Mendelowitz has, for the most part, successfully documented the History of American Art. The book is well written and vivid in the sense that he describes American Art and its roots with language that should be easy for audiences to understand. My only real complaint is the lack of color in the reproductions, because I believe that is a key element in visualizing American artwork, old and new. It is something that MUST be seen, especially by students and those wanting to see what they are growing and building their own visual vocabulary from. In fact, most of my fellow art students repeatedly mentioned that what they really wanted to see was some artwork in COLOR. However, I think the book was an overall success, and is an excellent resource for anyone interested in American Art history, artists and civilians alike.

A worthy addition to the library of any ophthalmologist, it adds depth to the daily clinical practice, and hence its enjoyment. Well illstrated. A few factuall historical errors. It is recommended for those who don't have the time or interest to browse through Hirshberg's ten volume classical history.

In "Wars of National Liberation," Daniel Moran sets out to change the way we think about many of the wars that have characterized the world stage since the end of World War II. "War since 1945," he writes, is a "category that would have to disappear some day." The title of this interesting and insightful history is Moran's candidate for a new categorization.

When I first glanced through this 224-page volume, I was struck by its thoroughness. Moran, whom I have heard speak at the Naval Postgraduate School where he is a professor, provides the reader with 23 illustrative maps, a convenient reference chronology from 1945 to 1975, biographical notes on key personalities, and a list of suggested further reading.

Space limitations preclude an in-depth examination of the wars Moran discusses, but his work is comprehensive. The major geographical areas featuring wars of national liberation in the 30-year span covered by Moran include China, Korea, Southeast Asia, Algeria, Africa and South Asia, Latin America, Israel, and Vietnam. Moran concludes with a brief discussion of historical wars in Afghanistan.

Moran points out that the term "national liberation" is a revolutionary slogan, "designed to conceal sordid truths. It served," he continues, "to hurl back into the face of the oppressor the idea of the nation, which Europe invented, and the ideal of liberty, which the West cherishes above all others in politics, while deflecting attention from the methods and interests of the liberators themselves."

Moran argues that while in some cases a war of national liberation has resulted in a new national identity where society lives in freedom, more often the result has been to replace one form of despotism with another. And the "liberator" of tomorrow may not necessarily have to find a former Western colonial power to take on.

Given the recent horrific events in the American homeland, this is a timely work. It is not for the reason of the War on Terror that "Wars of National Liberation" is timely, but for the inference one draws that wars of national liberation are likely to continue.

And where might the next such wars occur?

Present-day Palestine gives a clue. But one is forced to think more about those states, many artificially constructed by victorious powers in the West, that describe the Middle East, and from which al Qaeda and similar terrorist groups have drawn recruits and funding - funding from the very states whose governments may be toppled in the next "war of national liberation."

This is an attractive book, replete with numerous photographs, and Moran presents his research well. It will be a good volume for the beginning and intermediate student of military history.

This little book has gotten my forensic team through countless tournaments, and is the basis for the senior high research papers on contemporary issues. Each of the fifty topics is clearly organized into "Yes", "No", "Background", and "Outlook" (slightly outdated now that it's 2002). Each side of the argument is divided into 3-6 main points which are in bold print. These are briefly developed with specific facts, examples, etc. The only drawback is that although Starer includes a list of his references, he does not specifically match a fact to a reference. But it is an easy way to see that there are two sides (at least) to every issue. I would love to see a second edition!

This is the most exhaustive source I have come accross in regards to the study of pattern books and catologue books. Reiff traces the devlopment of pattern books first coming from Europe (Palladio, Serlio) and then evolving into Armerican Pattern Books (Asher Benjamin, A. J. Downing) and finally the history of plan catalogues by architects, lumber yards and majot retailors, such as Sears Reobuck. The book shows how houses built from these sources sometimes deviated from their plans. Also, many times the plan books merely influenced builders who drew their own plans more or less pirated from these sources. Reiff traces many built examples of houses that have their roots in these sources - sometimes litterally and other times suggestively.

Houses from books also contains an interesting chapter on the development and influence of architectural journals. There is also a chapter of the influence of pattern books and catologue houses in an actual town using the authors home town of Fredonia, New York.

In many ways this is a wonderful book, and if there is one source book I would recommend for the study of these topics, this would be it. My only critisism is that the reading can at time be laborious. The author has a tendancy to describe subtle nuances of houses in great detail. Sometimes an illustration accompanies the text, other times there is none. Because of this I often found myself a bit frustrated trying to figure out just what the author is trying to get accross. That set asside, it is still an excellent, scholarly work. The bonus feature of this book is its eight Appendices that contain listings of pattern and catologue books by companies, individuals, construction details, etc. This is an invaluable source for the student of vernacular architecture.

A daring expose' of the vulnerability of the IRS system and the people who run it, chronicled from the files of one of the nation's most successful IRS negotiators. "If the taxpayers of this country ever discover that the IRS operates on 90% bluff, the entire system will collapse."...(Senator Henry Bellmon). Discover: IRS bluffs & intimidations and how to counter, secrets to effective communication, correct response to 11 critical IRS notices, forms to beware of, ground rules to establish before an audit conference, ways to prove deductions & verify income, IRS tools of collection and how to neutralize them, 2 ways to eliminate taxes you cannot pay - YOU NEED THIS BOOK - put the era of taxpayer ignorance to an end!

This book fills a major void in the dance world -- finally, a practical guide to living, fully and long, so that one can dance forever! Daniel Nagrin's very clear practices and philosophy address many issues arising in a long dance career. Advice on how to eat, rest, train, rehearse, and perform and delightful anecdotes from his long and colorful career are are peppered throughout the pages. Most interestingly, Mr. Nagrin addresses the less tangible but essential inner work on the soul/spiritual level that must be present for longevity as well as artistry. In addition, he poses challenging questions for future research among the greater dance community. One hopes that from these seed thoughts and challenges will sprout more interest and activity in the realm of mature movement artists. Thank you, Mr. Nagrin, for your generous sharing of your "heart-mind" in your most-welcome addition to my dance library. (I would have given 5 stars had there been more ph! otos included.)

'How to increase personal power and influence others,' is a case in point.

This concisely written, idea-packed book was filled with no-nonsense ways to change your perceptions or those of people around you.

Business/sales professionals will enjoy putting these strategies to work and find them easy to incorporate into their 'everyday' communication.

I especially liked the author's illustrations and keen selection of quotes.

A true bargain, you will undoubtedly find this information insightful!

I think this is a great book. I reccomend it to anyoneone thinking about marriage. It gives you some great advice on how to pick a great mate. I didn't agree with some of the author's comments on women, but i overlooked them and overall found the book to be a great help with my relationship. It is also a good book for parents to help teach their children about marriage and picking a good husband/wife.

This is a great little book to help you dig into the Psalms and learn more about prayer. The verses are written for each devotional. The only thing I didn't like was that they are in the KJV. I recommend looking the verses up in an easier to read translation, but otherwise, a great book!