N Books

The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright was first published in 1941, and though it was written many years ago, is as delightful now as it was then. It's a story about a family who loves each other, works hard and strives to do the right thing. How refreshing!

Mona (13), Rush (12), Miranda (10 ½), who is known as Randy, and Oliver (6) live in New Your City in a brownstone that is rather shabby, but has many floors and fits their lifestyle perfectly. The Melendy children's mother died, but their father and Cuffy, the beloved housekeeper, provide the love, attention and care the children need.

Each of the children has dreams and desires for their futures. Their interests are varied and they each are independent and inquisitive about life and their surroundings.

But while the Melendy children find life generally interesting, Saturdays can sometimes be just plain boring. The children form a club they call the Independent Saturday Afternoon Adventure Club (I.S.A.A.C.). All of the children agree to pool their allowances and each child takes a Saturday with all the money to do something by themselves that they really want to do.

The Saturdays are exciting, not just because of the activities they choose, but because of the people they meet and the stories they hear. Well, Oliver does make one Saturday particularly memorable, but you'll have to read the book to learn about his adventure.

In the day of the novels that glamorize the worst society has to offer, The Saturdays is delightfully refreshing.

Armchair Interviews says: Read the series and enjoy!

This book is different in a good way. It is about 4 children who decide to put there allowences to a good use. Every Saturday the add up there allowence and one of the children gets to do any thing that they will always remember.
By,
Girl With A Plan

I had doubts for this book because it didn't sound very interesting but my Mom wanted me to read it so I did-I loved it. It's original and imaginative and above all easy to read for hours without getting bored. It's original and fun like the story of Mrs. Olifount being kidnapped by jypsies, or Isaac the dog saving the family from suffocating. It's a wonderful book I can't wait to read the sequils.

When I was nine years old I picked up a copy of Elizabeth Enright's "The Melendy Family" on sale for 25 cents at my school Christmas fair, donated by some eighth-grader who evidently felt she had "outgrown" it. I wonder, does anybody ever outgrow the Melendys? "The Melendy Family" was a three-in-one volume comprising "The Saturdays", "The Four Story Mistake", and "Then There were Five". Alas, "The Melendy Family" is no longer in print, but fifty years later, I still have my copy, read to shreds, patched and repatched with scotch tape, a book to be treasured forever and never thrown away. Fortunately, the books making up "The Melendy Family" have been reissued as individual volumes available to enchant yet another generation of young readers.

"The Saturdays", the first volume in the series, introduces us to the four Melendy children: Mona, age 13, Rush, age 12, Randy, who is ten-and-a-half, and Oliver, age 6. Each is given a distinct personality and Enright modeled them on children she had known in her own life, her own children or childhood friends. The result is four fictional characters so totally believable that for years after the books were published, Enright continued to get letters from readers wondering if the Melendys were "real".

The Melendy children's mother is deceased, but they are raised by a devoted, caring father and Cuffy, their beloved housekeeper, who stands in as nurse, cook, substitute mother, grandmother, and aunt, and generally rules the roost. The children are funny, refreshing and unspoiled. Mona has aspirations of being a famous actress and already at thirteen can recite "yards and yards of Shakespeare at the drop of a hat." Rush is the next to the oldest, a musical prodigy with a penchant for getting into and out of trouble. Randy at ten-and-a-half (the half is very important at that age) is an endearing mixture of grace and klutziness, a talented dancer and artist who keeps falling over her own feet when it comes to manual labor. And six-year-old Oliver is the baby of the family, placid and calm, very much his own person, as his story shows.

The story opens on a rainy Saturday which finds Randy and Rush monumentally bored with nothing to do. Randy wants to see a some French paintings. Rush wants to go to the opera. Mona wants to see a play. But in the early 1940s (the approximate time in which the story is set is revealed in the opening pages when Enright tells us that the long scars on the linoleum floor were made by Rush trying out a pair of ice skates on Christmas afternoon, 1939), fifty cents a week allowance was standard, and there wasn't a whole lot you could do with that. Randy has a brainstorm. Let's start a club, she says, and pool our allowances together each week so one of us can spend them on something we've always wanted to do. This idea is adopted enthusiastically by all the children (Oliver wants to contribute his ten cents, too), and thus the Independent Saturday Afternoon Adventure Club (ISAAC) is born.

Each following chapter describes an adventure that takes place on each child's Saturday. Randy goes to see an exhibition of French paintings, runs into an old family acquaintance, Mrs. Oliphant, and is treated to tea at the Plaza while she hears a delightful story of the time Mrs. Oliphant was kidnapped by gypsies during her childhood.

Rush goes to the opera, walks home in a snowstorm, and finds a lost puppy that becomes the family's devoted friend and companion from that day on.

Mona, tired of her long braids, goes to a beauty parlor and treats herself to a haircut and a manicure. The resulting uproar by her father and Cuffy seems a trifle overdone, but as Father later admits, it's hard for parents to realize that their children are growing up.

And Oliver, keeping his own counsel, sneaks out of the house when his Saturday comes and goes to the circus all by himself. An even greater adventure occurs when he is given a ride back home by a mounted policeman on a horse, after he gets lost leaving Madison Square Garden.

After Oliver's adventure the kids decide to spend their Saturdays as a group, but that doesn't stop them from having mishaps such as Randy falling overboard from a boat in Central Park, the family almost suffocating from coal gas when Rush forgets to shut the furnace door, and the storeroom catching fire. It all comes to an exciting conclusion when Mrs. Oliphant invites the children to spend the summer in her lighthouse in Long Island.

"The Saturdays" takes us back to a simpler time and to adventures that probably couldn't happen today (no parent in his right mind would allow a ten year old to go to a museum alone in the New York City nowadays), but kids are still kids, and the Melendys seem so real they could be anyone we knew when we were children, or wish we had known. The time frame may help children understand what a dollar could purchase back then (a wash, set and manicure, or admission to a museum with change to spare). The whole series is a gem for every child and every generation. I still marvel at the priceless find I picked up off a bookshelf at random fifty years ago for only twenty-five cents. It's paid me back a zillion-fold ever since.

Judy Lind

I wanted to respond to the reviews below that thought it was either implausible or dated for children aged 10-13 to wander around New York by themselves. I grew up in New York (in Manhattan, across the park from the Melendys) in the late 1980s. I turned 13, just Mona's age, in 1990. I started walking home from school alone in fourth grade (when I was nine, a year younger than Randy). Like Mr. Melendy and Cuffy, my parents' major worry was that I was careful crossing the street. (Reasonably enough, they feared that drivers would not be able to see a small child.) Many of my friends from elementary school walked or took the bus to school alone at the same age. By twelve (Rush's age), I was allowed to take the subway to visit friends from junior high school, and they took the subway to visit me. By fourteen our teachers assumed that we were competent to find the Metropolitan Museum of Art on our own for projects. None of these people were neglectful, and none of them were "horrified" at the idea of pre-adolescents wandering around the city alone. This was in the supposed "bad old days" when crime was theoretically much higher than it is now, and none of us ever suffered any accident. (Although a group of friends and I got lost coming back from the theater in eighth grade, and were pretty embarrassed that we looked like tourists.)

Anyone familiar with the geography of New York City knows that the Melendy children stay within a fairly small geographic area in THE SATURDAYS, and that the areas where most of their adventures take place are some of the richest and safest in the city. Most sensible New York parents would allow their children to wander there on Saturday afternoons with no more concern than the appropriate ones that Mr. Melendy shows. (Be careful of traffic, don't talk to strangers, and don't get lost.)

Ironically, this ties in with the review that says that Enright did not take enough "risks" with the book, by having her characters get kidnapped by gypsies or run away from home. The fact is, she wrote a fairly realistic description of the childhood of the middle and upper-middle classes of New York City....kids who come into CONTACT with a relatively diverse group of people who have had a variety of experiences, but who actually live in a fairly safe, and sheltered world.

As a New York City kid, I was thrilled to read a book that reflected MY real life experience, as opposed to yet another story about kids who lived in houses with back yards and rode a school bus, and generally had no relationship to my real life. I still love THE SATURDAYS for its loving description of a New York that has in some ways remained startingly the same, even though parts of it have disappeared (no more two way traffic on Fifth Avenue, and no double decker buses!). As other reviews have said, The Saturdays is a charming, well-written book for kids, that can also be enjoyed by adults. It's also one of the few accurate and positive stories about growing up in a great city. I would recommend it for all ages.

This is a very thoughtful book that includes the wit and wisdom of Mr. Rogers, in an easy-to-read format that is both interesting and educational. I can't imagine anyone who doesn't know who Mr. Rogers is. Like virtually all American Children of the '80s & '90s I grew up watching Mr. Rogers. Of course I didn't know it then, but looking back, Mr. Rogers was a very unique person. Mr. Rogers was perhaps the only man in modern pop-culture who was able to speak to kids in such an honest and intelligent way. Mr. Rogers taught me the importance of compassion and the importance of never taking anyone (or anything) for granted. I recommend this book to anyone with a heart and a mind.

A nice little book full of simple, innocuous sayings displaying a keen grasp of the obvious. But by and large, I didn't find anything that really grabbed me, anything that made me think "Wow!" I did find one or two exceptions to this. Rogers writes:

"Sometimes, though, I wonder if we confuse strength with other words - like aggression, and even violence."

I wonder what Mister Rogers would have made of politicians defining "strength" as "support for war."

this ought to be a required textbook in all the schools and colleges in the world.it is that good without a doubt.

Great book to have on the coffee table. Just a quick read with great thoughts.

When I sat down with this book I intended to give it a quick read and set it aside. And then I read it a second time and TOOK NOTES because I found so many pieces and parts of the book inspiring and eye-opening and comforting.

For instance, Mr. Rogers says that when he was a boy and there were tragedies in the news, his mom would tell him, "look for the helpers; look for the people who are helping others." That shifted his perspective and helped assuage some of his fears.

Another treasure is the introduction by Mrs. Rogers (Joanne) who states, "The person Fred became in his later years came out of growth and struggle. As he got older, it seemed as if the nurturing of his soul and mind became more and more important...Discipline was his very strong suit."

And in another part of the intro she states that if she were to isolate a single thing that changed Fred's life more than anything else, it was a statement made by Dr. Margaret McFarland, a mentor and teacher. "She let him know it was okay to be sensitive."

Reading that was a comfort, since most of us "sensitive souls" are repeatedly admonished to "stop being so sensitive," and yet it is that very sensitivity that should be nurtured and developed in artists and writers.

Several months ago, I made extensive notes of this book and re-read them each morning as part of my daily mediations. That's how much I loved "The World According to Mister Rogers."

It's a well-written, easy-to-read book that leaves a lasting impression.

I had no appreciation for Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers) until I read this book.
He is an incredible human being.
And this book carries along that incredibleness so people like us who have never met the man can learn and bask in his example of perfect friendship.
Truly an inspiration.

I'm Proud of You was a great read. It is the story of one man's personal journey of pain and self discovery and also of his precious friendship with Fred Rogers. It was a treat to read of "Mr Rogers" and the personal integrity and selflessness he had. Definately recommend it.

I recently finished reading I'm Proud of You. I must say, Tim Madigan did an outstanding job with this book. One small book has made me think about so many different things. It has reminded me in such a profound way that we must live life as if tomorrow will not be. Treasure your family members as if you will not see them tomorrow. These were lessons we need to have repeated again and again.

Tim Madigan has also used the art of writing to reinforce the notion that men have feelings which should be expressed. Society has taught men to be stoic and hard. Tim reminds us that men are also individuals with emotions that need to be felt, appropriately released, and reckoned with. These emotions if not dealt with can and will often manifest itself in other forms within the lives of men.

Lastly, it was a privilege to read the story of a reporter in search of self and finding a man who uncompromisingly shared part of his self and his love. I had to pause from reading at least twice to give my emotions a minute.

It's a extraodinary story. Thank you so much Tim Madigan for sharing. I am also proud of you. Since this was such a personal experience that was unselfishly shared with the reader.

This is one of the best books I have ever read. It's a wonderful book about the author's friendship with Mr. Rogers. The author really shares his heart with the reader and reveals the incredible person that was the television icon and child psychologist: Fred Rogers. It's also a book about struggles that we all face: anger, depression, family disagreements and grief.

There are also a great many references to other inspirational material that I plan to also investigate. In a society where most men must deal with so many stressful things, this book is a testimony to the comfort that can come from a genuine male friendship and fellowship.

All of this is particularly meaningful to me, since it was a friend who gave me my copy of this book. I would really like to buy about ten more copies to give to more of my friends and family members.

Moving tale of love, growth and (sometimes) Fred Rogers

In "I'm Proud of You, " prize-winning journalist and author Tim Madigan takes us on very personal journey of growth through his personal pain. His Virgil for the journey was television's Fred Rogers of "Neighborhood of Make-believe" fame. Madigan tells of his unexpected friendship with the celebrity, whose unconditional caring, vulnerability and startling offer of friendship provided solace during times of crisis and pain for the author. Much of the book is related via published emails, letters and telephone calls that the two exchanged over a ten-year period. Madigan shows Rogers as the same completely genuine, gentle and quaint man seen on his TV show. Rogers is overtly religious (Christian, specifically) in his approach to others. As Madigan relates not infrequently, Rogers evinces an almost divine sense of love, non-judgment and complete acceptance. According to Madigan, these qualities were exactly what he needed as he struggled with childhood hurts, difficulty in his marriage and a death in his present-day family. While much of the book relates Tim's own crises, Rogers -- in the form of a gift, card or phone call -- often pokes his head into the narrative. These encounters help Tim validate and express his feelings, an extremely difficult task for males in general. In turn, Rogers bares his own soul, in the kind of mutual friendship that he often established with others.

Fred Rogers is a paradox for our modern culture. "Gentle" and "man" are nearly oxymoronic in our aggressive and high-testosterone culture. Fred took his share of knocks as people questioned his manhood and mistrusted his devotion to children. Madigan shows Fred as a man with his own difficult moments and pain, who found a path to healing through his extraordinary personality and his faith in God. Madigan highlights Rogers' friendship with Henri Nouwen, the Catholic spiritual writer, showing that gentleness and a belief in God's love for all His creatures need not be limited by denominational lines. My only criticism of the book is that it did not live up to its subtitle, "My Friendship with Fred Rogers" since much of the book transpired in Fred's absence, or was carried on at a distance. The subtitle was changed for the paper version to the more-appropriate "Life Lessons from My Friend Fred Rogers". Still, the book is a moving testimony to Fred Rogers' ability to transform another human being simply by affirming him, believing in him, and by extension, to reach out to those in that person's circle of family and friends. Madigan's moving recounting of the end of his brother's life was also quite beautiful and instructive in showing us a way to die that is courageous, healing and deeply imbued with an awareness of everyday graces.

By relating his journey to us, Tim makes his readers the indirect beneficiaries. of Fred Rogers' love and specialness. By doing so, makes his readers his neighbors, something that Fred as "Mr. Rogers" would have dearly appreciated.

The story begins with Alexis about to marry the man of her dreams in what was suppose to be the fairytale wedding of her dreams but her fiancee Aaron had plans of his own.When it was time for him to say his "I Do", he releases a horrible secret that leaves her brokenhearted and lost. Sidney one of Alexis bestfriends is having her own crisis, the perfect marriage that she has worked so hard to portray is beginning to crumble before her eyes. Simone, Sidney's twin sister and also Alexis other bestfriend has been longing for a relationship and love like her sisters. She finds her self in a situation that changes the lives of everyone around her. Tracy is the last of the best friend circle and is struggling with how to move on with her life. She has been mourning her husband for too long and is afraid to move on because she feels guilty. These four women share a special friendship that has been bonded together since they were babies and passed down from their mothers. All of their mothers are best friends as well. As you read on you will experience so many different issues in each one of their lives and experience alot of their drama.
I enjoyed reading this novel although in the first few pages it seemed a little slow and had me thinking I was reading a fairytale book it picked up. Once it picked up it had me hooked into the drama and issues that these women went through. This book gives you friendships, sex, love, deceit, jealousy, forgiveness, adultery, infidelity, and much more. If you are looking for a good read then you have found it.
Four star reviewed by Mskiki of Real Divas of Literature

I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading other books by this author. It goes to show that you be careful what you wish for. The ending shocked me, I wasn't expecting that. Keep up the good work.

Very good book only took 1day and half to read. Drama, drama, drama from the first page to the last. I won't give away the plot just know that you need to pick up immediately if u like drama and real life reads.

I have to say keep your friends away from your man. Don't tell your friends anything about the sexlife with your friends, cause they might just want to sample his goods. At least thats what the books says. LoL.

Alexis really needed to kick Simones man. She always wants what someone else has. She was really wrong for sleeping with Alexis man.

IF you want to read some hellish drama. then this is the book for you.

Shannon Davis' debut novel, Nothing Like Friends, introduces readers to Alexis, Simone, Sidney and Tracy. These four individuals have been friends for several years. Each of them is searching for true love, but choosing different paths to find it.

Alexis thinks she has found the one she will be with forever. What she does not know is her fiancée has a secret that just may change her future. Will she survive the secret and find the true love she desires?

Simone dates men that are already in relationships. This time she may have crossed the line with the wrong man. Will she find true love and keep her friends?

Sidney has the perfect husband and the perfect kids, so it seems. She reads a letter addressed to her husband that just may change her perfect family. Will she still have that family?

Tracy lost her husband ten years ago in an accident. She cannot seem to let go of what she and her husband had together. She refuses to get into a relationship with anyone. Will she continue to push true love away?

Nothing Like Friends is a very entertaining novel. This book is filled with drama and held my attention to the very end. This read was well-written and very descriptive. Each chapter was told from each of the main characters' point of view. The author made me feel like I knew the characters personally. I enjoyed this book and recommend it to others. Although this is my first time reading Ms. Davis' work, it will definitely not be my last.

Reviewed by Phyllis Ann
APOOO BookClub

If you are a parent looking for a great series of books to engage your kids and inspire them to read, then look no further than the anybodies series.

THe Anybodies not only makes you want to read the the other books in the series, but it is filled with references to other children's classics, which are obviously meant to inspire your children to continue reading.

The Anybodies is my second favorite book. I love the story. I also like how it relates to the outside world. This story is about a girl named Fern who gets switched at birth, and now she has to live with the VERY BORING Mr. and Mrs. Drudger. Then some people that she has never seen before (or has she?) come to her house and she finds out from them that she is an Anybody. What is an Anybody? Well, you've got to read the book to find out!!!

The theme of this book (and its excellent sequels the Nobodies and the Somebodies) is that nothing is what it seems and that everything can change. This is such a powerful message for kids, who tend to look at the world so literally and so in the present. Very unusual. Very well-written. Great read.

This was a great book. I recommend it. I liked this book because it was full of adventure. I think it was one of my favorites and I would think other people would like this book. I am 10 years old I think people of all ages would like this book.

It's true! Everyday after lunch, I read to my 3rd graders. We have a short window of time before going to recess. One of my students bought the book "The Anybodies" for me from our school book fair (I had hinted for it).

Even in the first day of reading, they were hooked. Did I mention I only have a short time to read? Fifteen minutes to be exact. The class was hooked. By the end of the first week, the classroom clock would be pointing to 12:30...recess time, but none of my students budged. None reminded me of the time. I had to stop reading, but they wanted to hear more.

Ok, N.E. Bode, whoever you are, what kind of magical literary genius can spin a tale so mesmerizing that even 8 yr olds deny themselves the frivolity of recess in order to hear "what happens next"?

When the last day of reading "The Anybodies" rolled around, the kids were downtrodden to say the least. What to do now? So, on to trusty Amazon.com. What on earth is there to read following that addicting novel? AHA!

Yes, N.E. Bode, we're reading "The Nobodies" and, yes, we're hooked again. See a review for that book in a few short weeks. You have made fans and friends of us all! What does that old writing professor of yours know anyway?

The Bible. It can be confusing, and hard to read because the language. I just cannot read a King James version with ease, it is like reading Shakespeare. This is a very easy to read version. I like the simplicity. I am sure Bible scholars will find points they don't agree with, but for this guy I like this book. It even uses the word stupid in Proverbs.

The hardcover is great, I wore out my last "The Book" with the softcover, and this one is very nice. It opened fully even brand new.

I highly recommend "The Book" to any serious or casual student of the Bible. "The Book" IS the Bible. I have used my copy for years, often giving copies of it as gifts. "The Book" uses modern expressions, patterns, and speech idioms that make the books of the Old and New Testaments more easily understood. Particularly helpful are the introductions to each book of the Testaments, where the author, date, content, and theme of each is provided. Additionally, it references parts of the Bible that deal with specific life concerns, such as fear, anger, frustration, pain, guilt, patience, and healing. Also, I would recommend the hard-cover edition which is much more durable than the soft-cover option.

Broken down to simple terms that anyone can understand. If you have a hard time understanding the King James version, "The Book" is the one for you. I bought 2 of them and so glad I did!

This is a great book to have to understand your Bible more clearly as it speaks in terms we all can understand. The Book came to me in great shape and was very timely! Thanks!

I have been attempting to read the Bible straight through for the last year (Christmas 06' to Christmas 07'). Though I already have what I precieve to be a very well translated version a friend has been encouraging me to read this version... Well as a Christmas gift, he decided to buy me "The Book", and when I started reading it I could not put it down! There are no reasons to second guess whether or not you clearly understand what is supposed to be learned, it's there plain and simple! Get this as an "easy to read" companion to your traditional Bible... then as my friend did, pass it on. In fact I'm buying one for a co worker today! Spread the Good News!!!!

A friend of mine from the Bronx told me about this book, and I'm glad she did. This if a beautifully written story that gets at the truth of both the time and the heart. The Bronx is a place that seems mythic and all too real to me and this writer keeps both of those images alive.

I loved this book. It gave a shape to Pearson's life and let me understand that there is a shape to all of our lives. It's just up to us to find the meaning that is there for us notice.

For me Dreaming of Columbus read more like a novel than a memoir. I mean that as a compliment to the writer. The story had the feel of fiction to it, as if you could see inside the characters lives and enter the story for a while. I loved it.

Michael Pearson has the right idea, but the ideas that are gathered into the book are a little disjointed and fractured. If he could smooth out the stories so that blend one into the other, the entire book would read better.
On the positive note, Dreaming of Columbus would definitely stir memories of the neighborhood for those growing up in that part of New York. He does have some descriptive stories of people, places and landmarks in the book that are entertainingly delightful.
If you are a Bronx native, I would recommend this book so you can remember things you may never see again.

Despite the images of sea voyages inspired by its title, Dreaming of Columbus is not the story of a young man spending his salad days in exotic, foreign settings. Instead, Michael Pearson takes the road less traveled and keeps his story closer to home. The reader looking for journeys will not be disappointed, however, in the imaginative way the Pearson uses literature to break away from the confines of the Bronx and the unpredictable, bourbon induced, violent outbursts produce by his father's rage to live. Although Pearson engages in excessive epigraph dropping, the means by which literature provides an avenue for escape adds a universal element to his narrative from which we call all learn something about the art of bridge building.

If you want a very, very basic introduction to Economics, this book is a good one. However, as an Economics major in college, I was looking more for a reference book to refresh my fading knowledge. This book doesn't have that level of detail.

I gave it five stars, because it's not the book's fault that I wanted something different.

The text is excellent and is suitable for any type of introductary Ecnonomics class. It can be used in a tough course or an easy course, as it provides a great level of organization so that the instructor may choose the material at his discretion depending on his course lay out.

Among all the textbooks I have seen in economics, I have found Mankiw's to be the best. It is clear and concise, addressing all the important intermediate issues in macroeconomics. The description of concepts is simple, and the book benefits from a three pronged approach to teaching - graphical, mathematical, and anecdotal. The student is free to choose whichever one he feels most comfortable learning from.

I'd recommend this along w/ "The Economic Way of Thinking" by Heyne, as the two best Econ textbooks I've read. Mankiw's book is fair and balanced, he is not a frothing at the mouth partisan, and it is a straightforward explanation of basic economic terms. However, he establishes a handful of core truths that anyone who wishes to understand economics must accept, and if not accept, explain as to why these certain truths don't apply. For example, Mankiw establishes that 1.) free markets work better than regulated markets, 2.) private property and incentives are necessary for productivity 3.) trade makes everyone wealthier.

He does not explain these in a polemical way, but he calmly establishes a solid case for these (and other principles), and despite being fairly standard in economic circles, they are fairly contentious in the realm of political economics and discourse (particularly on the collegiete level, where English Major Marxists think they know more about the social order than those who study the social order). This makes the book more persuasive than a fire and brimstone screed from an Ann Coulter type. Books like this need to be read by all to improve the Economical I.Q. of the voting public.

As an instructor of introductory macroeconomics, I often rue the fact that we do not utilize this textbook. I borrow material from it INCESSANTLY and without shame.

It presents the "Keynesian" viewpoint on macroeconomics in an extraordinarily clear and interesting fashion. Frankly, I consider the introductory (read literally - first semester macro books) texts to be a waste of time. There is absolutely no reason this textbook should not be used for a first semester macroeconomics course (assuming one has already taken an introductory microeconomics course).

Suggested plan of study for those interested in a fairly serious study of macroeconomics (without an INSANE amount of mathematical preparation): this book and Barro's book with the same title. Barro's book presents the real business cycle theory approach in a clear manner (though the book is somewhat dull in comparison)...then decide for yourself which 'camp' is making the most sense.

The book is well written and entertaining. The story was nicely presented around the letters of Mary Pringle. All the similar names of the characters make it a little confusing. A nice reference chart showing the relationship of the characters should be included at the beginning of the book. Did the author hide some things to make the family look better? I wonder. It's hard for a Northerner to muster up a lot of sympathy for this family of slave owners. Perhaps Julius, who likely became a Unionist, was the real hero of the family. It's ironic that the South nearly destroyed our country in the 1860's, but is saving it today.

Mary's World helped me to understand life in the Antebellum South and the culture that thrived on slavery. But it also showed the North's response to winning the Civil War, which was anything but forgiving. It was a thrill to see the Miles Brewton House and the St. Michael's Cemetary on my recent visit to Charleston, and to feel the connection with the Mottes, Alstons, and Pringles.

In Mary's World Richard N. Cote has succeeded admirably where so many others have tried and yet missed the mark. With his succinct style and exceptional organizational skills he has laid bare the thoughts,emotions and lives of Mary Pringle, her family and their slaves, and done so in a way that has given us a book
that is informative as well as enjoyable. By putting their lives
into context with the times Mr Cote has given the reader not only the opportunity to learn what they thought and felt but the ability to understand why they thought and felt the way they
did. This book will appeal to historians and the average reader
alike.
It took me only 2 days to read Mary's World and I found myself
so absorbed that when interrupted I was momentarily confused to find I wasn't in 19th century Charleston.

FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN ANTEBELLUM CULTURE AND THE CIVIL WAR, THIS IS A MUST READ. EVEN FOR THOSE WHO AREN'T A STUDENT OF THE ERA, "MARY'S WORLD" IS STILL A FASCINATING GLIMPSE OF THE LIFE OF AN ELITE SOUTHERN PLANTER FAMILY. TAKEN FROM FAMILY PAPERS, THE STORY OF THE PRINGLES IS A FIRST HAND ACCOUNT OF THEIR INNERMOST THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS.

THE READER GETS TO WATCH WILLIAM BULL AND MARY ALSTON PRINGLE'S CHILDREN GROW UP. BY THE END OF THE BOOK YOU FEEL AS IF YOU HAVE KNOWN THEM ALL. I DREADED FINISHING THE BOOK BECAUSE I FELT AS IF I WAS LEAVING OLD FRIENDS.

DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND MAKE TIME FOR THIS BOOK. REGARDLESS OF WHETHER YOU ARE AN "ANTEBELLUM-OPHILE" LIKE ME OR NOT, THIS IS AN EXCELLENT BOOK.

I found this book in Charleston on vacation after touring this home. I loved this book! Now I want to visit again because I am so much more invested. I read this book for pure pleasure, and di it deliver! One doesn't need to visit the south to enjoy, the book takes you there. It gives such insight to the era and history the reader gets pulled right in.

I love this book. It was written from a jail cell in the 1600s. This version is the original so the text is difficult to read at first but I would not want a watered down modernized version (which can be purchased). I find if I read in chunks it starts to flow nicely. The characters have names like, "Evangelist", "Piety", "Talkative", "Faith", etc. So you know just where someone is coming from. I have marked up this book with pencil just like I do my scriptures! It is like reading one long parable in story form! Cool book. I'm glad to have found it.

We've read this book to our son and he has really enjoyed it. He doesn't yet fully understand everything and we had to stop and explain a lot to him, but it is something that we plan on reading over and over again as our kids continue to grow.
I read a review that stated that a main flaw in this book was the lack of one on one relationship with Christ. I can understand what they are saying, but I think what you have to keep in mind is that while we are here on earth and in our day and age we do not physically see Christ. He was once here walking and living on this earth, but He is now in heaven. He uses other means now to maintain a personal relationship with us. For example, we can know Christ through His word and through prayer. Just as in the book, He often also sends other Christians along in our life to help us and encourage us. This book is a good example of a walk of faith. We can't see and physically touch Christ right now, but when we are in heaven we WILL see Him just as Bunyan talks about in the book. Christian persevered in his walk without physically seeing Christ and he was rewarded in the end for his faith. For now, how much greater our reward is for those who have not seen Him and yet believed!

Enthralling. This book will help every Christian deal with the battles of being a Christian in this life and all the struggles that go with it. It teaches you never to give up even when you feel like you can't go on. Life's struggles are not a new occurrence, but as timeless as human existence itself. It teaches you not to be too concentrated on your struggles, but to look at the great prize which is Heaven and not be distracted or enticed by the struggles of life nor the easy way out. Excellent. It is a must read for every Christian.

The first time that I encountered Christian and his pilgrimage was as a preface and a family favorite in the book Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Unfortunately, it was not until twenty-something years later that I actually got around to reading the book itself. If I were you, I would not wait that long.

The first part of the current combined book appeared in 1678. Bunyan, a nonconformist Protestant minister who was imprisoned for preaching without a license, wrote at least the first part of the book in jail. The second part was first published in 1684. It is likely the most popular allegory ever written, and is still one of the best selling books of all time.

What makes it so popular? The obvious key to its popularity is its simple, crisp style. Even accounting for the language changes between the seventeenth century and now, it is not a struggle to read Progress and it flows well for the modern reader. Although the book is allegory, the characters are full of little realistic details that make them feel quite human. Incidentally, I was reading this book as I was walking some of the old pilgrimage trails of Europe and it was interesting to me how vivid and applicable his version of the pilgrimage experience is. The Slow of Despair rang remarkably true, as did characters such as Talkative and Mr. Worldly Wisdom.

The Oxford University Press edition is bound with a scholarly introduction which is, for a change, worth reading. It also came with explanatory notes and a glossary which were helpful for the modern reader who is not familiar with the everyday language of the period.

This book is a true classic. John Bunyan spins a wonderful tale of the spiritual walk to heaven. The language may be a bit hard and it won't be that easy of a read, but it is definately worth the while!

It is spiritually edifying and also quite captivating.

A must read!!!