This book is perfect. I discovered it at my local library while working on my children's literature review file. I read it and was floored by how great it was and how I would not rest until I owned a copy of my very own. The book is tall and narrow just like the man himself. I especially liked the pictures of Abraham as a little boy. In so many other books, even children's books, Mr. Lincoln is portrayed as looking gruff his entire life. In this book, he smiles and grins and is adorable just like any other little boy. The book also has small ancedotes about his life which make Abraham more real to young children. The text handles the assassination in a way that is not as scary to young children. One of the most moving pictures is Lincoln's funeral train passing a field where both a black and white man were working, side by side, but had stopped to bow their heads. I read this book to a Kindergraten class and they were enchanted. I highly recommend this book for any classroom or school library. Enjoy!

I picked up David M Prescott's Cancer- the Misguided Cell at a flea market. I have minimal background in genetics, genomics, and biology, but I do want to understand it in light of the fact that the Human genome is now almost completed by a company called Celera Genomics. This is going to be the greatest scientific achievement of all time, and I want to understand something about DNA, genetics and in particular cancer, since that is the biggest target of the genomics work. This little book is the best I have ever read It goes through DNA, RNA, proteins, and what happens or what goes wrong when cancer strikes and organism. The book is not a popular braod brush treatment with platitudes and fluff. It will teach you to understand how cells divide, how RNA replicates a cell, the inside of the cell and how proteins work. If I can understand these things from this book anyone can, with a little effort. The diagrams are consise and uncluttered and show each concept clearly, which is often not the case in books of this type. Jargon is used to a minimum and clearly defined and explained before it is used. It is truly a tutorial. If anyone wants to understand this important field that will affect all of us who breathe, I heartily recommend this book. I hope my review spurs a demand for it to be reprinted. It is important and needed. I also recommended it on the Motley Fool (Fool.com) Celera message board to all.

The graphics in this remarkable little book are cleverly designed to awaken imagination to the psychic and physical kinematics behind resultant images. Thus the authors are able to hide their calculus on a single page in the Appendix and concentrate on the visual calisthenics involved in translating quantitative data into meaning. Seating themselves comfortably in Chaos, they succeed in making conventional order appear strange and wonderful "accidents," and thus enable us to think about it without conventional straight-jackets. I can't imagine an academic study which these ideas would not enrich. A valuable introduction to the new millennium, and an indispensable "traveling companion." (Ernest McClain, author of The Myth of Invariance and The Pythagorean Plato).

The late Isadore Twersky of Harvard, an internationally reknowned scholar and walking repository of countless disciplines of knowledge paved the way for a particularly grand level of scholarship in his Rabad of Posquieres. With a keen sense of language, a broad and sweeping grasp of history, an all encompassing awareness of the medieval mind and the protocols and methodology of its legal writings, Twersky portrays a multifaceted medieval legal thinker and the many tensions in the writings and thought of this pivotal figure of 12th century Provence. Twersky's treatment of Rabad reveals an extraordinary mastery of intellectual history and serves to illuminate through the Rabad, the life and history of the Jews in southern France in the 12th century. The work is a supreme specimen of Twersky's style and multifaceted approach toward the study of religious thinkers.His historic thrust, halakhic focus and analytical methodology are not for the intellectual faint hearted and will require serious and proficient knowledge of Jewish texts, legal sources and medieval history to appreciate the profundity of Twersky's analysis and contribution to Jewish thought and intellectual history. Twersky's work is a must for the Jewish historian, Talmudist, Halakhist and philosopher.

This is the book every post-graduate ought to read during residency days in pediatric ward. It helps boost clinical acumen by making diagnosis at the bedside with a very logical approach. It is excellent while describing the diseases of kidney, heart and nervous system. After going through the chapters in detail it infuses a kind of confidence in making diagnosis; and coming to differential diagnosis for a number of presentations of various illnesses. Sometimes, i feel it is a must not only for dealing with complicated and day to day problems but for passing examinations too.

Captivating biography! One of the best. In a class by itself!
Written before the popular Broadway play, "Copenhagen" by Michael Frayn, Pais' book covers the Heisenberg-Bohr meeting in 1941[the real one],--- and there is a lot more! We are fortunate that Pais has given us this, and several other wonderful biographies;-- the one about Albert Einstein stands out! It is especially fortunate that he has chosen to write for the general public. I can't think of anyone who did, or possibly could have done it better. His writing is captivating, and unique in its recreation of the times, and the social context of the scientific events. Pais further succeeds magnificently in bringing to life the many colorful personalities. This includes the young physicists born in Europe around 1900 who arrived in Copenhagen in the 1920ties to work with Bohr, some later to win the Nobel Prize,-- how he became a father figure to some of them,- Heisenberg, for example. And there are the other players,

Albert Einstein early on, and Pais himself later, in the drama of quantum physics of the Twentieth Century. Even if you might perhaps not be scientifically inclined, and if you choose to skip the physics sections, I don't think you will be disappointed.

Historical description of the development of nuclear and quantum physics, especially from the viewpoint of Bohr and colleagues, many who Pais worked with. Provides a non-technical description of many of the principles of modern physics.

I bought this book for my Dad and he loved it ..... BUT he's a retired scientist with an interest in and basic knowledge of quantum mechanics. He particularly enjoyed the explanations of this very weird branch of physics. As an example of the type of reader who may enjoy this - he's the only person I know who has read "A Brief History of Time" cover to cover.

An engaging, rewarding read, much needed these days. Though they discussed the problems these three faiths have with each others claims to chosenness and truth, and hinted a few times at needing to widen the dialogue to include "other" non Abrahamic faiths, they did so in a way which indicates some lingering conceit and self righteousness. Hmm. Can't we rejoice in how our common spiritual yearnings find various expression in different cultures?

This book was great...' kept my full attention. The last book I reviewed was about the same religions, but this one was so much better. It gave me a much better understanding of the common Islamic views. You get the words straight from the discussion between the 3 faiths, not just one man's research of other men. This book is very simple for any reader to enjoy. It is always great not only to see comparative religion but to see people with entirely different views on the same subjects conversing "in a beautiful manner". They are struggling to find a way to bring their views together, and the Christian commented on how very close he was to including Muhammad as a prophet of God. Their struggles just begged one uniting cry in my mind, although they didn't know it themselves: Baha'i.

This book is based on live dialogue between well-qualified spokesmen representing Judaism, Christianity and Islam, presented before audiences throughout the United States. It provides an excellent insight into each religious tradition, and left me with a greater appreciation for what the three faiths have in common. Worth reading by anyone who wants to better understand the relationships between the three Western religions that trace their beginnings to Abraham

Recently, I picked up David Herbert Donald's biography of Abraham Lincoln for the second time in 4 years. I now realize that I was too young then to appreciate this superb account of the our 16th President. Inspired by a meeting with President Kennedy in whick JFK criticizes historians for judging presidents who must make decisions without the 20/20 hindsight of historians, Donald undertook to write this biography from Lincoln's perspective -- analyzing him and his decisions based upon only what Lincoln knew, believed, and sought to accomplish at the time. We see the great struggles of the mid-1800s completely through his eyes; thus, while Donald doesn't delve into what (I'm sure) are fascinating related subjects, like the details of the great military campaigns or internal Confederate politics, we do gain an insightful look into the life and character of America's greatest president.

I agree with other reviewers that while there is not enough of Lincoln's personal life -- at times I had to remind myself that the man even had kids! -- Donald still skillfully paints a portrait of an amazingly complex man. Fueled by a desire to escape the fate of his uneducated, unambitious father, Lincoln felt driven all of his life to succeed ; he felt pushed forward to a great destiny by God, or the "Doctrine of Neccsity",that was completely out of his control and would lead him safely down life's path. He was an incredibly charming man who could light up a room with his energy, but he also regularly plunged into a deep and dark depression. He was utterly self-confident and knew he was the equal of any man. Intitially a moderate who opposed abolishing slavery in the states, he slowly realized that either slavery would be destroyed, or the Union surely would be.

He was also a master politician. He sensed early on in the 1840s that the nation was on the brink of a new era and that the Whig party had to adapt to the changing times, or die. After his beloved Whig party disintegrated, he helped establish the IL Republican party and, after an unsuccessful run for the Senate in 1858, triumphed over well-known and powerful opponents like William Seward and Salmon Chase to win the presidential nomination and election in 1860. Throughout his political career and his tenure as President he stuck to the center and walked a tightrope between the Conservatives and Radicals in his own party and the Peace Democrats in the other party. While unailingly honest, he understood the political value of ambiguity to cloud facts that he would admit only if forced. Finally, at the dawn of his second term, he had so outmaneuvered all of his opponents in the Congress, in the North, and in the South, that he stood as the unquestioned master of American politics -- not bad for a boy who had grown up in a log cabin with less than a year of formal schooling.

Doanld shows us Lincoln, the man and not merely the statue. Like the rest of us, he was a fallible human being who wasn't always sure that what he was doing was right but sure that he owed it to his country to serve it with honor and dignity in its hour of greatest peril. Donald makes it clear that we owe our country to this man, and one can't put down this book without agreeing.

Donald's book is the remarkable product of an enormous amount of research, replete with quotes and insight not only from Lincoln's personal writings, but also from countless individuals who surrounded Lincoln at any given time in his life, resulting in a balanced portait of our most beloved President. What is perhaps most surprising is the book's readability - Donald masterfully avoids getting bogged down in insignificant detail, and succeeds in keeping the book moving along the major events of Lincoln's life.

The reader (at least, this reader) is left with a sense of awe at Lincoln's humble integrity, tested in the most trying of circumstances and confronted with the most impossible of choices. The accuracy of his foresight has been amply confirmed by our hindsight, and we as a nation are left with deepest gratitude for his service.

I disagree with criticism that Donald's book lacks sufficient information about Lincoln's personal life and emotions. The biography is designed to be primarily a story of Lincoln the statesman, not Lincoln the husband or father. Those elements are introduced at relevant times, but Donald (appropriately, in my view) does not dwell extensively on those relationships. There are other books which explore those aspects of Lincoln's life in greater detail. I appreciate that Donald avoids engaging in supposition at what Lincoln "must have" been feeling at any particular time - he sticks to what is evidenced in Lincoln's writings and what others observed in him. This inspires in the reader greater confidence in the accurary of Donald's analysis.

Finally, my one criticism: at times I would have appreciated getting the full text of some of Lincoln's short, remarkable speeches, such as the Gettysburg Address or Lincoln's second inaugural address. Donald wrote about them and quoted certain phrases, but we do not get the text in full, which I thought would have been appropriate and feasible. Also (okay, maybe two criticisms), I would have liked to see a few pages or a short chapter about the immediate aftermath of Lincoln's death - the reaction of the nation, the funeral, his legacy. Donald ends the book the moment Lincoln expires.

That said, I would recommend the book to anyone interested in learning about the man who lead our nation through its greatest crisis. I am not normally a big fan of histories or biography, but this one is indispensable.

David Herbert Donald's biography of Abraham Lincoln is an outstanding work that emphasizes his most important aspect, his humanity. Lincoln came to the presidency with one of the skimpiest political resumes of any non-General in American History. Donald shows how this Washington outsider had to grope his way around at first, but then used his remarkable skills to find the political center, which was vital though he often seemed to stand alone. Donald's book focusses on Lincoln's life through Lincoln's eyes. He does not go into great detail about Civil War battles or anything else that Lincoln did not personally witness. The result is a biography that is as thorough as it is readable and that, like its subject, will stand the test of time.

If you want to know more about what Licoln's character was like, this is perfect. It gives a genuine feel for who he really was, it does not gloss him up and make him look like god, nor does it tear him apart. The author simply states the man for who he is, good and bad. It's an easy read and a great read.

Although more books have been written about Abraham Lincoln than anyone else in history except Jesus of Nazareth and William Shakespeare, few of them have looked with any intensity or insight at Lincoln's religion. Lots of people mention it, but few have really studied it. Trueblood gives a superb viewing of Lincoln's spirituality, revealing what books Lincoln read while growing up (including Aesop's Fables, Defoe's Robinson Crusoe, and Weems' Life of Washington among others), what his spiritual heritage was, and how his own theology developed over the years, being intensified and refined while in the president's office during the Civil War years. If you can find a copy of this out of print classic (only 150 pages long), by all means read it. It's excellent reading.

Come Retribution is opaque, at times difficult but a wonderfully fresh look at the official role of the CONfederate government in the assasination of Abraham Lincoln. Unlike most works on the Civil War, it is not a re-comilation but a new look at an old subject using new evidence. And the evidence is damning -- the authors, all modern day intelligence experts, argue convincingly that the death of President Lincoln was a runaway operation that was designed to kidnap the president and/or blow up the War department. The authors ability to uncover fresh evidence at so late a date is an indication that modern research and analytical techniques used by the intelligence community have a strong and valuable role in historical reseacrh as well. This book is an absolute must read for anyone interested in the assasination of Lincoln, the Confederate Secret Service or historical detective work. MichShul@aol.com

While not as readable as a novel or even a narrative history, this book is fascinating reading for anyone interested in the subject of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. While everybody and his brother has been accused of killing John F. Kennedy, few have questioned the "lone gunman" theory that John Wilkes Booth was a madman who acted on his own. Some years back there was an inept attempt to blame a conspiracy involving Union secretary of war Edwin Stanton, but no one seems to have thought to explore the obvious possibility of Confederate involvement--at least not since Stanton himself gave up trying to pin it on Jeff Davis shortly after the event. Now this book presents a sizable body of circumstantial evidence to show that, at the very least, the assassination was a last-minute perversion of a Confederate plot to capture Lincoln and thus bargain for its independence, or at least for its soldiers in Federal prisoner of war camps. The book is well written, and the thesis it presents is convincing. No one who has not read this book really understands the end of the American Civil War