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Dianne K. Salerni is a true genius. She knows how to capture her readers' attention and hold it . . . to the point of distraction! For me the best part of a story is characters so real I get to know and like, dislike or alternate between the two. High Spirits has this in spades - the Fox sisters are truly engaging as are the many supporting characters in the book. The twists and turns of this story are riveting. Just when you think oh, I know where this is going, she throws you a curve ball that has you on the edge of your seat unable to stop reading, despite any responsibilities that await. Please, please, please write your next book right now!!!

I found the Fox sisters to be a revelation not only to the reader but to the spirit world. The book is well written and entertaining as you follow the girls from something unplanned to profession. I was quite amazed at how their lives not only changed others, but put them in positions of control and in some cases danger. I would recommend this to anyone who loves history. Even though it could be described as a "teen book" it is for anyone of any age.

High Spirits is an excellent book, and Dianne Salerni has an incisive ability to get into the characters' minds. Her characters were actual people, true, but she has a way of taking them out of the past and sitting them right down next to us, making it feel as if we are seeing their story firsthand.

High Spirits actually seems to be two books in one. The first half is the history of the Fox sisters and how they became famous spiritualists, believed to be able to communicate with the dead. As their fame grows, so too does their infamy, and they must deal with nonbelievers and detractors, some of whom are willing to resort to violence. This lends itself to some harrowing, suspenseful moments.

The second part of the book is a romance, as Maggie Fox falls in love with a man who loves her in return, but is unable to find the courage to make his feelings public. Meanwhile, he demands that she give up her life of spirit rapping, which angers her family to no end as it is their sole means of support. Torn between betraying her family or losing the man she loves, a man who makes these demands yet is unwilling to commit, Maggie rides an emotional rollercoaster. We sit by her side at all times, through the constant ups and downs, not knowing how the ride will end.

It is an enjoyable ride, nonetheless, and one well worth taking.

Some movies bring tears to my eyes; books seldom do.

High Spirits starts with the haunting of Hydesville in 1848. It follows the real life adventures of two sisters, Maggie and Kate Fox. Maggie starts the story by telling us that she began the `deception' when she was too young to know right from wrong. Kate, the younger of the two, regrets her sister's use of that word. To Kate, the dead are real, and the spirits talk to her.

I have well over a hundred books sitting on bookshelves in my study. Some of them I've already started. Since I lost interest in most of them, the bookmarks are still waiting between early pages for me to return. Many of the books I buy end up neglected orphans in need of foster parents.

Books on the best seller lists seldom satisfy me, because they are shallow or seem like a story I've already read. It's almost as if most of them were chosen by those politically correct people we know are out there monitoring what we say and think and learn--people very much like a `few' of the characters in High Spirits.

However, when I find a novel worth reading, it's like walking into an undiscovered country. High Spirits was one of those.

High Spirits is about the lives of the Fox family and two sisters that are devoted to each other. Kate and Maggie are credited with starting the spiritualist movement as a prank. When I first picked up High Spirits, I thought I was going to be reading about ghosts and romance.

To my surprise and satisfaction, I soon discovered that High Spirits offers much more. High Spirits turned out to be a story told on many levels. At times I found myself chuckling. At other times I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat wondering if one of the characters I liked was about to suffer a horrible fate.

High Spirits is also about a dysfunctional but loving and loyal family surviving in a cruel world. On a more personal note, they are like us. It is easy to identify with them. When danger looms from skeptics that threaten Maggie's life, her older sister Leah Fox rescues her in a daring and risky escape that leaves Maggie in heart-pounding terror. Just thinking about myself in the same situation under the same circumstances had me breaking out in a cold sweat, and I'm a combat veteran that served in Vietnam. Maggie was a young girl.

The romance in High Spirits arrives later in the story. Dr. Elisha Kent Kane, the most widely celebrated American adventurer of the day, eventually walks on stage and fall "madly" in love with Maggie. What turns out to be a complex relationship stands equal to Romeo and Juliet; Tristan & Isolde, and Tony and Maria of West Side Story. That's as far as I'll go. My lips are now zipped shut. Hollywood, pay attention. Stories like this are rare, and Maggie and Elisha were real people.

In High Spirits, the harsh lines that separate the privileged and powerful from the working class show that dysfunctional people come from all levels of society. However, those at the top have the power to do more damage. What they are capable of doing to hurt others is more like a tidal wave washing over distant shores and leaving nothing but destruction and misery in its wake. When Elisha's mother interferes with his love for Maggie, horrible consequences are set in motion.

Although High Spirits reveals that most of us are human at heart, a few inhuman monsters populate our world and wreck havoc wherever they can for selfish, egotistical reasons.

If you are looking for adventure, romance, heartbreak, a bit of history, and a story that will touch you, I recommend this novel. Reading High Spirits will be a journey of discovery that might squeeze out a tear or two like it did for me.

High Spirits: A Tale of Ghostly Rapping and Romance is a novelistic treatment of a real incident from American history, the story of the Fox sisters, whose childish pranks of communicating with the departed were taken seriously first by family members, then neighbors, and then the community, ultimately growing into a genuine phenomenon. The resulting movement, known as spiritualism, became quite the rage from the 1840s until after the Civil War. Traces of it are not unknown today.

By the time they reached young womanhood Maggie and Kate Fox had achieved near-celebrity status. The proceeds from their appearances financed their blue collar family and allowed them access to the highest circles of society in New York City, Philadelphia, and so forth. Maggie, in particular, developed a relationship with Elisha Kane, an adventurer and explorer whose exploits earned him his own corner in history and fiction.

For this reader, however, the history is not ultimately the point of the book. The story is a rewarding and entertaining study of two sisters, their family, and their acquaintances, as they grow and develop and mature (or fail to). The author has done a splendid and totally convincing job of filling out their lives and personalities and putting real flesh on the bare bones of history. The romantic relationship between Maggie Fox and Elisha Kane is especially well depicted, for example. Good historical fiction is capable of putting us not only in other minds but in other eras, and High Spirits does this beautifully. One can read all the history one wants of the position of women in Victorian society but this book can show us what it actually felt like.

In addition the story is masterfully written and edited. All in all this is a first-class novel.

Beautifully written. Inspiring and thought provoking. If you want some clear insight to help you gather momentum and live the life of your dreams this book will certainly inspire you to do so. Many blessings to Kurek for his honest and heartfelt words.

I purchased the book only because of the author, the title really annoyed me, but because I knew of Kurek I had to buy it...

I actually put off reading the book as the title just didnt grab me... But I picked it up a couple of weeks after I purchased it and I am glad I did..

It is an amazing book, and after 10 years down this path of growth, I love that he isn't just talking the talk, he has been there. I can relate to much of what he says...

This book isn't just a book on motivation, its a book on life... Yes you need to keep an open eye in places, but wow, what a ride..

If you skip this book, you may as well skip all the others as well.. This has something for everyone.

John

Kurek Ashley is a new discovery of mine and I am so pleased to have found his latest book, "How Would Love Respond? a work of art. You will get caught up in the writing and be enveloped in the consummation of love. Let go, let love in your life.

"How would love respond" I read in a weekend. once I picked it up I couldn't put it down. All I can say is buy it and read it.

I loved it so much I bought 17 of them, had Kurek sign them for me and gave them as gifts to my friends.

Do yourself a favour and get it.

I thoroughly enjoyed Kurek's book. It is inspiring and easy to read. Are you in the doldrums? Have an empty space that just won't be filled? Hungry but don't know for what? A slow and thoughtful reading of "How would love respond" can get your spirit moving and give you great info on how to get back on track to the good life. I highly recommend "How would love respond" for everyone who questions why life goes the way it goes and how one can get moving in a positive direction and reap the rewards of knowing what to do and how to use the insights. Peggy Touchtone Sholly Down Home Delicious

As a teacher, I love this book for the descriptive language. The text opens up many discussions and helps paint a picture for the student. You can almost "feel" the places and the activities this family is enjoying. The message is lovely, but I enjoy it for the richness of language.

This is the perfect gift to give to a new big brother or sister. I bought it when we had our second baby, and it has the perfect message. My children love this book as well.

I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!! What a great message! The kids love it too.

I'm a mother of two boys (one red, one blue) and this book is my favorite!!! I have purchased over 20 copies and given away to women I meet who have two sons. They all love it and can relate to the message.
My supervisor at work says that we all need to learn the message from "I Love You the Purplest"!
Illustrations are exceptional!! I love the Carolina Wren!

My children ask this regularly, especially my six-year-old Emma.
"Who do you love the best?"

She wants so badly to be loved "the best".

Through Joosse's book, I learned an incredible new way to express how I love her "the purplest" or the "chocolatiest" or "the bell ringingest".....

By using a more descriptive word than "Best", the Mother in this book speaks to what is real and true about her sons Max and Julian so that they are each more than "just satisfied" with being loved the best.....

She uses colors to describe her love for each of her boys after she has described other possibly conflict, competitive situations by being more specific with what is special instead of labeling or judging one above the other.

More adults ought to read this one!

This book is essential for any english or elemtary school teacher. I teach social studies and found many ideas within it informative and relevant. The book is written in an approachable way, filled with mini-lessons and examples of her own students writting. An easy read and needed guide for great practice within the classroom. I highly recomend this.

You can let students have choices about what to write and still have formal guidelines, unlike what the other reviewer/teacher wrote. Nancie Atwell's book is based on years of her own first-hand experiences in the classroom, and, as someone who assigns and reads well over 1000 formal essays per school year to over 200 students, I'll listen to Atwell's advice before some burned out teacher's rantings about the need to drill, drill, drill.

Atwell's research and dedication to the true teaching of literacy in classrooms of all levels has changed my philosophy of teaching forever. Those who judge her approach without attempting to understand it, are only missing out on an innovative and fresh approach to how English should be taught.

In my own classroom of tenth graders, I have gone from yawns and glazed eyes to students who leave my classroom at the end of the school year saying "I could write for pages and pages about how you've helped me become a better writer." I still address grammar, literature, "5 paragraph" essay writing, and the dreaded (and overrated)state tests. Instead of being students who force themselves to read and write for a grade, they are readers and writers who are proud of the accomplishments they produce in literacy.

I recommend this book to anyone who is serious about changing the way literacy is taught in our schools, and creating not only engaged students, but people who love to read and write.

I bought two copies of this book from Amazon, for myself and my class aide, on the strength of the other teachers' recommendations here. The book is as good as the most enthusiastic reviewers say it is, but it is seriously flawed, and to some degree self-contradictory, because it talks too much. As good as are the author's approaches, she doesn't really need 484 pages, plus numerous appendices, to get the message across. In fact, she buries the message in verbosity.

Note that other reviewers found the book easy to read. But if you are already convinced that you want to refresh your approach to teaching reading and writing, you may grow impatient with the overabundance of anecdotes, homilies and elaboration.

Teachers know there is no itemized recipe for teaching, but a book on teaching writing could at least demonstrate the virtue of being concise. Mrs. Atwell should read her own quotes and not "cloud the issues with jargon in place of simple, direct prose...." (p. 16). (This is one of numerous quotes of Donald Graves, who returns the favor by endorsing her book in an exemplary brief foreword).

As one who likes quoting great writings in every chapter, the author could have used and applied the Hellenistic Demos: "I will be moderate in all I attempt and do Nothing to Excess."

Summary: it's just too much of a good thing. I'm going to spring for the workbook (Lessons that Change Writers) and generate even more royalties for the author, in the hopes it is more to the point.

A book that helped inspire me to become a teacher. Some other reviewers may not find it totally "practical" for them to adopt, but anyone with common sense would know that you take what works best for you from as many legitimate resources as possible and adapt.

Just thumbing thru the book already has me laughing out loud. The business plan in disarray... the Family Friendly policy... and my personal favorite - the office thermostat! I wish I had Alice's chutzpah." I wouldn't be freezing to death all day!!!

Journey to Cubeville is a 224-page collection of Scott Adams' hilarious Dilbert cartoons. Dated between 11/1/96 and 1/4/98, these cartoons include all of the normal Dilbert crew: Dilbert, Alice, Wally, Asok, Dogbert, Catbert (a personal favorite), and so forth. The cartoons themselves appear as they did in your favorite newspaper, with the big Sunday ones printed in bright color! Plus, as a bonus, this book includes pop-out finger-puppets, which includes Dilbert, Wally, Alice, Dogbert, Ratbert, the Pointy-Haired-One, and a cubicle. (Dilbert wouldn't be Dilbert without a cubicle!)

This book is great, a must-have addition to the library of any Scott Adams fan. And, the finger-puppets make it that much better. This is perhaps the best Dilbert book of them all - buy it!

JOURNEY TO CUBEVILLE is the absolute best collection of Dilbert comic strips!!! The whole hilarious gang (`specially Wally,Alice and Dilbert et. al) just saturates every single page with their best laughs.So whether you`re wandering through a bookstore,or on the net,DO NOT miss out on JOURNEY TO CUBEVILLE.It`s worth the money!

It's amazing how Scott Adams is able to produce hundreds of hilarious Dilbert strips that revolve around just a few themes -bosses are stupid, engineers are geeks, and the whole purpose of management, marketing, and the like are to squash productivity. This book is proof that Adams is a genius because not a single strip fails to produce at least a chuckle. Get this book and laugh your a** off.

Dilbert is the perfect hero for the modern office, which consists mostly of cubicles, or cubes as we frequently refer to them.

What happens in a cubicle? Oh, you know. The boss comes around and indicates that he is the great power behind everything, though he actually knows nothing about the product. If anything goes wrong, downsizing of those best suited to fix the problem follows.

What of marketing? Well, they are selling a product we have yet to build, for a price we are unable to achieve, with features that marketing neglected to tell engineering about. When all else fails, hire a consultant!

But Dilbert also has to face things like synergies. What are synergies? Ah, well, Dilbert can tell you that when you hear a cliché word like synergies, down-sizing is sure to follow in Cubeville, along with additional doses of cluelessness.

Any Dilbert book is perfect for a modern office worker, especially if they are in engineering, as Dilbert is. This collection of cartoons published from 9/1/96 to 1/18/98 are sure to give you more than a few chuckles as you recognize behaviors from an office you once worked in, or, if you are unfortunate, an office your are currently working in. At least you get gain some perspective and humor from your misery!

Enjoy!

I did not want this book to end! It is a fascinating, fair, well-written book about all of the Kennedy women, their men, and the lives they led. I gained new insight, especially, into Kathleen Kennedy, Rosemary Kennedy, and matriarhc, Rose.

"For the most part Rose grandchildren observed and respected and obeyed her, tiptoeing around her life as if she were an exquisite piece of porcelain. She had led such a decorous life, blocking out the untoward, the ugly, and the unacceptable, that her eyes no longer saw the darker colours of the spectrum. "Pat drank a bottle of wine in the morning," Rose was told. "That's impossible" Rose replied, Pat doesn't drink"

I was glad that I read this book because it has helped me to understand so much more about this so much talked about family. In Mr. Leaner's book we get to know about the Kennedy women's personal thoughts and the correct stories of the daughters and daughters-in-law. Mr.Leamer has given us indept portraits of these women and my favourite is Rose Kennedy the Matriarch of the family. For Rose was a woman so strong and who suffered great disloyalty by her husband which she took all gracefully all for the sake of her family and what she supposed the public expected of them. She was a stern Catholic and gain her strength through her prayer and trust in God.
Also portrayed are Joan Kennedy; Ted wife who had a problem with alcohol. Jackie Kennedy Onnassis; the President's wife who remarried after the President's death to a Greek tycoon. Pat Lawford; married to a Hollywood star and spent most of her time in Los Angeles. Eunice Shriver, who was always working for the handicapped and underprivileged and was one of the Kennedys with great patience and common sense. Ethel Kennedy, Robert Kennedy's widow and Jean Smith.
The Kennedys pushed their tragedies to the inner recesses of their minds.They refused to let others see the negative side of their lives, and carried their problems and burdens inwardly taking pains not to show their broken hearts. To some this might seem pretentious, but they honestly had their reasons. After all they were special in the eyes of America.
Whenever tragedy struck it was not unusual for them to suddenly get physical by taking walks, riding, swimming and any form of exercise. Rosemary the eldest daughter who was mentally retarded was isolated from the public eye and sent to Wisconsin where she was looked after by those of the Sacred Order. This book has helped me to understand so much more about the choices they made and the reason they made them, though tragedy seem to follow them everywhere.

Mr. Leamer has pulled out all the stops in the brilliantly written book, and I would not hesitate to read anything by him in the future. Bravo! Bravo! Heather Marshall 04/04/04

This book arrived in good condition and in a timely manner just like the seller promised! A++

I found this book about the Kennedy family women a very interesting read. The only problem with it is that it is so long. At over 900 pages Mr. Leamer could have written three books and had them in instalments about one pericular Kennedy family women instead of tying to write so much about so many interesting people.

This book relates details of the lives of the many Kennedy women, from Bridget Murphy Kennedy, born in Ireland, through Caroline Kennedy, John F. Kennedy's daughter. Leamer describes the rise of the Kennedy family from the hard luck tales of newly-arrived Irish immigrants through the dynasty years in Hyannisport. While the book presents many of the historical events of the lives of political Kennedys, the viewpoint is always that of the women, and how these events affected their lives. We hear about the Kennedy women's efforts in John's political campaigns, or how the stress of campaigning contributed to Jacqueline's miscarriages. Leamer includes both women born as Kennedys and women who became Kennedys by marriage. Much of the book, however, focuses on two women who married into the Kennedy family, Rose Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. The book is also about the family structure of the Kennedy's and portrays some of the sinister aspects of Joseph Kennedy as well as the positive traits.

Many times I've heard the Kennedy family referred to as a "dynasty". However, it has never been clear to me why an American family would be called a dynasty. In this book, Leamer describes why this group of people is more than simply a family. He describes the relations between Joseph Kennedy's children, and how Joseph and Rose's parenting style contributed both to their children's closeness and competitiveness, and how their own aspirations were realized in the accomplishments of their children. He also relates the difficulties that Jacqueline had as an outsider in establishing a position in the family. The book provides a unique viewpoint on the political events of the 1950s and 1960s whose legacy continues to permeate our society.

I bought this book most recently for my sister's new baby. It's one of the few books that I can read again and again and again (my child loves repetition!) and not get really annoyed. Cute pictures and lovely message.

I love the message in this book, that even when Little Gorilla isn't little anymore, everybody still loves him.

I'm meh on the illustrations - they're not my favorite style, but that's rarely my priority anyway :) The color choices seem odd to me, but really, I don't pay that much attention myself.

On good days, I like that the book has a nice, calm pace. On other days, I'm frustrated that it takes so long to get *absolutely nowhere*. I know it's a board book, but it's a book about birthdays, not bedtimes - you'd expect a little more action in it.

And most of all, it doesn't really engage my nieces, and never has. When we read it, it's because I choose to read it for a change, they never do.

what is there to not love about this book? there aren't too many words & the pictures are so cute that there are plenty of things to have a conversation with my baby about. (You know, like, "Look at that butterfly! Is it pretty?" or "Do you see how much hippo loves gorila? She's taking him to the bananas. Do you see the bananas?") The story is warm & cute & it's a great birthday gift! Thanks to the person who gave it to us!

This was one our favorite childhood books. When I saw it on Amazon it brought back so many wonderful memories. My brother especially liked this book. My sister is having a baby and would really appreciate this book from our childhood. We're all in our thirties too!

I bought Little Gorilla on a whim because my son loves gorillas and at the time it was the cheapest board book on the shelf. I had no idea that it would soon become one of his favorite books as well as one that he would soon commit to memory.

Little Gorilla is a delightful tale of a young gorilla who is loved by "just about everyone in the great green forest". When he suddenly begins to grow (and grow), he finds that everyone still loves him. This simple little tale may not seem like much at first, but as my son approached his second birthday I could tell that the book offered an additional measure of reassurance that even though he was becoming a big boy, his family and friends would still love him.

I worried briefly that the authors unusual artistic style might not appeal to my son (aside from the title character these animals aren't what you'd consider "cute"), but he took to it right away, and after repeated readings (too many to count) he was able to supply some of the words to the story if I left a line unfinished. At this point he can almost recite the whole thing. Fortunately so can I. Even when the book is nowhere close, reciting this story is all but guaranteed to soothe most tantrums and crying fits, and does wonders to calm him before bedtime.

Little Gorilla gets this parent's highest recommendation. It's perfect for children between 1 and 3, and is perfect for expecting parents as well.

This is an excellent book. It really shows you how being a Christian makes sense.

Mr. Colson gives an excellent argument on his experience with the Watergate scandal. He illustrates how if Jesus Christ were just a scandal, then Christianity would have caved-in with the apostles and the first believers long ago.

Neat book.

It is a must for christian reader. Very moving and crystal clear message of what constitute Christian message.

Inspirational writer, Chuck Colson, delivers a heartfelt and moving book about loving God. He refers to R.C. Sprouls "Holiness of God" dvd series, which is a class I'm taking at my church right now. I couldn't put the book down & read it in two days.

This is a wonderful book whether you are Christian or not. It really depicts what Loving God really is. This book has helped me make my decision for Christ. There are many stories inside that really depicts the foundations for loving God. Chuck Colson has incorporated many wonderful testimonies that truly depicts how wonderful this God is.

I appreciate Colson's heart and where he has been in his life. This book is chock-full of stories of his life and ways we can learn to love God. There were a few chapters that seemed to bog down, but overall it's a good read and worth the time.

This beautifully written and fascinating portrait of Andrew Mellon is the single most compelling biography I can ever remember reading, as well as the most interesting history lesson I've ever had. An amazing piece of work.

What I found interesting about this book is that is a history lesson in American business and early regulatory policies that shaped the landscape we see today. At the same time, it is a story of classic love and betrayal. I found the author doing a great job when the story focused on Mellon's marriage and the demise of such, but he tended to become a bit lost in the details when describing all of the political ups and downs. Overall, a fine book and great American story

Though I can not claim to be altogether objective about the subject matter in much of this great book, I must congratulate Cannadine for a masterful study of what has been an extremely closed subject for a long, long time - most of all in the Mellon's home town of Pittsburgh. The late Paul Mellon must be given a lot of credit for breaking with family tradition - first for allowing the book "Thomas Mellon And His Times" to see the light of public day and then to let it all hang out with Cannadine with regard to sources and family papers.

All of the business glories (one wonders at times if Andrew ever really enjoyed his successes), all of the personal agonies (it must have been excruciating on many levels), and much of the rancor between both Judge Thomas Mellon's as well as Andrew's detractors and adversaries are, for the first time, put into print for ALL of the public's perusal. It will be up to each individual reader to judge for themselves how they feel about this man and his father and family.

It came as no suprise to me when Cannadine named my great-great grandfather as being one of the "vexatious litigation" principles who Judge Mellon would only refer to as "A", "B", or "C" in his autobiography. Cannadine is specific about the bad blood between the Negleys and the Mellons after the "eugenic" match (his words) and Pittsburghers specifically will find much new insight here.

However, this long and comprehensive book never lets down as it explores all facets of the Mellon dynasty, how it was aquired (at times skirting legality and even morality), and he leaves very few stones unturned. What Cannadine might have missed was the fact that the rehabilitation of the Mellon name in Pittsburgh was undertaken by Andrew's nephew Richard K. Mellon (Richard Beatty Mellon's son) when "Renaissance I and II" which, along with the Allegheny Community Conference, cleaned up the city of Pittsburgh and made it livable again after over 150 years of take, take, and more take by men such as "A.W." and "R.B" among many others, including Andrew's buddy Henry Clay Frick.

The mystery of "M..." will, I feel, eventually be solved but as was mentioned in a previous review, even as good a sleuth as Cannadine could not hazard even a guess (though I'll bet he had a guess). Notice that she becomes "Mrs. M---" on pg 259. I hardly believe that such a man would be so indiscreet as to write an entree with such a clue, or such an admission of a possible affair - but this entree IS followed by perhaps the most emotional outburst of his heart, "CRUEL", in uppercase.

A flawed man, as are all men, and obviously a tortured one for much of his life, this book will give everyone the chance to weigh the evidence and decide for themselves the verdict which until now was impossible to consider to to lack of full factual disclosure. I found it fascinating the whole way from beginning to end. The source notes are a gem in and of themselves.
I would also recommend both books by father and son for a comprehensive look at all three men, and how wealth, acquisition, and the drive and pressures of both shaped them.
"Thomas Mellon And His Times"
"Reflections In A Silver Spoon"

If you like history you'll love this book, it's long and "gets long winded in history" but try stop reading I couldn't, if your over 55 you will really love it. I still don't know how I feel about Andrew, Dick and Thomas Mellon. I found myself loving this book excellent read.

Cannadine exceeded expectations on a number of fronts with this definitive biography of Andrew Mellon. It has everything you'd expect from a grade-A biography, laying out where Mellon's family came from (both physically and philosophically), how Mellon grew up, his rise, peak, eventual fall from grace, death and legacy. Not only that, but Cannadine does all of this exceedingly well, giving his reader a sense of the nuances and subtleties of Mellon's personality and life. If Cannadine had done nothing else, he'd still have written a five-star book.

This book goes beyond most rock-solid biographies that I've read in Cannadine's sensitivity to the larger meaning of the events in Mellon's life, his place in history and his impact even after his death. While this sensitivity is present throughout Cannadine's book, it really comes together in in his three-part epilogue, which you will absolutely not want to miss, it is the highlight of the book.

The first point Cannadine develops is that Mellon's life straddled the line between two different eras in American history. He shows how Mellon, without changing his behaviors, was perceived one way for much of his life, then a totally different way at the end of his life. Through his awareness of this point, Cannadine really demonstrates to the reader how radical the shift in sentiment was in America in the 1930s.

The second point Cannadine is aware of, as any successful biographer of a great historical figure must be, is the idea that Mellon was a human being with some great strengths and some great flaws. In my experience, people who have the strengths to accomplish the most often have corresponding weaknesses to go with them; Cannadine really makes this point clear in his epilogue, doing a "balance sheet" of positives and negatives of Mellon's character and accomplishments. I've never seen an author take even-handed analysis to a similar place, and it really helped bring together the books ideas at the end.

Finally, Cannadine captures a truth about life, society and politics that imbues the book with a sense of sadness. It becomes obvious that many (though certainly not all) of the good things that happen to Mellon happen out of chance. Similarly, when bad things happen to Mellon, most (again, not all... his divorce comes to mind as an obvious exception) of them are undeserved. Mellon dies near the low point of his public popularity, suffering primarily for sins he did not commit.

I highly recommend this book for lovers of biography and history, it is truly a step beyond a really good biography.

Although I grew up in a predominantly Catholic area (southwest Louisiana), I was raised Baptist and often felt that Catholics were odd or completely wrong in their belief system. As I grew older, I began to investigate different faiths in order to find the one I belonged to. In the end, though, I was called home to the Catholic Church and came into full communion with it in 2000. Naturally, I began to receive a ton of questions, answers, attacks and misinformation from multiple Protestant sources, including some who were friends or family. I began to research my newfound faith with much zeal in order to defend it properly. As the years passed, my family and friends (the ones that hadn't given up on me) grew to accept me as a Catholic. Still, I often run into questions from them that I can't immediately answer. Thanks to the New Catholic Answer Bible, I now have a ready resource to reply to them with.

Containing the New American translation of the Catholic Bible, this answer Bible offers brief sections every few pages that explains certain Catholic beliefs with Biblical references. The beliefs range from the papacy to baptism and everything in between.

Solid Biblical references are the only true defense of the faith when talking to Protestants in my opinion, especially since the majority of them rely on no other source for their own beliefs. Referring to Catholic Tradition or the catechism usually doesn't work. Luckily, this book provides proof that can be found in the books of the Protestant Bible as well as the Catholic one.

If you're just beginning to study the Catholic faith, the New Catholic Answer Bible is an excellent, quick and handy resource. I also recommend books by apologists such as Scott Hahn, Karl Keating and Patrick Madrid as well as the wonderful "Why Do Catholics Do That?" by Kevin Orlin Johnson.

This Bible contains a lot of information about the history of the Bible that I believe a lot of people don't know. It also contains helpful, relevant information & comprehensive answers to questions asked about Church doctrine.

This book should be mandatory reading in all catholic schools. Knowing your religion well is the only way to offset advances by bible toting, catholic bashing hipocrates. When approached by these people, hand then this book to read. We may get a few converts of our own.

An excellent study Bible for Catholics and all who are interested in summaries of Catholic teachings. The entire New American Bible is presented and about every sixty pages a section of questions and Catholic answers is given. With these questions and answers, specific scriptural references are given that can easily be refered to.

I purchased the New Catholic Answer Bible to seek answers to many of the tenets of the Catholic faith. This Bible has greatly exceeded my expectations. It is so well organized that I can read the passages of the Bible and then quickly go on to the explanatory notes with ease. This Bible not only provides what I needed regarding the words of the Bible itself, but is like getting a history lesson as well. I read it every day, and I couldn't be more pleased. I heartily recommend it.