Marshall Books

As a parent, counseling school psychologist and American Indian educator I can attest that this book is what parents have been begging for. It is filled with insight, wit and practical help. If parents, teachers and administrators applied Sharon's strategies there would be no need for "No Child Left Behnd." Home Sweet Homework: A Parents Guide to Stress-Free Homework & Studying Strategies That Work

Having taught Jr. & Sr. HS for forty years, I know I would've been a much better teacher, helping parents & students, if I'd had this author's knowlege & expertise...A truly helpful guide for all!

This book has great ideas on how to help my children. It has helped us set up and maintain regular homework time. The homework wars have stopped. I strongly recommend this book to any parent with children of any age.

I think it is great that someone has written a book about how to help our children manage this fact of life but it does not change the fact that teachers are giving too much homework, particularly in elementary school and studies show that there is no correlation between homework and achievement. I would like to see a book written for teachers reminding them that there is more to childhood than homework and that family time and sports and scouts and religious school also have value. Unfortunately, many of our kids are unable to participate because of the load of homework they bring home each night!

This book is a great tool for all parents to use. It has reduced the stress of homework time greatly.

So mucy of what happened during the political development of Micronesia now come to light as a result of this well researched book. Until now, much of what transpired during the political status negotiations required tedious search in US government archives or the Library of Congress (if unclassified). Insightful!

Excellent and comprehensive review of US policy in Micronesia during a key period in its history. Fascinating insights into the relationships that influenced policy development. Thorough and scholarly research that should be a classic in years to come.

So much of what happened during the political development of Micronesia now come to light as a result of this well researched book. Until now, much of what transpired during the political status negotiations required tedious search in US government archives and the Library of Congress. That is if the documents were declassified. This book is insightful.

So much of what happened during the political development of Micronesia now come to light as a result of this well researched book. Until now, much of what transpired during the political status negotiations required tedious search in US government archives and the Library of Congress. That is if the documents were declassified. This book is insightful.

I speak as one who has lived in the Northern Mariana Islands for more than thirty years, and who had a role in the events (I was one of those who were interviewed) and who knew and worked with many of the central figures involved in them. Willens and Siemer have written a thoroughly researched and historically accurate work, and one which I enjoyed reading immensely -- as will anyone interested in this corner of the Pacific.

My son and I love this book! We have been reading it together since he was 2 (now 3) and he loves asking to read the Turkey Book, especially around Thanksgiving.

The text flow is fun, the message is fun and I am certain you will love reading it too!

We checked this out from the library. It is a great book with wonderful rhythm and rhyme in the text. The pictures are full of interesting details and often quite funny. The story is cute and gets four thumbs up from my boy/girl twins. I'm picky about what books I purchase, but this one is going on my wish list today.

I think I almost enjoyed reading this more than my son did. I loved the pictures (good illustrations in a child's book are important to me) and it was really fun to read the rhyming text, which read really well and flowed nicely. I will look for more by this author.

This is one of our family's favorite books. It's hilarious and we just love it. We give it as part of a kids' books starter library as a gift for a new baby. The parents appreciate it very much.

A Plump and Perky Turkey has a pleasingly poetic rhyme. This book is a blast to read aloud, but a little tricky the first time around. "They make turkeys out of spuds, and out of clay and out of rope. They made turkeys out of oatmeal, and out of paper, out of soap." That portion is my son's favorite. It's repeated three times in the story, but he laughs every time. I'm not sure if it's the words that amuse him so, or the illustrations. The pages are soaked in oranges, browns, and golden tones, thus one certainly gets the idea that autumn is in the air. Shelly has a cartoonish style, in that the images are accentuated with thick, dark lines. The artwork is humorous, and rich in details. The book doesn't offer an age recommendation, but I'd say it's geared to children 3 to 7-years.

In The Power to Transform, Stephanie Pace Marshall poses the question of what it will take to create a generative and life-affirming system of learning and schooling that liberates the goodness and genius of all children and invites and nurtures the power and creativity of the human spirit for the world. The question stirs deep and often latent passion in those of us who are devoting our professional lives to education. What would it take? How does one even begin to conceptualize the journey let alone chart a course toward such a vision? The Power to Transform offers those who are willing to look beyond the myriad of barriers to the possibility of a very different future.

Books on leadership for systemic reform typically offer direction for aligning and connecting the functions of school systems with visions that often speak eloquently to life-long learning, productive work, and global citizenship. Alignment and connection are complex and necessary steps but they do not go far enough. Marshall is dead on labeling the goal of much of what is characterized as reform and transformation as leading us to false proxies for learning--high scores on high stakes tests. As educators we know these limited snapshots are far from evidence of deep understanding, internal authority for learning, and the ability to apply learning in multiple contexts that are necessary to achieve these visions.

So what will it take? Direction, design, rich and compelling stories that offer evidence that such learning environments are possible, and evidence of success from students who have experienced this fundamentally different approach to learning and schooling. The Power to Transform presents a powerful argument for why leaders cannot accept false proxies for learning and offers an alternative future for learning and schooling that embraces the learning competencies needed to thrive in a complex, interdependent, and continuously changing world. Principles of design offer direction, not prescription, that allow for contextualizing processes and structures to operationalize the vision. Marshall draws heavily from two decades of experience in leading the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. She describes a learning journey where she and her staff are learning their way into creating a desired future. The stories of her students who have experienced a more generative and life-affirming system of learning at IMSA speak to thriving in schooling, work, and their commitment to work toward a more sustainable future for our world.

Stephanie Pace Marshall takes the time, and makes the enormous effort, to describe the education system our children need now, and in the future.

This is a difficult and valuable task. Her work is based on 40 years of experience, including the creation and administration of the Illinois Math and Science Academy. Her ideas work - the challenge for us as readers is to think about how we are going to implement these ideas in our own schools and communities.

This is an extremely valuable book for anyone who wants to engage in the transformation of schools from their current model to one which will meet our needs for the future. It is especially valuable for educational leaders, administrators and school board members who guide our school systems. It is inspirational for the many of us who wish we knew what to do to help improve education.

However, it is not an easy read. It takes some effort to absorb Ms. Pace Marshall's new language for her ideas, but, it is worthwhile. I found myself taking notes, brainstorming with colleagues and thinking in new ways as I made my way through. I wish you an equally exciting read.

THE POWER TO TRANSFORM: Leadership That Brings Learning and Schooling to Life is a brilliant and compelling book -- must reading for anyone interested in transforming today's educational system into one that truly meets the needs of 21st century children and 21st century society.

Marshall points out that the model upon which most of today's schools are based reflects society's present priorities of practicality and immediate usefulness. Children are looked upon as beings with innate learning deficiencies, and the job of education is to fill their minds with facts and attitudes that will be useful in present-day society. This approach does not equip today's children for the world of tomorrow. As Marshall put it, "A world dominated by excessively competitive and acquiring minds who cannot think holistically, systemically, long term, and wisely is dangerous. ... Exploration, creativity, imagination, passion, wonder, and awe lie at the heart of life and learning. They must also be at the heart of schooling."

The remedy that Marshall proposes is to use the principles of living systems as design principles for creating a "new [educational] story" -- creating "learning communities" that are "naturally autonomous, open, creative, self-organizing, connected and adaptive." Rather that trying to pour dry facts into the heads of bored, disengaged children, the approach is to excite and enthusiastically engage them by having them explore real world issues and problems -- "problems that matter." In the process, the children gather the facts they need, and are receptive to learning new skills (reading, 'riting, 'rithmatic, and more) because they realize that they need these tools to analyze, solve, and report on the problems they care about.

"Great questions" are another focal point in Marshall's approach. She calls them "portals to a future of unknown possibilities." Her advice to students is "Ask questions that matter. Ask questions that make a difference. Ask questions you love so that as you live your life seeking the answers you will find joy." She lists 28 "big questions for deep learning" that relate to her four pillars of learning: learning to know, learning to do, learning to be, and learning to live together.

Marshall stresses that this new approach does not abandon standards, formal curriculum, instruction, evaluation, measurement, or assessment. But old approaches to these matters have been transformed into ones that reflect the changed values which underlie the new schema.

This book is rich and deep, and almost every page had me saying, "Yes, yes, of course!" Marshall ends the book with the following call to action: "Please do not wait for others. Courage is the capacity to claim what we imagine. If you are carrying this new story in your heart, now is the time to step forward. There is a place in the world for your unique voice, and it carries a message that must be heard. Start anywhere, but begin the conversation, and tell the new story that brings learning and schooling to life."

So many books on school leadership--haven't we all slogged our way through them?--are manifestos from those who tell us with great certainty and authority what we must "know": how to realign building resources, institute new management beliefs, and instrumentally refocus strategic goals. Again and again these books disappoint. They are unreal technical manuals that do not address the deep, dysfunctional paradigms that underlie our current educational system: that students are containable, defined units to be filled with knowledge, that competition and external prodding inspires profound learning, that learning itself is linear and predictable. Using narrative--the power of story--and her own experiences of being transformed through leading, Marshall proposes a new model of generative school learning based on abundance. (So little in our educational system is based on an assumption of abundance, the idea itself is almost startling.) Marshall says that instead of regarding the learner reductively and mechanistically, as we tend to in our day-to-day interactions and in larger educational policy, she invites us to rethink our work and learn to tell a new story about ourselves, one that reflects that:

Learning is shaped by personal purpose
Ability is multidimensional
Holistic engagement of all the learner's senses and feelings is essential for real inquiry (p. 81).

This doesn't sound like many high schools I visit every week, unfortunately, where learning by compulsion, fear, or threat are the veiled order of the day. My hope is that Marshall's book will find its way to many school leaders, those who are ready to look deeply into the fundamental assumptions that underlie their work and the structures of education in America. Especially useful is Marshall's table comparing "current reductive" educational ideas and a new "generative and personalized" vision of learning, teaching and curriculum (pp. 219-225). The table is a remarkably clear, concise analysis of what is, and what might be. Finally, Marshall offers some good words to live by, for any leader anywhere. In a letter to her grandchildren she reminds them that one's life is about:

Your integrity, not your position
Your voice, not your power
Your name, not your title
Your calling, not your career
Your legacy, not your success (p. 214).

I have these words up on the wall of my office, and I visit with them often. Marshall is wise, inspiring and refreshing.

Most education reform today consists of tinkering around the edges of an essentially broken model, of adding more of the same and, inexplicably, expecting things to get better. We are long overdue for a new vision. The Power to Transform provides exactly that.

Stephanie Pace Marshall's impassioned, deeply thoughtful and groundbreaking book on transformative leadership for schooling and learning is easily among the top five books on education currently in print, and the only one I know that gives readers a powerful vision for the future and for true systemic change. It is a guide for those who would lead a revolutionary movement to fundamentally transform American education, even from within their own schools.

Those who have read Thomas Friedman's The World is Flat understand the need for radical change in our nation's schools if the United States is to remain a creative and contributing society among world nations, equal to the challenges that lie ahead. To be successful in this new world, young people need different skills than preceding generations, an engaged relationship to learning (sorely lacking in today's often lackluster and out of touch schools) and ways to connect their capacities and interests to the work that needs doing in the world. Dr. Marshall has tapped the disconnect between what is and what needs to be in education in a powerful and compelling way, through story and through a well-reasoned argument for change. She also provides questions to guide that process at both the grass roots level and within the halls of power.

Endorsements by Howard Gardner, Parker Palmer, Margaret Wheatley and Robert Galvin speak to the importance of this book; it is truly a seminal work and a must read for anyone interested in making schools better for students, for teachers and for the world. I used The Power to Transform last year for a seminar I conduct at Northwestern University, and I plan to use it again this fall. The book was a huge success, and I'm looking forward to the rich conversations and practical school level applications it generates within my next seminar class. I cannot recommend it highly enough! And I love her letter to her grandchildren. I, too, have it up in my office and share it widely.

I think this book is adorable and I love the fact that "rednecks" can have a laugh at themselves. I'm sure there are those that would say this book is politically incorrect.....but I don't agree. The two little kids ages 2 and 3 that I read it to loved it!

This book was recommended at a recent math workshop I attended. It provides great counting fun for young children. It is truly a southern book that mixes southern culture with math. No kindergarten classroom should be without.

An absolute delight! Thank you so much, it is the perfect new baby gift!

This book is so cute. I am going to buy it for all my friends who are having babies. A very cute book. A nice baby present to tuck in with all the other gifts.

A most adorable counting book, lending its southern hospitality, while counting up to ten and back again. Ten Redneck Babies tug at your heart as they shinnie up magnolia trees, gobble down Moon Pies, and lap up buttered grits. The rollickin' verse, accompanied with the extraordinary illustrations makes this book a must read. You will to gather up 'Sounthern Humor and hospitality' that will suggest you read this book over and over again. Whether you're chompin' on watermelon or spending your time trying to treed a possum, this book will stand out in your library and make you know that's it's hard to beat 'Southern Charm'.

Garry Marshall is a true gem in Hollywood. He is a beloved and respected producer/director/writer/actor who never takes himself too seriously to appreciate life and his family and friends. In his own humorous way, Garry tells his story from his humble beginnings to his incredible career in TV and film. He has worked with some of the top actors in Hollywood and it is a total delight to read about the behind the scenes making of HAPPY DAYS, MORK AND MINDY and LAVERNE AND SHIRLEY along with his films BEACHES, FRANKIE AND JOHNNY, NOTHING IN COMMON and PRETTY WOMAN. Garry tells it like it is and doesn't hold back when talking about actors and studio executives. He also admits to his fondness for nepotism. Good timing and luck put Garry in the right place at the right time and he shared his good fortune with his sister Penny Marshall by helping launch her career. The book is filled with insight and revelations. Garry's anecdotes are too humorous to miss. How did they come up with the famous opening for LAVERNE AND SHIRLEY? How did he come to cast Robin Williams and Pam Dawber in MORK & MINDY? Despite budget restraints, Garry was able to create a very memorable opening for Bette Midler in the film BEACHES. It's fascinating to read how Garry created some of our most beloved TV shows and films. When a problem arose with a production, Garry found a solution. He never hestitates to admit to his failures and mistakes and never fails to give credit to others who have supported him. WAKE ME WHEN IT'S FUNNY is inspiring and a great motivator for anyone trying to aspire in any field...not just TV or film. Garry's honest and down to earth insight will leave the reader wanting more.

This book is a joy! Garry Marshall is a fine writer of jokes for stand-up comedians of yore, sitcoms &, apparently, of full-length show biz autobiographies. He discusses his life in an extremely entertaining way. His asides - about moviemaking, camerawork & tips on the directing/producing process - are enjoyable for everyone, not just aspiring filmmakers. There are (truly) laugh out loud sections as well (Two Words: Kathi Wathi)...this is a man who seems to live his life with passion & decency & drive, ALWAYS with the added bonus of humor. Yes, he dishes the "dirt" about his celeb peers, but in a completely non-malicious way. Best of all, here's a man who accomplishes much but doesn't take himself too seriously. Good-humored, good-hearted, crisply written & hilarious. Can't recommend this book highly enough!

Pretty Woman has been my favorite movie since I saw in in the theater at the age of fifteen and since then Garry Marshall has been my favorite director. But Garry proved what a great person he is when I attended a book signing for this book back in 1995. I was only twenty, and pretty much the only young woman in line. Most of the people in line were young men giving him treatments, which really disgusted me. But when I finally got up there I just stared at him, the first thing he said to me was that I was very pretty, so I started crying like the girl that I am. He held my hands and just smiled at me, and I told him that Pretty Woman was my favorite movie and thanked him for making it and told him that I wanted to be an actress, so he signed my book "Andrea a very Pretty Woman here's hoping you Happy Days as an actress." that made me cry as well:) His daughter Lori was also very sweet which just proves what a great dad he is as well.

As for the book, of course it's fabulous! You get to learn behind the scenes info on, of course Pretty Woman, but all his other shows and movies as well. His sense of humor cracks me up, especially when he overheard someone talking about Exit To Eden saying "That movie was so bad he doesn't deserve to be Penny Marshalls father!" I laughed SOO hard at that. Not to mention that you can't help but love a director who thanks his wife at the end of every one of his films.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to know the ends and outs of the entertainment industry from a vetern who knows what he's talking about!:)

A most amazing book about a most amazing man. Follow Mr. Marshall's assertive and generally hilarious approach to breaking into the world of comedy writing - and beyond. The book is a bit of a family affair (forward by sister Penny Marshall, and co-authored by daughter, Lori) chronicling his often hysterical trek from an allergy-laden childhood to the life of a very successful actor, writer, producer, and director. I've had the unique pleasure of meeting this man in person, and he truly is as determined, grounded and compassionate a man as this book reflects...all with that sparkling sense of humor!

I used to think I was in love with Garry Marshall because of his films and sitcoms, but now it's because he's truly a fine person. Read the book and I think you'll agree. If you're a screenwriter thinking about writing for sitcoms, this should be required reading. I'm more of a spec writer, so I just enjoyed the stories and laughs. This is a story of one of the most successful people in Hollywood and more importantly, a good father, brother, son, and grandfather.

I can't say enough about this book. I loved it so much, I inhaled everything I could find by Pinkwater. Although I haven't read it in years, the memories of scenes in this book are so real to me, that I feel like I was there. I still can't eat chowder or gingerbread without remembering the Blue Moose.

Someone before mentioned the line "I AM NOT A TAME MOOSE!" I, too, am prone to saying that--it's got to be my favorite line. My mom read this story to me many, many, many times when I was little. Now I'm 19, and I still make her read it to me. Everybody should read this book!

This book is beneficial to having a stable Canadian child. Even if you are an American you and your child will enjoy this book. The Blue Moose is a character that still to this day makes me comment"Iam not a tame moose". Pinkwater shows a wonderful sense of humor and immagination that you don't see too often any more.

Blue Moose is an excellent short book for kids to learn on. I first read it at the age of 12, when I was reading quite well, but I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I haven't met any other Blue Moose fans other than my friends and myself, and that disappoints me.This book should definitely be reprinted. I am not a tame moose!!!

THIS BOOK MUST BE REPRITED! I remember having a teacher read this book to my class and it was really funny. Who would ever dream up about a blue moose who does the things that he does except Pinkwater. We need more books like this one! I would love to have a copy of this book and of THE BLUE MOOSE RETURNS. Everyone should read this book.

This books answers all the questions one can imagine about C++. It sure eplains the things which are usually not explained by other books. I suggest this book, to all who are interested in learning C++, as a must read book. It is surely a definite guide to good programming.

That review is very misleading. Yes, the authors first give a pithy, concise answer to a question that is not so simple. Of course that is not the full answer. What is a downcast? Yes, the first word after that is "trouble" (which leaves an important impression on the reader's mind.) That is immediately followed by 2 paragraphs explaining it in detail, followed by a programming example that is an entire page long. Then that question is followed up by more FAQs such as "Why are downcasts dangerous." (The answer is "they're like walking a high-wire without a safety net". This is followed by another paragraph of explanation.) This is less humorous and "annoying" than it is analogous to the truth and succinct, while leaving a mental image that the reader can retain after reading the detail.

Anyway, the book is very highly recommended. Every C++ programmer, even a beginner, should have at least 3 books, and this should be one of them. Different books have different styles. Others to consider are a reference such as Stroustrup's, a "tutorial" such as "Accelerated C++", a "hints and tips" book such as "Effective C++", and a basic book such as Lippman's primer. For those with some C background, "Thinking in C++" by Eckel is very good. The book is available on Amazon as well as free by Eckel on the internet.

see similar title by same autho

While this book provides good information on many basic concepts in C++, many of the author's snappy one-line answers are downright annoying. For example:

Q: What is a downcast?
A: Trouble.

Or this:
Q: Why is downcast dangerous?
A: It's like walking on a highwire without a safety net.

Or this:
Q: What is contravariance?
A: The glue that holds OO together.

Many people will find the one-liners amusing, I am sure. Personally I think they are a waste of paper. Good practice should always be making definitive statements in the one-liner, and put the descriptive ones in the paragraph that follows, not the other way round.

To sum up: good technical advice, dubious style.

Excellent reference material that should always be within arm's reach. You can either find a quick answer to a problem, or peruse the book from cover to cover. Answers are fact filled, minimalistic but complete. And sprinkled with humor. Will help make intermediate C++'ers experts

How wonderful is it to see a picture book done in a digital process that does not look like it came out of a Photoshop or Illustrator 101 handbook. This is rich, gorgeous and has tons of soul. As a pretty devout traditional media guy, I must admit that this book is just awesome. Mad Props to the illustrator! Enjoy.

Although Mr. and Mrs. Frank N. Stein love their son, they just can't seem to teach him to be scary. Lessons in how to walk like a monster fail, and they "showered their son with scariness"--but to no avail. In a funny twist, Frankie dresses like a regular boy, gives his parents a hug, and finally achieves his own form of scary. The cartoon-like water color illustrations make the Stein monster family seem gentle, and this tale is perfect for Halloween storytimes since it's comic twists are unlikely to scare even the youngest listeners. Older listeners will be more attuned to the many Frankenstein references, making the story suitable for a wide range of listeners, from preschool through elementary school. Recommended for children three through eight.

great book for young kids. I had to have this one in my
personnal libary

This fun book is a heart-warming Halloween read for the 3 to 7 set. An engaging story with sweet, LOL illustrations. I'm sending this one to my nephews for Halloween and will be a super-star aunt. I always struggle with what to send on Halloween (no candy, no scary stuff); this charming Halloween book was the perfect answer.

Love it! Will buy any book illustrated by Kevan Atteberry! Fun to read, for kids or adults!

This book is a riveting account of the lives of thoughs who changed American politics and foreign policy in the twentieth century. Anyone interested in the rise of America in the world and the roots of her assention to global dominace after World War Two must read this book. Fomkin is a skill writer and historian who takes the tales of significant events and shows how they changed our nation.

This is a wonderfully written book detailing how five exceptional American individuals literally transformed America from a country characterized by isolationism and a narrow, parochial perspective into the major player on the world stage. All five came to age in an America still locked in the self-absorbed issues of the 19th century, yet each grew with the needs of the times to become instruments for monumental change.

The most interesting aspect of this book is the fashion in which the author sets out substantive proof for the "exceptional man" thesis in history. So here we had five such individuals interacting contemporaneously and profoundly changing the world as a result. Of course, this isn't to suggest that they somehow aggressively pounded the world into their chosen image, for nothing is farther from the truth. This was a time when many titans strode the stage, men like Hitler, Churchill, Stalin, Mussolini and Hirohito. Yet the fact that these five succeeded in vanquishing Hitler, Mussolini and Hirohito demonstrates the extent of their accomplishment.

Yet these five men successfully confronted the most urgent and manifest challenges of their time, from FDR's New Deal and transformation of the national government into an active instrument for change. It is no accident that three of the five, Eisenhower, Marshall, and MacArthur, were military professionals, each of whom played an unique and indispensable role in defeating the Axis powers. That each then continued to contribute after the end of the hostilities is more proof of their sense of personal responsibility and need to serve the nation in whatever manner they could. each had a sense of time and place, as well as an appreciation for the unique historical circumstances he found himself in, whether it be MacArthur in Asia, who over decades became a kind of American Centurion, or Harry Truman, thrust onto the national and then world stage most unexpectedly.

In a time like ours, when we are surrounded by public pygmies like Clinton, Gore, the Bushes, Newt Gingrich, and those nine comedians over in Supreme Court land striving to be giants, it's instructive to remember that we weren't always hampered by such venal, self-interested, and morally corrupt leaders. Indeed, it is refreshing, hopeful, and perhaps even a bit nolstalgic to remember that America is not necessarily the eternal land of manipulative mental midgets, and that it once was a place whose titans strode and literally saved the world. Read this book and remember.

I read Fromkin's A Peace to End All Peace in preparation for travelling to the Middle East earlier this summer. This book continues his ability to bring history to life, with details on the diaries, conversations, and interactions of both the known major players in the World Wars, as well as those that were influential but behind the scenes.

I was already fairly conversant in the major events of the time, but even so, Fromkin's retelling is set in a class by itself by his portraits of the leaders of the time: Wilson, FDR, TR, Churchill, MacArthur, Ike. By bringing together painstaking research as well as acectodes, it's amazing to see how much just one man can electrify and fire up a nation -- FDR yanking America out of the Depression, or Churchill stalwartly leading Britain through WWII as notable examples.

This book is sort of an in-between point between Fromkin's almost too-detailed history in A Peace to End All Peace and his recent ultra-summarized history of the world (150 pages, well worth your time) in The Way of The World. I'd recommend them all highly, but in order from most-summarized to least.

In this marvellous book, David Fromkin tells the story of how the United States made the journey from introverted isolationist to global superpower. He begins his account with the Presidency of Theodore Roosevelt, whose accession to office as a result of the assassination of President McKinley must be regarded as one of the most significant accidents in history. The tension between TR's "big stick" internationalism and Woodrow Wilson's more idealistic version is vividly described, and Fromkin does an excellent job of showing how the ideas (and policies) of FDR, Truman and their generation were both indebted to and yet reactions against the ideas of the great scholar-President. America's reluctant path to the centre of the world stage is presented as a mixture of fait accompli, idealism and enlightened self interest. It is a great story, and Mr. Fromkin does it justice. Warmly recommended.

Frompkin pulls all of the major players together and tells a story that fills in the blanks left out of the history books. He also describes why and how these men came together to end, once and forall, European wars. We can truely thank these men for the past 53 years of European peace. We can thank Frompkin for telling the story.