Kansas Books

The author is a typical leftist; that is, he was a rich kid brought up in a Lilly-white suburb whose politics swung to the left when he didn't automatically inherit the social-standing he assumed was his birthright. This mindset deludes him into thinking that he has some sort of common-cause with the working-class he spent his early years avoiding like the plague. Franks' thesis is that populist demagoguery is only acceptable when serving the purposes of socialism,rather then corporate-conservatism...the possibility that populism itself isn't such a hot idea ain't even on the table.
Obama basically said the same thing with his "guns and religion" gaffe, but at least he didn't repeat himself until he had enough pages for a book. One of the log-rolling blurbs on the cover calls Frank "the second-coming of H.L. Mencken, but with better politics". Wrong on both counts. If you need a laugh at the fumbling of Marxists trying to convert Bubbas to their cause without having to actually interact with them, this is the fish-wrap for you!

This book is a must read for anyone wanting to understand today's politics and the great backlash occurring among good people who have been "tricked" into believing that voting "conservative" will somehow help and protect them. How far from the truth! I urge you to read this book. I highly recommend it.

Author Thomas Frank takes a funny, insightful 2005 look at politics in Kansas (and the USA). Frank shows how cultural wedge issues (abortion, gun control, etc.) have more pull with Kansans than economic ones. Most Kansas farmers and workers have fallen behind in wages, benefits, etc., yet see millionaire George W. Bush as their pal, even as he cuts their subsidies, busts their unions, and lowers taxes for their rich bosses. These Kansans often blame liberals for their problems - even with Republicans controlling government. Frank also shows how Kansas conservatives foolishly vent anger at wealthy moderate Republicans from suburban Kansas City by cutting their taxes! Of course, this is Kansas, which hasn't voted Democratic for U.S. Senate since 1932, nor for President (except in 1964) since 1936.

This book is fun reading, but the author jumps around too much, and wrongly faults free trade and Bill Clinton's middle-class strategy. He also can't see why blabbering idiots like Rush Limbaugh influence many, or why McGovern-liberalism (busing, racial quota's, etc.) still hurts Democrats at the polls. Despite these flaws, this readable look at U.S. politics is mostly on-target.

It is hard to know just how to process "What's the Matter with Kansas." The writer, Kansas emigre Thomas Frank, clearly feels that both major parties are now beyond the pale, or to be more specific, that at some point in the future Democrats will be moderate Republicans (if they aren't already). Invert this statement, and it probably explains Barack Obama's victory in the Kansas Democratic primary as well as Mike Huckabee's victory in the state's Republican primary: former Republicans, appalled by how far to the right their party has moved, surged for Obama while conceding their former party to the forces of reaction. Frank refers (unfortunately just once) to conservative pundit Andrew Sullivan, now an enthusiastic Obama backer for the same reason. A debate between Sullivan and Frank would, I am sure, shed more light than this book does on the future of American politics.

While Chapter Five ("Con Men versus Mod Squad") illustrates that the heat of battle within the Republican party of Kansas now exceeds that between it and Kansas Democrats, Frank insists that while prosperous Kansans may be losing the battle for elective office, they are winning the much more important battle for economic policy. The economic elite of the state, as in the United States as a whole, is garnering an ever-larger share of the pie while the middle class stagnates and the working class goes into freefall. What seems hard to understand at first blush is the determination of the working class to continue the policies (pushed by Republicans, but increasingly embraced by Democrats as well) which have brought about this situation.

Frank's analysis of how conservatives have managed to create what he calls the "backlash" worldview (a term he borrows from Susan Faludi) against not only feminism, but such other contemporary realities as sex on television and such myths as an attack on the right to self-defense, is largely on target. This elevates those issues above economic ones despite the fact that things like the rate of taxation can be changed by simple legislation while things like legal abortion would require a Constitutional amendment and are therefore probably permanently out of reach. Frank makes a convincing case that economics have in fact driven at least the changes in the culture industry (the same sex and violence that makes American movies fodder for the right wing makes them the best selling in the global marketplace) and refers not unsympathetically to the coarseness of our popular culture.

Nostalgia for the New Deal, the last time Kansas was represented in the U. S. Senate by a Democrat, largely drives this book. The next to last page begins with a discussion of how the features of Kansas City recommended to visitors in the 1939 WPA guide to the city largely no longer exist. More to the point Frank refers in places to the New Deal coalition as if it could somehow be resurrected (presumably by blowing up the headquarters of Fox News, whose octupus-like media and pseudo-intellectual arms Frank rails against constantly).

My own position is that the New Deal is the past. It inaugurated the Fifth Party System, which was replaced by the Sixth Party System starting in 1968 with Richard Nixon's Southern Strategy and culminating in the 2001 inauguration of President Bush, when Republicans were in control of all three branches for the first time since 1954. In the 2008 election we have a chance to create a Seventh Party System in which Democrats will have the initiative for another 36 to 40 years; but it will not be based on the same coalitions as the Fifth. This is what Bill Clinton was trying to do (not quite as consciously as Karl Rove's mirror image project) with his presidency in the 1990s.

Frank invites the reader to conclude that Clinton's entire economic agenda was almost equally disastrous (especially for rural America) as that of Ronald Reagan. I am not convinced. According to the 2008 World Almanac (which being a strict reference work draws no conclusions about why this happened), by 1990, things had gotten so bad for four states -- Iowa, North Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming -- plus the District of Columbia, that they experienced absolute population declines during the 1980's. In the 1990's this trend was reversed except in the District of Columbia, and there, it can largely be explained by a combination of the shrinking Federal government and white flight, for which I suppose President Clinton did bear some responsibility. Of course, in 2004 all four of those states voted Republican, as did three of them in 2000. My suspicion is that the 2010 census will reveal the same phenomenon (possibly in a larger number of heartland states) this decade as in the 1980's, but North Dakota and Wyoming will still fail to vote Democratic, at least this year.

I just want to say that this book is completely on target and right about the political mindset of Kansas citizens in addition to almost every other right-winged American. I should know -- I used to live in Kansas. Luckily, I spent most of my life growing up in NY because after realizing many of the same conclusions of Thomas Frank, my mom knew we had to leave. The book was very well written and kept me smiling throughout because his descriptions ring true to my personal experience living there - they brought back so many memories of the extreme conservative mindset of all of my family and friends in KS. Anyone who lives in the midwest, has an open mind and understands politics can learn a great deal from this book; and anyone who disagrees is clearly ignorant of the truth.

This is one of the best mysteries I ever read. The character development is outstanding and the descriptions of Pendergast are just unreal. He is such a "dynamo" of a hero and has such interesting, fascinating things about him that he is just irresistable. I loved this book and have read hundreds of mysteries......this is definitely up in the top 10. Loved it and I do mean loved it.

This book is a highly creepy, highly thrilling adventure for Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast. I'd say it's a must-read. Coming from a small-town where cornfields rule the world, it was easy to get into the mindset of the book. If you haven't experienced cornfields first-hand, this book will make you think twice about ever setting foot in one.

Another high five for Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child and the engaging and fantastic Agent Pendergast. I just couldn't put the book down. An excellent read.

Having been a fan of Preston/Child books since day 1 I expected nothing less from them than a solid read, great suspense, good character developement and an enjoyable ride. I got all of that until the last 20-30 pages. Let's just say that the ending left a LOT of room for improvement. Not only did the ending feel rushed but it was also implausible. Here's a good trick for you to do. Read all but the ending and you'll get a classic Preston/Child book and then make up your own ending. I promise you that your's will be better than theirs was. Then read their ending and you'll see what I mean.

A dead body gruesomely arranged in a corn field at the edge of a very small Kansas town? This is exactly the right case to solve for FBI Special Agent Pendergast. Alone and on his own initiative he shows up in this small corn-growing town in die middle of nowhere to investigate. Could the recent killings really be linked to a 19th-century massacre of a band of outlaws by Indians in the same area? Soon Pendergast finds himself under pressure to solve the riddle before the death toll keeps piling up any further...

From previous Preston/Child books most reader will remember Pendergast as one of the most charismatic and also strange characters in a long time. This time he teams up with Corrie Swanson, a rebellious local teenage girl hired as his driver and guide. As you can imagine not everybody is in favor of Pendergast. The local cops don't like him, nor do the local politicians. And sometimes even the reader is not 100% sure about him. ;-)
The story features interesting and strange characters, some really gruesome killings and scenarios as well as lot of mystery from past and present. Exactly what books from Preston/Child are well established and liked for.
However there is at least one bigger deviation to former books. This time not only Pendergast finds the key to the solution. Even if he withholds information (as usual) from his helper, the police and also from the reader, nevertheless 3 different parties understand where they have to search for the perpetrator. This search leads to an extremely long showdown which is about a third of the book long! Quite an unusual writing style for Preston/Child.
Even if the identity of the villain as well as the final solution might be absurd to some and even ridiculous to other readers, the story and its outcome are not as far fetched as "Cabinet of Curiosities". (But there are some references that former book in this story.)
The only really stupid incident here is Pendergast's mental journey (a form of mental concentration as a combination of memory palace and an ancient form of meditation) in order to understand the mystery of the past and its link to the present. Leaving your body mentally and traveling through time?! Gimme a break!

Overall it is a conclusive story with a far better and more satisfying solution in comparison to "Cabinet of Curiosities". The book is entertaining and far from boring but nothing that will keep you glued to your seat (partly due to the very long showdown). Other books from Preston/Child are better. I would recommend reading "The Relic", "Reliquary" and "Riptide" (first).

The writing was average and the plot was average. For a Great Depression book, the story didn't seem realistic. The attempted rape and rescue seemed unrealistic. The adoption seemed off. The story's ending was not believable.

During a horrible drought in 1930's Kansas, a circle of women friends forge a friendship of unflinching trust and strength in solidarity.

They help each other through difficult times and guard each other's secrets with incredible care and a devoted, loyal unity.

When a new member, Rita, joins in the circle, some of the tight knit threads become intimately tested. Rita is a city girl unaccustomed to the country life and doesn't quite fit in with the `Persian Pickles' or understand their ways.

The women gather to talk and share their love of quilting, as the dry Kansas soil leaves their town barren with burning crops and little work or food.
Life is hardscrabble and heavy handed.....but secrets must be sheltered...even as evidence of a murder is uncovered on one of the farms.

Good selection for women's book clubs, as the book offers up some important moral and social themes for discussion.

Wewouts Book Club, February 24, 2007. This book had a "Fried Green Tomatoes, Whistle Stop" feel to it for me. A great book in how friends, true friends, will keep their mouths shut and not gossip about anything bad. A good book to read about the bonds of true friendship.

This isn't a book I would probably have picked up, but it was assigned as a group read. It was a very fast read and I was hooked early on. I finished it in no time and absolutely LOVED IT!!

An 5- book, now that I think of it. Place: Dust bowl Kansas in the 30s. The women get together to sew. Friends you'd die for in the lonely and hard farm country in deep economic depression. Characters wonderfully present. And look at some of these names! Rita and Agnes Ritter, Mrs. Septima Judd, hushand Prosper, Opalina Dux, Ada June Zinn - husband Buck, Ceres Root, Ella Crook,Ben Crook, Nettie Burgett,husband Tyrone, Forest Ann, hill drifters Massie (Zepha, Blue, son Sonny and Baby). Hiawatha the hired hand. -
Queenie Bean tells the story of friendship, mystery, and loyalty that beats all.

Best book I've ever read, and I've read a lot of books. I suggest watching the movie first if you plan on watching it because the book is 10 times better and the movie would be a disapointment. I'm making the movie sound like it sucks, it doesn't, they are both absolutely wonderful. But a lot was left out in the film. Scott Heim is a mastermind and I'm looking forward to reading his other books.

Read Mysterious Skin if you would like an addicting, disturbing, descriptive, absolutely the best book you've ever read, kind of thing.
once again I will say... *watch the movie FIRST*

I know the authors father and had to read this.
It has the local of my hometown and deals with
abuses and lifes troubles very well.

I'm usually not one to claim that the movie was better, but in the case of Mysterious Skin, I have to say it. The book was beyond shock; it was tasteless at some parts. The movie had an exceptional way of limiting the sexuality and still giving you that same shocking experience. I felt that the book had an awkward timeline and I simply had no appeal to any of the characters. However, the story itself is a heartbreaking one and if you are a big fan of the movie, I would suggest the book anyway.

I had been doing some research on child sexual abuse for my upcoming novel, and came across this book as a cross-reference on how things are in today's world. I read the book in one sitting. Very well-written, full of escapades and scary times in the lives of two boys marred by sexual abuse. One lad is so traumatized he believes aliens are responsible, as some 5 hours disappear from his life. The other lad gives in to child prostituion, but somehow survives. That the two meet to talk about a dark day from their past is unique, and Scott Heim tells it the only way he knows how: with grace and aplomb. Some of the scenes are not for the faint-hearted as adult themes run the course from alcoholism and drug addiction to cruising behavior and the gay lifestyle in small town America. I would have liked to have seen more dialogue in the novel that wasn't so staticky. Other than that, a first-rate novel from a powerful writer. You may also want to rent or buy the movie version as well, as there are strong performances by some great actors. But read the book first, then see the film. This upcoming author has much to say in our difficult times.

Scott Heim, Mysterious Skin (Harper, 1995)

My review of this book, which I warn you now is going to be ambivalent as all get-out, hinges on one question to which I do not, and likely never will, know the answer: did Scott Heim mean the big reveal at the end to be a big reveal, or did he intend we know the answer to Brian Lackey's question all along? If the former, the book is an utter failure in every sense of the word. If the latter-- which Publisher's Weekly seems to assume, since the big reveal has its dustcover whisked off in the first few sentences of their treatment of the ("impressive"; Library Journal concurs with "powerful") book.

Brian Lackey, at the age of eight, is coming home from a Little League game one night. One minute he's at the game; the next, he's curled up in the crawlspace of his house, nose gushing blood, and five hours of his life is missing. Brian becomes convinced that aliens abducted him during the missing time, and sets off to find corroboration of this. Brian's story, however, is not the only one we're told. Neil McCormick is a teenage hustler who plays on the same little league team as Brian, and is being molested by the team coach; these two form the core of the narrative, with other chapters from the points of view of some of the other characters in the story (Neil's friends, Brian's sister, et al.).

You know, Library Journal spoils the end, too, so I don't feel terribly awful about doing it. If the pros are at it, why not me? In any case, I find it somewhat difficult to believe that anyone could get more than thirty pages into this book without realizing that Brian's search for aliens is a red herring, and that Brian, too, was molested by his little league coach. It's not as if Heim isn't broadcasting it in three-foot-high neon letters throughout. But, as I said before, did he mean to? If so, this becomes not a bad freshman effort. A bit badly-paced, perhaps, but well-written, with a band of interesting characters who have enough neuroses to keep the staff of a good-sized asylum on constant alert. If not, Heim has a great, great deal to learn about the art of foreshadowing. I tend to give him the benefit of the doubt, thinking no one could miss it, but then people are surprised by the endings of Jodi Picoult novels all the time. In any case, if the subject matter doesn't squick you out-- or perhaps more importantly if it does-- this is one you might want to consider picking up. ***

I have to second a previous reviewer who cautioned that this book is written for someone well-read in military history. It is not pop-history, but well reasoned military analysis. Mr. Glantz was himself an authority within the U.S. Army on Soviet doctrine and military history. The book itself is probably the best one-volume treatment of the Soviet war effort against the Germans during World War II, though the reader should keep in mind that Glantz himself is a big admirer of the Soviet way of war.

This book should be the first book those interested in WW2 history should pick up. The very basic truths of the war are clearly presented: 1.The Soviets beat the Germans basically- the Western Allies fought about 1/4 of the war in Europe; 2. the Soviets learned as the war dragged on- staring from a 20-1 Soviet/German kill ratio we end up with a 1.5/1 ratio- respectable for an offensive army (explaining also the mythical German 5 or 10 to one kill ratio of some reviews); 3. Stalin meddled less with his generals as the war dragged on- Hitler meddled more with bad results; 4. the Soviets took blitzkrieg to a new level and by the end of the war were superior in tank breakthroughs and encirclements; 5. the Red Army was the best land army in the world by the end of the war- combining intelligence and tactics with a brutal trajectory toward any goal.
The book may come across as being very pro-Soviet but that is only because of the literally thousands of tomes about the Western Allies and the German Army which give short shrift to the Soviets- when actual Soviet achievements are exposed they cannot help but look better than we're used to thinking. My only criticism of this book is in the department of statistics- I think it tends to exaggerate Soviet casualties and the numbers given on tables aren't consistent throughout the book. Still- the best basic primer on WW2.

I have read the other reviews and I would also agree that this Book supplies you with all the facts , most of them I have not read in other places. However I would recommend this book only for academics or collector of hard facts. This book is more of a text book than interesting read. Nothing against the book. But this is not the kind of treatment I was looking for, just miles and miles of yarns of facts.

I like all stories to have some emotion and some human face. Even war stories. The battle of Stalingrad is dealt with in 2 pages, everything cut down to basic dry facts. In fact I think wikipedia article on battle of stalingrad does a better job. So make your choice based on what you are looking for.

This book is truly good: well-researched and fascinating and the battle descriptions are quite engaging; not an easy thing for most to do. I find faults with this book, though:

1--The writers go into great detail about what Zhukov did in his preparations for Kursk and how the battle went along. This is all written very well and is exciting, BUT...one thing is sorely missing: ANY mention of the fact that Zhukov (whom the writers have no shortage of accolades for, though they do speak of his defeats in Operation Mars and at the Seelow Heights) KNEW exactly what the Germans were going to do and where they were going to do it because they were getting information from the Lucy Ring, which was supposedly a bunch of disgruntled German officers but most likely was the Brits way of getting their Enigma intel to the Soviets. Any idiot can create a good defense when he's given the other side's playbook denoting EVERYTHING that the enemy is going to do. I was very surprised and upset not to see any mention of this VERY IMPORTANT fact.

2--On page 275, the authors--in the context of the happenings of the `Second Period of War (Nov. '42--Dec. '43)--say, `...the Red Army destroyed Blitzkrieg as a viable offensive military concept'. Apparently the writers had their heads in the sand during the two Gulf Wars because BOTH Coalition Forces commanders--General H. Norman Schwarzkopf and General Tommy Ray Franks--used Blitzkrieg-style tactics to defeat Saddam Hussein's forces. Blitzkrieg works and, more interestingly, the way the writers describe the Soviets tactics during their drive into Central Europe VERY much shows them to echo the tactics of the afore mentioned unviable Blitzkrieg. Odd.

3--My third and final problem with the book is that they answer the question of `Who defeated Germany?' with the only answer possible after looking through the information in this book: it was the Soviets who beat Germany. The only problem is--THIS IS WRONG!!! The Soviets DID NOT defeat Germany; America, Briton AND the USSR defeated Germany. Not a single one of them could have defeated Germany on their own. America needed the UK as a place to launch the attack, Briton would have been starved into submission if it wasn't for the US getting food and supplies to them across the Atlantic and the USSR not only needed the aid it got from the US, as well, but, even though it did fight the majority of German divisions, the Germans had to worry about not only the Soviets but also Briton and later America. If Germany did not have to expend its already limited resources against these two foes, as well, things might have been different. The writers also say that the Russians would have defeated Germany regardless of D-day happening: I can't think of a more ridiculous statement in this book. D-day and the Germans preparations for it tied up a large amount of forces (and Rommel) which could have had a definite impact on the Ostfront. The fact that Stalin was continually urging the Allies to open a second front I think lends credence to this.

The authors also say that Hitler's interference with his generals in the field was not as important as it was eventually made out to be and that it was basically a convenient excuse for the German failure. This is untrue; Hitler did the WORST thing to the generals in the field with his orders: he prevented them from using the very revolutionary tactics that had not only brought them success in the beginning of the war, but were being used AGAINST them by ALL of their enemies.

I do think that this is a book worth getting; the wealth of information on the Soviet struggle is worth it alone, but there are just some things to look out for. This could have been a great book, but the writers, as is usual with many books on this topic, have found their niche and are going to play it up.

This book presents a lot of tactical detail. E.g., Unit A was reorganized and attacked the left flank of Unit B in the early morning of XYZ. It works neither on the human nor the strategic levels. Moreover, the authors seem rather approving of Stalin. E.g., they switch back and forth from calling "Dictator" and "Premier". The latter seems a stretch in anyone's lexicon.

This book started out in similar fashion to the original Cat in the Hat book, but then it turned ugly and a little disturbing.

Once again, the children are left alone, this time responsible for shoveling snow while the mother goes into town. The Cat in the Hat shows up and invites himself in the house, where he makes himself at home by eating cake in the bathtub. When he exits the tub, there is a pink ring that needs to be cleaned up. The cat uses various objects and surfaces in the house to clean the ring, but it eventually winds up outside in the snow.

The Cat enlists the help of other cats that are under his hat to "kill the mess", using pop guns. The more the cats shoot, the more the spots spread. There's an illustration of pink-tinged snow covering the ground, the house, and even a snowman. This picture, coupled with the words "Kill those spots! Kill the mess!", just comes across as a little violent and gory to me.

Just plain weird story. Not a favorite of mine, by any means.

Review by Sherry North, Author, Because You Are My Baby

As a child, I liked The Cat in the Hat Comes Back better than the original. Now my 4-year-old son agrees. He can't get enough of this absurd tale of a bathtub ring that ends up all over the house and yard. The story's imagination is breathtaking, as the cat in the hat reveals 26 more cats in hats atop his head. There's educational value, too, because the 26 little cats are named each letter of the alphabet. The final solution at the end of the story is a bit vague and abrupt, but otherwise it's a fun-filled romp both kids and parents enjoy.

The feline in the big long red and white striped top hat is back again, with his subversive, mischievous ways.

The two kids are bored and doing the crappy yardwork thiing, and with the parental units away, the cat wants to play. Crazy snow stunts, games and fights and dodgy bathroom antics are more fun than works.

This book deserves 5 stars.It is the best Dr.Seuss book I have ever read!It has lots of odd and fun things and uses lots of ryhming.It takes you beyond imagination.I really recomend this book to you.

The Cat In The Hat Comes Back (beginner books) is a great book for children just learning to read. The child is introduced to words that rhyme and the letters of the alphabet. The focus is clearly on children since the entire short story takes place while two young children are left at home while their mother goes "to the town." Moreover, the illustrations are wonderful.

The action begins when the two kids, one boy and one girl, are shoveling snow while their mother runs errands. Naturally, The Cat In The Hat returns to do more mischief and, quite conveniently, set up a story that teaches children the alphabet and rhyming words. After the cat makes a mess in the bathtub we are introduced to all his little helpers who are named from A to Z--great alphabet lesson! The story is made amusing for small children because the pink mess in the tub goes to their mother's dress, the wall and eventually all the snow outside! It's a silly premise; but it'll work for young children just learning to read. They'll like the humor of this.

Of course, Seuss also inserts plenty of words to teach children more vocabulary. Children are introduced to words like cold and warm, fun and done, dig and pig, news and shoes, whose and news--and more! Excellent!

I cannot help but notice that some people felt that the use of guns in the story (they help take away the pink snow mess) might lead children to conclude that guns are "OK." Unfortunately, these people have a good point. Dr. Seuss could have and should have used another method instead of guns to clean away the pink snow mess. I will take off one star for this: I would take off more but the rest of the book is so thoughtfully done that I can't go lower on my rating.

Overall, I recommend The Cat In The Hat Comes Back for parents to use as a tool to help very young children learn to read. The kids will love it; and hopefully some fond memories will be made when you sit down and read this with your children. I also recommend that you mention that guns are bad and maybe add that the guns in this book were special in that they couldn't hurt anybody.

All in all, great job, Dr. Seuss!

Promotion of the generals in the Civil War was not any different than promotions are today in the military, government, business, and the rest of the world. You will find that in Grant's and Lee's armies there were many generals passed over because of some conflict with those of higher rank. The men they touted for promotions were not always the best to fill a leadership position. Some may have been very brave soldiers but not a leader. Through out the war there were some wrong men giving the orders, orders misunderstood, changed, not carried out, and the wrong order given. Maybe some battles could have been changed and had fewer casualties, but not the outcome of the war. Franklin was the most tragic battle of our Civil War. By Ruth Thompson author of "The Bluegrass Dream" and "Natchez Above The River"

Writing as a Small BusinessQualifying Laps: A Brewster County NovelSins of the Fathers: A Brewster County NovelTravelersThe Bluegrass Dream: A Wilderness Adventure of Early Settlers

In The Confederacy's Last Hurrah, Wiley Sword covers political intrigue, strategy and tactics, and the view from the trenches equally well. My great-great grandfather fought at Franklin and Nashville, and through Sword's work, I was able to observe, from the safety of my living room, the agony, terror, carnage, and unbelievable courage of the men on both sides. He has thoroughly researched Hood's campaign through Tennessee, yet manages not to lose the reader in details. Maps are clear and easy to follow. I recommend this book wholeheartedly to anyone wanting a better understanding of the war's final days in the West.

I am a young civil war enthusist and have never really studied the end of the Confederate Army of the Tennessee. This book opens the door into one of the saddest few months of any army during the Civil War. Very in depth and throughly reserched. Spends ample time on the decisive Battle of Franklin and incorprates not only the eyewitness accounts from officers, but the privates in the thick of the fight. Recommened for any Civil War enthusist.

Some people who have read this book with a jaundiced eye have criticized Sword for his accurate protrayal of John Bell Hood. Davis like the present president had favorites to whom he remained faithful despite their obvious shortcommings. As Sword points out Hood was a great general as a field commander but even before his physical injuries he was not suited to command an independent army. As radical Confederate Louis Wigfall commented, "Davis has attempted to do what God couldn't; male John Hood a general." If someone wants to understand the imprortance of the West and the disaster made by Hood, this book is required reading. It is not recommended for hero worshipers.

Outstanding account of battles during Hoods "invasion" of Tennessee in late 1864. The narrative is first rate. The descriptions of the principal characters both blue and gray were extremly interesting and given due credit.
The descriptions of the tremendous blood-letting of Hood's decision to ram the Army of Tennessee up against prepared breastworks at Franklin are chilling. The destruction of a proud army was guaranteed even without their eventual defeat by Gen. George Thomas at Nashville two weeks later. The author describes thoroughly the pre-lude to Franklin as Hood lets a vast chunk of the Union Army slip through his grasp at Spring Hill. This lost opportunity sets the stage for the Army of Tennessee's destruction days later at Franklin with fruitless head on attacks. A fast and detailed read.
Living in Tennessee, I was able to walk some of the ground described in the book and picture what it might have been. The author has done a very good job of providing geographical details and descriptions. The Last Hurrah of a Lost Cause

This is an interesting book for neo-pagans and occultists alike.I really enjoyed the book.Aside from a few problems with the writing,it's a worthwhile book.What i did not like about the book,the authoress removes herself from the people she writes about.If she wasn't interested in them,why write the book?There's lots of tidbits of witchy information.A lot of interesting magickal people discussed.The neo-gothic vampires seem to be hung up on the darkside of christianity.The earth-based witches seem to be in tune with the cycles of the seasons.The witch's covens bond the 'besom buddies' together. It's one of the best true occult story-books that reveals the lives of some rather unique supernatural worshippers.The book's price has dropped recently.I think every serious minded occultist, would be simply nonchalant about the book's talebearing material however.The authoress lumps all these occultists ,from various paths, into one general-themed book.Yet,this book may inspire curious readers to follow the more natural,or even the more supernatural, path less taken thesedays.

Book Summary:
This was a pretty interesting book that takes a look at those who practice the "other" religion/belief systems out there. The author takes a respectful look at those who consider themselves werewolves, elfs, magicans, vampires and other magically inclined creatures. While doing research for this book the author is forced to consider her notions of what is good and evil, what is right and wrong and whether or not these people have a few gears lose. What she finds is quite simply that if one thinks like they do then they are not crazy. Some just look at the world differently, some where raised with the traditions/beliefs that they follow and some became so disillusioned / fed up with life that the only way they could survive was to find the magic in life by becoming something else. Mostly these people are the people we deal with everyday whether at work or the neighbor across the street that always looks a little pale. Whether you belive in magic or not this book does have interesting information on various belief systems and how some of those systems came to be. Maybe the most important thing that the author touches on is that most of the misunderstandings that happen come from a lack of cultural understanding. Mostly this is touched on in the chapters on Hoodoo. The author makes the point that instead of over reacting to everything it may (is usually) be a better idea to do some research and go listen to what the pepole involved have to say. Something that can't be stressed enough in the era of talking heads that condem anything that isn't considered mainstream(ex:currently video games). As the author points out near the end of this book one may not be able to fit what someone else belives into their view of the world but it never hurts to be opened minded. To paraphrase an old story would you rather stay in the hole you fell in or let the psi vampire/werewolf/magican/wizard/elf/magic worker help you out?
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This is not a book that is in the vein of ghost stories. What I mean is that there are no stories that deal with one incident and then move on to the next. This is more of what the author experienced as she research information for the book. This book is basically a primer guide on some of the belief systems that have gotten attention over the last few years, but not the one's that have gotten the most attention such as Wicca, off shoots of major religons and ghost hunting. This book is also written by a former religious reporter that has her own solid belief system that is somtimes challenged by what she sees. The emphasis is on reporter (which the author admits) so she wants proof, which in most cases is hard to come by since what is experienced is dependent on what one felt. I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in the subject matter but doesn't want anything that dives too deep or is too serious.

I thought this book was good, but not great. I think the only reason I did not give this book a higher rating is because this author almost totally dismissed Wicca, the Strega, Slavic Sorcery & Shamanism, Druidry & cerimonial magic .... Their are more forms of magic out their transforming America besides Hoodoo... Don't get me wrong, I practice many different magical traditions, and one of them is Hoodoo, but their is more out their than this... She met up with a group of witches in Salem, wasn't impressed -- so she pretty much left them where they were at without exploring any further ....

If it wouldn't have been for that fact, this book would have totally been a 5.

What I love about Christine Wicker is the sense of humor that she brings to each side of the arguments she chooses to write about. I read "Not in Kansas Anymore" shortly after it came out, and was horrified when I realized I hadn't left a review. What endeared me to Ms. Wicker when I read "Lily Dale" is the tongue-in-cheek approach she makes to the entire idea of magic and what it means to different groups, to individual practitioners, and ultimately to her. I loved this book, but I was surprised by it at the same time, because it was not what I expected it to be.

Much of the book concerns hoodoo which is a very difficult subject to research. Indeed, the only reliable information I have ever found is basically the only information available, provided by the proprietor of the Lucky Mojo Curio Company who plays a large part in this book. I was surprised because so much of the book concerns hoodoo and relatively little touches on what many would think of in terms of modern magick- the Neopagan population, and specifically the beliefs and practices of the different Wiccan traditions. There is talk of sigil magick and mojo hands and conjuring spirits, there's graveyard dirt and goofer dust and interesting revelations all around. But I was impressed by the fact that Ms. Wicker took what has been talked about so little concerning magick and wrote an entire book about it, setting this account apart from so many others that might stick with the "safe" subjects- the New Age, dimestore magick that is so easy to find now.

If you're looking for a recipe book of different spells and incantations, you will be disappointed. What this book does offer is a very different experience of magick than you're likely to get from a majority of the other available sources. It's the experience of a warm and open skeptic and it's fascinating in not only it's approach, but also it's honesty. I love this book and recommend it to anyone who believes in magick, but especially to those who don't.

I was looking forward to reading this book and getting a better idea and more understanding of the various non-Judeo-Christian religious groups
in this red state-God-and-guns climate we are currently enduring. But this book is so poorly written and disjointed. The author talks a little about 1 thing and then leaves the subject for several chapters. There's no real detail, history or explanation of ideology of the few groups she does address. Only 2 individuals are given any real depth. And as far as the author's claim of open-minded reporting,she seemed to have made up her mind about alot of ideas before she even started.All in all, not a good book- this one went into my rummage sale box.

If you can make it past the typical James Cramer stock-market cheerleading, The Street.com's guide to investing is well worth a look for novices. Skip over the dated, New Economy hype and get right to the overview of global equity markets, including risk factors, economic indicators and corporate performance measures. Author Dave Kansas does a great job of summarizing these voluminous concepts in a way that's easy to digest and remember. This book reads much better than most of those in the investment field, perhaps because it was written by actual writers, not economic experts fumbling their way through the writing process, or ghostwriters churning out personality-free prose. We from getAbstract highly recommend this book to beginning investors, with a word of warning: The tone of this book is still very much of the optimistic `90s era, and does not seem to reflect the subsequent market retreat.

[...] The book is a good primer on fudamental and technical analysis, but that is about it. I suppose that my expectations were too high. I subscribe to the website spin-off of thestreet.com, and find the commentary, reporting, and trading tips well worth the money. This is the sort of hard hitting writing that I expected in the book. My opinion, save your money on the book and just use the website daily.

The information in this book is by no means ground breaking. However, it is a well written book that provides solid all around advice for the new investor.

The book touches on many aspects of investing without being biased toward any particular one. It basically gives an overviews of many of the tools available to make investing decisions and leaves it to the reader to choose and learn more. For example, it starts out with an overview of economic factors and then moves into fundamental analysis, charting and buy/sell guidelines. It then touches on options, IPO's and tax issues.

Compared to other "newbie" books such as those by the Motley Fool, I think this offers a much more rounded approach. These books (and others) tend to present a biased view of the "correct" way to invest. This book gives a broader view that gives the reader more starting points to continue their learning and ultimately make better investing decisions.

One final comment -- there is not a lot of advertising for the thestreet.com in this book. Many chapters are accompanied by lists of websites to help you explore the topic presented in the chapter. Naturally, thestreet.com is often in the list, but all websites are given very fair treatment throughout the book.

"It truly is a brave new world for investors," writes Dave Kansas at the conclusion of this book. The phrase "brave new world" comes from Shakespeare via Aldous Huxley, who of course used it ironically. It will be the rare investor who can read those words today without a twinge of pain: most of the last two years have been a bad trip for stock owners. Many people with money in the stock market have seen their gains evaporate like snow in Tucson.

The more you know about how the market works, presumably, the less you are likely to succumb to the investor's perennial traps - fear and greed - or pay the price for naiveté. TheStreet.com Guide to Smart Investing in the Internet Era has a splendid pedigree, namely the web site TheStreet.com (and its sister site, RealMoney.com), and Kansas has called on a number of its shrewd writers to contribute sections in their own areas of expertise.

The book benefits from most of its writers having been "in the trenches," that is, actually having spent years trying to make money on Wall Street. They are not just journalists or academic theorists. The book, like the site that spawned it, has a pleasingly pragmatic quality.

It is also easy to read, insofar as a subject with as many complexities as equity investing can be easy. Even the through-the-looking-glass world of options almost seems to make sense in these pages. (But although the discussion includes shorting stocks and buying and selling puts, there is, curiously, no section about selling covered calls - the only form of options trading that is appropriate for many nonprofessional investors. The book's other major gap is that there is nothing about the strategy of indexing, which deserves consideration.)

It is evident that care went into this guide. It has been editorially polished, unlike so many quick-and-dirty productions from even supposedly reputable publishers today that appear to have gone directly from the author's word processor to type.

Just about all the important topics are covered in enough detail to be useful but not so much as to be esoteric. Also included are two worthwhile features that I have not seen in any other investment guide: a table, based on specific quantitative and qualitative criteria, of the best stock analysts in a variety of sectors; and another table ranking online brokers, based on a reader survey by TheStreet.com.

But while TheStreet.com Guide does many things well, and there is nothing particularly wrong with it, I have to confess to being mildly disappointed. The problem is style - or rather, the lack of it - rather than substance.

If you are familiar with TheStreet.com or RealMoney.com web sites (which I expect most of those who buy the book will be), you know that James Cramer, the sites' co-founder and frequent contributor, is that rare bird who can write about stocks with color, flair and wit. Many of the sites' other writers have something of the same ability. The web sites flash lightning; they're a gas to read as well as timely and informative. The book goes down smoothly, but it's rather bland. To see what I mean, compare its prose with that of the glossary, which is written by Cramer himself. (Sample Cramer-isms: "Dumb money: Slow money, usually mutual-fund or pension money." "Flip: When you get a hot stock and you blow it out immediately. The brokerages try to discourage flipping, but in this crazy market where only small bits of stock get floated at the beginning, there are a ton of flippers on these pops.")

If TheStreet.com Guide to Investing in the Internet Era as a whole had been written with this kind of sass, which appears regularly on the web site, it would have been more memorable. Nevertheless, the book is less work to read than most of its ilk, and will teach you things you don't know or encourage you to think freshly about things you do. For this "brave new world" of online investing, TheStreet.com Guide is worth its weight in armor plating.

I was looking for something a bit more adept -- this is "investing for dummies" -- which has its place, but the title makes it look like it has some new ideas when, in fact, it's mostly advice you've read on thestreet.com and elsewhere, in one book. Valuable to a novice, a nice but unnecessary compendium for more experienced investors. While this book wasn't what I was looking for, I also think the rips on Cramer and thestreet.com are unwarranted and childish and the reviews based on those criticisms are off the mark.

Solid writing style, really great characters who you empathize with, well drawn plot. C.J. Box has a unique series going here and I hope he can maintain the quality over time.

"But this is how they do it. They go after the weakest first. When the mother stays back, the wolves open a hole in her belly and pull out the entrails. Then they wait until she doesn't have the strength to protect herself, then they'll move in and tear her throat out."

C.J. Box does not mince words. Nature can be brutal as well as stunningly beautiful.

Two years have passed since we last met up with Saddlestring, Wyoming Game Warden (and Wildlife Biologist), Joe Pickett and his family. In "Savage Run", famous environmental "terrorist" Stewie Woods and his wife are blown up by a cow. Joe is called to investigate and from that auspicious start "Savage Run" builds the brutality, tension, and mystery in a thoroughly enjoyable book filled with wilderness reality.

Joe Pickett is not perfect. He has a tendency to trust people more than he should, and to go places alone where backup help would be needed. He is honest to the point of detriment to his own career (hmmm, this is a good thing really). During the investigation, Joe meets with the owner of the cow (actually 10 cows were killed in the explosion) at this person's home. Oddly, the owner, Jim Finotta does not seem surprised nor does he ask the questions one would expect from someone who is concerned about the death of other human beings or animals. In addition, Jim, a lawyer, puts Joe on the defensive. Not a good thing to do, especially if you have the head of a large male elk mounted on your wall, that the Game Warden recognizes, and knows was killed off-season.

A mini-battle begins between dirt poor Joe and the all powerful Finotta.

Killers Charles Tibbs (the best tracker in Wyoming) and the" Old Man" leave Wyoming after ensuring that the exploding cow did what they intended (i.e. make for an embarrassing death for Stewie) for Washington State. There they murder famous environmental writer, Hayden Powell. These two are then responsible for a string of brutal environmentalist murders that follow. This has the makings of an old-fashioned range war. And the reader finds out that it is and that a group called the "Stockman's Trust" hired the old west throwback stock detective (Charles) to take care of business.

Circumstances bring the killers, Joe Pickett, and several others together as the book climaxes with a chase through the deepest wilderness to the impassable (except by, according to legend, Cheyenne's fleeing for their lives over 100 years ago) canyon known as Savage Run.

"Savage Run" is sometimes brutal, sometimes beautiful, sometimes controversial as it straddles the worlds of game wardens, ranchers, landowners, and environmentalists. C.J. Box is fast becoming one of my favorite authors and I am looking forward to the next Joe Pickett adventure. In the meantime, pick up "Savage Run" if for nothing else, to read the explosive ending.

by TracyReaderDad

I just finished reading Savage Run and was, on the whole, quite disappointed. First, it was even more violent than Open Season, a book that I DID like for the most part. Second, it had only one sympathetic character other than Joe Pickett. I really hated the ending and found it totally unnecessary after all the trials and tribulations the characters had gone through to get to that point.

I also felt the character of Pickett was overly thorny and obtuse. His aw shucks boyish charm didn't make up for it.

All in all, it had some good parts, but it wasn't worth the time.

If you like the outdoors and the West you'll love this one. A real page turner! Hated for it to end!

I *loved* Open Season, and I certainly like the way C.J.Box writes, and I also loved the first half of Savage Run. But, I'm sorry, the plot contained too many wildly unbelievable coincidences and dei ex machina for me. Amazon guidelines and common decency prevent me from listing them, but they caused my suspension of disbelief to disintegrate completely, and I was so disgusted that I could only skim the last bit of the book.
Having said all that, I'll still read his next book, because C.J. certainly has talent. But with this book I felt much the same frustration I feel after seeing a thriller movie that has so much promise and then tanks at the end: don't authors or screenwriters let someone read the book (or see the movie) before publication, so they can find out if the story seems to fall apart and become a comic book at some point? If you want us to suspend disbelief and be completely into the story, then the story must be believable on some level.
Box still gets three stars from me because I like his writing, but *please* work out the plots a little better!