F Books

It is hard to believe that there was a time when you could have passed Jack or Jackie on the street and not known them. This book has made them into "real people". I really enjoyed reading it.

To borrow from the movie HELP!, "Here's how they was before they was." Unguarded and completely charming photos of newlyweds, before international fame overtook them and they perfected their public faces. As one who has read extensively about the Kennedys, I am always happy to find books that can still show me something I haven't seen before. This book does that, and I enjoyed it and recommend it.

Camelot At Dawn: Jacqueline & John Kennedy In Georgetown, May 1954 is the collaborative work of photographer Orlando Suero and author Anne Garside. As his first major photography assignment, Suero spent five days with the Kennedys in May of 1954. He enjoyed their full cooperation and the intimate access that produced more than twenty photo sessions as Suero documented a typical week in the young couple's life including Jack at his Senate office, Jackie attending classes at Georgetown, and the couple playing touch football in the park. Camelot At Dawn is a "must" for all of those whose lives and imaginations where touched by one of America's most idealized couples before tragedy would shattered both their personal lives and those all too brief days of an American "Camelot" for the rest of us.

As someone who grew up in the Kennedy era, these images had a profound effect on me. They are images that shortly after they were made, could never have been made again. Can you imagine seeing Jack and Jackie Kennedy strolling alone down the streets of Georgetown (in DC), her wearing shorts and him wearing sneakers and a plain t-shirt? Or playing football in a public park with absolutely NO gawkers hanging around? The great impact of these pictures comes from their innocence and irony, because of what came after and what we now know. If you remember the Kennedy era, you might stare at some of the images in this book for many minutes in wonder, about the people in the picture, about yourself, and about how we were then and are now. I gave this book to my brother-in-law--a recognized expert on the Kennedy assination--and he said he almost cried. It's that good.

Can the Kennedys ever have a bad photograph taken of them? It is appears not, as this book illustrates. CAMELOT AT DAWN is kind of an artsy photojournalism feast for the eyes, and although at first glance the text will seem to have general information that we all know about, it too is a treat.

Orlando Suero had his first big assignment taking pictures of Jacqueline Kennedy for McCall's magazine for an article. It would turn out that most of his shots would not be used because the press felt that the Kennedys had been overexposed in the media due to their wedding--so it is only now in this book that most of the pictures taken for that assignment have been published.
Suero says that JFK manages to sneek himself into most pictures, and so the final result became as much as about him as Jackie...but we also see the Bobby Kennedys as well as the former President Trumans.

Some of these pictures have been published in other books, so not all of them are seen here for the first time, but seeing them within the context that they were shot makes the photos that have been seen before all the more interesting. However, it is only a few--most of these are just being seen for the first time.

As for the text, some of it is "well duh" text because it is known by everybody:"Jackie was a silver-and-Sevres kind of girl, whereas Jack was a milkshake-and-hamburger kind of guy." (I am not cutting on Anne Garside's writing--because the book is actually quite good, I am just trying to point out that some of the information that she writes everyone knows in their sleep...as that is how famous Jack and Jackie have become.) Now don't take this sentence of Garside's alone--you have to read the whole book before you dare judge her writing, and in my estimation she has succeded in the overall scheme in making two well known sujects seem like new again. How does she do this?
For example, there is information about the renting of Dent Place--where these photographs are taken as well the Kennedys first home--which is interesting because we get to see excerpts from Jackie's letters to the Childs (the people who the Kennedys were renting the house from.)
Also information about Evelyn Lincoln's calender is given as to what the Kennedy's were doing the week the photos were taken, as well as little details spread out throughout the text that make the book an interesting read.

I believe that this is a standout book published on the Kennedys. It is informative and orginal in text, and the pictures easily give Lowe, Avedon, and Shaw a run for their money. You can and will enjoy this book if you give it a chance--don't get stuck on the information about the JFKs that we all know or the pictures that we have all seen--read the entire book and appreciate the entire book!

This is a thourough urology review, meanwhile contains contraversial aspects in your front.

This is indeed the best urological textbook, or better to call it the bible of urology , I can not wait for the next edition

If you need to know urology, then you need this set of book. This edition is set up very well. The 4 books make it easier to look up info. It covers all the major topics in urology and is as up to date as any book can be.

This book is the most extensive single source of urologic information available. It covers all basic aspects of urology in a fairly complete manner. The main drawbacks are:
1)Reference authors quoted directly in text. This makes the book fairly diffcult to read in a fluid manner and adds extra length to the already lengthy text. Gillenwater is a much more readble text.
2)Some chapters need a better overall framework. The best example of this is the chapter on adrenal pathology which does not provide a very good thorough to the asymptomatic adrenal mass, by far the most common adrenal problem.
3)Often excessive discussion regarding all the studies for and against an issue. I feel that it would be better to state that an issue is unresolved and then list some appropriate ways of attacking the problem.
4)Certain chapters are written in the 1st person. The chapter on the technique of radical retropubic prostatectomy is a personal account and not a reference chapter. MAny innovations from other centers are missing making this chapter somewhat biased.

Overall an excellent and authoratative view or urology

Medicine is obviously a rapidly evolving field and most medical texts receive a periodic retooling. All revisions should be as thorough and meaningful as the Seventh edition of Campbell's. The text has been sucessfully expanded where appropriate and each section further honed. Figures are elegant, pertinent, and well rendered. The references are all encompassing and as current as one can expect in a volume such as this. If there are any hesitations about updating from the sixth edition (which was also a vast improvement from the fifth) I hope to assuage them, encourage the reader and congratulate the authors.

Great update on the information I had on how carbs are actually digested. The sample meals and recipes help to plan more interesting meals.

This book really hit home with me. I am now on the way to a new body after discovering I am a extreme carb addict. I think Amazon is a great web site for finding most anything.

Thanks,
Linda Adams

Low carb eating plans are not for everyone, but if you have had difficulty with other diets, including constant hunger and the feeling of deprivation or, falling off the no carb wagon too many times, then the advice in this book is worth every minute of your time.
If you want to stay on the low carb diet plan, it's important that you understand how it works with your body, what products are available to help you stay on course, & what to do when you hit a roadblock.
The authors have made low carb a lifestyle for themselves, their advice reflects their experiences.

As a fan of the Hellers' work, and just then experiencing a plateau in my weight loss progression, I was delighted to see this title. I found the ideas in it practical and workable, and they worked! My weight plateau is turning into a downslope again.

Although I like their recipes very much, I have one and a half caveats for these recipes as well as for those in their *No Cravings* cookbook: The recipes' prep times do not include time for the necessary dicing onions, mincing garlic, shredding cabbage, marinating, etc. but rather only the time needed once all that is done. Occasionally there are typos in the recipes also, but easy enough to figure out what the authors meant. I want to emphasize again that their recipes are just wonderfully tasty and filling, and that their system works for me.

Unless you are acquainted the Hellers previous books this one proves to be confusing. I find this book to be a waste of paper. I have read the majority of the Heller's books in the Carbohydrate Addict series and this is by far a waste of my reading time. The book needs more substance like that of The Carbohydrate Life Span. I hate it when diet book authors resort to crappy recipes and large print to cover the fact that they have nothing pertinent to say on the subject. I purchased this book with the anticipation that The 7-Day Low-Carb Recovery would offer more insight into the art of low carbing. Look away!! look away!!

this covers the basics first and then goes on to of course the harder stuff. It is a good book. I received it soon after ordering and it was a great price for such a "good-looking" used book.

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Received via UPS in couple of days. Book was in perfect condition. Couldn't believe it was used. Saved lots of money.

If you take the time to read the book it is engaging and sometimes funny. The author explains the math very well using real-world situtations. The application problems are great for bringing the concepts home.

Very much liked the review of the prerequisite math rules needed to make progress with algebra. Good examples, good practice problems.

Here we have a wonderful book by one of the most successful law-enforcement officers in the entire world. Chief Gates became known around the world as a founder of a first SWAT team, as someone who initiated an International DARE program, and did so much for his department. His career is a good proof of that almost everything is possible in your life.

Gates gives in his book a realistic account of what it is to be a police officer on the street, what it is to feel the pressure from "upstairs", and he also gives negative feedback so realistically that I felt like I had been standing next to him while he was explaining things.

This book is absolutely wonderful, and as a someone who plans to become a law-enforcement officer -- it is MUST! Gates has written a book of the time. It is very informative and covers all the major turns on his career including WATTS riots, 1982 Olympic Games, and Rodney King case.

Thank You Chief for writing such a nice account on your life!

Don't believe everything that the media tells you about the LAPD. If they worked their beat and walked in their shoes, they might think different.

Chief Gates gives the insight of 42 years with the LAPD, complete with the backstabbing and infighting that has become common with several department in this country (Denver, San Francisco, etc.) When Chief Gates was replaced, the status of the department suffered greatly.

A must read for ALL police officers.

A really good read that gives incite into whta Gates is all about. I also liked "BOOT: An LAPD Officer's Rookie Year" by Dunn. That's a must read for any law enforcement fan!

I lived in L.A. during Gates entire tenure as police chief. All I ever knew of him, I learned from the media. What a complete distortion! I now live in San Diego and have just finished reading his book. All I can say now, is I respect him and I'm ashamed of myself for letting the media shape my former attitudes of him. Daryl, if you ever read this, I want you to know I have now developed a deep respect for the LAPD. I sincerely hope that you write again and keep us abreast of the situation in Los Angeles.

As I am a criminal justice/police science major is college, I suppose I have a slightly biased opinion towards police officers. However, even I was slightly irked towards Chief Gates for the whole "Rodney King" scandal. However, as it was one of the books on the college library's shelf that I hadn't read yet, I figured...why not? As I delved into the text, I was totally enraptured in the tale. This man has seen and done some fairly impressive deeds, and encountered unique situations. I have never met Chief Gates, but after reading his book, I will always respect him. Chief Gates is a remakable man, who was not worried with what was politically correct, but what was right. He stood by his officers in the way that a father stands by his family. He was not pretentious, as he wore the same uniform as street officers, with no additional adornments. The book goes into detail as his roots from a working class family, attending college with the ambitions of becoming a lawyer. Gates took the job as a means to pay rent, and get an edge on his competition. He had no intentions of remaining as a police officer. However, he describes the addictive love/hate relationship of policework, and the unique culture that exists within a police department. Also discussed in depth are never before revealed details into the patrol and investigative efforts of the LAPD. A must read for anyone in the law enforcement field.

I read this as a teen myself, 13, and saw the film. At that time, I found it cool in a dark way. Somehow, the descriptions of prostitution passed by me: maybe I didn't fully grasp and certainly could not imagine them. Even the film did not make an impact on me in this area. I was drawn to a kind of fascinating underworld. In the 90s, this became known as 'heroin chic'. Christiane was the original: the skinny jeans, the bone-thin body, dyed dark-red hair, the alleys, the club, the station... I wanted it all.

Now, re-reading it, I see the story of wasted lives: of Christiane's few close friends, Axel and Babsi died, Detlef wound up in jail and a menial job, Stella a ruined alcoholic. The book ends with Christiane clean and hopeful. Unfortunately her fame though this book left her dissatisfied with the quiet life as a bookseller's aprentice and she ended up with long hopeless years of addiction.

There are interviews to be found on the net from roughly 10 year intervals. 23, 33, 38, 42: she always denies her addiction but eventually the truth emerges. No job, jail-time, violent boyfriends, no friends or family contact. Her only joy was her son. She really seemed like she had a chance when he was born and photos show her clearly clean and glowing with happiness. She treated the boy very well and seemed to be at least caring for him or not herself. Suddenly, recent news says she took the boy away against social service orders and went to live in Amsterdam with a new boyfriend, a wanted con-man. She spent all day in bed drinking heavily and taking drugs. Eventually she had to admit she couldn't take care of the boy and returned him to Germany and gave him into Social Services care. My heart breaks for that boy and for her too. She was last seen scoring nightly at Kotsbusser Tor, Berlin's drug centre, and has now disappeared.

So if you read this book, you can remember that the picture never improved. Now when I read, I feel for her poor mother, frantically scouring the streets, terrified to pick up the phone and hear "your daughter is dead". Christiane and her mother are estranged. Her sister also became an addict after going to India.

Read this book. You'll never forget it. But I would not give it to any kids drawn to the drug world. They'll be enticed by the danger, not frightened.

I read this book many many years ago.
The memory of book has stayed with me for a long time -- a book filled with sadness and despair for reality for a young girl who grew up fast and tough. As it is filled with some frightening and harrowing experiences I would recommend it as a good read for teenagers as it has its anti drug messages thru the graphic experiences of the characters in this book.

This is a great book! I read it when I was about 14 yrs old and the graphic description of Christiane shooting-up gave me all the details to satisfy my curiosity about drugs that I never wanted to experiment with them and never did.
ALL teenagers, boys and girls, should read this book. It points out the downward road to self destruction many teenagers occasionally think about. It gives a teenagers a reality check, also when it comes to considering running away from home and all the crazy perverts "out there" that don't respect anyone, just want to use you and want to get in your pants when you are young, pretty, and inexperienced about life and the world.

I first read Christiane F over 20 years ago, & it's been re-read at least annually since then. This book is fascinating on so many levels.

For those unaware of the background of this book, in the mid 70's two young German journalists did a photo-essay of the teenage prostitutes (male & female) that hung out in a subway station in Berlin, the Baunhoff. The magazine that ran it (Stern) received such an outpouring from the public that the authors decided to expand the piece to book length; to do so, they chose to focus on one particular girl they had interviewed, Christiane. At the time of the interviews, Christiane was 15 & had already spent 2 years on the "Baby Line" in Berlin, as well as having been a heroin addict since 12. Ostensibly clean at the time, she is brutally honest in her description of the years in question.

Told in Christiane's own words with almost no interference from the authors (at least in the English translation), her story is revalatory on many counts. To an American reader, life in Berlin circa 1973-5 sounds wildly different from our own teens lives; legal adulthood is reached at the age of 14. School classes are jammed college-lecture style with as many as 100 young students per class, so teachers never have any direct contact with their charges. Life is lived in high-rise tenement blocks, where children playing outside in the concrete alleys have no chance to make it back to their flats to relieve themselves; the stairways are foul with the result. Young teens are never given a chance to develop intellectually, but are herded into vocational schools with no chance of a higher education. Etc, etc.

Faced with the gloomy prospects & no recreational outlets, is it any wonder so many adolescents were drawn to the glitz of the glam discos where English rock stars such as David Bowie were idolized? Even on school nights, the group Christiane runs with are out til the morning trains come to take them to school where they can sleep it off. With over the counter amphetimines & downers easily available, it isn't hard for a 12 year old girl to take the next step to heroin when she sees the older friends she idolizes do so.

Detlef, Christiane's boyfriend, first provides heroin for both of them thru gay prostitution. But soon their needs overwhelm his ability to earn; since she's hanging at the subway station with him anyway, what could be more reasonable than to do a few easy tricks herself? And so the downward spiral continues...

Christiane describes her friends vividly & their deaths with a clearness of vision. Although the book ends on a hopeful note, the prospective reader should know that Christiane did return to her life as an addict in her 20's. Now in her 40's, she is a mother & claims to have cleaned up. But anyone familiar with the chemical changes wrought in the brain by heroin will understand how someone habituated to it at 12 could find it impossible to stay away long.

If you are easily offended, this is not a book you should buy. Some of the sex Christiane participated in is graphically described & of the kinky variety. The author's make no attempts to sugar-coat her reality. It's a harrowing read, but well worth it!

I read Christiane F. when I was a teenager in the 80's. It is a disturbing story that stays with you through the years. I was just looking for a copy of the book on Amazon so that I can re-read it. I will recommend this book to my daughters when they are old enough to read it. It is an unforgettable story.

claims Clarice Bean about her current read, "The Ruby Redfort Survival Handbook: What to do When Your Worst Worry Comes Your Way." And Clarice, third of four children (p 10) "being the second from youngest isn't really anything, is it?" has a lot of worries, so many that she jots them in a "worst worries" notebook (p 7) "because people say things aren't so bad if you make a list." What might a girl like Clarice worry about, things like: (Pp 8, 9, 10, 96, 66) the meaning of life, infinity, change, being bored to nearly utter death, and largish spiders. Ms. Redfort's words of wisdom, (p 11) "REMEMBER-it's the worry you haven't even thought to worry about-that is the worry that should worry you the most." Also contained in the survival handbook, helpful hints, like: (p 19, 28, 35, 104) "A true spy will notice the unnoticeable," "Never eat a polar bear's liver-no matter how hungry you are," "If trouble is around the corner, try walking the other way," and my absolute favorite (in the subsection under How to survive in shark-infested waters), "Whatever you do, do not let them explore you with their teeth."

Fortunately, Clarice's "utterly best friend" Betty Moody shares her fascination with all things Ruby Redfort. Unfortunately, her ubf moves away, leaving her alone with her worries and her tickets for the movie premiere of Run, Ruby, Run, in which she has a small part. Even worse, a new (Swedish) girl arrives at the school, soaking up the attentions of her classmates. With Betty (mostly) incommunicado, Clarice slips into despair, and misinterprets the actions of others, thus piling on additional worries. But when all seems lost, she stumbles upon the clues to a kidnapping, uses what she's learned from RR to help solve the crime, and makes a new friend. The hardcopy version of this book, with its colorful cover and built-in bookmark, would be a great choice for any third to fifth grade worrier, with its refreshingly original variety of fonts, sketches, and predictably-positive-ending story. Also good: The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron, The View from Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg, and The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart.

My daughter (6 years) loves this book.
She loves all of Lauren Childs books

The condition of the book was excellent, it got it here fast and my sister loved it!!! Thank You Very Much!!!

I'm 8 years old and I like the Clarice Bean books. In this book Clarice Bean is upset because her best friend Betty Moody moved to California for her dad's job. Clarice misses her a lot. Other things start to go wrong like a new kid named Clem Hansson is sitting in Betty Moody's seat and Clarice doesn't like her that much. There are some problems with Clarice's house and they need to get it fixed. Clarice's new room is an attic, and she's a little nervous because she doesn't like spiders and there are a lot of them in the attic. My opinion about this book is that it is a very good book. I thought the book was very interesting. I read it in less than two days. I liked it a lot more than Clarice Bean Spells Trouble, and it's about as good as Utterly Me, Clarice Bean. I think a lot of kids would like this book.

My Review of Clarice Bean, Don't Look Now, by Lauren Child
By MJ age 9

I love this book! It was sooooo hard to put it down! This book is the BEST! (You must read the other books in the Clarice Bean series or this one won't make sense!)
Clarice Bean is miserable because Betty Moody has moved very far away. As her house is repaired, Clarice Bean has been e-mailing Betty Moody because Clarice Bean's phone isn't working. To make matters worse, a new kid comes to school and Clarice thinks she is a bully. Her name is Clem, Clem Hansson. Want to know more? Well, I don't want to ruin surprises, do I? =)

It's a book for my masters program, I have no opinion, it's a requirement.

An essential book for every American both young or old, male or female, Democrat or Republican. A delightful discovery on the need of God and guns (or perhaps swords) in the United States and the intolerance of a government in charge of all but answerable to noone. An undeniably perfect fit for todays culture.

Discover your roots from the men that gave their lives for the signing of the Constitution; true heroes. Their resolve was unquestionable and the love for country without reproach.

They brought us so far. We've walked away. Read it and weep. BK

The Federalist was an astonishing political document. Written for public consumption during the debate over adoption of the U.S. Constitution, it combined immense learning and sophistication with shrewd insights into the nature of politics in a republic. It's an essential text for anyone interested in American political history or constitutional theory. In fact, the Federalist should be essential readingt for any educated American: it remains an unparalleled example of realistic political analysis being placed in the service of political ideals.

After more than 200 years, the Federalist has lost little of its relevance. The sections on judicial review and Presidential nominations, for example, could have been written about current controversies over judges. Likewise, the discussion of Presidential war powers, or the emphasis on checks and balances as essential to the preservation of liberty, are eerily topical in an age of pre-emptive war and one-party control of Washington. Even when the analysis is wildly dated -- as with the Commerce Clause or slavery -- the reader can see how far Constitutional doctrine has wandered from the "intent" of the Founders.

The Federalist is also superb as literature: the writing is droll and eloquent, once you get used to the long, convoluted sentences. The introduction by Benjamin Wright is excellent and helps to place the text in political and intellectual context. I don't know why I wasn't forced to read the Federalist at law school! Six stars.

Note: Contrary to one review below, God is hardly mentioned in the Federalist, and then only as a rhetorical flourish. The Federalist has countless references to ancient Greece and Rome, but none to the Old or New Testaments. It is a thoroughly secular document. Religious nationalists and other conservatives should actually read it.

When you read this, you can't help but wonder where all the great minds have gone. This assessment of basic human rights and freedoms should be required reading for all kids, and repeat reading for adults with any appreciation of history and/or politics. Its lessons and statements are universal, and should not be examined as simply a part of US history, but rather how the lessons may be applied elsewhere in parts of the world that are still stuck in the Dark Ages.

We want our founders to be demi-gods and our original texts to be divinely inspired. For an example of this nonsense, please see the first review on this page.
I want to offer a vision of The Federalist in historical context. I will argue that to see it thus enlarges its greatness will allowing us to admit its faults.
In many ways, the developments that led to the Constitution of 1787 started as soon as colonists reached our eastern shores. We had at least 150 years of experimentation in writing charters and in representative governance behind us by 1787. After the Declaration of Independence the States either wrote new constitutions or reaffirmed old charters. The national government wrote the Articles of Confederation and we lived under that from 1781 to the late 1780s.
The Federalist should be seen as part of that ongoing development. More specifically, it should be seen as part of the ratification debates in New York. Largely written by Madison and Hamilton, these papers reflect the compromises that the founders made in regards to the Constitution. Madison had wanted the President to have a veto over any state laws. Hamilton had favored a President for life during good behavior (read #78 in re the appointment for life of federal judges to sense the fervor that Hamilton felt for the benefits of lifetime tenure). Neither man believed in the necessity of a Bill of Rights. Madison eventually saw the political necessity of such amendments. During the first United States Congress he wrote up the Bill of Rights and guided them through passage. This way he could make sure they did not grow too numerous.
As a whole then The Federalist should be seen as rhetorical and political arguments for passage of a Constitution that the authors had some doubts about.
Of course, as Publius they could express no doubts. Madison, Hamiltion and Jay used this pseudonym which was a typical rhetorical device of elite writers at the time. (See Saul Cornell's The Other Founders for a nice discussion of the variety of rhetorical strategies used by writers during the ratification debates.) The idea was that hiding their identities would allow readers to focus on the quality of their arguments. As a result, there are many passages that can strike the modern reader as duplicitous because Publius pretends to know nothing of what went on during the convention. Madison and Hamilton, of course, were instrumental throughout the Constitutional Convention.
Publius works his explication of the need for the Constitution by critiquing the Articles of Confederation then by going thru the new document, article by article supposedly answering all objections. His counterarguments are largely of two types. In the first type, he will state a political principle so "obvious" that any "candid" reader will instantly agree to it. Publius then builds his arguments from there. The famous paper #10 is one such chain of argument. Or Publius will demolish the arguments offered against the Constitution by pointing out that the article objected to is contained in some or many of the States' constitution and have resulted in no such problems. Many of these arguments are justly famous. Number 10 is very much worth reading. (Although I still find it curious that when Madison asserts that a man's property holdings has a great influence on the way he thinks it is celebrated as political realism but when Marx says much the same thing it is decried as class warfare. But that's just me.)
But the reader really does get a sense at to how much thought went into the various checks and balances and the competing claims of the states and the new national government. To me this is where the glory of the book lies. We as a people thought our way out of the failure of our first experiment in nation building. We avoided civil war (for a while) and did not become the victims of foreign manipulation. We don't have to make our founding fathers and mothers demi-gods. In their fully flawed humanity, they dazzle aplenty.
Finally, it should be noted that The Federalist as a piece of political rhetoric avoided some issues entirely. The main problem that most Anti-Federalists had with the proposed Constitution in re jury rights had to do with the following phrase: "such Trial shall be held in the State where the said Crimes shall have been committed" (Article 3, Sec.2, Para. 3). Whig thought at that time insisted on juries being as local as possible. Blackstone stated that jury trials should be held within the county of the crime. This guaranteed that local knowledge of the crime, the defendant and the victim would be maximized in the jury pool. Trying cases in distant jurisdictions or without juries had been some of the main provocations of the British prior to the revolution. Men like Patrick Henry saw that phrase in the Constitution as a clarion of the tyranny to come from the new national government. The Federalist does not speak to this issue at all. Instead, Hamilton focuses on arguments about whether jury trials are guaranteed for civil cases and even has Publius argue that maybe we should limit jury trials a little because juries are so bad with complicated issues, blah, blah.
Should all Americans read this book? Yeah, probably. Are we the worse if they don't? Again, probably yes, but what we really need as a people is more of a sense of our history. I would rather have more people read a good series of books on our history as a whole (I recommend the Oxford History of the United States as one excellent ongoing series).
But if you want to get to know two great minds at work on political issues that are still relevant then this is your book. Forget Locke, Montesquieu and Rousseau. Their philosophies are antiquarian in a way that Publius is not.

This interesting story of friendship between a young musician and an artist reminds me of some of Chris Van Alsburg's work. The plot is somewhat obscure and leaves plenty of room for the reader to imagine and create their own details. What appealed to me the most about this book was the illustrations. I kept looking at them over and over again, getting sucked into the unique stories that might belong to each painting. The main characters were both sad to me in a way because they seemed to be lonely and searching, but never really finding connection except through their art and music. While the story was about their friendship, it left me with the feeling that they were still isolated in the world even from each other. So I wonder if children will be drawn to the story. The illustrations, however, were very appealing, and I think children would appreciate the artistic talent behind the illustrations and enjoy putting their imaginations to work studying them.

This is my favorite contemporary children's book. The story is touching and the illustrations are magical. The wonderful thing is that this is not merely a children's book, but lovely for all ages. I recommend it for gifts to people that you love - at any age!

I chose this book from our local library primarily because I found the title intriguing. I read it to my 6 year old daughter that night and we both loved it. It's a beautiful story and a wonderful way to teach children how each person must find his or her own meaning in great art. I am purchasing several copies - one to keep and others for gifts.

In �The Collector of Moments� Mr. Buchholz has written a soft, gentle story of childhood. The main character is an unnamed young boy who is a bit of a loner. He�s picked on by his classmates for being overweight and his out-of-style wire rimmed glasses. But, when he plays the violin, his friend Max, who rents out the third floor of the family�s home, calls him �Professor� and always listens and usually sings along with him.

Max is a painter, but a quiet and somewhat mysterious one. He never shows anyone his paintings before they are completely finished, and he later comments that sometimes there are things in his paintings that even HE doesn�t see or know about. The boy loves to sit in a red chair in Max�s room and simply watch him work, even though he doesn�t know what Max is working on until he�s finished.

Max makes frequent trips out of town in which his studio is locked up and the boy has to wait for Max�s return. When Max returns, he has fantastic stories to tell the boy about the things he�s seen, like Canadian Snow Elephants that only appear out of the forest during heavy snowfalls. They are actually larger than African elephants, but are so very rarely seen because of their white coloring and gentle, quiet ways of walking. They boy, who narrates the story, is pretty sure that these stories are just fantastic tales of the imagination, but Max tells them so convincingly that there is a part of the boy that comes to believe in the stories somewhat. When the painter goes on an extended vacation/trip, he leaves all of his paintings out for the boy to look at, as a sort of personal exhibition for one.

Here�s where the story becomes odd and wonderful: in each painting there is something odd or unusual is happening, most of which seem to be drawn from Max�s story. In one painting, Canadian Snow Elephants with their three young calves pass almost invisibly between two houses where the neighbors carry on their daily business, oblivious to the great white beasts. In another painting, a rail car from a circus floats mysteriously in the air by a bridge in the early evening; a rope ladder is seen hanging from the open front door...

The pictures are neither scary nor even spooky so much as they are simply unusual. I myself could look at them for hours wondering what is going on and what lies just outside the frame of the picture. If anyone has ever enjoyed looking at the paintings of the French surrealist, Renee Magritte and wondering about his floating castles or falling people, then they will certainly enjoy this book.

The text is rather heavy the first half dozen or so pages and there are very few illustrations at first. When we get to the part of the story where the boy looks at Max�s paintings, they spread across the whole page, a delight and feast for the eye and a teaser for the mind. But, because of the heaviness of the text, some younger children may not have the stamina to pour through the story to get to the pictures. The story itself is soft and gentle and really rather quiet and almost nostalgic, so it may not appeal to children who are either very young or looking for big, robust stories where things blow up or the world turns inside out.

Still, it�s an amazing book with a beautifully rendered and translated story that really isn�t just for children. Read it with your child, and I guarantee that you�ll be pulling it back off the shelf later to read it by yourself!! An excellent book and highly, highly recommended!!

This is perhaps the most compelling children's book I have ever seen. Though a bit surreal, it has all of the components of a great chldren's book. It's creative, fanciful and touching without being condescending to its youthful readers. What a lovely story of art and friendship.

every image has text for explanation, it is so simply written(20-30 words) that it is not easy for me, a beginner at Pathophysiology, to understand well. it is a book of incomparable utility I recommend 100%,

every image has text for explanation, it is so simply written(20-30 words) that it is not easy for me, a beginner at Pathophysiology, to understand well. it is a book of incomparable utility I recommend 100%,

A good book for brief intro into pathophysiology, or as a review for those needing a quick review. Not too in depth, nor currently (2006) up to date, but gives a taste of what pathophysiologis about. Also ties in some of the molecular markers into the text. The best part however are the pictures ... a synopsis at a glimps.

every image has text for explanation, it is so simply written(20-30 words) that it is not easy for me, a beginner at Pathophysiology, to understand well. it is a book of incomparable utility I recommend 100%,

Great book to accompany study of pathophys. Although not complete, its atlas format with charts, pictures and diagrams is great for recall of pathophys of disease and clinical manifestations. Taking notes on it while studying completes most of what you need. Great for the wards.