I am co-author of the book (and want to thank Dr. Larson for including me in on the project). I think that it is important for readers to understand that the book is mostly about bullying from a Christian perspective. The subjects in the listing do not, in my view, adequately reflect this. I hope readers enjoy it and find it useful. In my work on bullying, I have often longed to look at spirituality and leadership issues--both of which Scott addressed beautifully in the volume. Thanks, John Hoover

Also, see the Bullying Prevention Handbook for more information on the same topic.

We have started using this book in our youth group and found that it has put the finger on so many issues we were dealing with. The issues of teasing and bullying that were just part of our group are now being exposed through the six part youth group series in the back of the book, and kids are taking ownership of it, and wanting to change that. It's been awesome!

This book is incredible. The author knows kids well. It has been so helpful for us to sensitize our kids to reaching out to others that are so easily neglected. Great for teachers, youth group leaders and any others who work with kids.

This is a really fun little graphic novel, loaded with great artwork and a decent storyline. I wouldn't recommend it as a first-time read for anyone unfamiliar with the X-Men - taken out of context from the overall series - it might be a somewhat confusing introduction. But for those who know the characters and have a general idea of what is going on, believe me, this one delivers the goods.

In the past, I have generally hated the X-Men's adventures in the Savage Land, or whenever they would go to outer space or get into really super sci-fi type situations. I always felt the X-Men stories worked much better when they were grounded in very normal, down-to-earth settings, because it made the X-Men themselves stand out and seem that much weirder. But this book is an exception to the rule. It's a big, crazy, larger-than-life adventure, part of which takes place in the prehistoric Savage Land, and part of which gets hyper technological, and it works out OK.

The artwork is tough and gritty. Jim Lee draws a mean, shadowy, ugly Wolverine who kills lots of villains and looks like he needs to take a shower very badly.

And Lee's women - whoa. This book contains more gratuitous cheescake shots than any X-Men graphic novel I've seen, but it's all very pleasing to the eye. Especially the scenes with Rogue, whose bare skin can kill anyone she touches and thus, understandably, was always the one major female character who kept herself completely covered at all times. This was the first storyline in the series where they finally drew her as a scantily-clad, sexy heroine. A real treat for male Rogue-fans who'd been reading the series patiently for years.

This storyline also chronicles the transformation of innocent young Psylocke into a mature woman trained in the art of Ninjitsu, and she becomes an ultra-violent, sexy bad girl. And then there are cameo appearances by other Marvel superheroes, namely Captain America (from the Avengers series) and The Black Widow (from the Daredevil series). All in all, it's a satisfying, action-packed, well-drawn, crowd-pleasing comic book in trade-paperback format.

X-Men Visionaries Jim Lee trade paperback Is a great X-Men graphic Novel by Jim Lee! the book reprints Uncanny X-Men issues #248,#256-258,#268-269,#273-277 are reprinted together in this wonderful Marvel book collection! This book contains the early Uncanny X-Men issues that made Jim Lee famous! All the issues are written by Chris Claremont with artwork by Jim Lee. These issues lead to the popular Claremont/Lee colaboration on X-Men#1 in 1991. Most of the artwork was done by Jim Lee. Uncanny X-Men #273 was done by various artists. Buy this book if your fan of X-Men and Jim Lee. Highest Possible Recommendation!

This is a great X-Men: Visionaries Jim Lee graphic Novel! This is Jim Lee's early work on the Uncanny X-Men series! This Marvel Tradepaperback reprints Jim Lee's early years when he was the comic book artist on Uncanny X-Men. In this book reprints Uncanny X-Men#248,#256-258,#268-269, #273-277. His early work on the Uncanny X-Men in the early 1990s, lead to to the critically aclaimed Clarmont/Lee work on X-Men #1 in 1991. All the Uncanny X-Men issues are written by Chris Claremont. Most of the artwork is drawn by Jim Lee. Unncany X-Men#273 is drawn by various artist. Buy this book if your a big fan of X-Men and Jim Lee. Highest Possible Recommendation.

Lee Harvey Oswald became the most hated man in America after the tragic death of John F. Kennedy. But did Oswald actually do it? If he did was he alone? The Assassinations Dallas and Beyond contemplates these questions as well as the integrity of the commission composed to answer them. The book is a compilation of several official reports, which were both rewritten and analyzed by editor Peter Dale Scott. The books main points focus on the credibility of the Warren Report by evaluating several disregarded pieces of evidence and witnesses that may have proved Oswald's innocence. The Assassinations also describes Oswald's social life, including his communist ties. Although packed with an insurmountable amount of information, this book has a gross redundancy. Still after reading through it all, I feel Oswald was innocent. Only someone with a passion for either JFK or Lee Oswald could stand the long nights of reading a lot of the same information only written differently. However, if you enjoy bleeding from your eyes, or just have trouble sleeping at night, then feel free to read The Assassinations Dallas and Beyond. Take my word for it; don't waste your money on this one and check it out at your local library.

Author's Name is Paul Hoch

I won't go into too much detail, fellow batarangers. Also I will be sure not to spoil too much.
Our newly christened Batgirl is off and running. I felt the first collection of issues (Silent Running) was very sporadic and all over the place, in other words hard to follow. The second one (A Knight Alone) proved to be much more grounded and linear. Cassandra learns how to speak, kind of. And this ends the frustration of her not being able to communicate, but it comes at a price, one that almost kills her. I feel a great haunting about this new batgirl, and the same hint of mystery that drew me to Batman in the first place. I would most definitely put this as required reading for any bat-fan, it will not disappoint. Kelley Puckett has strong stories, and I feel she writes Batgirl with a sense of sadness, which is the root of Cassandra's character. There was not a one cheesy one-liner to be found in this tome, and I felt a great relief because of that fact. Chuck Dixon is a master at his craft, but sometimes the things that come out of Nightwing's mouth make me wince as if poked with a hot needle in my bathing-suit area.
The book is graphic at times, and melancholy throughout, but it represents the heart of the girl who now bears the cowl. Her tortured past catches up with her, but her iron-hard resolve and her selfless acts of heroism shine bright as the signal of her mentor in the Gotham sky.
Long Live Batgirl.

Cassandra Cain, the young woman that inherited the Batgirl mantle from Barbara Gordon, rose from the cataclysmic upheaval of NO MAN'S LAND. During the aftermath of the earthquake that leveled so much of Gotham City, she became a hero and caught the eye of the city's fiercest protector: Batman. Her origins were mysterious, and-upon discovery-just as debilitating as the murder of her mentor's own parents. Raised to be the world's most dangerous assassin, Cassandra was trained never to speak, never to think, only to act and react. In the second graphic novel of her adventures, Cassandra is dealing with the fall-out of having been given the "gift" of speech. Bereft of her usual fighting ability, she trains and trains, trying to get back what she once had and accepted so casually. Batman counsels Cassandra, and Barbara Gordon counsels her, but only when Batgirl steps into the field of fire of the dangerous living legend, Shiva, does she begin to come to terms with what she is, what she was, and what she wants to be. Only by agreeing to Shiva's terms can Batgirl reclaim what she lost-and those terms could mean the death of her. Even as Cassandra regains her old skills, they're immediately put to the test in the rest of the collected stories. David Cain, the man who raised Cassandra, steps back into her life as well, bringing more pain and tragedy as he tries to recover tapes of Cassandra's aberrant childhood and the training he forced on her. The last arc brings Cassandra under the watchful eyes of a government agency dedicated to bringing her down.

Kelley Puckett has been the regular BATGIRL monthly writer for years, with only a few time-outs for fill-in issues. He's also written for BATMAN ADVENTURES, GREEN ARROW, and LEGENDS OF THE DC UNIVERSE. Damion Scott has drawn for DETECTIVE COMICS and BATMAN: LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT.

Kelley Puckett's script work for BATGIRL: A KNIGHT ALONE is excellent. The story flows quickly through the action and meat of the plot. Driven along by razor-edged, lean dialogue and first-person narrative that adds tension, insight, and immediacy. Puckett has created a very savvy new heroine, yet at the same time gifted her with a vulnerability that draws the reader's interest. Cassandra Cain has basically been plucked from everything she's known and plopped down in an alien world. With the addition of the speech ability, she lost much of the nature of herself. Of course, having constant stories without the character speaking would become impossible after a time, and the way that Puckett chose to deal with the issue was good, solid work that comes from the character herself rather than the writer's need to erase a problematic point. Damion Scott's pencil work is a beautiful blend of reality and manga. He works with intricate backgrounds or with no background at all, drawing the eye naturally through the story and pushing the action scenes into sequences that explode from the pages. When someone gets hit in the book, Scott puts the reader into that impact, on both the delivering and receiving ends with equal skill. Most of all Cassandra Cain comes off as a real character, even when literally dodging bullets sprayed at her from an automatic weapon. Her relationships with Batman and Barbara Gordon have a familiar feel to them, adding layers to those characters as well as her own. Scott renders Cassandra as very human and very compassionate. She has wide, knowing yet innocent eyes, and can smirk in disdain or smile with real humor at the drop of a hat-just as the young woman she's written to be can. She wins and she loses fights in the graphic novel, and neither of those comes without a price. Batgirl is an endearing character, and one that has much to learn about herself and the world she's chosen to inhabit.

BATGIRL: A KNIGHT ALONE is recommended for any fan of Batman. And Kelly Puckett's authorial skills rank right up there with Chuck Dixon, Devin Grayson, and Denny O'Neill.

this collection of interviews is great for any fan of Cheever's work. it does get a bit repetitious, but there is so much about the man (and the author) in these interviews

Review of CONVERSATIONS WITH CHEEVER

For those admirers of Cheever who would have been elated at the chance to converse with him about his art this book is gratifying. Surely, in these twenty eight interviews, questions are asked to which an admirer yearns for an answer. Granted some questions are echoed throughout various interviews - how much of Cheever's fiction is autobiography, for instance - a tendency the book's compiler mentions, still a lot of information about the writer's life, opinions, and working habits is presented. (A similar book and a suitable companion piece to this one is CONVERSATIONS WITH UPDIKE, particularly since the two were friends. Amazon carries it.)

What follows is merely a smattering of information from this treasure trove. Cheever liked to select a different room in his house in which to write each story. Many of his short stories were drafted in three days. Usually, at the publication of one of his books, he fled to Europe to avoid interviews, a habit he discarded later in his career. He was fond of Labrador Retrievers and owned several of the breed. Anyone wishing to discover the intimate details about the renowned American's life would do well to own this source.

John Cheever kept a journal throughout much of his career. An admirer might hope to find in them (they have been published) a glimpse into the artist's methods as can be found in the notebooks of Henry James. He is apt to be disappointed. Much of Cheever's journals concentrates on his amorous peccadilloes. CONVERSATIONS WITH CHEEVER compensates for what the journals lack. A reader will find on every page a nugget either factual or insightful on this esteemed writer.

I've been an amateur breadmaker for years, but tend to bake irregularly because of the effort involved. No more! Mark Miller's recipes for bread both plain and exotic, healthful and richly delicious, have rekindled my enthusiasm for bread. I'm baking almost all my own bread now and making breakfast and lunch special occasions. From genuine sourdough, comforting cornbreads, spicy cheesey flatbreads and foccacia, to tempting quickbreads and breakfast treats (try Cream Cheese and Blueberry Bread, or Scottish Scones with honey, cream and Drambuie) No tedious copying of recipes from a library book this time: there are so many delicious recipes (and I've tried a lot of them) that I need to buy this book!

This is chock full of wonderful recipes. Not one that we've tried has disappointed. A batch of Blue Corn-Maple Muffins never lasts long in our house. Nothing out of this book ever does.

The Otherlands accessory chronicles three different, formerly unexplored areas on Krynn. They are Chlorine, which lies approx. near the south pole of Krynn; the Spine of Taladas and Selasia, which presents the home of the Irda; and the home of the Dargonesti (Watermere), which lies very close to Taladas. This is a very fun supplement, but also fairly dark and dreary when one imagines the land of Chlorine. The major complaint is one that is fairly constant in the Dragonlance Saga; the lack of a continous, clear, unbroken history that would agree with the novels.

If the publisher of the dragonlance: campaign would reprint the setting and all of the adventures that are part of the war of the lance, i know that my friends and i would purchase as many as we could get our hands on. The reason i am so anxious is because i am reading the time of the twins and i have no idea what has happened to some of the warriors of the lance that are mow dead like Sturm Brightblade. PLEASE reprint or renew the old Dragonlance Campaign I am sure that people will purchase them!!!

I came across Fanny Kemble during a chance visit to a Georgia plantation on the Altamaha River, near Butler Island, where Fanny wrote her journal. An acclaimed Shakespearean actress born into a theatrical family, she had been touring America with her father when she met Pierce Butler, a wealthy member of Philadelphia society with possessions in the South. He courted her with such persistence that she finally agreed to give up her career and marry him. (Needless to say, Philadelphia society did not smile upon the union.) After the birth of two daughters, she persuaded Pierce to take her and the children to Butler Island, where she learned firsthand about the source of the family's wealth: hundreds of slaves worked in the rice paddies on Butler Island and in the cotton fields on St. Simon's Island, where the prized long-fiber Sea Island cotton was grown.

Fanny had been in contact with New England abolitionists and was well aware of the slave problem; but she was unprepared for the appalling conditions she found in the slave quarters, in the fields, and especially in the infirmary. She prevailed on her husband to mitigate the harsh rules imposed by the overseer, procured blankets for the infirmary and sewing material for the women; taught them to make clothes and take care of their babies; and even tried to teach some of them to read - which was, of course, frowned upon. She found that some of the slaves were skilled craftsmen and suggested that they should be paid for their work like any artisan.

An accomplished horsewoman and energetic walker, she also learned to row a boat so she could explore, unchaperoned, the coastal waterways. Her unconventional, spirited life style drew reprimands from her husband, but earned her the respect and admiration of the slaves.

The journal she kept on Butler Island gives a lively account of her daily routine. For those who imagine the lives of southern plantation owners along the lines of Hollywood movies, this book provides a healthy dose of reality. With an outsider's keen and critical eye, she chronicled her own involvement in a dark chapter of American history. She did not publish the journal until 1863, when she was divorced from Pierce and had returned to England. It came out just before the battle of Gettysburg and may have influenced public opinion in England which had been drifting toward favoring the South.
Today, the Butler plantation no longer exists; but neighboring "Hofwyl" gives a visitor a fairly good impression of what plantation life may have been like before and after the Civil War.

I purchased this book from Amazon in September but just managed to finish it this weekend. Why the delay? The book is a hard and melancholic read. In page after page Fanny Kemble narrates the abomination and sheer evil of slavery. We are introduced to folks who pious in their ways and beliefs show absolutely no compassion or outrage towards sanctioned barbarism. There is the case of one little girl who cannot conceive or imagine the notion that she can be a free woman. Then there is the sanctimonious Mr. Butler who is supposed to be a "good massa" to the chattel that is his property. I cannot begin to chronicle the innumerable injustices done to fellow humans.

But then in the midst of this filth there is a bright shinning light. That light is Fanny. This brave and intellignet lady fought against big odds to somewhat improve the plight of the slaves on her husband's plantation. Often not taken seriously, or worse treated condescendingly, Fanny nevertheless kept at it.

The first five chapters are a delight to read. They narrate her journey to the plantation along with her experiences at stops along the way. But from then on be prepared for a long sad book. This is an important book that deserves your attention. The next time I visit one of those beautiful antebellum mansions with the aroma of magnolia's in the air I will remember the cost of human lives wasted. I will remember Fanny.

Fanny Kemble Butler was a remarkable woman. In a time, circumstance, and place which precluded her following her life's dream, she settled down into marriage with Pierce Butler, who had adamantly and ardently pursued her hand. She left a very successful career as an actress and gave up, for a time and at her husband's request, her ambition and even her beliefs. She strove to make this marriage work and to "save her husband's soul," when she discovered, after the marriage, the actual source of her husband's family's income, the rice plantations that lay in Georgia. They had two children together before she finally persuaded him to allow her to visit his Georgia rice plantations, where hundreds of negro slaves labored to support the family's wealthy lifestyle in New England. Fanny's heartfelt pleas to free the negroes not only fell on her husband's deaf ears, but he eventually forbade her to even tell him of their plight, and even went so far as to forbid her to continue the practice of helping out in their infirmary. Still, the slaves of her husband's two plantations temporarily benefitted from her visit, which must have been like a ray of light in a very dark existence. The stories speak for themselves, and Fanny makes it her duty to record every one in the slaves' own voices. This book affected me deeply, especially when I read of Fanny's eventual unhappy divorce from her husband, whom she still loved, and her enforced separation from her children. Scholarly reading for every student of the nineteenth century, in the subjects of enslavement, the plight of married women, and general attitudes toward women and slavery by men in power and the common people.

...and i have not even finished even the first volume of this dauntingly sprawling work known as a la recherche du temps perdu, but i know what i like and i have just fallen in love with swann's way. yes, it would be silly to deny that proust does like to go on and on quite prodigiously but what a sumptuous journey! i feel almost wicked indulging in proust - and what is his writing if not supremely self-indulgent - but i find myself continually redeemed by his carefully and extensively detailed insights which unfold and arise so naturally, almost indiscernibly, from the complex interplay of memory, sensation and emotion. as i read, often i find myself either smiling with joy or on the verge of tears, moved by the beauty with which proust reveals simple, almost mundane, truths, which are all the more profound by virtue of their mundanity. in any case, i don't think it's fair to banish so bitterly all those for whom this book is a thing of joy and pleasure to the realm of the pretentious. besides, i prefer to think of myself as voluptuous, not pretentious (sniff, sniff) here's a tip: forget profundity if you must and just revel in the gorgeous details of his recollections, his attempts to recapture the past through memory. this is not a book to rush, you must let it's luxuriant and gauzy veil envelop you.

Proust is one of my very favortite authors. "Swann's Way," the first book of A la recherche du temps perdu, is perhaps the most accessible and lyrical of the seven. Written in a hypnotic and mesmerizing style, "Swann's Way" begins by recreating life in a fictionalized 19th century French village, complete with gossipy aunts, church festivals and priests who "know too much."

"Swann's Way" is also the volume in which Proust tastes the divine madeleine then goes on to link memory to memory to memory. Even the smallest detail is not overlooked: sights, sounds, smells, textures, the interplay of light and shadow; everything was a source of joy and connection for Proust and he records those connections in this fascinating book. While Joyce lived in the world of the present, Proust lived in the world of the past.

So many people complain about the lack of plot in this book. But do we really need a plot in every book we read? Aren't some works of art beautiful enough to be read, or listened to or gazed upon for their beauty alone? Is anything truly "art for art's sake?" If your answer to this question is "Yes," then "Swann's Way" might be a book you'll come to treasure. Yes, it is dense and yes, it does take quite a bit of time to read, but it is time well spent and time that will never be forgotten.

"Swann's Way" sets the tone for all the volumes that follow. Indeed, the final section of the final book is but an echo of the first section of "Swann's Way." Although Proust may have seemed to be wandering, he was not; A la recherche du temps perdu is one of the most structured works in any language. The fact that this structure is not immediately discernable is only further proof of the genius of Proust.

The section, Swann in Love, is typical of Proust's obsession with repetition. Each time the tortured Swann meets Odette, he must re-enact the very first ritual of the cattleyas. They even come to speak of this as "doing a cattleya." The Swann in Love section also showcases Proust's wicked sense of humor, for Swann is both a character of high comedy and high tragedy, and Proust dissects French society in a most deliciously scathing manner.

While it may be Proust's reputation that causes us to pick up this book, it is his prose that keeps us reading. Almost indescribable, it is luminous, poetic, magical, fascinating, ephemeral, gossamer, mesmerizing, elegant and, of course, sublime.

I realize that "Swann's Way" is definitely not going to be a book for everyone. But those who love and appreciate fine literature and beautiful, crystalline prose, may find that "Swann's Way" will become nothing less than a lifetime treasure.

I wish I hadn't waited so long to experience Proust, for now having read "Swann's Way," I see that his deeply sensitive prose is a reference point for almost all of the introspective literature of the twentieth century. As the story of a boy's adolescent conscience and aspirations to become a writer, the book's only artistic peer is James Joyce's "Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man."

The narrator is presumably the young Marcel Proust who divides his recollections between his boyhood at his family's country house at Combray and his parents' friend Charles Swann, an art connoisseur. In fact, the path that passes Swann's house, being one of two ways the narrator's family likes to take when they go for walks, gives the book its title. Proust uses the theme of unrequited love to draw a parallel between his young narrator's infatuation with Swann's red-haired daughter Gilberte and Swann's turbulent affair with a woman named Odette de Crecy.

Intense romantic obsessions are a Proustian forte. Swann falls for Odette even though she is unsophisticated and frivolous and does not appear to love him nearly as much as he loves her. He is desperate for her, always sending her gifts, giving her money when she needs it, and hoping she will become dependent on him. It comes as no surprise that he is consumed with jealousy when he notices her spending time with his romantic rival, the snobbish Comte de Forcheville, and he is shocked by her lesbian tendencies and rumors of her prostitution. He finally realizes with chagrin that he has wasted years of his life pursuing a woman who wasn't his "type" -- but even this resignation is not yet the conclusion of their relationship.

Proust's extraordinary sensitivity allows him to explore uncommon areas of poignancy, perversity, and the human condition. One example is the young narrator's childish insistence on getting a goodnight kiss from his mother at the cost of wresting her attention away from the visiting Swann. Another remarkable instance is the scene in which a girl's female lover spits on the photograph of the girl's deceased father in disrespectful defiance of his wishes for his daughter's decency. And I myself identified with Legrandin, the engineer whose passion for literature and art grants his professional career no advantages but makes him an excellent conversationalist.

Few writers can claim Proust's level of elegance and imagery. The long and convoluted sentences, with multiple subordinate clauses tangled together like tendrils of ivy, remind me of Henry James; but Proust is much warmer and more intimate although admittedly he is just as difficult to read. The narration of "Swann's Way" is a loosely connected flow of thoughts which go off on tangents to introduce new ideas and scenes; the effect is similar to wandering through a gallery of Impressionist paintings. And, as though channeling Monet literarily, Proust displays a very poetical understanding of and communication with nature, infusing his text with pastoral motifs and floral metaphors that suggest the world is always in bloom.

To say this is the best book I've ever read might not mean much, considering the fact that I'm only 16 and there are hundreds of other superb books out there which I hope to read someday. Nevertheless, I can't help but give this novel my most enthusiastic support. I've read it twice already, and it has pointed the way towards other Beat works like Naked Lunch, Howl, and One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, as well as several other Kerouac novels, all of which I have enjoyed immensely. At the same time, I was disgusted that I was the ONLY person in my accelerated english class to have even HEARD of the book. At my age especially, when we're inundated by Dickens and Shakespeare (all wonderful, yet sometimes monotonous, pieces of literature), its nice to know that there are novels out there written in a more casual style, a style that we can relate to. I know people who, God forbid, actually read for recreation now that they know books like On the Road exist. On the Road is a wonderful, brilliant book which, unfortunately, isn't used in any high school I've ever heard of. And, contrary to what Mr. Capote may think, it is certainly not just "typing."

As a junior in college, I was hesitant to read a Kerouac novel because of the negative connentations associated with the "Beats". While contemplating reading "On the Road", a friend nakedly asked me, "isn't that book about drugs?" My reply "I don't think so", couldn't mask my nervousness about the content of "On the Road". Was I about to read another dated novel about a scene whose time has passed? Well let me assure the quisical reader that this novel is the complete opposite of tired and dated. Kerouac is an amazing, inventive, and charismatic writer who entertains with every word. I assure you this novel is as entertaining as advertised. The plot revolves around the adventures of Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarity(thinly veiled altered egos of Kerouac and Neal Cassidy) as they cross the country in search of an illusive yet ever present freedom. Enjoyable scenes

1. Paradise's first trip from the East Coast to the West Coast. The descriptions are joyously vivid and intensely enjoyable. Wow!

2. Kerouac's descriptions of a jazz show in San Francisco. His enthusiasm for jazz is well-documented but this scene conveys the love for jazz like no other author has done before or after.

Enjoy this novel with an open mind and a love for powerful writing.

Jack Kerouac's writing is so smooth. It flows unlike any other writing I've come across. He was on Benzedrine when he was writing this book, and at times you feel as if you are on it with his descriptions of the American and Mexican landscape. It is the story of Sal Paradise, and his road trips he takes in the late 1940's. He is searching for so many things; truth, culture, landscape, and his history. The person that either inspires all of these trips or accompanies him on all of these trips is Dean Moriarty, an insouciant free spirit who is likewise looking for some answers. I can't help but feel that there is no real plot to speak of, in the traditional sense of introduction, climax and resolution. However, the important thing to realize is that Kerouac was not trying to tell the story of only one or two people; he was painting of picture of the American landscape shortly after the Second World War. He does this through the interactions of different drifters along the road. The picture he paints is perfect. _On the Road_ displays the post-war era as well as _The Grapes of Wrath_ displayed the great depression. This is a great novel, and can be understood and enjoyed by a person of any reading level.