Reviews Books

The Theory of Money and Credit is the foundation of modern Austrian Economics. The central contribution of this book is its application of marginal utility theory to money. Mises takes a micro-analytic approach to money that differs from the Hume-Fischer-Friedman Quantity Theory significantly. Of course there is some truth in the Quantity Theory. The Quantity Theory also teaches some lessons against inflation.

Mises set the groundwork for Austrian Business Cycle theory, as later developed by Hayek and Garrison. Both the Quantity Theory and the Mises-Hayek theory of trade cycles point to the same root cause: inflation. However, the Mises-Hayek theory explains trade cycles in terms of intertemporal dis-coordination. Hayek owes his Nobel Prize the groundbreaking work of Mises.

The Theory of Money and Credit also served as the basis for the calculation critique of socialism. Mises began to see the significance of monetary calculation in this book. The Austrian theories of the trade cycle and monetary calculation are the two main lines of modern Austrian research. These were the two critical debates of the Interwar Years. Also, Mises formulated his `Regression Theorem' in this book. Without this book, the modern Austrian paradigm would differ beyond recognition. Anyone who wants to learn Austrian economics should read this book.

I am a BIG fan of Ludwig von Mises. I am aware of what his great contributions are to the science of Economics. All free-market believers are indebted to him for his work. That is precisely why I bought a copy of his Theory of Money and Credit.

I found it VERY DIFFICULT to read, even with a dictionary in hand. So much so that I never finished it. And this even though I have read Rothbard's classic "America's Great Depression" twice.

Admittedly, von Mises wrote the original in German (I think), and translating technical material from another language may be quite difficult.

I give von Mises 5 stars for his Theory, (which really isn't a theory, but FACT). But I must subtract one star for it's lack of readability.

--George Stancliffe

Von Mises' "The Theory of Money and Credit" is a great work in theoretical economics. Its key insight is that money has an influence on the real economy.

Monetary financing of deficits leads to inflation, but this inflation is never proportional, that is variations in the money supply produce variations in relative prices and therefore have distributional consequences.

MV = PT is an identity. The 'V' reflects the money demand of individuals for whom a $ has a subjective value. What happens to PT is dependent on who how the new money will ripple through the economic system. Every change in the amount of money is different. Apart from subjective factors the velocity of circulation will depend on trends in population growth, the division of labour and financial innovation all of these tending to accelerate it over time.

A key price in any economy is the real interest rate. Within a stable monetary framework these would reflect time preference and the (perceived) profitability of investments. By artificially reducing the rate of interest investment booms are provoked by making longer processes of production seem more profitable than they are and when finally because of a intolerantly high rate of inflation the monetary growth is halted a sharp recession occurs, in which firms go bust and the some investments are liquidated. Hence business cycles.

In essence it a manifesto for sound-money which in Mises' view amounts to adopting the gold standard. Inflationary deficit finance is dishonest and arbitrary on people's incomes and should be replaced by explicit taxation.

The late great Murray Rothbard described Ludwig von Mises's _The Theory of Money and Credit_ as the best book on money ever written. And so it is.

It is probably best known as the volume which first set out the distinctive Austrian theory of the trade cycle. For that alone, it deserves a place on the bookshelf of everyone who cares about such things (and more people should).

But there's much more to it than that. This volume sets out a complete and groundbreaking theory of money itself: what it is, where it comes from, what it means to speak of its "value," the differences between commodity money and fiat money, the demand for money and what it has to do with banking, and -- crucially -- the jiggery-pokery that becomes possible when the State starts messing around with unsound monetary policy.

This edition also includes a section on "Monetary Reconstruction" written in 1952 (and first included in the 1953 Yale University Press edition).

Plus there's a foreword by Murray Rothbard. And, finally, it's another beautifully crafted volume from the Liberty Fund, practically a steal at the price posted above. You'd have a hard time buying most such books _used_ at this price.

So what are you waiting for? Throw your Samuelson and Keynes in the trash and pick up a book of _real_ economics.

Murray Newton Rothbard has been quoted as saying this book is THE best book ever written on Money & Credit. So having found Rothbard's writings to be outstanding in their own right, I moved on to this Mises classic!

The first thing to note is that this book was first published in 1912 and in German, and although the translation has been accomplished superbly, the style of writing has somewhat of an antequated feel to it; not quite the same free flowing prose you get with Rothbard. Once you get into the feel of it though, this in no way detracts from your understanding of the theory presented.

It has an excellent new Foreward by Rothbard himself, extensive footnoting and index and is hardbound beautifully by the Liberty Fund Press, with dust jacket. There is also a nice Appendix: On The Classification of Monetary Theories, that is very useful and informative.

The book itself is divided into four main Parts:
Part One: The Nature of Money.
Part Two: The Value of Money.
Part Three: Money and Banking.
Part Four: Monetary Reconstruction.(This part was added in 1952).

For me the book really took on a story of two halves. In the first half of the book, Parts 1 & 2, the bulk of the theory is really laid out. It can be slow going as it is extremely in depth but I highly recommend you stick with it as this pays off in the second half of the book!

In Part 3 Mises really starts putting flesh onto the theory when we get into Money & Banking proper with discussion of demand for money, credit, fiduciary paper, rate of interest etc. But towards the end in Chapters 19 & 20 things get MUCH more interesting as equilibrium rates and interest are discussed in detail and he finally talks about gold, the gold standard and banking freedom.

Part 4 is where my heart lies. Here we have the discussion of the principles of sound money versus contemporary currency systems. There's then an excellent discourse on the Return to Sound Money, ie the Classical Gold Standard.

The second half of this wonderful book certainly flowed better for me, but that may also be just because I am more of an investment manager/trader and less of an economist! You feel like you have had Mises teaching you in fine detail and that he has left no stone unturned in your understanding. Mises doesn't read as easily as the prose of Rothbard but that does not detract from the excellence of the material. Superb!

It really IS a truly outstanding work and if not the best book ever written on the subject, it surely has to be at the very least, one of the very best, and as such is certainly a "must-read"!!!

This wonderful, beautifully bound, classic is an absolute "steal" at $20. I still cannot believe it is sold for so little. My recommendation is to buy it while it is still available in this beautiful hardbound edition!

Enjoy!

A fantastic book about the fastest growing area of DVD releases at the moment, TV series! With breakdowns of cast and guides to the best episodes and releases I only hope enough credit goes to the website [...] who helped TV Guide put this book together!

Fantastic resource for anyone who likes watching reruns and is interested in contemporary tv culture. There are loads of forgotten facts in this book for all the classic tv shows and new ones for current programs. This is an inheritently readable book that belongs next to everyone's tv!

The descriptions of the shows are priceless--they brought back so many memories! And the guide covers a lot of shows that are new or still running, like 24 and ER. I'm not even a serious DVD collector, but the book gives great trivia about all my favorite shows (when they aired, what the names of the original stars were, which episodes went down in TV history). This book is really a history of TV in America, and it covers so many different categories that it really does solve the gift problem for just about everyone on my Christmas list. They won't be able to read just one or two of the listings; once they start in, the trivia will have them hooked. It's organized like a reference book, but It reads like an entertainment magazine.

If you are a tv junkie like me, this book is a blast. It's a handy offline reference to all the shows now available on DVD, and it's filled with lots of trivia and lists. Be ready to shop because the book will make you want to buy even more DVDs for your home library...

This book isn't perfect (I'd rather have more pictures of DVD set covers than old TV Guide covers, for instance, and the descriptions are a bit dry in places), but it IS cool to have a handy-dandy reference like this to use when you can't get online to look up the info. Good to take to the store or keep next to the TV. And if you read the fine print, you'll see that this book was made with the help of data from TVshowsonDVD.com, which is the best place I've seen online for that sort of info. Cool 'dat, and maybe for the next edition of the book TV Guide will work more with that website's staff to talk more about what's new, what's not out (any hints as to why), and what's expected to come soon. You know, show more of the TV-DVD enthusiast in this book...there's a lot of us out here!

I have read many books on this topic, and this is the most thorough (BY FAR!!) and definitely the most interesting. It tackles the subject from a million different angles, and I couldn't breeze through it in an evening (like I can with most books).

Five stars!

I thought this book was so much fun and quite handy!

I especially thought the pop quiz section was a lot of fun. I've already played with my girlfriends. And I love the "chick flick" recommendations...I would have thought I had seen all "chick flick" films, but boy was I wrong! I better get my butt to Blockbuster....Happy renting Gals!

i think the best part about this book is that it has movies for everyone cuz usually it's just like for people who are older and stuff. why don't more books have stuff for people who aren't like a million years old and things that's why this book is cool because it has movies for people who like weren't born in the 70's. what's up? this book rocks.

Word on the street is that "The Ultimate Guide to Chick Flicks" is a worthy companion to Ms. Adelman's other critically acclaimed books. I was very pleased to have this exhaustively rearched book handy when looking for movies to add to Netflix. I will not have to suffer through another bad Ashley Judd film...thank you Kim!

What's a chick flick? If I have to explain, this book is NOT for you. Most women know intuitively what they think makes a "chick flick," but after reading this Guide, they will understand what elements make up the best chick flicks; the ones we gush to girlfriends, "You have just got to see!"

American's movie sweetheart (someone women will love as much as men do) today is Julia Roberts, with Meg Ryan and Sandra Bullock close behind. Can we think of Meg Ryan without remembering the scene in "When Sally Met Harry." We ALL wanted what she was having.

Did you join millions of women who bought a polka-dot dress after seeing a bad girl become a fashion plate in "Pretty Woman"? You get the idea. We buy into these heroines, what they wear and how they treat men (and are treated by men).

I loved these subtitles under How to Create the Perfects Romance.
1. Create a sympathetic heroine.
2. Offer up a love-worthy hero (we know, the Tom Hanks type).
3. Don't forget the best friend.
4. Something is wrong with the heroine type.
5. They meet.
6. Toss in impediment to the romance.
7. They dance.
8. Memorable moment (like Angela Bassett torching her wandering husband's car in "Waiting to Exhale." You go girl!).
9. The hero employs the three magic words.
10. Achieve the ultimate happy (or unhappy ending).

I highly recommend this book as fodder for girlfriend conversation over a fudge brownie sundae. It made me check out my video (yes, video) supply. There I found almost every one of the often-watched movies mentioned in the book. Am I into chick flicks, or what?

This book is so informative and not a drag to read. It's helpful to nursing students of all levels; high schoolers thinking about nursing school, those in nursing school now and new graduates.

Dr. Chandler pulls it all together! As a practicing advanced practice nurse and educator, prospective students often ask what I need to do to gain entry into a nursing program. I no longer need to worry that I forgot to provide all the important details. Now, I refer them to this publication as it provides them with excellent advice and helpful hints. Moreover, they have a ready reference when they begin to pull information together for the application process and that all-important essay.

Dr. Chandler's book is a wonderful tool for prospective nursing students. With a wealth of information about the nursing profession, insider tips on the admissions process (including suggestions on how to make your application stand out!), and interesting anecdotes from nursing students and practicing nurses, it is a MUST read for anyone interested in nursing.

Nursing is a fascinating career that requires many competencies, and even though I have maintained an interest in the profession for some time now, I learned a great deal after reading this book. Dr. Chandler's examination of the nursing roles/functions provides a good synopsis of the skills and responsibilities required and utilized daily in the profession.

Personally, it has been difficult for me to relate my own skills and personal strengths directly to the profession because I lack work-related experience in the healthcare field. There is one entire chapter in the book dedicated to self-assessment, and as Dr. Chandler reveals, you must have a strong understanding of yourself in order to be an attractive, outstanding and successful nursing candidate.

This book is an eye-opener on how to write an essay. In the past, I just pick up my pen and write and probably read through once or twice. This book shows the importance of making drafts, reading through a couple of times and even reading it to somebody. I usually take for granted the reference/letters of recommendation aspect of my application . Now I know better. I applied to a couple of nursing schools and was unsuccessful in getting in. The essay, and reference part of the book, contributed immensely towards getting me into my current nursing program and particularly prepared me for what lies ahead in my nursing career. I strongly recommend that prospective applicants read this book before applying to any nursing program and other related programs.

Bola

This is a great guide for ANYONE considering nursing as a first career, second career or those continuing their nursing education! A dozen or more former students give real world advice, testimony and share their experiences breaking the ice for readers with important questions.

At the end of each chapter readers are invited to reflect on the content, their own ideas about nursing, and to "rehearse" their ideas and scripts for exploring this profession.

I highly recommend this book to high school guidance counselors, college admission counselors and continuing education directors!

If your 'bag' is classic horror films of the thirties and forties, especially Universal films, this book is a must-have. To many baby boomers that saw these movies when they were released for television in the fifties, this book will bring back a lot of memories. The book is great, but like all McFarland books, it is pricey. But for the true fan (which is short for fanatic) the price won't matter!

An amazing source of information for anyone who ever stayed up watching the late late show on a Saturday night. I am truly impressed at the thorough research that went into this book; many factoids which have escaped even the most die-hard of fans will be brought to light. I commend McFarland Press for providing fans of such an "un-hip" genre with consistently fine sources of in-depth information, especially keeping in mind that with each passing year the facts directly from those who were there are getting more and more difficult to find. This book probably does not hold a lot of interest for anyone who does not hold a special place in their heart for the studios' genre work prior to buying the book, and the authors do tend to often drift into becoming overly opinionated and putting much too much thought into subject matter that was never intended to be overanalyzed. Nonetheless, this is still an extremely fun read for any fan.

This book has it all for the serious student of classic horror films. Choose from a wide selection of bios, cast lists, plot summaries, anectdotes and more compiled by these mavens of the genre, Messrs. Brunas and Weaver. Thrill as they explore the nooks and crannies of the House That Universal Built. This comprehensive work is obviously the result of exhaustive hands-on research and deserves an honored spot in every true horror fan's library.

If your 'bag' is classic horror films of the thirties and forties, especially Universal films, this book is a must-have. To many baby boomers that saw these movies when they were released for television in the fifties, this book will bring back a lot of memories. The book is great, but like all McFarland books, it is pricey. But for the true fan (which is short for fanatic) the price won't matter!

The classic horror films of the 30's and 40's have never been as popular as they are today. Baby Boomers who grew up watching the old Shock Theater packages in the 50's and 60's hold a tremendous fondness for the films that terrified them as children. The Boris Karloff Frankenstein and Bela Lugosi Dracula are still the most recognized images of those two classic monsters...so much so that their families had to move to legally trademark their images to protect them.

The Universal horror films are the subject of Universal Horrors, the second edition of this outstanding book by noted classic film historian Tom Weaver and Michael & John Brunas. Throughout the massive 608 page hardcover, the authors cover each one of the 85 horror films made by Universal from 1931 - 1946. Just do the math...that's an average of about seven pages spent on each film during this period. This is no mere listing of actors with a one-page synopsis. Rather this is a definitive guide to these 85 films with complete cast and credits, detailed storyline synopses, production history, behind-the-scenes information, critical analysis, period reviews, and commentary by cast and crewmembers. Most of the comments come from the voluminous numbers of reviews that Weaver has conducted over the years.

The films are listed chronologically beginning with Dracula in 1931 and ending with The Brute Man in 1946. It even includes the Spanish version of Dracula which was filmed on the same set as the original at the very same time! White The Lugosi version was shot during the day, the Spanish crew took over at night. In many ways, the Spanish version outshines the Tod Browning directed original.

One of my guilty favorites of the Universal Classic film era is 1932's Murder in the Rue Morgue, presenting Lugosi in truly one of his most sadistic and macabre roles. This film ended up being the bone that both Lugosi and Director Robert Florey received for NOT getting their respective parts in Frankenstein, which instead went to Karloff and Director James Whale. This rather film features Lugosi as Dr. Mirakle, who injects the blood of an ape into women he captures. When the experiments fail, he dumps the women into a river. It's a highly underrated film and one of Lugosi's best roles.

Weaver and partners don't give a short shrift to lesser-known films. While the most popular films do get more coverage, even the least well-known of the Universal Horrors gets several pages devoted to it...and there are a number of lesser known films. Unfortunately a number of these are not on DVD or even VHS for that matter meaning that the entry in this book is probably the closest you'll get to the film without actually seeing it.

Many of these lesser-known films are not true horror but often murder mysteries with horror trappings such as "old dark house-style" films. These films include Secret of the Blue Room, Secret of the Chateau, The House of Fear, and The Black Doll. The appendix goes on to list several dozen more films that were borderline exclusions...close, but just not making the cut to receive a full write-up for various reasons. Actually it's somewhat difficult to figure out while some of these were left out of the main listing since many are quite similar in plot and tone.
This book is simply fabulous. Everything that Weaver does is always meticulously researched and extraordinarily entertaining. This is THE Bible to fans of Universal's classic horror films, and one of the finest film reference books I've ever read.


REVIEWED BY TIM JANSON

After reading Cortazar's The Winners (1960), I've decided that what makes a novel a classic is that the author writes about the worst of human behavior in a style that assumes every reader is a genius. This novel called on me to use all of my perceptions and knowledge as a person, as a reader.

By now, you will have learned that this novel is about a group of people who win a lottery and the prize is an ocean voyage, and that once settled onboard, several of the passengers behave badly, and the ship's crew is such--well, I won't give it away--that the voyage comes to an end only three days after it began. You will also have read from other reviewers or the publisher's notes that the character Persio has clairvoyant abilities; in a way, Persio is the higher consciousness of the novel; his thoughts lead the reader into self-examination (or not). For me, this novel was not a simple, summer read--but don't let me stop you.

The Winners is highly metaphorical: is the ship life itself? I think so. But the writing is more beautiful than life: many of the characters have the most sensitive, humane, and literate conversations, like Claudia and Paula, or Paula and Carlos. Surely, if this novel is Argentina, then people from Buenos Aires are living among the gods of culture and human potential. In that regard, this novel is hardly the Argentina I've heard about: breathtaking landscape, and women and men who love culture, but every now and then a dictator who murders people. The ship's crew is secretive and cunning like that. Read and see.

Appropriately, there is a sinister feeling about this novel from page one; something terrible impending, something beneath the surface of these polished people. I was totally fascinated, intrigued by many of the "characters": Claudia Lewbaum and Gabriel Medrano, Raul Costa, Carlos Lopez and Paula Lavalle, and Don Galo and Dr. Restelli, and the unforgettable Felipe Trejo, the 16-ish student, passionate for life, but without parental guidance, "lured" into the depths of the ships lower cabins where the crew seem alien and unpredictable. What a textual voyage--one in which the characters had to learn so much about themselves!

Cortazar places his characters in categories I've found people all fit--one or the other--like it or not--we are each either a duck or an eagle. Ducks follow of course and eagles set new paths. Ducks may have easier less lonely lives. Unless of course they inherit wealth and power--in which case they must be very confused and inflict chaos on the less entitled. Eagles succeed in endeavors against all odds and are therefore resented by those they seek to please. None of us has an easy time co-existing with others. No one wants to admit this of course! This book encourages reflection that may have social value, but it doesn't offer much in the way of a hopeful outcome for the social redemption of mankind--at least not in this generation. Therein lies its depth. We must expect less from our companions in life. We're all horrifyingly flawed. Somehow we must find the path to honesty and forgiveness. The book--?--I couldn't put it down. Now I can't get it out of my mind. If you want to live in denial don't read it.

I enjoyed "The Winners" though at times I found it a bit "heady". Its a novel that requires you keeping track as you go along. It took me while to figure out the setting, and what was happening (which means Cortazar did his job). There's so much symbolism and historical significance in his writing. I highly recommend the short stories collection "Blow Up" if you liked "The Winners."

What to say about this sardonic book that won't sound like an essay from the journal of the Modern Language Association? Yes, it's liminal. Yes, it's Lacanian. Yes, it's an existential comedy. Oy! Poor Julio Cortazar put himself in the sites of all the scholars of pretentious post-modern interpretation - just check out the amazon list of articles and books designed to take the fun out of reading him - and it's just about spoiled his reputation. But The Winners is a wild ride, my friends, an outrageously entertaining book in which a whole zoo of oddball Argentinians wind up together on an ark of satire.

There's an old tradition of books depicting a "ship of fools", from Erasmus to Sebastian Brant to Katherine Porter to Cortazar, and I suspect Erasmus had a classical model. They're all fun; I've never read a ship-of-fools book I didn't like, though I wouldn't mind NOT being a passenger on that ship myself. Reading The Winners reminded me strongly of Herman Melville's most experimental novel, The Confidence Man. None of the critics, so far as I've noticed, draw any connection between Cortazar and Melville. Heads up, PhD grubs! There's a thesis topic for you! Likewise, lovers of reading just for its own sake! I'm giving you two recommendations: The Winners & The Confidence Man. In the climate of the upcoming American elections, books about bunko and deception are bound to be comforting.

I read and enjoy Cortazar in the same way I enjoy Luis Bunuel films, in fact I think Bunuel could have made a wonderful film of THE WINNERS. Like Bunuel, Cortazar finds the things we accept as normal to be quite absurd but also like Bunuel he has a certain affection for those he makes fun of. All those on board the Malcolm are guilty of some sort of petty prejudice or limited world view but they all mingle and tolerate one another to a point. When things go absurdly wrong the lottery winners begin to wonder what it is they've actually won. Cortazar is an existential comic. A book which succeeds because it never forgets that despite our differences we are all bound together by our not knowing exactly what is going. With a little help from Cortazar we can see that knowing is just a pretense.
Perhaps the novel like Camus Plague is a parable with many possible levels of meaning. Not the least of which is the political level. After all Cortazar left Argentina under Peron to live and write in exile.

I'm midway through Susan Casey's book, "Women Invent!" and I just love it. It's very inspiring to read these tales of how many cool and practical inventions were brought to us by women. The book has loads of info. and a great, accessible writing style that doesn't talk down to the reader. As a smart adult, I found myself really enjoying it--and my husband's been reading it too, and really loving it. It's definitely not just for kids, although kids would find it super-inspiring. Honestly, I wish I'd been exposed to this material as a student myself. It would have given me a lot more vision for how women have contributed to society in a field (science and things mechanical) which we don't traditionally associate with women's accomplishments. Great book; I hope there'll be others by the same author.

Susan Casey's book "Women Invent!" is a lively parade of women and girls who solved problems and shared those solutions. Besides the stories behind many inventions, the book explains the process of patenting an invention and includes a dandy resource guide. I found the book to be entertaining reading as well as inspirational, causing me to think about ways to make life easier and to wonder if I have an invention to share. Best of all, I enjoyed reading "Women Invent!" Although aimed a young readers, it kept me turning pages. It is great to know the stories of so many inventions. Ordinary objects have come to life. I'll never look at a paper bag or a baby backpack the same way again.

When I was a girl the age this book was written for -- between ages 9 and 12 -- I devoured every book that existed about the lives of curious girls and powerful women...and then re-read them, because it seemed there were no more than five interesting females in all of history. Where was WOMEN INVENT! then? Susan Casey lets young girls know that women have been asking important questions and inventing revolutionary solutions for centuries! And not just a handful, but a multitude. Thank you, Ms. Casey, for broadening the minds of today's children AND their parents. Thank you for introducing and re-introducing these fascinating stories to a new generation of inventors.

This book "Women Invent!" was one of the best books I have read. I'm an avid reader of any book I can get my hands on but this book was exceptional. It is factual yet very interesting. It is written very well and keeps your attention focused. As soon as I read it I felt like going out and inventing something on my own.

I bought this book for my daughters, because I like them to read about strong women. However, I ended up reading Women Invent! myself and enjoyed it very much! My daughters also enjoyed the book and it has gotten the both of them interested in inventing things themselves. This would be an excellent book to give to any young girls and it's one that teachers ought to use frequently. A very good book!

I was visiting New York City from Tempe, and I really really was looking forward to seeing where a lot of my favorite films and shows took place. This guide helped me out a whole lot!!! I recommend it to any and all show and film buffs out there!!!!!!!

I heard about this guide on the radio and bought it. I love it, it has most of my favorite movies like Maid in Manhattan and Sleepless in Seattle. There are a couple of other movie guides out there but this has newer movies and is easier to use. My friends who go to New York all ask to borrow my guide.

I came across this book one day and it is so fun. I am a huge film buff and have lived in NYC for years but didn't know anything about these locations except for the obvious ones like the Empire State Building in Sleepless in Seattle. Little did I know that I live down the street from where the Friends characters live...and Friends is my favorite show! Now when people coem to visit I always point out locations that I got from the guide.

I also like that the guide is lightweight and easy to carry around, and the map is not a huge embarrassing pullout so I don't look like a tourist when I whip it out.

I think anyone who loves movies and entertainment (and NYC) should get this guide.

I am obsessed with Sex and the City and this guide has tons of the clubs and restaruants that you see on the show. My girlfriends and I like dressing up and checking these places out on the weekend.

I went to New York this summer and used this guide. It was great. I have been to the city a few times so I was tired of doing the same old touristy things. With this I was able to find places from movies I loved. Plus it's really easy to use.

Through the years I have collected all of the Christmas in My Heart Volumes (except I have not been able to locate Volume 4--keeping my eyes open). This Volume as with the others is simply delightful. If you enjoy traditional and current inspiring, family oriented, uplifting wholesome stories you cannot go wrong with any of the Christmas in My Heart Books. They are a nice break from the hectic pace of today's world. Joe Wheeler does an excellent job of gathering and selecting the stories and the stories he writes himself are wonderful also. If you are an avid reader, you will enjoy these books but if you only have small bits of time for reading, it is nice they have the short story format. Enjoy!!

I bought this book as a gift for a friend, but took a peek inside before I mailed it. It's wonderful! Heartwarming, touching, lovely stories that point your heart toward the true meaning of the season...I loved it.

I have read several of the "Christmas In My Heart" Collections and find each worthwhile. While the stories are sentimental, they do remind the reader of the true meaning of Christmas. The stories vary in diversity, which is a great asset to this collection. Some are quite "old-fashioned" (19th century/early 20th century stories), while others are more recent. Some can be shared with small children, while others would greatly appeal to adults ("Meditation in a Minor Key" is my personal favorite). Reading this collection (or any of the other volumes)is a great way to unwind after a day spend shopping. The colleciton is a reminder of what our true focus should be on Christmas.

My daughter has been going to sleep to the sound of these stories (we have all the volumes) for several years now. She listens to them year round, not just at Christmastime.

One of the reasons they last so long, is that she is usually asleep before the end of the story!

I have read a few of the "Christmas In My Heart" Books, and I find each one worthwhile. Although the stories are very sentimental, Christmas, more than any other time of year, is a sentimental season. Probably the greatest asset of this collection (and the other volumes)is the diversity of the stories. The stories range from ones that can be shared with small children ("Small Things") to ones adults would enjoy ("Pandora's Books" in this volume and "Meditation in a Minor Key" in volume 1). While most of the stories are quite old (19th century/early 20th), there are also more recent ones ("Matthew, Mark, Luke,and John" - post Korean War). Each story is deeply moving and refocuses the reader's attention from the hassle of shopping and writing cards to the true meaning of Christmas. The stories are inspirational and heart warming.

This book is one of the most useful tools you can buy to help you succeed in law school. Sure, there are plenty of study guides and study aids out there for law school - teaching you the ins-and-outs of proximate causation, useless stuff like the meaning of "possibility of reverter," and how to say if a statement is hearsay. But success in law school involves much more than getting good grades in Contracts, Property, or Evidence. The key to distinguish yourself in law school (and immediately after) is your writing ability: Are you on law review? Have you written a note/article worthy of being published? Do you have a stellar writing sample for that clerkship application? Until this book, there was not a practical guide teaching academic legal writing. Every 1L should buy this book and read it before they attempt to take a seminar class or write a law review note. It will make a difference.

My only complaint about Prof. Volokh's book is that it was not available until my last year of law school. Had it been published earlier, its lessons would have drastically improved my seminar papers and law review note. But if you're like me and no longer in law school, still check this book out. It isn't solely for law students. It is an extremely useful guide for new attorneys who hope to write publishable articles after law school.

To borrow from the "give a man a fish...teach a man to fish" cliché (and thus horribly violate a lesson of Chapter 4), Prof. Volokh teaches law students and lawyers to "fish" by showing them how to write their own scholarly works.

If you're writing a law review comment, Eugene Volokh's slim volume "Academic Legal Writing" is indispensible. However, anyone who wants to learn how to write clearly and how to cut the fat from their prose will benefit tremendously from the book as well. Especially good are the sections where Volokh takes you step-by-step through the editing process, turning a flabby piece of writing into economical, muscular prose. His appendix of words to avoid (eschew "eschew") is also excellent. So don't be fooled by the title. Good writing is good writing, in the legal academy and elsewhere. This is a book about good writing in general, and a terrific one at that.

I highly recommend Professor Volokh's new book, Academic Legal Writing: Law Review Articles, Student Notes, and Seminar Papers.

As the title suggests, it focuses primarily on legal writing, especially for aspiring and current law school students. However, anyone who wants to improve his/her writing and critical thinking skills should read this book. The book--which is only 189 pages--abounds in smart advice on how to write better and avoid common errors such as wordiness, unduly harsh criticism, overly technical language, etc.

Speaking as someone who starts law school in a month and a half, I am glad I read this book. It gave me a nice view about what type of writing is expected in law school. And unlike some academic books, it is affordable and highly readable.

Volokh addresses every possible question that a pre-law student could have about academic legal writing--how to choose a topic, how to test its claim or hypothesis, how to research it, how to use evidence (i.e., cases, law review articles, statistics, surveys, etc) correctly, and how even to publish and market your work.

To take one example: Volokh advises that in the process of conducting research always check the original source. In other words, do not simply assume that a secondary source will correctly represent the original article or case. For example, even the most revered Courts (such as the Supreme Court of the United States) sometimes misstate facts, arguments, and holdings in cases.

I can personally attest to the soundness of this advice. I once cited an article by a political science professor of mine in a paper I wrote for him. I relied on a secondary source to summarize his main thesis. When my professor graded the paper, he circled in red ink the citation of his work and wrote, This is not the argument I made. Did you bother to read the article?

Again, this is a great book for anyone considering law school. It should be on every pre-law student's must-read list.

I teach undergraduates, many of whom want to be law students. Sometimes I help them get started on legal writing.

Since the day I read Volokh's book, I have not sent a student off to law school without it. Given the amount of writing that is required of any law student, and given the substantial career advantages to publishing, everyone should try.

Volokh is clear and very usefully organized for students who have to parse their time carefully. He includes insights about the practicalities of law review publishing and shopping an article that go far beyond anything available when I was a law student.

This book is also a great tool for graduate students in fields akin to law. To those students, refereed journals are the norm and law review publication is a mystery. This book is an excellent, readable way to make law reviews less mysterious.

Eugene Volokh is a genius--well, maybe not a genius--almost nobody is a genius--but he's pretty darn smart.