C Books

I saw an example of this convergence quilt in a quilt store and wanted to learn more about the pattern. Book is well layed out with clear and varied photos. Ricky Tims gives you a simple first convergence project and then shows variations that are gradually increasing in difficulty. He discusses fabric selection, gives tips, has a trouble shooting section. I recommend this book if you want to try a more artsy type quilt that can be made from simple to more complicated.

This is the easiest assembly I have ever done. I used leftovers, two colors I hated, and one of those "What was I thinking when I bought that?" psychadelic squares... Well, the end result was FAB-U-Lous. The directions are very clear, Ricky's writing is enjoyable. Will be a permanent fixture in my quilting room. Thanks Ricky !!!!

To know Ricky Timms is to love him and the incredible energy he brings to his work. His methods are never "same old,same old." If Timms has done it, you can bet it's innovative. He's as much inspiration as process. Definitely should be on your quilt book shelf.

A fantastic book. I was really looking forward to receiving the book and my expectations were realised as the book arrived in double quick time. Thanks Amazon!

One look inside and I just couldn't wait to make won of these. Easier than they look. They can be so very pretty.

I have to admit, living in the Midwest has made it difficult to catch LSU sports. I have actually become an SEC sympathizer. I'll watch any team in the conference. Enter this book. A really good history about the programs of the SEC. All of the folklore about Bear Bryant, Gene Stallings, Vince Dooley and the "evil" genius. I read this book from cover to cover and really understood some of the fierce rivalries in the SEC. You also begin to understand the rich tradition that is SEC football and why it is important to alumni. I'm still a devout LSU fan, but will follow the SEC in any contest!

This book is great for anybody claiming to be a SEC Fan.
I love the thoroughness of it and the recipes are yummy for the tummy. Buy it. You won't be sorry.

Do you know the history of your alma mater? I am a Georgia Bulldog and I had no idea I knew so little about the Dawgs and the rest of the SEC. Learn about it all here. The tailgating recipes are great too. A perfect gift idea for the SEC Football crazed fan in your life. I have considerably boosted my water cooler bragging rights with this book.

This book is really something if you are an avid southern football fan. If you are an SEC alumni, it is a must-have. In addition to a history of college football in the South, all of the unique histories and traditions of the schools are there...along with some very tasty Cajun tailgating recipes named after each team. Great bowl games are mentioned and each of the alma maters and fight songs are listed as well. This is one of the best sports books to come around in quite some time. Purchase your copy of "A Tailgater's Guide To SEC Football." It has something for everyone and it will not disappoint. An engaging read.

Well written and informative, Warner's book is a great reference source for any SEC football fan. Each chapter covers the important players and coaches from each school. However, if you are looking for anything deeper, go elsewhere. None of the big issues, i.e. segregation/integration or cheating/NCAA violations are covered. The book does a great job of accomplishing Warner's goals. I only wish he'd have been a bit more ambitious and tackled questions tougher than, "who was the best QB in Florida history?"

So far I've only gotten throught the first chapter. It's a dense amount of information, but it is incredibly well written and informative. No extra words just to take up space and get something into book format. It's definetly a text book. The first chapter gives you an extensive review of the human relationship with drugs since the beginning of time, and forty pages later, I feel enlightened and full of ideas. Incredibly insightful and well worth the price for someone with a deep interest in this field.

This is a wonderfully written book with lots of great information. However, I really dislike the newspaper column width of the text. It is very hard to read from such a thick book with this layout.

The item shipped quickly and was brand new as I was told. I am not impressed with the Study Guide, and the book itself is rather disjointed. It's hard to find the information within all the quotes from addicts. I would set it up so that the information came first and then the quotes would be placed at the end of the text in each section.

If you work in human services or if you're just interested in learning about substance abuse, this is the only book you'll need. This was my text in grad school and a decade after I'm still recommending it to clinicians.

The authors, Darryl Inaba and William Cohen do a great job of keeping this book very open and simple. They cover almost every drug (5th edition) which a counselor may run into when talking with his students. As a research or higher level order book though, this would not do as it is just too brief on most subjects to really get to know indepth pharmacology or pharmacodynamics on most of the psychoactive drug actions. There is a lot of history, and even a CD-ROM to help you familiarize yourself with many topics of addiction in a very short period of time. In some sections, there is some really good information on drugs I have not seen on the pharmacy shelves for at least 12 years. If you are someone who wants to quickly get to know the subject of psychoactive drugs, then I highly recommend this book for you. His vocabulary is such that it is easy to read, without too much of a serious tone-- and you will not even need a highliner to remember the facts. This book is packed with knowledge. Very enjoyable reading for a change, with lots of good and interesting photographs that make you think. You will enjoy this book, for it is written in a very unique format that makes you want to relax and just turn each page and learn. guyairey

This book contained things that I think all parents should know about dealing with kids and thier baggage. I have refered back to this when dealing with situations with my special needs child, if only to know that I am not alone in my struggles.

This book was very helpful. It helped me even though I haven't ever adopted. It helped me understand hurting kids more. I will buy this book! I would like to adopt older kids when I'm married. Besides I have known several foster/adopted kids. It helped me understand them.

My wife and I adopted a 5 and 7 yr old from Russia in Sept 2004. They have been diagnosed as mildly RAD, but RAD nonetheless. RAD is Reactive Attachment Disorder for those of you just beginning a path to adoption of older children. I can say from first-hand experience of the past six months that what Keck has written is true, verified and helpful in many ways. I would highly recommend this as a read while you are CONSIDERING adopting older children, domestic or otherwise. It is best to be prepared and accepting of the conditions that you will likely face before you suddenly realize what's going on with your child(ren). Between Keck and Nancy Thomas (When Love is Not Enough), your preparation for dealing with the behaviors that will sooner or later emerge will be rewarded in your ability to maintain some sanity in your home. You are also welcome to view our online story at http://www.hakpenguin.com/adoption_news.cfm

I read this book twice I liked it so much. I found many books minimized the struggle of raising adopted children and focussed too much on only the positive. Although I have not raised any adopted children myself I do plan on it after I finish university. After reading many books I knew it couldn't be as flowery as they put it. Although I am sure no book could truly prepare anyone for the realities of raising childeren it can help you understand where things are comming from. If nothing else I have a greater respect for the adoptive family because of this book!!!

Two years ago, we assumed guardianship of my husband's troubled 12-year old niece. She was my husband's sister's child and came from a "House of Horrors." Every conceivable problem existed. Drug abuse, domestic violence, sick pornography, sibling incest, severe parental neglect, sarcasm, ridicule, brutality and denial. She came from the inner city, to our sheltered, happy home in the suburbs. It was akin to someone moving to a foreign country. Fortunately, I read "Adopting the Hurt Child." The book was a lifesaver. I do not exaggerate. Social workers and incompetent therapists seemed to blame us for her problems, (and we hadn't had her for even a year). The authors said this is common. Adoptive parents take the heat for the original family's neglect. The authors nailed every single issue, or problem, with razor sharp accuracy. Our niece is an actress with attachment issues. She wears masks. She plots, she cannot "be." She was never taught real love or how to be with people. Her presence in our household really shook us to the core. She acted coquettish and manipulative with my husband; snide to me (the mom). I do not see the book as negative, but as candid. Love isn't always enough. Movies may have happy endings, but real life is altogether different. Sometimes, these children do not get better. At least, empowered with the advice of this book, you can seek better therapy treatments, know what kind of therapist to hire, and sniff out the bad ones immediately. Now, two years later, we found an attachment therapist. This terrific therapist cannot be manipulated. She is both tough and compassionate. We made more progress with her -- in three sessions, than our niece did with a sex abuse counselor in a year. Our niece still has many problems, and time will tell. We are hanging in there. And I still reference this book. It's just superb. God bless both the authors.

In this new edition of THE AMERICANS, the publisher, Steidl seems to have taken every step necessary to maintain artistic integrity of Franks vision. Even going as far as having Frank supervise the new printing of the photographs used in the book. The paper used in the book is very high quality, perhaps even 'archival' grade. Of course, there is the Kerouac introduction that both rambles, amuses and enlightens. There is a small pamphlet included in the book briefly telling the background story of how this new edition came to life. While this pamphlet is basically an advertisement, it also provides the passing fan of Robert Frank with a greater knowledge of what Frank has done over the course of his life by listing other books and movies that Stiedl will be publishing in the future. Thoughtfully, museum dates are also given for those interested enough to travel to D.C., SF or, NYC for the 50th anniversary celebration and exhibition of the book. From Steidl, this is a fine book; from Frank, a work of art; and a labor of love from all involved.

This is one of the classic photographic books. I suggest that anyone with a hobby or serious interest in photography read this book.

I purchased this much heralded photo collection book after reading the review in Newsweek. Maybe I'm not artsy-sophisticated enough to understand the supposed power and humanness or whatever behind these photos. I just don't get them. For a much better look at people in general, look at the book The Life of Man, or even a book of Norman Rockwell paintings. Those books will give you a better idea of life from the 1920's to the 1970's, and the people. The only photo that did stand out to me was the cover photo of the bus. It's painful.

I am a photographer and one of my projects (google "LA MACHINE À HABITER Emir" in if you're curious) is directly related to street photography.
Robert Frank is one of my favorite photographers and it is a shame I did not have his "The Americans" in my posession till this very moment. It is a bible for me.
The book is printed very well, paper is exellent, no color shift on B&W images, solid binding. Great quality.
And the images, of course. If you like photography, you have to check it out. Highly recommended.

Quite simply this is one of the most influential photography books I have ever seen. For years purchasing this had eluded me and it's price had become quite high as well.
Am so glad to have this book out where I can open the plates and refresh myself with Robert Frank's seminal work. As Ed Ruscha quotes, The man has done it all and gone home.....

This is a must have reference book. If you are new to C# maybe you should try first an introductory text (such as the "Visual C# 2008 step by step", or the "Head first C#") but keep in mind that introductory books usually have things spread around ... and as such this "nutshell" text is still essential (not only as a reference, but also for filling-in any gaps/details the introductory books might not mention).

This book is a really great combination between a tutorial and a reference book. What I like the most about it is that it not only explains you how to use the different elements of the C# language and the .NET Framework core namespaces, but it also explains to you how they work in the inside. This gives you a notable insight when you try to understand a strange side-effect in your code.

All explanations are made very clearly and it is very easy to read. The different chapters of the book are arranged by topic, so it is easy to use it as a reference when you can't exactly remember something. It can also be read from cover to cover.

It is, however, not recommended for beginners (as it is stated in the introduction); if you are looking for a programming tutorial this book is not a very good idea.

great book, a must have! if you do not have this book you are not a C# developer! =)

The "In a Nutshell" series has long been my favorite's. I am glad they did C# again with .NET 3.0. The format of the book changed quite a bit with a much better format and lenghthy explainations and demonstrations. I truly hope they redo ADO.NET in a nutshell as that was my favorite as well.

This book is all you really need on C# and .NET framework. [I have many others, but always find myself coming back to this, and for good reason]

Pure awesome - if you're a good programmer already and want the skinny on what's new (or even great explanations on what you already think you know), spend the $10-$15 and buy this book. I love it and I buy every version they put out. There just aren't enough people like Joseph and Ben writing tech books!

I heard Ms. Weingarten speak at an industry event and was impressed with her warmth and enthusiasm. I was not disappointed when I read her book at all. Some people claim to want to help you but leave out critical details in their works, Weingarten included personal anecdotes and more, but also tips on how not to make mistakes that she did. I was amazed at how honest and helpful she is in person and in print. My only criticism is that I would have loved actual photographs in the styles tips,it would have helped to give me more of an idea of what to avoid. Then again even the books by INSTYLE look dated right away, so maybe it was a good decision not to put in pictures.

Read this book if you want help at any stage of your career. It won't tell you what to do, but it will help you understand why you are the only person who can define your personal brand in your career.

I can't wait to read the next in the Career and Corporate Cool series!

I saw this book and four others recommended by Entrepreneur magazine as the best books for women entrepreneurs. I normally don't like books that are geared only to women because I like to think that the rules are the same for women and men in business, but after working the corporate world for the last six years I see that I'm sadly very, very wrong.

This book charts out so many issues that come out at work, and it made it sound like it was mostly about fashion style, but it's about all of the things that make up your work style. I thought I knew a lot about how to make my personal brand, but this is the first time that I started paying attention to things that my co-workers take for granted and realized that it makes me a valuable team player and at work entreprenuer. I've been thinking about setting up a consulting business and I have to say this gives me tremendous confidence.

Great resource for college grads or people looking for a career change or just to pep up their personal business style.

Here's the article http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23521168/

the other book I bought from that review is The Girls' Guide to Building a Million-Dollar Business

My friend has a copy and after I kept borrowing it over and over to look at different topics she finally told me I'd better get my own! I did and am loving it! I'm in my first real job and I had my first big meeting yesterday and thanks to Career and Corporate Cool I knew what to do and how to do it. I was dressed right, I behaved right and I followed up well. Thanks for the great guide - I know I'll be referring to this book for a long, long time.

If you've spent the last few months (or years) wearing spit-up or peanut butter as an accessory, read this book. It's a great pep talk on what-to-wear and how to act for any stay-at-home mom returning to the workforce.

Reviewed by Irene Watson for Reader Views (8/07)

Rachel Weingarten's bio is impressive. It is obvious she knows what she is talking about when it comes to looking and dressing the part in a career. As a previous workshop instructor of creating a successful outside appearance, I was very interested in reading Rachel's book to see if there have been any changes in the years since I taught classes, or if she had any new information. I must say, I was not disappointed!

My first glance at the book, I thought it was geared for women. This is not so. The content of the book relates to both genders and rightly so. Rachel covers aspects ranging from corporate culture, to attitude adjustments, to climbing corporate ladders, to social rules, to dressing away from the office, to being on the road, and to handling family emergencies. These are only a few - I'm sure Rachel didn't miss a thing.

As you can tell, dressing the part is not the only aspect that Rachel covers. She also delves into communication skills as well as networking, and how to generate success in both. "Career and Corporate Cool(tm)" shows us how to express ourselves, not only from the outside but from the inside as well.

Personally, Rachel's book was a refresher for me. Being I have spent the past several years in an internet-based company, my "outings" with other executives are limited. However, Rachel covers many sections for us too. The chapter, "The Best Guest or Hostess with the Mostest" was enlightening. Even though I pride myself in creating a party without losing my sanity, it was great to read Rachel's tips and acknowledge why my parties are so successful.

The other area that I found of interest that applies to an internet-based company is her chapter on presenting oneself in phone messages, e-mails, and instant messaging. I laughed and nodded profusely as Rachel covered some of the aspects of what's not cool and professional.

I particularly found her section of "hall of fame" interesting. For one, the style of Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis keeps living on. Right now, the sunglasses she was so famous for are vogue. Another is David Letterman and his sharp suits, and then there is Martha Stewart, who retained "dignity, class, and decorum" during her trial. These are only a few of the people that represent what is "cool" in our society.

Rachel's guidance is not to be taken lightly. She provides imminent advice and wisdom to keep us one step ahead by developing our own style and redefining success based on "Career and Corporate Cool(tm)."

This a great collection of poems from the past! If you enjoy whimsy, this is for you!

with eliot, a maximum of content is achieved through a FORM worked with a
care and conciousness not seen perhaps since the greeks. he understood,
as he once wrote, that the novel form ended with flaubert. in the centuries after picasso and stravinsky there is no place for anything in
literature which makes people remain sitting, whithout standing and perhaps dancing. the same thing could be said about pound, very different though very twin.

The Eliot of despair, the Eliot of 'Prufrock' and 'Wasteland' is contended with and overcome by the Eliot of the 'Quartets'. The message of modern mankind's meaninglessness, the broken fragments ( of Tradition) shored against his ruin is replaced by the vision of sacred turning, a Christian vision of redemption. Eliot is a writer whose work and life break down into these two distinct periods each of which has its champions in defining what is best in him.
As one raised on 'April is the cruelest month, breeding lilacs out of the dead land' and 'Let us go then you and I when the evening is spread out against the sky, like a patient etherized upon a table' the most memorable lines are certainly of the first phase where it ends not with a bang but with a whimper.
Yet my admiration for the hypnotic power of Eliot's memorable lines is strongly qualified by my knowledge of his 'Burbank with a Baedaker, and Bluestein with a Cigar' with his all too fashionable literary anti- Semitism. Of course Eliot was not preaching death camps and extermination but he did connect his work to the tradition of Christian Anti- Semitism.
Thus I have always had difficulty being comfortable with my 'enjoying of Eliot's poetry. And I have never been able to sympathetically read 'The Quartets.' They have always seemed to me to be too impersonal characterless and abstract.
Eliot who for most of the century strode the English Departments as if he were a colossus did noble work in reviving interest in 'The Metaphysicals' but somehow failed in my mind to write a poetry humanly rich in the deepest sense.

When you think of the best poets ever, T.S. Eliot is one of those that comes to mind. His work is well crafted, intelligent, beautifully written, and has a flow to it that few poets can match. And this is a fine collection for the Eliot lover or for the reader unfamiliar with Eliot. It's divided into several sections. The first section is his Prufrock section, poems from 1917, which contains probably his finest poems: "Prufrock", "Preludes" "Rhapsody on a Windy Night", "Hysteria", among others. Then there is the Poems 1920 section which also contains many fine poems ("Sweeney Erect" and "The Hippopotamus" being my favorites). Then follows his masterpiece The Wasteland. Then The Hollow Men which is followed by the wonderful Ash Wednesday. Then the Ariel Poems (which contains "Journey of the Magi"). Then there are two unfinished poems, "Sweeney Agonistes" and "Coriolan" which I thought were weak. Maybe they would have been great had he ever finished them. Then there is a section called minor poems followed by the mediocre "Choruses from 'The Rock.' And then there is what I consider to be his true masterpiece, "Four Quartets." And the book finishes with some occasional verses, one of which is a sweet and touching poem to his wife. This is a great collection of poems.

Yep, this is a great collection of Eliot's works. I initially found out about Eliot throught the Movie 'Apocalypse Now' in which Brando is heard reciting the poem 'The Hollow Men'. The poem sounded so good I hunted it down and came across this little book.

My favourite poems would have to be 'The Hollow Men', 'Love song of Prufrock', 'Ash Wednesday' and 'Rannoch, by Glencoe (perfectly captured, drive through Rannoch and you'll see ;-)

Yep, definetly worth a read.

This is an exciting autobiography, which I have read and reread over the years. Of particular interest is the author's introduction into the SAS.

This book will become a permanent fixture in your library.

Pre WWII, Maclean finagled trips through parts of the USSR where no westerner had previously been, even crossing into Afghanistan from the north at one point. He spent much of WWI aiding Marshal Tito's effort to drive the Germans out of the Balkans. Fascinating stuff, this, eloquently written and he's a damn good storyteller.

This book is of great historical value. The narration is witty and elegant. I would recomant it to everybody interested in European history.

Great entertaining read, although it is said to have inspired Ian Fleming to write James Bond, this story is worth a place on the silver screen.

This is a truly unique book and comparable only with Churchill's 'My Early Life' as an adventure history. Some people write adventure books, some people have adventures but Fitzroy McLean, like Churchill, or TE Lawrence, is able to do both. A rare treat and very easy to read.

The Harding administration is buried in 20th century obscurity. Aside from the words "Teapot Dome", which few laymen know anything about, and the overriding scandal that dogged Harding's reputation after he left office, there are few people who would even know the name of the first lady.

Florence Harding portrays the image of a plain, dowdy hayseed, but the author brings her to life in the context of an amazing time in our history.

The 1920's were a time of a burgeoning economy, a rich underground economy with speakeasies, amazing jazz, racial awareness, and a recovery from World I. Florence Harding worked behind the scenes to prop her husband up to the challenge of the presidency. Recent revisionist historians have re-examined his presidency to look at his leadership, and his vision beyond the republican side of the aisle.

Florence Harding welcomed in the Jazz Age, consulted "spiritual advisors", and looked at feminist causes long before many of her contemporaries. She also loved and adored her husband, looking past his infidelities, and his out-of-wedlock children.

Warren Harding was in over his head as President. He was an innocent idealist who was thrust into a dark horse candidacy by unscrupulous men who he believed were his friends. He was also a popular and beloved President at he time of his death.

This book, however, is about his wife. She was a tirelessly driven woman, cannily intelligent, with a strength that propelled her to the pinnacle of American leadership.

It is a story few would undertake to tell, and it is riveting. While Florence Harding never comes off as likable, she is portrayed as loyal, admirable, and visionary beyond her time. There is a touching passage, as she sits next to Warren's open coffin, when she tells her husband "nobody can hurt you now, W'urrn".

She clearly understood the power of the office, and the damage it had done to her husband.

An engrossing biography, on an unlikely subject.

Writer Carl Anthony has composed an outstanding biography in his work Florence Harding. Harding Florence Harding been one of the more easily understood or admired First Lady's in this nations history, this book would have been written years ago. However, Mrs. Harding's legacy has been in the past told and retold more as a tabloid story than factual account.

When approaching this book, one needs to understand how Mrs. Harding's legacy was tainted by three men, none of which was her husband Warren G. Harding. First, Gaston Means - a grifter and one time low level FBI agent - did a master job at maligning the deceased Mrs. Harding in his book, The Strange Death of President Harding, a ghost written work that was penned by a tabloid jouranlist who sued Means when he failed to honor his obligations to the writer. In this book, Means paints the picture of Mrs. harding that is pervasive in American Pop Culture: that Mrs. Harding was clueless love lorn hag, who spent her time with mystics plotting the Presidents next moves in star charts. This is an image that the public bought, hook, line and sinker.

The other two men who betrayed Mrs. Harding were her doctor, Charles E. Sawyer and his son Dr. Carl Sawyer. The Sawyers held Mrs. Harding in their sway - she believed that they were great medical doctors, however it was the elder Sawyer's mis diagnosis of President Harding's heart condition as food poisoning. When Charles Sawyer discovered that the widowed First Lady's kidney ailment acted up, he travelled to Washington DC and demanded that Florence return to Marion Ohio for treatment at his private Sanatorium rather than seek treatment at at the better suited facilities in Washington. Mrs, Harding was placed in a cottage at the facility, and then kept at the facility by Sawyer's son Carl after the elder Sawyer died. Following Mrs. Harding's death, Dr. Carl Sawyer assummed total control of the Harding Memorial Association and maintained an iron grip on the Harding legacy until his death in the 1960s. As with all great dictators, Carl Sawyer controlled all aspects of the Harding legacy. As a result, the public never had a fair opportunity to study the Harding's, but rather were fed a steady stream of "approved" information about the couple.

Anthony's work goes the distance in seperating the negative myths from the honest truths in her life, which by any standard was not charmed. However, the author does take liberties in communicating his emotions about Mrs. Harding. He believes that she has been mis-portrayed and his passion about correcting that sometimes overstates her case. However, his book is very well documented by copious endnotes and reliable first person accounts and primary documents.

This book will never be a New York Times best seller - the public would rather believe that Harding Myths inseatd of the facts - but for those who care to learn more about the truths of the 29th President and his most remarkable wife, this is a satisfying and accurate book to read.

How to make a fairly dull and unpleasant like Florence Harding come alive is a difficult enough feat, however the author does a splendid job of doing it! Expertly researched and pleasantly told, Mrs. Harding comes off far better than she has ever been depicted before - and perhaps even better than she deserves.

I found this book hard to put down. I had not realized all the things this obscure first lady was involved with in her life. She looks like somebody's stern grandmother so when I idly looked through this book, I was surprised to find myself drawn in immediately. It is a large book, but I read it very fast as I just could not put it down. This is how a biography should be written, it is well researched and yet still reads almost like a novel.

Carl Anthony reports in his prologue that the inspiration for this project came from none other than Alice Roosevelt Longworth, one of Florence Harding's collection of mercurial and dysfunctional friends. That fact alone speaks volumes about the tenor and atmosphere of the story. Perhaps aware of America's antipathy toward "The Duchess," Anthony has given this work a title worthy of an Oliver Stone epic. The reader who gets past the burlesque title will discover an intensively fascinating narrative of a driven, unconventional woman intertwined with a malleable young newspaper editor. When, years later, the Duchess would tell her "W'urrn" that she had made him president of the United States, many of their contemporaries would have agreed.

Born in 1860 to an Ohio businessman who wanted a son, Florence was in fact raised as a boy until her fourteenth year, when her domineering father realized that what he had actually created was a feminist with an attitude. He struck back ferociously and physically; Florence eventually retaliated by having herself impregnated by a hayseeder several years her junior. Christmas Day of 1882 found the young mother homeless and abandoned. Anthony takes the time to access the options available to this intelligent, ambitious, but impoverished woman. Determined to not disappear into rural Ohio obscurity giving piano lessons, Florence makes two critical decisions that would change her life forever, for better and worse: she gave her child away, and she set her cap for the man through whom she could make her mark in the public forum. On the surface these seem like cynical strategies, but with feminist sympathies Anthony takes pains to remind the reader that American business and politics were both male bastions in the Gilded Age. There were few routes for a woman of ambition.

Florence married the handsome and randy Warren Harding and immediately took over the operation of his local paper, turning a handsome profit and expanding the couple's business ventures. Anthony lets his facts carry the story: the Harding marriage is clearly one of convenience, arguably Florence's more than her husband's. Unencumbered by children, the Duchess, as she came to be called for obvious reasons, had time to consort with the political beat writers and politicians who came to Marion. She tended bar at their poker games, plied them with liquor for information and party gossip, and strategized a grand design for her husband's career in Ohio Republican politics. Managing Warren Harding was a full time job. He was not by nature ambitious, he was not a particularly good businessman, and he was not physically or mentally well, having suffered nervous breakdowns and indications of cardiovascular disease. His most obvious flaw-and one particularly odious to his wife-was his womanizing, which continued virtually to his death, with little concealment, and occasionally on the sly with her best friends.

For two people as different as Warren and the Duchess, it is surprising that they shared one common fatal flaw: they were both dreadfully poor judges of character. For all her intelligence and savvy, the Duchess became dependent [perhaps co-dependent] upon two outright rogues, Charles "Doc" Sawyer, her personal physician, and a gypsy fortune teller, Madame Marcia, both of whom exercised excessive influence throughout the entire Harding Administration. There is a sense in which Florence becomes more insecure with her greater success: Anthony describes her as weeping on Warren's Inauguration Day because of Madame Marcia's prediction that the new president would not live out his term.

Writing about a president's wife inevitably involves detailing the president and the presidency itself. Anthony does a creditable job in paying appropriate attention to Teapot Dome and Veterans Affairs scandals, for example, but in ways that keep the focus of the narrative on Florence and other political wives--Grace Coolidge, Emma Fall, and the aforementioned Mrs. Longworth, for example. The later unraveling of the Harding Administration has obscured the activism of the First Lady; Anthony reminds us of the Duchess's emotional investment in women's rights, veterans' welfare, animal rights, and international peace.

Anthony takes the position that the fateful 1923 "Alaska Trip" was essentially the First Lady's act of self-promotion. Ostensibly, the President's lavish cross continent tour was undertaken to rally political support at a time when congressional investigation of the executive branch was accelerating. The author's narrative of the trip forms a good portion of the book and deservedly so. Warren Harding was depressed and ill as the presidential train left Washington and journeyed across the continent. After innumerable speeches and rallies, the party sets sail from California to Alaska, traveling overland to sites that have probably not seen a president since. Although Anthony debunks many of the myths about the trip, the facts are strange enough-the presidential vessel collided twice with other vessels, and several members of the party were killed in various accidents.

The great mystery of the trip among conspiracy buffs is what [or who?] killed Warren Harding. In one sense the answer is simple enough-the trip exhausted the president to the point where he either suffered a stroke or heart attack in San Francisco. That we cannot say for certain is due to the Duchess, who permitted only Doc Sawyer to treat her husband. Sawyer's incompetence is excelled only by his arrogance; when Herbert Hoover fetched a renowned cardiologist from Stanford to the president's bedside, Sawyer, who was treating the chief executive with questionable purgatives, would have nothing to do with him.

For a veteran of the journalist profession, the Duchess's management of the news of the President's death was poor, and veteran reporters at once smelled cover-up. Most likely her immediate concern was the reputation of Sawyer, and she refused permission for an official autopsy. But her greater worry was the legacy of her husband; she spent weeks burning his official papers and personal correspondence. Her podium destroyed, Florence Harding outlived her husband by one year; she died while in residence at Sawyer's "sanitarium."

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