North America Books

In this superb second volume on Grant's war-time service, Bruce Catton shows how Grant devised and executed the grand strategy that ensured we'd be one country.

Beginning at Chattanooga, Catton chronicles Grant's successful battle to save a beleaguered federal army there and his selection as head of all of the armies of the Union.

The strategic plan, the overland campaign, the investiture of Petersburg and the finale with Lee at Appomattox are chronicled well.

What Catton does very well here is focus on Grant the General-in-Chief. We see how Lincoln and Grant are drawn toward each other through a shared and fundamental understanding of what it would take to win the war and the will to do it -- incredibly a trait Lincoln could find in no other General selected to head the Army of the Potomac.

The actual management of the Union's armies and efforts is given great attention. Even the Civil War devotee who knows a lot about the battles of the war will appreciate this focus on grand strategy, army management and the particular and singular attributes possessed by Grant to manage the affair to a successful conclusion.

A wonderful book, as is it's predecessor, "Grant Moves South."

This is a well-researched account of the last two years of the Civil War (1863-1865). The harsh realities of the battles and living conditions are especially given great detail here. The final days of the war and the surrender of General Lee are extremely poignant as the author examines the tattered remains of the once invincible Army of Northern Virginia. The exchange between the victors and the vanquished at Appomattox is the highlight of the book. The author also takes pains not to overlook any of Grant's military blunders such as Cold Harbor and gives an even-handed viewpoint throughout. I recommend this book for anyone who is interested in the darkest days of our nation's history.

"Grant Takes Command" is the second of two volumes by Bruce Catton on Grant's Civil War service and the third volume of a trilogy on Grant's military career (beginning with Lloyd Lewis's "Captain Sam Grant"). However, this volume can easily be ready by itself. Catton picks up the story in the fall of 1863 with Grant's successful raising of the siege of Chanttanooga, following which President Lincoln picks him for a third star and command of all the Union armies.

Grant is the latest in a long series of Union commanders, most of whom have been badly beaten by General Robert E. Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia, and none of whom have been able to bring superior Northern resources effectively to bear on a slowly weakening Confederacy. In fact, as Grant takes command, the war has not yet been won and could still be lost.

Grant will be the commander that Lincoln has long sought. Lincoln's telling exchange with an aide, repeated by Catton, lays out why. Grant is the first general to take the supreme command who will work in harness with Lincoln and in full acceptance of Lincoln's constraints as President of a democracy in the midst of a civil war. Grant is prepared to take full responsibility for the conduct of the missions of the armies, and without setting up an alibi in advance for possible failure. And as it becomes apparent in the course of Catton's absolutely superb narrative, Grant understands the terrible math. Lee and his army are too proficient to be easily beaten; great persistance will be called for. Grant grasps the essential truth that Lee's army is the Confederate center of gravity, and the corallary that Lee's requirement to protect Richmond ultimately limits his ability to maneuver. Further, Grant is able to cause the Union armies to work at a common design, denying Lee the ability to reinforce Virginia by drawing on other theaters of war. The result will be a long, grinding, and exceedingly bloody campaign stretching from 1864 into 1865, as Lee's army is slowly bludgeoned to death.

Catton's narrative does not spare Grant his errors; in the 1864 campaign, Grant underestimates both Lee's abilities as a general and the difficulties of conducting campaigns on such a huge scale. Grant has to learn the job of Army commander in chief on the move; the unnecessary casualties of Cold Harbor and the repeated failures to flank Lee out of position in Virginia are proof of the learning curve. But Grant's great gift is his refusal to be deterred from his objective; he pins Lee at Petersburg and uses the Union armies of Sherman and Sheridan, among others, to destroy the Confederacy's means to make war.

"Grant Takes Command" was first published in 1960, and the details of the history of the Civil War have evolved since then. However, Catton's prose has stood the test of time. This is a truly magnificently told story on an epic scale and a highly recommended treat for the Civil War enthusiast and the casual reader alike.

A change in Focus--Grant takes the Reins

Until 1864, the Army of the Potomac had never won a campaign. Each Union attempt to capture Richmond drove south, was repulsed, withdrew to Washington, found a new general, and tried again. After his successes at Vicksburg and Chattanooga, Grant came east to a promotion, to general in charge of all Union Armies.

Grant brought a different focus, and Catton defines this superbly in this book, drawing on many of Grant's memoranda to other officers, as well as President Lincoln. Catton captures the essence of a Grant campaign: hold on to the enemy, grasp and retain the initiative, and always move your logistics aggresively forward.

Catton also tries, albeit weakley, to show that Grant was not a "pure" attritionist. He offers examples of Grant's desires to push west and sever Richmond from the Shenandoah. Catton explores the political reality of uncovering Washington to a Confederate thrust, while attacking the logistics that sustained Confederate armies, while Sherman simultaneously attacked Atlanta and its strategic railhead. Catton states that after the battle of Cold Harbor Ggrant's numerical superiority was at its lowest level, but he does not provide the hard math to support this stance. On the other hand, Catton shows well the manuever warfare used by Grant to slip away after Cold Harbor, steal a march, and get across the James River before Lee, stripped of his cavalry, could discover the move and react.

This book does a very solid job of capturing Grant's determination, his unyielding efforts to impose his will on the leaders and staff of the Army of the Potomac, and to integrate the political realities of volunteers, political appointee generals and a presidential election with the cold hard reality of constant campaigning.

A good read not just for students of the martial art, but for any leader who must address the Sisyphean task of invigorating old "we've always done it that way" people with a new ethos and drive.

It is almost amazing that even after nearly 40 years, this book still stand the test of time as one of the best studies of General U.S. Grant's tenure as the military commander of all Federal forces. The book starts off from the Chattanooga campaign in late 1863 and moving on to his promotion as overall commander and his attachment to the Army of the Potomac for the rest of the war. By this move he clearly determined that General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia will be his primary target and a key to overall victory for the Union. Bruce Catton does a wonderful job in narrating each event in a clear and colorful way that make this book a joy to read.

Best part of Catton's writing is the way he make individual characters stand out in a way that most pertaining to the event at hand. We understand how Lincoln and Grant bonded so well, how even Meade and Grant worked well on surface and why Grant kept his eye on the ball when grinding Lee down to earth.

This book is a follow-up to Catton's earlier work, Grant Moves South which was published 7 years prior to this book and captured Grant's military activities from the beginning of the war to end of the Vicksburg campaign in 1863. As part of the two book set, Bruce Catton continued to captured the essence of Grant's military chronicles with clarity and understanding that any reader can appreciate.

For anyone interested in the American Civil War, this book is sure to be part of your mandatory reading material and the best part is that its really is a great reading book.

To read a book numbering 945 pages of fine print is a luxury these days. It took me such a long time to read the Fourth Edition of Paul Horgan's wonderful, Pulitzer-Prize-winning "Great River: The Rio Grande In North American History" that sometimes I felt as if I were experiencing 10,000 years worth of history in real time. At the tail end of the epic, when President Wilson hesitates to send troops across the river to pursue bandits, citing his personal shame regarding the United States' "invasion" of Mexico during the Nineteenth Century, I felt able to "remember how it actually happened" - how U.S. fear concerning France's courtship of then independent Texas coupled with its distaste for Mexico's ethical transgressions (e.g., mistreatment of Texan prisoners of war) made U.S. annexation of Texas, Arizona, California, and New Mexico seem almost righteous.

The Preface to the Fourth Edition is dated 1984. But the book, initially authored in the Forties, reflects the philosophies of its times. Written well before the feminist era, the book, whether dealing with Pueblo peoples, Spanish Conquistadors, Mexican revolutionaries, or American generals, mostly follows the pursuits of men and ignores women. In Pueblo times, one glimpses Pueblo women washing garments in the river. Centuries later, several pages focus on Maud Wright, an American frontierswomen who must have been ferociously brave to have endured unspeakable horrors at the hands of bandits yet survived to provide U.S. troops with knowledge that was "valuable to know." And yet, passive adjectives describe her - "helpless" or "thankful to be busy" - before the narrative again turns its attention to colorful male warriors, raiders, politicians, navigators, or thieves.

Similarly, the book displays a Forties-style awe of "machine technics." Technology, it explains, had a positive effect on river cultures, liquidating "all indigenous aspects of the river's three [Indian, Spanish, Mexican] societies." Half-a-century later, it seems a day doesn't pass when "you Rio" isn't in the news, whether sporting a new, angry-looking border fence (to hold back hordes, who wish to ford the river and flee a still troubled Mexico) or failing to reach the Gulf thanks to global warming. Alas, technology, as Henry Adams feared, is proving to be the river's enemy.

One can't reverse the course of a river, but one can reverse the course of policies made in the heat of whatever political moment. This book should be required reading on both sides of the border.

The level of detail amassed by Horgan for this book is nothing short of incredible. Roughly half the book is dedicated to historical events; the other half covers culture, the role of religion, native living conditions, and a hundred other nuances of day-to-day living by peoples (both native and the later Spanish/American cultures) along the Rio Grande.

Readers who want a VERY in-depth history of the Rio Grande can't do any better than this book. However, readers looking for a more general overview of events might want to consider other sources.

I probably fell into the latter category; I found myself skipping 2-5 pages at a time because I just wasn't that interested in knowing every single detail of (for example) how the Indians dressed and meticulously prepared bits of food for a ceremony to welcome the growing season. Or details covering 5 pages of how Spanish missionaries held a typical mass in the settlements in 1650.

That said, I recognize that this book is about as complete a works as could be published. I'd much rather skip over detail than have an account which isn't thorough.

This book is the best ever written on the history of the southwest along the Rio Grande. Horgan manages to capture the shared history of New Mexico, Texas and Mexico as no other historian/writer has ever done. This one will be around as long as readers want to understand history in the borderlands.

This two-volume series was my inroduction to Paul Horgan who became one of my favorite authors. It is interesting to note he and Frank Waters ('the Man who Killed the Deer') died recently just two weeks apart. They were both 92, and among the greatest authors who dealt with the Rio Grande. Mr. Hogan's dedication to detail set him apart from Willa Cather whose fame rests upon her book 'Death comes to the Archbishop,' using Lamy as her subject. She rejected the aproach of Paul Horgan who at the time was writing his own history, 'Lamy of Santa Fe.' Willa Cather was a novelist; Paul Horgan an historian, and of the two I prefer the truth. Anyone interested in the history of the Rio Grande will be delighted with Paul Horgan's two-volume introduction to it.

One of the major materpieces of American historical writing. The two volumes are a continuing delight, far better than any historical novel. Scene succeds scene, filled with movement, passion and unbelievable heroism. Won the Pulitzer and Bancroft Prizes for History, and is considered the greatest history of the Rio Grande from pre-Columbian time to mid 20th century.

Filled with black-and-white photographs and a brief insert section of color plates, Guide To Rock Art Of The Utah Region: Sites With Public Access is a singularly comprehensive, illustrated, informative, and descriptive introduction to Native American rock art, as well as a thoroughly "user friendly" travel guide to the viewing of rock art found in Utah that has endured since before written history. Chapters cover not only the artwork found throughout Utah, but the accessibility of sites and proper etiquette and conservation that traveling viewers should observe. Highly recommended for students of Native American studies, rock art history, armchair travelers, and people with a simple zest to visit Utah and see these amazing drawings for themselves.

This is the best and most responsible guide to the rock art of Utah I have seen. It is well written and researched, the maps are excellent and so are the directions. It's a winner.

I'm not easily satisified with guides, but this one appears to be an exception. It fits the need of those of us who enjoy and appreciate indigenous art and the wilderness that typically accompanies it. There are numerous maps, excellent directions, a section of color pictures, and good insights.

This is the best and most responsible guide to the rock art of Utah I have seen. It is well written and researched, the maps are excellent and so are the directions. It's a winner.

Usually when I buy a book, I feel I get my money's worth as long as I can get something out of it. It is very rare when the entire book becomes an invaluable resource. This is such a book. This book contains excellent maps and directions and includes numerous B&W pictures and illustrations. There is also a color panel in the middle. When I say detailed directions I mean DETAILED. The author tells you what landmarks to look for, what exit to get off, how the road winds and breaks the distances down to a tenth of a mile. It is also written in a very easy to follow and understand text. The highlight of the book for me is the detailed breakdown of Nine Mile Canyon. I was not intending on doing nine mile canyon due to a shortage of time and thinking I would need a guide to find many of the sites. The book describes the trip in such detail you feel like you are on a tour. Besides Utah, the author also writes about some sites in Nevada, Arizona and Colorado. Before I purchased this book, I thought I would only get to see a few rock art panels at the more popoular destinations. After reading this book, I now know that there are many more sites I can visit. Hopefully, those who are intersted in this book will also heed the authors plea to be respectful of the sites. His book speaks about way to many instances of idiots vandalizing these treasures and destroying them for the future generations. Bottom line is that this is a must have for anyone serious about seeing rock art in Utah.

John McDermott has done a fantastic job with this book. The first half is a wonderful in-depth look at life on the frontier during the 1800s that goes back and forth with comparisons of the living conditions, clothing, social beliefs, etc., of Native Americans and the whites who were moving through/into the West. The second half gives a good overview of sites of historic interest, museums, battlefields and more. The one thing I found frustrating (and I can't think of a good solution McDermott could have employed) is that the "guide" section of the book does include some good history information, too: It seems that these instances were included in the second half of the book to discuss localized events that might have seemed out of place in the more generalized first half of the book.

I was introduced to this book after I had already done quite a bit of reading on the Indian Wars, and I was sorry that I had not found it earlier. It provides alot of basic information in a very readable format. I now keep this book on hand as a reference when I do any other reading on the subject. I had the privilege of meeting John McDermott this summer when he served as historian guide for a tour of the battlefields of the Sioux wars. It must have been very difficult for him to condense his vast knowlege of the Indian wars into this simplified format, but it works very well. I strongly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the Indian wars, or someone who would just like an introduction into that period of American history.

John D. McDermott writes well and knows an amazing amount about the wetsern indian wars. The first part of the book, background material, is hard to top. I learned several things I didn't know from it. The second part, the travel guide, can be helpful because the West if so big that not many people will know about places in every area. But there are a few mistakes in the second part, things like wrong phone numbers and maps and descriptions that might put you in the wrong part of a state. This seems to be from carelessness and not ignorance. The book is certainly worth buying, but if you are set on going to some fort or battlefield you might want to phone ahead for information and also have a good map to be on the safe side.

This is more than just a Guide to Indian Wars, it is a well written and very informative and importent piece of literature for anyone interested in the history of Native Americans.

I live in England so I doubt I will ever see most of the places mentioned in the book, but having read it, my knowledge has been increased, the little "potted" history of Army Life etc really made for interesting reading, a wonderful little book, but a big addition to my library of Native American literature.

This book provides a concise historical perspective of the Indian Wars of the West with the second section providing sites of interest based on geographical location. There is a lot of detail on the different tribes, their geographic locations and differences, their relations with the "whites", lifestyles of Native Americans, lifestyle of the soldiers, weapons of each and a review of literature, movies and TV shows on the West. Reminds me of a lot of Robert Utley mixed in with Paul Hutton's Custer Reader.

The second part organizes points of historical interest geographically and by tribal history detailing what you will see (actual structures or replica and scenery) and a mini biography of the site. This book is a great companion for touring since you can organize what you want to see easily since the sites are organized by states and region. For example, if I were in Colorado, one of my goals would be to see Brent's Fort particularly if I was there during the annual rendezvous. How great to not only see Fort Apache if you are in Arizona but also to be able to detour to Cochise's Stronghold.

I just wish the text had pictures of the tour sites or a portion of them and an index. It's a modest book of 200 pages but a walloping amount of information. It's also a great reference for further reading.

I've got it and you don't! Too bad. It's outta print. I called the publisher and they are not reissuing. Go find it used. It is worth every penny ($85 I paid) if you need or desire to ID gulls.

This book is a must have for every birdwatcher! If you have problems with indentifying gulls, this is the book to have! It anwers all my questions I have about gull distribution and indentification. Now I know how to Indentify those Ring-billed Gulls that I see in the parking lot. Also I have a better outlook on where they came from as Well!

The size and massive detail in this new book on identifying the gulls of the Northern Hemisphere is likely to deter most readers from more than a cursory leafing through its lovely paintings and photographs. But if you're curious to learn more about these common but highly varied, many-shades-of-gray birds around us, and you happen to live in a coastal area as I do, with more than a few gulls that are hard to identify during the winter, this might be a book to look into more thoroughly.

A caution though: gulls can be notoriously difficult to identify accurately, since they have so much finely detailed, age-related plumage variation. But an effort to simply knuckle-down and learn more about all this, such as this book amply provides, can pay off greatly in much greater detective-fun trying to figure out all these heretofore anonymously gray gulls sailing and prowling around us here each year. It's already helped me develop better skills in figuring out nearly all the varied groups of gulls around us here more quickly than I would have heretofore thought possible. And to more quickly decide which birds you can or cannot more accurately identify...and why.

The detailed accounts and maps of the distribution and relative abundance of various gull species have also helped me better understand where the gulls that migrate through or winter in our area are likely to have come from. And, finally, as you delve more deeply into what's known about all these gull species, and their European and Asian counterparts, it becomes obvious that the series of beautiful, comparative paintings and color photographs provided in such detail for each species in its various age-plumages, subspecies, and hybrid-forms is worth the price of the book alone.

Well....maybe not easy....but, not through any fault of this book! The book starts with a lesson on the various body parts, as you will need to know many of these in order to ascertain what gull you have sitting in front of you. A comparison of the wings comes next. Then, it goes through each gull species and all of its plumages, including the months you might expect to see them in that plumage. It ends by discussing the various hybrids. If you ever hope to get beyond referring to gulls as "gull sp.," this book will do it. When you hear other birders refer to "the gull bible," this is it!!! However, don't think that this is a field guide you might want to carry in a fanny pack...it's a heavyweight!

growing up with the knowledge that there are just a few "kinds" of gulls and realising after a while that all the gulls you knew are now called somthing compleatly different (the whole herring,yellow legged,caspian,armenian,lesser black backed,sibirian etc. complex). this is the book we were all looking for, easy to use and extremly proffesional.
another good birding book to have around.

Russell S. Smith was the Police Chief in San Angelo, Texas for years. He was an outstanding officer. There were many twists and turns in this book, it kept my interest and eyes on the printed page. He is a true detective, enjoying the chase as he traced the facts in order to find the truth.

What a great book! Author, retired Texas Police Chief Russell Smith, has a unique way of talking to the reader. This is an interesting account of the "Caveman Bandit" - in a time much like the Wild West but in the 1960's. Most certainly all those who have roots in West TX would be interested as well as Texans everywhere. As a Californian, who has never been to that part of the country, I referred to a TX map to visualize the expanse of land that the Bandit inhabited. Wow - it is really incredible to think that a human was capable of covering such an enormous territory. Also incredible is the way this man slinked in and out of businesses, houses, rugged terrain, in and out of Mexico and Texas -without detection - sometimes underneathe the noses of those who so desperately hunted him. Yes, the bandit was incredibly animal-like: digging for shelter in caves, surviving off the land, outwitting and outrunning his prey. You will have to read this book for the interesting details and to see how the story ends. Bravo Chief Smith!

Russell Smith has a way of telling a story so that you see every event, almost as if you were there when it happened. You see the rugged country and the people very vividly in your mind. You feel the suspense as the caveman bandit enters a home at night while the occupants are sleeping. You laugh as two macho teenage boys decide they will be heroes and catch the bandit one dark, cold night. I got so involved in the story, I didn't want it to end.

What a great book. I could visualize the caveman bandit, his hiding spots, the rough land, the houses and the people. Russell Smith brings the characters and the landscape to life. Chapter 1 was a great way to start the book and it hooked me. I can't wait to read his next book.

"The Gun That Wasn't There" is an interesting true story about a man who lived off the land, the ranches, and the businesses of the area he was in. The local people knew about him, had often seen him, but it wasn't unusual for "illegals" to cross their ranches so they didn't pay much attention to him until he broke into a house while the people were home and attacked them. This is a story about man against man, one wanting to be left alone to survive the way he knew best, and those who wanted to stop him.

The book includes several original photographs as well as recent photos of the area. The author paints such a vivid description of the area that you already know what is there without seeing the photographs. There are numerous endnotes that historians and genealogists will love.

THIS WAS A GIFT FOR MY HUSBAND. I DIDN'T GET A "WOW" FOR THIS BOOK. I DID NOT READ IT MYSELF, BUT IF HE REALLY LIKES A BOOK, HE'LL LET ME KNOW. MY RATING IS ONLY TAKEN FROM THE REACTION I RECEIVED.

Seinfeld character George Costanza asked the question "I wonder what it takes to be a Civil War buff?" This book is the answer. If you are new to Civil War studies, this book will help you make sense of all the information out there. Key figures, battles and social phenomena are explained in language that a novice can understand (after reading it, you'll finally know what a "flanking maneuver" is). He also approaches the topic with a touch of humor (his list of "ways to be a successfull re-enactor" is required reading as much for re-enactors as for those of us who question the sanity of wearing a wool tunic on a July afternoon). For those who've already earned their stripes as a "buff" this book is still essential reading. A fellow buff of mine and I have already had many lively debates about Flagel's ranking of the best and worst generals--George McClellan the second worst general in the war? Flagel makes his case, and whether you agree, disagree, or wish to drop a twelve-pounder on his toe, it gets the juices flowing.

The History Buff's Guide to the Civil War by Thomas R. Flagel was very informative and provided this individual with many bits of information that haven't been seen before.

As an individual who reads twenty or more civil war books each year I would strongly recommend this read to those who desire those little bits and pieces that are not usually found in more well known publications.

The book is well written and presented in very readable fashion.

Well done!

American Civil War expert and history teacher Thomas R. Flagel wrote The History Buff's Guide To The Civil War as a guide to the most critical people, places, and events of the Civil War. Meticulously organized under over thirty headings to spotlight key facts and topics in an easy-to-lookup manner, The History Buff's Guide To The Civil War is accessibly divided into the main subjects of Antebellum, Politics, Military Life, The Home Front, In Retrospect, and Pursuing the War, with each section deftly and succinctly exploring issues with heavily researched, matter-of-fact directness. An excellent introductory guide and consultation reference for readers of all backgrounds, The History Buff's Guide To The Civil War is a welcome addition to personal, school, and community library Civil War Studies reference collections.

The writing in this book is eloquent, evocative, and brings the Civil War to life. I've given copies of this book to my daughters who are in middle school and high school as well as to my older daughter to share with my Granddaughter (they live in the south and this book contains truth rather than historical fiction). I would recommend this book for every student who thinks history is boring - so they can find out it's not.

I enjoyed this book very much. Tarleton's deductive and vainglorious writings are very informative yet do not dwell on American victories but rather American humiliation. I would not recommend it if you are not altogether serious though.

A fascinating book, plainly and well written. It took a moment or so to get used to the vernacular but it's a smooth read. I was particularly interested in Tarleton's say on what happened during the Buford Massacre because he implies (in my opinion) that the slaughter of the American troops was not ordered by him but rather, a circumstance of war and the crazed emotional upheaval that accompanies the heat of battle. The book presents an interesting view of the American War of Independence from the "other side". Well worth it.

After over 113 years of being out of print, Banastre Tarleton once again speaks (at an affordable leavel no less) of his experiences and knowledge of the battles he and his British compatriots went through. Mind you, it is a bit of a dry read as that his legal style of writing shows through the whole thing. If you ever wanted insight as to the British side of the American Revolution,here's your book!

The style of the antique font is most appealing to devotees of British Militaria. It is though one is reading the dispatches from "Bloody Bana" himself. This is the point of view never learned in America. If you enjoyed "The Patriot" you will enjoy this book. Refers in the 1st part to Major Patrick Ferguson, the inventor of the Ferguson Breechloading Flintlock rifle. The descriptions of the terrain and hardships as well as surrender terms and stores captured are thoroughly detailed.

A very detailed history of the Southern Campaigns of the American Revolution. At times a little self serving. It is enjoyable in eighteenth century text. Detailed maps.

How To Read How-To And Self-Help Books by psychologist and management consultant Janne Ruokonen is a simple and practical guide to getting the best use out of personal development books, tapes, and seminars. With informative tips for avoiding myths about self-help, cogent advice against pitfalls that block one's ability to absorb wisdom, illustrative anecdotes, "real world" solid techniques for achieving consistent improvement, How To Read How-To And Self-Help Books is very highly recommended for the non-specialist general reader and a superb addition to any personal or community library self-help reference shelf.

Self-help books are amongst the most popular of all the books sold. They are almost always at the top of the bestseller lists. Yet, how many have you bought that sit dusty on your bookshelf, testament to a failed attempt to changing a habit or gaining a new skill?

Was the problem the book or was the problem within you? Author Ruokonen lists a spectrum of ideas and advice on getting the most out of self-help and getting the results you want.

The chapters in Part Two: Why Self-Improvement Fails and How to Succeed tell a lot about what is in Ruokonen's valuable book:

Here's Why you Failed Before
Why Goals, Planning and Hard Work are Not Enough (!)
Why Knowledge Does Not Equal Learning (!!)
Learning Effectively
Avoiding the Self-Help Pitfalls
Dealing with Paradoxes and Contradictory Advice
Breaking the Barriers to Success

and from Part Three:
Putting Advice into Practice

I recommend this as a MUST-READ not only for anyone embarking on a course of self-improvement, whether through a book, a seminar or a course, but also for every Human Resource and Training professional who will be spending company funds on books, courses and seminars for employees. I will be recommending this book at my company because I think it will help us get the most from any training we do in future.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!

I've read too many advice, self-study, skill devopment and self-help books to count. Some of them have been useful to me, most not.

The problem for me has been either due to achieving no measurable results or having conflicts with what I've read or tried earlier. It can be difficult to know what to trust and which things to try.

If time wasn't limited, I could of course try them all. However, like for most of us, time is pretty scarce resource for me.

What this book writes about is very useful to me. It breaks down failures and success of using advice (from books) into something that is practical and applicable in real life.

While it may not score the highest points in terms of motivational liturgy of wonderful stories, it is one of the most practical and useful books on the field that I have read.

As such, I intend to revisit it again on a regular basis. Not because the content is difficult, but because the practical advice it gives is so profound that it sometimes easy to forget and not to apply it oneself. This is especially true with some of the more conceptual books that lack almost any useful instructions on how to utilize all the information contained within.

If you read self-help books or want to get more benefits out of them, I highly recommend this one.

Self-help books are amongst the most popular of all the books sold. They are almost always at the top of the bestseller lists. Yet, how many have you bought that sit dusty on your bookshelf, testament to a failed attempt to changing a habit or gaining a new skill?

Was the problem the book or was the problem within you? Author Ruokonen lists a spectrum of ideas and advice on getting the most out of self-help and getting the results you want.

The chapters in Part Two: "Why Self-Improvement Fails and How to Succeed" tell a lot about what is in Ruokonen's valuable book:

Here's Why you Failed Before
Why Goals, Planning and Hard Work are Not Enough (!)
Why Knowledge Does Not Equal Learning (!!)
Learning Effectively
Avoiding the Self-Help Pitfalls
Daling with Pardoxes and Contradictory Advice
Breaking the Barriers to Success

and from Part Three:
Putting Advice into Practice

I recommend this as a MUST-READ not only for anyone embarking on a course of self-improvement, whether through a book, a seminar or a course, but also for every Human Resource and Training professional who will be spending company funds on books, courses and seminars for employees. I will be recommending this book at my company because I think it will help us get the most from any training we do in future.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

"If you feel that you have fallen short of getting the promised results from self-help programs, you need to know that the real problem isn't you personally or the advice you've received." -Janne Ruokonen

What do you dream about becoming? There is probably a book out there for just about anything you have ever thought about. But how do you achieve your dream? Is reading the book enough?

This is the first guide to show how you can use personal development books, tapes and seminars. Janne Ruokonen will show you how to:

1. Find and use the best personal development advice
2. Understand why you may have failed before
3. Avoid the common self-help- pitfalls
4. Make sense of gurus and their ideas and methods
5. Discover how ordinary people achieve extraordinary results

By reading this book you will see how to get the most out of the advice self-help books give. This is a realistic guide that shows you what works in real life and how you can create lasting change. Janne has come to the realization that many books fail to show the reader how to take the advice and use it to achieve maximum results.

He started collecting self-help books, interviewing people who used the books and participated in online discussion groups. He soon saw a pattern emerging. In the last section of the book, he lists page after page of books you will want to read. I've always thought a good book was one that recommends other good books!

The Contents Include:

Part One: What You Can Achieve and Whose Advice to Follow
Part Two: Why Self-Improvement Fails and How to Succeed
Part Three: From Advice to Action: Making a Lasting Change in Your Life

Janne also gives lists of what people are reading and listening to. Then he shows you how to read effectively and "actively." I like that he says you should make notes and almost "review" the book. I've found that if I review a book I really do absorb more of the content. I'm not sure I could only read two chapters per week, but many people are probably encouraged if they can read two chapters of a self-help book each week. After all, that might not be all you are reading.

Janne Ruokonen has worked as a manager and consultant. He knows how to put personal development ideas to work for himself and his staff and his career includes working at a leading personal development and sales training company.

In this book you will realize that life is far too short to learn everything on your own by trial and error. Why not learn from other people's mistakes or success?

Who would have thought you would need a self-help book to read self-help books, but it makes complete sense.

One of my main problems is that I tend to think Big and then try to take Big steps. That is why I've failed with self-help on numerous occasions. When I sat down and realized that each time I tried to get fit, I was jumping in too fast and exhausting myself from the onset, I started to realize that at time if you take smaller steps at the start, you will be able to more easily reach your final goal. You would think this would be obvious, but ambition can often blind you to reality.

I mean, you can sit and watch a workout tape all day, but if you don't get on the floor and start working out, it isn't going to get you very far. Sure, the tape is fun to watch and review, but the satisfaction comes from looking in the mirror and seeing the results you have achieved. I also found that watching movies while walking on the treadmill keeps me more interested in walking. So, everyone had to find that secret way to motivate themselves. Rewards do seem to work.

Janne says that many people go wrong because they try to just focus on the "goal" and not on the "steps" to get to that goal. He also discusses Procrastination and "The Overload Barrier."

"How to Read How-To & Self-Help Books" is a balanced approach to achieving your goals, gives you the motivation to take the steps needed to improve your life and shows you how to realize your dreams!

~The Rebecca Review

I would like to encourage the author to write more volumes on the Illinois Central. This book is a great reference for mid 20th century locomotives and rolling stock. If I may be so bold as to suggest, a volume featuring branch line activities and depots would be an excellent follow up to this fine book.

Good section on the history of the Illinois Central Railroad. Steam section was good. Orange and White was the era I grew up watching on the IC. This book is an AWESOME photographic history of a historical Railroad.

First twenty pages are brief history of I. C. railroad. Next 29 pages are mostly pictures w/ brief discriptions of steam locomotives, followed by "around the map" photos, mostly of locomotives. Latter part of book is passenger trains, surburban Chicago "electrics", work & maintenance of way rolling stock, and cabooses (cabeese?).

Having grown up along the ICRR in the 50's through 70's, it brought back many fond memories, thank you so much.

AS AN EMPLOYEE OF THE ILLINOIS CENTRAL RAILROAD FOR THE LAST 27 YEARS THIS WAS BY FAR THE MOST INTERESTING BOOK ON THE RAILROAD I HAVE READ. BOTH PHOTOGRAPHY AND CONTENT PUTS THIS BOOK AT THE FRONT OF THE TRAIN.