States Books

My alumnae group read this book to 3rd graders at an inner-city school and the kids loved it! We had a map and games to go with it and the program was a big success. I highly recommend this book for teachers.

My daughter told me that my young grandchildren love this book and the humorous way it was written. I found it through the reviews in here and wholeheartedly agree with the good ones and thank everyone for posting them. I haven't gotten to read it myself, as they are in another state...but I can assure you, it is a book to include in your little one's library! :D

This is a fun book and is a good way to get familiar with the States. My son enjoys reading it.

A hilariously told and illustrated story heart about appreciating where you are from and what you have. 'Scambled is a unique take on being in a state of discontent . Each State has its own (harmlessly and comically stereotyped) characteristics-- Wisconsin loves cheese, Texas hollers "YEEEHA!" The illustrations playfully keep your eye moving (the spreads are FULL of tiny side jokes) and the story keeps the pages turning. Lost along the way (and maybe why it's so successful) is that the reader will have learned some geography along the way. What an entertaining, engaging way to present fact and nonfiction to a child! A perfect companion to kids who are starting to learn about our country.

This book was fantastic for my 2nd grader to learn the names of the states. We started each state lesson by doing the Melissa & Doug USA Map 51-Piece Floor Puzzle. Then we would read "The Scrambled States of America" while the puzzle was made, so we could check where each state is located that the book mentions. After a day or two, my son loved to put together the Melissa and Doug USA puzzle, because it wasn't just pieces. Each state had a personality. So instead of just putting together a puzzle piece, the pieces would talk to each other. Nevada would be in one hand, and Mississippi would be in the other. "I love you", "And I love you". "I'll write to you every day. Bye" "Bye". Then he would put Nevada and Mississippi in their respective places. I should make a video of my kids doing the puzzle. It is hilarious. Even my four year old would get into it and talk about how Nevada and Mississippi were in love, and Arizona did not like the ocean ruining her hairdo.

This edition lits the hits that most people forgot! I was looking for info on one it wonders and other fun trivia that we could enjoy at work. This book was it!

This is a great book for laying musical artists and song arguments to rest.It is also very informative and fun to read.

For some reason this book is very hard to get in the UK (a bit like a good train or bus service). Hence the need to purchase it from the international site of Amazon. Once obtained it is very useful.
It now also seems difficult to get the UK version, so good luck if you are hunting for either.

An excellent reference for any music enthusiast wishing to narrow his or her research. Well written, informative and accurate. Another typical Whitburn product worth every penny. The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits (Billboard Book of Top Forty Hits) 8th Edition

Supplement this one with his Billboard Hot 100 Charts (The Sixties) Billboard Hot 100 Charts - The Sixties. And lastly, while we're still in the 60's music Era, don't forget Whitburn's Bubbling Under The Billboard Hot 100, 1959-2004.Bubbling Under the Billboard Hot 100: 1959-2004: Joel Whitburn Presents

You can't go wrong here. The research he's done in these references to ensure accuracy and simplicity is incredible.

The 8th Edition of "The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits" is another winner. Those familiar with this series already know that this book will be an outstanding research tool for radio stations and music collectors. The 8th Edition, written by Joel Whitburn, is another "must have" for anyone serious about music chart performance. Joel's reputation for compiling and publishing chart data in an interesting and useful format is well recognized, and this edition covers the entire time span of 1955-2003. Whitburn's books can get so much use as valuable reference tools, that it's easy to wear out the binders. Can't wait for the 9th edition!

I read portions of this book aloud to several people and with no exceptions grownups and children alike, it touched their very souls. I found it in an elementary school library but just had to have a copy of my own after I read it. It is a quick read as well as a must read. It will change your entire life view about the importance of reading and writing and learning. I can't say enough about this book. Read it. You will immediately see what I mean.

"Clottee get me food!" Think if you were a house slave how you would feel like a piece of meat always being bossed around and made fun of. If you want to read a book about a slave girl this is the book for you.
A Picture of Freedom is a Dear America story, like you would have never thought. You might think she is always tired and sad. However she works day in and day out just to stay alive. This girl Clotee wants to be like others as free people not a as a slave. She wants freedom. Her friend Spicy and her aunt Tea respect her. Furthermore one day she thinks about running away. Then she thinks if she runs away and gets caught, she might be killed. If she stays here at the plantation her life will be rotting away and working for nothing for the rest of her life. So what would you do if you were a slave?

I picked up this book because I am interested in slavery and Dear America. What a great read! Having to use "thinking squares" for it the first time I read it didn't ruin it for me. Clotee is likable, intelligent, and respectful to older slaves. The ending is not stereotypical (no more details given). My only complaint is its portrayal of slave owners (they are people just like the rest of us), but I see where Clotee would get that negative perception of them. I recommend it to pretty much anyone!

Clotte, a twelve year old slave girl at Belmont Plantation in Virginia, has been reading and writing as long as she was fanning for her Master's son during the hot summer months. She hasn't told anyoone about it, not even her mother figure, Aunt Tee, or father figure, Uncle Heb. A new slave was bought by the Master and to Clotee's suprise she was muscular and pretty at the same time. Hince, Clotte's brother-friend, had feelings for her and they started to court in the cooler and winter months. Hince was a jockey for the Master and he had never failed Master Henley until a team from Richmond bet that thier horse could beat Big Can, Hince's horse. One of them drugged Big Can and Hince lost the race, therefore having to be sold to the Richmond team who was moving to the Deep South where slaves had it even harder than in Virginia. Spicy and Hince couldn't handle being apart and ran away. This made Clotte think she needed to help slaves that were going to be sold to the Deep South or that were going to be sold to anywhere else. Clotte had the aid of Master's son, William's abolitionist tutor mentor. However when he was forced to leave and attempting to shut down the Underground Railroad passage through Belmont Plantation, Clotte felt that she needed to keep it open since it was so important. This book is good for any adventure reader and it helps to understand the way that African American slaves had it back in the 1850's and '60's.

This is a wonderful, heartwarming story that is perfect for introducing the plight of slaves to children without frightening the children to death. Clotee, though a slave, retains power from her masters by learning to read and write and keeping a hidden diary of her observations. Though this is admittedly unrealistic (where is she getting all these writing materials), the power she retains in doing this keeps the situation from ever feeling overwhelming or helpless to the child reader.

My mother-in-law lent me this book after I expressed an interst in raising chickens. We also heat with wood, so the woodstove, wood splitting and heat capability from the wood section was very interesting, and informative. I can't wait to read more!!

this is a great book for homesteders and those wishing to live more self reliant.

I was a huge fan of the old "Foxfire" series of books as a child, and the romantic notion of living WITH the land while living OFF the land has never ceased to appeal to me. This invaluable volume has been around for some time, and essentially improves on the Foxfire concept by incorporating pictures, diagrams and removing quite a bit of the "folksiness".

Probably of most immediate use and value to readers would be the section on land acquisition and value. If you're planning to build or buy a home, the sage advice in this section is of immense value. Using natural features to cool in the summer and maintain heat in the winter - for example planting windscreens of conifers and deciduous, the latter of which direct air during their leafing season and allow it to pass when bare of leaves - was novel, and pulled me even further into the other nuggets of wisdom in the later parts of the book.

There's a ton of stuff in here - and, while the book is by no means small, it still amazes me how much is crammed in its 450 pages. Everything from building a log cabin, setting up a root cellar, beekeeping, kitchen gardening vs. full gardening, drying and smoking fish and meats, basket-weaving, stocking a lake with fish to how to ski and use snowshoes is covered. While the passages for each are brief and not comprehensive, the gist of the book is to get you to START - and there's more than enough data here to ensure you do that successfully. As you add these habits and pastimes to your lifestyle, there's further reading you can do.

One of my favorite reference texts and one I refer to often even living in a flat.

Overall a very good book with enough information to let you find out if you're interested in learning more about various aspects of traditional living.

Lots of illustrations and photos and a logical flow of information from the large to the smaller aspects.

If you're dipping your toe into the idea of a more traditional lifestyle this is the place I would recommend starting.

This is a classic on pre-oil skills of the 19th century. It is becoming an important work again. But the latest edition of it is published by Skyhorse Publishing

I have read all of the reviews that have been uploaded as of 5/23/2008, and the purpose of this filing is to summarize the points that were made AND to provide a perspective that has not yet been uploaded.

I have been carrying-around this book for a year, having learned about its author after I listened to Michael provide a speech to a Republican group in the Philadelphia suburbs. My only complaint is that it does not easily slip into my pockets, because there is so much concentrated information that I would want to reference during conversations.

It contains more than a "string of pearls"; it conveys "history with an attitude" which renders it easier to recall, and observations therein have subsequently been noted in other sources, notably the strong civil rights record of the GOP that indubitably dates-back to Lincoln...threading throughout the "narrative" that Republicans have generated for ~150 years.

COMMENTS:

Bruce Rheinstein's review serves to reinforce the history-lesson provided by Zak, amplifying and amending; it is engaging itself, and essentially the book is shown to pass muster when it emphasizes the contributions of the Radical Republicans.

Aaron Z. Gadouas's review emphasizes that Zak provided a timely manifesto and historical overview of the ideas that define the Republican Party, vital reading for activists and thinkers.

Michael Miller's review focuses upon the need to show the GOP has been anti-racist, and it recognizes the ability of Zak's book to help "recalibrate GOP compasses."

Former Diplomat observes that this book has been cited in a Supreme Court Opinion (as a DC "cult favorite") because it debunks myths and probes "simple truths." It should be noted that it has a treasure-trove of references, reflecting the extensiveness of the research that yielded it.

American laments that too few blacks appreciate the GOP's civil rights legacy. That the turning-point occurred in 1964 is probed, for Zak provides insight as to how their current D-orientation could/should be countered.

Patrick D. John considers it to be a GOP-Infomercial, claiming it oversimplifies and elides over key-points (some of which are discomfiting); the author aspires to compose a text (as a Black Republican) that emphasizes the former ("Black") more than the latter ("Republican"). His review should be consulted for myriad details that weren't included in the book, although some are more arguable as quasi-facts than are others.

George L. Lyon praises Zak for telling us the story that mainstream academia would rather just ignore, namely, that the Radical Republicans were courageous and accomplished.

PJ Hunger "Peej" praises the book because it renews excitement, corrects the course and calls for an engaging vigor not seen for a terribly long time; regarding the GOP, we can dust it off, polish it up, get it working again and show it off. The pivotal observation, however, is that the book conveys essential truths that are as relevant now as they were when first articulated and implemented.

Publius condemns the book because, to him, it represents a self-fulfilling prophesy. Allegedly, it starts with a premise and then creates supportive facts. As examples, it suggests that stereotypes applicable 100 years ago are no longer relevant. He forgets, however, that ideologies that generated those behaviors have evolved over time...but have not dissipated. The reviewer recommends Gould's "GOP" for history, but he fails to dispel the thrust of Zak's presentation of the GOP's strong Civil Rights legacy.

Jonathan Jenkins considers it to be of textbook quality, best perceived as serving as a compendium of the GOP's rich history and as a motivator for budding activists.

Karen B. portrays it as brilliantly concise, an observation recalls that Hemingway--when discussing "The Old Man and The Sea"--invoked this short-book as a model for how the best writers know what to edit OUT as much as what is necessarily included.

Jorge Roque praises the book for reminding him of why he's a proud Republican.

Ann Kotelman writes (simply/eloquently): "My friends, particularly the Democrats, are calling me a born again Republican. The book is inspiring, informative and cemented my affiliation with the party and my belief in Republican ideals." This captures, assuredly, the experience of most who have experienced Zak's efforts.

A Customer emphasizes both how replete the book is with nuggets and how well it conveys fundamental Republican principles that he tries to convey as often as possible.

S. Gershberg considers it a must-read because, by tracing the history of the Republican party, it show us where the political system needs to go at the start of the millennium. It contains so much fascinating detail that the reader must remember to try to remember all the concepts that it conveys so effortlessly.

Cathie Adams claims the book will put wind under your wings. As timely as the book may appear now to be (pre-Presidential Elections), it also has a timeless quality.

Bill Carroll says it all: "Michael Zak's book, "Back to the Basics for the Republican Party," is at once a splendid history lesson of our nation and an illuminating dialogue of our political system. Mr. ZaK begins with the events and the ideas that gave rise to the Republican Party. He goes on to explain how the fundamental tenets of the party enabled the Republicans to save the Union, rid our country of slavery and lay the foundation for the modern American economy. Mr. Zak then discusses how the GOP strayed from its principles, allowing the Democratic Party to gain the advantage. Finally, the author provides, through his own incisive analysis, the framework by which the Republican Party can regain the moral and political high ground, and lead America to even greater accomplishments. Nonetheless, this book is neither a dry nor a pedantic study. It is a thoughtful, well-written, compelling and entertaining discourse in the realm of politics. Most importantly, "Back to the Basics for the Republican Party" is a clarion call for the GOP to return to its roots. I highly recommend this outstanding book."

*

I had planned to encompass all the reviews, but the last one was so concisely correct that it cannot be bested by any other reader.

If you're a dedicated Republican and want Sean Hannity style content, Sean's your guy and Michael Zak is not. Back To Basics is truly a brilliant work, chronicling the history of the Republican party from its inception to the present.

As a moderate, I do not always agree with my party line, and am often skeptical of the volumes of political hyperbole to which we are subjected. Zak makes a laudable effort to incorporate information sources, evidenced by a 10 page bibliography, single spaced in 6pt type, and a plethora of footnotes through his book.

This is not a quick or casual read. Zak's attention to detail in his investigation of the past 150 years is evident in every paragraph, though his writing style is universally fluid. It's a hard book to put down, especially if you are not well versed in this topic.

His objectivity is evident in his persistent criticism and evaluation of significant individuals and events that have shaped the Republicans to what we are today. Zak does not hide his disappointment in several aspects of the current state of Republicans, however his admonition of returning to the basics on which our party was founded is the most compelling theme in the book.

Readable, informative, research-based, and a clear call to action, Back to Basics for the Republican Party is not only a chronicle; it is a guide for us to re-energize and to once again become the Grand Old Party.

Michael Zak's book was fascinating and made me wish it was a textbook used for high school and college students. In reading the comments, I see that some things did not appear in his book that were unfavorable to Republicans. That is unfortunate, and more study should be placed beside this book. It is a good read! It'll open many eyes.

As the chairman of the fastest growing and most active Young Republican group in my tri-state area I need books like this to more quicky educate conservatives. Whether candidate, supporter, or voter it is pertinent to understand the core values of Republicanism as well as our rich history. Back to Basics for the Republican Party is a terrific book about our values and history. It is in a must-read for all Republicans. Our principals are ever lasting yet without knowing and applying them we cannot truly unite and maintain the way of life our forefathers fought for. My challenge to every individual and campaign: Purchase, read, and pass around Back to Basics for the Republican Party.

I myself am a Black Republican, so I agree with Mr. Zak that the GOP's history on civil rights has not been fairly told. However, this book makes the same 2 errors that most GOP loyalists make when discussing Blacks and the GOP: 1) they oversimplify the ideology of the early Republicans and abolitionists. For example, notably missing from Mr. Zak's book are the following facts:that Herbert Hoover (Republican) was the first president to refuse to address the NAACP's convention, that Carter G. Woodson-the Founder of Black History Month-became so disappointed with the GOP that in the late 1920's he publicly stated that Blacks should stop being blindly loyal to the GOP, that soon after Reconstruction the GOP condoned the formation in the South of racially segregated GOP organizations, called the Lily Whites and the Black & Tans;that beginning in the 1870's Republican candidates lost elections in some Northern states because the Radical Republicans' idea of perfect equality was not embraced by most Whites, not even by most Republicans; that Lincoln was NOT a Radical Republican, he was a moderate who had ALWAYS discussed freeing the slaves ONLY in conjunction with deporting them to another country, for Lincoln openly declared that Blacks were inferior to Whites; that after the Civil War the GOP was weak nationally-since the founding of the GOP America has had 4 presidents who won by electoral vote but lost the popular vote, and all 4 were Republicans (Harrison, Hayes, Garfield, and Bush); that not all Republicans or abolitionists believed in racial equality, in fact most did NOT, they believed ONLY in ending slavery, and even on that issue they disagreed on the reasons, some were against slavery for moral reasons, others because they feared slave revolts, others because slavery competed with White labor, others because they wanted the good farmland used for more than just cotton. 2) they leave out much of how/why Blacks left the GOP in the first place: Mr. Zak's book does lay blame at the feet of Barry Goldwater, but overlooks the fact that Goldwater's victory in the GOP presidential primary obviusly says something about the views of rank and file Republicans in 1964-national civil rights legislation was clearly not a priority for most Republican voters in 1964, else Goldwater could not have won. Goldwater was just the icing on the cake. Beginning in the 1870's, the GOP began taking the Black vote for granted precisely because the Democrats were such vicious racists. Mr. Zak's book points out how the Democrats were at one point synonymous with the KKK, but he overlooks the obvious political implication for Black voters-if their only 2 choices were between the GOP and the Klan, it was an easy decision. Blacks voted for the GOP because they feared voting for the Democrats, this led to the GOP taking the Black vote for granted as the GOP moved further away from civil rights issues in order to attract more White voters, feeling confident that in doing so it would not lose Black voters. Today, it's the Democrats who take the Black vote for granted, because most Black voters are afraid of the GOP-the tables have turned.

As a Black Republican who is pro civil rights, I think what we need is a balanced review of history. This book is not balanced. Throughout history minorities have been used by the dominant group like a political footbal, and Blacks in America are no different. I'm working with some other Black Republicans to prepare a balanced view of Blacks and the GOP told from the Black perspective, not the perspective of a party loyalist.

This novel is truly amazing. The characters are well developed and the reader truly becomes attached to each one as they undergo their personal trials and tribulations in the days before Pearl Harbor. The work provides an excellent examination of the pre-war Army, a professional army preparing for war, inducting draftees, and operating under a proud system of tradition. The novel is full of great stories, advice, and sayings that are as relevant today as they were in 1941. Serving in Iraq while reading this novel, I was amazed at the very real connection I found with its soldiers; many things have not changed. Again, a great novel that I would recommend to anyone interested in war, the army, or the human condition.

I actually loved the melody of this book; but what it is really a good read for, is it's description of the attack on pearl harbor: This book captures the nuance of that particular moment when the Japanese planes appeared over the houses of Hawaii and the actors all knew while they were in the midst of it, that nothing would be the same again. I also liked the book for its description of Pruett's alcoholism - where Jones intervenes as the narrator/author and decides not to have his character "go alcoholics anonymous", thus guaranteeing certain death for his character - talk about deus ex machina in reverse!

I've read only a few war novels in my day and most of them are about, well, war. Which is interesting and all, but there's only so many ways you can depict war as horrifying and dehumanizing, and the soldiers involved as both heroic and all too human, the command structure as haphazard and detached. So I wasn't looking terribly forward to the prospect of diving into yet another massive examination of soldier life, and yet, that's not really what this is about. Jones' novel isn't so much about WWII as about sitting on the cusp of WWII, taking place in the months just before Pearl Harbor. Everyone is training for a war that may or may not happen, more or less hanging out in Hawaii, killing time in between drills with drinking or prostitutes, living the Army life as best they can. The story pivots around two characters, enlisted fellow Prewitt and staff sergeant Warden, following their separate stories as well where they intersect, and how they interact with everyone around them. Prewitt's tale is the slightly more visceral of the two, he's an excellent boxer that refuses to go out for the team, even though his superiors would very much like him to. They'd like him to so much that they'll go to nearly any lengths to break him, in order to make him fall in line and fit in, with the entire company eventually trying to wear him down. It's a rather frightening depiction at times of the military's somewhat necessary need for comformity taken to a new level, stamping down on anyone who dares to deviate. Meanwhile, Warden is attempting to hold the company together, and pursuing an affair with the wife of his superior officer. The stories of these men collide with everyone else they come into contact with, as Jones vividly relays military life on the base and in the town, detailing the trials and loves the men endure and force themselves into. It's a surprisingly angry book at times, the language coiled and sharp, etching out the duality of the longtimers who both love and hate the Army that nourishes and captures them. The salty language and somewhat brutal scenes are shocking not in how graphic they are but how frank and matter of factly they're presented. The prose achieves a strange jagged beauty in parts, as Jones dives right into the minds and emotions of the men involved. It becomes, as I said, not a book about war but about people at war. Pearl Harbor doesn't even occur until most of the book is over with. It's not the fastest paced book, the early chapters are necessary to set up everything that will come later but you are going to be about halfway through before all the setting up starts to gain momentum but after that it barely pauses. It's tragic and visceral and sort of beautiful in its own way, not because it glorifies but in the way it shows everything, the times when the system beats them down, the small moments of friendship, the way men you depend on with both look out for you and let you down, sometimes in the same moment. Surprisingly readable despite the length, it carries a fire and passion that most books can't even approach. Probably one of the best military books ever written that doesn't involve long descriptions about how a gun works.

In my humble uneducated opinion, this book is superior to the film as is usually the case. But the movie is STILL a classic, so don't get preturbed at me for sayin' that. It's by and large one'a my favorites, but you don't get the FULL impact of James Jones' story unless you read this book. And while it is LONG as hell, it's worth it. I'll be honest, I was so intimidated by it, I bought it and didn't touch it for a year; I'd never even ATTEMPTED a book that was 800-plus, but when I finally got up the courage, I was hooked by the third chapter. Of course, like most people my age, I had the preconceived notion of how I viewed the characters from the movie, but, trust me, that doesn't water down the incredible impact of the way the book unfolds; it clings more to tragedy and despair than the film, and truly encapsulates Jones' theory that the world stops to mourn no man. He puts you right there for everything; the corruption, the favoritism, the "treatment", the hookers, and many other controversial, politically incorrect topics that the mere mention in this review would be censored. Fifty some years after its first publication the book still feels scandalous. The stockade scenes for instance which were only briefly implied in the film are brutal to read.

But what's really REALLY great is the way Jones puts you in the mind of each and every character, even the ones we're supposed to despise, like Sgt. Galovitch or Dynamite Holmes, making it not so "black and white" like the film was (literally and figuratively). Everyone is a human being, whether in the corridors of power or in the messhall cleaning; there is no true villain; characters you latch on to will more than likely do something or say something to enrage you at least once or twice before the book is over; they're all flawed human beings confused and uncertain about their place in Uncle Sam's army. This book is a real, unflinching, highly critical and uncompromising view of the United States Army and Infantry told from the views of the young faceless men serving at the bottom end; accounts which aren't heard nearly enough.

But the most gut-wrenching part to me deals with a secondary character; the long drawn-out scene of Isaac Bloom considering his options before his tragic end. That scene brought real true-to-life tears into my eyes which hasn't been brought to me by a book in a long time. Anyone looking for a deep, involved, beautifully harsh an' thought-provoking read that shows you the pain and indifference prevalent in the life of the modern man, look no further.

From Here to Eternity is a singular reading experience: gritty, raucous, desperate, raw and, yet, ultimately sublime. James Jones fields a superb cast of characters with which relatively few novels can compete. More than once, it reminded me of Catch 22 (without the intended absurdity) - Pianosa set down in a peaceful Hawaii just prior to Pearl Harbor.

Distractingly, there are times when the author is guilty of pontification. There are stretches which seem entirely gratuitous. The two protagonists, Prewitt and Warden, elsewise dynamic, can wax numbingly philosophic. But, by the middle of the book I was captive to a steadily mounting anticipation, the culmination of which plays out true to form - recklessly, brutally as the soldiers of G Company ready themselves for war.

There is a quality of novel which can best be described by the wistfulness with which one completes it. I was sorry to see this one end. Despite the violence, hard living, bravado and despair, James Jones concludes with hope and endurance. Like Herman Wouk's Winds of War and War and Remembrance, From Here to Eternity is a classic among WWII literature. 5 stars.

Unless you work in the mortgage industry yourself this book is a must read before picking up that phone and calling a loan officer. Even if you have had gotten loans in the past, this book will be the best guide through the, at time seems mysterious/dark, mortgage alley. It is everything you will need to know to ensure and feel confidence that you have gotten a good loan. And that's big for me, to know and be able to sleep at night on a relatively big financial decision. ALL your questions will be answered in this one book. It is all collected and packaged for you. Why spend hours to search online, browse numerous websites and collect this valuable knowledge? It is all right here! It was an easy read too! I personally read it like a novel, the next page seems to answer exactly what I was about to ask. Please read, learn and be a savvy loan consumer for you own sake. It will save you and your loan officer a lot of time, grief and MONEY when you guys are speaking the same lingo.

As a retired attorney, I have read my share of how-to books in various areas of expertise. Many have disappointed for lack of follow through and updating techniques such as online access to the author, with up-to-the-minute links to web pages addressing new areas of concern. Carolyn Warren's incredibly thorough, professional and brilliant comprehensible book lacks nothing in this regard. In fact, I would place this book among the various genres as the #1 book I have read in the last year that has made it possible for me to actually understand what was once an almost impossible mess of information for the layman. Having no background whatsoever in banking, financial management, debt, mortgages, credit, equity loans etc., this was a perfect book for me to rely upon for clear and concise knowledge. Oh, and after reading this book along with accessing her free info online, you will be delighted to know that Carolyn Warren does not just leave the reader there. She actually answers your emails! Yes, an author who cares about you -- long after you have purchased and read her book! You just gotta get this one - she is a star who knows what you need to survive like no one else out there.

I poured through at least 15 books on mortgages. This book is the only, I repeat, only good book out there. While other books may have had two or three "pointers", every page of Ms. Warren's book is worthwhile. Do not go for a loan without this book. Invaluable!

We have bought and sold investment properties for over 10 years in Pennsylvania. We are now investing in million dollar properties in Florida. I was in a book store and saw this book, and thank god I bought it! I read it, and out of curiosity I dug out a few of my old closing statements and good faith estimates, and was shocked at how ripped off I was by loan officers that I thought I could trust. This book was very informative, and that's an understatement. I thought I knew about the lending industry, but I was definitely mistaken. Now armed with so much knowledge, I can't wait to put another loan officer to the test.

I'm about to buy my first house, and I'm so happy I read this book first! I had no idea all these junk fees existed. And YSP? I definately would have been one of the 'stupid' people who blindly trusted my broker and assumed these fees were all standard. I also like how the author goes over each loan type and what type is best for each person. I do wish the author would have included more on how to negotiate, but there's so much useful information, I would still recommend this book to anyone and everyone.

This book certainly has won praise by many amazon.com readers as witnessed by the numerous five star ratings it has received. True, it is written as a fast-paced narrative, and flows well. You might call it an "easy read" as a result. However, if we take it as a work of history, rather than a "war story," it has some faults. The chief flaw in this book is that it lacks context, as do so many of these modern war tales ("instant histories") we find rushed to print seemingly before the smoke has cleared from the ruined enemy vehicles in the wake of US armored columns. Mr. Zucchino unfortunately gives us VERY little background information about the reason for these runs, why they were important, how they were really supposed to topple Sadam, and what they really did. There's very little perspective from above. We get lots of shooting, good impressions of the men involved, and get a great picture of what these mostly young soldiers were required to do, but not much else to put things in perspective, esp. at the high command level. For example: Zucchino has a great description of when the task force's TOC gets hit by a missle or rocket, and the utter confusion and devastation this event caused for men and equipment. However, we never find out more details about the attack--where did the rocket come from? How'd they make such a direct hit? After the battle, did anybody in the Army figure out who fired it and were these "bad guys" taken out? Several places like this in the book make it limited in its scope.

I picked this up to read on a month long travel trip. I ended up reading it in one sitting! Consequently, Im very glad I had also purchased a few other titles on the same topic. I really good read, disturbing and terrifying at times with a great deal of insight, but a great read.

This is hands-down the most compelling book I've read so far on the war in Iraq. It made me late going back to work during several lunch hours because I just couldn't put it down until I finished another chapter.

I think too many people have this image of the invasion being an absolute cakewalk -- this book will put that notion to rest in a big hurry. The soldiers faced some ferocious fighting during their push into Baghdad and Zucchino paints a very vivid picture of it.

Outstanding account of the two Thunder Runs into Baghdad by TF 1-64 Armor (5 Apr 03) and 2nd Bde, 3rd ID(M). From individual tank/Bradley commanders and Soldiers to the brigade and battalion commanders, this riveting account of the battles gives a good view of the planning and execution involved. This shows the gritty side of war at the lower tactical level, bringing home timeless lessons on the battlefield. A great addition to any military professional's library!

Zucchino's book Thunder Run: The Armored Strike to Capture Baghdad seems to be one of teh best accounts of the 3rd IDs "Thunder Run" into Baghdad. I've recelently read a lot of literature on the invasion of Iraq, including excellent books such as One Bullet Away by Nathaniel Fick and Generation Kill by Evan Wright which highlight the Marine advance and feign that helped contribute to the fall of Saddam, as well as other books about the Army's advance, to include Rick Atkinson's excellent account on the 101st Airborne. However, there have been relatively few books out there that have been able to concentrate on a specific battle. That's not to say that its such a bad thing. Many of the books listed above provide incredible insight into the commander's thoughts and the experiences of the troops through the 23 day advance and even the pre-invasion deployments of the 3rd ID to camp Doha, then Yankee, etc.
Nonetheless, Zuccino's book is an excellent overview of the troubles and successes of the Spartan Brigades experiences in Baghdad, the ferocity of the battle, the trepidation and elation of the soldiers, and the brutality that goes with war and the loss of comrades. Immediatley the author is shot en-media-rez into the action during the night that the brigade receives the WARNO and then the hasty OPORD to go to battle. Zuccino then takes the reader on a harrowing adventure of the first Thunder Run which killed or wounded an estimated 1,200 enemy and then the brave decision to move the brigade to the center of the city and hold it.
But the adventure isn't as easy as it seems and the reader begins to understand the complexities of keeping this force alive, supplied, and preventing it from being isolated. Zuccino takes you to the brutal intersections of Larry, Moe, and Curly, Saddam's palace, and the staging point of BIAP, then Saddam International Airport. Zuccino's task, like Mark Bowden with the Battle of Mogadishu, was immense: to study and disseminate the pivitol battle of the war, and he succeeds magnificiently.

I just finished this book tonight. I laughed and cried and couldn't put it down. Every family in todays society needs to read and reread this book as it is all about character and goodness. I am a better person because I read this book. I will read it to my kids immediately!

This book was read out loud to me when I was a 4th grader and it stayed in my mind from then on. It is a true story about a boy whose father dies and how mostly he, but also his mother, and siblings get along after the father's death. The boy is nick named "Little Britches" and earns money to survive in many ways, mostly being a cowboy on Colorado ranches. I have purchased this book for my son as a 5th grader and given it to his friend in 6th grade. The whole series is very interesting, this book in particular.

Oh I am speechless. This is a book full of grace, character, This is the writers real life boyhood and apparently thought he could make a good book out of it. Boy was he right! I could read this book about three hundred times and then maybe think about putting it down! This man had such a life as a kid! man you would think it was fictional but when you know its not it makes you well... Speechless!

This is a wonderful look into how life was... I found myself thinking about the work load on children back then and thinking "and I worry that unloading the dishwasher and keeping their bath clean is too much to ask?!?" Well not any more. A great "classic"

I've read this book twice. Once alone and now aloud to my 4 children. It is such a gift to find books that burrow down deep inside and make themselves part of you. Make you a better you!
Little Britches is such a book. Ralph Moody had an uncanny way of using the sparsest of prose to convey the grandest of meaning. Every emotion is felt in this book and you just become a part of the Moody family and experience. The relationship between Father and Little Britches is humbling to read, honestly. And the way Ralph Moody could write about it 40 years later with such clarity and distinction is a real tribute to the men that they both were. I cried both times. More this time actually. You'll never forget the words "And I became a man"

THANK YOU Ralph Moody.

I also recommend "THE DAY NO PIGS WOULD DIE"

Easy Company from Band of Brothers revisited. Two of the men who became lifelong friends relate their stories. Easy to read and gives you a sense of war from men who were there. They were indeed a Band of Brothers.

Like many veterans of WW2 these two men say they are not heros, that title they insist , belongs to the boys who didn't come home.

Then what are they? They are two enlisted men who fought in some of the most savage fighting in western Europe during World War Two. The charm of this book is that these men are not officers. They were enlisted men. They were not involved in any big meetings or planning sessions. They took their orders and did their job and their shared memoire is that of the foot soldier on the battlefield. From training, through D-Day to VE and beyond.

Strangley some of the parts I found most moving were their lives after the war. When 'Wild Bill' became one of the driving forces behind the reunions that held the Band of Brothers together. Particularly touching the attmepts to welcome back Herbert Sobel. Hated during the war, he was still a mamber of the company. through the wonderful writing you feel you are there as Bill and Babe and the others are confronted by Sobel's sister, after his death. She was insensed over how her brother was depicted by Ambrose. It fell to "Wild Bill" once the chief hell raiser, to explain some hard facts to her, long after he clearly had forgiven Sobel.

These are not plaster saints but tell their stories, warts and all, gamlbing, drinking and girls rank along side battles and jumping and all the rest. Playing jokes on each other, dodging uptight officers and mourning those whom they would call heros.

So why is this getting so much attention? Well it's very well written. Also, well known from the Ambros book "Band of Brothers" and the HBO series these two men, and the other members of Easy Company, 506 PIR have come to represent all those GI's who went to war. We can hear about 10,000 men going into Arnhem or 90,000 going to Stalingrad, but the numbers are too big. We can't wrap our minds around them. But with Easy Company we can. We can see a few men and names and follow their fates through the war and so, by expansion all the others who served in the war. We can't think of 10,000 men. But we can think of Bill and Babe and their buddies and then a few more companies like them and that we can get.

They were members of an elite unit, but other than that they were pretty common. They are two examples of the millions of americans who put aside their lives and comfort and safety and went out to do nothing less than save the world. You know, that seems pretty darn heroic to me.

After watching Band of Brothers, I couldn't wait to read this book by "Wild Bill" Guarnere and "Babe" Heffron. It really gives you an insight into what went through their minds during the hell of WWII, but the most poignant thing is the enduring love and friendship all of these guys still have for each other. It's a lesson we all should learn.

In "Brothers in Battle, Best of Friends", Bill Guarnere and Babe Heffron not only tell us more in-depth stories of their Easy Company exploits but give us a true insight into the bonds formed in battle that most of the rest of us never experience let alone understand. Heffron and Guarnere grew up literally just blocks from each other on the tough streets of Depression era Philadelphia with the same strengths that would see them through the toughest of times during the Battle of the Bulge and the siege of Bastogne during the bitter Winter of 1944-45. We learn of the toughness ingrained into their generation and the street-wise attitudes that lent them the drive to be among the Army's best, the Parachute Infantry. That same savvy enabled them to continue to survive some of the toughest actions and conditions of WWII in the European Theater of Operations.

Bill was a tough sergeant, the prototypical inspirational leader of his men. Leading always by example, he not only lead them in combat but also looked after them like a doting father, especially when meeting Babe as Heffron joined Easy Company as a replacement at Aldbourne, the 506th Regt's. English home following Easy's Normandy exploits.

Robyn Post has done a marvelous job of compiling her interviews of these men not only humanizing each of their personalities but without adding her own to the mix.

If you are interested in first-person information on Easy's exploits in battle with the warmth and humor that only these two B of B can tell them, then please buy this book. Following a more than 60 year friendship forged in the toughest of times is educational, humorous and above all, inspirational.

Brother's In Battle by Bill Guarnere and Babe Heffron was an excellent book. It helped to explain so much of the background material that made up Band Of Brothers. It was so hard to put this book down.