The University of Chicago Math Series is excellent as an self-study or in-classroom math series. I prefer it over other curriculums I have used.

Our 14 yr. old (homeschooled) daughter just completed this University of Chicago's Algebra textbook. She found the text complete, thorough, and very easy to follow! She found it to be an almost completely 'self taught' course! She also enjoyed the colorful pictures, extra projects sections, and the interesting sidenotes which included world trivia topics. We have been successfully using the Saxon math text books for all of our lower grade math work thus far, and were somewhat reluctant to try something "new" and different. But right from the start, our daughter LOVED the Chicago math, and welcomed the change. I just wish that there had been a text like this for me, her mother, when I was struggling through Algebra back in the '70's. We would highly recommend this math textbook, and it's clear solution manual to ANYONE studying Algebra! Go ahead and try something different this year!

It's fun reading this collection of digressive informal anecdotes about famous (and some obscure) Englishmen. If you enjoyed "An Instance of the Fingerpost" (where some of thc characters appear) you'd like this. As a primary source for information it gets less reliable the further back it goes. Aubrey was born in 1626 so his accounts of Shakespeare and Elizathans are a generation removed, but he had met Harvey and Penn and had been through the Civil War and the rule of Cromwell.

Because its author never completed most of the entries for this biographical work, and never published it, what he did set down about his varied noble and ignoble subjects is uncensored, gossipy, perhaps unsubstantiated, and delightful. If you like browsing in Pepys' diary, or are fascinated by English life in the 17th century, this is the book to leave about for the occasional free moment.

Plant growth habit and culture notes are all too rare in succulent and cacti volumes. This expertly assembled book captures the succulent plants at their optimum phase and accurately records botanical names and growth requirements. I also utilize to accurately identify plants that I use to create living succulent wreaths. The section of 'Bringing the Desert Indoors' is a welcome invitation to indoor gardeners every where to enjoy these sculptural beauties year around.

One of few books dealing with gardening in the dry southwestern climates. Most of the book is devoted to "Plant Selector" which describes the plants, hardiness, cultivation needs, etc. Other sections deal with "Garden Design", "Techniques" (cultivation etc.), and, " Special Conditions." If you have one book on succulent gardening, this should be it.

The following are examples of the hundreds of positive reviews that the Export Sales and Marketing Manual has received since the first annual and updated edition was introduced in 1988. The 2001 version is the 14th continuous edition.

Full of meat and potatoes - and meant to be used. The manual skillfully covers every step needed to become a successful exporter. Journal of Commerce

Congratulations on your outstanding manual which has become the standard of the U. S. export industry. We also appreciate the cooperation you have extended to the SBA over the years. U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA)

Absolutely the best publication in the field of exporting. We recommend it for purchase at all of our international trade events. We are proud to be able to offer it to our membership. National Association of Manufacturers (NAM)

A "must" acquisition for businesses that are exporting regularly or thinking of doing so. The chapters on export pricing and budgeting are excellent! Journal of Accountancy

You have succeeded in writing the proverbial "cookbook" for U. S. exporters. Your publication will definitely help many U. S. companies and individuals become successful exporters. U. S. Senate Small Business Committee

Thanks to your manual, our small company is now in the export business for the long run. What seemed to be impossible is now an enjoyable career that I look forward to every day. Dafina Biteye, Making Connections Work, Inc.

Outstanding manual! We plan to have a copy available at each of our U. S. field offices. Federal Express Corporation

EXPORT SALES & MARKETING MANUAL REVIEW IN CHOICE MAGAZINE PUBLISHED BY THE AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION Issue: February 2001, Page 1122

John R. Jagoe (Director of the Export Institute) provides comprehensive and authoritative information on exporting from the United States in this publication. Available in four formats (softbound text, CD-ROM, Internet and Classroom Package for Educations), it can serve as a step-by-step guide for the beginner or as a reference for the experienced individual. The printed version contains 640 pages of information-filled text. The electronic versions provide excellent search capabilities (via Acrobat) and very easy access to numerous links to additional sources of information.

Information on the manual, including the table of contents, and the professional qualification of the author, are available at ....

Although other recent works are also available, e.g., Amy Zuckerman and David Biederman, Exporting and Importing (Choice March 1999), Beley Seyoum,Export-Import Theory, Practices And Procedures (Choice November 2000), and David Neipert, A Tour of International Trade (Choice March 2000), none focus solely on the export side or offer as much detail on exporting. Moreover, the availability of the electronic versions gives Jagoe's publication a decided edge.

The manual guides the reader through the entire export procedure, and the marketing approach the author uses makes for interesting reading. Supported by tables, figures, charts, checklists, extensive appendices and a 30-page glossary, libraries are advised to acquire the Internet or CD-ROM version in addition to the print manual.

A very useful resource for businesses, government agencies, and professional associations involved in exporting or in international trade. The manual is also recommended for upper-division undergraduate and above collections that are supporting strong programs in exporting or international trade.

W. C. Struning, Seton Hall University

Reprinted with permission of the American Library Association.

Louis DeCaro Jr. has presented a perspective of John Brown that has largely been hidden from most biographical studies. He shows us John Brown, the evangelical Christian, deeply rooted in reform theology and a student of the Puritans. DeCaro reveals the theological aspects that caused John Brown to pursue a course of justice for those held in the bondage of slavery, ultimately resulting in the raid on Harper's Ferry.Whether one agrees with the actions of John Brown in his quest to free the slaves or not, we are shown the thinking that led to his attempt to overthrow the system.

I believe the issues raised by this book are instructive in understanding the possible future course of those engaged in the fight against abortion.It is not inconceivable to imagine another "John Brown" rising up in the quest to bringing about justice for the unborn.

This is the first actual biography of John Brown published since the 1970s, by historian and religious educator Louis A. DeCaro, Jr. It skillfully contextualizes John Brown's religious and abolitionist development within his Calvinist background and the evangelical movement of ninteenth century America. John Brown is is shown -- through careful and lengthy research -- as a son, brother, husband (twice), and father as well as the leader of the militant abolitionists. The book is especially rich with the relationship of John Brown to African Americans, notably free people in the North who were creating communities of families and congregations in Springfield, Massachusetts and in Essex County, New York. These individuals come alive in their relationship with John Brown, who the author calls "the practical shepherd," assisting with ownership of small farms and businesses, extending the American dream of self-sufficiency, land ownership, and the rights of citizenship to African Americans. DeCaro has researched Thomas Thomas, first an employee at John Brown's wool warehouse and then a resturanteur who moves to Illinois and becomes a friend of Abraham Lincoln: "Brown and Lincoln never came so close as they did in friendship with Thomas Thomas, and the black man could speak with some authority about both leaders." Dr. DeCaro does not flinch from analysis of the Pottawatomie Massacre in Kansas in 1856, and develops an accurate background of the threatening acts of the victims. He examines several historical viewpoints about the incident, and has found a recollection by the grandaughter of Henry Thompson, the son-in-law of John Brown who was part of the violent attack. The author asks: "perhaps a fundamentally different question is needed to frame the Pottawatomie killings. What kind of circumstances would drive exceptionally moral and religious people like the Browns to such desparate measures?" This biographer of John Brown feels his subject deeply, from his heart, and from his chest as he breathes new life into the complex and human individual whose moral fire made people worldwide think about the immorality of slavery.

I was given this book (and it's matching stickers and magnets) as a xmas gift for my 5YO son who loves dinosaurs and monsters and now he is OBSESSED with it and wants it read to him every day! It has totally gotten him interested in greek mythology and given him a very impressive knowledge of the characters that most adults can't claim. He even asked to go to the library for more books on greek mythology - i got a few but nothing can hold a candle to this one. it's just so geared towards kids and is written in a lively, fun and conversational style - the illustrations are great too. I'm going to give it as a gift whenever i get the chance!

Greece! Rome! Monsters! is an engaging children's picture book by John Harris about fantastic mythical beasts. The legendary Chimera, Griffin, Minotaur, Phoenix, and many more are each summarized in a two-page spread and brought to life with simplistic, stylized color illustrations by Calef Brown in this magical bestiary which is especially recommended for beginning to intermediate readers.

Too often are works of historical note written with cold dispassion. You won't find any dry writing here. Hinton manages to encapsulate the drama and tension of the period in grand style. To those looking for simply a overview of the Harpers raid, be prepared for an information overload that includes biographies, primary excerpts and a rousing tale of cathartic proportions.

I was searching for my ancestors through the Keagy line and found this book. In it, I discovered that John Henry Kagi, an earlier form of the spelling "Keagy", was one of John Brown's men. Later I found another book about John Henry Kagi entitled, "John Henry Kagi and His Old Log Cabin Home." I am interested in learning more about Keagy Family Line and especially John Henry Kagi. My wife and I traveled to Harper's Ferry, VA to visit the site of John Brown's raid. Unfortunately, the papers and photographs of John Henry Kagi were damaged in the Spring flood. It was a great disappointment to us. The only records that we have are the information that I gained through those books, "John Brown and His Men," and "John Henry Kagi and His Old Log Cabin Home." Both of these books covered the raid on Harper's Ferry and gave me a wealth of new facts about John Henry Kagi. It brought history to life and presented a hero to my family.

This is a very tender book, with love and understanding children and adults can relate to. Ideal for ages 2 and up.

John Brown is a large shaggy dog living contentedly with Rose. When a cat arrives needing food and love, Rose is ready to open her heart and home to the new arrival, but John Brown has a very hard time sharing Rose, and watching Rose take care for someone else. By the book's end, John Brown has changed. In simple words and marvelous pictures, this book helps children - and the adults reading to them - consider a difficult and complicated emotion: jealousy. The perfect book to help children get ready for a baby brother or sister, it's too bad it isn't easier to find.

NICK FRANCISCO PERIOD 2

"A Time to Kill" is John Grisham's first novel. His fluid, detailed storytelling is unlike the choppy first attempts of many modern authors.In a small town in the Deep South, two redneck hooligans rape and maim a ten-year-old black girl. Enraged, the girl's father, Carl Lee Hailey, takes justice into his own hands, killing the two rapists in a courthouse shooting. He seeks the help of defense lawyer Jake Brigance to save him from the gas chamber.

Brigance, a young but sharp lawyer, has to find a way to win an impossible case: a black man is on trial for killing two white men, and his case is being heard by an all-white jury. Adding to the mix are violence between the Ku Klux Klan and the black community, and the fact that, during the shooting, Carl Lee had injured a sheriff's deputy.

When I first read this novel, I was angered and irritated by the depth of hatred that exists within racism. I was angered that had Carl Lee been a white man bent on avenging his daughter's suffering, he would never have had to face trial. The rape of ten year old Tanya, Carl Lee's daughter, by Billy Ray and Pete, A Time to Kill is a disturbing novel, aside from the raping and killing that opens the tale. It is not possible to look at our justice system the same way, especially from the viewpoint of the black community in the South.

John Grisham is of course my favorite author, and this is the perfect collector's item of sorts because it gives you all of his best books...in audio! If you listen to all his books, it just makes them come more alive and real, and it's just terrific.