United States Books

Naylor's style of writing is much like Judy Blume, in which it draws you in and you ache, laugh and sympthasize with the character. With every "Alice" book, it feels like you get to know a friend. I'm sure every girl can relate to the everyday things she has to go to. Because the Alice series is so realistic, each time a new installment is realeased, you get the feeling that you're just learning new stuff about an old friend.

This insallment of the series is a little less chirpy, like past might have been. Gone are the silly 6th grade "what will I wear?!" chrisis that everyone can probably relate to. Now, it's about becoming woman of the house, and dealing with deeper problems. For example, Alice encounters a loner. She invites her to her dad's party and they start a bond. Well, just a few days later [I haven't read the book in 2+ years so forgive me!], the friend commits suicide, and in comes the feelings of "I could've done this...It's my fault".

A solid book for kids of most ages.

This book is about how Alice gets used to being the woman of the house. When she finds out that a man docter is going to examin her she starts to freak out but then reilizes that it isn't so bad. The boys are naming girls after states according to how big their breasts are.

About to turn 13, Alice McKinley is preoccupied with her aunt's statement about needing to be the "Woman of the House" for her widowed father and older brother Lester. Her best efforts, however, usually turn to disaster...

To make matters worse, the seventh-grade boys are naming the girls after various states...depending on the size of their chests! Alice lives in terror, uncertain which would be worse: getting dubbed the name of a flat state, or being overlooked altogether.

Readers will enjoy hearing about Alice, who is just an ordinary girl going through ordinary things, but in such a humorous and interesting way, they can't help wanting things to turn out okay...

Alice in April is about a girl who is having trouble with boys giving the girls at school nicknames of a state by it's geography, in other words ,"hills or no hills". If you like books that are funny, maybe even true life, Alice in April is the book for you.

I just read this a few days ago, and I started reading it at 9:30 p.m. that night and it was done the next day at about 1:30 p.m.!! I love this book, it is so believeable I think Alice IS ME!!(except for my mom didn't die). I love this book and all the other books in the series!!

This book was an excellent read and was difficult to put down. Intriguing view of history of the organization as well as many other organizations such as Rotary, Elks, etc. It definitely answered many questions I had regarding Freemasonry and is written in layman terms so those without knowledge of Freemasonry going in can grasp the subject matter fairly easily.

As mentioned by at least one other reviewer I did detect a slight bit of bias, but then again every author has some bias based upon experience and beliefs. However, the book provides so many references that I would have difficulty doubting the credibility. The book also provides beautiful illustrations that accent the points in the text.

My recommendation is to purchase the hardcover as this book is a beautiful bookshelf reference. Whether you are interested in the organization or just a history buff I highly recommend this work.

National Heritage Museum curator Mark A. Tabbert has written an informative, easy-to-read study of the history of Freemasonry in the United States and how Freemasonry inspired the creation of several fraternal, civic, and service organizations. To show that rich history, the book contains several photographs of Masonic and other fraternal artifacts from the National Heritage Museum.

Tabbert cover many Masonic topics including Freemasonry's influence on the Founding Fathers, the anti-Masonic hysteria that followed the Morgan scandal, Masonry during the Civil War, the Golden Age of Fraternalism in the late 19th Century, the founding of service organizations during the early 20th Century, Freemasonry's boom years following WWII, the state of Freemasonry today, the York and Scottish Rites, the Order of the Eastern Star, the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, the youth orders, Prince Hall Freemasonry.

American Freemasons is a superb work that was written for both the Mason and non-Mason alike. It would be an excellent addition to your lodge library, your home library, and your public library. Would make a great gift for a new Mason or a prospective candidate. You will enjoy this book!

I wish I had this volume years ago. It tells more truths about Freemasonry than most masons get in a life time. Mark A. Tabbert Is well qualified to write the History of Masonic good work. He has done a superb job.

This book is a bit repetitive in the things it says. The information is good.

Although a handsome book with excellent and interesting photographs,the author makes no attempt whatsoever to enlighten the reader to even the most simple, everyday symbols of the Freemasons. For example, I was able to search the web for 10 minutes and discover more information regarding the beautiful symbolism and history of the Freemasons than I could find in this entire book. I did not expect the author to divulge sacred rites and rituals, but this book was far too watered-down and repetitive to be of interest. From a historical perspective, there are some interesting bits but they are too few and far between.

"The space program's grip on the public imagination had begun to fade even before the first moon landing," write Charles Murray and Catherine Cox in their can't-put-it-down history of the engineering side of the American manned space program.
They add, "Whether this was inevitable or an unlucky juxtaposition of Apollo with Vietnam and domestic upheaval will never be known." Or maybe the main reason was NASA's insistence on two phony images: one, squeaky clean (and boring) personalities for all hands; and, two, the no-sweat attitude to crises.
Had NASA told the stories Murray and Cox tell, the public would have been thrilled and appalled.
We have long known that the astronauts were not squeaky clean. Astro Walt Cunningham let that cat out of the bag in the mid-'70s in "The All-American Boys." In "Apollo" we learn that the engineers were humans, too. One is described as "Butch Cassidy born 100 years too late," which is probably overstating it, but you don't operate the most complicated mechanical system in history by being timid.
"Apollo" also reveals that the "no-sweat" attitude was false. There was plenty of sweating, although NASA's engineering culture required everyone to remain composed at all times.
The really terrible crises were known to the public, if poorly understood: the testing fire that killed three astronauts and the fuel system failure that nearly stranded Apollo 13 in orbit.
Other problems that were potentially just as serious were successfully covered up by NASA, a bad habit that cost it its reputation later on.
But the unraveling of the causes of these engineering dustups reads like a mystery novel, or, a closer comparison for those who have read it, the epidemiological reporting of Berton Rouche.
What, for example, would make a rocket lift two or three inches off the pad, then shut its engines off and settle back? The answer: A technician had filed a tiny bit off one prong of an electrical plug.
Anyway, the people who designed and built spaceships were emphatically not computer nerds -- once you understand what they were up to, scientists and engineers are always interesting. This is certainly the case with the launcher specialist Werner von Braun, a mass murderer.
Murray and Cox say, "no such charges were substantiated" against Hitler's rocket scientist. They are wrong.
Von Braun's V-weapons were built by 30,000 slaves at an underground factory camp called Dora. Thousands of these slaves were worked to death, starved or slaughtered. This factory was not run by Braun's team but it could not have functioned without the intimate advice of the rocket scientists. With complicity goes guilt.

This story will pull you in and make you feel part of the greatest engineering achievement of the 20th century.

This book vividly demonstrates and proves just how incredibly creative and focused AMERICANS can be when focused on a single goal of beating someone(Thank God for the Russians back then)when we didn't care about being so"POLITICALLY CORRECT". We as a nation could really use these people's dedecation and hard word as an example and work to fix this "POLITICALLY CORRECT" country now.

We used some parts of this book in our Systems Engineering lecture, at Turkish Military Academy Defense Sciences Institute (I was a student at the lecture). Later I purchased the book and read the whole book.

Of course I am not in a position to state the correctness and completeness of the contents. I rely on other people's comments on these criteria. But accepting the contents as correct and complete, the book clearly describes how a huge R&D project can be run (or can not be run), from every point of view. It is the next best thing after participation in a such project.

I believe every engineer and technical administrator has many things to learn from the book.

I highly recommend the book. I do not know whether it is also used as a lecture aid in other academies. If it is not so, another recommendation the the lecturers: The book contains one of the best case studies.

This is an excellent book covering the inner workings of the Apollo program. It does not focus on the astronauts or the missions themselves, but more about the people on the ground in Mission Control, the engineering challenges of Apollo, the management of the program, and NASA / Washington politics about space exploration at that time. Some chapters are so well done, they read like a thriller and you can't stop turning the pages. It also covers well the most important personalities of Apollo.

After reading this book, I realized how much we have lost the memories of what is probably the most incredible achievement in humankind's history. Shockingly enough, most people think about Apollo about being a thing of the past, while it is in fact our future.

Reflecting back on the sad end of the Apollo program (the plug was simply pulled in the mid-70s without any kind of follow up), it is a shame that we have lost all these years. Just imagine if we would have persevered with more missions, the eventual setup of a moon base in the 80s, moon exploration of resources, etc... Who knows where we would be now in 2007 ? Perhaps on the verge of a Mars mission, or Jupiter ? We would have impressed new generations with the same sense of awe-inspiring achievements and exploration that Apollo did 40 years ago. These emotionally inspiring achievements are the ones that elevates humankind to new heights, and this is probably the strongest feeling I felt about Apollo after reading this book.

Fellow readers, go with all the above 5 star comments of PRAISE! This "Art of" book has met and exceeded all my requirements to be a fantastic and worthy book. Art! Color! Foldouts! Character design and story development galore. I have to go back and watch the film now when it comes out on DVD. I never spotted that the markings on the character "Viper" were Chinese poetry!! ! Kudos to Dreamworks for this film AND this absolutely wonderful book. It will hold an honored place on my shelf along with my other "Art Of" film books. *unlike the shameful and empty *Art of Madagascar 2" which was the first book I ever returned to Amazon. :(*

BUY IT! BUY IT! BUY IT! BUY IT! BUY IT! BUY IT! BUY IT! BUY IT! BUY IT!

Great book with great color and powerful art. Lots of art from the movie. well done and well crafted.

I admit, that when I first saw the previews for the 3D movie Kung Fu Panda, I was not impressed. In fact, I did not want to see the movie at all. And then I got this book, "The Art of Kung Fu Panda" and my resolve to not see the movie crumbled into nothing. The artwork in this book is amazing, from the fun and creative character designs, to the beautiful layouts and concept paintings. This book made me really excited about seeing the movie, which I did. And the movie, like the book, is great.

It's so fantastic to have this artbook! I could enjoy the world of "Kungfu Panda" again. All the detailed and beautiful illustrations, and it's also good to read film making stories. I think it's the best artbook I've ever had:)

I love the photos and illustrations of this book.
I am a Kung Fu Panda Fan and this book is a wonderful addition to my collection from the movie. The price Amazon offered saved me money!
Highly recommended!

"Autumn Lightning" by Dave Lowry appeared to me as a combination of biographical sketch mixed generously with Japanese History, and Spirituality.

The book (for me) was in itself, a "Fair Read," but not necessarily one that will become part of my spirit. Much of this could however, be due to my age. While reading this book, I was often reminded of the movie; "The Karate Kid." In that movie; "Daniel Larusso" becomes "Miyagi-fied" and is turned into a great Marshal Artist. Likewise, Dave Lowry in this book becomes "Kotaro-fied" and emerges as a great Occidental swordsman.

I own one other book by Mr. Lowry on the "Art of Kendo" complete with photographic examples, and many teaching comments that have been very helpful to me.

Mr. Lowry writes and teaches out of sheer devotion and love of the subject, and for this; I truly applaud and respect him! I believe this to be a worthy book but, probably for a younger individual looking for a mentor of desciplines that help to develope spirit and physical attributes.

Dave Lowry offers a perspective in his books not often available to the Western martial arts practitioner - a considered interpretation of modern martial arts in the context of traditional (koryu) arts.

Written in a exceptionally approachable style, Lowry tells the story of his introduction to martial arts, interspersed with anecdotes from Japanese martial history.

Lowry's books provide me with insights into my own training and have helped me grow as a martial artist. Rather than the simple discussion of technique, his essays delve into the "-do" of the arts

One of my all-time favorites, it's recommended reading for all of my students. Mr. Lowry's story is similar to my own. He tells his tale with crisp and humorous writing that has you on the edge of your seat and then lets you sit back and chuckle. A wonderful classic.
If you don't have a copy, you're really missing out.

This is a great read for anyone interested in learning about the history of the Yagyu Shinkage Ryu of swordmanship. Woven into this history are the events that lead Lowry into studying this Ryu and his dynamic interaction with his Sensei.

I've recently reread all the books I have on martial arts, Japan, Japanese culture and history. When I find a passage that really strikes me, I underline it and dog-ear the page. After finishing the handful of books I already have, I came to Amazon to find more. Dave Lowry's book seemed interesting from reading the first few pages available online. Little did I know I would be underlining and dog-earing most of the pages in the rest of the book! An excellent read for new or experienced readers in Japanese history, culture and/or martial arts. I highly recommend it!

The book was interesting although I do have to admit I wish there were better photos and close-ups in the book. Seemed to focus too much on the negative, hear say of this wonderfully talented gentleman. I couldn't help but feel sympathy for the actor. It saddens me that his contributions have gone mostly unnoticed in the film industry. The proof is that there are hardly ANY DVD's or even VHS available of his best films? It would be fantastic if there were a film made today of this great actor, that is as long as it was as close to the real Mr Novarro as possible. I'm afraid it would focus too much on the negative, gossipy parts of his most private life.

This what saddens me when any person passes away, others can swoop in and destroy their reputations and if no living relatives are around to stop it. the story becomes gospel truth. Such an injustice.

The book is worth buying but lacks movie still, etc that most BIO's have.

Re: Krebsman comment:

In "Beyond Paradise," it is stated that Franklin was located just north of El Paso del Norte, not El Paso. (We're talking 19th century here.)

It says in the book that El Paso del Norte would be renamed "Ciudad Juarez" or "Juarez." Needless to say, Franklin would turn into (or become a part of) what is today known as "El Paso."

If silent movie star Ramon Novarro is remembered at all today, it is for two things: his starring role in the original film version of BEN-HUR and his brutal murder in 1968 by two alleged male hustlers. Andre Soares' biography of Novarro, BEYOND PARADISE, is intelligently written and sympathetic towards its subject. Novarro seems to have been a nice Mexican boy who was devoted to his family and his religion. He was also homosexual, which caused him a great deal of spiritual torment in a time when such things were not even mentioned among nice people. He had a rapid rise to stardom in the embryonic motion picture industry and was one of the few silent screen stars to survive the transition to talking pictures (despite his Spanish accent), when he played opposite Greta Garbo in the sound feature MATA HARI. But miscasting combined with a conflicting desire to become an opera singer brought about a slow decline and ultimate obscurity. He also became an alcoholic and, perhaps because of his homosexuality, a virtual recluse. This is a sad story.

There are some factual errors early in the book that made me doubt the accuracy of the other points in the book. For example, he says that Franklin, Texas is slightly north of El Paso when it is actually 300 miles to the East. However, he does set the record straight about the means of Novarro's death. In the 1975 book HOLLYWOOD BABYLON, Kenneth Anger states that Novarro choked to death when his art deco styled artificial phallus was stuffed into his mouth by his assailants. Soares gives the lie to this myth when he quotes official evidence that Novarro not only died from being bludgeoned to death, but that no such object was found among Novarro's possessions, nor did it ever exist.

The trouble I had with the book is that actor biographies are all fairly similar. After reading dozens of them over the years, I don't find most of them very interesting. The best parts of the book for me were the final chapters dealing with the murder and its aftermath. But for those who already have a keen interest in the silent movie era of Hollywood and are already familiar with the actors and directors of the period, BEYOND PARADISE could be compelling reading.

I bought this book at the behest of a friend and have since reread it twice. I am a severe critic of biographies, having read more than I can number. Happliy, Andre Soares' book is a well-written, intelligent and well-balanced account of the life of a man who was both complex and not always very smart in his choices. The book does what all good biographies SHOULD do: make you want to go out and find out more about the subject.

Among the many positive attributes to BEYOND PARADISE are:

* A balanced appraisal of Novarro's personal and professional strengths and weaknesses (this is a hopeless, gushing tome by a misguided fan)
* A willingness to analyze the facts without sensational exploitation of them
* Detailed research and substantive factual foundations
* A sincere (thought not always likeable) portrayal of Mr. Novarro
* A well researched documentation of the studio system that made and ultimately destroyed one of it's brightest stars who is, today, largely forgotten

I cannot recommend this book highly enough - it is one of the best biographies I have read in some years.

This is an incredibly riveting compelling read, and beyond being entertaining and informative, it's also a balanced thoughtful sensitive portrait of a fascinating human being and actor. Some celebrity biographies seem to have been written by people who can't stand their subject and some are written by people who are too in love with the subject to think clearly, but this one gives a nicely balanced account. We see here a man who was a very fine gifted talented actor, but who eventually became a has-been, for various reasons, who didn't always give his all to selecting the best projects because of his conflicting desire to have a career as an opera singer, and who was deeply torn over his genuine deep committment to his family, his Mexican roots, and his Catholic faith, and how he was also a gay man in a time and a society where that subject was strictly taboo. Even at the time of his murder by two young hustlers, gayness was still considered a psychiatric disorder. Because Ramon kept so much of his life private, this biography can't tell us everything about his personal life, but it is made clear he was:

A very talented actor (he was allowed more range and depth of roles than some of his other romantic leading man counterparts), a man who played to perfection a number of dream roles, most notably that of Judah Ben-Hur in the 1925 version of the screen adaptation of the General Lew Wallace novel, as well as starring with a number of great leading ladies;

A talented singer (even though his acting and singing careers conflicted multiple times and mutually hindered one another);

A devoted family man, deeply religious (he seriously wanted to enter a religious order at several points in his life), becoming the head of the household after his family immigrated to America, as the oldest surviving son in a family of originally twelve children, stepping into the shoes of his father, who had once been a successful dentist but became too ill to support his family during much of his life;

A good human being in spite of natural human flaws (such as his problems with drinking in his later years and several car accidents caused by his heavy drinking);

Someone who sometimes wasn't always the most agreeable person, as evidenced by when he was touring a play in England in the Thirties and getting catcalled by the audience who couldn't hear him, since Ramon had never learnt how to project his voice, being a screen and not stage actor, and actually stepped out of the play to catcall back, "Now, *I* can't hear *you*!"

Even though he is most remembered today for playing the title role in 'Ben-Hur' and for being murdered in his home on Halloween Eve 1968 by two young hustlers, which finally exposed to the public that which he had worked so hard to keep hidden and private (i.e., the fact that he was gay), he was so much more than either of those things, a deeply talented and flawed man. This biography truly does his life and character justice.

"A Book is Born" is a truly useful insider's guide to getting a book published, but it's so much more. The book's format invites the reader to share the minutiae of all phases of the experience of 24 women authors as they travel the journey from idea to action to realizing the dream of getting published (and publicized). The women's voices are clear, companionable,and reassuring, and Nancy Cleary's vision of empowering women authors is evident throughout. Especially for those of us who are visually oriented, the book's design--lots of graphics--is wonderful! In the book's final section, "The Secret and Science of Getting Published", various innovative approaches are revealed.(I was so impressed with Nancy Cleary and this book that I contacted her; the result is that she'll be helping me with the publication of my book "There and Back: A Journal Companion for Special Needs Parents".)

Mary Lee Moser

There are already more than enough books on the publishing process and the nuts and bolts of publishing yourself or finding a publisher.

What was lacking was a book that talked about the love/hate relationship I have with my book, that made me feel part of something bigger and let me know I was not alone in my journey.

I thought other authors knew things, and had confidence in their work 24/7 without fail. I thought I was a freak for not being totally sure of my book and my abilities as a writer.

A Book is Born showed me this process is painful for everyone. It is confusing for everyone. It is scary for everyone.

I cannot express how relieved I felt as I got to the end of the book, my only regret was that I wasn't published by Wyatt-MacKenzie...all the women felt so supported by the publishing house I actually thought I might have made the wrong decision regarding self-publishing.

But even if I did make the wrong decision, it's something that happens to everyone. While I write my next book I'll refer back to A Book is Born early and often to remind me my journey is not a unique one, and that the feelings I have while my book is being born are natural and normal.

I wish I had this book when I started out on this writing journey over six years ago. A Book is Born is a wonderful, informative, fun read for all the writers out there. All the inside secrets and how to's are shared in a fun way.

Reading this book is like having a mocha latte at a corner Starbuck's and getting the scoop on this writing journey from some of the best writers there are!

Thanks, Nancy. What a great read!

Trish Berg
Author, Book Reviewer
[...]

Rattled: Surviving Your Baby's First Year Without Losing Your Cool

The Great American Supper Swap - Solving the Busy Woman's Family Dinnertime Dilemma

Nancy Cleary's "A Book is Born" is a hands-on, photo and graphic-filled blueprint for the regular person to use starting when they're tossing around an idea to get published, all the way through actual publication. Told from the point of view of 24 different authors as they journey from book idea to publishing that book, there is always a different voice to tune into if one person's perspective isn't the direction you're interested in. With so many unique voices, Cleary shows that there are as many techniques to prepare for publishing and the aftermath of publicity as there are writers. Very easy to read, extremely helpful for the frazzled writer in the midst of publishing chaos. Cleary breaks the demons of publishing down into easy steps, and offers solutions for the up-and-coming writer. A fun essential for any writer. Cleary's concise and practical book makes the trip toward publication a natural and interesting journey. Definitely order one!

As a first time author, I have been struggling with the complexities of how to get from point A (writing) to point B (published). This book provided really practical information: details about terminology, chronological checklists, and actual experiences related by authors. I enjoyed the tales of the authors even as I was being instructed by them. The book is like a user's manual supplemented with "dream potion recipes", and will undoubtedly launch the careers of a new generation of writers who have been waiting in the wings for stage directions.

Whatever else they do in life, Nancy Cleary and co-authors have left a legacy of impactful guidance that will further the goals of storytellers yet unrecognized.

Bugs are good! That's the takeaway message of this book. Tallamy is an entomologist so his affection for insects is not surprising, and he clearly admires them for their aesthetic beauty and clever evolutionary adaptations. But he also argues, persuasively and passionately, that there are sound ecological reasons for welcoming insects into our landscapes with open arms--and a smorgasbord of native plants.
Healthy insect populations are essential to sustainable ecosystems that support the birds, butterflies, mammals, reptiles and other "charismatic megafauna" we cherish. Birds, especially, rely on insects and their larvae to feed their young. In the areas we humans have disturbed with our roadways and infrastructure, commercial buildings, residential developments, and agricultural plantations, we have wiped out the native plant diversity that supports wildlife. Tallamy estimates that perhaps only 3% to 5% of the United States remains as undisturbed, natural land, and much of that is composed of "ecological islands" that preclude immigration, making both plant and animal species vulnerable to local extinctions. So unless all of us actively work to convert human-disturbed lands--including our suburban gardens--for the preservation of wild creatures, we will no longer have the opportunity to observe nature on a daily basis. We will have to travel to outlying preserves to visit the few remaining species that survive.
So, what's the connection to native plants? All plants convert the sun's energy into organic matter usable by life. They are the first "trophic level." Insect herbivores eat plants and, in turn, provide food for all the other animals in higher trophic levels: insect carnivores, birds, mammals, reptiles, etc. But insects are often specialists, able only to eat those plants they have evolved with. And in our residential landscapes and agricultural plantings, we have systematically chosen exotic plants or created plant cultivars that are distasteful to our native insects. We have done this to protect our valuable food crops and because we
view our landscapes as mere decoration, wanting them to be aesthetically perfect and unmarred by chewed leaves. But deliberately excluding insect herbivores in this way deprives our ecosystems of a vital link in the food web. And introduced exotics are doubly problematic because these "pest-free" species escape our grasp and themselves become pests, precisely because they are distasteful to the insect herbivores that keep native plants in check. Our native plants, by contrast, are tasty insect food, and insects provide the basis for all the other animals.
To help us choose plants that are insect-friendly, the chapter "What Should I Plant?" identifies and describes those plant genera that have demonstrated the greatest ability to support butterfly and moth larvae. This criterion was chosen because Lepidoptera comprise over 50% of all insect herbivores in the US, because caterpillars are important components of many vertebrate diets, and because there is more published data about host plant
use by butterflies and moths than there is for other insects. Tallamy's plant descriptions are interesting both for his suggestions for landscape applications and his knowledge about which caterpillars make use of each plant group.
The cleverly-titled chapter "What Does Bird Food Look Like?" describes various insect families, including but not limited to Lepidoptera. Tallamy tells us what plants these insects eat, what eats them, and describes interesting or curious facets of their life histories. (Initially I was tempted to skip this chapter but was glad I didn't because I found it fascinating.)
The book is illustrated throughout with wonderful color photographs of plants and insects, and has useful appendices: a list of native plant species that have both wildlife value and desirable landscaping attributes (sorted by region and plant type), a checklist of host plants of butterflies and showy moths, and a summary of Tallamy's survey data that demonstrates his thesis. I enjoyed this book immensely and highly recommend it to anyone who wants to make landscape choices that are more likely to attract birds, butterflies and other creatures. Whether you read the book or not, when you see insects dining on your
landscape, rejoice!

This is a very important book. I reluctantly purchased it after hearing several people that I admire recommend it very highly. I am not much into gardening but am interested in birds, biodiversity and restoring natural habitats. I have read hundreds of books on biology and the environment over the years and have been to hundreds of meetings and conferences regarding solutions to the many problems that beset our natural environment. It is not often that I hear of a very simple solution to a ubiquitous problem, that of a decline in the overall population of birds and mammals and the increase in the ravages of diseases affecting our forests, grasslands and deserts.

In addition to offering a novel solution to major problems the outlook of the book is optimistic and the reading is interesting and pleasurable. Dr. Tallamy is a fine writer and also furnishes fascinating descriptions of the plants, insects, mammals and birds that he has studied. One that I remember from the chapter on insects was the defensive strategy of some insects called leafhoppers that are preyed upon by wasps. The mother protects her offspring that are feeding on the stem above by intercepting attackers from below. If a wasp starts an attack from above her young drum out a distress message that vibrates through the stem to her so she can rush up and try to kick the wasp away. Another insect, a tree-boring beetle, flies to the top of mountain ridges to scan for forest fires with infrared vision to locate trees weakened by fire that are prime targets for feeding and breeding locations.

In addition to these insights into the world of insects and plants the book gives you an understanding of the significant danger from the spread of alien plant species. I agree with all the high recommendations for this book. Everyone that reads this will have a new outlook on nature and even the gardeners will enjoy it.

This book is a must read for all. It highlights and informs about the small steps we can each take to create a better world in our own back yards.

We've been avid gardeners for decades and have done many things to attract wildlife to our 10 acre woodlot where we reside. This book is a real eye-opener. It's scientific but easy on the mind. It's thorough and informative, yet casual in its prose. Dr. Tallamy has made a terrific contribution to anyone who values their property, enjoys healthy diversity in their landscape, and wants to do right by the planet. Don't go to your local nursery before reading this book. Mention this to all your friends who share your outdoor interests and talk to your local librarian to be certain he/she obtains a copy for your community.

I thought this book was great, and now I'm "sold" on only using native plants in my garden. And for those who say that not all alien plants are bad, and that this book doesn't tell the whole story or whatever, I would retort "well why NOT use native plants only?" To me there's something more "right" about using plants that are native to the very land you are on.

The back of the book contains a terrific appendix that lists good native plants to grow by U.S. region. I was very disappointed however that there was no index for the Northeast region(which is where I live)...

I am what is commonly referred to as a Civil War buff, what ever that means, and I feel compelled to write you about the work of Timothy B. Smith.

My biggest frustration about a lot of books on the civil is the lack of good quality maps that allows the reader to get a sense of who was where and what was happening on the battlefield. How one could write an account of a battle with out good maps is beyond me.

The maps in Champion Hill are fantastic. Not only for their clarity but the sheer number of them is truly amazing. Needless to say I loved them.

The style of his writing actually left me with the desire to pick it up again to see how things were going on the Middle Road and the Jackson Rd., just like a good mystery book.

I give it an A+.

Keep'em coming but don't forget the maps !!

The reviews tell the story. This is a great book. Champion Hill isn't one of my areas of interest, but every time I saw this book, it ended up in my hands until my wife yelled for us to go. If I were to write a book about my favorite lesser known battle, this is the way I would hope it would come out. Exhaustive research, flowing text, sufficient photographs, and some of the best maps that I've ever seen. There are plenty of them, very detailed, and thank you Mr. Smith for breaking them down to individual regiments! He wraps it up with an Order of Battle (thank you!) and a zillion photographs of the battlefield today (thank you again!). It would be hard to top this book. Even if you aren't into Champion Hill or Vicksburg, you'll love this book for the job the author did. Incidentally, check out his "This Great Battlefield of Shiloh.." as well. I look forward to more works by this author.

Timothy B. Smith's "Champion Hill Decisive Battle for Vicksburg" is a must read. A little known battle but one of great magnitude. Many historians have often over look the battles that led to the doom of Vicksburg. Leading up to to Champion Hill were the battles of Port Gibson, Raymond and Jackson. Timothy B. Smith keeps the story flowing and leads you breathless to the climax at Champion Hill. Such research is much needed and is so well written I could not put the book down. This book is a instant "Classic". The book has lot's of maps to help the reader understand the battle geologically. The timeline is easy to keep up with, which is often very hard to do in a Civil War battle. Also included is a very nice selection of photo's to illustrate the participants as Timothy weave's you though the thick Minnie's. One minute you are charging forward with victory and the next minute you are running for your life!

CHAMPION HILL is, unequivocally, the best non-fiction narrative of a Civil War engagement that I've ever read - and that includes works by Shelby Foote and James McPherson.It generally concerns U.S. Major General Ulysses Grant's capture of Vicksburg, but is more specifically about the crucial Battle of Champion Hill on May 16, 1863, which essentially sealed Vicksburg's fate by forcing its defenders back into the city, around which Grant ultimately established siege lines.

The volume's initial fifteen pages briefly summarize Grant's various abortive attempts to take Vicksburg from the north before he was able to cross his Army of the Tennessee to the Mississippi's east bank south of the city on April 30. The next ninety describe the preliminary battles at Port Gibson, Raymond, and Jackson. The bulk of the book, 280 pages, concerns itself with the Champion Hill collision between Grant's forces and Lieutenant General John Pemberton's Army of Vicksburg. There's a penultimate 12-page chapter on the battle's aftermath that includes Vicksburg's capitulation on July 4, and a concluding 11-page postscript chapter on the post-battle and post-Civil War careers of the numerous commanders that are named (and pictured) in the text. Finally, there's a 10-page Appendix with the Order of Battle for both armies, thirty pages of Notes, sixteen pages of contemporary battlefield photos keyed to a reference map, and a 12-page Bibliography. I suggest that author Timothy Smith has penned a battle narrative as satisfyingly complete as any you'll ever come across.

Champion Hill was a seesawing, day-long, complex affair, the account of which will likely spellbind the reader to the point of emotional exhaustion. What I found most impressive was the extreme lucidity of Smith's description of the various military units' maneuvers across the landscape mostly described at brigade and regimental levels. The evolution of the Champion Hill clash is traced by forty - count 'em, 40! - marvelously illustrative maps rendered in black, white and gray that coincide at all times with the textual narrative. Smith even goes so far as to depict the field positioning of units during and after disintegration and, in some cases, their subsequent reformation and re-entry into the fray. At no time was I in the least confused about the tide of battle and the organizational identity of the combatants. These battlefield maps demonstrate how such should be constructed, but which so often are not in otherwise faultless works.

For Grant, who snatched victory from the jaws of defeat at Fort Donelson and Shiloh, Champion Hill was another close run thing - more so than it should have been. Generally speaking, each side suffered from committing its forces piecemeal - Grant because of overcautious orders to his chief subordinate on-site, commander of the XIII Corps Major General John McClernand, and Pemberton because of inadequate intelligence as to Federal troop dispositions combined with a rancorous relationship with division commander Major General William Loring. Particularly speaking, the Confederates perhaps lost Champion Hill because of a wayward ordnance train that handicapped beleaguered rebels in the face of fresh, but the last, Union reserves at a critical point of confrontation.

CHAMPION HILL is an obligatory read for any student, casual or serious, of the Civil War. I was sorry to come to the end of the story, a reaction usually reserved for fiction.

Being a novice to the study of the civil war, I found this book to be helpful in my pursuit of knowledge about the Battle of Champion Hill. It was well written and easy to read. Not being one who necessarily understands military tactics or maneuvers, Timothy Smith's book allowed me to follow the battle with a clear understanding of troop movements and placements and was enhanced by the excellent maps. Having read the book prior to a trip to the Vicksburg area, the battle came to life for me because of the knowledge gleaned. I especially enjoyed the personal accounts, pictures and bios of the officers and soldiers.

I think this battle is best summed up by a quote from the book about a young Iowan, Sam Byers, that said, "But, on May 16, 1863, he was just a frightened young man standing with hundreds of other frightened young men looking up the slopes of Champion Hill in an effort to stare down random death.." This is definitely a book that every serious student of the civil war will want in his or her library.

Absolutely must-have for anyone contemplating selling their home. Terrific and easy step-by-step methods to increase the sale of your home. Good reading. Don't leave your home without it.

If you are planning to sell your home, this book is a must. Lots of excellent suggestions laid out in a step by step process. This would be a great resource for real estate agents to give to their listing clients as well.

This book has well organized ideas for completely readying your home for selling indoors as well as out! Many are common sense, but the psychological reasons for potential buyers to buy your home over another are amazing! It would be a pain to live long-term in a home that has been completely staged for sale, but for that purpose the ideas are terrific! I highly reccommend this book for anyone thinking of placing a home on the market, or anyone that may someday, as the ideas for color and upgrades can be lived with long-term!

I always hear people talk about "staging" and wondered what it was. This is a good beginner's guide, and will hopefully give some ideas to sellers to help them in this slowing market. It had some things I hadn't heard on HGTV before, and some were more detailed instructions on following through with ideas I've seen on TV. It also gave you details on which tricks were still in use, which ones (like baking brownies right before someone shows up) were no longer fashionable and why.

This book is great! Especially in today's real estate market, your house has to stand out from the crowd, and this book gives you the tools to make that happen. The authors give you general tips for the whole house, then a room-by-room section helps you fix up each room to its best potential. Lots of before-and-after photos help you visualize what you need to do.

"De-clutter" is a regular drumbeat that goes through this whole book, and we seriously did that. The result was that nearly all of our potential buyers commented on how clean the house was. Well yes, it was clean, but the appearance from the de-cluttering was more important in causing the look of cleanliness.

A psychological plus for us: after the staging, the house was now just a house, no longer our beloved home. That may sound negative, but it helped us see a low offer for the house not as an insult, but just as a starting point in negotiating for this object. We could be much more objective in the selling process.

Was this book responsible for four offers on the house in one week? Can't know, but we're sure it helped. Also, We thought enough of this book that we recommended it to our real estate agent after the house sold, for her other clients who might need it.
- Bill McGann, Author of The Story of the Tour de France