I have had several different versions of the Rider-Waite tarot deck. I have to say that I was somewhat disappointed with the "original" deck. The colors of the cards are dull, and the cards themselves are large and awkward to handle. The accompanying book is smaller than a man's wallet, with small print. The author tends to rattle on about "secret doctrines" and really offers very little information for beginners. I wouldn't recommend this set for anyone serious about learning the Tarot. The other resources available today are much more easy to learn. I'm purchasing the CD-Rom set "Tarot Magic", and maybe with both I can refresh my skills as a reader.

I think every student of Tarot should own the Rider Waite deck. It has set the standard in this century and is the most popular Tarot deck of all time. My favorite book for interpreting this deck is Tarot Plain and Simple by Anthony Louis, another classic of the Tarot literature.

Don't call Miss Cleo. Get yourself this classic Tarot deck and begin finding your own answers to life's questions. Of course, I like to think of the Tarot as the "training wheels" on the bicycle of psychic development. And I purposely ignore the canned interpretations. Most of the time they are too confusing and contradictory anyhow. Just stare at the pictures and let them reveal their own story. That's the beauty of this deck. It is rich in symbolism and detail--so much so that you can look at the same card again and again and come away with a very different meaning. Of course, for the best instructions on reading the Tarot, you might also wish to purchase "Positive Magic: Occult Self-Help" by Marion Weinstein. With her book and the classic Rider Waite deck, you'll be on your way to amazing yourself as well as your friends. Sorry, Miss Cleo.

This is an effort to produce an unbiased description and analysis of the Spanish Inquisition. Based on Kamen's remarkably thorough knowledge of early modern Spain, Kamen takes pains to present the Spanish Inquisition as neither the Black Legend of liberal 19th century historians or the needed force of Catholic apologists. As shown by Kamen, the Spanish Inquisition was not nearly as powerful or inhumane as its critics allege. He demonstrates that many of its most unsavory features were not products of a particularly brutal regime but in fact conventional for early modern europe. This book contains a wealth of interesting detail and Kamen meets his primary goal, that of presenting the inquisition in an objective fashion. This book has a major defect, which is its poor organization. Kamen presents this study in a series of topical essays with some overlapping and redundant narrative in each chapter. This often obscures the sequence in which important events occurred. In addition, important material for understanding the whole inquisition, such as its organization and methods, is not presented until well into the book, obscuring understanding of material in the earlier chapters. Despite Kamen's intent to produce a book for general readers, the organization of the book is really suited best for professional historians seeking information on controversial topics. This book is also limited in the sense that Kaman cannot, ultimately, account for the emergence of the Inquisition in Spain though one has the impression that it has a somewhat accidental character, and that it might have been a transient institution without the occurrence of the Reformation.

Written by a prominent Jewish author, THE SPANISH INQUISITION is a book that really should be made public, to get across the truths about it. Many people today get most of their information about the Inquisition from Poe's THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM or from some other bad source. This is a book which anyone who wishes to know about Church history or Spanish history should read. If you are looking for an answer to the "Muslim question," or the Inquisition's response to Muslims, this book does not tend to cover that too well. Also, a poor account of St. Vincent Ferrer is given, which can be construed almost as a smear campaign against him. At any rate, a good book worth spending the money and time on.

Kamen admirably doesn't attempt to answer all of the many questions that the Spanish Inquisition brings up. Neither does he attempt to reduce it to a simple explanation. Instead he shows us many aspects of the complicated history of the most famous tribunal in the world. Kamen's work is even handed and attempts to understand the Spanish Inquisition on a historical rather than polemic basis.

Kamen's book does fall down in two ways however. At times his arguments seem weak. For instance, in his discussion of inquisitorial censoring and its affect on Spanish literature he uses book sellers in Barcelona in an attempt to show that it the index of banned books had little effect. However, in other parts of the book he repeatedly points out in Catalan in general and Barcelona in specific the Inquisition had little power. Kamen also fails to give any kind of comparison of Spanish literary output before and after the index.

Kamen's second weakness is his failure to put the Spanish Inquisition in context. To a certain extent this is understandable. The book is already over 300 pages, not counting end notes, and a line needs to be drawn somewhere. However, it leaves out any details of the medieval inquisitions that were the basis for the Spanish Inquisition. It also doesn't do a very good job of comparing the Inquisition to other tribunals and judicial systems.

It also would have been nice if Kamen's final chapter "Inventing the Inquisition" had done a better job of explaining how the mythology of the Inquisition grew to be. For what it's worth, Edward Peters' Inquisition delves into many of these issues in more detail.

One note regarding the reader below from Florida. He recommends Jean Plaidy's Spanish Inquisition. It is worth noting that Plaidy's books are 40 years out of date and includes none of the wave of research that was came out in the 70s. For instance, Plaidy contends that the Isabella and Ferdinand "were determined to have a unified country, and they did not believe this ambition could be achieved unless all their subjects accepted one religion." This contention is hard to support given that Ferdinand and Isabella allowed Muslims to exist in their kingdom for 20 years after they forced Jews to convert or be exiled. It wasn't until the rule of Charles V that Muslims were given the choice between baptism and exile.

Colin Fletcher was one of my early "guides" into backpacking, and many of his hiking tips still stand up well as I continue to backpack in my 50's.

His trip down the Colorado provides more inspiration for what can be achieved as you get wiser and, oh yes, older, too.

This isn't an "adventure" story in the trite sense, nor a river guide. It's a sharing of a person's thoughts. Fletcher is a different kind of person than most of us, but his musings cause me to think about my own life strategies and outcomes.

-- P.C.

I did a whitewater rafting trip last year through Canyonlands NP and this book brought the wonderful memories of that trip - the beauty of the scenery and excitement of the rapids - back to me full force. I LOVED this book. Colin Fletcher's descriptions really bring you to the river and its surrounding beauty. I love how he describes everything, and how he goes off on tangents back to memories of his own life. This book is well worth the read!

This is a book for those looking to take some quiet time to think about life, the river, and the environment. It is not a logistical book for those wishing to duplicate the experience. Fletcher's journey reveals the river from the perspective of an elderly man traveling at a slow pace (6 months) who is absorbing the spirit and feel of the Colorado and reflecting upon a lifetime of wilderness travel. It is slow, methodical, and at times a little tedious, but rich in detail and thoughtfulness.

This is a book for the thoughtful and reflective, not the pump-me-up, thrill seeker. The little mistakes the author makes are usually pointed out by himself, and they mark the book as authentic in that Colin is a lot like the rest of us in his amateur knowledge of the details of wildlife. He differs, though, in his ability to tell the story, a unique story, of adventure and life.

This copy of the brought down story, King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table is by Roger Lancelyn Green. This book is the book that you must get for the holidays. This book has everything that a reader could ask for. The times were mischievous. Evil was waiting brake out through the cracks of the darkest parts. Morgana Le Fe, a woman educated in wizardry, who used her powers in the good. When the squire, Arthur went looking for a sword for his brother, Sir Kay, he came across a sword stuck in stone. Unaware of its power, Arthur pulled it out. Then England knew who their king was.Following the advice of Merlin, his wise counselor, Arthur created a round table for his knights. The knights went on quests, fighting evil and seeking the Holy Grail, Only the purist could see the Grail. This book is about many knights ' adventures. come up often or you'll see the chronicles of Merlin. The reason you may not see this book being reviewed because almost every American has read King Arthur. Some people do not like the mystical aspects in this book or the old English. There are battles with dragons and wizardry but that's the type of book it is. I recommend this book to families in America for it is not just a book your kids will enjoy but is also for the whole family. King Arthur is historical and adventurous. The battles are realistic and the writing is "encouraging" for it keeps, you the reader yearning to read on.

I have read so many King Arthur books and can't keep track of which ones I read. But this one I remember being quite enjoyable. It includes numerous King Arthur tales some you may know others may be new to you. My personal favorite being "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight". All I have to say is this is an enjoyable and adventurous read weather you have ever read about King Arthur before or not. After reading this your bound to be captivated and find yourself searching for more King Arthur tales! I recommend not only this book ,but the many other ones that are out there also. After reading this one check out "The Squire's Tale" by:Gerald Morris - It's a fun book about a boy,Terence, and the famous Sir Gawain(in which you are or will become familiar with if you read "King Arthur and His Knight's of the Round Table".

Who hasn't heard of King Arthur and the knights of his Round Table? In this book you meet them all - including the magician Merlin, and the brave knights Sir Launcelot, Sir Gareth, Sir Tristam, Sir Bors, Sir Kay, and Sir Galahad. All the old favorites are included - Arthur drawing the sword out of the stone, Arthur receiving the sword Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake, and Arthur's marriage to Guinevere. But this is just the beginning of excitement - followed by numerous quests and adventures of the knights, including the Quest for the Holy Grail. This book is chock-full of entertaining adventures involving knights in shining armour, damsels in distress, fierce jousting and sword fights to the death, battles against hoards of enemies and giants, tournaments and miracles.

The medieval setting is painted in a rather idealized fashion, limited to the nobility and figures of the court, who embrace all that is beautiful, brave and noble. These virtues are sometimes portrayed rather simplistically, as unknown knights engage in mortal combat, and only after they have virtually killed each other do the introductions begin: "What is your name?" Behind this medieval mayhem is a heightened sense of chivalry more reflective of legend than fact, where knights battle to the death for the sake of a woman - even one they have only just met. But isn't that what the Arthurian legends are all about? Nobody is under the illusion that they are to be taken too seriously. Journeying to Arthur's Camelot is a form of escapism - suspend your sense of disbelief, watch the flashing swords and fearful battles, and enjoy.

That's not to say that the Arthurian tales do not reflect any reality. Arthur's world is in many respects a real medieval world. Medieval beliefs in paganism and Christianity are evident throughout. Witchcraft and enchantment is presented as alive and deadly, and conversely the true religion - in this case the beliefs of the medieval Catholic church - is evident throughout as knights commend themselves to God in prayer, thank him for his help, and even repent from their sins. The whole notion of the Holy Grail is of course a very Christian tradition - although a tradition that represents more fiction than fact. And the moral virtues of justice, truth and right for which the honorable knights fight are still noble ideals of virtue today. Arthur's kingdom is presented as a kingdom blessed by the grace of God, a beacon of light symbolizing all that is good and true and right, and a worthy model for kingdoms in today's world because it revolves around timeless virtues. Tales that promote dignity, courtesy, courage, respect for right, respect for female dignity and purity are as ennobling as they are entertaining.

How much truth there is behind the Arthurian tales will always be the subject of debate. The fact remains that there is an extensive and confusing body of legend to wade through. In this work, Green has essentially followed Malory's fifteenth century classic "Morte d'Arthur." But unlike most other writers, such as Sir James Knowles, Green has made some significant improvements:
1. Firstly, the traditional Arthurian tales are a confusing mass of legends. But Green consciously weaves all the tales together as part of a single pattern. He needs to take some liberties with legend in order to achieve this, but these alterations are minor, and the end result is a plausible reconstruction with a clear development, revolving around the establishment of Arthur's kingdom, its climax with the successful quest for the Holy Grail, and subsequent downfall.
2. Secondly, most other collections slavishly follow the body of legend inherited by Thomas Malory. Green follows Malory in the main, but has researched the legends carefully for himself, and also incorporates some Arthurian legends not found in Malory.
These innovations of Green result in a very readable and successful version of the Arthurian tales, and yet one that does not significantly sacrifice faithfulness to legend. Those looking for a more historical reflection of the Arthurian tales would do well to turn to a version of Malory, such as that by Sir James Knowles. And those looking for a more developed and extensive modern version where the author has taken liberties beyond the original legends, would enjoy the classic work by Howard Pyle. But as a faithful, plausible and enjoyable introduction to the tales, you can't go wrong with this superb effort by Green.

Most readers looking to be introduced to the Arthurian legends need look no further than this collection by Green. It's not as grand as Malory, but it's a better read. There is no end to the accomplishments of sword and sorcery, adventures and quests. To our sorrow, Arthur's kingdom ends in darkness and disgrace, but not before it has shone with a wonderful and memorable light. Along with the tales of Robin Hood, the tales of King Arthur are the most exciting tales that British history has produced. This is the stuff of legend, and it's worth a read.

If you are somewhat famailiar with B2B, this book will not tell you anything you do not already know. If you know nothing about B2B, this book will not give you enough solid info to fix that problem. This book was recommended to me as a good basic text on B2B. I read it and several others and I was very dissapointed in this book. The writing is clear enough, but the content is completely superficial. It is a retrospective look at what has already happened in B2B and offers the reader no intellectual model or frame of reference to understand why B2B has evolved the way it has, or how it might evolve in the future. It is written from the perspective of some gentlemen who set up the Bermuda stock exchange, relaized that they had just just set up a B2B net marketplace, and wrote a book about their exchange and some other people's exchanges. Frankly, you can learn a lot more about B2B eCommerce by reading the web sites of Ariba, Commerce One, and an article called "How It Works" that appeared in the Feb 2000 edition of Business 2.0. (available on their web site in the archives). After visiting these sites, you'll have more up-to-date, real-world information than you will get from the book

If after reading these sites, you want to get a more intellectual understanding of B2B, the best book that I have read is Digital Capital by Tapscott, et. al. It provides an excellent frame of reference for understanding what is going on in B2B, and gives you enough of a balanced understanding that you can discuss the subject intelligently. It also avoids the use of exclamation points, hyperbole, breathless prose and hand-waving that I have found in far too many books on this subject.

Again, if you're going to read only one book on B2B eCommerce, DON'T MAKE THIS IT! This advice also applies if you're going to read only 8 or 10 books on eCommerce. ;)

It is an ok book for B2B introduction. That is all it is worthwhile reading. Also, some of these information are somewhat outdated. Financial market is very different than electronics market for example. Sure some of the market fundamentals are similar (such as liquidity, and transaction level....), but the nature of the underlying assets is very different. Get an used one or borrow from someone for a quick reading.... I bought it brand new while visiting Hong Kong..

B2B Exchanges is one of the BEST books ever written on the topic of B2B, this book is not a hype B2B book, the book offers real value and insight into the role, the future and the features of B2B exchanges on the Internet. The book covers a vital emerging industry, for those of you who are interested in business, business methods, exchanges, B2B models or simply the future of the business Internet I strongly recommend this book. It is an easy read, but fully packed with useful information, we have actually adapted some of the points in the book as the core of our business plan.
The authors background in the financial markets offers a rare combination and an excellent ability to link and apply proven financial market models to the growing B2B space, it is worth noting as well that B2B is not the only topic covered, but the whole concept of exchanges and their application on the internet is explained and analyzed. ...

This book is a poor to fair study tool for those of you preparing for the CCNP Support examination. Although I have a good amount of experience with Cisco routers I have very limited experience with Cisco switches and RAS solutions. Depending on the amount of the experience you have this book may or may not be enough to prepare you for the exam. I normally expect study guides such as this one to assist me in overcoming the areas I am weak in, but this study guide does not do that.

In general the text is technically correct; however, it does not explore several important topics, such as Cisco NMS and support options, in sufficient detail and it is poorly organized. There were several topic areas on the exam, Token Ring is the best example, that I was totally unprepared for. The text does provide an overview of Token Ring operation and offers two examples of Token Ring network troubleshooting but does absolutely nothing to prepare you with the knowledge you will need to correctly answer the Token Ring questions on the test.

Overall my satisfaction level with the Sybex series of study guides for the CCNP exams is fairly low. For the next Cisco exam I take I plan on purchasing one of the Cisco texts.

PJZ

I used this book and my own experience to study for the CCNP Support test. I did not use any hands-on time to study and passed the exam with a 896 (692 required to pass). So, based on the fact I passed the test, I have to say the book helped me to pass.

Keep in mind that the CCNP: Support exam is really nothing more than a review of the stuff you SHOULD have learned when you studied for the CCNP: Remote access, Switching and Routing exams, with a small emphasis on basic troubleshooting methodology thrown in. Because of that fact, I found this book really only re-stated things that were in the previous books. The only exception is the first chapter where they talk about basic troubleshooting methodology. (Hint: There were at least 5 questions on the test from this chapter).

The chapter review tests, along with the assessment test, practice test and 'bonus' test on the CD-Rom were very useful in focusing my study away from areas that I knew well and onto the areas where I needed to brush-up. This fact alone makes the book worth its price.

This has got to be the hardest exam in the CCNP series. I was sweating bullets. I am thankful for this book, as it did prepare me, but you really have to study hard to pass this exam. If it wasn't for this book, I would have failed for sure, but I did get a 890, which is awesome for this exam. This exam hits hard on ISDN troublshooting. Read the ISDN chapter in this book at least twice before taking the exam. You'll pass, but you have to do some work too! Good luck

This book is one of the worst works ever written on Andrew Jackson. My main problem is that the author seems to want to believe that the Democratic Party has basically been around in much the same form as it was during the New Deal. FDR may have been the savior of America in the 1930s, but Andrew Jackson was his prophet. This just is not true (Schlesinger also attempts to establish the kinship between the two in reverse in his three volumes on Roosevelt as well, but not in the same degree as he does here).
The only real eternal verities in American History are the ones originally represented by Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson at the establishment of the US. Simplified to their essence these are a belief in a strong federal government (Hamilton) or a weak one (Jefferson), a desire for wide spread equality (Jefferson) or confidence in the rich and well-born (Hamilton). Positions on these matters change throughout the extent of US history. There is no continuity between either of the two parties. Schelesinger's primary failing is not to recognize this.

Jackson and Roosevelt may have shared a basic vague sense of equality among the populace, but there the similarity ends. Each probably had a radically different view as to what peoples constituted the American nation. Words like "democracy" also changed over time in the 100 years that separate the age of Jackson with that of Roosevelt.

The biggest difference Roosevelt's notions of what government should and should not do would have been an anathema to Jackson. Jackson, who came into office determined to thwart John Q. Adams and Henry Clay's ideas of the federal government funding "internal improvements," would have been appalled by the New Deal. Jackson hated the idea that the federal government was funding roads and canals, the WPA and PWA would have sent a shiver down his spine. Roosevelt and Jackson had to radically differing views as to the role of the federal government. Arguments for any kinship between the two break down when one compares and contrasts their respective goals and visions. Jackson has more in common with Ronald Reagan than he did with FDR.

Another shortcoming in this book is its coverage of Jackson and the Indians. Were he to live in our own time, Jackson would be the most appalling racist and a large measure of his prejudice was focused against indians. While a number of other people did share Jackson's views, there were also those who did not and were appalled by the forced removal of indians from their property in Georgia for the discovery of gold there. Jackson did love the people, particularly if they were white and land speculators. Indians were not part of his calculation.

While Jackson is an interesting and important president, this is not the first book I would recommend. More useful is Robert Remini's three volumes on Jackson which is better at putting Jackson in the proper context.

I found it very hard to rate this book. In the end, I chose between three and four stars, and went with four. But, at various times, I considered everything from two to five.

This book has several serious problems. The most important is the incredible bias of the author. This bias is evident, to some extent, throughout the book, where Schlesinger's very liberal views taint almost everything he discusses. The last section of the book is particularly outrageous. It is, essentially, a very biased, distorted attack on legitimate policy views held by some moderates and conservatives. (By the way, I am not an arch-conservative; I'm a moderate who agrees with Schlesinger on many political and policy issues, but who doesn't think they should warp his account of history so much.)

Still, the book is a classic, and not without reason. It's well-written (unlike a lot of history I've been reading lately), lucid, and thoughtful. The story of Jackson and the politics of the first half of the 19th century is fascinating and very important to ones understanding of the development of the U.S. At the time at which this book was written, it advanced significantly our understanding of Jackson and this period -- even if subsequent research and analysis has improved on it. And, it's a good read.

So, I recommend this book as long as you go into it knowing its weaknesses and understanding that a lot in it is colored by Schlesinger's own political views.

As has been pointed out by other reviewers, Schlesinger's work is essentially an all-out assault on conservatism in American politics masked as a history of Jacksonian America. Not an attack on the "conservative" position on this or that topic, mind you. Rather, he argues that there is some sort of innate dark side in America - the conservatives - that has consistently and relentlessly tried to deprive society of freedom and liberty at every turn.

Schlesinger twists and bends and stretches American history in his attempt to show how the national saving grace of liberalism has continued in one uninterrupted line from Jefferson to Jackson to Lincoln to Wilson and, finally, to FDR, even though the issues, parties and arguments have changed radically. (Had this book been published in the late- rather the mid-twentieth century, I'm sure the author would have demonstrated the role Johnson, Carter and Clinton played in that continuum.)

Schlesinger saves his most impressive feat of historical casuistry for explaining how and why the Democratic Party wasn't "really" the political party of slavery and oppression. By 1848, in Schlesinger's analysis, the two central parties, Democrat and Whig, existed in name only. All the radical (read "truly liberal") elements of the Jacksonian tradition had joined the Republican Party by 1858 (conveniently allowing them to take credit for the Civil War and destroying American bondage), but were back in the Democratic Party by the time big business usurped the GOP during and after Reconstruction.

With such a contemptuous and sarcastic review, you might be wondering "so why the 4 stars"?

Well, it has been said that the field of economics progresses one funeral at a time - and I would argue the same holds true for the study of history. Whatever this book's faults, Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. is one of the most influential historians of the twentieth century and this book shaped the minds and ideas of a generation of liberal intellectuals, including senior Democratic statesmen. For anyone interested in learning more about Jacksonian America and understanding one popular, albeit controversial, interpretation of its roots in modern American liberalism, this book is essential reading.

I just completed this book and I am not impressed. Toffler adds few insights that are not tainted by her obvious disdain for everything (and everyone) Andersen. She spent only 4 years in the firm and was never in any significant leadership role. There are literally thousands of former Andersen partners & employees that could have provided better insight.

This book comes off as very self-serving, a trend that comes to a head on about page 200 as Toffler describes how if only management had listened, she could have saved the day. It is obvious Toffler never earned the respect of her peers. This is not surprising - when I read the decription of the work she did prior to Andersen, I equated it to a senior level role at a Big 5 firm (conducting interviews, documenting issues, etc.). Clearly Toffler was in way over her head as a Big 5 partner.

What she does not mention is that, after being hired as a national partner, she fails to make a name for herself or the consulting service she led. I worked in the same division (BRCA) as Toffler for nearly all of her AA career and never once heard her name or even of her group - she was not exactly a trailblazer. Further, it appears that she left AA after 4 years as a national partner (typically only 2 years are spent at that level) after growing her service line to a total of 8 professionals - a group too small to support Toffler's salary. No wonder she felt intense pressure to sell, though for all her complaining about the pressure and high fees, she never suggests that her salary and lack of success might have caused the pressure, at least in part.

Although interesting at times, this book is not written by a true Andersen insider and better insights were available in the Wall Street Journal when this story was news.

I found this book a compelling and interesting view into the daily workings of this once great firm. I worked for Andersen for neary 8 years and was not surprised by much in this book. Throughout my tenure at Andersen, I was witness to many of the same practices as well as many other unethical and unprofessional behaviors. What became glaringly apparent to me early on in my career is that as long as you have a powerful partner on your side, you can pretty much get away with anything (overbilling, expense fraud, selling unnecessary services, manipulating time reporting to meet goals, sexual harassment, etc.). Ms. Tofflers' representation of the culture, values and mission of this once fine organization are true and accurate (it's all about money!!). Unfortunately, Mr. Andersen's vision was bastardized by greed and hunger for power. Great book and a must read for all accounting professionals aligned with the remaing "final four".

I have a confession to make. I'm one of those corporate assasins, a certified public accountant, albeit one who never worked for Arthur Andersen. And, I am ashamed of my profession. If even part of the material in this book is true, and I have every reason to suspect that most of it is true, Arthur Andersen deserved to be shut down. I suspect some of the other 'Final Four' firms deserve similar treatment too.

When I got this book, I opened it expecting to read just a chapter or two. I could not put it down. Barbara Ley Toffler's observations about the way things really work at the large public accounting firms are exactly the same impressions I got as a "Big 8" senior manager over 20 years ago.

I found one particular story very telling. She describes an educational meeting where she asks the managers in attendance where they felt their principal responsibilities lay while performing an audit. Was it to the public, government, the firm, fellow team members, or to the partner on the engagement? The managers overwhelmingly responded that their principal responsibilities lay with pleasing the partner. That was what was so sick about working for a national firm. The game being played had nothing to do with serving the public, or particularly the client either. It was all about serving that boss down the hall, the partner. Make him happy and your career was smooth. Make him angry and you soon would be looking for another job.

Practicing a profession isn't just all about making money. Apparently, as I suspected, too many partners at Arthur Andersen and probably many others at other national firms don't understand this any more. One particular reviewer gave this book a single star. I suspect that reviewer is actually a former Arthur Andersen android who delusionally thinks that their firm got the shaft unjustly.

This book would have been a lot stronger if the author had not annointed herself as a hero. After all, she did spend four years running on the hamster wheel like all the others. I suspect that she was actually fired for "failure to make her numbers." If she had told us more about her own failings, I would have respected her more. I suspect the real heros were those who were hired in from outside who left soon thereafter when they realized that they had really signed on to a soul destroying commercial enterprise.

Garraty's book The American Nation was informative and interesting. It provided information needed to help the student's in my AP History class. Granted, it was not perfect and was confusing at times, but all in all, it provided a good, detailed description of our history. Here are the pros and cons of Garraty's book. PROS: 1). Garraty is knowledgeable in his assessment of history 2). The book is very helpful with its timelines at the end of each chapter 3). Garraty explains the gist of every major event and sometimes non-major event 4). It's the only book where our class actually worshipped :) 5). IT WILL BE HELPFUL FOR AP HISTORY AND THE NATIONAL EXAM. I (personally) felt confident with the outcome of my exam, but that could also be due in part to my teacher who really complemented with Garraty. 6). It could be a GREAT paperweight! CONS: 1). It's not a good book to keep in your backpack all day long 2). Sometimes Garraty likes to force his opinions on certain historical figures ( he likes Hamilton, but not Jefferson) 3). There ARE events he doesn't cover that many might think was important or he might undercover events that many might think was important.

That's about it for the pros and cons, but remember these are just my opinions! Hope they helped! Good luck in AP History or whatever you're doing in regards to this book!!

Kudos to Garraty for his newest edition. I was a student in AP US History and thoroughly enjoyed the book. I received a 5 on the AP exam (highest possible score ranked 1-5). I wholeheartedly recommend the text to anyone serious about succeeding in AP US History or if you just want to refresh your knowledge of US History. Within the American Nation, you will find all sorts of ancedotes told by a preeminent raconteur. If you can not remember the "Sumner-Brooks" affair, you will enjoy reading Garraty's skilled account of that affair to remember.

This text is absolutely unsurpassed in terms of clarity, conciseness and general usefulness. I first used Garraty's book in 8th grade, then again as a supplement to some other texts in a U.S. A.P. class in high school (I got a 5 on the test, which I am confident is owed entirely to Garraty) and still use it for general reference in college. In a little over 1000 pages, Garraty covers just about every major event in United States history in interesting and extremely clear prose. I have yet to find any book that communicates such an enormous amount of information in such a small amount of space with such an enormous degree of clarity. I promise that this book will not only improve your understanding of U.S. history, but will also serve as a lifelong reference source.

This book is of immense help to those interested in learning the the Arabic Language.You start from the basics.One particular drawback is that the author ommited vowels in the lessons and included vowels only in the small vocabulary section.He should have included vowels throughout the book.

As this book is meant for non Arabic readers and being a self -teaching book there is no reason at all to make reading and learning Arabic difficult. Otherwise this would be an excellent book for all of us.

Abdullah Ahmad Penang. Malysia.

This is an excellent book on the Arabic Language. It covers all the basic Arabic Grammar as well as giving an up to date vocabulary. The layout style makes it very easy to read and absorb a lot of information. My father who is a Professor of the Arabic Language at Harvard University reccomends his students to buy this book along with the book 'Arabic Made Easier' written by Dr. Mustapha Muhammad and published by Awakening Publications () Both of the above books will enable a new student to learn the Arabic language effeciently and quickly.

I first bought this book four years ago and I still refer back to it from time to time. After learning the structure of the Arabic language using this book, i'm now able to make up complete sentences and converse in the language. No other book has been easier to understand yet still comprehensive enough to carry a person beyond the intermediate level.