This book contains five biographies of famous American men from the time of the Revolutionary War: Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Patrick Henry, Paul Revere, and Joseph Warren.

Many black and white illustrations, which help tell the story of events leading up to the Revolutionary War against the British. For young readers, probably 4th grade and older.

I like to collect books about space people have customized in an eclectic and eccentric way. This is one of the best.

Felix Padilla's "The Struggle of Latino/ Latina University Students" is a fair work on the experiences that he encounters with Latino/a students while teaching at a university. The book starts out well with Padilla's reflecting on his own experiences as a Latino student and academic. Combining anecdotes with analysis, Padilla creates the link between education and its power to either oppress or liberate. Through the course of the rest of the book, the reader witnesses three years of Padilla's courses which are designed to force the students to take control of their own educations. Although his accounts provide insight into his class and the politics that play out there, these chapters are not placed into a broader context. The strength of these chapters is the accounts given by the students in their class journals. Drawing from these, the reader peeks into the mindset of the Latino/a university student and learns how education has affected their personalities and self-images. Although dragging at moments, Padilla's "Struggle" ultimately makes a good read and gives the reader a viewpoint often left ignored.

This was a very funny and witty book about the first genetically engineered baby and his life and career, from an author I'd never seen before or since. Besides being a mathmatical genius and the greatest athlete of his time, the main character (Superbaby) has some of the best repartee around. I'll just mention one of these.

The funniest and most devastating summary of Roman history I ever read was when he said the following to his very authoritarian German professor/tutor about the Romans, who Superbaby doesn't seem to like. It's been 25 years since I read the book, but I think I have it mostly correct:

"The Romans were a dreary bunch of military ruffians. Most of their culture was stolen from the Greeks. Their literature--what I've read of it in translation--is graceless and boring. The Romans were the Nazi's of their day. Maybe that's why they still appeal to you."

But aside from the witty repartee, the book has an interesting story and still makes for a worthwhile read even though it was published 25 years ago, long before genetic engineering became a reality. Worth picking up used if you can find a copy. I wish Mendelsohn had written more, but I've never seen anything else by this author.

This volume is Fathers of the Church volume 10, published by the Catholic University of America. It contains the most modern English language versions of the following works by Tertullian:

Apologeticum (Apology)
De Testimonio Animae (The Testimony of the Soul)
Ad Scapulam (To Scapula)
De Anima (On the Soul)

Also the Octavius of Minucius Felix.

The texts are translated with useful footnotes and introductions. It's a good useful volume, but I believe it is out of print.

Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor is perhaps one of the most well known pieces in the history of western music. The lyrical blends with the virtuoistic. This book contains the full score to the concerto, so if you're looking to play the solo part this is probably not for you.

In 'Greek and Roman Philosopy After Aristotle', there is and extended excerpt from 'Octavius' by Marcus Minucius Felix. Its summary of pagan Roman views on Christianity was so dead-on accurate, I just had to read the whole thing. Unfortunately, the Christian response isn't as incisive as as the attack. It is primarily a defense of the idea of a single creator god, coupled with the idea that Christians are restrained, ethical and good people. Jesus is not really menitioned at all. Felix's view might be called "Ethical Monotheism". The second work in the book, Justin Martyr's 'First Apology' is very revealing of 2nd century Christian thought, and touches on many practical and philosophical issues, not only regarding Christian practice and paganism, but Jewish uses of Greek philosophy. This book is quite a find. While it is not a new translation, it is a modern, idiomatic, if somewhat oversimplified, rendition of the translations contained in the hoary, 130-something year-old 'Ante-Nicene Library'. Portions of 'Octavius', and Justin Martyr's 'First Apology" are rearranged, to a degree, on a paragraph-by-paragraph basis, and other portions are relegated to appendices, but both works are present in their entirety, and a bit more logical, to modern readers, than the originals. At the price of $..., you'd be silly not to check these accessible, yet ancient works out. See what they were thinking in the 2nd century. They won't bite!

Hi there. I have been definitely disappointed by this book. I swayed away from ultimately ordering it due to negative reviews of other readers, but then purchased it on an impulse later. My first inclination was the better one! If you've followed Laura in the news at all, then your knowledge will not be increased by reading this. There is virtually no new material between the covers. Really the only original content is based on interviews with Jenna Welch. I am not at all certain that the author ever interviewed Laura. Virually every, if not all, of her quotes are based on things published in magazines ("Newsweek" type interviews), press releases, and widely-publicized speeches.

Aspects such as the President's interaction with alcohol, Laura's career, her relationship with the Bushes, etc. are skimmed over in coverage. The most depth is granted to a description of the Texas Book Festival.

I have noted via Amazon.com that there are more biographies of Laura slated for release next year. Let's hope that one of them provides a more three-dimensional perspective on a doubtless interesting woman. Skip it!

I really liked this book. Even though I am more of a Democrat, I have always been intrigued by Laura Bush. This book really helped me to know so much more about her. She is a very interesting woman and I think this book does a good job of telling you all about her.

This book tell the life story of Laura Bush. She had a good
childhood in Midland Texas the same town as Geoge W Bush. Its
tell about the tragedy that she had in her childhood. Laura always wanted to be a teacher from the time she was little.
It tell about her work as the First Lady of Texas. Talk about
the run for President. Life in the White House. The Book
end with a look at Laura day on September 11, 2001.

I read the book with both admiration and agitation. I admire Dr. Rice's accomplishments. She's definitely not your average American, black or white, male or female. But the book was written to convince the American public that she is a reputable and capable presence in the White House, a "testing of the waters" to see if the public will consider her on a Presidential ticket. While Dr. Rice has accomplished much, her contributions to the human public have been just as orchestrated as her formal education.

The author's style will keep a middle school reader entertained(My 11 year old is reading it now). But the entire book reads like an advertising brochure. I suspect in 50 years, Dr. Rice will be canonized!

I collected this book from a Newmarket Press sales rep at the ALA convention in Philadelphia, and she billed it as "the first adult biography on Condoleeza Rice." I was of course intrigued since all the other Newmarket books in the display catered to younger audiences. After reading this book on the train home, I have this observation: This is a book which easily bridges the gap between public school easy reader books and grit-you-teeth boring "adult" biographies.

While not totally child's play (there are great insights into Dr. Rice's personality and upbringing), author Felix's style is so accessible, I felt talked down to a number of times in the book. I look forward to more a more mature biography of this truly fascinating woman.

Can Condoleeza Rice really be just one person? National Security Advisor, Former Stanford Provost, Tenured Stanford Professor, Hoover Fellow, accomplished classical pianist, figure skater, football fanatic, and the list goes on...

Felix does a good job chronicling Rice's ascension from Birmingham to Denver to Palo Alto and eventually Washington D.C. The book is chock full of insights from family, fellow professors, and Washington colleagues. One the more interesting vignettes described a Old West style "staredown" between Rice and Boris Yeltsin at the White House steps.

A fascinating read about a potential Presidential candidate.

5 stars if you're planning to make a hollywood horror movie; you'll be swarming in dubious info, perfect for any imaginary work. -1 star for taking every thrown-at anecdote as proof enough, as if the phobia of all (so-called) secular beliefs after the beginning of the world's christianising would not result in as many fictional beliefs and false histories as that which secular cultures heathenishly accept. -1 more stars because 4 points is too high a grade.

However, there may be some truth to what he says. How widespread these practices were, and whether they were at all related to a diabolic entity from Christiandom is another matter.

It must also be noted that present-day Witchcraft (Wicca) and Satanism (Church of Satan) are mostly harmless institutions: they do not eat pies made from human babies and exhumed corpses. There are practically no police records of any virgins being napped off for sacrifice at some altar or other. None to worry there. Nor prejudice.

I read a review of someone talking about how this author doesn't understand Wicca... This book was written a long time before Wicca came to be, and before the Wiccan rede and all that other (...) was thought up, so that's not really relevant to this book.

This is a lengthy and exhaustive history of witchcraft and the occult written by the eccentric occult historian Montague Summers in 1927. Summers was well known for his many books on witchcraft, vampires, werewolves, and the history of the occult in general. He was generally considered The Expert on the history of witchcraft in the early 20th century and was filled with little-known anecdotal tales of witches, warlocks and dark devilish conspiracies as is evidenced by the many long dry examples in this book. This work is, however, a thorough reference on a arcane subject and is valuable for its many historical accounts of witch trials and other tales of witches, devils, and their arts. Summers is often criticized for his lack of skepticism, as noted below, as well as the heaps of praise he showers on the works of the Inquisition and its supposed war on witchcraft during the height of witch hysteria. His translations of notorious books like the Malleus Maleficarum and the Compendium Maleficarum, both witch hunting manuals used for centuries to detect, judge, and execute suspected witches, are his best-knwn works. Summers appears to revel in the age-old war against witches and often seemed a man born into the wrong time. He seems to wax nostalgic on the "Burning Times" and its blatant mysoginistic undertones, and this was in our "modern" age. In fact, he seems almost like a magistrate plucked from a 17th century witch burning and transplanted into the 20th century to write about his esteemed accomplishments! Yet, all this comes from a man who went to great lengths to transcribe and republish Reginald Scots' "Discoverie of Witchcraft", a 16th century treatise DISCOUNTING the existence of witches and demons and which was banned by the Holy Office and ordered burned by King James I of England! Very interesting stuff indeed.