Runaway Train Books

My inlaws bought this book for my three-year old son. He loves it. In addition to a fun story, it is filled with details about trains, including a labeled diagram of a steam engine and a basic train glossary.

This is an excellent book for young children. Colorado railroad history served up excellently for small children with a very good storyline. Illustrations were excellent and enhanced the story. My wife and I bought this for our granddaughter. Hope the author and illustrator continue to write and illustrate books like this one.

This book is great because its about orphans and they'll do anything to stay together.They remember they have an uncle that's still living so they run away and try to find him.

My 4 year old son loves trains and he loves this book. The story is not the most interesting I have ever heard but he can not get enough of it. The pictures are cute and colorful.

While the first part of the book provides compelling reasons for re-examining how we view economic policy, you can find all the same arguments better explained within the introduction of Herman Daly's excellent book Beyond Growth. Czech adds nothing to Daly in repeating him, and the second part of Czech's book is dangerous in its ignorance. Czech basically says that the more something costs, the more it wastes; and therefore the best thing to do to stop waste is to villify spending. He gives several extravagant examples of luxury by members of the upper classes as proof that they waste far more per capita than normal people and thus (psychological) class warfare (though he doesn't call it that) is the answer to our environmental problems.

There are SO many things wrong with this view. First, a $100 bottle of wine doesn't waste any more or less than a $6 bottle of wine, nor does more expensive organic produce cause more environmental damage than cheaper conventional produce (quite the opposite). Did Czech entirely miss Daly's explanation of the difference between quantity/growth and quality/development? Second, if the large estates that Czech chides the upper classes for saves trees and land from cookie-cutter suburban housing developments, I for one am all for them (i.e. the large estates). Third, villifying *anyone* as part of the ecological economics revolution is counter-productive, particularly in that blaming the rich for their waste ignores the hideous waste of the lower classes themselves. (So richer people have more boats, perhaps, but what classes are more likely to have a beat-up car that leaves trails of grey exhaust?) Taking personal responsibility for the greater good is key to reaching a solution -- not passing blame on others. If, for instance, ecological damage (in production, use, and disposal) is taken into account in pricing goods and services (with the proper funds going toward mitigation of the damages rather than general government coffers), then it doesn't matter WHO is doing the purchasing. Czech presents good arguments for fundamental economic reforms; but these arguments are better presented elsewhere, and Czech's proposed solutions are quite awful indeed.

Brian has really impressed with his thoughtful analysis of our economy from both an intellectual and spirtual viewpoint. Unfortunately, none of this can be easily proved, but that is the case with the most important things in our lives, all of which have a spirtual base (religion, our role in society, role in the family, etc.).

Brian has uncovered and clarified issues which have probably been rolling around in the back of many of our minds, for example the link between Darwinism, Maslow's heirarchy, and sexuality. (The real spirit of how things work is deeply embedded in our passions, sexuality, etc, and we must uncover these things to get to the root of all critical life issues). He also proposed a viewpoint of the role of the wealthy in our society, how their behavior impacts our economny and ecology, and how we all are capable of the same behavior if we had a few more dollars in our pocket, so perhaps a little better understanding of each other across "classes" is in order.

Brian only loosely alluded to the role of addiction in the behavior of the wealthy (e.g. if you have a hundred million dollars, why do you need more, what are you trying to prove, and aren't you in a position to exercize the most important human / spirtual values?). Perhaps a closer look at the role of addiction and prevalance of addictive behaviors and how they contribute to "success" and sustain destructive behaviors and ego based delusions at the expense of a more spirtual well roundedness would be in order.

Brian makes an excellent point about how a real solution requires a change in the mindset of the populace (very Jeffersonian) to be more aware and more involved in solving these problems, however he falls short with solid solutions. But then again, maybe there are no simple solutions. This book is about awareness, and it does a great job at it.

This book is an excellent introduction to the steady state economy. The idea of the steady state economy has been around for decades, but I think it may finally be gaining some traction (note the recent appearance of an article by ecological economist Herman Daly in Scientific American).

Czech is a lively writer. I especially liked the chapter giving responses to the cornucopian Julian Simon's arguments. Part of the problem I see with modern environmentalism is that it spends nearly all of its time preaching to the converted, with the result that evidence and arguments against truly wrongheaded ideas don't get properly developed. This book takes on the best arguments that the mainstream economists have to offer, and demolishes them. Bravo!

I appreciated Czech's suggestion to use the phrase "economic bloating" instead of economic growth. Words do count in this kind of high-stakes contest.

Czech's ideas about using social disapproval to influence the consumption habits of the top 1% of society (the liquidating class) are interesting. I like the fact that it puts the influence of women on public opinion front and center. Whether it will really work or not, I'm not sure, but it might be worth trying.

Czech talks about investment being bad because it will just waste more. I don't agree with this. I think the problem is that due to the enormous externalities in our economic system, resources are not being allocated correctly. This is what causes the waste, not investment as such. Investment in something that will provide long-lasting benefits or help in the conversion to a steady-state economy is GOOD, not bad. Czech also contrasts "bad" investment with "good" contributions to charity. I think he is correct that charity is more likely to benefit society, but this is not always true. Some charities engage in poorly-thought-out schemes that only encourage population growth beyond what an area can sustain. This helps no one in the long run.

I was drawn to this book after it was suggested as an alternative here at Amazon to a so-called "perpetual growth" tome (a book, by the way, that actually points to no such thing), but I've decided against buying Czech's book for fear of becoming an overspent American. Sorry, but I'm not contributing to the royalty check of Czech.

The first 106 pages of the book are well written and present a number of interesting notions about the dangers of our society's high regard for economic growth. Czech's arguments against the practicality of infinite growth (even though it may be theoretically possible according to neoclassical economists) are clear and well documented.

The underlying theme of the book is that neoclassical economists support a theory that the economy can sustain infinite growth, while the ecological economists claim that at some point, the growth will inevitably slow and then stop (more likely crash) because it is impossible in practicality to sustain growth forever. The book starts off with some interesting points about economic growth and sustainability in Part I, and then goes off the deep end in Part II as the author shares his proposed plan for achieving a 'steady-state economy.'

The plan in a nutshell: everyone should live very modestly, regardless of their income level, and whenever they notice someone else spending more money than they feel is necessary, they should immediately judge them and try to shame them into changing their ways. The goal is for society to become repulsed by conspicuous consumption to the extent that those in the financial top 1% of society are pressured to reform themselves and give their extra money away to those in need.

Although Part I is good enough to justify the purchase price, I would recommend skipping Part II in its entirety.

This book would be an excellent follow-up to the movie "Orphan Train". It brings out the reality of the movement between 1854 and 1930 of 200,000 abandoned children to find homes in the West.

Chapters alternate between historical information on the movement and personal details and memories of orphans like Lee Nailling and his brothers.

The most touching moment for me was when Lee, who had every reason to be bitter and hate the world, finally found a home. Fully intending to run away again before morning, he fell asleep and was awakened by a call to breakfast. As a part of "grace" said before the meal by his mother-to-be, the boy heard, "Father, thank you for sending our new son to us, for the privilege of allowing us to raise him."

Lee commented, "I'm sure my jaw dropped in amazement. Somebody was actually thankful I was there!"

There are also many excellent photographs.

Adopted children can often feel like outsiders, even though they have found families who love them like their own. They may be teased about being adopted, they may be angry at their circumstances.

This book is an excellent treatment for all those problems, for it discusses the issue of adoption openly, and shows children that they are not alone.

In 63 photo-filled pages in 11 chapters, this book tells the historical story of more than 200,000 children who "rode 'orphan trains' in this country between 1854 and 1930. Their ranks included North Dakota governor Andrew Burke (1870-1873), a territory governor, a Supreme Court justice, sheriffs, mayors, college professors, clergymen, school superintendents, bankers, lawyers, postmasters, teachers, engineers and at least 7,000 soldiers and sailors. In other words, adopted children can grow up to be just as successful and productive as everyone else--often times, more so. There's no stigma or deficiency.

The book also covers the story of 'train riders' from the personal perspective of Lee Clement Nailling, who was taken in by an elderly childless couple, whom he came to call parents.

Aside from telling the history of the orphan train riders and the Children's Aid Society that devised the project, this book is comforting to adopted children.

--Alyssa A. Lappen

I would like to start by saying that I think the suggested reading age is a little low. While the writing is well within in capabilities of most 4-6 graders, the subject may be a little touchy for the younger end of the group. I would be reluctant to let a sensative child read this book until at least the 5th grade.

That said, I think the book was wonderful.The writing is well done for children's non-fiction, but also is able to capture adult readers. The book is a fascinating story about one of the few surviving children who rode one of the orphan trains as well as the general story of the trains history.

My wife, 11 year old daughter and I read the book (my wife and I in 1 evening, my daughter the next) and then we discussed the concept of the trains, the needs for them and why such things are no longer in use in today's society. It made for a good family discussion and we all learned from the experience.

This book has very good content, as well as interesting information about the sociology of this country's past. It was well worth the read for both adults and our daughter and we all enjoyed it.

I read this to a 6th grade reading class and a year later they still talk about it and refer to it in discussion. The entire concept was so strange to them and the fact that it had really happened blew them away.

I chose this because in the 7th grade they read a novel about the Orphan Train experience

I try to find books for reading with my children. In this case, to read with my daughter who will enter the fourth grade. This book was on her summer reading list, and I'm glad we read it. This is a true story of a boy orphaned by the death of his mother and his father's ceding him and his siblings to the Children's Aid Society in New York State. This was a time in America that preceded government child welfare agencies for abused/neglected children. Instead, children were institutionalized in large orphanages (often called asylums) and eventually many were placed on trains to find homes with town people who would meet the trains at various stops.

The book uses the story of a young boy with two of his younger brothers sent on an orphan train and eventually being picked by families in Texas. Lee was the oldest and took the longest to find a good family.

The book gives information about the orphan train children in general and the reasons for their coming about. The author gives credit to the Children's Aid Society that was prominent in organizing these trains and notes that many of these children grew to become accomplished members in society. The book, however, also shows that not all these children were so lucky and they faced continued abuse at the hands of their adopted parents, and ridicule by school mates.

As a person who has worked extensively in the child welfare system, I found the book to be very relevant and a better way of explaining to my daughter the reason for my work. [...]

This book would be excellent for children in foster care even though they are not exactly in the same position as orphan train riders. They still could easily empathize with the children in this story. There is also an honest, hopeful comment by the adult Lee of perseverance and determination to overcome the circumstances in life even from those who never did find an accepting family. Unfortunately, this too is relevant for many youths in the current foster care system.

This story is a nice addition to our growing collection of train books. My boys (ages 2 and 4) love to study the minutely detailed pictures as we read the story. My only quibble with The Runaway Train is that it's more repetitive than another 'Little Red Train' book by the same author, The Great Big Little Red Train (my boys' favorite, and the inspiration for buying a second book in this series)

My children love this book! The story is cute. It is about this little red train that takes off without its driver, who left the train to help a little old lady. The remainder of the book covers all of the adventures the driver goes through in order to catch up with his engine. The illustrations are beautiful and full of detail. We spend several minutes studying each page, looking for all of the minute detail in the picture. My children have had this book for two years (now 7 1/2 and 5) and they still enjoy the book.

Excellent for developing pre-reading skills with repetitive phrases building up the drama of a driver requesting help from everyone he meets as he tries to catch up with his train. The gorgeous, detailed illustrations alone will keep children busy, seeking out all the helpers as they reappear in every scene.

4 Stars
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The Civil War era has always fascinated me. Henry Kurtz brings a bit of that time to life in his book The Runaway Train. James J. Andrews was a spy. General Ormsby McKnight Mitchell and Andrews formulated a plan to steal a Confederate engine, "The General." Their purpose was to disrupt the rail link between Atlanta and Chattanooga. This fascinating true tale demonstrates the strong feelings behind the Civil War. Andrews' plan was unsuccessful; he and his men were capture; some were imprisoned and some were executed. Henry Kurtz has well researched his topic. His descriptive talent makes the characters multidimensional. Fans of Civil War history will enjoy The Runaway Train.

Absolutly loved the book. Makes one want to study more about the Civil War, as well as Georgia's rich history. The Runaway train is very descriptive, and makes one feel like they are actully in the time period. This is a page turner making one want to find out the fate of each character in the story. The descriptions of the each character is fabulous, and the author Mr. Kurtz is a very promising writer.