Clinton Books

You know you have a good book in your hands when you are torn between hurrying to finish so you know what happens next and wanting to slow down b/c you just aren't ready for it to be over. :) Great storyline! The characters were very real to me. I will be looking for the sequel!

This book is well-written with unforgettable characters and an intriguing plot. It is a fast-paced read and one that a reader doesn't want to put down.

Couldn't put it down - Bit of a puff piece for Bill - But I'm sort of a Newt guy - Extremely well documented - How did Erskine Bowles lose an election - D -

Bill Clinton and Newt Gingrich working together?! Despite the fact that these two political heavyweights have made careers out of bashing one another, this book shows that once upon a time they worked together on a secret alliance that might have fixed Social Security. Once the Lewisnsky scandal broke, Gingrich felt like he had to distance himself from Clinton and everything fell apart. The author uses a lot of first-hand resources (letters and interviews) to help tell this fascinating story.

Note: Based on Perl 5.6. At the time of this review, the current version is 5.8.8.

612 Pages

Introduction - 1
Ch. 1: Basic Perl - 3
Ch. 2: Advanced Perl - 197
Ch. 3: Regular Expressions - 285
Ch. 4: Special Variables and Command Line Options - 327
Ch. 5: Files and Directories - 383
Ch. 6: Processes, Interprocess Communication, and Threads - 459
Ch. 7: Standard Module Library -537
Index - 591

This book surprised me. Given the title, I expected it to be a pure reference book, but what I got was a book that is also great for learning. The book is written with a great amount of clarity and the topics are covered extensively enough for the reader to learn the topics, but it is never too verbose. The examples are generally clear and to the point and are usually not too long. However, there were some disappointments in the Regular Expressions chapter. A few, just a few, regular expression examples matched expressions which I don't think that the author intended for them to match, but it's a minor complaint. The book also spends a nice amount of time on the Basic Perl section and it is nicely explained, so I think that those new to Perl will enjoy that section. However, I think that the object-oriented Perl section which comes a little bit later could have been better organized and written more clearly. The book also does a nice job at explaining more advanced topics in a way that they don't seem too "advanced" or difficult. Additionally, the Regular Expressions chapter was especially well-done despite the handful of examples that I previously mentioned.

Despite its title, it's not really organized like a dictionary. However, it's still great as a reference book. Just consult the index and you'll find pretty much anything that you want. However, the section on the Standard Module Library is not comprehensive in the least.

One final note: It's mostly a pure Perl book. So don't expect to learn much about related technologies including CGI (touched on, though barely). It also spends very little time (essentially none) on databases.

Flawed, but handy and well-written. It doesn't cover everything that a Perl programmer would want to know, but it does an excellent job at explaining what it does cover.

In addition to providing a complete syntax reference for all core Perl functions, Clinton Pierce's Perl Developer's Dictionary also provides quick access to language syntax, constructs, and other language issues for experienced developers. Each major section of the Perl Developer's Dictionary is prefaced with a short, succinct introduction to provide background material on the subject at hand, and then is followed by a series of "dictionary" entries that cover exactly one topic, carefully cross-referenced and indexed with the rest of the book. Perl Developer's Dictionary is very highly recommended for Intermediate to Advanced level users.

The nature, purpose and contents of the epistle Ephesians have been variably hypothesized . Beare , Martin and Goodspeed , theorize Ephesians as a comprehensive summary of Pauline theology. Dahl understands Ephesians to be addressing disunity in the church, calling the church back to its beginning to remind them that they share in the privileges God has granted to them all. Many regard it as an anti-heretical tract against Gnostic tendencies, with the author employing Gnostic language and thought to provide a point of contact with the readers. Others point out parallels to the language and theology in the Dead Sea Scrolls of the Qumran community. Ephesians has also been suggested as a liturgical document, perhaps for specific events like baptism, the Eucharist, or Pentecost.

In contrast to the above, Arnold suggests that the "life setting" or circumstances behind Ephesians was the need of "a group of churches in western Asia Minor needing help in developing a Christian perspective on the "powers" and encouragement in their ongoing struggles with these pernicious spirit-forces." (p. 167). Ephesus bore the reputation of being a center for magical practices widely influential in Greco-Roman culture, with its patron goddess Artemis (a.k.a. Diana) being claimed as a "cosmic" goddess of the underworld superior to the alleged power of any other deity, astrological fate and evil spirits. This "life situation" would sufficiently explain the prominence of the power-motif in Ephesians - that God's power working on behalf of the believers is juxtaposed to the might of the "powers" of evil working against believers -- as a primary theme to address its recipients' strong belief and fear of the demonic realm.

This theme has six key points:

First, God's power's superiority and Christ's supremacy have been demonstrated especially in Christ's resurrection from the dead and his exaltation to a preeminent position. , , This message would bring great comfort to the Christians. There is no longer any reason to fear the tyrannical evil "powers" in light of the superior power of God the Father, who brings about all things in accordance with his will through Christ.

Second, the believer now has access to God's power , through having been transplanted from one sphere of power into another.

Third, God's people are brought onto the closest-possible union with their resurrected and exalted Lord., such that the believers are already co-resurrected and co-exalted with Christ. Christ and the Holy Spirit indwell in each believer, providing him/her with strengthening and making them sharers of the divine power to be appropriated through faith.

Fourth, There exists an evil spiritual order led by "the prince of the authority of the air" (Ephesians 2:2), who wields an enslaving influence over the pagan world , leading people into disobedience and sin . While all these evil forces still retain a large measure of their power, their authority and sway has been effectively broken by Christ's resurrection and exaltation. Hence, all who are "in Christ" need not succumb to the authority of the "powers". At the consummation, these powers will be completely subjected by Christ.

Fifth, Believers are admonished to take up a resistant stance, by appropriating God's power to withstand these forces' vicious attacks.

Sixth, God's supernatural power imparted to believers has others in view, whereas the pagan magical practices have almost exclusively the practitioner's self-centered interest in view. God's power strengthens the believer to love, after Christ's pattern. This love's rigorous responsibility requires divine enablement.

The above perspective suggests that Ephesians needs not primarily be a response to cosmic speculation such as an anachronistic and dubious first-century Gnosticism. The cosmic "powers" can be better explained by the folk-religion's evident involvement in the demonic realm. Ephesians could be addressing the felt needs of common people in churches of western Asia Minor, who perceived themselves as oppressed by the demonic realm. Ephesians' distinctive accentuation of cosmic Christology" and "realized eschatology" was thus motivated by the author's pastoral intention of admonishing the readers to depend completely on Christ in their struggle against the forces of evil.

Excellent book. There are a lot of flaky books out there on spiritual warfare, and this is not one of them. Arnold presents a framework for understanding spiritual power from a biblical perspective. He uncovers the intense interest in spiritual things prevalent in the first century. Magic and the worship of the goddess Artemis (or Diana)were central to life in Asia Minor in biblical times (just check out the book of Acts!). These practices were connected to demonic power, says Arnold. The apostle Paul writes the book of Ephesians into this milieu in order to equip the believers to "stand firm" in the power of God against the dark influences. Arnold does an excellent job of unpacking this message in a scholarly fashion.

Excellent book. One of the best choices for understanding the domestic policymaking by U.S. Presidents. They even include the political dynamics of Congress and Executive agencies. Most important, their writing is not complicated and is perfect for a class on U.S. politics or American Presidencies. I assign this book for my college course and students love the book and want to read it!

The role of the President is domestic policy is often overlooked. This book provides an outstanding analysis of Presidential attempts at shaping domestic policy. This books builds on the already outstanding achievements of Professor Lammers.

This is an extensive account of Graham's influence on many President's attitudes and/or actions and has been needed for a long time. It is particularly appropriate in a time when so many mainstream religions seek to influence government actions. They have lost sight of the importance our constitutional provision--separation of Church and State. It details many incidents of the use of Graham's presence to provide endorsement for unethical decisions.

Joseph Haun
Asheville, NC USA

The title comes from Graham's support for every American war since Korea, but I found the civil rights material most interesting.

Cecil Bothwell portrays Graham as the political opposite of Martin Luther King and says the historical record does not support Graham's recent insistence that he was a friend of King's and of integration, pointing out that Graham "was absent from every civil rights march, rally or celebration over the years."

Sample paragraph: "Graham's frequent claims about King's approval are at odds with King's widely circulated exhortation from the Birmingham jail, in which he categorically condemned the position of clergymen who opposed civil disobedience, took them to task for obeying unjust laws, and spoke at eloquent length about the necessity for those of faith to demand change. He could have been directly rebutting Graham when he wrote, `You deplore the demonstrations taking place in Birmingham. But your statement, I am sorry to say, fails to express a similar concern for the conditions that brought about the demonstrations.' "

Bothwell notes that when King was killed 200,000 people attended the funeral. A long list of notables from every field came, the Academy Awards were postponed, and the start of major league baseball was delayed, but Billy Graham did not attend.

I found The Prince of War to be well worth reading.

This was an awesome book about a tenant farmer from Louisiana. Many books have been written about slavery and other aspects of African American heritage, this is my first tenant farmer book. It's a compelling work of art for the Clark family. Bertina Suber (Jessup, MD)

The history of early activists who connected civil rights and labor rights is a compelling story. This book offers the reader an extremely personal view of the struggle of an early civil rights leader who made the connection between fair labor practices and basic human rights. The story is told through the voice of Mr. Clark who made incredible sacrifices to bring to the forefront the exploitation of sharecroppers and tenant farmers in rural Louisiana. His story awakens the reader to the conditions of the poor in Louisiana and asserts the rights of African-Americans as they struggled to make a living in the rural south prior to the depression and during the Roosevelt New Deal Era. Mr. Clark's narrative is a story that has value to those who are interested in exploring the historical significance of labor and civil rights as well as for those who wish to read and understand narratives of early leaders in their own words. The authors do an outstanding job of placing Mr. Clark's story in context of the historical period and provide excellent documentation to substantiate the era. For those who love history and enjoy reading about individuals who have given so much to help others overcome obstacles, this book is a must read. I highly recommend this book and encourage the exploration of a truly remarkable period in our history. The relevance of the struggle to organize small farmers is particularly important as the decline of African-American farmers continues to present a blight on the history of this country. I highly applaud the editors, Davey and Clark, for bringing Mr. Clark's manuscript to a larger audience and for highlighting the book with exceptionally well documented sources that assist the reader with placing the story in its historical context. Mr. Clark's story has universal appeal and truly demonstrates the resiliency of the individual and the strength of close family relationships. This is a must read for those interested in the evolution of agrarian structures in the south, the strength of families, the development of labor, the impact of educational opportunities on groups of people, the importance of the narratives of individuals participating in historical events, and the rights of the poor. Victoria Cofield-Aber, Educator and Clinical Social Worker

Mr. Brown clearly explains why the American people give President Clinton such high approval ratings: It's because the American people (to some extent) share his values--that whatever a person does privately is his or her own business.

The quote on the back cover from a USA Today writer sums this ethic up best: "`We the people' don't elect our presidents to be our moral leaders. We'd probably give the president low marks in the morals department, but then we don't see him as our moral leader. He was elected to run the country. We'll worry about our morals ourselves, thank you very much."

Mr. Brown examines what causes us to give our leaders "a pass" on issues involving morality, showing that the morality of our leadership is a mirror image of the morality and virtues of "we the people." In fact, as he points out, it is actually the "amoral" precept of our postmodern political culture that is at issue--that a person's private conduct doesn't shape his conduct in a public office. The American people have been willing to serve as the president's co-conspirator in his role as First Sex Addict. The line of reasoning, as Mr. Brown points out, is "If `we the people' tolerated this behavior in former presidents, how can we confront this president on the same issue?" This quote on the back cover says it pretty well: "Are we the people content to have a president with a low moral aptitude? If the president of the United States is guilty of using women and then trashing them, should he be allowed to get away with this? If President Clinton has taken his inspiration from John Kennedy and this travesty is the result, what will it be like when future leaders of postmodern America take their inspiration from him?"

What really makes the book interesting is that it is full of quotes from friends and associates of Mr. Clinton--quotes that are pretty caustic and not to kind to the President. For instance, Katie Couric on the Today Show said, "How is it this intelligent, ambitious, politically savvy man can be so foolhardy and such a slave to his libido?"

And there are several great quotes from George Stephanopoulos, including "Right now, I don't know whether to be angry, sad or both. But if the Lewinsky charges are valid, I know this: I'm livid. It's a terrible waste of years of work by thousands of people with the support of millions more."

Probably one of the best, though, is from the liberal syndicated columnist Ellen Goodman: "Why haven't the soccer moms decided to throw Clinton out of the (White) House? Why are the Democratic women pols who shot off their mouths about Clarence Thomas holding their tongues about Bill? And, above all, why aren't feminists who put sexual harassment on the office bulletin board standing by their Monica?"

This is a really great read--and a fast read as well!

Finally, a book that acknowlleges people did not "allow" Clinton to do whatever he wanted because they were bribed or threatened, but because he was no different from other presidents and we are no different from him.

I am sick and tired of the right wing perpetually lambasting us, the American public, about Clinton's morals when they also lack a perfect personal track reccord. Although all of this was exposed in the now infamous witch hunt, the Republicans kept on plugging, happily oblivious to the actual desires of the American public

While there is no doubt what Clinton did was wrong, the American public realized that the best person to handle it was the president and his family. This was never on par with international espionage or other matters that would have actually warranted a constitutional crisis.

My 11 year old daughter is a Civil War buff. She says this book is "cool" because it shows actual battle photographs.

This awesome book gives you all the facts you need to know to do a research paper on the Civil War. I had to do a topic paper for a history class, and I chose Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War. This book was the only thing I needed to get all the facts about the Emacipation Proclamation, Gettysburg Address, and more. I recommend this book to anyone.

this is hilarious. I laughed the entire time i read the book.

Jim Wrenn, author of the Clinton Liebrary Book 2001 Edition at clintonliebrarybook.com gives a rave review to SNL Presents The Clinton Years: "I laughed so hard my throat hurt. It will be banned from all public libraries because no one will be able to read it without laughing out loud. The book presents color pictures and text from SNL skits (about Clinton) in such a way as to elicit just as much laughter as watching the skit on Saturday Night Live."