I had bought Harold Holzer's 1993 book "Dear Mr. President" and enjoyed it tremendously. That book dealt with the mail that ordinary and famous people from around the world sent to Abraham Lincoln during his term as U.S. President. Now, Holzer has produced a sequel book, "The Lincoln Mailbag", which contains even more letters written to Lincoln. A large number in this new volume consists of mail Lincoln never even saw, such as correspondence from black Americans. These two books by Holzer offer a fresh, new insight into the world of President Lincoln which is far more interesting than the ordinary, standard Lincoln biographies which seem to pop up every 6 months or so.

This look at "The Lincoln Memorial" by Hal Marcovitz for the American Symbols and their Meanings series is about much more than a lesson in architecture or a biography of Abraham Lincoln. Marcovitz begins this small volume with the story of the story of how Marian Anderson, one of the great American singers of the 20th century, came to give a performance at the Lincoln Memorial on Easter Sunday in 1939 to 75,000 people. Anderson, a great contralto who was the toast of Europe, had been denied permission to give a concert in Washington D.C.'s Constitution Hall because the Daughters of the American Revolution would not allow a "colored" to perform on stage. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt resigned her membership in the DAR in protest and Anderson was given permission to give a concerton the step of the Lincoln Memorial where she sang "America."

Most of this book, which is aimed at younger students, focuses on the history of the memorial itself. Two years after President Lincoln was assassinated Congress made plains for a monument, which originally was going to be a sculpture of Lincoln surounded by soldiers. Young readers should be fascinated by how long it actually took for the Lincoln Monument to be constructed and that the original Lincoln Monument Association was actually disbanded and the idea forgotten. Congress authorized $2 million for the memorial in 1911, which would be placed at the opposite end of the Mall from the Washington Monument. Architect Henry Bacon based the design of the memorial on the Parthenon in Athens and planned a grand statue of Lincoln to be the centerpiece.

An entire chapter is devoted to the sculpture by Daniel Chester French. Again, students should be captivated by the details on the type of chair French selected and the meaning of the clenched left hand and open right hand. Along with the statue the words of the Gettysburg Address and Second Inaugural would be carved into the south and north walls, with giant murals by Jules V. Guerin entitled "Reunion" and "Emancipation." The next chapter goes into even more details about the Lincoln Memorial, from where the limestone and marble came from, to how the names of the states appear, to what you would find in the basement if it were still open to the public.

Not surprisingly given how the book begins, Marcovitz ends with Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, delivered during the March on Washingtton on August 28, 1963. The story is told within the context of the Civil Rights movement, including Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott and George Wallace standing in the school house door at the University of Alabama to stop African America students from registering. The final words in the volume, delivered in front of the statue of Lincoln, are the closing lines of King's speech.

For a 41-page volume written for children this is an excellent little book, which, if anything, might actually contain too much information. I can see young students having trouble trying to render down this concise presentation of information for a class report or paper. The back of the book contains a chronology of both Lincoln and the memorial, from his birth in 1809 to King's 1963 speech. A glossary explains over a dozen words, from architect to stalagmite, and there are lists of books and Internet resources for more information. The book is modesty illustrated, with about twenty photographs, none of which actually show the construction of the memorial, the carving of the statue, the carved speeches, or the murals, which is rather surprising.

The American Symbols and their Meanings series looks at everything from the Alamo to the White House, with the Confederate Flag, The Declaration of Independence, Rock 'n' Roll, and Uncle Sam in between. However, these other volumes would be hard pressed to match the informative value of this book on "The Lincoln Memorial."

We live in troubled times. The presidential candidate of one political p[arty is ridiculed for stating that Jesus is his favorite philosopher, and the vice-presidential candidate of the other political party is castigated for speaking about religion. What has happened to the moral tone of this country, which was founded by God-fearing men? Have we completely abandoned the idea that there is a Being who guides and guards us in all that we do? Abraham Lincoln, arguably our greatest president, believed that there was Someone watching over us at all times. He also believed vehemently that our governmental system was important, and that its structure was the best that could have been devised for the country. His words are eloquent, and call to us across the gap of 150 years. Reading this work, it is easy to restore some confidence in our governmental system, even though now it is being sorely tested by the eletoral events in Florida. This work could not have come along at a better time in our history, and it is well worth reading.

A thoughtfully detailed and entertaining narrative with lots of captivating photos of the key people and places of Lincoln's visits to the Commonwealth. I also liked the appendix which provided guidance on how to follow and experience the Lincoln Trail. I'm not a Lincoln expert, so the accounts of his experiences here were new to me and fascinating to read... but that also means my rating is just a reflection of how much I liked this book, not a comparison to other books about Mr. Lincoln. It is unquestionably well-written.

This 79-page examination of the Gettysburg Address provides kids in grades 4-6 with an excellent in-depth examination of the concepts and basic importance of Lincoln's historic statements. Chapters blend vintage black and white photos with fine insights on the events of his times.

This book is the type of book which could start another civil war. I found the book to be well researched, detail oriented, and well written. One group of readers will probably come away with a sense that the first Republican President may have been the inventor of spin. No matter what your politics, this book proves that politics are nothing new, and maybe a few of the awestruck may view some of the sainted heroes in a diffent light.

This alternate history will make you start hoping the bad guys will have anything go their way. It is a hilarious tale of a gang of wannabe thugs operating under Murphy's Law. And the poor federal agent working undercover in their gang is not any better off than the bad guys. Their incidents and accidents will leave you in stitches.

This is a book I first saw at our public library and liked it so much I decided I had to have my own copy. It gives the essence of Lincoln in a chronological and very readable form, with enough background information to let one know the reasons for giving the speech or writing the letter. This is a great book for junior high or high school students although written for adults. The woodcut illustrations are tremendous and add a great deal to the feeling of the book

Dr. Rabbi Twerski has the distinction of being the country's only Chasidic psyhicatrist. He has been intimately involved with recovering alcoholics and he knows them well. And he knows his AA Big Book well. His knowledge of Torah, Talmud and mystical literature are astonishing. His daily meditations are focused on our relationship with God and you don't have to be an alcoholic to appreciate just how fine and inspirational this book is. In the back of the book, the author includes commentary on the parshas, most of which is thought provoking. A fine book, then, for Jewish alcoholics and for all Jews. It's the only daily meditation book you'll ever need.

THE MANAGERIAL MYSTIQUE, Restoring Leadership In Business, Dr. A. Zaleznik, Perennial Library, Harper & Row, Publishers, 1989, 279 pages in paperback. This book addresses why managers do what they do. Dr. Zaleznik describes and illustrates the differences between managers and leaders. Of great significance is how managers and leaders advance in their careers. Managers general do not take chances and seldom allow themselves to fail. Leaders on the other hand will try, fail, and try again while learning from each mistake. This one difference helps explain why management is so reluctant to change, i.e., risk a failure, --there are too few leaders and too many managers. Managers enforce rules and procedures whereas the leaders asks questions like; "What should we be doing?", "Where are we headed?" and "How do we get there?". The difference is very important because managers will ensure that we get to where we are headed but we may not want to be there when we get there. VISION -- We need leaders with vision.