Journals Books

Captain Ingersoll represents a point of view we haven't seen in this country for 50 years, but now may again be relevant. The United States army is the American people at war. Ingersoll takes us through the details of adjusting to the army and life in the outdoors and finally of going into battle. He states many of the operational details in the same way that Ernie Pyle used to do in "This is your war." Ingersoll is convinced of the righteousness of his cause against an evil enemy and takes for granted the same opinions in his countrymen. The book exudes victory at every line. There are no graphics, except that the end papers give a large map of the North African campaign as he knows it. This is a good primary historical source.

Unlike Dick Cheney who had the guts to earn five deferments during the Vietnam war, this book is by a World War I veteran whose sense of duty to his country led him to volunteer for combat in World War II.

He got his wish. Going into combat he wrote, "No one will believe how beautiful it was on that march after the moon came out, so beautiful it made you forget the war." After being bombed by Ju-87s, who attacked because there was no American air cover, he wrote about the death of one fellow soldier, "...you would not have noticed the pile of grey shredded fabric except for a foot and a shoe with no body attached to it . . . . . There was no blood whatsoever. All the blood had been blown out of the man who had worn this shoe. He was shredded and the pile of shreds was coated with the gray dust of pulverized rock."

It's a book vivid in its descriptions of combat. Anyone writing anything like it today would be attacked by the Cheney crowd for virulent un-Americanism. Near the end, he quotes an article by A. J. Leibling of 'The New Yorker' describing an attack by tanks of the Tenth Panzer Division, saying they "advance hesitatingly, like diffident fat boys coming across the floor at a party to ask for the next dance, stopping at the slightest excuse, going back, and then coming on again, and always apparently seeking the longest way around . . . . . they are timid creatures."

Ingersoll spares nothing. In today's hysteria, he'd be accused of comforting the enemy or whitewashing the war, depending on whose agenda was riffled. Instead, his book was a reassurance that an allied victory was inevitable even though it would cost hundreds of thousands of American lives. He also pointed out the US had life very easy compared to the price paid by Britain, Russia and other allies.

Ingersoll was a well-known and controversial newspaper editor before the war. His book is much more than a "What I saw on my visit to the war", his unsparing reality shows "This is how and why things happen in combat." It centers on one two-day battle, but that is enough to prove his faith in a US army "that fights death and cynicism in the name of life and hope. It is a good army. Believe in it."

Almost two centuries ago, Wellington said the Battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton; today, on a similar basis, the situation in Vietnam and Iraq was created in the Oval Office. President Harry Truman knew where the buck stops; Ingersoll offers a vivid reminder of the impact of decisions made by people who should have faced combat so they could appreciate the price paid by the military.

His assessment still applies to the US military, if not to the leadership in politics or the media. It's a reminder of what good reporting can be when it is good, just as the current situation in Iraq is a reflection of contemporary political leadership. It's vivid writing shows the full impact of combat.

This address book is as beautiful as it looks in the picture. The cover is made of textured paper. The magnetic clasp works effortlessly well. The available fields for addresses include name, address (3 lines), phone, cell, e-mail. This allows plenty of room for other commentary as preferred, like birthday, children's names, spouse, etc. I'm very pleased with this address book.

I bought this address book for my daughter for Christmas and now I WANT ONE! This book is absolutely gorgeous. The quality is exceptional. It is SO pretty that everyone who saw it just wanted one. Wonderful gift to give or receive! DEFINITELY worth every penny!

great as my new scetch book. not lined, and fairly thick, good quailty paper. is held closed by magnets, so theres no fumbling with a tie or snap or whatever. recomended!

This notebook is even more lovely than shown in the picture. The paper is a nice weight. The cover design is nice.

the journal is beautiful, exactly what I was expecting.

Laurel Burch's beautiful art work on the cover of this unlined notebook enhances everything you put inside. The unusual shape of the cover adds to its specialness. It makes a wonderful gift for anyone, even yourself.

I'm a Sports Science major with a concentration in Physical Therapy and this book was used for a undergrad Lifetime physical fitness class. Man, a lot of books lack key information needed in this field but this book is right on. The chapters are well put together in a great order. No skipping around chapters. It's a great beginners good. two thumbs up!

This is a solid book for teaching you the basics of leading a healthy life. For people not well educated on basic wellness ideas, this can be a godsend: it will guide you through many topics that are considered common knowledge but, unfortunately, probably aren't as well-known and properly understood as they should be.

Topics covered here include:
- basic methods to studying and eliminating unhealthy habits
- stress sources and management
- strength exercises, including photos and descriptions of many common ones: good for an exercise novice who'd like to avoid the embarrassment of looking totally confused at the gym (though there's no substitute to a trainer who knows what he's doing)
- healthy eating habits, and detailed analysis of carbs, fats, and other things food is made up of
- coverage of diseases, including STDs and other chronic illnesses

This book is great for independent study, which was the method I used it. Augmenting it with help from a teacher could highlight other areas the book doesn't go quite as in-depth into; in my class's studies, many web sites had to be visited, which added some good knowledge outside the book's scope. Also, each chapter seems to be a little long; splitting some chapters up into shorter sections would have made me feel like I was moving through the book quicker.

However, this is a quality-written book from McGraw Hill. It could be good for anyone, young or old, who doesn't know much but wants to learn how to live a healthy life. If you're looking to get into shape for the summer, but have never paid attention to your health habits before, this book can actually be quite a good starting point: it can help point out how certain foods will affect your body, and give you a quick overview of many common, effective, good exercises. Very recommended for either class or independent study.

Goethe's Italian journey came after ten hard years administering and working at Weimar. In these years his literary output contracted. The trip to Italy was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream, a dream inspired in part by his own father's earlier journey and love of Italy. In Italy Goethe found yet another side of his multifaceted self . He opened to the world and the light and to sensuous reality. His connection with Nature is a fundamental theme of his poetry and in Italy he found a Nature which seemed imbued with organic form and Art , and an Art imbued with Nature. In a sense leaving home enabled him to come home to a central side of himself.
Goethe was a writer- scientist- artist whose central theme was his own inner development. This development took a dramatic turn for the good, and these journals of his Italian trip are a central part of ' the great confession' which was his work.

Those who love Goethe or love Italy or love traveling might have come across The Italian Journey, Goethe's late-in-life rendering of his experience "fleeing" Weimar and hopeless love to fulfill a lifelong dream of being in Italy. I can't say staying in Italy or visiting Italy or studying Italy because Goethe's quest was so much more profound and fundamental; in Italy Goethe hoped to BE. This diary and these letters, however, are Goethe's immediate impressions, un-editted and not reconsidered. These are his immediate considerations and his emotions expressed in the diary he wrote for Frau von Stein, the woman he loved more or less hopelessly for several years. I love both books, but this one, unlike Italian Journey, is not neatly refined and carved and considered from a mature viewpoint; this is full of the urgency and passion and longing that propelled Goethe across the Brenner and up the slopes of Vesuvius. It's just GREAT.

Never, before this book, had I had a journal to write some of my personal feelings in. But, as a gift from a friend, I recieved this diary and have written in it as much as I can. The person who gave it to me stated: "Journals are the only things that keep you sane." So, becuase of this statement, I used it (and still use it). And I guess it really does help to have thise little book with me, even if sometimes it's hard to get time to write in it. Though I have had no past journals, I believe this one must be pretty good. It has quotes about dreams all over it and has vibrant, colorful pages that are not clogged up by distracting illustrations or anything that does not come in a subtle manner. At the beginning of the journal is a little inspirational poem. It's not long, or incredibly eloquent, but I read it every time I write in the book. I think this would be a good gift for ANYONE, no matter who it is. It can be a small little thing like this that can really show someone you care. I still believe that it made a differnce in my life. Also, journals can be fun and emotionally reflective. They're wonderful to read months later. It's a gift that shows someone you care about their darkest secrets. It's also fun to treat yourself to something like this. In the back there are pockets to put sincere, sentimental writings such as poems or quotes of your own. Best of all, it is small and easily travels with you wherever you go. A great purchase. Inspiring. Suggested for those of us who are more creative than others, you can write deep things that other people may not understand, making privacy ideal. I hold it in the highest esteem over many other things that I own.

This is a wonderful book to give to anyone who has achieved or is determined to achieve their goals. Great way to inexpensively promote your downline members' efforts!

This is one of the books which started me on the road to changing my life. It's a wonderful mid-life book, the text and exercises are quite interesting and produced some surprising results for me, just what I was looking for.

In _Following Your Path_, Alexandra Collins Dickerman has presented us with the tools to draft the map of our lives so we can readily find all the shady glens, the exhilarating rapids that challenge us to expand our skills and strengths, and the "supporting characters" that are already there to share wisdom and guidance but that we may not yet have met. Using archetypes found in the major arcana of the tarot - an ancient system that expresses the very structure of personal development, she encourages us to personalize each archetype in a way that makes it accessible to us as we mature. Some people only grow old. Others really do mature. Which will you be?

This recent offering by Ted Cowan is one of his best to date. It effortlessly tells the story of the importance of Scotland's Declaration of Arbroath and its possible influence upon the American Declaration of Independence. It is lucid, written in a fluid and at times humorous style, and brings alive this significant part of Scottish and American history. I strongly recommend it.

A highly articulate and analytical look at the Declaration of Arbroath, a fresh look at the impact and progeny of the Declaration and peppered with pungent and provocative ideas. I learned so much about not only the drafting of the Declaration, an astonishing document, but also its international connections running through the centuries, through to the covenanters and on to the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Heavens, if two Scotsmen (Wilson and Witherspoon) could have done so much for American Independence, so much research needs to be done on the quarter million other Scots in America in 1776! I was very impressed, not only by the considerable fresh look at all the research by Professor Cowan, but he writes with such style and humour that this is an engaging and thought provoking read.

Orlando Willcox's voluminous memoirs, letters, and correspondence are an important, valuable contribution to our understanding of the Civil War. Covering his life in the army from his days at West Point in the 1840's through divisional command in both theaters of the Civil War, this magesterial compilation will interest specialists and buffs alike. Willcox's keen observations and trenchant comments on persons and events are reminiscent of the classic recollections of Charles Wainwright, E.P. Alexander, and Robert McAllister. Robert Garth Scott's judicious editing (footnotes are blessedly placed at the bottom of pages rather than the end of the book) greatly enhances what will instantly become a standard source for anyone seeking a greater knowledge of the American conflict. The price may seem hefty, but it is well worth the cost.

This is truly an enjoyable book. I certainly got a "kick" from his letters. I read two or three of the chapters several times. One thing I noticed about him from his writings was the hidden and totally unintentional secrets he exposed regarding his personality. I think the man was a "saint," because he revealed absolutely no vices or bad habits, as well as he was the ultimate possessor of Victorian manners. I spoke with a friend of mine, who also read the book, and he had the same impression of Willcox that I got. This book will make you appreciate the man once you get to know him more personally. I have quoted Willcox before, in my own writings, gleaned from other books, and from the Official Records, but until I read his personal letters, I never knew who he was. Mr. Scott should be commended for all of his hard work bringing these letters to life.