Caldwell Books

In the Introduction to "On Liberty," Currin Shields, an English egghead, bemoans the fact that Mill's most "famous" essay is "more talked about than read."

I'm surprised it is even talked about, and I am very much NOT surprised that hardly anyone reads it. Mill takes about a hundred and twenty pages to say what could be (and was) summed up in an epigram: People should be free to do whatever they want, as long as it does not harm anyone else.

Not only does Mill subject the reader to pages and pages of supererogatory writing, but his prose is the epitome of Victorian verbosity, with more modifiers, clauses, footnotes, and parentheticals than there are alcoholics in Butte, Montana. (And there are a LOT of alcoholics in Butte, Montana.)

I guess if you're studying philosophy, you're gonna have to read this thing sooner or later...likewise if you're an autodidact.

A work every 21st Century conservative should read and understand.

In many ways, one is tempted to think that there is no such thing as liberalism alive in America today. It would do many well to read the work of the Englishman Mill in order to understand much of what is called both "liberalism" as well as "individual liberty." In addition, one of the growing issues of the contemporary political landscape in America is a polarization which is wholly unnecessary when analysis is applied the current plane of consideration. The reason for this conspicuous lack of reason for polarization is made obviously clear when one reads a work on liberal thought like that of Mill's. For Mill, individual liberty is a question both of social and political proportions, demanding a lack of interference by both government and social pressures. Additionally, he is keen in his analysis of the need for humility when it comes to humanity's apprehension of the Truth, thus necessitating free speech as a vehicle for the continual realization of those parts of the Truth which man so often forgets because of personal bias.

However, the analysis is weak insofar as it also denies the need for structures to educate humanity in a fallen world. His criteria for legal and social sanctions does overlook the necessity to draw on tradition to properly shape those in the world (while maintaining individual dignity). While he acknowledges that it would be preposterous to deny the necessity of interrelationships and sharing of experience, Mill remains somewhat weak on the necessity of tradition and community as related to individual liberty. However, on the whole, the work presents a decent overview of the need to acknowledge individual dignity through the liberty of the individual. Indeed, all communal criticisms aside, On Liberty does indeed serve as a corrective against crass traditionalism which propagates itself without true individual consent and embrace. Therefore, even in its weakness, it remains strong as a key text on the primacy of the human individual as the recipient and follower of the Truth. In a day when liberty is shouted by groups who have no interest in talking to each other, such a small text would do well to make all groups realize that our American (and indeed Western) goals aren't that different, that we are united in trying to express human dignity through the individuals.

I don't really like the fact that Mill wasn't religious- I don't believe you can have a just person who doesn't believe in a higher power, but the economics in On Liberty and the politics are amazing. It comes down to this: No one should be prevented from thinking or doing anything except that which harms others. In other words: government needs to get out of our bidness!

John Stuart Mill, 1806-73, worked for the East India Co. helped run Colonial India from England. Minister of Parliament 1865-68 he served one term. Maiden speech was a disaster his second was great success. He was first MP to propose that women should be given the vote on equal footing with the men who could vote. He got 1/3 support, England gives franchise to women after U.S. He was a great Feminist, his essay "Subjection of Women" is written with great passion and prose. It was a brave position for him to take he was ridiculed for it. He favored democracy, and letting more men from lower classes the right to vote, but believed that people that are more educated should have more votes then less educated because they would make better decisions about what government should do. He would have wanted to extend education to the masses, so that all may have gotten 2-3 votes and so on. He didn't think it should be extended to where a small elite could carry the day on votes. The idea was that if the working class, and middle class, where divided on an issue, the people with more intelligence would have the power to tip the balance. Mill thought that people with more education would probably not only be better able to make political decisions, especially in terms of intellectually being able to see what would be best for the government to do, but that they would also be more concerned about the common good publicly then people in general. He was intensely educated by his father James. John could read Greek, and Latin at 6 yrs.; his Dad tutored him at home. Dad thought environment was everything. He was treated like an adult, never played games with kids; he had a very cerebral upbringing. He had a period of depression in his twenties, it changed his philosophy, and he recognized the importance of developing feelings along with the intellect, this is something that he stressed in his work. He read poetry to get out of depression; he became devoted to poetry and became a romantic. He fell in love with a married woman Harriet Taylor, was a platonic relationship, after her husband's death they married 3 years later and probably never consummated the marriage maybe due to his having syphilis. His dedication to "On Liberty" is to her, very devoted to each other. Both buried together in Avignon France where they used to vacation.

Mill as a moral theorist subscribed to a theory we call Utilitarianism. It means---In some way morality is about the maximization of happiness. Whether actions are right or wrong depends on how happiness can be most effectively maximized. I say in some way, because there are allot of different kinds of Utilitarians. Allot of different ways of saying exactly how it is the maximization of happiness comes into morality. Therefore, happiness is clearly an important idea for Utilitarians. Mill has a hedonistic view of happiness, he thinks that happiness can be defined in terms of "pleasure in the absence of pain." What is distinctive about Mill in this area is that he believes that some kinds of pleasure are better than others are, and add more to a person's happiness than other kinds of pleasures. He believes in what he calls, "higher quality pleasures." These are pleasures, he says, that we get from the exercise of faculties that only human beings happen to have. So the intellect, imagination, the moral feelings, these are the sources of higher quality pleasures people use. His view seems to be that a certain quantity of intellectual pleasure just adds more to your happiness, and a given quantity of some lower pleasure like a kind we would share with the animals such as sensation, taste, sexual pleasure, etc. His "higher quality pleasures" in a way echo Aristotle's ethics. The idea of those things that make us distinctly human that are the real key to our happiness, that is in Mill also. It is not as limited to reason and intellect as Aristotle thinks. Mill recognizes the importance of the appreciation of beauty, aesthetic pleasure, and moral pleasure. He frankly owes a debt to Aristotle that he never properly acknowledges, never gives him proper credit.

"On Liberty" is Mill's is his most widely read and enduring work. It is an indispensable essay on political thought, which strenuously argues for individual liberty. He is defending what he calls the "liberty principle." It is a principle that guarantees individuals quite a bit of personal freedom. "That the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not a sufficient warrant." These quoted sentences in John Stuart Mill's book, "On Liberty," embody the crux of his argument; that the power of the state must intrude as little as possible on the liberty of its citizenry. In essence, Mill was against using the power of the state through its lawmaking apparatus to compel citizens to conduct themselves in ways that society deems moral or appropriate. Mill thought that people had not only a right, but also a duty to develop their intellectual faculties, which is indispensable to maximize their happiness. He believed that society improved for all its citizens when they where left unfettered to the maximum extent possible, allowing them to use their imagination and intellect to improve themselves. Mill postulates a theory that societies usually institute laws based primarily on "personal preference" of its citizenry instead of established principles. This lack of clarity of opinion often leads to the government frequently interfering in the lives of its citizens unnecessarily. For Mill, there are very few times when the state can infringe on the personal liberty of others. Firstly, the state has the right to promulgate laws that prevent a person's actions from harming others. Secondly, the state must protect those citizens who are not mature enough to protect themselves, such as children. Thirdly, he exempts, "... backward states of society in which the race itself may be considered as in its nonage." In Mill's view, immature societies need a benevolent leader to rule them until they have developed to a point where they, "... have attained the capacity of being guided to their own improvement by conviction or persuasion ..." Mill said this third exemption did not apply to any of the countries in Europe. Mill believed that forced morality by the state on its citizen's liberties was destructive to their inward development, and could even lead to a violent reaction by them against the government.


There are different parts of his defense of this, different arguments that he gives. He has a long chapter on freedom of speech and press. He has some very specific reasons why he thinks those freedoms are important. Always in the background for Mill is the idea of development, and making it possible for more people to enjoy these higher quality pleasures. How do we help people develop their distinctly human faculties, in ways that will help them enjoy their higher quality pleasures? Because for him that is the way, we maximize the total amount of happiness that is enjoyed in the world, and that is the object of morality as far as he is concerned. Utilitarianists believe that maximizing happiness is ultimately, what morality is all about. That does not mean maximizing your own happiness that means maximizing the total amount of happiness that is enjoyed, not only by yourself but also by everybody else as well.

Roger Kimball, in his book "Experiments Against Reality" wrote, "On Liberty" was published in 1859, coincidentally the same year as "On the Origin of Species." Darwin's book has been credited--and blamed--for all manner of moral and religious mischief. But in the long run "On Liberty" may have effected an even greater revolution in sentiment.

I read this book for a graduate class in Philosophy. Recommended reading for anyone interested in philosophy, political science, and history.

All in all I thought this was an excellent novel. The first three quarters are an idyllic story of a boy's first love in late 19th century Brazil. The last part is how the marriage fell apart due to suspicions of adultery.

In regards to the debate on whether Capitu cheated, I must say that at first I was unsure also. The thing that swayed me into thinking that yes, she did cheat, was the part where Bentinho's mother was indifferent to his child. If you remember, Bentinho was confused by this since the child was her only grandson. I think she was indifferent because something led her to intuit that the child was not her son's. (Thus his mother knew Capitu was unfaithful long before he did. She never told him, but she knew). Add to this the circumstantial evidence that Bentinho pieced together on his own, and I have to say that in the end, he got it right. Capitu cheated on him.

Every Brazilian knows that Machado de Assis is among the top 5 writers in the world and now the world will discover the genius of this Brazilian who is already for us a universal genius! He is even better than Flaubert and Zola and we recommend all his books!

Luiz

After a slow start and a rather meek continuation, the last third of the book is dazzling, with jealousy running amok: 'wishing to know what might be in my wife's head'.

A woman promises God that if she has a son, he will become a priest. But the adolescent has absolutely no call to become a padre. On the contrary, he falls in love with a beauty.
In order to escape from the holy vow, the Church agrees in a most jesuitic way that if a substitute is found, the promise will be fulfilled.
The subsequent marriage turns out not to be the paradise hoped for.

This book contains some mild criticism of the Church with its paternosters and Ave Marias as penances for committed sins. The pact with God is treated as a commercial note: 'The Creditor (God) was a multimillionnaire; He was not dependent upon payment in order to eat, and consented to postponements without even increasing the rate of interest.'
'Jehovah is a Rothschild, only much more human: he does not make moratoriums, he pardons the debt in full, provided the debtor truly wished to mend his ways'.

The sex is also very innocent ('silk garters') compared to today's eccentricities.

The confession of the main character is not without some acrid self-mockery: 'The Church has established in the confessional the most authorative of legal services and in confession the most trustworthy of instruments for the adjustment of moral accounts between man and God. But my incorrigible timidity closed this sure door to me. How a man changes! Today I go so far as to publish it.'

The overall picture of Brazil at the end of the 19th century is appalling: poverty, leprosy, slavery, the all importance of the catholic Church. But for the author, this state of affairs is in no way exceptional.

This book is a worth-while read.

In my review about Machado de Assis I made a mistake. He's probably the most important writer in the 19th century and not 18th. Sorry about that.

I didn`t like that book very much because it is very bad to understand the story, it uses a formal language. But, the story is very nice and intersting.

This book is a fun book to read. I was glued to each page and could not put it down. I laughed and laughed and laughed. You have to read this book! Kristin is an awesome author who knows how to put you in the shoes of her characters. You feel like all of the events and embarrassments are happening to you. You will blush, laugh and maybe even cry (from laughter).

Kristin Billerbeck is one of inspirational chick-lit's favorite authors, and this latest novel set in Hollywood will give fans of the Spa Girls Collection and Ashley Stockingdale series plenty to enjoy.

Sable, Wyoming native Sarah Claire Winowski has a dream: to be hairstylist to the stars. Thanks to her cousin, Scott, who has made a name for himself as a consultant to the film world's up and comers, she's off to Hollywood to try her scissors on the rich and famous. Her demanding, narcissist salon owner, "Yoshi," brings to mind the now infamous editor-in-chief Miranda Priestly from THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA. Of course, Sarah has a lot to overcome before she can snip the first locks from anyone's hair. Jealous co-workers try to make her look bad, her clothes are all wrong, and she is forced to change her name to the trendier "Sarah Winston." A diehard cinemaphile, she needs to be blasé about film stars who frequent the salon and her new Hollywood world. Worst of all, back in Sable, her alcoholic mother has forfeited the $1,000 bail bond Sarah Claire inked and is off on new misadventures, sure to end in some sort of chaos.

On the brighter side, Sarah Claire finds herself surrounded by touchstones that remind her of all her favorite old movies. At one point, she's weeping over Cary Grant's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. And to make things even better, not only is she sharing trendy digs with her cousin Scott, she also has a dreamy new roommate, Dane Weston, who is "tall and angular and wearing a fedora, just like Humphrey Bogart." For Sarah, it's love at first sight, but Scott insists that Dane (who he calls Lurch) is mysteriously off bounds. Why? Readers will be left dangling until the last pages of the book, and I'll admit, Billerbeck surprised me with the reason.

Throughout the novel, Sarah Claire battles a co-dependent relationship with her n'er-do-well mother and her own feelings of being an out-of-wedlock child whose father is unknown. (The identity of her father is given towards the end of the book.) Readers may find her constant self-deprecation about her less-than-stellar roots a little grating after a while. Suck it up Sarah Claire! Be grateful for what you have. More endearing is the sweet group of church ladies back home who offer Sarah Claire encouragement, cash and a few pushes in the right direction.

The book struggles in a few places. A lot of interesting troubles are introduced (Sarah Claire's 43-year-old mother's alcoholism, best friend Kate Halligan's struggle with her identity), but they never feel fully developed or resolved. The salon itself seems like the perfect place for interesting scenes with Hollywood's hottest stars, but not a lot takes place involving the clients. Some might be tired of the old novel cliché of "small town girl moves to the big city" that carries the plot, but perhaps the reason it's a cliché is that many readers enjoy it.

If you're a closet old movie fan, then you'll find the cute quotes from film stars that begin each chapter an added bonus. Although problematic in spots, SPLIT ENDS is an entertaining read, sure to help vacation hours while sitting poolside or on the beach pass pleasantly.

--- Reviewed by Cindy Crosby

Even though I've read most of Kristin Billerbeck's books, this is the first one I've written a review about. I'm not quite sure what keeps drawing me back to this author because I've discovered I'm not really a fan of chick lit as a genre.

However I found this book to be meatier than most of the books I've read by Billerbeck. The problems Sarah faces are edgier and not as shallow as what you might find in a typical chick lit book.

I really liked the blooming romance between Sarah and Dane. I thought the problem Dane struggles with was a great plot twist. Bringing him into Sarah's life knowing how she would feel about Dane's "issues" sounds just like something God would do...

There is some fluffiness in this book for the die hard chick lit fans. I found some supporting characters to be on the shallow side, focused only on material things and outward appearances. The nature of Sarah's job seems to bring those type of people out in droves.

But the main characters had layers and depth to them that I appreciated. I guess I'll keep reading this author and be on the look out for another "not your typical chick lit" gem.

I'm not one that loves chick lit but I was very suprised by this book. Kristen did a great job! An incredibly witty and deep novel - not to be taken lightly... A must read!

Kristin Billerbeck's "Split Ends" seemed like just another `chick lit' novel to start. This time, our heroine is from the wrong side of the tracks - an illegitimate daughter of the town's richest guy - but she wants a better life, so she leaves town (and the responsibility of caring for her alcoholic mother) to pursue her dream of being a hairdresser to the starts at an exclusive salon in California!

I was finally able to really commit to the novel by page 118 when I encountered my favorite line in the book: "...her beauty didn't protect her." The author was relating the story of a gorgeous California girl that just got dumped. This is one of the major themes of the novel, and it really touched me. Beauty has no power!

The celebrity quotes that begin the chapters are charming and some represent very sound advice. The story is smart and funny and touching and (although drama-laden) so true for many American women, today. We place too much importance on what other people think of us instead of who God actually tells us we are. That is an important lesson for us to learn, so this is an important book for us to read. Not only does Kristin Billerbeck entertain, she ministers to the deepest hurt faced by many of us - self-criticism.

This was a great book for my son and I to read together. We could take turn reading. Also it tought him about history whuch is always a good thing. I have a hard time getting him to read so this was a perfect way to spend time together and get some reading done. Can't wait for the next one!

I really hope that this review goes through. I would recommend this book to all the parents who need books to share with their children. I truly enjoyed the historical significance and I know that my son will also. A must read!

Thank you to David for bringing the Mitchell family to life! It is amazing to think of the struggles of our ancestors. I belong to the Daughters of the American Revolution and think Spring House is a must read for anyone in the organization or planning on joining. I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of the next book. Can someone make this into a movie, please!

I was hooked at the first sentence. Usually I read to fall asleep, but two hours later I was still eager to know how it ended. I look forward to more in this series. It's not often I find such an engrosing historial novel.
I passed it on to my husband and he bumped it up to the top of the stack of books he wants to read when I told him I how much I enjoyed it.

Congrats on winning the National Indie award for 2007. I can see why and hope that the next one takes the prize as well. The combination of personal and American history makes David Bowles' novel both entertaining and informative. Teachers should put this on the summer reading list.

Can't wait to read Adam's Daughter, and hope the series continues to the present day.

This was an awesome book! It really makes you think.

This isn't the best chick lit I've read, but it's not the worst.

This was the best book i've ever read. I loved the fame and glory in it and also that it showed the downfalls. because these days celebritys are looked at with jealousy but we get to learn ewhat its like to be them and also there ball and chain.

I personally think the book starts off a little slow, but Laura Caldwell makes it so easy to fall in love with declan, one of the main charecters.

At the start of the book it was all about the main character, aspiring fashion desiner, Kyra Felis. I was thinking of putting it dwo nand starting a new book, but found every page had me more and more intrested.


This book is written with such wit.

The plot is about a Wannabe fashion deisner called Kyra, who meets an aspiring young actor called declan. soon the fall in love and get married. But then his career spirals out of control. e becomes somebody everybody wants a piece of. And its sometimes hard for Kyra to handle how everybody wants some of her husband.

And declan soon realises sometimes, its lonely at the top.

The end is brilliant, i read this book in 3 hours i couldnt put it down!

BUY IT

Kyra seems to have the life any girl would want: her career as a fashion designer is beginning to take off and her husband, whom she adores, becomes a movie star after the unexpected success of his latest movie. Love, money, fame - what else could a girl want, right? Well, it turns out that the pressures of celebrity threaten a lot more than Kyra's marriage. The author does a good job giving us compelling characters who are doing their best in privileged-yet-trying circumstances. This novel is a fast and fun read.

Very enjoyable read. Great insight into "living famously". I couldn't put it down.

This book surprised me. It's not your typical Red Ink book ~~ it really is one of the better fiction novels where it's so fun and entertaining and I wasn't able to put the book down. It's perfect for those lazy afternoons (which are becoming more rare as the holidays approach!) ~~ and while a fast read, it is definitely an entertaining one. Not only that, it also provokes thoughts such as, thank goodness, I am not married to a movie star or living in the spotlight all the time.

It is sort of a romance novel but not really ~~ it's not even your typical chick lit novel. It's just a novel with a good story-line and fun to read. This one is about Kyra Felis, a struggling designer, who met Declan McKenna, an up and coming Hollywood movie star and marries him. Shortly after their wedding, he is thrust into the spotlight and into the crazy weird world of Hollywood. Kyra finds herself in the tabloids and fending off a psychotic fan who is obsessed with Declan as well as designing designer clothes for the Oscars for several movie stars. It sounds wonderful ~~ new job, a gorgeous hubby, new big house and a crew to help her maintain that house and lifestyle and as time goes on, Kyra finds herself becoming more and more miserable with the lack of privacy in her house, life and in her marriage. All that is enough to destroy any marriage as well as a person's peace of mind.

Want a sneak peek in the lifestyle of the rich and famous? This book would do it. You find yourself rooting for Kyra and hoping that she will find her peace.

Have fun with this one!

10-31-06

If you had the chance to hit "redo" and make your life over again, what would you do differently? What forgotten dream would you dust off? Lauren Caldwell's Clean Slate is about a woman who gets that opportunity.

Chick lit gets a bad rap for whiny heroines who have no concept of "real problems." But I found Ms. Caldwell's heroine to be the polar opposite of that unfair chick lit assessment. Kelly was honest, funny, and brave enough to sweep up the pieces of her life and stick the old stuff in the garbage. And yet she was vulnerable in a very sympathetic way - who doesn't enjoy telling a character, "don't do it!"

I wanted to find out what happens after the ending but I had great hopes that Kelly would be just fine.

I just finished reading this book and I loved it. The premise of the story was like no other "chick lit". It had a mystery feel and kept me wondering about the main character. A great tale about looking deep within yourself and figuring out what life means to you.

Kelly McGraw cannot remember the last five months of her life. She discovers that someone else is living in her townhouse. Her former boyfriend Ben tells her she has to stop stalking him and his new girlfriend. With the help of her best friend Laney she tries to discover what happened to her. She decides to follow her dreams and take a photography course. She signs up for an internship that pays little but completely changes her life. Kelly is frightened by her flashbacks of herself and others she cannot remember. Her life has been turned upside down by the emotional turmoil and physical trauma. An unexpected conclusion to Kelly's problems will leave you wanting more.

The idea of starting over is probably appealing to most people, but in A Clean Slate Kelly has to truly begin again. The characters were wonderful, the story kept moving, and, having lived in Chicago for five years, Caldwell truly brought the city to life. This wasn't a slapstick comedy about a woman who forgets who she is, and it also doesn't hit you over the head with the moral of the story. It's just a a fun read.

I picked up this book by Laura Caldwell because i really did enjoy Burning the Map. This book was, in my opinion, very different. I enjoyed it even more. I loved the heroine, Kelly McGraw. She was such a real character to me. And I truly couldnt put the book down. I was enthralled the moment i picked it up. You couldnt help but root for Kelly. Like some of the other reviewers, I also wanted to know what happened to Kelly after the book ended.

Pick up this book and you wont be disappointed.

I love "The Englisher". It's a wonderful book, just as good as "The Preachers Daughter". You really get to 'know'the characters. You see Annie's struggle with loving and wanting to please her parents, but still wanting to follow her own heart. You also see how Esther handles being persecuted for her faith, and how Louisa tries to find out where she really fits in. Also, what really happened to poor Issac? Things aren't always what they seem to be. Beverly Lewis is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. "The Englisher" is a great story and I highly recommend it!

I purchased this as a Sequel to "Annie's People" which was given to me as a gift. It prompted me to purchase the rest of the series.

Well wrote book Beverly! I enjoy reading your books! I am looking forward to getting as many books out as others have in time. Continue the good work!

Author of When God unfolds the rose,

Peggy Headings

The 2nd book in the 'Annie's People' series, I loved this one! I liked it a wee bit better than the first. There is more movement, more emotion, more drama going on in this quiet Amish community.

Beverly Lewis weaves the different storylines in and out beautifully. The characters are so well developed that you feel like you know them personally. I was intrigued following Annie as she struggled to do what was "right", in order to please her father and the community, to denying what her heart and soul desired - namely, her art and the honorable and appealing Ben (the Englisher).

I can identify with some of Annie's experiences as a young woman. Always trying to please others and short-changing yourself at the same time. The other characters were a mix bag. Some you embraced whole-heartedly, others you wanted to kick in the tushy. All-in-all an excellent read.

In this sequel to the Preacher's Daughter, Annie has fallen madly in love with Ben, the english man. Of course along with her art, this poses a terrible problem as it is against the Amish rules. She sneaks out with Ben whenever she can but there is always a risk of being caught-which later happens when her Dad's carriage breaks down and Ben pulls over to help Preacher Jesse. Of course, Annie is in the car.

Louisa's friend Courtney comes for a visit. But that is only because she is trying to convince Louisa that her old boyfriend Michael wants her to return to Denver and get hooked up again. This is the last thing Louisa wants to do as she has begun falling in love with Sam, an Amish man. She wants to start teaching art at a school-applies for a job, but then suddenly as it approaches Easter time, decides maybe she ought to return to Denver to her modern life. She is afraid of hurting Sam by committing to a relationship with him. Annie is heartbroken to see her go, and becomes depressed for a long while.

Along with everything else is poor Esther and her abusive husband Zeke. Esther was put under the bann in her last book for taking Jesus as her savior, and so is shunned by everyone in her household when she finally returns from her stay with Julia. Zeke is better at first-but then goes back to his old ways. His brother Isaac 16 years before this time was murderesd, and Zeke caught the blame from his father his whole life. No one knew for sure where Isaac's body was, and when it was finally found, a lot of questions arise. In fact the police arrest Zeke when this finally is reported, and will keep him in jail until many questions are answered.

A great sequel, and I look forward to book 3, the last of this trilogy.

What can you say about this book.........other than it's a collection of timeless sayings and thoughts from the mind of one of America's original great thinkers. This should be required reading (in all formats)for high school students if for no other reason than to have them explore humor without 4-letter words. Once read, some of these bits of wisdom will stay with you for life. Enjoy and pass along. You will be a part of re-braining this country!

Given as a gift so have no input. Recipient did not care for the format of the book.

Though Benjamin Franklin never suggests that all the words are his, his assembly of commonly used phrases and sayings provides the reader with material that will make them think. Do remember, that this doesn't read like a novel.

Ben Franklin's book is loaded with tips just as relevant today as they were centuries ago. You will truly be surprised at the amount of knowledge, useful knowledge, you get from this book.

So to start, there is a huge problem with this page. If you utilize Amazon's Search Inside feature for this version of the book it is actually showing you the inside of a different copy of Poor Richards Almanack. What you see is definitely not the inside of this book and I'll tell you why later.

Another problem with this page is the fact that people are reviewing the content of Poor Richards Almanack and giving you, the consumer, a history lesson on the book. But come on... the content of the book is pretty much a given. If you're not familiar with the Poor Richards Alamanack, then it's probably a good idea to check it out from a library before you buy it. You would want to own a copy simply for novelty's sake.

So onto the review of the actual product... This is a very poor copy in terms of quality (just like this review). This is just speculation, but it literally appears as if someone from the publisher went to the copy machine with an original copy of the book, pressed the "Enlarge 150%" button, photocopied the entire original book onto larger paper, bound it, put a cover on it, and sold it as the copy you see here. The black space you see on the cover is about the size of the margins within the book. This creates an obnoxious amount of white space around the paragraphs which in turn makes the book difficult to read. On top of this, some of the pages are slightly crooked.

So as I've stated, the content is exactly like the original, but you can easily find a better version than this one. Unless the book was intended for people with impaired vision, there is no reason the original book should have been blown up and placed on 2 inch margins. I would steer clear of this version and find a better one.

As a side note, there are several versions of Poor Richards Almanack. Some have his quotes reorganized into categories and some versions have his quotes re-written into more modern language. And there is, of course, the original. For Christmas, I got my Mom the original as well as the one with the organized quotes. So I guess it's whatever your preference is.

Holt was/is a revolutionary thinker who really starts your wheels turning. I love how accessible and natural he makes learning & teaching. Great for someone who is looking for motivational, inspirational material on how it may be possible to home educate their child(ren), and why they may be thinking about it. Underlines the many sad flaws and scars of the educational system in American schools today.

I had a hard time with this one... I think its description needs to be more straight forward: reads like a scientific journal/notes of observations. I was bored a lot, but determined to complete the book.

I was glad I did. The last chapter and follow up were the best parts of the book! I loved the last chapter that summed up all of his thoughts and observations into an idea. Very thought provoking.

Now someone just starting out on the parenting track might enjoy his notes and observations better than someone who has already been through it like me.

The book offers a careful look at how young children learn. The book makes a good case for providing the right environment to let children learn at their own pace. Instead of squashing children's natural inclination to learn it is incumbent on educators to provide for the awakening in the young mind the thirst for knowledge. A must read for parents and educators.

How Children Learn is worth the time it takes to read it cover to cover. I learned a great deal about my son, myself and society as a whole. The book is a collection of countless scenarios where children of varying ages (1-6) are learning during normal play, without having to be sat down and "taught" anything. Even if you do have small children as I do and you believe you already know all there is to know, take my word for it. You do not. You don't realize that many things you may be doing right now that you believe are helping your child are actually hindering them by damaging their self-esteem and their ability to work through things on their own.

I am the type of mother that will try to help my child do everything, even if he doesn't ask for it. It's almost automatic. I see him struggle, so I help him. After reading this book, I had to retrain myself. I forced myself to sit back and watch my son, even when he was struggling. I watched, amazed, seeing that he kept trying without screaming in frustration, until he figured things out for himself. I honestly believed that by helping him I was saving him the stress of not being able to do something himself, but I realized what I'm really doing is denying him the chance to do things for himself and the pride that comes along with that. Children do have the ability to work through these things on their own, and John Holt makes that clear.

My only gripe, and this is minor, is that in the revised version of the book, he often contradicts what he originally wrote by saying that he totally disagrees with things he had previously written. His mind seems to change so often that sometimes I felt like I wasted a good amount of time just reading sections in the book that he would later "correct" and state that his original way of thinking was completely wrong. That was a little frustrating! Aside from that, definitely worth borrowing from your local library at the very least.

One of the greatest gifts we can give children is to help them maintain their natural interests in learning. In non-technical terms, this book gives parents and other educators practical insights into how children learn and how they can continue to learn. This book was first published in 1967 and it continues to be a favorite

This book provided a fascinating look into Blanche Barrow's life as well as great detail into the lives of Bonnie and Clyde and their fellow outlaws. The author/editor did an outstanding job of compiling Blanche's memoirs into what was occuring in the world during her lifetime. I wasn't too sure if I would like this book when I ordered it because I normally don't read biographies/autobiographies about criminals. However, when I began to read it I became totally absorbed into this woman's ife and the pictures are great too (there's lots). I would definitely recommend this book to anyone.

Blanche Barrow's account into the turbulent and volatile few months in 1933 she spent with Bonnie, Clyde and W.D. Jones on the run is fascinating reading. The one point which comes across over and over is her true love for Buck Barrow - which really supports that old saying: "Love is Blind". There was certainly nothing apparent which made Buck an intelligent or appealing type of fellow, but to Blanche he was everything. This lovely lady is very much a victim of circumstance - drawn into the dark scheming world of hatred and revenge of the law of Clyde Barrow. Clyde was certainly the orchestrator of their life on the run. For some reason, Buck Barrow was overwhelmed and dominated by his younger brother Clyde and Blanche was continually trying to get Buck away from this life of running and hiding. Bonnie Parker too was entranced by Clyde's domination as well. It seemed as though she was in awe of Clyde and everthing Clyde said or did was the gospel. It is very much an encaptivating read - however I was hoping to find out more what her prison life was like after the Dexfield Park capture which the book seems to skim over very briefly. The accounts of Joplin, Platte City and Dexfield Park in this book are excellent and you really do wonder how they all survived as long as they did. I thoroughly recommend it to all Bonnie and Clyde fans.

I really enjoyed reading this book. However, you must keep in mind that it was told by one of the participants and that self image and self preservation were apparent in telling her side of the story. I would advise doing what I did. I read the Knight book, "Bonnie & Clyde, a Twenty-First Century Update" and the John Neal Phillips book "Running with Bonnie and Clyde" at the same time as this one. I think by combining and sifting through the information in all three, you can come away with a pretty clear picture of these peoples lives.

I often wondered what had become of Blanch Barrow as the movie did not tell us much of anything. At the end of the book I found myself with tears in my eyes. I am not saying she was totally innocent in everything that transpired, but she paid dearly for the mistake of loving her husband and I being a woman can synpathize with her greatly. I can just picture her sitting in a chair, an old woman, forgotten, left with nothing but her cats and memories of days gone by...nothing is sadder than what might have been. What really made me realize how human these characters were was when Blanche tells us about bringing her dog Snowball on the run when she and Buck took off with Bonnie and Clyde and then loosing her dog during the shootout in Platte City, as the dog was spooked by the gun battle, he ran out of the house and this was the last she ever saw of her beloved pet. These were very much people like us that I firmly believe were victims of the times they lived and the desolation that surrounded them. I often wonder what would have became of those four people if they would have grown up in New England perhaps or New York where even though the depression was going on, there were more opportunities for work or perhaps they were born at the wrong time in history. Maybe if Bonnie and Clyde would have been born and came of age in the 80's or 90's, they would have been different people....but we will never know. This book is a must read for anyone, not just fans of Bonnie and Clyde, but its just a damned good book to read.

This is about the best book I've read on Bonnie and Clyde so far. Although as Mr. Phillips states it is slanted in the favor of Blanche, it still is very well written and I think more historically correct than other books I have read on this subject. It was interesting to read how these people really lived on the run and how human they were. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Bonnie and Clyde.