What remains in my mind after reading Meadow Boy to our children is the light in John Roberts' illustrations. They radiate with a magic and meaning that need no words. The brief text, written on two levels (you must read one or the other to fully appreciate its flow), is delightful in its own way. But the illustrtations remain after the book is closed. We would love to mount them on the walls of our children's rooms as lullabies for the eyes.

I can't give you a wordy, erudite critique of this book. I just know what I like. This is it! The pictures are beautiful to look at. And, if you want enjoyable reading for a child, or an adult for that matter, that doesn't 'talk down' to them, get this book.

Meadow Boy once again revs up the promise for family books that fall outside the cookie cutter standards of big publishing houses. This first offering from Pentultimate Publishing neither panders to kids' cartoon mentality nor to adults' harried expectations. Author Reed Parsley and illustrator John Roberts defy conventional children's book wisdom on many levels. Parsley's text is divided on each page into poetic headlines that flow naturally from page one to conclusion. And beside each of the illustrations, narrative poems ease you into the soul of the artwork, which by any measure, is wonderful. For a quick bedtime read, the headlines take you from the kernel of a daydream to its fully popped possiblities within us all. For those joyous, pokey family interludes, the poems both stand alone and add layers to the rapturous artwork. The illustrations offer an art gallery-like opportunity for your children to experience provocative art. Nature as story teller, messenger of beauty, background comfort, psychic shelter and pre-eminent friend, Roberts' pictures transport on many different levels. Overall, Meadow Boy is tinged with a sense of pervading melancholy, perhaps for the time we no longer have to savor such published beauty as evidenced here.

This is a fine starter book for the first time home owner. In the first few pages, I had the answers to the three major problems I had been dealing with! Nice and straightforward catch-all book on working over existing stuff or putting in new.

I picked up this book in Home Depot back in 1997. At a glance I found out how to take out a load bearing wall, something I needed to do. I bought the book, and with it I had the confidence to take on a major remodel of my house. The book has everything, from framing an addition to fixing a leaky faucet. I consult it often. Right now (03/2002) I'm using it to build a shed. The language is clear and concise and the book doesn't waste words. I recommend it highly.

I, recently, purchased this boook (my brother said he had one, and it was great). I flipped through most of the book -- it isn't the kind of book you sit down and read straight through. I've done a fair amount of handyman stuff around the house (I just replaced the motor in my dryer - which wasn't too difficult once I had the right parts). Well, as I flipped through the book, I would stop and read sections which interested me. There are well-written sections on, basically, everything about a house and what is in it. After spending about an hour scanning the book, I said to my wife: "You could build a house with the information that is in here!" It is one of those "I'm glad I bought this book" books. A great book to have if you're looking for stuff to do around the house; it is a real "Home Improvement Encyclopedia."

An epic tour-de-force which examines the fascinating life of John Reed, the only American to be buried in the Kremlin Wall. An ecclectic mix of personalities - from Lenin to Gertrude Stein, from Lincoln Steffens to Teddy Roosevelt - pass thru the tapestry which was Reed's life, each having their own unique impact on the art which remains. From his childhood in stoic Portland Oregon to his years in Harvard and New York to his coming of age in Mexico covering the Villa revolution, Reed absorbed experience and reflected his concept of justice and equality in his writing. Each stop along the way was preparation for Reed's ultimate mission - to report on the earth-shattering 1917 Russian Revolution. The book "Ten Days in October" is still the seminal work on the topic, and this book delves into the evolution of Reed from middle-class dabbler to full-blown Socialist commentator. Mr. Rosenstone does the man justice - well-documented, fair, and without overt "gushiness". An exceptional read.

This is the book the academy-award winning movie "Reds", starring Warren Beatty and Diane Keaton, was based on. An epic (but true)love story, you finish reading it in awe at how much life was packed by these people in such a short time.

I have to say that John Reed's Ten Days That Shook The World works more as a period piece today than as history. Still, you might look at the guy as an early example of what Hunter Thompson called, "Gonzo Journalism." Reed was reporting history as he saw it happen. There is always something to be said for that.

John Reed lived a short and adventurous life. This three part compilation of his works was excellent to read because of Insurgent Mexico, and the War in Eastern Europe. Both are excellent, and are worth buying this book for its historical importance and for our modern experience in these regions. If Mexican history and Eastern Europe interest you, this is a great read. I enjoy journalistic accounts, and this book really fits the bill. 10 Days that Shook the World is interesting as a period piece and to see that the Commies perhaps duped him but is not as fascinating as the first two works.