Boyd Books

There's something most of us find fascinating about the lineages of persons of note, whether they're royalty, U.S. presidents, movie stars, military leaders, or literary and historical figures like Pocahontas and Louisa May Alcott. The Virginia ancestry of the Queen Mother is relatively well known, as are the New England cousins of the late Princess of Wales and the Duchess of York -- but did you know Elvis Presley, Jimmy Carter, and Jesse Helms are all collaterally related? Roberts is probably the leading expert at this sort of thing, especially when it comes to uncovering surprising connections, like the British royal descent of Karl Marx's wife (whose grandmother was Scottish), and he carefully lays out examples of what might be called "genealogical evolution," demonstating that genealogy really is inclusive, not exclusive. Many British, European, and American contemporaries are much more closely related than we often realize. There are also a number of descents contributed by guest columnists which maintain the same high standard of documentation.

Sara not only captures the minds and hearts of children through her publications, she is also a dynamite presenter in schools! I have seen her work with K-12 students and she does a remarkable job of tailoring her work to meet the needs of grade levels and special interests of students and teachers. Bravo, Sara Holbrook!

I'm, only, 3/4s finished and I'm loving this joint here. I had to purchase another one because someone 'clipped' my first copy. It's that good! I've been a fan of Dr. Todd Lee Boyd since he appeared on the O.J. Simpson: A Study in Black & White documentary. He speaks the truth and doesn't sugar-coat it. Plus, it's always an easy read especially for folks, as myself, who aren't fond of reading. He is good at cross-referencing hip-hop with past movements and eras and how history repeats and reinnovates itself. His academic credentials speak for themselves and you can tell by his writing that he has the street-cred also. Real recognizes real. He dissects his topics and breaks them into layman's terms. What I liked most about the Superfly 70s is that it challenged me to revisit those classic blaxploitation movies that I grew up to and introduce the ones that I've never seen (e.g., Sweet Sweetback Baadasssss). Jay-Zs new CD "Kingdom Come" has an introduction that's a clip from the 70s blaxploitation Superfly ft. Ron O'Neal (you got this fantasy in your head about getting out of the life...) Anyway, buy the book, buy all of his books for that matter. Am I Black Enough is my favorite, then the New HNIC. Keep'em coming Pimp, you always got one sale wit' me.

For the avid reader of history, this book by the great Jefferson Historian, Julian P. Boyd, is a wonderful exporation through the forces at work during our first Presidential administration. Specifically, Boyd focuses in this book on the bold and often dangerous actions of Alexander Hamilton in his attempt to shape our country's foreign policy.

But, perhaps even more facinating than Boyd's analysis is the supporting documentation he has provided. By showing the reader entire letters and veins of corresponence between President Washington and his Cabinet, we get a rarely seen view into the minds of our Founding Fathers, during a period of time when the future of newly founded government was still very much in question.

O Christmas Tree, is a clebration of West Indian Christmas traditions. A warm and funny tale. A superbly crafted story. Anslem's attempts, to repair his withered pine tree from abroad are a hoot. Christmas is a time of yearnings and secret wishes and children will readily identify with Anslem's yearning for something he thinks is truely special. A must for every Caribbean family tired of commercial, foriegn, images of Santas, reindeer and snowmen. This is already a Christmas classic in my home.

Kids in upper grades would do well to use this as a model for their reports. Spare facts are linked together by wonderful rtwork that convinces the reader that THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO KNOW. While there is no real schema to the text, it ends with a feeling of love for the ocean, gratitude for its gifts. Read this to your older students before you turn them loose to write science reports and see if it doesn't improve their writing and organization of information!

This book of vehicles and their sounds was purchased when our child was barely a year old and quickly became his very favorite book. Yes, nightly for what seemed to be forever (but was actually only several months) he chose this book to be read, sometimes 2-3 times each night. The text rhymes and is easy for parents to memorize, the painted illustrations are colorful and easy on the eyes, and the conclusion (with all vehicles moving through a scene simultaneously) happily includes all the sounds they make. When we travelled, this book was at least as important to take along and not lose as his teddy bear. When we first bought it, we never would have guessed!

It would have been impossible for me to absorb all that the Old Testament teaches if it were not for these books.

This is a realy important book and it is a shame that it is so overlooked. Nana Asma'u was the daughter of Sheikh Usuman dan Fodio, scholar and warrior and sister of the Caliph Muhammad Bello. This book not only describes the Islamic community that thrived in West Africa under Muhammad Bello but also the importance given to education especially the education of women.

In this Nana Asma'u played an especially important role she not only being sister to the Caliph but an important Islamic scholar in her own right. This book details the methodolay used by the Muslim community of West Africa in education and how Islam was spread by educated Muslim women such as Nana Asmau.

This book is a valuable read and one I would recomend to anyone who had an interest in either Islam/Sufism or African history.

This is a great book! It's a mystery/suspense set in Yemen and the details seem really authentic. You can't help but love the flawed and wisecracking Seattle ex-cop, who is in over his head. It was hard to put down and made me laugh out loud often.