Occasionally, nature produces an individual with towering intellect and mesmerizing oratorical abilities, but haunted by deep and seemingly irrepressible moral flaws. Their lives are filled with a mix of remarkable achievement and profound disappointment; monumental success and disgrace both seem inevitable. The late twentieth century had Bill Clinton, and the early nineteenth had Daniel Webster.

Webster's story - like Clinton's - is at once inspiring and frustrating, laudable and detestable. There is certainly an element of "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" in Daniel Webster, and the noted Jacksonian historian Robert Remini uses that split personality as the foundation in building this important biography of one of America's greatest and most unique statesman.

Webster's genius is undeniable. His many natural gifts, which even his bitterest enemies had to concede, earned him the highly flattering sobriquet "the Godlike Daniel." No private attorney has affected the course of American judicial history as much as Webster. With the ideologically sympathetic John Marshall presiding over the Supreme Court, he successfully argued nearly every landmark case of the early nineteenth century: Dartmouth College, Gibbons vs. Ogden , McCollough vs. Maryland. He also added his considerable talents to the defense of the Union, first during the South Carolina nullification crisis in the celebrated Hayne-Webster debates, and then in the twilight of his life as the debate over slavery mounted toward civil war he delivered an impassioned speech in defense of the Compromise of 1850. His many public addresses lauding the ideals and principles of the American republic - the Plymouth Oration, Bunker Hill Oration, commemoration of the lives of Jefferson and Adams - are legendary and were once memorized by schoolboys. When a Webster speech was anticipated in the Senate, the halls were jammed with attendees eager to hear history in the making. Indeed, as Stephen Benet notes in the classic The Devil and Daniel Webster: "You see, for a while, he [Webster] was the biggest man in the country. He never got to be President, but he was the biggest man."

But there was also a less admirable, more human side to Daniel Webster; an alter ego to the Godlike Daniel known derisively as "Black Dan." Addictions to alcohol and gambling were the duel crosses Webster had to bear through out life. These afflictions ensured Webster was chronically in debt despite a flourishing law practice. These debts eventually presented conflicts of interests and put him in compromising positions, which undermined his moral authority and ultimately cost him the White House.

It has been written that most great men are made by the events of their times, but a very select few would have been great regardless of time or place. Remini's splendid biography suggests that Daniel Webster is a strong candidate for the latter category.

The unfortunate result of the growing power and focus on the executive branch is that historians tend to focus on presidents as prime movers for american political development. Remini's biography of Daniel Webster proves paradigm deeply flawed, particularly in the early years of our nations history.

Webster, though never achieving the presidency, deserves great credit for setting the tone of american government and the supremacy of congress that survived through the 19th century. Remini does a tremendous job exploring the early 19th century and the issues this second generation of american leaders faced.

Recent great interest in the revolutionary generation hopefully will not eclipse the study of those, like Webster, who came next and solidified the nacient insitutions that the founders created. If the founders were the fathers of our government, than men like Webster was that government's teacher in primary school.

A wonderful read, if you are really interested in the topic.

Daniel Webster was a more than worthy heir of the statesmen from the American Revolution. As a Federalist, Webster fought for commerical rights and the traditionalism of the Federalist Party. As a Whig, Webster fought for industry and the preservation of the Union. This book dives into the complexity of the great man. No modern conservative's collection would be complete without a book on the Nation's Greatest Orator, and this is that book.

If you are looking for an in-depth textbook on ELECTROMAGNETICS, then choose the 4th edition of this text. That book made me say, "Show me a better textbook if you can."

Not this one. This book, after giving you a brief introduction to electric and magnetic fields, goes to the applications of electromagnetics - transmission lines, waveguides etc. If these things interest you, choose this edition.

Otherwise, I recommend the 4th edition because it is simply the BIBLE of Electromagnetics.

I consider this book to be one of the best books about E&M I've ever seen... it's quite technical but not cumbersome at all! Actually, I think it makes quite a pleasant reading! I've read other books on E&M and electrodynamics and I consider this book to be a very good intro to engineering electromagnetics. However, if you want a more theoretical insight, I recommend that you choose a good book on electrodynamics. This book is definitely worth buying!!

Electromagnetism is a hard subject for many people, including myself. The best approach is to get a few good books on the subject rather than rely on one book. After doing a survey, I finally bought the following books suitable for my level: (i) Introductory Electromagnetics by Popovic and Popovic; (ii) Field and Wave Electromagnetics by Cheng; (iii) Electromagnetics with Applications by Kraus; (iv) Schaums Outline of Electromagnetics by Edminister. I give five stars to all these books. (There is another book which I will not review or identify, because it turned out to be unsatisfactory.)

I am reviewing these four books in one go because they are interrelated. Each of these book is strong in its own unique area.

Introductory Electromagnetics by Popovic and Popovic is the best of these book for gaining an intuitive understanding of the difficult subject of electromagnetism. Its clarity and elegance reminds me of Feynman's Lectures in Physics. Every chapter is a work of inspiration. The carefully chosen examples are designed to impart understanding of electromagnetic principles rather than calculation skills. The book is excellent for those who are new to the subject. It is also excellent for those who have already learned some electromagnetics, but who feel that their understanding is still shaky.

Field and Wave Electromagnetics by Cheng is the best of these books in terms of the mathematical development of electromagnetics. Although this approach may seem difficult at first glance, ironically the mathematical rigour makes the subject much easier to grasp. That is because mathematical precision goes a long way towards illuminating subtle principles of electromagnetism. As a result, this book, more so than any other book, has given me the confidence to handle the difficult subject of electromagnetism.

Electromagnetics With Application by Kraus is the least systematic of these books, with some of the discussions being disjoint and abrupt. It is, however, valuable for its interesting and practical examples. It is a must-have book for anyone who is serious about electromagnetism.

Schaums Outline of Electromagnetics, by Edminister, is an outstanding collection of problems and solutions, as well as summaries. It mirrors the excellence of Edminister's other Schaums Outline, namely, Electric Circuits.

In summary, these four books have different strengths, respectively the following: (i) intuitive development; (ii) systematic development; (iii) practical application; and (iv) problem solving. These books form an awesome quartet, covering all the bases, and will provide you with a good foundation for advanced studies. A useful supplement for these books is Schaums Mathematical Handbook of Formulas and Tables.

In 1877, 20-year-old Jolie McKibben heads west to the town of Prosperity in the Washington Territory. Her two companions rob the bank, shoot a man, and leave her to a cruel fate -- death by hanging. Yet the widowed farmer Daniel Beckham decides to save her life by marrying her according to the town's wedding ordinance. Jolie now faces a big challenge -- winning this stranger's hardened heart to get what she is dreaming of -- a real home and family.

Given the nature of this novel, there are plenty of sensual scenes. Many a reader will find them perfect swooning material, but, other than that, the detailed love scenes don't propel the story. Concerning Jolie's and Daniel's romance, a little less would have been more. Jolie's inner turmoil could have been expressed better than letting her alternately say or think "I hate you, Daniel Beckham" and "I love you, Daniel Beckham."

Linda Lael Miller created a solid western romance novel complete with steamy love scenes. If you like that genre as well as stories set in the Old West, you will find "Daniel's Bride" to be a satisfying read. If you can do without the sensual factor and want a more realistic approach to the western theme, give the pioneer novel "Against All Odds -- The Lucy Scott Mitchum Story" by Barbara Riefe a try.

I've read many romance novels where sex is all two people in a marriage of convenience have in common, but this book is special. LLM instills a level of tenderness in this relationship that is missing from so many novels, and makes the reader ache for both the hero who still mourns his dead wife and the heroine who is trying her best to connect with him. The conflict of wanting someone and yet not really trusting them is so sharp in this story, yet the reader always has a sense of hope for this special couple and it is very realistic when the walls finally come down. This book is a keeper for LLM fans or those new to her work.

This is the best story I have read of Miller's so far!
What a challenging way to save a person and gain a bride.

Even though Daniel Beckham refuses to love Jolie McKibben, he is willing to save her from the hangman's noose and gain a housekeeper and bed partner, also a cook. Wow! what a man. [grin]

Jolie gained a humorous friend and protecter in the lad called Deuter, the young man working for Daniel.

The unexpected arrival of the youngsters, Gemma and her brother Hank threw a monkey wrench into Daniel's plan of remaining emotionally uninvolved. And of course finding out that Jolie had not known any man physically brought confusion to Daniel's preconcieved ideas of who and what Jolie was.

Finding out about Pilar, Daniel's sometime lover, did upset Jolie a trifle. But Pilar was not going to get her husband.
Nan and Joe Culley became very valued and accepted friends of Jolie and I cried with her. And then to have Nan take up with Ira January. Ugh!

I couldn't believe that Blake Kingston could even imagine himself in love with Jolie. [the rat] and she had a few close calls with the return of Blake and his partner, Rowdy, a killer with no conscience.

I was so afraid that Daniel might finally send Jolie and the kids packing before he would realize that he needed them to love and to be loved by them.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED with no reservations -- wonderful -- sexy -- and liberating -- We need more like this.

This is one of the most comprehensive interview preparation books I've ever read. It provides the questions that interviewers can stump you with and the responses that you can WoW them with.
Valuable tool for formulating outstanding responses and reviewing them in flashcard fashion just before the interview.

I would highly recommend this book for job interviewing preparation. Also recommended for job interview preparation are the job interview guides published by Vault.com, including the Vault Guide to the Case Interview and the Vault Guide to Finance Interviews. Good luck!

Over the years, I have sat through hundreds of interviews, and I find that too often, they are boring and uninformative. This book will make interviews more interesting, and rewarding too!

Henry James, The Aspern Papers (Laurel, 1888)

One of James' shortest novels, and one of his least-known, The Aspern Papers is a (supposedly based on a true) story about a young biographer of famed poet Jeffrey Aspern (based, depending on to whom you talk, on either Browning or Keats) who contrives to get his hands on the love letters Aspern wrote to a mistress by presenting himself at the now-ancient mistress' Italian villa and passing himself off as a wealthy traveller and author looking for lodging. The mistress lives with her spinster niece, whose age is never given (one assumes mid-forties, a few years older than the narrator), and the two are impoverished. Things go as planned until the narrator finds himself starting to like the niece a bit more than he bargained for.

The novel runs a bit over a hundred pages, which makes it an excellent introduction to James' extremely dry wit; it's much lighter-weight than the ponderous tomes he's known for. The prose here has an agility which is absent from works such as The Bostonians or The Wings of the Dove, but still manages to convey emotion quite well with only a few words and a gesture. The novel's last pages are a triumph of minimal writing, and probably deserve closer scrutiny than the works of James' that are normally assinged in English classes around the globe.

Oddly, the one major failing of this novel is that James abandons the minimalism every once in a while, and his characters go overboard with hysterical crying and the like so common to Victorian literature. In a book that's otherwise so controlled, these episodes-- never longer than a few sentences-- seem absurd more than anything; perfectly composed people suddenly collapse into tears as if shot with pepper spray, and then within the space of a paragraph are back to their cool, collected selves once again. These intrusions are minimal, and while they detract from the scenes in which they're placed, the novel overall is still a worthy one. If you've been turned off by James through exposure to one of those million-page drawing room comedies, you may want to give him another try with this. *** 1/2

"The Aspern papers" is a surprisingly short, sexy and suspenseful novel. It will completely change your opinion of Henry James; he shows himself to be an master of suspense and well played out drama instead of the ambiguous pussyfooting plodder that most people think him to be. There is a definite touch of evil in this novella. It takes place in a stuffy interior world dominated by an old sinister woman in a green shade. The narrator's intentions are quite amoral and evil. The narration is deftly created through sure touches of insecurity and self pity. The trick of the unreliable narrator is used to great effect. And at no point does it seem anything other than a seamless and effective method of narration.

Such is his facility with the essentials of theatre - concentrated narrative action; lengthy, dramatic scenes of dialogue; vivid characterisation; pointed use of interior space, exits and entrances, and the revealing image - you wonder why James failed as a playwright.

Of course, there is a defining element of James' art that is impossible in the theatre - narration. The nameless narrator of 'The Aspern Papers' is one of the greatest monsters in James' teeming gallery of inglorious masculinity - the editor of a revered American literary poet, who tries to wheedle important documents from a celebrated lover, the now-decrepit Juliana, by installing himself as a lodger, and flattering her aging spinster niece. Like most James heroes, who treat life like a selfish game, he has no idea what emotional havoc he is wreaking on the woman.

The tale has all the drive and tantalising delay of a crime story - the hero is both detective and criminal, and the suspenseful climax suggests what a great genre writer James could have been. As with Stendhal, just as exciting are the intricate, agonising dialogues between the narrator and the niece, each wildly misunderstanding the other.

But if 'Aspern' is a crime story, than the the criminal is of the order of Freddie Montgomery in Banville's 'The Book of Evidence', a brilliant, charming, frighteningly amoral man, whose check of social scruples is dicarded with shocking ease. His seemingly over-detailed account is full of gaps, self-defence, self-pity, evasion, vagueness, misremembering, disarming honesty and wild misinterpreations of others' characters and motives. He is a man who can't see beyond his own narrow goal, behind whom we always sense an unseen, all-seeing eye.

He is the forerunner to a second modern anti-hero, 'Pale Fire''s Charles Kinbote, another literary editor whose devotion to his subject has become mad and murderous. In a Victorian age full of cant about the ennobling power of art, James asserts, disturbingly, the opposite - repeated exposure to sublime poetry (and the book is full of ironic references to religion and glorious war) has only made the narrator emotinally dead, unable to respond to the humanity of others. This 'portrait' of an aging muse, malevolent and concupiscent is a stark warning to literary idealisers, and a sad study of human decline, but should also be seen as a reflection of the narrator's own desires.

'Aspern' is incidentally THE great Venice story, its watery decay somehow seeping through the narrator's blind egotism.

Well about the wholoe wonderment of this book?? It's so-called illustrations and descriptions of anarchism are shotty at best. That's not how anarchism was or is and only people who haven't expierienced it would say otherwise.

JD

I read this book in a day, and filled the margins with many, many notes, something I rarely do. Clearly, Gruien doesn't cover every aspect of Anarchism, but for a brief introduction to Proudhon, Bakhunin and Kropotkin, it is the best out there. And, our very own American Anarchist Noam Chomsky did the introduction, which is just as good as anything in the book (Hell, his intro is half the reason I bought the book). Plus, it is a very well bound book. The pages are sturdy, the print clear, and the size small yet durable, something you really don't find in many Political books... Very recommended.

Wonderful overview of the ideas and actions of anarchism. Includes commentary on the Russian Revolution, Spanish Revolution, the distinctions between libertarian and authoritarian socialism, and the words of such essential thinkers as Proudhon and Malatesta, to name only a few. Also includes a brief but enlightening introduction from Chomsky that serves to place anarchism and its historical development in a broader and historical context. All in all, a worthwhile and valuable contribution for those searching for information on this neglected (at least in the United States)component of political/philosophical discourse.

Oh come on. It's BUNNICULA! I don't care what anyone else says - these books are great, including this one. Know what? Even though it's been a long time since I was a kid, I still love these books, including this one. As a matter of fact, I think anyone who loves vampires and vampire fiction should read this book and the others - because these are all good, quick, and alltogether very FUN reads that you don't have to take seriously. And sometimes, a good quick fun read just hits the spot.

And it has to be said - Bunnicula is the most loveable vampire ever. Lestat and Dracula WISH they were this cuddly!

i have nearly read all the bunnicula books (except the 'the house of bunnicula' ones. I liked this one because it had a happy ending. i like bunnicula books because they are those kind of books that you can't put down. you wonder what would happen next. i can not wait until more books come!!!

This book was about Chester trying to destroy Bunnicula, a rabbit. The dogs in the story are Howie and Howard. Chester thinks Bunnicula is a vampire because of his fangs, and because he extracts juice out of vegetables. Chester drinks Bunnicula's carrot juice to starve Bunnicula. Howie and Howard go to find Bunnicula. Bunnicula is gone without a trace. Howard spots a newspaper that says Dracula is playing at the movie theatre. This is the same theatre where Bunnicula was found by The Monroe family. Little did Bunnicula know, the newspaper was a few days old. Today the movie theatre is getting torn down. Howard and Howie try to find Bunnicula, but they find Chester. Chester saves Bunnicula from the demolition. Still Chester thinks Bunnicula is a vampire. The End

I found the stories in the book very interesting. They covered a a wide spectrum of industries and spanned over a long time frame. The stories clearly illustrated the most important business figures of the particular time and industry.

However, I thought the stories were lacking in detail to make it truly a great read. After reading the book, I felt that I was introduced to the great figures in business. But to know them better, I have to read another book.

For example, I knew something about Henry Ford before reading the book. In the story about Henry Ford, I found it superficial. However, in other stories that I was not familiar with the protagonist, like McGowan, I found the story illuminating. I never knew the telecommunications business could be so interesting.

As such, I recommend this book to people who wants to know some of the greatest people in business. But to those who want to find out about the secrets to their success, the answer will lie in other more detailed books.

A great book about the people who made a real difference in shaping the present that we live in and influencing the future as it will become.

From Robert Morris to Bill Gates; the books takes you on a promonade into their kingdoms. Explaining to the reader many valuable information about each "tycoon's" personality, enterprise, industry, and the general business environment in his particular era.

I personally enjoyed the chapters on David Ogilvy, Ray Croc, Sam Walton, Walt Disney, Joseph Wilson, Henry Ford and Harley Davidson.

The book portrays many successful personalities and companies that will be of interest to people in varying specializations within Business.

An enjoyable read and a good reference.

Also read "Lessons from the Top" and "Radical Marketing"

Each chapter offers a profile of a major contributor to the evolution of American business history, beginning with one of my ancestors, Robert Morris (America's "first real businessman"), and concluding with Bill Gates ("Microsoft's cofounder and guiding spirit"). In between, Gross and his associates also examine other great leaders such as McCormick, Rockefeller, Morgan, Ford, Merrill, Sarnoff, Disney, Johnson, Ogilvy, Kroc, Wilson, Ash, Walton, and McGowan as well as major corporations such as American Express, Intel, Harley-Davidson, and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. The reader is told, "This book is about heroes" and it really is.

Using the most effective strategies and devices of a storyteller, the authors examine biographical information within an historical context, sustaining interest with anecdotes while providing insights as to the causes and effects of each subject's accomplishments. For Morris, essentially the economic survival of thirteen colonies during their struggle for independence. For McCormick, the industrialization of agriculture. For Rockefeller, the creation and development of the modern corporation. For Morgan, saving a nation's financial system. For Ford, mass-producing affordable personal transportation. For Merrill, broadening the base of stock ownership to include those, among others, for whom the Ford Motor Company manufactured automobiles. Each of the other "heroes" discussed made equally important contributions.

A brief review such as this can only suggest (albeit inadequately) the wealth of information to be found in Greatest Business Stories of All Time. The prose has snap, crackle, and pop. The focus is crystal clear. The lessons to be learned from the careers examined are of incalculable value. Although this book will be of interest to almost anyone, it will have special importance for school, college, and university students who may sometimes wonder if there are any "secrets to success." The answer is yes. The specifics are to be found in the lives of those who are discussed in Greatest Business Stories of All Time.

While the usefulness of the content of this book is debatable, there is one issue which can't be overlooked - the inadequacy of its binding.

The book began to disintegrate a couple of days after I received it; the spine cracked and the pages started to come loose. I commented upon this on the Adobe User Forum and was immediately accused of being heavy-handed and careless, however an employee of Adobe came back with this response, '...Dan Gray is aware of the binding issue of his book'. So, I didn't just make this up.

Just be aware that if you purchase from the current batch of copies, you too may find yourself with a cover and a large heap of confetti.

If you still haven't upgraded to Livemotion 2.0, this book is the best means of getting the most out of Livemotion 1.0. The information in this book goes beyond all other books I have seen regarding Livemotion 1.0. I seriously hope there is an update for version 2.0.

If you are using Livemotion and don't have this book yet, then don't wait! Daniel Gray's writing style is tremendously entertaining and his presentation methods provide gobs of fun. The book covers topics that are only glossed over by many others and has kept me from running back to Flash 5 on a number of occasions. The CD is wondeful and has mountains of useful material.

Enneagram personality typing is fascinating stuff -- there are nine basic personality types, with connected wing, security and stress types. If you've taken (and found benefit from) the Myers-Briggs or other similar tests, give this a try. I was amazed that the description of my "type" really fit me to a tee, and the advice on how folks of my type should refocus their thinking was extremely helpful.

My concern is how valuable this book alone is as a diagnostic tool. The book is short (about a hundred pages, with lots of diagrams and white space), much of which will be irrelevant or marginally relevant to you. (If you find you're a type four, you probably won't need to read about type one.) You determine your personality type quite simply, by reading nine paragraphs (that describe the nine personality types) and choosing the one that fits best. It's a great introduction, but I think calling it "The Definitive Personality Test and Self-Discovery Guide) is a bit of an exaggeration.

A friend had been talking to me about enneagrams for quite some time, and we had an initial idea of my type. This book, in just 9 paragraphs and a few descriptions made me certain. And it also provides both the strengths and the weaknesses for each type--what a type has lost sight of, and how they might be compensating. This isn't an "in-depth" book--it's the enneagram boiled down to the absolute essentials--and it's a great place to start--and the "What a # has lost sight of" is a great place to get a daily affirmation to try and regain sight of that lost fundamental principle.

Just what enneagram enthusiasts and those curious to discover what all the talk is about needed--a complete, compact, crisp compendium of: how the enneagram really works...what it tells you about yourself and others...how to discover your real type...and what to do with the information to make yourself the best you can be.

After reading dozens of enneagram books by any number of therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, counsellors, teachers, students, and academics, here, finally, is a book I can recommend to every one of my students to help them take their next steps with the enneagram. Why this book? Because Daniels and Price have transgressed communication style limits and boundaries and made it truly user-friendly for the masses, not an easy task with multi-layered material.

I truly believe this is one of the books that will help the enneagram get into bedrooms and board rooms of mainstream North and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and Antartica.

How can one little book do all these things? It is brief for the bottom-liners, personal for the emotionals, and detailed-enough to satisfy the cerebrals.

Anyone with curiousity about the enneagram from the seasoned to the surface-testers can sit down with one mug of something delightful and gain a working knowledge of the enneagram and the mysterious self in less than three hours.