As a life long student of Abraham Lincoln, I am aware of the fact that Mary Todd was an intelligent, well educated and polished lady. Kay Dupont has done a superb job of making Mary a human being - like the rest of us - while not losing any of her strengths or good points. Yes, she is still strong and a bit stubborn, but what a lady she was. This book is an easy read and one that any student of Lincoln should add to his/her library.

I am a life long student of Lincoln. There are few books on Mary Todd and those that are out there are essentially critical of her. Kay Dupont has - with this novel - written a book that makes Mary come alive and makes her a real person with the pluses and minuses we all possess. Most of us who have studied Lincoln are aware that he married a well educated, strong willed and politically oriented lady. This book puts a good deal of that background and Mary Todd's role in Mr. Lincoln's rise throught the ranks to the peak as a President, into perpsective. Great read!

This book is long overdue. There's so much written about Abraham and so little written about Mary. Throughout history, Mary has been maligned for her excessive shopping, manic-depressive behavior and frigidity. This book puts her behavior in perspective...and reveals quite a robust and lustful sexual liasion with Abe. Equally important is the insight gained about Abe, his many physical disabilities and his reluantancy to run for political office. A well-woven story.

This is another in the long line of hornbooks from West publishing. It is an excellent source to supplement and even embellish the law of Civil Procedure contained in whichever casebook you are using. Since most Civil Procedure courses are a year long, I would strongly recommend investing in this hornbook, it is very handy to have when outlining and preparing for finals.

The "book description" above belongs to a different book: this hornbook is not part of the "Black Letter Series," its author is not Professor Clermont, and it doesn't come with a handy computer disk.

It is, however, an extremely helpful hornbook to have and use during your first-year course on Civil Procedure. If you're a One-L, buy this early and use it often; it'll go with pretty much whatever casebook you happen to be using (mine was Yeazell). It's extremely well-designed and its discussions are clear and sound.

If you're looking around in order to decide whether you need a hornbook at all, the answer is: yes, you probably do. There may be students who can squeeze a profitable education out of the "casebook" approach, but I'm not one of them and you probably aren't either.

During your first semester, it will be tempting to spend a lot of time briefing cases. Don't let me talk you out of doing so, or you'll be really mad at me the first time you get called on unprepared. But you'll probably be better off spending a little less time briefing and a little more time reading this hornbook first.

This is the most helpful study aid available for Civil Procedure! The text is very easy to understand and it is orgainized to follow the progression of the law school course. The authors do an excellent job of explaining the development of personal jurisdiction and subject matter jurisdiction to the present day. It also does a fine job of explaining the federal rules (and includes an index of each FRCP and where it is cited).

EASY READING, GOOD STORY, INTERESTING FACT

This book was written for the Loveswept theme month of "number 13" celebrating the 13th anniversary of Loveswept Romances. Though Mary Kay mentions in a note to her readers that she has a hard time making her stories work for theme months, something this reader finds hard to believe :-), she was quite successful with this novel. It centers around a group of people being quarintined thanks to an accident with a dropped box full of bacterial bugs on a Friday the 13th. Dr. Kurt Andropov and Dr. Mack McKissack are two of them. Their at odds with each other because of her duties with CDC. She claims his grain is making people in other countries sick, he says it's not. Added to the group is the strange character of Dwayne, the delivery boy of the doomed box, timid Joanne, who is Dr. Andropov's secretary, and Dr. Polly, another doctor at the institution. Their all stuck with each other for 14 days. The consequences of being stuck together; three new romances, one person becomes quite ill, a reunion with a parent, and one clever cocktail party.

I agree with the other reviewers that this book is very informative and helpful. However, if you also like gorgeous garden photos you're bound to be somewhat disappointed. There are lots of photos, but they aren't in sharp focus. Sometimes only one flower or a portion of a background picket fence is all that is sharply focussed. I understand blurring to accent a particular flower, but that is not what has been done here. It's more like the shots of middle-aged movie stars where close-ups are in soft-focus to soften their aging. Ridiculous there, very annoying in a book where you expect the photos to be outstanding. Still they show nice composition and groupings.

Unlike many gardening/landscaping books, this one has *specifics* about different projects, i. e., terracing hillsides, building paths, etc. Much information not found in other books.

Great book...shows step by step how to do everything

This handy volume is a near-must own for beginners and beginning intermediate quilter's. However, the instructions included must be approached with care. Unfortunately it is usually necessary to slightly adjust the instructions to complete the quilt properly (which may be difficult for real beginners). The half-square units quick-piecing method is a ridiculous waste of time and fabric. The quilt's included are great and I refer to my copy frequently for inspiration.

Excellent book for beginners to intermediate quilters. Good step by step instructions and diagrams. Clear advice, and progressive designs.

This book is perfect for the beginner to interm quilter. Each chapter presents some new key concepts and then incorporates in them an attractive quilt. The book is full color with loads of photographs showing what to do.

This is a story of a very unhappy woman who tended to always put others before herself. Somewhat of a perfectionist in her job, devoting hours daily to her students and always had to look prim and proper, Mary Kay Letourneau made her mistake when she began to have an affair with one of her former students who happened to be 13 years old (a mere 1 year older than her son, Steven). Although I do understand the powers of love and that age should not be a hinderance, we do have laws, and some of our laws are not written but are morally understood. I was very much impressed with the research Gregg Olsen put into this book and, to the reader, this book comes across as non-judgemental. He gives you the choice to reach within your own morality and decide for yourself if she was rapists, just a woman in love, or a woman who just felt she was above the law. In my opinion, the age is a compelling factor here. As a parent, I wouldn't want my child (boy or girl) at the age of 13, sleeping with a former teacher (someone who is supposed to value education and teach a child good morals and values). Young Vili's future has been forever altered. He had to grow up far too fast. At the age of 15 he is a father of 2 and he doesn't even have a driver's license. If she truly loved him, then she should have done the MORALLY correct thing and wait. Let him grow up to be a man and choose some of his own paths in life rather than deciding his fate for him. My biggest questions are this: Might society have felt differently had this been a male teacher and a 13 year old girl? Has anyone thought about the effects this has had on all of the children? If you were the parent of Vili Fualuaa, what would you have done? Would you have wanted her prosecuted or would you have overlooked it? Read this book and see if you can answer the questions.

I had read so much about this story in the media, that I almost didn't bother to buy the book. I'm so glad that I did, and found myself quickly caught up in the new insights to the Mary Letourneau story provided by the author.

The writing style is clear and uncluttered by insignificant details, while at the same time answering almost all of the questions I would like to have asked Ms. Letourneau myself if I'd had that opportunity.

I read true crime books because I am interested in the thought process of those who commit what are considered to be unthinkable acts by the majority of society. How do they justify their actions, both to themselves and to others? While Mary Letourneau will always be a bit of a mystery, Olsen's non-judgemental writing helped me see some of what happened from her point of view.

Gregg Olsen has established himself as one of the top true crime reporters in the business. He ranks right up there with the best of the best - Ann Rule and Jack Olsen.

'If Loving You Is Wrong' is a very accurate, unbiased, non-judgmental, and most of all - a very interesting biography about Mary Kay Letourneau and the events that lead to her arrest for her involvement with Vili.

This book is well researched by Gregg Olsen and I really like his 'let the reader decide' approach. We are then free to draw our own conclusions about Mary, Vili, and their story. This 'let the reader decide' approach is very refreshing compared with the views of the prosecution, tabloids, and media that have been rammed down our throats since Mary's case came to light.

Mary is a very interesting person who has led an interesting life from her childhood to the time she was sent to prison for violating the terms of her parole to the birth of her 2nd daughter by Vili while in prison.

Whether some are Mary supporters or those who are still outraged by what she has done, this book gives us insight into Mary and the kind of person she really is. Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down, I had to know every lurid detail.

The Senate has long been characterized as the Old Boy's Club, a place where the political process is insulated from the pressures of cultural change. The nine women currently holding seats in the Senate have been, in very diverse ways, part of the winds of change that have swept through the American legislature. Nine and Counting chronicles the personal and political travails and triumphs of these extraordinary women. Though they come from very different backgrounds, they are consistently advocates for their constituents and have been important role models for women who are committed to public life. The book's narrative thrust is aided by skillful commentary from Catherine Whitley, interwoven with personal stories and comments from each of the Senators. The book is easy to read and steers away from explicitly political agendas or advocacy, instead focusing on the realities of women's lives and the importance of bringing diverse voices, male and female, Democrat and Republican, to the legislative process. As a young woman in politics, I found it fun and, in its own way, inspirational.

I particularly enjoyed reading this book because the stories and experiences of the nine women senators came in a short-story format, as opposed to long, drawn-out chapters on each individual. The book is a role model in many respects - one, for writers who want to captivate their reader's attention, the writing style and means of collaborating nine different stories into an interesting read; to young girls who aspire to be leaders of the next generation; to all citizens alike - men, women, of all races, ethnic groups, and religious backgrounds - this book is an inspiration of who we should consider as our role models. These nine women of the United States Senate have created a new path, one as Robert Frost poetically wrote that had not yet been taken, and one that serves as an excellent example for future generations.

The book also reflects the delicate balance of the social pressures of being a public service official with the humanity of these nine women and their families.

"Nine and counting" is a book all houses, schools, and libraries should have on their shelves.

The nine extraordinary women of the United states Senate have collaborated with writer Catherine Whitney to present an informative and absorbing read. Following the lives of all of the women who've served, Nine & Counting intermingles the fascinating personal stories of each of the nine women currently holding office. This is the greatest number ever to serve at the same time. And that's the point. The women of the Senate want to inspire others to join them. The first woman Senator, the formidable Rebecca Felton of Georgia, was appointed as a token gesture, and allowed to serve only one day in 1922. And it was stunning to be reminded once again that women didn't have the right to vote until 1920. Political offcie for a woman was a rare accomplishment. Dedicated to the Girl Scout Organization, with all proceeds from the sale of the book going to them, Nine and Counting is a lot of fun to read. It was obviously written to inspire young women to emulate today's nine women Senators, to show them what courage and perseverance can accomplish. And that's exactly what it does. An entertaining, enjoyable read, it should become a lasting part of the historical record of this great nation.

Frenquency of Souls was an enjoyable novel with well crafted and belivable characters. The premise while fantastical was shaped in a way to give credibility so that you are not saying, "aw, come on." I'd say give it a read!

I had been looking to read a story that did not require the heavy concentration of "work", that took me away a bit at bedtime, that was comfortable on the mind if not the spirit.This book's title intrigued me because I am interested in outer space, music, sound, and the relationship of people and sounds in the universe.

I enjoyed this book. It did exactly for me what I was looking for - escape. It was a decent story. However, the book is more a novel about a man in mid-life dealing with love, life, family and work, with some science flavors, rather than a fictional story where the primary theme involves galactic frequencies or paranormal phenomena with people as the conduits. So if you are looking for the latter, beware. Basically, since I was really expecting a story about "The Frequency of Souls", I felt teased and let down that this theme was not primary. Otherwise, the book is a basic fun read. And I happily learned a lot about the creative history of refrigerator design.

Mary Kay Vaughan examines post revolutionary Mexico and its goals of nation building and modernization in Cultural Politics in Revolution. As the title implicates, culture was (and still) is integral to nation building in Mexico. Vaughan examines the central role of the school in four rural areas, two in Puebla and two in Sonora. Using these four areas as examples, Vaughan is able to demonstrate that post revolutionary Mexico was able to nation build through hegemony between the state and the rural society, therein lies her thesis. The cultural achievements of the Mexican Revolution lie within its negotiated settlement between the government and the people. Each case study provides a different look on how negotiations between the state and peasants affected policies within each region and within Mexico. Using a post-revisionist look at the Mexican Revolution, Vaughan shows how cultural politics affected specific regions and how this was able to nationalize some of the Mexican people, but not all of them It is important to preface this review by stating that Mexico was a shattered state during and after the Revolution. Internal conflicts had marred the hope of building a strong centralized Mexico. In 1921, the Secretaria de Educacion Publica (referred to as the SEP) was created. The SEP established rural schools as venues for harnessing the spirit of rebellious peasants in the 1930s and '40s, therefore turning these schools into locations where the state could enact social change within each rural area (4). The SEP trained and sent out teachers to teach these rural villages lessons that were within the constraints of what the SEP wanted the Mexican people to know, including reading, writing, and basic skills. Each educator was responsible for learning about the village that he (and very rarely, she) taught in, so that he or she could report to the SEP on the state of the area. Traditional subjects were not the only part of the curriculum, the SEP intended to build nationalism through education, using teachers as their own personal agents. In many areas, these teachers became loyal to their villages, taking upon their shoulders the burdens of the community, in an attempt to express how the government could better suit the rural village. A relationship of negotiations developed between the government and the rural villages and teachers played a critical role in the hegemony created between peasant and government. It is important to realize that there were three stages involved in each negotiation: peasants to teacher, teacher to governor, and governor to central government. The teacher became the go-between for the people and the governor, while still educating the children of the village. The first rural area considered by Vaughan is Tecamachalco, Puebla. Tecamachalco's peasants had all been mestisized by the centuries of Spanish interaction (77). The people were dependant upon agriculture, so land reform had been a key issue to the peasants during the Revolution. Heated negotiations between the Tecamachalquenos and the government resulted in differing opinions on the role of school and culture. Literacy rates continued to drop from already low numbers. Education was in need, but what differed between these two butting heads was the amount of state interaction and intervention in the education given to the community. A school was eventually created, built through negotiations made between the community and the state. This school would not only become a place where the three R's were taught, but would be a place for the people to voice their concerns about agrarian reform. The SEP teachers were state agents and the people felt that if they were able to speak to the teachers, then perhaps their voices would be heard in the government. Their voices were heard. The negotiations of the 1930s for land reform and agricultural modernization found success in the 1940s (101). Improvements within the school in terms of material demands and within the community (in terms of industrialization of fruit trees) were now possibilities, not just hopeless demands. In this respect, Vaughan gives insight into the role that teachers played in this linkage. Teachers found themselves becoming more aligned with the needs of the community and less with the demands of the government, considering themselves the heart of the people. The rural villages were able to construct a school which reinforced a peasant disposition and community decision making, while integrating a national, civil society into the state building project of post revolutionary Mexico (101, 105). Zacapoaxtla, the second rural area examined by Vaughan, was much different from Tecamachalco. Zacapoaxtlans were a large indigenous population, more pious, and less concerned with agrarian reform than the Tecamachalquenos (107). But like Tecamachalco, negotiations between the state and the people surrounded and integrated the school. The Zacapoaxtlans wanted less state domination and the state wanted community initiated change within the area (107). Vaughan divided this area into three tiers, based upon their location (south, central and north). Each tier had its own demands from the state. Whereas the southern tier wanted tax exemption because their land was unproductive, the central, middle tier who was conservative, wanted protection from anti-clerical legislation, privatization of communal land, and Liberal troop levies (109). The northern tier, like the central tier, retained many more elites than the southern tier, so the goals of the community were built around what the elites demanded. Throughout the 1920s and '30s, the state was unable to gain much ground within Zacapoaxtla. Tensions between elites and villagers and elites and middle class families affected the negotiations between the state and the people. Socialist education had been adopted by the SEP, which entailed the teaching of subjects like reading through concepts of class struggle, exploitation, and surplus value (119). With such problems between classes, the teachers found themselves trying to stabilize a class warfare, negotiating between their goals and the goals of each class. Unfortunately, the elites used socialist education against the teachers, casting the SEP project as evil, which flared up Catholic resistence to the educators. What resulted was the death (by hacking) of three teachers and the destruction of a local school. Parents took their children out of classes and teachers no longer had students to teach. Vaughan suggests that in some of the villages in this area, the only way SEP teachers were allowed to continue was if they adjusted their teaching to fit more into what the community wanted and not what the government wanted, neglecting the give and take relationship that the government had attempted to build. The second state examined by Vaughan, Sonora, also had a difficult situation on its hands. Socialist educators feared that if they challenged the role of religion, the result would be a large scale rebellion (137). The Yaqui Indians of Sonora had been fierce in defending their valley from the state and capitalist developers (137). In the mid 1930s, negotiations began between the state and the Yaquis, worked toward giving the tribe more authority and more land while building schools and infrastructure which would transform their lives (138). Although it appears as if the government was handing autonomy to the tribe, this could not be further from the truth, if the government could get hold of the region through development and establishment of schools, negotiations between the Yaquis and the state would eventually result in national control of the region, eliminating their ability to revolt.

Highly literate (in fact the most literate of the four areas examined), the Yaquis had quite a few options on the reconstruction of their society upon negotiations between the tribe and the state. The Restorationists, a division within the tribe that became prevalent due to its support by the President, were empowered by Cardenas. However, the government saw the problem with the Yaquis as something that could be controlled through material goods, such as schools, land and economic resources, leading the state to believe that once the material goods were taken care of, the Yaquis would be fully integrated into Mexican society (151). Unlike the three other areas examined in Vaughan, the state had a much more difficult time trying to force patriotism and nationalism on these people. The SEP schools failed to draw in the Yaqui student. The teachers neglected the needs of the Yaqui student by not learning their language and not attempting to build relationships between the school and the community. What resulted was an agreement between the Yaquis and the central government that allowed the Yaqui Indians to maintain a separate identity in Mexico, as long as their identity did not interfere with the modernization of Mexico (157). In decades after the '30s and '40, the Yaquis have maintained a relationship based on recognizing the central government and many of

I have used this for a number of Marriage and Family classes. It combines theoretical materials with contemporary issues concerning relationships and everyday family life. Its academic enough to pass muster but also interesting and personal enough to keep the students' interest. I recommend it highly.