Benton Books

The writer has some understanding and wisdom of chi, but lacks the nature of the chakras. Also there is not much Yoga forms. Other than that, its a good Self-Help New Age Book. Not total belongs under energy works.

Having been very active in the pursuit of physical fitness for many years, this book is a most welcome breath of fresh air. The movements and practices are eloquently detailed, and the entire concept just seems to flow naturally, without overwhelming even the novice in spiritual development (like me). I read through the entire book once and keep going back to different chapters, learning a little bit more about myself each time. It makes perfect sense, and it's like giving yourself a gift. I honestly can't imagine anyone NOT benefiting from "Chi Fitness".

I've incorporated Chi Fitness into my life for the last three years. It's really changed my perspective on how important it is to be in tune with your body, and how your body needs to release emotions that affect us from childhood and our current lives. Since I'm so much more in touch with my feelings and my needs, I'm more centered and able to enjoy each day as a special gift. I highly recommend this book and anything else these authors may publish.

C'mon everyone...let's get meta*physical*! This is not some abstract metaphysical mumbo-jumbo. This book offers a straightforward approach to fitness with workouts designed for the body, mind and spirit. Most fitness books focus on the physical body, emphasizing eating right and exercise to reduce weight, tone, body build, etc. Chi fitness authors, Benton and Denbaum shows readers how to use their Chi (life force energy) to maintain a healthy body and mind by combining exercise with meditation.

The authors provide meditations and exercises, to help clear energy blocks that may restrict us. They help us examine how we give away our energy through anger, stress, personal problems and conflicts. They also give readers a Chakra workout, providing detailed information about the chakras (energy centers in the body), and specific exercises to balance individual chakras that are out of balance. The movement exercises are mostly simple, yet effective. There are a few that the flexibly challenged will find difficult to master (I know I can't bend down holding my ankles with my head nearly touching the floor). But there are only a few so challenging. Illustrations and exercise instructions are thorough and very easy to follow. The authors seamlessly blend meditation and/or visualization with movement creating workouts that practitioners will find themselves fully engaged in. I recommend this for anyone who wants more than just the usual body-based workout, anyone who wants something more interesting than just your average repetitive routine, and for those that want to do more than just burn calories. This will stimulate you body, mind and soul.

Easy exercises for the neophyte, but nothing here to challenge or enlighten someone with some exposure to yoga, tai chi or chi gung. If the term "new age psycho-babble" is in your vocabulary, you are not the type who would appreciate this book.

This was my introduction to James Salter and it was the book that made me interested in his writing. One of the wonderful aspects about Gods is not simply that it contains Salters wonderful writing, but also that the editors have managed to collect the best pasages from a number of his books. After reading Cassada, Burning the Days and the Hunters, I returned to this volume and found that nearly every one of my favorite passages on flying (achieving competence or learning "equitation" as he puts it at one point) from these books appears in Gods. And a bonus are the excerpts from Salter's jounals as a fighter jock driving F-86s in combat in Korea: these sometimes read like poetry leaving an image that has the feel of a Turner watercolor -- a couple of colorful strokes that still give a strong sense of the energy and paradoxically tranquility of moments flying. Originally in Burning: "I will never see it again or, just this way all that is below. Some joys exist in retrospect, but not this, the serenity, the cities shining in detailed splendor."

If you want real literature without fiction, this is it.

Prentiss Davis
Truckee, CA

Salter is a fine writer and an elegant stylist, with the ability to blend exquisite imagery and brute, violent action effortlessly, so that the reader feels transported into the situation he sets up.

This edition of excerpts from three previous books, however, leaves me with a "Rip Off" feeling. Why not just read the books the two editors have ripped this material out of?

The bonus I guess is the frank Korean War journal which has not been published.

In his declining years Faulkner published a similar book BIG WOODS, composed largely of excerpts from books still in print, given his imprimatur as a volume of hunting stories, and his publishers encouraged Faulkner's audience to think of it as a new book by virtue of its new juxtapositions. Now Salter is getting the Faulkner treatment. So be it, but don't expect all the readers to be happy about paying money once again to a speciality publisher for a lot of stories we heard just a few years back when Salter published BURNING THE DAYS (1997). He's great and all but he's no William Faulkner.

Having read some for the works from which this book takes much of its content I was prepared to be disappointed; however, Salter has woven the material into a much tighter and stronger work. It's clear that he looked back at the old material with improved writing skills and a more mature handling of the nature of warfare in the early days of the jets.

He captures the isolation of these modern day knights of the air, the randomness of early aerial engagements in the first jet on jet conflict and one which was further complicated by the political restrictions which put the bases on the north side of the Yalu off limits. With the possible exception of the middle-east the Korean war probably marked the last engagement of large numbers of American aircraft in air to air combat over a small area.

Highly recommended, especially for those who who have enjoyed his other works. Deserves a place on the bookshelf between Stranger to The Ground, Night Flight, Tom Wolfe's writings on flight and other literate classics on the challenge and characters in flying.

For those wanting to know more about the why of the Korean air engagements Robert Cornan's "Boyd The Story of a Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Course of War" is most enlightening.

Like Wind, Sand and Stars the book has a very broad appeal that is not limited to pilots. Great gift for someone who appreciates good writing.

Gods of Tin is a book divided into three parts roughly equating to the authors various service assignments within the Air Force. The first section covers his time from enlistment to his flight training and onto the time where he was ready to ship out to Korea. The second part is a partial journal of his time (100 missions) spent flying F-86 fighters over North Korea and China during the Korean War and the third part details life as a pilot in the European theater during the cold war.

The author has a distinctive style of writing that gives you the feeling of being on his shoulder while the events are unfolding. There are short, brutal sentences while he is writing in the journal, which capture the time there wonderfully, as the time was spent living in short brutal bursts. His imagery is impossible to describe for us mere mortals and must be read to be appreciated. A sort of poetry in sentence form would be the closest I could come to a description that would do the author's writing any justice.

My only complaint, if it can be called one, is that the book is small, containing a mere 170 pages. I could have gone on reading this for days, and yet it was over so quickly.

If your kid or you like pure fun you should read this book. I'ts not exactly deep reading, but it sounds truly like a spunky sarcastic 6th grader! Jim benton has done it again!

I saw this book at the library and checked it out for my first grader. I didn't realize it was a bit too old for her until I started reading it. The sad thing is I couldn't stop reading it. Jim Benton's Jamie Kelly makes observations that will have anyone who has ever participated in a wedding laugh out loud.

Recommended for preteens.

My 11 year old loves these books. I've lost count how many times she has disolved into hysterical laughter over the memoirs of middle schooler Jamie Kelly. They are pretty amusing if you're 11. My only caution is that this book continues with the main character's jealousy of her rival Angeline. As a parent, I don't like the girl hating girl because she's beautiful and popular theme, but my daughter thinks it's hilarious. Just my take on it.

The book Dear Dumb Diary (the problem with here is that it's where I'm from) is an exciting, hilarious, and easy laugh. It's exciting because you get experience reading Jamie Kelly journal, and the best part is that Jamie Kelly is a teenager and everybody wants to know what juicy stuff teenagers are putting in their journals. Except all that she writes about is silly stuff about people at school, her dog that farts a lot, and the people she secretly very much dislikes. What's so hilarious about Dumb Diary? The hilarious thing about Dumb Diary is the illustrations Jamie creates. They are on what she is talking about in that entree; it's so funny to see to see how things she writes about look. This book is such and easy laugh because the little stories she creates can make laugh so hard you could pee in your pants. She also has the talent to make these characters look so silly. This book was a very funny book and I enjoyed this book a lot.

The book I read is called Dear Dumb Diary. The book was written by Jim Benton. I am going to give this book five stars because it was about a girls life and how she goes to school and the boy she likes, and the girl who thinks that she is perfect in every way. Anyway, the girl in this story Jamie who tells about what is happening in school and her life. Some of the characters in the story are Angelina, Sparky, the lunch lady, Henry, and Isabelle. Angelina is the popular girl who likes the same guy Jamie does. And boy does that make Jamie MAD!!! Angelina is very bossy and likes to torment Jamie in any way she can. Sparky is Jamie's dog. She tells him everything that happens in her life. The lunch lady is the lady who serves disgusting lunches, in the cafeteria. Henry is the guy I was telling you about. He's the guy who both Jamie and Angelina like! And last but not least Isabelle. Isabelle is the Jamie's best friend in the whole wide world. They do everything together. And in the story Jamie likes to call people names in her diary. She talk about them and what they look like and what she plans on doing to them in the future. And one off the parts is when Angelina get her........................oops!! Can't tell you! You have to read the book to find out.

...I'm not even sure where to start with this review..this book is one of the most painful stories I've read in a while. Phyllis Benton takes us along through the journey of her life; from a childhood spent in a motherless home as one of eight children, to foster care, to one abusive marraige followed by another. It's hard to stomach at times -- especially when you stop and consider that the story is real. This really happened. Ms. Benton truly did suffer through these events; and not only did she survive them, but she chose to share them with the world..that in itself deserves some applause..

The story is honest and raw, at times frustrating, at times horrifying. The story moves quickly from childhood up through to adulthood. It is written in a simple manner -- no sugar coating or fancy words to distort the true ugliness of the author's world. You can't help but continue reading, as you want the author to triumph over all the hardships in her world..

If you suffer from abuse, or know anyone who does, this is a book that you, or they, should read. Probably, you should read it two or three times. On a personal note, I work with teenagers who are in state custody due to abuse and/or neglect in their biological homes...and I plan to hand this book directly to them and make it available to any of them to read. It's an inspirational book in its own way and I highly recommend it to you all.

Very seldom does one read a book that is so relevant to the world in which we live, but Phyllis Benton's book, Living Nightmares of Abuse is one such book. The author takes you on an incredible journey through her life that details the horrors of child abuse, being the victim of domestic abuse, and the fear of being imprisoned by the men in her life that she loved so much.
Phyllis Benton had to be transparent about her life and that in it's self is never easy, because to be transparent you must relive the past and experience the hurt and pain all over again, things that you wanted to forget but you know that your pain can and will bring healing to others. Being transparent is the first step to healing. The incredible strength of Phyllis Benton will encourage you and help you. If you are suffering from abuse or know of someone who is experiencing abuse of any kind you need to get this book, Living Nightmares of Abuse by Phyllis Benton.

Tom Ward, author
The Enemy Within
Outpost of Hell or Portals to Heaven
[...]

Phyllis Benton was born and raised in McKinley, Maine, a small fishing harbor community. She was one of eight children and was raised in a house with no running water or electricity. Her mother was usually always cooking, cleaning or tending to the children. Her father was always working menial jobs and did what he could to feed his family. Phyllis grew up only knowing what was in her world. Her world was not full of riches; it was in fact very meager. Phyllis's world took a tremendous turn for the worst when her mother left for an easier life. Phyllis's father had no choice but to hand his eight children over to the county for foster care. This is where her journey of true survival began. Phyllis went from many foster homes to a marriage that failed and then on to an even more horrific life as a battered wife. Phyllis Benton's desire to survive as you will reads in her book is amazing and she has proven to be a very strong woman. Her ability to complete and earn a college degree in Office Systems Technology from Mitchell Community College in North Carolina was one of her highest moments in her journey of life. I am honored to have been asked to review Phyllis's book. It is truly a journey of strength and survival.

About the Book: Living Nightmares of Abuse
"Living Nightmares of Abuse" is a very well written biography. Phyllis shows great ability in her descriptive techniques with every word she uses in writing about her life. This book is one of several types of abuse. Phyllis shares with us through this book her horrors of child abuse, wife battery, and pure fear of being imprisoned and stalked by men in her life that she trusted enough to marry. Living Nightmares of Abuse will make you hate and even want to take action against wife abusers. You will be amazed at the strength that Phyllis finds deep within herself, when she finds herself at the mercy of wife abuse again and again. With no money and no place to go, she continues onward, taking her readers with her through her book, to experience the pain and loneliness that kept her going forward. This book was written in hopes to share a story of survival when one feels up against all odds. Additionally, "Living Nightmares of Abuse" will also bring to you a feeling of joy as Phyllis shares her dream come true when she finally meets a man that not only shows her respect but also teaches her to take life as it comes and to, "not worry about things she cannot change".

Recommendation: Womensselfesteem.com highly recommends this book to anyone that feels they are trapped in an abusive relationship and will never get out. Thank you Phyllis for sharing your life with womensselfesteem.com!

Hey, it's Allison. Just got finished reading your book-excellent job!!!!! Yep, I read it all, from the time I got home around 3:00 till now 9:00-I couldn't put it down (well long enuff for a cigarette now and then ha-ha) you did a really good job. I have learned so much about you and in a way, I have a different kind of respect and admiration for you-not that I didn't respect and admire you before-I think you know what I mean. It's kind of neat to know someone like you personally. I've learned you are a very strong person and deserve every little good thing that comes your way. I know you've been married for awhile now but I feel like a congratulations are in order-hats off to your husband!! I think your book is an inspiration and you can help others in situations like you were in. I loved the beginning of the book I think-that's what got me hooked. You explained everything so vividly-It was like I was right there freezing with you in that cold weather. It was like a movie or something. Very good job!! Can't wait till your next book-keep up the good work and best wishes to you. Thank you for sharing your life. It looks like you've made the best of it and I'm glad you're alive today to share it with others!!!! Thanks again and see ya at work. Oh yeah, Merry Christmas to you and yours!!!
Love, Allison Price

"Living Nightmares of Abuse" is Diane Benton's memoirs of her childhood, abusive relationships, failed marriages and her quest for solace and happiness. Having eight children, the family did not have a lot of money, but Diane has plenty of fond memories shared with her siblings. However, as she gets older, her parents divorce, and the hardships begin. Diane's mother finds a new boyfriend, a man who tries to molest Diane and her sisters. Seven of the children are put into foster care. Diane marries at a young age, a marriage that ends rather amicably years later. Her second marriage is to a truck driver named Eric, an abusive man who physically, emotionally, and verbally torments Diane until she feels she has no more self-worth. She tries to commit suicide, believing she has no other options. After years of Eric's abuse, she finally has the courage to leave him behind as she drives during a snowstorm out of Maine. She escapes Eric, but the anguish is not over. She meets Henry next, another abuser, from whom she becomes free when he passes away. After many heartbreaking relationships, Diane finally feels some fulfillment after meeting and marrying David, whom she believes is her true love and guardian angel. Her hurtful experiences in life have at long last given way to something truly satisfying. Diane's story is written with such detail and emotion, the reader feels like he/she is experiencing life right along with her in this heartrending memoir.
[...]

I bought this for a friend who loves Happy Bunny as a Christmas present. He liked it (and I thought it was funny when I looked through it before I gave it to him), but it was very short. There are about three pages dedicated to each astrological sign, and if you don't know anyone in that sign or aren't interested in that sign, then there are only about six to ten pages that apply directly to you. But it was cute, cheap, and funny, so it was good for a funny gift.

The Happy Bunny series makes for cute bathroom books - I keep them in my guest bathroom and find it amusing to hear laughter from there when people use it! :)

If you are looking for a laugh, this book will provide it! Jim Benton's humor may be offensive to some but as Happy Bunny says, "It's cute how stupid you are." This book makes a great gift for pre-teens on up. Long live Happy Bunny!

I happened to run across this book, and loved it. On the one hand, you can read it for the cute graphics and hilarious summary for each astrology sign. Or, you can enjoy it for the underlying message of how you should take control of your life rather than relying on a bunch of planets and gimicks to tell you what to do. The book shows a picture of Happy Bunny as each astrology sign, a few of each signs likes and dislikes, what random gimick that sign uses to forsee the future, and my favorite-how each sign sees the world. I think the book hits it on the head the way in which my sign Cancer sees the world: "I love everybody. Except you pinheads." The other signs have similar self-centered views of the world. The authors also added the Happy Bunny Sign to the Astrology chart. I will be on the look out for more Happy Bunny books. Its a cute gift, or you can do like I did and read it in the store. I recommend this book to anyone who wants a laugh.

My sister and stepdaughter hipped me to Happy Bunny and he is the most hillarious thing I have come across in a long time. These books are complete crack ups, not to mention the other Happy Bunny merchandise. This book actually gives a pretty accurate representation of my astrological sign (Aries). I would recommend this and the other Happy Bunny books to anyone who just needs to laugh at life.

My 10 year old daughter loves these books. She says they are very funny. We want the whole set!

My kids love this book. The whole series. I'm for any book that can get my kids to sit down and read.

The back of the book invites us to "Sneak a peek inside the diary of Jamie Kelly, who promises everything she writes is true.....well, at least as true as it needs to be," I did and it was worth it.
The book is about a girl who does charity work to beat another girl who is popular. She also wants to make the cutest boy like her. However everytime she tries, something embarrassing happens and it is reported in her school's newspaper.
I think that the book is very funny and entertaining. I suggest this book for girls ages 9-11. Girls our age want a boy to like them and so does the girl in this book. I also suggest this book for girls who like diary-style books because they would have fun reading this. I LOVE THIS BOOK!
Paola, 11

"Her best friend's a backstabber. Her worst enemy is a sweetheart. And her dog is just waiting for the right moment to seek his revenge. Why should Jamie even bother going to school?" This sneak preview pretty much sums up the trials and tribulations of Jamie Kelly. In this fourth installment, Jamie's sworn enemy Angeline gets into charity work and inspires Jamie and her best friend Isabella to develop some 'inner beauty' of their own. A mostly funny and occasionally charming tale that even teaches a valuable lesson at the end: Maybe we all have inner beauty. Give it a try.

This was the third book I have read by Jim Benton. It was very funny. The things that happen in the story are true life to girls especially. Most of the characters are girls but there are some boys. The drawings are really crazy and add a lot to the story. I have read the other Dear Dumb Diary books and they were good, but I like this one the best.

I am the father of an Air Force Academy cadet and I purchased this book along with a few others because I had heard good reviews about it. I gifted this book to my son as he has just completed his Class of 2011 Recognition. We read the book and reviewed it's content. Without a doubt it is one of the best, if not "the" best reference book for anything you may need to know while being an officer in the United States Air Force. Everything from making requests for base assignments to protocol at a formal dinner it's in there. "A wonderful addition to an officer's library", is how my son described this book.

This book is fantasic, it has many good suggestions on how to become a great Air Force officer. I have found that it is helpful regardless if I do join the military or not, because of it's managerial background. I look forward to reading the rest of the book, and studying the text more throughly.

Excellent source of information, bit of a dry read though... definately a must have for all current/future AF officers.

I'll sheepishly admit that I'm not one for dry guidebooks, history texts and the like; they usually put me to sleep. However, I found the "Air Force Officer's Guide" fascinating. The book starts right off with issues of conduct, leadership, and responsibility, beautifully setting the tone for the rest of the material. This is almost certainly idealized to a certain extent, but that's rather the point, I think--this is meant as a guide of behavior to be aspired to.

There's information in here about professional development, training, education, health, fitness, promotion, and the officer evaluation system. I think this material gives a clear picture of what the author believes officers can do to best serve their country as well as themselves. The book stresses that officers must be willing to take every opportunity to advance their education, through personal efforts as well as structured training, and it gives many suggestions for how to go about this.

One of my favorite sections covers "The Air Force Way," delving into AF cultures and traditions and explaining the differences between military courtesies and customs of the service. There's a nifty section explaining all the little details of uniforms and insignia and how to wear them properly, including diagrams and drawings. There's even a section on social life in the AF, and the book discusses the general issue of the AF as a career, and the rights, privileges, and restrictions that go with it. I think the book does get rather dry as it moves onward into issues of pay, leave time, medical benefits, retirement, and so on, but then it would be a miracle if it didn't.

This is a handy multi-purpose book if you have any interest in the Air Force, whether or not you're actually a part of it. Its stated purpose is to help officers in their careers. I think it would be a great way for someone who's thinking of joining up to get a feel for whether or not it's their sort of thing. It's a good way for people to gain a new appreciation for the kind of work, dedication, and discipline it takes to be a part of the armed services. And it's fantastic reference material for a military buff, a writer doing research for a project, or even a roleplayer who wants to be able to get in the right mood (and design a realistic character) for a military-based roleplaying game.

No problem.
Long shipping, the book arrived some days after christmas.
Olivier

Bought it - read it - refer to it as a source and to unashameably copy.
Niggles;
1) No art deco gardens. Is this an ommission or was this branch of human endeavour eschewed by the industrial age?
2) Illustrations of pieces sometimes miss listing the media and all are missing the size.

This book is an absolute triumph. First, it is positively gorgeous - the images just leap off the pages. Second, the essays are more in-depth, engaging, and informative than any other book I've found on the subject. This book discusses every facet of Art Deco as well: it explores the origins at the Paris Exhibition in 1925, goes through the influence in East Asia, Latin America, and South Africa, not to mention Europe. A great chapter on Deco in Hollywood; also explores all of the sources, iconography - and all of this on top of covering every aspect of the movement - ceramics, jewelry, fashion, architecture, glass, photography, graphic design, bookbindings, travel and transport, and so so much more - with stunning visuals. A fantastic read, a great resource, a beautiful work, and an absolute MUST for anyone interested in the subject! Well worth the money, and a fantastic addition to any library. Highly recommended!

A sumptuous coffee-table book of this exuberant art style and I think it could well become the standard book on the subject. The forty essays are divided into four sections, Sources and Iconography, 1925 Paris Exhibition, Spread of Deco and finally Deco World, and I liked the way, especially in Sources and Iconography, that the authors explain how various art styles were moulded into deco art which culminated in the very influential 1925 Paris show.

I thought the last two sections were a fascinating coverage of how Art Deco spread around the world, mainly as architecture and fashion, though in Europe also as a fine art style. In North America, it influenced a huge range of commercial products. Perhaps this was the only art form that was truly democratic in that it was available (as streamlining) to be seen or bought on any Main Street across the Nation.

The design and printing are excellent. Many of the photos, especially color, are presented whole page, the rest are all well sized, and they all have captions. The back of the book has a very comprehensive bibliography, fortunately listed as relating to each chapter rather than just an alphabetical list, the index is divided into two, Names and Subject. I was very impressed with this attention to detail and with the excellent text, images and production surely `Art Deco 1910-1939' will be read for many years to come.

***FOR A LOOK INSIDE click 'customer images' under the cover.

Benton McAdams provides and excellent history of the Civil War Prison located at Rock Island. Beginning with the legislations to establish the prison all the way through its existence, McAdams explores those who commanded the prison along with the struggles that the prisoners went through while there. Rock Island Prison has been considered by many historians to that of Andersonville although it is much less heard of. McAdams has used first hand accounts of prisoner located at Rock Island for most of his research. As I have done research on the topic this book has provided a very focused looked specifically at this one Civil War Prison. It is a very good source and is very informative. The book is published by Northern Illinois University Press in 2000 and is a very creditable publisher. If you are looking for information on Civil War Prison in general this book will provide little help but if you are looking for the history specifically about Rock Island it is a very beneficial source. The book runs through the chronological history and can be a struggle if no information is known about the Civil War. Battles are often referenced indicating where prisoners came from. Despite this much of the book is very readable and even if this background information is not known much can be learned from it.

After years of focusing solely on soldier experiences of battle, historians have finally begun to examine other important aspects of the war. Of these, the prison experience has been ignored--or generalized--for far too long. Books like *Rebels at Rock Island* are important to a fuller understanding of the war and the less romanticized suffering of POWs. This and *Unlikely Allies: Fort Delaware's Prison Community in the Civil War* are excellent studies of single Northern prisons.

For an enthralling and personalized examination of one regiment's experiences in Southern prisons, look at *A Perfect Picture of Hell: Eyewitness Accounts by Civil War Prisoners from the 12th Iowa.* As a guidebook to prisons on both sides, Lonnie Speer's *Portals to Hell* is another valuable tool. McAdams joins a growing body of important Civil War prison literature. I recommend all of these books highly.

Benton McAdams does an excellent job of portraying the Civil War prison system, especially the North, in a very objective manner. His research is in-depth and is assembled in way to make the reading informative and interesting in a Shelby Foote sort of way. Mr. McAdams follows the birth, life and death of the Federal Prison at Rock Island, Illinois along the banks of the Mississippi River. This book is a must for any Civil War historian, both professional and amateur, as it hits upon topics not covered anywhere else to this level. The research includes letters, diaries, newspaper articles and Federal documents which are put together to allow the reader the feel for the day-to-day existance in the prison and surrounding area. A superior read that I liked and highly recommend.

REBELS AT ROCK ISLAND is a lesson in history that has not been told in depth until Benton McAdams put into words the events that took place 136 years earlier. I live near and work in Rock Island and visit the Rock Island Arsenal often. Until I read Rebels at Rock Island, I was not aware of the details of this Civil War chapter in history that seemed to be so remote and now so close. The Confederate Cemetary maintained by the Department of Veterans Affairs on the Rock Island Arsenal has always been of interest to the locals in and around the City of Rock Island. We have not had a resource to know the details of this historical landmark where 1800 Rebels are buried until Mr. McAdams pulled the documents from various sources together in a factual, yet easy-to-read book. Today this Confederate Cemetary is treated with a high level of reverence and respect to the men who took up the cause of the Confederate Flag. Prior to this book, which has given us the chilling and depressing details of the prisoner's ordeal and the extreme difficulties associated with managing a prison camp on the island, no one could artilculate the past with the present day Rock Island Arsenal. Mr. McAdams has relied on documents from various sources; one being the Rock Island Argus newspaper. The editor of the paper during the existance of the prison camp was very critical of the management of the prison. I have been able to retrieve copies of the Argus newspaper from the City of Rock Island Library which maintains much historical material available to those who may wish to read from this newspaper published during that period of time. This is a book which has interest for all who desire to learn more about the in-depth, factual events associated with a northern prison camp of the Civil War. I highly recommend the book, REBELS AT ROCK ISLAND: THE STORY OF A CIVIL WAR PRISON.

Benton does a fine job with the actual subject matter of vertebrate paleontology per se, but his introduction and analysis as to how fossils are formed, and under what conditions,leaves a lot to be desired. He oversells the evolutionary angle with rampant,unsupported speculation and theory, completely ignoring the more recent work of Behe, Dembski et al, as well as credible explanations for the Cambrian findings at the Cheng-jiang and Burgess Shale deposits. In short, this is really not an up-to-date scientific book. To see what I mean, read Clarkson's book on INVERTEBRATE paleontology -- a far better and more scholarly work.

Benton manages to write a thorough text on various vertebrate groups and their evolutionary trends, mentioning specific important species and basic morphology without making the book as dry as a bone. As one can always state about books that are overviews, one could wish for more thorough coverage of personal groups of interest, but as an overview, this is a great book. The diagrams and phylogenetic charts are very helpful, and the case studies that are provided in offset boxes are very interesting.

One major complaint about the book is the number of typos and mislabeled diagrams...it can become rather confusing. I have taken a pen to the book and with careful reading, re-reading and cross referencing, have corrected the errors in my own copy to save me the brain strain...but on the whole, this book does what one would want from it.

"Vertebrate Palaeontology" written by Michael J. Benton is a chronological narritive wriiten like a college text book about the subject of vertebrate palaenolology. There are a few diversions into related current subject matter throughout the text making for some interesting reading but the focus of the book is how the vertebrate palaeontologists obtain their information.

I found the book to be very informative and rather detailed in scope and breath in some areas where there is a lot of information on the subject and and rather enlightening in areas where there is less information. "Verterbrate Palaeontology" is designed for palaeontology courses in college given by either the biology, geology, or palaeontology departments within the university setting, but if you are an enthusiast you can still benefit from reading this book, and experience the "how" in how information is processed in a research setting.

"Vertebrate Palaeontology" is about the evolution of the vertebrate... that is, it is about all of the historical animals that have existed prior to man's evolution and about human evolution itself. The book makes for a fascinating read and I found that it is very logical in its progression and the information that the book imparts is quite valuable in its very nature as to how animals evolved as they did and for what purpose.

Like I've said, this book is not for the novice or a young reader, but for those that truly need to read about more detailed and structured information as to why things are as they are and happened for a particular reason. Reading "Vertebrate Palaeontogy" will give the reader a structured and discplined reading as to approaching the information at hand and you'll better understand the adaptations required for the move on to land and the relationships of the early amphibians and reptiles... orgins and biology of the dinosaurs and the role that extinction plays in the whole of evolution. Reading "Vertebrate Palaeontology" will train your mind in a logical train of thinking and gives the reader a leg up on what is found and how to interpret any evidence found and the approach to which and how to handle this information in a logical manner.

I gave "Vertebrate Palaeontology" a solid 5 stars for the reasons above and that there is a wealth of information contained within its pages that will definitely give you a more enlightened view of life on earth. The reading of "Vertebrate Palaeontology" will in some areas be very taxing and others the read is absolutely enlightening... this book is written for the specialist in mind. "Vertebrate Palaeontology" has plenty of illustrations and the book has an extensive bibliography and has the works of others in this field properly footnoted for further exploration into the topic.

This book provides a readable, self-contained, description of the evolution of vertebrates. I think it's a great book.

The main purpose of the opening two chapters is to provide background material for the rest of the book. The first shows how vertebrates fit into the tree of life. Enough embryology is presented to define deutrostomes. The only phylum considered in any detail is, not surprisingly, chordata. Some other phyla are described, but this is done mainly to show how they relate to chordates. This chapter is brief but lucid. The following chapter presents material on fossil excavation, cladistics and the fossil record.

After this introductory material the book progresses to its main topic. The approach is roughly chronological. As usual the focus is, for the most part, on the animals that were dominat in that time. For instance amphibians aren't considered after rise of amniotes and reptiles aren't considered after the Mesozoic.

The first topic covered is fish from the Paleozoic, at least through the Devonian period. The material is pretty much what one would expect: jawless fish, the origin of jaws, armour-plated fish, early sharks, bony fish, lung fish and a mass extinction of fish that occurred in the late Devonian. There is a chapter later in the book that covers fish evolution from the end of the Paleozoic. It treats the evolution of sharks and bony fish in more detail.

An outline of the remaining content is: amphibians, early amniotes (my favorite chapter covering synapsids/diapsids/anapsids), dinosaurs and reptiles from the Mesozoic, birds, mammals and finally a chapter on human evolution.

Each chapter begins with a list of "key questions" that will be addressed. This was useful both in providing a preview of the material to come and in providing a review of what was covered. The coverage in each chapter went along the lines of describing important genera, descriptions of how the various species made their way in the world, cladograms (of varying granularity), anatomical diagrams, photos of fossils and descriptions of important finds. One very nice feature is that some important concepts were explained in great detail, like the digits that birds have lost or how reptilian jaw bones evolved into important parts of the mammalian inner ear. Another nice feature is that the author makes it clear where there are controversies among paleontologists and explain where the weight of the evidence leads.

Aside from the main text some other good aspects of the book are that if gives lots of references (including some available on-line), the bibliography references a lot of good books and there is an appendix that gives a reasonably detailed classification of the vertebrates.

The book covers quite a lot of material in a surprisingly small number of pages, slightly less than 400 pages in the main text. I think more than enough background material is included in the book for non-specialists. However prior exposure to natural selection would be useful, although any likely readers probably have more than sufficient knowledge. Obviously any of the individual topics, like dinosaur evolution or human evolution, are considered in more detail in specialized texts. Given the vast amount of potential material I thought the level of detail was very good.