1980s Books

Everything worked just like it should, used books shipped when they were supposed to in good condition.

A must by for new business owners! Practical teaching with easy to apply techniques. Existing businesses who've let their customer service fall by the wayside could also greatly benefit and be inspired to change.

We do training for companies in a service industry and use this book as part of our program. It has revolutionized the way we look at customer loyalty. The concepts in this book will help you identify and keep the right kind of customers

This book belongs on every company's bookshelf. Why? Because the business world is seduced by the promise of customer conquests when, in fact, customer loyalty is the real ticket to success. This book is chocked full of proven, easy-to-execute sales, marketing and customer care strategies. Its content should be (and is!) used as continual training for companies looking to attract and keep high-value customers.
Pat McMahan
Indianapolis, Indiana

This text is required for my Master of Science in Quality Assurance course. This text gives a very good overview of the essentials of developing and maintaining customer loyalty. It differentiates customer satisfaction and customer loyalty well. I think that everyone will find this a worthwhile purchase.

Kevin Sheehan has simplified the great qualities of important leaders and placed them in an entertaining text. A gift which I have passed on to my dearest friends, this book is both inspirational and educational. My highest recommendation.

Poignant, powerful stories. Beautifully written with a distinctive and important design. This book's not to be missed--by you, your friends, your business colleagues. Bravo!

Within his book A Leader Becomes A Leader, Kevin Sheehan delightfully illustrates the essence of true leadership. He poignantly definies a diverse group of past and present leaders; while exploring their life events and characteristics of greatness. Encourage your friends, family and coworkers to read this motivational book!

The author does a phenomenal job of breaking the topic down into small manageable and inspiring readings; also covers a great cross-section of leaders and the characteristics that made them successful. I ordered a dozen copies as executive and motivational gifts.

J. Kevin Sheehan presents a celebration of what's possible in his biographical snapshots of great leaders. By focusing on the unique character traits of outstanding leaders the author transforms the mysteries of leadership into something very real. He answers the question "what made them great?" in an extremely concise and inspirational style. Great as a corporate gift or graduation present. My children have used it for school projects and I have found inspiration for my own business. No home or school library should be without this most valuable tool.

If I owned a time machine, I'd go back to the late seventies when Reagan was starting his campaign and drop copies of this book all over the country.

Perhaps it could have helped.

The idea that someone so incompetant and clueless could become PRESIDENT is a sobering thought.

Maybe it was just me, but when I purchased this book on line I assumed it was going to be a book, you know the type with chapters and well thought out paragraphs. What I got was a book that is made up of day by day humorous quotes from the news sources of the time. So I was a little disappointed at the start just because my expectation was not met. With that out of the way I dug in and found the book provided a number of laughs and brought back a number of memories. The author picked up on mostly political issues to populate the book, but he does toss in a few pop culture items that usually show the ridiculous side of American life. The humor the author uses is rather dry and sarcastic, which fit very well with the news reporting style blurbs.

Overall the book is an easy to read, fun review of the 1980's that brought back a lot of memories for me. The author does tend to focus on a small group of topics, Geraldo Rivera, his dislike of popular music and Michael Jackson all seem to get repeated mentions. The book is the type you can have around and pick up every now and then and read a few pages. It is light fair and shows a 10,000 feet view of the 80's.

Paul Slanksy evidently hates everyone, and the 80's supplied him with more than enough material to nail them all. Obviously, Republicans take far more abuse because the book IS about the Reagan era. This book is funny and really cuts through the nostalgia many (GOP in particular) hold about the 80's. Great Read.

The cover has been crudely taped on backwards, the cover laminate is gone, the pages are dog eared, but my copy still holds together after countless re-readings.
Chronological, exhaustive coverage of the gaffes and shocking lies told to the american public that made reagan so memorable (or should have), combined with gems of pop culture, entertainment, crime, and so on. An illustrated, cynical diary of soundbites and factoids. If you were under the general impression that reagan wasn't that bad of a president, you will walk away from this a changed person: he WAS'NT the president! The ascerbic commentary may seem occasionally unfair, (more so if your a republican), but 9 times out of 10 it hits straight on, attacking both democrats and republicans with their own quotes and foolishness. But mostly reagan.

I've lent this book to countless friends who all regarded former President Ronald Reagan as "a great man." Few of them adhere to that opinion today. It's astonishing to think that anyone so out of touch with reality could have been elected to two terms as President. Slansky's brilliant book combines seemingly unrelated pieces of information into a cohesive whole that reveals, once and for all, the astonishing incompetence of the Reagan administration. As a bonus, Slansky also manages to skewer virtually all aspects of popular culture of the 1980's. Since those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it, this book should be required reading for all, lest we get another presidency like Reagan's. My copy has been read so many times that it is literally falling apart. One of the great books of the last fifty years.

John Kenneth Muir's second entry into the horror genre hits the mark again. "Horror Films of the 1980s" provides a fantastic reference guide for the horror films made in the decade of excess.

At over 800 pages long, the book provides an introduction to the films of the decade and how social and political events influenced them. (Muir is obviously no fan of Reagan and on one page he has a photo of the former president along side a photo of Freddy Krueger making a not so subtle comparison of the two). The next chapter is "The History of the Dead Teenager Decade." in which he explains common devices and elements which make up the bulk of films of the era. Muir then goes into the films themselves......breaking them down by year. He provides critical reviews, cast and crew lists, a brief synopsis of the plot and then a personal commentary of his own views of each film. Some films also have a "close-up" section where additional information about cast/crew/film is given. From here, Muir gives a chapter on "The Conclusion to Horror Films of the 80s." Also provided are several appendixes including information such as memorable ad lines, Hall of fame, a list of actors appearing in these films and recommended viewing.

Overall, a great book. Muir even improves on his "Horror Films of the 1970s" (which I also have) by providing in-depth commentary and info on ALL of the films listed. The 1970s tomb has some films only briefly mentioned with no commentary at all by the author. And thanks to Netflix, I can check out most of the films from both decades for myself. Muir also mentions in his book that he's working on a third edition....Horror Films of the 1990s. I'll be first in line to buy it!

A fine companion piece to HORROR FILMS OF THE 1970s, this is another tremendously entertaining overview of an entire decade of fear flicks. This was so much fun revisiting these films that I grew up with. The author is interesting and informative throughout. Highly recommended!

I saw this book and was amazed that someone had written descriptions and reviews of most of the horror movies made in the 80's. I was even more impressed after I started reading it. Just like what other reviewers have said, John Muir has a love for horror films and it shows in how he comments and categorizes them. His reviews of these movies make you feel like he's your best friend sitting beside you watching these films and either hating or loving them with you. There were many movies he commented on that I would never have watched because either they were in an overdone series (Friday the 13th Part 3) or because they look completely hokey (Re-Animator). But because of his reviews, I did and am glad for it.
Something other reviewers didn't mention but I love, is how he comments on the directors themselves and mentions how their individual style comes through all of their movies (or are edited out by their producers creating a bad movie). I learned about such great directors as Cronenberg, Tobe Hooper and Thom Eberhardt who I knew only a little about before. I recommend this book to anyone who even had a passing interests in horror movies and wants to relive some of the great ones (and horrible ones) from the 80's.

It can be argued that the decade of the 1980's was the most important ever for horror films. While the films may not have always been good, and many were downright terrible, the advent of home video soon taught filmmakers that they could turn a profit even with direct-to-video releases. "Horror Films of the 1980's" by John Kenneth Muir, is an exhaustive guide to perhaps the most memorable era of horror films. Over 300 films are covered in detail within this massive, 800 plus page hardcover tome.

Anyone who has ever read one of the fine books from McFarland knows that they don't do fluff, and this book is no different. This isn't merely a listing of films and stars like you get in some books. Each film gets at least two pages of coverage that includes full cast and crew credits, rating (one to four stars) running time, detailed plot synopsis, commentary by Muir, as well as selected critic's comments from the time that the film came out.

The films are listed alphabetically, by decade, beginning with "Alligator" in 1980 and ending with "Stepfather 2" in 1989. Even if you think you know your 80's horror films well, you're sure to find some films you probably never heard of such as The Killing Hour, Bloodkill, and New York Ripper.

As I thumbed through the book I felt like I was looking at an old scrapbook or photo album of friends and family members that I had not seen in many years. I have not seen a lot of these films since their original debuts over twenty years ago and I fondly recalled many nights at the drive-in where I saw quite a few of these films. I loved reading about these old friends, Motel Hell, One Dark, Night, Gates of Hell, The Keep, Near Dark, Night of the Demons, and countless others.

Muir, and his small group of reviewers show a depth of knowledge, but more importantly, a true love of this era of horror films, often resulting in ratings that are a bit more generous than I would have given. A lot of films included here are not true horror films. There are sprinklings of sci-fi (Saturn 3, Lifeforce, Moontrap, Terminator), thrillers (Ten to Midnight, Jaws 3D, Blood Simple, Body Double) and comedy horrors (Ghoulies, Critters, Gremlins), but their inclusions are welcome nonetheless.

The book concludes with several interesting appendices that feature the 1980's Horror Hall of Fame, Recommended Viewing Then & Now, and Memorable Ad Lines. Heres' something fun...read one of the ad lines and see if your friends can guess the film. This is simply one of the finest horror reference books I've ever read. Well worth the $60 price tag!

REVIEWED BY TIM JANSON

I am a huge horror film fan, and try to read every book I can on the subject. As such, I was thrilled when I received this huge release for my birthday last month. However, I honestly had no idea that it would be as entertaining and insightful as it is. I have now read up through 1988, and must say that I've never in my life read such astute critique of genre films -- generally reviewers either stick to the plot basics or try to impose some sort of critical theory on it ("the male gaze" and all that). Muir on the other hand manages to recognize and explain sub-texts that I never, EVER would have noticed by myself -- then when I think back to the films he's describing, I realize, "My God! He's RIGHT!" Plus his book has encouraged me to buy a whole bunch of horror films I'd never have considered seeing (ex. I'm no vampire film fan so I wouldn't have bothered with "Near Dark" had he not put it on his "Top 15 of the '80s" list. But wow! What a fantastic movie!)

My only problem now is that I'm dying to read his '70s book and it's not being re-released for another month!

In many ways my husband and I miss the 80's. We liked the music, the fashion and the way people were concerned with simple things like hygiene and attractive clothing. This book took us back to those happy carefree teenage years when things were good and we were nearly completely free of responsibility!! As we went through this book we had many good laughs and had fun remembering things long forgotten! I recommend this book if you liked the 80's and I recommend reading it with at least one other person who enjoyed that era! Fun book!

This book was as much fun as a barrel of smurfs...required reading for those of us with a Dukes of Hazard lunch box and a Battlestar Galactica sleeping bag in the closet...awaken the Chachi within!

This book was better than 'Cats' - great trip down memory lane for any Gen X'er - makes the 80s seem rich with culture.

If you ignore the book's ugly-as-sin cover artwork and delve into this maniacal volume of absolutely useless yet totally vital pop cultural information, you will be proud to say: "I am a member of the Chachi Generation." Buy it and love it.

The book is essestial for anyone who came of age in the 1980's. Though many consider it a forgettable decade, for those of us who grew up during those years, it's great to have a refresher course on things that we considered to be so important at the time. And where else are you going to find an entry on the brilliant, yet short lived series, "Manimal?"

From the vantage point of a historian, I value this book as a lavishly illustrated and researched book about the clothing of an era, and how that clothing reflected the intense cultural changes of the 1960s. The outstanding representation of the society of the decade with photographs, drawings, album covers, movie posters and art brought the text to life.

As a Baby Boomer, I saw this book as a nostalgic glance at my school days -- virtually a yearbook for graduates of the Mods, Rockers and Hippie school of fashion.

Fashions of a Decade: The 1960s is highly recommended for the history student, fashion student, or anyone looking for an authentic look into the heart of an era. Brava!

I really enjoyed this book. Its an interesting read about the effect of WWII on world fashion and also a helpful resorce guide to fashion and trends of the era. I must for any vintage clothing collector or swing kid!

I borrowed this book along with the other volumes (1940 to 1970 )from my library. This was exactly what I need for my assignment of different body types and the power of non verbal communication. It was very interesting and would recommend buying. This book was outstanding!

I thought this book was well written, even if it is supposedly for kids. It was full of information, pictures, and interesting trivia. As a free-lance writer and researcher of the Twenties, it's a good book to have in one's personal library!

I found this book to be well writen and researched. The illustrations were great, and very inspiring. I can't wait to try and sew some of these fashions myself. The historical aspects of the Fashions of the 1940s was very informative.

Keith was nothing if not a straight shooter; with guns and with his writing. He told it like it was in his gun articles, unlike the common modern situation, where the writers seem to follow the advertising dollars, and no reviewed new gun is anything but great.
Good gun read.

Keith's Gun Notes are a good read for anyone who has read any of his other writings. Newer cartridges, guns and reloading equipment are available now but his advise and opinions on most things concerning shooting still right on target.

A great collection of the works of Elmer Keith,,whatelse can you say!!

Keith, cowboy, lawman, big-game hunter, world-class marksman and gun expert, wrote the long-running column in Guns & Ammo magazine upon which this book is based.
Ornery, opinionated, and thoroughly knowledgable on his subject, Keith writes about ballistics, hunting, hand-loading, and accuracy in shotguns, rifles, and handguns, always clearly and cogently, and never leaving the reader unsure of where the writer stands.
Keith is always interesting, and most of his work is relevant today, but the publisher of this compilation takes pains to warn the reader that some of Keith's data is unscientific and suspect, and must not be relied on uncritically, especially with respect to bullet velocities and chamber pressures.

(The numerical rating above is a default setting within Amazon's format. This reviewer does not employ numerical ratings.)

Keith, variously a cowboy, big-game hunter, world-class marksman, and famous gun expert, for many years wrote a regular column in Guns & Ammo Magazine, which is the basis for this collection, in two volumes.
He was a gun and gear designer of some note, having been instrumental in the development of the Winchester Model 70 and also the .41 and .44 Magnum cartridges. His writing skills matched his technical expertise, and there is never any doubt about where he stood on any issue. His advice, especially on safety, is cogent and just as applicable today as when it was written.
Keith was a also an inveterate experimenter with cartridge modification and propellant loads, and the publisher takes pains to warn the reader that Keith's' data is unscientific and suspect, and must not be relied upon uncritically, especially with respect to bullet velocities and chamber pressures. Understanding that, the reader will find a wealth of useful hunting and shooting information here, clearly presented.

(The "score" rating is an ineradicable feature of the age. This reviewer does not 'score" books.)

"On the Brink" should be on display in the Smithsonian. This book is a National Treasure that will inform people for generations to come on how one man with inestimable integrity; conviction to principle; and unwavering backbone, changed the world and did the impossible: Toppled Communism in eight short years, and launched Freedom and Liberty on a virtueous crusade around the globe. It's all in "On the Brink". This book is a MUST. Winik's years of tireless research has rewarded us with a timeless gem that will go down as one of the best political books of all time. David Monks E-Mail: monksd@nabisco.com

This is a wonderful, to-the-point saga of the years that changed history! It should be a textbook--and the only reason it WON'T be is that it crosses too many agendas!

BTW--why is this book out of print?

"On the Brink" should be on display in the Smithsonian. This book is a National Treasure that will inform people for generations to come on how one man with inestimable integrity; conviction to principle; and unwavering backbone, changed the world and did the impossible: Toppled Communism in eight short years, and launched Freedom and Liberty on a virtueous crusade around the globe. It's all in "On the Brink". This book is a MUST. Winik's years of tireless research has rewarded us with a timeless gem that will go down as one of the best political books of all time. David Monks E-Mail: monksd@nabisco.com

This was a very good book. The pace and detail kept me glued. I was surprised, however, at how little Reagan is mentioned in the book, given the subtitle. One of the other customer reviewers had it wrong, it was not *one* man (Reagan) who ended the cold war. Rather it was a collection of men and women, and this book brings you their stories (with particular emphasis on Richard Perle).

These were historic times, and while the biased official reviewer is correct in stating that few pages are given to the internal failings of the eastern bloc, to suggest that the hard-line stance of the Reagan administration wasn't the primary instrument of the Cold War victory is ludicrous. It was the Reagan administration after all who seized on the USSR's problems and pushed them over the brink.

Fantastic book! It's a real pleasure to see some of the lower level staff/cabinet people given credit for an historic 8 years. Before I read this book, I had no idea who Richard Pearl was and now I understand why the Reagan Presidency was noted for it's "hawkish" pro-defense policies. The best history reading is one that reads like a novel while still able to get across all pertinate points and this book does so overwhelmingly. "On the Brink" doesn't necessarily cover in detail all the policies and activities of the Reagan administration (like Lebanon or Iran-Contra...read Lou Cannon's "Reagan" for this) but those it does cover, it does so in "delicious/readable" prose. Highly recommended!

Leadership against the bomb (WMD) including the Reykjavik summit and Gorbachev defined SDI policy review shifts. "The soviet policy review group submitted the dreaft decision directive to the NSC in early December 1982." (p. 77) The center of the book inquires deeply into the results of that start. It was aimed toward Soviet imperialism. It was anti-elitist. That defined Reagan and ultimately undermined his constituency. Gorbachev pressured Reagan. It didn't work well. The President stood. There was START and INF, ABM and NSDD. It was a tangle. Reagan provided leadership. He stood his ground more sucessful with the Soviets than the U.S. Eric J. Lindblom PhD Harvard

Paul Lettow's "Ronald Reagan and His Quest to Abolish Nuclear Weapons" is an important scholarly account of Reagan's aims for his Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) - perhaps better known - if incorrectly - as "Star Wars" and his strongly felt desire to abolish nuclear weaponry. It is a scholarly account which deserves to be read by a wide readership, since it demonstrates convincingly what Reagan actually thought of nuclear weaponry. Lettow observes that Reagan's keen interest in the abolition of nuclear weaponry is one that isn't widely known, even today, and that this interest arose immediately from the 1945 nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Lettow not only does an admirable job in exploring Reagan's interest in the abolition of nuclear weaponry, but also makes a persuasive case as to why Reagan may be the most visionary leader of the late 20th Century, having created the world which we still live in.

Using both recently declassified documents from the National Archives and extensive interviews with former Reagan Administration officials and Reagan historians, Lettow makes a very compelling case for asserting that Reagan's quest to abolish nuclear weapons was the key underlying theme of his foreign policy with the Soviet Union, especially with respect to nuclear arms control. It was an issue Reagan was personally involved with, often overriding strenuous objections from key aides like National Security Adviser Robert "Bud" McFarlane, who thought that Reagan was quite naive in his advocacy of eventual abolition of nuclear weapons. Lettow also illustrates how Reagan's insistance on substantial American military spending, coupled with Soviet opposition to SDI, led not only to substantial reduction of nuclear weapons on both sides, but eventually to the dissolution of the Soviet Union itself. This relatively terse book may be the most important history I have read yet on the Reagan administration and its relations with the Soviet Union, especially with regards to nuclear arms control. For this reason alone, Lettow's book deserves to be read by as wide a readership as possible.

While reading this book, I had the distinct impression that it was actually a dissertation aimed at proving to a doctoral committee that beyond any shadow of doubt Ronald Reagan's primary mission in life, particularly during his presidency, was to abolish nuclear weapons from the face of the earth. Few would have believed that in the 1980s, but the author of this book more than proves it. He does so by thoroughly researching his subject and then meticulously analyzing Reagan's thoughts as distilled from his writings, interviews, broadcasts, speeches, and actions from the early 1960s through his presidency. In the process, he also clearly demonstrates that Ronald Reagan's thinking was so far beyond that of his contemporaries that even his closest advisors had difficulty understanding him or even taking his ideas seriously. Who, in the 1960s-70s, for example, seriously believed that by stepping up the arms race you could bring the Soviets to the negotiating table, let along get them to negotiate in good faith? But Reagan did.

The one fault which I found with this book was that by concentrating on his one theme, almost to the exclusion of everything else, the author presents a somewhat one sided view of what was really taking place during Reagan's presidency. For example, the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), although the most powerful tool, wasn't the only tool being used by President Reagan to bring about the demise of the Soviet Union. He also supported subversion within the Eastern Block, supplied arms to those fighting the Soviets in Afghanistan, pressured the Saudi's to bring down the price of oil so as to starve the Soviet economy, and curtailed technical and monetary support to the USSR to slow its economy. All of these efforts, taken together, brought the "Cold War" to an end.

All that aside, however, this is a remarkable book which sheds a great deal of light on the historical Reagan and further substantiates his legacy. And, as the author intended, after reading it, there can be no doubt that Ronald Reagan was obsessed with eliminating the nuclear threat to the people of the world; almost as obsessed, in fact, as the author was in proving it. For content, this book certainly rates five stars, but for readability it only rates three, so I'll have to give it four.

This brilliant book about Ronald Reagan's greatnessshould be read by President Bush, leaders in both parties and heads of state around the world. Lettow shows through diligent research and first person sources that Ronald Reagan throughout his life aimed at nothing less than the abolition of nuclear weapons and combined true vision and hard headed pragmatism to achieve enormous and historically profound successes that will be remembered in a thousand years. I remember those years well, for a good part of Reagan's Presidency I servedwith the Democratic leadership in Congress and have written myself about how Reagan deserves a special place in history for the same reasons that Lettow documents so thoroughly. From the first use of nuclear weapons at Hiroshima, Reagan set himself on a determined lifetime course to eliminate nuclear weapons. Throughout his life, as both liberal and conservative, Reagan steadfastly pursued this noble and visionary goal that remained constant through his shifting ideology and political parties. As Lettow documents, Reagan understood more than his contemporaries on the left or right that national security is protected not by war without diplomacy, or diplomacy without military strength, but by building enormous military strength for leverage, then applying that strength diplomatically to achieve visionary goals. Lettow traces the history of nuclear weapons spreading alongside the history of Ronald Reagans evolution, and demonstrates how Reagan employed combinations of vision, ideology, pragmatism, boldness and the negotiaing skill natural in a former President of the Screen Actors Guild. Reading Lettows accounting, one can see that Reagan was neither a warmonger looking for wars to fight, nor a pacifist who feared military strength, but a visionary realist who had a large lifetime goal....abolishing nuclear weapons....and pursued that goal courageously and relentlessly. Standing ovation for Reagan, in achieving historic goals of immense and lasting magnitude, and standing ovation for Lettow, for dispassionately telling Reagan's story with integrity and depth.

These were Ronald Reagan's best speeches. He selected them himself, not those a revisionist would impose. They are his most important speeches: his first inaugural when he warned that "Government isn't the solution...government is the problem!" His CPAC speeches including the landmark, March 1981 address. The Evil Empire address and his farewell address from the Oval Office. This is vintage Ronald Reagan.

This book is a selection of speeches that Ronald W. Reagan did since the fifties until he finished leadering the United States of America in 1989.
Here you can see how America was in the eighties and the challenges that americans had to face.
I think Ronald Reagan is one of the most importart people in the 20th century.

Es una pena que no se dinponga de ninguna biografía ni de ninguna selección de discursos de Ronald Reagan en español.

Out of all of the Reaganalia in print, this one is the Reagan Bible. If you are curious about what he thought, where he stood, or why every Republican candidate since 2004 has claimed his mantle, then get this book.

All of the beloved speeches--which sometimes feel like motivational sermons, celebrations of the American Spirit--are here:

* "The Speech" aka "A Time For Choosing" This is the speech for Barry Goldwater that launched Reagan's political career.
* Selected radio addresses.
* Both inaugural addresses, plus his farewell address.
* "The Evil Empire" speech.
* The D-Day/Rangers Monument Speeches.
* The Challenger Speech.
* The rededication of the Statue of Liberty.
* The Q and A session at Moscow State University.
* A selection of witty and wise quotes.

This book's strength is that it was selected by the Gipper himself, so this is essentially "Reagan on Reagan," or what he thought was important. In this aspect, "Speaking My Mind" outstrips its only rival Reagan, In His Own Hand: The Writings of Ronald Reagan That Reveal His Revolutionary Vision for America. To be sure, I recommend both books, but the former has an edge over the latter.

In addition to providing the key intellectual cornerstones of his though, I found this book helpful for establishing a Reagan chronology. Lou Cannon's quasi-official biographies Ronald Reagan: A Life in Politics has chapters that revolves around (and therefore emphasizes) Reagan's shortcomings. This book, on the other hand, highlights the high points of his life. Between the two, you get a depth perception that each one lacks. "By proving contraries, the truth is made manifest."

Take this book, then, as the main standard work on both Reagan and Reaganism. In Dutch: A Memoir of Ronald Reagan, Edmund Morris passes Reagan off as an enigma. Not so!--he was an open book. Open this book, and see what I mean.

This is the first book dedicated specifically to Ronald Reagan I've read, and I'm glad it was one Mr. Reagan himself put together. I freely admit I admire Mr. Reagan very much for not only his political principles, but also his wit and his way with words.

Here in "Speaking My Mind" we get to see how Mr. Reagan wants us to remember him. He is truly "The Great Communicator". The speeches he includes shows his sense of self-deprecating humor, his ability to good-naturedly rip his opponents to shreds, his compassion, and his unwavering dedication to conservative economic principles, not to mention democracy and individual liberty.

Naturally such an autobiographical work may tend to be one-sided, but Mr. Reagan doesn't shy away from the politically devastating Iran-Contra scandal; He included his address to the American people taking responsibility for the wrongdoings of his administration.

I recommend "Speaking My Mind" to those interested in learning about Ronald Reagan as only the man himself can teach.