The Party Books

This story has been a favorite of ours. I read it to my son and then to my twin daughters and we enjoyed it immensely! It has a beautiful flow for children to hear, tells a story that serves a purpose in launching discussions with children and has beautiful illustrations.

This was the first Party Of Five book I read (I don't watch the show). It was very good and recommend it for teen readers. In the book, Bailey decides to hire a waitress but she keeps screwing up by mixing of people's orders and stuff. Now, insted of firing her, he decides to flirt a little. She quits later and files a lawsuit against him for harassment. I can't tell you the rest, but I suggest you read it!

A great gift for any new mother! These are easy to make but very clever birthday cakes. Kids will love them. I had one when my girls were little, and now they are using one for children of their own.

Kids love to pick out a cake for their birthdays and my adult children take turns making cakes for holidays. We have gotten a lot of use from this book.

This is, without doubt, a special book which combines personal judicial memories with an historic understanding of the history of the Liberal Party in second last half of the twentieth century. It is a very `human' book, which is to be expected in view of the author's experiences, and it gives a new insight into some of the hitherto unknown aspects of political life from the end of World War Two.

The latter part of the book illustrates some candid commentaries on contemporary judicial thinking at the time and John Baker is not inhibited when describing some of the individuals he has become involved with professionally since 1972.

It is clear that Judge Baker was a loss to the Parliamentary world, but it is also interesting to reflect, as I have done, on how many active politicians I have met from all three main parties who fall into the same category as Baker. My Tory colleagues have often described election to Parliament as a lottery and, I am afraid I have to agree. Of course, luck plays its prominent part but politics was not to be for John Baker - the Bench was all the better for this course of events.

It was fortunate for the English judicial system that the Courts Act arrived when it did (long overdue), enabling Baker to participate in one of the more exciting reforms of the late twentieth century. He is probably lucky he does not have to put up with the current `reforms' which are more to do with expediency and cost cutting after some ill-thought out extravagancies from 1990s which have left the criminal justice process in a complete mess. He is also lucky to have escaped the crusading media who are clearly out to criticise lenient sentencing and `outing soft judges' when the media don't know what it is collectively talking about.

Whilst much has been written of John Baker's political life, it is for his judicial work that he will be remembered. From chapter 7 onwards with `Starting on the Bench' he describes, with some candour, the plight which can confront newly appointed judges. I suspect his practice as a solicitor gave him an additional insight into what the Lord Chancellor expected of Her Majesty's Judges in 1970s - thankfully, a role now firmly in the hands of the Lord Chief Justice.

Any member of the Bar who has an interest in pursuing a judicial career should read this book. It is written very much in the personal style of the man himself and paints a most useful picture of the path which the judiciary have taken since the big changes of the 1970s and the creation of the Judicial Studies Board. The mixture of everyday people and the various celebrities which one meets in both politics and law is well covered and dealt with deftly by Baker who has an amiable but firm approach throughout.

I have read many judicial biographies and autobiographies but this one stands out for the serious business and the special cause which John Baker has stood for: it is a great addition to the world of judicial biography.

Professor Bernhard has written a lucid yet dense explanation of phenomenon that, while much commented on, remains unexplained: Central Bank Independence. Considering the relationship between legislators, parties and central bank independence, Bernhard inserts politics back into a topic where it was previously neglected.

A valuable contribution to political economy and comparative politics.

The author of this book is an instructor at the University of Sheffield in England, but his handling of his topic is sure and not marred by any deficiency in knowledge of the subject which some might expect of a non-American. He traces Iowa politics from its beginning as a Territory in 1838, thru the rise of the Republican party in 1856, and that party's securing of the dominant positioon it acquired in Iowa before the Civil War began. It acquired that dominance because it was right on the issues leading to the Civil War, altho the author shows that Iowa Republicans for political advantage did not want any accord with the South and thus may have made the War more likely. After the war, Senator James Grimes played a pivotal role in defeating the effort to impeach Andrew Johnson, and thus is a hero for Iowans, since a successful impeachment resulting in removal would have altered the American system of government--even as a successful impeachment in 1999 would have altered that system. Anyone interested in politics of the mid nineteenth century will find this book of value. There is an excellent bibliography and the book is well-footnoted, with a good index. It is a book typical of the good books Iowa State University Press publishes on Iowa topics.

Updating his 1984 book, Bar Mitzvah, Bat Mitzvah: How Jewish Boys and Girls Come of Age, Metter again traces the history and changing customs of this important ritual. Eric Kimmel's Bar Mitzvah: A Jewish Boy's Coming of Age (1997) and Barbara Goldin Diamond's Bat Mitzvah: A Jewish Girl's Coming of Age (1997) are more detailed and deal with religious meaning more directly, but Metter's work is concise, readable and enlightening, especially for those not already familiar with these observances. This new version reflects changes in our world over the past 23 years. Metter includes a stronger egalitarian voice and a new section on Judith Kaplan, the first modern bat mitzvah. He has eliminated using the male pronoun and bar mitzvah ceremony as the norm. Some borderline pedantic background information has been removed or made far more concise. He expanded prior mention of the trend toward adults becoming bar and bat mitzvah to a whole chapter and included more material on customs in other countries. Metter's revised chapter on celebrity memories of their own ceremonies has left politicians and Nobel prize winners out, focusing instead on younger film and TV actors, comics, and Olympic medal athletes. A brief discussion of sumptuary excess appears less judgmental than in his original earlier work. Both changes reflect an acceptance of today's realities. The final chapter is unchanged, however, emphasizing that the timeless significance of this ritual remains undiminished. Appended bibliography, B/W illustrations and, source notes, and websites. Rita Berman Frischer

I found a copy of this at my office and fell in love with it instantly. Being another Barbara, I could sympathize with this disappointed mouse, who "never gets what she likes for her birthday." It's simply a lovely book with beautiful pictures and a sweet story that has Barbara and her friend imagining the best birthday party ever.

My 2-year-old daughter LOVES this book. The picture of the kids dancing and the page where we sing "happy birthday you you" are her favorites. The illustrations are so big and colorful they're a joy to look at.