Kansas Books

All U.S. presidents must confront and solve problems, some more unique than others. There are a few whose difficulties are unprecedented and will never recur again. John Adams was such a president and his effectiveness as a chief executive is often underestimated. When he took the oath of office, the nation was still young and in many ways not yet a nation. Regional differences, which sixty years later would explode into civil war, were powerful and could have led to a similar event during his administration. The governmental structure was idealistic, novel and untested. There were many who felt that it was unworkable, and with minimal communication infrastructure, it was difficult for the central government to project its' power quickly and effectively.
The framers of this government were highly talented, ambitious men, who were now faced with the task of governing. As history has shown us so many times, the talented revolutionary is often mediocre at governing. Political parties began to form and like all births, involved a great deal of fits and starts. George Washington commanded such respect that no one could reasonably hope to challenge his authority, and yet he was wore down by the political battles. Succeeding such a towering figure would have been difficult for anyone. Europe was also currently engaged in a general war as a consequence of the revolution in France, and there were strong forces driving the United States towards involvement.
Into this horrendous mix of conflicting forces, John Adams became president. There is no question that the crises he faced rank in the top five of all presidents. Forced to face and solve these problems, he performed admirably. There is no more telling measures of his success in that he angered many in both parties and one of his strongest enemies, Thomas Jefferson, continued his policies when he succeeded Adams.
Brown does an outstanding job of describing these circumstances, for without this knowledge it is impossible to understand how successful Adams was. He also describes many of the details of John Adams' relationship with his wife Abigail. Although the times dictated that women play secondary roles in society, it is clear that many women wielded substantial power behind the scenes, if only to provide the strength for her husband to do what was right. After reading this book, you cannot help but be impressed with the power and intelligence of Abigail Adams, one of the most talented first spouses that this country has ever had.
This book serves a necessary and overdue purpose. It shows John Adams as more than just an adequate successor to Washington, but as a president who stood firm and always placed the interests of the nation first. He was a great man, showing that many of the men who made the American revolution were also, and perhaps even more skilled, at making and executing a government. I will forever be in awe of their political genius.

Remember those true presidential giants? FDR, Harry Truman, and LBJ--and larger-than-life Bill Clinton. Did you know that FDR was his own architect for his presidential library at Hyde Park? Jefferson wasn't the only architect-president. But most fun of all is to get another look in the imperial-yet-downhome machinations of Lyndon Johnson as he strove create a library that rivaled the Egyptian tombs. OK, so it looks like a scholarly book--and it is, but there is a lot of good reading here. Hufbauer is too polite to employ his scholarship to point out what intellectual pygmies some of our leaders are, and now more than ever, it is important to understand the significance of memory in national life.

I found this book very informative and very intelligently written. The problem of gossip in today's world is a constant and pressing need, making this book more and more relevant.

Overall, I think it was a great read. Short and to the point which how I like it.

I thought I knew all about man's inhumanity, but master writer Cleveland Amory's description of the lifelong crusade that was spurred by his own first experience with the shocking realities changed the way I viewed the theme forever. Thank you, Mr. Amory. We miss your incisive and untiring contributions to this almost hopeless cause.

The Pullman Case is a very well written account of the American Railway Union strike. Despite the seemingly dry material, the author manages to be concise and makes otherwise bland events quite entertaining. I highly recommend this book for gaining an appreciation of the historical underpinnings of the battle between labor and capital in America.

This book is a warm and loving coming of age romance novel about a little girl born to the harsh, puritanical plains of Kansas in the mid-twentieth century. It chronicles the changes she goes through adapting from oppression and extreme poverty while concentrating on the well-being of her own family as it develops. Along the way she meets several fascinating men, but the story does not dwell on all the sordid details of this, rather the focus is more on the conflicts these relationships cause and her own moral dilemma in dealing with them. It is charming and engaging; very hard to put down once you start, but lengthy enough for the vivid descriptions of a Very Big World as seen from the eyes of a smart and determined girl. I loved it.

Terry Thompson made an excellent connection between vintage photographs and quilts that you can create. Her examples are contemporary yet have that old timey feeling.

Griffin et. al. present a probing and deep map of the inadequacies and inequities of America's Legal Structures.

I bought this map for a refugee family from Southeast Asia who speak little or no English. Right away they could use it to to find rheir house, their church, and my house. It seems to be reasonably up to date but does not show all the suburbs.

There are several books about art environments, self made worlds, etc. This book is the best if you are looking for contact information regarding the artists and creators and visionaries. The book was created by the team that makes the PBS production by the same name "Rare Visions and Roadside Revelations" And the book is really hard to find at normal book stores. I know people that use this book on a daily basis - tracking down the artists. I like the way the book is written because it does not make fun of its subjects like some other books. It is part travel guide / part art book / part just fun to flip through the pages. ALSO - this is important - this book had places and artists that none of the other books mention. I guess that this is because the authors are on the road traveling the back streets and hunting down their subjects. The photos in the book are also good - not as nice as some big photo book coffed table book - but definetly informative and easy to see.