This book was great i read every one of his adventures. I got realy mad when i heard some librarys were banning the book. :(

I bought the original work of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn for my 8-year-old and while he reads on a very elevated level, the original had language too difficult to decipher. However, he was interested in the story so I bought this abridged version and he loved it.

Jack Lemon takes a rare and wonderful turn at narrating in Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. This adaptation of the Twain classic seems crisper, capturing the feel of youth. It has never sounded better. The spry Mr. Lemon breathes life into this worn classic. This is a keeper for all ages.

I was fortunate enough to have Paul Drew come to one of my college classes to discuss his book and i must say his talk was just as powerful as his book. what i really enjoyed was the way he wrote as a normal kind of guy. it was almost as if i was sitting there and he was talking to me like one might talk in a bar. i highly recommend this book

Paul Drew gives the world his diary. His Viet Nam experience is the cover story, but the change in the man is the book. Drew expresses in an intimate and engaging format the impact of war, politics and social upheaval on an everyman. "After the Storm" is a strong statement against streo-typing and against our desire to have history wrapped up in a neat little package. This is an important work in that it combines a valid perspective on the American century with an Odysseus-like inner journey. Highly recommended for the generation that came after the war.

I truly never did so much thinking after reading this book, and I'm still thinking.... As I read, I felt like my vision was getting clearer about how Vietnam made such an impact on not only the veterans' lives, but on their families and friends for the rest of all of their lives. There were many passages that I really would admit are steeped in true wisdom....a wisdom which can be gained only through experience and careful contemplation over many years.....one of my favorite passages was towards the end regarding how the author thought he could best explain what the healing process is like.....with mention of an oppressive dense rain forest bearing down on you, and then you "swallow the sun"........ spectacular....these are the kind of descriptions that jump out at the reader and stick with you for a long time.... I feel that Paul Drew is a little less of a complete stranger now......his reflections make the reader feel like a friend.

This is another one of the American Girls Short Stories series about Josefina Montoya, a nine-year-old girl living in the New Mexico of 1824. Josefina always loved watching her aunt Dolores playing the piano, and when she agrees to teach her how to play Josefina is overjoyed. However, very quickly, her piano lessons turn into drudgery, and Josefina begins to get discouraged. But, through the joy she brings to one listener, Josefina learns about trying again.

The final chapter of this book is a look at life on a New Mexican rancho, plus a quick lesson on a Mexican dance, la vaquerita. As with the other books in this wonderful series, Jean-Paul Tibbles' illustrations are excellently done, complimenting the story throughout.

This is another wonderful addition to the Josefina library. My daughter and I both enjoyed the story for itself, and I like the lesson it taught. My daughter and I both highly recommend this book!

"Again, Josefina" is the second book published in the series of Josefina short stories. The setting of the story takes place shortly after the book "Josefina Learns a Lesson". Josefina is fascinated with Tia Dolores's piano and the wonderful music that Tia Dolores can make with it. Tia Dolores is willing to teach Josefina how to play, but Papa wonders if Josefina will be able to manage it with her chores and school lessons. Josefina persuades him to let her learn how to play the piano, but is quickly a disenchanted learner when she realizes that she must start from the beginning and practice more then she has time to do. When Josefina feels that she is not making progress, she asks Papa if she can quit. Instead of allowing her to quit, Josefina is challenged to find a way to practice. She is a clever child, and she finds a way to practice even when she is not sitting at the piano. Then, she finds her joy in playing the piano and acceptance for herself as a learner when her toddler nephew happily "dances" to her imperfect piano playing. This short story is an excellent tale of the frustration of learning something new, and the value of doing something for pleasure instead of perfection.

"Again, Josefina!" is one of the "American Girls Short Stories" series of books for younger readers. Written by Valerie Tripp and illustrated by Jean-Paul Tibbles, this volume tells a tale about Josefina, who lives with her family on a New Mexico rancho in 1824. Josefina decides to learn to play the piano, but discovers that playing a musical instrument is harder than she expected.

An enjoyable story is nicely complemented by the warm, nicely detailed illustrations. The story is accompanied by a number of enjoyable supplemental features. There is a "Meet the Author" page. Also, "A Peek into the Past" takes a historical look at life in New Mexico in Josefina's time; this supplement is illustrated with reproductions of art and artifacts. "An American Girls Pastime" gives instructions on how to dance la Vaquerita, a traditional dance of New Mexico. Finally, there is a glossary of Spanish words used throughout the book: "cuentos," "rancho," etc. The whole book is about 50 pages long, making it perfect for readers who may not be ready to tackle a full-length novel. Overall, a well-done entry in the series.

Albert Einstein lived the last thirty years of his life in the United States and passed away in 1955 in New Jersey. He wrote three great papers in 1905 at the age of 26.

This book is the only thing ever coming close to an autobiography that Einstein ever wrote. Needless to say, offers of money and prizes were offered to him, unlike the millions offered to ex-U.S. presidents to write a book. He never accepted any of these offers. The only offer he accepted was from Professor Schilpp to write an intellectual autobiography of himself.

Incredible and Timeless is only ways to describe this book. Einstein labels as his "obituary", for a man who was considered the "Person of the Century" by Time Magazine.

Friends, his own "obituary" in his own hand is a worthy read and cost of the book. It is not a "personal" life but his "thinking" on science and of course on physics. We all know the two great theories of physical was created in the early 20th. century: the theory of relativity and quantum mechanics. Einstein alone created relativity and was also one of the founders of the quantum theory. We also know now that Einstein never accepted quantum theory till the end.

Here, Einstein fully describes the failure of classical mechanics and the rise of the electromagnetic field, the theory of relativity and of the quanta.

Of note, Einstein's "Evolution of Physics" is a general lay discussion of the same issues. This is Einstein's technical discussion of the evolution of physics.

"When I was a fairly precocious young man the nothingness of the hopes and strivings which chases most men restlessly through life came to my consciousness with considerable vitality" This comment alone is worth price of the book.

The essays sections includes writing of the great scientist of the 20th century. We only read about them in textbook but here they are in their own words: Niels Bohr, Louis De Broglie, Arnold Sommerfeld, Max Born, Kurt Godel, Hans Reichenbach and Wolfgang Pauli. One only sees their picture in physics textbooks.

This book really belongs in all who are professional scientists or are interested in science. Unlike Newton "Principia" or Darwin's "The Origin of Species" Einstein papers are scattered everyone. This is the only definitive book on Einstein by Einstein himself.

Moreover, it is a scholarly and scientific book, so it should last for a long time and of value to all future generations.

This is an interesting way to learn about a person. I took a passage from one of Al's writings in this book and read it during my weekly puppet show. The part of Einstein was played by a stuffed squirrel I bought at a yard sale. I added the traditional wacky hair and tweed jacket. The kids were confused at first, but squirrel puppetry soon broke down barriers. Next up is Hawking! If I can find a mini-chair and a look-a-like squirrel.

Here, Einstein clearly shows the world that he was a first-class intellectual and scientist.

--Lonnie R. Gardner (Math Teacher)

This book contains the major prose works of Aleksandr Pushkin, which include "The Tales of the Late Ivan Petrovich Belkin", "Dubrovskii", "The Queen of Spades", "The Captain's Daughter", and "A History of Pugachev". Also included in the book are many unfinished stories and fragments, which provide some glimpse into what Pushkin was thinking in between the years that he wrote his masterpieces.

Pushkin's stories range from melancholy to humorous to psychological and yet they are all written in a clear, and crisp style that is easy to grasp. Unlike Pushkin's poetry, little is lost in the translation of his prose works from Russian to English and thus we can fully appreciate his genius.

Although all of Pushkin's prose works are excellent, but one that continues to remain in my memory for some reason is "Egyptian Nights". Here the two main characters are Charskii, the nobleman who upholds the aesthetic and personal nature of poetry writing, and the greedy Italian improvisator, who lives by giving public shows and is able to deliver a poem (and quite astonishing at that) on any topic at a moment's notice - but for a fee. Is it possible that Charskii and the Italian both represent different facets of Pushkin's own personality? Anyway, I thought the story ending was erotic and exotic...

Even if you are not interested in Russian literature or in Russian culture in general, I would daresay that you would find it hard to put this collection of stories down after you started reading them.

The only problem that I had was with the publisher. I wish that they had provided a bookcover, because the paint on the outside of the hardcover kept coming off onto my hands!

If you want to sincerely have a happy, fulfilling marriage to a Russian lady then you better not be complacent either.  Study the Pimsleur language lessons, read all the books you can, study Russian history and culture, read their literature.  The works of Pushkin alone are rewarding for any scholar with or without the motive of a beautiful Russian bride!

English Literature has its Shakespeare, American its Melville, German its Goethe, and Russian Literature, well, it has Alexander Pushkin. Although there are a lot of well-known and frequently-read writers from the 19th century Russia, like Gogol, Tolstoi or Dostoyevski, Pushkin is supposed to be the one who started the movement which made Russian Literature part of World Literature.

Pushkin is known as a poet (his novel "Eugen Onegin", written in verses, is the crown of his art), not as a dramatist or a novelist. As a citizen of the former Soviet Union, I know from my own experience that school children have to learn his poetry by heart from the very beginning of their school career. Even if his prose couldn't reach the importance of his poetry, it could still establish some reputation because of its uniqueness. This collection unites his greatest works in prose. Since the stories vary in kind and quality, I decided to write a short comment on some of them hoping that the review will be more helpful this way.

DUBROVSKII (5 STARS): This is a story about a young man desperate to take revenge on the man who killed his father. As a wanted criminal, Dubrovskii assumes the identity of a French teacher at his enemy's and lures for the possibility to hold his word and to kill the man he hates the most. Making his plans, he didn't expect to fall in love with the daughter of his victim. Since their love is mutual, he must decide what is more important for him, his love or his revenge... This story is the most famous of Pushkin's works. It takes place in Russia of the 18th century with its problems and victories. "Dubrovskii" portrays the struggle of different classes, of the new society influenced by the Western world and the old Russian rule that doesn't accept any changes without a battle.

THE QUEEN OF SPADES (2 STARS): This is probably the only story in this collection I didn't like at all. It presents us a young officer seeking the gambling trick of an old lady that would make him rich overnight. It's no surprise that he fails and loses everything including his mind. The story is quite predictable and offers moral views that rather belong into a children's book than a work of fiction for adults.

THE CAPTAIN'S DAUGHTER (4 STARS): This is Pushkin's only story that reaches the length of a novel. Its background is Pugachev's revolt that took place in the late 18th century. The main character is the somewhat naive young man falling in love with the daughter of his commanding officer who gets killed during the revolt. He struggles to save her from the bandits and almost loses his life doing it. The story shows us Pushkin's turn towards Romantic period in literature and his ways of looking at the past of his country. "The Captain's Daughter" can be easily called a historical novel containing some critisicm of society. The negative point about it was the feeling that the plot is somehow constructed, artificial beyond artistic liberties. The parallels to "Dubrovskii" are obvious though they don't minimize the pleasure of reading.

This volume presents us Pushkin's prose (there are more stories than commented on above). As told before, some of it is excellent, some isn't. Nevertheless I rate this book with 5 stars because it unites works by Alexander Pushkin that MUST be read by someone who is interested in him.

Our school district has misguidedly adapted one of those fuzzy math curriculums, and I have chosen to teach my mathematically talented daughter at home rather than have her lose her love of math entirely. This book has made the job easier! Clear, elegant reasoning that doesn't skimp on rigor, plus problem solving with a humorous bent. It also covers all of the topics that I think "should" be covered. I am not finding the lack of a teacher's guide to be a problem, however, I do have a strong math background. I compared several math books before settling on this one. A close second, or maybe first, depending on your taste, is the Houghton Mifflin Algebra text. I have both, and sometimes it is enlightening to a non-teacher to see the different ways material can be presented.

I searched long and hard for a text like this. It is well organized, well illustrated, and has plenty of example and practice problems with solutions to odd problems found in the back of the book. It is not like some of the newer algebra texts, which take an inductive approach and rely on "group discovery" of mathematical concepts. It delivers a thorough explanation of concepts in a logical and intuitive fashion, and proceeds at a deliberate pace that ensures a mastery of each concept before moving on to the next.

As a home schooling resource:
I use this for home schooling. It explains things so well that my 12 yr. old daughter is able to read a section and work the homework problems with little or no help from me. I supplement it with more drill and explanation found in the Key to Algebra workbooks from Key Press Curriculum. We proceed at a comfortable pace and have covered the first six chapters in one year. I plan to use Geometer's Sketchpad (also from Key Press Curriculum) as a supplemental graphing tool beginning in chapter seven.

I don't mean to infer that home school parents with no knowledge of algebra can successfully use this book. It does not have a teacher's guide and one probably is not appropriate. As with any home school scenario, you will need to understand the topic yourself so that you can answer questions. I far prefer this text to Saxon and other texts designed for home school use.

I spent over a year looking for a good algebra textbook and was surprised and disturbed to find that most are poor examples of how to explain a concept to a student. This book stands out as a wonderful exception. Compared to other algebra texts, it beats all I have found hands down.

Here is the table of contents:
1Expressions and Equations
2Operations with Negative Numbers
3Distributing: Axioms and Other Properties
4Harder Equations
5Some Operations with Polynomials and Radicals
6Quadratic Equations
7Expressions and Equations Containing Two Variables
8Linear Function, Scattered Data, and Probability
9Properties of Exponents
10More Operations with Polynomials
11Rational Algebraic Expressions
12Radical Algebraic Expressions
13Inequalities
14Functions and Advanced Topics

Until I met Mr. Foerster, I thought I desperately hated math. I scored well in it, yet I just hated the whole subject.

Mr. Foerster is truly an inspiring man; the whole high school was in awe of him. His courses were reputed to be extremely tough. But the hallway gossip was soon dispelled. Although Algebra isn't always "easy", I was quite surprised and delighted to discover that Mr. Foerster's classes - and especially his textbooks - were extremely user-friendly! Mr. Foerster writes clearly, and is able to address Algebra from the beginning, rather than talking several levels over students' heads. His kindness, humor, and gentle personality show through in the books. Wow! Math is fun after all!

I am now homeschooling my three kids, and Foerster's books are the texts of choice in this family.

This is really an excellent cookbook. I bought it to surprise my husband and our friends for our football parties. What a hit these recipes are! Dale Hellestrae's Zucchini Cream Cheese Pancakes are always on our Sunday Brunch menu now, and Maria's Parfait Cake from James Parrish is wonderful! Jay Leno mentioned this book on his show a couple of years ago, and I thought it sounded like a neat Father's Day gift, so I bought one for my dad and one for myself. The recipes are really delicious and it's a great gift for any football fan.

The recipes were real easy to read and make. It was fun making things that my favorite plays make and like to eat. It's a must for any sports fan who likes to eat. Some great tailgate ideas too.

This book is filled with great recipes from my favorite football players. And what's even better, is that you get to find out why they eat what they do before games, or on Thanksgiving. These football players are passionate about their favorite dishes of all times. Great book!

An interesting mix of family antedotes and winemaking information. Alligator Dreams is a must-read for all wine lovers. The Winemaking Timetable and Vineyard Timeline are outstanding. Kate May's photos combined with Richard Paul Hinkle's prose create a lasting impression of Anderson Valley, Mendocino Ridge and Greenwood Ridge Vineyards.

Solid Gold Diamond Platinum Selection

"Spellbinding! Barnburning thriller with an incendiary climax! (Thanks for the wine)"

This is a good book. My son used this for his accelerated Algebra course. I bought a copy so I could consult with him while I was travelling. The examples are pretty clear, although they could have had an extra step here and there. I liked the format, and the step-by-step approach throughout each chapter to neet the ultimate goal of each chapter.

I remember using an old edition of this book in high school back in 1993. It made such an impression on me that I still remembered the authors name.This is truly a standout text, just like Thomas Finney Calculus, Klepner Kolencow Mechanics, and a handful of others I would recomend it to anyone!

I used this text in 9th Grade Honors Algebra and found that It is one of the best Algreba texts written. I used Mr. Foerster's Basic Algebra book in 8th grade. His explaniation of the topics were very clear and to the point. His exercises make you think and learn. You could learn Algebra without a teacher with this book. I do not think you could find a better Algebra/Basic Trig text.

Professors, even visiting ones, have one rare luxury. They live and work in a place where everyone stops and listens to their opinions. Did P.F. forget to mention all the fawning adoration that was his lot in tiny Gambier? Tough life. This book was accurate in what it did record (I was there too, after all), but by synecdoche presented a part to be taken for the whole. An easy for example; it's convenient to present anecdotal evidence that the entire student body was lazy and spoiled, since this excuses the professor(s) from having to pay attention to or bother about the ones who are not either of those things. And it gives an old fellow something to gripe about and be nostalgic for. There's excellent mileage in such an opinion, without a doubt. Maybe even a book. And, after all, Alma Mater is on my bookshelf, reminding me of my undergraduate days and of the coot on Middle Path who used to reply to my passing "good morning" with outraged glares and once a tirade about perfectly decent looking young women who chose to dress like hoboes. Ah, nostalgia. Who gets that much bang for the buck in a big city? Such thoughts are a comfort while paying student loans. If you are connected with Kenyon, this is an amusing read which raises corollary questions about the relative laziness or degree of spoilation found in the professors at a small, expensive liberal arts college.

As a professor at a small college (Muhlenberg, in Allentown, PA), I found these descriptions of Kenyon to be instantly transferrable. When Alma Mater was sweeping Muhlenberg a few years ago, my faculty colleagues swore that Kluge must have been hiding behind the drapes, so perfectly did he capture the scene here. Of course, friends on other campuses said the same. Kluge has hit upon something universal about what it means to be a faculty member at a liberal arts college in a book that is at once funny, moving, and spot-on accurate.

Every autumn, I make a point of pulling Alma Mater off the shelf to recharge my professorial batteries. In so doing, I remind myself of both the peculiarities and the nobility of this profession. And I remind myself, as well, of what excellent writing sounds like.

Liberal arts colleges evoke a certain image in the American imagination: ivy-laced little cities on a thousand different hills; places rich in tradition, where teachers teach, students learn, and smallness encourages community and accountability. As compared to big research universities, their professors are less likely to be distracted by big-city pretensions and obsequious grad students. The small-college ideal is what much of America likes to think higher education once was and should be again.

Kluge, in this touching, sardonic reconsideration of his own alma mater, Kenyon College (the book is essentially a diary of the year he spent back in Gambier, Ohio, as a visiting professor), shows us that the reality of a real liberal arts college -- its ghosts, aspirations, conceits, compromises -- is far more complicated. Its history and traditions are as much a curse as a blessing. The dignified, self-knowing exterior it presents to prospective students and the public may mask self-doubts, intrigues, identity crises. For faculty as well as students, small size and intimacy means academic and cultural debates are more difficult to avoid, the stakes higher, the joys and sorrows more intensely personal.

Though not the author's primary purpose, Alma Mater provides a rich and interpretive portrait of contemporary American academic culture. Today a college like Kenyon, isolated though it may be by geography, is awash in the same turmoils as the biggest and most unwieldy Research I institution: race, gender, fraternities, curriculum, faculty roles and rewards, and, as always, money. Just as TV and computers have virtually wiped out traditional regional cultures, so journals, conferences, and faculty mobility assure that professors in vastly different settings will be wrestling with the same ideas, controversies, and alienations.

Kluge's vivid, indeed exquisite, writing draws out larger truths behind quotidian events and observations. Office corridors strangely dark and deserted in the middle of a weekday become a metaphor for faculty overspecialization (increasingly treated like free agents, professors ply their little projects in solitude from home) and the consequent loss of campus collegiality and sense of community. Figures at a faculty meeting seem to come from some central casting of academic types and images. And anyone who has taught a college course would empathize with Kluge's take on grading: "Splattering comments on papers, you sense you are working harder on grading than they ever did on writing, that you are obliged to take seriously what they took casually."

To his bemusement, Kluge, ultimately discovers he can't go home again. But he gives us a loving and richly detailed portrait of the inner life of a college he still loves, a "good place," and we understand why.