If, like me, you are interested in British history but not a hard core scholar, this one may be a bit on the dull side. However, I did manage to make my way through it without having to force myself to pick it up. It is well worth the effort.

Thirty years of intense historical debate and disagreement have clouded the underlying story of seventeenth-century Britain; with this addition to the Penguin History of Britain series, Mark Kishlansky mediates the academic controversy in an introductory narrative of the Stuart era. From the ascension of James I to the death of Queen Anne, he chronicles the political events which elevated Britain from isolation to international predominance. In so doing, he vividly develops the characters who helped to spark this transformation. He hopes that this universally accessible narration will kindle his audience's interest in the period.

In pursuit of this goal, Kishlansky avoids examining the contradictory interpretations which he believes necessitate this work. His prefatory remarks fully acknowledge the limited nature of his discussion. Apologizing to his colleagues, he explains that any effort to conflate the conflicting opinions into one coherent narrative would prove futile. Therefore, he claims to have used his discretion in writing a flowing account.

Still, an author's discretion is seldom neutral. Correlating with Kishlansky's past contributions to British historiography, this book contains definite revisionist undertones. Focusing on the impact of individuals, he emphasizes the contingency of each event he describes. Accident and circumstance drive his story. This perspective does not accommodate the vital component of progressive interpretations: inevitability. Furthermore, Kishlansky's story is essentially a political narrative. He frequently dismisses the social and economic factors which progressives view as so influential in governmental development.

The work itself is a combination of three stylistic techniques. To orient the audience for the narrative, the prologue and first two chapters analyze the social and political institutions of seventeenth-century Britain. The narrative itself dominates each of the succeeding eleven chapters, introduced in each by a dramatic vignette. By describing one of the most exciting or extraordinary events yet to come, these vignettes entice the reader to continue. Separating them from the main narrative are brief contextual introductions, similar to those of the first two chapters. Kishlansky also uses this analytical style in his disappointingly short four-page epilogue.

Additionally, the title of this book is quite misleading. This is neither a history of the monarchy's transformation nor a history of Britain. In reality, Kishlansky recounts the transformation of the entire British governmental system. Also, while he does incorporate the roles of Scotland and Ireland into his story, he does so only from an English point of view. Added to this are only minor references to Britain's overseas colonies. Thus, a more appropriate title would be: A Government Transformed: England 1603-1714.

Kishlansky's lack of citation is also troublesome. Though his extensive bibliography is impressive, it is not inclusive. He references general works on broad topics, yet his audience learns of specific events and people. If his readers become interested in researching any of the specific topics which he describes, his bibliography will prove only slightly more helpful than a library's card catalogue. Overall, Kishlansky accomplishes what he set out to do; he creates an interesting and coherent story which provides a solid base for further study. For people with a limited knowledge of the events that transpired during the seventeenth century, this is a clear introduction. This book is by no means comprehensive, but that was never the goal of the author. Its accessibility comes from its simplicity. After reading it, students are ready for and hopefully interested in more critical research in the field.

Mr. Kishlansky provides a concise narrative of the events that characterized seventeenth century English history and that resulted in the modern British parliament and constitutional monarchy. His attention to detail shows his thorough knowledge of the history of Great Britain and most importantly, shows how the rise of the modern parliamentary system & constitutional monarchy at century's end provided mechanisms to many of the legal questions which gave rise to the various revolutions and civil wars that characterized the century's previous history. An excellent book for anyone interested in British history or who wishes to know where the founding fathers of the American revolution obtained so many of the ideas that characterize the American constitution and its emphasis on the paramountcy of the rule of law.

I have enjoyed Mr. McCormack's earlier books very much. So I was surprised that I did not find this one very valuable. If you read many of my reviews, you know it is unusual for me to grade a book down to a 3 star rating. Let me explain why I did so in this case.

First, the title suggests that the book will provide lots of perspective on the Internet Age. Wrong! In fact, there is very little discussion of the Internet. And most of that discussion is in the introduction where Mr. McCormack points out that he doesn't even use a computer. He makes several self-revealing comments. "But let's say I'm a reluctant convert to the Internet gospel." "My only problem is that I don't understand what it will grow into." "I have the luxury of being in the sports business which, as far as I can tell, is one 'industry' that's immune to the Internet." In a few other cases he provides anecdotes from his business career about people overusing e-mail rather than talking to each other by telephone or face-to-face. As a result, he misses important questions. How can his agency develop more business by using the Internet in new ways? So, I think the title is very misleading. Anyone who wants to get practical advice for working with the Internet should avoid this book.

The second problem I saw was that I saw no important new material in the book. The principles are all covered in his earlier books. You get 90 principles described here in 2-4 pages. The examples are all from the author's business, so you get little sense of other businesses or perspectives that might be best practices. They also reflect a perspective that many may not share.

Here are some of the subjects:

Giving Yourself a Reality Check

Speed, the Defining Factor

Giving the Workplace a Reality Check

Office Politics

Acquiring a Power Base

Promotions, Demotions, and other Career Hiccups

Rules for Deal Makers

When You Are in Charge

Etiquette for the New Millennium

As you can see, this perspective focuses on the larger organization (the kind that fewer people work for these days) and someone who wants to climb up the organization (something that is less important than self-fulfillment and contribution to many).

The book is at its best when it argues for treating people well, being considerate as though one were dealing with one's neighbor in a small town. That advice is timeless. The book is also excellent in helping to unveil the sources of misconception that cause each of us to overestimate our performance and to misperceive what we need to be doing. I heartily approve of these messages.

If you have read Mark McCormack before, I recommend you skip this book. It will add almost nothing but occasional nuances to what you have learned from him already.

If you have not read him before, I suggest you read one of his earlier books instead. What They Don't Teach You at Harvard Business School is a classic.

In either case, I suggest you skip this one.

If you insist on reading this book, focus on parts one, three, six, seven and nine. They are the most helpful and appropriate for today.

Ask yourself after you read this book then "Who are the people who can provide relevant perspectives that are relevant for today?" Getting the right advice often means asking the right person.

This book is about career management and office politics. It contains a lot of straight-forward, down-to-earth tips for getting along with co-workers, bosses, and clients. This "Arli$$- agent's" clientele includes Tiger Woods, Arnold Palmer and Venus and Serena Williams. What he offers is common sense as applied to a plethora of topics like goal setting, picking up the check, managing time, dealing with enemies, managing your work- just doing business in a "smart" way. Thinking of all those Olympic atheletes who will be returning to their respective countries to assimilate back into the work force, or pursue endorsements or dreams of gold in 2004, it seems to me another astute book about self-management is timely, especially coming from the chief executive of a sport and entertainment conglomerate like International Creative Management. It is a step up from his previous book, "What They Don't Teach You at Harvard Business School". Mr McCormack's book seeks to prepare readers for life in the fast lane, and for success. Interesting! A very interesting presentation.

The title just uses the buzzword "internet" to get your attention. It could have been called "career and business tips," which is basically what it is. McCormack's writing has gotten better since his earlier books, so I found this one good on that account. His tips have a bit more depth here, too. He mentions how his 2nd wife has helped him learn to "stop and smell the roses," and perhaps that's why this book seems less "combat"-like than some of his past books. Plus, his arrogance, that would bleed between the lines in past books was, thankfully, missing. (For example, in earlier books he said, "I made a lot of money at a young age, so I never resented others who did," not considering that perhaps some readers are young and broke, or old and broke, and might resent HIM. And also he said, "99% of people should work for someone else," which conveniently puts him in the elite 1%, and, never mind that through most of history, until the industrial revolution, most people were self-employed.) Anyway, this book is readable and helpful, with some tips I don't think I would have seen anywhere else. He does reuse anecdotes that he uses in other books, but I didnt' mind. If you want a general career-tips book, this is as good as any recent ones I've read recently.

This book is over 800 pages, starting from the early U.S. oil companies competing with one another in an 1890's style industrial struggle. It has detail. If you like hard data this is the source. Daunted by the size of this tome? read the last three chapters first. "The Price of Oil", "The legitimate Greatness of The Company" and "The Conclusion": these three chapters will put the present day in a new light for you. The Caspian Sea was an oil field before the Bolschevik Revolution. At that time czarist Russia was a world contender. Now Caspian Sea oil has been "rediscovered". What was the Burma oil co.? What were the yearly production figures? what were the various allocations of oil use? What role were other countries playing? This is the place to find it.

This is a wonderful account of the beginnings of the Standard Oil Company - from the perspective of one of the premier muckracker's of the 19th century. The book is mainly a series of articles strung together detailing some of the more illegal efforts of John D. Rockefeller to create a monopoly in the oil industry. It is a classic account of how to create a monopoly and has stories that involve everything from dynamiting the competition to innovative rebate plans that discourage competition..

The book goes in length into the klan's expansion into many states and documents their success/failure and the general social reception of the community the klan was entering. The author though seems to have a pro-klan bias, and this is felt just by the title and the reading of the inside jacket. He rarely points out the evils of the klan ideology (through his use of words, especially omissions of such words as "racist" and "bigot", which many klan members seem to embody), and glamorizes the klans views on white supremacy as a normal, modern view of white christians (something very far from the truth). It glamorizes klan violence and threats of violence, and in more then a few places it accuses those against the klan as unpatriotic Americans, or ungrateful immigrants or minorities. Mr Chalmers also highlights community violence against klan activity as the real wrong and evil, something I think is a normal reaction to these "pseudo-chrisitan extremist police" who want time (and America) to stand still and unchanging for them. Some areas also hint towards the authors support for the klan's ideals. Seems like klan propaganda to me.... but a good reference none the less if you seek to journey into these dark waters. As a reference: 5 stars. I subtracted two for the author's pro-klan bias and (sometimes) unfair picture he paints....

In "Hooded Americanism," David M. Chalmers chronicles the history of the Ku Klu Klan in all of its incarnations, from immediately after the Civil War to the late 1970s. Mr. Chalmers also discusses the Klan's development and success (or lack of) in all of the states during its strongest period in the 1920s to 1930s. Mr. Chalmers also discusses in great detail the turbulent 1960s and how the Klan helped inadvertently brought about the Civil Rights legislation it fought so hard against. Exhaustively researched and well written, "Hooded Americanism" is a factual glimpse into the life of a controverisal organization and into the lives of the men and women who made it possible. Mr. Chalmers makes excellent use of contemporary newspaper accounts and editorials to paint the Klan and its standing in a given community. What I found especially intriguing was the Klan's demographics. Mr. Chalmers presents research that refutes long-held convictions that the Klan was always strongest in the South; in fact the Klan, at times, ruled the legal governments of the Midwest. Mr. Chalmers also discusses how various state legislatures and governors fought the Klan or sided with them. Again, I was surprised at how many governments actually tried to curb the growth of the Klan in their states through anti-mask laws and other legislation. This exploded notions I had that the Klan was unchallenged everywhere it went, especially in the 1920s. Mr. Chalmers has written an excellent history that encompasses in great detail the 100 years following the Civil War. I hope that he is at work on updating this important work. Highly recommended.

The book was somewhat disappointing.

At first hundreds of pages of dry text, and then no illustrations. Not inspiring. Though might be an "excellent reference", it still remains dry...

I am positive that some illustrations and photographs would keep my attention for longer.

While not as large and sometimes not as detailed as Ralph Mayer's excellent book on all artist's materials, the Gottsegen often offers a more recent explanation of materials and techniques for painters specifically. One of its most useful elements is a series of step-by-step instructions for various processes, including stretching canvas, making mediums, etc. When researching information on painting topics, this book serves as an excellent source which I would not want to be without.

Comics like "Two-Fisted Science" serve nothing but a good purpose. They remind us that comics - like other art forms - can be about anything, and are not captives of the humor, fantasy and adventure genres.

A science-themed comic is especially appropriate, as the art-text combination inherent to comics would seem perfect for conveying complex/cosmic ideas. This collection features some terrific artists - notably Bernie Mireault, David Lasky, Colleen Doran and Sean Bieri - but I was a bit disappointed in the writing. Ottaviani's stories so intent on being unorthodox and different that they instead become meandering and confusing. Oftentimes I was unsure of what exactly was at stake for each story and why we should care about what was being told. And I would expect to actually learn more about SCIENCE in such a book. Also, the organization of the book into seemingly random sections, and the clumsy, unimaginative publication design diminished the effect.

I give the book high marks for effort, nice artwork, and the especially interesting portraits of Richard Feynman, but overall I'd rate "Two-Fisted Science" a noble failure.

We have given this book to various friends who have enjoyed the hard science topics in the 'comic book' format. We also have given it to nieces and nephews, who may not realize that they are being exposed to science and history. We can chat with them about it later, to see how much they have absorbed and to encourage them to reread it (comics are fun after all).

"Twin Peaks: Access Guide to the Town" opens with a puzzling, rather humorous letter from Mayor Milford (isn't he always?), which gives the pace to the rest of this tongue-in-cheek, pseudo-guide of Twin Peaks, Washington. There is some fun stuff in here, like mini bios and mug shots of the more relevant cast members (but why did the waitress from the Great Northern get such a large bio?), town maps, and even the jukebox selections at the Double R Diner, plus some recipes for any Twin Peaker's diet: cherry pie, coffee, and doughnuts.

However, this book is absolutely brimming with useless facts, like an excerpt from Andrew Packard's will, a ten-page section on Packard Sawmill (oh, thrills), Washington State history, first explorers, Native American tribes, flora, fauna, geology, weather, and a bizarre advertisement for Tim and Tom's Taxi-dermy (one part blind taxi driver; one part taxidermist). Even if you condensed the more important stuff, it would never reach the current 112 pages, but less than 1/4 of that, if that much.

I wouldn't consider this book necessary reading, even if you are a Twin Peaks fan; but if you love to collect Twin Peaks stuff (like I do), then you might consider buying this book. Even so, Twin Peaks fans looking for info on the series will more than likely be disappointed, because this book reads more like a boring tourist guide or junior high history textbook than a TV tie-in. I'd recommend checking out "Welcome to Twin Peaks: A Complete Guide to Who's Who and What's What" and/or "Twin Peaks: Behind the Scenes" instead.

What would a third season of this great television show provided? This book provides the clues as well as other interesting tidbits, including a drawing of the Owl Cave petroglyph and other oddities. Some entries are sketchy a best, but this is a must have for any fan of the little town with a popualtion of 51,201

I read this book in 10 minutes and passed it along to a friend. It's completely accurate and highly readable, but WOW, is it simple. You feel like coloring in it. It's one tip per page - literally.

The Adventures of Huck Finn is an outstanding work of classic literature. It's a must read, especially since schools all over have been banning it from their literary lists. The story focuses on a young boy who learns lessons about life and himself while helping a run away slave. There is much contraversey over the relationship between Huck and the man he is trying to save. Why not read the book and form your own opinion as to what is really going on.

The book is small but is packed full of a lot of useful information. Kerr describes diverse aspects of the ancient Egyptian civilization featuring such topics as the division and farming of their land, the typical Egyptian family life, their houses and homes, the pharaoh's duties and his court, entertainment, religious beliefs including the afterlife, government and war, and the last Egyptian pyramid built. The inclusion of a concise description of the life of men, women, and children was a nice aspect of the book. Kerr explains that two of the main resons we know so much about life in ancient Egypt is because of the ancient Egyptian artifacts and writings of people who traveled through Egypt at that time. She also briefly explains techniques modern archaeologists use to try to preserve what remains of ancient Egypt. All of the colorful illustrations are clearly explained with small captions and complement the information presented in the easy to read text. The table of contents at the beginning and a glossary of fourteen useful words along with an index at the end are all included in the book. These useful tools help the reader to efficiently and effectively navigate the book. This is a great book with a wide variety of useful information and is written concisely using easy to read language. It would be an excellent resource to help students begin their studies about the ancient Egyptian civilization and possibly interest them into exploring more.