I am totally captivated by the depth and breadth of Sinclair's characters and plot. His writing from the 1940's is timeless in that it captures the search for meaning beyond the materialism of this world. This is a great tale... not to be missed. Have there been any movies made of Sinclair's work? Why have we not heard more of this great writer ? His socialist tendencies?

No matter how difficult these books are to find, check used book stores or the library, but read them. Lanny Budd is this century's greatest fictional hero

Out of print? This remains the greatest historical fiction series of the 20th century. If you haven't read the Lanny Budd series, I envy you. You have something of which to look forward.

although fictionally Upton Sinclair unorthodoxly or unaccademically pictures the main conflict of a conflictuous XXth century. I've read it in my youth, and now again, and it is always a help to undersatnd what is going on in the world, even from a peripherical point of view. It's overflowing, verboragic and not literaly commendable; it's not history, but it is surely didactical. It's outdated, perhaps oldfashioned, but it is a work on its own merits that deserves to be read, and an interested reader will find enlightining and useful.

If you want to know what's going on with George Bush junior's fascination with Iraq, read this book. Quite clearly it shows how shortly after the turn of the century, Britain and France wanted to make sure they got access to oil ahead of Germany, despite the German's industrial base growing faster than that in Britain in France. The target: Mesopotamia. And what is Mesopotamia? Modern day Iraq. Also of interest was the explanation that Germany's superior air power during WWI was in part attributed to French industrialists who sold the materials necessary to Switzerland who in turn sold to Germany, which Germany used to attack France: all in the name of profit.

Beyond the historical references, the story is wonderfully told, and Lanny Budd's character is extraordinarily and realistically portrayed with true emotion and depth, quite an achievement for that period of time.

This series of books is exceptional and I hope to read all of them.

The Lanny Budd series of novels, starting with Worlds End, originally printed in the days of WW2, give the reader a greater understanding of the world events.

While the main character Lanny Budd is fictional, the historical figures are fairly true to life. You have to remember that Upton Sinclair has a socialist/left wing bias or perspective, but he is fairly even handed and that should not discourage right wing reader.

I think one of the most valuable thing you get is a perspecive on how things were viewed by the different sides as the events transpired.

The plot starts in pre WW1 Europe, and the following books takes you thru WW2.

The books have been out of print for years, so I have been buying these books at used/rare shops to get the whole series. I am glad to see they are being reprinted - long at last.

Upton Sinclair took a considerable gamble by writing this book and had to withstand a good deal of criticism as a consequence of it. It was obvious, though, that he felt this was a story that needed to be told, and we should be glad he went through with his hunch.

The book is essentially a description of a large number of experiments done in the areas of mental telepathy and remote reviewing, broken down into sets or groups of sessions. The author tends to bend over backwards to convince the public of the sincere intentions of all involved in these tests - mostly his wife, himself, his secretary, brother-in-law and several friends and associates.

The information is presented in a very frank and accessible manner, without a lot of protocol and formality, because the tests were being carried out by non-scientists who were just trying to be as diligent as possible. This in turn makes for easy reading by the layman.

Chapter 21 is a verbatim account by Sinclair's wife (whom he calls by her middle name, Craig). It is both a handbook of her methodologies and a fascinating insight into the way she theorizes the workings of the mind. This is very useful information for anyone wanting a "how to" for remote viewing or telepathic research and is a very simple sequence of instructions. Of course a great deal of practice would be necessary to achieve the necessary level of concentration required. But at least one can have a distinct roadmap to follow as opposed to a lot of vague references.

Author Upton Sinclair is ledgend. What is more complementary to the great authors saga is his soul mate and life's companion, wife Mary. A certain risk in Sinclair's time was the issue of "the occult". Even polite discussion or any association to the subject labeled it's members as outsiders or worse. So is the bravery and love that Upton and Mary Sinclair bring to the reader in enlightenment and discovery. That the "subject" of telepathy and precognitive ability is based intimatly between man and wife, it unfolds in a love story, bringing us closer to the heart and our minds deepest of mystery's. "Mental Radio" is a book of wonderment and love. The reader takes a glimpse into a couples quest to bring understanding to our lives and their discoverys. The book is justly prefaced by none other than Albert Einstien, May 23, 1930.

Upton Sinclair originally self-published this book because no publisher had the courage to touch it. It is, by far, the most profound indictment of the US news industry ever written. At times, Sinclair is long winded and, being nearly 80 years old, the book is dated in places, but no serious minded American can afford not to read "The Brass Check." Why the news media is such thoroughly unreliable source of information is made clear in this remarkable book.

Damaged Goods is a novelized version of a famous and successful French play. Its subject matter is serious and important, yet at the time the subject was taboo. The story is about syphilis and how ignorance spreads the disease.

George Dupont is a young man engaged to his cousin, Henrietta. However, in the past he has enjoyed sowing his oats. During his engagement, he contracts syphilis. He goes to a doctor who tells him he must wait 3 - 4 years before marrying. Fearing embarrassment, George goes to a quack doctor who promises to cure him in less than six months.

Of course, the cure doesn't work and George spreads the disease to his wife and their newborn. There is also a good chance that the disease affects the baby's wet nurse. Eventually, George must come to grips with the disease and the first doctor is the hero and advocator of reform. George's father-in-law is also a politician and becomes aware of the disease and how he can help legislate reforms so as to prevent the spread of the disease.

The novel is about removing ignorance and the myths associated with the disease. Even today, this book is applicable and meaningful, if the reader substitutes syphilis to AIDS. It urges abstinence, education, and the removal of poverty -- as prostitutes spread it knowingly. All in all, an excellent book that handles the subject matter tastefully and soberly.

Sinclair's brilliant and now out-of-print book belongs in the growing list of tragically uncirculated, classic works which includes Koestler's "The Call Girls", Tolstoy's "The Kingdom of God is Within You" -- and much of the output of Thorstein Veblen. All offer social analyses which are probably too penetrating and perceptive for the modern publishing world to handle comfortably.

Did you ever want to read a book that revolutionized the food industries' laws, and at the same time reformed workers rights? Well then, The Jungle is the book for you. It is a wonderful tale about an immigrant family who just moved to Chicago, and shows their struggle in life just to survive in the miserable stockyards. Upton Sinclair, the author of this wonderful novel has a very unique style of writing that separates his book from all the others. His descriptive wrting and his use of symbolism make this story truely different. His overall mood is one of social protest, because the author wants changes in laws. The tone of Upton Sinclair is also very unique, he also tries to persuade you to his views on socialism and how bad some parts of the American government are. So, if you want to read book that will curdle your stomach and changes your views on equality, read The Jungle.

I first read Upton Sinclair's 1905 novel "The Jungle" about seven years ago. The author, a dedicated socialist during the turbulent times of industrial upheaval in America, wrote this novel to show the American public how bad the working conditions actually were in the packinghouses of Chicago. He also hoped to expose the poor treatment of immigrants and the shameless greed of big business. For all intensive purposes, Sinclair did succeed in raising awareness about the dangers of eating canned beef and other meat products that supposedly underwent rigorous government inspection and quality controls. "The Jungle" even inspired then President Theodore Roosevelt to institute stricter laws and greater administrative controls on the beef industry. Now, with the release of "The Jungle: The Uncensored Original Edition," it is possible to discover that Sinclair not only wished to show exactly how bad the meat supply really was, but that his most important goal involved revelations about the plight of the working poor struggling under the crushing weight of laissez-faire capitalism.

Jurgis Rudkos is Sinclair's protagonist here, a recent Lithuanian immigrant alighting on the shores of Chicago in search of the American dream of wealth and prestige. Jurgis brings several relatives and his fiancée with him, certain that with a new job in the city he will soon wed and raise a family. Rudkos and company soon learn the reality of their situation upon reaching Packingtown, the slums that surround the beef factories like concentric rings of misery that even Dante could not have foreseen. The Rudkos clan doesn't speak English, so they are at the mercy of nearly everyone around them. Jurgis and several of his relatives manage to land jobs at the factories, but soon discover that these jobs are nightmares of depravity involving insanely long working hours, cruel bosses, low pay barely adequate for basic human needs, and filthy conditions. At first, Jurgis doesn't care how bad it is; he knows if he and the members of his family work hard they may eventually afford to purchase a house. This they do, but soon discover that the costs of insurance, interest, and taxes will keep them in a constant state of turmoil. If even one person in the family loses their job, the whole clan faces eviction and eventual doom. As the years pass, Jurgis and those he loves face one calamity after another. Lost jobs, dishonest government and vendors, disease, crime, and debt all take a devastating toll. There is little happiness residing in the pages of this book.

Sinclair's purpose with this book is to tout the panacea of socialism in a world that many increasingly saw as controlled by rampant big business. The last half of the story is essentially a socialist pamphlet singing the praises of the working class and how the people need to take back their institutions by reining in corporations. The author rebuts standard arguments favoring capitalism while presenting socialism as salvation incarnate. Whether you agree with socialist dogma or not, it is not difficult to understand why people favored such a worldview in an era when government regulation was non-existent or nearly so. Not surprisingly, unions get a fair amount of support from Sinclair to the extent that they are about the only organization willing to oppose the greed of the meatpackers. In short, "The Jungle" takes business to task while championing the little guy.

This new edition culled Sinclair's original text from a socialist organ entitled "Appeal to Reason." The author later tried to publish this version but ran into numerous obstacles from mainstream publishers who worried about lawsuits from the beef trust, the unsettling descriptions of factory life, and the author's unwavering support for immigrants. Sinclair eventually made the changes to the text in order to get the book published, figuring it was important to get some of the message out there then none at all. An introduction in this edition argues that the restored changes show how the author's focus was really on foreign workers, not necessarily the grotesque atmosphere of the slaughterhouses. Sinclair himself stated that he "aimed for the public's heart but hit them in the stomach instead." After reading this version of "The Jungle," it does seem as though the primary intention of the book was to emphasize the plight of Jurgis and the millions of other poor souls trapped in the insanity of a greedy industry. However, it is hard to read this book and not cringe over the lengthy passages outlining the disgusting practices that led to tainted meat and the spread of disease through such products as tinned beef. Arguably the most powerful section of the book discusses in depth the results of a strike in Chicago involving all of the meatpacking houses. Sinclair is at the height of his descriptive powers as he takes the reader on a tour of the factories locked in the throes of scab warfare and even more disgusting factory conditions. This is powerful stuff.

Nearly one hundred years after "The Jungle," Upton Sinclair remains the best remembered muckraker of the era. Having read both versions available, I have to conclude that reading either edition is equally effective. I only read this new treatment because I like to read unabridged or uncontaminated copies of any book. The uncensored edition adds about five chapters to the story, but it doesn't really make it that much longer since the chapters are all relatively short. Upton Sinclair fans will most certainly want to acquire this edition of the book to see what they have been missing all these years.

This welcome offering of the original, unexpurgated version of Sinclair's The Jungle bears the following quote on its back cover, by Jack London:

"Here it is at last! What 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' did for black slaves, 'The Jungle' has a large chance to do for the white slaves of today. It is brutal with life. It is written of sweat and blood and groans and tears. It depicts not what man ought to be, but what man is compelled to be, in this our world in the twentieth century. It depicts not what our country ought to be , or what it seems to be in the fancies of Fourth of July spellbinders--the home of liberty and equality, of opportunity--it depicts what our country really is, the home of oppression and injustice, a nightmare of misery, an inferno of suffering, a human hell, a jungle of wild beasts."

It's hard to disagree with Mr. London. (The www.Amazon.com pic doesn't do the excellent new cover design justice, either: it looks washed out in the pic, whereas in reality the colors are much more lively.)

One reading of this original version is enough to clue the reader in on why censors wanted Sinclair to prune the text: the picture it paints of American wage slavery, at its bloodiest and most unwholesome in the meat-packing industry, isn't flattering--to say the least. But far from simply describing inhumane conditions in a single industry, in a specific era, Sinclair paints a powerful metaphor for working class life in general. Slaughterhouses and meatpacking plants provide a bloody backdrop for the ruthless exploitation of man by man.

If Sinclair ever commited a sin worthy of the censors' ire, it was simply the sin of describing American life exactly as it was--and is. This is highly recommended.

I really liked this book because it takes a chapter or two toget into it but after it gets into it you star with it. This book was kinda like the movie the matrix because it has some action in it and it takes about half of the book or more to understand it. This book is great because it will boggle the most advanced mind.

This very short century, that begins in 1918 and ends with of Berlin's wall, has its most formidable days pictured in this "saga" about the struggle between totalitarian and democratic states. Still very much mistaken about the former URSS and "socialist paradise" as the tactical alliance imposed at the time of WW2, the facts depicted in these books bring back times that should not be forgotten. The plot is good, although it takes, I believe, some kind of previous knowledge about those days to be followed. All in all, it is perhaps the best and more comprehensive novel, or sequence of novels, about an era that makes the main part of the last century, and will certainly be an important part of future appreciation of our time.