S Books

Michael Lesy's Wisconsin Death Trip, originally a doctoral thesis, is one of the most touching, poetic, beautiful, harrowing, moving and dislocating works I have read. Basically a compendium of found glass plate negative photos taken by the (himself knock-knees odd) Charles Vam Schaik in and around the rural community of Black River Falls WI, and leavened by snippets taken from the Badger State Banner newspaper and the Mendota State Record Book (an insane asylum), as well as a few personal reminisces, the book instead is a commentary and an indictment of a brutal time of economic dislocation, social upheaval, religious confusion and obsession, and personal decay in a farming community. It is an endless repitition of suicide, madness, arson, children dying of disease, and of a mostly sternly religious people living the grimmest of lives of back breaking work in the country. The photos by their sheer repetition and some of the games played with them by the author, pound out a tattoo of strain, people only barely suppressing their madness, and a society truly on the edge of collapse. Hardly the bucolic paradise so often evoked in our time.

The afterword by the author provides some backstory and statistics backing the point up, and illustrating in numbers and facts what the pictures and excerpts made clear by anecdote, and is also well written.

This was something of a cult book in the mid 70s, a most unusual way of looking at local history, lifting up the rock under which society had crawled. It is haunting, tragic, striking. You will never forgot it.

Buying a classic again. This is the U of New Mexico Press version. The earlier publisher had the picture of the baby in a coffin on the cover. That was better, but the contents are the same.

This is an interesting and slightly macabre book which is strangely beautiful. My son, who is Sam Witt, the poet, told me about it because he had been so moved by it that he wrote a poem associated with it in his soon to be published book, SUNFLOWER BROTHER. The old photos are stunning from the horses to the dead children. I am hoping to get the dvd soon.

"Wisconsin death trip"is an accurate documentation,not only of "agrarian white"culture at the end of the 19th century but,in many ways,the whole of white culture in america at that time..Contrary to popular belief,the"good"old days were not really so good..Yes,they may well have been less complex,but infant mortality was very high,illnesses which today are highly treatable being killers not only of children but of adults as well,daily life being,for most,a drudgery,with little to show for one's efforts...There were few saftey nets,no antibiotics,no pensions to speak of,no recourse against the harshness life,or against a system that,like today,favors the wealthy..
Insanity was not understood,and "treatment"such as it was,often did little to help the afflicted...Wisconsin did not have a monopoly on such things,anymore than,say,los angles has a monopoly on street gangs,or newark has a monopoly on ghetto housing...
The novelty is perhaps in the seeing of the photographs and the documents all together in one volume,so that one can peruse the sorrowful aspects of that period as it affected one particular area...

I read this book over 16 years ago. It left a lasting impression that will stay with me forever. It may not have the same affect on others but reading some of the reviews posted here, I know that it has on most. You can't really ask somebody "did this really happen?" becuase they either died then or in the 100 years that have past. We have no perspective on these people, places and times other than to read books like this. If any of these folks were alive today and heard someone say, "those were the good old days." They might be inclined to give the speaker a quick education. This book will do it for them. I have pictures just like this in a family archive. You wonder how anybody lived into middle or old age. Disease, starvation, hypothermia, and farm accidents all took their toll. Winters are hard enough in the south. Why did these people decide to stop the wagon in Wisconsin or if they lived thru their first winter there, why didn't they head south? I went to a Brewers baseball game at the end of May some 25 years ago and wore a down parka and was cold. You can still see houses in small towns outside of Milwaukee that look like the houses in this book and you can feel the desolation, pain and suffering looking out at you thru 100 year old panes of glass.

excellant source for coin collectors just starting in. clear & consise with many interesting facts and stories regarding coins.

Hello , I am new to coin collecting so I needed a guide. I wanted some knowledge of the field I was about to enter. This book does that , not only price guide but much much more, full of information and nicely laid out in a easy to read format. Really good basic stuff.

Amazon advertised the latest, 2008 version of A Guidebook of US Coins, copywrite 2007, which I purchased. Two weeks later Amazon advertises the 2009 version. I firmly believe Amazon owes me the 2009 version & I go on record for such.

I ordered three books to give to clients as gifts. After I had ordered them I wondered if they would make it on time. They were here early. The books were exactly as described, brand new. The price was the cheapest on the net. The shipping was free. This product and service really deserve a 10.

This book accomplished just what i purchased it for. I needed to value my coin collection that was not reviewed for many years. The spiral bound edition was particularly useful when looking up many different coins.

Excellent print quality.. A glance at common people in random daily-life shots. It's a book worth a place in your hands

This book was not by Jack Kerouac. It's by Robert Frank. It's one of the seminal books in the history of photography. Many see it as a hate letter to America, but that's a shallow reading of the book. It's some of the best documentary done by a non-documentarian of the American culture of the period. If you really want to see great photography with a point of view, this is a good start.

I find lots of listings get authorship wrong when the book is about a photographer's work. Amazon needs to fix this basic flaw in their system.

Looking at this again after many years ( I first came across it about 25 years ago) the images are as poignant as ever. This is truly a great book of photographs and is perhaps the best photojournalist's collection ever published. The new edition has all the gravity and attention to detail that the work deserves.

In this new edition of THE AMERICANS, the publisher, Steidl seems to have taken every step necessary to maintain artistic integrity of Franks vision. Even going as far as having Frank supervise the new printing of the photographs used in the book. The paper used in the book is very high quality, perhaps even 'archival' grade. Of course, there is the Kerouac introduction that both rambles, amuses and enlightens. There is a small pamphlet included in the book briefly telling the background story of how this new edition came to life. While this pamphlet is basically an advertisement, it also provides the passing fan of Robert Frank with a greater knowledge of what Frank has done over the course of his life by listing other books and movies that Stiedl will be publishing in the future. Thoughtfully, museum dates are also given for those interested enough to travel to D.C., SF or, NYC for the 50th anniversary celebration and exhibition of the book. From Steidl, this is a fine book; from Frank, a work of art; and a labor of love from all involved.

We're lucky to have this edition. Robert Frank is an old man with health issues now. That he is healthy enough to oversee this work is wonderful. Everything about this edition - especially in comparison to the 2007 Delpine edition I purchased earlier this year - is first-rate. I wish I had known this was coming out!

The book is a little smaller than the Delpine, but that's the only real negative (if it is one) I can think of. The main thing to me is that the photos themselves are how Frank intended them to look. Gone are the overly-lightened faces that plague the Delpine book. This is a pet peeve of mine that kills many photos in this Photoshop age. This is very obvious in the New Orleans trolley photo. In the Delpine work, the faces of the white passengers are totally washed out, and the black faces are awkwardly lightened (someone apparently thought they were helping Frank's work). That's all corrected here. In this Steidl edition things are shown as they were intended. One can even see details in the face of the man at far left, even though it is partially obscured by a window reflection.

Also, on several photos more of the frame is visible. This was most noticeable to me in the Butte, Montana photo of the woman looking out the car window, with several children in the back seat. A good portion of the left side of the photo is now visible, along with more shown on the top and bottom. The new crop just seems more "right." Not too mention that the face of the child in the middle of the photo is too light in the older edition.

Simply put, comparing the two editions is an eye opener. I first saw these photos years ago in a much earlier edition (I believe it was the 1969 Aperture work) and I still marvel at the depth of the images in that printing. I don't have that edition in hand, so I can't do a direct comparison, but I believe the Steidl images are much closer to that ideal. Franks prefers his images a little on the flat, low-key side. Another difference is that the photos are now printed on a non-glossy paper. I was surprised at this at first, but now I believe it works much better for this book.

In short, if you want an accurate, lovingly-printed edition of The Americans at a reasonable price, this is the one. Highly recommended.

What a pitiful story. I have to agree with the librarian who reviewed this book. The story had no story line to speak of, the title had nothing to do with the rest of the book, and the font was horrendous looking. Spend your money wisely- stay away from this book!

Father Like a Tree by Matthew S. Field has instantly become our family favorite "read aloud" bedtime story. It is a sweet story about a family of birds yet it is so much more.
When I first read it to my seven year-old son he understood the literal story line about the mother bird and how she builds a nest in the tree for her family, how she teaches her babies to fly and feed themselves and how she eventually says good bye to them as they fly off to build nests of their own. Each time I read the story my son understands the parallel the author so vividly portrays between the "Father Tree", the "Mother Bird" and their "Children". He is delighted with himself each time he points out one of the parallels that link the mother bird to me or one of the baby birds to himself or his sister.
Because of Father Like a Tree, my son has leaned that although I love him dearly and provide for all his needs right now, eventually there will come a time when I will have to show him how to provide for himself. He understands that that is the natural way of things and nothing to be frightened about. He knows that a day will come when he will say to me as the baby bird says to the mother bird, "It is time to strike out and build a nest of my own." And he knows that I will reply as the mother bird has, "I love you," as I watch my baby bird spread his wings and fly into the world knowing that I have taught him well and there is nothing to fear.
Father Like a Tree is a wonderfully written and beautifully illustrated masterpiece that will soon become your family's favorite as well.

I am astounded at the number of glowing reviews for this book. Found the illustrations poor, baby birds almost scary and the large type font offsetting. I shared this book immediately with three other teachers and they all had negative reactions. Is it a nice story about raising a family - I guess so but there are many other excellent titles that do a better job. I also felt the title and opening paragraph do not coincide with the story told. A title about a mother would be more appropriate. To clarify my postion, I am an elementary librarian and read hundreds of childrens' books a year and was very disappointed in this offering esp. given all the positive reviews.

Father Like a Tree is a wonderfully told, beautifully illustrated book that grew from the most innocent of origins: a "tell me a story, Daddy" moment. It's a simple story that young children will understand and invariably want to hear more than once, but it also communicates its own special message to parents who will one day watch their own little ones spread their wings and leave to build a nest of their own elsewhere.

Some might say this book is really about the bird that builds her nest, raises her baby birds, and sees them off into the world (i.e., the mother), but I really like the "father like a tree" analogy. The bird lays the eggs, sees to the babies' needs, and teaches them how to survive on their own, but all the while the tree is there to shelter and sustain the little family, a less visible but very active participant in the whole child-rearing process. When the youngsters leave the nest, the tree misses them just as much as the mother bird does, and both stand ready to welcome them back when and if they return to visit.

I'm no art expert, but I know what I like, and I really like Tom Hedderich's illustrations; they have a wonderfully natural, vibrant look and feel; in a way, just looking at them instills a sense of peace in the viewer. I'm sure that children will enjoy examining them, especially with all the little woodland critters worked into the background of many of them.

Books like this encourage parent-child interaction and help instill a sense of the joy of reading in the little tykes. You won't even have to pretend to be interested in what you are reading to your child because Matthew S. Field's story speaks to parents as much as it does to children (unlike many a children's book out there). Parents who share books like this with their young children will not be among those asking "why can't Johnny read?" a few years later.

"Father Like a Tree" is a book that parents will find very moving as they read it to their children; it is full of tenderness and truth, and has a quality rarely seen in literature made for young people. It expresses deep maturity and emotions that a mother or father would have on seeing their children grow, teaching them their lessons, and knowing they will eventually find their way in the world.

The story is told from the perspective of a mighty tree, where a beautiful bird builds her nest, and lays three eggs. Once hatched, as the mother bird feeds and tends to her baby birds, the well written narrative repeats certain passages, which will help a child fully understand the significance of what the mother is doing, and the meaning of the words. Matthew Field is a marvelous writer, as well as a father of three, and the seeds of this magical tale were planted when his youngest daughter asked him to tell her a "new story," and "Father Like a Tree" was the inspired story he told her.

The illustrations are very special, and one can see the affection between the birds in their eyes, and their stylized and wonderfully drawn faces. There is a humanity to all the creatures depicted that we can relate to, and there are many animals in the forest to capture a child's attention, from a family of rabbits to a curious squirrel watching the birds from another branch in the mighty tree. Illustrator Thomas Hedderich is an expert artist in many genres, and in this book uses his watercolor technique to create a bird of many colors, and lots of leafy greens, but his biggest achievement are the highly expressive eyes of these lovely birds.

"Father Like a Tree" is a high quality book with thick, semi-gloss pages and excellent color reproduction. The font size is large and clear, and will be easy for a child to read when he is old enough, as this is a book that will appeal to all ages, and will delight a child for many years.

I found this book/series while searching for Choose Your Own Adventure type books. I've never played Dungeons & Dragons, have always wanted to, but no one to play with. The Lone Wolf series is a wonderful substitue for D&D to play solo. I wasn't sure what I'd get or how much I'd enjoy this book once I received it. I'm glad I purchased this book. It was great fun, only took me a couple times to get the hang of combat and calculating the points. It's quite a change from video game RPGs which I'm extremley familiar with. If you are looking for a great RPG solo book to get you started this is the book for you. It's written for teens/kids so it's easy to read and easy to get into but it does have depth. I've died 6 times in my quest and lived 2 times. I'm very eager to get the second book in the Lone Wolf series and further my adventure. There aren't many solo RPG books, it was popular in the 80s. Books like this are a gem. If you have it, keep it, if you don't have it get it. It passes the time, it's fun, it's an adventure.

I thought I had them all, until the internet happened. It's very exciting to see this worthwhile series rising from the ashes. In fact, one might take that literally, comparing the second printing of the series to the formation of the magna-kai, or second order. All back to that old idea of phylogeny recreating ontogeny.

Anyway, buy this. It's the best gamebook series of all time and Magnamund is in the top ten if not top five of all the imaginary worlds of the sword and sorcery tradition.

I haven't been so excited since they started making atari games again.

I read Joe Dever's books when I was in Junior Highschool (more than 12 years ago). All I could say is that no series are quite as good as these series. Rather than continuously publishing new novels from some unknown authors someone should really republish these series (Lone Wolf).

The Lone Wolf book series successfully blends Choose Your Own Adventure with Dungeons & Dragons type role playing. A perfect next level of reading for younger fans of the Choose Your Own Adventure series. I started reading this series when it came out in the late 80's. I'd say I was in around 4th grade. I grew out of the series before the Magna-Kai adventure was complete, but I still have most of the books. Recently, I flipped through book 16 and was totally brought back to Joe Dever's realm of high adventure fantasy. He makes it seem like your right there in the action with potential danger lurking around every page turn. It's extremely addictive, even for people not actually playing the choose a number game. (I always just used a 10-sided die.) Each section of writing is rarely over 2 pages long making it highly adaptable for a TV, movie, or video game series. These types of books are great in helping to develop self-reliant kids capable of forming independent thought & decision making.

I started this series probably 15 years ago, maybe more. I remember being so wrapped up in this interactive adventure that I couldn't wait to get my hands on the next installment. Well, while cleaning off my shelves a few days ago I stumbled across these gems and I tell you, I got overwhelmed with the same feelings.

You are Lone Wolf, the last of the Kai Warriors in the land of Sommerlund. Throughout your adventures (the are 28 books and 4 "World of Lone Wolf" books) you will face monsters big and small, wizards, magicians, puzzles, riddles, and everything else your imagination can think of.

This book is just like your standard "Choose Your Own Adventure" book except that it is more interactive. Not only do you choose your path, but you also choose your skills, equipment, and whether or not you want to battle enemies. This book employs an interesting combat system in which you pick a number from the "Random Number Table" at the end of the book by closing your eyes and poking the page with your eraser (see my shared photo). I highly recommend getting ahold of a 10-sided die to use instead, because after a few books one can learn where the higher number areas are.

I had the first 15 books of the series when I was younger and now that I've reread them, I am scrounging ebay and used Amazon books to locate the next ones. Unfortunately all of these books are out of print. If you are looking for these books, I highly recommend getting the UK editions of books 12-20 because the US editions are abridged and are missing huge sections. Additionally, there are many "broken links" since they were edited so when it says to turn to page XX it takes you to the wrong place. Also, good luck finding books 21-28 as they were ONLY printed in the UK. They are very rare and if you have them, hold on to them!

Finally, Joe Dever has authorized the free distribution and licensing of his Lone Wolf series which are available online. This resource has the unabridged editions which makes it great. I will not give out the URL as part of the reviewers agreement but with a little searching you should be able to find it. However, I am still a fan of reading the paper version, and look forward to sharing this epic series with my children, should I ever have any.

I found this incredible interview regarding how the game of Golf has changed over the years. You wouldn't believe the evolution! If you have any interest in the history of Golf, this is a must read. If you want to become even more knowledgeable on the subject, scroll to the bottom of the interview and get in touch with the author. After reading, I guarantee you will be able to lead the most interesting discussions and impress your friends!

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/interviewroden.html

Curt Sampson has done a really fine job with this book ! I really like his idea to interview Valerie Hogan. Hogan wrote Power Golf NOT 5 fundementals, he brings this out in the book.

Few people, even non-golfers, can escape ever having heard of Ben Hogan. Maybe you don't know exactly who he was, but the name is oddly familiar.

To golfers, Ben Hogan is as close to legend as anything. Other players, even Bobby Jones and Tiger Woods, lack the mystique which has encompassed Hogan, even many years after his death.

What few of us know is just who he was. This information may not be so pertinant to people who play the game, since they are mostly interested in his swing. However, anyone who has touched even in a small way on part of his career realizes the great mysteries that lie in his life and being.

"Hogan" may not answer everything satisfactorily, but it comes as close as any are likely to get. This covers his life in as much informative detail as could be needed, and presents Hogan not so much in a less-than-glamorous light, as is common to biographies, but rather in a "judge for yourself" presentation of evidence for what made the man what he became.

Anyone curious about this modern legend will get more than he bargains for. Where perhaps the book does not go into his game to the extent golfers may want, the story of Hogan's life is engaging enough without it.

In my very large golf library this is clearly the best book on golf
I have read period. For the first time you get an insight into the "wie ice mon" in what reads like a novel.

When I was growing up the names of Palmer, Nicklaus, Trevino, Player, and their generation were the top competitors. Ben Hogan was a revered name, but one of past glory. His great year of 1953 was in the past. I had heard about his auto accident and his amazing comeback, but this book helped me see the man who "dug it out of the dirt" through hard work, discipline, and ferocious tenacity.

Mr. Hogan started out with less than most. His father's suicide and the family's subsequent poverty didn't leave him with many open paths to success. He found golf and found that it not only matched his physical skills, but was an even better match for his nearly obsessive temperament.

The swing he developed has become the pattern millions of us try to emulate, although he would find our haphazard approach to the game less than useless. Why we love being duffers would be beyond him. He knew how to work and to practice. I still cannot fathom the kind of internal strength it would take to come back from that terrible leg shattering accident when his Cadillac was struck by a bus. He played in great pain for the rest of his life and had four surgeries on his left shoulder. When I realize that his greatest achievements and most of his wins at major tournaments were after the accident I am simply dumbstruck.

Mr. Hogan was a very private and enigmatic figure. Mr. Sampson does a good job in teasing what facts we know into a good story. We get interesting stories from the golf side of his life (mostly stories told about Hogan by others) and those are very enjoyable. However, I like the way Mr. Sampson puts all that in the context of a real person - a real man. Ben Hogan wasn't a fictional character even though the media version of him was a distortion of the actual hard working man who practiced, practiced, and then practiced some more, who loved his wife, Valerie, and built a successful golf equipment business.

Ben Hogan made a long journey through life and I think this book tells the story well.

I have just started to knit prayer shawls and a friend of mine told me about this book. It gives the history of prayer shawls plus so much more. I have a much deeper understanding when I am knitting one of these shawls.

This is an excellent resource. I recently started up a Prayer Shawl Ministry at my church. I've shared this book with the members. It's highly informative and full of more information than I anticipated.

This is a must have and must read for anyone who is interesting in being Blessed to be a Blessing. It is just the best.

I find that prayer is powerful no matter what. I have been knitting for years but I have never encountered this ministry before. I read the history behind this ministry and I was, needless to say, impressed and blessed. To think that all the craft items I have given away before this; I could have prayed for these people through these projects. Prayer does work in mysterious ways. A friend of mine borrowed this book before I had a chance to read it and she said that it was a humbling experience. Our church will be starting a similar ministry. A must read for anyone and everyone!

Because the title of this book says "Knitting", I had wondered how helpful it would be for a crocheter interested in shawl ministry. Based on other Amazon reviews, I took a chance and am glad I did so. While the authors are clearly knitters and write from that perspective, I could easily relate to the stories they told and to the ideas they shared on shawl ministry. This is not a pattern book (although it includes a basic knitted shawl pattern and a basic crocheted shawl pattern), but rather it is more of a spiritual book filled with stories, prayers and quotes from various faith traditions, as well as suggestions on how to do shawl ministry. Just reading the book gave me such a spiritual lift and provided me with inspiration for my shawl ministry.

My ten year old loves legos ... and I love peace and quiet in the car! This product worked out great as a "trip treat", the bag was great so he could keep track of them. We use an aluminum cake pan with a plastic cover for a lego desk/holder in the car, but the book with a bag made it so he could take it into the hotel and restaurant with no fuss ... and isn't that what every mom really wants ??? no fuss??? GO LEGOS!!!!!!!!

This has many fun and challenging activities a child can do with Legos. The projects use the pieces that come with the book plus basic pieces most Lego fans will already own. Easy to follow directions with fun results. The child can use the basic ideas and expand upon them, so this kit isn't limited as some are. We got it for my son's 10th birthday and I think it would be appropriate for an 8 to 14 year old.

I purchased two books. One for my 6-year old son and his same-age cousin. They both enjoy creating projects from their Lego books, as well as using some of the instructions along with their own ideas and creativity. I recommend this purchase.

He wasn't excited when he opened it up but after reading what you can do he got VERY excited and was looking forward to get home to his Legos.

I asked for this before Christmas and got in January. I didn't check the contents of the bag until Saturday (February 2nd) when I had time to start building the models. Six pices were missing, two of them very important (24-tooth gear wheels). I got some extra-pieces, but some models I won't be able to build because of the missing gear wheels. I tried returning the item to Amazon but I had until January 31st so if anyone buys this please check it very soon, the models are fine, easy to do, BUT I WANT MY MISSING PIECES!!!

Wow! What an awesome book. My 10-yr-old son had to pick a book of Historical Fiction for a book report for school. We chose this one because it seemed familiar to me, then came to realize that I read it when I was a kid under the title "I am David". We took turns reading the book aloud, my son was so into it. Every boy, actually every kid, should read this book, if only to appreciate freedom and opportunity and the love of family.

a very poignant story of a boy who 'escaped' from a concentration camp. His trip to where, he doesn't know, gives so much insight to what would be going through a child during this era of time. He doesn't know anything about the outside world. This is often times humorous and then sad at others. It is a powerful story that should be read by all. There aren't really any EXCITING parts but plenty of in depth story. Mrs. Holm brings a story to paper that will not be quickly forgotten.

When freedom is near,all, young David has to think about is how to get away without being caught. I will encourage the young people to read this book because it is a really good and easy book. In this book you will find out what David had to go through in order to get his freedom, and what dangers he had to confront on the way.

This book is about a twelve-year old boy named David. For all his life he was in prison and did not know what the outside world looked like. When David finds a great opportunity to escape many problems occur and needs to find a way to be free and safe from his old life.The title of my book was North to Freedom by Anne Holm. This book will catch your attention and will end you up with a thought of children all over the world,
and how they are being abused and kept in prison.

Some good facts about this book were, how David had help
from the guards. " You must get away tonight", the man had told
him" (Holm 1). I liked the fact that David wasn't alone in prison that there were people that cared for him, this shows that not all men that keep children in prison are bad. In David's way to freedom, he found many honorable men that helped him reach his goal. " ...I'll give you a lifebelt, and you must try to drift ashore.." (Holm 25). Here David was found by and Italian man that was headin to Italy, but the kind man left
him on board and gave him a lifebelt were he could reach Italy without being caught.

There were also many bad sides to this book. Some facts I did not like were that it ended to fast and not to much detail was given. The end of the book was kind of "weird", I would have not expect it to end the way it did. There were some points of the book that I did not like, for example, when David was suffering on his way and the fact that he was scared of people. Also that David was a chicken in some parts of the book, he was scared to help other and was a little selfish.

In conclusion, the book was interesting to read. It had many ideas that shows the world about how little kids like David suffer because of mothers errors. I would give this book an eight, form a scale of 10. It is a really good book, I liked the way it was explained even though details were needed it was very good explained and there were a lot of interesting parts. I liked this book because it caught my attention and wasn't hard to read. I learned that David fought for his freedom and this story makes me think about the American dream, freedom.

This is an engaging historical fiction novel. Set in post World War II Europe, it is also published under the titles David, and I Am David. With the help of one of the prison gaurds, 12 year old David escapes from a communist labor camp in Bulgaria with no idea what to do other than go to Denmark. The story weaves in many important themes, such as freedom, beauty, truth, and love. There are many intriguing characters, like Johannes his fellow prisoner, the family of Maria, a Danish lady in Switzerland, and a dog named King. As David crosses countries and borders, his understanding of life, God, and the aforementioned themes grows as his journey progresses. Through it all he is determined to remain true to himself. Truly an engaging read, and a good study on physical and cultural geography for kids.

I have a copy of this book from the UK that is called I Am David. It starts with a man telling David, "You must get away tonight. Stay awake so that you're ready just before the guard is changed. When you see me strike a match, the current will be cut off and you can climb over -- you'll have half a minute, no more." This starts David's journey not just to freedom and home, but also to learning how to live as a regular kid after only living in a concentration camp. It's a serious book but one that should be read.

This is not a 5-star book. The author must have a lot of friends who will write a review for him. Not only is the book lacking in substance, but I just read an opinion of this author about Gov. Sarah Palin where he claims she is an idiot. He doesn't mention that the other candidate for VP, Joe Biden, told Katie Couric that FDR was president during the 1929 stock market crash (sorry folks, FDR came much later) or that Biden said FDR appeared on television in 1929 (sorry folks, TV came much later). No, author Richard Reeves attacked Sarah Palin as being historically challenged when Biden is the more historically challenged. You want to trust an author like that to write a book of substance about John F. Kennedy? Don't waste your money.

This book is a well-written chronological account of Kennedy's presidency. Minimized is the personal gossip and inuendo while highlighted is the decision-making style of JFK and his entourage as events unfold. You get a sense of what it's like being thrust into the vortex of events for which no president is totally prepared. The writer attempts to reveal President Kennedy as both more and less than the Camelot charisma would have you believe. Thoroughly enjoyable and informative must-read addition.

Jackie Kennedy is said to have given copies of this book to her children with the advice, "If you want to know your father, he is in this book." Reeves was said to be surprised at her endorsement and commented. "I wasn't terribly flattering to Jackie in the book."
Well worth the read.

As the leading civilian authority on the U.S. Secret Service (and President Kennedy's interaction with the agency), I was much interested in this book by Richard Reeves. I am a big fan of Mr. Reeves---in addition to a great book on Richard Nixon, he is a great writer and speaker. You can't go wrong in purchasing this fine book. vince palamara

After reading this book, I feel that I come out understanding the Kennedy presidency in better terms. While Sorenson and Schlesinger wrote impeccable accounts on the admininstration, they are somewhat distorted, and make Kennedy out to be a hero. This well-written and higly researched account, I feel to be the definintive account of the administration. It shows the flaws of President Kennedy, and the true personality of the man in the White House, his battle with Addison's disease. Kennedy was a very inexperienced leader at the beginning of his presidency, and I don't feel that it really dawned on him until the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban Missile Crisis.

This detailed account covers his meetings with Premier Krushchev, how he dealt with South Vietnam, and the apparent sickness that came upon him after learning of the death of Ngo Din Diem. You also see that Kennedy was very much a womanizer, almost to the point of obsession it seems. This book deserves much attention, and for anybody who has never read about President Kennedy, an excellent start.