Departments Books

The other day my daughter who is 24 and just had a baby girl three months ago, asked me about this book. When I purchased it back in about 1987, it came with a cassette tape. We read the story together and she listened to the cassette over and over. She asked me if I had it so she could play it for her new little one -- I am certan it is packed in her stuff and she'll find it in plenty of time. In the meantime, I am ordering a new copy and will copy in my voice "Nana's" for this precious little one to hear.

I just had to share this wonderful memory that stayed with my little girl for so long. Thank you.

This complete information of wind energy and wind turbines is so important and necessary for any design engineer or research scientist in the field.

I recently purchased a few titles from this company. I was amazed at the amount of information included. Sometimes it is hard to find the right contacts to call or for our company just understanding the areas that we need to get to is difficult--this book helped.

This book is a well-organized reference for children from 1stthrough 12th grade, but targeted at those under 12. The book is not adry page by page drool of words. The quick reference information is displayed pictorally. Each job is given a single page, and divided into several components. Each page has a short paragraph explaining day to day responsibilities, and a quick reference section that delineates education required, earnings and job outlook. Younger readers will be interested in the `subjects to study' paragraph which gives the reader a good basis for what academic areas they need to be strong in. Each job description has a `discover more' paragraph that takes the younger reader through a hands on example of what the job entails. The `something extra' section for each job adds interesting facts about the job that are not readily apparent. This book is a must for guidance counselors at all levels and parents should strongly consider adding it to their library.

This book contains a wealth of information and can be overwhelming if trying to read from start to finish. However, it has some incredible insight and is best used in conjunction with other materials in order to develop your strategy. That being said, if you can only purchase one resource, this is the one.

This book is good if you are just starting to think on your MBA application. It is less helpful if you are on a rush to get it done.
By the way I have mine almost new to sell.

This book gave a lot of details on how to organize your application. Very useful with great recommendations.

I used the previous edition of the book in 2006 (green cover) and it helped me get into a top 5 business school. In fact I got into both the top 5 schools that I had applied to.

My advice to applicants is to pay special attention to essays and recommendation letters. If the writers are too busy, write one up for them (call it a template) and let them edit it. That way you can get them to say what you want them to say more or less.

Spend a LOT of time on the essays, they can make or break you more than the GMAT. Read them over and over again, read them aloud, have someone read them to you and have them reviewed by someone who got into the school you want to get into. The sample essays in the book were great to know what kind of information the admissions committee would look for. I took as much as 30 days of every day work to get my essays in the form that I was happy with.

Montauk's book guides you through this process and that was the only book I used.

This is a huge book, worthwhile and seems complete. I also have the Your MBA Game Plan: Proven Strategies for Getting into the Top Business Schools, and this book is ten times the size. I have yet to read the whole thing and probably will never; however it is easy to find the data I need for my search. I also like the discussions about why and where to go, not just the how like in other books.

This was my first novel by this author and I had not read a review; so I had no preconceived notions. I listened to the audio version of the book that was read by Cassandra Campbell and she does a good job with the character impersonations. It is about 8-10 hours of listening time on unabridged CD. The story has a nice pace and the clothes, food, and customs of the time are colorfully descibed.

This novel takes place in the early 1950's and is centered on a close-knit Italian-American family from Greenwich Village. Lucia is the youngest and was an early feminist, well before careers and professions were normal for women. She is described as beautiful, fashionable, and is a talented seamstress, but what I found most endearing was her integrity and devotion to her friends and family. This is Lucia's life story, as told by 80-year-old Lucia to her young neighbor Kit, who is an aspiring playwright.

As in any life story or family drama, there are some good times and some traumatic / emotional events. I'm not sure if it is the author's writing style or the voice actor's method, but there is always a background aura of foreboding as the story is being told. Some of the events are plainly foreshadowed, but non-the less heart wrenching. If I had to describe this book to someone, I would say it is part "Moonstruck" with the strong Italian family background, part "Titanic" with the love story and bittersweet ending, and part "Under the Tuscan Sun" where an independent woman attempts to get through her heartbreak. This is not a romance and may not be for everyone, but if you enjoy a well-written saga with a lot of emotion, I strongly recommend this book to you.

I absolutely loved this book. Maybe, because I am both Italion and Catholic. It brought back so many good memories. I didn't want it to end. A heartwarming and interesting book. I hope Trigiani writes more of these great books.

this is a great book- so hard to put down, really make you laugh a cry- a true gem

I know you have a lot of loyal fans who love your work. I like your work too, but I believe you have it in you to do a lot better than you do. This book is a nice light read, pretty good popular fiction.

BUT Italian Americans need a LITERATURE to document the early years, and the meter is ticking. Movies & TV have shown the world some wonderful Italian family portraits, but they are crime family portraits, they do not portray the everyday vibrancy of the many Little Italies all over the US. In another generation the knowledge will be totally lost. The Jewish immigrant experience has a deep well of wonderful fiction and LITERATURE.

Please, Adriana, give us some LITERATURE. I believe you have it in you to be a Philip Roth or Bernard Malamud, but you have to do better.

This is the best of your books that I've read, but, each of Lucia's brothers has the same personality. Lucia's awareness of herself, because it transcends what could be expected for 1951, has to be developed through illustration, for instance observing her mother's role and treatment in the family. The same is true of the collision with Dante's mother. More shading of experience, personality and expectation should precede the dinner. Some of the dialog is just plain sloppy, the characters use terms not in common use in 1951. The vocabulary and grammar of Lucia's father, not the content of what he says, needs tuning. Etc.

Adriana, you can do it. Give the world some Italian American LITERATURE. Your books will take longer to write, but they will live forever.

Being Italian and born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, I really enjoyed this book. Lucia is a girl before her time in the 50's but is also a little naive about love and life. It is a fun book, with heartwarming family life, happiness and some sadness but always enjoyable. I recommend this book. This is the first book I have read by this author but it will not be the last.

In the humanities, completing a PhD can take as long as 10 years. Reducing that time as much as possible is crucial for a graduate student. This book addresses many of the practical issues related to completing your graduate degree, from applying to grad schools to choosing a dissertation topic to find a job afterward. While different disciplines vary greatly in their requirements and expectations, this guide will be very useful to anyone considering graduate school or currently enrolled.

I am in the middle of my reading. But everything looks like what I needed to hear. If you are looking for doing a master or a Ph.D. sure it will result very helpful. If you're close to start with your graduate studies... even better!!

Everything is O.K. with the book, but it would be better if R.L. Peters makes different versions for Masters and Ph.D.'s.

"Getting What You Came For" is a good common-sense guide for the majority of students who are considering grad school, and some of the advice and guidance that Peters imparts is particularly valuable. That said, there's a lot that is out of date here, especially as applies to technology and the application process, which is now woefully out of date. It's utility to non-traditional older students, students seeking to attend only part-time, or those who cannot just pick up and move to wherever to attend grad school is far more limited. Since I fall into those three categories myself this book was of almost no use to me; it simply repeated things I had heard or read elsewhere. Worse still there's little discussion of things like accelerated PhD's (bypassing Masters), nothing on creating/updating CVs or resumes. The book is overall geared more towards getting into grad school rather than the problems and issues you can and will encounter once there. While reading it I found myself repeatedly flipping forward through sections that didn't apply to me, which is not the hallmark of a useful resource. There have to be other more useful books on the subject than this!

I have to agree with other reviewers who say this books needs to be updated. I am a working adult who has gone back to college to finish a degree as a part-time student. I am considering graduate school, but there is no way I can quit work and become a full-time student. The book is aimed at "traditional" students who generally finish their undergraduate training before they're 30 years old, and who aren't stuck in a mortgage situation yet. The book is aimed at very young adults, telling them that graduate school is going to be tougher than undergraduate school, where "you could get away with almost anything short of burning down the administration building."

Despite this, I found the book useful as an overview for some of the differences between master's and Ph.D. programs, and some insight into finding good advisors or faculty. But I would like to see a new edition that includes online schools and schools with limited residency. I'd also like some material aimed at adult learners who must hold down a job while they study, and some of the pros and cons of online versus face-to-face graduate programs.

I bought this book when I was preparing to apply for Ph.D programs in the social sciences. It is a good source, and is actually the most detailed account of graduate school I ever received, including things that my professors said to me. This book details graduate school from beginning to end, starting with the admissions process and ending with the job search. It's rightfully thick and will be quickly devoured by anyone who's really, really interested in getting a Ph.D. It's a good read, too, not boring or stuffy.

I only have a few complaints with the book: one, it's outdated. I believe it was published in 1992 and it really showed how much the world has changed in 15 years. The admissions chapter talks about organizing paper application documents; one of the chapters on research speaks of buying a huge file cabinet and organizing hard copies of journal articles into this cabinet; another chapter on organization explains what a personal information manager is and speaks about older, outdated models or versions of that kind of software. I'd say for that chapter, you'll definitely need to supplement by asking current grad students and new/young professors about the methods they use(d) to keep themselves organized in grad school (a lot of grad students use Zotero, a free Firefox add-on, or EndNote [which is expensive; check to see if your school gives it out] to organize their materials. There are a lot of free, open-source ones on the 'net).

Second, a lot of the information is peculiar to the natural/"hard" sciences. Peters admits that to himself, noting that his book will be most relevant to those in the natural sciences, next the social sciences, and finally least relevant to those in the arts and humanities. For example, Peters advises avoiding teaching responsibilities at all costs to try to facilitate getting through graduate school faster, whereas in the humanities and some social sciences this is equivalent to career suicide, particularly if one wants to go into academia/university teaching. Many of my humanities colleagues have cited that the book is worthless or of little value to them and recommend "Graduate Study for the 21st Century" instead.

I think if read with common sense and the realization that the book is now 16 years old and written from the perspective of a science Ph.D holder, it contains good advice and a realistic description of graduate school life, including highlighting things that students would never think about (such as Peters' retelling of how some professors/advisers defrauded their students by stealing their work and passing it off as their own, or how some students who ingratiated themselves with the department secretary fortuitously earned fellowships when their late or disfavored applications mysteriously rose to the top of the pack).

I was a bit leary about this book and the format it was written, but I have to say it pulled me in from the very first page. It was so funny, I found myself laughing out loud on so many occasions. I also work in a law firm so the jabs at the lawyers made it even better (I completely understood what they were talking about!). It's a quick read, but definitely worth it! My only complaint with the book is that we didn't get more details on Mitch & Kate - I would have liked for them to have spent more time together. Oh well, I guess I need to get the next book to see how they are doing.

i loved this book so much it kept me up almost every night until 11:30 it is hilarious it had me crying I was laughing so hard. Read it, its worth your time

This is a light, enjoyable read great for an afternoon of just relaxing. If you're looking for a masterpiece, look somewhere else. If you're looking for some chick-lit, this will work.

I starting reading this book right after I had finished The Boy Next Door. At first I was only reading it to see what was going on from the charaters with in that book as they are closly related yet this is not a sequel. Well I found myself just as engulfed into this book as I was in the first. It is a quick read because you find yourself not wanting to put it down. It has the characters you have to love and the characters that you know you have to hate! I recommend it to anyone who like a light hearted romance novel!

A little predictable, but another entertaining book by Meg Cabot. The humor kept me smiling and laughing throughout the book.

This first paragraph below has been used previously to introduce author Gore Vidal's' output of other interesting historical novels (that, however, when necessary hew pretty close to the historical record- hence their value).

Listen up! As a general proposition I like my history straight up- facts, footnotes and all. There is enough work just keeping up with that work so that historical novels don't generally get a lot of my attention. In this space I have reviewed some works of the old American Stalinist Howard Fast around the American Revolution and the ex-Communist International official and Trotsky biographer Victor Serge about Stalinist times in Russia of the 1930's, but not much else. However, one of the purposes of this space is to acquaint the new generation with a sense of history and an ability to draw some lessons from that history, if possible. That is particularly true for American history- the main arena that we have to glean some progressive ideas from. Thus, an occasional foray, using the historical novel in order to get a sense of the times, is warranted. Frankly, there are few better at this craft that the old bourgeois historical novelist, Norman Mailer nemesis and social commentator Gore Vidal. Although his politics are somewhere back in the Camelot/FDR period (I don't think he ever got over being related to Jacqueline Kennedy) he has a very good ear for the foibles of the American experience- read him with that caveat in mind.

Vidal, as is his style, combines fictional characters with the makings and doings of real characters. In Burr we once again meet Charles Schuyler the narrator/protagonist of his novel 1876. There he was a world weary old journalist seeking politically to get back to his pleasant long time voluntary exile in France after the dust of the Franco-Prussian War, the Paris Commune and the establishment of the Third Republic had settled down. This return was projected by way of a sinecure in the American Embassy courtesy of a victorious Samuel Tilden in that controversial 1876 presidential race against Rutherford B. Hayes. In the present novel Charles is just beginning his career as a writer in the mid-1830's while also in the throes of becoming a lawyer in ante bellum New York. But he apprenticed, as was the norm in those days, not with just any lawyer but the controversial American historical figure- an aged Aaron Burr- successful lawyer, Revolutionary war soldier, ladies' man, leading Republican politician, political foe and physical killer of Federalist political leader Alexander Hamilton, putative emperor of the Western American frontier (via Mexico) and almost President of the United States in the hot-disputed presidential election of 1800 (the famous tie with Jefferson).

Vidal lashes the action together here by having Charles commit, as a partisan political act, to writing Burr's memoirs in order to get Burr's side of the story about the various controversies that swirled around his life. As a subplot, and something of a ruse, the need for this information is alleged to be necessary to help (or hinder) the efforts of President Andrew Jackson's then Vice President, the Red Fox of Kinderhook, Martin Van Buren by clearing up the relationship (possible fatherhood) between Burr and Van Buren. Whether Van Buren, the wily leader of the Albany Regency and premier political operative in his own right, needed such help from the outside is a separate question but it allows Schuyler (through access to Burr' papers, mementoes and personal remembrances) to present us with a broad and interesting look at the first fifty years or so of the American Republic.

Vidal has mentioned in connection with this series of historical novels that he has produced over the years (some six in all, I believe) that part of the interest for him was to provide through his characters, while hewing as close the historical record as possible, some motive for the actions that they did (or didn't take) under the pressure of particular events. That approach is generally frowned upon in the academy. Thus, while this particular novelistic approach to Burr's life is not an apologia it nevertheless gives Vidal's' interpretation of what he thinks Burr's motives were from the historical record. Since Burr is something of a murky, shadowy character in the annuls of early American republican history (especially as most people know of him mainly through his deadly duel with Alexander Hamilton) even this novelistic opening up of his side of the story accrues to his benefit.

And what is Burr's side of the story? Aside from the self-proclaimed bravado of his claim, in the end, to be as pure as the driven snow in his ultimate motivation in defense of the American republican interest and to have been the "last true patriot" his story belies some of that image. Along the way Burr (Vidal) takes the traditional potshots that, until recently, most historians of the period had to take at George Washington's leadership of the military forces against the British in the Revolution and his essentially regal reign as first President of the United States. Burr also highlights the long term rivalry between himself and the previously mentioned Hamilton as the competing class interests (mercantile/agrarian/urban plebeian) of the early Republic got encapsulated into political factions- the Federalist/ Republican controversy that in various guises continue until this day.

Needless to say Burr rips into the Adams presidency, especially the Adams policy toward the French under the Directory and Napoleon that put the country on the cusp of war. A bit surprisingly he also tears apart that "paragon" of democratic virtue Thomas Jefferson- the man who defeated him during the odd-ball presidential election of 1800 that was held under the bizarre (and severely undemocratic) old constitutional Electoral Collge rules (They were amended, although no more democratically. Some things do not change). Along the way he takes other potshots as Washington and Jefferson's fellow Virginia presidents Madison and Monroe (not all of them so far off the mark). Finally we get Burr's take on his duel with Hamilton, his role in the infamous Western expedition that lead to his trial (and acquittal)on treason charges and his rather puzzling positive take on the presidency of Andrew Jackson.

Okay, so here is your prescription for dealing with this period of history and of the Honorable Mr. Burr. Read Vidal's little book (well, maybe not so little at over five hundred pages). Then go and get some books on the period to read about these other figures. I have addressed the question of Martin Van Buren elsewhere in this space in his political biography by Richard Remini and that of Andrew Jackson (Arthur Schlesinger Jr, of course) as well as John Adams (David McCullough). Read on.

This is the second book I have read in this series after 'Empire' and I enjoyed it even more. Vidal has a great take on American history, a take I wish more people would appreciate, or at least be aware of. I am about to read the next book in the series 'Lincoln' I'm told it's the best and am very excited.

For any history buff interested in the pursuit of truth and reality, Burr, and anything else written by Gore Vidal (such as Lincoln), are "must reads"!!

Back in 1973 as a member of the Book-of-the-Month Club, I chose to receive BURR when it became the club's main selection. Since that date, I have not been without a copy of the book, while having several non-fiction studies of Burr as well on the shelves. How do I rate Mr. Vidal's work, well, the 5-stars above should pretty much sum up that question.

As Vidal stated in his disclaimer, back of the book essay of sorts, that he did not always agree with Aaron Burr's opinion on people and things, I can state the same concerning some of the opinions Mr. Vidal opines in this book. But whether Vidal is skewering or lauding individual members of our 'founding fathers' one thing many discerning readers of history will need admit, there is not much difference between the desire to succeed that all of them shared. Many were eminently more successful than Mr. Burr in that they either knew how to embellish their lives through media management, or were fortunate in their efforts to cover life's tracks better. And had Burr's papers and trunks not been lost at sea, who knows?

Some have stated here that maybe Vidal is too extreme, too opinionated, or even too lacking in historical laurels; however, for me Mr. Vidal is extremely qualified not only due his family background and years of associating with a United States senator but, when this book first came out, some have posited that back in the deep somewhere of ancestry, Burr and Vidal were relatives.

Another important consideration for me is that BURR initiated Gore Vidal's study of the United States. And for a fictional writer, and never forget that we are reading fiction with a historical background, these several books stand very tall concerning what most American authors ever attain. Mr. Vidal has left us a true treasure trove of American historical novels.

Having read Gore Vidal since about 1963, I do somewhat agree with some here who claim it can take some work accepting him as an 'historian', though he would never claim to be one. I say this because some of his work for me, and I stress only me, is much below his talent. Books such as Duluth and Myra Breckenridge will never find any space on my bookshelves. So with those books among others, I believe Mr. Vidal did himself little favor when later stepping out to assume the mantel of serious historical novelist. Be that as it may, since that is 'history' too, he not only did it, but he has done it very well.

But after reading most of these books, and being a history minor in college, I accede both adequate historical knowledge with the writing talent to this major American author insuring success. And much more, I applaud his books on American history, when most of our authors either do not care at all about their country's history or shun any part in the writing of it. Bravo, Gore Vidal. Bravo, indeed.

For any reader enjoying BURR you may wish to also read his more recent and non-fiction book on the early republic entitled: INVENTING A NATION.

Semper Fi.

Gore Vidal writes historical fiction with a sharp eye toward historical accuracy, but with the freedom granted by the genre to present history with a viewpoint. Aaron Burr provides an ample tableau for the talents of Vidal at the top of his game. Burr lived through the Revolution, serving briefly on Washington's staff and later with Benedict Arnold at Quebec. He soon became seriously involved in New York state politics and eventually became Jefferson's vice-president.

Burr seems to have always turned up in the middle of some controversy. He was nearly elected President instead of Jefferson due to a quirk in the electoral system of the day. He killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel while still VP and fled south and west to avoid prosecution in New Jersey. Jefferson soon charged him with treason for an alleged plot to separate the western states from the US. Burr was acquitted in a trial presided over by Chief Justice John Marshall. The reader meets lesser known characters such as James Wilkinson and Harman Blennerhassett among many others.

The story is told through the device of Burr writing his memoirs over a period of several years commencing in 1833 with the aid of Charles Schuyler, the book's only fictional character (aside from brief appearances by William de la Touche Clancey. This device allows Vidal to move back and forth between the Republic's early days and the end of the Jackson presidency. In the latter period the reader meets Matty Van Buren, the famed New York editor William Leggett, the corrupt collector of the NY ports Sam Swartout, and revisits Andrew Jackson.

Vidal presents the tale from his subject's viewpoint, one which is naturally quite favorable to Burr and somewhat at odds with the standard view in regard especially to the `Burr Conspiracy'. Thomas Jefferson particularly comes out poorly in this telling as does Washington. `Burr' was one of six works in what became Vidal's American Chronicles Series (Lincoln, 1876, Empire, Hollywood, and Washington, DC). I can also recommend Lincoln: A Novel and 1876 (Modern Library) to the reader (I've not yet read the others). Gore Vidal's `Burr' is a riveting ride through the early days of the Republic. Highest recommendation.

A really great book. It is worth hanging onto. Money well spent. I highly recommend it.

I live right on an earthquake fault and thought it was about time I get prepared. This book isn't glamorous but gives alot of information.

The item arrived in good condition and quickly but it was not as described as far as the information it provides it left a lot to be desired.

Get this as a free download (Input on Google: "FM 21-76") and save this PDF File on a memory chip. It is what it purports to be. It could save your life and the lives of everyone in your family - even your neighbors. If it turns out that you don't have a need for it, then it cost you nothing.

I have always been interested about the aspects of survival. I found a website called . I really liked the website, and it turns out that the site was based on this book. So I purchased the book and am looking forward to reading it!