B Books

Parents might worry that their child will find inappropriate sites on the Internet. It is important for parents to monitor their child's access to the World Wide Web and teach them proper use of it. This is not a television set with a limited number of channels. It is the information superhighway to the whole world. Think of it the same as traffic safety. You don't leave a young child playing unsupervised by a busy roadway. They could be hit by a car or kidnapped or attacked by a neighbor's dog. An older child after being taught basic principles is allowed more independence in that same situation.
Provide clear guidelines. Let your children know there are subjects or areas that you prefer to be off limits and explain why. Explore cyberspace with the child and talk about what they are seeing and doing.
Teach children safety rules for dealing with strangers online such as never giving out their full name, address or telephone number; never giving out a credit card number; or arranging to meet someone online without your permission. These are the same guidelines you probably use for telephone use in your home or for talking to strangers on the street.
Don't miss out on all the wonders of the World Wide Web. Take your child by the hand and set out on that information superhighway.

Our police department has worked with the author of this book in trying to help victims of cybercrimes. She really knows her stuff. She has even shared many things that my teens wish she hadn't. Now when they type POS, I know it means that they are telling their friends that their parent is looking over their shoulder.

When I don't know where to turn, I just turn to this book. I keep it next to my computer so my children can rely on it too. I was amazed that they enjoyed it as much as I did.

Next time, I'll buy the book BEFORE I buy the computer and set it up right.

a country mom.

I read this book when my mother bought it for me and my friends to read. I was very interested in what this person said about online safety and teens. Most talk about how terrible the internet is, but she thinks it's great for teens as long as we use it following safety rules.

My girlfriend was chatting with a boy she met online. He sent her pictures and said he loved her. She even talked to him on the phone. When he asked to meet her at the mall, I told her about the stories I read in this book, and gave her the book to read.

She didn't meet him after she read the stories about bad men who tried to trick girls into meeting them offline.

Her parents found out and found out that this boy wasn't really a boy.

Mrs. Aftab helps keep teens safe. I want to work for her group and help other teens.

Thank you Mrs. Parry Aftab for caring about teens. we love you!

a sixteen year old girl

My 12 year old daughter was stalked by someone online. I went to Cyberangels for help. Parry Aftab (the author) runs Cyberangels, which is the world's largest and best safety group. This book supports the group, and after Cyberangels helped me find the stalker (someone we knew!), we bought this book to read together. My daughter and her friends in Girl Scouts are now creating an online safety club, thanks to this book, and this incredible woman. Please buy it and support online safety and protect your family online.

I read Parry's first book, and all the other ones that copied it. This is by far the best book out there. It's got every answer to every conceivable questions, easy to understand and fun to read.

I'm a teacher and need to keep up on this subject, and no book, not even her first one, comes close to this book. It feels like she is giving you free tutoring on any question you have about your kids online, right at your side.

I recommend this to all the parents at our school. Trust me on this...only buy one book - this one. And if you have any questions, e-mail Parry, she answers all of them personally. parry@aftab.com (her name)

It is one of the best books I've used in med school so far. It gets right down to the point, so you don't have to read through all of the fluff to find what's important like in other books. However, in the same respect, it's not overwhelming like in some texts where you read a paragraph and then wonder if it was even written in English. This is a must for any med student.

While drinking from the firehouse of knowledge this book is your best friend. It's really a must buy for any med student. Her other book is less helpful. Boron & Boulpaep (etc) take WAY too much time.

This physio book is great. It easily and effortlessly breaks down the physiology that occurs in the human body without getting too technical or clinical. It delivers the basics and little fluff. Great book to read.

fantastic. This book is an awesome read. very well written, concise, great figures. I use this and the brs physio from costanzo and they are both great.

This the most clearly written physiology book out there. Very concise with helpful figures. Costanzo knows her stuff!

This book has a number of practical messages for anyone who is managing or learning how to run an organization. Unlike most books, the author explains how to implement the ideas. For my company it helped us build a foundation of principles by which everyone can live by not just talk about. The end result was a more enjoyable workplace and five star customer experience.

As a MBA student, I found this book a must-read. Unlike other books I have read, this book looks beyond classroom branding theory and teaches you how to successfully implement a brand strategy through the alignment of a company's employees with its vision. I look forward to executing the truths as I head into the "real world," now better prepared!

Finally a book that didnt leave me hanging. Achieve Brand Integrity goes the extra mile. Gregg didnt let the book fall into the business-book-trap of only telling us "what we need to do"...he actually gives us access to the tools on "how to get it done." Pretty selfless stuff. If this read doesn't get you off the dime towards competing globally in the 21st Century...then stop buying books on Brand. C-Level Mgmt should take notice from Mr. Lederman...change is coming with or without them!

I like this book because it starts with a simple yet powerful concept missed by the vast majority of business leaders. Brand Strategy is "The process of aligning what we say with what we do, to positively influence what customers think." Simple because it is what your customers expect. Powerful because in my experience most competitors don't get it. They're wrong. Great brands are fueled by strong cultures, cultures that strive to bring their brand's promise to life. Chapter 6 is worth the entire price of admission. In this chapter, you begin to understand the underlying psychology of your workers and how beliefs drive behavior. And what you must do to change them to become a "visible" brand. Not from a strategy standpoint, rather from a get your hands dirty point of view. When Gregg Lederman says process, he means that literally. He spells out in clear steps what you need to do to align what "we do" with what "we say." In fact the book refers you to [...] to access templates that allow you to progress this concept on your own. Achieve Brand Integrity is a small investment that can pay huge dividends if you embrace the power of a designed culture.

Gregg Lederman lives five years in the future, so if you want to know how to motivate your employees and have more profitable growth in your company, just ask him.

Lederman sets it all out so well. This is a huge contribution that if used will empower any business of any size to distill brand integrity in their employees. This book is easy to read and makes it all so easy to understand. I really wish I had this resource to refer to 15 years ago. I make it a common practice to give this book to every new employee that I hire.

Although I purchased this for my 9 year old daughter who loves the song sung by Davey Jones, "Personal Penguin," everyone loved the music. The 65 year-old-grandparents, the fifty-something neighbors, and the twenty-something babysitter were all listening to it and picking personal favorites. This is something for the whole family to enjoy.

I used to think Boynton's books were "cute." Now, I am absolutely awe-struck with her talent and genius. Boynton and Ford wrote all of the songs and had some of the best musical artists of all time sing this amazing collection. I bought it for my 4-year-old, but fell in love with it myself. Endearing and brilliant artists such as Neil Sedaka, Davy Jones, BB King and Brian Wilson perform on this CD. What an amazing accomplishment! The songs are genius and they sound like they were written and arranged by the artists who perform them. One of my favorites is the Gorilla Song, by Sha Na Na. This is the best "children's" work we've found... and I listen to it even when my kids aren't around. The book is funny, quirky and off-beat with all the adorable Boynton characters you'd expect! Highly recommended!!

My grandson loves this. He is 3 1/2 and would play it constantly if he could. I buy this often for baby gifts. The whole family can listen, and not be bored with it.

I absolutely love love love this album. O yes and I almost forgot - My child is almost 2 and loves it just as much as I do. To get him interested at first we played the songs along with the pictures in the book which he thought was very funny (especially the song about the dog's nose). It has a great range of famous artists (Including BB king) and the songs are NOT painful to listen to, even over and over and over. I highly recommend this product to anyone who cannot stand another second of boring repetitive kids songs.

I was at a concert in CT when Bobby Vee, my teen idol, introduced Sandra Boynton, the author of the songs with Michael Ford and book titled "Blue Moo" and Bobby Vee proceeded to sing the song he had sung for the CD/book. People around me instantly fell in love with his song,"With You". So, as soon as I got back home to Massachusetts, the next day, I went online to Amazon.com and ordered the CD/book. Love all the songs and drawings. Like the title says, great for kids of all ages.
Ann

In spare, poetic and very beautiful dialect, old and grumpy Guernsey misanthrope, Ebenezer Le Page, recounts the story of his life; a tale of disillusionment, loss and remarkable resiliance.

Edwards makes Le Page a Guernseyan "Everyman." Le Page represents an embattled folk community: colonized by the French, occupied by the Germans and finally overrun by English tourists.

Like the butler, Stevens, in *The Remains of the Day,* Le Page has an epiphany that transforms him. But while Stevens' epiphany is of the rather subtle dry sherry variety, Le Page's knocks you flat like a good shot of white lightening, poteen or whatever it is that Guernsey people drink when they want to see God.

*The Book of Ebenezer Le Page* is about a small miracle of the human spirit in the face of war, poverty and souless consumerism.

It's been more than twenty-five years since I read The Book of Ebenezer LePage, lured to it by the story of John Fowles's involvement in seeing it published. Having just finished The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, my brother and I were comparing notes on the novel we both enjoyed so much when I commented that, in some strange way, the story reminded me of Ebenezer LePage. Thinking still about that extraordinary book, I checked here at amazon to see if it was still in print.
In reading the long list of capsulized reviews, I found the following and laughed out loud: "The Book of Ebenezer Le Page, by G. B. Edwards, is an oddity and a great literary wonder, written in the beautiful French patios of Guernsey, . . . ." --Archipelago. Of course, the book may have been written on a patio, though I've no idea how the reviewer would know. What I do know, however, is that the subtle language of the Channel Islands--English, with some French added creatively--is known as a "patois," and the use of that patois in the book's dialogue is but a small part of the charm that wafts through the book's pages. I've long considered it to be one of the finest novels I've read.

One of the best books I have read in a long time...The universality of Ebenezer is wonderful. It brings the reader back to another time and place. I highly recommend this book.

What can I add to the almost unanimous chorus of praise and rave reviews? Not much. But this is such an exceptional yet so inexplicably little-known book that I feel obliged to join the chorus.

THE BOOK OF EBENEZER LE PAGE reminds me, as unlikely as this particular combination may sound, of both Thomas Hardy and Mark Twain. Indeed, for a rough approximation of the narrator Ebenezer Le Page and his personality and humor, imagine that Sam Clemens had been born in 1890 on the Channel Island of Guernsey, lived there his entire life, and then nearing 90 set down the story of his life and his world. Although not as cosmopolitan as Sam Clemens, Ebenezer Le Page is every bit as independent a free-thinker, as open-minded, as cantankerous, as wise, and as ruthlessly disdainful of cant, self-righteousness, and those who better themselves at the expense of others. And almost as funny.

For all its greatness, THE BOOK OF EBENEZER LE PAGE is not a page-turner that you are likely to devour in one fell swoop. It took me two weeks to read it. But each time I returned to it, I was eager to do so. It is not unlike an idiosyncratically crusty grandfather telling tales from his life after dinner; as much as one loves to listen to him every evening for an hour or two, one is not prepared to listen to him day in and day out, to the exclusion of everything else.

This novel is sui generis. It also is, in my experience, the greatest novel by a "single-work author." (It far surpasses John Kennedy Toole's "A Confederacy of Dunces.") But it should not be regarded solely as some sort of curiosity. It is a great work of literature, and it merits far wider recognition and a far wider readership.

This is a book for good readers only. And for good readers who enter the book at the right time when they are willing to invest the effort to get far enough into the story to care about it. There is much to complain about. It is a first person narrative written by a person who is not always likeable about other people who are not always likeable and who are often two dimensional. It is written in an idiosyncratic style that reflects both the education level and patois of the narrator. The setting is limited, obscure and unfamiliar to most readers. Somehow those very complaints gradually reverse themselves to become the strengths of the book. The author asks a lot from the reader because you have to plow through a lot of words and page after page until you become aware of the reversal. You become very interested in the narrator's life story, the vast cast of characters continues to increase with every page but they seem more human and not so irritating, the writing style becomes familiar and essential to the story as the narrator's personality and a reflection of the richness of the setting. This is a long book full of a long life story and many small stories. The small stories are some of the most memorable, particularly during the time of occupation. Some of the little stores are entertaining, like the two pigs and some are tragic, like the story of the young prisoner. I found myself more caught up in the little stories than in the larger tragedy of Raymond and Horace. My recommendation is to skip the introduction by John Fowles which is long and unnecessary and save your endurance to see if you can get far enough into the book to reach the point where you stop having to work at reading and want to pick it up. It is brilliant, even as it is astounding that a publisher read enough of it to make the decision to publish it.

I read this book in High School (late 80's) on a recomendation of a friend and I just loved it. Recently I found a copy at a coffee shop for $1 and just had to buy it and read it again. Again it is a very gripping book about the vietnam war and a ranger team. This is a must for any fan of military stories and veterans.

This one of the best books I've ever read. I'm in college and don't get to read other books often, but this is a must read if you like action books.

I first read this book back in the summer of 1985. I was in jump school down at Benning. The author of this book was the commander of the school at the time. He was a little guy, but don't let that fool ya, because he carried himself like a giant. And while we were running in formation in the hot Georgia heat, he would be running around us and yelling, "gotta love it". We would all yell back in unison, "charlie mike, sir!" Man, that guy was full of energy. You should know that "charlie mike" means "continue mission... no matter what... and against whatever odds". The book carries the same intensity as the colonel.

During those 3 weeks of airborne school I must have read that book 4 times. Boy-oh-boy I loved that book. And of course I went with all my fresh-made buddies to the Benning PX to have the Colonel sign it one Sunday.

I guess I was kind of surprised 2 years later in the summer of 1987 back at Benning for Ranger School when we were all running on that hot Georgia hardball. Because there he was again! Commander of Ranger School.

I'll never forget during that first week there, called "zero week", on one morning jog, he comes running up to me and says, "Ranger, are you an officer?" I says, "yes, sir." And he says, "what school you from Ranger?" I sound off, "Lehigh, Sir." He then yells back, "Rangers from that school don't usually do very well here at Ranger School." So I sound off again, "We'll see, sir."

I figured he probably said that to a lot of us kids. But I took that as a challenge coming from this colonel. That's the way he was. He was always challenging us. Making us push ourselves to do better. It felt pretty good 8 weeks later after Camp Merrill, deserts of Utah, swamps of Florida, and then back on that parade field at Benning when ol' Scott pinned that black and yellow tab on my shoulder. I got pay back from a school that had just washed out 50% of the class.

That's the way COL Scott was though. He pushed us. And he taught us how to push ourselves. And the book is no different. The characters have been taught the same way. Because when the chips are down, they push themselves to continue, to continue mission.

So last year when my 16 year old son asked me what Ranger School was like and what Rangers do, I told him. But then I said, "if you really want to know you should hear it from the guy who taught me." So I ordered the book off Amazon (my signed copy had been lost over the years) and after he read it, he told me he wanted to be one, too.

Charlie Mike, Sir.
Airborne Ranger

This is probably on of the best books i've read ever. I just could not put it down.

This is a great book taking you out of this world and into the jungles of Vietnam. You make great friends and loose them but in the end you look at the world and life in a whole new way. Breathtaking from start to finish.

After High School, I joined the U.S. Army and Attended Jump School. LTC Scott was my commander and I bought the book at the Post Exchange, December 1985. I loved it and have the autographed copy still today.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Some books leave us free and some books make us free." We love to read motivational and inspirational books but real books on life and how one person left a legacy says so much more.

Oprah said "It isn't until you come to a spiritual understanding of who you are-not necessarily a religious feeling, but deep down, the spirit within-that you can begin to take control."

This is what Lucnhmeat and Life Lessons: Sharing a Butcher's Wisdom by Mary Bichelmeyer Lucas is all about. This book emphasizes the sharing of life as we are all customers in this life and how we share and treat one another is expressed such memorable words in this story.

The story of a little girl and her father and his message, she continues to share how much her father means means to her but also the wisdom he left means to her. I found the book emotionally moving but to actually see Mary Lucas speak was truly emotional for my whole office as well as leaders within my community of various organizations.

She has a passed on a gift and a story that continues to give to so many people a story, and help them remember one of there own hopefully. I only wish she could reach more people and let the story touch their souls like it has touched mine and many who witnessed it as she told it.

Many--Many--Incredible Hallmark Moments!!

God touches our souls in so many ways!!

I thank him for this family and this story as it is the "Comeback Sauce" which is a reminder to all of us about life's lessons.

I can not express how much I enjoyed this book! It not only touched me on a professional level, but a personal one as well.

From a Professional prospective, having worked in the staffing industry for 28 years in Atlanta, I could certainly relate to everything Mary wrote beginning with her very first day! Over the years I taught several Customer Service classes for the whole Region and worked with individual branches as well. I was given the book to read from a colleague just before leaving Atlanta and I suggested my company purchase this book for EVERY branch across the country. It was so easy to read and makes the whole concept of customer service an easily obtainable objective. Although I have moved across the country to pursue a lifelong dream working for a non-profit organization, I will be working in Special Projects, one of which includes putting together a training program for the over 30,000 volunteers that come to the organization every year. Included in this project will be training for employees on how important the volunteers are to the organization and how to ensure their visit is as rewarding as possible. The information in this book will be invaluable.

From a very personal standpoint, reading about Mary's father and her special relationship with him affected me deeply. My father, who passed away 10 years ago, was a wonderful teacher and a trusted friend. He instilled in me a great sense of responsibility, a respect for all individuals and the importance of leading a moral, caring and humane life. I miss him everyday.

I thank you very much for this wonderful "feel good" story

LOVED the book! I've bought 5 extra copies to give as "comeback sauce". Plain and simple, a delight to read!

I came across this little gem of a book quite by accident about a year and a half ago. I took it home and read it in one evening and was so taken by the butcher's lessons that I couldn't wait to share the book with my staff. As a an elementary principal, I knew that my teachers would benefit from the down-to-earth "people strategies" shared in Mary Lucas' book. Not only do the strategies make sense, but they are strategies that anyone can put to immediate use, whether you are 18 or 80. These lessons are lessons all parents need to pass on to their children to be passed on to their grandchildren.
Just this morning I presented a session at the TEPSA (Texas Elementary Principals & Supervisors Association)Summer Conference, sharing the Butcher's Lessons with a large group of Texas Elementary Principals. I felt compelled to share this book with my colleagues, not only because of the book's impact on me, but because of the impact I knew it would have on them...and it did. They related immediately to the butcher and his pearls of wisdom.
If you are in the people business...all of us are...you will enjoy this wonderful little book. You will learn from it, you will be inspired by it, and you will be motivated by the heartfelt delivery of the lessons shared. It will be a resource that you will go back to again and again to draw strength from and to remind you to use the strategies in all of your relationships. This book is filled with "prime cut" bits of wisdom that will serve you well in all areas of your life.
Mr. Bichelmeyer's life was truly a life to celebrate and his daughter has done him proud!

I would advise anyone in the business world, particularly anyone in a service industry, to read this book. It is definitely worth a few hours investment of your time. It is so insightful and helpful. The advice given to Mary by her father is simple and profoundly powerful. Sometimes we get busy and forget the simple, common sense things that will make us incredibly successful. Mary has proven that by taking these steps in real life, success is achieved. I had the pleasure of working with Mary in the past and she lived what she writes in the book. It is very real and I highly recommend this book.

After reading this book, I feel ready to go out and create my own destiny. This is a wonderful account on how everyday actions and decisions can create the life you want.

Peter Morgan Mash seems to be one of those people upon whom good fortune shines. Just when he's about to lose a big deal, chance rears its beautiful head to help him on his way; just when he's about to give up on meeting a key potential investor, he ends up stuck in the elevator with him. To what does Mash attribute his good fortune? Simple kindness, integrity and personal values. By stressing these personal attributes, he says that anyone can benefit from the kindness of life. We from getAbstract recommend this book to anyone convinced that the universe is a basically friendly place.

Peter Kash was my father's intern at EF Hutton when I was a little girl. His warmth and zest for life come through in this book, as well as his sharp business acumen. His principles are sound; his writing style, delightful. I'd recommend this book to anyone searching for the courage to follow their passion and find success.

I have to say that I pick up a lot of books (from personal success to mathematical tomes) and read them over a period of a week to a month, but not this book. This book is so engrossing that I finished it in two days! Peter Kash really hit a note inside me when he talked about the coincidences and serendipity in eveyone's life. When you look at the world the way Peter Kash does everything begins to become clear and you can't help but to look forward to everyday, to meet new people and to appreciate your family and the people you know well. I have recommended this book as a Must read to all of my friends and I recommend it to anyone who is trying to get a "lucky break" on their way to the top! I can assure you that this is not "fluff" or New Age "Gobbledygook". This is a book written from the "gut" from a solid, successful, entrepeneur, who comes across - not as a know it all - but of someone who has learned a lot of secrets on how to make your own luck. Truly a life altering book for this reader.

Make Your Own Luck is a practical guide for getting the most from what you have. Make Your Own Luck is really a feel good kind of book not based on heavily researched scientific fact.

The author reminds the reader of old platitudes and gives antidotal evidence support these platitudes. Yet in the hustle and bustle of everyday life these reminders are welcome and help realign the compass guiding our lives.

The author reminds us the life is full of unexplained coincidences. If we notice and engage (rather then ignore) these coincidences we can usually find opportunity knocking. Make your own luck covers topics such as failure (required to succeed), rejection (required to succeed), finding a purpose in work and specialization (which can be a path to success).

The underlying tone is the golden rule. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. The author adds the concept of the "web of life", which could be described as "what goes around comes around".

I would recommend Make Your Own Luck. Although the concepts are tried and true they are still important to consider and pursue. In a busy world we need to be reminded and make sure we are following our compass.

This book was a wonderful discovery. My children loved it and so did I. As a collector of children's books, this one was a proud addition to my library.

every parent should read this to their child. even as adults we all need a reminder of how important it is to be truthful and good. this is an absolutely amazing book for kids of ALL ages. we are all still learning and growing. thought everyone should know and get a copy. if we lived by the lesson taught in this book wouldn't the world be a much better place!!! thanks,kim

I've had the opportunity to share this book with so many people and they all loved the book. Now I have children of my own, it certainly has become one of my favorite books to read to my kids and teach them to be truthful. This is a wonderful book to share with both adults and kids for all ages. I highly recommend it.

IT WAS SUCH A JOY TO SHARE THE MESSAGE OF THE BOOK WITH MY DAUGHTER. MY DAUGHTER AND I OFTEN DISCUSS THE IMPORTANCE OF TELLING THE TRUTH. THIS BOOK ONLY MADE IT A MORE JOYFUL EXPERIENCE IN DOING SO. I APPLAUD THE AUTHORS FOR THEIR WORK AND THANK THEM FOR HELPING ME GET THE MESSAGE OF TELLING THE TRUTH TO MY DAUGHTER IN A WAY THAT WAS EASY FOR HER TO UNDERSTAND. A MUST READ!!!

My mom recently bought me this book I think that I have read it one too many times. I still read it often to my friends and have even shared it with some of my teachers.

This is a collection of essays about the first twelve rulers to bear the name Caesar. It is the definitive collection of eyewitness stories about the early emperors as they were seen by their contemporaries.

The rulers covered by this book include Julius Caesar, his adopted son Augustus and his descendents, the warlords who contended for power in the "Year of Four Caesars" after Nero was overthrown, and the Flavians.

In other words, the full list of twelve is:

Julius Caesar
Augustus
Tiberius
Gaius Caligula
Claudius
Nero
Galba
Otho
Vitellius
Vespasian
Titus
Domitian.

If you want to understand the early Roman Empire, you need to read this book. If you are a budding novelist and want to write about the early Empire, you need to read this book.

Robert Graves, author of "I Claudius" and "Claudius the God" translated this version: not surprisingly many of the snippets of gossip and fascinating little stories from Suetonius find their way into his novels. They also find their way into every good novel about first century Rome that I have ever read, absolutely without exception.

You should not take for granted that every word of Suetonius's account is accurate. For example, he supports the story that Nero set fire to the city of Rome, and then sang an aria as he watched the city burn. (This is story is often misquoted as Nero having fiddled while Rome burned - an impossibility since the violin had not been invented.)

Some modern historians have made a strong case that this was a clever libel spread by Nero's contemporary opponents, that Nero was actually away from the city when the fire broke out and hurried back to Rome to personally lead the fire-fighting efforts.

If they are right it does not cast doubt on Suetonius's integrity as a reporter of what was said about the emperor, because there is no dispute that the story of Nero singing while Rome burned was widely believed at the time. As the saying goes, "Si non e vero, e ben trovato" - if it's not true, it's well invented. Aspects of the story certainly seem in character with many of Nero's other proclivities including his love of art, enormous vanity, and complete ruthlessness. However, it illustrates that Suetonius does seem to have a propensity to repeat every snippet of gossip he heard about the early emperors, with rather less selectivity and critical judgement than the other great ancient historians, Herodotus and Thucydides.

However, for this very reason, though perhaps he is a whisker behind Herodotus and Thucydides as a historian, Suetonius is far and away the most entertaining of the three.

The translation by Graves is very easy to read. This is one of the most important, fascinating, and informative works of ancient history which was ever written.

That question can be solved by me by choosing the former simply because of what survives of his work and here it is: The Twelve Caesars. Tacitus is the other great Roman historian but what survives of his two masterpieces: The Annals and The Histories, is not as comprehensive as what is found in The Twelve Caesars.

The Twelve Caesars is definatley my favorite historical work of the Roman Empire. In it, Suetonious goes over the actions and character of not only the entire Julio-Claudian dynasty but the Flavian as well, making The Twelve Caesars cover roughly 138 years.

This is probably the best historical account of the emperors of the Roman Empire and is the best introduction to other works such as the great works of Tacitus.

lunatics that ruled Rome in the first century, & told very well in the audio cassette format. As history it is not much but as biography it is informative & entertaining. Apparently the mores & standards of decency were much diiferent than they are today. Most of these 12 Caesars did not not rule very long but they impacted the Empire probably for a long time after. I'd like to read more about the individuals that followed Domitian & before Julius thus supplementing other well known works such as the Fall of the Roman Empire. This book however, is a good start.

Suetonius grew up in the years following Nero's reign and wrote these histories while he was the secretary of the emperor Hadrian in the early second century A.D. His book covers the successive reigns of Julius Caesar, Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Galba, Otho, Vitellius, Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian.

The stories focus on the emperors themselves more than the events which took place under their reigns and, although there's certainly some truth to those emperors, many of Suetonius' facts are anecdotal stories and rumors. Suetonius has therefore been called one of the first tabloid writers. Nevertheless, his biographies are rather concise and systematic; touching upon the physical attributes of the ruler, his background, the good deeds (if any) in his reign and then, of course, the bad deeds.

Robert Graves' translation is superb and carries the jovial mood of the writings quite well. I can't help but be amused at some of the stories Suetonius recites on Nero and Caligula as they are definitely two of the most eccentric emperors (to put it lightly)that ever ruled the Principate. For example, when Nero first inaugurated his new gigantic Golden House with a mile-long corridor and a 130' statue of himself at the entrance, he was said to have exclaimed, "At last! I can live like a human being!"

The Twelve Caesars is the first classical book I ever read, and it fascinated me to no end. I'd recommend this is a starter book for anyone interested in the History of Political Power. Gore Vidal reviewed this book years ago, and he wrote an excellent piece about it--the nature of power, the perversions it causes, and the absurd humanity of it All. Hopefully there won't be another Tiberius as President of the USA (we only have our cheap Clintonius) but it's fun to wonder what may become of our American Empire. Please, please buy this book.