Bush Books

This book although from second edition works nearly perfectly with third. This book goes over metahuman subtypes, shapeshifters, enemies, edges and flaws, and evan alternate campaighnes like Lone Star Doc Wagon and evan the military. This book is a must have but if you play the third edition make shure you get the third edition companion if it's available.

ever wondered just how to 'entice' your players to do away with roleplaying? here it is. inside this book, you too can learn how to no longer have a 'runner who pays moms bills' but, instead have a 'dependendant' as a 2 point flaw, which allows you to purchase the aptitude edge for your Light Machine Gun, 2 point edge. also included is a revision of the old 'sum to ten' character generation, a bunch of world of darkness ripoffs, and yet more alternate camapign ideas, for those of you who skipped 'missions'. While some of the sections on, 'personality' and 'friend of a friend' contacts seem custom made ofr shadowrun, the vast majority of the book feels like an excuse to allow for deadlier characters at generation with the illusion of personality tacked over them. I would have much rather seen information from the old OOP Shadowbeat revised and included in this book instead.

The Companion is the most useful sourcebook I own. It's full of new ideas and rules and a great point based character creation system. I felt that it clarified several things that SR2 left out. A must for the serious GM.

As with any game, you need details. this book in my opinion is a vital part of the shadowrun universe. While one could incorporate "Uncouth" or "College Education" into a charicter background, this provides yet another way for starting chars to beef themselves up. The descriptions are funny, and the artwork is good. If you buy this book, get the Riggers 2.0 ...I just love the Gremlins Flaw.

Beware: If you're looking for the 3rd Edition version of the Shadowrun Companion, this is not it!

That there were mistakes made by the White House and President Bush is not news. However, the depth and breadth of the mistakes is almost awe inspiring, as it seems nearly everything that the administration tired to do ended up going down hill. In addition, the administration managed to mess things up with a rapidity rarely seen in modern politics.

The book concentrates on some of the major and spectacular disasters brought on the country by this president and describes how and why things backfired. The main reason, according to the author is that the Bush administration was too closed and worked under a bubble where opinions generated by them were the only options evaluated and that outside opinions were not valued. In addition, the administration looked for quick solutions with political gain rather than look at long term solutions that would actually work.

If you are interested in how Bush could manage to screw up as badly as he did, this is a great book. It is easy to read and contains great examples of the poor decision making found in the White House. I only wish the author has waited a year to write the book, as there have been more disasters since this went to the publisher.

One complaint was the lack of any sort of sourcing information to check facts against. Otherwise, a nearly perfect manual on how to screw up as President.

This is a thoughtful review of the mistakes in management by the Bush Administration, with each chapter focusing on one issue or event in fair chronological order. Readers can see the common links or characteristics in each example; and analyze the compound effects of these behaviors, as they weakened the public trust. It should be a primer for candidates who need to realize that governing takes a different skill set that electioneering.

I voted for this guy twice. This book makes me stop and wonder why ? Far be it for me to slam the president of the USA - BUT - this book makes you wonder if he has all the facuties necessary to be president of the local YMCA. It will make you think hard about the next election

Good Buy

Z

I cannot understand how Congress has not started impeachment proceedings against the Bush/Cheney criminal conspiracy. It is plain to many of us that it is more than incompetence and this book proves it.

Oliphant hits the nail on the head. To say I'm not a Bush supporter is an understatement. Now I more clearly understand why. Bush supporters will hold this book in disdain precisely it is so true. For all of "W's" failings it would be charitable to have pity on him. And also on our nation for having him as our president. Oliphant mentions that Bush reads 100 books a year. I'm suprised he can color that fast. This is a frightening, but revealing read.

While the daily quotes are highly amusing at first glance, when I consider the source I don't know how he got there (hanging chads perhaps?) and I can only hope we survive until... and beyond!

This is great calender to commerate the end of the Bush Presidency. Many people know Bush has said and done stupid things but you get direct quotes of pure stupidity. It's hard to believe he actually said some of the things contained in the calender. This product will keep you laughing all the way into the next presidency.

We wonder where they got the fabulous quotations of our inimitable Prez. Very funny calendar. The count down cheers us up too.

This is so funny with a quote from Bush, his aides or actions for each day counting down to his last day as President. At the same time it is frightening - is he really so stupid? How did he get to be president of the most powerful nation in the world!

Bought as a gift for xmas.... Grandma loved it and I think the rest of the family went to get their own! Was a hit!

I heard this author say in an interview that she had set out to write a history of Social Security that would be a "page turner". It made me very curious. Despite being generally interested in public policy and having worked briefly for the Social Security Administration myself many years ago, my mental response to her stated goal was, "There's no way!"

But Nancy Altman actually did it, against all odds. Apparently all it required was her encyclopedic knowledge of social security and its history, combined with writing skills that could support a popular whodunit and seasoned with her commitment to well-reasoned social policy. From her first page, she engages readers with the "torn from the headlines" reality of the role of social security for dependents of our countrymen killed on 9/11.

This book would be fascinating to you if you're interested in how legislation gets passed (or doesn't get passed) and how public policy is made, whether or not you ever thought of social security before as a hot topic.

Social Security isn't a topic that is covered in great detail in college, and I was reading in another book about how many issues there are currently with Social Security so I thought it might be a subject worth researching. I'm in my mid 20's and I didn't know anything about Social Security before I read this book except there was a portion of my paycheck that funded the program. I wanted a book that was going to cover the program from start to end and ultimately my curiosity about the history and current issues of Social Security led me to reading this book. This book helped me accomplish that goal and actually had me thinking about the current debates of privatization with SS by the time I finished it.

On the Chapter about the ideal way to strengthen SS, I completely agree that privatization of SS (that Bush supports) is not the way to lead the program. Honestly, I don't think there would be much difference between a personal SS program, a 401K or an IRA, so I hope the government elects to stick with the current "social" system and doesn't try an "modernize" the program. I do feel many people my age will support privatization because of the uncertainty of SS being around when our generation retires. Apparently, a majority of young adults assume that if SS becomes individualized, the government will be able to pay their benefits when they retire. The author gives great facts about how it will cost much more to privatize SS, and there is an easier way to solve the issue. No, I won't ruin the ending for you, but I will say the problem can be resolved easier than you think it will be when you are reading the book.

Although I do not have much interest in politics or law, that would be my only criticism of this book. It goes into great details about getting certain amendments passed, which includes the final voting numbers by Congress, Senate, etc. These were the portions of the book that lost my interest. However, the history of the program is very interesting as it was really intriguing reading how all these presidents fought to evolve this social insurance program.

I probably wouldn't have rated this book so high if I'd had more in depth knowledge about Social Security previously, but I wanted the history of the program as well as the current issues and that's what this book was all about. In conclusion, if you want a detailed history of Social Security, then this book is for you. However, if you aren't that interested in the evolution of the program and want more information about current issues, then you should try a different book.

This book is different from anything I have ever read on this subject (and I have read widely in the field). The Battle for Social Security is deeply researched, entertainingly written, and full of insight about the history and political values of the program. The author, who is very highly qualified, obviously believes in those values, but this book does not involve mindless cheering for Social Security, or knee-jerk Bush bashing. Instead, this work thoughtfully and powerfully details the program's creation and expansion, and explains all the very good (and quite traditional) reasons why it remains popular with most Americans. Chapter 16 has some excellent ideas about how to keep Social Security solvent for many years without going down the destructive road of private accounts. If you want a pleasant path to a profound understanding of Social Security, this book is for you.

This is really an unfortunate book. It reminds one of those "town hall" events that the White House orchestrated for the foolish "60 stops in 60 days" tour during which President Bush tried to sell his Social Security reform plan to the American public. Like those events, this book is shallow and polemical. Altman divides the history of Social Security policy makers into the good (those who would never think to question or challenge any aspect of the program) and the bad (those who either oppose the program or so much as question any aspect of it). She devotes not a single chapter -- no, not even so much as a page or a sentence -- to a cricital examination of her own preconceptions or to any attempt to understand in a thoughtful manner the positions of those who have critically examined various aspects of the program over the years. This book is a catechism for Altman and the like-minded; there is no serious analysis anywhere within these pages.

For many of us who do not favor individual accounts but who worry about the long-term solvency of the program, this book really is a disappointment; I recommend Diamond and Orszag's Saving Social Security instead. For those interested in a detached, scholarly account of Social Security's early years, I recommend Achenbaum's Social Security: Visions and Revisions. For those who just want a thoughtful analysis of the issues at play in the current policy debate over Social Security, perhaps the best of all is Daniel Shaviro's Making Sense of Social Security Reform. Anything but Altman's book.

The Battle For Social Security is both a significant history book and a critically important discussion of one of the most important issues facing our country today. As a baby boomer, I have had numerous discussions with friends who are fearful of what they will live on during retirement. (Often the fear is whether or not they will actually be able to retire.) Though we've all been forewarned to save for our retirement, for many, Social Security will be the primary source of income. This is particularly true in light of the current crisis in private pensions. The Battle For Social Security clearly explains the importance of Social Security and why it must not be changed by a move to private accounts. (If people want private accounts, they already have the option of IRA's and 401(k)'s.) Social Security affects virtually every American, and I want everyone I know to read The Battle For Social Security. That's why it's my gift to family and friends this Christmas!

I was so very surprised when I opened the book. There was so much more to this book than I was expecting. I enjoyed so much the Millie point of view, seeing the puppies, finding out how they all found homes, and even the Queen of England and Jordanian Royalty met the puppies or at least some of them. Lovely book to read over and over. It really did show a real side to the presidential family of the day.

Well told as through a dog's point of view. Fun book to share with family. Enjoyed looking at the pictures, also.

I ran across this book that I had bought a few years ago and once again was fully entertained by it. We have a Springer Spaniel also, so that made it even more enjoyable. The pictures are fantastic! The story was adorable and gave us a look at how hard life in the White House is for a well loved pet. :) Give it a look, I think you will enjoy.

This is a great book featuring the late Millie Bush.

Former President George Bush Sr.'s Springer Spaniel

It shows Millie with various politicians and famous people.

This book has WONDERFUL pictures of Millie inside and outside of the White House. It is wonderful to see pictures of President Bush laying on the grass with puppies climbing all over him. It reminds us that Presidents are human too.

Shakespeare's collection of sonnets is so much a part of the western cultural heritage that reviewing it is kind of like taking coals to Newcastle, but it is worth a few words. First, however, a note about this edition: it is exactly what I wanted, with a few unobstructive footnotes at the bottom of each page, an index of first lines, and two critical introductions, one offering up historical context, the other more interpretative. They enhance your reading, they do not do it for you.

Now, why you want to read this collection. Most of us come to the sonnets singly: random reading assignments, in mixed anthologies, or one is quoted provocatively some place. With few exceptions, each is a perfect example of what the sonnet form does and how form itself shapes meaning. But read straight through consecutively, they offer a close-to-the-bone narrative of Shakespeare's preoccupations. This is the source of all that speculation about his sexual preferences. We've all heard lots of opinions on the bard's relationship with the "Young Man" and the "Dark Lady" but there is nothing like getting it first hand, and I must say that my ideas changed after sorting through for myself. For one thing, love--platonic or carnal--is not the only thing on his mind. Immortality, beauty, truth and a few other problems get a work out. The most pleasant surprise is how truly readable and accessible it all is.

Thy merit hath my duty strongly knit,
To thee I send this written embassage,
To witness duty, not to show my wit.
(Sonnet 26.)

How to do justice to the legacy of literary history's greatest mind -- moreover in such a limited review? Forget Goethe's "universal genius" and his rebel contemporary Schiller; forget the 19th century masters; forget contemporary literature: with the possible (!) exception of three Greek gentlemen named Aischylos, Sophocles and Euripides, a certain Frenchman called Poquelin (a/k/a Moliere), and that infamous Irishman Oscar Wilde, there's more wit in a single line of Shakespeare's than in an entire page of most other, even great, authors' works. And I'm not saying this in ignorance of, or in order to slight any other writer: it's precisely my admiration of the world's literary giants, past and present, that makes me appreciate Shakespeare even more -- and that although I'm aware that he repeatedly borrowed from pre-existing material and that even the (sole) authorship of the works published under his name isn't established beyond doubt. For ultimately, the only thing that matters to me is the brilliance of those works themselves; and quite honestly, the mysteries continuing to enshroud his person, to me, only enhance his larger-than-life stature.

The precise dating of Shakespeare's sonnets -- like other poets', a response to the 1591 publication of Sir Philip Sidney's "Astrophil and Stella" -- is an even greater guessing game than that of his plays: although #138 and #144 (slightly modified) appeared in 1599's "Passionate Pilgrim," most were probably circulated privately, and written years before their first -- unauthorized, though still authoritative -- 1609 publication; possibly beginning in 1592-1593.

Format-wise, they adopt the Elizabethan fourteen-line-structure of three quatrains of iambic pentameters expressing a series of increasingly intense ideas, resolved in a closing couplet; with an abab-cdcd-efef-gg rhyme form. (Sole exceptions: #99 -- first quatrain amplified by one line -- #126 -- six couplets & only twelve lines total -- #145 -- written in tetrameter -- and #146 -- omission of the second line's beginning; the subject of a lasting debate.) Their order is thematic rather than chronological, although beyond the fact that the first 126 are addressed to a young man -- maybe the Earl of Pembroke or Southampton, maybe Sir Robert Dudley, the natural son of Queen Elizabeth's "Sweet Robin," the Earl of Leicester -- (the first seventeen, possibly commissioned by the addressee's family, pressing his marriage and production of an heir), and ##127-152 (or 127-133 and 147-152) to an exotic woman of questionable virtues only known as "The Dark Lady," even in that respect much remains unclear; including the nature of Shakespeare's relationship with the two main addressees, regarding which the sonnets' often ambiguous metaphors invoke much speculation. #145 is probably addressed to Shakespeare's wife; the closing couplet plays on her maiden name ("['I hate' from] hate away she threw And saved my life, [saying 'not you']:" "Hathaway -- Anne saved my life"), several others contain puns on the name Will and its double meaning(s) (exactly fourteen in the naughty #135: "Whoever hath her wish, thou hast thy Will;" and seven in the similarly mischievous #136), and the last two draw on the then-popular Cupid theme. Sometimes, placement seems linked to contents, e.g., in #8 (music: an octave has eight notes), #12 and #60 (time: twelve hours to both day and night; sixty minutes to an hour); and in the famous #55, which praises poetry's everlasting power and as whose never-expressly-named subject Shakespeare himself emerges in a comparison with Horace's Ode 3.30 -- in turn written in first person singular and thus, denoting its own author as the builder of its "monument more lasting than bronze" ("Exegi monumentum aere perennius") -- as well as through the number "5"'s optical similarity to the letter "S," making the sonnet's number a shorthand reference for "5hake5peare" or "5hakespeare's 5onnets," echoed by numerous words containing an "S" in the text.

Of indescribable linguistic beauty, elegance and complexity, Shakespeare's sonnets owe their timeless appeal to their supreme compositional values, the universality of their themes, and their keen insights into the human heart and soul; as much as their transcendence of the era's poetic conventions which, following Petrarch, heavily idealized the addressee's qualities: a form new and exciting twohundred years earlier, but encrusted in cliche in the late 1500s. Indeed, Shakespeare's "Dark Lady" Sonnet #130 owes its particular fame to its clever puns on that very style, which went overboard with references to its golden-haired, starry- (beamy-, sparkling, sunny-) eyed, cherry- (strawberry-, vermilion-, coral-) lipped, rosy- (crimson-, purple-, dawn-) cheeked, ivory- (lily-, carnation-, crystal-, silver-, snowy-, swan-white) skinned, pearl-teethed, honey- (nectar-, music-) tongued, goddess-like objects. "My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;" the Bard countered, proceeded to describe her breasts as "dun," her hair as "black wires," and her breath as "reek[ing]," and denied her any divine or angelic attributes. "And yet," he concluded: "by heaven, I think my love as rare As any she belied with false compare."

Arguably, Shakespeare's very choice of addressees (a young man -- also the subject of the famously romantic #18: "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day;" the first of several sonnets promising his immortalization in poetry -- as well as the "Dark Lady," in turn introduced under the notion "black is beautiful" in #127) itself suggests a break with tradition; and compared to his contemporaries' poetry, even the equally-famous #116's on its face rather conventional praise of love's constancy ("Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments"), echoed in the poet's vow to vanquish time in #123, sounds fairly restrained. But ultimately, Shakespeare's sonnets -- like his entire work -- simply defy categorization. They are, as rival Ben Jonson acknowledged, written "for all time," just as the Bard himself immodestly claimed:

'Gainst death and all oblivious enmity
Shall you pace forth; your praise shall still find room
Even in the eyes of all posterity
That wear this world out to the ending doom.
(Sonnet 55.)

Also recommended:
The Oxford Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition
Shakespeare: For All Time (Oxford Shakespeare)
Much Ado About Nothing
Love's Labour's Lost
William Shakespeare's Hamlet (Two-Disc Special Edition)
BBC Shakespeare Comedies DVD Giftbox
BBC Shakespeare Tragedies DVD Giftbox
Olivier's Shakespeare - Criterion Collection (Hamlet / Henry V / Richard III)
William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice
Twelfth Night

Shakespeare was, in my opinion, a far better poet than a playwrite. Not to say that his plays aren't good; he wrote many that are among the best I've read. But some of his others are terribly boring. Not so with his sonnets. This collection is my constant companion, I read a sonnet whenever I feel down. They catalogue the experience of a truly remarkable man in a style both rich and clear. A great collection of great poetry.

This is in reference to the CD (audiobook) Sonnets read by John Gielgud. Just received my copy and was pleasently surprised that the remastered 60's recording is remarkably clear. Gielgud was one of the greatest actor/directors of Shakespeare, and to listen to him read the sonnets "...trippingly on the tongue...", (Hamlet,act 3, sc. 2.) is nothing short of historical.
Listen to them at night or on a rainy day, or just follow along with a hardcopy of the Sonnets in your hand. You'll be reciting them in short order.

This is a nice edition, worthy of gift-giving. There is only one Sonnet per page, so you can choose one and bookmark it for a friend. The paper is quality and the binding and overall look is very good.

sutton's book on wall street and the rise of hitler is very informative. sutton has written several books on conspiracy topics. this text offered several pieces of evidence, but, for the most part, much of it was not sufficiently supported with evidence. i bought it, in part, because i'd read elsewhere of ties between hitler and the president's grandfathers and dulles. i read nothing of the ties with the grandfathers and only one mention that dulles had visited hitler, but date, location, and discussion topic or transfer of payment was not indicated. i hoped that this book would have shed more light on the financial support of hitler during his rise to power and, in particular, the support of american capitalists. overall, i found that this was a very fine book, worthy of the purchase, used.

This is an interesting part of the puzzle as far as the rise of fascism around the world. In the late 1920s and 1930s, powerful business interests in the U.S. became fascinating with the European tendency toward fascism. As you can read in the book THE PLOT TO SEIZE THE WHITE HOUSE, they saw FDR as heading toward socialism and linked up with extremist and rascist organizations to try to make certain that the government didn't interfere with business. Though that particular plot failed, it gives an inside look at what the stakes were and what the power elite were willing to do to win.

This book came out in 1976 and was dismissed. By the 1990's all mainstream history accepts the charge that US bankers backed Hitler. When in 2003, Kevin Philips wrote his book on Dynasty and the Bush family, it was considered "old hat" When William Guy Carr made the same charge in the 1950's, it was also dismissed.

This is the book that started it all, because Sutton was a first rate scholar. BUT if you read ONLY this book, you will miss the whole story. Sutton wrote a book about Wall Street Banker backing Trotsky Et. Al. It got him drummed out of his job. But like this book, its all true and proven. His other books on the Fed help to fill in the picture of how the Bankers and men of Finanace work.

Other books to complete the picture:
Tragedy & Hope: A History of the World in Our Time by Carroll Quigley
Creature from Jekyll Island by G. Edward Griffin

When I served in the ccupation of Germany in the early fifties, I wondered why the massive building housing The V Corps of the US Army was such a prominent feature of Frankfurt. I soon discovered it to be the former I G Farben headquarters, apparently untouched by our bombing while all around, there was still the debris of war. The only other building in that plot of land was the US Army military chapel. Why also were there ESSO stations everywhere? So much for our close relationship with our former enemy. This book demonstrates the American-Third Reich commercial hookups.

This book is quite literally a tell all of all the names of who financed Adolph Hitler's rise to power by financial means. The man didn't get into power just by his lies, but by lies of other men too, the men with power, with money, and influence, and the access to Wall Street. You would be surprised to see the names within this book that financed "the funny little man, with the funny little mustache" that almost took over the entire world.

I will not ruin the book for you by telling all the names in it, but I will tell you two men's name I know you will instantly recognize.

Henry Ford & Edsel Ford. Yes, those "Ford's", from Ford Motor Company. Henry Ford even got the highest award the Nazi's could give to a foreigner, in recognition of his assistance to Adolph Hitler, and his picture hung in Hitler's office.

Just so you know, I am not a fan of the Nazi's, nor am I a racist of any kind, nor a fan of Adolph Hitler. I'm following a papertrail to find out all the names of who helped the man get into power to begin with, because I am someone who knows there's more to history than what they teach you in school. It doesn't just come down to the lies a politician tells the people who put them in office, but to the power-brokers who finance the man. Adolph Hitler was a politician, plain and simple. He knew how to lie to the people and give them comfort through manipulative persuasion and then when the people willingly gave him the power he went for the throat of the world.

Another good book that tells the details of who assisted Hitler that you may be able to find here on Amazon is, "IBM and the Holocaust."

Yes, I am talking about that "IBM" here too. They helped Hitler track down the Jews and other "undesirables" (Hitler's words, not Mine) through the use of the census and the Hollerith Card Sorting Machine.

This book illustrates how George W Bush and his administration have interpreted the US Constitution, its laws and justice. It also spells out some of the administration lawlessness, distrust and evil ways.

If have read other books on how Stalin and later Hitler used their powers to eliminate those that stood-in-their-way and/or opposed them, you might see some parallels.

Eric Lichtblau, has penned a must read tomb for those seeking truth and reconciliation post Bush. Hopefully enough citizens will read it that the push for a post Bus Truth and Reconciliation Commission will be created to bring accountability to the criminals who have run this country into the ground.

This book is written with a lot of first person stories. Rather than a typical critique of government agencies it is almost like a "CLANCY NOVEL."
For anyone interested in government and the law it is a must read!!! You can follow up on the book in Mr. Lichtblau's NY TIMES articles which become a
continuation of the things that he wrote about in the book.

Everyone knows that there were big changes because of the 9/11 attacks. There had to be legal changes, too, and different ways of investigating crimes. No one disputes that the legal and investigative changes had to come, but the Constitution did not change. Those who were interested in torturing prisoners, or reading our e-mails, or snooping around our closets, had to do legalistic contortions to get their way. There are still those who say that such actions were fully justified, but undoubtedly the abuse of our Bill of Rights is part of the reason the current president has record-level unpopularity ratings. Eric Lichtblau has worked for the _New York Times_, and got a Pulitzer in 2006 for his stories on the Bush administration's wiretapping efforts. The centerpiece of his book, _Bush's Law: The Remaking of American Justice_ (Pantheon), is an insider's view on how he got that story and especially how the _Times_ only eventually, after much hesitation, printed it. That isn't the only story here, though, as Lichtblau has written a wider account of how the re-interpretation of the laws has made victims of citizens and of administrators who did not willingly accept that the re-interpretations were legal.

Lichtblau writes of the post-9/11 attitude, "This was a war planned in secret at the highest reaches of the Bush administration, with a go-it-alone muscularity that relied at its core on a broad, omnipotent reading of the president's wartime authority." There are a few heroes here who understood that the furious expansion of presidential powers was not just a given, like James Ziglar, the commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, who objected to ethnic-profile sweeps of Muslim neighborhoods. He called it "a violation of the Constitution, and I'm not going to be part of it," earning the distrust of the administration; he was eventually forced out. Chief among the victims of the surveillance described here is Brandon Mayfield, a lawyer in Oregon whose fingerprints, the FBI said, matched a terrorist bomber in Spain. You would think matching fingerprints was something basic in which the FBI would be expert. Spain tried to warn the FBI off, insisting that the fingerprint didn't match Mayfield's. For false arrest and harassment, Mayfield's family got a $2 million settlement. There were thousands of arrests which eventually showed no connection to terrorism. The expanded wiretap capacity was not constitutionally defensible, but even so, it might have had the practical effect of leading to the arrests of lots of terrorists. This just didn't happen.

The central part of the book, how Lichtblau and fellow reporter James Risen got their Pulitzer-winning story on the NSA wiretapping, gives plenty of details about the hard work of reporting. There are more than a few comparisons to Watergate; there is a Deep Throat figure pointing the pair of reporters in the right direction, for instance, and the administration considered taking a Pentagon Papers-type injunction to keep the _New York Times_ from publishing the story. The sorts of people who accuse Lichtblau of helping the cause of terrorism or who leave him death threat e-mails will miss some of the lessons here. It is not the case that the paper rushed into print with the story; Lichtblau describes how the story was essentially complete by 2004, but the paper sat on it at the request of the administration. It was only a year later, with new evidence that the wiretapping was out of control, that publication happened. The go-ahead was advanced when the staff of the _Times_ negotiating about the decision with the White House discovered that the administration had been lying to the paper about how limited the wiretapping was and how it was universally supported by administration lawyers. (When the story was published, the president attacked the decision to do so, but did not dispute a thing in it. "Confirmation didn't come any better than this," Lichtblau notes.) And Lichtblau shows that there were two additional stories about clever ways the government was using to assess communications or money paths of terrorists, but unlike the NSA wiretaps, they had no conflict with the Constitution nor with the right to privacy; not one word of these ever appeared in print. Lichtblau's book is sometimes exciting, although its descriptions of what our government does in our name are often infuriating: our president and his aides executed an eavesdropping program that many of their own lawyers thought unconstitutional, and they lied about it to reporters and to the public, and then they accused the journalists of helping terrorism. There is no advocacy needed for a free press, but a reader closing these pages will have a new appreciation for our First Amendment.

It took me a while to read this book. Not because it wasn't well written, on the contrary, it is an extremely well written book. No, I could only stomach around 20 or so pages at a time, before I was so angry I had to put it down. This is a must read for people who want to know what the Bush Administration has been up to for the last few years. Unfortunately, some of the details cannot be included, as they are either unknown or classified. In any case, a book that flows, that is easy to read and has (IMHO) one of the most pressing themes of today.

I am excited that more physicians, like Dr. Rubenfeld, are really thoroughly exploring the epidemic of thyroid disease we have in this country. There is a great need!! The downside is that Dr. Rubenfeld is an advocate of synthetic medications (such as Synthroid). As someone who has suffered with Hashimoto's for years and and who has researched many medications, treatments and physicians, I have finally gotten relief from the majority of my symptoms by using Armour (the natural option). Unfortunately, for the thousands of women (especially) who are suffering with thyroid symptoms, these synthetic medications only make them feel worse by the day. Armour is much more effective in relieving the countless (torturous) symptoms. I would highly recommend "Stop the Thyroid Madness" for a more accurate picture of what those with thyroid disease actually go through and what tests they actually need for the best diagnosis and treatment plan.

I was given the double opportunity to read the book and meet the author. I met Dr. Rubenfeld at a Houston conference. He took the time to write a book that can answer many questions. It is written in such a way that you do not need a medical degree or background to understand it. The narrative is laced with illustrations and celebrity "thyroid newsmakers" stories. A comprehensive glossary is provided for those medical terms lay people may not understand. Patient profiles bring a personal touch from those who have lived it.

This book is well-written. It is simple to understand, yet packed with useful information. I refer to this book whenever I have a question regarding my thyroid health. My endocrinologist refers to this book as well. I give this book to woman with health questions, so that they may consider their next medical option.

This is an incredibly helpful book that can be read cover to cover or used from time to time as a reference. It is written in "regular" language without compromising the information and without being too pedantic or condescending. The book remains technical where necessary. The addition of people's stories personalizes each topic and provides a point of reference for comparing your own symptoms. Pictures of celebreties who have experienced problems with their thyroid gives you a sense of "belonging" and let's you know that you aren't the only one with this problem, which can be very comforting. Finally, all proceeds of the sale of the book are donated to the American Thyroid Association for research & education.

When I thought that something was wrong with my thyroid, I checked every medical site I could find. Some sites were clearer than others and some were more comprehensive than others. I started asking friends if they knew of anyone with thyroid problems, and almost everyone I spoke to in Houston mentioned Dr. Rubenfeld. A friend gave me his book and I realized that it was clearer and more comprehensive than any of the sites I reviewed. It also lists stories of people after each chapter that really brought home the information. Because each person will experience diffent symptoms, it was easy for me to identify with each person's story and how they approached their treatment. It was easy to read (layman terms!) and I could read the chapters that pertained to me. I would recommend it for someone who does their homework.

This is a really great fun read.I Loved it.As good as any Janet Evanovich, better than most.I'm looking forward to this series !!!

I have to admit that at first I was not at all impressed by the first book, howver as time went by I was going through Jane Kelly withdrawls. I saw the second book and had to buy it and see what the characters were up to now. Binks is endearing, Dwayne seems hot but in all the wrong ways and Jane is so independent it makes me want to hit her. I love how she fumbles her way thorugh private investigating. I cannot wait to read the third.

This is the second novel in the PI Jane Kelly series. Jane in drawn into an investigation of the Purcell family, an investigation that is complicated by the fact that there is a dirty family secret that they will not reveal. Orchid Purcell, the family matriarch, controls the family's money. They have substantial real estate holdings. But there is a question about the death of one of her daughters years earliet in a mental institution. Jane is attracted to Jazz, the son of the deceased daughter, and the mystery of the identity of his father.

Older members of the family seem to hang about like vultures waiting to inherit the estate, and some people appear to be willing to help events along. There is some suspected fratricide. There are a few surprises as the novel winds to a climax.

The main problem with the novel is the tendency to digress into side issues and other cases. It makes for slow reading, especially if a reader would like to cut to the chase. There is Binkster, the dog acquired by Jane in the previous novel (see Candy Apple Red). There are Jane's family. There is Jane's relationship with her boss (who has his own way of setting fees for his clients). The other cases, while interesting, are mostly unrelated to the main plot, although they create some incidents in Jane's life.

The novel has some amount of language, sex, and violence. It is probably on the level of one of the Stephanie Plum novels. I would give it a PG-13 rating.

This mystery is an easy, entertaining read that keeps you guessing until the end. It's apparent the author spent a lot of her time with Sue Grafton and Janet Evanovich novels before launching her own efforts. Jane Kelly is a definite amalgam of Kinsey Millhone and Stephanie Plum. Fortunately, I love them both and I've enjoyed sampling this author's efforts! It's a fun story, and Jane's family and lovelife woes are entertaining side dishes. I've not read her first novel, so I'll be getting that immediately. One caution: don't take the jacket cover description to heart. I've no idea what novel the person who wrote it had read! Enjoy.

Jane Kelly, Information Specialist, working toward her private investigator license, has been spending her time delivering warrants and eviction notices. One minute she thinks she can handle anything, but the next she is second-guessing her abilities.

Working for a small investigative company where Dwayne Durbin is her boss and friend, she stumbles into a hornet's nest of crazies. Dwayne is working on a divorce case that involves a well-known family in town. The Purcells have a history related to their developing some of the first buildings and businesses in the city. Lots of wheeling and dealing have made the family wealthy. Their matriarch, Orchid, is in her 90s and controls the purse strings.

Our gal Jane Kelly has been asked to do some research work on the family for the divorce case. An unexpected call comes in from one of the Purcells asking for the help of a female Investigator on a separate issue. Since Jane knows the history on the Purcells, she is sent to take care of the assignment. Dwayne tells her to be careful and warns her that all the Purcell's are all crazy.

Jane meets with Jazz Purcell, who is more handsome than allowed, and gets her assignment. He wants her to observe Orchid Purcell, his grandmother, and determine if the old lady is losing it. Jazz wants to know if she is getting senile and no longer r capable of managing the family fortune. All the other family members want to have Orchid sign a Power of Attorney so they can claim the money.

The family is full of interesting characters all trying to get their hands on the money--some sinister and others, run-of-the mill weird. Jane gets in the thick of things and solves a murder and near murders and manages to have some romance too. Who will it be in the end? Bush keeps us guessing the whole time.

Nancy Bush has found a character in Jane Kelly that will have a long life as a private investigator, snooping under and around every nook and cranny. I am looking forward to the next case.

Armchair Interview says: Another delightful cozy mystery.