As usual, I was browsing looking for something else in history and biography and I 'came' across this slim volume. In looking at the reviews and the sample pages of this book, I could see that both the writing of the history and the format used by the author was something that probably would appeal to me. I was right!

I take it that John M. Taylor is a known writer of Civil War history, and that much of his work is in prominent journals on military history. This book contains a series of vignettes into the "history behind the history"...the small stories about the men involved (both politicians and soldiers), and about things that happened behind the lines that impacted what happened ON the lines.

One of my major complaints with history as taught in the schools, is the boring aspects of it. The same crucial facts are taught over and over again, mainly because the teachers are teaching to the tests (or to the texts). My civics classes in high school were taught that way, but I ended up in advanced placement European history in my senior year in PA. That year and that particular teacher (who loved history) instilled a curiosity about and love for history (when done right).

Especially in American history and with so many children of immigrants attending our schools, it is absolutely vital that they learn not just the dates, the numbers involved, the major documentation (Bill of Rights, Gettysburg Address) but of the people involved. The small insights into the people such as brought out in this book (that Lincoln paid for a substitute, which I didn't know was done on a regular basis: about individual generals who made large mistakes in judgement as well as small and important acts of courage)...if students are regaled with these stories, they will remember the history for a lifetime, not just for the current testing period. It is those stories that I was told, such as about the woman who lost five sons in the Civil War to whom Lincoln wrote a personal letter, that I retain 30 years later. When students become personal involved in the history being taught and see the people involved as real 3-D personages, then history comes alive for them.

As a nation, we bemoan the fact that our children, our schools do not do the job expected of them...that is, they do not learn or retain what they've learned. Part of this is the fault of those providing the textbooks as well as the teachers in the field. A teacher of history must love his subject matter, must constantly be reading about it, and must not be teaching in lecture format from boring textbooks. Parents should not complain, if they never pick up a historical book themselves, and provide the necessary example that learning is a lifetime project, and that history is vital to our interests today.

Taylor does a great job in writing. I've rarely read such accessible Civil War history. I would highly recommend this book to enactors, to history buffs, to readers of military texts, to educators, and to those of us who just want to know more about our country and the freedoms our ancestors fought for. I intend to search out other books by Taylor now that I am familiar with his books, and hope others do the same.

Karen L. Sadler,
Science Education,
University of Pittsburgh

If I was only allowed to take one book to Tibet it would definitely be the Lonely Planet. It has very useful information about the country, the religion, do's and don'ts, etc. I used this book to prepare for my trip and used it in Tibet to get more information on the city I was in or the tempel or monastery I was visiting. Very detailed information about the tempels, the history and what rooms and statues are what. Very useful information about Lhasa and great maps showing not only interesting sites but also the hotels (so you can find your way back).

This guidebook is certainly among Lonely Planet's best. It is at the same time an excellent travel guide, and also a fantastic yet concise source of insights into the life of this wonderful land. Anyone traveling to Tibet will inevitably encounter a number of restrictions on her/his travel, and will have to stick to the Chinese government's directives and itineraries. It is indeed hard to leave Tibet without a feeling that one was not really able to 'go deep' into its culture. This book might not compensate for the frustrating limitations posed to travelers by the Chinese government, but it certainly goes a good way towards that direction. It contains tips on how to make the most out of your trip, especially in terms of getting to know 'real' Tibet. Its sections on culture, religion and history are excellently written and captivating. All in all, a fantastic endeavour.

This book should be very useful for those who want to visit The Land of Snows as well as for those who just want to learn more from the Tibetan Culture. It has a lot of useful information for travelers, e.g. the best ways to arrive to Tibet (depending of how do you want to do it), and the importance of having a tour guide during your trip (because of political reasons). Inside this book you will find some interesting facts and illustrations about TibetÂ's religion: Buddhism (the spirit of the country), and a few beautiful pictures.

I absolutely LOVE this book. Of course, I love all Hanson bio books, because they're about my fave band! It's got lots of facts about Taylor I didn't know about, but I do now! If you don't have it now, get it NOW! I mean, beg your legal guardian to drive you to the local bookstore and search high & low for it, because it's worth finding!

Well, I think this book is the coolest and the best book i ever read!!!! I love tay and now, I know more since I have read this book!!! I also have Taylor Hanson "totally taylor" and is so cool too!!! oh yeah!!! hanson are the best group!!!! see ya..

Any Hanson fan should get this, like me! And if Taylor is your favorite Hanson brother and you think he is MMMcute then this is the book for you! It gives alot of info. and great pictures. Hey that's why I bought it!! You can't go wrong.

Everyone who has something to do with children should read this book: Educators, parents, counselors and employers.

This is not a book about solutions- This is a book about recognizing the problem. As we know, recognizing the problem is the first step to correcting the situation.

This is a series of essays and speaches the author has written about education in the United States. Mr. Gatto is an award winning teacher who has taken the brave step of stating what he sees wrong with education. As only someone who has worked in the system for so long can really see the problems, he not only sees the problems, he shares them with the rest of the nation.

As a teacher who has quit to stay at home with my children, I agree whole heartedly with Mr. Gatto. As a teacher who has vowed to home school, I agree with Mr. Gatto.

Education does what it was set up to do- to teach the masses, to tame the unruly individual thinkers, and more. Mr. Gatto's seven lessons that school teaches is exactly on target. Unfortunately.
How do we change the education system? It will take a shift of thinking across the nation. This book is just a small drop in the tidal wave of events that needs to happen. Each person reading this book and acting on it only adds to the rising wave of education reform.

Truly a well thought out book written by a brave man who was willing to put his job and living on the line for what he believes.

Reading "Dumbing us Down" was the final step in withdrawling our children from Public School. John Gatto writes what alot of parents think but are afraid to voice for fear that they will be kicked out of the PTA click. His book is straight to the point and once you read it you will have that knot in your stomach feeling about sending your child off to public school everyday until YOU make a change. We shared this book with many people including a public school teacher who agreed with everything John Gatto wrote. This is not just for people who want to make the step to Homeschooling. We searched for 9 months and found a great private school that encourages individuality and choices and flexibility. AND YOU CAN USE THE RESTROOM WHEN YOU NEED TO, NOT JUST DURING 'GROUP PEE TIME' !

Mr. Gatto's authoritative rant will serve to further destabilize the already shaky public education system -- no loss, as it should be obvious to any but the most simple-minded. As one of two dedicated parents of an almost-four-year-old, we had been disgusted with the "choices" the state deigns to present to us in education: bad and worse. These are, of course, not choices at all. Mr. Gatto explains briefly how far education and learning have fallen in the US, and how the "education" system serves only to propagate and serve itself, not the children who are its nominal clients.
If you doubt that the US state school system is de facto totalitarian, just try to homeschool without jumping through hoops, pleading for exemptions, and submitting to standardized testing. See how long you go until you get "the knock".
Any current or soon-to-be school-age parent must read this book to assist them in their decision to send their kid to or keep their kid in the 12-year prison of progressive factory schooling. Those who are the product of the system, as I am, will read, grieve, get angry and get primed to take action. It is a disillusioning book, in the sense of having the wool pulled off one's eyes at last.

This book is poorly written. That does not mean it is not a great story--it's just not a great novel. The Wizard of Oz is written in a very conversational style; it often does not flow, as if Baum were pausing to collect his thoughts or remember exactly how he last described the Wicked Witch. I think it is meant to be read aloud to a child or else you are missing something. I feel that the pauses and the stops and starts probably have more impact on a small child trying to fight off sleep with a wonderful tale than they do on a grown woman finally checking The Wizard of Oz off her "Things I Always Wanted to Read" list.
Please don't misunderstand, I enjoyed the story of The Wizard of Oz, and I think everyone should read it, especially those who enjoyed the movie. There is much more to it than the movie, many more adventures, more explanation, and more sarcasm and social criticism. There just isn't much more literary merit.

I bought this book years ago and am looking for another copy as a gift. This edition is the entire MGM script (including the lyrics to the songs) of the 1939 movie and is is wonderfully illustrated with stills from the movie. My family has practically worn out this oversized book and we need another! My husband recently witnessed my daughter's new boyfriend reading along as they watched the movie because he knew we were just fans and he had better catch up! Our families favorite book!

Here's a trivia question for you. When Dorothy killed the Wicked Witch of the West by dropping her house on the witch, was the witch wearing (a) ruby slippers? (b) silver shoes? (c) both?

If you answered "both," you have the correct answer. L. Frank Baum's original story (found in this book) has magical silver shoes in it. The movie version of the story, starring Judy Garland as Dorothy, had ruby slippers. Why the change? Well, ruby slippers film much better. So the Wicked Witch of the West wore both types of footwear, depending on whether you are reading the book or watching the movie.

I share that example with you because 9 people out of 10 have seen the movie, but never read the book. When I was a wee lad, I started in the opposite direction and was sorry to see how much of the Oz story was left out in the movie.

Now, you can make up for lost time by reading or rereading the original. I commend it to you for three primary reasons. First, the book version is built around the idea that the different parts of Oz cannot be easily traversed and the ensuing travel complications make for a better plot. Second, there are many more types of imaginative creatures in the book than in the movie. Third, the book has been lovingly enhanced by new illustrations done in turn of the 20th century style by Michael Hague. The illustrations encompass styles from immediately post van Gogh (yes, there are sunflowers) through Art Deco. I especially liked the water colors of gloomy and darkening skies.

If you are like me, you will chortle when you read L. Frank Baum's comment in the beginning that the story was "written solely to please children . . . a modernized fairy tale, in which the wonderment and joy are retained . . ." while the scary parts are left out. If you remember frightening moments, you are thinking about the movie. The book is much more gentle, which makes it more suitable for the youngsters. Yes, there are frightening villains, but they are quickly dispatched rather than being allowed to hang around to menace and frighten children just before bedtime. Still, children must have been braver in those days. This story is still scary enough for most to feel a deathly chill now and then.

Many of the ambiguities and confusing aspects of the movie are clearer and less disconcerting in the book, as well.

I won't go into a fine comparison of the two, because that will just spoil the plot for you. Do let me mention a few chapters that you will not recognize from the movie . . . just to whet your appetite for the book -- Away to the South, Attacked by the Fighting Trees, The Dainty China Country, and The Country of the Quadlings.

After you have finished enjoying the wonderful story and new illustrations, think about some of the lessons of the book. Notice that by teaming up, Dorothy and her friends could combine strengths to overcome individual weaknesses. This is the ultimate group of superheroes. How can you combine your talents with others so that all of you combined can accomplish vastly more than any one of you can individually?

Stay on the Yellow Brick Road with effective allies!

In contrast to some of the other editions of the complete works of Shakespeare, this book really is value for money. All plays (and poems, etcetera) are printed in a lavishly, pleasing way, very easy to the eye (one of the biggest drawbacks of some editions is that they use a very small font to keep the number of pages to a minimum). As others have commented, not much can and should be commented on the works themselves, they have stood the test of time, and the (normal) spelling that is used in this edition makes each reading an enjoyable experience. All the plays are given a brief (and somewhat succinct) introduction, which is, at best, okay. The strange things, in this book, are, for example, the order of the plays, the way King Lear is printed in two versions (that differ only in small details), and the inclusion of fragments that are attributed to Shakespeare (a bit controversial to say the least). Still, if you want to buy a good, thorough, and well-researched edition of the complete works of Shakespeare, you will not go far wrong with this book.

Pretty much any edition of Shakespeare deserves 5 stars for content. I think the question most people must have is "Which edition?"

I purchased "The Complete Pelican Shakespeare" because I wanted a relatively portable, high-quality book featuring text that benefits from modern scholarship (including brief notes and glossary). I wanted an edition to read and to treasure.

I should say that I didn't need extensive commentary with the text (as in the Arden paperbacks). That bulks it up considerably, can be had in other places, and can be left behind once one has read a play once or twice.

While I'm no Shakespearean scholar myself, this edition seems to meet the editorial criteria quite well. The text appears to benefit from modern, authoritative editorship, the introductions are brief but useful, and archaic terms and phrases are defined on the page where they occur.

The binding is high quality, as is the paper.

This is the most portable of the modern hard-cover editions I've found, with the possible exception of the Oxford edition, which is thicker, but smaller in the other two dimensions. I decided against the Oxford because the binding is of lesser quality and Oxford has a relatively idiosyncratic editorial policy with which I don't entirely agree.

Sadly, this is still a pretty big book, just small enough for a good-sized person to hold up and read in bed, and too much for an airplane or trip to the park. I wish someone would make a truly portable version! There is no reason that the entire thing couldn't be compressed into the space of a smallish bible (for those with the eyes for it!).

This weighty tome brings together authoritative versions of the complete works of Shakespeare. The excellent and informative introduction provides the historical context for the plays, the author and the folios. It also explains well how the plays tended to evolve with re-writes and performances. I have not read all of the plays and sonnets, but of the Shakespeare works Henry V and Hamlet, for example, provide high drama with stories that are compelling and language that is unique, beautiful and powerful. While the Taming of the Shrew and a Midsummers Night Dream provide humor, and other plays provide tragedy and pathos. A thousand phrases from these great plays and sonnets have probably carried into modern usuage. Shakespeare is best enjoyed first as a play by fine actors, such as those of the Royal Shakespeare company, that can give life to the often archaic and unfamiliar words, phrases and language constructs that come late 1500s. Once you have been captivated by a good live performance, reading the text becomes a joy and the strange language an exquisit pleasure. Some movies based on Shakespeare are more interesting than others (Kenneth Branagh has been quite successful, while Mel Gibson and Sir Lawrence Olivier were less so to my mind) but a live theater performance is far better and the written word is probably a close second. If you are interested in Shakespeare then this is a wonderful book - the only one you need really. If you have children then you really should get this and encourage them to read it. I have started reading selected passages with my 5 year old son and he loves it, he is absolutely enthralled with the language -- be bold, try it.

I find this book very helpful in supplimenting the REALY economics I learn in class. The book uses superfluous language to describe simple mathematical concepts. The book is adequate for a high school class, but no serious Econ student.

Fantastic book !!!!
Really a fun to read because it contains so many real-case examples. I graduated in math and read this book just for my personal interest. I wanted a book on economics that explained all the basic stuff, but at a level that was deep enough to challenge me. And this book gave me what I wanted : I started reading it and couldn 't stop until the end.
A reviewer had the remark that there was a lack of mathematics. It is true that really advanced math is avoided, however that does not make the text less rigorous beause all the concepts are cleary explained by using graphs and very basic algebra.
(If this book was about advanced abstract math itself, I would agree that graphs is not a rigorous way to proof things, but this is a book on economics, though, and it goes rather deep for a basic course)
And if you like more math (as I do in fact), you can easily derive the mathematical explanations straight away from the very clearly written text. What is more important however is the fact that this book really learns you how to think like an economist.

I also very much like the editing style, repeated definitions in the left and right marging, a lot of illustrations, a lot of interesting real life case studies, enough space on each page to make your personal annotations... I wish every textbook was like this ...

I am very glad that this author succeeds to explain clearly with enough rigor the basic principles of economics.

thanks.

This is one of the only texts that uses the inflation rate on the vertical axis of the As-Ad diagram. This is a more modern approach to these curves than the standard approach which
places price level on the vertical axis. Professor Taylor explains Economics in a very clear and interesting way.
It's definitely one of the best Principles books on the market.

Great photography and sculptures, but the writing style is fool's gold. Too expensive as well, even with the Amazon reduction. It's great but not that great.

as good as the book is, i must say that it pales in comparison to seeing his work in person. i saw some of it at the renwick gallery in washington d.c. and it's just incredible. he's come out of his shell in the last few years but has been producing great stuff for a long time.

nevertheless, the book is worth it. but if you ever get the chance to see his work, by all means do so. there was an interesting piece on him by the "sunday morning" cbs news show. you may be able to get a tape of it from them.

As a professor of Art History at an Afghani University, I would like to congratulate, extol, and exult Daniel Brush's masterpiece of a monograph. Its insight and vivid explanations are invaluable and I am discussing with my colleagues about including it as an elective course for my students. Its sheer brilliance exemplifies its utter domination over any other art book. Congratulations to Daniel Brush for enhancing the art world. He will surely go down in history as the pioneer of gold sculpting and as example for all.

By the time I received this book, I had already done all my research from the internet. This book is really very basic. It's helpful for the ULTIMATE beginner to homeschooling. But for anyone who knows anything beyond the mere basics, I wouldn't really recommend it.

One useful occupier of my homeschooling resource bookshelf.

Upside: Explains briefly for those who can't take a lot of time the whys and wherefores of homeschooling. Finding the right philisophy and approach(es) to use, how to locate support groups and resources, it's all there. Not preachy, academic or laden down with long-winded interviews or religious baggage.

Downside: Some illustrations and one recurring character logo in particular are a bit off-putting. Nonwhite people are drawn with wierd slash-penstroke skin shading, and the cartoonish faces often seem exaggerated and inappropriate. This guide may be aimed (tongue-in-cheek) at "Complete Idiots", but I found the presentation to grow tiresome, bordering on annoying.

IMO the subject, homeschooling, needs to be treated a little more respectfully. One hopes that the cartoons and flash of the "Complete Idiots" format might be toned down in subsequent editions, and that the publishers would find another illustrator and/or editor.

That said, this is a good, accessible resource for prospective homeschooling parents.

I am just starting my learning adventure with homeschooling and this book has really helped with my confidence and understanding. It is very detail on the different learning styles, and "teaching" styles. I would recommend this book to any one who mentioned homeschooling, whether just starting out or beginning to "burnout" this book can be of great help.

Perhaps the spookiest "prediction" of McPhee's book is the discussion about how to flatten the twin towers of New York's World Trade Center (WTC) with a small atomic device. This is the first reference, fact or fiction--as far as I can find--that mentions the two 110-story towers as a possible terrorist target. Ironic, eh? All the more ironic, because all it took were two suicide jets to do the job--no atomic explosive needed. But you can't help but wonder if the terrorists of Sept. 11, 2001 (and the first WTC bombing planners) were inspired by this book. In which case, the author must be haunted by the fact that he may have started a "chain reaction" of idea events which led to a prophesy fullfilled?

A slightly over-scientific profile of Ted Taylor, a wunderkind physicist who started out at the Manhattan Project, got interested in nuclear-fueled space travel, and ended up obsessed with the idea that atom bombs wouldn't be that difficult for a terrorist to produce. Often repetitive and lacking a clear organizing structure, it's not one of McPhee's highlights (like Levels of the Game, Encounters with Archdruid, etc.). Certainly weighty subject matter, but seems quaint when, 20 years after the fact, the ominous portents have come to nothing in particular.

One of the best and brightest, through Mr. McPhee's able penmanship, Mr. Taylor gives a guided tour of the (then) current state-of-the-art. Chock full of facts, figures and references, all verifiable. With the current glut of so-called 'expert' writers in this field, this book is one of the better uses of a tree on this subject ;O). I guarantee that any person interested in the nuclear weapons stockpile-to-target sequence will find the book an EXCELLENT buy.