The best book about the Truman presidency. The books outline of Truman's power to prusuade is marvelous. There are many books about his Presidency. This book is about his power. It is a must read for Truman buffs or those who enjoy reading about the Presidency.

My late father, Philip W. May, did the illustrations in this book app. 1946-47. Having worked in New York City for 20 years, more recently, and viewed how little the city puts into its infrastructure, I would imagine the book is probably still a very accurate view of the complicated web of wires, pipes, subways, etc. that weave below the streets. The book was contemporary when it came out, and more than likely still is to a great extent. It is also good history of how it all was done.

I had to use this textbook for a college anthropology class recently. I found that reading the book every night was actually enjoyable--it has an incredibly easy reading-style! Also, the authors are very careful to offer numerous opinions on most subjects so that the reader can draw their own informed opinions. I think this book is excellent for anyone interested in learning about anthropology or archaeology for the first time. Enjoy!

The author does a fine job of describing the background and motivations of this important educator. The trials, triumphs and frustrations are all here. The book is a quick read in spite of its length. The Hutchins wit and grace are fully evoked.

The Mystery of the Silver Spider is in many ways the quintessential Three Investigators book in my mind, mainly because this title stands out the most from my childhood memories. It really is a good, exciting story, full of political intrigue, international espionage, a dastardly conspiracy, very real danger, a mad flight to safety, and other thrills along the way. After a chance meeting with the young prince of Varania, the boys find themselves invited to the prince's coronation in his home country. They are ostensibly contracted by the U.S. government to serve as secret junior agents--while the feds know some type of trouble is brewing in the small yet important European nation, they have been unable to ferret out the information they need themselves and thus turn to our intrepid young heroes for help. Once in Varania, the prince confides in them the fact that the invaluable silver spider, the symbol of Prince Paul, the most important leader in their history, and the symbol of the very nation, has been stolen and replaced with a fake; without the true silver spider, the prince will be disgraced and his coronation will be postponed--perhaps permanently. Much to the boys' surprise, Bob finds the precious spider stashed among his handkerchiefs. Realizing that the evil plotters mean to blame them--the young prince's friends--for the theft, Jupe, Pete, and Bob are forced to make a run for safety; fortunately, they are aided by some Varanians loyal to the young prince. Poor Bob bangs his head during the escape and cannot remember where he stashed the real spider. As events build to a climax, the boys race to free themselves from capture and somehow alert the Varanian people to the prince's danger. With Bob still suffering partial amnesia, it is up to Jupiter to find the silver spider and thus save not only the prince but the entire nation of Varania.

This one is action-packed from front to back and may well be the best book in the series. If you have not yet been introduced to the Three Investigators and are wondering which book to try reading first, I would recommend this book. You might as well buy the other available titles, though, because you are surely going to want to keep reading these adventures. For the life of me, I can't figure out why there has never been a Three Investigators movie--this story in particular would be terrific on the big screen.

The Three Investigators and Mystery of The Silver Spider is great. It has full of suspense and plot twists. It is my favorite Three Investigators book. The book is written by Robert Arthur, the origanal Three Investigators author. His three investigator books are better than the ones written by the later ones.

This was an excellent novel by Arthur and one of the best in the series. It details the exploits of the three sleuths as a chance encounter with royalty leads them to another nation where they become embroiled in an attempted governmental coup. Everything hinges on the Silver Spider--the key to the throne--and the suspense is immense when the only one who knows where it is can't remember! Mystery,suspense,and more action than in most of the books, The MYstery of the silver SPider takes you on a rollicking ride that culminates in an explosive climax.It will keep you glued to your seat and sweating with the characters!

Absolutely reccomended.

Maverick

"Mystery of the Screaming Clock" was one of my very favorite Three Investigators books. The tale begins when Jupiter Jones, Pete Crenshaw and Bob Andrews find a clock that "screams" mysteriously. As they try to discover why anyone would construct such a device, the mystery unfolds and their clues lead them to wild new places! Of course, I would never disclose the ending, but let me tell you, it's a shocker!

I am going back and re-reading these books that I loved as a boy, and I called the eighth book in the series, The Mystery of the Silver Spider, the quintessential Three Investigators book. However, The Mystery of the Screaming Clock is in many ways even better. While Silver Spider was full of great action, this book is more cerebral and intellectually stimulating. In terms of pure logic, deductive reasoning, and plain old "smarts," this book is masterful--the puzzles left by the mysterious Mr. Clock would challenge even the great Sherlock Holmes. Oh, how I would love to have been (or be now) Jupiter Jones. This whole mystery starts when Jupiter finds a screaming clock in the salvage yard and sets out, as a pure intellectual challenge, to find out who made this clock scream and why. Quickly, the boys are involved in a far-reaching mystery involving stolen paintings, an innocent man framed and imprisoned for the theft, an entire room of screaming clocks, dangerous thugs, and the singular international art thief Hugenay, first encountered in The Mystery of the Stuttering Parrot. I wanted to try and figure out the coded messages myself, to see if I could match the wits of Jupe, but the book was just too interesting for me to put down long enough to test my own deductive skills. On a final note, this book contains the funniest line of the series so far when Jupiter finally gives in to Pete's needling to stop using so many big words and says, "Like, it blows my mind to the outer reaches of our galaxy."

I enjoyed reading this book. It was interesting and it made mewant to keep on reading. I recomend it to any Three Investigator fan.

Robert E. Lee has been a hero of mine since I was a small boy. With Confederate ancestors on both sides of my family, my father made sure that respect for Lee's character was instilled in my impressionable mind when I was just a lad. Growing up and playing on my father's ancestral home and land that was the site of an engagement between Federal and Confederate troops, love and respect for the gallantry of Lee came natural for me.

I began collecting quotes and anecdotes from the life of Lee many years ago and started dreaming about a book in 1999. This book is the result of that dream. The book is specifically directed to "young gentlemen," or those who aspire to be, but I believe the book can be enjoyed by everyone. It is full of some of the better quotes culled from reliabile biographies and Lee's personal letters. Some were Lee's "personal maxims" that were found after his death in a worn military satchel by CSA chaplian, William Jones. The book also contains some little known anecdotes from the life of Lee that illustrate his sterling Christian character and humility. Many that have reviewed the book have been complimentary:

"The Maxims of Robert E. Lee for Young Gentlemen is inspiring and full of anecdotes and quotes, some long forgotten, that will guide men of all ages towards the lost art of being a 'gentleman.' " ~ Joe Farah, Editor in Chief and CEO of WorldNetDaily.com.

"I can think of no better guide for young men embarking on the adventure of life than the maxims of Robert E. Lee." ~ From the Foreword by Harry W. Crocker, III, author of Lee on Leadership and Executive Editor at Regnery Publishing.

"The example of Robert E. Lee illustrates in stark colors what it means to be a man - a model essential for all of us who are products of this distinctly unmanly age. Rick Williams has placed us all in his debt with this wonderful anthology of Lee's wisdom and grace. Must reading for all fathers and sons." ~ Pastor J. Steven Wilkins, author of Call of Duty: The Sterling Nobility of Robert E. Lee.

"This riveting collection of Lee's own stirring words and personal thoughts give amplified insight into the life of a rare and much-needed role model. Imagine for a moment the impact just one hundred young men could have on our land should they develop Lee's passion for personal purity and selfless pursuit of Christian honor. My prayer is that many will read these words not as antiquated or romantic philosophy, but rather as a challenge to humbly follow - and then boldly lead." ~ James McDonald, Publisher, Homeschooling Today® Magazine

Samuel Johnson once quipped, "Any man honored by both his enemies and his compatriots is a man worthy of our closet attentions-for in him you may be sure to find authenticity. After all, authenticity is the rarest of all human traits." Of all the men who fought during the un-Civil War Between the States only R.E. Lee stands out as universally praised by both sides.

The English historian Paul Johnson had this to say about Lee: "General Lee has accomplished in both life and death what few, indeed, hardly any have ever accomplished in all of the annals of history: ubiquitous respect, renown, and acclaim."

In this concise and handy little book of Maxims, Richard Williams Jr. has provided us a window into the man who accomplished ubiquitous respect, renown, and acclaim. In a generation dearth of real heroes it is vital that we put before our children men of valor, duty, and courage. One need look no further than to the example of Robert Edward Lee to see these principles brilliantly exemplified. This is a book that can be read in one sitting, but you will not want to read it just once. If you are like myself you will use this book over and over again. My copy is already marked up and the pages ruffled from where I keep drinking from the wonderful wisdom of the man.

It's my hope that with the publication of books like this one, we may yet again see a generation of leaders who embody the principles of Robert E. Lee.

In an era where the primary role models for our children are self-absorbed entertainers, out of control professional athletes, and corrupt politicians, where does one turn to find credible examples of how to live one's life that you can point to when counciling your children? Granted, there are some fine modern role models, but they aren't usually being highlighted in the news, or being profiled on TV. However, Richard Williams, Jr. has provided us a handy book that gives us a glimpse at a role model that is timeless.

Whether one believes Robert E. Lee fought on the right side of the War Between the States or not, his life is a great example of self-sacrifice, devotion to duty and always acting in a manner so as to do the right and honorable thing. Not by today's modern selfish, materialistic standards, but by standards that were the foundation of all that is good about Western Civilization.

This book contains a treasure trove of maxims by Lee that he used to guide his own life and to influence the lives of his children as well as those who served under him in the military and were under his care while they attended Washington College (later Washington and Lee University). It is not a cumbersom tomb, but a simple, straight forward book that is broken down into sections that lend itself to being a quick reference book as well as a wonderful insight into a man whose life is truly an example to all.

If more people followed R.E. Lee's maxims, this would definitely be a better world. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking to buy a special graduation gift for that special person graduating from high school or college. This is something that will last a lifetime.

While this is far from a bad book, it does fall short of the standard Robert Arthur established in the first four books of this series. The story line was rather loosely put together and failed to merge the two sub-plots to my satisfaction. Honestly, even though I am quite open-minded about the paranormal and such matters, a story centered around "gnomes" begins life with some disadvantages. Be that as it may, it may well be that young readers would be attracted most by the things my adult mind shied away from--after all, what kid doesn't like to read about gnomes? As for the "vanishing treasure" at the heart of this mystery, the means by which it was stolen seemed a little far-fetched to me. As for the investigation, the boys sort of stumble through it. While I guess it is important to show Jupiter Jones as human after all, I frankly don't like seeing the youthful genius miscalculate and overlook clues. Jupe's a little slow in this book, but he fortunately does make up for his mistakes in the end. Finally, while the boys do figure a lot of things out (eventually), the sad fact is that luck, even more so than in the previous books, basically saves them from disaster. Success often depends on luck as well as skill, but the boys just seemed a little too lucky this time.

All in all, it is certainly an enjoyable story. If you've never read a Three Investigators book, I wouldn't start with this one, but I would certainly give it a place on my bookshelf and make a point of reading it after gaining a satisfactory introduction to the young sleuths elsewhere. I personally am reading all of these great books from my childhood in order of publication.

Think the Hardy Boys are too old-fashioned? Had enough of Scooby Doo and "those meddling kids?" Here comes a great alternative. I admit much preferring the Three Investigators to the Hardy Boys, et. al., when I was a kid, and with good reason. Unlike the fairly old-fashioned Hardys, the Three Investigators books always had a contemporary feel. It's three appealing heroes, Jupiter Jones, Pete Crenshaw, and Bob Andrews, unlike the too-perfect-too-be-real Hardys, were everyday, ordinary kids, much like those you knew. And, as befitted Hitchcock and his literary right arm, so to speak, Robert Arthur, there were twists and turns and "hare's breadth 'scapes" aplenty, more than enough to keep your interest.

And what great news to see that "Mystery of the Vanishing Treasure" and the other early Arthur volumes are back with us again. This book was probably the best of the eight that Robert Arthur wrote, and an excellent introduction to the series, for this is a book where all the elements I spoke of earlier come into play. Robert Arthur, incidentally, was the editor of the earlier, and better, Hitchcock anthologies, and contributed several excellent stories to them, as well (Don't read his "Death is a Dream" late at night!). But the Three Investigators were his greatest legacy. As a librarian, I recommend them to my patrons all the time. None of the later authors of the books really got the formula right. Robert Arthur did, and we "Three Investigators" fans, young and old, are grateful.

I think I may have already listed other Three Investigator books as my all-time favorites, but how could any list be complete without the inclusion of The Mystery of the Vanishing Treasure?! This book has got it all! And just when you think that brainy Jupiter Jones has figured out the mystery... Robert Arthur keeps you guessing to the very last chapter! A definite must-read for any fan of the Three Investigators, and an easy and thrilling read for any child who is reluctant to pick up a book with summer just around the corner. Looking to keep your kids occupied this summer? BUY THIS BOOK! (And all of the other re-issued Robert Arthur titles!)

I was never one to enjoy history much until my college history class used this book for the main text. I found this book great reading (interesting and kept my attention most of the time). I must say that after that class and this book, I have become much more interested in aspects of history. This book is wonderful and I would recommend it to any college professor of history or high school student with even a slight interest in history!

I used this book for self-study after many years away from any formal courses, and I was very pleasantly surprised to find myself engrossed in the lucid and engaging descriptions, the beautiful illustrations and photographs, and helpful index. It covers, at just the right level of detail, American History from the colonization of the Americas to Clinton's presidency. It gives a big picture without being condescending and simplistic, but also without assailing you with inessential jargon and names.

I looked at many different American History surveys and this is my favorite by far. On the other hand, if you already know the main outlines of American History, and want detailed analyses of particular periods, then this book will not be as helpful, as it is merely an overview and the bibliography is not very detailed or well annotated.

This book has been a great aid in writing my research papers! I really liked the way the book was broken down between chapters and sections, it made choosing a research topic much easier. The book was also very well written and to the point, it was not at boring at all!

It was a good book with lots of detail. Houdini escapes from a locked safe in London! He was the best magcian ever!!

Have you ever locked yourself up and then slipped out without the crowd knowing? In Harry Houdini, Master of Magic, the man is amazing; he does tricks and stuff you can't even imagine doing, such as stealing locks from his mother when she locks them up. At first the young Houdini is playing with ropes, tieing himself up, and the next thing you know, he is locking himself up. My opinion about this book is that it's good. I have never seen someone lock themselves up, then get out. I think everyone who likes to do tricks will like this book.

If you have read the life story of Houdini and you think you know every thing about Houdini... Then you should read this one... Beacause this has alot of information. It does have images like posters and other. I think this book is great... I've give it five stars