Pennsylvania Books

Being a Steeler Fan, I have read both Terry Bradshaw's and Rocky Bleir's books, and while I found them interesting, I didn't get quite the feel for the individual as well as the game from their books as I did from Andy Russell's. I am not just a fan of the sport of football, but a fan of the players. As a fan of the individuals, I like to know as much about them as possible. Everything from their childhood and family life, through high school and college, because all of that has an effect on their football career and what they bring to the game. Andy's stories about his life after football give us a perspective on the good effects that the commraderie and competitiveness of football can have on the rest of your life. I particularly enjoyed the chapter which tells of his visits to combat areas in Vietnam. The American soldiers in the various hospitals had the same reaction to American football players. I totally understand that reaction - meeting A Pittsburgh Steeler so far away from home helped the soldier forget the harshness of war for just a few moments and go back to all that is good in the world - good old American Football!

Being a Steeler Fan, I have read both Terry Bradshaw's and Rocky Bleir's books, and while I found them interesting, I didn't get quite the feel for the individual as well as the game from their books as I did from Andy Russell's. I am not just a fan of the sport of football, but a fan of the players. As a fan of the individuals, I like to know as much about them as possible. Everything from their childhood and family life, through high school and college, because all of that has an effect on their football career and what they bring to the game. Andy's stories about his life after football give us a perspective on the good effects that the commraderie and competitiveness of football can have on the rest of your life. I particularly enjoyed the chapter which tells of his visits to combat areas in Vietnam. The American soldiers in the various hospitals had the same reaction to American football players. I totally understand that reaction - meeting A Pittsburgh Steeler so far away from home helped the soldier forget the harshness of war for just a few moments and go back to all that is good in the world - good old American Football!

Being a Steeler Fan, I have read both Terry Bradshaw's and Rocky Bleir's books, and while I found them interesting, I didn't get quite the feel for the individual as well as the game from their books as I did from Andy Russell's. I am not just a fan of the sport of football, but a fan of the players. As a fan of the individuals, I like to know as much about them as possible. Everything from their childhood and family life, through high school and college, because all of that has an effect on their football career and what they bring to the game. Andy's stories about his life after football give us a perspective on the good effects that the commraderie and competitiveness of football can have on the rest of your life. I particularly enjoyed the chapter which tells of his visits to combat areas in Vietnam. The American soldiers in the various hospitals had the same reaction to American football players. I totally understand that reaction - meeting A Pittsburgh Steeler so far away from home helped the soldier forget the harshness of war for just a few moments and go back to all that is good in the world - good old American Football!

This is the story of a former NFL All Pro linebacker going on a journey of self discovery after retiring from the game. Along the way he reminisces about his famous teammates: Joe Greene, Terry Bradshaw, Jack Ham, Rocky Bleier and others. He and his Steeler pal, Ray Mansfield, take Lynn Swann and Mel Blount around the world, giving speeches from Hong Kong to London, and sports clinics for young people from Singapore to Jeddah while still finding time to develop his international investment business. Two stories tell of dodging bullets on a USO tour of Vietnam and Thailand with ex-congressman Jack Kemp, Bobby Bell, John David Crow and Bill Brown. Along the way the adventurer team of Russell/ Mansfield test themselves on a wilderness canoe race in Canada, on mountain tops in Nepal and barely make it out of the Grand Canyon. The writer, a sensitive sort, who struggles to find himself after leaving the game gives the reader a first hand look of what it was like to be on the field with the world champion Pittsburgh Steelers. This book is an easy read--one that will keep the reader rivited to every story.

I enjoyed each and every chapter of "At Work in Penn's Woods." The author did a tremendous amount of research and it was very thorough. He covers the CCC from its inception until its death. Despite the fact that it is an historical book, it is very readable and not at all boring.

He does an excellent job of describing what the purpose of the CCC was; the politics involved in administering it; the role African-Americans took (had to take) in the CCC; the role of the CCC during the Depression, when the Corps began, through to the buildup to, and beginning of, World War II, when the program was finally shut down; tasks that the CCC men (boys) performed; as well as other topics.

Although there are some statistics and charts in the book, they are interesting and needed, and most are contained in an appendix.

As mentioned in other reviews, Dr. Speakman's inspiration for the book came from the fact that his father was in the Pennsylvania CCC. My father was also in the Corps, hence my interest. Unfortunately, my father's time and work in the CCC was a topic that we didn't really talk about, so I have no oral history from him about his experiences. On the bright side, my sister does have the documentation of my father's service in the Corps, so at least I know the Camp, Company, and time that he served. That's a start.

To those who have had a relative in the Pennsylvania CCC, this book is a must read. To those who did not, or don't realize that they did, it is still very highly recommended for the fact that you will be amazed at how many projects these men worked on throughout the Commonwealth. I'd be willing to bet that there's one close to where you live - most likely still in existence.

Very informative information about Pennsylvania and its history. Would like to see more of the same type of books. Would recommend this to any one who enjoys the State Parks in Pa.

This well-researched and authoritative book will be of great interest to anyone with an interest in Pennsylvania's history, and a love for the state's outdoor resources. The Civilian Conservation Corps program during Roosevelt's New Deal was especially successful in Pennsylvania, due to the presence of tens of thousands of unemployed young men during the leanest years of the Great Depression, plus the need for statewide conservation work to repair forests and natural lands after the logging era. Visitors to any number of Pennsylvania State Parks and Forests will make use of facilities built by the CCC, and backpackers will not have to hike far to find remnants of the widespread tree farms that CCC workers planted in previously denuded or clear-cut areas. Speakman untangles the confusing administrative history of the CCC, as the program was set up during an economic emergency and had conflicting goals and priorities. We learn that the CCC truly benefited thousands of young men during hard economic times and vastly improved Pennsylvania's natural environment, but also that the program was marred by political infighting in Washington, poorly-planned administration and logistics, and creeping militarization during the war years. Speakman also digs deeper into some unexpected aspects of the CCC program, as some companies worked on private farms or in city parks, and there is an outstanding chapter on the inequality faced by African American CCC workers. While the CCC ultimately proved to be a temporary outgrowth of the New Deal, the evidence of the program's usefulness can be seen all over Pennsylvania. [~doomsdayer520~]

A great look into the history of our state. The CCC not only provided work but also hope in our countries darkest times. Why can't we have programs like this for todays youth? One of Roosevelt's great legacies.

O'Dell's story captures all the facets of an extremely dysfunctional family with raw, shocking realism - outright physical and verbal abuse, insinuated sexual abuse, incest and murder. As the novel unfolds, it becomes obvious that the male narrator is mentally disturbed but it's nearly impossible not to sympathize with his situation. O'Dell also does an excellent job of portraying his sexual frustrations, not to mention the overall confusion and desperation of a young man who has had too much responsibility thrust upon him. I highly recommend this novel. It is compulsively readable and well written.

Amazingly written book with well developed charaters. Although dark, O'Dell makes the disfunction heartwarming. I couldn't put this book down once I started.

I felt so much sadness for the main character of this book. I wanted him to get a break somewhere along the line and find some happiness but it was just not meant to be. I would love to see this turned into a movie.

The twisted storyline in this book threw me for a bit of a loop, and the intensity of the characters is riveting. I couldn't put it down. It's a very quick read - esp for the length of it. I was left feeling a bit shocked by the graphic details and twisted thoughts/actions, but in a good way. It's amazing when a book can get under your skin and creep you out a bit, but draw you in to wonder about a world in which such things can exist so easily. I would definitely recommend this book.

This is a great book, even if you're into escapist roleplaying, and pretending you're a knight, this will teach you what real chivalry was.
Bigger and more concise than the hagakure, it should be required reading for anyone who aspires to be a good person.

A very good dual-text copy of the writings of Geoffroi De Charny (the Knight that kept the oriflamme, a symbol of France, and the first famous possessor of the Shroud of Turin) into what Chivalry is, and what Knighthood should be, and the differences between that and what it really seemed to be.

The prose is well done, giving good insight into the mind of the Knight of that era. Examples of the problems of lust versus courtly love, the appropriateness of staying just a little hungry, and a comparison of the Orders of Grace (priesthood) with the Orders of Knighthood all work together to give the reader a sense of the noble and knightly duties in the pre Republic days of Europe. This is a good starting point (along with Ramon Lull's _The Book of the Order of Chivalry_) for the novice to learn how social Chivalry developed from the military form to the current socio-political. The parallels in current day knighthood can easily be seen once an understanding is gained of the past, and this book brings the past into focus in an amazing way.

Do be advised -- the French and English are interleaved, so you'll either be reading on the right (english) or left (french) once you get past the introduction!

Those who are members of mideval Recreation will find this book great insight to how the Knights of the day thought, felt, and acted about thier role and the betterment of thier Order. This book gives the reader a chance to view the concepts of chivalry through the eyes of one of the greatest Knights of France.

The original author, Geffroi de Charny, probably did not write this book -- like many busy leaders, he probably dictated it. Kennedy's translation lets you hear him speak. If you think you'd like to hear what a serious, practical, yet idealistic knight thought about chivalry, this is the book for you.

Wow! What a delightful book! I never had the pleasure of hearing the Penn Glee Club, or seeing them perform, but reading this wonderful memoir/autobiography by its 50-year director certainly makes me wish I had. Bruce Montgomery is a true Renaissance man...conductor, arranger, composer, artist, choreographer, diplomat and mentor to hundreds of students over the years. This captivating narrative covers a lifetime of passion for excellence and love of occupation expressed with warmth and humor. Fortunate are the students touched by his genius, and fortunate are those of us who have read his story!

After a less than sterling performance as Santa Claus in a first grade pageant, I decided that others were better suited for the limelight than I. On later occasions, I had the opportunity to use my visual skills 'backstage' through set design and construction. In this manner I found much satisfaction in collaborating with talented folks who could sing, dance and remember lyrics and scores far better than I. Mr. Mongomery's book, "Brothers, Sing On!" brings back many memories of marvelous experiences, great friendships, and yes, the hard work that goes into the making of exhilarating performances.

I can only wish that I had first hand experiences with Mr. Mongomery's music. Seeing his group via TV in Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade was of interest. The recounting in his book of his half-century of performances and creations seems to demonstrate rather convincingly his outstanding musical and directing skills. To be able to compose - invent - new music as well as arrange the work of others; to write transitional or counterpoint melodies and lyrics, surely are gifts that few people have. For performers, collaborators, or those interested in stories of success, Mr. Mongomery's book is a true delight to read.

Having heard the University of Pennsylvania perform at Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and also with the Philadelphia Orchestra, I picked this book up out of curiosity. Then I couldn't put it down and had to purchase two more for friends as gifts. Bruce Montgomery's memoir of nearly 50 years working with talented college students and transforming them into a finely honed professional singing troupe is nothing short of breathtaking. This will make a great holiday gift for everyone on my list!

Having sung in the 1960's Penn Glee Club, when we didn't dance and didn't travel far from West Philadelphia, this book is an explanation of how the "Club" survived and thrived in subsequent years. The World travel and successes are thrilling;
but how "Monty" and his men put together their annual shows and built on them is even more enthralling.
Surely anyone who had anything to do with the University of Pennsylvania for the past 50 plus years has been touched by the
talent of Bruce Montgomery and should find this a good read!

This is a light-hearted, easy read which is sure to brighten your spirit. Not a dynamic book, but very simple, innocent and sweet.

The setting is the village of Ladykirk, Pennsylvania in the early 1900s. The main characters are the gentle village pastor, David Lyall, his wife, Mary, and their three children, Faith (24 years old), Jeremy (20 years old) and bubbly, sweet Lucy (18 years old), all three of whom are grown, unmarried and still living with their parents in the well-worn, cozy church parsonage. The book centers on this extraordinarily devoted family and their affectionate daily interactions with each other and also with the other fascinating citizens of the Ladykirk community, most of whom are also life-long members of Pastor David's Presbyterian congregation. It is a story of a family short on cash, but rich in everything else.

A darling part of the story centers on what happens when a very high society (RICH) Pittsburgh steel tycoon's only son falls in love with the poor minister's 18 year old daughter, Lucy.

Much of the book focuses on how the small town church dealt with the "sin" issue in that day and age. It was interesting to compare the "then and now" methods of handling church discipline problems.... drinking, theft, unwed mothers and so on.

The author wholeheartedly described scenery and people. I finished the book feeling as if I had visited this 1900's village and had become friends with each and every person in the Ladykirk community . The book also left me with a more optimistic view of life and people, but most important, it renewed my faith in a "Good God".

This is a beautiful story. The daily life of a minister and his family are realistically portrayed in this tale. It will make you laugh and cry. It may remind you of Thorton Wilder's "Our Town."

What a wonderful book! I came upon it by accident, & I am so very glad that I took that first glance which drew me in. Not only is it a well written story, but the overall message is also a good one --- to be satisfied & succeed in whatever position God puts you in. The characters were so believable & so very likable. I hope to own a copy to read again & again, & I would love to be able to read anything else Ms. Turnbull has written.

This is a book about family ties, the heartaches and joys of a turn of the century family in Penn sylvania. The father is a minister who sees good in everyone. Mom is a stay at home mom and the children are like kids everywhere. The book takes us into the small village of Ladykirk where the inhabitants "drink from the same cup" of joys and sorrws. Things happen in Ladykirk, but as one person says "they have a way of settling down again." The characters come alive and make you want to be there to help when Lucy is expecting her beau and cries over the ragged carpet. Her father tells her that young men do not notice those things. Mary,the mom and the one with the sweet spirit, "hates the heathen" when asked to give up her birthday surprise but promises to try to grow in grace. This is a beautiful book. Read it if you can

slavery in Brazil! This book is very good! It backs everything up with documentation and it shows how cruel of an institution slavery was in Brazil. It also gives the reader a good idea on the scope of slavery in Brazil. 40% of the Africans transported to the new world went to Brazil. This was a country that was totally dependent on African slave labor.

Composed of myriad primary sources, Conrad prefaces each document with a description, date and summary of the following text. Organized topically and then chronologically within each section, the format perfectly suits the researcher. Interestingly, (for my purposes) the text contains numerous accounts of quilombos in Palmares, Bahia, Rio de Janeiro and others. The documents date from 1550 (approx.) through the final proclamation ending slavery in Brazil in 1888. Outstanding research tool, as well as an interesting read for those wishing to learn, first hand, about slavery in Brazil.

This book is a giant collection of primary sources collected and edited by Robert Conrad pertaining to black slavery in Brazil. We used this book in my Slaves Societies of the Americas history course and it was an invaluable asset to my research. I had learned almost nothing about slavery in Brazil prior to reading this book and it has truly showed me the horrors of the institution of slavery. Having been mostly educated on slavery in the US South, I was shocked to discover that there were vastly more slaves in Brazil and that the Brazilian slavery system lasted practically until 1890. This is a must read for those who wish to gain a better understanding of what slavery in the Americas was truly like.

this is a highly technical book with excellent historical references and obvious good research. Very educational and informative. It is very readable. A word of caution: some of the commentaries reflect US or English mindset bias, i.e. a hint of a moral superiority, unwarranted, most probably unintentional and unconsciously done, but frequently encountered in books written in the English language about other cultures, which may offend other native language speakers.

You have spelled the author's name wrong. My name is Yale Richmond, and the paper edition of the book was published in 2004, not 2000.

Yale Richmond

Cultural Exchange highlights the intrinsic events within the educational system, that is, the exchange program between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R., that led to the downfall of the Soviet Union by the ideas that it helped to foster. It gives you a detailed, well researched account of the events that led to these programs, as well as many small entertaining tid-bits such as students in the program who were afraid to do anything because they thought the CIA was working with the KGB. All in all, a synopsis of the book is not needed here, just pick it up yourself if you have an interest in the Cold War and/or the events that led to the downfall of the Soviet Union, to see for yourself what lies within the book.

Other recommendations along with this title:
New Myth, New World, from Nietzsche and Stalinism
Toilet: The Novel (A Tribute to the Literary Works of Franz Kafka)

Scholarly and illuminating, Richmond's book colorfully documents official, government Soviet-American cultural exchanges that began after Stalin died in 1953, and helped to break down barriers of fear and ignorance, at a time that many of us felt the Cold War was freezing all contact.

These cultural exchanges involved books, movies, writers, performing artists, scientists, technologists, think tanks, politicans, and scholars.

Richmond writes eloquently, liberally using quotes of people who took part in the exchanges. One was organized by Gerald Mikkelson, professor of Slavic languages and literature at the University of Kansas, and it flourished in the 1970s and 80s. From several days to several weeks, Soviet writers came to the university, experienced the Midwest, and went away forever changed.

"Those visits to Kansas," says Mikkelson, "not only broadened their horizons culturally and ideologically, and gave them plenty of food for thought that sometimes got translated into specific literary works or images, but it added to their prestige and emboldened them at home in their efforts to make the Soviet Union a more livable place for writers and people in the other creative and performing arts."

Imagine a Soviet writer being plunked down in Kansas!
And other new places!
The same for Americans in the Soviet Union!

Some Soviet scholars were not allowed to take part, because the Soviet Foreign Travel Commission didn't think they were "reliable" to travel abroad, for whatever reasons. One of them was Soviet professor George Mirsky, a Middle East expert, who whole-heartedly encouraged his students at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations to go on such exchanges.

Mirsky writes, "Before the exchange, people believed that Western society, no matter how wealthy and affluent, was narrowly materialistic, devoid of any humanism and spirituality, selfish and arrogant, indifferent to moral, cultural, and artistic values, full of hostility for Russians and of anti-Communist crusading spirit.

"What amazed them was American hospitality, warmth, willingness to oblige, civility and politeness, lack of ethnic prejudices, care for disabled, richness of artistic life, pluralism of opinions, abundance of associations. The Soviets were able for the first time in their lives to see a functioning civil society. This was a great surprise...The exchange visitors would never be the same again."

As a musician and lover of the arts, I especially enjoyed the chapter on performing arts, with highlights of American impresario Sol Hurok's success in bringing Soviet musicians, dance troupes, ice shows, and circuses to the U.S. As a child, I had seen some of these performances, but not been aware of their long-range effect! Reciprocal trips took such Amerian writers as Norman Cousins, Robert Lowell, and Edward Albee, and such groups as the Philadelphia Orchestra, the American Ballet Theatre, and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band to the Soviet Union.

These cultural exchanges paved the way for the the arrival of Mikhail Gorbachev to the presidency of the Soviet Union. Gorbachev and his wife had done a great deal of foreign travel in the 1970s and 80s, and loved it. They saw that another world existed beyond their country. As president, Gorbachev opened the door even farther and moved the Soviet Union forward to help end the Cold War.

I love this book because it is informative, inspiring, and written with obvious relish and passion. Richmond was there, working on these exchanges, helping to get people talking, and opening up their minds. He records this first-hand. Who else can tell such a great story so well? I recommend the book to anyone who wants to learn, to understand more about history, and to appreciate the people who changed it. Bravi!

The jacket of Richmond's book states that this work "demonstrates that the best policy to pursue with countries with whom we disagree is not isolation but engagement." Whether or not this is universally true, a very strong case is made for this argument in this study of cultural exchanges during the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States.

The exchanges between the two countries were initiated by President Eisenhower in a letter to Bulganin, the Soviet head of state, and were begun in 1958. Whatever concerns there might have been about potential Soviet espionage, the program found approval even from FBI Director J. Edger Hoover. Richmond demonstrates the wisdom of this program as thousands of Russians and Americans participated in these exchanges which continued up to the time when the Soviet Union ceased to exist.

The book's table of contents provides early clues to the range of the program. There were exchanges of scholars in science and in the political and social sciences, exchanges of scientists and technicians for conferences and participation in working groups, exchanges of journalists and diplomats, and the well publicized exchanges of performing artists in ballet, music and theater. Students in the exchange program often remained in the host country for several years; scientists and technicians only for the several weeks of a conference or working group.

The background to the exchange rogram is provided through citations from the reports of American administrators and scholars associated with it and through personal interviews in which they describe the difficulties of implementation in the face of bureaucratic obstacles from two mutually suspicious countries. It is the interviews with the exchange participants, however, which is at the very heart of this quiet but remarkable story. Of particular interest are the interviews with dozens of participants from the Soviet Union.

This reader was arrested by the positions held by the Soviet participants at the time of their arrival in the U.S. and by what became of them and their careers on their return to the home country. In contrast with the American exchange scholars who came largely out of academia, many from the Soviet appear to have held government positions when they arrived in the U.S. or at some earlier time. The nature of some of these positions is especially surprising to the lay reader. Among four students who came to study at Columbia University, for example, two were in the KGB, one in Soviet military intelligence, and the fourth in the Central Committee of the Communist Party. These backgrounds do not appear to have been exceptional among Soviet exchange scholars.

It is not certain from Richmond's reports if expsure to the U.S. through this program was, in general, an advantage or handicap to Soviet participants' careers on their return home. Nevertheless, it is evident from some of the case studies that some achieved positions of great influence. Alexander Yakolev, for example, became a senior advisor to Gorbechev and is known as the "godfather of glasnost." Rem Khoklov was awarded the Lenin Prize for his scientific research and became a member of the Soviet Parliament. What may have been of importance even greater than those who reached high positions, however, is that many scholars were inthe government and on the job when the Soviet Union collapsed and were prepared for the social and economic changes which were to come.

At a time of increasing barriers to those who would enter the U.S. as students or observers, CULTURAL EXCHANGES AND THE COLD WAR demonstrates the value of openness even during the most stressful periods of the Cold War. American leaders coming from a broad political spectrum took the risk of allowing access to this country by students and leaders from our most feared competitor. From this there appears to have been an unimagined payoff.

This book had me grabbed by the second page! I love all the characters but especially Hannah!
The mystery plot was original and fun and the story has plenty of twists and turns.
I hope this turns into a series because I would like to get to know these people better.

Hannah Claire, a grannie-from-hell detective, is at the heart of Anne K. Edwards' terrific mystery, Death on Delivery, and if you don't love Hannah, you don't have a heart. First, a disclaimer. As a fellow mystery author (Death Game) who likes a little sex, some violence and 300-mph-action, I don't like modern "cozies." I find them unbearably unrealistic and so sweet they set my teeth on edge.

But Death on Delivery isn't really a cozy. Instead, it hearkens back to the good old days when Agatha Christie's freakish imagination and gentle wryness were lighting up the British book scene. Edwards' story is not saccharine; it is black, psychologically astute comedy. Death on Delivery is the type of book you don't read so much because you believe what is happening, but because of the author's dead-on understanding of human nature.

The story begins when greedy Jania Yewbanks gets her death "ordered up and delivered," by her disgustingly self-righteous husband. Rid of a nasty woman whose death is "delivered" in a way that lets him off the hook, the husband figures he's now on easy street.

But Hannah is on the case--and it's pretty clear from the start that Hannah always gets her man. No spoilers in this review, you'll have to read the book for yourself. But a number of entertaining sub-plots intertwine which keeps the surprises coming. The story finishes strong--with Hannah Claire proving she sleuth with the best out there in detectivedom.

Like Agatha Christie once did, Edwards takes a lot of chances with Death on Delivery, such as letting readers in on whodunit on the second page. The next 300 pages are crowded with outcasts--eccentrics, lovelorn old maids, criminals, scoundrels: you'll recognize your entire family before it's done.

The best part is that Edwards' wit and wisdom helps us laugh at those who drive us nuts on a daily basis. A convenient catharsis for those days when (tell the truth, now) we all are wondering how we could order up our own: Death on Delivery.

Cheryl Swanson, author Death Game [..]
Reviewer with Gotta Read, [..]

Hannah Clare is the widow. Her husband was a partner in Brom Investigations. Hannah finds that she can't sit at home, and she becomes involved with helping the agency.

Going undercover, Hannah is hired to keep house for Ted Yewbanks, the husband of a local socialite, Jania, who was found dead of "natural causes". Jania's sister hires the Brom's agency to investigate. She suspects brother-in-law was responsible.

When Brom dies suddenly under suspicious circumstances, Hannah knows there's more to the mystery than meets the eye.

Edwards' cast of characters is diverse. She finds character flaws in the best of them, making them human and believable. Hannah Clare is more than a middle aged, smoking, grandmother, she is practical and smart.

The story Edwards weaves is complex and held this reader's full attention well past the discovery of the last body, to the last word.

I'm happy to say that Death On Delivery is the first of Hannah's adventures. I'll be looking forward to reading the next book.

When local society matron Jania Yewbanks dies of "natural causes," her sister contracts the services of Brom Investigations to look into the case and prove that Jania's husband, Ted, murdered her.

Hannah Clare, widow of Brom's ex-partner, cannot settle to be the adoring granny. A sharp mind with a taste for danger, she needs work and action. Knowing her for twenty-four years and seeing her so eager to get back to work, Brom brings her into the case. Ted Yewbanks, now widowed and living alone, needs a housekeeper, and what better person than Hannah to take the job?

Then in the mid of her investigations Brom dies for no apparent reasons. Stunned, Hannah realizes his death resembles that of Jania's. Something strange and evil is working its way into this small community. During the last few months there have been other unexplained, naturally caused deaths and this fact hasn't escaped Hannah's sharp eyes. Are they all murders? Soon a pattern begins to emerge, and an innocuous-looking gift advertising ad in a woman's magazine seems to be at the heart of these demises.

The characterization in this mystery really stands out. The minor characters are as complex, interesting, and carefully drawn as the main ones. With an excellent understanding of human behavior and motivations, this author has succeeded in creating a deftly crafted, classic suspenseful mystery that will keep you submerged from beginning to end. The climax made my heart race. Hannah is certainly a character with her no-nonsense, practical, tough yet sensitive and compassionate approach to life and I look forward to reading more of her future adventures in the second book for these series.

Americans have long had an appreciation and familiarity with Ben Franklin as a founding father and pithy author of catchy sayings, most of which appeared in his "Poor Richard's Almanack." In this, his 300th birthday year, Dr. Stanley Finger shows that he was also an important man of medicine

Previously, Finger has written on other major figures in the history of science and medicine, including a number in his book, "Minds Behind the Brain." But this is his most exhaustive study yet, and one which, in his opinion, was long overdue. Indeed, Franklin's many biographers make little mention of his contributions to medicine, although they helped to shape the 18th-century medical landscape in major ways. To aid him in his research, Finger examined some 30,000 letters to and from Franklin, as well as other historical documents.

Benjamin Franklin comes across as consistently curious, empirical, and systematic in his observations about almost everything he encountered over the course of his 84-year long life. An element not often realized about Franklin was the degree to which he carried on correspondence and networked with other great minds of his era on a great variety of topics, including pertinent medical issues. This network and his own genius enabled him to see the benefits of early inoculation methods for smallpox, the risks of lead poisoning, the real causes of the common cold, and the importance of clean air. An accomplished swimmer and a weight lifter even into old age, he also recognized the need for exercise, and even noted the warming of the body and changes in heart rate accompanying different forms of exercise.

Franklin also helped some bright American students to be accepted into European medical schools and to get additional training in major hospitals. These individuals, including Morgan, Shippen, and Rush, would then be encouraged by Franklin to start the first medical school in America. Interestingly, he was instrumental in founding the first major hospital in the colonies, a charity institution for the physically or mentally ill, also located in Philadelphia. It is no wonder that, with his honorary degrees and memberships in the leading learned societies in Europe and America, Franklin came to be viewed as a physician when, in fact, he had only two years of formal schooling!

Ben Franklin has long been viewed as America's sage. As Finger shows, with his love of experiments and hard data, he was also one of Colonial America's leading men of medicine and a man willing to share his findings and views with a much wider audience.

"Doctor Franklin's Medicine", Stanley Finger, Univ. Penn. Press, Philadelphia, 2006 ISBN-13: 978-0-8122-3913-3, HC 330 pgs. PLUS 34 pgs. Notes, 15 pgs. Index, 6 1/4" x 9 1/2" C. 3 dozen B/W illustrations.

A published writer & Univ. Prof. of Psychology, Finger explores in comprehensive & detailed manner that leser known personae of Benjamin Franklin & purveys in great detail those medical contributions which most writers generally gloss over or have completely overlooked in most accounts of this man's remarkable life.

Franklin's life & level of medical knowledge is revealed in 4 parts: as existing during his lifetime firstly in the American colony, then Great Britain, and France & finally in Ben's aging years along with recital of his own maladies (gout, bladder stone & senescence). Franklin's brilliance, pragmatism & resorting to controlled experimentations establishes a uniquely high benchmark for Enlightenment, a characteristic of the 18th century.

The book is replete with his enterprises as a printer, journalist ("Poor Richard's Almanack"), inventor (Franklin stove, lightning rod, armonica, bifocals), investigator (electricity, fraud), societal needs (poor sick hospital, med-school, sci. societies, libraries), medicinal queries (lead poisoning, variolation, colds, fevers, gout & afflictions). His many sayings & his self-practiced emphases on hygiene, sleep, exercise & fresh air were as profoundly true then as now. He even penned "...snug as a bug in a rug" in an epitaph about a beloved squirrel for a grieving youngster - so I'm at a loss as to know what he did not do. This read is inspiring -- if you haven't done so, please do.

Psychology professor Stanley Finger extends his repertoire of books on the history of medicine with Doctor Franklin's Medicine, an intriguing look at founding father Benjamin Franklin's contributions to the field of medicine. In his life, Franklin founded the first major civilian hospital and medical school in the American colonies, studied the effectiveness of smallpox inoculation, invented bifocals and the "long-arm" to make life easier for the aged and afflicted, and became a proponent of improved preventive care, bedside medicine, and personal hygiene. Perhaps most fascinating is his personal battle to debunk the eighteenth-century medical fad of mesmerism. A handful of black-and-white illustrations intersperse this sober, thoroughly researched and singularly amazing account of a truly accomplished man who pushed forward medical innovations and improvements, with beneficial repercussions to this day.

The author's stated objectives are to examine Franklin's medical contributions, show how his knowledge was influenced by eighteenth-century medicine, and describe how his life and medical views were shaped by his own chronic conditions.

Franklin's views on the importance of exercise, eating and drinking modestly, breathing fresh air, obtaining a good night's sleep and avoiding things dangerous to the health are described. His improvements in stoves, furnaces and ventilation systems contributed to disease prevention. Franklin used Poor Richard's Almanac as a vehicle to make colonists aware of lead poisoning, and the importance of getting inoculated for small pox, after losing his son to this disease. He used electrical shock therapy to treat depression. His bifocals and the long arm made life easier for the aged and infirm

This book is more than a listing of Franklin's medical contributions. Dr. Finger recounts Franklin's role in founding the Pennsylvania Hospital and the first medical school in the colonies. The Library Company and American Philosophical Society were started by Franklin to foster the exchange of medical information to a much wider audience. Franklin favored hard evidence based on repeated observations and experiments when approaching his own chronic conditions of gout and a large bladder stone.

This very readable book exceeds its stated objectives. The author often lets Franklin speak for himself, the annotations are scholarly, and the illustrations enhance the masterfully crafted text.

Hundreds of books have been written about Franklin, but this is the first book to emphasize Franklin's contributions to medicine, a part of his life largely overlooked until now. It definitely should be read by anyone who wants to know more about Franklin, not just professional historians or people engaged in the healing arts.