As a relatively new A.P. U.S.History teacher, I am faced with providing the "most bang for the buck" to my high school juniors in preparing them for the spring A.P. exam. "The Story of America" has provided me with excellent backup for the standard text I use in the A.P. class. It is so helpful that I have recommended it to my supervisor as a supplementary text for all of our International Baccalaureate students in future years. The book provides finely detailed stories and backgrounds on many topics that are barely touched on in our standard text. I don't want to belabor the readers with examples I find fascinating, but I sincerely believe that any serious History teacher would find this work immensely helpful.

The definitive bibliography of Mormon history. An enormous, systematic undertaking. 1152 pages (in small but readable type). Two indices--by author and by topic. Also includes a hundred-page topical guide to social science publications on the Mormons prepared by Armand Mauss and Dynette Ivie Reynolds. This is an invaluable resource for students of Mormon history and/or sociology.

Why do some seniors stay mentally sharp while others deteriorate? This new book. based on the latest published neuroscience research, gives readers insight on how to prevent Alzheimer's disease and reverse cognitive decline. In nontechnical language, the authors supply a gold mine of information on how brain functions occur. Tests of mental acuity are scattered throughout the text, allowing readers to gauge their skills. Those with concerns they may be exhibiting signs of dementia are given a wealth of tests and explanations to different normal mental lapses from indications of disease. Also provided are numerous exercises and nutrition tips to boister those brain functions at risk with aging. Extensive footnotes (unobtrusively packaged) and an index finish off this expertly researched and highly readable guide.

-Today's Librarian January, 2001

Worth the wait to receive this awesome book of poetry, prose, and pictures. An excellent Christmas gift for anyone who knows what it's like to work hard for the money.

The Sibley Guide isn't aimed at beginning bird watchers attempting to identify a bird in the field. While even absolute beginners will appreciate Mr. Sibley's exquisite watercolors, this is primarily a visual reference and not a how-to-do-it key. Birds are in taxonomic order, and there is serious discussion and depiction of races within a species, something that will baffle novices. Beginners would be better served with the National Geographic Guide of Kenn Kauffman's new book.

But for intermediate and advanced birders, or for serious beginners, this is a nearly perfect guide. In particular, I found the pages showing all of the flycatchers on one page, or all of the woodpeckers, or all of the small gulls, to be exceptionally well done. For the treatment of individual species, well, in most cases, you will only find better drawings in the specialty books. I'd be proud to hang any of Sibley's 6,000 or more watercolors depcited in this book on my wall at home.

It's larger than a traditional field guide, but not so large that you can't lug it along in the field. Other reviews imply it's the size of an unabridged encyclopedia; in fact, it's about half again the size of the National Geographic guide.

A few quibbles:

- Stay away from the first printing. There seems to have been a problem with the color. The color quality (and accuracy) is much better in second and subsequent printings.

- Some of the unusual birds, the rarities, are omitted. This spring it was my pleasure to watch a Eurasian Bullfinch. It's a bird that's in National Geographic, but not in Sibley. I'm told Sibley stayed with the birds he knew. Perhaps that's the explanation.

- To the extent behavior is used in identifying birds - Empidonax flycatchers, for example - it's probably not described sufficiently.

But these are truly quibbles. Overall this is a remarkable piece of work and already a classic in its field. There isn't yet a Perfect Birding Guide but David Sibley's work is as close as anyone has come.

Before reviewing The Sibley Guide to Birds, I would like to note that David Allen Sibley has done an outstanding job of research, illustration, and description in this unique resource. He should be commended and honored for his contribution!

Think of this guide as an encyclopedia for experienced bird watchers that you would feel comfortable having with you in your car for checking birds you do not already know well. As such, it will be of most value for those who are doing extensive bird watching in distant geographic areas which are new to them, north of Mexico in North America. The book is too large, bulky, and heavy to be easily carried by most people during actual bird watching activities. If you are making extensive sketches or taking photographs with appropriate lenses, you can probably wait to do your identifications until you get home. If you already have a good guide for identifying rare birds in your library, you can probably skip this book. If you don't have such a guide, this book is for you!

As a true, carry-along-with-you field guide, I would rate the book a three star effort for beginning bird watchers because it is well beyond their needs or easy ability to use. A beginner would still be trying to find the right section long after the bird was gone, as Mr. Sibley points out in his excellent inroductory remarks on how to identify birds.

The book has many commendable features. The Guide's best feature are the more than 6600 illustrations of 810 species and 350 regional populations. The illustrations also cover each bird during its development to full adult markings and characteristics. Each one is carefully done to capture the bird both sitting and flying from the same perspectives, to make comparisons easier to do. The beginning of the book has a superb, brief description of how to identify the feathered and bare sections of the various major feather groups.

Clearly, anyone could enjoy this book simply to view at home in front of the fire on a cold winter's night. The illustrations evoked in me many of the same feelings of wonder that I feel when looking at Audubon's illustrations.

The habitat and migration maps are detailed and well done.

The voice descriptions are excellent.

Many of the species also have good general descriptions.

If you are not sure about a person's familiarity with identifying birds, you may not want to give this book as a gift. You may unintentionally provide a volume that will not be very helpful.

If someone tells you they want this volume, they will be delighted to receive it as a gift because they will have a practical use for it and will appreciate its beauty.

After you have had a chance to look at these gorgeous illustrations, I suggest that you think about the other potential appeals of bird watching. Bird behavior to me is far more interesting than bird identification. I also enjoy watching nesting behavior more than feeding behavior. How can you capture more kinds of fun and learning from your bird watching? What lessons does that hold for observing people, as well?

Capture all of your importance experiences in a way that's meaningful to you!

David Sibley has written an excellent field guide. This book surpasses National Geographic's "Field Guide to Birds of North America" and the Peterson's Series of Bird Guides. It includes a greater number of illustrations and portrays more of the various ages of the birds. One has to appreciate the flight views of the many birds.

The colors of the illustrations are excellent. This corrects one compliant of the 3rd edition of National Geographic Field Guide. Advanced and beginning birders will benefit from the examples. The range maps have been adjusted in several cases. Sibley has taken great care in producing the most up-to-date field guide.

The accompanying text is very informative. It is packed with information about each species. Sibley "Guide to Birds" definitely shows that years were taken to produce this comprehensive reference.

If there is a downside, this book is heavy. Many pages were required to incorporate all the interesting and informative information contained in this fabulous book!

Sibley has set a new standard in Bird Field Guides. It will be years before this book is surpassed. Sibley's "Guide to Birds" is a must book for any birders library.

Still I think "First Things First" by Stephen Covey and "Ten Natural Laws" by Hyrum Smith are the classics in Time Management by which David Allen, no matter how popular or new to the market ,can never beat.

Why? "Getting Things Done" is very dry, rational, written from the head--very left brain-driven, whereas Covey and Hyrum's books are less dry, more human touch,filled with more cases or examples, written from the heart--more right-brain driven!

In fact, David Allen should improve his writing skills first. He can be a bit wordy. He goes around in saying things that are actually very simple and common sensical. As a Time Management and Productivity Expert, he should save his time and his readers' time as well.

Personally, I don't think this book offers breakthrough paradigm in time management. I agreed that Frankin Covey's time management approach can be a bit dated in the"Idea Economy". But still Frankin Covey's approach has a more broad base usage, whereas Allen's approach is more micro---emphasizing too much on personal organization like organizing files, cabinets, etc.

Anyhow, I see Allen's book as the supplementary to Frankin Covey's books rather than the "driving force" work in the field.

OK, first I have to admit I picked up the book at a local Border's where I had a copy on reserve. Having said that... I think I've tried every 'system' for organizing yourself out there. In the 80's it was Day-Timer and Day-Runner. Good calenders and address books, but not much else. 90's was Covey, and Franklin planning. Now we have 'roles and goals' which helps with long term planning but both systems were very inflexible when it came to planning your day to day stuff. I can remember Covey wanting me to plan out my entire week in advance. Nice in theory, but nowhere near reality for those of us whose jobs tend to be more 'crisis-oriented'. I've also tried Agenda, Ecco, Outlook, etc. but its hard to lug around your PC or laptop all the time. About two years ago I came across David Allen's tape seminar and I have to say its the best system I've ever found for organizing 'all' of your life. I can't say it's changed my life (I still have the same job, wife and kids and I still procrastinate too much ) but its certainly made all the difference in me being finally, actually organized on day-to-day basis. I'm now the only one in my office with a clean desk :)

The book covers just about the same material that I learned in the tape series. The tapes have more anecdotes and 'real-life' examples in them, but the book has a few new pearls and tricks that tells me David's been refining and polishing this system since the tape series.

Two last quick points: first, it requires no special binders or refills. You could use a cheap spiral notebook if you want. Personally, I use a palmpilot, which works well. Second, (IMHO) the Weekly Review is the cornerstone of making this system work, and its worked for me for two years. Remember that; it'll make sense once you read the book :) Now if I could only get David to come up with a system for procrastination....

Along with other reviewers, I must give this book an enthusiastic endorsement. Here are my reasons. (1) This system is flexible for EVERY person-not just desk jockeys (of which I happen to be). (2) It helps you manage the horizontal--multiple projects as well as the veritical--those discrete action steps that must get executed to move forward. (3) It recognizes that lofty goals are an impossibility when your nose is scraping the ground due to your buckling under the burden of "undone's" that is riding on your shoulders. (4) It doesn't feel like proselytizing like other systems. (5) It works. Many of the concepts are not groundbreaking--I wouldn't consider time management a field of breakthrough thinking--but it does take time tested time management principles and packages them in a way to meet the needs of the digital age. The reader must do a little work and think about what his/her buckets are to make the system most meaningful to their individual work and work style. Additionally, the system requires on-going maintenance, and his discussion about the weekly review is critical to the system's ongoing success. But again everyone knows that; it's that pesky problem of just doing it that requires on-going investment of time and discipline. But if your peace of mind, greater productivity (meaning having more time to do the stuff you love to do, even if that is goofing off!)then reading the book and executing the principles is well worth the effort. I'm going to the seminar in November as I liked the book so well (I've gone through it three times). For those of you on Microsoft Outlook, feeling like your e-mails are coming at you at warp speed like so many stars in a galaxy, I would recommend your purchasing as a companion to the book his PDF download on setting up Outlook tasks to mirror the "buckets". (No, I'm not affiliated with David Allenbin any way).

While not offering neat/sappy cures for depression (a do this, do that approach), Karp does provide relief merely in his description of experiences someone suffering with depression has...profound insights that ring true for the commonality in dealing with this illness/condition.

As an individual suffering from periodic bouts of major depression, I found his insights mindblowing as I had never attributed these "traits" as part of the depression itself, but as part of my "unusual history." While hard to explain to the "average" and "normal", someone who has undergone the misery of depression would surely find resonance and comfort in Karp's remarkable work.

Lastly, I would recommend not digesting this book DURING a visit to the abyss as it is a bit heady (and usually concentration is a HUGE ISSUE at those times), but definitely read it after the bright lights turn on again.

I FOUND THIS BOOK TO BE NOT ONLY REFRESHING IN THAT IT DOESN'T MAKE EMPTY PROMISES, BUT ALSO UNUSUALLY SENSITIVE IN THAT IT CONVEYS TO BOTH THE DEPRESSED AND THEIR LOVED ONES THE SENTIMENTS OF AN "ALTERED REALITY" THAT ONLY A DEPRESSION SUFFERER CAN KNOW. THIS BOOK WAS EXTRAORDINARILY HUMANISTIC, WHICH UNFORTUNATELY SEEMS TO BE THE EXCEPTION IN AN ALL-TOO CARELESS SOCIETY. (KARP UNDERSTANDS THIS TO BE THE CASE AS HE SO SKILLFULLY DEMONSTRATES THROUGH HIS WRITING.) I AM GRATEFUL TO SUCH AN AUTHOR THAT RE-ESTABLISHES A PERSON'S HUMANITY AS A PRIORITY, REGARDLESS OF OVERSIMPLIFIED LABELING THAT OFTEN EVEN FURTHER DIMISHES A DEPRESSED PERSON'S GENERAL CREDIBILITY (NOT TO MENTION THE VALIDITY OF THEIR ANGUISH) WITH FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND EVEN MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS. I ESPECIALLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO ANYONE WHO IS SICK TO DEATH OF CASUALLY BEING ASKED THE CLUELESS QUESTION "SO, WHY ARE YOU DEPRESSED?" HAND THEM THIS BOOK SO THEY CAN BE FURTHER EDUCATED NOT JUST ABOUT THE COMPLEXITY OF DEPRESSION AND ITS "CAUSES", BUT OF THE HUMAN CONDITION IN ITS ENTIRITY.

Karp is a sociologist who examines depression from a cultural point of view. Folks looking for a "quick cure" are not likely to be satisfied with this particular outing. However, folks looking to understand how society views those with depression, how folks with depression view society, and how the illness can also impact family members ... this is the place to go. I read this book as part of a medical anthropology curriculum ... an ethnography of an illness ... and found it to be quite enlightening. I have been in and out of treatment for depression myself over the years, and finding that so many people had similar experiences of reconstructing their self-view as a result of the illness was quite useful. Again, this book is definitely not a "quick fix" or "feel good" kind of book ... it's one that looks at the nitty-gritty of one of the country's most prevalent illnesses and examines the minutiae therein.

This book advocates a new force structure for the US Army. Current US forces are composed of heavy 2D mechanized forces, and light Airborne and Air Assault capable infantry units. The heavy forces have great tactical mobility, but no strategic or operational mobility. The light forces are opposite, with great operational and strategic mobility, but are foot mounted upon arrival on the battlefield.

This book proposes a helicopter transportable light mechanized force for the US Army. This force would give the Air-Mech troops much greater firepower and mobility than the current airborne/air-assault units have. It would also remain air transportable for vertical (3D) envelopment (impossible with heavy mechanized units), as well as having a much smaller logistics requirement than the current heavy mechanized force.

The concept is significant for the US, but is already employed (in a modified form) by Russia. The book is a bit heavy on specific details such as vehicle modifications, and weapons configurations rather than the theories or concepts showing how such a unit will be employed tactically (it covers operational deployment well).It also has little coverage of the USSR/Russian experience with this type of organization.

This is a multi-authored book, and takes the form of a series of chapters rather than an integrated work by one man. As a result many issues are covered in duplicate. As a side note, the book constantly assigns made up names to armored vehicles such as the M-113 or the German Wiesel. These are not officially assigned or recognized names. This ametuerish touch only confuses readers who might not be familiar with gimmicky renaming.

Had the book spent more time explaining the potential tactical employment of the ideas, along with how it will fit in with the new 4th Generation Warfare models now being explored I would have rated it higher. Coming up with a good military theory is only half the battle. Effectively conveying these ideas and why they are important is the other half. This book achieves the first requirement, but fails on the second.

Overall this is an important book in that it proposes significant and valid changes to US Army structure. It is a diamond in the rough, and if the reader can tolerate the various issues mentioned above it is worthwhile.

Yes. I am currently one of them. I understand your criticisms and your accolades. Therefore, not being one of the original authors, I can play "Devil's Acvocate" with both the reviews and the book.

For the Reviewers: Air Mech Strike is a book by individual authors that bring their long years of experience and study into the mix. There is some duplication and the layout does "hurt the eyes" somewhat. The emphasis on the names, while appropriate, does not add anything to the singular basic argument that 2D and 3D warfare need to compliment each other. While not everyone will be able to readily understand all of the new the concepts , the book is well documented with references to websites, studies, books, and articles. Finally, speaking to the Wing In Ground Effect vehicle points up the problem of strategic airlift. We cannot fight if we can't get there, no matter how light the force may be.

For the Book: The book takes up where the Howze Board, the 11th Air Assault, the 1st Cavalary and 101st Airborne Divisions, left off. Placing troops in the rear or on the flank of an attacking or withdrawing enemy force is the best way to divide the enemy's effort, make him fight two battles on two or more fronts at once, resulting in his piecemeal destruction. It is a follow on to the mission of air assault and air cavalary forces. The difference is that light equipment, beyond the vision of General Gavin's light arms, are also a part of the assault. M113s and the Germany Weasels can be flown across the FLOT to deliver both dragoon infantry and ground cavalry to rip up the attack or withdrawing enemy's C3, artillery, and logistical force. The book emphasizes this type of mission to compliment the 2D maneuver of heavy forces.

Airborne, Air Assault and Light Divisions should be the next units to be moved to the IBCT structure, whether that be an air mech strike capable IBCT or remain a 2D capable IBCT. The air mech strike concept, as theorized in the book, is capable of being carried in the C-130 while the other is not.

Air Mech Strike is lighter and can get there faster. With the limited air lift available, air mech strike gives the Army the ability to get the units there in C-130s and sling them on helicopters once on the battlefield. The book is very clean in this regard and both are required.

Attention readers!

Remember March 15, 2002 well!

This was the day the U.S. Army conducted its first helicopter-based Air-Mech-Strike combat assault in Afghanistan during Operation Anaconda...just like described in the book. Co-author Major Charles Jarnot is in Aghanistan NOW and he emailed me the following description:

Air-Mech-Strike in Afghanistan!

The war in Afghanistan has seen several combat firsts for the U.S. Military, first use of an armed un-manned aerial vehicle and the first use of the B-1B Bombers in a close air support role to name just a few. Now in Operation Anaconda another first for the U.S. Army, the first employment of helo-based airmechanized forces by a U.S. field commander in combat, complements of the 3rd Battalion of the famed Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Battle Group.

On March 15, 2002, the Canadians attached to the U.S. Army's 2nd Brigade 10th Mountain Division, used U.S. Army CH-47D Chinooks to air assault their armored tracked BV-206 airmechanized vehicles into the operation Anaconda fight.

Airmechanization is a relatively new maneuver warfare doctrine extensively developed by numerous European armies. First theorized in the 1930s by Soviet Field Marshall Tuchachevskiy, today the Russian, British and German armies have fielded airmechanized brigade and division sized units. The concept involves the vertical insertion of tracked combat vehicles via helicopter and fixed wing para-drops. The idea is to use aircraft to break friction with the ground and cross vast treks of terrain and obstacles to quickly gain positional advantage. Once inserted, the mechanized vehicles provide the vertically inserted force with tracked terrain mobility, protection against small-arms and shrapnel and significant increase in firepower via the heavier weapons carried on the vehicles vice foot mobile troops inserted by parachute or helicopter.

The technical challenge to airmechanization is how to build a tracked combat vehicle that has sufficient protection and weapon capacity yet light enough to transported by helicopter or parachute. Advances in information/reconnaissance technology, weapon lethality versus weight and the increases in aircraft
lift performance have all contributed to the boom in airmechanization. Today five other countries beside Russia, Britain and Germany, are in the process of fielding airmechanized brigades, including China. The most expensive part of this concept is the fielding of large numbers of heavy lift helicopters and short field cargo airplanes. The vehicles themselves are relatively inexpensive. In the U.S. Military, the critical air component is already in place with over 600 heavy lift CH-47D Chinook and CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters and 500 plus C-130 Hercules aircraft in the inventory.

But what about the risk posed by ultra-light combat vehicles? Isnt massive armor needed to survive? Lightweight Airmechanized vehicles (AMVs), like those employed by the Canadians in Anaconda, might seem on the surface to be extremely vulnerable. But surviving on the battlefields of Afghanistan may demonstrate a shift in this traditional paradigm. For example, the greatest risk to vehicle movement in Afghanistan is not Taliban/Al-Quedas Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs), but rather the millions of land mines laid throughout the country. The Canadian BV-206 AMV used in Anaconda mitigates this risk by virtue of the very light weight and tracked suspension that results in extremely light
ground pressure. This not only contributes to its excellent terrain agility but makes anti-tank mine detonation a very small probability since the BV-206 ground pressure is far below the minimum necessary to set off a typical anti-tank mine.

Wheeled combat vehicles on the other hand, are extremely vulnerable to land mines due to the high ground pressure characteristic of typical wheeled vehicles. The separate cabs of the BV-206 also lessens the potential casualty effects of RPGs by compartmentalizing the blast areas. The lightweight also means that it can approach the enemy from terrain deemed non-useable by heavier armor and thus lessens the chances of moving into a planned vehicular kill zone. These features combined with the lethality of high tech weapons like the Javelin anti-tank guided missile (50 pounds and 2,500 meters range) and light weight auto cannons and grenade launchers like the M-230 or ASP-30 30-mm and the Mark-19 40-mm make AMVs a deadly package for their size.

Airmechanization, a competitor for the Armys planned transformation based on the Striker wheeled armored vehicle? Intuitively all new ideas are intellectually competitive with older concepts and the same is true of the 3-Deminsional airmechanization idea versus the 2-Diminsional Striker program. But in practical application there is no conflict. As most professional Soldiers know, combat is a combined-arms affair where different weapons, platforms and the specialties of different organizations combine to have a collective greater effect than any one part. The Armys Striker transformation is slated for the light infantry divisions and some of the heavier formations. Airmechanization would be more applicable to the Armys Airborne and Air Assault units where the Striker is not scheduled for fielding. As the European armies who have fielded airmechanized formations will tell you. These agile forced-entry units are battlefield enablers to heavier forces and
not necessarily their future replacement.

Like the use of the armed predator UAV in Afghanistan, this first modest employment of airmechanized forces in Anaconda will undoubtedly generate heated debate on the utility of this new and controversial maneuver doctrine. This historical event may be the catalyst for the U.S. Army to convert its own airborne and air assault divisions along the European Airmechanized models or like the ill-fated Pentomic Divisions of the 1950s, be simply a flash in the pan. Still the question that this event will pose for the U.S. Army as whole is the continued validity of parachuting or helo-insertion of dismounted troops close to the enemys crucible of anti-aircraft fire, shoulder-fired missiles and RPGs. The American public and our enemies, should know that the U.S. Armys leadership in Afghanistan is not tied doggedly to any written doctrine. The first use of airmechanized forces in combat by an American commander demonstrates the mental agility and creative prowess of a unified effort that will "leave no stone unturned" in its effort
to defeat the Al Queda and Taliban, to include employing a Canadian airmechanized force!

Major Chuck Jarnot, 101st Airborne Division Liaison
Officer in Afghanistan

Animal Farm is the story of a revolution gone sour. Animalism, Orwell's take on Communism, is an illusion used by the pigs as a means of satisfying their lust for power. At the beginning of the book, Mr. Jones, the master of the farm, is irresponsible toward his animals, so old Major, a white boar, informs the other animals of the need to form a rebellion against Mr. Jones and the human race. The other animals embrace the idea of a revolution and develop a scheme to overthrow Mr. Jones. After the revolution is complete, the animals feel an immediate freedom, a set of commandments is developed for the new "Animal Farm," and they all begin working together for a common good. However, it does not take long for the new society to begin to corrupt. The satisfaction of removing Mr. Jones from the farm prevents the animals from noticing the politics still going on within the farm. The animals are convinced by those in power that their memory of the original utopia and commandments are false. So long as the animals cannot remember the past, because it is being continually altered, they will have no control over the present and future. George Orwell is making a great political statement in Animal Farm with specific emphasis on mass rebellion. It personifies Karl Marx's ideas for communism and illustrates what can happen after a revolution with specific attention to the fact that every society is political and contains "pigs" who will always grab for power. This satirical fable leaves the reader with a better understanding of communism and the anatomy of political revolution in any culture.

The story Animal Farm is something that every person in the entire world should read. This simple tale of a group of animals, neglected, abused, enslaved, and put down, rising up against their hateful masters with the hopes of creating an egalitarian society was meant as a commentary on the state of the Soviet Union. The depiction created of a Communist society from its conception to its death is one of tyranny, deceit, distrust, and rivalry that destroys the pure intentions of the original revolutionaries. Though the depth of the underlying political commentary may be lost on people with no interest in the operation of the economy or the government, Animal Farm is a very accessible story with easy to understand lessons in morality, fairness, and honesty.

One note on the additional "filler" information added to this edition, it is both poorly written and uninteresting. While the life of George Orwell is interesting and something worth learning about, especially if you have aspirations towards being a socialist, the author of this section does such a poor job that reading tax codes in IRS publications is more interesting.

In summary, buy this book, read it, lend it to someone else, read it again, lend it to more people, read it again, and dream of a world of egalitarian communism. Or you can just read the story, enjoy the struggles and triumphs of the heroic animals, despise the greedy pigs, and share the experience with someone else.

George Orwell's Animal Farm is a superb animation of the Russian Revolutioon. The book is amusing and interesting; it includes a comic element as it synonymously demonstrates the evolution from the proletariat revolution to a totalitarian government led by the swine of the society. Orwell successfully simplified the not-so-simple theory of class stratification and Karl Marx's proposed solution of communism. Orwell's method of conveyance is incredibly inventive. He uses satire in the form of a fairy tale to share his indignation for ideological doctrines that would, if allowed, lead to the eventual destruction of a society. Each character in the story is representative of someone who was involved in the Russian Revolution. Old Major is Marx, and inspires the proletariat revolution by motivating the over-worked animals and educating them on the ways of the human beings, who represent the bourgeoisie. Orwell's creativity convinces the reader that the animals on the farm are intellectual beings, revolting against the tyranny of the humans. Animal Farm offers itself as an example of a responsible criticism of Marxism. The story gives us a peek at the Utopian vision, and then offers a long look at what results from using a Marxist approach at achieving it. I strongly reccomend this book, as it is entertaining and educational. Orwell succeeded in creating a fairy tale that evokes both sadness and laughter, while causing us to feel sympathy and even empathy for the working class animals. The book escapes complexity, but its message does not.

This book is the first I've read on Jethro Tull. I found it to be very interesting. It is more of a reference guide than the "good curl-up" Ian Anderson describes it as in his forward. The chapters are divided by album and subsequent tour, including Anderson's solo projects. I was drawn into the book by Nollen's preface and his brilliant short essay on the overall music of Tull. Nollen was an ordinary Tull fan from Iowa who was elevated to the privileged class of fans who have met and befriended the band members, particularly Dave Pegg. He received the cooperation of Pegg, Glenn Cornick, Doane Perry and the one-legged flautist himself to write this book which really adds to its credibility. It is very scholarly and well-organized. The footnotes reveal that much of this information was garnered from old reviews, the Tull fanzine A New Day, etc., which may result in less new information for the long-time Tull fanatic. I agree with another reviewer who stated that this book reads like a college Masters thesis.

What I enjoyed the most from this book are the analyses of some of the lyrics to Tull's songs. I have a greater appreciation for "Aqualung" after reading this book. I also finally understand what is meant by "One white duck on your wall." I wish there was more of these lyric explanations as the descriptions of the sound of the songs (and I know, from writing reviews for Amazon how difficult it is to describe music in words) become rather tedious. I often skimmed over some of these descriptions, particularly concerning some of the later albums I have not heard as such words cannot bring music to life. For the most part, this is a very glowing, often sycophantic account. I love Jethro Tull, they are one of my all-time favorite bands, but some of Nollen's praise is a little much: "the band rollicked into one of the most incredible performances ever heard by a rock audience" (151), "Barrie Barlow...executes some of the most astounding snare drum rolls in the history of rock" (147). What is frustrating is Nollen's tendency to start an interesting story and then cut it off abruptly with an unrelated quotation. Glenn Cornick's statements about being fired are cut off by an Anderson quote about breaking even financially on an American tour (62). A story about Martin Barre and Dave Pegg having a knife pulled on them when they were trying to retrieve a stolen jacket ends abruptly with a Pegg quote on Barre's passion for leather (217). The many long quotations, especially towards the end of the book, make for very tedious reading at times. Still, this book is very impressive work and very valuable to the Tull fan.

Jethro Tull has always been one of the most original and innovative rock and roll bands, blending countless types of music, and they continue to perform all over the world. Scott Nollen's book provides the most thorough history of the band, plus a first-hand touch with his years of knowing and hanging out with the band. A good combination of history, critical reviews and survey of the musical development of the band over their first 33 years of non-stop recording and touring. And the foreword by Ian Anderson and afterword by Dave Pegg give the book a nice personal touch.

Being a fan of Jethro Tull since 1970, I thought I knew a lot about the band -- until reading this book. Scott Nollen offers great insight into their records, tours, and backstage antics. The book also offers a rare glimpse into Ian Anderson's childhood and early development in Scotland. But, a real highlight for me is the inside story from band members, including Ian Anderson, Glenn Cornick, and David Pegg. Why did Glenn Cornick, Mick Abrahams, and Clive Bunker leave the band? How did their music evolve from blues, Celtic, folk, jazz, rock, to heavy metal? It's all there. And, after all, Ian Anderson gives this "excellent book" a hearty endorsement in its preface. So, it must be pretty close to the mark. It's an excellent read!