Reviews Books

Levy's book is an overwhelmingly good source of information on the intent of the framers of the Constitution and on the idea that original intent is not something we should rely on. Levy uses exhaustive examples on many topics ranging from jurisprudence, the Bill of Rights and the 1st, 4th, 5th and 9th Amendments. I do have a few critiques on the book though.

1- This book appears to be more a collection of essays. Many of the chapters repeat what was previously and exhaustively discussed in other chapters as if the others chapters did not exist.
2- Levy does not delve into the issue of why the founding fathers feared establishments in regards to religion. England used the Anglican church to get a tighter grip on the colonies. Many Anglican parsonage positions were given as rewards (or punishments) to members of the English government. Taxes went to pay for salaries of these appointees while they did no real work. Many were never seen in the church at all. Also, England used the church to excise taxes from the colonies. None of this was discussed in the section of the establishment clause.
3- Many of the terms are discussed before they are defined. This causes confusion while reading. One such term is ex post facto laws. This is discussed at length early on, but not defined until the 5th or 6th chapter. For someone with little legal background, this is troublesome.

Despite these critiques, this was a superb addition to my library. I would recommend it for anyone who is interested in the ideas of the founders and what they were thinking while they were at the Constitutional Convention.

Leonard Levy's book titled ORIGINAL INTENT AND THE FRAMERS'CONSTITUTION is a well written account of U.S. Constitutional History and a solid refutation that somehow the Framers had an original intent which in fact they did not have. As one reviewer commented modern critics have more confidence of the Framers original intent than the original Framers ever thought of when the Constitution was debated and written. Another reviewer had a good point when he posed a question of whose original intent. For those who claim that the U.S. Constitution was written and ratified in a historical vaccum, Levy's book disproves such bad thinking and bad history.

Levy's early comments dealt with the U.S. Constitution and U.S. diplomacy and foreign policy. Contrary to popular notions of an imperial presidency whereby the President is supposedly the sole arbitrator of foreign policy, Levy's historical probe demolishes this notion. Levy was clear that the Framers wanted members of Congress, especially the U.S. Senate, to handle diplomacy. Levy cited James Wilson of Pennsylvania whose comments on the Senate's dominant role regarding U.S. diplomacy. Among other sources for Levy's view, he cited THE FEDERALIST PAPERS number 69 regarding treaties and foreign policy. Article Six of the U.S. Constitution makes the U.S. Constitution the Supreme Law of the Land including honoring treaties. This inclusion in Article Six was in part a response to the Treaty of Paris, 1783 whereby the U.S. diplomats agreed to compensate the British Loyalists for wealth and property confiscated from them during the American Revolutionary War. Some state authorities tried to renege on paying these claims in violation of the Treaty. This may have been a smart move to keep the British from an excuse not to honor U.S. political independence.

Levy disproved the notion that somehow modern U.S. Supreme Court Justices have been activists (whatever that term means) while the Supreme Court Justices during early National U.S. History were not. In fact, Levy is clear that, from the historical record, early National History U.S. Supreme Court Justices were very active. Levy cited U.S. Supreme Court decisions as early as 1791 whereby the U.S. Suprmeme Court issued a series of decisions that demonstrated a very active Court. There were cases in 1791,1797, and 1797 that showed the U.S. Supreme Court was as active if not more so than the modern Supreme Court.

Levy not only dealt effectively with an early "activist" U.S. Supreme Court, he has good sections on Judicial Review. Many Americans thought that an unconstitutional law was null and void. However, the question was who was going to say so. The U.S. Supreme Court Justices said so in a badly written opinion in the case titled MARBURY VS MADISON (1803). While this was a badly written opinion, Chief Justice John Marshall (1755-1835) and his associate justices managed to set an effective legal precedent with a poorly reasoned deicison. The early U.S. Supreme Court made other important decisions involving civil cases regarding land disputes and the states. These cases showed a very active Supreme Court.

Those who argue that the U.S. Supreme Court did not have a good legal case for judicial review display a lack of knowledge of history. Levy mentioned very old historical documents limiting the power of kings and executive authority while protecting rights. Levy mentioned Magna Carta (1215), the English Petition of Right (1628), The Habeas Corpus Act (1679), The English Bill of Rights (1689), and the Act of Toleration (1689)as examples of historical documents that challenged the legal status quo while placing limits on what may be called unbridled excutive authority. Levy could have mentioned Henry II (1154-1189) who is known as the Father of the Common Law and started the grand jury system. Levy could have mentioned the layers of courts in Medieval England whose decisions along with the royal courts developed a body of law. Mention could have also been made the Catholic Canon Law with its concern for due process and start of a trial jury during the Fourth Lateran Council (1215). Levy also made a good case that early National state courts and jurists were very familiar with Judicial Review. These sources are clear that a concept of Judicial Review is old, tried, and true.

Not only does Levy deal with ratification of the U.S. Constitution and constitutional history, he also had good commentary on civil liberties. Levy was surprised that during early ratification arguments re the U.S. Constitution, little mention was made of civil liberties and due process. Such issues got attention only when the Anti-Federalists, those who opposed ratification of the U.S. Constitution, called attention to the lack of a Bill of Rights. Yet some of the state constitutions did mention civil liberties. Levy credited those who wrote the Constitution for Pennsylvania who substituted the words "shall not" for the "namby pamby" "ought not" regarding what state authorities shall not do in violation of individual rights. What corrected abuses re unreasonable searches and seizures was the use of civil law suits when legislative efforts failed.

The last two sections of the book undermine the notion that the Framers themselves were obsessed with Origianl Intent. The facts are that the Constituion Convention in 1787 was often poorly attended, and James Madison's NOTES are the only incomplete record of the debates. Readers should note that a few others made a few notes. Whatever the debates were, Levy was clear that we have at most one-fifth of the complete record if that much. Those who rely on Madison's NOTES should be careful. The fact is that James Madison did not want his NOTES published until much later as he did not want his NOTES to be taken as Original Intent. In other words, the Framers thought of the U.S. Consstituion as a guide rather than a legal document "etched in stone."

Thsi reviewer has little disagreement with Levy's book. As mentioned above, Levy could have mentioned Henry II's legal reforms in Medieval England and the legal reasoning among the Medieval Catholic Canon Law jurists. Levy's book is scholarly without being pedantic. Levy had no political ax to grind, and his book is important for anyone who has a serious interest in Constitutional Law and the Rule of Law as opposed to arbitrary will.

`Original Intent and the Framer's Constitution' is a collection of essays shoddily fitted together to make what are essentially two books. The first, discusses the Framer's (specifically, the members of the Constitutional Convention and the State Ratifying Conventions) ideas about various constitutional issues, including the President's powers, the Institute of Judicial Review, and the Bill of Rights. The second book is an attack on Originalist Jurisprudence, and particularly of the right-wing Originalists like Robert Bork and Edward Meese.

The essays about the original intent of the Framers are frankly quite dull. I don't think that's Levy's fault. What he does is collect basically every recorded reference about every issue he raises. That means we get endless citations from Madison, Mason, Hamilton, Jefferson, and scores of lesser known luminaries. The approach, mostly devoid of a narrative, does not make for lively reading.

Most impressive for me was the insight into the inner working of the Constitutional Convention. It is striking how much attention the Framers devoted to some issues (such as the President's powers on foreign relations) and how little attention was spent on some other parts (such as the clause forbidding the various states from interfering with Contracts). When reading about the Convention, one is again amazed how a handful of men - 39 finally signed the Constitution - created one of the most enduring, workable schemes for a government. Today, the equivalents of Madison and Hamilton would have had dozens of assistants and specialists about any issue under the sun - but in 1787, they wrote the entire basic law of the United States by themselves.

The story of how The United States got a Bill of Right is also interesting. A Bill of Right was left out of the constitution for no particularly good reason. Its absence proved the best argument against the constitution from the anti-Federalists. But there was a twist - the anti-Federalists didn't really want a Bill of Rights. Their real beef was with the Constitution's power over states, not over people. So when Madison actually brought forth a Bill of Rights, the Anti-Federalists did a volte-face and opposed it, realizing that its passage spelled the end of their states' rights platform.

Levy's other book is a strong attack on the new, Conservative Originalist movement. Although Levy can be harsh with Liberals - he accuses Justice William Brennan, the Liberal Icon, of "arrogance beyond belief" (p. 372) - his real targets are Conservative Originalists, particularly Robert Bork. Originalists claim that the Constitution has one, fixed meaning, given to it at the time of ratification, and that judges have to decipher what that intention was. Levy sees them as hypocrites, who promote sectarian agenda in the guise of impartial, Originalist rhetoric.

Levy makes some strong attacks about Originalism: First, he notes that Originalist Judges do a really bad job at it. What he calls "law-office" history is merely a collection of quotes, often taken out of context, to support one's position. As West Virginia's Chief Justice noted, people who believe in "historical scholarship as applied to the Constitution also probably believe in the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny" (quoted on p. 320).

Furthermore, it's not clear whose opinion we should take into account. The Framers in the Philadelphia convention? The various ratifying conventions of the original 13 states? There are numerous problems with accepting each of these as authorities - for start, they rarely if ever had one mind on any question. Additionally, the documentation of the debates and discussions are very incomplete, so a full appraisal of the participants' views is impossible. Beyond that, the very act of searching for answers to specific questions in the historical record politicizes the Historian's quest. The result would make real history into "Law Office" history - marshalling evidence to support one's preexisting conclusion. This happened to first class historians while making their brief for "Brown vs. Board of Education". The idea that the judicial process is able to discover historical truths is doubtful.

Furthermore, it seems that at least some of the Framers of the Constitution wanted future generations to give their own text new meanings. Indeed, if one accepts Judicial Review of Federal legislation (as the Framers did not consistently do), then reading new meanings into such imprecise terms as "due process" and "cruel and unusual" is practically called for.

Finally, what we know about the Framer's intent envisions a United States radically different from modern day America. The changes cut across the Conservative/Liberal divide. The Framer's United States, 230 years out of date, imagines a completely different world, one that neither Liberals nor Conservatives could live with.

But Levy's attack is incomplete. First, Levy ignores attempts to read the constitution based on "Original Meaning" rather then "Original Intent" - that is, the meaning the constitution would have to a reasonable 18th century American Citizen. There are problems with this approach, but Levy hardly mentions it. Furthermore, Levy's description of the failures of Originalism in practice does not mean that it must fail in theory. To prove that all proponents of Originalism fail does not necessarily mean that Originalism as a doctrine must fail, at least for some cases.

Worse of all, Levy doesn't offer an alternative to Originalism. Do we really have to have completely unconstrained Justices? Are there no bounds to possible interpretations of the US Constitution? Levy hints that there may be, but fails to offer a positive program. I think that various approaches, including Ronald Dworkin's Rights based jurisprudence, Ely's ideas about securing democratic rights, and Israeli Supreme Court Justice Aaron Barack's Contextualism offer alternatives to Originalism, which may be more effective at constraining judges. As someone who leans towards Pragmatism, I think it may also effectively (if imperfectly) constrain judges. Regardless of what path one may chose, it is necessary to counter Originalism with more then nihilism.

There are a few books on strict interpretationlist theory about the Constitution by authors with historical credibility but Levy is a constitutional scholar so this is a respectable opinion.

This book was an exciting find. "A jurisprudence of original intent" is finally discussed here in an historically and compelling way. The author draws conclusions that are pragmatic and understandable. There were so many individuals who contributed to the authorship of the Constitution that there are as many different intents as there were contributing authors.

I think one unequivocal, absolute about our brilliant founding fathers is that they believed in freedom of speech and imagination free from oppression. This book demonstrates that there are two sides to this never-ending debate on jurisprudence boundaries. If you have read books and articles that seem compelling regarding "strict interpretation" then treat yourself to this book. The author digs into to the document to find answers on intent. His essays provide a well rounded tour of prevailing opinions during the historical infancy of the U.S. The book can help any one interested in understanding the issues of the debate make an educated decision based on both sides of the issue.

It has always seemed bizarre to me how the best arguments against original intent are made by...historians! This book does many things, the least of which is to offer a very penetrating argument againt original intent. It is a book, first and foremost, exploring the history of American contitutionalism. Was judicial review intended? How do we make sense of the limilts (if there are any) of the contract clause? And what in the world does the ninth amendment actually mean??

Levy has a true historians eye and quite simply, is great at what he does. In this collection of loosely connected essays exploring the histories of these and other problems in our constitution's history, he points out what judges should've known all along; there are as many intents as their were framers, ratifiers, and Supreme Court Justices. What's more, much of the 'history of intent' is simply a jumbled mess; ambiguuos, imcomplete, and imprecise.

The best essays of course are those focusing on whether original intent is a.) what was intended by the founders (isn't that ironic?) and b.) the doctrine we should actually be using. One thing I've learned in my study of the Constitution is that judges, as smart as they are, are simply bad historians. From Dred Scott to Bowers v. Hardwick, judges have botched history - whether deliberately as in Scott, or not, as in Bowers. One Justice Levy is particularly hard on is (one of my judicial heroes) Hugo Black - and for good reason! Black's history is narrow, reflects an overconfidence in the founders that they never even had of themeselves, and simply (particurly with the fourteenth amendmen) gets a lot of it wrong. He is hard on Robert Bork for just this reason.

In summary this is a great book. Levy doesn't take too many sides here, but is probably something akin to a Jeffersonian Democrat. He is rigorous, mindful of the burden of his task as historian, and illuminating. For another great argument by a historian on the difficulties of original intent, read Rakove's "Original Meanings". For an argument in favor of OI, the standard is Bork's "Tempting of America". Enjoy!

A great read. Much more practical and easier reading than some of the classics in the code inspection theme.

Practical is a key element of this book. Like Wiegers' other books, this one is well written and researched; it provides a concise guide to peer reviews along with a set of useful tools for the practitioner, or "assets" -- documents, procedures, and spreadsheets that you can implement right away to put reviews into practice.

It's amazing, but peer reviews are not a regular practice in many software organizations. Peer reviews are proven to save time, money and promote learning and understanding among project team members. Perhaps one reason for their lack of practice is that there has been, up until now, little in the literature that we can read and put into practice right away. Well, here it is!

One of the nice things about this book is that the author shows you how you can tweak peer reviews to make them work for your team or organization. He give due diligence, the psychological aspects of peer reviews. Wiegers explains all the roles involved, target work products to review, how to prepare for a review, what to record, what to measure, and even how to train on peer reviews.

The book includes a useful glossary, a set of troubleshooting review problems with symptoms and possible solutions, and those very useful assets on the author's web site(...). Example assets include: peer review process description, inspection checklist, spreadsheets for code and document inspection and a set of defect checklists.

Used in the context of careful reading of this book, teams can really do a lot to improve their products and relationships. This is a book to be read by analysts, developers, architects, project leaders and managers who care about the quality and cost of software.

I have attempted over the years to get various organizations to buy into peer reviews. We have lots of evidence why these reviews are highly worthwhile, but their implementation has not been anything to write home about. There's always many reasons why organizations don't buy in or give peer reviews half-hearted support.

In my opinion, this book is an important contribution to the field. I'm sufficiently impressed that I've passed copies of the book to a few busy software development managers, software engineers and business managers so far. They've taken the time to look at it, and they find the book talks to them -- it is clear, addresses their issues, offers practical solutions which they may not have considered before, and is persuasive. I believe the book will have a postive influence in their organizations.

I hope to see copies in lots more people's bookshelves.

Excellent up to date survey of the literature, excellent survey of the many methods and analysis of their differences. A rich insight into the area of peer reviews in general, including Inspections and their variations. Practical for the industrial user. Highly recommended.

Every developer I have known has experienced the phenomena of spending an inordinate amount of time searching for a bug only to have a colleague look at the code and find it almost immediately. Study after study has indicated that the worst review process for software is self-criticism and the best is to have other coders take a good look at it. Therefore, it is logical that a formal process for developers reviewing each others code be implemented. The problem is that the former is informal, making it "off the books" and not subject to review by decision makers. Being human, developers react differently when their livelihood is potentially at stake, which can cause problems and prevent adequate reviews of the code.
Creating a stable, scalable and structured peer review system is not something that can be done by fiat or in a short time. It requires clear managerial direction that inspires confidence and builds a sense of security for both the evaluator and evaluated. Creating such an environment is the key and that is the main point of value in this book.
Wiegers lays out in great detail how to create a culture where all involved are peers in the real sense. It is absolutely necessary that everyone in the review process understand that creating quality software is the only thing that matters. Therefore, posturing, ego tripping, ego inflating, ego protection and all related activities must be suppressed. These are the most difficult tasks for professional humans to engage in, and it requires a combination of carrying a big stick to move the process as well as a soft pillow for the necessary falls from perfection. Wiegers shows you how to do this with the skill of a counselor.
In my reading of the trade press, the recent rise in the concern for computer security has led to a great deal of coverage about errors in software. Responding to this pressure, Bill Gates has sent out a public memo noting that quality is now the number one priority at Microsoft. The best way to achieve this quality is to have an effective peer review process and in this book you can learn how to do that. In the new world order of software, your very survival may be at stake, so your plan of action should include a rendezvous with this book.

I am an LVN who has only worked in Med-Surg. I used this book to brush up for RN boards. It was a tremendous help! especially for those who attend flex programs that have limited clinical time. Well worth the purchase and a Easy read!

I purchased this book to be a specific review in this content for NCLEX since OB had been one of my first courses. It was wonderful in giving me all the info I was wanting to know. It gave pertinent assessment data, had chapters for each stage of the maternal process all the way through to normal/abnormal newborn, and it broke the info up into short chapters so studying it was easy to do during limited study hours. It also had a pre and post test for each chapter with NCLEX style questions, I loved that about this book. I would reccommend this to those studying for the NCLEX or as a study aid during your OB class.

This book is WONDERFUL! I can not tell you how this book really helped me prepare for my tests in OB. It was a terrific guide in helping study and land an "A". I would recommend this book to all nursing students...

this book has taken the material i need to know and condensed it. I read it a few times. Figure out clinical applications and then I run with it. When it comes to test time, this books helps me to figure out the imprortant stuff. I still have to read my other text but this book give the best info on rationales.

Like having a teacher available when no teacher is available.

I purchased this book at the beggining of my women's health class. First test out I had a 19 chaper test, with well over 300 pages to read. Probably more.I was totally stressing over all the pages I had to read and how I was gonna retain all this information in such a short period of time. So I started reading this book,which is basically an outline that covers the key information, and gets rid of the "fluff" that's in alot of text books. I did the 50 or so questions for every chapter and made sure it correlated with what was in my text book.A few days later I went to my class , took my test and got a B on it. I was so happy. So now I have another test coming up soon and once again I plan to study this book and eat the NCLEX questions that accompany it. Wish me luck! This book is a GODsend! If you're in Maternal Neonatal Nursing this is the book u should get. It is WELL WORTH the money!

...it contains all the basics the beginner needs to start and offers enough of the advanced stuff to make you ready to work on any academic paper about MRI, MRS, DTI & fMRI after you have finished it.

Great book!

All review books,whether blue,yellow or green are good.The way I did it to prepare me for the MRI test: MIC course,any good cross sectional anatomy book & all the colorful review books you can find.

I used the first ed. of this book to study for my MR registry exam & found it most helpful in understanding pulse sequences & MRI physics. The author(s) answer the questions in concise, easy to understand jargon that won't confuse the student, yet is technical enough for experienced technologist's to benefit. The second ed. is a continuation of this tried & true method of teaching & I most certainly would recommend this book, especially for anyone that is just learning MRI or getting ready to sit for the registry exam.
Greg Wassenberg, MSRS, RT(R)(N)(MR)
MRI Technologist

Most excellent book. If you are looking for an easy MR book to read with a good format, this is the book for you. It contains many answer to MR questions you have and never dare asking. I went thru many MR books, this is by far my favorite, I use it all the time. Would highly recommend it.

A great resource for anyone working in MRI!!

This book is all you will need for renal pathophys your 1st and 2nd years. It is small and doesn't look like much, but is extremely well written. THis is all I used for my 2nd year renal module (with a little robbins on the side), and I nailed the exam. I recommend for any med student.

Helps for reviewing material that is kind of obscure. I preferred reading Robbins Basis of Pathology to get a good glance at the material.

Excellent book as a primary text for both pre-clinical renal pathophys and clinical rotations. Highlights important clinical pearls and practical information for the medicine wards. Highly recommended.

This was readable over the 4-week renal block. It made a huge difference in learning physiology, which was covered during the first two weeks and apparently confused a good deal of my class. I didn't go to class and instead learned almost all the physiology from this book, and I did well above average.

Though the text can be a bit dense and overly wordy sometimes (Glomerulonephritides chapter), it does an excellent job at explaining pathophysiology. Pictures are in B&W though, so if you're just looking for nice slides, pick up Robbins. If you're looking to gain understanding, pick up this book.

Hands down the most interesting 'behind the scenes' book I have ever read. Despite my thinking I knew alot of the background to the controversial development of the Superman movies this book has so much new information I couldn't stop reading it and knocked it off in 3 days. The history on the Reeves's Serial and Reeve's Film series is incredibly detailed (The 'Dinner with Brando' story is a highlight) while including an interesting commentary on how the charater's portrayal by hollywood relates to the character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. I had no idea the amount of grief they were put through by Warner so it is a very interesting read in terms of the ongoing legal battles between their respective estates and Warner.

The sections on Smallville and Superman Returns are unfortunately brief compared with the other parts of the book but that is a slight criticism on a book that was otherwise thoroughly engrossing. A very welcome addition to my superhero library.

This was a great book and a very quick read! It is also a very scary and eye-opening look into the world of Hollywood in general, not just with Superman. And it seems that anyone who's not a corporation who becomes associated with Superman projects historically gets screwed in some way. Sadly, it began with Superman's creators, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, who unfortunately fought for their rights to the character until their deaths. (this was recently ruled in their favor, but sadly it went to their descendants so the two men didn't live to see their life long struggle victorious). Even the Fleischer Studios Superman cartoons of the 1940's came with their share of bad luck for Max Fleischer who was forced to hand over profits made. Then, when George Reeves died mysteriously after participating in 1950's show, The Adventures of Superman, the legend of "The Superman curse" spread. When Richard Donner created his memorable Superman movies ,they were already mired in conflict with the studios which is why they degraded in quality until Superman IV killed the franchise for 20 years. And for all those Superman Returns nay-sayers, there was a whole load of crap that could have been made during those years, so I have a new appreciation for that movie. Overall, a great book which also goes into Smallville (for those of you who still watch).

This was one of the most enjoyable books about a comic icon that I have ever read. I won't bore you with what I liked as others posting reviews have done so already and much more thoroughly than I ever could...If you are a Superman fan, read this book. I am sure you will find many things you did not know. It was very hard to put it down. Enjoy

I was expecting a picture laden history of the large scale Superman movies from the 70's and eighties when I first thought about buying this book and was a little put out by the fact there were not a lot of pictures in it. However, the information inside the covers of this book was eye opening indeed and didn't need pictures to illustrate the point.

If you're looking for all the juicy, digging up the dirt on celebrities trivia on what went on behind the scenes in any of the incarnations of Superman, this really isn't the place to look.

If you're looking for a well researched history on all the trials and tribulations involved in getting Superman off the pages of comic books and up into the sky via radio serials, TV live action series and cartoons or cinemas, this is the book for you.

The author has dug deep and gathered together a wide cross section of information that shows just how hard it is to get a idea past the post. From writers who have no idea how to write the Superman character to studio execs who are only interested in the after market merchandising and how to save a few million dollars by compromising the vision.

The fact that Superman actually got to fly is pretty amazing.

I was so engaged that I read the book in a day instead of stretching it out. Lots of interesting info. The backstage in-fighting was fascinating and so were the accounts of the evolution of various Superman TV shows and movies. Since the other reviewers have hit a lot of the high points, and at the time that I purchased the book, no table of contents was attached, here's a breakdown of the subjects covered.

The first couple of chapters cover Bud Collyer,Kirk Alyn, and George Reeves, as you might expect. The middle section deals largely with the Salkinds, Richard Donner, Richard Lester, and Christoper Reeve; the making of Superman I-III. There's an excursion by one chapter into the Salkinds' Supergirl movie and it's effect on the Superman franchise. There are also scattered references throughout the book to the Batman TV shows/movies and that franchise's effects on Superman. Spiderman and other superhero movie/shows are referenced, but Batman gets the most page time.

The Cannon Group and Superman IV are also discussed. Then we move onto the Superboy TV show and more on the Salkinds. The next bit covers Lois & Clark and there's a brief visit to Bruce Timm's animated version of Superman. Smallville is also dealt with. Most of the latter portion of the book is about with the scripts, producers, and actors contemplated for various possible versions of a new Superman movie before Superman Returns was decided upon. Bryan Singer and the making of Superman Returns are also discussed.

On the whole, this is a very intriguing look. I wish the author had been less cursory in the discussions of Smallville and had gone into more detail with the animated versions of Superman, but I would recommend this book to any Superman fan.

Enhanced with more than 3,700 full color covers from America's most popular, iconic, and widespread weekly magazine, "TV Guide: The Official Collectors Guide" compiled by Stephen F. Hofer (Curator of the Philo T. Farnsworth Television History Center, Auburn, Indiana, and who himself is the owner of one of the largest collections of TV Guide magazines and memorabilia in the United States) covers all the national and regional digest size covers from April 10, 1953 to October 9, 2005. Included are TV Guide foldout covers, holographic covers, and multiple covers. For the antique dealer and hobbyist collector, each issue has the current secondary market prices listed. Featuring memorable quotes from TV Guide and from television shows, "TV Guide: The Official Collectors Guide" is more than a price guide compendium, (and a superb history of the magazine itself), it is also a very highly recommended tour of American television programming through more than fifty years of popular culture.

I was so happy to receive the TV Guide Official Collector's Guide, it is a great publication!! It has a lot more information than I expected - comments by stars over the years and much more!! It is very colorful and I will enjoy reading it for years to come. My 45 year old son has a collection of TV Guides and I know he will be interested in seeing the publication to see if the ones he has are valuable! Thank you

This book has several major flaws. For a start, there is no index. The only way to locate covers with your favorite stars or shows is to browse the pages year-by-year.

The price guide only gives values for "mint condition" issues, with no guidelines for how to adjust value for copies in less than mint condition. (Most collectors' guides give a range of prices based on condition.)

It would have been nice if they had included some lists, such as: the most valuable issues; issues with multiple covers; people who have appeared on the most covers; etc. All of these things are mentioned in the text, but there is no way to look them up except by browsing every listing.

Despite these flaws, this is still an invaluable book for collectors, because of it's comprehensive checklist.

The episode of Seinfeld where Frank Costanza was noted to be a collector of TV Guide pretty much cemented that publication's place in the lore of pop culture. Now, from Bangzoom publishers comes "TV Guide" the official Collector's Guide. A lot of collector's books claim to be the only book you'd ever need to own but this one truly fits the bill. With over 3700 pictures, and every national and regional TV Guide cover pictured from 4/10/1953 through 10/19/2005 this is truly the ultimate resource for not only collectors, but fans of the magazine as well.

With a foreward by senior TV Guide editor Michael Davis, the book provides info geared towards the collector on where to buy, grading, and preserving your TV Guide collection. The cover subjects are what drives the price of back issues with the very first issue featuring the baby Desi Arnaz Jr. being the most valuable. While I've never collected TV Guide I was a long-time Comic Book collector and basically TV Guides should be kept and stored the same way...in protective bags and ideally in acid free storage boxes.

The guide provides a 19 page history of the magazine as well as a look at TV shows and trends by decade from the 40's through the 2000's; everything from Milton Berle and Howdy Doody to Lost and American Idol. I was born in the 1960's and love many of the shows from that era even though I didn't watch many in their initial runs. It wasn't until syndicated re-runs in the 1970's that I came to adore shows such Bewitched, Gomer Pyle, and Green Acres. As noted in the book, The Brady Bunch was never a top-rated show, but you'd hardly know that since it has gone on to become one of the most syndicated shows in history and a true TV legend.

Next up is 213 pages which show each of those covers from 1953 through 2005 in full color and it's like a trip on a wonderful time machine to page through the decades to see many of the actors and shows that you remember so fondly, and many you may have forgotten such as The Governor and J.J. One TV Guide trend that seems to have ended some time in the early 80's was featuring Santa Claus on the cover of a December issue. The book concludes with a 68 page index and value guide for each issue and doubles as a handy checklist for collectors.

Whether you are storing issues away chronologically like Frank Costanza, or just have a life long love of TV, you are certain to find something to enjoy in this fabulous book.

Reviewed by Tim Janson

A mind-bending, if not surreal, parade of TV trivia presented week by week, year by year, era by era. Every single TV Guide cover is shown in true color, from April '53 to the first mag-size issue from autumn of last year. They're arranged as text would be on each page, left-to-right, top-to-bottom and IN ORDER on each page, dated and readily viewable. They even include full displays of all fold-out covers, as well as every version of each multiple cover, such as the one which had to be updated at Michael Landon's death, different regional sport-season previews, and the 25-cover tribute to all the Star Trek cast.

The book is in 3 main sections:
1) A 26-page section of blurb overseeing the history of TV Guide and background trivia of many of the covers
2) The section displaying the covers themselves, and
3) A listing of all covers (with dates and captions) and their collectible worth in mint condition.

It is bound in durable yet manageable paperback binding.

Anyone can invent their own TV trivia diversions just by scanning through this book (i.e. what are the earliest covers featuring people who are still alive? or Who has appeared the most times? or How did TV Guide handle documentarial times and issues [JFK's assassination, 9-11, the advent of cable & PBS etc.], or When did one televion era end, and another begin? and the like). The price list section also serves as an easier-to-count ready-reference of all the cover headings.

Mad Magazine presented a similar, also top-rate, timeline of all their covers a few years ago upon the advent of their 400th issue. The first such resource to incorporate all the TV Guide digest covers certainly doesn't disappoint.

Galveston, Texas is the sight of our nation's worst natural disaster in our history. Ron Rozelle summered in Galveston as a child and that began his fascination with the 1900 Galveston Hurricane. He was driven to tell the story in a manner that was true to history and striking enough to recreate the terror of those in the path of this storm. This book is a fictionalized account of the Galveston Hurricane of September 1900. While the weather events are factual. The people he portrays are a mixture of real people and those that Mr. Rozelle created to add depth and heart to his story. His research into the facts of the hurricane's ferocious assault of Galveston and the utter destruction of life and property is vividly portrayed. The characters bring a rawness of emotion, making the reality of the vast loss achingly real. This is a realistic and intense tale of Mother Nature in full fury.

I've been to Galveston and took tours of the many homes the author listed in this book and knew the streets and the very railroad tracks/beach areas he spoke of, but even if I hadn't been there, the author writes in a way that will makes you *feel* like you ARE there, as the story progresses.

I have read MANY books on this storm and I can safely say THIS BOOK "The Windows of Heaven" has got to be the best researched, investigated and well written book i have ever read and come across.

It's not all statistics, and weather, he writes of survivors and their lives that led up to that fateful day so you actually feel as if you're reading an ansestors diary or as if the people actually sat down and told him the stories.

His imagination is also so realistic that you walk away believing every single word he wrote although clearly some of it [like the drowning peoples viewpoints] couldn't have came from anyone.

It's a book that has SOLD me on the author RON ROZELLE'S talents and is a book that should be carried by all Texas schools and educational systems everywhere, as mandatory reading of what that night must have been like.

It left me feeling as if I had been there and suffered along with everyone--and in spite of the heartache and despair I actually felt sorrow when the story ended, and I faced the fact that I would never be a part of these peoples lives ever again.

If you don't read this book you will never know how lacking the others are and will miss out on an excellent example of great writing--destiny will deem this a classic in due time--trust me.

Ron Rozelle did a wonderful job writing this book. It is a well written piece of history. This storm event was the worst natural disaster in U.S. history. Mr. Rozelle paid tribute to the people that died during and in the days following this storm. He also paid tribute to the survivors. There were a lot of sub plots happening during the time, an Mr. Rozelle did a good job incorporating them in just the right place. This book is well worth reading. I highly recommend it.

Ron Rozelle's second book is a well-done blend of fact and fiction. He uses many actual people and events from the Storm of 1900, the worst natural disaster in the history of the US. He writes sketches of the lives of several characters in a flash-back format and then switches to the current time, describing the coming of the storm and the blase manner in which the people approached it. Weather forecasting was in its infancy, and no one on Galveston Island realized the full impact of the pending storm. Residents had ridden out many a storm and didn't look at this potent killer in any different way from the storms which had come before. Galveston's lack of preparation and failure to build a seawall resulted in terrible destruction of life and property. Rozelle uses these elements to create a story in which the reader learns to care about the characters and then watches the courage with which they faced this catastrophe. This is a very moving book and I recommend it to anyone who is interested in this subject.

The events that transpired in September, 1900 have been too long forgotten in the annals of American natural disasters. Ron Rozelle has painted a picture that very accurately describes the horror and heroism that occurred when one of the most intense hurricanes virtually destroyed Galveston and claimed upwards of 10,000 lives. I discovered this book after reading the recent release Isaac's Storm, a non-fiction telling of the storm and also highly recommended. Ron Rozelle has fleshed out the story without damaging the historical accuracy and brings to us a harrowing story of the people who watched their town literally dissapear beneath the waves. Very highy recommended!

A great success both with grown-ups of Swedish descendence and their grandchildren (hard for a Dane to admit). A Swedish "Paradise Lost".

This is an amazing book that gives so much information on the environmental features of Sweden that adults as well as children will be fascinated by the tale.

This is a wonderful book--This edition has BEAUTIFUL illustrations. Nils has one harrowing adventure after another and he also changes from a selfish boy to one who treats animals and other people with care and concern. All this while also teaching the geography of Sweden--an added bonus. It does involve him being bewitched until he learns his lesson so if you have strong feelings about this sort of fantasy you wouldn't want it, but to those who are OK with fairy tale level fanstasy you should find it enchanting.

It's a wonderful, kind-hearted tale. I readed in Russian and am delighted to find it in English. Will pull children in as well Harry Potter did. In my opinion it's an even better book. It's kinder for one, and it celebrates nature.

Nils is a typical troublemaker in a village in southern Sweden who pulls the tails of cats, throws rocks at geese etc. Then he finds a gnome and teases him as well, but the result is that he is shrunk to the size of a sparrow so all the creatures he was mean to can get their own. Too ashamed to show his new self to his family, he travels with the wild geese on their annual migration to Lapland.

What follows is a picaresque and description of the natural world of Sweden from the south to the north in terms of the environment, the animals and the life that they lead. The flock of geese is a matriarchy led by the experienced and assertive Akka. In his travels, Nils learns helplessness and helping others and has many adventures involving magic flutes, a castle with rats and an underwater city. He also learns respect and admiration for the animals and the natural world.

This is a children's story with some features rarely found in other books (such as the matriarchy and the focus on the natural without too much "magic" - although the animals do talk) which makes it memorable.

I find myself refering to this book so often that I don't know how I ever lived without it! A must, must have for Academy Awards fanatics! Believe me, I'm one of the biggest Oscar nuts out there and I'm telling you this book is worth every penny!!!! I can hardly wait for "75 Years of the Oscar"!!!!

This fabulous book is informative, interesting and absolutely CRAMMED with excellent photos, many of which I am sure have never been published before (at least I had never seen them before reading this book). Robert Osborne's excellent book is as up to date as anything gets, the only awards not included having been given out less than a month ago. This book also includes a complete list of ALL nominees in every single category for each year, somehing I have found in no other book I have ever read on the subject.

An absolute MUST for all movie/trivia buffs!

I bought and I bought again...gave it away and then couldn't be without it...there is a downside; you'll find yourself boring everyone at parties with the Best Film Oscar of their Birth Year Challenge...but if the anorak fits, wear it I say..it's an Oscar winning performance by Osborne.....

If you are OSCAR crazy, splurge (it's expensive) save or steal and buy this book.....it includes all the gossip, snarky asides, and real data you'll crave and you'll refer to it again and again....true OSCAR nuts read it all the way through, like a novel.

This hefty tome by Robert Osborne, columnist and critic for THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, is a cinephile's dream! The author has exhaustively researched the history of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from its origin in the 1920s and includes a detailed chronology of the popular Academy Awards. This is a must-have for any movie buff. The over-sized book will attract even casual movie fans who might pick it up off your coffee-table and start skimming through the over-350 pages jam-packed with photos, quotes, and anecdotes of the first 70 years of the Oscars.