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This is a big and detailed book, not for the faint of heart. But, if you love history and/or politics, this is a book for you. Truman was an unlikely president and this book captures the man's personality, humility, and dignity. Carefully researched and described, the book opens the door to one of our nation's most unique and dinstinguished characters. An epic book about an epic man. Delightful.

I couldn't have been more pleased with this book. I love David McCullough and he never ceases to amaze you with this intimate portrayal of Harry Truman's life. He brings the President to the level of an average man who finds himself in an above-average position. I would recommend this to anyone looking for an in-depth look at one of our most interesting Presidents to-date.

I have to agree with a previous reviewer: upon reading this, I have such a desire to meet and converse with HST--that's how interesting and honorable he was.

As always, McCullough's narrative sweep is impressive. Truman as a lonely and bookish boy, Truman as a soldier, Truman as a failed businessman are the most interesting parts. When it comes to Truman's presidency, McCullough turns up little new grounds, however. It's the usual conventional wisdom about a guy who made tough decisions that turned out right. Read Perrett's "Commander in Chief" for a harsher and more surprising evaluation of Truman's decision-making and his monumental blunders.

The book itself was a winner - a gift for my husband. He "devoured" it. The only disappointment was how cheaply and poorly-bound the paperback was. Even with extreme care, it fell apart within the first 70 pages. The replacement nearly made it to the end, but not quite. Buy and read this book, but go for a better-bound version unless you like handling it in pieces.

I have read most of McCullough's books, and so I knew that after reading this I would understand Harry S. Truman more deeply than I ever had. What I didn't know what was that I would learn so much about 20th century American history. McCullough is a great story-teller. His use of historical details to recreate the man and the times is magnificent. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

I purchased this book for my daughter. She read and finished the book and told me that it was well written and that it was very interesting reading. I didn't read it so I would be hesitant to recommend.

I loved this book! My heart goes out to Sharon Rocha and the rest of Laci's family.

I was pregnant with my 3rd son when Laci went missing and was so devastated to hear how she went missing. As time went on, and I looked at Scott on TV, I could tell he was guilty. He was blank, cold, and detached looking. I felt so sad for Laci and her son. She was so beautiful and looked to be like such a sweet loving woman. I was drawn to the story, and waited for her mother to write a book about her. I realized it might not happen, but was happy when she finally wrote this book. I read the book by Scott's half sister, and really enjoyed that book. I also read this book and cried like a baby at certain parts. I was confused how Laci could have been so trusting of Scott, as most women (or at least I thought) have women's intuition that would tell them something was wrong. I am happy that her mother wrote this book. I always wondered what went on with Laci's side of the family during this whole tragedy. Even though I cried many tears while reading this book, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

When the story of Laci broke news, I thought it wouldn't be as sensational as it turned out to be, I mean how many people go missing, or are murdered;my husband thought the same way. I began reading the books about Laci and the investigation, which covered forensic, and mental health issues, but no emotional feelings until I read Sharon's book. It's powerful in its own right. A must read!

This is a compelling book which reads very quickly, as it is hard to put down. Sharon Rocha paints a lovely portrait of her daughter Laci. You can't help be empathetic as evil moves in around her. I have an incredible amount of respect for her and the search-and-rescue fund/foundation she created. This tugs at heartstrings and elicits tears. I can't help but cry.

To get the most enjoyment from this beautiful book, buy the original Katherine Woods translation.

This is a wonderful story and a great book I was able to share with my students. The only drawback with the book is that the pages are not in color, but the extremely low price allowed me to purchase the books for my students out of my own pocket.

Katherine Woods' translation is the only English-language version of The Little Prince which captures the beauty, simplicity, clarity, and profundity of the Antoine de St. Exupery's classic, penned in French.

(The newer translation is appallingly horrid and bland, mistaken, and frankly perplexing.)

This is really not a children's book, although older children will appreciate it.

Don't measure the value by the thickness of the book. De St. Exupery, himself a WWI pilot, writes with a great economy yet produces here the most beautiful poetry with a delightful playfulness and childlike innocence -- a fresh vision which thus sees clearly and does not obscure the profound.

Mr. Fred Rogers used to quote from de St. Exupery, whose image and illustrations once graced the 20-franc note (in the days before the euro).

There simply is no other work like this one. It is an exceptionally rare treasure, a masterpiece.

Be sure to read Katherine Woods' translation. Read it privately, when you have time to savor each word. And keep a box of tissues nearby.

The Little Prince has often been heralded as a youthful book, required reading in elementary and high schools alike. In delivering it this way I think The Little Prince is missed by the only audience that is likely to truly appreciate it, that is adults. It is not an uncommon misconception that this is a children's book. Indeed, I keep the pictures stored on my computer, and am often asked where they came from. I reply that they are from one of my favourite books, and without fail the response is along the lines of, 'I don't mean to be rude but is that a children's book?'. 'No', I explain, 'it is not'.

The Little Prince is most needed, I think, by adults. It is easy to be caught up in, as De Saint-Exupery describes it, 'matters of consequence' and forget that it is not these matters which bring meaning to life. By pointing out the futility of professions practised endlessly and in isolation of other people, it becomes clear that the Little Prince, with his rose, is the only character with a life of consequence.

This book is beautifully written and translated by Katherine Woods. It speaks volumes through its simple tale, strange though it seems that matters such as these only become clear when they are somewhat removed from reality. Matters such as love, innocence, imagination and priorities. The Little Prince is a gentle and stirring reminder to never forget to see the boa constrictor from the hat.

I was an adult when i read this book, and i really appreciated the lessons in life that Saint-Exupery shares through the Little Prince.

A great book, full of beautiful illustrations, easy to read, while fun and sad at the same time.

I personally read it as if Exupery is sharing with us the conversations he has with his own inner child, in the image of the Little Prince. That is why the Little Prince would ask many questions, but rarely answer the ones he was asked. Like all our inner children he's been hidden inside and kept silent for a long long time, and now that he was given his chance, he will speak. And we better listen, for he is an integral part of our psyche, who will take us through the most unbelievable adventures.

I have to laugh that one of the tags for this book is atheist. Was he an atheist? I don't know. But I truly enjoyed this book, and it was a further shovel of dirt on religion in the ground for me. A number of things had led me to that point (taking a philosophy course way back when I was in college), but this book really gave religion in a frank light: nothing more than an explanation of the unknown for societies. The ones that took hold and didn't go away when science explained away are what we have today. But seriously, lets only go as far as agnostic, please.

Religion aside, this is truly a magnificent travel through space. I read it whilst camping that really assisted in its fine journey. A little outdated, but highly recommended nonetheless.

I have read many many books pertaining to astronomy and cosmology over the years, but until this book, I had never read anything written by Carl Sagan. What interested me enough to purchase this book was not only the topic it covered, but that the book was itself written by Carl Sagan.

I best remember Carl Sagan from those TV specials he narrated that were aired on public TV many years ago. I was always impressed with Mr. Sagan's knowledge and manner of presentation of the material. His enthusiasm to tell what he knew about the cosmos was never masked by a scripted TV presentation; his enthusiasm was very infectious. So recently, I thought I had to rectify my having never read a book written by Mr. Sagan and I purchased the book Cosmos. I was not disappointed; I felt as if I was watching one of those old TV specials narrated by Mr. Sagan. In my mind's eye, I could see everything I was reading and I did not want the book to end.

Despite that the book may be dated, and cosmology has moved on a bit since the publishing of this book, I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in cosmology, astronomy, astrophysics and even history. I only wish Mr. Sagan was still alive to write something new. He is missed by me.

The best advice I can give, regarding this book, is to GIVE it to a young person interested in science or space. You will plant a seed that will grow forever. Sagan's masterpiece takes the mind on a wonderful journey through the stars as well as through other space centered events. Highest recommendation as a text for learning as well as a fine read for anyone interested in the subject.

Carl Sagan's book and TV series called Cosmos has opened the vast universe to millions and millions of people. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book and watching the series.

It is not surprising that Cosmos is the best-selling science book ever published in the English language...and the series has been seen by half a billion people!

Carl Sagan was able to accomplish this feat by tapping into his psyche as a little boy who asked many questions about the universe. He then wrote and produced the series from the heart. His enthusiasm and fascination with the earth, planets, stars, galaxies, extraterrestrial life and more is contagious! He took an incredibly difficult subject and made it fun, exciting and educational for anyone from 8 to 80 who has looked up at the night skies...and wondered.

The book and series are not to be missed!

The Re-Discovery of Common Sense: A Guide to: The Lost Art of Critical Thinking

I first bumped into Carl Sagan when I saw his TV documentary series called "Cosmos" many years ago. It has only been recently that I have got off my rear and read the book. It has to be said that I had waited far too long to do this.

"Cosmos" (the book) is a great overall introduction to the universe about us and the history of its discovery by people. Mixing hitsory and astronomy, Sagan covers the major efforts that went into discovering different things out there and what thos discoveries meant. There is also a healthy level of how astronomers do what they do, such as light spectrum analysis, radar mapping and so on. Despite this, there is virtually no mathematics involved, which is a good thing for general readers.

The hardcover edition also has plenty of pictures, photos and diagrams relating to the text. This makes the book very interesting and quite amazing to read. I was very impressed with the quality of the photos and what they showed. They added a great deal to the text, especially for more visual people such as myself.

The only drawback with the book is its age. It was written over 20 years ago and references to future missions planned for 1986 highlight this aspect of the book. There may have been discoveries since the time of writing that would add more to the reader's knowledge. However, in spite of this drawback of age, the book is still valuable as a very readable introduction.

Carl Sagan writes with a very fluid and relaxing style. He doesn't overload the reader with specialised jargon, and when he does use it, he explains it very well. When the explanations are a bit heavy, I have noticed Sagan's tendency to supply diagrams. I was at no point confused or lost by Sagan's text.

Overall, the book makes a great starting point into the world of astronomy, the path people have taken to get us to where we are today and just what is out there. This is a very interesting book about a very interesting subject. I definitely recommend it, despite the age problems refered to above.

Easy to understand, Used for the past year in RN school and many of the questions were similiar to test questions I had in class! Definitely helped my grades!!!!

I used this to study for the boards. It was a great review and practice test. Everything you need is in this book.

I just bought this book to study for the NCLEX-RN and am very happy I did. There was about 4 questions out of the 80 I received on the actual test that were almost identical to questions from this book. The other girl I know who bought this book only got 75 questions on the NCLEX and said only great things about the book. If you want to decrease your chances of not passing the boards, BUY THIS BOOK!! Not only will you pass, but most likely you will get the minimum (if not close to) the least amount of questions possible.

I am a begining nursing student. I purchased this to go along with my studies. I think it will be an excellent tool to use throughout school so I will be ready for the nursing exam.

The book is great and in perfect condition but the CD for some reason is not working properly. I've tried to take this 100 question exam 4 times and it has frozen up on me before I've reached question 30 every time. And I've tried it on different computers to make sure it wasn't the computer acting up.

This book is a masterpiece! It contains a wealth of knowledge on the foods and supplements we should eat to be our healthiest. It contains many helpful hints and brand names of healthful foods. I am sending a copy each to my two adult daughters.

I wanted a comprehensive list of the Superfoods because I have been trying to include them in my family's daily diet. This is a good book for this purpose. It gives good explanation of the value of eating each food. I definitely recommend this book if you want to eat better.

The total opposite of a deprivation diet. Now I work hard every day to eat the foods that are good for me, and now thanks to this book, I know what those foods are. This is surely better than spending my life trying to avoid foods I shouldn't eat. By the time I get finished with the super foods, I am so full, I couldn't even consider eating anything else. What I refreshing idea! Actually, I have never been able to find a way to consume all the superfoods in a day. Even with salads and smoothies, but what a neat challenge. I never felt better! Everyone says I look healthy, too.

This is a very good and thorough book detailing the 14 foods necessary for maintaining a healthy body and mind. Sadly my two staples, chocolate and coffee didn't make the cut but most of the other foods are things I eat on a regular basis so adding more of these things won't be a huge lifestyle change. You wouldn't think a book about 14 foods would fill a book without putting one to sleep but the author has written the book in such a way that it is easy to skim over the more detailed health benefits of each food and move on to the recipes. I skimmed initially to get a quick idea of what foods I should be focusing on and quickly scan the health benefits and later went back and read the nitty gritty details. For anyone wondering the 14 superfoods are: beans, blueberries, broccoli, oats, oranges, pumpkin, salmon, soy, spinach, tea - black & green, tomatoes, turkey, walnuts and yogurt. For more specific info. you'll need to grab a copy of the book ;)

Once I started reading this book I could not put it down! It is packed with so much information and I have been amazed at how good and alert I feel by changes I have made in my diet.I am a cancer survivor and this book is important to me to help prevent any other types of cancers or heart disease in the future. I also have heart disease in my family. I have been so impressed with this book that I bought 4 more books for my friends, one who was just recently diagnosed with cancer and the other who is a cancer survivor. I will be purchasing 4 more to give each of my children and siblings. So I say this book is a MUST READ!

Although I'll turn 50 this year, I read this little book again today - my original Scholastic version from the 1960s - and fell in love again with the characters. I'm a softy, true, but it made me cry. I came to the Internet hoping Marian Cockrell had written another children's book, perhaps (I dearly hoped) a sequel. Maybe I'll buy the expanded version instead.

This treasure of a book is perfect for your grade-schooler who loves fairies, princesses, or magic. It's also perfect for the wide-eyed adult who's still a child at heart and loves those things as well.

I read this book as a child and searched for years for a copy to give my daughter. It is a wonderful fairy tale, with very good moral values. Share this with your kids!

First loved this story 53 years ago and have been looking for it ever since. So glad that it was reprinted. I enjoyed the expanded, but the first one was not and loved it anyway.

i'm thrilled that this book is back in print..my sister and i have fought over our copy for years...our kids have loved it also...they need to write more books like this

What a pleasure to see this charming children's chapter book back in print. It was a favorite of mine when I was grade-school age, and an old, taped-up and battered copy still sits on on my bookshelf. In this tale, the lives and adventures of a family of fairies and half-fairies are paraded before the eyes of Lucy, a little human girl who has wandered into the borderlands of their world. A mysterious young man named Michael takes Lucy to a deserted castle where the shadows of past inhabitants can be seen on the walls of a tower room. As Lucy watches the shadows move about, Michael identifies each figure, and recounts their adventures of long, long ago.

The stories of the fairy princes and princesses, and their human and non-human relatives and associates, are told a simple but descriptive prose that young readers should find appealing. For children still a little bit young for the vocabulary of Harry Potter, but too old for Dr. Seuss, this is a perfect read. The illustrations are delightful as well--how I loved the pictures of beautiful Princess Meira and her friend, the dragon Branstookah!

This is a very wonderful version of the classic story by Margery Williams. The illustrations by David Jorgensen make the book especially inviting and personal. It is the only version we would ever buy for gifts.
Thank you,
Nancy Martin

I read this book years ago at the home of a child for whom I was babysitting. Recently I remembered it and read it to my 9 year old granddaughter and my 7 year old grandson, and we all enjoyed it very much. Its message spans the generations.

I was very happy with the book. Although it was small it was a wonderful addition. I ordered for friends as well.

This is my favorite childhood book EVER! I have it stashed in my bookcase and when ever I feel nastalgic or sentimental I open up its worn pages and let the happiness seep through me. The truth and pureness in this children's novel will bring tears to your eyes. Read this book to your children and you will get constant: "Oh, what happens next?" and/or "Don't stop reading NOW, I have to know the next part!" I love this book, it will warm your heart and the illustrations are sweet, too. Thank you mom for reading this book to me, it was a real experience. :)

"The Velveteen Rabbit" is a parable, a story about that refining fire: redemptive love. The Velveteen Rabbit gave himself in love to the little boy. In return, the little boy loved the rabbit completely. This love caused the rabbit to begin to look around and question what was real. In questioning what was real, the rabbit ultimately believes himself real and wishes himself real. Once real, he achieves a new life and he revisits the little boy in his new form. Despite this new form, a quiet act of recognition passes between the little boy and the rabbit. By the conclusion of the story, the reader is led to believe that the rabbit will continue to watch over the little boy protectively and love him as the little boy continues to grow.

First published in 1922, this was Margery Williams (Bianco)'s first children's book. Spanning a career of nearly 40 years, "The Velveteen Rabbit" was the most successful of her approximately 25 works. The dedication, "To Francesco Bianco from The Velveteen Rabbit" is addressed to Margery's husband. Margery collaborated with artist and illustrator, William Nicholson (Sir William Nicholson (1872-1949)), who was better known as a portrait painter in his later career, but was also known for the woodcuts and poster work he produced in partnership with his brother-in-law, James Pryde.

The illustrations were executed in pen and ink with watercolor wash and, for the most part, appear as full page illustrations, or in some cases, a two page spread. The illustrations of the rabbit, standing very tall and inert, with his paws stuck out straight in front of him, are very touching evoking feelings of sympathy for the rabbit just on sight. The use of strong light and contrasting shadow is also very convincing in conveying a feeling of melancholy and, in some spots, unreality. My favorite part of the book is when the rabbit sheds a real tear and at the instant the tear touches the ground, a mysterious flower begins to grow. That, too, is conveyed so well by way of illustration. This is a very lovely story well illustrated.

The author has wrote a book that presents C++ standard library to the average programmer with plenty of samples that show how to implement each concept step by step.

I got this book originally back in 2001, and I still use it almost every day as the first stop for any STL issue I have. It's also what I give new employees who need to get up to speed on the STL. IMHO there's no better place to start if you want to learn to use the STL.

Still the best book on the STL. Buy this and Josuttis' templates book and you'll be set to learn the intricacies of C++ programming. There are very few genuinely useful C++ books; Josuttis' books are certainly among them... to the point where I almost never bother consulting any others. If I can't understand it from reading Josuttis, I delve into the header files themselves.

This book was delivered to me before time and also paid a decent price for it.

Tutorial? Hardly. Reference? I can find better, more complete, and more accessible reference material in 10 seconds with google. Whenever I open this book to find information about some aspect of the STL, I end up googling for the same information a few minutes later.

The examples are near useless. They are all minimal examples of basic functionality and offer no help in using the library for real-life tasks. They do show you which header files to include, which is a plus.

Hash maps are completely left out of the book. While not officially part of the stl, they are still a significant part of it, and one that requires more explaining than the rest.

I am to understand the +5 reviews were because there are no better books on this subject, similarily my +2 review is because there are not enough negative reviews of this book.

The Great Brain is one of the best all time books for boys ever written. In my humble opinion of course. The prose is engaging capturing the attention. The stories are exciting and compelling. The chapters are just the right length. And it has all the elements that young boys love from Cowboys and Indians to cops and robbers. What more could you ask for?

But of course, looking back on my childhood as I place this book on the shelf for my own little boy, I realize that the moral lessons this book taught so covertly were lessons that stayed with me: tolerance for other cultures and religions, compassion for those less fortunate, love of family. These are foundational values and the Great Brain teaches them. And the thing is, as a young person, you don't realize you're getting a lesson, you just know you like the story.

This book is a wonderful protrait of 19th century rural America, but people should be aware that it was written at a time when there was much more freedom of speech than we have today. Topics in the book include suicide, religious intolerance and fear of immigrants. There is a scene where the boys go skinny dipping and also one story concerns John mating his dog, so this book probably should not be brought to a public elementary school for fear it might offend someone. Also there are no African-Americans in the book, and while the book does portray Jews, Moromons, Protestants and Catholics coexisting, there are no Muslims in this book, so it is not very politically correct. Also the "I" word is used casually and no mention is made of the plight of native Americans, except to say that they are the only non-immigrants in America. Women are displayed in subservient roles, always cooking, cleaning and taking care of the sick, although all the boys are portrayed as having chores. [...]

In the book The Great Brain written by John D. Fitzgerld was awesome! The book takes place in Adenville, Utah. There are some main characters this book, Tom (T.D) who is known as the great brain, Swyen (S, D) who is the eldest and acts mature, John (J, D) who is the youngest and is always up to something, Abie who is a store owner, and Mr. Standish who is the new school house teacher who everyone hates. Tom, John, and Swyen's father ordered a water closet, which is a bathroom, and they let people see it if they paid one cent. They made forty cents total. When Swyen got the measles, John was jells because he had never gotten sick first and then got to rub it in his brothers face. So one day John decided he wanted to get sick. John went over to his friend Howard who has had the mumps. So he decided to sneak into his house and started breathing in Howard's sick breath, and what do you know, John got sick. Abie had fainted once, twice, Abie died from malnutrition. They had a funeral for him that very day. Mr. Standish was the new school house teacher. Mr. Standish had paddled Tom for not being a tattletale, and Tom swore he would get back to Mr. Standish. So anways Swyen had gone to a Cathloic school in Salt Lake City so Swyen was gone and it was now just Tom and John. Andy their friend had stepped on a rusty nail and had not been able to return back to school. He ended up getting a prosthetic leg.

I learned that you should not lie for any purpose. Like when Tom found a way to get rid of Mr. Standish and when Tom's father asked if he had known anything to know about it and Tom never spoke a word intill his mamma made him tell. I also learned in this book that helping people is good. Like when Tom helped Basil get out of a fight, or when Tom helped Andy play baseball.

I recommend this book to someone who likes smart kids and funny stories. Like the time John wanted to get sick and he got the mumps. Why I think that the book is funny because it is all about fun and making life worth living.

The is a wonderfully, great, terrific book! They need to re-release the Great Brain movie from 1978 starring little Jimmy Osmond! Also, if I may suggest, try reading the Adventures With Boys book series-- Just as good!!!;)

I poured through these books continuously in my youth. I would beg for a trip to the library so I could find just one more I hadn't read.

I had all but forgotten about them until my oldest showed a keenness for reading. Now I'm ordering them for her for Christmas. I hope she gleans as much joy as I did from them! I used to love to pretend that Papa was handing out his sage advice directly to me.

This is such a wonderfully written series for young readers. You really can't go wrong with them, and hopefully my daughter will review this for you some time after Christmas!