United States Books

If I read the book again I might be on the so called "right" track.
The book was given to me by a dear friend. I laughed and some
of the novel approach by King is undeniable. It is a journey
to the back roads of melancholy.

A very good read - very unflinching in terms of sexuality - quite bawdy in places.

What a trip! We just moved to the South a few years ago (First Atlanta, now the Delta), and I'm wishing someone had recommended this a while back. It helps with so many things! All the contradictions, the unexplained rules, the assumptions and the wacky productions...King helps it all make sense, with great humor and flair. If you enjoy this, I also recommend Gayden Metcalfe's books: Being Dead is No Excuse (about funerals in the South) and Somebody is Going to Die if Lily Beth Doesn't Catch that Bouquet (Southern weddings, obviously). Enjoy!

This book was delivered earlier than expected. I had read the hardback copy which I lost through loaning it. The book is about southerners and for an southerner, it explains all the people I have come to know.. I know every character described in the book.

This is my second reading of this book, separated by 15 years. I fondly remembered it as an hilarious work, yet this time halfway through I realized that I, and most of my family, lurk in the pages. We Southerners have families loaded with women who "go to pieces" and men who think they still live in the Middle Ages. We have legacies of spoiled, sassy belles and proud, wounded gallants still fighting the War Between the States. Sometimes we leave Mama's house shuttered for decades because "she never wanted her things disturbed". That which would cause hardly a concern in Omaha becomes a major issue in Richmond. Although the names change the cast is the same. It's all here, and none of it is made up-each character continues to thrive by the thousands in the South. If you want to understand Southerners you cannot just eat burgoo and wine jelly with custard-Southern Ladies and Gentlemen is a must for any true aficionado of this beautiful culture.

I purchased this paperback version at Fisk University in August 1978 and it has been with with me since then. I love the recipes in this book and the stories behind them. I have my original paperback copy @$2.75 a copy. I cooked several recipes from this book, although I knew how to cook from my mother. I am sharing this book with my young co-workers in my office as the bible for Southern cooking and sharing a family story. I love the recipe for the potatoe salad and am preparing it for my company's picnic this week.

Thanks for sharing,
Loren

This is as interesting as a "reading" book as it is as a cookbook. The recipes are very creative, too. A lot of "homestyle" cookbooks just seem to be "1,001 things to do with canned soup" but this one isn't like that at all--the recipes are genuinely interesting and are varied, from ice cream to homemade wine to Sunday dinner.

I purchased this book in hardbound when it came out years ago. I used it until the pages fell out. Now, I'm older and can't consume so much butter and sugar other artery clogging ingredients, but for special occasions I pull this baby out and go to town. Mmmm-mmm-good!

My mother gave this cookbook to me when I was in college. She wanted me to learn how to cook. I was a bookworm who was more interested in history than cooking so I always resisted.

She gave me the first edition of this cookbook a small paperback with the yellow cover and the same picture of the Darden sisters. Once I began reading this book I fell in love with the idea of learning to cook.

The recipies all worked great for me but what I really loved was how they tied each person to a group of recipies and how their family history was inter-connected to cooking.

It is a great cookbook yes but an even greater celebration of family.

This is definitely a keeper. I really wanted a good recipe for macaroni and cheese and my family loved the one that is in this book and requested that I make it again. It has that old fashioned consistency and taste just like my grandmother use to make when she was living. I can't wait to try the others. You can't go wrong with this book. If you don't know how to cook, people will think you can.

This book is an incredibly candid account of a foster mother and her joys and woes throughout her years of providing care for multiple children, birth, foster, and adopted. It's about reality not happy endings and truth not distortion.

I could not put the book down, and have read up to the last two chapters. I would recommend this book to anyone who has difficult children and wants comfort in knowing they are not alone.

The Unlit Path by Deborah Hannah shows an inspirational demonstration of courage, faithfulness, and forgiveness. I am not an adoptive parent, but was reading this from the view point of a parent, grand parent, and former educator. I can't personally relate with the sacrifices and heartbreak that some foster/adoptive parents face, but this book gives me sympathy and understanding of their challenges. I recently retired after spending 30 years in the classroom. I wish I would have had this book earlier in my career to help interact and understand children and parents who may have been experiencing children with R.A.D. and other difficulties . I admire the Hannah's Christian values and faith and admire how they allowed God to help them through their tears of heartbreak and frustrations. Their love for each other, their children, and their unconditional forgiveness is an example for all of us. Adoptive/foster parents, educators, and social workers would benefit from reading this book. The book is very well written. It's a real page turner. I couldn't put the book down!

As a foster parent this book was very realistic and hit home on a lot of levels.

I highly recommend this wonderful book!! I read it in one sitting; I simply could not put it down. The Hannah family's journey through foster parenting and adoption mirrored my own. My family started fostering children around the same time that the Hannah's did and we have experienced many of the same break downs in the child welfare system that they have. This book is a must read for anyone looking into the possibility of fostering children and also for anyone who knows foster families. The isolation foster families feel when everyone around them starts questioning their parenting, not realizing that the children are very, very ill and need to be parented differently is devastating. The journey towards healing and forgiveness is very uplifting and motivating. Deborah Hannah conveys her joy, betrayal, disillusionment and forgiveness simply and clearly. She gives us the message that life does go on.

This was an amazing book!! I am currently on my way to becoming a foster parent, so I decided to read this book. I started reading it yesterday morning, and finished at 2 o'clock this morning. I couldn't stop reading. I cried while reading it, it was so sad, but I don't regret hearing the story. It needed to be told.

The author has a beautiful way with words, and the book was an easy read. It flowed very well.

Though Disney hasn't released the DVD yet, it has been released through affiliates who have links to disney.com. Search "Song of the South" on your web browser and you should come up with it. I think Disney is afraid to release it under their name, but are doing so undercover. I got one. The live scenes are a bit fuzzy, but not bad. The cartoon characters are clear and apparently were digitized. I doubt it will be on amazon for awhile as the sellers are few and want to maintain a higher price.

I am so glad I found this. Does anyone else think it's ironic that they changed the tar baby to a tar bunny?

What a treasure! Please release this wonderful film on DVD. It makes many important social comments & is very entertaining. This is one of Walt Disney's hidden treasures.

Please release Song of the South for all of us who remember seeing this movie as a child. I would love to share this movie with my child. It will always be one of my favorite movies. My mother, my sisters and myself going to see this movie is one childhood memory that I will always cherish. Please consider making this excellent movie available to us. Thank you!!

Song of the South is one of the most influential movies that I saw as a child. It shows us how to be happy in a lot of different situations. To have a positive attitude. The minority group should be very proud of this movie because the stories Uncle Remus told were positive reflections of life.
This day and age we need more old stories of being happy in tough times. Please release this movie. It is a part of history that should not be hidden.

This book was very helpful. As someone who currently has no "mentor" so to speak in the film industry, this book has acted as my temporary guide. It addresses many problems screenwriters go through, as well as warning people of the pitfalls that many aspiring screenwriters fall into. Highly recommended.

I own several screenwriting books and consider this one to be in the top 3 (McKee and Vogler being the other 2). The reason is because this is one of the few screenwriting books with information coming straight from successful screenwriters. This is key, because through their insights you can better understand how they work, think, and live. And this ultimately affects your writing positively because a lot of the uncertainties during the writing process are discussed. It won't teach you about structure etc, but it contains information that to me was equally vital: how to think as a successful screenwriter.

In real estate they discuss the three "L's" Location, location, location. This is the three "W's" Write, Write and Write more. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to write a screen play.

This is a must read for anyone who aspires to be a screen writer. Any wannabe writer has their own personal favorite blogs, a blog that helps inspire, motivate and teach them. This book is almost a best of those blogs from successful writers whose movies they have written have actually BEEN PRODUCED.
The one main theme of this book is just write and write and write because you love writing and not because you want the Hollywood celebrity lifestyle. Great writing will open a lot of doors for one and most importantly, keep that door open.
In my opinion, I like to study and and read how successful writers from all genres got their first break, their work ethic and how most importantly they work through writer's block and rejection. Again, Karl Iglesias' book does that successfully.

I was lucky enough to meet Mr. Iglesias at the Screenwriting Expo. He knows his craft, he loves the business. And he's brutally honest in conveying the realistic odds of breaking into Hollywood. While no one ever says it's easy, he can tell you just how hard. This book is a must read for any aspiring screenwriter. Interviewing some of the greatest screenwriters, they all are forthcoming in telling their own tales of struggle, achievement, success, and most of them, frustration.

This book may be geared toward all screenwriters, however it succeeds in leaps and bounds, by telling the realistic truth any up-and-coming screenwriter needs to hear. Too often people are putting together a script hoping to win the lotttery, sell it for mid-six figures, and not taking the time to understand that the money should never be the motivating factor of writing any script. And if that's your only motivation, you'll never succeed in making your dream come true. This book reminds those of us that do it for a different reason, what that reason is. It's the love of writing. Anything else, any other reason, is simply a waste of time and energy.

Mr. Iglesias lays it out in plain view, through interview after interview, just how much of an uphill battle it is get someone to simply give your script a look, and even then, chances of your selling it are slim. Nicholas Kazan once spoke at a seminar. He told them to go turn in their registration forms and go home. He then told them that if any of them seriously entertained that advice, they would never make it. It's all about challenge and it's all about sacrifice. This book will help you realize how important both of those things are.

Although this novel was published almost 50 years ago, it is amazingly contemporary. The political infighting--both honorable and petty--definitely mirrors the politics of 2007. If anyone thinks today's politics are nasty, this book shows that even in the late '50s, there must have been plenty of vituperation, pettiness, and, fortunately, integrity. Remove the dated technology--special-delivery mail and wire updates--and substitute email and the Internet, and the story could take place right now. Some tighter editing would have made this book even better (some of the accounts of nonpolitical, i.e., domestic, action drag), but the political action is fantastic. Is this 1959 or 2007?

At the age of 18 in 1963 while my husband and I were stationed in Chambley France (USAF) I discovered this wonderful political novel, almost by accident. Later, and with great anticipation, I read the follow ups all the way to The Promise of Joy. Later in life, I managed to obtain all 6 of this series (hardback of course, because I knew that they would be used over and over) for my personal library and as of today have re-read them several times (each time, enjoying them even more). Back in '63 I never thought that America could really become what Mr Duruy was writing about, cause after all we all love our country Right?? Well, as the years have passed, I do see exacally what he meant. There really are a great many Americans that would do harm to her. Although these may be novels, I do believe that there is a lot to lean about the workings of our govenment. Although I have read several reviews of the series, I disagree with most and advise you to read them ALL!! Each one deals with different area of the government and are well worth the read.. As I travel to Washington D.C. for the first time next month, I have a burning desire to see our National history and it great part it stems from reading and enjoying to the fullest these great works of a brilliant mind.

I just reread "Advise and Consent" hard upon the recent Senate brouhaha, and even went so far as to purchase the recently-released DVD, which does not do entire justice to the source, although Walter Pidgeon is a better Bob Munson than even Allen Drury wrote. "A and C" is an admirable novel of a literary quality likely far above the other contenders on the NYT Bestseller List in 1959, if likely inferior to contemporary political novelists like Ward Just. Other reviewers have pointed out that Drury later started chewing the scenery at the distant right edges of the set, but "Advise and Consent" remains a splendid portrait of its time. Highly recommended.

This is easily the best novel ever written about American politics. Drury, who began as a Senate reporter, really has the feel of the Senate down pat as he tells the story of the nomination of Robert Leffingwell, a one-time communist sympathizer, to be the Secretary of State at the height of the Cold War.

While Drury's later writing became somewhat stilted and out-of-touch, this book is dead on and creates real and believable characters.

A fun game, for those really in the know, is to try and guess which fictional Senator corresponds to which real-life Senator from the era.

(A freebie- Brigham Anderson of Utah is reportedly based on John F. Kennedy, a surprising development given the... revelations... about Anderson in the book).

This is a classic novel that deals with the nomination by the President of a highly controversial person for the office of Secretary of State. A group of Senators is dead set against the nominee, and others are equivocal and unsure. The nominee has a dark past and this begins to come to light, the question is asked as to whether he has overcome this past and can now serve as a sturdy and reliable public servant.

The novel portrays Washington DC as a snake pit of intrigue and maneuvering, where anything goes in an endless struggle for power and position. It also shows America's capitol as a city which still has a place for idealism and principles. No, these two things are not contradictory, as this novel also shows.

The story moves along at a brisk pace, although it slows down in places. This novel was written in the early 1960s, and thus the story contains certain anachronisms, such as the Soviet Union reaching the Moon before the United States does. The novel also has an intolerant and non-contemporary view of homosexuality, which is unfortunate, but which ultimately does not detract from the story. (The movie is far worse in this respect, incidentally.) No matter. This novel is as relevant today as it was when it was written, at the height of the good old Cold War.

One of the oddities of this novel is that almost all of the conflict occurs within the majority party (although unnamed, it is the Democrats.) The minority party (Republicans) play almost no role whatever, and the novel barely acknowledges that they exist. This is the Democrats of the 1960s, when that party was much more conservative than it is today.

This is an excellent novel that should be required reading for all high school and college students.

This book does a very good job in trying to explain some of the causes of violence and some of the systemic failures in our society. It also provides an interesting narrative of the people involved in the story.

I am a descendant of James Butler. For the record, that family is not Scotch-Irish, they were English and had been for hundreds of years. They went to Virginia from England in the 1600's not because they were poor or down trodden but because they were wealthy and well connected with the intentions of making more money.

Shoddy research just makes me cringe.

I'm not A reader of books. I was refered this one and I can't stop referencing it in everyday conversations. This book is not only a great history lesson of Racial tensions but also a great look into the history of violence in our Black Youth....

On a cold wintry day in March 1978, Willie Bosket, a 15-year-old boy with an extensive juvenile record, shot and killed a middle-aged hospital worker in a New York City subway robbery. Eight days later, Willie robbed and killed another man under similar circumstances. Shortly thereafter, he was arrested, confessed, and was found guilty of these two homicides. He was given the maximum sentence for a juvenile of five years for the two murders. He felt not a whit of remorse for his actions, and was quoted as such in the papers.

A few days later, New York Governor Hugh Carey, reading about the trial in the New York newspapers, became so incensed that he immediately called a special session of the state legislature in Albany. He proposed and was successful in passing a new law in record time, the Juvenile Offender Act of 1978. This law allowed kids as young as 13 to be tried in adult criminal courts for murder and receive the same penalties as adults. This law was a sharp reversal of 150 years of American tradition. New York became the first of many states to make this watershed change in juvenile justice policy. Willie Bosket had made history.

If All God's Children were merely a harrowing recitation of the criminal life of Willie Bosket, it would be a fascinating chronicle of the "most dangerous prisoner in the history of the state of New York." But it is much more than that. It is also a multi-generational tale of the Bosket family dating back to 1834 in South Carolina. It in particular traces the interweaving stories of Willie Bosket and that of his father, Butch Bosket, with all that they held in common-genius-level IQs, a history of explosive anger, psychopathic tendencies and a conviction for two homicide.

In telling this saga of the Bosket family, Butterfield has successfully woven together a sociological treatise on violence in America, a cautionary tale of the pernicious effects of slavery, and a genealogical study of a truly tragic family.

Armchair Interviews says: A stunning read.

This book was indeed an eye-opener. I encourage all who are concerned about our society as a whole to study this book, and especially those who are in social services. Mr. Butterfield should be applauded for this work.

Professor Emeritus Harry Gottesfeld has done a lot for mental health in the USA and in Europe. His programs have literally helped hundreds of thousands of people. This book is a classic reference and everyone in the field should have a copy.

Sometimes a book is written that is insightful and helpful. Harry Gottesfeld, the eminent scholar, professor, and Director of Mental Health is at his best in this tome. No one else comes close to presenting this information so well.

Dr. Gottesfeld's book is the classic work on this subject and well worth buying if you are lucky enough to find a copy. It always seems to be out of stock due to great demand. I really like the way this famous professor, clinicial pyschologist, and former Director of NYC's 28 Mental Hospitals presented this material so anyone can read it and "get it" right away!

This book is used in Universities, Social Agencies, Government agencies and Courts. It should also be used by every American family who faces this problem! The book is written by one of the most fruitful and wise clinical psychologist's of our time.

The best book I have ever read on this important subject. This book is written by one of the most brilliant psychologists of this era, the humanist and clinicial psychologist, Dr. Harry Gottesfeld.

This book was just included in the Air Force Chief of Staff's 2009 Reading list and therefore may get more visibility. It is a very quick read and perhaps the best part of the book is the gut-wrenching detail concerning the time this great patriot spent as a POW. Clearly this man has suffered a lot in life and the valorous recognition he has received is most deserving. I gave it 4 stars because I thought the book focused unnecessarily on certain political matters.

The things this man has done are amazing. Not everyone will like the part about doing everything he can to keep John Kerry out of the Oval Office but I sure as hell did. He is a true American Hero. Read and keep this book.

A must read for anyone who wishes to understand what sets the "military" man apart from his civilian counterpart. This book also goes a long way in describing the angst that still resides with our Vietnam Vets and the betrayal they felt from the US Government, the media, and the citizens.

Excellent! For those history buffs, it tells of his military and civilian accomplishments for all veterans.

I wish I could meet Col. Bud Day and thank him personally for what he has done. The book reads a narrative of his life from childhood in Sioux City to this day in Florida. I am very impressed. Col. Day's life is an example every man and woman should and could follow. A man of righteous convictions, morally and spiritually strong and right and above all, he has been in the service of his country for more than 6 decades. He volunteered to fight in WW II as a Marine, then as an Army reservists in yrs after WW II and later as an Air Force officer pilot in Korea & Vietnam. He did every thing asked of him truly the right way. He was shot down in 1967 and held captive as a POW for more than 6 yrs. His life is filled with honor and sense of duty and courage. I wish I could be him. Colonel Bud Day sets an example for the people and readers can model themselves around his character. There's nothing wrong with this man who has won the US Congressional Medal of Honor. The book is terrific and an easy read yet it is hard to put down. I couldn't. I am going to read other works by the author Mr. Coram. I loved this book and I believe every young men and women should read this book to learn a few simple things. Regardless of your nationality and politics, this man, Bud Day, has things to offer and it is best that we learn. Highly recommended book!

Thurber's classic about growing up in Columbus, Ohio is laugh out loud funny, even 80 years removed. Talent like this is rare. He deserves his literary reputation.

James Thurber was one of the funiest authors of all time and this book cements his reputation. I enjoyed it many years ago and after re-reading it, I enjoyed it again.

Should be required reading for all folks of any age looking for an introduction to life in these United States, for those learning to overcome despair and disaster with humor and grace, for any and all learning the English language.

Thurber is a great favorite of mine, and this was another fun book to read.

Take your mind back half a century and read these mildly amusing essays about life in the 1920s and 1930s. The style is so different from modern prose, but it is well worth the read.