Washington Books

I had the honor of meeting Peter Roussel at a luncheon at which he was the featured speaker. He spoke not only about his book, Ruffled Flourishes, but also about his experiences serving as White House press secretary. He told us that although his book is fiction, it is based on actual experiences and incidents during his tenure at the White House. The book is an enjoyable read, written in a warm, engaging, and often amusing tone. If you have an interest in politics, behind-the-scenes events affecting the presidency, and the power of the media, you can't go wrong with this book.

This hilarious yet endearing story about life in the White House was just the kind of reading that I needed right now. It was written in a style that I could understand and enjoy, while cracking me up on every other page. Who would have thought that life in the White House could be so amazing? Peter Roussel has truly written a credible novel, and it is nice to have a dependable source these days. I admire this book and the man who lived it and then shared his story with all of us. I highly recommend Ruffled Flourishes to all.

I truly enjoyed this book! I read it slowly because I didn't want it to end. I wanted to keep being a fly on the wall at the White House. More precisely, in the West Wing of the White House. And I wanted to find out what happens between Sox & Flaxen. I want more...how about a sequel...or a movie! Mmmm, who would play Sox? Tom Cruise? Ben Affleck? Vin Diesel? (just kidding)

Roussel gives his characters odd names and I am sure there must be some hidden meaning behind them. The main character is Sox St. Louis. His maybe-love interest is named Flaxen, and Sparta, the TV network correspondent is his media nemesis. The president is named Carl Crayon (that name doesn't exactly instill confidence, does it?). Aren't you just dying to know how and why these characters were named? I am.

Even though Ruffled Flouishes "is a work of fiction and all of its characters and events are imaginary creations of the author" - yadayadayada...you get a real feel for what it must be like to work in the inner sanctum of the White House as the spokesman for the president of the United States. Even the lingo sounds authentic. (And it probably is since Roussel served two tours of duty in the White House under Presidents Ford and Regan.)

For students of crisis management, the transcript of a 40 minute press briefing on pages 73-87 is most enlightening. How White House deputy press secretary St. Louis tap dances around the media, saying just enough to make them think he has said something profound when, in fact, he's said nothing, is a priceless how-to manual.

The book is humorous and a good, fun read. I highly recommend it.

Ruffled Flourishes is the first book I have read of its kind.
I found it to be quite refreshing and entertaining. The human side of the deputy press secretary was very endearing. I kept reading just to see if he would continue to mess things up with the character, Flaxen. It was interesting to get the perspective of the inner workings of the White House Press. It was equally entertaining to read the author's interpretation of the media. Who would have imagined it would be like that? I loved the way the author was able to combine both the professional and human side of the character.

Being a college student often entails way more reading than the normal American can stand, but with "Ruffled Flourishes" I didn't mind it at all. Roussel's charming and witty writing style kept me intrigued and roaring with laughter. The constant stress between the main character, Sox, and his romance Flaxen is addictive. Sox goes through many self- realizations during his time in the White House, and his journey is indefinitely an enjoyable one. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fictional accounts that have striking resemblance to the real deal. Way to go Sox, I mean Peter!

People my age were taught citizenship in school and were taught to respect the President. I have always been fascinated with the personal lives of the Presidents and the folklore of the White House. This book does not disappoint if you like the "behind the scenes" information on the White House and its past residents. I also recommend the one written for children by the same author. This puts politics aside and restores some pride in the institution of our Presidency and their families.

Season's Greetings from the White House is an excellent source of presidential Christmas/holiday items from the early part of the twentieth century to the present. Each President's holiday greetings along with staff gifts are shown. Mrs. Seeley has written an superb book which continues to grow with each new edition. The quality of photographs and the amount of them in the book make it worth the price. I highly recommend this book for anyone who has an interest in not only presidential items, but for anyone who has any interest in the holiday season.

Anyone who has ever been interested in Christmas and what it means to the residents of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue MUST get this book. A treasure that will be loved forever....a history that is important to America! Mary Evans Seeley has it all here! Thanks! Chis Allen

Mary Evans Seeley is an expert on Christmas celebrations in the White House. Several years ago, she decided to share her knowledge and research dealing with personal First Family recollections and the result is the wonderful book "Season's Greetings from the White House."

It is a book for historians, Americana fans, Christmas collectors and art lovers. More than just behind-the-scenes stories, this richly illustrated volume shows, in full color throughout, the actual cards, prints and other Presidential gifts of sterling silver, pewter, glass, wood and leather. Most of the gifts were designed for distribution to White House staffers.

Seeley, who resides in Tampa, Florida, shares with the reader, the personal experiences of the wide variety of artists whose works came to grace Presidential cards and gift prints. To bring in historical color, the author interviewed a number of First Ladies and children of First Families.

The book's frontispiece displays the magnificent Neapolitan Baroque crèche in the White House East Room in 1963. The photograph was selected by President and Mrs. Kennedy for their Christmas card scheduled to be sent in December. Less than 30 were personally signed by both the President and First Lady prior to their fateful Dallas trip. These dual-signed Christmas cards are among the rarest of all Presidential Christmas memorabilia.

The photos of Seeley's historical collection of White House Christmas cards offers an interesting glimpse of our nation's culture and its values through the years.

It's no matter if you look upon the book as a major scholarly effort or simply a beautiful insight into the traditions of our First Families, "Season's Greetings from the White House" makes an excellent gift for the holidays and is a wonderful reference book for historians who are seeking the human side of Christmas in the Presidential Mansion.

All White House Christmas books will be measured by this one in the future. It is incredible. A must for all collectors of White House Christmas memorabilia. Every home and office should have this book on display during Christmas time.

Before this one, many other books often provide one-sided view from Washington by war historians, scholars and analysts (who did not know off-hand the combat and strategic position at the time nor the moral, spirit and willingness to fight by these young, heroic and patriotic Special Branch Commandos). These books were based largely from declassified War Department MACV-SOG material since 1995, with few interviews with actual SB personnel. The sacrifice these Commandos made (in secrecy from 1956 to 1975) were not told the way it deserves in these books.
At Paris, in 1972, hundreds of these Commandos had been betrayed by Henry Kissinger and their American allied. The American team members got released while the Vietnamese are kept 10 years or longer in prisons. Years later, they are still cheated by many books that often lack the acknowledgement of their heroic sacrifice.

Finally this is one of the two books (the other is by Ken Conboy and Dale Andrade) about the secret war conducted by the CIA and Colonel Ngo The Linh's Bureau 45B (or Special Branch). Mr. Tourison interviewed many Vietnamese commandos & case officers and have made great effort to provide a more complete and accurate account of success and failure of CIA & Special Branch and SOG & Coastal Security Service.

Many of these Commandos died in North Vietnamese cruelest prisons, the rest spent between 15 to 22 years in hard-labor. Their stories are now finally told.

I highly recommend this book to everyone.

Thank you Mr. Tourison.

Before this one, many other books often provide one-sided view from Washington by war historians, scholars and analysts (who did not know off-hand the combat and strategic position at the time nor the moral, spirit and willingness to fight by these young, heroic and patriotic Special Branch Commandos). These books were based largely from declassified War Department MACV-SOG material since 1995, with few interviews with actual SB personnel. The sacrifice these Commandos made (in secrecy from 1956 to 1975) were not told the way it deserves in these books.

At Paris, in 1972, hundreds of these Commandos had been betrayed by Henry Kissinger and their American allied. The American team members got released while the Vietnamese are kept 10 years or longer in prisons. Years later, they are still cheated by many books that often lack the acknowledgement of their heroic sacrifice.

Finally this is one of the two books (the other is by Ken Conboy and Dale Andrade) about the secret war conducted by the CIA and Colonel Ngo The Linh's Bureau 45B (or Special Branch). Mr. Tourison interviewed many Vietnamese commandos & case officers and have made great effort to provide a more complete and accurate account of success and failure of CIA & Special Branch and SOG & Coastal Security Service.

Many of these Commandos died in North Vietnamese cruelest prisons, the rest spent between 15 to 22 years in hard-labor. Their stories are now finally told.

I highly recommend this book to everyone.

Thank you Mr. Tourison.

Tourison provides a long overdue account of ill-conceived covert operations which achieved little other than to demonstrate the bravery of the naive young Vietnamese men who undertook these missions. This is a group which suffered some of the worst treatment dished out in the Vietnamese communist re-education camp system. Readers of Vietnamese should seek out the lengthy memoir "Thep Den" written under the pen name Dang Chi Binh, which covers the recruitment, training, mission, capture and inmprisonment of one of these operatives. Sadly, when some of these men arrived in the refugee camps of Thailand during the late 1980s they had trouble convincing the officials screening them for refugee status that their far-fetched backgrounds were indeed true. That some small measure of financial compensation has finally been provided to this group by the United States government is a welcome gesture, but no gesture will erase the guilt of those responsible for dispatching these men to certain death or imprisonment.

I admire Tourison for revealing the truth about the Gulf of Tonkin incidents which led to an escalation of the Vietnam conflict. The book tells of the CIA's Operation Plan 34a which directed commando raids against N Vietnam which resulted in PT boat attacks against American destroyers in the gulf where they seemed to be supporting the commandos. Those attacks resulted in the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution which gave the president extraordinary war powers which began an all-out war, although it was never declared as such by congress. It was great to learn how the war *Really* began. Sad to say, it was started by us :-(

Before this one, many other books provide the one-sided view from Washington by war historians, scholars and analysts (who did not know off-hand the combat and strategic position at the time nor the moral, spirit and willingness to fight by the young and heroic Special Branch Commandos). These books were based largely from declassified War Department MACV-SOG material since 1995, with few interviews with actual SB personnel. The sacrifice these Commandos made (in secrecy from 1956 to 1975) were not told the way it deserves in these books.

At Paris, in 1972, the Lost Commandos had been totally ignored by Henry Kissinger. Their American team members got released while the Vietnamese are kept 10 years or longer in prisons. Years later, these Commandos are betrayed again and cheated of the praise they deserve in many books by American writers.

Finally this is one of the two books (the other is by Ken Conboy and Dale Andrade) about the secret war waged by the CIA and Colonel Ngo The Linh's Special Branch. Mr. Tourison interviewed the Vietnamese side and have made great effort to provide a more complete and accurate account of success and failure of CIA & Special Branch and SOG & Coastal Security Service.

Many of these young SB Commanods died in North Vietnamese cruelest prisons. The rest spent between 15 to 22 years in hard-labor prisons until 1982.

Their stories are now finally told...

Persian Images, are fascinating to begin with right? However, what brings more interest to this book, is that most of these pictures come from a collection that was purposely destroyed in the early 1900's,by the Iranian government. The stories shared in reference to each photo are as interesting as the pictures themselves. There happens to be a much larger collection both in Iran, and in the states, but sadly they did not make an appearance in this particular book.

If the area of your study or/and interest involves Art,Photography,History of Asia and Near East this is a must have book. Sevruguin went to Iran and stayed there for almost all of his life. This book is a collection of the first photographs from Iran (that of course he took). Through Sevruguin's eyes the reader/viewer is able to discover a new world. Not only this world is new to you if you are a western viewer, but also these photographs reveal yet another angle for a native viewer, such as myself, since many of these photographs have never displayed back in Iran. I think, in a broader sense, as long as one keeps in mind that these are representations of one culture through the eyes of an outsider, this book is useful and interesting.

One of my favorite photo essays on the old middle east. Wonderful collection of photographs and fascinating history.

"Sevruguin and the Persian Image" presents the Smithsonian's collection of one of Qajar Iran's preeminent photographers. In addition to the photographs, the volume contains valuable histories of early photography in Iran, the career of Antoin Sevruguin, and how the collection itself came about. The double entendre of the title refers to how Sevruguin's art was informed by and catered to the Orientalist tastes of a Europe in which he was educated. Yet as an Armenian Christian who was born, lived, died and was buried in Tehran, he presented a different image of Iran than the typical Orientalist photographers of the day. "Sevruguin and the Persian Image" is both a solid examination of a photographer's art as well as a thoughtful analysis of the Western image of Iran in the late nineteenth century.

this is a great collection of some excellent photos of iran at the turn of the last century - it chronicles everyday life, including peasants, and the aristocracy and monarchy - there is a great picture of tehran's bustling main street, with horse-drawn, rail carriages, and the throngs of crowds, some of whom are temporairly mesmerized by the photographer perched on some rooftop. A must-have for iran-history-nastalgic buffs. Only wish there was more...

Katherine Kirkpatrick's The Snow Baby tells the remarkable tale of a remarkable childhood. Marie Ahnighito Peary, daughter of Arctic explorer Admiral Robert E. Peary, was born in a hut on the coast of Greenland, and spent much of her childhood accompanying her father and mother on excursions to the Arctic, eventually witnessing the historic triumph of Peary's North Pole expedition. Ms. Kirkpatrick's prose is clear and engaging, approaching her topic with historical accuracy and charm. She describes Marie Peary's adventures on the ice from a child's eye point of view, giving equal attention to historic events, Marie's love for wild arctic pets, and her excitement at wearing a grown-up dress. Even life-threatening circumstances are made fun and full of joy as Marie over-winters on a ship locked in the ice, narrowly escapes an avalanche, and races off a cracking ice-sheet that had been the site of outdoor games moments before. When Marie witnesses an Inuit walrus hunt, she focuses her appreciation on the skill of the hunters to deal with her distaste. The harshness of the Arctic experience is reflected instead on a beloved rabbit that dies on deck, exposed to the unrelenting cold.

Relying on Marie Peary's own writings and related works, Ms. Kirkpatrick depicts a girl with spunk, endurance, and a gift for taking her extraordinary life in stride. The Snow Baby is beautifully illustrated with period photographs, clippings, and even a handwritten letter from Marie, making the book a handsome and fascinating portrait of an inspiring young girl.

Marie Ahnighito Peary was born in the far north of Greenland on September 12, 1893. Her mother, who was a member of an educated Wasington, D.C. family, had shocked all her family and friends by accompanying her husband, Robert Peary, the famous Arctic explorer, to his winter base camp. Marie spent the first months of her life in a tarpaper house surrounded by Arctic winter darkness. When the long darkness ended in February, a ray of sunlight shone through the window onto Baby Marie. Her father reported, " Marie reached for the golden bar as other children reach for a beautiful toy." This quotation about
Marie is accompanied by a poignant picture of the chubby baby reaching for the sun.


This biography, which will fascinate young readers, follows the singular childhood of a girl raised in two very different environments, her grandmother's home in Washington, D.C., and the ships and camps where she
grew to know and love the Inuit culture and people. From these camps, her father made attempt after attempt to reach the North Pole. Her intrepid mother took Marie many times to the far north with her father. Robert Peary, promoted to Admiral, finally reached his goal on April 6, 1909 when Marie was fifteen. Following Peary's obsession with reaching the North Pole by tracing the childhood of his adventurous daughter is
a delightful way to learn history.

If ever there was a coffee-table book for young readers, this would be it. "The Snow Baby" is a beautifully produced book with the highest quality layout and design; and professionally reproduced photos, with the adorable image of 18-month Marie Peary, radiant in her Inuit furs, welcoming the reader to this unique inside look at the life of Robert E. Peary's daughter. But this book is more "than a pretty face"; it is a well-crafted story of a greatly admired American family that reads like a compelling page-turner. It is about cultural respect of indigenous peoples, as well as the value of perseverance and courage. Moreover, it is the story of a young girl who parlayed her young experiences into an admirable life -- surely an inspiration to all.

Robert Peary's daughter was born in the Artic to a world of ice and snow and lived there as a child on and off, never knowing if her beloved father would return from yet again trying to reach the North Pole. Between her life in warm furs and a ship trapped in the ice, playing with Inuit children, and her other life as a proper Victorian little girl in America, Marie Peary is a fascinating real life heroine. A totally engrossing story that you can't put down, illustrated with old photos, among them a tiny little Marie encased in fur and a ship bound by ice. She escapes danger so often and so many times fears to lose her beloved father to the ice and snow; set around 1900 before telephones or computers of any sort, Marie and her mother had to wait long and terrible months to find out if her father would come home again. Young readers will love this story. There's nothing else quite like it, and it really happened!

There are topics in this world that lend themselves to children's non-fiction. Some of these topics are the usual cast of characters. The Titanic. Roanoke. The Molasses Flood of 1919. Other topics are a little less well-known but when you hear of them your jaw drops and you sputter something along the lines of, "How did no one think to write this book until now?" I would say that Katherine Kirkpatrick's, "The Snow Baby" falls squarely into the latter category. Quick and fun, factual and fast-paced, the story of Admiral Peary's daughter and her years in the frozen north makes for ideal non-fiction reading for kids.

She was born in the far north of Greenland in 1893 in a part of the world where the sun wasn't to appear again for months. The daughter of the American Arctic explorer Lieutenant Robert E. Peary and his wife Josephine, Marie Ahnighito Peary spent her early years bouncing about the frozen north. Her father was determined to become the first man to reach the North Pole, and once in a while his family joined him part of the way on his expeditions. Marie's life consisted of Inuit friends, snow as far as the eye can see, and small adventures on the ice. Author Katherine Kirkpatrick traces Marie's numerous journeys between America and the Arctic, while also charting her father's dream and the lives of everyone she touched.

Kirkpatrick cleverly limits the length of the story to a mere 50 pages or so. In doing so it's as interesting to take note of what she does mention as what she doesn't. For example, Matthew Henson was Peary's personal aide in the Arctic. He was also an African-American and a true hero in his own right. And Kirkpatrick does eventually sort of mention to this fact by and by, but her focus is squarely on Marie. Mr. Henson's skin color comes out in degrees more than anything else. She also is exceedingly careful with her facts. At no point does Kirkpatrick ever force her own opinion onto the reader. With an impartiality verging on the distanced, we learn of the two Inuit children Peary fathered when his wife was not around. We hear about how he took three meteorites the Inuits used for making knives and spear points with a quiet, "Peary saw no reason why he shouldn't take the meteorites from Greenland. According to him, the Inuit no longer needed the iron meteorites because they could now trade for metal knife blades." Be that as it may, as we read towards the end of the book the Inuit were "left without the trade goods they'd grown accustomed to," after Peary's departed in 1909. Kirkpatrick is sly. She is certainly allowing the child reader the chance to reach their own conclusions on these subjects without seemingly putting forth her own. Just the same, when she recounts how Peary hired Matthew Henson for his lectures, Kirkpatrick points out that Matt was hired, "to wear (and perspire in) thick furs." True enough. You can give facts that damn a man without having actually write, "What an awful guy!," on the page. This distance is necessary when discussing the Inuit too. We hear about how Marie's friend Billy Bah was married at fourteen. Later we see a cheery twelve-year-old with her own baby. Some authors would condemn this practice. Others might try to explain it. Kirkpatrick, however, lays the facts before you and then takes a step back. However you choose to digest this information is up to you and you alone.

One of the first things that really struck me about this book was the number of photographs found here. I count at least sixty-three photographs in this book. Of these, a stunning twenty-eight are of Marie herself. Additionally, each page contains at least one photo, usually with more than one breaking up the text. Considering the time period with which we are dealing (late 19th/early 20th century) the fact that there even were this many photographs taken is impressive in and of itself. And that so many of them were taken of a single girl is just children's book gold. Kirkpatrick does a remarkable job of showing you images of many of the characters mentioned in the book too. The sole exception, I guess, would have to be Marie's childhood companion Koodlooktoo who only appears as a very small infant at the beginning of the book. And you can hardly blame the author for not being able to produce his face out of thin air.

And did I mention how exciting it was? One minute Marie's sliding down a hill and the next thing you know she's about to skim right over a cliff into the frozen waters below unless Koodlooktoo is able to save her. Ships are constantly getting iced in and trapped. People have to eat dogs. The book's wild and the fact that it's so well researched and cited just aids to the pleasure of reading it. Kirkpatrick is careful to include a Bibliography of First and Secondary Sources, a list of Source Notes, an Index, and a long listing of Picture Credits for anyone curious as to where she found all these great shots. Proper credit is given in the text itself to Ms. Peary's own book, "The Snowbaby's Own Story," though I would hazard a guess that this book is the more honest of the two. Something tells me that Marie probably wouldn't have mentioned her illegitimate half-brothers and sisters when discussing her much beloved (and absent) father.

If I were placed in charge of marketing this book, you know the first thing I would have mentioned in the bookflap/press releases/what-have-you would be the fact that its subject (deep breath), Marie Ahnighito Peary Stafford Kuhne, was a children's author in her own right. You may have stumbled on her Little Tooktoo stories at some point in your travels. In any case, with its short length and young subject, "The Snow Baby" might pair very well with other non-fiction titles like, The Cat With the Yellow Star: Coming of Age in Terezin by Susan Goldman Rubin. And for those people wishing to do a unit on polar exploration, you might want to consider also taking a look at, Onward: A Photobiography of African-American Polar Explorer Matthew Henson by Delores Johnson. All in all, consider this a really spectacular non-fiction choice for any given year. A non-fiction read that comes across as a true pleasure.

Packed with interesting information about Seattle. The book must have been written before the rabbit problem started in the area around Greenlake. A chapter for a second edition? I subtract one star for the "ring-necked gull?" on page 19 and the lack of an index.

I learned a lot about Seattle that I can't wait to tell visitors (guess what's under I-5?!) and got inspired to take some of the urban nature walks myself, like all the way along Thornton Creek. What I liked best was the view of what Seattle historically looked like - accompanied by really nice maps!

As a city-dweller I love cafes, the opera, the night-life.... but I also need the trees, the birds, and the Puget Sound. Williams' wonderful collection of notes on my hometown, Seattle, are a fun read and have helped me discover things I would have never discovered otherwise. If you live in Seattle, or even if you're coming for a visit and want an alternative to the regular tourist attractions, this book is for you. Enjoy!

I just moved to Seattle a couple of weeks ago and was given this book to read. Can I just say that it is by far one of the best books I've ever had the pleasure of meeting?

The author explores all sorts of natural phenomena around Seattle, from the geological quirks to the water quality to the crows. I learned a LOT about the local area, as far as the natural setting goes.

The writing is superior--it's obvious he's done his research, both in books and in the field. I can't imagine how much time he put into this. And he has an excellent sense of humor that had my giggling every couple of pages.

Highly, highly, highly recommended

I am loudly and joyously singing the praises of "The Street-Smart Naturalist: Field Notes from Seattle"; this is the sort of book about Seattle's natural history that I was particularly searching for. Keeping mostly within the city limits, David Williams talks about natural boglands and bald eagles, the fossils and stones that make up Seattle's skyscrapers, naturally occuring plants and recent imports, tectonic plates and city planning, radiocarbon dating of the last earthquake by the trees displaced and drowned, local microclimates and how they affect the weather (Capitol Hill gets 11 inches more of rain per year than the University of Washington campus ten minutes away) -- Williams has it all, and recounts his anecdotes with a dry and wonderful sense of humor. He traces creeks and chases crows, catalogues billion year old granite, and tells anyone who will listen about the fine quarries and the fossil beds from whence they came. This is exactly the sort of local history that I wanted to hear, happily jumping from the geological aeons to the conservation programs of the last fifty years. Every Seattleite interested in history or nature should buy this book. Non-Seattleites interested in urban orienteering/nature-in-the-city are also likely to be fans. Go go David Williams.

I read this book, and then I shared it with 6 other freinds,now they want their own copy and they are recommending to every one else. I have already approached the idea of the church including it our library. It cuts straight to the heart and allows you to see yourself and know that God has a way. This book will allow us to stop fooling ourselves and really confront our stuff. Everybdy who reads this book will see from the first sentence themselves. This is a must read. God has released yet another way for us to overcome that mess we try so hard to hide. After reading this book I said I could have wrote this. I wouldn't have. It exposes you. But if you are sincerely ready to live for the Most High God. Read the book. It helps you understand you.

Take off the mask is a brillant book written by a brillant writer. She spills her heart out just to save the souls of those who are scared to reveal their unworthyness. She went through alot just because Jesus wanted him to show the world that being truthful is the best way to be. The book i can relate too, because in my situations i had faith although through my struggle. It's sad that she had those thoughts in her mind, but Jesus' only put her in darkness so she can be developed into a beautiful and inspiraring writer. How do i know? I'm her daughter. Read this book, not only because I'm her offspring but because her message needs to be send out and told before its too late.

I thoroughly enjoyed Take off the Mask. This book really stired me to renew my trust in God in areas I was strugling to have complete faith in. I can relate to Mrs. Washington's experiences. I have had many similar experiences and It was joyful to hear her story about how God brought her through those experiences. It helped me to believe God more for my own experiences. I really appreciate this book and recommend it to anyone who want to be refreshed and to go deeper in their faith.

From beginning to end, Teri Washington's style of writing is very enticing! She reaches out to the reader by sharing her experiences of hiding her shortcomings in the House of God. As we all know, church (the House of God) is a place where we go for spiritual, mental and physical healing, as well as a place to praise God. However, many times we go to church as if we have it all together and nothing ever goes wrong in our lives. Well, this book tells us how we should come into the House of the Lord- boldly and naked before the One who wants to save and heal us! I encourage you to read this book and share it with those around you. It will definitely bless you!

Take off the Mask captures the heart of the reader by getting to the root: the masks we wear. With the Word of God & love combined Teri Washington shares her life story and the masks she lived through. Divine purpose is in every page, and once you read it you will never be the same again...I recommend this book to every person who desires to be naked before God, and experience the freedom of taking off the mask !

This is an endlessly frustrating and illuminating book written by Leo Strauss. Even if you aren't able to fathom esoteric writing, you will be continuously surprised by Strauss's clarity of thought about Machiavelli in both the larger context of the entire book, and in the minutae of the details. It has a way of forcing one to puzzle over things in a new way, and is free of the rhetoric of ideologues and demagogues. It makes the reader feel like a young student in the presence of a great, beneficent teacher.

Yes, Leo Strauss has the guts to say that Machiavelli is evil, and through a scintillating display of close reading, Strauss silently points, and nods, in the direction of the solution to why Machiavelli is evil. The other reviewers accurately convey the sense of mystery and sophistication about this text, but by reading Strauss's book "Persecution and the Art of Writing", the reader of "Thoughts on Machiavelli" may be able to arrive at the solution to the mystery.

A brilliant book.

One of the best and most important books of the 20th Century. I know that sounds ridiculous (shouldn't it be famous then?) but it's true. Strauss traces the beginnings of modernity to a concious design of Machiavelli's to overthrow all previous authority in favor of "new modes and orders." In other words, according to Strauss, the world we live in is not only not the result of imperonsal, inevitable "progress," it was made possible by one man who knew exactly what he was doing.

Through a detailed analysis of Machiavelli's books, Strauss shows how every important feature of modern thought is either directly traceable to Machiavelli, or else depends on a foundation he built. More importantly, Strauss outlines the differences between Machiavellism and what Machiavelli sought to replace--thereby making possible a (qualified) return to the superior understanding of pre-Machiavellian philosophy.

Such a return becomes more necessary every day, as the contradictions and prodigious errors of modern thought continue to erode civilization. Strauss alone has shown that return is possible--and this book is an indespenible guide for how to get there.

So, says Strauss, Machiavelli is evil? Is that so? What do we mean by this? Is this not all too comforting an answer to a question that Strauss hammers the complexity of throughout his book? The problem of this book is one esoteric writer writing about another. You sit there with Strauss on one knee and Machiavelli on the other as Strauss remorselessly "blows his cover." Machiavelli has something to hide and Strauss is intent on showing what it is. The question that constantly recurrs is: What has Strauss to hide? Nobody is this adept at ferreting out others' hidden meanings without having hidden meanings themselves. Especially not when their doctrine is that philosophy is a series of hidden meanings reserved for the philosopher and encoded so as to be missed even by the scholars. It, in other words, takes a thief to catch a thief. So Strauss catches Machiavelli leaving us to wonder what he has also stolen from us in the process

Leo Strauss does a masterful job of bringing the teachings of the world's first modern philosopher to light. Machiavelli is notorious for his "evil" treatise on political thinking and acting, "The Prince". Strauss writes the U.S. is the only country "founded in implicit opposition to Machiavellian principles". Modern philosophers starting with Machiavelli reject the classical view as undemocratic and elitist. Only wealthy men of leisure would have time to develop the virtues and character necessary to rule. Machiavelli believed that man by nature was selfish and driven by ambition. Machiavelli is not interested in character formation and moral appeal but in building the right kind of institutions to govern society. Laws and justice would protect men from power hungry rulers. Modern philosophy is an out growth of the revolution that takes place in the natural sciences during the Enlightenment. The purpose of science is the conquest of nature man is in control of human life. Philosophers from Machiavelli on become sectarian. "Everything good is due to man's labor rather than to nature's gift." Yet, when you delve into Strauss' "Thoughts On Machiavelli" you come to realize all he teaches is not evil. Machiavelli in his treatise "Discourses On The First Ten Books Of Livy" believes the Roman Republic was the best and most virtuous form of government to emulate. His breadth and understanding of Roman history is remarkable. This book is not the easiest of reads and I recommend it not be the first book by Strauss you read. Start with his "Introduction To Political Philosophy" or "History Of Political Philosophy.

As a retired Army officer and student of political philosophy, I found this to be a great book to start one's journey into political philosophy.

Under God is well written and well considered. It is supported well with President Washington's own words. An excellent reminder of what one of our Founders and our first president said and did to set a precedent that continued for years...until rather recently.

I enjoyed this book because first, it gave me what I wanted which was a great response to the liberals who spout off about the "wall of separation" rubbish and secondly because it was so incredibly well-researched and documented. The authors did not force you to a conclusion. They led you logically to the intelligent conclusion.

My own views on the proper place of religion in the public life are a lot closer to Jefferson's than Washington's and, even that perspective, I think this is a vital book. For me, its single most important contribution to the debate was the clear conception that Washington--and for that matter--Thomas Jefferson had religious policy positions that may have been distinct from their own personal beliefs. I had really bought whole hog into the idea, implied by Joseph Ellis and Gordon Wood among others, that Washington's personal lack of outward religious devotion was a good statement of his public policy position. Public policy positions about religion aren't--and shouldn't be--directly connected to personal belief.
Since it contains an extensive, although not exhaustive, selection of Washington's writings on religion, it's also an important reference work that belongs in most libraries.

All the founders were monotheists, Christians and Deists, who believed that God was essential to the republican experiment. It was the two most Deistic founders, Jefferson and Franklin, who insisted that our founding document, the Declaration of Independence, have a firmly monotheistic rationale for the break with Britain.

Thus, it has long frustrated traditional thinkers that Jefferson's "wall of separation" language, meant to protect churches from government interference, has been taken out of context and used to supplant the founders' vision of government support for religion.

Authors Ross and Smith have properly shifted the focus from Jefferson to Washington. They point out that Jefferson was in France during the Constitutional Convention, and was not in the Congress for the debates over the First Amendment; thus his understanding of the drafters' intent is of secondary importance. By contrast, George Washington was both the President of the Constitutional Convention and the President of the United States during the First Amendment debates and ratification; thus his understanding of the drafters' intent is of primary importance.

Ross and Smith carefully document George Washington's firm conviction, expressed throughout his life, that the government must actively support monotheism, rather than be a neutral and secular bystander. Thus, in his 1795 Thanksgiving Proclamation, President Washington reminded the country of its duty "to acknowledge our many and great obligations to Almighty God and to implore Him to continue and confirm the blessings we experience."

By placing the focus on Washington's views, the authors have helped to restore the monotheistic framework of all the founders (including Jefferson). To avoid the lure of tyranny, the government should respect the God-given rights of its citizens, and should support the monotheism that informs our republic.

We are all familiar with the famous line the Supreme Court misused in Everson v. Board of Education in 1947 to begin a drive to eradicate religion from public life. The statement on the wall of separation between Church and State comes from Jefferson's letter to the Danbury Baptists and is nowhere in the Constitution.

The Baptists, a dissenting group in England, were against having a state church (an established church) and wrote Jefferson: "Our Sentiments are uniformly on the side of Religious Liberty -- That Religion is at all times and places a matter between God and individuals -- That no man ought to suffer in name, person, or effects on account of his religious Opinions - That the legitimate Power of civil government extends no further than to punish the man who works ill to his neighbor..."

Jefferson wrote back to demonstrate that he also did not support a Federally Established Church (even though several states at the time had established churches). Jefferson wrote, "...I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,' thus building a wall of separation between Church & State."

Of course, this did not mean that the public square had to be sterilized of all religious references nor that the government must take a stance that God cannot be referenced in any way nor can the government support religion as a general concept. Because different states had established different churches, they did not want the Federal Government choosing one of them over the others and the Baptists wanted no state or the Federal Government to establish any church.

Well, this has led to huge debates over the centuries and the Supreme Court has referenced Jefferson's letter more than two dozen times to get the outcome they wanted. Justice Antonin Scalia noted in Lee v. Weissman that the phrase is used as a bulldozer to eradicate religion from public life.

Shouldn't we ask why Jefferson's phrase in a mere letter to some small constituency should become so dispositive in our understanding of the first amendment? After all, its language simply says, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;". Does that sound like a mandate for eradication from public life to you? What did our other founders think about this subject?

This wonderful book by Tara Ross and Joseph C. Smith Jr. looks at what George Washington said and did about religion. He was a uniquely powerful figure in his time and is mightily revered even today. One of his most admired qualities was his judgment. He was a man who was careful in all his actions. He was dignified and careful in the way he fulfilled his responsibilities and duties. So much so, that he did not step into this debate directly. However, we can examine his life and how he acted in his public life to see if we can understand his thoughts and beliefs on the role of religion in public life.

The authors have divided this examination of Washington's public life and words into two sections. Part One has six chapters that cover his actions as commander of the Virginia Regiment, Member of the House of Burgesses, Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, Father of a New Nation (1784-1789), President prior to the first amendment (1789-1791), and President after the first amendment (1792-1797). In their conclusion to Part One, the authors note, "Washington viewed America as unique. Its citizens may enjoy the benefits of public religion, while individuals are left free to hold their own religious beliefs." Note that as late as March 3, 1797 Washington wrote to the Clergy of Different Denominations near Philadelphia, "Believing as I do, that Religion and Morality are the essential pillars of Civil society, I view, with unspeakable pleasure, that the harmony and brotherly love which characterizes the Clergy of different denominations, as well in this, as in other parts of the United States; exhibiting to the world a new and interesting spectacle, at once the pride of our Country and the surest basis of our universal Harmony." Note that it was in having all religions together in the public square with each exhibiting true tolerance to all others that Washington praised, not having each citizen check his religion at the gate to the public square!

They admit we cannot know what views Washington would hold on the issues of our day, but that he obviously saw the benefits of religion as real while avoiding discord as much as possible. There is also an epilogue called "Whence Jefferson's Wall?" and note that early Americans would likely be surprised that the roles of Jefferson and Washington are reversed in our time from their relative esteem at the founding. They would have given much more weight to Washington's views. Maybe we should at least take a look at them.

Part Two is 128 pages of documentary evidence of Washington's writings referencing religion as part of his public correspondence. They are divided into five chapters covering the same periods Part One. There are also extensive notes and an index.

An excellent book that I commend to each and every person.

Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI

I love this book for many reasons, but perhaps most of all for the way the watercolors capture the light inside a Metro station and the texture of the concrete. It is the finest artistic representation of Metro I have seen.

I bought this book for my 2 year old daughter and her playgroup friends for Christmas. Each and every child has loved this book and has read it over and over again (we just bought another copy since we've worn one out). The descriptions of DC's Metro are very accurate and the poetic text make it memorable, especially when adding in the "rrrrumm whoooosh" sounds. My daughter now loves riding on the Metro and likes to bring this book along. This book is a must for city kids -- especially DC residents.

My daughter, Isabel, and I live in DC at the metro stop that Quattlebaum describes in "Underground Train," and we love this book. The language is poetic, the story easy to identify with, and the illustrations nicely fit the action. I heartily recommend "Underground Train" to families with train-riding kids everywhere.

Mary Quattlebaum's book evokes the sights and sounds of Washington, D.C., and especially of the D.C. subway system. The writing is downright poetic and is illustrated with beautiful, charming, and accurate depictions of the city. The day I bought this book, my two-year-old wanted it read to him again and again. I didn't mind; I love it too! The book is out of print and may be hard to find, but it's worth the trouble.

My son (age 4) has this book on his frequent reading request list! I like it too, but not as well as he does. He gets very confused by the parts of the book that are set above the ground, and I find them sort of needless---especially since on some pages there is no picture at all of the train underground. My son asks every time we are on those pages---"where's the train?". But that small flaw in our eyes is not enough to make him not like this book very much! His favorite part is the descriptive writing of how the train sounds! If you have a young train or subway lover, I would get this one!