Virginia Books

This book is very helpful for gaining an understanding of investing. The layout is clear and interesting, and there is a lot of useful information packed into this small guide!

As a financial advisor I've read a lot of books about investing; Recently my little brother asked me for a book to get started. This is the one I truly recommend above all the rest. A truly professional yet simple read.

This book describes the basic ways to invest your money. It covers markets and currency, stocks, bonds, indexes, mutual funds, ETFs, options, futures, and other alternative investments (briefly).

The format is very easy to read - there are lots of diagrams and pictures, which actually provides a good break from the large amount of dense information provided. One thing I liked (but that some may find annoying) is the frequency of repeating definitions. Between various sections, concepts are often defined multiple times. I found this useful, since it reminded me what a certain concept was without having to go back and find it earlier in the book.

In general, the information is pretty accurate and up-to-date. However, I noticed 1 error on the idea of fluctuation in currency value (International Investing in the Money & Markets section, p. 21), which gets the concept of a "strong dollar" during an international equity trade backwards, but then follows with an example diagram that gets it right. I was frankly surprised to see such a glaring mistake. I e-mailed the publishers, but received no response.

Another thing that I didn't like is the fact that, for some numbers in some of the diagrams, there is no mention at how the numbers were calculated/derived. I personally like to see/try all the formulas, so that was slightly annoying. But for the most part, I was able to figure out the formulas myself.

In conclusion, the book does an excellent job introducing various investment opportunities. It covers general information on each investment vehicle and describes the risks associated. It does not, however, teach you any special strategies (other than the obvious "diversify your portfolio" and "use strategies to minimize risk" ones) on investing - this is not the purpose of the book.

While I was initially put off by the brochure-like format and the clip-art-like pictures, I was pleasantly surprised by the content and the ease with which the information was presented. I certainly recommend this as an entry book for someone who does not understand the different ways to invest in various markets.

Pros:
+ nice introduction to markets and exchanges, and how they are regulated
+ covers all of the important investment vehicles used today
+ lots of useful information - good reference
+ lots of diagrams and pictures to break up the text

Cons:
- a few mistakes
- relatively dense - don't expect to blow through it if you want to retain the information

I have been reading a bit about investing for a decade but still felt I lacked a clear and comprehensive understanding of the previously overwhelming world of money and investing. NO MORE! I have found nothing that compares to the clear, concise and highly readable format of this book. The color coded and cearly defined sections helped me digest the well-organized and very readable material. However, the author's far exceed the abilty of most to clearly and concisely explain the most difficult and complicated of topics. This little book is a gem.
I feel like I've had a brief course in economics and investing and am now able to knowledgably and confidently discuss investing with the most savvy of finanical experts, agents, and those know it alls one often encounters. I will most certainly be looking at other Lighbulb Press materials.

This is fantastic book. An excellent story accompanied by some of the most delicately beautiful paintings. Flanagan is surely at the lead of contemporary artists. His paintings offers the most magica details and provide, not only a beautiful piece of artwork, but a strong emotional response that touches the heart of even the most jaded reader. There should be one in every home.

It is a tragedy that this book did not have the success it deserved. However, it remains an esoteric pleasure for those who are aware of it. With some of the most beautiful illustrations of any book I've ever seen, and a fully imagined landscape of a past America, Michael Flanagan creates a fictional world that crosses tracks with our own. In addition to the narrative, which is fine, one can enjoy the story just by flipping through the many pictures -- bent and torn "photographs" of decaying and dying old towns along a railroad line. This book works on several levels and is unlike any other book I've encountered.

"Stations" is a work of art that is an intense, exquisite expression of longing. It evokes a sense of place and time that is half remembered, close by yet out of reach, and infused with sweet loss.

For Model Railroaders, especially, this is a meaningful book that conveys a lot of what the hobby is about: the desire to hold fast to that which must dissipate. (Of course, the hobby is about other things, too, such as: Fun!) A character in "Stations", Virgil Ross, is modeled after the Eminent Model Railroader John Allen. What a beautiful irony - a character that is a model of a Master Modeler.

The support of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in the development of "Stations" provides another special aspect to this book that adds to its allure. It is engaging to contemplate the interest of our suave, cosmopolitan, precious Jackie in the expression of longing embodied within the likes of a Virgil Ross, and captured so beautifully by this book. Yet another example of how we hardly knew her.

I keep going back to this book, to re-read random paragraphs, to gaze longingly at its illustrations, to re-capture the emotions, the sadness and joy, it summons. When I hold this book, I want to somehow caress it.

Flanagan doesn't just tell a story in this marvelous book. He creates a rich, vivid world--layered with multiple generations, multiple cultures, multiple landscapes--and he does it in fewer pages than lesser novelists would use for throat-clearing. Along with being a writer, Flanagan is a painter who has illustrated his story with dazzling paintings that focus on the train stations of rural Virginia. More than mere illustrations, however, these pictures play the role of recently-discovered heirlooms. As illustrations, they beautifully depict the sad, vanishing life of the people that inhabit this bittersweet world. As palimpsests, they also tell a story of their own. Flanagan has done far more than write a magnificent novel. He's merged written story and visual artwork into a powerful new medium. Truly a tour de force

Summer MacCleary is an indentured servant on a plantation in 1749. Then her masters daughter accuses her of stealing a ring. To find out what happens, read this book. It is very good.

Thirteen-year-old Summer MacCleary is an indentured servant. Although she misses her parents that died and the aunt and sisters she left behind in London, she works hard for the day seven years into the future when she will have at last earned her freedom. But strange events start to threaten Summer's future. Why did her master's daughter, Letty, appear one night, distraught and weeping? Why is Letty accusing Summer of stealing a valuable ring that has dissapeared? Summer doesn't know why, but she does know that she must find the thief and expose him or her before her master gets angry enough to sell her to a master that could be truly awful. But can Summer find the courage to do this?

After her parents died, seven-year-old Summer MacCleary left her home in London to become an indentured servant in the Virginia colony. Six years have gone by, and Summer is now thirteen. She counts the days until her twentieth birthday, when she will be free to leave. But although she longs for freedom, she has a fairly good position that she is grateful for - she cares for her master's infant son, and does some household chores. But her position is in jeopardy when her master's daughter, Letty, accuses Summer of stealing a valuable ring. If Summer is to avoid having her contract sold, she must discover what really happened to the ring. This was a highly enjoyable story about a resourceful young girl determined to clear her name, and in addition, it was filled with many details of colonial life.

Summer has arrived from Ireland as an indentured servant. She has conflicts with one of her new owner's children. Summer is afraid that her contract will be sold to a new owner. After she helps solve a mystery, she feels that her life will be better. This is a very good historical book and I highly recommend it to students 5th through the 8th grades, and for teachers, as well.

Given that the book begins with the admission that its co-authored by the Deputy Director of the IBO means it is going to be slanted toward IB. What I found incredibly interesting was the notion that IB found its roots in US public schools in areas with challenging demographics. One might expect the private school clientel that dominated the early years of IB in the US, but the growth in a diverse socio-economic area of Virginia, the IB curriculum struck a chord. Admitting its bias from the outset, the book presents a moving picture of the motivating power of educational reform for the sake of children and challenge rather than reform itself. Moreover, Supertest supports its claims with evidence and historical narrative that creats a warranted composition in support of the International Baccalaureate curriculum and its merits. The book illustrates the trials and tribulations of beginning an IB program and the benefits of seeing it through. Its an incredible and entertaining, in a postitive way, read that should interest anyone concered with educational reform, particularly involving the IB.

Beginning to research the IB program for my district, I purchased this book plus a few others to help me better understand the program and the benefits to beginning IB in a rural district. With the history of IB and the case studies from a few schools, this book gave me a good understanding of what IB should look like. It also gave me an excellent understanding of where IB came from and how that influences what is done today. I would recommend this book for any person wanting to learn more. It is a very positive book but not influenced by the organization. It is also an easy, quick read to give the big picture in a few hours.

Jay Mathews & Ian Hill's Supertest: How The International Baccalaureate Can Strengthen Our Schools deftly assesses the statistics about the Baccalaureate, including its impact on student chances for success in college and life. Chapters provide a history of the IB, its increasing introduction in American school systems, and how it makes a difference in the transition to college. Sounds like dry reading: but the concurrent story of one American high school that adopted the IB adds a personal flavor and human interest touch to the statistics and discussions.

"Washington Post" reporter Jay Mathews extends his appreciation of challenge in our high schools by identifying the grandest and most challenging of them all: the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. Jay created "Newsweek" magazine's Challenge Index, and his writing is always approachable and easy to follow. This book maintains that special style. He writes here very specifically about a local DC-area high school and its experiences with beginning and maintaining the rigorous IB curriculum. You come to really care about the students and teachers he profiles, and to share their trials and successes and occasional failures with them. The book features an extremely effective method of integrating chapters about the creation and operation of the IB program as a whole - written by a co-author from the IB Organization - with chapters about Fairfax County, VA's Mount Vernon High School and the people involved with getting IB up and running there. And of the battles in Fairfax County and elsewhere about IB and its rival, the Advanced Placement (AP) program. In my mind there is no contest - IB is far and away the better program, especially for exposing kids to what college will be like. And there is no better predictor of success in college (i.e., graduating) than having taken at least one rigorous course in high school, especially one from IB which teaches how to think and plan and lean. But read Jay's book and decide for yourself. He does an excellent job of iterating the AP proponents concerns about IB, some legitimate - most not, and of exposing as fools or frauds a few of the opponents and their methods for keeping this excellent program out of their schools. They won, but did their kids a real disservice with their victory.

If you have any interest in bringing out what is best in our high school kids - in ALL of our high school kids - then you should read this book. The IB program is the best high school curriculum extant today. And don't just take my word for it. Read the book and you'll see that those precise words are used by the MIT Admissions' Director.

This is a fabulous book. I happened to see a documentary on PBS about this family. So after watching it, I checked out Amazon to see if there was a book, also. I ordered the book and read it in 1 day. I could not put it down. Highly recommended!!

I really don't like to read...let alone do a report on something that I have read! I don't know why, but I actually like doing it for this book...... It has some really funny, sad, and just odd things in it. I mean who would have a pet goat as a kid? I am in Highschool and lots of my friends and teachers were all dying to read this book. I would sit in class and read bits and pieces and the kids around me would always want to hear more...it was weird! Stuff like having a boxing ring in the front yard, or ten sisters sleeping in one bed not knowing who wet the bed in the morning...for some reason that sparked their interest???? Then there was the sad stuff in the book that was described in detail. It really made me learn a lot more then I already knew about these ladies, it's like stepping into their shoes (although they didn't wear them too often) I really like the book, after I read it there were just soo many things to tell about it in the report I did for my sophmore English class that it ended up getting an "A"...which is odd for me! :) This book is great...there are just soo many things to like about it, so many stories. The part I really like about the book though was that sometimes the sisters had different view points about the story, it was kinda neat to see what each one said about certain things...if they remembered or included it. And living in Iowa, it was a big highlight of my life...not many things can do that here! thanx-AM

Courage comes at an early age... these women had it in 1942 and even today display that same courage. As I know each one of these women personnally, my review may be a bit biased...but anyone that reads this work will see that I am only telling the facts. Each sister is a remarkable work of art. This book is a true "Love story" about "Family" and the meaning it gives to our lives. "Divided" as a family at such an early age has given great meaning to "togetherness" as each sister worked their way from mid 20th Century to present day.... Their style of writing is free and bold as they tell of perceptions and feelings. Just to get ten sisters to sit down and author a book together is almost fiction. Yet again their spirit of "one for all" won out, and I, a reader won too. This book is "true LIFE" at its worst, and best

I became interested in "Ten Sisters" when I noticed that the story took place in my home state of Illinois, but specifically central Illinois. I just graduated from EIU which is located in Charleston and just next door to Mattoon. Reading about the Waggoners in those towns was such a joy, but meeting nine of the sisters was an even greater honor. They signed my book at the mall in Mattoon and were extremely gracious at my interest in their stories. I wasn't able to finish the novel before I met them, but even so, reading the chapters after I had met the authors gave the book a personal touch. I was in disbelief at some of the personal trials they went through. It is amazing that any of them survived so much heartache and uncertainty! My favorite aspect of the book is how Jenny and the older sisters wrote about the same period of time, but by the time you get to Vera's, Audrey's, and Doris' chapters, you are set in a completely different timeframe with completely different lifestyles. It is amazing how so many different stories come out of one very close, very special family. They told me that they will be coming out with an audio version of the book and they'll be featured in a popular women's magazine in Nov. or Dec. I'll be sure to check it out, and you should too!

The poems scattered across the pages of this volume are rich in their simplicity and openness. They aren't polluted by the pretense of professionalism or the so-called "wisdom" of age.

Truly delightful book for adults and children alike.

Thie poems in this book are sometimes translucent, often remarkable and easy to read, and frequently wisdom-bullets that pierce the heart.

There is more sweet wisdom here in single poems than one often finds in the dense works of the professional poet.

A definite must-have book.

Sandy Lyne's compilation of student poetry is wonderful in displaying the uninhibited candor and emotion of school age children. I'm doubtless a bit biased as a poem I wrote while in school is included in the book. Sandy visited for several weeks and encouraged us to be open in expressing ourselves, making each student know that they had "the soul of a poet". It was a memorable experience for me, and I'm grateful to be included in this delightful collection.

I found this from NPR's Sunday Edition interview with the compiler, Sandy Lyne. What motivated me to get this book was the haunting eloquence of observations of their (children grades 3-12) lives. I was not disappointed. The book is divided into the following chapters: Angels in Bloom, Poems about Childhood; My Place, Poems about Home & Family; Black & Blue, Poems about Challenges; Then You're a Leaf, Poems about Nature & Beauty; Holding Hands, Poems about Friendship & Love; The Secret Kingdom, Poems about Solitude & Spirit. The book's title is taken from a poem by an eighth grade boy titled, "Rainshowers." "Rainshowers last forever, seconds at a time, and almost like a poem which is long at heart." This is a great sample of the treasures of heartsongs and lifesongs that you find in this book. Submitted by Mark Hashizume

This book is great if you can find it in stock and in print. I lived across the street from the author many years ago. As a gift she gave my mom a copy . It has been a long standing favorite in my mothers home. Not only does powdered milk make economic sense but it also makes time sense. I love using the cream sauce recipe to make soups and gravys in no time. I love the flavor of fresh fat free yogurt. I am always calling my mom for one recipe or another . Years down the road when my mother either passes away or gives her cookbooks away due to inability to use them there will be a fight over who gets this book. Unless of course we find enough to go around in print.

I actually helped her to bind this book, and I want to tell you that I think this cookbook is a must to have in your food storage. Not many people know what things you can make with powdered milk and this helps you out. I echo the words of the publisher. (:)

I loved this book. I needed to find some recipes to use the milk I already have in my food storage. I never realized there were so many ways to use powdered milk. I was so excited with the taste of the recipes that I made seven of them in two days. I also used the evaporated milk recipe in one of my families favorite deserts. It was a real hit.

I am one of the author's 12 children. Growing up with powdered milk was the best. We learned the many uses of dry milk and how to use it. Now, being married I wouldn't be without it. I give it as gifts for all occasions. This book contains everything from fruit smoothies to cottage cheese to pancakes and desserts. Growing up, I thought that dry milk was a staple in everybody's home. I was wrong. With this book, it could be a staple in your home, one you wouldn't want to live without.

Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, an essay in architecture, takes readers on a historical tour of the third U.S. president's cherished home near Charlottesville, Virginia, through well-written text and gorgeous, full-color photography. The book includes floor plans and photographs of Jefferson's original architectual elevations, as well as drawings of the finished building that we are most familiar with today. It describes Jefferson as art collector and plantation life on Monticello's farms, and it explores the four seasons in Monticello's gardens. Published in 2002 by the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, Inc.

One of the clichés about Monticello is that few houses do so good a job revealing the personality of its builder. But clichés get to be such generally because there's truth to them, and that's definitely the case here. If Thomas Jefferson was one of the most interesting figures in American history (and I think that's unquestionably true), then Monticello may well be one of America's most interesting houses. And for this colorful book produced by the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, we are guided through the house and grounds by people who know their stuff.

Specifically, the chapters of this title are written by Monticello's director of restoration, the curator, the director of gardens and grounds, and other experts associated with the Foundation. Large, colorful photos are accompanied by informed commentary and all the requisite history, as well as documentation of the decades of restoration work it has taken to get the house and grounds to its current condition. A book doesn't make up for a visit in person -- if anything, I wished for more photos of the interior, especially of the book room and "cabinet." But for a general overview of the house, grounds, and collection, and an insight into the man himself, this book is hard to beat. I recommend it as a souvenir, as well as a nice companion to a Jefferson biography.

This work successfully links the many unique qualities of Thomas Jefferson's personality to the unique qualities of the home that he designed and spent most of his life building and rebuilding. All of the intriguing features of this home are covered.
Anyone interested in this remarkable man and his home who is unable to visit Monticello in person should strongly consider this work.

This is a highly informative, well documented book covering all aspects of the design and building of Thomas Jefferson's home, plus insights into why things were done the way they were done, through Jefferson's own notes, sketches and correspondence. Plus,the photographs are exquisite.

Living in an area rich with history, I love a book that draws you into the past with its settings and characters. As a romance writer myself, this has opened my eyes to a whole new possibility in settings. If you like this kind of romantic read, then Through Tempest Forged is a good book for you. Rich with description and imagery!

A good read. I read it for my class -- I'm the teacher -- and I am putting it on my list of "BOOKS YOU SHOULD READ FOR THIS CLASS." Fine effort!

Through Tempest Forged, set in Virginia in 1775, is the story of the Rogers family and how they cope with their changing world as they and their neighbors must choose between the crown and the patriot resistance. Passaris portrays the rancor caused by these dueling loyalties, and the brutality that sometimes erupts, vividly and sometimes terrifyingly.

This novel, however, is as much as a story of the personal as the political. Paul and Elizabeth's sons and daughters are of marriageable age, and the book follows their heartaches, joys, and tragedies as they mature. The characters, particularly the male ones, are complex and flawed, and Passaris brings them to life deftly. The dialogue is lively and realistic, and appropriately coarse at times. (And lines like "Virginia is what North Carolina would like to be" shows that some things haven't changed over the years!)

Though this novel isn't a romance novel, there are plenty of love stories here, including a very moving, unconventional one between John Peter Rogers and the prostitute's daughter he befriends.

At times, I did think that the novel could have used a little more tightening. Sometimes, for instance, Passaris unnecessarily comments on what the characters are thinking and feeling when it's readily apparent from their dialogue and their actions. This, however, is a decidedly minor flaw in an excellent first novel. I'm looking forward to the sequel.

Wow! Did I get swept away! The characters in this book are so real, so engaging...I honestly felt that I was there in colonial Virginia. This is a wonderful story that will keep you wanting more. This work is extremely well researched, and has the perfect combination of suspense, romance, and history. I did not want to put it down. As a historian, I appreciated the accuaracy coupled, with the pure entertainment factor-a very fine effort in literature!

This is one of those historical events that is kind of overlooked for various reasons perhaps because most of it occurred in a "backwater" of sorts. Yet, this is what makes it most interesting -- it is not in most people's lists of "top tens." There are also political and cultural factors which have made the story and the topic kind of something that has been ignored. Mr. Savage's account of the Massacre and the related events is engaging, compelling, and concise. I loaned my copy of the book to a friend and, when it was returned, I found myself thumbing through the pages again even though I know the story. The only disappointment I have with the book is the fact that the account of the actual gunfight or battle at Matewan (btw: I have it on good authority that this is pronounced "may-twan") occupies only a short chunk of the book. However, the event was not something in which anyone would have loudly admitted participation for fear of retaliation, etc. The bad blood created during this period lasted for a long time -- another aspect which makes this a compelling read.

This book is probably the most complete and balanced view of the Mine Wars in West Virginia, an almost unknown yet significant part of American history. It details how and why things happened and gives very vivid accounts of the struggles of the day in the coalfields. This was the largest insurrection against our Federal Government outside of the War Between the States, and was the only time bombs have been dropped from planes on American soil. A must read for anyone interested in Appalachia or coal mining.

How could historians have overlooked such an important and colorful piece of American history? The book is a fast read and filled with vivid descriptions. Once you read it, you won't be able to believe that something like this happened in America.

I really enjoyed this fascinating account of the coal wars of west virginia. Not enough has been reported about the events that occured there, and this book sheds light on the subject.