United States Books

As the leading civilian authority on the U.S. Secret Service (and President Kennedy's interaction with the agency), I was much interested in this book by Richard Reeves. I am a big fan of Mr. Reeves---in addition to a great book on Richard Nixon, he is a great writer and speaker. You can't go wrong in purchasing this fine book. vince palamara

Jackie Kennedy is said to have given copies of this book to her children with the advice, "If you want to know your father, he is in this book." Reeves was said to be surprised at her endorsement and commented. "I wasn't terribly flattering to Jackie in the book."
Well worth the read.

After reading this book, I feel that I come out understanding the Kennedy presidency in better terms. While Sorenson and Schlesinger wrote impeccable accounts on the admininstration, they are somewhat distorted, and make Kennedy out to be a hero. This well-written and higly researched account, I feel to be the definintive account of the administration. It shows the flaws of President Kennedy, and the true personality of the man in the White House, his battle with Addison's disease. Kennedy was a very inexperienced leader at the beginning of his presidency, and I don't feel that it really dawned on him until the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban Missile Crisis.

This detailed account covers his meetings with Premier Krushchev, how he dealt with South Vietnam, and the apparent sickness that came upon him after learning of the death of Ngo Din Diem. You also see that Kennedy was very much a womanizer, almost to the point of obsession it seems. This book deserves much attention, and for anybody who has never read about President Kennedy, an excellent start.

This book is a well-written chronological account of Kennedy's presidency. Minimized is the personal gossip and inuendo while highlighted is the decision-making style of JFK and his entourage as events unfold. You get a sense of what it's like being thrust into the vortex of events for which no president is totally prepared. The writer attempts to reveal President Kennedy as both more and less than the Camelot charisma would have you believe. Thoroughly enjoyable and informative must-read addition.

President Kennedy did not have the easiest presidency imaginable: big issues abroad including Cuba, Vietnam, Berlin, the nuclear arms race and test ban treaties with Russia and the highly contradictory issue of integration at home were all begging for his attention and often at the same time. This biography gives a good insight into the way decisions were taken and that there is a lot of on-the-job learning involved. It is in a sense shocking to read that the way a superpower is run is not that much different from the way an average manager runs his group of a few people.

I found it slightly disappointing that this biography deals exclusively with the presidency of Kennedy, not his formative years as a student, a soldier and a senator. But all in all a revealing insight into the presidency of a man who, after his assassination, become a posthumous hero.

The book provides an inside view of Star Gate, the government's secret program of remote viewing. By the time Paul Smith wrote this book, most of the information he needed had been declassified, and the program allegedly shut down, if you believe that.

The book describes the structure of how they remote viewed a target, from the fundamental to specific gestalt, and how this could be taught to anyone, since everyone has this ability.

I'd consider this one of the better books I've read on Star Gate and remote viewing in general.

This book is a great reference and historical record of the emergence and use of remote viewing from inside the military machine. A great addition to all serious remote viewing researchers library, its well written and one of those hard to put down books. There are a few good books on remote viewing and this is so far the best in trying to create a historical overview of RV and address many of the inaccuracies of the previous historical overview book (The Secret History of America's Psychic Spies).

This is also a great reference tool for anyone trying to fathom the 89,000 pages of CIA remote viewing documents released through the Freedom of Information act.

Paul Smith has produced a wonderful book here. It captures so much detailed information that it should make a wonderful documentary source. Yet, it is written so clearly that for those who have read other books on the subject (like me) it is very easy to skim to the parts that contain new information, insights, and details (and there's a whole lot of ALL of those throughout this book!) This book is a must for anyone who wants a more complete picture of the subject matter, as well as a feeling of greater familiarity with the fascinating and enjoyable personalities of the players involved.

I'd suggest Paul Smith's book to students of self discovery and military historians alike. Reading the Enemies Mind provides a concise and engaging history of our nation's remote viewing program. Those seeking to further advance their potential will discover many advanced concepts that have yet to reach mainstream society.

What I most enjoyed about this book was the author's optomistic view of the future of remote viewing. The abilities to tap this newly discovered area of human potential have yet to be fully explored. This newly discovered science holds great promise and may someday lead to a cure for disease, advanced education and furthering our intelligence and understanding. Perhaps someday our political and military leaders will use this potential to advance our civilization rather than simply using remote viewing as a military intelligence gathering tool.

While various forms of remote viewing have existed since the dawn of civilization, Paul Smith carefully documents the proven effectiveness and scientific reality that refutes serious critics and encourages those with a limited understanding. I'd recommend this book to anyone seeking a more advanced understanding of their human potential.

Reading the Enemy's Mind is a fascinating history of the Star Gate program. I've read accounts of a couple of other former Star Gate participants and they are either sensational and fictionalized (David Morehouse) or short on history (Dale Graff). Paul Smith's account is comprehensive and doesn't make wild claims. His tome is a level-headed treatment of the program. He's very upfront that for every success there are many failures.

Some of my favorite successful remote-viewing stories from Reading the Enemy's Mind include viewing Aldrich Ames - the CIA traitor, the USS Stark attack, and the capture of rogue DEA agent Charles Frank Jordan.

In 1987 Star Gate was tasked with finding the mole in US intelligence. CIA sources in the Soviet Union were disappearing or being executed and people wanted to know who was giving them away. Star Gate came up with a composite of the traitor. Among the details was that he drove a gray European car and was involved with a Columbian woman. While many of the other details were off, Smith wonders what might have happened had the Star Gate information been used:

"The fact of the car alone might have significantly narrowed the field of possible suspects in the CIA. How many CIA employees owned grey European luxury cars in 1987? Certainly some, but percentage-wise not that many. And how many CIA employees had a significant relationship with a Latin American woman, especially a Columbian?" (p. 340)

Smith remote viewed the "accidental" Iraqi missile attack on the US destroyer Stark 50 hours before it occurred. He described the colors of the attacking military ("tan uniforms with black belts and bits of red and green."), the unprofessional nature of the attackers ("they reminded me of a militia as opposed to a professional military"), and the explosion itself ("The structure/vessel shivers, shakes, quivers. 'There were a 'clang,' a 'screech,' and a 'metallic squeal...'").

A final story I'll share is that of the rogue DEA agent, Charles Frank Jordan. This agent had turned bad and escaped custody. The DEA was convinced he was in the Caribbean. A remote viewer thought he was in Wyoming. "This information was so out of line with where Jordan was thought to be, that at first the authorities were inclined to ignore it. Finally, one agent decided that it would do no harm to alert police in that part of Wyoming.(p. 384)" Jordan was apprehended shortly after that - in Wyoming!

I highly recommend Reading the Enemy's Mind.

This book is a remarkable revelation of a truly barbaric form of slavery that existed in America after the Civil War and up to World War II. It well documents the institutionalization of slavery by both local and state governments and the lack of power by the federal government to stop it, and even frequently the lack of will and leadership. The book is fairly light on events from about 1910 to World War II. I highly recommend it to adults but you may need a strong stomach and perhaps some valium as well to make it through the first half, due to the very rough and barbaric nature of how slaves were treated. The second half is easier to take. Young children should not be exposed to this material - let them keep their innocence a little while longer and until they have matured enough to handle it.

Slavery By Another Name is a must read for every African American in search of answers about their past. It is a well reaserched book that answers a lot of questions about the seeming inability of African Americans to progress in this wealthy society. It is an important and eye opening work.

I first saw the author on PBS discussing this book and it really peaked my interest. Once I started reading "Slavery by Another Name," I could not put it down. There are so many interesting facts and heart wrenching pictures. Living here in Alabama, surrounded by many of the counties where forced slavery continued, was quite an eye opener. The fact that Black Americans continued to be enslaved and tortured way into the 1950's is a sad saga in American history and something that has never been talked about until now. I found some of the informantion redundant, but overall this is an excellent book.

It's unbelievable that these conditions existed in America so recently. I was born in 1932, so this was still prevelant during my lifetime. Never had I heard of this misuse and abuse of the black man after slavery...and that it continued so long. My father was born in 1889, and left Texas in 1920; we knew he left "under cover of darkness" as he had "displeased" a white man--but I never knew of the urgency surrounding his leaving until I read this book.

This is slow reading for me. Not that the book isn't gripping and enlightening, but I must take breaks from the realities in the book.

I have purchased three copies--one as an e-reader, one for the "coffee table" and one for a gift. I highly recommend this book.

Not all of american history is pleasant. But it should be made known in order to strengthen our understanding of what contributed to the development of this great nation. Slavery By Another Name opens a part of america's history, though unpleasant,is history nevertheless, and should not remain hidden.

Every american would benifit from the knowledge of this history by reading the above entitled book and gain a greater appreciation of the struggles and suffering endured by some to bring about growth and development of this nation state called americaSlavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II

Three Little Words is one girl's disturbing true journey through forgottenness, abuse and multiple foster homes. Hope IS found finally, but the process before that is heartbreaking, infuriating and senseless.
I was inspired by this girl's candor and courage, as well as by the power of CASAs and GALs to redeem lost kids.

Excellent. A book that you can't put down. A must read for those concerned about our children in the American foster care system.

Excellent book that describes what is both wrong and right with the foster care system. Reading this book should be a requirement for all social work students. This book is one of those "hard-to-put-down" books that is both informative and enjoyable.

From a person who has experienced it all, Ashley Rhodes-Courter has shown America the dirty, underlying truth. Everything from speeches to her book, Three Little Words, Ashley has made a difference in the minds and souls of Americans.

This deathly true book has the reader on their toes with every page. Ashley explains her past and all the families she has had to put up with. Yes, even those that treated her terribly. Ashley tells about the first time her and her brother where separated from their mother and other family members. As she grows older in the foster care system, the reader follows Ashley through her highs and lows, good families and bad, and everything in between. Until one day, Ashley finds a family that wants her. These new parents help her through every problem. With two other boys in the family, Ashley's new parents find room in their hearts for one more. But sooner than Ashley thought, the day comes that she has to make that dreadful choice... three little words that will change her life forever. Those three little words you will have to read to find out, along with all the other mysteries in her life.

I would recommend this book to any one who loves to read about something that is holding back so many children. It has a mind changing plot and a heart warming ending that will catch any reader's attention. It will also change the mind of the reader and help those who want to speak out against the traitors.

I purchased this book thru my book club i am a child who grew up in foster care and Ashely's story mirrored my own. I could not put this book down. I read it in one sitting.

The book was great and really gave me a breakdown of the different parts of the agency and how they work together.

Very interesting book. He is the typo of pro I admire and respect. I have been an account planner al my long adman career, 60 years. I have always been a Bernbachian monk and I see the author is a similar person.

I strongly believe that account planning exists to help create advertising - a supporting role not leading. It is an important element but is by no means a substitute for an fresh new idea beautifully executed.
Account planning should not be misused. It is a tool to help the creators.

Since I'm Brazilian and all my life worked on American accounts, I believe the author's British writing maybe is not as clear as the Americans.

Really, I suppose, the type of book a planner should write.

It is a great introduction to what a planner is and does. A good textbook for anyone involved in advertising or dealing with ad agencies. A brilliant "manual" for planners.

There is a huge shortage of good account planning books. This effort by Jon Steele makes up for it. He is a man passionate about advertising (that's evident throughout the book) and very good at it too.

Jon covers the theoretical and practical aspects of account planning thoroughly and provides insights and advice for planners at all levels, account management staff, creative staff and clients.

Reading this book will show you how to improve the quality of your advertising product. It has certainly helped me do that at the agency I work for in New Zealand. One of the best buys I've made on Amazon.

Perfect! The book is absolutely AWESOME! A nice way of teaching a lesson about advertising!

I watched his show JKX for a few seasons and my wife and I found the show to be VERY funny. The best bits are the folks who apply for the paper delivery job and the skit with the driving instructor. In my opinion the all time best was when he had the mexican day laborers over for his birthday party.
Anyway, this book shows the struggles and nonsense that he went through before getting on TV. It is well written and doesn't really gloss over the nonsense he had to put up with.And there is a message in here but you'll have to read the book

I really enjoyed reading about Jamie Kennedy trying to make it in Hollywood, it was years of humiliating jobs, and lots of money down the drain on get famous quick scams, but he clawed his way to the middle, and planted his flag.

I have to admit, I wonder how truthful some of his stories really are, but I'm sure he told it as he really remembered it. I really admire him for having a dream, and making it happen.

He also spins some funny stories about his encounters with celebrities, my favorite was when he was working at Red Lobster, and Arsenio Hall came in, at first he didn't recognize him, and told him there were no tables available, and then recognized him, and got really excited, and then Arsenio asked if he had a table for him now, and Jamie said, "no". Funny stuff, definately worth a read.

Outstanding! What a life he has had so far. This book is not only hilarious, but it makes you believe that nothing is impossible no matter how many times you get knocked down.

Jamie Kennedy's show is what I know him best by. I'm so glad he wrote this book and gave us a little inside of his life. He's such an honest, and open book. What a fascinating character he is, in everything he does. I actually tend to look up to him and base my actions on him and others like him, never being afraid to show my inner self (read my profile here at Amazon if you don't believe me). Life is too short, and if you don't reach out and take Life, it won't be taken. That seems to be his "take on life."

I highly recommend this book and this lifestyle. It will truly rock your world!

MC White said: Check it out!!!

This is must-read for Jamie Kennedy fans. I haven't finished reading this book yet,but I love it already!! He knows how to tell a story and he's good at expressing himself.....that's why I love him so much!! If you're interested in Jamie Kennedy and his career,you should buy and read it. It's very worth looking and reading. It's highly recommended!!

A copy of this book belongs in every library in America and in every home. If it was so widely distributed and read, America would not have come to the crossroads it has reached, and we would all know how to protect ourselves and our country.

I enjoyed reading Thom Hartmann's WE THE PEOPLE: A CALL TO TAKE BACK AMERICA. The comic book style made reading interesting and fun, as Hartmann takes the reader through a brief history of the USA and exposes how our government is being hijacked by big corporations.

Neo-Conservatives might find the book leaning too far to the left, but I think Hartmann takes a centrist stand. He does a good job explaining "corporate personhood," a corporation that claims to be a person therefore entitled to legal protections like a real person, and how corporations have slowly started taking more and more control over our government.

One thing I wish he did would've been to describe certain events like the "Alien and Sedition Acts," which comes up in the book. But Hartmann does provide website addresses to find out more info.

Even though the book was written in 2004 it's still very relevant to what is going on today. The illustrations by Neil Cohn are fun too.

This is a simplified version of Thom's political and historical insight. It's done in cartoon style making it entertaining and a valuable learning aid for children or even adults who can gain knowledge about our nations democracy.

At last, a succinct summary of what has gone wrong in the American experiment that anyone intelligent enough to vote can understand. This book should be required reading in high schools across the nation, while there is still time to reverse the dumbing down of history and civics that is threatening the future of democracy in America. Thom Hartmann's arguments that we must act now are based on sound historical reasoning. They will resonate with the true conservative, while offering hope to the progressive that together we can take back America.

And if you are not yet sold, perhaps the fact that it is written in the form of a comic will interest you. If not, it should interest your teenagers. If you don't get it for yourself, get it for them. Better yet, join me in encouraging the authors to make it available online.

Even my nine year old son could understand the history and politics that are layed out in this book. Thom Hartman once again gives an honest look at the current political situation in our country and points the finger where it belongs -- at greedy corporations and those of us who sit by and let it happen. Truthful, but hopeful, this a great book for every politcal ignoramus you know. I bought it to give as Christmas presents.

Buying a classic again. This is the U of New Mexico Press version. The earlier publisher had the picture of the baby in a coffin on the cover. That was better, but the contents are the same.

This is an interesting and slightly macabre book which is strangely beautiful. My son, who is Sam Witt, the poet, told me about it because he had been so moved by it that he wrote a poem associated with it in his soon to be published book, SUNFLOWER BROTHER. The old photos are stunning from the horses to the dead children. I am hoping to get the dvd soon.

"The pictures you're about to see are of people who were once actually alive." So begins historian Michael Lesy's masterpiece - a by turns touching and disturbing examination of life and death in a small Wisconsin town during the final 15 years of the nineteenth century. Lesy stumbled across a cache of 30,000 glass plate images made by a local town photographer named Charley Van Schaick and spools of microfilm from the local newspaper - and combined the most compelling of these images and newspaper excerpts to create a vivid examination of Victorian prairie life. Although there are numerous post-mortem memorial photographs to add morbid appeal to the book, the newspaper and insane asylum excerpts are what I find absolutely enthralling. If ever anyone tries to suggest to you that times were better "before", you might want to refer them to these matter-of-fact tales of murder, suicide, insanity, and lethal pestilence. Death was a constant threat and entire families of 6 children could be wiped out by diptheria in a matter of days. It's no wonder that so many were driven to suicide: the depth of despair that these people must have gone through is at times palpable.

To give you an idea of the sort of macabre fascinations you can find in these olde newspapers, here are some excerpts:
"The 60 year old wife of a farmer in Jackson, Washington County, killed herself by cutting her throat with a sheep shears"
"Mrs. James Baty... died suddenly of a hemorrhage of the lungs. She leaves a husband, her family of 6 children having died of diptheria last summer"
"Mrs. John Larson... drowned her 3 children in Lake St. Croix during a fit of insanity... Mrs. Larson imagines that devils pursue her"
And my personal favorite:
"Mrs. Carter... was taken sick at the marsh last week and fell down, sustaining internal injuries which have dethroned her reason. She has been removed to her home here and a few nights since arose from her bed and ran through the woods... A night or two after she was found trying to strangle herself with a towel... It is hoped the trouble is only temporary and that she may soon recover her mind"
You don't see entries like that in newspapers anymore!!

"Wisconsin death trip"is an accurate documentation,not only of "agrarian white"culture at the end of the 19th century but,in many ways,the whole of white culture in america at that time..Contrary to popular belief,the"good"old days were not really so good..Yes,they may well have been less complex,but infant mortality was very high,illnesses which today are highly treatable being killers not only of children but of adults as well,daily life being,for most,a drudgery,with little to show for one's efforts...There were few saftey nets,no antibiotics,no pensions to speak of,no recourse against the harshness life,or against a system that,like today,favors the wealthy..
Insanity was not understood,and "treatment"such as it was,often did little to help the afflicted...Wisconsin did not have a monopoly on such things,anymore than,say,los angles has a monopoly on street gangs,or newark has a monopoly on ghetto housing...
The novelty is perhaps in the seeing of the photographs and the documents all together in one volume,so that one can peruse the sorrowful aspects of that period as it affected one particular area...

I read this book over 16 years ago. It left a lasting impression that will stay with me forever. It may not have the same affect on others but reading some of the reviews posted here, I know that it has on most. You can't really ask somebody "did this really happen?" becuase they either died then or in the 100 years that have past. We have no perspective on these people, places and times other than to read books like this. If any of these folks were alive today and heard someone say, "those were the good old days." They might be inclined to give the speaker a quick education. This book will do it for them. I have pictures just like this in a family archive. You wonder how anybody lived into middle or old age. Disease, starvation, hypothermia, and farm accidents all took their toll. Winters are hard enough in the south. Why did these people decide to stop the wagon in Wisconsin or if they lived thru their first winter there, why didn't they head south? I went to a Brewers baseball game at the end of May some 25 years ago and wore a down parka and was cold. You can still see houses in small towns outside of Milwaukee that look like the houses in this book and you can feel the desolation, pain and suffering looking out at you thru 100 year old panes of glass.

I must admit I was surprised and a little skeptical when the RZA, whom I have always seen as a stoic hardened man, decided to assemble a collection of his favorite recipes from his childhood as well as a few exotic dishes from around the world. My skepticism quickly evaporated upon receiving this charming tome, however. The Wu-Tang Manual provides the reader with a wealth of quick and easy (and cheap!) dishes that will leave your mouth watering. Whether you're planning a quiet, intimate time for a couple to relax, or a lively group gathering for a shower, graduation, or holiday, there are recipes here for all occasions. You'll learn how to turn out perfect renditions of classics with a twist such as Brown Butter Pecan Muffins, Baked Banana French Toast, and Smoked Salmon Benedict on Potato Pancakes, as well as new dishes to add to your repertory such as Tea-Smoked Trout Salad, and Baked Eggs with Fresh Corn "Polenta" and Slow-Roasted Tomatoes.

Though only 26 pages from start to finish, The Wu-Tang Manual is a decadent feast of a read, with usually dry recipes spiced up with some personal cooking anecdotes from the RZA and friends from the Wu-Tang clan. One such tale about the RZA and Method Man's disastrous first attempt at a crab bisque literally had me laughing until I was in tearz.

With mouthwatering photos and sections on menus and sources, The Wu-Tang Manual is all you need to throw a stylish and sophisticated dinner that any chef would be proud of.

I loved this book, my brother loved this book and I thought the Rza did a great job.....its the Wu FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

if you like the wu this is for you. if you like hiphop its a good read. so many little fill ins for missing wu knowledge. the best bits will depend on where you come at hiphop from, as an mc i liked the annotated lyrics section. it is fairly comprehensive overview of the wu and well worth the price. buy it or stay a sucker mc forever.

I bought this book because I have been an avid fan of the Wu since high school. I had a feeling it would be good but little did I know that it would be in the tops of the bests books I've ever read in my life. If you've ever listened to a Wu song and wondered what this line meant, or what this word means, look no further. Who knew that there was actual rhyme and reason to ever since word picked for their lyrics.

If this is truely only a volume 1 out of many, I can't wait for the others. No matter what level of Wu fan you are, this will double it at least. Get this book.

The Wu-Tang Clan has been of the primary influences in my life, starting my interest in Hip-Hop music and culture as a youth through adulthood. This book is amazing; however, a novice listener of the Wu will not truly understand this book. A bandwagon listener of the Wu will not truly understand this book. This book is for the true heads, the people that have been intrigued with the sound, slang, style and charisma of the Wu-Tang ever since they first dropped on the music scene. If you're one of these fans, buy this book; you won't be dissapointed. For all you corny,wannabe, Johnny-come-latelys that claim to be a Wu fan and only own The W and Iron Flag, do us all a favor and don't buy this book; it will be a piece of genius that will go to waste collecting dust.

Witty Unpredictable Talent And Natural Game!

Hello , I am new to coin collecting so I needed a guide. I wanted some knowledge of the field I was about to enter. This book does that , not only price guide but much much more, full of information and nicely laid out in a easy to read format. Really good basic stuff.

Amazon advertised the latest, 2008 version of A Guidebook of US Coins, copywrite 2007, which I purchased. Two weeks later Amazon advertises the 2009 version. I firmly believe Amazon owes me the 2009 version & I go on record for such.

I ordered three books to give to clients as gifts. After I had ordered them I wondered if they would make it on time. They were here early. The books were exactly as described, brand new. The price was the cheapest on the net. The shipping was free. This product and service really deserve a 10.

It's been many years since I've had this book. All of my expectations were satisfied. This book has been the "Bible" for US Coinage as long as I can remember. If you want to understand grading, pricing, or just want to learn about an important piece of American history, its worth the money.

This book accomplished just what i purchased it for. I needed to value my coin collection that was not reviewed for many years. The spiral bound edition was particularly useful when looking up many different coins.