Year 2000 Books

Of all the tranlations of the Tao, Red Pine's is by far the best. I've read a lot of other Tao translations and none offer the clear interpretation that Red Pine offers. This is a must have book by the most qualified voice on the subject and at a price that cannot be beat.

I have a friend who's library includes some 20+ translations of this work and I have to date, read 4 of my own. Red Pine's TTC with Commentaries is much easier to follow and understand than other translations and the commentaries offer even more ways to consider each verse. To read what other Chinese scholars took from reading Lao Tsu's work will also make obvious that many have had very different understanding of this work, and that maybe, they are all useful.

This translation does, in my mind, further disproves those who so misunderstood Lao Tsu to call him a libertarian and an anarchist and does more to convince me that he, maybe above all the great teachers, was a true spiritualist, truly understanding what he chose not to define, not to personify, or to name...other than to simply call it The Way.

I have only two thirds of the book complete, but have to join those who claim it their favorite TTC so far.

I liked this book. the commentaries are interesting and provide insight into the Tao. I would have liked more commentaries on how to apply them to daily life, but overall it's a good book. I would recommend it.

In Asia, sacred texts like the Tao Te Ching are read with reference to the commentaries of its key historical luminaries. Only in the west is it read by itself, with no guidance. Finally, we have a TTC with key commentaries. Plus, the author has here given a translation that may come as close as possible to expressing the Chinese in English. It is concise, even pithy.
A number of other features make this volume unique and particularly valuable. Pine's extensive introduction covers an intriguing linguistic insight into the Chinese written character for Tao, Lao Tzu's historical background, the usual issues of authorship, etc., and some of the deeper understandings of the important themes of philosophical Taoism. Also, he has provided black and white photos of the famed Hanku Pass and the Loukuantai where tradition holds that Lao-tzu wrote the Tao Te Ching. The Chinese text is provided along side Pine's clear and unadorned translation. He utilizes the earlier but more recently discovered Mawangtui texts, and explains his preferences in choosing among textual variants. But most important for me, and for any student of the Tao Te Ching are his carefully selected commentaries which follow each verse. These show how the Chinese have traditionally understood the passages of the TTC in selected commentaries from the last 2000 years. Also, the book provides an extensive glossary of the Chinese terms and the commentators. Highly recommended!

The only language in which the Taoteching could have been written is Classical Chinese, a medium seemingly open enough to accomodate any translation without losing anything at all. But we should keep in mind, as the good book here says, ". . . the Tao in words is not the real Tao . . ." We could say that Classical Chinese could not really, in our day and age, be served up in literal translation, and we can be grateful to Red Pine, once again, that in this fabulous rendering, he does not begin with the words, but rather with the Tao.

Paul Reps once told me that we humans "are on the outside looking in". Like the space between the kanji strokes, as with the Chinese, thus with the Tao, and even the Truth. (Chapter 11: "Thirty spokes converge on a hub, but it's the emptiness that makes a wheel work . . ."
This translation does work. As in his other impressive translations (I especially love his moving early 1990's translation of Bodhidharma - recommended to all who wish to learn more of Ch'an or Zen) there breathes an immediacy which flows forth into the consciousness of our moment, resonant in these teachings. Relatively obscure in the West not half a century ago, they thus have been recognized for their pith, their eternal relevance, their vision.

Each Chapter in this well-bound, well-designed volume is accompanied by a series of commentaries or alternative translations from various sages in the Taoist tradition, a process which itself, once again, reveals the Tao, ever changing, always unchanged.

Chapter 19: "Get rid of wisdom and reason
and people will live a hundred times better
get rid of kindness and justice
and people once more will love and obey
get rid of cleverness and profit
and thieves will cease to exist
but these sayings are not enough
hence let this be added
wear the undyed and hold the uncarved
reduce self-interest and limit desires
get rid of learning and problems will vanish"

I've been reading this book since the early 1960's in various English renditions - this one is far and away my current favorite - a real delight!

I have read many books about the cultural revolution but this one stands out amongst them all. The story he tell is a complete one. Finally, we get to hear positive things about communism as well as the negative. I enjoyed reading Zhu's account about what a good communist his father was during his life. I hear the pride in his words. Zhu's father must be thought of as a hero back in China. Usually, you hear about government officials using their position to benefit themselves, but his father believed in the system. Even though I don't beleive in it myself, it's refreshing to hear from those who do. Zhu has a gift with words that I hope he will continue to share with us.

I have read many books about the cultural revolution but this one stands out amongst them all. The story he tell is a complete one. Finally, we get to hear positive things about communism as well as the negative. I enjoyed reading Zhu's account about what a good communist his father was during his life. I hear the pride in his words. Zhu's father must be thought of as a hero back in China. Usually you hear about government officials using their position to benefit themselves. Zhu's father believed in the system. Even though I don't beleive in it myself, it's refreshing to hear from those who do. Zhu has a gift with words that I hope he will continue to share with us.

Having lived and worked as an American teacher in China now for two years, I've been able to read a number of biographies and memoirs of China's modern history. But unlike so many westerners who read such literature, I don't have the luxury of finishing a book and passing it off as some faraway account of a society and system that I'll never personally have to deal with. On the contrary, I see and share daily in the environment that China is - the aftereffects of her history of poverty and oppression, the often-autocratic decisions of the government, the worldview that communism and recent extreme nationalism have shaped, and the now-booming economy and the poor it has left behind - and I have no choice: I must live and interact as a good citizen with a positive attitude in the surroundings in which I find myself, for better or worse.

Jan Wong's `Red China Blues' was the first memoir I picked up and read after I arrived. Though her work is a masterpiece of brutally honest journalism and is invaluable in tracking China's progress and change from Mao to now, Wong herself is Canadian, not Chinese; she can ultimately take China or leave it.

But enter Zhu Xiao Di. Born in 1958 into the home of one of Nanjing's most principled and loyal communist public officials, Zhu learned from his father's undying commitment to personal and public integrity and came of age during the nightmare of Chairman Mao's 1966-76 Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution. '30 Years in a Red House' is his memoir of his own youth and growth during this tumultuous time, but even more so a memoir of his father's bitter suffering under the frenzied policies of Beijing's leadership. It is a story not of a starry-eyed outsider attempting to join in China's revolution, but of a Chinese person himself trying to remain loyal to the highest ideals and find sensibility and good even in the greatest of miseries.

Wong shows you China through the eyes of a foreigner who can ultimately walk away from China and its problems if she must; Zhu Xiao Di shows you China through the eyes of someone who will die to save it. '30 Years' is, frankly, much healthier reading for foreigners such as myself who must maintain a positive attitude toward our Chinese environment.

Zhu's picture of every facet of his family's daily life in Nanjing is full of insights into the culture of communism and reasons why the society was structured the way it was. It's full of personal stories of friends and relatives who struggled bitterly through the Cultural Revolution and the economic emergence that followed it. And it's full of perspective on the shifts of government and the way in which policies from Beijing affected every person's life during that time. We learn of his grandparents and their youth and adulthood during three great eras of 20th-Century China; of his father's ten years as an influential and heroic underground communist, leading to a career as an uncompromising and loyal public servant, followed by a severe denunciation and internment as a public enemy, and ending in release and return to public work; and of Zhu Xiao Di's own education as a circumspect youth, his entrance into college and experiences as one among the great Cohort '77, his work as a teacher, and his eventual pursuit of overseas study as a means to ultimately return to China and be a contributor to her economic and social growth. His knowledge of historical and political events, his grasp of western literature, and his ability to aid the westerner (the American, particularly) in understanding and appreciating Chinese and communist values and thought, are marvelous and indispensable.

For those westerners particularly interested in life and work in China, I recommend '30 Years in a Red House' without hesitation. Could I do it over again, this would be the first book I would read upon arriving here. Other memoirs may tell more riveting stories of fear or horror, other biographies and texts may give greater details of the intricacies of history and politics and great figures, but few - perhaps none - will instill you with as much love and appreciation for China itself and burden to see her society become and just and prosperous one.

I have read many books about the cultural revolution but this one stands out amongst them all. The story he tell is a complete one. Finally, we get to hear positive things about communism as well as the negative. I enjoyed reading Zhu's account about what a good communist his father was during his life. I hear the pride in his words. Zhu's father must be thought of as a hero back in China. Usually, you hear about government officials using their position to benefit themselves, but his father believed in the system. Even though I don't beleive in it myself, it's refreshing to hear from those who do. Zhu has a gift with words that I hope he will continue to share with us.

I grew up in China. My family had similar experiences and background as the author. I could identify myself with the characters in the book. My personal experience was very painful before and during the "Cultural Revolution". For a long time, I couldn't look back without crying hard. Thank you for telling your story.
Whenever I read a book about China, either by native Chinese or foreigners, I found certain sterotype about China, Chinese families and Chinese people. A Chinese given name consists of 1 or 2 characters. Since Chinese characters are very rich in meanings they could represent, a name could tell a lot. My name, as well as my siblings' and all my cousins were carefully chosen by my grandfather. My given name, only two characters, tells where I was born. It also represents fountain flowing at great speed, which my grandpa thought was a symbol of life. It may be true that China is a male dominated society. However there are a lot of people who don't follow the trend. I was the third girl in the family. My parents were just as happy if not happier about my birth as compared if I were a boy. As a matter of fact, in the environment I grew up, there was no difference what so ever about boys or girls whom the parents preferred. Many families actually preferred girls to boys as Chinese people all believe when children grow up, girls are more considerate to their parents (this is another sterotype, but many believe it). I guess, after all, it is the parents, not the society decide if boys are preferred to girls. Families are different in China, just like they are different in the States.
BTW, My late father was a surgeon. My beloved mother had been a teacher before she decided to quit her job to be a full time mom.

Wow, I guess that 3 years after the fact, I really should start preparing for all of the chaos that will come with Y2K. Thank goodness I found this book. I will be sure to put all of these tips to good use. And now, I am crawling into my cave and getting ready. Wake me when it's over.

This book is a helpful source of information for those just starting to prepare for the coming of the new millenium. GOOD LUCK!

The information in this book is very good, but I was disappointed not to find info on certain topics like: RADIO COMMUNICATION ("walkie- talkies" and Short Wave radios); SOLAR PANELS (the kits that are best to power small electronical devices and recharge nickel-cadmium batteries); BASIC FIRST AID; and--I hate to think of it--GUNS.

Luckily, they do have a web site that is supposed to be updated regularly.

I'm really impressed. This book, How To Survive Y2k Chaos In The City, is a gold mine of useful, practical, common-sense information. It provides a sane, rational approach to your emergency preparations. This book has exceeded my expectations. I also applaud the authors because they don't use any of the fear tactics that many do, but instead give some very thought provoking reasons why we should be prudent in our approach to Y2k.

Finally, a book written specifically for those of us who live in the city (that's 70% of us)! We have amassed quite a survival library, but we find the information in this book to be the simplest, most accurate and the most helpful. I took it with me to a preparedness specialty store and even the owner was surprised by how many questions which he couldn't previously answer were dealt with in this book. It will help you become the most prepared in the shortest time possible.

Very funny! Hilarious pictures, funny context. Whoever this man is, he is one hilarious, nuttyguy! This is a funny view of the Y2K problem, that everyone who panicks about it should definitely get. Bill Gates, watch out for Brad H. Olsen-Ecker! He can surely make anything funny, especially referring to Lady of the Water. Great Book!

That Olsen-Ecker guy is a real crazy kook. The book really puts this whole Y2K thing in a perspective we can all laugh about and silence the hysteria. Olsen-Ecker is one of the great creative minds of the 20th century. It is not just a book but a survival manual for the next millenium. Save those cheese doodles, take the stairs, and cancel that flight to Hawaii. The Y2K hysteria is upon us people! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!!!

Fear and loathing on the road to Y2K! A surreal journey in context, in type design, in photos. It's riveting. It's by my bedside. It's a must buy.

The author Bradley Olsen-ecker did a great job creating characters that really had personality. Giving the Y2K situation a very real identity. The story mad a lot of sense, and gave the readers an idea of how crazy Y2K will really be.

Buy this, read it, keep it on your desk. Any time you read in the "real" press that Y2K is going to bring disaster, open this book at random; remind yourself that *this* is what the pundits are predicting. They're nuts. (Well, the author is clearly nuts also, but I mean that in the nicest way.)

And, it's cheap enough that you can buy a batch and have them handy to hand to people who whine about Y2K preparedness. I did.

In "The Condor Years", Jonh Dinges does a wonderful job documenting US complicity in overthrowing the democratically elected Popular Unity government in Chile and instituting Operation Condor, a network of right-wing military dictatorships in Latin America's six southernmost countries with the aim of crushing popular movements for economic democracy, social justice and political freedom. As such, it is an essential text for activists and scholars interested in human rights, civil liberties, union organizing, political repression in the Americas, corporate globalization and peace. The book also delves into the role that pro-business, reactionary Cuban exiles played in hunting down Chilean dissidents living in the US. Given current events in Colombia, Iraq and elsewhere, this is an urgent and frightening book!

John Dinges first wrote about the terrorist activities of the Pinochet dictatorship as long ago as 1980 (in Assassination on Embassy Row, written with Saul Landau), but, however much one might have suspected at that time, it was impossible to support it with much documentary evidence. A great deal more is available now, in part because of the case brought by the Spanish judge Baltasar Garzón in 1998, and in part because the declassification of many US Government files in the years from 1999 onwards. Dinges has therefore returned to his subject, and has written a detailed count of the years of terror in the southern part of South America, in which numerous military dictatorships -- led by Chile, but with enthusiastic participation of Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay -- conspired to murder and torture many of their own citizens, transferring them between secret prisons at their convenience.

Despite the emotional and dramatic nature of the events that he describes, and despite his clear commitment to democracy, Dinges has written a balanced book, allowing the facts to speak for themselves and refraining from the sort of exaggeration that can easily convert a good case into an incredible one. Despite the much higher profile that the Chilean dictatorship had in the European and North American press than the even more vicious ones in Argentina and Uruguay had, he recognizes that -- contrary to what most people think -- there were far fewer murders in Chile than in most of the other countries involved, around 3000 in total, compared with around ten times as mant in Argentina. At one point he talks of several orders of magnitude more in Argentina, implying several millions, but that is clearly absurd, and is probably not so much an exaggeration as a careless use of words: certainly, there is nothing in the surrounding text to suggest that this means what it literally says.

Dinges concludes his book with the words "the history of the Condor Years is not one we are condemned to repeat." Let us hope that he is right.

I think this was a very good book.It gives you an excelent report on the atrocities committed by the military in countries like Chile,Argentina and Paraguay.Mr Dinges did a great work in gathering all the information and evidence necessary to present a clear and bullet-proof case against all the parties involved.I was fascinated by all the evidence and information that clearly connects Henry Kissinger with this military goverments and the uncontested proof of his knowledge about the situation in this countries.The only thing i didnt like about this book is that sometimes it gives you the impression that you are reading a goverment report.Because, at times, the author is just giving you facts, dates and names with a certain dryness that sometimes bored me.It felt like you were lectured like in a class room.But,again, the book is full of fascinating tales and information that makes you wonder about our own goverment and the way it manages information.Good work!

This is a true story of terrorism and international terrorism patronized by the US government, then led by such honest and law-abiding statesmen as Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger (I guess Gerald Ford was also there, but permanently asleep). In this case the terrorists were not marxist revolutionaries or religious lunatics, but seven or eight South American rogue states - all of them military dictatorships and impeccable US allies. When in September 1976 the Chilean state terrorists choose Embassy Row, Washington DC, as the background for another assassination (in the person of ex-Chilean foreign minister and ex-ambassador to Washington Orlando Letelier), the US government coughed twice to cover its embarrassment, then coughed a third time, then ordered the US diplomats and secret services to cancel their almost manifest collaboration with the state terrorists, who still had plans to eliminate Ed Koch and other dangerous revolutionaries like him in the USA and Europe. These actions were canceled, but Operation Condor (the serial killings' corporate name) continued secretly at least until 1981. Some of the military have been tried and a few are still in jail now, but Operation Condor's top responsible Augusto Pinochet avoided any punishment till this day and Kissinger, though innocent and free at home, is on the run in half planet Earth.
We still don't know everything about this shocking story, but John Dinges' book The Condor Years is a great breakthrough. The only reviewer here who rates this book four stars tries to absolve the South American military dictatorships from their crimes, saying that they were fighting communism. Hitler always said the same.

The first thing we have to make clear in these types of books is who the author is and the author of this book is John Dinges. Dinges is a serious journalist who worked as the editorial director for National Public Radio for over ten years (1985 to 1996). He has worked as a foreign correspondent for Time, ABC, and most notably the Washington Post. And he is currently a Professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

This book is well-researched, documented, and in it Dinges is himself extremely careful about what he states as fact and is not afraid to acknowledge when there simply is not enough documentation to make clear judgments. He frequently cites cables sent between the White House and the U.S. embassy in Santiago and as well as information from his own interviews with major players within Condor and embassy/government officials during the period.

He makes clear how important Operation Condor was in the context of South American politics such as the fact that traditional enemies like Argentina and Chile were co-operating fully for the first time in contemporary history. And, initially at least, the real fear amongst the military dictatorships of guerilla movements united under the "Revolutionary Co-ordinating Junta".

Dinges shows how DINA (the Chilean secret police) was created with U.S. support and turned from a small intelligence department to the hand of Pinochet under the leadership of Manuel Contreras. More interesting is how the book documents how operations were run in Europe headed by American-born DINA operative Michael Townley along with Italian fascists to eliminate the exiled Christian Democratic/Socialist Party opposition. All of this, of course, climaxs with the Letelier assasination in D.C.

This is perhaps the best book you will find on the subject of Operation Condor. Documents obtained by Dinges in making this book are frequently cited by institutions such as the National Security Archive at George Washington University. It deserves all five stars I am giving it.

I would love this book even if I wasn't lucky enough to grace one of its pages (page 82 is myself and a co-worker at Yahoo! Inc. on that night). Alex, your work on this project was beyond imaginable, and the results are incredible!!

To see the world at large on this date, from every country, displayed on the pages of this book is really something wonderful. We are truly a global family, and this has never been more obvious.

I bought copies for everyone for Christmas!

This is a fabulous souvenir of the turning of the millennium. The project is fascinating and the content of the book is highly engaging.

I found myself flipping through the pages for hours.

It made me want to celebrate the millennium all over again.

Fantastic book. Really captured the spirit of entering the new century. Loved the variety of high quality pictures. Even more impressive when I learned that many of the photographers were amateurs.

Dawn of the 21st Century is a phenomenal photographic expression of the 24 hours surrounding the change of the millennium. A tremendous project undertaken by one man(Alx Klive) and his volunteers to collect and cull the best of over a quarter of a million pictures taken by thousands of photographers as the millennium dawned over a year ago. The pictures, however, remain timeless and serve to remind us what a wonderful art photography is for capturing an eternal moment. I'm proud to have been chosen as one of the Millennium Photo Project photographers and hope that you enjoy the book as much as we enjoyed producing it.

I first heard about this project through a colleague in the publishing industry. Apparently this renegade group of people (from Toronto I think) put together this whole thing completely on their own, after everyone in the publishing industry turned them down. They went ahead with it anyway and organized the whole thing on the Internet using amateur and enthusiast photographers from around the world. I was skeptical of what the final quality would be like but decided to order one to see for myself. I have to say I was blown away when the book arrived in the post. The pictures are astounding and very very different from any photography book I've ever seen before. They are incredibly 'real' - that's the best way I can think of describing it. Lots of ordinary people getting ready to go out, meeting up with old friends, celebrating at home, praying and so on. Basically the book is a visual feast that focuses heavily on the human experience. It is simply fascinating to see how different people from all different cultures and backgrounds celebrated the same event. My favourite photo is of a Masai tribesman standing on the plains of Kenya, where the human species is thought to have first evolved. It is a stunning and poignant image that should perhaps have been considered for the cover. But that is only a very minor criticism of what is overall an astounding achievement. The top art book publishers in the world (Phaidon? Taschen?) would have been immensely proud to have put a book like this together. The fact that a bunch of amateurs did it on their own makes it all the more remarkable. Whoever in the publishing industry turned this project done must have been out of their minds. Kudos to the sheer guts of the people who went ahead and did it anyway! Bravo!

What a great book. It's purpose is to prepare you just in case there is a problem, not to tell you there will be a problem. Simple, clear information on what you can do to be prepared and remove any stress that you may have in regards to Y2K. It explains how easy it is to be prepared, demonstrating that there is no downside. It compels you to take some action, a step that will be beneficial to you and your family if something does go wrong on Jan 1, 2000.

A last, a Y2K book for the family home, written by a family orientated person. This easy to read book is just what every family needs to prepare their home for the possibility that Y2K does deprive us of services we normally take for granted. Read the book, heed the book, be prepared, and have a Happy New Year!

I found the common-sense solutions and suggestions to get ready for 2000 easy to read, understand, and implement. This "ounce of prevention" book is a "must read NOW" for anyone concerned with possible Y2K problems!

This is a practical book that provides important information to prepare you and your family not only for Y2K but for ANY potential natural disaster! This is a must read so that you have the basic necessities on hand for you and your loved ones! Every home should have a copy!!!

This brilliantly-written bible of preparedness is a must for every family. It is written with heart and love for her fellow man, wanting everyone to be ready for possible emergencies.

Raymond Aaron

I have seen a lot on the internet and read a lot concerning Y2K. You are the only one I have seen put together checklists -- a very valuable piece of information

I liked the book but i mean, I'm 13 and I need a lot to understand these tihgns... I'm a quick 13 yr old and i didn't even learn about what Y2K means...

This book is worth buying for the resource guide alone! It has the most complete listing of "Y2K preparedness" supply companies that I have ever seen. The authors have clearly done exhaustive research and they do a superb job of distilling the information into plain language. One does not have to be a computer science scholar to utilize this book! The "what-if" scenarios are sensible, not sensationalistic, and the suggestions for appropriate action are thoughtfully presented.

If you are serious about y2k and want one book that covers the subject, Resource Guide" by the Millennium Information Group and published by Sun Publishing, is the book for you. The first section covers what the computer bug is, how it happened, and how it may personally affect you. The second section covers what we can do to prepare for the unknown that y2k may bring. The book emphasizes preparedness, not fear! It includes many web page references for those with Internet access, worksheets for the many different areas of preparedness, and sources for additional information and supplies. Although the price of the book may seem a little high, it would be a small price compared to making a mistake in your preparation planning and implementation

Written in an easy to follow format. A must have resource for anyone concerned with getting it together in time for Y2K. No where else have I seen such a complete list of references regarding this subject.

A great read and informative even for someone knowledgeable on the topic.
He gets a little crossed up when it comes to KW hrs and KW but what the heck, the book is so thorough otherwise that you have to cut the guy some slack. It still gets a 5 in my book.

I've recommended Boston's books to several people, and those who bit were very thankful. Boston is knowledgeable and fun to read: read the fine print of the subtitle! My wife was especially happy I found this book and was not turned off by the Y2K part of the title, since it opened my eyes to how much better a father I can be. It's not really about computer crashes, but rather how to become educated the way Americans were a few generations ago...how to survive. In many ways we've lost the ability to do just that, the further we get from the Depression or a war which makes demands of the populace. How would your family get along without public utilities or grocery stores? It's not a book of fear-mongering but of common sense and thinking ahead. Unless you're a farmer and hunter on 40 acres, you'll likely learn much from Boston. You might even develop a new, fun hobby which will improve your quality of life, regardless what the future holds.

a full rundown of life when things go south . dont get be left in the dark with out it

I just bought this not to long ago and it was worth every penny.

It's much better than many books that claim to actually be the end all be all of prepardness. From food storage, putting some gold away in case the bottom drops out of our economy and a detailed explanation on gold and silver, firearms, ammunition, off road vehicles, communications, power and light, advice on medical kits, transportation, what people should be considered threats, where to move and what advantages a certain area can do for you and your family, it's in there.

Although the title has Y2K in there, it only has a couple chapters on Y2K and the rest of the book is still valid. There is also quite a bit about how fragile our society is and why a disaster can have far reaching and long lasting effects and why you should prepare for such an emergency.

Buy this if you're looking for a prepardness manual, you won't be disappointed. It's alot better than most of the other manuals out there. I should know, I've wasted a few bucks here and there and have bought some of those other manuals that claim to cover everything. And if you buy 3 books on this subject, you'll end up with a dud as well. This book actually does cover everthing you should think about before, during and after a disaster.

It's a classic and I'll be keeping it.

This is an excellent book to get you ready for whatever is coming--computer collapse after a cyber terror attack, a civil uprising locally or nationally, bad weather or just everyday living. The chapters on food and electricity are worth the price alone. I recommend you also buy "Boston's Gun Bible" for an in depth look at guns you need, though this book hits well enough for those that are not "gun nuts". It gave me valuable insight on what I need versus what I THOUGHT I needed.

Well worth the money. I am thinking of buying several copies for gifts to family members!

I wish I had had this wonderful and varied list of children's books when I was growing up. Because I didn't, I know now that I missed out on a great deal of excellent reading. Just think, this collection of reviews covers 550 years of children's literature. There are 133 titles, and the reviews are written by 62 people from every walk of life. This is truly an amazing book, one that you will want to read from cover to cover for the pure enjoyment of it. It also contains brief biographies of all the authors as well as biographies of each of the reviewers. This is a book that should be at the elbow of every parent and teacher, to suggest different titles based on the reading readiness of each child. The editor has thoughtfully put together a compilation that you won't want to miss.

Donald W. Burnes, PhD

In reading the reviews in Rev. Peck's great undertaking I have found that many of them are of things I have read in my youth and others are of things I have heard about, but never read. Of the ones I have read, I find myself wanting to experience them again with a grandchild. Many fairy tales, fables and stories as they have been presented in modern times have been Disneyfied far away from the original and show little resemblance to what the author actually wrote. Many author's of children's literature were not concerned with political correctness if it interfered with an imaginative and worthwhile story. These reviews are a fine avenue for a parent, teacher or grandparent to refresh or increase their knowledge in preparation for exposing their own charges to the wonderful world of the imagination as represented in classic children's literature.

Choosing books for children can be a daunting task. So many out there, which are the good ones? Here is an anthology full to the brim of good ones. Variety, quality of prose, and thematic excellence are its hallmarks. It is a pleasure simply to read through. Reading is an adventure and now you have a road map!

Paul Lachlan Peck's "Classic Children's Literature" is a delightful collection of priceless works which are familiar, at least in title, to all of us. Stories from our own childhood and schooling are uniquely reviewed by a vast cross section of authors from all around the Country and from all different walks of life. This book is a "must" for your personal library and is also a great gift idea for family and close friends.

What better way to divert your children from the dead-zone of television and mindless video games than to offer a solid alternative?
Could there be a better choice for young minds than reading? Or a better source for their material than classic children's literature?
The great news is that in this single volume our dear friend Rev Paul Peck has collected all the research you'll need to aim those fresh minds toward the finest adventure, fantasy and wonder that these great authors have left us.
With such a wonderful guide there is no reason for them to miss out on the great tales you loved growing up.
I was proud to be a part of this project as I know this book will be you and your child's best friend!