United States Books

I love most of the Little House on the Prairie books, as well as the stories of Laura's great-grandmother, Martha, her grandmother, Charlotte, her mother, Caroline, and her daughter, Rose. I've read every one I can get my hands on. My all-time favorite of the all the series is These Happy Golden Years. This tells of Laura and Almanzo's courtship, and it is so chaste and sweet.

This book definitely belongs on my 10 favorite children's books.

I would rate this book 4.5 stars. It tells of Laura Ingalls years between the age of 15 to 18, and her first teaching job where she goes to live with a family where the wife doesn't treats her shabbily. It's a good story but it mostly told more of her and Almanzo than her teaching.

Although the "Little House" books do not appear to be quite as popular as they were a couple of decades ago, I shared all the books with my grandchildren in the form of audio books. We would listen to them as we drove on both long and short rides. They, and I, enjoyed the first three books(Little House in the Big Woods, Little House on the Prairie, On the Banks of Plum Creek) but then felt the next three were just fair to listen to. When I first started These Happy Golden Years, I heard a grumble or two from the g'kids, but as the story unfolded their listening delight picked up. Soon they were begging me to drive the longer way home so they could find out what happened next. These Happy Golden Years is a sweet love story full of interesting historical facts, plus enough action to keep my grandson interested. The only flaw we found with the audio version of the book is the singing of the actor (Cherry Jones) that did the reading. It was a bit grating at times when she pretended to sing as Pa. (Poor Ma if Pa really sang like that) Other than that it is a five star recommendation.

Now fifteen-years-old, Laura Ingalls can't help but crave getting a job in order to help her family. Ever since her first taste of earning her own money, she is determined to find another position that complements her skills. Besides, with Mary away at college, as much as Laura misses the companionship of her beloved sister, she can't help but feel compelled to assist her family in keeping Mary in a place where she is learning, and happier than ever. To do that, however, she'll have to do what she can to find the perfect job. Now that she has her teaching certificate, she'll be able to do just that.

It seems like only yesterday that Laura Ingalls was racing around the schoolyard with the boys, playing ball and sharing secrets with her friends; now she is basically all grown up, and beginning her career as a schoolteacher. But being a teacher isn't as easy as Laura hoped it would be - especially when many of the students are older than she is. And, to add insult to injury, she's forced to contend with boarding with a couple who spends the late nights hurling insults at one another, and living in miserable conditions. The only consolation is that Almanzo Wilder drives in to town each and ever Friday, to pick her up and bring her to her folks house for the weekend, before she must start another grueling week. It is during these long rides that Laura begins to spend more and more time with the older man. But it also makes her question why he is so willing to drive the twelve miles to her aid each week. Laura is unsure of his motives. She is also too tired and busy to spend much time thinking about them. Instead, she thinks of the paycheck that will soon come her way; and the beauty and splendor of the items she can buy for her family as time goes by.

With each and every book in the LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE series, I have seen Laura get older and older. I have also grown to love her as much as an old friend. Laura is such a responsible, mature individual - quite different from the little rascal she was during her younger years. She seems so caring, and eager to assist her family, and see that her sister gets the education she has always craved. It is so refreshing to see a character who puts others ahead of herself. Like in LITTLE TOWN ON THE PRAIRIE, the reader has the opportunity to learn more about Almanzo Wilder; however, the more you learn, the more you see just how much older he is than Laura, and how strangely the relationship between the two of them develops. Another winner from Ms. Ingalls-Wilder!

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

"These Happy Golden Years" is one of the best books I have ever come across. (And I have come across a lot, so don't doubt my taste!) Everything is detailed in an interesting sort of way, and the emotions and lovering part is kept well under control so it's not an immensely disgusting romance novel but not exactly a plain sensible book either. Laura Ingalls Wilder allowed the sequence to be somewhat unpredictable but it exemplifies a good plot that a true book-lover would cherish.
The plot is about fifteen-year-old Laura, now leaving home to teach school. It is a rather big challenge as the weeks drag by, but she learns to deal with unruly Clarence, pouty Martha, shy Charles, and the little ones, Ruby and another boy whose name I cannot remember. And at her boardinghouse, she has to learn how to cope with fussy and quarelly Mrs. Brewster, and spoiled baby Johnny. But the highlight of this part is every Friday Almanzo Wilder comes to pick her up to go home and back again on Sunday. When the term is finished, something has happened and soon Laura finds herself subconsciously in love with handsome Almanzo, and he with her. Of course, they don't just go ahead and marry, because a long-time rival of Laura's, Nellie Oleson, is also after Almanzo, and Laura's older snotty sister Mary is taking all her teaching money to go to college and Pa's claim must be fixed up before the winter. But these things soon pass, and Laura learns the joy of early womanhood as she and Ma make dresses, Laura learns how to deal with money, and realizes Almanzo is really the guy for her. And soon they are engaged. And that is just the beginning of a whole new chapter of Laura's life as a pioneer of America.
This heartwarming little book provides all the things you could want, some romance, a girl's troubles and hopes, and most of all, a glimpse to the daily life which we now look back to as precious American history.

I bought this book as reference material on the advice of an architect friend. He told me "If you need help figuring out the style of a house then buy this book" and he showed me his copy. He was right. The book is well organized which helps compare styles quickly and the many black and white pictures of houses that the author uses as examples are great because the b&w contrast helps your eye focus on details. This a great book to have in any architectural office. Its great for novices and experienced alike.

As a writer, you need lots of details to keep the reader interested, and this book has details on houses most people wouldn't know. Of course, if you give no details the story is not interesting, and if you give wrong details, some reader will know it and be disapointed. A book like this can be invaluable.

Great book!!! I'm using for my company to get a true representation of many styles for many of the house I'm designing. A great resource for any firm!!!

great at housing history
great describe for the house component
good picture to show handy book to show at real estate

After some introductory chapters on the history and theory of homebuilding, the McAlesters commence with descriptions of the different styles. Each major style is described with a large stylized diagram with its identifying features labeled, a description of the major subtypes, descriptions of the style's unique elements, a paragraph on the frequency and locations of its occurrence, some historical comments, and then dozens of black and white photographs. The styles are ordered roughly chronologically, from native dwellings and colonial houses in 1600 to the neoeclectric houses of the 1970s and 1980s. (Even my 2006 printing ended with the 1980s.)

I read the field guide cover to cover - something I never before done with a field guide. By the end, it seemed repetitive, but overall I was impressed with almost everything about this book from the introductions to the last diagrams. Every time I travel though a historical neighborhood, I am glad that I read this book.

This book was hilarious from front to back! Most would consider this insightful, funny, and one could quickly forget that the author is speaking about a preppy cult! I can say that because I am southern belle, and people stereotype us southern's as well. I love the fact we all live in American and from East to West each culture is different! God Bless American.

I ran into this book in 1982, when I transferred from a small college to a major university-not because I wanted to be Preppy, but because how it had absolutely consumed the majority of the student body to BE as Prep as possible-and it couldn't be avoided, no matter how hard one tried to ignore it. While the book was meant to be somewhat satirical, the impact it had was huge at that time, increasing and encouraging an already present 'us VS them' mindset that I think persists to this day. It's a good book nonetheless, and I'm surprised that a updated/revised version hasn't come out by now. But I shudder at the possible impact that would have.

For those of us raised slightly below true "prep" status--good public schools, went to country club with friends (family too poor for own membership), prep clothes from consignment stores...this book helped us to fake it well. Everything in this book still holds...if one wants to fit into "good" society. Parts are good for a laugh, though, because in our thankfully diverse modern society, it seems antiquated to suggest that one needs to be either White, Anglo-Saxon, or Protestant (i.e., a WASP)to partake of the casually elegant prep lifestyle.

Growing up on the North Shore of Long Island; I found this book very accurate even though it was written almost ten years before I was born. I joked my mom about how her favorite drink is a bloody mary and how all of our vehicles meet the preppy color code. I look back at a preschool picture and while other kids are wearing Barney and Ninja Turtle shirts; I'm wearing khaki shorts, a polo, and I even have my hand in my pocket! Too funny! Preppy definitely starts at a young age and lasts a lifetime. Even if you're a prep and you don't meet all the stereotypes, you're sure to find a little bit of yourself throughout the pages.

This book is timeless. It was written before I was even born and much of it still holds true. Some of the references are dated, but most of the material is relevant and funny. It's a nice book to have out on your coffee table for guests to browse through for some light amusement.

I actually paid a little more for "nice" copy of the book. Perhaps it will be a collector's item someday. It is a perfect snapshot of the yuppie suburban family in the 1980's. Seeing as it was written in the EARLY 80's, the material was certainly ahead of its time. J.Crew is still selling madras today, and Lacoste polos are as ubiquitous as ever. The North Face has somewhat displaced LL Bean (mentioned a lot in the book as the "sporty" attire purchased for ski trips..etc). Also SUVs weren't yet on the scene when this book was published.

Great book on the plight of unwanted and abandoned animals and the humans who care enough to do something about it by rescuing them and finding homes for these homeless pets.

I thought it was an okay book, but as I was reading, I found myself skipping through all the blah blah blah to get to the actual animal stories. The stories about the animals were great, but you have to wade through a lot to get to them.

Terri Crisp is a dinosaur and hopefully she has been replaced by more enlightened people. She randomly euthenized every feral cat she came across, proclaiming that ferals are not adoptable and are basically a scurge. Obvioulsy she has never heard of T.N.R. programs. I was very disappointed in this book and in Crisp's actions and can only hope people will NOT use it as a guide to animal welfare. It is just one uneducated womens accounts of her exploits.

This is in response to the post about Terry Crisp's organization being investigated by California's Attorney General's office. This is what's posted on her website:

Noah's Wish Board of Directors, March 26, 2007

We are writing to inform you that Noah's Wish is in the midst of an ongoing civil investigation by the California Attorney General's office concerning funds received by Noah's Wish during Hurricane Katrina. The California Attorney General has taken the position that certain funds donated to Noah's Wish during this period, and its immediate aftermath, are restricted and may only be used for the animal victims of Hurricane Katrina, rather than the animal victims of other disasters or for general disaster preparedness. Noah's Wish disagrees with the Attorney General's position with respect to those funds, but is working cooperatively with the Attorney General toward a timely resolution of the dispute.

In response to the California Attorney General, Noah's Wish has set aside the disputed funds and agreed not to use those funds pending final resolution of the investigation. Noah's Wish is unable to predict when the matter will be resolved. Because Noah's Wish does not presently have access to the disputed funds, it is unable at this time to continue with its efforts to provide disaster preparedness services and volunteer training.

We will provide you with an update once we have resolved this matter.

We appreciate your patience and also wish to express our gratitude for all that you have done to support Noah's Wish in carrying out our charitable mission.

State probe forces animal-rescue nonprofit to close
Queries $8M raised in wake of Katrina
Sacramento Business Journal - March 30, 2007
by Kelly Johnson
Staff Writer
A local animal-rescue nonprofit that gained national attention for its work after Hurricane Katrina, sparking more than $8 million in donations, was shutting down this month amid a state investigation into how it used that money.
Noah's Wish, which rescues and cares for animals in disasters, was preparing this week to close its El Dorado Hills headquarters. About a dozen workers have resigned or been laid off since late last year.
The California Attorney General's Office has been investigating the organization since last summer, examining how Noah's Wish used donations that might have been designated for relief efforts in the hurricane-ravaged area. The probe led to most of the nonprofit's funds being set aside in accounts where they couldn't be used for other operations.
The nonprofit contends the funds were used properly and said it is cooperating with investigators.
The group received millions in donations after news stories showed its efforts in an area devastated by the August 2005 hurricane. Former Noah's Wish insiders allege those millions were intended to relieve suffering in the storm-battered zone but were improperly used for other purposes.
According to documents obtained by the Business Journal from a former employee, an accounting firm hired by Noah's Wish to examine its books concluded that it would be impossible to conduct a reliable audit because so many records were missing from the period when the group and its volunteers were working on the ravaged Gulf Coast.
Documents filed by the nonprofit or provided by the former employee indicated Noah's Wish had about $210,000 in revenue in the year ended June 30, 2005, and almost 40 times that much -- $8.4 million -- in the next six months.
Expenses shot upward, too, from about $212,000 in 2004-2005 to more than $2 million in the last six months of 2005, including almost $400,000 to purchase vehicles. In early 2006, the group bought a storage building in East Alton, Ill., for $65,125 and leased office space in New York City, according to documents provided by the former employee.
Terri Crisp, founder of the group and its executive director until this week, was paid $6,200 in 2004-2005, tax records show. The documents supplied by the former employee covering July through December 2005 indicated Crisp received compensation of almost $141,000.
The nonprofit's board this week acknowledged the investigation on the group's Web site. "The California Attorney General has taken the position that certain funds donated to Noah's Wish during this period (of Katrina), and its immediate aftermath, are restricted and may only be used for the animal victims of Hurricane Katrina, rather than the animal victims of other disasters or for general disaster preparedness," a letter posted online said. "Noah's Wish disagrees ... but is working cooperatively with the Attorney General toward a timely resolution of the dispute."
Noah's Wish has agreed not to use the disputed funds while the investigation is pending, and the nonprofit cannot continue its work without access to the money, the letter said.
A spokesman for the state's top lawyer would not confirm or deny an investigation.
Ralph Nevis of Downey Brand Attorneys LLP in Sacramento, who represents the group, would not discuss the nature of the inquiry.
Founder was asked to leave board
Staff members are being paid through April 11, but this week only the office manager remained at the El Dorado Hills headquarters to close things down over the next couple of weeks.
At one point, the nonprofit had 15 employees working at offices in El Dorado Hills and New York City and from homes in other states. The three-person office in New York closed in January.
"They've reduced the staff because of funding. It's everybody," Crisp said Wednesday. She said she's taking her remaining days as sick leave, but by Wednesday evening a message on the group's Web site said she was no longer connected with Noah's Wish.
Crisp also served on the organization's board of directors from its founding in 2002 until February. She's no longer on the board, she said, "partly because it's a conflict of interest." The Attorney General's office "had asked for me not to remain on the board."
Because she's no longer on the board, Crisp said she did not have the latest information on the investigation or details about what it covers. Investigators, she said, have not interviewed her and were working only through the nonprofit's attorney and its board chair, Amy Maher.
Maher did not return calls Wednesday. Board members Lyn Kendrick, Gail Monick and David Lesser declined to comment on the investigation; another, Heather Hathaway, did not respond to a request for an interview.
Asked about allegations that the nonprofit inappropriately used money, Crisp said, "I don't know of any misuse of funds."
Lori Polk, chair of the Noah's Wish board during Katrina, left it the month after the hurricane. Before and after Katrina, she said, she voiced concerns about "the organization and the allocations of the donations we were collecting." She said she felt she was "fighting a losing battle trying to maintain my fiduciary responsibility to the organization."
The group "did not make decisions based upon board approval," she said, and made "expenditures without approval."
The former employee, who would only speak on condition of anonymity, said that "the amount of money that was spent by the organization was unbelievable."
The Attorney General's authority over charities includes investigating the loss of substantial funds during one year, illegal use of funds, diversion of funds from their intended purpose and excessive amounts paid for salaries, benefits, travel, entertainment, legal and other professional fees, according to the agency's Web site.
Raising money last month
Noah's Wish was soliciting funds as recently as February. In a letter to potential donors, Crisp wrote the nonprofit had "made a concerted effort to only ask for donations when the need truly exists, and not become a pest with repeated appeals."
Later, the letter said, "So why am I contacting you now? Noah's Wish is prepared for the next disaster, but lately this has become increasingly challenging." Because 2006 was a "fairly uneventful year," Crisp wrote, donations declined significantly.
Tax documents for Noah's Wish obtained by the Business Journal reported revenue of $8.4 million, almost all of it from contributions, between July 1, 2005, and Dec. 31, 2005. Some $4.8 million was in unrestricted assets and $1.5 million in temporarily restricted assets at the end of that year, financial documents indicate.
In June 2006, the accounting firm engaged to audit the books wrote the board that it could not express an opinion on the 2005 financial statements, according to documents provided by the former employee.
"A significant portion of corroborating evidence such as vendor invoices, receipts, deposit slips and other supporting data were not maintained during the period that the organization was responding to the needs of animals during Hurricane Katrina. The records that remain are not sufficient to permit the application of auditing procedures that would be adequate for us to express an opinion on the accompanying financial statements," according to the letter from John Waddell & Co. CPAs.
For the second half of 2005, Noah's Wish paid $405,948 in salaries and compensation, according to the Form 990 supplied by the former employee. Of that, Crisp received $140,900, while the second-highest compensation went to Sheri Thompson at $118,125, the tax documents show.
If the numbers are correct, it appears the compensation for Crisp and Thompson is well above the norm for nonprofits of this size, said Ann Lucas, executive director of the Nonprofit Resource Center. The annual median base salary for the executive director of a nonprofit of this size is $130,000, according to the 2006 Compensation and Benefits Survey of Northern California Nonprofit Organizations, which is produced by the Center for Nonprofit Management in Los Angeles.
Noah's Wish committed $1 million to the city of Slidell, La. for construction of a new animal control center; the old one was severely damaged by Katrina. The city has not received any of those funds, Slidell City Attorney Tim Mathison said.

This book helps see into the confused world of mental illness like no other. Wonderful & hopeful!

This is a book that not only educates but provides the reader with a new compassion for those who deal with mental illness. Ms. Schiller presents a very complete picture of the sufferings of the mentally ill. From her writing, I gained a new perspective- including greater compassion- for those who are victims of this awful illness. I have only the highest praise for her honesty, her insight and her struggle. She is to be highly commended. A definite read.

Primarily Lori Schiller and Amanda Bennett, but also Lori's family, Dr. Doller et al did an excellent work to open the window to the rest of us, socially acepted as "sane", to have a view into the mechanics of an actually "crazy" mind. I hadn't read a book like that for a long time, not a single sentence in this book is fluff! There is also an excellent movie in this book
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Lori, sweetheart, you are brave!!! Not only for fighting your sickness to a manageable state yourself, but also for being bravely honest to narrate your inner world despite "the voices"
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My son, also in his teens, started acting very weird and I thought he was just a spoiled brat, till my wife pointed out to me the obvious; "he wasn't OK" and he started to talk about "voices" and very similar things.
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I didn't really know what to do (he came from overseas to live with me, so I basically didn't know him). I fell like I had gone to a foreign country and would see signs I could not really comprehend. Lori helped me understand things better. I found clear answers to some very concrete questions I had myself about clinical craze
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Thank you Lori Schiller
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This is a unique and beautiful book. Any person with interests in Psychiatry or Mental Health issues must read it. It's the first time I experienced what a schizophrenic felt first hand. A must-read!

Schiller writes grippingly and insightfully of her experience of schizophrenia including the "cold wet packs" of ice water soaked sheets used to restrain and calm her psychotic outbursts and her times in hospital "quiet rooms". The writing style is journalistic and factual when dealing with intense emotions and experiences. She is wonderfully descriptive in explaining the reality of her delusions and hallucinations, the experiences of pychotherapy, suicide attempts, cocaine use, psychiatric hospitals and half way houses. Eventually clozaril helped (with psychotherapy) to bring her back from the abyss of severely disabling schizophrenia. Her full diagnosis is "schizoaffective" disorder as her illness includes a bipolar disorder component. The accounts by Schiller, her family members, doctors and friends lend insight to the course of her disease especially as experienced by her family. I was particularly struck by her parents' progress from denial and resentment of both her diagnosis and her doctors to growing insight into schizophrenia and eventual recognition of the illness in their family history. While the multiple accounts make the narrative more difficult to follow they also add greatly to the story. Highly recommended!

This third of Burgett's four books about his experiences in the 101st Airborne during World War II reveals a young man (19 at the time) at what could be easily seen as his finest (or worst) hours. The author gives this book an intense personal touch that is missing in many accounts of this unit during its defense of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge. Burgett takes the reader into the hell he lived through, vividly describing the shortages of basic military necessities such as weapons and ammunition, the incredible struggle for Noville in the early days of the battle and the withdrawal back to the main lines, and the difficulties of being ready to fight after coping with the harsh winter of the Ardennes and the lack of sleep, food, and water.

But what really comes through most clearly in this account is death. Burgett sees much of it in just a few weeks. He sees close friends (the "old men" of his company) and replacements die in what seems to be a random pattern. He takes the lives of German troops without a shred of remorse, yet almost shoots a fellow paratrooper who shot a prisoner of war.

Burgett does not portray himself as a hero--only as a man doing his job. He was very good (and I would also say lucky) at what he did. His story is not the nice neat narrative found in many accounts of the Bulge. It is dark, chilling, and brutal. It makes one wonder what men like him endured--both during the war and the many years since. I highly recommend it and the others volumes about his time in the 101st.

Donald Burgett gives a great view of WWII through the eyes of a 101st airborne paratrooper.

It has taken me far too long to review this book. But what I should say is, this book was single handedly responsible for sponsoring my adoration of military history books and the history of the Second World War.

It is very well written, easy to read, accurate to the finest detail without ever losing the story. It stands alone as one of the finest examples of a first person account of the war by an American paratrooper of the 506th PIR of the 101st Airborne. It would have been a classic by itself, but it the companion piece to a priceless series of four part series by Burgett.

I really enjoyed the descriptions of battles so clearly written I'm sure you could find the streets today. The story of destroying German tanks in the dead of a fog is gripping as anything that happened during the epic Battle of the Bulge.

The impact of this book was one that made me want to be a paratrooper, helped spawned a life-long (over twelve years at this point) love affair with history, one trip to Europe and lead to my BA in History. My copy has been dog eared, read three times and kept in a place of honor among my over 250 World War Two history books.

My only regret is I haven't met the author.

The real story of how a few ill equipped, but determined Allies held the line and were victorious over one of the greatest war machines ever assembled. This truly was the "Greatest Generation"!

"Seven Roads to Hell" is paratrooper Donald Burgett's memoire of the defense of Bastogne by elements of the 101st Airborne and 9th Armor Divisions during the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944. Burgett, a member of A Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, has captured the foxhole-level details of the heroic defense of that key Belgian crossroads.

Burgett picks up the story as his unit goes into a rest area after the fierce fighting of Operation Market-Garden in Holland. His unit has been decimated by weeks of combat, and desperately needs rest and refit; instead, the tired and poorly equiped paratroopers are rushed to the front in the Ardennes to help stem a sudden German offensive. The paratroopers lack winter clothing, food, water, and ammunition, but with the elan of the airborne, undertake the defense of Bastogne against German tank and infantry units.

Burgett has provided some commentary on the larger picture, but sticks largely to telling the story as it was visible to him. Burgett is nothing if not honest in his telling and graphic in his details. He and his fellow paratroopers freeze, starve, fight, and strive to make sense of the chaos that is ground-level combat. Burgett's prose is straightforward and he has a terrific eye for details. There is no sense here of the false heroic; Burgett and his mates are fighting for each other.

This book, like Burgett's earlier book on D-Day, is highly recommended to the reader with an interest in the Second World War and especially in infantry combat. Those present and former members of the 506th Infantry may find it an especially inspiring piece of regimental history.

I haven't read the book yet, but plan to in the future. I went to a website dedicated to it the other day' and it featured those photos and the history behind them. I was saddened and horrified, and am still haunted by what I read and saw. I cannot for the life of me understand how so many of those people, including women and children, could have taken such pleasure in those unspeakable atrocities. I only hope and pray that none of those people involved were in my family.

What I wish they could have added to this book, however, were a few bits on the Native Americans. I'm 1/4 Native American myself and some of my ancestors walked the Trail of Tears. Their people were also persecuted and murdered and treated as non-human---and whites who killed "Injuns" were considered heroes. I imagine some Native Americans were lynched and tortured as well, and likely there were photos.

The pity of it is, I wonder if America has learned from its past? Even now we are tolerating human rights abuses in other countries, and it's only recently that the UN is acknowledging the horrors of Darfur. It's time for America to face its "demons" and really work to change things. If not, God will surely judge this nation for its crimes against humanity. Maybe He has already.

But what I definitely hope people will learn from this book is what hatred and bigotry can do to all of us. Don't hate ANYBODY for their color---black, white, whatever---or for their nationality, religion, etc. If we want to honor the memory of these poor victims, let's rise above the hatred of their murderers and strive to defeat the evil that led to these acts. By learning from history, we can hopefully not repeat it.

As a white man over sixty, growing up in the Northeast, I was sheltered from the realities of racism by my surroundings. "Colored people" were simply not socially acceptable, thats all.
When you go through this book you will cringe and shutter. What reason and why would white people do this. Not only lynch but torture and maim before they allowed the subject to die, and often for no reason - just because it was Saturday night and people needed something to do. Truly a wakeup call for white America to reflect on what we were and really how far have we come.

Buy this book !

Z

This an extraordinary book.

My father, who was a civil rights activist, wore a button for years that said, "I read banned books." When he died, we made a bookmark with his photo on it wearing that button. When I read Without Sanctuary I used that bookmark. Living here in New York City I often ride the trains, and I like to read during these trips. I decided to take the cover off this book because I was worried about children and anyone else who was not ready to see these photos getting a glimpse of them. But I've talked to my friends at work, and I've even given them peeks of this book because I want so much for people to know about the period of our national history during which lynching occurred. Few people can stand to look.

I once went to a workshop for learning how to undo the effects of racism, which was mostly for people of color. I asked the workshop leader, "What can we white folks do to end our own racism?" He answered, "Put your face into the buzz-saw of racism, and hold it there until you heal." I am still, many years later, trying to follow that suggestion, and buying this book was part of my journey as a white person in acknowledging the racist legacy I inherited growing up in the US. Without Sanctuary puts your face into the ways that white society tried to terrorize and silence a large number of US citizens.

My family immigrated from Lithuania and other countries in Eastern Europe around the turn of the 1900s. As Jewish immigrants, many of them felt that they had nothing to do with slavery, and they certainly had their own problems coming here. My grandfather participated in union organizing with other Jewish workers, and my father turned towards the problems of poverty and racism in our city during the 1960s until his recent death. But I still feel we as a white family benefit from centuries of free labor in the US. The hard fact is, that as white immigrants we bought into the racist system that supported a middle class, or at least the intellectual lifestyle. Today I work as a public school teacher in the housing projects of Brooklyn, but I own my own house and I enjoy a middle class income.

Without Sanctuary reveals and reminds of us of that period following emancipation when white citizens still stood to gain economically by the silence and passivity of African American communities. That period, more than any other period of our history, conditioned us, under heavy terror, to accept the separation caused by so many years of slavery. Without Sanctuary is one of my buzz-saws, and I cherish it. And although no one I know can stand to look at it with me (yet), it is a healing device, because without understanding there cannot be reconciliation. Without pain there cannot be recovery. We as a people must face and feel our own history so that we can move forward to a world without racism.

The question you need to ask yourself before buying this book is, "Am I ready to heal?"

Thank you, to the folks who put together Without Sanctuary.

There are other books of lynching photographs, including LYNCHING PHOTOGRAPHS by Apel and Smith, which I used for a class in African-American History. But, while the Apel and Smith book is more cost effective, it lacks the appeal and power of WITHOUT SANCTUARY. For a book that calls itself LYNCHING PHOTOGRAPHS, it was remarkably sparse on actual photographs and very high in narrative and artistic evaluation. That is not the case with this book. It is stunning, both inside and out. It is stimulating to the senses--incredibly stylistic and made with high quality materials, as well as filled with large and incredibly powerful visual images and powerful source material. It is a book that is very hard to read because of the heartwrenching images, but impossible to put down. I plan to use this book in my future classes.

This book is the ultimate metaphor for the graphic brutality of Black people in America.
The British poet William Wordsworth once said, "Man know thee thyself, presume God not to scan, the sturdy of mankind is man". How do you begin to understand the nature of evil? The sheer barbarity of these pictures, the nonchalant attitude of the perpetrators and the wicked glee on the faces of the participants (even children) confirms the graphic truth of the institutionalization of racism and evil in our world. Dr. Martin L. King once said that "God will not so much punish the wicked for their evil deed, but for the appalling silence of the good people. For all those lily livered fools in our world, who are quick to parrot that idiotic sentence "slavery was before my time", let me remind you of James Byrd of Texas in 2000. Without a Sanctuary: Lynching photography in America is a profound documentary of unimaginable evil and wickedness. These horrible pictures can only appeal to our conscience as a society to do the right thing. I agree with Dante in his 'Inferno' that the worst place in hell will be reserved for all those who are neutral on the great issues of life. I am profoundly grateful to the authors of this great human document James Allen, John Lewis, Hilton Als and Leon F. Litwack. May the souls of these beings who endured these horrific brutality rest with God forever.

Decades ago I saw on TV the movie Don't Make Waves, and I remembered Tony Curtis's foil the great beast of a man, blond and mostly mute, when the luminous James Wolcott linked to a literate and aging body builder in a blogpost this year.
And so they are the same. This warm and wise book is a great encouragement to those of us whose bodies need the stress of physical work to maintain health and joy.
Part technical guide, part moral guide, part memoir, the Bomber's book is still a whole work and for me it lifts the strange sport of body building, sans steroids, up on Dave's big back to a new level of respect. Highly recommended.

Both informational and inspiring, this book from a veteran bodybuilder will teach you everything you ever wanted to know about the sport.

The most useful part of this book is the advise about how to train around injury and over training. This is what happens when yer an old geezer and want the 18 year old body. I'm 59, and actually don't look like I'll be dead in 13 years. Thank you Dave.

Draper has an odd writing style, but his stories are motivational and informational. Everyone who lifts should read this.

I enjoyed it but it needed pictures for the all his exercises, I read other review saying the same thing.
I found it inspiring and he is a poster child for bodybuiling beyond your years.

I just recently finished a college-level history class, so I was well brushed up on my US history. That's half of why this book is so hilarious - I know what really happened, and Dave Barry makes very funny spins on it. He has the capacity to make the bleakest parts of history look absolutely histerical and silly, and for that, I give it my highest recommendation.

According to Dave Barry, hundreds of thousands of years ago, America was very different. For one thing, there were no car commercials which had broadcast toward Earth from another planet far away. Twenty thousand years ago the Land Bridge was constructed and completed on October 8th. Centuries later Mayans down in Mexico constructed a calendar that it can still be used to tell the location of celestial
bodies... they're out in space.

In a takeoff of where George Washington slept, there were stories that arose. Likewise where Dave Barry slept, there were (different) stories that arose. Have a few laughs on U.S.

I've read all of Dave Barry's stuff, novels too, and this is, hands down the funniest thing you'll ever sink your eyeballs into. It stays on my bedside table where I can get a little twisted history fix now and then. Read it, re-read it and read it again.

I first read this book when I was 12. I next read it... probably when I was still 12. I'm not one to read and re-read books, but this one will always be an exception. If Jon Stewart's "America" uses humor to expose the dysfunctional state of our country in the 21st century, Barry uses laughter to show how we got to this pitiful point. Buy it and read, then re-read it every other year or so. It only takes a couple of hours, and it never gets old.

Dave Barry's "Dave Barry Slept Here" is a hilarious pseudo/satire-history of the United States. Anyone familiar with Dave Barry's wit from his columns will immediately recognize the same wit unleashed on so much of our history that we have heard, if not necessarily really learned, throughout our lives.

Dave Barry writes like a high-school student - intentionally, of course. He attributes great advances to "technology," isn't interested in the Smoot-Hawley Tariff so he skips it because it sounds boring, and decides that every important event in American history happened on October 8th so that he doesn't have to remember any more dates (even the Fourth of July happened on October 8th, 1776). And he ends every chapter with hilarious "discussion questions" that are just as funny as the text.

I've read and re-read this hilarious book, and it's great to just pick up and start reading in the middle whenever you need a good chuckle. Anyone who likes Dave Barry, enjoys American history, or is interested in what three-word sentence you can rearrange the letters in "Spiro Agnew" to spell (hint: the first word is "grow") should read this book and enjoy!

Wow this book is well written and an eye opener. It should be read by all americans. Big oil is using the government to cheat the people.

I felt the book was well documented and the point that the US is being held hostage by the foreign oil producers. The money made by the Islamic Oil producers is being used to destroy the United States through its economy. We have oil and alternate sources of energy and we should be using them.

I was recently sent a preview copy of an upcoming publication, "Energy Victory," written by Robert Zubrin. The book attempts to layout a plan for America to break free of its oil addiction ­ a path that, he claims, current US Policy will never achieve. Although the book's main focus is on energy solutions, Zubrin does spend a significant amount on time on the genealogy of terror, America's tumultuous relationship with OPEC and debunking myths.

Having not paid much attention to the history of terrorism (although I would argue that Americans, should spend more time learning about this), I found this section interesting. It brings to light a little more urgency for Americans to find solutions to replace oil that is purchased from the volatile Middle East - an area that is obviously not friendly to Americans.

So what are the solutions, sensei? Renewable fuels such as ethanol and methanol. Before you start arguing that ethanol is not a solution because it has less energy, this is not true. Ethanol has a positive net energy. Updated in 2004, the most definitive analysis (by USDA) concludes that for every 100 BTUs used to grow corn and process it into ethanol, 167 BTUs of ethanol is produced. In other words, ethanol generates 67 percent more energy than it takes to produce. Zubrin explains that the misinformation has been fueled by ethanol detractor David Pimentel, in conjunction with Tad Patzek, whose research is so out of date and scientifically unsound that his own university, Cornell University, discredits the research.

As ethanol is gaining traction, with the support of the Big Three, especially GM in bringing Flex-Fuel Vehicles (FFVs) to market, and more than 50 percent of American's fuel being blended with some percentage of ethanol, and more than 1300 E85 stations across the U.S., Zubrin says that many people are not happy with the developments. "Not everyone is happy with this development, of course, and the reasons are plain to see. The 4.9 billion gallons of US ethanol produced in 2006 took ten billion dollars away from the oil cartel. Thus it is hardly surprising to find the ethanol program regularly denounced by journalistic hired guns and other business analysts associated with oil industry funded think tanks, as well as by ideological libertarians whose sensibilities it offends." Ha, take that!

Zubrin continues in his book to layout long­term plan for reducing America's energy dependence on foreign oil using an "alcohol economy," and spends some time ruminating about how the world can help defeat global warming while simultaneously reducing fossil fuel use. Interestingly enough, he supports raising all countries' Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which may come at the short-term expense of increasing greenhouse gas emissions, but over time, as fossil fuels are phased out, greenhouse gas emissions would decrease.

This is not a lighthearted reading for those who want the top line view of an issue. This is a very technical book (scientific terms, chemical equations, etc.) that delves fairly deep into each topic he covers but there are moments of humor that keep the book moving. Ultimately, I liken Energy Victory to the famous 1776 book, Common Sense, by Thomas Paine. Paine authored the first book on freedom from British rule, and Zubrin has authored the book on freedom from foreign oil.

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Brilliant ideas for solving the recurring energy crises once and for all! Must-read for every American, especially politicians. Thank you Mr. Zubrin!

A serious book calls for a serious review and I will try to provide that. Zubrin covers a lot of ground so I will take this by chapter. First, the author has a PhD in nuclear engineering so he knows the science. The first two chapters provide the rationale for his campaign to replace petroleum with methanol, and to a lesser degree ethanol. The book was written a year ago and the effects of food crop diversion to ethanol have now emphasized the negatives of ethanol. Methanol is made from non-food, non-sugar, sources and is a better compound for fuel. The first five chapters provide his argument that Saudi Arabia is an enemy funding terrorism and the Wahhabi heresy of Islam. He makes good points but is a bit more excited than I would be. Another review makes the point that China will still be buying oil from the Saudis no matter what we do. Still, the price will fall as methanol, nuclear fission and fusion technology provide alternatives.

Chapter 6 tells the story of flex-fuel technology and the remarkable life story of Roberta Nichols, a woman engineer who succeeded in adapting alcohol to motor fuel and doing it cheaply. She was a great pioneer and died too young to see her accomplishments recognized. Chapter 7 tells the story of several politically supported alternatives and explains why they are not practical. One section of this chapter tells the story of a professor whose poorly done research survives as a major argument against ethanol as a practical alternative to petroleum. There is a good deal of technology in this chapter but it is well explained.

Chapter 8 discusses the potential for under-developed countries to benefit from a change to alcohol-based energy production. Methanol can be made from agricultural waste products and offers these societies a future that cannot occur if poor countries are beholden to the OPEC oil cartel. There is some economics and politics in this chapter but I agree with it all. Chapter 9 discusses the Brazilian experience, in which Brazil has freed itself from dependence on OPEC oil. An issue of Time magazine from this spring has a feature story that misrepresents the Brazilian experience so it would be good for those interested to read this as an antidote to the lies of what Zubrin calls the "Malthusians," those who do not want us to solve the problem. They prefer a smaller population, no matter how that goal is achieved. Al Gore is the most prominent member of this group.

Chapter 10 is almost the best part of the book as he describes the true role of CO2 and global warming. He shows the present levels of CO2 are actually rather low when compared to previous epochs, such as the Holocene Maximum, a warm period when humans emerged from Africa and spread across the globe. He does warn that CO2 will become a problem as other societies move to an economic model similar to ours. As they prosper, their CO2 production will rise and that does constitute a risk for the planet. That risk will be reduced and eliminated by the suggestions made in the book.

Chapter 11 goes on to discus other forms of energy, especially the promise of nuclear fusion which, once harnessed, will ensure the future of the human race for millions of years. This is his field and he knows it thoroughly.

Chapter 12 is a well-done discussion of the role of the petroleum engine in the history of the 20th century, from the "Miracle of the Marne" in 1914, when a French division was rushed into battle in a thousand Parisian taxicabs, to the origins of World War II. Chapter 13 finishes up with a summary of the history of Islam and the plans of the Wahhabis to conquer the world and establish a new caliphate to replace the Ottoman Empire.

This is a serious book with a lot of information, some of it rather technical for someone who never studied chemistry. His opinions on political issues are strong and, at times, a bit intemperate. The fusion program has been mishandled. The ethanol lobby has distorted the market, for example maintaining tariffs on Brazilian ethanol that would otherwise lower the price for American drivers.

He is absolutely right on the big issues. We need to get off our addiction to middle eastern oil. He does not get into the production of oil in our own territory and I want to know more about that. I have ordered another book to do so. Bacterial engineering to produce oil and other carbon compounds, as Craig Venter and others plan to do, is not covered. This is a big field and there is a lot of misinformation. This book is a big help and should be read by anyone seeking information on alternatives. I'm not sure methanol is the only answer but it is a big piece of it and this is the place to learn about it.