John Winston Books

This is the premier textbook for English classes today. It is an excellent selection of plays, short stories and non-fiction. I have seen a copy of most literature textbooks on the market today, and this is the best. The selections are great, and they are tied to basic literary concepts which all students need to know. The questions and assignment suggestions are creative and encourage critical thinking. As an English teacher, I rate it an A+.

the book was interesting,adventurious,educational and it has helped me with my writing.I also thought it was a bit humorous and exciting. I think its good book for high school students to learn to write analize stories.

This summer my parents decided my grammar needed "help". Therefore my father bought this book off of EBay for me. Even though I would rather be doing other things this summer, this book is extremely helpful yet boring. There are 6 parts to this book each of these parts explore different parts of the English language. One of the advantages to this book is that they list exercises after each section so you are able to practice what they teach.

This textbook is awesome. I helps you learn about all subjects in Grammar. It tells you how to write something gramatically correct. I gives you plenty of exercises to learn all of this and to study for the tests. I just think that this is the best English textbook in the history of textbooks.

This anthropological study is written colourfully and is very descriptive in the diverse matter that it covers. It is easliy read and at the same time is an enjoyable experience. After spending a year of study there myself, it brought back many wonderful memories, as well as ideas for further research. It is warm and charming, as well as accessible for the college student or interested reader of Irish culture.

This book is an ethnography of an Irish Island. The name Inis Beag itself is a fictitious name, resorted to for the privacy of the small population of the island. The author and his wife lived on the island for several years during the late 1950s, and this is a record of the information they learned about the island, its traditions, and its culture. The book includes chapters on the island itself (history and climate), traditional ways of making a living (agriculture, farming, and crafts), village and family structures, religion, and emigration. The book is amply illustrated with high quality black-and-white photographs. At the end of the book are a section of references and an annotated list of suggested readings. There is no index.

From Messenger's description, this is a very conservative society (or at least it was so in the late 1950s). Most of the islanders follow age-old occupations. (One interesting description was how the farmers create soil from seaweed mixed with dung.) They are subject to very tight societal controls administered by the priest and headmaster of the school. They are extremely private about sexual matters to the point that young people never receive any instruction about sex up to or even following their wedding day. Male patients are unwilling to undress in front of the island nurse. As Messenger explains "Marriage is looked on [by males] with trepidation, or at least as something less then desirable." As a result, the average age for marriage for men was 35 years, and for women, 25 years, and premarital sex is unknown. About a third of the population never marries at all. Between the aversion to taking on the responsibility of a family, and the need to emigrate for paid work, the population of the island is decreasing. Those who stay on the island are prone to feelings of depression and hypochondria. All in all, it doesn't sound like a very cheery place to live.

Messenger is very fond of statistics and quantification. He seems to have surveyed residents and quantified their answers for just about every topic. For example, when describing the importance of weather prediction skills to the islanders, he notes the existence of some 250 signals traditionally used for predicting the weather. There are 40 varieties of fish, thirty-two householders own 3-man canoes, and so on. Such statistics show Messenger's meticulous efforts at getting his fact straight, however, they can make the reading a bit dry.

Those of you who cannot understand chemistry either because the teacher does not know how to teach or you really do not want to listen...THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU. The book is a nice manual for those who cannot comprehend chemistry. It will be like your virtual teacher in print. My only complain about this book is that it is too long. But at least it is comprehensive. And what I like most in this book is it is divided into many sections which made it easier to digest.

I thought that this was a great book. I used it for honors chemistry in high school and used the book more than the teacher did because I thought that the book gave some really good examples and lessons, which were completely worked through. This is a great book for people just starting to take chemistry. But beware, a few little topics are passed up, like calculating physical changes.

An interesting book, but sad to think that this portrayal of three young girls and their racially stereotyped parents, Pappy Israel and Mammy Lou (complete with Aunt Jemima head scarf, apron and big bust), was one of the few children's books published in 1940s America depicting African-Americans. Lots of uneducated and overly rusticated dialogue, although the story itself is sweet. The three sisters covet parasols and help with family chores to earn them over the course of many weeks. Lovely, if exaggerated and stereotyped, illustrations by Ninon MacKnight.

A beautiful children's story about three little girls who want parasols very badly, but are very poor. They put their heads together and make a plan to earn extra money to buy them. An excellent story about the virtues of hard work and saving towards a goal, a lesson I feel is very much needed for today's instant gratification generation. Not only is the message good, the book itself is beautifully written. The book doesn't talk down to children just because they are children, and the descriptive phrases the author uses really bring the story to life. You can almost feel the cool of the well water, and your tongue almost puckers with the taste of buttermilk and cornbread. I regret this book is out of print, I would have enjoyed reading it again, and it is now a rare book, and far too expensive for me to buy. (...)

One of my favourite books. Great story, told with great pace. I am in shock at the minority of people who do not like this. What on earth is their idea of a good book?

I bought this book some years ago and have read it twice, gripped both times by the situation Churchill and the UK were in, and by Lukacs' skillful writing. Lukacs succeeded in communicating the intensity of the situation whilst not being portentous. I came back to the book because of Ian Kershaw's latest book which includes as its first issue the same decision: whether or not to seek terms from the Hitler through Mussolini's mediation. I shall be intrigued to see if Kershaw can add anything to Lukacs' account.

A fascinating 'microscopic history' of larger-than-life personalities - Hitler and Churchill. The book gives the reader a real understanding of these few days where the world was held in the balance. A must-read for anyone more than casually interested in WWII.

Several reviewers here don't appreciate scholarly writing. Lukacs (and his editor) didn't adulterate concise prose to produce a coffee table book. There are no fictions here; its conclusions are based on carefully and voluminously researched facts. Lukacs HAD to include concrete historical reference; his argument would have been incomplete without it, his conclusions unconvincing.

Yes, he's old fashioned, even Edwardian; he takes care to say only what he knows and nothing more. Yes, the form he insists on for each chapter erects a scaffold that detracts from his aedifice and might better have been removed after construction. His distinction between sentiment and opinion adds little to his argument. But his conclusion is unassailable and as formidable as a Roman arena. If he writes like a scholar, he is one. Those who object should remember that each of us is entitled to one's own style. To hold otherwise is to telegraph envy or confess to low standards.

He might well be the best living historian, for he's a master of his discipline. What he has done here is to write concisely about events that are exhaustively researched and confer new significance. That is what historians are supposed to do. He knows what he's talking about, and, when you finish reading, you know, too.

Hardly anyone remembers the Earl of Halifax, but he had more support among Tory MPs in 1940 than Churchill did, and he probably could have become Prime Minister after Neville Chamberlain resigned. Halifax believed that some settlement between Britain and Germany was possible that would allow Britain to preserve its independence. Churchill knew that this was a dangerous illusion.

That's the central conflict of this book: How Churchill, the new PM, won out in the War Cabinet over Halifax, the Foreign Secretary, and brought the politicians and then the public around to the view that Britain could resist Nazism and fight for its independence. Churchill's leadership was far from preordained, and Lukacs shows how he established it.

His writing is superb, and his thinking is sharp. Even when I was unconvinced by one of his points, I found it worth thinking about. And he is excellent in establishing the atmosphere of May 1940, when Britain's future was darker than ever before or since. It's very hard for a historian to get away from presentism, the sense that what came to pass was inevitable, but Lukacs manages it well.

This is the best kind of popular history.

Brothers and Keepers is a fantastic memoir written by John Edgar Wideman that explores how the narrator and his brother, Robby, end up living extremely opposite lives. Growing up in Pittsburgh, Wideman and his brother are not given all of the best opportunities but Wideman does what he can to work hard. His efforts result in a well educated, middle class man, while his brother ends up a convict. The memoir explores where the two divulged and what influences they've had throughout their lives.
In terms of actual material, the memoir is ordered in a way that keeps the reader riveted throughout all of the text. Wideman tells the story of his brother's crime, divulging from that plot to reflect upon their family's life as a whole. These unique reflections provide valuable insight into both John and Robby's most inner thoughts. The pace of the novel is fairly rapid; although, sometimes I found myself losing interest in Wideman's reflections, anxious to hear the next part of Robby's tale.
What makes this memoir most unique is the frequency with which Wideman acknowledges what few or many details he is capable of recalling from his past. Not only does this make the story even more believable, it allows the reader to make many of their own decisions about what really happened in John and Robby's lives. The reader also gets to hear the voice of Robby, who also often fails to remember specific or important details. Wideman writes, speaking for his brother (the text uses no quotations), "Must have passed out or gone to sleep or something, cause it gets blurry round in here. Don't remember much but they gave back my clothes and took me Downtown and there was a arraignment next morning" (103). On one of the most important and emotional days in Robby's life, he can't seem to remember how the day ended. It is these sporadic inclusions and omissions keep the reader inquisitive throughout the text.
Overall Brothers and Keepers is a very well written memoir that forces readers to dig deep into their own mind because most humans struggle with very similar life dilemmas, although probably not to the same extent. Although some may argue that that some memories ramble on too long, each provides a unique perspective about Wideman and the human race as a whole.

In a sentence: This is an excellent book about honesty and fact and fiction. It blurs the lines between truth and lies, real and fake, memory and what happened v.s. what really happened. Beautiful. Wideman puts himself and his family front and center and at the core of the story. One is not quite sure which is fiction and which is non-fiction. Also, when persons speak there are no quotation marks and the reader distinguishes who is talking by the choice of vocabulary and flow of the language. You can really hear the difference in your head.
The basic discription is: It's Wideman trying to make sense of his growing up and how his broother ended up in jail for murder.
This is a great book for lovers of Paul Auster in that "what is the truth of the matter?" is a recurring question......

wideman tells an excellent tale about how two siblings of the same environment can go on to lead totally different lives. One brother is a world reknowned novelist and professor. The other brother is a convict serving a life sentence for murder. Wideman explains and analyzes how culture, including racism, classism,and self-identication, influences a person's lifestyle. At times the memoir seems reminscent and nostalgic. Other times, wideman tends to get lost in his own thoughts while writng, which makes the work appear as therapeutic writing not intended for others to read. The issues he raises in the book such as racism, self-identification, and guilt, helps us as readers to recall our own issues with these subjects and how we can work through them.

John Edgar Wideman has composed an interesting take of two lives gone wrong in his memoir, "Brothers and Keepers". In the memoir, Wideman explores the causes and consequences of his brother's life sentence in jail for murder. Wideman speaks his mind about the whole affair, but also lets his brother do his fair share of the talking through a series of interviews the two shared in the prison visiting room. Though the basic goal of the memoir is to determine how two brothers followed such radically different paths, it delves into the broader topic of African-American men and society.

Even though it overall is a great experience, two problems I had with the novel was its lack of structure and Wideman's tendency to rant. It seems that Wideman tends to build up a subplot, but then just as suddenly dashes away to discuss something new. This makes the book difficult to read more than a few pages at a time. As for the ranting, it's like Wideman tries to use the text as a way to vent his frustrations about racism in America. His whining can get excruciatingly annoying. But, despite these problems, "Brothers and Keepers" is an excellent look into the lives of two African-American men, while reflecting on the role of the African-American race as a whole.

As a proponent for art that breaks the rules, I was both impressed and confused by Wideman's foray into creative nonfiction. He explores the relationship with his brother, Robby, who was involved in criminal activity and subsequently sent to prison. Wideman engages the reader with detailed descriptions of not only the physical barriers between himself and Robby but the emotional canyons that separated and then, ironically, brought them back together. This work also examines the ways in which race and class affect those most at risk in America, specifically African American men.

At times, the scenes between brothers are eloquent and endearing. However, much of the writing seems stream-of-consciousness, with Wideman switching voices and recalling seemingly random memories. Understanding that this book is Wideman's attempt at answering questions that have plagued him his entire life - self-exploration - as readers, we work through his issues with him. The journey is an arduous one for both writer and reader and if you plan on picking up this book, be prepared to work.

Mr.Irving takes the gloves off with this informative and well researched book. Although written in the early sixties, it hasn't lost it's impact. The Allies went way overboard in destroying the city of Dresden despite it's limited strategic value.

I HAVE READ AND EVALUATED ALL OF DAVID IRVINGS BOOKS---HE IS A GENIUS---HIS BOOKS ARE A "MUST READ"

First, a disclaimer: a couple of "reviewers" here have seen fit to dismiss David Irving's "Destruction of Dresden" because they dislike the author (or rather, his controversial positions on some matters irrelevant to this book). This is the worst of prejudice--to "kill the messenger" just because one dislikes an unrelated message.

In fact, David Irving's great accomplishments with this book stand aside from his other works, and are essentially above reproach. The scholarship for this book is exemplary. It was exhaustively researched and is thoroughly referenced. (There are hundreds of footnotes citing primary sources, and lengthy appendices.) Irving interviewed hundreds of first-hand witnesses from all relevant nations. He nonetheless manages to avoid sensationalizing the events. Even more importantly, "The Destruction of Dresden" attempts to acquaint a largely ignorant world (outside of Germany) with one of the most horrific military atrocities of World War Two. That it happened to have been committed by the "righteous" Allies, rather than "the usual culprits" disturbs many people to no end.

It is vital to recognize that Mr. Irving never sides with the Germans, nor does he justify the persecution of Jews and other victims of wartime atrocities. Indeed, he repeatedly sympathizes with Jewish victims, and criticizes the men in power who were responsible for making the decisions that harmed innocent people of all backgrounds. To claim that Jews, homosexuals, Gypsies and the other recognized groups of victims are the only people deserving of our pity, or to profess that the Allies were always more ethical than the Axis powers is to perpetuate a lie and to denigrate the losses of all who suffered. Mr. Irving deserves our respect and willingness to be objective for having written this book.

Ironically, this--the first and best-researched book on the firebombing of Dresden--is now banned in Germany, due to political pressures there against Irving's other views about the War. No doubt this pleases many people who would much rather the world remain ignorant of what really happened when "the good guys" decided to wipe out a city and managed to kill a couple hundred thousand of its civilian inhabitants, with little thought and no remorse.

Mr. Irving has played on misinformation to form a seemingly interesting book that unfortunately continues a tradition of propaganda dating back over 50 years. His deliberately flawed research relies on known propaganda, both from Nazis still active in the war and later Soviet sources, both with obvious reasons to twist the truth against the Allies. And he "embellishes" details from the National Archives in Washington, twisting the facts to supply histrionic twists designed to paint Allied (especially American) forces as being the servants of Satan himself! Irving is a discredit to authors of truth everywhere.

If you want an accurately and painstakingly researched book about the destruction of Dresden that is a fantastic read and depicts the actual truth (including the horrors) with countless interviews of survivors, read "Dresden, Tuesday, February 13, 1945" by Frederick Taylor. Irving's book should be sent to the trash bin.

Irving sits in a cell in Austria,a
shamelees little United Nations con-
trolled little Alps country with no
freedom of speech! This first book by
Irving is about Allied War Crimes. Yes,
Mr. and Mrs. America they do exist. Just
look what George W. Hilter is doing to
Iraq today! A great and tragic book. Mr.
Irving is to be commended!

I'd like know where the person gets their medical information from? As a licenced med (paramedic), going to med school, I have to say that most, though not all, doctors do recognize the existance of the G-spot. After all the G stands for the doctor who, supossedly, dicovered it. And as for orgasms, any informed doctor will tell you that there are more than one kind, and way to get them. This book does a complete job of covering this one ;)

The belief that the G-spot does not exist is just as dogmatic as the insistance that it does! I suppose if the book gets people to talk and explore, it is almost worth the money, but every woman needs to find out about her own body, by herself and with her partner, and not try to live up the to expectations portrayed in this book - like the myth that G-spot stimulation will inevitably lead to a female ejaculation. Forget the super-sex pressures of sex books like this and just explore.

This is the best book I have read on this topic so far, and it is a pity that I haven't read it before. I truly believe that my sex life would have been different, and probably more fulfilling. This book is a must for all those women who do not find their G-Spot by accident, and especially for those who still do not believe that the G-Spot does exist. This book should contain enough scientific proof and information to convince everyone.

This book is only outdated BECAUSE it was among the first in its class to explore the concept that a woman is allowed and supposed to gain pleasure from sex and deliver that idea to the public. In that regard it is an amazing piece of sexual education literature. The revised edition was released in the early 80s, but I believe it was written much earlier than that. It was written during a time when women (and men) were much less informed about the female anatomy, and there are numerous accounts in this book of women being embarassed by their orgasms because they were misunderstood. I believe that this book is helpful not only to the women of the time it was written but to women today. I read this book knowing full well what a G Spot was and what it did but I still found the history of it to be quite fascinating. In reading this book I not only came to more fully understand my own body and how it works but also what I can do to help it work more efficently and to my best sexual advantage. This book changed my sex life in an amazing way and for that I will always be grateful.

This book was a boring weak monograph on a subject that needs new coverage. Instead of covering Fokorg's or Hammil's new theories and suggestions on stimulating the G-spot and explosive orgasm, this book brought me back to the 60s asking does a G-spot exist? and gave the reader endless detail to prove that it does. As a Gynecologist, I have been taught and I have taught that a G-spot exists for nearly 30 years. As a woman I was bored endlessly by a book that offered little to no new information on the G-spot and no information on stimulating the G-spot. Do not buy.

Regardless, I praise Amazon.com for advocating freedom of expression even if it may involve bad reviews of books they sell.

My 2 boys love this book and make me read it again and again. I think they are responding both to the beautiful poetry as well as the sibling rivalry theme.

Granted, I haven't read this book since I became an adult, but when I read it as a child I remember being terrified and loving it! It's definately something I plan on buying and keeping for my kids in the future!

Quite an enjoyable book to read to young children between 4 and 8. Your kids will want you to read this story over and over again. They will follow the suspense, reciting along with the rhythmic flow of the story. Highly recommended!

This is a very scary story that just might scare you. A mother asks her two little children to go and get her a pale of milk on the other side of town. They tell themselves that they are not scared of the Ghost-Eye tree that is in the middle of the town. Nothing seems to be going wrong until the end when they are on their way back home. It might frighten you, but if you are a person who likes a spooky ending this is a great book for you to read.

Josh V.

This book is well written and superbly illustrated, as perfect a match of word tone and illustration as you can find. My 3 year old daughter quite enjoys the spooky mood, the scary ghost-eye tree, and the haunting refrain, "Oooo... I dreaded to go... I dreaded the tree... Why does Mama always choose me when the night is so dark and the mind runs free?" This is a year-round book, not just for the Halloween season.

In response to the reviewer who says the language is harsh, I can agree with that although let me add that it is rather realistic (although not to be encouraged) given the ages of the sister and brother in the book. My remedy is that when the sister says, "stupid," I instead read aloud the word "silly" in its place.

We also greatly enjoy the book Barn Dance by the same group of authors/illustrators. Barn Dance is different in that it has an actual supernatural element and is less a spooky book and more a book of wonder/imagination with a touch of friendly spookiness.