United States Books

I purchased this because I was interested in where my daughter was supposed to be. I found that in this age of differentiated instruction, this would help with RTI and making plans for the different levels in my class...

This is a great book for all educators. I highly recommend it. It give great information for all who work with children in what to expect in terms of children's development and implication for learning.

"Yardsticks", by Chip Wood, is a wonderful resourse for anyone working with children aged 4 to 14. It offers insights into the development of various age groups, and the book is conveniently divided by age. So, if you are working with seven-year-olds, you simply go to the section labeled "Sevens" and you can read about their cognitive abilities as well as physical attributes an average child of this age has. I am a pre-service teacher and recieved only a short blurb copy of this book and knew I HAD to have the entire book. It has been a wonderful help in my teaching and I plan on utilizing it for my entire career. Get this book!

It's a great book to learn what children are doing at a certain age and what interests them as a teacher.

This is just one incredible book. It is direct to the point with no flowery words, theories or philosphies. Each chapter is one age. The author creates about a half dozen catagories: physical, communication, etc. and provides bullets under each catagory of what to expect for the age. Each chapter is designed the same. I have found it to be right on the money! This should be a gift for every new parent!

As I started to read this book, I began highlighting Dr. Taylor's statements, until it quickly became apparent that I would be highlighting the entire book.

I found myself saying, "Yes, I get it now!" as Dr. Taylor explained how even good media can teach bad habits. Parents will feel empowered after reading this book to take a stand in the war being waged against our families.

Your Children Are Under Attack takes a frighteningly honest look at one of today's most dangerous social diseases: popular culture's battle for control of our children's hearts and minds. Dr. Taylor exposes the ugly war of greed that marketers and the media have been waging on our young, and the spell it has also cast over parents. Step-by step, with the skill of a researcher, the compassion of a wizened therapist, and the heart of a principled human being, he examines each of these unhealthy forces and shows us how to protect our children from this assault and its subsequent ruinous effect on our values. Well-written, poignant, and forceful, Dr. Taylor's work stands as a call to action that comes not a moment too soon. The first step every responsible parent should take to win back control of their children is to read Dr. Taylor's book.

Dr. Taylor identifies the true enemy that is after your child - and gives solid, practical advice on how to protect them from it. In the ever broadening spectrum of pop culture, if you don't have a careful hand in raising your kids, the media will gladly do it for you. Empowering, insightful and straight to the point, Dr. Taylor puts parenting back in the hands of where it belongs.

It was 1960 on the stage of "Bye Bye Birdie" when actor Paul Lynde, playing Mr. Henry McAfee, shouted out to his audience saying, "Kids! I don't know what's wrong with these kids today!"
Toward the end of his barrage, he finally asked, "Why can't they be like we were, perfect in every way? What's the matter with kids today?"
Dr. Jim Taylor, in his book "Your Children are Under Attack: How Popular Culture is Destroying Your Kids' Values, and How You Can Protect Them," addresses this age-old question with an answer: popular culture is devastating our lives.
Video games, too much TV, corporate fraud, materialism, the inundation of information from the Internet, the unreasonable emphasis on physical attractiveness, plus the lack of physical activity leading to childhood obesity -- these are endangering our children and our culture.
Throughout the book, Taylor's theme never waivers. "The messages that American popular culture communicate to children today are in direct conflict with what is best for them," he writes. "Popular culture is now a truly counterproductive force in families' lives...."
Taylor believes that those who in past generations were institutional partners with parents such as the government, corporate America and even our schools have themselves given in to the illusory promises of instant gratification and the almighty "bottom line."
Parents are left standing alone between their children and millions of images from TV, DVDs, XBoxes, etc.
Taylor believes modern pressures lead to lazy parenting - raising children "in the most convenient way" because adults are exhausted and overwhelmed by the pace and impact of everyday life.
The message is grim, but Taylor offers hope. Taylor explains how families can make their values clear, communicate them to one another, and live discriminating lives aware yet distanced from the dangers of pop culture.
For example, he gives straight-forward language parents can use to guide their children toward making safe, sound decisions.
He also gives parents permission to say no to pop culture and to band together with those of like minds to create safe, nurturing environments for their families -- places that do not focus on self-serving ends but that foster compassion, confidence, and kindness.

Dr. Jim Taylor has written a book that needs to be written. Parents, teachers and interested individuals need to be aware as to what our Ameican culture is doing to our children and the values that are being propogated. Dr. Taylor exposes what messages the " media " are sending. Dr. Taylor shows what values corporations in America are esposing. He knows that greed, corruption, materialism and just plain stupidity are out there on our television sets, magazines and what values permeate our culture. Taylor knows what a steady diet of The Osbournes, Friends and of course Paris Hilton will do. We all need to be aware of the messages that are sent to our children on a daily basis and how these messages influence our kids and our culture. Instead of integrity, cleavage is respected in American society. Instead of honor and truth, mascara and designer jeans are extolled as being important. More than ever, parents need to work at discussing values, things of importance and integrity with their children. Parents who do want to help raise their children should read this. Teachers who want to understand the values of their students should read this. And lastly greedy, money hungry corporate American leaders should read this and understand what their crass commercialism is doing to America.

If you are a writer, or an aspiring one, you NEED this book. 90+% of publishers don't take unagented material. This book will help you to find an agent, and help you to get that manuscript you've worked so hard on published.

I found the information in this guide to be extremely helpful in targeting and securing the right agent. The details that are provided, such as what percent of new authors the agency represents, the types of books the agency represents, and quotes which detail advice from the agents insured I sent my information to those who would be most interested. And it worked!!

You know you need an agent to shop your work, negotiate your contracts and get your manuscript into doors closed to unrepresented authors. Your next step is to add the "2003 Guide to Literary Agents" to your writer's toolbox.

Articles from industry professionals address the most common issues writers face: do you need an agent, how do you find the right agent and how to avoid bad agents. But these articles also walk you through the entire process of getting an agent - from what to do before you begin your search, all the way to knowing your rights before you sign a contract.

The heart of this book lies within the agent listings. Every year contact information, current needs, submission guidelines and contract details are 100 percent updated.

Besides agents who represent fiction and nonfiction work, you'll also find sections on script agents, independent production companies and independent publicists. Most agent listings also specify which writing conferences the agents attend so be sure to look in the writing conferences section to find the details on a variety of writers' conferences in the U.S. and Canada.

Your search for an agent is crippled without this guide in your arsenal. If you're serious about getting an agent to represent your work, the yearly "Guide to Literary Agents" is an absolute must.

I'm telling you, these Writer's Digest people really do it right. If you're looking for a literary agent, this is the place to look.

The book starts with articles about getting and working with an agent and interviews with reputable agents and editors. Do you need a New York agent? Should your agent suggest rewrites? Do editors like agents, or is their relationship combative? How can you tell a good agent from a bad agent? Do you even need an agent?

All of these questions and more are answered. You'll even find examples of successful query letters, synopses, and outlines. You'll learn the components of a nonfiction book proposal. All of the basics are covered.

Then comes the actual agent listings, divided into two sections: nonfee-charging literary agents, and script agents (both nonfee and fee-charging). Listings include contact information (including e-mail addresses), professional memberships (like AAR or WGA), what they did prior to becoming agents, number of clients, percentage of new authors, percentage of novels versus nonfiction books, genres they represent, preferred method of contact, recent sales, conferences they attend, terms of representation, and tips. There is also a key to let you know how open the agency is to new writers.

New in this year's edition is a listing of independent production companies and screenwriting contests. And nonfiction authors and novelists may enjoy the listings of publicists.

More than 600 agencies are listed. I've begun querying, and have already found several agents who responded positively to my e-mail queries.

The agents listed in this book are pre-screened and deemed to be legitimate, reputable agents. No more surfing the Internet and trying to guess who's legit and who's a shyster. If you find an agent through these listings, the book can pay for itself a hundredfold. It's a very worthwhile investment in your career.

If you are a writer, or an aspiring one, you NEED this book. 90+% of publishers don't take unagented material. This book will help you to find an agent, and help you to get that manuscript you've worked so hard on published.

This is undeniably the most important book on what really happened on September 11th 2001. LJK and Quinn objectively look at who benefited the most from these events and using publicly available research, piece together the most likely turn of events on that day. It was the day that changed the world in which we live. Since 9/11 there has been an accelerating clampdown on the human rights, freedom of speech and privacy of every individual on this planet.

That the current US administration had forewarning of this event is without doubt to anyone who isn't spell-bound by the main-stream-co-opted press. What is rarely discussed, is the involvement of Israeli intelligence services, how Israel is benefiting from the war in Iraq, Afghanistan and future proposed Middle East invasions. LJK and Quinn present compelling arguments, with a unique historical investigation into the formation of the state of Israel and its Zionist ambitions. This is combined with research on the psychopathic individuals and groups that would be capable of committing such horrific crimes. Together the smoke clears and true perpetrators of this outrageous attack are clear for all to see.

Laura Knight-Jadczyk and Joe Quinn have written what is easily the most comprehensive book on 9/11 to date. There are plenty of books and websites that challenge the official version of events of 9/11, but Ultimate Truth delivers not only an examination of 9/11, complete with unexpected twists and turns, but places it in a political and historical context incorporating the latest research on psychopathy to reveal exactly where it's all leading us and why.

It's a unique, thoroughly researched and important work on the subject of 9/11 and recommended reading for anyone who wants to understand the truth behind the defining event of this century.

This is an excellent book about 9-11. At least I haven't seen anything like that around, and it's actually two books into one, and so more food for thought here than one could ever have expected.

There's a priceless time-line analysis full of details, and one in particular that you can't miss, 'the saga of babs and ted'. Then it goes from technicalities to the core of the event itself, by passing through the labyrinth of history, and the question about how and why all this could have happened. The second part of the book starts with a quote from Allan Bloom's, 'The Closing of the American Mind', that tells us a lot about the kind of freaks hiding behind the current War on Terror, against all of us:

"The most successful tyranny is not the one that uses force to assure uniformity but the one hat removes the awareness of other possibilities, that makes it seem inconceivable that other ways are visible, that removes the sense that there is an outside."

With strong efforts in conducting a detailed research on the events of 9/11 and the motivations behind the attacks, Laura Knight-Jadczyk and Joe Quinn wrote the most ground-breaking work entitled "9/11: The Ultimate Truth," which was published in 2006. This 430-page book drives the reader to experience the shocking truth about what happened on September 11, 2001 and to understand the virulent motivations behind the "terrorist" attacks. To understand in depth on why the horrific events of 9/11 happened, the answer lies in "9/11: The Ultimate Truth."

There are two parts in this book. Part One focused primary on the 9/11 events by analyzing the great deal of evidences surrounding the three events: Flight 93, the Pentagon, and the World Trade Centers. And, how the Israel became involved and the role of the United States government on that day is evident. It also laid out the evidence-based scenario of how the events been played out. It is important to point out that in first part of this book addressed a new look at the situation of Ted and Barbara Olson and how they are connected to the 9/11 events.

The second part of "9/11: The Ultimate Truth" focused on the history of Zionism, genetics, the hidden motivations behind the attacks, and the nature of psychopaths. With an understanding of how and why Israel was involved and their on-going insidious actions, one will begin to comprehend why 9/11 was so important and how it led the United States of America to become a Fascist State. This part of the book also included some sections from Political Ponerology (A Science on the Nature of Evil Adjusted for Political Purposes) by Andrew Lobaczewski who had done a paramount work on psychopathy and the nature of evil within the governments.

Since Knight-Jadczyk and Quinn focused on the current phenomenon of psychopaths, the Zionist control, and the history in the second part of this book, it is strongly recommended for the readers to obtain and study other works that discussed with certain aspects of this phenomenon, including Political Ponerology (A Science on the Nature of Evil Adjusted for Political Purposes) (by Andrew Lobaczewski), Controversy of Zion (by Douglas Reed), The New Pearl Harbor: Disturbing Questions About the Bush Administration and 9/11 (by David Ray Griffin), The Mask of Sanity: An Attempt to Clarify Some Issues About the So Called Psychopathic Personality (by Hervey Checkley), Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us (by Robert Hare), The Sociopath Next Door (by Martha Stout), and Predators: Pedophiles, Rapists, and Other Sex Offenders: Who They Are, How They Operate, and How We Can Protect Ourselves and Our Children (by Anna Salter). With these works, one will have a better understanding of how psychopath's mind works and an alarming and dangerous agenda of the Zionists.

In Knight-Jadczyk and Quinn's "9/11: The Ultimate Truth," one can apprehend the nature of evil within the United States government and their motivations in bring about the terrorist attacks on the American people by looking at the real evidences in each events of 9/11, the Israel involvement, the political ponerology, the issue of psychopathy, and the history of Zionist control. Instead of being greatly confused about what happened on the day of 9/11, the authors bring the reader to this understanding of 'why' the horrific day has occurred. This book is easy to read with a historical perspective and it contains a powerful understanding of the nature of the pathocratic rule in United States. The back of the book where it is stated: "This book will shatter your world view," it is no joke.

It is a strong opinion that this book is to be highly recommended, and a must read for those who seek the truth about the attacks on September 11, 2001.

This book is just amazing. By combining history with the theory of psychopathy and Political Ponerology with what may have happened on 911, the authors make you think page after page. Is this world such a big lie and manipulation? If the answer is yes, then it is urgently necessary that people start waking up to what may be the truth. This book gave me clues and a big thirst to keep learning. Highly recommended.

Really well written, but a depressing story. I finished the book without any happy illusions about the sport, or sports in general. Nevertheless, a valuable story about the human spirit.

After being recommended to read this book, I know recommend it to anyone with an interest in any sports or great literature. I do crew and mountain biking and only wish I had read this book earlier. The book follows a few oarsmen on their path to the Olympics and describes the hidden world of crew and its politics unbelievably well. What you can take away from this book is an undeniably better mental toughness in whatever you do from crew to paper pushing, this book will make you better at it.

halberstam is very engaging in not merely following the story of the 1976 Olympic US rowing scullers, but in relentlessly digging into their lives for historical details of their rowing past, psychological stabs at what drives them, and their social interaction with their teammates. this book was quite well known in the 1980's, but seems to have been forgotten by many in the rowing community - what a shame!! i expect every serious rower today would still find this an extremely compelling and interesting story, and for those of us who read it 20 years ago, i can testify that it is very well worth a re-read. and the other top rowing book? virtually unknown and quite hard to find, brad alan lewis' `assault on lake casitas' is just as great as `the amateurs', and a fantastic companion to it!!

For someone who's not a rower, Halberstam gets most of this right - the technique, the atmosphere, the obsessiveness (which is common to all levels of rowing, just intensified among Olympians). In some ways the selection for the '84 Olympics was a crux point in the US rowing system, and Halberstam shows just why. If you want to get a view into a sport most people ignore, written by a top author, this is a good place to do it - same if you just want a peek in the mind of world-class athletes. If you want to really learn about the 84' Olympics selection camp, I'd recommend reading this in combination with Brad Lewis' "Assault at Lake Casitas", for a another viewpoint from one of the main actors (and the '84 doubles gold medalist).

Incidentally, the movie Rowing Through was based on The Amateurs. It's quite divergent from the book, but not too bad if you can ignore a good bit of gratuitous sex and some hardly-Olympic-caliber rowing in the scenes on the water.

I read this book in spite of the facts that I have no interest in rowing and know nothing about it. I read it only because it was written by David Halberstam, and I've loved everything I've ever read by him.

This book was no exception. Even though I still know very little about the sport, I now appreciate how grueling it is, and how much training these guys do.

You can't go wrong with a David Halberstam book, and this one's no exception.

If you like to travel and love history then you will greatly appreciate this excellent resource. This book provides information on the best Living History destinations in the United States from prehistory to the early 1840s. Instead of organizing the locations by particular area of the United States the authors have chosen to organize them by significant historical groupings. Examples of these groupings include a section on America's native peoples, one on religious and secular groups, one on the road to independence, and one on opening the West.

Most destinations have between a half page and a full-page description of the location, its historical significance, and interesting facts about the location or a related history. The book is filled with excellent color photographs that give the reader a solid feel for what to expect. This is one of the most invaluable resources I have ever found for planning a trip focused on American history and the historical significance of various areas of the United States. Americans Living History is very highly recommended.

Say the words "road trip" and "history" and I get excited. Suzanne & Craig Sheumaker have written a wonderful guide book for people who love living history sites and museums. I've been to most of the places described in Virginia and I can say that they got their descriptions absolutely correct.

I especially liked the photos. Most guide books have no pictures or annoy me with dinky little artsy drawings. When I'm in a car looking for something I don't want a drawing.

The Sheumakers seem to really love what they do and their enthusiasm comes though in each chapter. I've always scorned the Jamestown Settlement and prefered to head to the real Jamestown down the road but after reading the Sheumakers section on it I think I'll give it a try.

I particularly enjoyed the way that they split the book up. If you are interested in sites from the Spanish colonization years or the French or of course the English you can find chapters that deal just with that particular period. If you want to understand more about Indian life they have an exceptionally good section of sites dedicated to America's earliest settlers. Be sure to check out the Cherokee villiage in North Carolina. The book also talks about the Catholics, the Jews, Amish, Moravian, Shakers, Quakers and Mormons who came to America and the living history sites they left behind.

If the Revolutionary period is what interests you most they have a chapter on sites to visit. If the sites of the new nation are your thing then they have a chapter for you. This is really a delightful book and is such a good travel companion I'd say that the best thing to do is to buy two copies. One for the coffee table and one to keep in the car. I hope this is the begining of a new series.

What can you expect from America's Living History-The Early Years? Definitely not just another "coffee table" book! The stunning photographs may catch your eye, but you'll want to pick up this book and use it.

Have you ever wanted to visit the historic Jamestown site in Virginia? You can view hundreds of artifacts discovered from the first permanent settlement there.

Do you remember the story about Washington crossing an icy river to attack British forces? Been to the place it happened? Did you know that every year on Christmas Day, hundreds of re-enactors cross the river to commemorate this Revolutionary War triumph?

Know where you can find incredible Native American petroglyphs? Sites in New Mexico and Nevada are mentioned in this book.

Readers will find the answers to innumerable questions about early American life in this book. Whether readers are interested in a day trip close to home or going cross-country, this is a great resource.

From the plains to the coast, Alaska to Hawaii, nearly every state is represented in this guide. With three hundred destinations featured, a history buff or interested traveler couldn't ask for more.

The authors have done a great job with tasteful and applicable photographs. They accent pages filled not just with contact information (although it's there for your reference) but with interesting facts, too. The book is separated into categories, including: America's Native Peoples, European Colonization, Road to Independence, and more. It also features destinations lists by region, to help you plan adventures if you are on a trip.

The authors have obviously done their homework and it shows in this wonderful resource.

Armchair Interviews says: Highly recommended.

We are history buffs at home--both of us grew up in historic areas. Trips to Gettysburg, Independence Hall, The Old North Church and Washington, DC were in our childhood experiences. You could hardly take a daytrip without seeing some of America's oldest treasures. So we as children enjoyed historical sites and we still stop for historical markers as a habit when we are out touring any area.


For people with similar tastes or who have children to educate, this is a wonderful resource. Some of the well-known and lesser known historical sites all over the US that date from the early years are laid out in a travel guide format.


The book is organized by popular sites, subjects like religious movements, colonization, the Western movement, and the Revolutionary War and the times leading up to this watershed event. Each historical site has photographs, address and phone number and a synopsis of what is available for touring. The geographical maps show towns or cities of interest. The only thing missing would be day trip routes in some of the more densely-historical areas (Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, New Jersey.)



But there are also timelines and write-ups of the history of the times (the Shakers, the Mormons, the battles of the Revolution and War of 1812, and the early contact with Native Americans.) So the book is not just a "what to see" but has important background and a good if brief overview of early American history.

After I read this book, I immediately wanted to go see at least a half a dozen sites I had not visited that are not really very far from my, and added a list of places I want to see next time I'm out West.


This is a very pretty book and one that home schoolers would find absolutely a treasure. My parents took us on endless daytrips on weekends and these are some of my fondest memories of childhood. If you have kids and an automobile, I'd put this book on the "must-have" list because you can build some excellent memories and give your kids a fine sense of where we came from as a nation. Big thumbs-up and I eagerly await more in this series.

Suzanne and Craig Sheumaker have created an incredible resource for people looking to vacation in the United States in places where history lives. They profile 300 living history sites in the United States that cover American history from the time when Native Americans had empires and confederations to the 1840's. The Sheumakers provide excellent cross-references to aid people planning a living history vacation. However, this book is more than just a guide for people looking for an excellent place to vacation; this book is also a wonderful history book with factual tidbits sprinkled throughout.

The beginning of this book provides maps of the profiled locations. These maps also divide the sites into categories described later in the book (more on that in a moment). Thus, if your focus is on European colonization and you are interested in traveling to the mid-Atlantic or the South, you will be able to quickly find the sites that are focused on this aspect of history.

The Sheumakers organized this book into six historical categories; America's Native Peoples, European Colonization, Religious & Secular Groups, Road to Independence, Our New Nation, and Opening the West. Each section is color coded to more easily locate them on the previously described maps. Even better, each section has dozens of photographs, typically one per site, along with location information, fee information, and, perhaps best of all, the best available web site for the location. In addition, the Sheumakers sometimes recommend the best time of year to see special events and they typically provide information regarding the historical significance of the site.

I have checked several of the sites recommended by the Sheumakers to see how accurate their information is. Consider Cahokia Mounds, in Illinois, described on page 38 of this book. There are two photographs. One photograph is of the largest mound on the site. The other is a photograph of a walk-through diorama available at the interpretive center. The Sheumakers include several pieces of information about the history of the site and its significance (a small portion of what you can learn at the site). Their information regarding the location of Cahokia Mounds matches the direction provided on the highways east of St. Louis, Missouri. The fee information is also correct (free), though the interpretive center suggests a $1 donation per person. The only flaw I found in the Sheumaker's description of this site is that they neglected to mention the miles of walking trails on the site.

Other sites contain similar accuracy. I looked at Spring Mill Pioneer Village in Indiana, which is a wonderful place to visit (though sometimes it gets very busy). Historic St. Charles, Missouri is yet another wonderful place to visit, if you can avoid the distraction of the gigantic casino that is nearby. Ft. Osage in Sibley, Missouri, has been a popular destination for the nearby residents of Kansas City, Missouri, for decades.

If there is a flaw in this book, it is that space limited the Sheumakers to only 300 destinations. There are many more living history places in the United States. However, the Sheumakers certainly picked many of the very best places from the era before the 1840's. Perhaps if this book is successful, they can write a follow-up book titled "More of America's Living History."

This book is a phenomenal resource for people planning a vacation or seeking a starting point for a history paper. Teachers and other educators may wish to explore one of the living history sites near your school. You may just want to take a day trip to one of these sites. All of them are worth at least a day trip and some of them require days to fully explore.

Traveler's guides seem to be a dime-a-dozen these days. Everyone is competing for shelf space and your attention. The Sheumakers have a unique approach, eschewing typical tourist attractions for those that focus on our (United States) history. It would be a mistake to call these sites tourist attractions, because many of them contain on-going historical research. For example, excavations continue at Cahokia Mounds. Regardless of your need, this beautiful, full-color book is a wonderful as a resource, a coffee-table book, or even just to read - I started it and could not put it down. Whatever your need or goal, if you appreciate the history of the United States and you are seeking an opportunity to immerse yourself further in that history, you need this book.

This review is based on a copy of the book provided to me by the authors.

Enjoy!

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Joseph "Crazy Joe" Spaziano, who avoided Florida's electric chair six years ago when his condemnation for murder was thrown out, was denied parole Wednesday, on a sentence of life plus five years for raping a 16-year-old Orlando girl and slashing her eyes in 1974.

The state Parole Commission voted against changing Spaziano's April 2060 parole date on the rape conviction after a 40-minute hearing Wednesday when family members and attorneys on both sides testified in the case of the one-time member of the Outlaws motorcycle gang.

Spaziano, now 58, will be eligible to seek another parole hearing in 2009.

Bill Cotterell has been a journalist with UPI and more recently for a good number of years at the Tallahassee Democrat covering primarily state government news in Florida. His email address is bcotterell@tallahassee.com for verification of this account and a more accurate recounting.

He has recounted to me several times about the time in one case that Ms. Holdman said something to the effect that the murdered youth would just have to miss her high school prom --- said in a scarcastic and offensive tone -- meaning minimizing the impact that the murder had upon the murdered youth herself.

Michael Mello's "Dead Wrong" quote from page 195 (hardcover version): "There were some days (and nights) when CCR was the best public defender office in the world." I agree -- "some" being the operative word here.

For more insight, Michael Moline, formerly of UPI in Tallahassee, wrote a long article for a California newspaper (the name I don't have with me at this time) about Scharlette Holdman shortly after she arrived in California from Florida by means of South Carolina.

A professor in the Sociology department of the University of Delaware recommended Von Drehle to me for an example of a writing style I could use. I'm glad to have made the purchase both because of writing style and content.

Both David Von Drehle and Michael Mello's books are excellent and very well describe what life is like for those on death row and those representing death sentenced persons, particularly at the old CCR [Office of Capital Collateral Representative]. However there is more:

After Mark Olive voluntarily resigned from CCR about March 1988, Billy H. Nolas became the next Chief Litigator. It is extremely odd that neither Mello nor Von Drehle even mention Nolas nor the next Chief Litigator Martin or Marty J. McClain. For important reasons they should have.

Billy H. Nolas is an excellent litigator like Olive. Nolas was the Chief Litigator for the last two years of the Gov. Martinez "regime", which was the most difficult time in CCR history [during my employment there] with Martinez signing death warrants as if he was at a Republican Party event signing autographs.

Nolas resigned at the end of 1990, after Martinez had been defeated by former U.S. Senator Lawton Chiles and former U.S. House of Representatives member Buddy MacKay.

Nolas was completely drained from the years he endured and litigated while at CCR, due to the huge case load and the internecine warfare within the agency. McClain and his faction within CCR did their best to cause Nolas to leave -- eventually they were successful -- and THAT is when clients' cases began to suffer.

Martin J. McClain is an excellent litigator, however his strategic decisions in various cases are questionable. When Mello writes on page 245 of the hardcover version of "Dead Wrong" regarding CCR, "Look beneath the surface of CCR's 'success rates', however, and you'll find an artifice typical of hack public defender officers. CCR has in the past farmed out the hardest cases to outside lawyers (by finding that it has a 'conflict of interest')". The period of time that Mello is referring to is when Martin J. McClain was the Chief Litigator and Michael Minerva was the executive director of CCR.

As the premier example of McClain alleging a "conflict of interest" [and I can only assume with the consent of the director of CCR at the time, Michael Minerva] is the client Jerry Layne Rogers, Sr. -- a wrongfully convicted and innocent man -- Mr. Rogers's case in 1992 consisted of at least 80 boxes of documents, from court files, prosecutor and law enforcement files, trial and evidentiary hearing transcripts, etc. Mr. Rogers's case was the largest and most complicated that CCR has ever represented.

The second largest and most complicated was that of Mr. Gerald Stano, whose lead attorney during most of the development of his case was Mark Olive.

McClain simply didn't want to have such a complicated case as a CCR case, so McClain, in my considered insider opinion as Mr. Roger's only investigator from 1989 until my involuntary departure in 1992, alleged in a misrepresentation to the Florida Supreme Court (FSC) that he had a "conflict of interest" with Mr. Rogers -- while Mr. Rogers's case was pending at the FSC.

As a result, Mr. Rogers had no counsel for an extended period of time until the Washington, D.C. law firm Covington and Burling became his pro bono counsel in 1995. The result was an unanimous FSC 26 page opinion ordering a new trial due primarily to prosecutorial misconduct, in particular Brady v. Maryland violations.

To read the opinion, go to the Florida Supreme Court website, to recent opinions, to the year 2001, scroll down to February 15, 2001.

During the summer of 2002, Mr. Rogers was re-convicted, however the jury recommended and Mr. Rogers received a life sentence. Thus for a second time Mr. Rogers has been wrongfully convicted.

Another wrongfully convicted Florida death row inmate, who is now a free man, Juan Melendez, testified about his neighbor on death row, Mr. Rogers. Mr. Rogers taught him how to speak, read and write in English as well as assisting him in coping skills while on death row.

In 2004, the Florida 5th District Court of Appeal denied relief. The FSC declined to accept jurisdiction and thus denied the petition for review.

Mr. Rogers' case is pending Federal review.

Though the author never specifically articulates his beliefs about the death penalty anywhere within this volume, I had the distinct impression that he was actually, in principle, a proponent of the punishment, but had become increasingly frustrated with its practice as he investigated every capital case in Florida during the first few years of the death penalty's reimposition. It is this perspective, along with the excellent writing and the telling details he unearths about each case (details concerning the commission of the crime, the investigation, trial, appeals, execution, and aftermath) that separate this volume from most of the other anti-death penalty materials. Above all else, it is an excellent read.

In response to comments made by Mark Wilson in his review that Susan Fromberg Schaeffer stole Ms. Brodman's (Anya's) life story, the events detailed in "Anya" are common in some way or another to nearly every other Holocaust survivor. An idea, account of events or even the ability to relate those events verbally is entirely different than actually crafting that idea or account into a well written story or engrossing movie.

Writing/directing well is not easy. I'm sure Ms. Schaeffer likely spent hours, days, months and years researching, writing and rewriting her book. Why should Ms. Schaeffer not receive credit for all the hard work she put into the book?

That being said, I'm not a huge fan of the book. The prose is beautifully descriptive but is too wordy for me (more like a romance novel - not really my taste). Also, the main character, Anya, comes off as preening and fairly unsympathetic. I prefer works like "The Great Gatsby", "Shawshank Redemption & Rita Hayworth", "Fight Club", "Atlas Shrugged", "I, Legend", "The Thief of Always" and "Red Dragon" - to name a few.

The books listed above are not special because of the tag line. Those books are worth reading because they are exceptionally well written. It's all in presentation. An idea/account is only an idea/account until someone puts time and sweat into making the idea/account into something tangible.

Give several authors/directors an idea/account and each will mold that idea/account according to individual talent, personality, background, education, etc. Look at the differences in the way "The Shining" as a movie was directed by Stephen King (awful) versus Stanley Kubrick (genius), in the Harry Potter movies(some darker, some lighter) and in the Thomas Harris movies(Hannibal was a comedy compared to the first two).

There really are no new ideas (themes, characters, plots, etc.)-just new ways of presenting/mixing. In fact, most stories are covered or at least alluded to in the Bible and mythology. Look at how Jane Austen's "Emma" was modernized in "Clueless" or how differently J.D. Salenger and Sylvia Plath portray young people dealing with growing pains in "The Catcher in the Rye" and "The Bell Jar". There are lots of other examples.

The bottom line is that Ms. Brodman, unless she voluntarily chose to execute a nondisclosure agreement, had the opportunity to take the time to write her own book in her own words in whatever language she desired so that her book could be judged on its merits accordingly.

ANYA is one of the best modern novels I've ever read. Susan Fromberg Schaeffer does a great job getting inside her protagonist's head. Wonderfully atmospheric, ANYA sets you right down in Anya's world from the first paragraph. I first read the book as a teenager and spent the days reading it and several days afterward in a fog--I was completely in Anya's world.

I am a 16 year old sophomore in high school and I came across this book for a book report.As I read I was drawn in as if I were an eye witness to the events happening to Anya Savikin Lavinsky, her daughter, and her family during the holocaust. It really gave me a first hand experience of the horror,hope, and determination of the victims of the holocaust. It was moving and touching.I would recommend it highly. Bravo Susan Fromberg Schaeffer!
Lyn Shakespeare "Jacki" (Illinois,USA)

I first read this novel after reading "First Nights". I must admit, I was attracted to "First Nights" by pure marketing and cover art, but was I a lucky consumer. I completely fell in love with Susan Fromberg-Schafer's style of writing and have read and loved almost everything she has written (Buffalo Day Afternoon was not a particular favorite). "Anya" has become my favorite novel of all time. I have re-read it at least 3 times. This comes from someone who loves to read and has almost never read a book twice. I can't say enough about it except that you should also give "Autobiography of Foudini M Cat" a try if you have ever loved a pet.

Happy Reading!

I moved across the street from Mrs. Brodman (Anya) in Sarasota, Florida in 1979. She lived there with her husband until the day she died. I have been gone for two years now, but believe Mr. Brodman still lives there.

The story is riveting because it is true! It did not come from the imagination of Susan Fromberg Schaeffer. Mrs. Brodman and her husband told me that a lawsuit was filed against Ms. Schaeffer and that Ms. Schaeffer lost. I was told they never wanted the money from the settlement and gave it to an fund for orphans in Israel.

It is shocking to see it listed here as one of Ms. Schaeffer's novels. Mrs. Brodman told me that the book was the result of a series of tapes she dictated and that were transcribed by Miss Fromberg. Though Anya spoke many languages (including English), she said it was too difficult for her to 'write' in English and so she dictated her story. This is what I was told.

Mrs. Brodman told me it hurt her greatly that Miss Fromberg took credit for her life story. Yes there are facts that were changed to also protect others (i.e., she changed the name of her husband, Mr. Brodman, for obvious reasons). My understanding was that the outcome of the lawsuit was to stop Ms. Schaeffer from continuing to take credit for 'Anya's story'.

When I found an out-of-print copy (many years ago) I asked her to dedicate and sign it. I will treasure this forever!

I too heard Anya tell me many stories. I took Mr. Brodman's advice and started reading one of Ms. Fromberg's books. I put it down... no comparison.

Mark Wilson

I was pleased to have this book be in prime condition when it arrived. The price was excellent. The order came in a timely fashion.

The Art of books by Pixar are wonderful. For the artist these books give a great background into how the art brought the story alive.

I highly recommend these books, especially for those who love Pixar.

If you enjoy learning the behind the scenes process that goes into many of the animated and computer animated films of today, you will love this book.

It shows step by step the drawings and thoughts that went into each character in Radiator Springs and also the creation of all the backdrops. From the smallest signs and orange cones to the racetrack and beyond, you can see how it all evolved.

It's nicely bound with a great jacket cover. Definitely a nice coffee table book your guests will enjoy leafing through or the perfect addition to the library of any art and animation lover.

I purchased this art of book recently and found it one of the best art of books I now own. The illustrations are very helpful to my concept art assignments. Great reading

I have to say, I love this series of books. Seeing the concept drawings for the movie is wonderful and how they got there inspiration for what eventually became the charming and funny movie CARS.

Pixar's most recent animation is fully revealed in this wonderful art book. All the research, ideas, and concepts are printed gorgeously in this book. You see how the ideas are captured on paper to guide the production teams to make one of the best animation in years. Conceptual ideas of characters from the beginning to the final rendered CGI model on screen are all there. The landscape is captured in with colorful pastel paintings. Even all the details from neon signs to the Southwest vegetation are drawn out for you to see. Everything in the book is traditional artwork techniques from pastels, blue pencil, to gray scale markers. Only a few pages have any 3D images for you to see, but in an age where everything is computerized... its really nice to see that old fashioned techniques being used.

Its a quality book I highly recommend for the Pixar fan, 3D animation enthusiast, and art students.

the book was great son and husband read it fast shipping and in good shape

this is a must read for the bill elliot fan and nascar fans

i am reading the book and so for i have enjoyed it very much and i am finding out what a hard time bill had in his racing career

It was very interesting to read Bill's own story on NASCAR racing and his career. He has not ordinarily been to loose with his words in the past, so it was refreshing to get his views and opinions first hand. He was generally very complimentary towards his fellow competitiors, but was quite critical of NASCAR concerning the safety issue and the death of Earnhardt. A good read from one of racings finest and classiest drivers.

All I can say is...AWESOME BOOK. On a scale of 1 to 10, it's a 15.