Peter Kalm was a Swedish Botanist sent to North America from the Swedish Academy in 1747 in search of plants hardy enough to be of use in Scandinavia. Kalm was also very interested in other aspects of life in the North American colonies and his observations of everyday life are fascinating. Kalm was primarily interested in natural history but he also recorded many aspects of material culture. Foods, customs, clothing, heating, Ben Franklin etc. Anyone who is interested in 18th century America will find this book an amazing resource.

Petern Kalm was a naturalist with an uncommon eye for detail not only of flora & fauna but of people and culture. His prose is quite readable. If you want a 'wish you were there' resource for life, culture, & travel in pre-revolutionary Montreal, Quebec, Lake Champlain, New York, Philadelphia, & New Jersey, this is it. Circa 1750.

This book should be a requirement in every home. It is wriiten for a teen but shoul dbe read by both parent and child. The concept of the 40 assets is fundamentally simple. The book defines the assets and then gives advice on how the adolescent, parent(s), community,school, and congregation can help to ensure that a child is brought up with all of the assets they need to be a successful person. It has examples of the successes that communities across the country have had setting the concepts of the assets into into motion. The excellence of the book is reinforced by a lecture I attended by Dr. Benson 2 months ago. The concept of the developmental assets being the framework for a successful, well-rounded person makes perfect sense. It should be adopted as a National standard.

We like the book so much that we are adopting the asset building concepts featured!

As the Red Ribbon Chair for the Red Ribbon Coalition, I will urge volunteer coordinators to put at least one copy in their school library!

Irvine Unified School District's Guidance Resources will include the list of 40 Developmental Assets (from the book) in our 1999/2000 parent handbook.

This is an excellent resource for anyone who cares about helping youth succeed!

This book presents a unique approach to research on religious beliefs and behaviors. It is not new but for some reason it appears that this information was lost or ignored. Peer reviewed journal articles published a decade and a half after this book was available evidence an ignorance of this superior approach to the study of religion through surveys. Benson and Williams appear to understand more than most people what constitutes the psychological instantiation of religion. This allows an avoidance of culture bound terminology hence the culturally acquired answers that reveal very little. I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in the scientific study of religion.

Excellent novel! I was referred to this piece as a classic "surfer" novel, so I was initially hesitant. However, I found the story riveting and the writing beautiful and accessible. All of this, and great sex scenes. A great read.

This reference lives up to it's claim..."Comprehensive". If you're going to write in esperanto this a great book to have. I selected it over other works because it appeared to be the most up-to-date esperanto dictionary available, although I do wish it went both ways (ENG <-> ESP). Though I'm new to the language of esperanto, those who have an expert command of the language have also recommended this as a top-notch reference for both beginners and experienced speakers.

Most English words, from the common [eg."of"=multiple listings] to technical, medical/scientific and some needing an unabridged ENGLISH dictionary are included, generally justifying the 'Comprehensive' in the title. Colloquialisms and neologisms are noted. The biggest lack I find is when there is room for a notation which would help the user categorize an obscure word [with sci/med/mil etc.] and that is not done. Overall, this is an eminently worthwhile book for anyone intersted in Esperanto!

The Comprehensive English-Esperanto Dictionary is so thorough in its coverage of English and in its inclusion of idiomatic expression that it is simply a must-have for Anglophone Esperantists who wish to compose in the Inter-National Language. I should stress that it would not be of much use if you do not speak Esperanto with some degree of fluency. But CEED can be of immeasurable value in breaking out of phrase-book and beginner's textbook Esperanto.

This was an excellent historical record of probably the greatest American that ever lived. However, it has long, complex, diffcult to read wording that makes it somewhat labor-intensive reading. The content is great, but there are far easier to read (and understand) books about Lincoln.

interesting in that it was written from a british perspective. i have read several biographies on lincoln and would recommend this book as an introductory volume for those who want to study lincoln, but, as an important volume for those who study general presidential history, civil war, and general american history.

Though it is dated in some of its facts and assessments,Lord Charnwoods classic study of Lincoln remains one of the dozen or so greatest books ever written about our greatest President.What sets it apart from most other studies of the sixteenth President is the attention it gives the intellectual and spiritual underpinnings of Lincoln's life and actions. It is, in short a work of philosophical history, not a dry recitation of facts. Charnwood is interested in the moral meaning of democracy and the scope and limits of democratic leadership. He performs his task beautifully. I , for one , found his old-fashioned Victorian prose a joy to read, and a relief from the cliche' ridden jargon that too often passes for literate prose today. A great book by a foriegn observer of America, fully worthy of being placed beside Tocqueville and Bryce.

As a current college student who is intending to go on to law school to study business law, I found this book very helpful. It contains not only what should and should not be in a contract, but also the reasoning behind it. I currently am enrolled in a class where were are to form our onw business, and part of that is writting contracts. This book was a great source of information for that project and Im sure it will help later in my eduacation. This is a great book.

This is a "Hallmark meets child development" sort of book. It's got lots of "paradigms" and concepts drawn (haphazardly, it would seem) from serious knowledge about the subject, but it's served up in a pretty simplistic way. The world it hearkens to seems more like a gated community than any real city I know. And the folksy, sometimes chummily evangelical, prose style is often clumsy and occasionally downright silly.

As a clinically licensed Marriage & Family Therapist who has worked in a state agency for over 26 years with hard to handle youth, and also maintained a private psychotherapy practice for over 18 years, I must say that this is a VERY GOOD book. In over 20 years of teaching a weekly 2 hour parenting class I have seen many "parenting guides" come and go, and I'm not usually impressed by most of them. Many of the books simply reinforce parents need for emotionally leveraging the child into compliance. Short term looks great, long term BIG PRICETAGS. . .(like the kids won't come home for Christmas holidays, when they are 25 years old. . .etc) I think that too many of the "guides" teach parents to be RIGHT rather than CLOSE. In contrast to that position, the information contained in "What Kids Need to Succeed" is not only VERY pertinent to interacting with youth, but provides a basic outline of what needs are important to address with children/youth to help support them toward responsible, independent adulthood. I believe that the suggestions are sound in terms of being research based and from my experience certainly do yield great results. The approach is proactive and constructive, which is very reflective of what current research indicates works best. The conceptual foundation of encouragement and empowerment is (IMHO) the ONLY way to help children/youth INTEGRATE constructive, growth enhancing principles, rather than just reacting to demanding adults who require compliance. I liked the book a lot and will be adding it to the 4 other manuals that I use in teaching parenting skills. I would guess some parents will resist this approach because it requires them to give up trying to control and dominant the child and replace it with mentoring, friendship and alliance. . . All in all I really appreciate this book and it is required reading in all my classes now.

This is one of those books that makes you keep telling yourself, I knew that. What makes it so fabulous is that it puts all those things you know are right together in a very useful format. Just looking through it renews your confidence that you can do something to make a difference to children.

The book A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain is told from the view of Hank Morgan, later on known as The Boss. Hank Morgan travels back in time from the 19th century to the 5th century, in King Arthur's Court. Hank learns from a man dress in a knight's armor that it is the 5th century, he doesn't believe that he traveled back in time, he thinks he is in an asylum. Suddenly Hank remembers that the day that he was told also happened to be the same day of the first recorded full Solar Eclipse. Hank finds that he has wandering into a place where they are hanging innocent people. Hank has some fun and tells the people that he will put the world into total darkness very soon, he hopes that if it truly is the 5th century, the people will believe him. Sure enough the eclipse does happen, all the people are in awe. For the rest of the book Hank is then on known as The Boss.
Throughout the whole story, Hank gives King Arthur tips about how to be more successful. Hank goes on a venturous journey with King Arthur and he helps the King train Knights and create a large army. Hank gets a seat at the round table even though he is not a knight. Hank uses his knowledge to reinvent things that were a new invention from his time. After King Arthur dies, Hank must help the empire live on.
I recommend this to people who are 13 or older and enjoy long, very detailed books. There are also some great pictures included in the book, from portraits of Mark Twain to pictures of King Arthur pulling the sword from the stone.

Well, the perfect companion to La Morte d'Arthur...

Twain completely dissects the "good ol' days" of Arthurian Britain by exposing the vicious social practices of the time: white slavery, le droit de seigneur, confiscation of property in event of suicide, the complete lack of impartial justice, the degrading influence of the Church on the mass, etcetera etcetera etcetera...

The Arthurian legends are wonderful tales, but they are a mythic literary production; Twain deals with the brutal reality of daily living in the Dark Ages, and points out that the good ol' days were not so good, anyway.

As for its applicability to modern America, I am not fit to judge. Perhaps it's there. But "The Connecticut Yankee" is a wonderful tonic for those prone to romanticizing the past. Twain seems to agree with Tom Paine that the English nobility were "no-ability", and simply the latest in a series of robbers.

And, of course, the book is stuffed with wonderful Twainisms... My favorite is his observation that a conscience is a very inconvenient thing, and the significant difference between a conscience and an anvil is that, if you had an anvil inside you, it would be alot less uncomfortable than having the conscience.

Twain also mentions the beautiful mispronunciations of childhood, and how the bereaved parental ear listens in vain for them once children have grown.

You'll never look at castles the same again...

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is an intriguing novel written by Mark Twain. This is a fantastic book for the high school level reader, but would be entertaining to adults as well. I am a freshman in high school, and I enjoyed many attributes of the plot and writing style. In this novel the main character, Hank Morgan, is mysteriously transported from the nineteenth century in Connecticut back to the fifth century in England. During his time in medieval Britain, he keeps a journal which is what most of this book is. The preface and afterwards are both the narration of Mark Twain who writes as if he has found Hank's journal, and is merely writing it down in a book. As the journal starts out, Hank is introduced to King Arthur and after narrowly escaping death and becomes the country's most powerful advisor. Hank introduces many modern wonders to this feudal society. He is hailed a magician, being able to perform wonderful "miracles" and "magic", when it really is only modern science. It is very entertaining to read about how the feeble-minded people of that time react to these feats. In the end, there is a tremendous battle with many exciting episodes leading up to it. If a reader is partial to battle scenes of high caliber, this is a book for him! Of course, Hank has many other battles as well. Once of his biggest enemies is the Church of England. The big question the reader asks themselves during this book is "Will Hank return to his time and if so, how?". It was exciting for me to ponder this question throughout the novel. During Hank's travels through medieval Britain, he meets many people. The people he meets who think a government ruled by the people in Britain (his ultimate goal) would be a good idea, he sends to Camelot where he has schools set up which teach people about modern governmental ideas. Schools were also set up to teach people how to produce his wonders of modern science. These few enlightened people remain loyal to Hank until the very end. I thought it an entertaining notion that people who were trained from birth to believe in one thing, could realize it's faults and begin to believe another things. I really enjoy this book because it brings a lot about human nature into question. It discusses the vast differences of beliefs, manners, and life styles between one hundred years ago and fourteen hundred years ago. I also thought the differences between classic Arthurian legend and Mark Twain's perspective of the time were very interesting. Hanks training of these idealistic people he runs across plays into the large political aspect of this book. Since Hank's ultimate goal is to transform Britain into a country ruled by the people, he starts factories producing modern goods which greatly changes the lives of the Britons. I enjoyed the descriptions of the people's reaction to these modern products of science thirteen centuries before they would be invented. Throughout the entire book commentary and philosophizing concerning the comparison of the fifth century feudal system of Britain and the nineteenth century democracy of the U.S. by Hank Morgan is common. This political aspect is typical of Twain's works. It gave me great pleasure to read this aspect of the book and to comprehend it's meaning. Through Hank Morgan, Mark Twain is able to depict vivid images in the readers mind. Whether it be a person, scene, or sensation felt by Hank Twain describes it in a way which puts a solid picture in the imagination of the reader. I have not seen the movie of this novel, but I have heard it isn't very well done and it is nothing compared to the book. I believe this is because Mark Twain paints such a realistic picture in the mind of the reader, it is nothing compared to what some director can film. From Mark Twain's great descriptions and writing style to the unique ideas presented, the novel A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is a fantastic novel. There are so many aspects of it to enjoy, and it is just an all around entertaining book. I give this book four out of five stars and I recommend it to any one interested in fantasy, especially if they want a different perspective on King Arthur.

I got through most of this book before giving up. My 30-second review: Having a Ph.D. might get you a book contract, but it sure doesn't make you any of the following: rigorous, searching, expert, or wise. There's no command of the youth development lit here; there's no comprehensive understanding of the lives of young people today; and there are few sentences and paragraphs that don't beg for good editing! What's here? Generalities and platitudes abundant. Don't waste your time as I did. There are many better books out there!

If you are someone who is looking for information related to child and community development that is based on actual research, this is for you. It's based on more then someone's opinion or beliefs. The book is somewhat academic and may not be an easy read, but it is useful information. If you are a parent, youth educator, or community worker you need to know and understand the developmental assets.

Thus book bridges from science to practice, offering a new model for engaging many sectors of community-family, neighborhood, congregations,employers, schools-in creating settings and relationships to build developmental strengths. When one looks at youth through the lens of developmental assets, everything changes.

Implications for everything from public policy to neighborhood revitalization are discussed. This book would be a powerful textbook in all of those fields which train the next generation of community leaders.