Barton Books

William Frederick Foster, portrait of a painter is a thorough, well written monograph on an outstanding painter and illustrator. As with all of Phyllis Barton's books and articles, one finds an in-depth study of her subjects. This book took over ten years of research to begin writing. Exhaustive studies were done from France to the National Archives. Foster was best known as an illustrator whose career was interrupted by World War I. Mrs. Barton has interviewed many people who were connected to Foster in some way - even locating his favorite model, his daughter and others who knew him. She has examined letters and tried also to see all existing paintings. He was best known for figural work, but did occassional landscapes and even some mural work in co-operation with Willy Pogany at the little known Hearst Estate of Wintoon near Mt. Shasta and the McCloud River. One can learn a lot from studying the draftsmanship and deft painterly technique of the rogueish Foster. Three Foster paintings are in the Gardena High School collection in Gardena, California and were purchased by students as graduating gifts to the school many years ago when the students held Purchase Prize Exhibitions. An interesting note is that just today, I heard of a Foster painting that has been returned to Los Angeles City College after being held by someone to protect it for many years. This one is one of the rare landscapes Foster did. I have not seen it yet, but intend to soon. A final note on this brief coment is that the author Phyllis Settacase Barton died on April 12, 2000 after a long illness with cancer. Her ninth book: The Pictus Orbis Sambo ( a critical study and publishing history of the Story of Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman) was published in Dec. 1999 for the centennial of that book and details over 300 illustrators who illustrated it plus much, much more. Some other books by Ms. Barton are Cecil Bell (ashcan school artist), Sassone (Marco), and Dizurski. She also wrote many articles for Southwest Art Magazine.

For years I have enjoyed Hazel Barton's articles in the San Marcos Record. Now I have many of her works in one book. I couldn't be more thrilled! When I heard she was retiring from the paper, I was so sad . . . but now I understand why. "Hazel," as her articles are entitled, will live on in A Wise Choice of Winds. Every story is unique, and every essay a little jewel that makes you feel better about the world you live in. I have used her works in my church, my school and for many other occasions. I highly recommend it. A doting fan.

Bentley Boyd's cartoon pages start with clear objectives that he developed when aligning graphical stories with Virginia's content-focused "Standards of Learning." This book and others in the series make learning history not only visually stimulating but straightforward. As an educator, I enthusiastically recommend these books to young students (upper elementary grades and middle school, especially) who enjoy history, are visual learners, or both.

The artist's innovative and entertaining use of layout and color developed over his years as a political and educational cartoonist (full disclosure: I have known Bentley for many years, and saw early versions of many of the narratives that ended up in the Chester the Crab series). Unlike some graphic novels or other comics, which can be confusingly dense, this book succeeds in having both variety and clarity.

Schools and parents who want their kids to learn plenty of real content should consider using this author/artist's work. This book has five richly illustrated and fact-filled pages on each of four heroic women. The result is education on history, geography, politics, and even culture -- the author is a fine historian who knows how important both context and accuracy are to any learner. Parents will love these books too (and are more likely to catch some of the multi-level humor subtly embedded in the stories and pictures).

One note: even though this is a series for students, Bentley is unafraid to address sensitive issues and unwilling to gloss over the unpleasant aspects of history, as many texts for children once did. This is history and art from someone who loves and respects both.

Excellent pictorial history, but the title is mispelled as indicated in the above one-line summary.

This book admirably manages to be at once dispassionate yet purposeful, scholarly yet readable, and so lucidly written that it's invaluable for both the most well-informed reader of world affairs as well as the less knowledgeable reader looking for a thoroughly comprehensible overview of the world's most intractable areas of conflict. A serious contribution towards the resolution of global hostilities.

Beaufitful love story beyond bound

I bought my copy of this book 11 years ago just after the birth of my first child. Two more children later and I still refer to it constantly. Every symptom and concern is covered and the guidelines are easy to follow. I constantly recommend the book to other new parents and give it as a gift often.

This is the greatest parenting book as it pertains to childhood illnesses. It goes into nearly every imaginable illness kids get, and gives the parent lists of symptoms to watch for, as well as instructions for each. It advises the parent as to which symptoms require a doctor's office visit, vs. symptoms which can be treated at home.

This, along with the book "Meditations For New Mothers," are my two favorite books to give at baby showers.

Our pediatrician told me to get this book shortly after my first child was born. I was a newby and everything was an emergency to me. This book makes an easy and ready reference to know what is an emergency, when to call the doctor, and when your child is just doing what is normal. I have three kids and still refer back to it as each child has been different.

This is a reference for everything from chicken pox and eczema to discipline strategies and how to deal with a picky eater. Hands down the best book for parents. It has saved me a fortune in unnecessary doctor bills.

This book is an absolutely wonderful reference, and I recommend it for any home with children! It was given to me as a shower gift by a Nurse. The information is never overwhelming and is always helpful. It contains information on just about everything you can think of from physical illnessnes to sleep problems, nutrition, discipline and behavior, etc. When my child was having problems sleeping through the night, my pediatrician gave me a handout, and I noticed it was a xerox copy from this book!! The suggestions worked like a charm for my son's sleeping, and I've been using the book exclusively ever since. It has never steered me wrong. Definitely buy this!

I am a mom of three and this is the shower gift I have used more than anything else. The corners are bent and the front cover is missing as I use this ALL of the time. There is practical information for everything from disapline to disease. I buy this book everytime I'm invited to a baby shower as I know it's a must for every new mom.

Laurence Shames and Peter Barton wrote a good book. I like that the authors traded off narrating chapters, which is an interesting spin on writing a memoir/biography. I especially like Barton's self-reflective honesty, honesty that's helped me out several times when my lack of confidence threatened to "give me away" to associates and clients.

Although Barton was famous as a pushy, brash, and successful businessman, few people knew he could also be unsure of himself. He says: "(There was) a truth that at the time I hid even from myself, but that now, with the bracing candor that comes with being close to death, I can readily admit: I had a lot of bluster but very little confidence."

He also says: "There's no surprise in a truly brave person acting brave; it's when the erstwhile coward rises to the occasion that we feel pride in our humanity. Similarly, it's not great accomplishment for a genuinely confident person to seem confident. But I had to work at it every time. I had to suck up fear over and over again. (This, by the way, is a trait I seem to share with many of the most successful people I have met in business.)"

Barton's thoughts make me feel more secure with my insecurity, and they reassure me I don't have to be confident to be successful.

I just finished reading "Not Fade Away" for the second time. The first time I read it a couple of years ago I remember taking it very slowly because I felt each word was so important. Usually a very fast reader, I would stop and go over sentences because I didn't want to miss anything. Impactful ideas were there in every sentence.

I just finished reading it again because I wanted to see how it stood up against "The Last Lecture." And it held up very well. The two books are by (and about) similarly energetic, optimistic men dying of cancer, but they tell very different tales in different styles. I'm glad to say that there's an honesty in this book that wears well with time. Re-reading it again made me very glad that I recommended it last year to a friend whose brother was dying of cancer. They say the best gifts come in small packages, and that's certainly true here. Powerful and enjoyable! Read it.

As a leukemia survivor, married to a wonderful spouse and with three young children, Peter's memoir rings almost too true to me. I actually met Peter a few times in the 80s through one of his dearest friends whom I dated for a short time. Peter was never so enthusiastic as he was when talking about Laura, his soon-to-be bride. You could tell that family devotion, and a strong conscience was deeply rooted in him from an early age.

The basic values given to him by his parents, particularly the sacrifices his mother made, were at the heart of this book. He sacrifices his own personal privacy and makes a gift to his children and others coping with cancer. He shows us what the process feels like. Knowledge, however sad, is somehow empowering.

As a cancer patient, I have plenty of time to reflect and read. If you don't, then I say read it. You won't regret it. This book is at times intoxicating and high-flying, philosophical and deadly real. It is about life, much more than it is about death.

Peter may have not thought that he was a survivor, but he was--every day he lived. Here's hoping that Peter's life, however brief, will never fade away in the hearts and minds of all he loved.

I happened upon an advance uncorrected proof of this book quite by accident. I read a few sentences and thought, "Why not give it a read?" Well, I have to say that the book - both the writing and the content - are absolutely wonderful. Laurence Shames gets all the emotion and humility and pride down flawlessly in the pages of this book. You can't help but wish you had known Peter Barton after reading this.

Mr. Shames wrote a poignant and very real account of the disease that took his life at a very early age. I read this a couple years ago, and just re-read after hearing the story of a "younger" person stricken with cancer. This book will inspire, but will also force the reader to consider; "What would I do? Would I have that much grace and zest and enthusiasm?" The dirt-nap gets us all, this book demonstrates how one man dealt with his impending demise---and teaches valuable life-lessons that we could all use. Highly recommended.

What a GREAT book! The material is very well organized, and straight forward. Marc presents the information as if he were talkin' person-to-person with ya. Marc doesn't leave you hangin' there wondering, "...what the hell does that mean?" I would strongly suggest ya grab this book. Use it in conjunction with: 1)Win95 Resource Kit -for detailed information, and 2)Transcender Practice Exams -the closest thing to the real test that you can find. Good Luck on your exam, you future MCP!

Nice job Marcus! I was amazed at how similar the actual exam was to the practice questions.

I used this book as my primary and almost exclusive study guide for the exam. Having used Windows '95 extensively for some time and more than a little comfortable with installing, configuring, and optimizing both the host computer as well as peripheral hardware, I was pleased when I found more than half of the book dealing with just these subjects. But when I went to take the exam, I found it was another story. The exam dealt predominantly with networking and the book didn't. I knew the book but found it to be quite different than the actual exam! My advice is to search elsewhere!

This book has been a great help to me in passing exam #70-064. The author states in his introduction that the book is aimed specifically at getting you through the exam and not to learn you everything there is to know about windows 95, and that is exactly what it does. I particularly like the "Test Day Facts" at the start of each chapter. There is also an abundance of typical exam questions with answers, and a full practice exam at the end. The author is also very approachable. I e-mailed him with a query about the book and received a reply within two days

After reading several other so called exam prep books and then failing the exam , I decided to pick this one up after reading all the great reviews. The second time I wrote the exam I passed with flying colors. I got 20% more then I needed to pass. Thanks Mr. Barton on a job well done.

I bought this book because I had read a bunch of great articles in magazines by Tharp. I expected to hear a bunch of stuff about psycology in trading and that kind of stuff, but Tharp spends most of the effort telling about how to create a trading system that will guide your trades. He covers money management, risk management, and how to develop trading rules for your personal style.
I wish I had read this book years ago when I began trading, but hey, I've got it on the shelf now. Great reference for both new and experienced traders.

For the serious student in the field of personal finance, this book is actually written for someone above a 3rd grade reading level. Well organized, it is a progressive study of the various areas of personal wealth building, calling upon the expertise of authors for different topics. This is a must for any investor's personal library.

Safe Strategies for Fiancial Freedom is by far the best book that I have found on the process of achieving/preserving wealth and finding financial freedom SAFELY. Virtually all of the other books on these topics are Ra-Ra pep talks with few substantial tools, or they are directed at giving you a Holy Grail system. If you are looking for a Holy Grail then you need to realize that there are no Holy Grail Systems, purchase Dr. Tharp's other works, work on yourself, develop your own systems, and read this book. If you are looking to take control of your personal finances, protect and grow your capital then start here.

Of Dr. Tharp's many works, this is the most approachable (and is very approachable) for the average person, and it is very informative for the sophisticated investor. It provides a great foundation in assessing your financial picture, your responsibility for yourself and how your beliefs effect this, the components of a complete system for investing, risk control, assessing your system, the big picture of finance, and approaches to different investment catagories. At the core is Dr. Tharp's belief that whatever you trade or invest in needs to fit you. Fitting you means matching your beliefs about yourself, money, and the markets be they stock, bond, curreny, real estate, or baseball cards. If you do not believe that you can be financially free, you are not going to be. There are extensive tools provided to assist you in developing a target and game plan, continually assess where you are, what the big picture is doing, and where to find opportunity.

Unlike Dr. Tharp's previous books, this book gives you systems (sets of rules) to use. You need to decide if these fit you and your goals. If these recepies are not quite right for you, you can adapt them. Back testing of systems is discussed, and the limitations of back testing systems are elucidated. There is an extensive discussion on how to improve this limited information through simulating your system and how the information gleaned from this exercise can inform your decisions regarding Risk and Position Sizing. Risk and Position Sizing are also thoroughly discussed as these are THE KEY to reaching your goals in terms of gains and smoothness of your equity curve. The classic Tharp marble game is presented and gives you a true feeling and experience of how position sizing can dramatically effect the results of your system. These concepts are critical to turning your investing (or non-investing) into something "safe" instead of "risky".

The information in this book will repay you many times over the cost of the book and your time to read and implement its information. Read this book! Have your kids read it. Give it to family and friends, and you will be doing something to improve all of their lives. Safe Strategies for Financial Freedom Deserves a 7 out of 5.

Great book for starter investors or for those who want to understand the market!!!

I have read Van Tharp's first book, "Trade Your Way To Financial Freedom" and made a glowing review of that book....this book isn't a trading book (even though it introduces the concepts of Position Sizing, and Expectancy) ..but more of a general personal finance book...Instead of teaching you how to trade stocks...it teaches you how to trade mutual funds, and general real estate concepts (that you should look into more if you want to go that route, it'll be foolhardy to jump into real estate learned from only that book). It also tells you how to get yourself more familar with today's economy. Not only it teaches you how gets your finances in order with debt reduction and asset reallocation techniques, it shows how to protect your growing wealth and teaches your children how to start saving as well!! I wish this book was written decades ago...I'd be so much ahead...

This is the only personal finance book that gives you all the tools you need to help you go in the right direction..