I first heard of the Heritage Foundation while at college when I read a booklet by analyst Dan Mitchell about the flat tax. Intrigued, I started reading about Heritage. When I got my hands on this book, I immediately devoured it. It is an eminently readable history of one the greatest; if not the greatest; conservative think tanks in America.

Edwards starts at the beginning when Ed Feulner and others wanted to found a think tank to get ideas and papers out fast and timely. He follows through the troubled 70s into the triumphent 80s when Reagan became president. HE looks at the ideas Heritage put forth and how it did not hesitate to criticize Reagan if he went wrong. He follows through the Bush administration and into the 90s. This, like Feulner's book about conservative thought is a must read for all conservatives!

Lee Edwards has cranked out another gem on the history of American conservatism. I submit that one could say that he has taken up where the late Russell Kirk left off. In any case, Edwards is to be commended for bringing the history and role of The Heritage Foundation to light. And The Heritage Foundation is to be commended and praised for its significant contribution towards the propagation of conservative values and ensuring a conservative trend in public policy. I dearly hope that Edwards' concluding assessment is accurate, namely that Heritage will continue to play a substantial role in moving mainstream thought back towards the fundamental and enduring principles that are the foundation of American culture, economics, and society. And may God continue to bless Heritage with a steady flow of brilliant public policy experts willing to devote their energies towards advancing conservative values. And may God also bless Heritage with the type of brilliant leadership that it has received from Dr. Ed Feulner. And may the conservative movement continue to be blessed with historians willing to document the life and times of our heroic predecessors.

Lee Edward's "The Power of Ideas: The Heritage Foundation at 25 Years" is the definitive book to read if one wishes to understand the rise of conservative ideas in America. The Heritage Foundation helped, by embodying the principles of Lincoln, Roosevelt (Theodore), Nixon, and Reagan. Their work in shaping United States domestic and foreign policy is impressive. Lee Edward's book will inspire people in making America the place where freedom reigns and the individual and not the government holds the power. I hope the people who read this book have similar thoughts and ideas on how to make America GREAT. I also wish this book will rank next to "Democracy in America" in time.

As a school Guidance Officer and Counsellor, I have found this book invaluable. It is based on Perceptual Control Theory and shares many similarities to the work of William Glasser and his Choice Theory, although the two authors would probably dispute this. It is particularly relevant for Guidance Officers whose schools have introduced "the Responsible Thinking Classroom" as part of their behaviour management policy. For a counsellor, Ed goes much deeper than a discussion of Perceptual Control Theory. Ed describes valuable techniques he uses in counselling and relates them to his understanding of why we humans do what we do. My only complaint is that I want a follow up book on counselling from Ed but can't seem to find one. I suspect that like many authors of the really great counselling books, Ed is more involved with the practical counselling side of things and simply hasn't had the time to write another book since this one. His style of writing is easy to read and it is one of those books that can be read time and again and each time more is learnt. This book contains much more about human behaviour than a study of stress. If Ed is still around, I hope he reads this review and writes another book on his techniqes of counselling and human behaviour.

This self-help book allows the reader to understand in layman terms certain powers and provisions needed for wills, proxies, etc without the need for an attorney. The forms in the back are easy to understand and can be copied which is beneficial to the user. The forms are also humorous in nature as well. This do-it-yourself handbook is a necessary tool for anyone looking for quick and helpful information.