W Books

Here is an outstanding exhaustively researched account of all the key players in Hitler's Third Reich. Without the help of these men, Hitler would not have come to power, let alone been a politician worthy of mention. It is interesting to read how at least one among his entourage did not want war, and how his stubbornness and hubris changed the course of history. A must read not only for those who are interested in the tumultous events of the 20th Century, but those in leadership positions in politics and other fields, or those aspiring to be in that position.

I have read over 100 books covering the Nazi period, including reading William Shirers book, Rise and Fall of the Third Reich,three times. During this last 10 years every book I read was compared with Shirers. This is book by Anthony Read is perhaps equal or better than Shirers because its both a history book and a concise biography of the main "devil's disciples". This book at 900 pages provides more understanding of events than Shirer achieved in his 1600 pages although Shirer delivered a masterpiece. The reason for this is may be that Shirer in writing in 1958-60 did not have access to some of the detailed later sources as Anthony Read has. What makes this book so great is that Read spends great effort to explain the "Why & How" in addition to the "Who, What, Where, When" covered by most historians. This book provides insight into the squable that Goebbels had with Gregor Strasser that made it easier for Hitler to drive a wedge between Strasser and Goebbels who were very thick in the beginning and might have eventually split the Nazi's Berlin northern group from the Nazi's Munich "mafia" group.
This book gives a greater understanding of Gorings love and devotion to his first wife, Carin, than I got from reading a well researched biography of Hermann Goring by another author. Carin's death has been explained in other sources as: TB, epilepsy, heart failure. AR explains how they were all connected. Hermanns love for her explains why her son, Thomas, from her first marriage was so devoted to Goring.
The book also explains how crafty Hitler was in engaging many of the other political parties before backing out of any commitment at the 11th hour after the other parties were forced to disclose that most of them needed Hitler's Nazi Reichstag delegates more than the Nazis needed them. This book contains many more facts that help the reader understand the personal motives behind most of the intrigues of the main characters.
Goebbels, the proverbial womanizer, should never gotten married but with the death of Goring's wide Carin, it appears Goebbels saw an opportunity to help himself to the spotlight by marrying the beautiful and rich divorcee, Magda, so he could take over the entertainment of Hitler on his trips up to Berlin.
The book deserves 6 stars and is like drinking from a firehouse to cover more in 900 pages than 1600. I'll gladly read this again.

Anthony Read manages to give an extremely accurate account of the leaders of Nazi Germany. He also gives detail to Nazism in general and World War 2, making this book very well rounded. Mr. Read's ability to keep his work interesting throughout is the icing on the cake.

This is a quality book all around. Excellent research, well-written, and a nicely packaged book (nice cover, good pics, etc.). The author makes it an interesting read, and I highly recommend the book.

We all know how the story ends, but most people aren't sure as to how it actually began. The cast of characters is all there -- the flamboyant flying ace turned politician; the awkward young man who overcomes a physical disability to ascend to the highest tiers of government; the idealist; the ideologue; the cunning grand vizier; the souls who fought a losing battle with their eyes set on Valhalla. In under 1000 pages, Anthony Read has written a modern masterpiece of Third Reich scholarship. Meticulously documented, "the Devil's Disciples" is a compelling read by any standard, but all the moreso for the undertaking it represents. Read crafts a captivating narrative of the German political scene from the First World War to Nuremberg and examines the most prominent figures in the Nazi Party and the subsequent government that came from it.

One of the most relieving things about Read's book is that it carefully avoids the abject moralism so prevalent in other works about the National Socialist period in Germany. Read is careful never to make a person seem too sympathetic or too incompetent, pointing out the individual's strong as well as weak personal qualities. Read's portraits of Hermann Göring and Josef Goebbels are by far the highlights of the book. With surgical precision, Read discerns the motivations and personalities of both men and offers fresh insight into their lives and careers. For once, Adolf Hitler takes a backseat to his subordinates, with awe-inspiring results.

For anyone interested in the history of the Third Reich, "the Devil's Disciples" is essential. By all rights, this book should be considered equal (or superior) to Shirer's "the Rise and Fall of the Third Reich." Once you start this book, you won't be able to put it down. An enthusiastic 5/5.

Having studied Biblical Prophecy for well over thirty years, and read just about every contemporary work on the subject (and many pre 20th century ones as well), it seems unlikely that anyone could (or would) have the ability and insight to rethink the well established and widely held position of traditional Biblical eschatology.

There is no shortage of available material for insight or interest of the end times. "Last days" novels and nonfiction have been a hot topic since the publication of Hal Lindsey's "Late Great Planet Earth," a book that introduced an entire generation to the veracity of Biblical prophecy.
It had been said, "If you can't understand the correlation between Biblical prophecy and the every day news by chapter eleven, you most likely never will." Hal was right back in 1970, and the New York Time recognized "Late Great" as the No. 1 non-fiction bestseller of the decade."

Biblical prophecy uniquely sets its own standard: 100% accuracy and nothing less. The evangelical community has essentially followed a similar linear summary with division in minor areas of technical detail.

David Lowe demonstrates an exceptional familiarity and facility with both historic and prophetic Scripture with meticulous attention to the significance of every detail in every sense. The compilation of accumulated examples is a remarkable and intensive effort in and of itself.

With impressive documentation and parallelism, obscure references are captured for use in comparative text and developed using the standard that pattern characterizes prediction and the future finds its definition in the past.

With the use of these comparisons and measurements, Mr. Lowe then assembles these elements and astoundingly produces a comprehensive and fascinating model, while never compromising the integrity of the text.

18 months after my first reading of "Earthquake Resurrection" it seems to be becoming apparent that prophetic events are escalating and the tenets of David Lowe's presentation increasingly realistic and logical.

"Earthquake Resurrection" has boldly provided fresh and intriguing insight and is exceptionally intriguing and compelling.

How about an audio version? It would be of such benefit for so many otherwise unable to appreciate the insights on the pages of "Earthquake Resurrection."

Thank you and great job, David!

Upside: Prophetically there were some very fresh and new insights that were well laid out scripturally. I have been studying biblical prophecy for many years...this book put some pieces in place, for example, who are the 144,000, the 24 elders, the rider on the white horse. All explanations were more insightful and more easily understood than anything I have read anywhere else.

Downside: Theology of man's salvation in the book is somewhat Arminian/Charismatic with dogmatic assumptions concerning the sovereign power of man's free will without any scriptural context. Explanation of the Olive Tree was less than edifying, implying that we Gentiles in Christ have Jewish Roots. The mystery of the Church is better understood by reading earlier authors such as William R. Newell.

At a time when the most influential books on end times prophecy are found in the fiction aisle of your local bookstore, and those books spawn a mini-industry of spinoffs, movies, and, soon, video games, it is telling that the most original thinking and writing on interpreting biblical prophecy comes from authors who are publishing independently. Whether this is because they prefer to retain control over their ideas or because they weren't able to interest Tyndale House, Zondervan, or Nelson, I don't know. I strongly suggest, however, that anyone interested in putting the theology of Left Behind to the test look up Red Moon Rising by Peter D. Goodgame, The Nephilim and the Pyramid of the Apocalypse by Patrick Heron, or--if fiction is your preference--The Facade by Dr. Michael S. Heiser.

To this list, let me add Earthquake Resurrection by David W. Lowe.

In Earthquake Resurrection, Lowe presents a thoughtful study of the timeline of the apocalypse--with a twist. Choosing to build his thesis on a new foundation rather than choosing from the traditional pre-, mid-, or post-tribulation models, or even the newer "pre-wrath" construct, Lowe offers a well-reasoned argument for what he calls a "Pre-70th Week" rapture of believers in Jesus Christ.

Lowe makes a case for the first five seals of the book of Revelation being open today and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse already loose upon the Earth. Interestingly, he identifies the rider on the white horse not as the Antichrist, as do many students of eschatology, but as the spirit of conquering in the name of Christ; i.e., the Roman Catholic Church throughout most of the last 1,600 years (and, I would add, the streak of Dominionism or "Kingdom Now" theology that appears to have gripped modern American Christianity).

The twist Lowe presents is this: He suggests, based on the account of Jesus' resurrection preserved in the gospel of Matthew and the prophecy of the two witnesses in the Book of Revelation, that the energy released by the prophesied resurrection of millions into immortal, "glorified" bodies will be the catalyst that triggers the global cataclysm prophets said would accompany the "great and terrible Day of the Lord". Among his evidence is an interesting side trip through the history of and debate surrounding the Shroud of Turin.

Earthquake Resurrection is well organized and economically written, and Lowe presents a helpful timeline chart at the beginning of each chapter to help the reader assemble the narrative into a cohesive picture of the coming apocalypse. He doesn't try to speculate, avoiding the temptation to tie political predictions to specific prophecies. He simply lays out the evidence and draws logical conclusions.

All in all, Earthquake Resurrection is a valuable addition to the library of anyone interested in a serious study of end times prophecy.

The back cover of a new book by David Lowe says that a model for future events that could challenge the traditional interpretation of Biblical prophecy exists. Earthquake Resurrection presents this thesis by looking at "natural" catastrophe in a way not seen before in prophecy books.

But let me back up.

Doesn't it feel sometimes like catastrophe has a mind of its own, intentionally saving itself for the most inopportune time? Take for instance the other day. There I was, enjoying a little CHRISTmas time with the family, bouncing the grandbaby on my knee and heading into the new year feeling just fine, when out of the blue the manager of the conference grounds where I'd been conducting charity reconstruction over the last seven years calls to let me know that the side of the mountain [not too far from Three Sisters mountain range in Oregon where an ancient volcano is awakening] had fallen onto the property, burying some of the assets, vehicles, and a building.

So... just like that, the vacation was over, time to go back to work, raise some more money, build morale among the troops, forget the holidays.

But as I was preparing to make my way back to the camp, I received an email from author David Lowe, wanting to know if I had reviewed his book, Earthquake Resurrection. I explained to David that his title--together with a pile of others I was supposed to be reviewing--was sitting on a "review" counter back at the office and that the Jefferson County Sheriff--a BIG country boy you don't mess with, a guy we refer to around here as Robocop--wasn't letting anybody near the building, given the instability of the slope.

David understood the situation, and emailed me a PDF version of the book so that in my spare time [ha!] I could began reading it.

I agreed, but soon after, was not sure I had made the right decision. The little burp on the side of my mountain was feeling small in comparison to what Lowe was forecasting, and the earth changes along the Three Sisters volcanic range nearby was taking on a portentous feel in light of his research. My thoughts drifted to the ominous Yellowstone supervolcano system, ruptures of the New Madrid and San Andreas fault zones, Mount St. Helen's behaving erratically, Mauna Loa growling, Cumbre Vieja shaking off the coast of Africa, Mount Belinda erupting on one side of the world while simultaneously Mount Augustine was going off at the other pole, and I wondered, what's up?

David had an answer, and It troubled me. The earth is reacting to, or perhaps preparing for, the opening of the Sixth Seal of the Book of Revelation, following the first five seals, which, according to Lowe, have already opened. Thus earthquakes, such as have never been seen before, or ever will again, are about to transpire.

This is where Lowe really gets going. And I have to admit, as a twenty-five year veteran of theological review, I had never contemplated the interesting premise Lowe eventually puts forth. Frankly, I wish I had invented the hypothesis. I'm tempted to steal it anyway, to report it as my own, it's that creative.

The "Rapture of the Church," Lowe says--an advent that some people believe will mark the disappearance of a large group of Christians worldwide during a single and unexpected harpazo--will unleash global earthquake activity and related catastrophic weather events as were prophesied in the Bible. This will compliment scientific reasoning because when humans are "resurrected" or changed from mortal to immortal, the restructuring metamorphoses of the body at the atomic and subatomic level unleashes nuclear power. The explanation for such phenomenon is understood within science, whereas the biblical pattern for the theory is redundantly recorded in the scriptures during such times as the resurrection of Matthew 27:51-52, again when Christ Himself arose, and during the resurrection of the two witnesses of Revelation 11.

Other equally thought-provoking and original ideas continue throughout Lowe's excellently researched book, and the author's writing style is clever and easy to follow--a truly insightful argument that in the end possesses broad eschatological and historical significance.

Even if you disagree with Lowe's "rapture" theme, you'll find persuasive reasons to prepare for an imminent event, one that is certain to bring down much more than the side of the mountain behind my campground.

Thomas Horn, Senior Raiders News Update.com reviewer

To make a long story short, I loved this book!

I've been studying Bible prophecy regarding the end times for a while, and there were always loose ends that would leave more questions than answers. I believe this author was given a word of knowledge to clearly describe what could happen at the time of the rapture of the church.

I don't get a chance to read very much but I started this book and couldn't put it down.

What a great book to read. I couldn't put it down. Even if you are only mildly interested in our "feathered friends", you should read this book.

When I first picked up this book, I was impressed by the beautiful feel of the cover and the subtle, beautiful artwork. Kay Charter's stories inside matched the effort put into the quality printing. With a delightful blend of humor and candor, Kay tells of her decision to give up a "comfortable" retirement and opt instead for a meaningful retirement devoted to her wildlife sanctuary. These aren't sugar-coated anecdotes of life with birds. Kay gets down and dirty with the predators in order to protect her beloved and rare species, making the book all the more thought-provoking. Bird lovers will be inspired and entertained; non-birders will learn a tremendous amount about birds and the people who love them.

Kay Charter's book is a well-written story of a life dedicated to following one of the roads less traveled in our society - the road leading towards helping some facet of nature at the expense of accumulating conventional material wealth. In Kay's life, that road she chose to travel led to helping birds. In a series of marvelous vignettes she describes how her choice of roads unfurled before her over the past twenty years as she traveled around the country. Each chapter is very well-written. Most of them make a good point without being preachy. The book is easy to read in snatches of time here and there or in a few longer readings. Reading this book is well worth the time invested.

I saw Kay speak at the Oxford Michigan library. She has an unbelievable love for birds, and I truly appreciate people who have such a passion for anything (legal). While I only have a moderate interest in 'birding', I did find this book entertaining and easy to read. Itr consisits of aminly short 'stories' involving some bird related topic. I applaud Kay for working so hard for the birds and the environment- we need more people like her.

Max Lucado is an artist! He paints pictures with his words. All his books are like that, but this one is superb!

We are using it as a women's group study. It lends itself wonderfully and quite easily to this venue. I have never seen the excitment and participation in a small group that this book has generated. But most exciting is the growth of the each women's understanding of Who God is to her (and who she is to HIM) presented in a unusual perspective. The result has been a steadily increasing sense of awe and trust and surrender ~ and a very obvious deepening of each woman's relationship with Him. I would highly recommend this book as a wonderful small group study.

Thanks, Max, you have blessed us ~ again!

With this book, I was lead through the Lord's Prayer and the House of God and understood more of what it means to live in "God's House." Max Lucado is a WONDERFUL author and such an inspiration! Thank you a lot. This book is a great devotional book, or a great book to just read for enjoyment.
~Kristen

Each Chapter has its very own message, and each really opened my heart with great understanding to God's love. I plan to purchase this book for my family members as a Christmas gift.

Lucado takes the Lord's Prayer (our Father, who is in heaven...) and breaks it down into many little parts - giving each part a "room" in the "great house" of God. It shed new light on the Lord's Prayer and I haven't looked at it the same.

Absolutely terrific writing. Classic Lucado - descriptive, prescriptive, and very emotionally connected to the reader. It is written in such a way that Max is the tour guide showing you all the rooms and how we can have a place there.

If you're looking to reconnect with God or for a breath of fresh air in looking at Scripture, this is a great book.

I have just finished this book and it was wonderful! Rev. Lucado has a delightful, conversational style that makes for easy reading. It's almost like having your own personal Bible teacher.
How often we take the Lord's Prayer for granted! We repeat the words mechanically with little thought to their meaning. Rev. Lucado puts these timeless words in a new perspective, bringing fresh meaning that will touch your heart. His description of Heaven brings both comfort and longing to the soul. A must read for all Christians whose view of God's Heavenly Kingdom is somewhat blurred!

This book is just what you need if you know nothing about soccer and are going to be coaching young children. I coach 7 & 8 year olds, the drills are easy to understand and execute.

If you are just looking for something to get yourself through a couple months of soccer than the first book is more useful.

We did use a couple of these drills. If the season went longer I think we would have used more of them.

My husband and I have been youth soccer coaches for years, and have a stack of books and drills. Recently, I purchased this book and it has both energized our soccer program, and made coaching really fun. Kids eat up these games! No more lines... no more boring drills... no more complicated set-ups. We can choose a couple games, add a scrimmage, and have a ready-made, fun, purposeful practice. Great work, Tom Fleck and Ron Quinn!

If you are a parent who has been drafted into coaching your child's rec league soccer team, this book is a lifesaver. I have been a rec league coach and assistant coach on and off for 7 years, and have been an assistant coach in travel/select leagues. Prior to reading this book, I was a "form-two-lines-and-dribble/pass-around-the-cones" kinda guy. Practices consisted of small-sided games and various "drills" (ie. standing in line). Planning practices was always a chore, and sometimes the practices themselves, according to my son and other players, were downright boring. I wasn't as bad as "Coach Calisthenics" (you know the guy -- "line up around the center circle and let's do jumping jacks..."), but oh how I pity my pre-enlightenment players.

In an "off" year I took the "F" license coaching course from the US Soccer Federation and the book was given to us at the end of the class. Since then, I've bought a copy for each coach I've worked with and have used it at almost every practice to date. Now the kids are having fun AND learning at the same time, whether they are aware of that or not.

No need to explain what's in it, as the "why" of buying it is what matters. I highly recommend this book to all coaches, but particularly those at the rec level. In fact, rec leagues should provide this to ALL of their coach-volunteers, as it will make practices infintely more fun and might even help raise the performance bar of American soccer players in the long run.

My wife bought this for her youth boys soccer team and found it to be very helpful in setting up drills to keep the boys busy and learning. She played soccer through highschool and still found the pages to be full of helpful ideas.

Worth the price.

This book is an wonderful read. Graham Mackintosh somehow manages to convey the beauty, loneliness, danger, and culture of Baja in a way that is absolutely captivating. I have spent a fair amount of time in Baja myself working with the fishermen, and I thought his portrayals of these interesting folk was spot on and entertaining. I normally don't write reviews, but I could not put this book down, and good books are few and far between in my opinion! Besides being a great adventure story, this book has another side, which in a sense describes the author's spiritual awakening. He's not there, as are so many foreigners, to amuse himself in Baja as if it were a giant playground; rather he immerses himself in the land and the culture in a way that even most of the locals have failed to do!

Baja is a magical place that you simply can't appreciate from the comfort of your hotel room, RV, or (God forbid) your off-road vehicle. This book will hopefully inspire many people to seek out solitude in one of the last places in the world you can still find it.

This book was the perfect gift for my husband. He keeps talking about his dream of going in the desert, walking, exploring, being away from civilization for a while,... but he's never done it. This book author DID IT!

I have traveled many times down to Baja, his descriptions reflect my impression of the people and places.

Baja is an adventure, even if by air in your own airplane. Hopscotching from place to place on a peninsula that stretches almost a thousand miles south of California, is quick and efficient but, as always in a single engine aircraft, the prospect of an off field emergency landing is on the pilot's mind.

In Baja, where an arid, desolate landscape, and rugged mountains stretch endlessly below the wings and dry riverbeds host cactus and rattlesnakes, nature ups the ante. These inhospitable thoughts are a memory of my flying adventure to "The Baja" in October 1993, but they are nothing in comparison to Graham Mackintosh's incredible journey on foot following the coastline.

As luck would have it Graham was in Mulege (about midway down the eastern coast of Baja on the Sea of Cortez) and attended the well known Hotel Serenidad's pig roast fiesta with us on Saturday evening. In response to our questions, Graham (this was before I read the book) told us how ill-suited and inadequately prepared he was for his adventure. But his appearance belied an iron will, unyielding perseverance, and an indomitable spirit. It took two years to achieve his goal, then another two more to write the book. My fellow travellers and I sat in awe as he recounted his tale.

The inscription he wrote for me in my copy of the book shows his humility. He very generously referred to me as "A Fellow Baja Adventurer," but I know there is no comparison in our experiences. Thanks Graham, I wish you well. Is there a movie in the works?

I originally read this book several years back and now find myself periodically rereading it as its a spiritual journey packaged in a travel adventure. I dream of doing something like it however will probably not. If you like "cultural experiences" with the locals where you travel to you will love this book.

First, I must say that I do not like to race through these novels. Instead, I like to read them slowly and savor every page. That was hard to do this time because this was a real page turner, an excellent follow-up to the previous installment.

Once I had finished The Reverse of the Medal, I instantly began pouring over this one, and indeed it was uplifting. Any fan of these books will be very pleased with this episode.

However, what I like best about these novels is the friendship between the characters. It says alot about honor, devotion, and true friendship, which I believe is the finest element of this series. That quality is particularly apparent in this novel.

Simply put, these books mostly get better and better as they go, and this one is probably my favorite of the lot (up through #14 at this point). Adversity strikes, and the boys are tested to the limit. Wonderful stuff from a spectacular writer.

I don't have time for a long analysis, but these books are fantastic. I am on my second read-through of the series, and this time I am buying them as I read them. I have never been interested in the sea or ships or the military, (I used to wonder why anyone would have a painting of a ship in their house, waste of wall space), but now I have a whole new respect and admiration. Patrick O'Brien brings the English navy to life in a way that evokes feelings of pride, sympathy, horror, elation and pure heart-pounding anticipation. The contrast of the main characters, Aubrey and Maturin, is amusing sometimes, often heart-warming. The galaxy of supporting characters is rich with personalities and details. The only character I really don't like is Diana, but she does lend another facet to Stephen's persona. All in all, I highly recommend this series, they are the best historical novels I have ever read.

After being deprived of his rank as post captain in "The reverse of the medal" Aubrey starts a new career as a "letter of marque" (private man-of-war) is started in this book. It's the characteristic seal of the series, it's a story of efforts and success, it enforces you to have read "The reverse", and to continue with "The thirteen -gun salute". If it will be your first book in the series it won't be the last. Save you don`t like this kinda book, then better don`t step through its board, and keep away of such a seizing.

It is a bit unfair of me to say that Patrick O'Brian's "The Letter of Marque" is a "character-driven" novel. Indeed, one of the many joys of O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series is his ability to sustain and develop such compelling characters over a long series ("LoM" is the twelfth book).

But while there is a fair amount of action in this novel, what distinguishes "LoM" is O'Brian's further exploration of his two heroes, Captain "Lucky Jack" Aubrey and Dr. Stephen Maturin.

The novel opens with Aubrey bereft after being unfairly stripped from the lists in the Royal Navy. Unfairly charged and convicted of a financial scheme in which he played an entirely unwitting part, Aubrey has had his lifeline to the Navy cut as harshly as with a boarding axe. Now this merry captain, who used to delight in dreadful puns and baroque music, has been reduced to a cold, frightening visage. Remote, distant, joyless, Aubrey is at his lowest ebb.

Thankfully, Aubrey's boon companion, Dr. Maturin, has a lifeline. Thanks to a prodigious inheritance, Maturin buys Aubrey's beloved H.M.S. Surprise and outfits her as a privateer - with the titular letter of marque. This letter essentially authorizes the Surprise to be a pirate for the British Navy. While this offers Aubrey a chance to go to sea in his favorite ship, this joy is tempered by the shame that is attached to the word "privateer" by the serving sailors of the Royal Navy. Aubrey feels this acutely.

But privateer or no, the command of the Surprise offers Aubrey the chance at redemption through a heroic action . . . possibly even reinstatement to the lists! And so Aubrey leads the Surprise into various actions, including a complicated night-time raid on a French-held port to steal a ship from under French noses. O'Brian writes these scenes as only he can.

But this novel is not only about Aubrey. Dr. Maturin continues to ply his intelligence trade. He also continues to struggle with his two demons - an addiction to opium and an addition to Diane Villiers, his estranged wife. Maturin has heard that Diane has fled to Sweden with the attractive Swedish colonel Jagiello after she heard (incorrectly) that Maturin was having an affair in Malta. And so Maturin heads north to confront her, and possibly Jagiello, with the truth.

All of these plots allow O'Brian to explore both Aubrey's and Maturin's characters in new ways. Aubrey has had his troubles before with the law, but those were always civil matters involving nothing more than unsavory characters. Here, Aubrey is confronted with shame for the first time. Maturin also must confront his own nature, for as a man of intellect and science, he is not proud to be addicted to either a drug or a woman. And yet he is.

"The Letter of Marque" may be the shortest of the Aubrey-Maturin novels so far, but there is a lot of meat on this small bone. Do not read this novel unless you have read those that come before - the characters won't make nearly as much sense. But you will be thankful once you get to this novel - it is well worth the wait.

This is the abridged version! Don't get this!

I love Boswell's Life of Johnson, it is one of my favorite books in the world. (Definitely in the top five).

It has altered my outlook on life, the universe, and everything.... in a permanently positive manner.

But I absolutely hate, loath, and despise all pitiful "abridged" versions.

And I could not find anywhere on Amazon's page that this is abridged!

Now I have to send it back! What a pain!

Haven't read it yet. But the processing job on the book itself was faulty...several pages were bent over and thus not trimmed properly.

I own the Penguins Classics edition but no matter. The story is wonderfully rich. Boswell really is a master story teller because at no point did the story become dry. I literally read and savored every single word.

All I knew of Johnson is that he wrote the first English Dictionary. But I had no idea this man was full of wit. He had a temper no doubt and definitely went through periods of what sound like moderate to severe depression followed by periods of bursting with energy, joy and wit and incredibly prolific and productive in those bursts, enough so that he surprised most people with his abilities in those bursts of creative genius. I am biased as I am a psychiatric physician but it sound like bipolar disorder to me.

Whatever the case may be, I drank this book up. I'm still reading it, have about 40 pages left and haven't put it down since I picked it up.

A must read just because of the sheer wonderful story contained within!

'No man but a blockhead ever wrote, except for money,' Samuel Johnson.
Sorry, it is a hobby.

Samuel Johnson the writer of the first comprehensive dictionary of the English language, which was a very big deal in his day as the elite felt the English language was in decline due to it being influenced by so many foreign influences and the marvel of Samuel Johnson's efforts and method of writing made him, according to Lord Chesterfield Lord Chesterfield's Letters (Oxford World's Classics), as someone to be deferred to as the Caesar of the English language. Samuel Johnson, along with his friend and former pupil David Garrick, helped place Shakespeare as the permanent king of the English language; further, Johnson was a great and singular essayist and has an eternal place as a minor poet of the English language. His dictionary shot Johnson into the inner circle of elite in English society.

Boswell's "Life of Samuel Johnson" is a fascinating read as Boswell traces Johnson's life story. Samuel Johnson and Edmund Burke, a friend of his, and together the center of English political and cultural life with the 'Literary Club' that they had both started were big players in forming the English reaction to the major liberal events going on in their day and could be said to be the fathers of modern conservatism. They were alive to face the genesis of modern liberalism, in the form of Jean Jacque Rousseau along with the American Revolution, theirs was the conservative response. 'What hypocrites are the drivers of negroes to be demanding liberty,' Johnson in reference to the Americans. (It is funny that Samuel Johnson was against slavery while the more liberal Boswell was for it). Although, I know Edmund Burke felt England to be in the reconcilable wrong with the American Revolution Edmund Burke's Speech on conciliation with the American colonies,: Delivered in the House of commons, March 22, 1775; ed., with notes and a study plan ... I. Crane (Twentieth century text-books) the Doctor, Samuel Johnson, did not and felt the Revolutionaries hypocritical ingrates. What is good about conservatism lays with these two fellows, Burke and Johnson. It is also amusing that Johnson's conservativism included the observation that countries should be judged by the condition in which their poor lived, disapprobation given to the worse.

Samuel Johnson came from very humble roots and his early life was spent in modest means, fortunately he was surrounded by books. His first years in London were quite a struggle, near pennyless, sometimes sleeping on the streets. The money he ended up getting for writing the dictionary wasn't much in the end, it was the fame that got him some wealth.

A marvelous read. Giving advice about the legal profession, education: his advice - just do it; habits form early and habits are hard to break... lots of interesting views from how to conduct oneself socially (Boswell seemed in constant search of this) to political commentary (one of my favorite was his advice on being weary of those that wrap themselves in the flag)... too much to write about. Boswell, when he first meets Johnson is so filled with awe and reverance but it mellows out some, he even starts playing games with the Doctor; however, he always greatly respects him but the idolitry disipates.

Although Samuel Johnson's conservativeness and strong opinions might turn people off I find it refreshing compared to the stealth tactics of politics today. Politicians don't say what they mean and that is also probably why the Doctor was discouraged from entering politics in his day by some close friends with ties in that area, somethings change only by degree. James Boswell, the author, didn't agree with the Doctor all the time but appreciated the hard, realistic way of looking at things and amusingly delivered (mostly by quirky analogies) that Samuel Johnson did.

Then Boswell is a story in himself. Boswell's Rousseau-ist fever for the notions of the 'Noble Savage, Natural Man' The Noble Savage: Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 1754-1762 was interesting also; his generation caught it and he had strong sentiments towards it despite Johnson's arguments against its reasoning. This fever also, at the least, lent cover to the American Revolution.

Johnson could only afford one year of college. Received an honarary Doctorate for his dictionary.

One of the books one should read before they turn 20.

The best synopsis of Rousseau and in his own words is probably 'Creed of a Priest of Savoy' The Essential Rousseau (Essentials)

If you feel obliged to wade through the canon once in a while, this won't be a waste of your time, though these days Gibbon's roughly contemporaneous history is a much better read, Boswell's extreme formality being a bit wearing over 1200 pages (in the edition I read).
On the other hand, Boswell's telling of Johnson's life is sprightly and certainly not so tedious as the writings of Johnson himself. People who choose to read the Life will not be disappointed.
On yet another hand, I can easily understand why the library copy I borrowed, though purchased in 1949, had not yet been read (the uncut pages showing me so): except to specialists, I would not recommend this book in lieu of, say, 1000 or so others.
I guess this actually is a useless review: if you have already decided to read this, you shan't have gone wrong; if you're looking for a good read, you're probably not looking here.

This book came out when I was pretty young, and it got me interested in astronomy since the age of five. Now planetary science is my career, and I put that down in part to the influence this book had on me as a kid! :)

the magic school bus get lost in space is a very good book read it all the time you will love it

All the magic school bus books are fantastic. This one is no different.
It is great for learning about the solar system.

My 5yr old son is a huge fan of Magic School Bus series.
Especially, Solat system and human body are his favorite among them.
He memorizes the order of all the plantes in the Solar system. Draw pictures about it and make planets with playdough. Great book!

This book is a blast (no pun intended)! Mrs. Frizzle and her class travel to every planet in the solar system. The bus breaks down in the asteroid belt and the students have to find Mrs. Frizzle on a very cold planet. You'll love all the colorful pictures and Arnold's crazy cousin! Blast-off to this book and learn a lot about space in a fun way!

This book should be a required book for breastfeeding mothers. In our world of unedicuated medical professionals regarding breastfeeding, all mothers should be armed with this book before they see a doctor- that way you KNOW for sure if the medication really is safe, or isn't. Too many doctors will tell a mother to stop breastfeeding during medication, or to pump and dump- and that is bad advice all around. There are TONS of medications that are safe for use during breastfeeding and we need to arm ourselves and teach our doctors so that we ALL get the best treatment. GET THIS BOOK!!!!

Dr. Hale is the foremost authority on medications and breastfeeding. This book also contains pregnancy categories. A great deal of information is presented and well organized. Written so as to be readable by laypeople.

This is used by the lactation consultants. I purchased for my own personal use. Very helpful and easy to read.

As a new mom, I was very paranoid to ingest any medicines. This book informed me of all medications, AND vitamins. I was looking for a book that also contained herbs. This one has a few, and a good rating system. Very clear, and layperson terms.

As a pharmacist, this is absolutely the first book I turn to for any question about medication and breastfeeding. It's very readable, and has both the quick, "bottom-line" recommendation and an explanation of the quality and quantity of research that led to that conclusion. I recommend it to anyone in the medical field who might encounter a breastfeeding patient as well as any woman who is currently breastfeeding or plans to in the near future. The author's website ([...]) is also useful.

If the answers you're looking for aren't here, or if you're looking for detailed recommendations about medications in pregnancy, try your local teratology information service (www.otispregnancy.org). Most of them accept calls from both the public and health care professionals, many of them handle both lactation and pregnancy questions, and it's free to call and get information. I'm not affiliated with them in any way, but I've found them a very useful resource that doesn't seem to be very well publicized.