Lincoln Books

It's wonderful to see this back in print again. The LITTLE TIM books are all wonderful stories to read aloud, and Edward Ardizzone's loose and casual-seeming line and watercolor paintings are prefect. Don't miss this treasure!!!! Share it with a child.

This is a picture book in the classic tradition. It is for older "little ones", probably five to eight years. Tim has wonderful adventures and learns a lot from the captain, who is an admirable hero.

As a kid this was the book I wanted to read again and again !

This is one of the best children's books I've read in a long time! My son and I were spellbound by the adventures of Tim, who wants to be a sailor. Both words and pictures create such a nautical feeling, you can almost smell the sea air as you read! Very exciting story, too! I think every little boy will want to go to sea after reading Little Tim and the Brave Sea Captain!

I'm very happy with this book. It is a comprehensive review of dyeing methods and of dye formulas.

This book provides valuable information for anyone wanting to dye wool. While it is geared toward rug hooking, the dyeing information is valuable for any craft. To use the book you only need to buy five different colors of dye.

Maryanne Lincoln's Comprehensive Dying Guide is a must have book for the beginner or expert--It teaches the beginner how to dye and encourages the expert to experiment with the dyes.

It also shows how to get all the colors of wool you would ever need using just 4 dyes.

Anyone involved in rug hooking or wool work will find learning to dye wool is the next logical step to producing unique results - and one of the most essential parts of making finished products outstanding. Colorist Maryanne Lincoln has written articles on dyeing for over 10 years: her lesson formulas appeared bi-monthly for over 10 years in Rug Hooking magazine, and are gathered here in a reference explaining each step. Any involved in wool dyeing should consider the Comprehensive Dyeing Guide to be an essential reference which is packed with color images and coverage of a wide variety of methods.

Natalia Lincoln is a new and exciting voice in dark fantasy/sf. I read this book straight through. I went through a "vampire stage" several years ago reading all the stuff by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro and Anne Rice until I burned out. This rekindled my appreciation of the genre - it grabbed me with its new twists and excellent writing. The characters are compelling and tortured, the plot advances at breakneck speed and the ending delivers. I read and write historical fiction and Lincoln did her homework in the Medieval sections. The historical and modern detail is vivid and accurate, making the brooding castles of Eastern Europe and the gritty streets of modern New York characters in their own right. Highly recommend this book.

Remember when the words "East Village" used to strike terror in your average suburban American? Conversely, the semi-apocalyptic landscape of Alphabet City, Tompkins Square Park and CBGBs was a magnet for fringe artists, punk rockers, goths and other members of 1980s and early 90s counter-culture; it's precisely this twilight world of music, art and the forbidden and esoteric where Natalia Lincoln's tale of vampires, fate, and redemption unfolds.

Lincoln's characters are all living on some sort of edge -- marginal, overlooked figures by the standards of mainstream society. When prophecy, music, magic and bloodlust catalyse a reaction between these very different New York City misfits (Miercurea, a centuries-old vampire and ruthless killer -- Mari, a sensitive and passionate student of classical music and history -- and Slain, a teenage goth beginning to explore the Manhattan deathrock underworld as he comes of age) we're taken on an unforgettable ride through the New York of the 80s and 90s and further to medieval Eastern Europe and beyond.

"Vampire books" are often plagued by overly-pretentious purple prose which reads more like bad romance pulp than historical fantasy, but there's none of that here. Lincoln's language is immediate, forceful, and visceral -- like sex that's just rough enough to be exciting, while passionate and sincere enough to keep you coming back for more.

From the first line I was hooked. I'm a pretty fast reader....when the book is good. I actually had finished the first four Harry Potter books in relatively 4-5 days. Well, I tore through this one. Lincoln has a way of writing that makes you see the scene she's painting, not the words on the page. Her language and plot devices are best compared to a decadent gourmet meal with many layers. Each stands fine on its own, but when all the flavors are combined together, it's an explosion of ecstasy for the senses. I savored each "bite" and upon finishing, found myself wanting more.

One of the most interesting elements of this book is the span of time it covers. It starts in modern day New York City and moves back and forth between there and Medieval Hungary. For a lot of us, I do believe this is getting the best of both worlds! The two storylines inevitably gravitate towards one another, the tension mounting as the hidden connections come revealed.

Of course, there are your typical elements that make a great dark fantasy: swords, vampires, epic battles against rivaling kingdoms....but Lincoln throws in a dash of dark Faerie Tale that could have been dug out of a Brother's Grimm volume.

I greatly enjoyed this novel and have read it twice already. It comes highly recommended by me.

I loved this book! Finally a different kind of vampire story where the victim is empowered. Surprises wait here. And suspense. There's more to the victim in the book. The descriptions and writing fills the senses. Great ride.

Micheal Weisser is the Cantor (and de facto Rabbi) of a congregation in Lincoln, Nebraska. He's had a rough childhood, been in prison for a while, but now he's a devoted husband, father, and step-father, and part of a growing community.
Weisser is aware of the hate groups in Lincoln, but when he gets nasty calls from a member of the Nebraska KKK, he tries a radical method. He approaches the racist bigot as a friend. This bigot turns out to be a lonely diabetic whose now half-blind. He joined the KKK because nobody else offered him friendship. Larry Trapp, the Grand Dragon of the KKK, quickly sheds his racist ideologies. Slowly, Trapp, Weisser, and others start reaching out to racist kids in an effort to neutralize all the hate groups that are recruiting them.

I was in Junior High in Lincoln, NE when this story happened. I spent most of my time junior high and high school discussing Larry Trapp and the Weisser family. I was fortunate enough to have Cantor Weisser speak at a candlelight vigil I held during my senior year in high school. This is an amazing book.

I was a member of the Congregation in Lincoln ten years ago, and knew Larry Trapp personally. This book is a great insight into how I remember the situation, and to that great deed of Cantor Weisser. I recommend it fully to everyone out there. It will help you understand the emotion and meaning Larry Trapp added to our lives.

The first part of this book is a frightening portrait of a dangerous, unstable neo-Nazi. After reading what the book reveals about the personalities of some of these people, racially mixed families might pause before visiting certain parts of our country.
Cantor Weiss's ability to show tolerance and kindness to KKK member Larry Trapp is extremely moving and awe-inspiring. One of the things I learned from this book is that Weiss's capacity for forgiveness actually has deep roots in the Jewish tradition.

Dean Mahin, in his book One War at a time, examines Abraham Lincoln's involvement in the diplomatic efforts of his secretary of state, William H. Seward. Mahin makes an intriguing claim at the outset of his book - that the policies of the Lincoln administration were largely responsible for maintaining the neutrality of both Britain and France, as Lincoln and his secretary of state William Seward "successfully used the threat of war with the United States to prevent European recognition of Confederate Independence..." Mahin evaluates American diplomacy through the lens of multiple diplomatic crises in an effort to support his thesis. Unfortunately, he does a poor job of demonstrating that the efforts of the Americans had such a significant impact as to prevent either the British or the French from recognizing the Confederacy. Instead, he merely proves that Lincoln's government was often focused on conciliation instead of threatening war. Rather than carefully analyzing the evidence, Mahin tends to focus on the details of the story, which makes for an intriguing read, but not an overly compelling one. The Trent incident, in which an American captain flagrantly violated international law by stopping a neutral vessel outside of territorial waters and seizing two passengers, nearly resulted in a British declaration of war on America. Mahin fails to explain how Lincoln was able to turn this concern into a British fear of war - instead, Mahin says, Lincoln was concerned about how to escape the incident without a loss of national dignity and writes a conciliatory letter to the British government to avoid hostilities.

All told, this was a very entertaining & informational book. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a broad basic history of international relations during the American Civil War from an American perspective (as opposed to a foreign point of view). However, the thesis presented at the outset of the book is not as well defended as I think it should be.

Battles and Leaders is the mold for Civil War history, what we expect and want. The 3 Fs, fronts, flanks and feints coupled with leaders fill almost all of our books. Politics is limited to the problems Lincoln or Davis have with the states and congress. International relations are limited to the Trent, Maximilian and the Ironclad Rams. This limited treatment works equally well in the nineteenth century as today.

This book is devoted to international relations during the war. Great Britain is the major player, the most troublesome and interesting. France follows Great Britain except for the Mexico adventure. The balance of Europe is not that important to the story but is well covered.

In 1860, Great Britain and American were not close allies. Memories of the revolution and war of 1812 were fresh for veterans and their children. Additionally, America was starting to challenge British supremacy both economically and politically. Seeing two nations where one had been would have slowed or even stopped this challenge. Popular democracy was not a popular idea with the "ruling class" in Britain. The CSA, in spite of slavery, was closer to their idea of how things should be than the universal white male suffrage of the USA. The emerging middle class and the working class admired the USA and were anti-slavery. This forced Palmerston to walk a thin line as he tried to keep from becoming entangled in a class conflict amid a cotton famine.

The author does an excellent job of introducing the major players, their positions and reasoning. In addition, we get the physical limits of trans-Atlantic communication in the world of 1860. This helps us understand the mis-information problem that caused so many problems.

Chapters on the Trent, the Alabama and the ironclad rams detail the inner workings of both governments. All of this plays out against Lincoln's "one war at a time" policy and British fear of American expansion into Canada. The chapter on Canada is one of the best in the book, providing a complete explanation of each side's position and fears.

British blockade-runners, neutrality and the Union blockade are a book length story. The chapter devoted to this subject gives us an impressive amount of statistics and food for thought. The author concludes and supports the idea that British support of block-runners added months to the war by preventing a logistic collapse of the CSA. Union efforts to force Britain to curtail this meet with almost no support. It simply was not in their best interest and they refused to help. However, this did not stop them from publicly deploring the war and the suffering it caused.

French activities in Mexico and their attempts to support the Confederacy form an interesting sideshow. However, their efforts in Mexico and the on going civil war this caused created sever problems for Lincoln as he walked a thin line considering his historic support of Mexico.

The general European chapter quickly tours the continent, giving us an overview of the major nation's attitude toward the USA and CSA. The majority of the monarchies were not in favor of rebellion and had strong anti-slavery populations. This curtailed any idea of support for the Confederacy but did not translate into support for the Union.

The CSA international effort centers on Great Britain and France but includes Mexico and the British colonies in the Bahamas. All of these efforts fail; the why and how makes a good story and is fully documented. The effort was much larger than it seems but suffered from a number of problems. To often the wrong man gets the job. It is questionable if the CSA had the right man for the job or even if the Union had the right man. The critique of Adams, Lincoln and Steward is at odds with many histories but very well supported.

Overall, this is a very strong, well-written history of international relations during the Civil War. While it will not answer the questions about how close war or recognition came, it will provide food for thought on these subjects.

"One War at a Time: The International Dimensions of the American Civil War" sounds a bit pretentious at first glance. However, author Dean B. Mahin met the challenge he laid out for himself by writing one of most comprehensive accounts of Civil War foreign policy ever published. Any reader, novice or expert, will gain fresh understanding of our international policy in that era and a new appreciation of Abraham Lincoln's role in development and execution of that policy. This important book addresses a dimension of the Civil War that has been sorely neglected in the literature that tends to focus on battles and individual leaders. New ground is broken by the author who contends that Lincoln was deeply involved in foreign policy while other historians have often minimized his role. Mr. Mahin is well equipped to tread on this ground because his well researched book reflects the authors' insights gleaned from his forty years of service with Federal agencies including the Department of State and the U. S. Agency for International Development. His research led him to diplomatic correspondence, diaries, letters and speeches and these amply footnoted references support his contention that Lincoln conducted a diplomatic balancing act in his dealing with foreign powers, especially England and France. In particular he deals in depth with French intervention in Mexico and how this was countered. Lincoln's axiom of fighting one war at a time is the unifying theme in these discussions. Further Mahin brings an insightful writing style that lends new understanding to subjects that have been covered by other authors such as the "Trent Crisis" and the "Alabama Claims." His chapter titled "Cotton is King" provides an outstanding summary of Confederate finance, diplomacy and trade of this important commodity. In short, this is a "must-read" book for those who wish to enlarge their understanding of the international dimensions of the Civil War.

Well out of the 30 odd books I have read in the last 2 years on the Civil War and politics leading up to the war, this was one of the better books.
It shows Lincoln as an able player in foreign relations that he was.
The style of writing, and the fact that each chapter deals with an almost different topic, makes the book for a very good read. There is no getting bogged down with this book, and this book should end up on you not finished list.
When I about about 1/2 through the book I was already looking to see what about books this author had written.

This is a very nice and entertaining work on a fascinating subject. Cushing has done his homework, preserving a bit of Cuban heritage that otherwise might have been lost to history. A fine book for any artist's collection, or just to flip through on a rainy day at home.

I'm a Reagan-loving conservative, but I've got an enormous fondness for communist propaganda art. I went to see Mr Cushing's talk at Black Oak Books in Berkeley on June 30, and his passion for the subject in person was infectious. Certainly, in his brief talk to give some historical context to the posters, many in his audience -- largely Berkeley radicals -- shuffled uncomfortably in their seats when he suggested that "things aren't perfect" in Cuba, but while Mr Cushings general support of the Revolution in Cuba was really quite secondary to his brilliant -- and inspired -- explanation of the history of these fantastic works of art.

The book itself is simply beautiful -- with scores of pictures representing each of the major poster styles produced in Cuba since the Revolution. There is sympathy for the Revolution, but no preachyness about the glory of equally available state-rationed asprin or the easy equality of justice in the tropical gulags.

But the book is only about the revolution to give these art works context. It is a book about the brilliant visual artists who provided the color and design splash to their Communist revolution. Each of the posters is a visual treat -- I especially like the Army Chess Tournament poster (a hand-grenade forming the body of a Knight) and a few of the abstract Vietnamese-solidarity posters.

Mr Cushing has done a fabulous job learning about the authors of the posters and he has made a brilliant first effort to understand and celebrate communist poster art in an increasingly non-communist world.

Once you get beyond the tedious and slavish devotion to French Belle Epoch posters among the poster art chattering class, there are too few great poster books as it is -- even of WW2 propaganda posters -- this clearly ranks among them. And to have it be about such a great and underrepresented area of poster knowledge is doubly terrific.

This is a first rate art book and a first rate history book. And if you like poster art at all, this ought to be on your shelf.

Viva Cushing!

This book has excellent Cuban revolutionary art in it... Page after page covering many different artists and styles... My favorite piece is one which has a man crucified to the dollar sign = $... So true, so true... Money over all, even living a real life... I highly recommend this book to anybody who has an interest in revolutionary artwork since this is very high quality, or a place who does book exchange, or indie book stores to stock it for sell, etc... I'm going to buy this for a friend who is a political comix artist, who I'm sure will love it - Savannah Skye...

Composed of a beautiful assemblage of colors, organic contours, prideful expressions of international solidarity with various exploited peoples, cutting edge graphic design techniques, and politically charged subjects, most of the posters presented by Cushing draw artistically from both the traditions of the broadly based, international design styles popular during the late sixties and early seventies as well as those historical subjects, civic concerns, pedagogical projects, and cultural traditions specific to the newly articulated aims of a developing Cuban socialism. Readers familiar with the design styles popular during the time periods in which the posters were produced will recognize that many of the posters reflect the coloring schemes and typographical advances developed internationally during this time. For example, the San Francisco style of design, comprised of bubbling fonts and vivid color arrangements that graphically mirrored the visual experiences of LSD users and hippy culture, can be found in the work of Fernandez Reboiro and Raul Oliva. Aside from overt political proclamations and anti-capitalist polemics, there to exists a wide range of stylistic inventions, visual juxtapositions, humorous `in jokes' and embedded satire. In describing the thematic cohesion of the selected posters, Cushing also brings attention to the surprisingly "low quotient of socialist realism-the relative absence of heroic, amped-up superworkers and production equipment so prevalent in the revolutionary artwork of the Soviet Union, China and other communist countries." Not only an intensely beautiful collection of historically significant poster art, Revolucion: Cuban Poster Art presents an important work that deepens our understanding of Cuban culture, politics, and artistic achievement at a time when the Bush administration intensifies its venomous attacks upon all things public, collective, non-commodified, and autonomous of U.S. militarism, aggression, and imperial supremacy.

This beautifully compiled text constitutes a rethinking about Cuban aesthetics that expands and challenges rather than limits our understanding of the role of poster art in the social transformation and historical trajectory of a problematic yet dynamically contoured socialist project; the meaning and significance of which is of vital importance to those deeply concerned with the articulation and formulation of an ethico-political vision rooted to the struggle to obtain basic social provisions, expanded forms of dignity, and socioeconomic justice for those people and countries historically rendered silent under the cacaphonic chorus of imperial capitalism's triumphalist babble.

The pedagogical importance of such a work derives in many ways from its potential to rejuvenate and widen our understanding of the cultural and political life of Cuba. Secondly, having been archived, researched, and designed by a librarian whose active commitment to transforming both the library profession and reorientating reductionist perceptions regarding Cuban culture toward a richer, more nuanced reading, we're better able to appreciate the quality of the book and its contents from multiple perspectives.

In these intellectually uncritical times where the shallow end of ideologically suspect, Manichean binaries continue to render pluralistic and reflective forms of dialogue and investigation mute, Cushing's book represents a refreshing rupture with conveniently amnesic and unreflective standpoints regarding Cuba/U.S. relations. In order to further our knowledge of Cuban political and artistic culture without the cemented weight of baseless hysteria and moral absolutism's as is commonly constructed and circulated by those Yankee imperialist supporters and pro-globalization apologists in both the "politically quarantined" academy and corporate media; scholars, journalists, cultural workers and educators must begin to extend their understanding of Cuban/U.S. relations beyond merely the accented points of the dominant, either/or rhetoric that ultimately functions to mute alternative and radical readings that bring to bare the complexity of ideological and material factors.

"Why is this rose that enslaves gardeners? . . . Why, in short, does everyone love a rose, and what has it to offer that other flowers lack?" ~ Graham Stuart Thomas ~

Author Wayne Winterrowd asked thirty-two of his fellow rose aficionados and renowned contemporary garden writers the above question and came up with this wonderful book, "Roses, A Celebration" a collection of personal essays from the contributors. Winterrowd started gardening at the early age of four. He now devotes his time to gardening and writing about gardens after a long-time teaching career in English literature.

For the stunning artwork, Winterrowd collaborated with a fine artist and botanical painter, Pamela Stagg, who won the 1991 Royal Horticultural Society Gold Medal, the world's top prize for botanical painting. Stagg did an arty job in painting thirty-two varieties of roses in eye-catching and vibrant watercolors that readers would find utterly beautiful at first sight. Some of the varieties of roses to behold include "Mr. Lincoln," "The Fairy," "Variegata di Bologna," "Graham Thomas," "Bonica," "New Dawn," "Peace," "Old Blush," "Rosette" and "Richardii."

"A rose is a rose is a rose." ~ Gertrude Stein ~

Each essay is interestingly presented with a fascinating historical information and a personal account from each contributor as they celebrate their love, passion and admiration for a rose, a flower which Winterrowd described as one that has been "treasured since prehistory and that is reinvented in every generation."

"Oh, no man knows
Through what wild centuries
Roves back the rose." ~ Walter De La Mare ~

I highly recommend this book to all passionate rosarians for all its informational contents and not to mention the charming works of art. It is a gorgeous addition to your bookshelves and also a perfect gift to someone who loves roses, who will forever be grateful to the giver.

"Roses are steeped in nostalgia and sentiment." ~ Christopher Lloyd ~

This book is a collection of 33 essays written by rosarians, writers, artists, nurserymen, etc. on their personal favorite rose. It is delightful reading and the book comes at a good time, when most gardeners are settling in for the winter months to dream about next year's gardening.

The majority of the writers here prefer the old roses although there are a few modern ones as well. Graham Stuart Thomas, the great rosarian who died in April 2003, writes about his favorite rose "Souevenir de St. Anne's," Peter Beales recalls "Great Maiden's Blush" which brings back his childhood memories and Christopher Lloyd writes about his love/hate relationship with roses in his garden at Great Dixter. Other writers included are:

Jamaica Kincaid (Alchymist)
Anne Raver (Roseraie de l'Hay)
Allen Lacy (Ginny)
Michael Pollan (Mmd. Hardy and Cuisse de Nymphe)
Lauren Springer (Mr. Lincoln and Harrison's Yellow)
David Austin (Eglantyne)
Thomas Fischer (Mrs. Oakley Fisher, Golden Wings, Darlow's Enigma)
Lloyd Brace (Astrid Lindgren)
Anthony Noel (Variegata di Bologna)
Peter Schneider (Corylus)
Rory Dusoir (Mutabilis)
David Wheeler (Graham Thomas)
Mirabel Osler (Rosa sancta)
Page Dickey (Rosa pimpinellifolia Double White)
Mac Griswold (Veilchenblau)
Thomas Cooper (Betty Prior)
Wayne Winterrowd (Comtesse du Cayla)
Julie Moir Messervy (Learning to like Roses)
Jane Garmey (New Dawn)
Rosie Atkins (Bengal Crimson)
Cynthia Woodyard (Kiftsgate)
Ken Druse (Rosa banksiae 'Lutea')
Thomas Christopher (Old Blush)
Joe Eck and Wayne Winterrowd (Rosa glauca at North Hill)
Tovah Martin (Logee's 'Rosette')
Michele Lamontagne (La Rose de la Paix)
Dan Hinkley (Rosa rugosa)
Fergus Garrett (The Turkish Rose)
Pamela Stagg (Konigin von Danemark)
Joe Eck (Rose Hips)

As a new rosarian, I have been seeking books about roses and rose gardening. This book is a series of essays accompanied by beautifully detailed colored illustrations that I am tempted to clip out and frame for my walls. The book arrived in perfect condition. The essays are thoughtful, poignant, intelligent and witty. Highly recommended.

What attraction do roses have that other flowers lack? Editor Wayne Winterrowd posed this question to over thirty eminent fellow gardeners, gathering their insights and responses in Roses: A Celebration, an impressive and informative collection of essays which tell of special roses and the horticultural decisions which went into the special enjoyment of roses over other flowers. The perfect gift for that rose enthusiast who already has all the basic gardening guides.

It was on time and efficient. Wasn't overly parckaged, thank you for considering the environment!

This is a great book, the best ever written, I am sure, on the very important topic of helping maintain, and sometimes create livable communities in rural areas. The only handicap for owning the book is the rather huge price, $ 86.00, and not discounted by Amazon. We would like to have all our county planning commission members have a copy of the book, but can't afford to do so.

The bible on proper planning. I wish more planners would read it. I am an average citizen who wanted to learn more about smarter land use plans and this book really has great ideas. It is expensive, but well worth the price. Shows how poor our current clear-cutting practices are compared to the beauty of an open space subdivision design. Buy this-you will really learn a lot!

You can still buy this book from the American Planning Association (www.planning.org) for about $60, even though Amazon, and other book stores, have it listed as "out of print."

Ever wondered where the suit and tie brigade known as corporate lawyers originate their quirky self-image? Well look no further. Lincoln Caplan's "Skadden..." is undoubtedly a modern legal classic up there with Michael Stewarts "The Partners". Delving inside the history of Skadden Arps Slate Meagher and Flom LLP is congruent to understanding the changed corporate world. From Joe Flom's initial proxy battles and rivalry with Marty Lipton to multi-billion dollar, cross-border transactions to the evolution of the new breed of corporate law firm. Skadden's history is inseparable from that of Wall Street and business in the US since its post-World War II founding and as a consequence is a must for all those interested in business as well as those interested in a legal career. A great no holes barred look into the modern law firm.

Mr. Caplan has gracefully provided readers with an exquisite portrait of the life and times of a twentieth century law firm. Compelling and balanced, the book joyfully tracks the highs and lows of a group of "young turks" who have defined what it means to be a lawyer in corporate America. I am grateful to Mr. Caplan for the time he put into this project, as it gives tremendous insight to law students as to how a law firm operates and what the culture of a law firm embodies. This book is worth reading, worth printing and well worth recommending. Caplan's Tenth Justice, his recording of the Office of Solicitor General is brilliant as well. Joe Flom and Sheila Birnbaum and the rest of the Skadden crew can rest easy as the bard who records their triumphs and tribulations does so with zest and intelligence.

Skadden is an excellent history of both the rise of the modern law firms as well as one of those firms which epitomized that movement. Lincoln Caplan uses an indepth analysis of the practice, politics and people of Skadden Arps to analyze how and why law firms, which had traditionally been small parterships have since grown into businesses as large and competitive as many of the corporations they represent. The story is very well written and insightful and it is obvious that Caplan did extensive research both inside the firm and in legal libraries. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in legal history and it is a good insider's guide to people who do not have experience in a law firm, but are considering working in one or are simply curious what goes in them.

There's usually something important to be learned by the absent minded habits of the great and powerful. This book includes one about Joe Flom: He likes to fill the margins of his notes with tightly wound, intricate geometric patters that are uniquely his own design. The author doesn't read much more into it, but there's no reason we readers can't. According the author, Mr. Flom can also be a little brusque in private.

For law students in particular, this book is a good dose of reality if they are wondering what it's really like to work in a big firm. Interesting critique of the usefulness of this book: I recently asked a Skadden associate (not in their NY office) how he liked this book, and he had not read it. He had to look it up on the firm's website to determine what I was talking about. So this book can help the non-Skadden population understand the Skadden firm perhaps better than the firm understands itself. That would be the ultimate tribute to the author, and a Delphic oracle to Skadden's leadership.

Since reading this, I cannot help thinking of Joe Flom whenever I'm trapped in some boring meeting, or sidelined in court, waiting for my case to be called. "Can I doodle as well as him?" I ask myself. Then the case is called, or the meeting accelerates, and--poof!--the evanescent reminder of old Joe Flom disappears along with it.

They were captivated from the very opening when Mary was the only survivor of a lightening strike. The fact that Mary made her first major discovery when she was only twelve demonstrates to children that it is possible for them to achieve great/important things. My girls were so interested in paleontology after reading this book that it has spurred them on to learning more about Mary Anning, fossils and evolution. They have since gone fossil hunting and were thrilled to be just like Stone Girl, Bone Girl!

This book introduces children (and adults like me!) to an inpsirational scientist. The artwork is superb and the story of a 12 year old girl who makes an important scientific discovery is captivating. I recommend this book for any child who is interested in science, paleontology, history, or art (or who just likes a good story!)!

There are a few picture books out about Mary Anning! All of them are good, but this is THE ONE to read to younger kids! The illustrations are vibrant and colorful. The story is punchy and fun! Kids will be amazed by the story of a young girl who gets struck by lightning as an infant, survives, and as a child finds the fossil of one of the world's largest dinosaurs! It's all true! There's even a dog companion! Buy it and read it to your kids, they won't soon forget it!

I can't remember a more beautifully written children's book since my children were born. The way the story was told was so simple and yet so powerful, I have no hesitation in recommending this to anyone with children. I read it to my 3 and 5 year old girls and they ask for it every night. Simply beautiful.