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Book reviews for "Batbedat,_Jean" sorted by average review score:

Why the Weight? Dare To Be Great!
Published in Paperback by Light Works Publishing (26 September, 2002)
Author: Jean Krueger
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This book is a MUST READ!
My doctor warned me I was I heart attack waiting to happen. She handed me this book and it caused me to change my life. It not only got me to lose weight, but when that happened, it caused my mind and my spirit to soar. I lost 50 pounds and I feel great! In fact, I am happier now than I have ever been in my life. I love "Skinny Jean's Jumpstart Soup Recipe" and I lose 5 pounds every time I make it. The 51 fat-busting foods described in her book keep me satisfied, healthy and slim. Thank you, Jean!

Jean Is my Role Model
I LOVE THIS BOOK! I thought i couldnt read anything knew from a weightloss book again, untill Jeans book. I have struggled with my weight all my life, but not anymore. Thanks to Jean her advice and book im down 40 lbs. Her book taught me skills for eating well for weightless,weight control,health,and contentment with food. Jean taught me I can still eat what i want but within reason,get my 10,000 steps in everyday,lots of water,and we eat everyday so we need to exercise everyday! Not only is this book awsome and helpful but its allmost like Jean is reading it to you,right next to you. Jean is sincere and has lived through so much in her life and has come so far. She was fat and understands how it is, she is skinny now and telling us how to be also,if she can do it,WE all can do it,so read on...
Love Ya Jean,THANK YOU.

Why the Weight?: Dare to be Great!
This is a wonderful and inspiring book for someone trying to lose a few pounds or many pounds. Jean Krueger's story is inspirational and encouraging and has helped me focus on the goals I have set to lose weight and get fit. She gives practical advice that is easy to apply to your daily life and actually works. Her book will make you laugh, think and maybe cry a little but I know that whenever I feel myself slipping or getting careless with my eating choices, I just pick up her book to get inspired all over again. You will love it!!


The American Century Cookbook
Published in Hardcover by Clarkson N. Potter (November, 1997)
Author: Jean Anderson
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A delicious culinary chronicle of America's popular foods
Flipping the pages of this cookbook sparked memories of the way we used to eat. Each page overflows with historical lore, delicious recipes, trends, new/old products, info on famous foodies and lots more. I'd suggest taking a culinary trip down memory lane with the latest book from Jean Anderson, an award-winning food writer, whose books I bet most all of us already have on our shelves and what's more important -- use! Not only will you learn about American culinary history by reading THE AMERICAN CENTURY COOKBOOK, you'll also be tempted into the kitchen to create the tastes of the past. It's a scrumptious, thoroughly enjoyable journey. Keep this book within reach to cook from, to learn from and to just relish.

Food for the mind as well as the palette
I recently received a copy of The American Century Cookbook. My wife and I have several dust covered recipe books that are largely ignored when it is time to cook up something new. After one quick shuffle through this book however, we found ourself sitting together and going through the book as if it were, well what it is, an intriguing history book that accents its "flavor" with numerous recipes, pictures and facts. Several of my friends, including my parents and my in-laws will be receiving their own copy of this wonderful historical treasure. I may even have to buy myself another copy because my wife likes to dogear pages that she wants to come back to. In this case it would have been easier to dogear those that she did not want to return to.

Fantastic book!
I use this book as a reference guide for my high school American History and African American Studies classes. Everything in the world seems to be here including an old favorite from the 1960s, 'Puree Mongole.' This cookbook is easy to read and most recipes are simple to follow. The best part for me, as a Social Studies teacher, is the gem of the history lessons and time lines associated with all the food preparations. A real pleasure and a book that is priceless if you like the history of American cuisine.


Mistress of Mellyn
Published in Audio Cassette by G K Hall Audio Books (June, 1985)
Authors: Victoria Holt, Philippa Carr, Jean Plaidy, and Felicity Kendal
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Great debut! but not a first novel
Victoria Holt's first novel - but not her first novel. How can this be? Because Victoria Holt was the same woman as Jean Plaidy, who had been writing since the 1940s. Anyway....

Mistress of Mellyn is an interesting book. It is of interest to the literature student as being the first example of the modern historical-Gothic genre. Written in the first-person style which gives it immediacy and personal interest, it gives us a beautifully developing romance and a true sense of creepiness. The Jane Eyre theme of the governess, the masterful employer, and the sinister manor house is well-handled with an almost ingenuous simplicity, the heroine develops extremely well even if she is somewhat one-sided in her views. In later novels Holt showed a worrying tendency to recycle her old plots with minimal alterations; so it is best to read her in chronological order. She is a skilled and fluent writer, the book is a treat to be savoured and enjoyed in your own leisure. It isn't great literature, but it's great fun, and of interest and relevance to the student of the Gothic romance through the ages.

My First Victoria Holt Book & Still My Favorite
Set during the 1800s in Cornwall, England, "Mistress of Mellyn" follows a 24-year-old woman's (Martha Leigh) adventure as a governess in a haunted mansion owned by the widowered Connan TreMellyn and his young daughter, Alvean. While struggling with her emotions over Connan and his just-as-difficult daughter, Martha must also try and uncover the mysterious death of his wife before she, too, faces the same fate Alice did.

"Mistress of Mellyn" was the first book I ever read by Victoria Holt, and it also happens to be the first book Eleanor Alice Burford Hibbert wrote under this pseudonym over 40 years ago. It was given to me by one of my aunts when I was about 11 and is still one of my favorites, even though I'm not necessarily a romance fan. But if you are--or even if you're just a reluctant gothic romance reader like I am--, then you'll more than likely enjoy this one. There's nothing offensive or racy in it, so it's appropriate for all ages, yet it's still very suspenseful. Highly recommended.

Still Fresh After All These Years
This is really dating me because this is the first romance novel I ever read. I read it when it was published about 35 years ago--but then I was rather young at the time--so to speak.

I thought it was one of the most wonderful books I had ever read, but then I was a young teenager. The world of romance was opened to me by this book, and I shall never forget it even though I have moved on to other types of books and away from romances per se.

Besides being a romance, it is a mystery with a surprise ending, which lends itself to being compared to Jane Eyre and Rebecca. This novel, though not a classic, is refreshing still in the 21st century.

Martha Leigh has come to Mellyn to care for Connan Tremellyn's difficult daughter, Alvean. In the process of caring for her, Martha falls under the spell of the home, Mellyn and its many secrets--the main secret being was the former Mrs. Tremellyn murdered, and if so by whom. As she searches for answers, she falls under Connan's spell while still frightened he may have murdered his wife.

This books is still as delightful today as it was many years ago.


Earth from Above
Published in Hardcover by Harry N Abrams (August, 2002)
Authors: Yann Arthus-Bertrand, David Baker, Lester Russell Brown, and Jean-Marie Pelt
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The state of planet Earth
This book is a jewel. In my opinion, everyone should have a copy of this book at home.
I first saw Yann Arthus Bertrand work during an outdoor exhibit in Paris. I was fascinated with the photos, and the next day I ran to buy the book (although some people to whom I have recommended it find it rather expensive).
Certainly, the photos are sensational, but that is hardly the point. Yann is a true citizen of the world, and represents globalisation in its 'kindest' -and most 'useful' form, if I'm allowed the expression.
In this book, Yann Arthus shows us that earth is sick. Whether it is the Amazon rainforests, Alaska, Africa or Australia, clear signs of decomposition appear in the photos. This book is a waking call for many of us, however, at the same time it reminds us how beautiful is everything around us, and how rich is this planet we live in.

Soak in a Book Well Worth Every Cent (it sells itself)
I saw this amazing exhibit, "La Terre Vue Du Ciel", of Yann Arthus-Bertrand's in the Jardin du Luxembourg Senat when I was in Paris a few weeks ago. The exhibit included much larger-than poster-sized photos that are some of the same photos contained in the book. They were spectacular and breath-taking. Stunning really. But if you can't afford to go to Paris, or if you can't get a hold of a poster of his work, this book is a fantastic collection of awesome, thoughtful, inspiring, thought-provoking, and humanistic usually unseen images taken from above Earth, that have an incredible aesthetic beauty. I can't recommend this book more highly. I was going to purchase 3-4 of them myself for me and my family and friends. However, I waited to get back to the US before doing so since they are large and very heavy due to the high-quality paper the photos are printed on. I was sorry they would not fit in my luggage as I had wished to stare at the photos for many hours on the plane trip home. Many kudos to Yann Arthus-Bertrand for an outstanding artistic work! Bravo! I hope to see another exhibit by this talented photographer in Paris or the U.S. in the near future.

It will endlessly amaze you!
I first saw the work of this super talented photographer in the wee hours of August 20th, 2000 outside Palais du Luxembourg in Paris. I was so fascinated by the colors, the angles, the beauty, and the emotions conveyed that I pledged to get a copy of the book as soon as I returned to the US. The pictures portray everyday places and people that seem out of this world when viewed through the lens of Arthus-Bertrand. The photographer and his staff really did their homework when putting together the captions that accompany the pictures. They have gathered information on geography, history, ecology, anthropology, economics, sociology, politics, and popular culture to describe the sites, hence increasing our awareness of our precious and wondrous yet fragile world. Earth from Above will never make it to my bookshelf because it's so fascinating that I keep it out on my living room table to share the wonder!


The Princess and the Goblin
Published in Hardcover by Zondervan (October, 1980)
Authors: George MacDonald, Jean Watson, and Peter Wane
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Love Narnia? You'll love this!
So you love C.S. Lewis' Narnia Chronicles? There people who don't are few and far between. One of the biggest influences on C.S. Lewis was this man, George MacDonald (1824-1905). It was MacDonald's talent for telling fairy stories that inspired Lewis in writing his own. Like Lewis, MacDonald has a remarkable ability to tell a delightful and enchanting story for children, layered with strong Christian themes and imagery by means of allegory and symbols. 'The Princess and the Goblin' is one of his most beloved works for children, and an excellent introduction to his style and success.

'The Princess and the Goblin' features a heroine ' a princess called Irene ' and a hero ' a simple miner's son called Curdie. While working overtime in the mines to earn money to buy his mother a red petty-coat, Curdie chances upon the goblins who live in the mountain, and discovers that they are hatching an evil plot against the king and his palace. Meanwhile the princess makes a discovery of her own ' high in the castle she finds a wonderful old lady who is her great-great-grandmother. The problem is, nobody else knows of her grandmother, and nobody believes her. But the princess does believe, and it is by her faith in her grandmother and the magic thread that she receives from her, that she is able to rescue Curdie. Together they rescue the entire palace from disaster at the hands of the goblins.

In telling the story, MacDonald has an enchanting conversational style, wonderfully suitable for reading aloud to enraptured children ' an ability perfecting in telling stories to his own eleven children. But 'The Princess and the Goblin' is more than just a story. Before pursuing a literary career, MacDonald was a Congregationalist minister, and so integrates important underlying Christian themes. Believing in the great-great-grandmother despite the fact that many cannot see her, is a symbol of believing in God. MacDonald uses this to show how the Christian faith involves believing without seeing, and that not everyone has to 'see' something for it to be true. The grandmother's lamp and magic thread are the guides on which the princess must depend, much like the Word which is a lamp on our path. It may sound tacky, but it works.

Children are not likely to grasp the deeper underlying themes that MacDonald is working with. Nonetheless the story has a clear message for children. The clear conflict between the royal powers of light against the goblin powers of darkness is unmistakable. Moreover, the princess is presented as a model of virtue, and MacDonald frequently asserts the importance of moral virtues such as always telling the truth, keeping your word, and admitting your faults ' moral virtues that are equally important for princes and princesses of God's kingdom. Courage, honesty, grace, dignity and beauty are timeless ideals for children of all times to strive for. If you love Narnia, you're sure to like this one, and you'll find yourself quickly grabbing the sequel, 'The Princess and Curdie.' 'The Princess and the Goblin' was one of J.R.R. Tolkien's childhood favorites, highly regarded by C.S. Lewis, described by W.H. Auden as 'the only English children's book in the same class as the Alice books', and generally considered as a classic example of nineteenth century children's literary fairy tales. So if you haven't yet read this book, it's about time you did. With admirers such as Tolkien, Lewis and Auden, if you become a MacDonald's admirer you'll find yourself in good company!

A classic well worth seeking out
This wonderful children's novel tells the story of eight year old Princess Irene. Cared for by her nurse Lootie, she lives in a mountain farmhouse while her father rules over the region from a mountain top castle. The local folk work as miners but are beset by the Goblins who inhabit the underground. Irene is saved from the Goblins by Curdie, a thirteen year old miner, and she in turn saves him. The whole thing is told in a pleasant conversational style and is filled with humor, word games, magic, derring-do, and pure wonderment.

George MacDonald, a Congregational minister turned novelist, who seems nearly forgotten now, was one of the seminal figures in the development of Fantasy. His influence on other Fantasy authors is obvious, he was a childhood favorite of JRR Tolkein, who especially liked this book, and C.S. Lewis named him one of his favorite authors. His own stories draw on many of the themes and characters of classical European fairy tales. But where they were often merely horrific and meaningless, MacDonald adds a layer of Christian allegory. Thus, Irene and Curdie are eventually saved by a thread so slender that you can't even see it, but which leads them back to safety, teaching Curdie that you sometimes have to believe in things that you can't see.

The book would be interesting simply as a touchstone of modern fiction, but it stands up well on its own and will delight adults and children alike.

GRADE: A

A timeless book
This book is not only beautifully written and perfect for all ages, "The Princess and the Goblin" is also morally strong and uplifting. Children of either sex will be interested in it, with a loving and beautiful grandmother, a strong and intelligent young girl, and a young boy who is intent on protecting his loved ones and uncovering the evil goblin plot. I have read this countless times, and each time I discover something new. The sequel, "The Princess and Curdie," is also worth reading. I love this book!


Fresh For '01.... You Suckas
Published in Paperback by Andrews McMeel Publishing (15 May, 2001)
Author: Mcgruder
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Yes, Yes, Y'all!!
I read the Boondocks every day in the Washington Post. I have been a fan since day one, and I loved the first Boondocks comic collection. This latest, Fresh for '01 You Suckas, is actually better than the first one!

What makes this compilation so much better is the introduction of Michael Caesar, a Brooklyn transplant. He is as intelligent as Huey but much more fun-loving; he provides the perfect foil for Huey. I love seeing their interactions. Caesar has become my favorite Boondocks character (sorry Huey). WHERE BROOKLYN AT?!

I was a bit disappointed that Mr. McGruder didn't delve deeper into the 2000 presidential selection; then again, such a debacle was probably too much for even Huey to deal with! Riley and Cindy MacPherson provided their own brand of comic relief, as did Granddad. Jazmine wasn't as prominent in this collection, but still made her presence known. Yet and still, I recommend adding this one to your bookshelf.

This Book Is A Must Have For Politico's Without Fear
If you aren't afraid to hear, see or read the truth, then Fresh For '01...You Suckas, is definitely for you. Mr. McGruder is a powerfully fresh voice for today's enlightened African-American of any age. Put simply, brothah's spittin' some tight knowledge in dis piece! Ya'll better recognize! :o)

I found that I would read, then re-read each strip. Once for the pure laughter, and the second time for clarity of the points. You don't have to be Black to enjoy this strip. Just have a conscious. Huey, Riley, and Cesar will make you think while having you roll on the floor. And particularly funny in this book, is the series when Grandpa takes a job as a Census Taker (a sell-out instrument of The Man's Government!). :o)

This is a book you MUST have! For added fun, read it with your kids and allow the material to open doors for discussion on varied topics in a humorous way. Highly Recommended!!

With a compelling sense of satire
Fresh For '01...You Suckas! is a collection of cartoon strips featuring the political charged but always interesting world of Huey, an African-American city kid displaced into the unfamiliar world of white suburbia. A richly multilayered comic strip of great humor and keen insights, Fresh For '01...You Suckas! will provoke thought and improve racial discourse while provoking a laugh-out-loud response from the reader. Aaron McGruder has quite evidently tapped into his own experiences as a long black facing growing up in Columbia, Maryland to give his characters and their observations a true to life dimension that is wonderfully facilitated by his compelling sense of satire.


Pilgrims Progress
Published in Paperback by Zondervan (July, 1982)
Authors: John Bunyan and Jean Watson
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The Christian Walk
In this classic work, John Bunyan paints a detailed picture of the Christian life/walk, giving true-to-life insights and experiences. The despair, sorrows, trials and temptations that a believer may face are depicted in an allegorical manner, as well as the hope, joy, and salvation found in Jesus Christ. The main character Christian (once named Graceless) sets out on a lifelong journey from the City of Destruction, where his family disowned him, and encounters many persons and difficulties along the way to the Celestial City (heaven). The characters he meets are given names that reflect their mindset or what temptation they bring. At times he stumbles and at times he perseveres, but all by the grace of God. The second portion of the book tells of the conversion and subsequent sojourn of the wife (Christiana) and children of Christian. The discussions of Christian in the first part and Christiana and her companions in the second part are very interesting, as they defend their faith and explain their purpose to those they meet along the way. The book is quite different from your ordinary novel, and has many interesting words of wisdom for the Christian life. Readers should be aware that some of the language is antiquated and has unfamiliar usages, so its a little bit of an adjustment to read.

Classic
Pilgrim's Progress is without a doubt one of the true classics of time--an allegory that has remained a best seller years after its introduction.

My first introduction to Pilgrim's Progress was as a child in parochial school. I had to do a book report on it in 5th grade and ended up reading numerous times for various projects throughout grade school.

The reader follows the main character--aptly named "Christian"--on his journey to the Celestial City.

Along the way, Christian passes through the many trials of life, symbolized by intruiging characters and places along the way. An early temptation is the "City of Destruction", which Christian narrowly escapes with his life. The various characters are perhaps the most fascinating portion of the book--Pliable, Giant Despair, Talkative, Faithful, Evangelist, and numerous others provide the reader with a continual picture of the various forces at work to distract (or perhaps, encourage)Christian on his ultimate mission.

Of course, the theology (for those of the Christian faith) of Pilgrim's Progress is a constant source of debate, the book is nonetheless a classic of great English writing.

It's not a quick read--that's for sure--however, I certainly would recommend that one read it in its original form. Don't distort the beauty of the old English language with a modern translation.

THE REAL AND MORAL WORLDS EVERTED
A letter to Marvin Minsky about this book:

I urge you tolook at a remarkable book by the English Puritain John Bunyan(1628-1688), "The Pilgrim's Progress", which is one of the great evangelical Christian classics, though clearly that is not why it interests me and should interest you (although I AM interested in the puzzle that is the religious sense, which even the irreligious feel, and this book can give remarkable insight into that as well).

Rather its fascination lies in the pilgrimage it depicts, or in the fact that human traits, vices, virtues, &c are PERSONIFIED as particular individuals who are their living and speaking epitome, and who are encountered along the way in revealing situations.

Bunyan's hero is appropriately named Christian. Someone once wrote that "Christian's journey is timeless as he travels from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City, meeting such characters as Pliable, Talkative, Giant Despair, Evangelist, Worldly-Wiseman, Faithful, Ignorance and Hopeful."

At first this personification is merely amusing, even a bit annoying (as caricatures or truly stereotypical people can be); but after a while I found myself enthralled because I realized that the effect of this odd literary device was to give unmatched insight into the nature of such traits. The force of the whole thing comes from the fact that one journeys about in - literally INSIDE of - what is both a comprehensive and finite moral and psychological landscape (a "psycho-topography"), very much as though one were INSIDE the human mind and your "Society of the Mind" was embodied in the set of actors. This is more or less the opposite or an inversion of the 'real world' of real people, who merely SHARE those attributes or of whom the attributes are merely PIECES; in "Pilgrim's Progress", by contrast, the attributes are confined in their occurrence to the actors who are their entire, unique, pure, and active embodiment, and humanness, to be recognized at all, has to be rederived or mentally reconstructed from the essential types.

The effect, for me, was something like experiencing a multidimensional scaling map that depicts the space of the set of human personality types, by being injected directly - mentally and bodily - into it by means of virtual reality technology.

So Bunyan's book has something of the interest to a psychologist, neuroscientist, or philosopher that Edwin Abbot's "Flatland" has to a mathematician.

I don't mean to overpraise "Pilgrim's Progress", of course; it was written for theological rather than scientific purposes, and has conspicuous limitations for that reason. But its interest to a student of the mind who looks at it at from the right point of view can be profound.

- Patrick Gunkel


The Royal Road to Card Magic
Published in Paperback by Dover Pubns (September, 1999)
Authors: Jean Hugard and Frederick Braue
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a great intro to card magic
This being the first book I bought on the subject has proven to be an amazing learning aid. Though some of the descriptions could be a bit more, ummm descriptive the book is still very easy for even beginers to understand at most times.
I would have appreciated a few more pictures but the ones in the book do prove quite usefull.
The author refers to different parts of your hands, these instructions are very hard to decifer at times but with enough time you should be able to figure it out.
The tricks included at the end of the chapters are also a bit shallow compared to other "starter" tricks that I have found in other books.

However I can not stress enough if you want to get a book to start with this is the one, just don't expect it to be the only book you will be buying to learn the ins and outs of card magic.

A must have
I'm ashamed to admit that this wasn't the first card trick book I ever bought. This book walks you through every amateur sleight of hand any card-magician-to-be could ever hope to learn with a bounty of helpful illustrations, along with very deep text. While some of it is a little difficult to wade through, it is well worth the effort. The tricks, with rare exception, are excellent, and the way in which they are taught is very user-friendly. Instead of teaching seven or eight sleights of hand at once, this book teaches you one, then a few tricks using that sleight. Then it teaches you another, and then some more tricks.

If you're just looking into card magic for the very first time, or are an advanced magician, this book will prove to be both fun and informative - a must have.

A Wonderful Book For Magicians of All Kinds
This is the book that got me seriously started with card magic, and I still learn something every time I pick it up.
It teaches the basics of card magic: shuffles, palming, the pass, glimpses, etc. But more importantly, it covers the real secret of magic: how to entertain and amaze. There is more to a card trick than meets the eye, and this book covers those things.
Each chapter teaches a sleight (or sleights) or a principle of magic, and then a trick (or tricks) utilizing that sleight.
I still use some of the tricks from this book in my performances. The tricks taught are all excellent and absolute stunners in the right hands.
Besides the general chapters, there are two chapters on flourishes, one on routining an act, and one on platform tricks.
I highly recommend this book to all students of magic. It is a classic, and an excellent choice for the beginner. Even if you are an expert, you should own this book, as it will enrich you as a magician.
The Royal Road to Card Magic is one of my favorite books in my magic library.


Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant
Published in Paperback by DaCapo Press (02 October, 2001)
Authors: E. B. Long, William S. McFeely, Jean Edward Smith, and Ulysses S. Grant
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Superb! Simply the best military memoir I've read.
No less an eminent man of letters than Mark Twain called Ulysses S. Grant's "Personal Memoirs" "the best [memoirs] of any General's than Caesars." Having now read this outstanding work along with those of Julius Caesar, William T. Sherman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Omar Bradley, Colin Powell and H. Norman Schwarzkopf, I must agree with Mark Twain's assessment. For sheer honesty, humility, and simple but powerful language, U.S. Grant's memoirs are without peer.

Grant allows the reader to go along with him and live once again his experiences during the Mexican War and American Civil War. He interjects his own judgments and opinions sparingly, yet always honestly. Where he feels he made mistakes, he admits them freely, and his criticisms of his colleagues is always tempered by an obvious attitude of professionalism. The fact that Grant wrote a memoir of such eloquence while dying from cancer makes it all the more powerful a book.

I found this modern library edition especially outstanding. The introductory notes by Caleb Carr and Geoffrey Perret, while brief, are extremely informative. Maps and etchings from the original 1885 Charles Webster & Co. edition are included, as is General Grant's report to Secretary of War Stanton on Civil War operations during 1864-65. This appendix makes fantastic reading by itself!

I highly recommend this outstanding edition to all Civil War and military history enthusiasts. It is simply the best military memoir I've ever read.

A Must Read
Being a Civil War buff, I just received a copy of the old 2-volume edition of this book as a birthday present. It turned out to be one of the better presents I have received. Grant begins by stating that he will NOT present all the details of each campaign and battle. He keeps this promise. Rather, the book is a general overview of his background, youth, and military career from Mexico through the Civil War. I expected some self-aggrandizement, but was (pleasantly)surprised by Grant's frankness and obvious sincerity. He tells things as he experienced them, with no flourishes. When he was wrong, he says so. When credit belongs to someone else, he also says so. It is a straight-forward story by an obviously straight-forward man. Knowing that he was soon to die, Grant wrote a remarkably honest piece - especially compared to the works of some of his contemporaries. When I finished reading the book, I don't believe that I knew that much more about the war itself. Rather, my strongest impression was of Grant's character; that I had, in a sense, met the man. It is a book NOT be to missed.

Compelling, Humble and Well-Written
Grant's memoirs are a must-read for any serious student of the Civil War. While praise is heaped upon Confederate generals such as Lee and Jackson, Grant's legacy has always been a little more uncertain. His reputation has been associated with allegations of drunkenness, and with an apparent unflinching ability to send men to their slaughter which this book helps to dispel.

Lincoln loved Grant, as he was the first Union commander who seemed willing to fight it out with Lee's army, and who enjoyed any consistent success. When one considers Grant's predecessors at the helm of the Union army, one can understand Lincoln's enthusiasm. You had McClellan, who never read an exaggerated report of the enemy size he didn't believe; "Fighting Joe Hooker", flanked and embarrassed at Chancellorsville; Burnside, who foolishly sent wave after wave of Union soldiers across the Rappahanock to attack an impregnable stone wall at Fredericksburg; and Pope, who was soundly beaten at Manassas. Meanwhile, Grant caught Abe's attention with his successful siege of Vicksburg in the summer of 1863, as Meade was beating Lee at Gettysburg.

Reading Grant's Memoirs is a fascinating experience, as the war, at least that part of it involving Grant, comes to life in the hands of a thoughtful commentator. Grant was obviously there, and he shares informative communications with his inferior officers (such as Sherman) and with the President. Grant sent many men to their doom to be sure, (the Wilderness campaign comes to mind as being especially bloody and ineffective), but overall you get the sense that Grant was respected by his men, who were happy to be marching forward and not backwards after a battle. He restored a sense of pride and accomplishment that was sorely lacking in the Union rank and file. He gave cogent reasons in his memoirs for the actions undertaken, sometimes admitting mistakes in humble fashion, and sometimes explaining why a siege would accomplish the same overall goal without unnecessary bloodshed.

My only regret is that Grant didn't live long enough to write a companion memoir about his presidency, which was clearly outside the scope of this book. Readers who have gotten this far in the Amazon review process are no doubt aware that a broke Grant, stricken with painful throat cancer, wrote out his Memoirs of the Civil War right up until the end of his life to provide financially for his family, finishing the book days before he died. We should all be grateful that he was able to preserve these pages for prosperity, they are truly a model of military memoirs that I consider an extremely rewarding reading experience. When one considers the circumstances in which Grant composed this work, the end result is nothing short of miraculous.


Julie
Published in Paperback by HarperTrophy (February, 1996)
Authors: Jean Craighead George and Wendell Minor
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"Julie" is a great book why not go out and GRAB it.
"Julie" is a book about a young woman called Julie, who returns home from her life on the Tundra, with a pack of wolves as her family. Her father Kapugen has married an American woman named Ellen, who is pregnant. Julie arrives home to normal family life. She feels that she could accept the family life, if she hadn't known that her father had killed her wolf father. Julie can speak beautiful English, but she will not talk to Ellen, until she is sure she can accept Ellen into her life. Julie starts talking to Ellen, when they are in an ice shelter helping a Musk Oxen, give birth to her calf. Julie realises that Ellen is no longer an intruder in her family, and welcomes her.

Julie goes through many difficult situations in this story, like when she comes face to face with a wild bear. I enjoyed this book very much because, you have the feeling you were part of this book, and also the story. I thought Jean Craighead George made things very descriptive, like the ice on the Tundra, the soft fuzzy fur of the wolf pup, and the scurrying ground squirrels. This book shows the power between a father and his daughter, they love each other so much that they can read each others minds'.

This novel is for people who like a book with happiness, a bit of sadness, and the smallest bit of romance. It is also a book that has a lot of adventure.

I loved this book
This is a great book. But I liked the last one the best. I think Jean Craighead George, and Wendell Minor, are truly fantastic! If you haven't read this, and the other two books, you haven't experienced a true, good book. Jean captures the true wolf, the wolf society, and other very interesting facts of a wolf's life. Like, I never knew that wolves have leaders, or Alpha's. I never knew that if a "baby-sitter" wolf, narrowed their eyes, showed their teeth, and lifted their ears straight, a wolf pup would sit down. I never knew that if a hungry pup nudged a adult wolf that has just eaten on the muzzle, the adult wolf will regurgatate the food, or, throw up the half digested meat. I never knew wolves tell each other who's the boss by mouthing a wolf's nose. I never knew if a wolf is larger or taller than other wolf, than it has a good chance for being an alpha or beta. Untill I read Jean Craighead George's book, "Julie of the Wolves", "Julie", and "Julie's Wolf Pack".

I've read "Julie of the Wolves" and "Julie"
Hi! I've read Julie of the Wolves and Julie and I think they are the best books EVER! I've only read three of George's books: My Side of the Mountain(HIGHLY recomended), Julie of the Wolves(Excellent!), and Julie(Probably the best of all three!), but they are all cool, exciting and suberb. Now about Julie: A great book, very descriptive, and extremly captivartion. I'm ten years old. I took me three days to read, and I absolutley ADORED it! Miyax Kapugen Julie Edwards, a young eskimo girl(14) who has lived on the arctic tundra with her adoptive wolf pack for almost a year, must now return to her father. Her father has changed very mush from when she knew him: He had adopted the ways of the 49 southern states, had started using technology, and had married a gussak(American) wife. Julie also meets Peter, and Siberian eskimo who loves her. She thinks of school before him, but decides to marry him when she gets grown up. Julies wolf pack starts killing her fathr's oxen(there are no caribou to hunt) and her father attemps to kill them. CCan Julie save her wolf pack? Will her father ever re-accept the wolves? Read this AWSOME booi to find out!


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