The plays in the History's Project's "Character in Time: The US Presidents" series are interesting and informative and, above all, very readable. People unfamiliar with reading plays should not be put off by the format -- after a few minutes time, it seems perfectly natural to read dialogue instead of normal prose. Students, especially, will appreciate the playwright's artful distillation of the subject's ideas and philosophy, as well as the lively presentation of his character -- there's really a lot of information packed into these small volumes.

We are treated to an original account of our second president in a humorous rendition that plays brilliantly in our minds. This one act play is a poignant look at the personal issues of a Massachusetts's attorney turned president and the country he was elected to lead during its political infancy. The investment of your time will be well spent.

I needed to get this book for my 12 year old daughter. Since she was so young, I was worries that she would not be able to follow the logic needed to comprehend the objective. This book has worked wonders. She picks it up each nite, on her own, and studies a little. I only need to be there to reinforce the books philosophy.

This book not only presents the reader with a detailed layout of the SAT, but also treats the SAT in a fun manner. The book always sticks in little tricks and strategies that are an added plus to just knowing the information that is tested by the SAT. I recommend this book to anyone who has a reasonably good score but wants an even better score. I also recommend taking a princeton review class cuz this really helped me raise my score.

The story of John Quincy Adams is hard-to-believe. Congress truly ridiculed this man. I won't tell anymore you have to read it to believe it.

John Quincy Adams gave us a gift- the diary he left us. Beginning as a teenager and lasting until his death, what we see here is the spirit of this man who opposed slavery, advocated equal rights in the face of fierce opposition and argued the first civil rights case before the Supreme Court. Here are the words of the man who did so much for us. Read them.

This book really enlightened me. It gives a lot of information about a very important man who was a great historian, among many other things. I had heard so much about Dr. J.H.Clarke but knew nothing about his personal life before reading this book. Also, although I had read some of his books I never had the opportunity to attend any of his lectures, seminars etc. and... see him in person to learn more about this man - I know he frequently enlightened many with his small group settings at "Clarke House" in Harlem, New York and that he also gave lectures at many of the City of New York colleges, and at other sites for those who were fortunate enough to attend. Many questions I would have asked him, if I had ever met him, were addressed in the book. I often wondered about his path in life and gained a lot of information about his path while reading this book. The book is easy to read and just about the right length. I suggest the reader digest the words a bit at a time, to retain the information given. It was pointed out to me that this book was shaped by information the writer gleaned from Dr. Clarke himself. It was not just a compilation of information obtained from other books. The writer actually heard Dr. Clarke tell her about his long life from his humble beginnings to the later years. Dr. Clarke enlightened many and so did this author.

THIS BOOK IS EXCELLENT, IT GAVE VERY GOOD INFORMATION AND PICTURES ON A MAN WHO HAS DEDEICATED HIS WHOLE LIFE TO THE AWAKENING OF THE AFRICAN MIND AND THE INVESTIGATION OF OUR HISTORY. HE WAS TRULY A MASTER TEACHER AND A TRUE PAN-AFRICANIST. I HAVE READ SOME OF HIS BOOKS AND I HAVE SOME OF HIS VIDEO LECTURES ON TAPE. I JUST SHURE HATE THE FACT THAT I NEVER GOT TO MET DR. CLARKE IN PERSON. HE HAS BEEN A TRUE INFLUENCE ON MY LIFE AND THE LIFE OF MANY OTHERS. I WILL MAKE SHUREM PERSONALLY THAT HIES DREAM OF AFRICAN-CENTERED, OR AFRICAN-CENTRIC SCHOLARSHIP AND PAN-AFRICAN NATIONALISM AS WELL AS AFRICAN WORLD LIBERATION IS KEPT ALIVE.

This book is a companion book to the television series of the same name. The book itself is lovely, with pictures of the animals and habitats of future Earth with details about behavior and the changing planet.
The only problem is that the book does not go beyond the series. There is no extra information about the future creatures and the only real add on is the small glossary in the back. If you had to pick between this or the series on video or DVD, buy the video or DVD.
With 160 pages I wanted more. It took less time to read the book than watch the television series!

An impressive companion to After Man, another book by Dougal Dixon written on the same genre. However, After Man is less far fetched in its animals than in this book, which are computer generated rather than illustrated. Extremely detailed verbal sketches are accomplice to beautiful graphics of astounding animals of the future. My only complaint is that occasionally there is a bad computer generated image that probably would have done better as an illustration. After Man, Dixon's most masterful book, is best read either immediately before or after reading this one.

This book was an excellent portrait of how John Adams matured over the years from age 10 up until the signing of the Declaration of Independence, particularly how a loyal British subject became one of the primary movers of separation from the British Crown. It is a great narrative describing the slow movement from loyal individual colonies to a united country. Significant historical figures are included with more than a passing mention since they were colleagues of his, including Sam Adams, Thomas Hutchison and many more. It reads like an historical novel, not a textbook. If you want to get an interesting flavor for this portion of American history, I highly recommend this book.

John Adams and the American Revolution by Catherine
Drinker Bowen is a great biography of John Adams.
Ms. Bowen spends a great amount of time on the childhood and young manhood of Adams. She also touches on his great marriage life. This is a book that I enjoyed perhaps even more than David
McCullough's biography titled John Adams, though this book was good. I usually stay away from biographies and read more of the reference type books, I'll have to say though that this book kept my interest to the end.

John Galvin guides the reader through Boston politics in the fifteen years preceding the Revolution, 1760-1775. Mr. Galvin focuses on the three men he contends were the most influential in the events in Boston in the pre-revolutionary years (Thomas Hutchinson, James Otis, and Samuel Adams).Very readable and a good source of behind-the-scenes activity that led to the beginning of the American Revolution.

Author John R. Galvin explores the personalities of three key figures whose actions and discourses constituted the roots of the American Revolution. Galvin's admirable scholarly discipline and his keen analysis deserve praise. His scope is very precise: it begins and ends with the period where Hutchinson, Adams, and Otis were interacting. Readers interested in Hutchinson, Adams, or Otis should read this book to gain a deeper insight into their personal philosophies and into the political struggles and challenges which made or defeated them, and which ultimately constituted the unyielding backdrop of their social existence and historical judgement. Readers interested in mid-18th century Massachussetts or American politics will learn much about the many groups and organizations of the period.

Ellis' work focuses on the latter part of Adams' life. While it makes no claim to be a complete biography, the book serves as an excellent foundation for those seeking to learn more about our most underappreciated founding father. Through detailed comparisons with Jefferson - Adams' rival and close friend who has been treated more kindly by America's collective consciousness - Ellis begins to illuminate many levels of the New Englander's character. In doing so, he helps us understand why Adams was not, and probably never will be, adored by the nation he helped to create

I am like dspector -- I searched this book out after reading Ellis's "American Sphinx" on Jefferson. I am now a true John Adams fan. I have also read Ferling's biography of Adams, and agreed that it was more thorough, but not that it was as well written. Ellis has no equal in writing historical biography!

I'm now interested in knowing if anyone is working on a John Adams Memorial comparable to the Washington and Jefferson memorials in D.C. Why is he ignored? How about putting him on some of our money???

Written with wit, charm, and a keen eye for historical detail, this book restores John Adams to his rightful place as one of our most intelligent, prescient forefathers. Dealing primarily with his post-presidential life, the author creates a fascinating image of an aging, yet mentally sound patriarch attempting to rehabilitate his image and settle old scores with former foes. In addition to highlighting the legendary correspondence with Jefferson (where Adams doubled the epistolary output of Mr. Jefferson), the author also brings to light his lengthy disputes with Mary Wollstonecraft and Mercy Otis Warren. Fortunately, Adams is neither belittled nor attacked with the unfairness of hindsight. Instead, he is presented in the fullness of his complexity; often self-righteous, obsessive, and grouchy, yet always believing that the principles of the Revolution were best served by a national, rather than provincial, approach. Few have disputed Adams' eloquence or dignity and now, thanks to Mr. Ellis, we can finally see that Adams just might be one of the most relevant.

Ansel Adams at 100 is the catalog for the museum exhibition of the same name that has been traveling the United States and Europe from 2001-2003. Unfortunately, the exhibit did not come to a city near me, so I cannot comment on how well it is represented in the book. Since I did not see the museum exhibit from which the photographs were taken, I will be commenting on how this book fares as a stand-alone "coffee table"-type book of Ansel Adams' photographs.

The book has 191 pages, is 14 1/4x12 3/4 inches in size, and is hardbound with an oatmeal-colored linen cover and slipcase. Also included with the book is a 13x11 inch reproduction print of Aspens, Dawn (1937), which is suitable for framing. The book begins with a 42-page essay on Ansel Adams' life and career (don't worry, big print) by John Szarkowski, the book's editor and the director emeritus of the Department of Photography at the Museum of Modern Art. The essay is followed by 114 tritone plates of Ansel Adams' photographs, all black-and-white.

I think the most helpful point that I can make about this book is that it is not a book of Ansel Adams' "greatest hits" or of his best photographs. I have yet to find a complete collection of either of those things. This is a very abridged version of the Ansel Adams at 100 museum exhibition which, as far as I can ascertain from the photographs in this book, sought to give the viewer a broad perspective of Ansel Adams' relationship with photography and with nature over the course of his life. Some of the photographs are great and some quite mediocre. But you will find photographs in this book that you have never seen before (unless, of course, you saw the exhibition). This includes a few very early photographs from the 1920's which are not very good, but are significant when contemplating Ansel Adams' whole career and the photographic history of that period. My favorite part of the book are some plates which have two versions: one that was printed in the 1940's or 1950's and a later print of the same image made in the 1970's. These plates are on facing pages so it is easy and interesting to see how Adams' perspective changed over the course of his life. I was reminded of some of my own work from long ago which I recently looked at and thought how differently I would print it now. (Adams' earlier prints are better, and so are mine. So much for improving with age.)

In conclusion, if you are looking for a comprehensive book of Ansel Adams' best work, this is not it. If you are a fan of Ansel Adams and would like to learn more about how Adams' work and nature photography as an art progressed and changed over the course of decades, this would be a great book to have. Ansel Adams at 100 is a must-have for hard-core Ansel Adams' fans and those interested in the evolution of nature photography in the 20th century.

If you can only afford to buy one photo book / coffee table book this year . . . this is the book to buy. Period. This oversized book is beautifully reproduced and lovingly bound to last for ages; a commemorative print, not available elsewhere, is reproduced as a separate plate -- suitable for framing, which is a nice touch: Who among us can afford an original Ansel Adams photograph? As beautiful as this is as an example of book-making, its real value lies in the selection of photos.
Of course, no two photographers will ever agree as to what photos should have been included in this massive retrospective -- outside of the obvious ones like "Moonrise Over Hernandez County" -- but every photographer who looks at this book should find inspiration in Ansel's inimitable "eye" that saw, and captured on film, the ordinary and transformed it into the extraordinary; a photographer who saw the extraordinary and transformed it into the sublime.
As for the text: I think an academic perspective is certainly appropriate for such a retrospective, but I would dearly have loved to see a piece by, say, Joseph Holmes (NATURAL LIGHT--a gorgeous collection of photos) or another photographer to give it, so to speak, a "through the lens" perspective.
Although there are other coffee-table sized books published of Ansel Adams's work, this one sets a high watermark and, as such, should find a permanent place in the library of every serious photographer, aspiring photographer, or anyone with a sense of beauty who can appreciate the rare and wonderful talent that is Ansel Adams.

This is a superb book. I was first introduced to Ansel Adams at work. While waiting to give my bi-weekly status reports to the President I reported to, there were photographic prints of Adams' work on the walls. The clean look to the photos calmed me before my meetings. In picking up "Ansel Adams at 100", I am reminded of a calm vision of beauty, in both words and pictures. Szarkowski's book is artistic and beautiful. First of all the book is well crafted with high quality pages that yield the most amazing pictures of the Adams collections. Secondly, the photos, especially of Yosemite, show an almost spiritual bent to them. I found myself looking carefully at both the sweeping measures of the photos, the granduer, and suprisingly, the sweet simplicity of a tree, a mountain, a leaf. It is Adams' mastery of focusing on the simple yet at the same time utterly complicated subject that makes you appreciate his clarity. Thirdly, the excerpts of Adams' vision and life lend to the book in giving the reader another overview of this work and life---especially how that led to his interests, his almost driven focus. All in all, it's a beautiful book, richly photographed and written, and elegant in both presentation and subject. Well worth the price.

I've read this book twice now and keep thinking, "what a great idea, too bad the med guy didn't farm the idea out to someone who could write!" But he thought he did; wish he'd sent it to me. Ignoring all the trivial errors (misspellings of diseases, "North Ridge earthquake," calling the valley fever org. "cocci" when that term refers to all cocci forms of bacteria, "congenital arthritic hip" of Drew (think they meant congenital dysplasia causing the arthritis, not too many babies born with arthritis!), the faults in writing are amazing: rotten character development (for ex. Byrne is described in such detail at first encounter w/his pony tail, and when he has to cut it off, but do we ever hear about his pony tail again? So much for his Samson anguish), bringing up interesting points only to drop them (Kameron's taping of Byrne's comments at Mia's lecture, mention about doctoring them -- never shows up again), and leaden writing style.

Guess there's going to be another book soon, maybe the Fifth Horseman? Hope these two get a better editor.

Interesting subject matter but the many editorial/writing flaws in the book kept detracting from the story. I got worried when there was a date/time error in the first few pages of the book and the problem continued throughout. I don't mind flashbacks to earlier dates if the characters don't know on that earlier date what they had found out 2 weeks later according to the book's timeline.

There was other incorrect information in there such as the young Jewish boy saying he got hooked up to the Library of Congess to search Grateful Med. Grateful Med is provided by the National Library of Medicine. It made me wonder what other errors I wasn't aware of in some of the scientific/technical aspects of the plagues.

Despite my frustration with the authors/editors not catching some of the inconsistencies, I managed to finish the book because the subject matter interested me. However if you want to read books along this subject line, I'd have to recommend "The Hot Zone" or "The Cobra Event", "And the Band Played On" or several other books (some fiction & nonfiction like those mentioned above)before recommending this one. It was a struggle to stick with it even though the characters were fairly well developed and the concept was intriguing.

If you can avoid all the techno-[material] and long histories of some of the characters, you're in for a frightening look at how easy bioterrorism is. THE ELEVENTH PLAGUE revolves around a madman's plot to mirror the ten plagues of Moses and kill off vast amounts of people all in the name of God. Character-wise, there's no one here we haven't met before, and even the villain is rehashed from Dr. Phibes through Hannibal Lechter. However, the book has some terrifying scenes and some surprises, too. It's a little long in the tooth and is nowhere as realistically frightening as THE HOT ZONE, but it's still a scary read.
RECOMMENDED.