrealistically dark and couldn't happen here and now is to overlook eons of history. And to be unconscious of the powers of orthodoxy infringing greedily and corporately upon the spirit of man in our time.

I won't summarize the story as many other reviews do that. This book was shocking to readers in 1948, but to those of us who have seen the Soviet Union and even modern day America, it is not really shocking. Oceana, in the book, has an exagerated toletarian system similar to Nazi Germany or Soviet Communism, but with the sexual attitude of the Shakers, or some other group that twists Christianity into a miserable heavy-handed religion. Obviously the author was writing based on events in his time. What is amazing is how the goals of the regime in the book have actually been accomplished, and more easily, in American democracy without the heavy handed approach. The approach in the book is unlikely as they limit human sexuality to a level never acheived by puritanism, except for groups like the Shakers, who died out. It is more effective to break down the family the way it has been done in America, through promoting sexual immorality, divorce, abolishing parental rights, and university brainwashing against parental values. Of course this breaks down society as a whole, but passifies the subjects, and the breakdown of America is necessary to establish a world wide form of democratic facism, or, "the Plan". The futuristic telescreen, would be called an interactive flatscreen TV in our day. While it has not yet come to pass, fully, the internet does much of the same, where people's movements are being tracked and recorded, largely for market purposes at the present, but aside from entrapping people seeking presently illegal forms of sex, its full potential as a law enforcement tool has not yet been utilized. Large search engines have used it to censor speech and thought in some regions, as well as rewrite the past. New speak would be hard to acheive in a democracy, but schools and the media have attempted the separation of word and thought through programs such as the failed Evonics course in California. Words have lost meaning, such as when my son calls something "bad", it can mean good or bad. When he calls something "sick", it could also mean he likes it, or he hates it...or both. Double speak is prevaelent, and the thought police exist in the spirit of "politcal correctness". An example of double-speak is when President Clinton stated, "we will re-define the immutable". Thought crimes are labled as "hate crimes" and are being enforced in order to bring harsher justice to enemies of the state. Threats of terrorism are used to convince the populace to eagerly forfeit their freedoms, though the government is doing the same things they always did, the media is publicizing it as something new to make people consciously aware of the activity in order to accept it. The US Constitution is being reinterpreted and called a "living document" in order to change it's meaning and use doublespeak. Examples are "separation of church and state", a phrase commonly believed to be in the Constitution, but not actually there. The words that are there to prevent government interferance in church affairs, have been twisted to mean the opposite, and is commonly used to erase certain forms of religion (mainly Christianity) from the public sector. The reading of founding documents is forbidden in some state schools due to the mention of God and other ideas which are conflict with the revision of history. Students are also taught that the Pilgrims came to America because they liked to travel, or they wanted gold. The former reasons of fleeing religious persecution and freedom are no longer historical fact as it would interfere with the forthcoming persecution. Another example is the supreme court ruling which supports the confiscation of land by a government body if it can be sold to a source offering higher tax revenues, something clearly forbidden by our founding fathers. In the book there was one party. In America, it is limited to 2, but they are much the same, but appear to argue over inflamatory issues to create the illusion of difference. One example is abortion, which the balance of the Supreme Court comes close to tipping to make illegal, but never quite makes it. The next presidential election is planned to ensure that, regardless of which party wins, or is planned to win. Abortion, being a symptom of a greater cause, keeps people focused on it's own battle, thus preventing them from interfering with the root of the cause which is part of the Plan. In reality, secret agendas are co-operated on by both parties, such as de-industrialization of America for personal profit and the Plan, and the formation af an American Union. Not even the media is allowed in on such negotiations, and the lawmaking procedures are bypassed. Science is allowed, but thought in the scienific community is one of the most strictly controlled, comparable perhaps to the Catholic Church during the days of the inquisition, though penalties are limited to ruining ones career, rather than martyring them. A specific scientific theory of origin, not proposed by a scientist, but a bitter son of a clergyman, is taught as fact, not theory, and increasing scientific evidence against the theory or its obvious flaws, and equally or more viable scientific theories are forbidden for discussion, and lawsuits and severe punishment awaits any state school teacher who disobeys this order. No questioning or free thinking is allowed in this area, as it is considered almost as a blasphemy towards the unofficial state religion of Humanism. This theory is also the basis for racism and ethnic cleansing, and has been the foundation for more death in the world than any other religious dogma. While racism is not tolerted in the realm of political correctness, the concept of different races despite genetic proof of only one human race is supported by all government forms asking which race you identify with. This is because there are many in power who secretly benefit from racism and cultural divisions. While Christianity is forbidden in the state schools, Islam is tolerated and often promoted. It is unclear if this is out of fear, or part of a larger plan, when that religion will replace the vacuum created by the elimination of Christian thought and freedom. An interesting perspective is the essay "Will Islam Be Our Future" by Joel Richardson. Thought crimes today also prohibit the distribution of medical literature published by organizations such as the AMA warning agianst the consequences of practicing certain unsafe or deviant sexual behaviors. In fact, such activity is being taught and encouraged to young school children, and parents can face stiff penalties for interfering with such doctrine. While most Americans once believed the government should keep out of the bedroom, the liberal proponents of these practices will themselves be eliminated after they help to usher in the next phase in the Plan, where human sexuality and the role of women are strictly controlled by the Government. This will precede the third phase where a world leader will come into absolute power. The Mhadi, caliphate, Anti-Christ, the name varies depending on the religion. The transformation of American state run achools from among the best, to among the worse in developing nations, is largely due to the emphasis taken away from acedemics in favor of social engineering this will ensure the weekening of America in order to balance power and bring about the results of the Plan. The way things are brought about in 1984 cannot happen, as human nature will not allow it. The failure of the Soviet Union is an example. It is much easier to manipulate people theough false religion. People will get tired of a political system, but will die for religon. America is unique as it was founded on true "religion", though false notions have tainted it with evils such as slavery, but true freedom can only survive with true Judeo-Christian values, history has proved, and is proving this point before our eyes today. While history may have been colored in the past, it is being changed in today's books, just like in Oceana...

The story is well described in the other reviews, especially in the first one above from the professional reviewer, but I do find it necessary to point out a few observations:

First: George Orwell is a literary genius. There's a reason why he graces the cover of the book: Don't Weep for Me, America: How Democracy in America Became the Prince (While We Slept). If you liked "Animal Farm", "1984" is going to knock you into another thought paradigm.

Secondly, and more important: Whether you read about "Animal Farm" from the professional reviewers, Cliff Notes, or in the introduction to the book itself, there is one self-imposed "limitation" that stays consistent throughout, and that is the sovereign state Orwell has in mind when he wrote "Animal Farm" (or "1984" for that matter)is the Soviet Union. While this may be true, the bigger and more relevant point is getting missed. This bigger and more relevant point is that for ANY sovereign nation, when there is a change of power in its governance (for its betterment), it is ALWAYS the case, I repeat, it is ALWAYS the case that the new governance will gradually become the same as the one it replaced. Look no further than the United States of America. The 1776 rebels overthrew the British tyrant, King George III, mostly due to oppressive business practices, taxes and lack of representation. And look where we are today, in 2008! Corporations rule. Taxes, which we already fought one war over, are exorbitant, and Congress is simply a millionaires club representing the wealthy.

How do we know that George Orwell saw this happening? Because he worked in the BBC and the BBC was spewing the SAME propaganda that the Soviet Union was using. How do we know this? Because writer Martin Esslin worked at the BBC at the same time as Orwell and he wrote that this was the case! For further reference, see my review of the book: U.S. Television News and Cold War Propaganda, 1947-1960 (Cambridge Studies in the History of Mass Communication).

So the point, as is the point with ALL my reviews is this: Become a CRITICAL THINKER!

The book was in great condition and was promptly delivered. I highly recommend using you guys again.

George Orwell's classic novel, Animal Farm, is basically a book that shows the reader all of the problems with communism. Animal Farm first addresses the problem of how tempting communism sounds to the uninformed, and in some cases uneducated, ear. Doesn't it sound nice that everyone pulls their own weight and everyone reaps the benefits? It did to the animals of Manor Farm. At first it was great without those pesky humans around; the animals ate all of the food and got to keep their children. However, it quickly became very obvious that this system wasn't working. The pigs, the smartest of all the farm animals, began to take over led by Napoleon and Snowball. Soon after the establishment of Animal Farm (formerly known as Manor Farm) seven commandments were set forth such as "no animal shall sleep in a bed", "no animal shall kill any other animal", "all animals are equal", etc. After Napoleon ran Snowball off the farm with vicious dogs, Napoleon claimed full leadership of the farm and its animals. One by one, Napoleon modified each of the seven commandments to fit his liking such as "no animal shall drink alcohol to excess." In the end of the book it is impossible for Clover, a horse of Manor Farm (formerly known as Animal Farm and more formerly known as Manor Farm), to tell the difference between the pigs and humans while they are playing a card game.
I would recommend this book to the reader that loves irony. Throughout the story I kept wondering who was going to be the first animal to figure out that in order get rid a tyrant (Mr. Jones the farm owner) they acquired another ("Comrade" Napoleon). Alas I was relieved when a horse realized that Napoleon was changing the commandments for his own benefit. However, when the horse kept this knowledge to himself I was angry at him. I asked myself, "Why wouldn't he show the animals who Napoleon really is?" I never figured it out but for the reader who loves character analysis, this is the book for you! However, this book isn't written for the people who want everything spoon-fed to them. But for the reader that feels the need to read between the lines Animal Farm is full of mysteries for you to figure out.

Deemed a classic by modern day scholars, George Orwell's Animal Farm is a must read. It is a humorous yet realistic satire on Soviet Russia. Although never specifically named as the target of Orwell's story, much controversy has come about from Animal Farm's similarities to the Russian Revolution. Telling the story of animals who are tired of suffering under the oppression of humans, it brilliantly illuminates the struggle of the common man against tyranny. Old Major, a prize winning boar who has the revolutionary spirit of Karl Marx, tells the animals of a dream he has had of a utopian farm where animals have the power. After winning over the emotions of most of the farm animals, Old Major dies and the pigs (Napoleon and Snowball) take over the revolution. Napoleon forces his way into unquestioned power using underhanded tactics and clever slogans like "Napoleon is always right" and "Four legs good, two legs bad." Addressing his fellow animals as "comrades" Napoleon is reminiscent of Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin, covering up the corruption of the farm by saying it's all "for the good of the animals." As conditions worsen and support for the revolution dwindles, the power is questioned and the animals wonder what happened to their dream of equality.
The allusions pour out of this seemingly elementary story, every action was masterfully planned by Orwell to emulate history. For readers who enjoy history and contextual significance, Animal Farm is perfect. Even readers with no knowledge of the political importance behind this book would still find delight in this whimsical story of animals that kick the humans off their farm and try to set up their own government. It is an extremely simple concept, yet is speaks volumes about revolution gone wrong. George Orwell's progressive eccentricity mixed with his classy criticism makes Animal Farm perfectly poignant. This reader would recommend it to all ages!

Animal Farm begins as a tale of triumph over the human race for animals. Yet as it continues you realize the humans never really left. The pigs take over and become the one thing they swore they hated. The worst part is the other animals don't do anything about it and suffer, and whether they do in the future or not we never find out. If happy endings are your thing, forget about this book, because it only represents the cruelest and hardest parts of life, from where there is no rescue. It is disappointing in happiness, yet you cant leave the book unsatisfied, for it does contain a powerful message,we all need to learn whether we like to hear it or not. Life is not all sugar and gumdrops, it also contains Brussels sprouts and tripe, and some people only get the sprouts and tripe, when most of us have the sugar and gumdrops. Orwell is an amazing author and the book is amazing, but for a mature audience( such as myself).

This is the original (at least in terms of modern relevance) satire of modern warfare and decision making. However, it achieves a level of humour very rarely achieved elsewhere. It is a very personal book, and some of the personal touch, sidesplitting jokes, and very dark serious undercurrent make this resonate more with me than some of the other great "political / moral" satires - Animal Farm and 1984 after all can leave you feeling somewhat cold.

Although [...]. It had an incredible affect on me. It is incredibly funny, yet very sad in parts. Especially for example when you do finally find out what happened to the gunner, Snowden, in the mission to Avignon. Or when Yossarian walks through Rome.

The ideas concerning the ridiculuous nature of war are as topical now as they were in the 1960s. Actually, of course, Joseph Heller's presentation of the insanity around him predated the Vietnam War, and I wasn't around at that time to truly judge the feeling then.

The dialogue is laugh-out-loud funny at times, as is the juxtapostion of events, as for example when Clevinger complains of confusing cause-and-effect in staring at the bomb-line on the map south of Bologna, willing the line to move itself and for the squadron to not have to fly the mission. In fact, the whole chapter in which this incident occurs, "Bologna" was the funniest in the book for me, with the rain beating down and the mission continually cancelled, Chief Whitehalfoat stealing a jeep to drive home, and Yossarian telling his pilot to turn around. And then, of course, Bologna was a milk-run; no glue gun there.

Anyone who has not read this book and is mystified by what is going on at the moment and since 2003 should read this book. It's not going to change the world, but it is food for thought.

Also highly recommended are the next two of Joseph Heller's novels, "Something Happened" and "Good as Gold."

Why is this a so-called "classic"? Got me. I have no idea. Another reviewer said that you could skip chapters and not miss anything. I agree. I first attempted this novel a few years ago. I quit in less than 50 pages, so bored was I. I picked it up again recently, and I'm now less than 50 pages from finishing. What an unfulfilling reading experience this is. There is no central unifying theme or plot - other than that war is hell and the military rarely makes sense. But we knew that, right? As for the whole catch-22 business, sure, that is amusing the first twenty times, but it gets old quickly. This story could have been told in 50 pages and even that would have been too much.

Why then, if it is so bad, am I about to finish it? You know how it is. You start reading, and you become determined to complete it, just to say you did. There is no enjoyment in it though. I am looking forward to getting done so that I can read something else. My advice? Don't read this novel. Read the ingredients on food packages in your cupboard instead. You'll have more fun.

This book is so good, my weak attempt at a review is not going to do it justice. But I'll try.

I knew before I was half-way through that this is going to be a favorite and I plan to re-read it immediately. The writing is so fresh, the character studies so sharp, and the satire so relevant in today's increasingly bureaucratic (corporate) society, no wonder it was so hard for me to find a used copy. It's definitely a book I plan to hold onto and enjoy re-reading every year.

Anyone who's ever worked for a big corporation (like myself) can identify with Heller's hilarious and angry take on bureaucracy. Gen. Peckem's quote reads like a line from Dilbert or Office Space:

"Just pass the work I assign you along to somebody else and trust to luck. We call that delegation of responsibility. Somewhere down near the lowest level of this coordinated organization I run are people who do get the work done when it reaches them, and everything manages to run along smoothly without too much effort on my part."

It's sad how true that is in real life.

But this book is not all satire. It has a big heart. I often found myself laughing and crying at the same time. I can tell Heller cares deeply for his characters, even when he makes high comedy out of their sad fates (such as what happens to poor Doc Daneeka). He's brutally honest about the horrors of war, and laces them with enough humanity to really break your heart. It all makes the climatic "miracle" that much more satisfying. It's a satire that ends with a message of hope. And I like that.

Many people call this book ant-war, but I don't think it is. It really comes down to the last conversation btw. Yossarian and Danby. The ideals of war can be good - who can argue against rescuing Western Europe from Nazi domination. But it's the method of war - and all the evils that go with it - that makes no sense. Are these evils worth the ideals? It's a catch-22. And it's a dilemma that applies to life in general, not just to war.

This book was non-engaging, talked about boring and non-sensical chit chat, and hung on its phrase "Catch 22." After patiently studying the book as well as reading it, I find this to be one of the most boring books I have ever read in my life. The plot was threadbare, the characters kept repeating the same words (ie "Do you think I'm crazy?" "No, you aren't crazy." "Yes, I sure am crazy!" "You aren't crazy." "I am.") and dragged on, and on. Another example of boring repetition is an entire chapter dedicated to a character talking about crabapples in his cheeks. I personally don't care if he does or not, and wish the author made a point quickly. All in all, this is a waste of $, a waste of time, and the second most boring book I have ever read after To Kill A Mockingbird.

I took this book with me to Miami in April and finished it there, as I was completely captivated by John's story/life. If you enjoy history, and in particular American history, you will not be disappointed. I worry for our country, because the leadership, the values, the work ethic and pride of country in our leaders and citizen's do not compare to those of John Adam's day.

I love American History around the time of the Revolution and the early American Republic. This book is great; you can feel like your back in-time along with John Adams and the others experiencing what they went through. Very imformative; there is a TON of stuff here you never read in your high school or college US History class and it is all genuinely interesting, for instance, the not so noble mud throwing and scheming that went on amoung the men of the early US. Not to mention how divergent these men's views were on how the United Stares should be setup and run.

I saw the HBO series before I read this, which seems to me only had 10% or less of the info thats in the book. I cant belive i didn't read this sooner, for I was ignorant of the author David McCullough and how good his book "John Adams" is. And to think I lived in Massachusetts until very recently ago and could have easily went to see the Adams residence and tombs in Quincy, MA. What a fool I am!

Anyways, if you like American history, you should love this book.

I have sent 2 e-mails to this seller and have NEVER received an answer or the book. I HATE to give bad reviews and have in the past worked with sellers and avoided many problems, but with this seller it is not working, either my book, or my money back!!!!!

McCullough does not disappoint. I couldn't put this book down. Especially touching was Adams' close relationship with his wife Abigail. McCullough draws you in and transports you there. He details the excitement of the times and the struggles of the men trying to form a new country. It's an amazing account that will leave you wanting more!

In the past I have considered studying our history more but, I had a taste of high school and the university in my mouth even after almost 40 years. I am now inspired by this exciting and insightful story to read more history. I realize how much more I have to learn to fully appreciate what we, the citizens of the United States, have had handed down to us. As a nation, we take so much for grated we are at risk of losing it. "Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it." I should know who said that but....I'll have to lookit up.

Why are the simple things so hard to do? As I look back at my past decisions when dealing with people I laugh because I noticed how many situations I could have approached differently. How to Win Friends & Influence People is a must read for everyone and should be taught to kids when they are young so when they get older they'll be able to deal with people in a more civilized and respectful manner.

I read this book decades ago and it changed my life. It's unbelievable and every human being should read it. As I was surfing Amazon looking for another book, I happen to notice it and had to write a review. I have to tell everybody how great this book is. I couldn't just not tell everyone. The author is brilliant! This book is so motivational that it truly changed my life and made me a better human being. There's a section in there about a father and a son, that I'll never forget - it really moved me. Every father should read that section.

Everyone should read this book. There is nothing bad that can come from it. The stories contained are interesting and the concepts are completely simple. In fact, nothing taught here was ever mind blowing or surprising. The surprising part was the self reflection it brought and the desire it created in me to want to adapt concepts from this book I previously felt needless. This is the kind of reading I wish I was forced to read growing up and not books about a bunch of stupid kids on an island that go crazy and fight each other.

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie is a must-read for anyone who desires to put the Golden Rule into everyday use. Through numerous stories and examples, Mr. Carnegie shows how we can truly accomplish the impossible---just by putting others' interests before our own. The book bogs down a little if you try to read through it all at once, so I would recommend breaking it up and just reading a chapter or two at a time. Definitely push through to the end--it's very worth it!

This book is chock full of practical, common sense advice. Want people to like you? Show you like THEM, smile, be honestly happy to see them, remember their names, be interested in them, listen to them, etc. Want to influence them? Don't argue or tell them they are wrong (even if they are), but honestly emphasize where they are right, compliment them, and start with your areas of agreement. Want to be a leader? Ecourage people, praise them, listen to them, ask them questions. Of course, the examples in this book require us to apply honesty and common sense, and if so, this book is quite helpful. Sadly, too many of us fail to heed the advice in these pages. We can all do better, and this book can help us do so.

Team of Rivals starts with following the lives of four different people prior to the 1860 presidential race. The four people were Seward (becomes Sec of State), Chase (becomes Sec of Treasury), Bates (becomes Attorney General) and finally Lincoln. Doris does a fine job in describing the events that led up to the Republican nomination. She tries to make the point that one of Lincoln's great political moves was incorporating these rivals into his cabinet. The story of these 4 individuals is interesting to read and leads up to the climax of the Republican nomination at about page 256 (book is 754 pages total). However, her point then fizzles out after this point. Bates becomes a minor character in the book. Furthermore I came to realize that the fact Lincoln picked these rivals as his cabinet members was not necessarily such a brilliant move. First, Presidents' choosing of their rivals for political appointments is nothing particularly interesting, new or unique. For example, Vice Presidential nominees are frequently the Presidents' nominees. When I first heard about the book's premise, I expected the rivals to have been from the opposite party but I soon found out that was not the case. Second, the fact that Lincoln picked his rivals did not necessarily add to the effectiveness of his administration. As Doris shows there was a lot of arguments among the cabinet members and Lincoln had to mediate frequently.

Doris does a very nice job depicting Lincoln's genius however. Lincoln had a lot of unique and outstanding qualities that made his years as President a huge success. The author could have focused on a lot of these other attributes. For example, Lincoln's generosity and amazing ability for forgiveness was truly unique. He once said, "I destroy my enemies when I make them my friends" (this quote was not in the book). This way of looking at the world and actually acting on it certainly contributed greatly to his success and unfortunately after his assassination because of its absence made reconstruction a lot more difficult.

The book is perhaps too long with some parts and quotes not being relevant. It would have been better if it were shorter. Nevertheless I highly recommend it for its clarity, thorough research and excellent writing.

Abraham Lincoln left us very little of a personal nature: no meeting notes, no journal, no revealing personal letters. William Herndon, his law partner, described Lincoln as the most shut mouth man he had ever met. No wonder the man's an enigma. Absent a primary source, the best way to dig beneath the surface is to look at the people Lincoln chose to be around and how the various parties interacted. Goodwin does an exceptional job of revealing a great deal about Lincoln by using this technique.

Team of Rivals is a readable and fascinating study of Abraham Lincoln and his cabinet--also his working relationship with his assistants. We may not know a lot of first-hand details about Lincoln's personal thoughts, beliefs, and personality, but we know that with less than a year of formal education, Lincoln held his own with a cabinet impeccably educated in the best institutions in America. These weren't just bright, well educated people; they were the power brokers of the newly formed Republican party.

How Lincoln harnessed this talent tells us a lot about the man and his capabilities. Goodwin has done an outstanding job of illuminating a crucial period in our country's history by using a fresh approach and her lifetime experience examining and writing about key figures in American history.
The Shut Mouth Society
The Shopkeeper

Being occasionally an idiot, I find myself with some form of prejudice against female authors. But Doris Kerns Goodwin does a masterful work in portraying the events and characters of Abraham Lincoln's day.
This is a fascinating character study of the people surrounding the American Civil War (an oxymoron if there ever was one). It is made possible by the fact that with no telephones, radio, or TV media; people wrote. They wrote to spouses, family, friends, enemies, rivals, newspapers, dairies, in both personal and public formats. Goodwin's apparent exhaustive study of these writings is obvious from the beginning as she exposes both the true and the two faced characters revealed by their own writings.
This book was fascinating for me in several areas. Lincoln had two qualities that usually do exist in the same person. He was a warm hearted, transparently honest, relational, forthcoming person of character and integrity. And he was a masterful genius of a politician.
I would make this 'required reading' for anyone who wants to hang on to their sanity in a political environment. By political environment I mean places such as the management & supervisor professions, classroom teaching, religious ministry, and certain family situations resembling my own.
But beware, Goodwin's exhaustive character development of Lincoln's contemporaries can get tedious. I occasionally skimmed thru some of it, much to my regret later in the book. Pay attention to all she says, there is an incredible payoff mid way thru.
I saw Barak Obama on the news holding a copy Team Of Rivals and saying something to the effect that it was his favorite book. If you are a fan of Obama, you ought to read it. If you are not, even more must you read it to understand what he might be up too.
Thomas S Boswell

Reading about the deeds of these great men makes me depressed when I think about the trolls we have in Washington today. Reading about Lincoln's visit to battlefield hospitals or about the children of cabinet members who fought in the Civil War...it really makes you think about the current state of our government.

Received order as expected in a timely manner...A great book on Araham Lincoln's Presidential life

I somehow tragically managed to make my way to adulthood with never reading anything but the kiddie version of this book. When I found this book for super-cheap in the teachers' lounge book sale and I figured "hey, why not?" And thus I picked it up and immediately fell in love with the sheer Old-South charm that only Twain can deliver. Really, people, it is no wonder that this book is such a classic! It may not have the soulful human reflections of "Huckleberry Finn", but in the solemn concern for the pleasures of boyhood it certainly makes its own mark.

Mark Twain tells the story purely from a storyteller's view. No deep analysis of character that takes you right inside of Tom Sawyer's psyche, nothing blatantly philosophical. It is as if Mr. Twain lives to simply tells us into what trouble Tom is getting. He does not go out of his way to give lengthy, dull descriptions or even fully flesh out the details of just what Tom and his friends are doing. It gives it a charming, folksy style that allows for plenty of plot and action. Even, so the writing is unparalleled.

And it truly is a great story. It's fun! I don't know how many poor students have been tricked into believing it is not. It has all the great elements of a good boy story, what with the murders and buried treasure and faked deaths and hoodoo--not to mention the delight taken away by discovery of bacteria.

I'm also a huge fan of this Whole Story edition. It's beautiful, easy to carry around, and I guess I'm a sucker for the documentary feature.

Fantastic, fun story. Everyone should read it.

These audio books help children that are having trouble with the written word. I also use them in the car, so each trip we hear more of the story. The kids love them and I think it makes them interested in reading.

To understand America in the nineteenth century, you must understand Tom Sawyer. His life, so full of adventure set amidst the bustle of a changing nation, is in many ways the dream of nearly all male children. To spend your time swimming in the creek, gathering "treasures" and eating goodies is truly the good life. Tom's romance with Becky is also the way it is with most boys. Girls are universally considered to have some kind of contagious disease, when I was young, they had cooties, until you see that one perfect girl that you will share everything with.
The wonder and mischief of Tom and Huck are captured in this book, superbly illustrated by Michael Ploog. Tom is wide-eyed, freckled and has bulbous cheeks. Huck has a pointed nose, bright eyes and a suitably scruffy demeanor. With the exception of Sundays, the boy's clothes consist of a series of patches sewn over rags. This book is an excellent introduction to what is the tale of American youth of the nineteenth century, very appropriate for classes in English. Of course, after covering this book, the students should be required to read the original.

This book is a great example of what makes Twain one of America's most belvoed writers. Twain's unique sense of humor and his keen insights into human nature shine through in this book. Twain's style is wonderful, the characters are dynamic and the plot never hits a snag. Twain has created a novel here that is light enough on the surface to entertain young readers yet contatins enough substance to speak volumes to an adult audience. You are sure to love this one is you have read any of Twain's other works. If you haven't read Twain, delay no further--this book is the perfect starting point.

Ever since my dad first read this timeless classic to my sister & me as kids, while camping in our trailer during the summer, it has left its indelible impression upon my imagination. How I too wanted to shove off from shore on my "skiff" and have my own adventures down the Mississippi! I know of no other book that so wonderfully captures the essence and joy of carefree boyhood.

When I say "carefree", however, I am not forgetting the grim and serious elements of the novel. But these work just as well as the sunnier and funnier parts. In fact, just when the narrative needs it, a murder comes along which boosts the plot most effectively, giving it a shot in the arm. And speaking of the darker aspects, does not Injun Joe have to rank highly on the list of greatest villains in the history of literature? I can assure you that as a boy listening to the cave chapters, his menace was palpable and unforgettable.

Unfortunately, literary snobs have often found it fashionable to belittle Tom Sawyer as inconsequential and a 'lightweight' seen against the towering greatness of "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn". I couldn't disagree more. (I love Huckleberry Finn dearly and plan to review it soon as well). I read a quote in a foreword that I thought was very insightful: "Huckleberry Finn is a greater book, but not a better one." I think this is exactly so. Extol the greatness of HF by all means, but don't make the mistake of downgrading Twain's other masterpiece, just because its theme is not so weighty and grave. In fact, the episodic nature of the telling of Tom Sawyer fit Twain's particular brand of genius perfectly (whereas there were some sub par stretches in Huck Finn).

Loved it as a boy, love it no less as a man. Thank you, dad, for imparting such an enduring gift.