Party The Books

This is a wonderful little book for first and second graders. There is much for them to enjoy here. Second grade characters go against the grain and prefer potatoes over pumpkins for their Halloween celebration.
In a test of wills between Big Gloria and Mr.Salami, both stand their ground and find respect for each other's opinion. They agree to disagree.

With statements like "...we have a great love and respect for potatoes." and " Potatoes are radical," Big Gloria is now one of my favorite fictional characters.

This book has games, activities, recipes and creative ideas for every age group, every holiday, and every situation you can imagine. Each activity has listed appropriate ages, materials needed, players needed, and extra creative ideas to give the game a new twist. Recipes list servings, time needed, complexity, ingredients, materials, and variations. There are even whole party themes, with ideas for outings, entertainers, prizes and favors. I loved this book.

My son is 19 months old and can not get enough of this book. We literally read it 15-20 times a day. The story line is adorable and opens up several opportunities to talk to your child about feelings and social graces, but the thing that really grabs you are the beautiful illustrations. Talk about a visual treat and an instant vocabulary builder! Hope you love the book as much as we do.

When I picked this book up,I wasn't really expecting much from it.Part way through the election campaign, the Bush camp thought Gore would trounce them in the debates,as they felt Gore had managed to keep"clean" of Clinton's problems as well as being a better debater.Well it didn't turn out that way;did it? In other words Gore blew it big time.He had it in the bag and should have had it won long before Florida;which the Democrats like to blame for Gore's loss.I tend to agree with Stevens in why Gore blew it and Bush won.If you really believe that the counting mess-up in Florida unfairly gave the election to Bush,I suggest this book to you.

I love a good joke. I wish I had the memory to be a good teller of jokes but I don't. Or I don't have the timing and delivery. There isn't anything really dirty about these jokes, most of them are older classics so no one should really be offended by them. If you are not easily offended by the language in any "R" rated movie, this is very easily digestible. I found myself laughing out loud several times reading through this. Some very funny stuff. You might be surprised that you have heard some of these jokes retold by friends or entertainers. Some are just antedotes. An enjoyable read. Let me give you several short examples: A man is really incomplete until he's married--then he's really finished. Trouble with being the Best Man at a wedding is you rarely get a chance to prove it. Women are the problem most men like to wrestle with. My favorite: The grade school principal dropped into the new 3rd grade teacher's room to see how she was adjusting to her first day of school. "There is one problem", she said "that little boy in the 1st row belongs in 2nd grade but insists on remaining here, and he's so smart I hate to send him back." "He can't be that smart" said the principal, "ask him something." The teacher called the boy forward and inquired, "What does a dog do on 3 legs that a man does on 2 legs and a lady does sitting down?" "Shakes hands" said the boy. "What has a cow got 4 of that I only have 2 of" she went on. "Legs" the boy replied. "What is a 4 letter word meaning intercourse?" she continued. "Talk" he answered. The teacher turned to the principal, "Well what should I do?"
He drew her aside and whispered, "Better promote him to the 4th grade, I missed all 3 questions."

This is a great book about a great man. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to learn about American history, the story is not only about Bill Pickett. It's about America as well, and other legends such as Will Rogers, Tom Mix and others.

The passage of the Marshall Plan, in its legislative embodiment, the Economic Recovery Program, seems almost a miraculous event, a hallmark in American foreign politics, representing a genuine revolution in America's role in world affairs. In gaining the legislative approval for the Marshall Plan, the Truman Administration had to surmount not only the customary difficulties of American government, but a host of problems peculiar to itself. Firstly it was launched by the administration of an unelected president, who was commonly viewed as a "lame duck" and "historical accident" with no mandate, whose loss of the upcoming election appeared to be such a virtual certainty, that both press and politicians openly talked about his administration being "scheduled" to leave office in 1949. Secondly President Harry S Truman's personal popularity was perceived to be at such a low by his own party, that it was thought best that he not assist in the congressional campaign of 1946. On top of these conditions, the Marshall Plan would be launched in the face of a Republican controlled Eightieth Congress, pledged to budget cutting and a larger environment that had witnessed the growth of a neo-isolationist outlook, which sought American withdrawal from world responsibilities, in the belief that the United Nations, was supposed to handle them. The task before the Truman Administration was formidable indeed, as the possibilities of uniting Congress and the nation behind a revolutionary departure in international relations, entailing the whole hearted acceptance of internationalism and its attendant burdens, appeared remote.

Historical scholarship has long viewed the Marshall Plan as a symbol of American generosity and humanitarianism, motivated by enlightened self interest and clearly defined national objectives. The Marshall Plan wrote its official historian, Harry B. Price in 1955, was "one of the great success stories of all time"; and for the next quarter of a century both liberals and conservatives have largely taken their cue from him. For the most part however, historical scholarship has treated the Marshall Plan as a central event in the developing cold war between the United States and the Soviet Union , as well as an outgrowth of the need of American capitalism to save itself through controlling Europe's economics. While many of the historical works relate to how the Marshall Plan was a "high watermark of bipartisanship in foreign policy", very few works have produced a comprehensive study and discussion of that bipartisan process. John Bledsoe Bonds, however, has produced in this work a thoroughly comprehensive and detailed study that captures the very essence of how the Marshall Plan (ERP) was sold to Congress. This work will greatly benefit those studying the Marshall Plan or on a more general scope those studying successful strategies of passing legislation in the face of opposition. A highly recommended book.

[Part of the above review is taken from; "The Marshall Plan and the Eightieth Congress" by Alexander Rayden. Copyright 2006, All Rights Reserved]

A dear friend mentioned seeing this book during a trip to New England. She wanted to buy it, but the price was way too steep. While we were chatting on the phone, I checked out Amazon. There the book was--used but in good condition--for a very reasonable price. She was really excited about getting the book. I always check Amazon first.

As an undergraduate at UCLA, I read and re-read Alan Sillitoe's Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, reveling in the antics of the boozing, brawling, working-class character Arthur Seaton. However, as years passed (and I got my Ph.D., married, bought a house and had a kid), I found it difficult to identify with the literary hero of my young adulthood.

Birthday has made Arthur Seaton alive and relevant to me again. What a joy to catch up with Arthur over 40 literary years later and see how an "angry young man" ages gracefully... sort of . Arthur is now a responsible parent, loving husband to a terminally-ill wife, and tender of a vegetable garden in his own home. Yet, he is the same old Arthur: telling outrageous stories, complaining about the uselessness of the government, and half-threatening to kill a young co-worker for wasting food (remember, Arthur Seaton grew up in a war-deprived England).

Birthday alludes to many moments from Saturday Night and Sunday Morning. Sometimes, the results are hilarious: A 60-year-old Arthur, for example, finds himself counseling a spitting-image son who has visions of blowing up Parliament and telling his boss off -- the same fantasies Arthur professed as a young man. Often, the past references are touching. See the recently-widowed Arthur frolic with his grandson (and re-engage in life) the way he used to with his young nephew back in Saturday Night and Sunday Morning.

Fans of Saturday Night beware: much of Birthday focuses on Arthur's brother Brian and his weary struggle with existential issues and regret. The subplots with Arthur, however, really crackle with energy and good humor. I felt great after reading this book. If Arthur Seaton can remain vital through older adulthood, then maybe so can I. Cheers, Arthur!

This is not just another party idea book. Too often we (myself included) have these thoughts running through our heads about a month or two before our child's birthday: "what am I going to DO for junior's birthday this year" and "how am I going to top last year's party?" This book shifts our thoughts from 'doing' for our child to 'being there' for our child. I especially liked Shelly's discussion about birthday traditions to begin and continue (with age-appropriate modification) throughout the teen years. She gives a particurlarly good suggestion which I won't give away here!
Speaking from my point of view as a mom raising children in one of the most materialistic areas of the entire world, I can tell you that bigger [parties] is not always better. Shelly was able to articulate this in her book in a way that I've always felt but was not able to put into words.
Yes, this book is a great reference for party ideas and I know I will use it and give it to other moms for years to come. However, I feel that the book's strength is in the encouragement it gives parents to shift the focus of the birthday celebration from event-oriented activities to child-centered love and care.