My sister and I formed all our mental images of fairies and elves from this marvelously enchanting book. Our mother gave us the 1951 edition, which we treasured throughout our childhood. My sister has the original, and I was prepared for a lengthy search of used bookstores. But, lo and behold, Amazon had the reissued edition at a discount! Once again I'll be able to read about the magic scarves and mourn the Fairy Queen, whose body lies in the stream. Garth Williams drew pictures that emblazon themselves in the minds of children, who forever after remember the magic of the things unseen and unbelieved by most adults. The stories cultivate the imagination and expand the conscience. This is one book that no child should ever miss and one that no adult should ever forget.

I received this wonderful Elf and Fairy book from my parents when I was 5 and visiting relatives in Phadelphia for Christmas. My Dad read me the stories each night and I was enchanted with the illustrations and the sly humor (and messages) of the wee folk. (Jane Werner's selection of stories and poems was perfectly balanced.) My 1951 edition is also well worn and both covers missing but it is still a treasured childhood friend. I was showing it to a coworker (mentioning sadly that it was out of print) and he said - Are you sure? Try Amazon.com. and then came my Magical Moment - the title appeared and I was thrilled beyond words! My advice: Buy 1 to read, several to give to friends, and one to keep under glass (just in case). I only wish Garth Williams was still with us to see his luminous, enchanting artwork alive and dancing in the imaginations of new generations of children, and the young in heart. Thank you so much, Little Golden Book publishers for the reprinting and cudos to Amazon.com for the price discount. Happy Holidays!

I've held my childhood memories of the illustrations from this beautiful book for years, and I've periodically searched for another copy. I was thrilled to see it re-issued, and prayed that the illustrations hadn't been "modernized". What a thrill when it arrived! My five year old daughter is as entranced with it as I was at her age, and will ask to replace her night-time tv program with the "magic fairy book". The stories are somewhat long for small children, but they hold the attention of my daughter very well. When we've finished reading, we keep the book open to look at the beautiful illustrations. Every picture in my mind of "Elves or Fairies" is drawn from this book, and there isn't a better place to find them.

Stephen Hawking is one of if not the most prominent physicist on the planet today, and works like A Brief History of Time make it easy to see why. Hawking knows just about everything about modern physics, hence the lofty title. From time travel to black holes to general relativity, quantum mechanics and even string theory, he never fails to captivate and galvanize.

The strongest sections in the book are probably those on black holes and time travel, so if you are interested in either of those areas, you would be doing yourself a favor by buying it. The whole book is highly stimulating, though, so even just a casual interest in science would be well-fed by any chapter. In fact, for those of you who are only mildly involved with or intrigued by modern scientific theories, A Brief History of Time just might push you over the edge and make a fanatic out of you.

With the addition of literally dozens of illustrations per chapter, Hawking has made his book extremely readable and colorful, both comprehensive and comprehendable. Yet there are some topics covered inside that are simply too complicated for many people to understand. How black holes can emit radiation even though nothing can escape their surfaces is discussed, for example. (The answer: a particle and its antimatter counterpart can, according to quantum physics, spontaneously emerge out of nothingness very near to the black hole's event horizon--anywhere else they would collide and erupt into pure energy, but near the event horizon one is sucked into the black hole and the other escapes. In this sense black holes are like "matter factories", causing new matter to enter the universe out of nowhere. Pretty weird and confusing stuff.)

The only other quibble I have with this book is that it is too short! That just attests to the quality of the book, though. It was a very worthwhile read for me; it will be for you, too.

Stephen Hawking is an established scientific genius, but this book establishes him as a brilliant writer - an extremely rare, yet valuable combination. A point he brings to attention is that it had been possible for the philosophers of ancient times to master practically all the knowledge of academia. Today, however, only a handful of extremely specialized scientists understand the latest ideas in their fields. While men of ancient times could easily understand the latest scientific ideas, people today are lost. Enter "A Brief History of Time." This book helps fill in that gap between an average person's understanding and the highly specialized scientists' knowledge.

This book covers ideas that are profound and affect everyone. It explains theories that concern the creation of the universe, time travel, light-speed travel, and many more topics. Imagine actually having some grasp of Einstein's general relativity. Ever heard of string theory? How might time travel actually be possible? What are these black holes of which I've heard? This book packs an incredible amount of information into its 248 pages, yet somehow is still easily read - this is the true marvel of this book.

The illustrated version is worth the extra money. It contains many updates and additions throughout the book by Hawking (including the time travel chapter!). Every (and I mean every) concept throughout the book is accompanied by at least one illustration - think about it: 240 color illustrations with only 248 pages!

Towards the middle of the book, some of the concepts get more complex (when he really gets into the details of sub-atomic particles). However, as a recent high school graduate, I can say with some level of certainty that the average person can understand 90% of this book - and those parts are the most interesting! It will change the way you look at the universe.

Stephen Hawking's, who is considered by many to be the most brilliant theoretical physicist since Albert Eistein, presents the material from his bestselling work "A Brief History of Time" in a format that non-brilliant people can easily comprehend. Hawking's says that just flipping through the book and looking at the pictures will help anyone to grasp many of the fundamental concepts of physics. This is a testament to the wonderful illustrations and diagrams throughout the book that truly help the reader understand the principles outlined. But I would strongly recommend that everyone read this book in its entirety, as it is an important work that will most likely influence one's thinking about the universe. The beginning of the book is spent outlining the ideas and people that have brought the science theories to where they are today. Material includes information on the theories of gravity, mechanics, relativity. Next, Hawking spends time discussing black holes and the big bang theory. I found both of these chapters fascinating and very easy to understand. The chapter about the big bang, entitled "The Origin and Fate of the Universe," really supported my belief that God created the universe, i.e. "In the beginning..." From the start, Hawking explains that all of science is merely theory and cannot be proven. This has as of late been my problem with science; how do we actually know anything that happened in the past when we can't and never will be able to observe it? Towards the end of the book I found Hawking's "theories" farfetched and unbelievable, although they were interesting. The information on wormholes and time travel seemed absurd to me -- how can time travel be possible when it is impossible to travel at speeds faster than light? Wormholes are not a reasonable explanation. Hawking's suggestion of a ten-dimensional world also went a little beyond science. In any event, these chapters did not take away from the book.
An interesting added feature of the book outlines the personal lives of three great scientists -- Einstein, Galileo, and Newton. I found this short section very insightful.
Throughout, Hawking weaves the concept of the quest for the "unification of physics," or combining the theory of relativity with the theory of quantum mechanics. Hawking's closing words in my opinion imply how futile our attempts to fully understand the world we live in are. "If we find the answer to [the unification of physics,] it would be the ultimate triumph of human reason -- for then we would know the mind of God." Perhaps this is the strongest message Hawking delivers, and ironically it has nothing to do with science, rather the vast greatness of God.

Max Lucado has a knack for explaining the Word of God in such a way that anyone can understand it. People who find C.S. Lewis or Karl Barth a little hard to swallow, love the theology of Lucado simply because they can understand it. Once again, The Grip of Grace proves that Lucado is truly in touch with the human nature of today.

Romans is a tough book for any theologian, pastor or Christian to completely grasp. But Lucado, using the illustrations and stories for which is is known, sheds light on the wonderful, unexplainable gift of God's grace. Unlike his previous works of When God Whispers Your Name, or God Came Near, he refuses to remain content at the surface, and digs deeper into a subject that touches us all--our faults, and how God sees them.

In the introduction, he talks about his own attempt to please God with his righteousness, and how he failed. Suddenly we self-righteously think to ourselves, "Yeah, well, maybe Max does that, but I don't." Then to put us in our places, he give gives us four choices of who we are--three of which live by the concept of "doing great things will please God", and one of which simply lives by grace. Then were are forced to sit back in our chairs, cry (as I did) and admit to ourselves that we do try to live by works, and that falls seriously short of what God wants for us. As we begin the book with our shoulders down, our faults on our mind, Lucado emerges triumphant, showing us that our imperfection matter very little to God, because His grace covers it all.

In a society that says, "good deeds make good people" Lucado puts us in our place and says, "only God can make you good." This is a truly great book by an obviously great man, a man who lives by grace.

God died for us all and by His Grace we are saved.

This is one of the best books that I've read by Mr. Lucado and is based on the book of Romans. Mr. Lucado is knowledgeable and such an excellent teacher, I try to share most of his books with my friends.

In The Grip Of Grace, he reminds us of the extent of God's love towards us. The extent that God will go to, proving his love for us. No psychologist, hypnotherapist, doctor, sweet talker can reach deep down into the pits of our souls and renew us with that sweet and wonderful gift of Grace. This gift that God so willingly offers to this suffering world as we reach out to him burdened with sin.

Thank you Mr. Lucado, this book has changed my way of thinking and it will certainly be read by lots of my friends.

reviewed by Heather Marshall.

This is the first Max Lucado book I have read. It won't be the last. The parable he tells at the beginning was so good, I made my friends read it. They all enjoyed it too. Max runs through the book of Romans to tell of the Grace of God as he refers back to the beginning parable. There are also other relative stories he tells to add color to this book. He teaches in a way that grips the reader like it's a mystery novel or something. I'd recommend it to everyone interested in God's love, mercy and grace. Good for evangalizing, too.

Dunham has done an excellent job of taking us through the history of mathematics providing a context with the civilization of the time. He shapes his production around what he considers to be the great theorems of mathematics. The order of presentation is chronological. Early on we see great admiration for Euclid and his "Elements" as two of Euclid's theorems appear on the list, a proof of the Pythagorean theorem and the proof that there are infinitely many primes. Euler and Cantor are also honored with two theorems included among the collection. However there is more to Dunham's presentation than just the proofs. We find other related results by these masters and other great mathematicians that were their contemporaries. He shows reverence for Newton. Gauss and Weierstrass and others are mentioned but none of their theorems are highlighted. It is not his intention to slight these great mathematicians. Rather, Dunham's criteria seems to be to present the theorems that have simple and elegant proofs but often surprising results. His coverage of Cantor is particularly good. It seems that he is most knowledgeable about Cantor's mathematics of transfinite numbers and the related axiomatic set theory.

For a detailed description of the chpaters in this work, look at the detailed review by Shard here at Amazon. I found this book well written and authoritative and learned a few things about Euler and number theory that I hadn't known from my undergraduate and graduate training in mathematics. Yet I did not give the book five stars.

There are a couple of omissions that I find reduce it to a four star rating. My main objection is the slighting of Evariste Galois. Galois was the great French mathematician who died in a duel at the early age of 21 in the year 1832. Yet, in his short life he developed a theory of abstract algebra seemingly unrelated to the great unsolved questions about constructions with straight edge and compass due to the Greeks and yet his theory resolved many of these questions. I was very impressed in graduate school when I learned the Galois theory and came to realize that problems such as a solution to the general 5th degree equation by radicals and the trisection of an arbitrary angle with straight edge and compass were impossible.

Now, Galois theory is certainly beyond the scope of this book but so is non-Euclidean geometry and aspects of number theory and set theory that Dunham chooses to mention. He spends a great deal of time on Euclid's work and the various possible constructions with straight edge and compass. Also, in the chapter on Cardano's proof of the general solution to the cubic, he also presents the solution to the quartic and refers to Abel's result on the impossibility of the general solution to the quintic equation. This would have been the perfect place to introduce Galois who independently and at the same time in history proved the impossibility of solving the general quintic equation by radicals. Oddly Galois is never once mentioned in the entire book.

In discussing number theory and Euler's contributions, the theorems and conjectures of Fermat are mentioned. This book was written in 1991 and it presents Fermat's last theorem as an unproven conjecture. Andrew Wiles presented a proof of Fermat's last theorem to the mathematical community in 1993 and after some needed patchwork to the proof, it is now agreed that Fermat's last theorem is true. There are a number of books written on Fermat's last theorem including an excellent book by Simon Singh. It seems that Dunham's book is popular and has been reprinted at least 10 times since the original printing in 1991. It would have been appropriate to modify the discussion of Fermat's last theorem in one of these reprintings.

William Dunham has brought life to a subject that almost everyone considers dull, boring and dead. Dunham investigates and explains, in easy-to-understand language and simple algebra, some of the most famous theorems of mathematics. But what sets this book apart is his descriptions of the mathemeticians themselves, and their lives. It becomes easier to understand their thinking process, and thus to understand their theorems.
I am a layman with a computer science degree, and a layman's understanding of mathematics, so I am no expert! But I loved this book.
I found Dunham's description of Archimedes' life and his reasoning for finding the area of a circle and volume of a cylinder to be (almost!) riveting.
Dunham's decription of Cantor and his reasoning regarding the cardinality of infinite sets was fascinating to me. But most of all, I loved his chapter on Leonhard Euler. Having in high school been fascinated by Euler's derivation of e^(i*PI) = -1, I was even more amazed at the scope of this man's genius, and Dunham's description of his life.
The chapter on Isaac Newton is an especially good one as well.
Dunham smartly weaves these important theorems of mathematics into the history of mathematics, making this book even more understandable, and, dare I say it, actually entertaining!
This book is a gem, and for anyone interested in mathematics, it is not to be missed.

There is a reason all the reviewers for this book have given it 5 stars. It is simply a wonderful book.

This is the kind of book that would make almost anybody learn to love mathematics. Although I myself have always liked mathematics, I can heartily recommend this book to anybody with just a passing interest in the subject.

Some of the theorems that are discussed could be somewhat involved. However, those who are not interested in the details can skip them without compromising their enjoyment of the book. William Dunham seamlessly weaves a story of these wonderful mathematical geniuses, the times they lived in, their motivations and last but not least, their theorems. A great mathematical epic unfolds as you move from one era to another and from one genius to another. The author's love for the subject is obvious and a lot of it is bound to rub off on you too.

Recommended without reservations.

I discovered this book 31 years ago, for my daughter and it is still loved by all the family. The illustrations are wonderful, warm, charming and delightful and bring a special meaning to the story. We still read it to all the young children on Christmas Eve and for adults we read the story and pass a grab bag gift every time the word THE is mentioned. It would not be Christmas without this book. It is magical.

We have an inexpensive paperback version (see our reviews) of this classic poem, and we said that's enough for us. That was before we looked through this beautifully illustrated (by Bruce Whatley) edition of The Night Before Christmas.

The lyrics are the same, from book to book, but the fanciful illustrations in this one are enough to engage adults and children as they read this book together.

The perfect gift for any family whose Christmas tradition includes reading this classic!

This beautiful book was in my family as a hard cover edition for many years and was a Christmas Eve tradition for my four sons when they were growing up. It's poor battered body disappeared some time after the last of my little ones went off into the adult world. I am so delighted to see it back again, though this time as a nicely affordable soft cover. Clement C. Moore's enchanting story poem already provides an atmosphere filled with warmth and joyful expectation and with the addition of Tasha Tudor's quaint, nostalgic water-colors from an antique New England the Christmas magic is complete!
The winter landscapes fill our senses and Tasha's own gray tabby cat and Welsh Corgi welcome us into this charming world.
Tasha's Santa that you will meet in this book has been portrayed as the poem describes him...a right jolly old elf. He's not that much larger than the corgi and his team really consists of eight "tiny" reindeer. His pointy ears and his Eskimo mukluks add to the delightful ambiance of the book. He dances with the toys and with the happy animals and we can truly believe it will be a happy Christmas for all.
I hope this book becomes a Christmas Eve tradition for many, many more families.

VROOM VROOM! Went a little motorcycle going down a hotel floor. If you like adventure stories then Mouse on the Motorcycle is the book for you! This book is about a little boy who goes to a hotel. And he happens to stay in a room where a little mouse and his family live. Keith, the little boy, and the mouse Ralph became great friends. Keith collects little toy cars and Ralph loves to ride them.
He has a lot of adventures on them. Ralph finds the motorcycle and during the night drives it down the hallway and has the time of his life! When Keith and his family leave the hotel, Keith asks Ralph to go home with him. Should Ralph go with Keith to be his pet, or should he stay with his family? You have to find out by reading the book.

I believe that Beverly Cleary is the world's most important children's author. Even adults will read and enjoy Beverly Cleary's books. my personal favorite is The Mouse and the Motorcycle. It is about a mouse named Ralph. Ralph is a regular speed demon. He has a love for the thrill of speed. The Mouse and the Motorcycle teaches the values of keeping promises and honesty. Ralph is always breaking promises. Everytime he does, something happens that causes a big problem. The book teaches respect. When Ralph ignores his mother, something happens like falling in a wastepaper basket. In the story's conclusion, Ralph realizes all he wants is to be a respectable mouse. The Mouse and the Motorcycle is enjoyable for all audiences. Its fun and exciting plot makes it a good read-aloud story. A good example of this can be found on page 23. "There it was at the end-the motorcycle! Ralph stared at it and then walked over and kicked a tire. Close up the motorcycle looked even better than he expected. it was new and shiny with a good pair of tires. Ralph walked all the way around it, examining the pair of chromium mufflers and the engine and the hand clutch. It even had a little license plate so it would be legal to ride it. "Boy!" Ralph said to himself, his whiskers quivering with excitement. "Boy, oh Boy!"." Every boy and girl of any age would love this story! Comparing Beverly Cleary's books, I have discovered they should be rated first. The majority of children's books are aimed mainly to young girls while Beverly Cleary's books are enjoyed by girls and boys. Beverly Cleary's books promote good values unlike books such as Sideways Storys from Wayside School by Louis Sachar. The children in these stories do not respect their elders. Beverly Cleary's beleivable characters make her silly plots seem real. Louis Sachar's characters are not believable which make the plot just plain weird. The Mouse and the Motorcycle should be considered a children's classic.

Beverly Cleary's books have entertained kids for nearly 50 years, and this wonderful introduction to Ralph S. Mouse is no exception. Ralph is a young mouse living between the walls of the Mountain View Inn. He and his family always depend on the crumps of food that are dropped by the vacationers who stay at the Inn. It is critical that they remain hidden from human eyes lest the hotel sprays the Inn. One summer day, Ralph hears a boy making the sounds that all young children make when playing with toy motorcycles, so Ralph stealthily investigates the cycle when it's owner, Keith, is out of the room. When Keith discovers Ralph on the motorcycle, he makes a new friend by showing Ralph how to get the contraption to "go." "Pb-pb-b-b-b," goes Ralph, and away he goes on the "motorized" motorcycle, finding the freedom he has always yearned for in his young life. Now Ralph has endless opportunities for adventure, sometimes fun, sometimes scary, but always exciting. This is a special book. Kids adore it, and adults frequently love this journey back into childhood fantasy. I know I do!

I found this book very positive and helpful, much like "How to Talk so your Kids will Listen and listen so Kids will Talk". It teaches a balanced parenting approach, which is neither permissive/democratic or autocratic. The author shows parents how to take charge and provide the consistant structure that children need with confidence. Countless examples are used throughout the book.

Many different skills are explained, teaching parents the difference between discipline and punishment. Listed to are the many disadvantages and counter productive negative effects of spanking.

There is good advice for nurturing sibling relationships, understanding and coping with anger, and how important it is for parents to look after themselves as well. The last part of the book is devoted to providing ideas for dealing with all the common discipline situations such as homework, bedtime, mornings, interrupting, meal times, tantrums etc..
I have recently read Elizabeth Pantley's book on sleep, "The No-Cry Sleep Solution" which is also a wonderful book.

I would also hightly recommend reading "Setting Limits: How to Raise Responsible, Independent, Children by Providing Clear Boundaries" by Robert J MacKenzie.

Wow! Finally a book that really helps with you understand and manage your relationships with your children, the children in your care, or even your spouse or significant other!

The solutions given were practical and realistic, including common sense things we adults need to be reminded of from time to time. The examples of actual situations and the way real people have handled them effectively was particularly helpful. The end of chapter summaries were a good way to reinforce the key points contained within the chapter, very useful for readers like myself who cannot always read a chapter from start to finish uninterrupted.Most importantly, when reading KID Cooperation you realize you aren't alone, that your children and your family are not unique and many of us share common challenges in child rearing.. KID Cooperation is actually a page turner (no kidding) just because it is so easy to digest.

The minute I saw this book on the shelf I had to have it. I wanted to stop yelling, nagging, pleading and get my kids to cooperate. Who wouldn't? I have three children and have been using the many ideas in this book since I purchased it a year and a half ago. Each time I read it - either cover to cover or just glancing over the great reminder pages - I gain more useful ideas to help me be a successful parent. As my children enter new stages in their life and new parenting challenges are faced, I have the confidence to tackle them head-on by using the techniques that I have learned in this book. I have recommended Kid Cooperation to all my friends and I highly recommend it to you as well. I can't imagine what my family life would be like if it wasn't for this first rate parenting book. It is a must have for every parent.

Sex, Dead Dogs, and Me - The Juliette Journals, published by Abique Books, and written by Ed Williams a.k.a. Balboa (online) is a good ole boy read reminiscent of Lewis Grizzard's down home stories. Add his book to your list of "must haves!" You'll laugh at the chapter about his vasectomy. (Not usually a hilarious incident, is it?) You'll savor his love for his family and come away impressed by the values he holds dear. Plus, you'll learn all about the Brotherhood - and why the members of B.T.O. were destined to become full-fledged members. Some of you may recall that Juliette, Georgia is the setting for Fanny Flagg's Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe. Ed Williams puts that town on the map again. Sex, Dead Dogs, and Me - The Juliette Journals has lots of the same Southern charm, with his own special mixture of warmth and humor added as well.

This book was as a gift from the most beautiful lady in Alabama and I want to thank her. This book was a great pressure reliever. I have not laughed so hard in a long time--actually brought tears to my eyes--it was GREAT!! Each Chapter is it's own little short story. My favorites were Stink Perfume, The Vapors, The Brotherhood, and Porno Movies. The way Ed tells each story puts you right there it is so easy to visualize the situation you are laughing right along with him. I actually felt like I was right there participating in the particle jokes. As a matter of fact the experiences Ed writes about are similar situation I've experienced. I found myself recalling some of my own similar experiences that added to my laughter. You don't have to be from Georgia to appreciate this book. Although Ed writes about things that happened to Ed in a small Georgia town but no matter where you live you can relate because of similar experiences. This is a very entertaining book to read. You too will find yourself laughing resulting in tears forming in your eyes too. Again thanks for the gift I love it!!

You've got to read this book!! The author is as genuine and down-home as it gets...what a wonderful, unique kind of reading. It's really unusual and for all ages, teens and up. The realistic humor and real-life situations are second to none! I feel like I know the "brotherhood" after reading this adventurous and hilarious book. Would love to hear MORE from the author, Ed Williams. What a masterpiece!!! A MUST READ!! I enjoyed it very much!!

Earthquake by Francine Pascal is at times touching but overall a very excellent book. As the story starts out, Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield, the twin sisters in Sweet Valley, are having their 17th birthday party. They live in California, along a fault line, and their town is prone to earthquakes. During their party, a devestating earthquake shatters their celebration. They have to look through the rubble of their once standing home to try and find their friends. But who out of their friends survive? Read Earthquake and find out!

I would recommend this book to mainly teens who enjoy drama and love/relationships.

I really likek these book. I feel soo bad for KEn, Losing Olivia adn being mad at her in the 1st book about the protrait. I would hate to be Jess,havign to hear Alyssa's last scream, that painful scream. And alyssa's brother being angry at her for not being alble to save her. I was worried for Todd and Lila. It was sad

Earthquake is one of the best books I've read. The town of Sweet Valley is always perfect and sunny, where even the street gutters are clean enough to eat from. The biggest worry is what to wear and who will be the next date-- for the most part.
Here is where everything changes. Finally something REALLY BAD happens in Sweet Valley-- and considering this place is in California, you wonder why it doesn't come sooner. This is a VERY exciting and suspenseful book. I heard it described by another SV reader that these are the last books published in the classic SVH series before moving on to the newly published series (obviously trying to get new blood with) Junior High, Senior Year, and University series.

There is only one problem I have with this book-- and it's not really this one, it's with SVU. This book is very tightly written and a suspenseful read. However-- nearly everyone knows that the series creator, Francine Pascal, does not take an active part in writing the current SV books. They are passed off to other writers to continue the saga. Normally the "passing of the torch" is done very well (ie the Nancy Drew saga) and for the most part in SV it works. I think the books in the latter half of the SVH are much, much better done with better plotlines than the first books of the series.
I think it would be great if these other writers would at least TAKE A GLANCE at the books written previously, and from different series to prevent timeline mistakes. Especially whoever has been writing the SVU series.
Spoiler Alert: Olivia Davidson dies in SVH Earthquake. In theory SVH takes place during the twins' junior year in high school. (However this junior year has multiple spring breaks, christmas trips, etc.) Then comes SV University. I dislike that series for a few reasons, one of which I'll mention here. I was at the bookstore reading through the SVU where they go back to Sweet Valley for Christmas break and have a high school reunion-- I think the title is Home for Christmas. And in this book, it clearly shows Olivia Davidson, somehow back from the dead, eager to see her old friends! She has several lines of dialogue and then leaves. THIS book is not the one I have a problem with-- I'm just kind of irritated that whoever has the SV torch isn't keeping in touch with what is happening to all the characters. The University book where this happens isn't on this site, so I had to list it here. But SVH Earthquake gets 5 stars all the same.

Anyone fortunate enough to read the first few chapters of this terrific work by William Manchester will no longer wonder why he is considered one of the finest historians writing about the 20th century. From the opening description of the tensions in Washington in the early 1930s with the conflict over the so-called "bonus marchers" to the ending essay on the removal of Richard Nixon from the Presidency in disgrace in 1974, there simply isn't a dull page in the book. As for anyone who hasn't experienced this author and his superb prose style, there is no time to waste!

This truly is a masterful and magisterial historical narrative of the period of time from the onset of the Depression to the climax of the Watergate scandal; all the color and detail one would want from a work purporting to cover such a momentous time span in our recent national melodrama is here in spades. His prose style is at once both erudite and immensely readable, and he always seems conversational even when discussing matters that are delicate or controversial. Whether discussing the momentous details of FDR's "New Deal", the daring and cunning of the Japanese in carrying out the attack on Pearl Harbor, the sad and sorrowful political potshots taken by scurrilous swine like Joe McCarthy during the House Un-American Activities Committee or the quizzically vengeful approach taken by insiders during the Nixon years, Manchester consistently steers us knowingly and safely through the rocks and shoals of domestic history, avoiding veering into the controversial reefs and coral that can rip us to shreds with partisan political revisionism and politically-correct views.

As he does in other books such as "American Caesar" and "The Death Of A President", Manchester always satisfies the reader's curiosity without being salacious, gossipy, or unfair. He takes great pains to be objective and as thorough as possible, and the sources he cites are always impeccable. If I have any criticism of the book at all, it relates to its long length, as I read the two-volume hard cover version a friend gave me as a birthday present. It is really a small quibble, however, for though it was along read I came away from the several week reading adventure feeling much better informed, and with a much better perspective on many of the troubling issues that have transpired in the fabled years since the Depression. I heartily recommend this book, but advise you to find yourself a comfortable armchair to escape to with book in hand. You are going to want to devour it. Enjoy!

The Glory and the Dream

William Manchester's The Glory and the Dream, paints
a vivid and detailed picture of America from 1932 to
1972. It begins at the height of the Great Depression,
and tells of the New Deal, the events leading to
America's entry into World War II, the prosperity of
the late 40s and 50s, and the militancy of the 60s and
early 70s. The book ends with the growing distrust of
the nation surrounding the Watergate scandal. In his
decription of these forty years, before and after
World War II, Manchester shows how America has reveled
in its glory as the most powerful nation in the world,
yet continues to dream for new heights of power. The
Glory and the Dream is an excellent book, because the
author is able to make many of the characters and
emotions of the time come to life, in his detailed and
engaging style. However, I personally believe that the
author treats some of major figures of the time too
harshly.
Manchester is able to make his characters come to
life through effective use of quotes and actions,
which describe the feelings and concerns those people
had. The desperation and general sadness of the Great
Depression is shown in the lyrics of a song by Rudy
Valee.
They used to tell me I was building a dream
And so I followed the mob.
When there was earth to plough or guns to bear
I was always there right on the job

Once I built a railroad, made it run
made it race against time.
Once I built a railroad, now it's done.
Brother, can you spare a dime?
At that same period, the shame of Americans is shown
in this observation from the Governor's mansion in
Albany at a time Franklin Roosevelt was still
governor, "Professor Rexford Tugwell of Columbia, a
house guest, was summoned to the master bedroom, where
his host lay surrounded by clouds of newsprint. As
Tugwell entered, Governor Roosevelt covered
photographs of the violence against the Bonus Army by
the American army with his hands, as though in shame
for his country."
The author shows that at the same time the American
people felt shame and sadness, there was also a
growing sense of resolve that something should be done
to alleviate the poverty that many Americans were
facing. A quote full of this growing resolve and
determination comes from Franklin Roosevelt address to
the Democratic Convention in 1932 in which he accepts
the party's nomination for President. "I pledge you, I
pledge myself, to a New Deal for the American people."
A quote of Franklin Roosevelt that helps to illustrate
his character and the general feeling of the time come
from his conversation with Tugwell. "'There is
nothing inside that man but jelly,' Roosevelt said
angrily. 'Maybe there never was anything else. Why
didn't Hoover offer the men coffee and sandwiches,
instead of turning Pat Hurley and Doug MacArthur
loose?" This illustrates the generosity of Roosevelt's
spirit in contrast to the rudeness and inattentivenss
of his opponents in the Republican party.
In its 1302 pages, this offers an in-depth portrait
of America at that period. Its lively details and
examples with use of many quotes, strong verbs and
adjectives make you feel as if you were suffering
through the Great Depression, prospering through the
New Deal, fighting through World War II and reliving
the Vietnam war. Unfortunately this lengthy book could
intimidate some. However by splitting the reading into
decades, one may avoid the frustration of reading such
a dense and interminable book at once.
My one reservation lies in Manchester's condemnation
of leaders I believe benefited America, even though
they made some very grave mistakes. His views on
President Lyndon Johnson, for his decision to escalate
the Vietnam war, and for the questionable legality of
the Gulf of Tongkin resolution are concerning. Lyndon
Johnson did escalate the war to far, but his support
of the Civil Rights Movement overshadows in my opinion
his extreme hawkishness towards Vietnam. Without his
support, America would be a very different repressive
place towards race.
The Glory and the Dream is a work of popular history
at its best as it makes history accessible to all. You
can understand and enjoy this book without being a
scholar or a historian. It also covers an important
period of history which is still relevant to our
political, economic, and cultural present. Therefore
in reading this book you widen your understanding of
current events.

The Glory and the Dream

William Manchester's The Glory and the Dream, paints a vivid and detailed picture of America from 1932 to 1972. It begins at the height of the Great Depression, and tells of the New Deal, the events leading to America's entry into World War II, the prosperity of the late 40s and 50s, and the militancy of the 60s and early 70s. The book ends with the growing distrust of the nation surrounding the Watergate scandal. In his decription of these forty years, before and after World War II, Manchester shows how America has reveled in its glory as the most powerful nation in the world, yet continues to dream for new heights of power. The Glory and the Dream is an excellent book, because the author is able to make many of the characters and emotions of the time come to life, in his detailed and engaging style. However, I personally believe that the author treats some of major figures of the time too harshly.
Manchester is able to make his characters come to life through effective use of quotes and actions, which describe the feelings and concerns those people had. The desperation and general sadness of the Great Depression is shown in the lyrics of a song by Rudy Valee.
They used to tell me I was building a dream
And so I followed the mob.
When there was earth to plough or guns to bear
I was always there right on the job

Once I built a railroad, made it run
made it race against time.
Once I built a railroad, now it's done.
Brother, can you spare a dime?
At that same period, the shame of Americans is shown in this observation from the Governor's mansion in Albany at a time Franklin Roosevelt was still governor, "Professor Rexford Tugwell of Columbia, a house guest, was summoned to the master bedroom, where his host lay surrounded by clouds of newsprint. As Tugwell entered, Governor Roosevelt covered photographs of the violence against the Bonus Army by the American army with his hands, as though in shame for his country."
The author shows that at the same time the American people felt shame and sadness, there was also a growing sense of resolve that something should be done to alleviate the poverty that many Americans were facing. A quote full of this growing resolve and determination comes from Franklin Roosevelt address to the Democratic Convention in 1932 in which he accepts the party's nomination for President. "I pledge you, I pledge myself, to a New Deal for the American people." A quote of Franklin Roosevelt that helps to illustrate his character and the general feeling of the time come from his conversation with Tugwell. "'There is nothing inside that man but jelly,' Roosevelt said angrily. 'Maybe there never was anything else. Why didn't Hoover offer the men coffee and sandwiches, instead of turning Pat Hurley and Doug MacArthur loose?" This illustrates the generosity of Roosevelt's spirit in contrast to the rudeness and inattentivenss of his opponents in the Republican party.
In its 1302 pages, this offers an in-depth portrait of America at that period. Its lively details and examples with use of many quotes, strong verbs and adjectives make you feel as if you were suffering through the Great Depression, prospering through the New Deal, fighting through World War II and reliving the Vietnam war. Unfortunately this lengthy book could intimidate some. However by splitting the reading into decades, one may avoid the frustration of reading such a dense and interminable book at once.
My one reservation lies in Manchester's condemnation of leaders I believe benefited America, even though they made some very grave mistakes. His views on President Lyndon Johnson, for his decision to escalate the Vietnam war, and for the questionable legality of the Gulf of Tongkin resolution are concerning. Lyndon Johnson did escalate the war to far, but his support of the Civil Rights Movement overshadows in my opinion his extreme hawkishness towards Vietnam. Without his support, America would be a very different repressive place towards race.
The Glory and the Dream is a work of popular history at its best as it makes history accessible to all. You can understand and enjoy this book without being a scholar or a historian. It also covers an important period of history which is still relevant to our political, economic, and cultural present. Therefore in reading this book you widen your understanding of current events.