This book originally caught my eye as an addition to another book I read called Edison: A Life of Invention by Paul Israel. I wanted a book that would cover a little more of Edison's personal life, and this book did just that. However, James Newton's close, dedicated friendships with all of these great men of the twentieth century is truly amazing, and I learned more than I would probably learn otherwise about some of these important historical figures.

The entire book is fascinating, and surely different parts will appeal to different readers. I was particularly enchanted with a poignant description of how Charles Lindbergh handled dying as he lay on his deathbed. I was also fascinated with how environmentally conscientious some of these men were, particularly Edison and Lindbergh, but also Ford. For example, Ford was very interested in making automobile parts out of soybeans in order to reduce the need for metal parts. It seems that all of these men had numerous ideas and ideas for inventions that were way ahead of their time - perhaps some of them still are.

Newton's writing is quite good, and I only have one very minor criticism: it seems that he preaches a little bit and dwells on the religious facet of his relationships with these people. Of course, I'm sure this was a very important part of his relationship with these men and their families, but it seems that there is a grand, overarching agenda he has in constantly illustrating their connection to God and religion.

If you are interested in any of these historical figures and their fascinating relationships with each other, this book is definitely the best book you will find on the subject.

This book originally caught my eye as an addition to another book I read called Edison: A Life of Invention by Paul Israel. I wanted a book that would cover a little more of Edison's personal life, and this book did just that. However, James Newton's close, dedicated friendships with all of these great men of the twentieth century is truly amazing, and I learned more than I would probably learn otherwise about some of these important historical figures.

The entire book is fascinating, and surely different parts will appeal to different readers. I was particularly enchanted with a poignant description of how Charles Lindbergh handled dying as he lay on his deathbed. I was also fascinated with how environmentally conscientious some of these men were, particularly Edison and Lindbergh, but also Ford. For example, Ford was very interested in making automobile parts out of soybeans in order to reduce the need for metal parts. It seems that all of these men had numerous ideas and ideas for inventions that were way ahead of their time - perhaps some of them still are.

Newton's writing is quite good, and I only have one very minor criticism: it seems that he preaches a little bit and dwells on the religious facet of his relationships with these people. Of course, I'm sure this was a very important part of his relationship with these men and their families, but it seems that there is a grand, overarching agenda he has in constantly illustrating their connection to God and religion.

If you are interested in any of these historical figures and their fascinating relationships with each other, this book is definitely the best book you will find on the subject.

Now in his 80s, real-estate developer Newton recalls with uncritical admiration five celebrated men with whom he enjoyed almost filial relationships. According to the author, they all shared the same philosophy of life, enouncing business principles in terms of moral precepts. Newton's bonds with Carrel and with the scientist's friend and partner in medical research, Lindbergh, were forged by their common interest in metaphysics. The narrative is studded with anecdotes about the nature of these men: Edison's assertion that his deafness was an asset; Ford's dictum that profit is essential to business vitality; Firestone's advocacy of Japanese-style ``consensus'' management; Carrel's expectation of encountering Aristotle after death; and Lindbergh's revulsion at the destruction wrought by aviation in WW II.

Bonus points for the larger type, easier to read than a lot of other bibles. Extensive notes that defend the accuracy and infallibilty of the Bible. A must have for anyone who is serious about studying the Authorized version of the Word of God.

The Defenders Study Bible by Dr. Henry Morris is THE BEST Bible I have ever owned. I have been a Christian for most of my life and I own several different study Bibles but they all pale in comparison. Why? Because they compromise the word of God. In most of my other study Bibles, they make you doubt Gods word, especially in regarding the creation in Genesis by adding that the creation could have occurred over a longer period of time.

Dr. Morris verifies the six day creation with other bible verses. He doesn't rely on his beliefs, he relies on other scriptures for verification. The Lord would not need longer periods of time to create the world because he did it right the first time and does not need more time to let things "correct" themselves. He is a perfect God and he created a perfect world in six days. Why would God say six days when he meant something else? This is where faith plays a vital role in reading and interpreting the scriptures. You either believe God means exactly what he says or you don't. Satan compromised the word of God to Eve and look what happened. God means exactly what he says. Exactly.

Another plus is the scientific analysis of creation and the great flood. He describes using other scripture how the flood occured and the effects of the flood on the world scientifically. It really strengthens Gods word.

Having this Bible in the King James Version is comforting also because it is as close to the original Hebrew and Greek text as we can get. There is no interpretations. I compare verses from this Bible to my other Bibles and the changes are dramatic and sometimes entirely different. To me this can be dangerous.

In Job, some of my Bibles change the words Behemoth to Hippo or elephant and Leviathan to Alligator..... Now I have never seen a hippo or an elephant with a tail the size of a ceder tree, and I have never seen an alligator have smoke and fire come out of his mouth and nostrils.

I recommend this Bible and all of Dr. Morris' other books to all Christians, both new and old.

I have been using this Bible for 4 years for reference and study. Dr. Morris' notes have been a blessing through the years, especially the extensive notes in Genesis and the entire New Testament. This is the best specialty study Bible out there and I would recommend every Evangelical or Fundamentalist Christian who cares about the Bible, it's truths, and proofs for its truth add Dr. Morris'lifetime of passion for God and His Word to their study library.Plus it gets bonus points for only being available in the King James Bible. Dr. Morris is again consistent in his beliefs.

I recently completed a production of this fine play where I played Geoffrey, Duke of Aquataine. I have done a lot of play and this without a doubt is the most well written. Goldman does not waste a single word in the play.

This play about the famously disfunctional family of England's Henry II is perhaps the most devestating family drama this side of "Long Day's Journey into Night".

For those who want a real epic, it can - but doesn't have to - be read as a sequel to Jean Anoilh's "Becket". Personally I found that this adds to the tragedy.

It opens during a fictional family Christmas get together that is combined with a historical meeting between Henry and France's young King Phillip. Henry's persistent humiliation of his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, through his string of mistresses has prompted her to hurt him in the only way available to her - by systematically destroying his relationships with their sons. Now Henry - although not old yet - is no longer a young man. The fact that a potentially dangerous Phillip - who has a legitimate axe to grind with Henry - is no longer a child forces them to realize that their familial intrigues have set their boys up for both internal and external disaster upon Henry's death. They make a real effort to save both their shattered marriage and their shattered children, but it may already be too late ...

The main tragedy, of course, is what Henry and Eleanor have done to their children. Richard is admirably brave but has had much of his compassion beaten out of him and replaced with brutality. Geoffrey's great sense of humor has been blasted in the bud, and his fustrated capability of love makes a weapon of an intelligence that would have been an asset to anyone who would have shown him the slightest affection in return (it's worth noting for those who don't know the family's subsequent history that given the condensed time of the play, Geoffrey would presumably have died in a fatal tournament accident soon after the action of the play - making him even more poignant). John, the youngest son of Robin Hood fame, is somewhat mishandled - his failure had much to do with Richard's prior mismanagement and lousy historical timing rather than his own faults, and the ruthless streak that doomed Geoffrey's son Arthur (who isn't in the play) as well as his general competence in many instances (he would later rescue Eleanor from a siege in a manner that would have done Richard proud) doesn't really come across - but in an otherwise excellent play Goldman can be forgiven for bowing to popular opinion in one case.

An accurate depiction of the dynamics of the Plantagenet family, "The Lion in Winter" is also a timeless study of what constitutes a healthy family.

I have to say Iam in love with this book. I know every line by heart. I saw the movie frist. Also a A+++++ movie. I don't know, something about it.It somehow just gets under your skin. Anyone who loves history. Or just just great works of writing should have this little book.

It's hard to believe that James's theatrical turn of the late 19th century ended with his audience "booing" him off the stage. This novelized play reads quickly and delightfully. I've read more than twenty of his novels, and this was the quickest of them all.

The plot is simple enough (at least for James): two houses, apparently back to back, in Wilverley, a small English village, set the scene. One contains a widow, the other a young married couple. The young wife widows the young husband, and he becomes Wilverley's "most eligible bachelor," except for the fact that he promised his dying wife that he would never marry again, at least not during the life of his child. So somebody has to kill the child, right?

Enter James's genius for character. There's Paul, the huge, infinitely imperturbable son of the wealthy Mrs. Beever; the diminutive and impetuous Dennis Vidal; Tony Bream himself, a remarkably good-natured but insensitive fool; and the powerful Mrs. Beever, whose awful determination cows every one else before her. Like James's best writing, his characters become interesting on their own; his fictions become an opportunity to satisfy curiosity. I think that's what makes this book a "page-turner"; the characters are interesting enough that I want to know what's going to happen.

In the end, I suppose, what makes this book succeed is what would have made the dramatic version fail: James's endless fascination with the workings of the human mind must have become either painfully boring or just incomprehensible to a theatrical audience. However it came about, I recommend it unequivocally.

This book is a novelization of the play by the same name. And you can see the stageplay - the characters are continually coming and going - and there's stage business - all of which I think shows some stiffness - yet about half way through the novel I was startled at how much the characters were real, rounded - I could just about see them - they ached with life - I was always aware of the stage during the novel - the story itself is rather shocking - it's a mystery novel! - it's all very well done - it's short - and it's very psychological

I am impressed with The New York Review's revival of this unexpectedly non-Jamesian title. A truly unique James choice to bring back to life--it's been done so with a cover so compelling (I'm not a tradional James fan) I opened the book which I found locally in a brick and mortar as they are now called, book shop. The internet cannot do justice to the thoughtful sophistication of this book's packaging. (But I can purchase another copy here more easily!) The publisher's comments about the work were also compelling and complimentary to the cover art. The Other House is a mystery, a detective story, a love triangle with more than three angles--a true page turner--with a timelessly human plot and "modern" characters. Anyone thriller fan would be enchanted with it. And turning every page, holding the book, is a sensory thrill. Paper, writing, art--all representative of what any literary rebirth deserves. If it's worth bringing back--do it with quality, I say! They did--along with a whole marvelous collection of equally intriguing books, with well written new introductions. Good choices--the pieces themselves, the introduction authors and the book artist designers. Truly timeless in all ways!

With simple text and large illustrations, James Daugherty tells about Andy, a farm boy who loves to read (especially about lions!). On the way to school one day, Andy meets a real lion who just happens to have a thorn in his paw. Clever Andy takes the thorn out with his handy pliers and makes a friend of the lion. Weeks later when the circus comes to town, a wild lion escapes from the ring. All the people in the audience run for their lives but, of course, it's Andy's own lion friend, and Andy saves the day.

This charming tale is delightful in its fantasy; most 6-9 year olds never quite understand that the lion is in Andy's imagination. The yellow and black illustrations are dated, but they are funny. The book is a winner because of its sweet message of friendship. Who wouldn't want to have a real lion for a friend? Kids 6-8 love this book!

This book should be in every child's early reading experience. Kindness and compassion rule the day!

A great book that stays with someone from childhood on

The work presented in this book stands as a shining example of how social science research should be conducted. The authors' ability to set aside their preconceptions regarding gun control establishes their qualifications as preeminent researchers in the field and true professionals (as though this was necessary). Contemporary social science research is too often lacking in integrity; thankfully, these practitioners have made a contribution to the truth rather than some political ideology. The work cannot be classified as conservative or liberal. Rather, it represents a full and exhaustive exploration of the dynamics associated with the gun control debate as it is framed today. True students of the field should be grateful.

Interviewing felony prisoners in ten state correctional systems in 1981, Wright and Rossi found extensive information suggesting that gun control laws have relatively little effect on violent criminals. For example, only 12% of criminals, and only 7% of the criminals specializing in handgun crime, had acquired their last crime handgun at a gun store. Of those, about a quarter had stolen the gun from a store; a large number of the rest, Wright and Rossi suggested, had probably procured the gun through a legal surrogate buyer, such as a girlfriend with a clean record. Fifty-six percent of the prisoners said that a criminal would not attack a potential victim who was known to be armed. Seventy-four percent agreed with the statement that "One reason burglars avoid houses where people are at home is that they fear being shot during the crime." Thirty-nine percent of the felons had personally decided not to commit a crime because they thought the victim might have a gun, and eight percent said the experience had occurred "many times." Criminals in states with higher civilian gun ownership rates worried the most about armed victims. Despite the popular myth that criminals preferred small, inexpensive handguns (so-called "Saturday Night Specials" or "junk guns"), the felony prisoners preferred larger, more powerful handguns-equal to the guns which they expected the police would have. Although the criminals rarely bought guns in gun stores, the overwhelming majority stated that obtaining a gun after their release from prison would be a simple project, which might take a few hours to a few weeks. Armed and Dangerous has lost none of its importance. In the years since it was published, no-one has done any research on criminal gun use and acquisition that is even half as significant or detailed. Armed and Dangerous is also a great book to give a library. The new paperback includes an introduction by Jim Wright that discusses the reaction to Armed and Dangerous in the years since its first publication.

Intending to build the case for comprehensive federal gun restrictions, the Carter administration handed out a major gun control research grant to sociology Professor James D. Wright, and his colleagues Peter Rossi and Kathleen Daly. Wright was already on record as favoring much stricter controls, and he and his colleagues were recognized as among sociology's brightest stars. Rossi, a University of Massachusetts professor, would later become President of the American Sociology Association. Wright, who formerly served as Director of the Social and Demographic Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts, now teaches at Tulane. Daly was a relatively young scholar at the time, but she has since gone on to win the Hindelang Prize from the American Society of Criminology. The Hindelang Prize is awarded for the most significant contribution to criminology in a three-year period. Daly is the most recent winner, for her studies of women's issues. Anyway, Wright, Rossi, and Daly were asked to survey the state of research regarding the efficacy of gun control, presumably to show that gun control worked, and America needed more of it. But when Wright, Rossi, and Daly produced their report for the National Institute of Justice, they delivered a document quite different from the one they had expected to write. Carefully reviewing all existing research to date, the three scholars found no persuasive scholarly evidence that America's 20,000 gun control laws had reduced criminal violence. For example, the federal Gun Control Act of 1968, which banned most interstate gun sales, had no discernible impact on the criminal acquisition of guns from other states. Washington, D.C.'s 1977 ban on the ownership of handguns which had not already been registered in the District was not linked to any reduction in gun crime in the District. Even Detroit's law providing mandatory sentences for felonies committed with a gun was found to have no effect on gun crime patterns, in part because judges would often reduce the sentence for the underlying offense in order to balance out the mandatory two-year extra sentence for use of a gun. The Wright/Rossi/Daly team exploded scores of other gun control myths. They discussed the data showing that gun owners-rather then being a violent, aberrant group of nuts-were at least as psychologically stable and morally sound as the rest of the population. Polls claiming to show that a large majority of the population favored "more gun control" were debunked as being the product of biased questions, and of the fact that most people have no idea how strict gun laws already are. As the scholars frankly admitted, they had started out their research as gun control advocates, and had been forced to change their minds by a careful review of the evidence. Review by Dave Kopel, Independence Institute, http://i2i.org.

This Bible is the best I have ever owned. There is a section called Prepare to Meet God at the beginning of most chapters, with ideas about things to look for while reading. There are thought-provoking questions with verse references at the end of the chapters. The biographical sketches are awesome. There are wide margins, with room to take notes. The New King James translation is extremely close to the intended meaning; when I look up a word in the original Greek or Hebrew, invariably it's the same word that is in this version, or a very close synonym. If you're only going to have one Bible, this is the one to get!

This is likely one of the best study bibles out there for personal devotions and small study groups. Henry Blackaby and Claude King open up and make alive the Scriptures - where real application to everyday life can be understood and made by the bible student!

When using this bible, the student quickly understands and sees that God continues to talk to us today. The study tools incorporated into the tome are thought provoking and simple to apply. One of the best features is the "Prepare to Meet God" and the "Did You Notice?" segments sprinkled throughout the scriptural text. These tools help the student to understand that the spiritual life is real and doable. These segments combine doctrine, history, and application with ease and they spark the faith of those who read them.

As well, at the back of the book there is a 'God Focus' section that defines the Doctrines of the faith - giving a definition, 'contents and context,' 'experiencing God,' 'a Fresh Encounter, and scriptural references to the particular doctrine highlighted and discussed.

This particular study bible is a must-have for those who want to gain a deeper understanding, have a better hold on, and a fresh encounter with the Lord, in His love, grace, wisdom, et al.

The bonus of this particular version is the New King James Version text... all the poetics of the Old King James updated and far more readable. This one's a gem.

I highly recommend it to one an all.

This is an excellent study bible. It turned me to the word of god. Before I just read the bible, now I understand it.

You've seen those wonderful grained picture frames or pieces offurniture in the shops for thousands, but never went to a classbecause it was too expensive or none was offered in your area. This book is the answer to your prayers! It is filled with loads of photos of antiques and furniture, etc. that have been decorated with vinegar glazes or with handsome primative-style murals. It is also one of the few books that even reveals how to do smoke graining...the whispy finish on many an old rocking horse or on furniture and smalls. Just add this to your shelf which should also include THE ART OF FAUX by Finkelstein, PROFESSIONAL PAINTED FINISHES by Marx, and DECORATIVE FURNITURE FINISHES WITH VINEGAR PAINT by Russell. All are well worth the investment. Happy Painting!

These authors are among the best at recreating the look of old painted furniture/folk art. Very clear pictures are helpful. Also, they use an easy recipe (basically, vinegar, honey and pigment) which is easy to concoct for new users, unlike mesy oil based potions or those horribly complex formulae or lousy British-based ingredients which noone has ever heard of or found. For as cloise to instant gratification as you can get, this is the book to order for all beginners and intermediate grainers. (Advanced finishers can write heir own book.....) Enjoy!!

This book does the best job I know of showing wood graining, vinegar paint finishes, and Rufus Porter style landscape painting that I know of, and is also very sound on marbleizing. The illustrations and photo gallery are the best I have seen in any book anywhere. It has a narrow focus on doing Early American style furniture, but if you have any interest in this area you need to have this book. 7 stars!

One of the first books written about the Wake, A Skeleton Key has been largely supplanted by the wealth of Wakean research done since its 1944 publishing date, but its value as a seminal text is undisputed, and many -- including me! -- still find it a very useful guide. It opens with a beautiful introduction by Campbell, then explains the purpose of the text, moving on to a synopsis of the overall story. After that, it breaks down FW page by page, stripping the text of much of its obscurity and serving up possible interpretations via footnotes and bracketed commentary. In this way Campbell and Robinson more or less retell the Wake, "prosifying" the text in an attempt to make it more comprehensible to the lay reader. While this is certainly helpful, it must be said that this technique can come across as being a bit dry, and is certainly no substitute for the breathtaking immersion in Joyce's scintillating river of prose! Additionally, many of Joyce's meanings were overlooked by Campbell and Robinson, and a few of their interpretations have long since been "overturned" by more recent and intensive scholarship. Because of all this, A Skeleton Key has lost some of the polished glow of its initial reception, and some Joyceans have gone so far as to call it almost completely tarnished, finding it occasionally more misleading than helpful. Although there may be some truth to that, I still enjoy this book, and I find its mythopoetic angle -- this is that Joseph Campbell, after all -- uniquely refreshing, and some of his mythological insights possess a brilliance that has rarely been matched. Still, however, it is no substitute for the text itself, but for a work written only a few years after Finnegans Wake was published, A Skeleton Key is a pretty amazing accomplishment! I would not recommend it over a more recent guide, but I do occasionally enjoy turning to it -- like a slightly dowdy but favorite aunt, I still like to curl up by the fire and hear her stories over a cup of tea.

If you have given up on the Wake, try this. The characters and storylines of Joyce's last book (yes, there are real characters and storylines) are brilliantly revealed here. What makes this book really exceptional is that it is not a commentary or series of notes alone, but a paraphrase of the entire Wake. The flavor of Joyce's invented language remains, toned down a little. I even venture the heresy that a person on a desert island with just this book and no copy of the Wake would still find it a good read.

First, please accept my disclaimer for this review: I have been a fan of J. Campbell for several years... The objectivity may be lacking, therefore, in this assessment: freely admitted, and accept my apologies.

Campbell spent ~4 years, if memory serves, on this book. He said he finally had to get away from the Wake because everything he read started to sound as though it was from the Wake..

Having been an avid reader of Joyce for the last 5 years, Campbell's KEY is to my mind THE definitive work on the Wake. Anyone can criticize another's work, and perhaps it is unreasonable to expect a critic to be as brilliant as the victim of his wiseacreing, but to my mind criticisms of this beautiful and inspired work are rather worthless..

The Key is always my primary reference for the Wake. "Annotations" is just a phone book of references; the Key is first-rate scholarship. Infallibility is not a requirement for brilliance, assuming there is merit to criticisms of this work.

But as Joseph Campbell would say, don't buy a book because it is said to be important; buy it because it "catches" you. Campbell's grasp of the Wake is a wonderful help to appreciating the Wake in less than a lifetime.

Yes, it is a pleasant, lightweight read, but contrary to some of the other reviews here, this book is not "somewhat" outdated - - it is completely outdated. Anyone who knows anything about Ancient Egypt can just look at the inaccurate information in some of these reviews and see how misinformed readers of this book will be -- for example Thuthmosis III (the accepted "modern" spelling is Thutmose from the Egyptian transliteration, more closely Djehutymose) was not 4'6" -- that is a measurement of his mummy, minus his detached feet and lower legs. He more likely was about 5'6" tall, a very respectable height for an ancient Egyptian. As for Thutmose III being a "hero," this is a man who, solely for profit, invaded foreign countries, killing, maiming and plundering, carrying goods and slaves back to Egypt, leaving countless impoverished widows and orphans in his wake. It is so sad to think that a mass murderer is anyone's definition of a "hero."

My copy is the Bantam 1964 reprint of the 1905 classic. Almost a hundred years old, this book still reads surprisingly easily. Whether it's out of date or not, I'm in no position to judge, not being an expert in this field. But I'd assume that a lot of archaeological discoveries must have been made in the last century to make this book somewhat obsolete.

Breasted was the first and foremost American Egyptologist, the founder of the prestigious Oriental Institute of Chicago (the premier archaeology academy in America - featured in Indiana Jones), and the first archaeologist elected to the National Academy of Sciences.(He was also a former President of the American Historical Association, and must have been the only person to have both honors.) I particularly like his opinions of Thuthmosis III, whose 3450th passing is today.

Two other books that may shed some light on the recent findings are "Egypt of the Pharaohs" by Sir Alan Gardiner and "The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt" edited by Ian Shaw.

Thuthmosis III was "the first world-hero," wrote Breasted. But of course he was! Reportedly 4'6" tall, this military genius of ancient Egypt has been compared to Napoleon. Even though tomorrow is the 3450th anniversary of his passing, the rest of the world today know next to nothing about this great forerunner to Alexander and Caesar. Breasted has a whole chapter to him.

This book is a real gem. My copy is the 1964 Bantam reprint of the 1905 classic, and I found it in a used bookstore, hiding in between bigger books. Finding it gave me pleasure not unlike making an archaeological discovery in the Nile Valley.

Breasted was the first and foremost American Egyptologist - of all time. The first American professor in Egyptology, the founder of the famed Oriental Institute in Chicago (on Rockefeller's payroll), elected member of the American Philosophical Society, Breasted was the first archaeologist elected to the National Academy of Sciences, and had the unique distinction of being the former President of the American Historical Association as well (surely the only scientist to enjoy this honor.) No wonder Dr. Indiana Jones came from the Oriental Institute!

Almost a hundred years old, this book still reads surprisingly easily. Recent discoveries may have rendered this book slightly out of date. For this reason I also recommend Nicholas Grimal's "A History of Ancient Egypt," Ian Shaw's "The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt," Alan Gardiner's "Egypt of the Pharaohs," and George Steindorff and Keith Seele's "When Egypt Ruled the East." (I own all these books.) Breasted's monumental work is indispensable, however.