Red Chief, the red haired, freckle faced, 7 year old, is really a good kid. So he sets cats on fire and shoots arrows through the postman's hat. So he through Becky in the lake, he just wanted to get her clean. But why does everyone in Summit, Alambama (the flattest little town in the south)run when he comes out to play? And what happens when he is kidnapped by the two slick, charming, and unusually kind con-men Sam and Bill Driscoll? Red Chief (or Johnny Dorset by true name) adores them both, which is more than is to be said about their feelings toward him. Bill gets hit by Hurricane Red Chief the hardest. But what happens when they try to collect the ransom leaves them both on the short side of
"The Ransom of Red Chief"!!!!

I had to read this last year for my English class, and thought that it was going to be just another lame story like all the other "classics" the public schools make us read. But when I got into it I was pleasently surprized. I couldn't stop laughing. The story is about two men who kidnap the local millionare's heir. But get more than they bargoned for. Instead of a well behaved rich kid they get a wild, red-haired hellion, that insists on playing Indians, and sacres one of his kidnappers so much that they finnally take him back to his father, thinking that they'll just get rid of him then and there. Well, instead of a reward the kid's father says that if they pay him a hundred or so dollars he'll keep his son back for a while and he won't tell the neighbors that they brought him back until nightfall. What happens next will surprize you and make you laugh. It was so much fun to read, I would suggest it to anyone that wants to read something really funny, it'll just make your day.

I find this book by Prof. Walter Pauk very instructive to anyone who wants to know how to study at college. I am not a student, but an ESL teacher in Japan. I have read lots of books by Prof. Walter Pauk and all of them have been very useful when I teach my students. This book, which has only 72 pages, tells you how to make notes,how to prepare for tests and how to approach various questions like"Multiple Choice Questions", "Sentence-Completion Questions" or "Match-ing Questions". His way of making notes is writing formulating questions on the left margin of your notebook or textbook and .... If you want to get good marks at college, you need to know some techniques in answering various questions. Prof. Pauk's book will tell you these. I strongly recommend this book to foreign students who are to study at colleges in the U.S.

i originally bought this book to help me with some study skills for a self study program. i have not taken classes in over six years and needed to refresh my study skills. this book addresses all aspects of studying and school. althought I did not read all chapters because some did not apply to me during my current study situation, I found this book very helpful for my situation. it addresses all aspect of studying in college. the cost seems high because it is more like a text for a college class but well worth the investment.

Before I bought this book, I was a borderline 2nd year engineering student, and that's putting it lightly. After reading through it, my grades jumped high enough to get me into grad school, and I got straight A's in all my MSc courses. I also got an MBA later on.

Now that isn't just because of Pauk, but I would never have done it without his marvelous advice from 'How to Study in College.' When I read the book, I felt like I was being talked to by someone GENUINELY interested in HELPING ME do better. Not what you expect from someone who spent decades teaching at a stuffy Ivy League university (Cornell).

Pauk is no charlatan. He does not preach. All he offers are research-based techniques that have stood the test of time. In other words, through his years helping real students, he has found real techniques that have achieved real results. This is not theoretical stuff. And his systems are flexible, offering a variety of solutions to the various dilemmas students face. In the book, Pauk himself says not to follow every single one of his methods, but to pick and choose what suits the reader. This is indeed a practical man.

How practical? Well, Pauk even goes into details like how your room should be lighted and how to correctly lie down for powernaps.

Moreover, I have found that much of his advice, for example on time management, taking care of yourself, and memorization, are just as applicable in the working world. I refer to it all the time, and even today find it sincere, practical, and timeless. This is right up there with Shrunk and Wright on any person's list of must reads.

One final note: Pauk's advice is clearly more geared towards students taking qualitative subjects rather than math/science/engineering courses. However, the general lessons can help anyone, no matter what one is studying. This is THE book, the original, the one and only, the legend. There is no substitute.

I descovered this book while on a summer internship at Cornell University back in 1992. I was told that all Cornell students were required to take a 2-week course their freshman year to study this book. This book does not simply say, as many other study guides do, organize your time; this book provides you with various model schedules that simulate very well the busy lives of students. The note taking section was FABULOUS. I can't praise this book enough. It is most definately worh the money!!!!

I had never even heard of Bret Harte before I read this story, and I really enjoyed it. I loved the way that he used language and imagery to vividly portray the people of Poker Flat. The way that John Oakhurst's (the gambler) thoughts are described, as everything relating to a game of cards, was interesting. It really made me feel like I could see all these people- they seem like very real, everyday characters that could be encountered in anyone's life. Harte obviously knows people, and knows how to tell a good story. I would love to read other stories that he's written.

tnIn my opinion Uncle billy truly steals the scene. It was true inspiration to me. I couldnt wait tot see how it ended . I recommend it to anyone

This is an excellent book! I needed reading comprehension tests for a project and my teacher gave me these books. It worked wonderfully. I would highly recomend this series to anyone who needs reading comprehension tests and doesn't know where to find them.

Our school district purchased one of these books for all of the Language Arts teachers in the middle schools. I used them once a week in my classroom as a fluency reading activity. My reading comprehension scores improved as well as the students ability to summarize the information. We also piloted a handheld program in our school and I reformatted the questions at the end of each selection and the students took the selections "quiz" on QUIZZLER...