What a wonderful book. All the poetic writing of Sandburg in a very informative study of the Lincoln Administration during the Civil War. You will find less details on specific battles but many more details on the politics and behind the scenes characters. You won't want to put this one down. Get to know Lincoln, his Cabinet and his Generals.

"How can you print a piece of your own soul," Dickinson, p. 51

This is the 2nd in the Krull and Hewitt's "Lives of ..." series. The book contains 19 chapters on 20 writers in birth order: Murasaki Shikibu (973?-1025?), Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616), William Shakespeare (1564-1616), Jane Austen (1775-1817), Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849), Charles Dickens (1812-1870), Charlotte & Emily Bronte (1816-1855 & 1818-1848), Emily Dickinson (1830-1886), Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888), Mark Twain (1835-1910), Frances Hodgson Burnett (1849-1924), Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894), Jack London (1876-1916), Carl Sandburg (1878-1967), E. B. White (1899-1985), Zora Neale Hurston (1901?-1960), Langston Hughes (1902-1967), Isaac Bashevis Singer (1904-1991)

This is a perfect book for young adolescents and pre-teens who as they grow and mature frequently feel awkward. Krull introduces us to the idiosyncrasies of the literary. Some of the authors were loners, eccentric, a wee bit peculiar. Michael Jackson's behaviors might seem normal when held in comparison. Some retreated into themselves. Some sought out adventures. Some as adults were unsuccessful at the ordinary.

Some worked at a young age to support the family. Some took daily walks, very long daily walks. Some were not healthy and therefore wrote in bed. There were some similarities and some differences, but they all shared a singular conviction to write and write they each did well.

Hewitt's delightful portraits of the writers are precious. My favorite portrait is of Frances Hodgson Burnett of "The Secret Garden" fame. Her hat is the secret garden.

Given the high price of the book, I was surprised that Krull did not include a list of the authors' books and/or poems and the publication years. END

This book is a fun and informative book. The pictures are filled with humorous meanings and hidden information. The book keeps the reader's attention by keeping the included information short and simple, but also makes sure that the reader gets as much possible about the author. This book is great for kids and students to use as a report source as it is filled with great information. Kids would rather use this book as an information source rather than an encylopedia since the information is easy to understand. Authors in there are some you may not know, ( Murasaki Shikibu) and some well know ones ( Charles Dickens). I am glad I purchsed this book. I really liked the pictures which are so vibrant with color. This would make a great buy.

I purchased this book partly [because of what others ere saying.] The lyrics of the obscure selections from American popular music are of some value but the arrangements of the music and the tune transcriptions are terrible. This is not a book to buy if you are looking for music.

Compiled with difficulty and a lot of elbow grease during the years when American master Carl Sandburg was also writing Rootabaga Stories, Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years and poetry volume Slabs Of The Sunburnt West, The American Songbag is one of the many valuable gifts Sandburg produced for the American people. A collection of 290 "songs, ballads, and ditties," each entry consists of the extended lyrics and "complete harmonizations or piano accompaniments."

These folk songs are grouped under loose headings such as 'Dreams And Portraits,' 'Pioneer Memories,' 'The Big Brutal City,' 'Picnic and Hayrack Follies, Close Harmony, and Darn Fool Ditties,' 'The Great Open Spaces,' 'Hobo Songs,' and 'Tarnished Love Tales And Revolutionary Antiques,' and 'Mexican Border Songs' among others.

Many, understandably, have a British origin - 'The Foggy Dew,' 'Barbara Allen,' 'As I Was Walkin' Down Wexford Street,' 'Pretty Polly,' and 'The House Carpenter' - while the origin of others, like 'The E-RI-E,' 'The Ballad Of De Boll Weevil,' and 'The Buffalo Skinners' seem to be distinctly American. 'Turkey In The Straw,' however, like "When The Curtains Of Night Are Pinned Back,' is a "classical American rural tune," and "as American as Andrew Jackson, Johnny Appleseed, and Corn-on-the-Cob." Sandburg provides a brief introduction to each song, many of which are informative, while others are humorous and so idiosyncratic that each only muddies the waters of clarity if taken at face value. American music lovers may believe that 'Shenandoah' is a wholly American creation, but Sandburg sensibly suggests that the original may have referred to the name of a foreign ship or an Indian chief, rather than to 'the Historic Virginia valley.' 'She'll Be Comin' Round The Mountain" was adapted by mountaineers from the "old-time negro spiritual" 'When The Chariot Comes.' 'The John B. Sails' has its origin in the West Indies. Sandburg seems to be underscoring the fact that most songs, like most people, come from somewhere else; origins are often hazy and partially a result of wishful thinking.

Musicians, educators, and youth leaders should have special interest in this book, which is as pure a piece of Americana as Duncan Emrich's Folklore On The American Land. The American Songbag will also thrill lovers of Americana and those searching for a legitimate, productive, and useful avenue into our country's history. Highly recommended for all audiences.

Sandburg's American Songbag is a national treasure. I suppose the words and music of these 280 songs, ballads, and ditties that people have sung forever could be found elsewhere, but where? This important work, which breathes life back into some of the most memorable old songs, was originally published in 1927.

Almost everyone has heard of the "For Dummies" books. The "Quick Reference" series' direct method and clear (sometimes playful and fun) language make learning easy. "The Internet For Dummies Quick Reference" is a fact-filled quick reference that gives the chance to find out a small, clear and fun guide which takes the horror out of meeting the Internet for the first time.

"The Internet For Dummies Quick Reference" is a quick guide designed for beginners. Authors do an exceptional job of explaining a large number of Internet terms. You'll also find here a lot of tips for optimizing your browser for speed, building your first Web page, managing e-mail, subscribing to mailing lists, and go shopping on-line. Here is really the perfect guide to help users find their way around the Internet.

I hope, almost everyone has heard of the "For Dummies" books. The series' direct method and clear (sometimes playful and fun) language make learning easy. It is also a well-known computer book series in Russia. "The Internet For Dummies" is the chance to find out in a simple, clear and fun guide which takes the horror out of meeting the Internet for the first time.

As a computer writer, I am always delighted to discover new great book that makes understanding the computer. Many so-called Internet books are nothing more than printed collections of Web addresses. "The Internet For Dummies" is a guide designed just for newbies. Authors do an exceptional job of explaining a large number of Internet terms. You'll also find here a lot of tips for optimizing your browser for speed, building your first Web page, managing e-mail, subscribing to mailing lists, and go shopping on-line. "The Internet for Dummies" is a great start to learning the Internet.

360 pages of all the facts you'll need about the Web, e-mail, service providers, and search engines. An encyclopedia of the easy to locate information you'll need to surf like an "expert." Provides a complete table of contents and an index of more than 2,200 entries. Topics range from The Net at Home and Work, Your Kids, Web TV and Shopping, to Your First Home Page, Mail, Messages, Chats, and Swiping Files from the Net. Written in the fun, but informative style of the "Dummies" series. At $ 15.95 you'll find a wealth of information to help you. I keep this book on my desk and refer to it often. My two sons are systems analysts and programmers, but I find the things I need faster in this book, than trying to understand what the boys are saying with their technical jargon ! After they answer my question, I still look it up in the book so I can understand the "practical" steps I need to take to get what I want.

Sandburg, a classic American poet, will never lose his luster, i think, as long as the American people remain committed to 'doing tasks.' this compilation demonstrates sandburg's admiration with average working Americans and the honor in their work. While originally published in the first decades of the 20th century, they still carry resonance today. While the selection is not as comprehensive as it could, it is a good compilation of works that anyone interested in sandburg should consider. I bought it at full price at a bookstore after reading through a few pages, it took me immediately.

this is a good collection for the fan of sandburg or the scholar. i wouldn't chose this as your first introduction to sandburg (you'd be much, much better off with the selected poems). the poems are not his best, but they are good for those of us who are already sandburg fans.

If you enjoy history and want a clean read that will keep you hooked cover to cover than this is the book for you! I found this children's book a fun read that would be great for adults and kids alike if they are trying to rekindle their innocent, free-spirit days as a child! It takes you from Abe's youth to his adolescent and the history of his aduldhood. What a great read!

More books are published about Lincon than any other public figure and Carl Sandburg's take on America's 16th president is a good place to start your learning on this extraordinary individual. Sandburg's style shows his roots as a poet; the writing is lyrical and captivating. Though it leans towards myth-making, Sandburg doesn't leave out Lincoln's flaws. Other biographies go deeper into Lincoln's psyche or touch on specific chapters from Lincoln's life; however this book is a good start to begin your education on Abraham Lincoln. Find the complete six-volume set if you can. It does a much better job of putting Lincoln's life into the historical context of the 1800s than this abridged volume does.

An collection of seventy poems by America's favorite poet, hathered especially for young readers and grouped under such topical headings as "Wind and Sea," "Portraits," and "Birds and Bugs."
"What is poetry? Carl Sandberg asks in the delightful "Short Talk" that opens this volume. How is a poem made? If it can be explained, is it really a poem? Should children write poetry? He then goes on to present his own captivating, often amusing poems. Dealing with everyday themes that young readers will enjoy, he writes about skyscrapers, hats, tactors, and buffaloes; pumpkins, weeds, cabbages, and birds. There are groups of poems about children, wind and sea, and night; and a number of Sandberg's best-known powems, including "Fog."

Carl Sandburg's Honey and Salt is a perfect work of poetic mastery. From cover to cover the reader is engrossed in deep thoughts and clever metaphors. This book is reccomended to anyone looking for a good read!