United States Books

What would we do without the amazing life of Laura Ingalls and her family?! The Little House Collection has been a favourite of our household for the past couple of years. We are still reading avidly and enjoying watching the series on dvd. Fun to share my childhood memories with my little ones.

Easy, interesting and colourful words. A pleasure to read.

The whole LITTLE HOUSE series provides a perscription for daily living-- your basic 'How-To' manual: for practical survival skills; recognizing value in the smallest things; appreciating the gifts and pleasures of life; accepting each trial we may encounter. What a textbook!

These are handsome books - heavy stock paper, full color Garth Williams' illustrations, with Williams' illustrations on the cover (not the more modern real-life photos from other sets). This set, for some reason, only has the first 5 books, but the last 4 are available a la carte in the same nice full-color/heavy-stock/etc format. Not sure why they don't package all 9. This is a really nice collector's edition and very gift-worthy.

My mother-in-Law loved the books when she was growing up and I thought the television show was okay. So when my daughter seven, that's what grandma wanted and I didn't object. We started with the scholastic b+w set and it didn't draw my daughter in as much as this does. The pictures really pop out more in color and even though my daughter's a fairly good reader, the pictures make the difference for her. It might help that the stories are all of her as a child rather than also an adult-type person as in the complete set. The content is just fine, although a little scary at times, and I hope she's learning to notice how good things are now. (I can't imagine living in a sod house!)

What can I say? Everyone knows how wonderful these books are and if you don't, you will just have to read them for yourself. I am reading them to my 2 and 5 year old daughters. Surprisingly, they both listen well and beg me to read more (although my 5 year old will sit and listen while the younger loses interest after awhile, but hey, she's only 2) I am having as much fun reading them for myself a I am sharing them with my girls. Every morning after breakfast, we curl up on the couch or by the fireplace and read. And now my girls love to dress up and play Mary and Laura Ingalls and I think thats just wonderful. I don't have any boys but I imagine little boys would enjoy them as well (especially Farm Boy) And if you don't have kids, but just like to read, get them for yourself.

Fifty years ago I had psych classes at the UW, and I helped tend the rats in 600 N. Park. I learned about Harry Harlow, Carl Rogers, and schools of thought in Psychology. Now, finally, I understand and see the importance of what was going on here.

Deborah Blum has clarified the conflicts in behavioral science during the first half of the 20th century as my instructors never could. She has given human faces to the names that were listed in the semester timetables, but whom most students never saw. And Harry Harlow's flaws are not whitewashed, but they are understandable.

Younger readers will be aghast at the parenting style that was advocated by child health professionals over 50 years ago. Many of us, although we were not neglected or abandoned, were not cuddled and made to feel cherished. Harlow, among others, was able to disprove the validity of a sterile upbringing in creating a human adult.

And it is truly a page-turner, well written and captivating.

This book was in great shape and is an excellent read for those who want to understand

When Harry Harlow started exploring the science of affection it was in the face of disregard and opposition in the world of medicine and psychology. But he was able to show that affection is vital to the proper development of the newly born, as too is the measured rejection of the newly born's parents when the time is right. Consequently we now encourage the bonding of parents and children through physical handling. (Perhaps more affectionate and supportive friendships outside the family have developed as a result also.)

These were great insights for society and yet Harlow did face opposition. Just when he was saying the role of the mother (and father - but he was less vocal about that) was vital to the upbringing of the baby, the womens liberation movement was trying to get women more freedom - more equality on the basis of being the same as men. How could this new emphasis on the importance of the role of parents (principally women as men were traditionally the 'bread winners') be tolerated? To me, however, there is a mistake in this. We should not be treated equally because we are the same - but for the very opposite reason - because we are all unique. If we are to get the best from each unique individual then each individual must have equal rights and opportunity. Unfortunately Harlow's approach to opposition was often rude and confronting.

After his death Harlow's research faced another challenge - this time from the animal liberation activists. Harlow had done his experiments on monkeys principally, and these experiments necessarily had damaging (and surprising) results for the animals experimented on. Harlow did care for the animals and provided for them as well as he could in difficult circumstances - for example, he always tried to 'restore' emotionally damaged animals. Although we may now regret the methods he and his students used, and certainly not want to repeat them for the sake of student exercises, we should not lose sight of the vital information that was uncovered.

Deborah Blum's book is engaging and revealing - especially concerning the history of human behaviour with regard to affection and love. It is surprising how recent (1950s) some attitudes were that are now totally overthrown, at least in part because of Harlow's work.

But does psychology have more lessons to learn from Harlow? It is my belief that this is so. I recently had a workplace experience where I was confronted by a workplace bully. But immediately I knew this bully was not picking on me - this was just characteristic behaviour that was applied to everyone they worked with. All the stories and rumours I had heard - and continued to hear with more clarity - suddenly had greater presence for me. To overcome my distress at this situation I used the free staff counselling service offered by my employer. Perhaps in doing that I was already demonstrating my capacity to manage, to cope. What, however, of my colleagues who I now had insight to the terrible behaviour of the bully for them? Harlow would not have been surprised that I had bonded with these people - to some more closely than others. But the psychologist/counsellor understood nothing of this - as long as I was dealt with (the immediate client) nothing else could be done. But the only thing that could really be done for me was to smash all the bonds I had built with my colleagues so that I was no longer concerned for them. Was that reasonable?

And what of psychology offered to one of a married couple privately from the bond that links them. What is the risk that this will actually prise apart the bond that needs to be strengthened or at least maintained? I'm not sure how psychology should handle these matters but it continues to alarm me that the insights of Harlow are still being overlooked in areas where they should not be. Is it the impact of the womens liberation and animal liberation movements that have denigrated the research sufficiently to block its use in other areas?

other recommendations:
'Workplace Monsters' John Clarke (Random House Australia)
'Conditions of Love' John Armstrong
'A Crystal Age' W H Hudson

This is one of the most interesting and well written books I've ever read on this or any similar topic. To anyone who studies or has studied attachment, Blum offers an amazing look at how this early research changed the face of psychology. To anyone who has read countless poorly written descriptions of boring research studies, this book is an oasis.

I don't believe Blum has portrayed Harlow through rose-colored glasses. On the contrary, anyone reading this book might even wonder whether Harlow's neglect of his own children was a good thing, given his lack of compassion and indifference toward the suffering he caused. My copy is well-worn and has been loaned out many times. I highly recommend this book.

This is an extremely interesting book in terms of underlining how damaging scientific fads can be. The early twentieth century fad of data and cleanliness may well have led to the deaths many children as cleanliness was preferred over attention.

Unfortunately, Harry Harlow is less interesting, and provides an abominable contrast to the subject. Harlow ignores both wives and his children in search for - as he wrote in his school's yearbook - 'fame'. He becomes a chain-smoking alcoholic. Bizarrely, Blum emphasises Harlow's visionary understanding of love with, at times, an almost 'here comes superman' manner. She appears incapable of reconciling her argument that Harlow is the scientist of love with the fact that he ignored his wives and all his children!

If anything, I read the book as reflecting one man's selfish, desperate desire for achievement and fame. Thanks to his interest in monkeys, he and his students seemed to fall over the answer. Not exactly visionary.

A good read though, reflecting the pitfalls of faddish thinking, and also how scientific discoveries (if the fact that a child needs its mother is a discovery) occur. The book also reflects how difficult it can be to refute incorrect arguments.

The publisher and the curator of this book have created something very special for those of us who follow the fiber arts world. The featured artists selected represent what is really happening right now and that is what makes this publication so special. It is wonderful to read about and see images from fiber artists that helped start this revolution and especially wonderful to see what they are creating NOW. With the amount of fiber artits there are in this world, it must have been very difficult to wack down the list to those included in this book. Espcially wonderful to see more than one image and to read their comments about their own work and how it's impacted the art world.

Whether or not you're a quilter you would find it hard not to find inspiration in the pages of this book. Page after page of the most incredible quilts await you in this 400-page book. The photographs are clean, clear and placed on pages with no background clutter to detract the reader's eye. This is a book to be savored one page at a time and one that you'll find yourself picking up and flipping through over and over again. A must have for any fiber artists library.

Martha Sielman has put together a book documenting and celebrating 40 quilt makers and their art with beautiful photography, an insightful intro for each artist by Sielman, and commentary from the artist. Every page is a visual treat. A book of this type of art was long overdue, and this volume is everything one interested in quilt art (or any textile art) could hope for. Bravo!

There is so much eye candy in this book that I ran the risk of diabetic shock just browsing it! This is an amazing collection of fiber art, a plethora of inspiration and a joy to own. I would give it a 7 star rating if there were one. It's a "must have" in every fiber artist book collection! Bravo Martha!

Reviewed by:
Normajean Brevik
[...]

I highly recommend this book for your quilt library whether you create or just admire fine art quilts. The artists selected are varied and talented. The format allows the reader to follow the growth of each artist over a period of years. The photos are wonderful and inspiring. When my quilting friends saw this book, they rushed to order it.

My daughter (aged 4) and I enjoyed this book and plan to read more. We had just finished the Josefina American Girl series and really, really liked those books. While Kit is a fine story, for us, it was not as interesting as Josefina -- probably because Kit's life is so much more familiar and similar to our own. That being said, Kit is a likeable child and the book is well-written. It does teach good values. Kit learns a adjust in a positive way to change and to be a 'team player' under difficult circumstances. A positive aspect of this story is that it will give children the opportunity to ask grandparents and great-grandparents about their Depression memories.

I am a 3rd grade teacher and a "man teacher" as many kids say, and I loved sharing this book with my students. The boys enjoyed it as much as the girls, and we all spoke of Kit as though she were our friend. I found the book to be well-written and full of interesting tidbits perfectly in tune with what the kids would question or want to know about. There is so much these kids do not know, they are missing information somewhere. When I was a kid, I learned so much from wonderful TV programs like "Kukla, Fran and Ollie" and "The Waltons" and "Little House on the Prairie" and so I knew about other time periods. These kids only seem to know about the present day. This book helped them think beyond what they know. Interest in TV programs led me to look for books on similar themes when I was a kid. The best thing about this book was that it made me want to share it with my own grandmother, who lived during the Depression. She was a poor country girl, not a city girl like Kit, but she would enjoy the book if she wasn't suffering from memory loss in the nursing home. I think of her as I read the books. It is like I am sharing something of my grandparents with tomorrow.

It's like being a girl long ago. You'll love it! Kit's real name is Margaret Mildred Kittredge. She has to sleep in the attic because Stirling Howard comes to visit and get to sleep in her room. So she turns the attic into her own beautiful room.

By Kacie age 8

I read the book Kit An American Girl.
This book is great.
You can learn from this book. It tells you how a family works together & It teaches how hard it was to live back in 1934.

I learned some interesting facts.
I learned about the depression. I learned about what you would have to do to live & I learned it was 1934 when the great depression happened.

I would recommend this book for three reasons.
1. It is a fantastic book..
2. It was a true story.
3. This book has so many facts about Kit.

Kit An American Girl is a good book.

M.W.

We got this at a rummage sale, and he won't put it down. He's never been a really strong reader, but the main character, Kit, is believable. He likes reading about Cincinnati. He finds it amazing that someone wrote a book about the state he lives in. We have tried just about every book out there to get him to read independently. This is the one book he picks up on his own and reads over and over again.

I am a parent of a son who is almost 12, diagnosed a few years back with bipolar and ADHD. I am continually looking for books to help me along this journey. This is a must read book for any parent of a bipolar child. It is written by a mother - and it is very candid. It makes you realize as a parent that you are not alone in this struggle. It has given me renewed hope as we have to face the future. I highly recommend this book. After I finished reading it, my husband is now reading it and I have been telling everyone about it.

I had the pleasure of discovering Kate McLaughlin's, Mommy I'm Still In Here, a memoir of a mother's efforts to hold her family together during the crisis of having two of her three children diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Then I had the good fortune to interview her.

The book was moving and frightening, but ultimately hopeful and eminently practical. There is no adult demographic that I can think of that wouldn't benefit from this easy and fascinating read. If you never need the information on bipolar disorder for the management of your own circumstances, you can only come away enlightened, more compassionate, weighed with important questions and, most importantly, buoyed with hope.

Ms. McLaughlin's eldest daughter, Chloe, suffers from the most difficult to treat cascade of symptoms, and her brother, Michael, wrestles with substance abuse issues in his low times, and yet, with their strength of family and perseverance, they've achieved satisfaction and competence in their lives. Ms. McLaughlin is a shining example of someone able to map the big picture and offers a way to develop perspective. She soars high.

All I can do is recommend Mommy I'm Still In Here.

To hear the audio of the interview, go to PsychJourney dot com.

Mommy I'm Still in Here is an incredibly thought provoking and educational account of one families authentic journey of living with Bipolar Disorder. Kate McLaughlin shares straight from the heart of here experiences of raising children with a challenging mental illness and truly illuminates the beauty that the challenges provoked. Kate's story offers true inspiration about continuing perseverance in the toughest of times and how hanging in there for the ride despite the readiness to give up is worth it.

Kate McLaughlin inspires and teaches in this incredible journey through her experiences with bipolar disorder in her children. She opens her heart and deepest thoughts to the reader to allow us to join her in the emotions and roller coaster ride she lives through. This book was a quick read and will teach you about this condition but more about how a family survives together and that there is beauty and love to be found in every experience. Her writing is beautiful, riveting, real and impactful. I especially appreciate her acknowledgements that not everyone is blessed to have the resources to deal with the ongoing trials. She is a beautiful woman, mother and author and we can only hope that she will write another book to continue the chronicles so we can all benefit from her wisdom and attitude. She shows us how to live with challenges honestly, openly, and gracefully. Thank you!

In "Mommy I'm Still in Here," Kate McCloughlin tells the unforgettable story of her family's experiences with bipolar disorder. As two of her children suffer from this condition, Kate shares a lifetime of observances and experiences, including the effect of the disease on her entire family and between siblings. The book is a wealth of knowledge for those suffering from or dealing with the effects bipolar disorder. But more than that, Kate's great strength and love for her children leave one feeling optimistic and hopeful. Kate is an inspiration to all--a symbol of hope and strength, a role model of motherly love and perseverance, and a concerned parent wishing to help others by sharing her experiences.

If you like to visit the National Parks or just want to know more about them, this is a great source of information. All National Parks, Monuments, Wildlife Refuges and some National Forests are covered. It is full of pictures and maps that look great. Nice all in one book.

We originally owned an older edition of this book and just purchased this to replace it. We have been to many National Parks over the years and have found this guide to be the best one out there. The drives as listed are fantastic... you won't miss anything if you have this book along with you!

This is an excellent book to use as a planning guide for trips to any of the National Parks in the US. I have been to many of the parks, and without exception the book's advice about how to get there, when to go, what to look for, etc., is excellent in every way. The book is filled with excellent color photography, and accompanying explanatory text with detailed entrance information that is particularly useful in some of the busier parks. There is also some good introductory safety information presented, but as always, it is a good idea to talk to local authorities when arriving (this is especially a good idea in the Alaska parks, many of which are veritably full of bears.)

All the parks are worth seeing, and this book gives a good introduction to them. Among the favorites that I have been to and particularly recommend are Denali National Park, an easy drive from Anchorage, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, on the island of Hawaii (the "Big Island"), Zion National park in Utah, home of some of the most spectacular desert landscape in the world, and Badlands National Park in South Dakota, featuring not only spectacular landscapes, but amazing animals in abundance.

This book is a great place to start; now get going and enjoy the beautiful National Parks!

I obtained the first edition of this book over ten years ago, and have kept that along with the latest edition in my book collection ever since. At that time I had never been to a national park, but this little book insipired me to visit 35 of them, volunteer in two, and work seasonally as a ranger at one.

This book is packed with useful and interesting information about each of the parks, and it is a pleasure to read even when not planning a trip. I highly recommend it.

We recently purchased this book just before our four-national-parks tour. The book not only gives you an overview of the parks, practical information such as how to get there, and nearby lodging etc., it has very good recommendation of must-see stops, and different levels of hikes you can take and what to expect. We used the book at every park and it helped us effectively use our time and it is a joy to read even without going to the parks.

A real eye opener for anyone interested in the future of our country (and the world). This book clearly illustrates how the United States has become the least democratic country in the western world. It is the responsibility of every U.S. Citizen to read this book, something the Democratic and Republican parties do not want you to do. After reading this book, you will know how to make your vote really count!

I don't think the founding fathers had an iron-clad 2 party monopoly based government in mind when this country was founded. In fact in was thought that the most intelligent and creative citizens would volunteer their time and energy to run the government and then return to their real vocation. What a distance we have traveled since those ideas. Robert Roth really tells it like it is, not like we hear it from the political parties. Our government is way out of control, when it cost $40 million to run for a primary in California's gubernatoral race and when big business can buy legislation almost on demand. It's time for change, and Roth's book sheds all the light we need to see how crucial and timely that change is needed. What an extraordinary book he has written and what a must it is for all of us to read it.

For anyone interested in third party politics, this book offers a good snapshot of the Natural Law Party, which, along with the Libertarian, Reform, and Constitution parties stands as one of the "major minors" -- often on the ballot, with a fairly professional operation. That said, much of the book drags, as Roth preaches about NLP views on several issues at great length, and gives short shrift to the party's actual plans for future electoral action. Perhaps silliest -- though most telling about what a minor party must face -- is a lengthy section about the creation and publicity of just one press release.

This is a very humorous and readable indictment of our political process. It manages to clearly present the ways in which our democracy is not in the least democratic, without whining or complaining. It also presents the startling and surprisingly realistic proposals of the Natural Law Party.

Bob Roth has done us all a great service with his highly readable, timely book that offers us a vision of a simple, practical way out of political gridlock and incoherence and into a more harmonious age. The new millennium is upon us. It is time we thought in new millennium terms, not in an obsolete paradigm that is bringing us down. Bravo for this book and the courage and promise it holds.

I really liked this book. Patty is a hapa (half white, half Taiwanese) and she's always wishing that she could fit in... She feels like her brother is better than her because he is the Good Child in her strict mother's eyes.

I like how this book deals with family issues, fitting in... such sensitive issues for some people but they were dealt with in a good way.

I had the chance to talk to Justina Chen Headley briefly before she gave a reading from Nothing But the Truth (and a Few White Lies). She was very cool, grounded and an absolute pleasure to talk to. So, it should be no surprise that her narrator, Patty Ho, is equally enjoyable in every way in Headley's first novel written for young adults.

Half-Taiwanese and half-white, Patty feels like she doesn't belong anywhere. This fact is confirmed when, instead of going to the last school dance of the year, Patty's mother drags her to a fortune teller who discerns Patty's future from her belly button. Things get worse from there when Patty realizes that sometimes dream guys are anything but and finds herself enrolled in Stanford math camp for the summer.

This novel is a classic coming-of-age story. As the plot progresses, Patty learns that sometimes you have to find people like you in order to appreciate the value of being really unique. Now, that might sound a bit pat and cliche--but I can assure you this book is anything but.

Headley writes with a style unlike any authors I've read recently. The narration is snappy and spunky--as is fitting for a teenage girl as vibrant as Patty. I also like that Headley doesn't take the easy way a lot of the time. The story doesn't follow any typical girl-meets-boy formula. In fact, Headley has quite a few twists thrown in along the way.

It's also really interesting to read about Patty and her mother. The subject doesn't often come up in teen literature, where often the characters are immigrants if they are not white. Headley's dialog between Patty and her mother seems realistic (not being Taiwanese at all I can't really say). Her incorporation of slang and certain speech mannerisms bring to mind Amy Tan's writing in The Hundred Secret Senses (another book about a half-asian, half-white character, incidentally). Honestly though, everything in the book is interesting. Even math camp, which some readers will view as warily as Patty does in the beginning, turns out to be a cool environment to read about (with minimal time spent on math in the narrative).

In a lot of reviews you'll see me complaining that the characters come off as flat. Happily, I can say that is not the case here. Patty and her myriad friends (and enemies too) jump off the page. Furthermore, Headley artfully negotiates Patty's changing sense of self throughout the novel.

It's weird to be saying this about a novel that isn't a thriller, but it was really a page turner. I couldn't put it down. Headley has a lot to say here about identity and family and self-confidence. All of which she manages like a pro.

The term "new classic" is bandied about a lot for modern books and movies. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Nothing But the Truth is going to get that label if it doesn't have it already.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book but wanted to read it because there was so many good reviews for it.

It was a nice change of pace from the typical teen lit books I read and that was a big plus. I loved that the main character, Patty Ho, was half Taiwanese and half white. What also brought the story more depth than your average fluffy teen book was that she hated who she was and wanted to be caucasion to fit in with everyone else. She couldn't understand why her Taiwanese mother acted the wasy she did. What she comes to realize through a summer of growth and maturing is that the truth of the matter is, she's perfect the way she is.

I'm looking forward to more from Justina Chen Headley.

Nothing but the Truth is about fifteen-year-old Patty Ho, daughter of a controlling Taiwanese mother and a long-absent American father. Patty struggles to find her place in a world where she's not fully Asian, but not fully white, confronting both egregious and subtle prejudices from both sides. She also struggles with something I could personally relate to, being good at math, but also wanting to write. Her struggles come to a head when her mother sends her to Stanford for the summer for math camp (a month-long program for gifted high school students). While there she encounters humiliation and heartbreak, but also gains self-confidence, friends, and insight into her own family history.

Nothing but the Truth is a joy to read. Patty practically leaps forth from the page, fully three-dimensional. I refuse to believe that she isn't real. Every paragraph reveals something about her, or her family, or what it's like to be hapa (the Hawaiian word for someone who is half-white and half-Asian). Her mother, with her strengths and weaknesses, temper tantrums and quirks, feels real, too. Life at Stanford during summer session is also fully realized - the book is chock full of insider information about the university.

I particularly enjoyed the writing style in this book. Humorous, yet lyrical, and dripping with (frequently Asian-tinged) metaphors, and the angst of a teenage girl. For example:

"Mama breathes in sharply. She must be smelling my exasperation polluting the air. (page 13)"

""O-kayyy." Anne drags out the last syllable as if it's a hoe, raking through the intractable soil of my rudeness. (page 76)"

"I'm here because I don't want to be up in the Pacific Northwest where it's always overcast with disappointment and showering anger. (page 108)"

"Under the Dish that scans planets and distant galaxies, I know that the world -- the universe -- is bigger than high school and Mark Scranton and Steve Kosanko and their edamame-bean brains. That it's bigger than Mama and math camp. That maybe I am Zebra-woman, trapped behind black-and-white bars of my own making. (page 110)"

Despite the tremendous depth and authenticity that Justina Chen Headley brings to her hapa and Asian characters, this is a book that will resonate with teenage girls from all sorts of backgrounds. Because what it's really about (as is clear from Patty's essay at the end of the book) is the struggle to balance the conflicts in yourself, whatever they are, and find your place in the world. This makes it a perfect first book for the readergirlz discussion group, focused on celebrating gutsy girls in life and literature. An example of Patty's place as a gutsy girl is this passage, in which she muses about facing down her fears.

Is attitude truly the only thing separating embarrassment from triumph? That a little sass could turn you from a social zero to a social hero? (page 174)

I highly recommend this book for anyone who revels in reading about strong girls.

A slightly longer version of this book review was originally published on my blog, Jen Robinson's Book Page, on March 4, 2007.

A great strength of Nothing But the Truth is the interaction of its female characters. Patty, our protagonist, is at the heart of the story, but we see how the other girls and women in her life help her grow and change. When we discover why Patty's mother is the way she is, for us as much as for Patty, life takes on new levels. When Jasmine pushes Patty outside her comfort zone, we wonder what exciting opportunities may lie outside our own. And what is most reassuring is that after this transformative summer, Patty hasn't had to give up any of her former self; she's only added new dimensions.

In Nothing But the Truth (and a few white lies), we see how a girl can grow and change and find out who she is, without losing a sense of who she was. We can be in the present, look to the future, and remember the past. And I think Patty's most important discovery, and mine too in reading this book, is that the events that shape us do just that - they shape who we are and what we become. But they don't determine it. That's up to us.

If you are familiar with feynman this is just what you would expect from this great man. This is him uncut and uncensord. When ever i feel like smiling and gain some inspiration i pick this book up and flip to a random page, it works everytime.

If there was one intellect that dominated the latter half of the 20th century, it would be Dr. Richard Feynman. Yet, despite winning a Nobel prize and his early work on the Manhattan project and his years of original yet simple and creative approaches to complex problems, his humility and true affection for other people never waivered. He was one of those rare people who could touch our hearts as effectively, possibly even more, than he could touch our minds. He was one who gave new meaning to the idea of thinking outside the box and who never passed up a chance to remind us all of what is really important in life.

Some of his letters will make you cry with the emotion he could express to those he loved. Others will strike you for their humility displayed in teaching without condescending or apologies to those he feared he had offended. A truly great man with a great intellect and great ability to communicate his thoughts. This is the human side of one who had been named "the world's smartest man" by Omni magazine. And we are all fortunate to know him through this collection.

Having read "Surely you're joking, Mr Feynmann", I had wondered about his relationship with his first wife, because she was hardly mentioned.

This book sets that right, with some fascinating and personal letters. In particular, the letter he wrote a year after her death hit me very hard, and I don't consider myself sentimental.

And that's just the first part of the book...if you like Feynmann, this is a must have.

Feynman inspires the pursuit of truth in this spin-driven world.

My main motivation for reading "Perfectly Reasonable Deviations" was to gain further insight into Feynman's personality and value system by the direct and reliable method of studying verbatim his interactions with other people. He has been so thoroughly enshrined (perhaps not unwillingly) as a brilliant, difficult, puckish character that I couldn't help being a bit puzzled about what he was "really" like.

In assembling this volume, Feynman's daughter Michelle has selected a variety of correspondence ranging from professional relations with colleagues to private exchanges with friends and, occasionally, complete strangers. I think it is in the latter case that we learn the most about Feynman. He was willing to pay close attention not only to people who admired him, but also to those who offered crazy ideas, or unfair criticism, or even ad-hominem invective. Well after becoming a Nobel prize winner, he continued to compose detailed explanations for, and invite replies from, people who could try anyone's patience. As an experienced debater-by-correspondence, he had a talent for cutting to the quick of a dispute and, while remaining perfectly courteous, nudging the contender into a corner from which escape was impossible short of offering something new or conceding the point. Whether arguing scientifically, graciously acknowledging praise, or simply trying to shake off a persistent bore, Feynman never failed to be insightful and thought-provoking.

The early part of the book covers Feynman's relationship with his first wife Arline, who died of tuberculosis in an Albuquerque sanatorium while he worked on the atomic bomb project at Los Alamos. His decision to marry Arline, regardless of her uncertain health and against the advice of friends and relatives, speaks to the strength and depth of his commitment. Many extremely personal letters are included which illuminate the couple's mutual devotion as well as his loving acceptance of the frustration and uncertainty forced on both of them by the relentlessly worsening disease.

Feynman's attitude toward religion is revealed in several places, particularly during a 1959 television interview. In addition to critiquing the widespread notion that morality is tied to piety, he says quite succinctly that "The religious theory of the world ...doesn't fit with what you see."

In a number of letters Feynman explains the prickly positions on academic conventions and courtesies that helped to make him a legendary outsider. A representative example was his refusal to provide evaluations of former students and colleagues when they were already at the requesting institution. He essentially said: Look here, this person is working right under your nose and you know more about him or her than I do, so decide for yourself!

There are a few instances where an alert editor could have caught misreadings, for example "Serbeis" for the [Robert] Serbers on page 76, and "1023" for ten to the 23rd power on page 174. All in all, this collection constitutes a fascinating and skillfully-produced window into one of the world's most intriguing minds.

Excellent book, but I am not sure the distinction is between Western and Oriental tactics. I suspect that American Indians, frontier scouts, the British SAS, U.S. Special Operations community, etc...would be very familiar with, and skilled at, these tactics.

A classic dilemma that resurfaces every time we go to war. Militaries, at least in the West, prepare to fight the last war and not the next one. As a free society, the public tends to forget the hard lessons learned and shuns warriors during times of peace. The end result is that we constantly are reinventing the wheel after every war/generation.

Victor Davis Hanson, in a recent editorial in the City Journal called Why Study War, gave a perfect example from the Post-Vietnam era; "The public perception in the Carter years was that America had lost a war that for moral and practical reasons it should never have fought--a catastrophe, for many in the universities, that it must never repeat. The necessary corrective wasn't to learn how such wars started, went forward, and were lost. Better to ignore anything that had to do with such odious business in the first place"...."A wartime public illiterate about the conflicts of the past can easily find itself paralyzed in the acrimony of the present. Without standards of historical comparison, it will prove ill equipped to make informed judgments."

A well-written and important book that provides an in-depth analysis of small unit tactics.

Danger, danger, is very much the message put forth in this book and it should be heeded before it is too late. Some reviewers have mentioned Sun Tzu and his rules of warfare. Sun Tzu puts forth a very reasoned and systematic set of rules that define a nations path to victory or defeat. By definition, our present leadership has us solidly on the path of defeat. Our people in the field have to both fight our Eastern enemies as well as carry a great weight of poor leadership at the highest levels. This book is very informative and is for the most part, completely accurate and frightening.

The idea that hardware superiority alone can replace common sense is ludicrous and this book digs deeply into this. I remember seeing news footage of our troops in Afganistan heading up into steep mountainous terrain encumbered with huge heavy packs and body armor. They could barely move. They should have had only their clothes, rifles, ammunition and food and water and some good lightweight footwear. If you are going to fight an Apache you have to be an Apache. It seems at times to me that our soldiers are forced simply to carry as much weight in useless (and expensive) contractor equipment as a mule. Small unit combat and the tactics that win in this arena will be the deciding factor. Something also needs to be done about our so called free press. This game is for blood not for profitable commercial air time and these people should be subjected to the sort of censorship that our country used in WWII and the sooner the better.

I feel also that some of the opinions voiced on China are a bit over the top. The Chinese wish to better themselves and are not necessarily motivated by a desire to hurt us per se. It is very possible that in future that the Chinese could help us. They should not be blindly antagonized. They think and plan in a fashion that is very, very, long term. Our own leadership is cripplingly shortsighted in strategic planning.

I have lived and worked in the Mid East for a number of years and my personal opinion of the Iraq war can be summed up as follows:

1. The US leaves Iraq now and the country will dissolve into a bloody civil war.

2. The US leaves later and Iraq dissolves into a bloody civil war.

This book documents many of the reasons why this is so. Anyone who cares about the future of our country and indeed the world (China included) should read this book.

A sure test of talent and knowledge is the challenge of taking a very complex subject, explaining it in understandable terms and then offering solutions along with the understanding. My very brief stint in the Army ended long before Vietnam called the younger brothers of my generation. From the news reports it appeared that we suffered so many casualties only because the enemy was "sneaky" and prepared to die. How could the US lose to people who could not afford shoes?

Poole does a great job of bridging the gap from Sun Tzu to the muddy jungles of Vietnam and the significance of the lessons to our maneuver warfare. It is no accident that Boyd associate Willian Lind wrote the preface.

Poole finished the book just before 9/11. Our experience in Iraq and the Israeli experience during the past year show that we have much to learn. After 50 plus years of victories over various armies, the Israelis lost to what most consider a rag-tag army. Other than their heritage, they are as unlikely to defeat the Israelis as the sandal clod Vietnamese.

Poole's book is a gift to the small unit soldier and perhaps a greater gift to those in higher command who will order soldiers to assault targets with little understanding of what they may be facing. It may be at a distant command post or in the case of Somalia the commander flying overhead at 2,000 feet but unable to understand the river of lead flying down the street as he instructs troops to consolidate their positions.

This is a great aid to understanding current events and history from the comfort of your easy chair while balancing a martini on the arm. However, my sense is that it is far more valuable as a gift to a young trooper. In addition it should be mandatory reading ( along with Sun Tzu and Boyd's briefing slides) for every reporter who covers wars and "low intensity" conflicts.

Reading the book makes you appreciate Poole but feel uncomfortable with the contents. A great contribution.

As with all of Poole's works, we are treated here to an excellent analysis of the tactical sphere of war. This time, from the eastern fighter's perspective. Written, I believe, pre-9/11, the work itself is a thorough offering of actual techniques and wartime practices used by small units against western forces, but it is most remarkable in that it outlines in a concise and friendly manner what most analysts still fumble over on MSNBC.

In the world of tactical operations and small unit tactics, we can not ask for a better teacher than John Poole. Keep a close eye out for any and all of his works, for they have a lot to say about how and what western forces will fight for the next fifty years.

NOTE: This work makes a perfect companion to the author's "The Tiger Way," which outlines the ideal western method for combating such tactics.

I read all these reviews and in the main agree with them. However, the real "way of western combat" is exemplified right here: we -- AT THE BOTTOM LEVEL -- are discussing all this and implementing it as we go. And as another reviewer mentioned, our soldiers are getting at it and learning from this NOW. Here's the clincher: does the oriental soldier or citizen do this. No way. It's not in their culture. Hasn't been for thousands of years. Unlikely to be unless huge changes occur in their citizenry. West = democracy / more free / BOTTOM-UP APPROACH. East = tyrrany / less free / TOP-DOWN APPROACH.

SUMMARY: I'd much rather be in the West facing the Eastern way of war rather than be in the East facing the Western way of war. Let's be data-driven: what is the kill ratio of WW2, Korea, and Vietnam? 40-1? 10-1? And yet, Poole's talk about Japan in WW2 making "infantry the most valued weapon". What?! Americans (and all European armies before them all the way back to Alexander) don't line up rows of infantry and charge across open fields to be mowed down. Doubt it? Guadacanal. Korea. etc. That's the "cultural" difference highlighted here: we value life, even a single soldiers.

Further reading: Carnage & Culture, by Victor Davis Hanson.