Conventions Books

Very well organized, and good content.
Id like to see more diagrams or so, so we can se how they decide to build the things... but it still is great.

I think this is one of the best books on this subject that I have read so far- very practical, very useful. There is a lot of information, real-life examples and experience from the .NET framework design team.

As a professional I have worked many times on building re-usable and extensible frameworks. Therefore, I had to read several books in order to make sure that the framework I was building was doing what it was supposed to do. However, in all these years I had never the luck to get a complete guide of "building a framework the right way" and I had to always put together pieces from different articles in order to make my own guide. Well, there you have it! Buy this book, read it and you will have a complete guide of how to do things the right way. Another great thing about this book is that different professionals make their comments about almost every guideline. As a result you are not only exposed to writer's view but also to the views and opinions of many well respected software professionals. Do buy this book and as hard as it might seem try to apply its recommendations to your daily development process.

If you need to write C#/.Net or even Java, this book is a must have.

I don't personally think that all developers will find this book useful. In fact, I have a feeling that some may find it highly useless and disruptive as it is abstract in a sense (one must apply the lessons to each library and scenario independently, taking into consideration many different aspects of usability and readability) and it does require some "retraining" of bad practices which have been long since ingrained due to years of usage.

But whether this book deserves a five star rating or a one star rating - whether this book is for you - can be answered by asking yourself the following question: are you obsessed with quality? Quality in the sense of creating a library that is:

- Easily reused by others, even first timers encountering the library or even first timers to .Net
- Well thought out with well designed classes
- Consistent within itself and consistent with the base libraries from Microsoft

The importance of the little things like naming classes, properties, methods, using one type of construct over another, using one type of accessor over another, etc. cannot be stressed enough in the overall picture of creating a library to a higher standard of quality, usability, and extensibility.

As Confucius is to have said:

"If names be not correct, language is not in accordance with the truth of things. If language be not in accordance with the truth of things, affairs cannot be carried on to success.

"When affairs cannot be carried on to success, proprieties and music do not flourish. When proprieties and music do not flourish, punishments will not be properly awarded. When punishments are not properly awarded, the people do not know how to move hand or foot.

"Therefore a superior man considers it necessary that the names he uses may be spoken appropriately, and also that what he speaks may be carried out appropriately. What the superior man requires is just that in his words there may be nothing incorrect."

As I wrote in an e-mail to my team, I think that digesting this book will lead to: higher quality public facing APIs for our customer development teams seeking to extend the functionality, increased readability and more consistency internally in our teams, increased usability and decreased maintenance costs for the support teams as well as new developers on our team, and of course, increased skill, knowledge, and competency as developers of each of the team members.

Easy reading, with good explanations of why you should use that convention. Great examples at the end of each chapter. As a beginner I highly recommend this book.

This is a book that describes twenty five modern Bridge conventions that every current Bridge player should know and use.

Each convention is described and explained clearly. One of the best features of the book is that at the end of each description of the convention is a sheet of example bridge hands that illustrate the convention. The reader can make his own answer to the questions, then check to see if he really understood the explanation. It is a good way to learn.

I think this is a very good book for every bridge player to learn and use the modern conventions.

This instruction book on Bridge Conventions is written simply enough for everyone to learn. It is divided into three sections, so, as you progress in your learning, you advance from one section to the next. Fun learning with this book.

The publication is well written, quite informative and, by far, the best book on bridge conventions that I have read.

If you are looking for a bridge book that covers the most common conventions out there in the "bridge world"...this is the book for you. This book covers all the essentials to learn and understand the most popular bridge conventions. It does it in an easy to understand and precise manner. You will feel confident after reading and studying. The one feature missing.....doesn't give you the opportunity to practice much on each convention. You will have to play to learn that. But this book is worth the price to increase your playing power.

This is a terrific resource and one that I have been using all year in my classroom. We have begun using this book as a book study for a Professional Learning Community at our school for those teaching K-3. My Grade One class has never loved writing more and their enthusiasm for writing has been tremendous.

This book will definitely aid in developing your 6 + 1 writing classroom. It is filled with classroom ideas and great picture books to use to enhance each lesson.

This is a fantastic tool for lower elementary teachers. This is how writing should be assessed. This book is a practical tool. It includes practice assessments and lots of student example papers to help you better understand each trait and how to evaluate it. It also includes many wonderful teaching ideas and picture book examples!

I agree with the positive reviews. The concepts and lessons are great. However, this book must be "all the rage" because when I went online to purchase the trade book from the first lesson plan, I could not find it for less than $50! Of course, you can substitute in your own book selections, but if you want to rely on the lessons as written you MAY not be able to find every book. [...]

We asked. We pleaded. We begged, "Pretty pleeease." Ruth Culham responded to our request with great enthusiasm with 6+1 Traits of Writing: The Complete Guide for the Primary Grades. And teachers across the globe cheered, "Wahoo!" Finally, a resource book for primary educators who have been searching for child tested ideas that tackle instructional strategies and assessment techniques in one comprehensive book. Thank you, Ruth, for doing a wonderful job of explaining each trait, equipping us with developmentally appropriate focus lessons, and reminding us that teaching writing to young authors is a process in which they need plenty of practice and opportunities, and an extra helping of patience on our part doesn't hurt. This must have book for all teachers - novice and experienced alike - won't be another resource that is shelved after a quick glance. It will be close at hand as it is used throughout the year to help develop the talents of young writers.

This is an excellent book, well written, clear and concise. It focuses on the Year of the Terror during the French Revolution.

There are several strengths to this book.

First, Palmer does an excellent job of giving short biographies of the major characters that ruled France as a committee during this period. They include Carnot,the military officer who maintained the war office during the terror,including defending the northern border of France. Collot D'Herbois, the ex-actor and fanatic had a very different temprement from the monk-like Robespierre. Saint-Just's attacks against the Dantonists was fascinating. The fall of Herault de Sechelles, the philosopher former aristocrat is very interesting.

Second, the chapters are very well organized. They are aranged around topics, including a hyistory of how the Comitteee for Public Safety evolved in the fifth year of the revolution; three chapters on maintaining control of the other regions of France during the revolution; chapters on foreign conflicts; a chapter on wage and price control and maintaining a central economy, are all well written and interesting.

I read the book after reading Hilary Mantel's novel "A Place of Greater Safety" regarding the relationship and competition between Robespierre and Danton. The two books perfectly compliment each other.


This is a very accessible history of this portion of the revolution and is extremely informative. It was written in 1941 but is fresh, current, and alive with detail.

I decided to read R.R. Palmer's The Twelve Who Ruled after having it recommended to me in class. The Year of the Terror and the Committee of Public Safety are often overlooked or not given enough description in history classes and it wasn't until my senior year in college that I had even heard of the Year of the Terror. Palmer's book is great for the student because he includes enough background information so that one can understand the information without feeling overwhelmed. The text deals almost exclusively the events from the summer of 1793 through the summer of 1794. Because so much happened in this one year period, Palmer presents it on an almost day-to-day status.

Originally written in 1939 and 1940, Palmer mentions in the Bibliographical Essay how difficult it was to gather information from the French archives, but upon reading this book and having some basic knowledge of the events of the period, one finds it difficult to find any deficiency in Palmer's work. The 2005 edition of The Twelve Who Ruled opens with a new foreword by Isser Woloch, Moore Collegiate Professor of History at Columbia University. In this foreword, Woloch gives the reader a little history of Palmer's book, as well as a brief overview of the events detailed in the book.

Palmer begins his book with a one page list, titled "The Twelve", of the members of the CPS and gives a brief one-line description of each. On the next page is a sketched map with the locations and provinces mentioned in his book, as well as a translation of the Republican Calendar. I don't want to go into detail about all of Palmer's 15 chapters, but some need mentioning. The first chapter, "Twelve Terrorists to Be", gives a detailed description about the history of each member of the Committee of Public Safety leading up to the Revolution. The subsequent chapters describe the different political groups of the Revolution and how the CPS came to be as powerful as it did.

Chapters 6-9 deal with the individual missions of the CPS members to different parts of France. Chapter 6, "Republic in Miniature", describes Georges Couthon's mission to his native region of Clermont-Ferrand and his attempt to turn Puy-de-Dôme into a model for the Republic. Chapter 7, "Doom at Lyons", is self-explanatory and deals with Collot d'Herbois and the Committee's shocking actions in Lyons. Chapters 8 and 9 deal with the missions of Committee members to Alsace and Brittany to deal with the army and naval affairs in those regions, respectively.

The beginning of the end becomes apparent in chapter 11, "Finding the Narrow Way". In this chapter Danton makes his return to Paris and Robespierre and other members of the Committee are becoming more and more adamant in their positions. The remaining chapters detail the downfall of the Committee of Public Safety and the numerous executions that take place. The exception to this is chapter 14, "The Rush upon Europe", which describes the military events during the spring and early summer of 1794.

During the epilogue, Palmer sums up the lives of the eight of the original twelve that were remaining after 10 Thermidor and the different ways each one went. It is interesting to see how some of the members played a part during Napoleon's reign. Palmer end's the book with discussing Barère, him being the last surviving member of the Committee (passed away in 1841), and his last days.

Readability was something that I was looking for when I was choosing a book for this assignment. I didn't want a book that would be so in depth that it would be a chore to read, yet I didn't want a book that would have less information than my textbook. The Twelve Who Ruled was perfect in that sense and Palmer kept it interesting by including many quotations from meetings and correspondence of the period in his book. I haven't read any other books on the Year of the Terror, but I would have to recommend this book to anyone interested in the French Revolution, or even political science.

I agree with all of the amazon reviews as to this being a compelling narrative. Most interesting was Palmer's argument that the CPS wasn't merely Robespierre's beard. Palmer is mostly persuasive in his suggestion that power was more or less equitably diffused throughout the committee and that facesaving hindsight by CPS members is the reason why history has affixed sole blame for the terror on Robespierre's shoulders. Less convincing is Palmer's portait of Jacobin ideological purity. Robespierre and St.Just are presented as Spartan warriors with spotless souls even as he details their forgeries and chicanery in railroading their political rivals. Palmer often protests too much, bemoaning the miniscule percentage of victims of the terror and blaming CGS members, representatives on mission, anyone really but Robespierre. One can never escape bias in French revolution histories-so this criticism should certainly be taken with a grain of salt. Palmer's book is unique and refreshing however, meticulously and cogently argued.

In print since 1941, this fine book is a group portrait and analysis of the Committee of Public Safety, the most important organ of government in France from the fall of 1793 to the summer of 1794. Writing at the end of the 1930s, Palmer was particularly interested in the psychology of dictatorship and how much governments emerge.

When the members of the Committee took their seats, France and the French Revolution appeared headed for disaster. There was widespread dissent in the provinces, and in some, outright revolt. The chaotic politics in Paris made government from the center difficult and the armies of almost every other major European state seemed poised to dismember France. The members of the committee were on the face of it, an undistinguished lot of modest prior accomplishments. Almost exclusively middle class, none of them would have been able to rise high under the Ancien Regime. Most were lawyers or had legal training. Several were simultaneously minor provincial intellectuals. Two were army officers whose plebian origins would have prevented them from attaining significant rank in the Royal Army. As a group, and despite significant internal political strains, they proved to be an energetic and capable group of administrators and politicians. Palmer does very well in describing the considerable obstacles to success, the enormous efforts made by most of the Committee, and their considerable success as administrators.

Over the course of a year, the committee met the great challenges in front of them more or less successfully. Revolts in the provinces were crushed, often with great brutality. Though the Parisian political scene remained volatile, it did stabilize and the Committee was able to construct a reasonably effective central government. Assisted by dissent and incompetence among the monarchial opponents of France, the Committee found the resources and military leadership needed to prosecute the war successfully. The Committee arguably saved the Revolution and went a long way towards the construction of a powerful, centralized French state.

But what kind of Revolution did they save? Palmer shows very well that the Committee were not merely reacting to the pressure of events but were all committed Republicans of varying degrees of radicalism. It is impossible to understand their actions without recognizing their ideological commitment to a new kind of Republican society informed strongly by Rousseauist ideals. Detestation of inherited privilege, anti-clericalism (though not atheism), worship of the idea of virtue, a commitment to some form of popular sovereignty, and the pursuit of a strong state were common ideals of the Committee. As is often the case, war produced radicalization and these ideals would also justify the Terror and the ruthless suppression of provincial revolts, and encourage French armies in practices that anticipate the brutal behavior of Napoleon's armies in occupied Europe. In a few cases, the Committee made pragmatic choices that contradicted some of their earlier convictions. Most of the committee disliked the violent de-Christianization carried out by some radicals but did not interfere in some cases to maintain their political support in Paris. All the Committee members would have prefered an economic system based on free trade but the exigencies of war resulted in the first systematic and partially successful effort at a planned economy.

Palmer both describes the actions of the committee well and writes well about the individual members. His objective treatment of Robespierre is particularly good. This book is a model in terms of melding biographical information with the broader context of historical events. As a study of revolutionary psychology and a case example of how dictatorships form, this book is excellent.

This may have been the best book that I have ever read. Palmer does a great job of portraying the characters, the times, and the decisions they made. The last chapter is absolutely riveting. One of if not the best book I've ever read!

In a biography on Madison I read that every day of his life after the Consitutional Convention he was asked to reveal the notes he had taken of the debates, and not until well after he and every one else present at the convention died, in 1840, did Madison allow these notes to become public. Others had surrepticiuosly taken notes of the procedings, but none were substantial. Everyone knew Madison's notes would reveal the truth about what happened during the Constitutional debates.

I actually didn't have that hard a time reading the text, as I was expecting the worst. Admittedly, I only read the first two hundred pages and scattered sections. The text is over 600 pages long, though it is nicely broken up by days during the four month long marathon.

The text of the debates does have its entertaining moments. It was fascinating to hear the leading men of the day discuss the plusses and minuses of various rules for structuring their nation to be.

My major criticism of this particular edition is that there is no background information given on each of the "combatants" at the debates or explanatory footnotes within the text. The more I read on the founding of the United States, the more I realize that there were many politicians besides Jefferson, Madison, Franklin, etc. These lesser-known men's lives are very relevent and interesting, too, and I felt that I would have gotten more out of the reading if I had known more about the characters and the local background of the issues at that time. I do plan on returning to the Notes of the Debates in the future.

Othewise, the text can only be rated at 5 stars.

add (2/12/06): I would highly suggest reading "Decision in Philadelphia" by Collier and Collier if you are unfamiliar with the participants and issues in the 1787 Consitutional Convention. It is an excellent book and an extremely easy read.

This is not only fascinating reading, but is a critical primary source for understanding our Constitution. This is Madison's first hand account of the secret proceedings of the Constitutional Convention. You'll see how the debate unfolds and understand more fully the difficulty of creating a governing document for our nation.

Most importantly you'll see the difficulty in divining the original intent of our founders. There were many intents and many "founders" of this important document. It is not surprising that many involved in the creation of our constitution could afterwards disagree on the substance of what different articles "meant." That is why the argument over original intent can never be resolved, and why, for better or worse, the Constitution remains open to interpretation.

~Notes of Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787 Reported by James Madison~ is an insightful chronicle of the proceedings of the Philadelphia Convention. There is no denying the immense historical value of Madison's notes from the Convention to draft the Constitution. It's an excellent study tool to understand the framing of the United States Constitution, and follow the debates and see how the document was shaped and who influenced it. As a matter of fact, Madison offered a salient defense of the compact nature of the Union, as opposed to the nationalist theory of Joseph Story and Daniel Webster. Among the other note-takers at the Convention (e.g. Robert Yates), James Madison offered the most thorough exposition of the proceedings. He apparently nearly wore his hand ragged transcribing all of this stuff in such detail, but he had an intuitive sense that they were really making history in 1787. The problem I have with modern constitutional historiography is that it does accurately portray the purpose of the Convention or its power and authority. As a result, the ambiguous special pleadings for ratification known as the Federalist Papers are overvalued while the subsequent state ratifying conventions are ignored and marginalized. The fact that the people of the several states never ratified Hamilton's opinions, and the fact that Hamilton had offered a plan for complete consolidation at Philadelphia only to leave that Convention early also discounts the value of his special pleading for adoption of the Constitution as the be-all and end-all summation of original intent. In Federalist #40, Madison accurately stated that the Philadelphia Convention had no authority but to draft a Constitution and its powers were "merely advisory and recommendatory." Madison also disclaimed the value of his notes and contended that we should look for original intent not in the deliberations and proceedings of the convention to draft the Constitution, but in the text itself and in the proceedings of the state ratifying conventions. Madison observed, "...the legitimate meaning of the Instrument must be derived from the text itself; or if a key is to be sought elsewhere, it must be not in the opinions or intentions of the Body which planned & proposed the Constitution, but in the sense attached to it by the people in their respective State Conventions where it received all the authority which it possesses." In point of emphasis, "all the authority which it possesses." John Taylor in the Virginia House of Delegates debates expressed a similar sentiment, noting that the proceedings of the state ratification debates "ought to be looked upon as a contemporaneous exposition... constitution." In other words, Madison's and Yate's notes are helpful, but serious students of the Constitution would gain insight on original intentions by studying the proceedings of the various state ratifying conventions as well. Thankfully, the Wisconsin Historical Society has produced the Documentary History of the Ratification of the Constitution.

This book is an excellent historical account of the decisive event that created our American form of government-the democratic republic.A complete understanding of the nature of the debate between the conservatives(George Washington,Alexander Hamilton,Thomas Jefferson,James Madison,Benjamin Franklin,John Jay)and the Libertarians(George Mason,William Randolph,Thomas Jefferson,Patrick Henry,Thomas Paine,and,for a time,John Hancock)is necessary in order to fully grasp what was at stake in 1787.A reader who purchases this book is also urged to purchase The Federalist Papers,written by Hamilton,Madison, and Jay.The great and inherently conflicting differences between Conservatism and Libertarianism , given that they are different political and economic philosophies, were put on full display at this convention in 1787.For instance,the conservatives favored a strong central government,strong executive branch,a strong,independent central bank to regulate currency and banking,and the establishment of federal excise taxes in order to fund the federal government.Hamilton later instituted an economic development and industrial-manufacturing growth policy based on high tariffs(import taxes).The Libertarians favored an extremely weak "federal"government, like that established by the Articles of Confederation,a weak executive branch,free banking,no national currency,and no federal government power to tax.This last issue was not decided until Washington ,acting as our first elected president, had to personally lead Federal troops to put down the Libertarian revolt, called the Whiskey rebellion, in Western Pennsylvania in 1793-1794.The revolt was based on the claim that the federal excise tax on whiskey,a tax that had been passed by the first Congress ,was an illegal seizure of private property.This revolt had a number of similarities to the earlier 1786-1787 revolt led by Daniel Shays that had revealed the major weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.Fortunately,the conservatives(Washington and Hamilton) won the day while the libertarians lost.

He told us exactly what happened. No editorializing. No Political correctness. Lots of detail. Pure Honesty.

We get to see what the Constitution was meant to be from the point of view of the founders themselves. Before you read any popular media work on the Consitiution, Read this. You'll need to think a little, but well worth it.

--George Stancliffe

Audrey Grant's books - like Commonly Used Conventions - are exceptional. They are best used in a bridge class/training session where an instructor can lead and help the student through the the basics of bridge learning. The value of Audrey Grant's books are that they present a system of bridge which has revolutionized modern bridge. Even Bridge players who have played for years, soon learn that their conceptions, learned from past experience, of even the most commonly used conventions have been in error or misapplied. Recommend the reader try to find a local bridge class with an experienced teacher.

Without a doubt the most useful and readable bridge book I have used. What one learns by playing bridge with cronies is too often only partly right; Audrey Grant writes well, organizes her material in useful ways, and speaks with authority. She follows up with good examples, explains weaknesses in certain conventions, and is thorough. I will look forward to any other books she writes.

If you are new to bridge I highly recommend purchasing all four of Audrey Grant books in the ACBL Series... CLUB, DIAMOND, HEART AND SPADE. She is unquestionably the best bridge teacher for a novice. In layman's terms she is able to explain and unravel the mysteries of bridge. If you begin with the club book and progress through the series as they increase in difficulty... club, diamond, heart and spade you will be able to teach yourself how to become proficient in bridge painlessly. Her books are written in lesson formats... and they are used by many people who instruct bridge classes i.e. adult ed. Buy one... I'm sure you'll add the other three to your library. I also highly recommend her "Bridge at A Glance" pocket guide which is a quick synopsis of bidding and the appropriate respones thereof. I bought many bridge books before I stumbled upon Audrey Grant and wish I had found her books first! Good luck!

I took the ACBL Commonly Used Conventions Course and was very impressed with this text. I think it helped me understand and use the conventions that I had an interest in using. Great help with weak twos, strong clubs, transfers, Stayman and several others that I now play. I would recommend this and the More Commonly Use Conventions Book for negative doubles and additonal conventions.

Provides classroom text-like treatment of some of the more basic bridge bidding conventions. Covers Stayman, Jacoby transfers, Jacoby 2NT, Drury and some of the related conventions. Expands on the Club Series book (recently retitled "Bidding"), adding nuances and more modern treatments to opening bidding, responses, rebids and preemptive bids.
The Audrey Grant series is used by bridge instructors everywhere as the basis for introductory bridge classes.
Although I played a lot of "seat of the pants" bridge in the past, I've just begun playing duplicate nine months ago and have already earned over 50 ACBL masterpoints applying the principles covered in the Audrey Grant series.

Two years ago, at the University of Kentucky, I had my first class with Dr. Richard Labunski. I found him to be a very honest man who pulled no punches when it came to legal and journalistic issues.

This book reflects that personality. If you want a honest, frank opinion on our political system, this book is for you.

If you're close-minded about the greatness and pedestal-like stature of our Constitution, you might not like this book.

In this book, Labunski forced me to admit that our system of government has some glaring shortcomings.

This truth hurts, and it will keep hurting. It is a cavity in the political mouth of our nation, and it cannot be properly filled without a second convention.

I heartily recommend Richard Labunski's thoughtful and carefully researched book, "The Second Constitutional Convention." Our Constitution is probably the most revered document in U.S. history. Yet it was written long before automobiles, airplanes, telephones, or the Internet, and a lot has changed in our country. Labunski's point is that, when Congress refuses to obey the will of the people because of special-interest campaign money, for instance, we have a recourse: Though difficult, we can initiate the process of calling a new constitutional convention to revise the Constitution, so that it is, once again, of, by, and for The People.

In The Second Constitutional Convention: How The American People Can Take Back Their Government, educator and political observer Richard Labunski shows how United States citizens can utilize a long neglected section of the American Constitution to organize a constitutional convention, the first such since the original 1787 convention in which the Constitution was first framed and presented to then fledgling nation. Labunski also shows why such a present-day convention would be desirable to effectively deal with today's rampant cynicism about politics and government, solve the out-of-control and corruptive campaign finance system, reverse the alarming and increasing voter turn declines, the dangers and potential benefits of the Internet for our democracy, and more. The Second Constitutional Convention is "must" reading for anyone who has ever turned away in disgust with the politics and politicians that dominate and control the American government today.

Even the most ardent Constitutional purist should read Dr. Labunski's persuasive appeal for a new set of badly-needed amendments to our Constitution and a second convention. The mechanism for successive conventions was built into the document -- it's Article V -- but because the framers lacked the time to hash it out thoroughly, its promise and power have become lost to us. Yet Article V is a vital part of the document: Jefferson himself said that he envisioned that Americans re-work the constitution "every generation or so."

By addressing the most difficult constitutional issues of our day -- campaign finance reform, the electoral college, gun control and others -- Labunski presents compelling arguments for re-examining the law of the land.

With an introduction by former Independent candidate John Anderson, Labunski's book also presents a blueprint for carrying out the process of constitutional change.

If the latest debacle in Florida and the creative lawmaking of the U.S. Supreme Court are any indications of the stresses being placed on our system by a flawed electoral process, the time for genuine constitutional reform is clearly upon us.

Even if you think the idea is too radical, at least get acquainted with Labunski's arguments. You will find them more timely and convincing than you think.

Believe it or not, there is a little-known section in Article V of the US Constitution that authorizes the American people to call for a new constitutional convention (the last meeting being held in 1787). That's right, we can meet again and revise, repeal, or affirm ideas that were written over 200 years ago when America's technologies, ideas, morality, values, and conception of itself were radically different.

In Richard Labunski's, "The Second Constitutional Convention," he not only argues for the need for such a convention and how the internet could be used to organize it, but he also suggests 10 amendments that such a convention should consider. Some of these include a Campaign Finance Reform Amendment, a Crime Victims' Bill of Rights Amendment, and the Repeal of the Second Amendment (yes, the right-to-bear-arms Amendment). Most timely, however, is his thoughtful and compelling chapter on the need to abolish the Electoral College.

As I sit awaiting the returns in Florida, growing ever more cynical about the political process and democracy, Labunski has reminded me that our Founding "Fathers" were astute statesmen that understood (even if we sometimes forget) that THEIR constitution would have to be reviewed and augmented as OUR nation developed and changed in ways they could have never imagined.

Swedenborg's Arcana Coelestia is a massive, 12 volume set that unfolds the inner meaning of Genesis and Exodus verse by verse. The story of creation - the introduction to the Bible - tells how God regenerates a human being. All the rest is details about how God took on our humanity from Mary, went thru the same kinds of tempations, and finally made His humanity Divine. That's why the Bible is special. It's a prophecy of the life of Jesus. Try vol 1 - creation thru the flood, Gen 1-9.

If you are looking for a deeper message in the Bible this book is where you will find it! The stories of the Bible are explained in a practical and sensible way. The depth, breadth, and continuity of Swedenborg's writings has elevated him into the top 3 IQ's of all time. Worth the effort!

Arcana Coelestia ("Secrets of Heaven") is Emanuel Swedenborg's magnum opus, and the first published of his spiritual works. Originally published in eight Latin volumes 1749-56, it has been translated into dozens of languages around the world.

In Arcana Coelestia Swedenborg first introduces the concept of "correspondences": a living, spiritual meaning within Scripture. He then proceeds to offer a verse by verse spiritual interpretation of the books of Genesis and Exodus. Along the way, he explains the spiritual meaning of many parallel passages throughout the rest of the Bible.

If you have found the literalism of traditional Christian interpretations of the Bible to be unsatisfying and problematical, Swedenborg's spiritual interpretation will provide a whole new light on God's Holy Word. The Creation story of Genesis 1, for example, Swedenborg explains as relating, not to the literal creation of the physical universe, which we now know to have come into being over billions of years, but to the spiritual rebirth of human beings--the lifelong, step-by-step process of our being re-created "in the image and likeness of God" (Genesis 1:26, 27).

In between the chapters, Swedenborg provides essays on many spiritual topics, including:

* The process of dying
* Heaven and hell
* The Last Judgment
* The nature of the Bible
* Human free will
* The Grand Man (Universal Human)
* The spiritual basis of disease
* The interaction between the soul and the body
* Divine Providence
* The presence of angels and spirits with humans
* Teachings about charity
* Philosophy of creation
* Inhabitants of other worlds
* Marriage Love

Virtually every topic Swedenborg covers in his later works is introduced and discussed--often in great detail--in Arcana Coelestia. Any serious student of the Bible must have a set!

Arcana Coelestia is part of what is considered the third testament of the Word of God. It is the biggest of the books written by (or through, if you prefer) Emmanuel Swedenborg. Collectively these books are all called "The Writings". To Swedenborgians, "The Word" is "The Writings", and the Holy Bible combined. "The Word" is the foundation of The Church of the New Jerusalem, or the Swedenborgian Church, or just "The New Church". If you try to read this book, and can't, try: 1. Conjugial Love 2. True Christian Religion 3. Heaven and Hell 4. The New Church Website. These are all easier options that will still lead to the same place.

The 200th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution resulted in a series of columns by J St. John. These 1787 meetings were secret, no official records were kept. But the notes of James Madison and others survived to reconstruct daily events. The original intent of this meeting was to revise the Articles of Confederation (Appendix 1), but a new Constitution resulted (Appendix 2). There is no index.

Many of the basics were the subject of debate and controversy. Some called the result a "miracle" (p.x), but it shows the power of a committee whose members work to the same ends. This book attempts to portray the meetings as an evolving news story, as it was happening. Most Americans do not understand the Constitution, because it is poorly taught in schools from unclear text books (p.xiv). Deliberate obfuscation? These 230 pages are a remedy. This book will give a short introduction into the daily operations of this historically important event.

The Constitution has endured for over 200 years because it is a framework (p.131), not a detailed plan that can't be adapted to changing situations. The Constitution has endured as long as it is in the interest of "We the People" to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our posterity. The hidden agenda of the convention was to create a strong national government that had veto power over all state laws (5-20-1787). The most important reason was the question of domestic and foreign commerce. Rivalries between the bankers and merchants of the North against the planters of the South prevented Congress from regulating trade (5-23-1787). Both forces would unite against farmers and the common people, and the danger of too much democracy (5-29-1787). The Convention wanted to avoid the failures of the Articles of Confederation. The Confederacy owed [money amount]in debt and needed to find a way to pay off their debts (p.139).

The unlimited powers of the Royal Governors made the delegates fearful of a single executive. The consequences of consolidating power was fatal to ancient republics (6-2-1787). Experience rather than abstract arguments shaped the Convention (6-4-1787). Neither the executive nor the legislature should have absolute power. The big problem was to create a national government that would provide balance between the large and the small states. States would be equally represented in the Senate, the lower House would be directly elected by the people, based on proportion to population. This was the key to creating a new national government (p.110). The Southern states were more numerous and wealthy than the Northern states; their method of computing political representatives won (7-12-1787). The Convention unanimously rejected "wealth" as the basis for representation; they should not fear the growth of population (7-13-1787). The new government would be a compound of national and federal government (7-17-1787). A Supreme Court was established, with lower courts (7-18-1787). A single powerful executive would be elected by the people to control the legislature (7-19-1787). The importance of impeachment was discussed and adopted (7-20-1787). The executive was given a veto (7-21-1787). The Constitution would be ratified by the people, not State Legislatures (7-23-1787). The office of President did not exist under the Confederation (p.133).

Each year in September is a little known holiday known as Constitution Day - timed to be around the close of the Constitutional Convention in September 1787, this day is honoured at the college where I teach by speakers in a special forum, and the gift of pocket versions of the Constitution for all interested students.

However, the Constitution is heavily in the news, more than we often realise. When the election of 2000 was contested, the Constitution became primarily important; it is always in the background of Presidential elections, but this time it came to the forefront. In the current situation between Chief Justices (a relatively rare occurrence in American history), once again the Constitution is big news. We the people are interested, and we the people should be interested. However, we the people often have little concept of how this formative and foundational document came into being. Jeffrey St. John provides an answer to this situation, in very engaging and accessible style.

This is a journal, a day-by-day account, done in a sort of combination of journalistic and court-reporting styles. Of course, we have no direct journal of this sort, as the proceedings of the Constitutional Convention were strictly secret (not the kind of thing that would play out well in our media-saturated world - CSPAN and CNN among others would certainly expect to be there!). Indeed, those who went to the Constitutional Convention in May 1787 were charged with a reformation of the Articles of Confederation, not the drafting of a new Constitution. History had a surprise in store.

This is not the only area of interest. St. John's documentation shows the different influences into the formation of the Constitution - while it is common to look to classical times and contemporary European governments for influences and inspiration, in fact the most memorable words of the Constitution come from the constitution of the Iroquois League, drawn up in 1520, which began with the words 'We the people, in order to form a union...'.

The various federal structures, the separation of state and federal powers and responsibilities, the debates over how representation is carried out (and who gets represented; the issue of slavery was contentious from the start, and one can clearly see the seeds of the Civil War being planted even at the Constitutional Convention) - these are all portrayed with clarity and candour.

The Constitution was not a document that was intended to be from the outset, nor was it passed unanimously (indeed, not all states were represented at all times of the Convention, not all delegates appointed attended, and one state never participated at all). Some of the founding fathers, including Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and Benjamin Franklin, made references to divine intervention being key in the process; Franklin at the end made the warning about the government being a Republic, 'if you can keep it' - no doubt recalling the fall of other great republics in the history of the world.

This is a fun and exciting book to read, a real page turner. It was published in 1987 as part of the bicentennial celebrations of the Constitution; former Chief Justice Warren Burger provides a foreword for this text.

This is a great and inspiring story, one that should be of concern to Americans of all types and walks of life. We are all 'we the people'.

I'm a nerd. 95% of my books are computer-related. This book will gave me an appreciation of what an extraordinary event the convention was. Several times it shows how it could have so easily fallen apart or gone off in a different direction (and Lord knows what kind of land this would be if it had). This book and another great book called 'Voices of 1776' will give you an awesome sense of how lucky we are to be what we are today. I cannot recommend this book more highly. (BTW, did you know that the only two signers of the Declaration of Independence who went on to become presidents, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, died within two hours of each other on July 4, 1826 - 50 years to the day the Declaration was signed?)

Fantastic series! Read all three.

One of the best books from Emmanuel Swedenborg. A one never to be missed if we are to understand God and the way the governs the universe

I loved this book because of the depth it gave my Bible study. It goes in-depth into the language of the Bible, with the meaning of the word choice. It also talks about the nature of the Lord, helping me know He understands what sorts of things I struggle with and how He can guide me. In looking for a fuller way of life and faith, this book is full of ideas for improving the quality and depth of my life and faith. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants an easy yet deep reading about the Lord and life!

I don't think I can say enough about this book! It is actually four smaller works bound together, each one adding amazing depth to reading the Bible and knowledge of God and life in general. The Biblical support that is all through them is fabulously arranged, with clear connections and ideas. This edition of the book is small and very portable, allowing me to take it basically anywhere. It has improved my Bible studying and the quality of my life--because now I know more about how to bring God's love into my life and share it with others. If you are looking for a more intense Bible study, or ideas on how to truly live, this is the book to read!

This book contains four short introductory works by the profound Swedish writer and thinker Emanuel Swedenborg, who lived and wrote in the 1700s. His works as a whole offer thoughtful Christians a richness of insight and spiritual development comparable to the greatest religious texts of Eastern religions, like the Bhagavad Gita, the Yogasutras, the Dhammapada. These short works on faith, spiritual life, sacred scripture and the Lord show the reader some of what Swedenborg's longer works offer - a thorough renewal and revaluation of Christianity, focusing on revelation, doctrine and charity. As with all spiritual texts, these give the reader back many times the value he or she puts into working with them.