Christianity for the Rest of Us: How the Neighborhood Church Is Transforming the Faith
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Christianity For The Rest of Us
  • A must read
  • Critique of Christianity for the Rest of Us
  • Christianity for the Rest of Us: How the Neighborhood Church is Transforming the Faith
  • A book to give us confidence
 Christianity for the Rest of Us: How the Neighborhood Church Is Transforming the Faith
Diana Butler Bass
Manufacturer: HarperOne
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0060836946
Release Date: 2006-09-19

Book Description

For decades the accepted wisdom has been that America's mainline Protestant churches are in decline, eclipsed by evangelical mega-churches. Church and religion expert Diana Butler Bass wondered if this was true, and this book is the result of her extensive, three-year study of centrist and progressive churches across the country. Her surprising findings reveal just the opposite—that many of the churches are flourishing, and they are doing so without resorting to mimicking the mega-church, evangelical style.

Christianity for the Rest of Us describes this phenomenon and offers a how-to approach for Protestants eager to remain faithful to their tradition while becoming a vital spiritual community. As Butler Bass delved into the rich spiritual life of various Episcopal, United Methodist, Disciples of Christ, Presbyterian, United Church of Christ, and Lutheran churches, certain consistent practices—such as hospitality, contemplation, diversity, justice, discernment, and worship—emerged as core expressions of congregations seeking to rediscover authentic Christian faith and witness today.

This hopeful book, which includes a study guide for groups and individuals, reveals the practical steps that leaders and laypeople alike are taking to proclaim an alternative message about an emerging Christianity that strives for greater spiritual depth and proactively engages the needs of the world.

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Christianity For The Rest of Us.......2007-09-18

This book had some intersting, informative points. However at times, it requires a supreme effort to continue reading in order to dig out the few nuggets the book offers; unless you also see the world through VERY liberal lenses.

5 out of 5 stars A must read.......2007-08-06

Author did an excellant job on her research of mainline christianity and has a clear understanding of what individuals are looking for in the neighborhood church. The Author gives an insightful look at the ten signposts of healthy chruches. A good book for the membership of churches to read and study together.

1 out of 5 stars Critique of Christianity for the Rest of Us.......2007-08-04

If there are made for TV movies this is a made for NPR book. (And I listen to NPR regularly. I recognize the genre.) Her anecdotes come from people who always laugh with a wry twist of self-deprecation or weep softly in joy over a newfound insight. I get the feeling she goes about her work with contrived naïve innocence. All of her characters are happy, well adjusted, mainline Christians in congregations that may have disagreements but never conflicts. And their spirituality is so above average. Apparently they never have to worry about declining budgets, loss of membership, and minister's health insurance and where to recruit Sunday School teachers. I genuinely wish we could have seen the congregational warts as well so that my real life pastors could draw some real life encouragement for transforming their real life congregations. My friends do not live in Pleasantville.

I wish I could say this book is worthwhile. Unfortunately it fails on very many levels. I wish I could use it in our pastor's development course. I cannot even put it on the suggested reading list, much less use it as a main source book.

The first problem is rather trivial. The subtitle for the book is How the Neighborhood Church is Transforming the Faith. That would be a wonderful study if indeed it is happening. But this is not a study of neighborhood churches. And many of these congregations are simply not transforming the faith. Many of them continue in their gradual decline toward closing the doors. If you are looking for book that will show you how to grow a neighborhood church, this book is not for you. Now on to the important issues.

The research behind this book is not a designed study by any academic or scientific standard. It is a collection of anecdotes from participants of carefully selected, perhaps cherry picked, congregations, assembled to support a particular predetermined premise. All the congregations shared an ethos and catalogue of best practices. Well and good. BB declares them therefore to be vital churches. However there is no investigation of other churches with similar ethos and best practices and whether or not they too are vital. That is to say, after reading the book, I have no idea whether or not implementing these ten sign post practices will turn around a declining congregation to spiritual and numeric growth. A similar subject was undertaken by Thom Rainer in Breakout Churches. Rainer sets criteria for health, identifies congregations that meet the criteria, and then studied their histories, ethos, and best practices. BB finds churches with a certain profile of ethos and best practices and declares them vital. The problem with this approach is that it becomes a celebration of her particular prejudices. And she has many prejudices.

During the course of the book she insults Roman Catholics, Pentecostals, and southern Christians in general.

"I heard quite a few stories from smart, well-educated - and clearly not Pentecostal - churchgoers about supernatural healings." P. 113.

" Memphis, Tennessee, conjures visions of southern religion. These two words, southern religion, evoke images of folks hootin' and hollerin' about God. Eternal damnation and hell. Sweating preachers thundering on about sex, drinking, and Democrats. Southern religion is all heart and fire, the blinding light of Jesus converting sinners to saints in a flash. This is what more reasonable Christians used to ridicule as "enthusiasm."
In Memphis, the Church of the Holy Communion, an Episcopal parish, stands in stark contrast to the fulminations of southern evangelical religion." P. 115.

Far and away the most frequent target of the vinegar is evangelicals generally and evangelical megachurches in particular.

"I immediately think of evangelical megachurches, with their huge congregations complete with doctrinal statements and Republican voting guides. Big yields, yes. But where is wisdom?" P. 147.

"Unlike in evangelical churches - where doctrinal uniformity is considered nonnegotiable - theological diversity shapes the daily life of most mainline churches." P. 146.

"Unlike conservative evangelicals who read the Bible literally, seeking out proof-texts for narrow moral or ethical readings of scripture, the Episcopalians at Redeemer approach the Bible "seriously, but not Literally." P. 188.

"However, there is still a rift in the ways that Christians view art. Some, usually those in evangelical churches, understand art instrumentally. Art is important because it proclaims a message, usually intended to convert people to the faith. ... Other Christian, however, engage art for the sake of mystery instead of a message." P. 213.

Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ, and its viewers receive special attention. "Unlike the evangelical Christians who flocked to the film, mainline Protestants more thoughtfully engaged The Passion in its theology and as a spiritual product." P. 230. Anyone who dared to view "The Passion of the Christ" incurs her judgment. She comes close to saying that anyone who went to see "The Passion of the Christ" is an anti-Semite and a consumerist, a willing participant in economic sin.

"That is, of course, what happened with The Passion of the Christ: the primary symbol of Christianity, the cross, was turned into a marketing event." P. 233.

She was unnecessarily insulting to several individuals and their readers. For example she belittled Forty Days of Purpose (twice) and Purpose Driven Church, although several of her congregations described implementing Purpose Driven action items. If these two resources are so counterproductive why have they had such an impact on the lives of so many individuals and congregations. BB spent a whole chapter on the practice of discernment. So what is wrong with asking the purpose of a life or of a congregation? She came close to insulting Billy Graham. One wonders why an author of her talent feels a need do insult people. It may be true that Purpose Driven, etc., are the basics. But she comes off as a university mathematics professor belittling an elementary school teacher for teaching arithmetic to first graders. What purpose does this serve?

People who have a perspective different from hers and dare to speak it with conviction are thundering partisans. See page 238 and the southern religion quote above for examples.

I am very concerned as well over the makeup of the study group. Of the ten primary congregations eight were all white, one was Latino, and one was multiethnic. The multiethnic congregation had three African American staff members, two of whom are sextons. Do the math. Is this a prejudice or a coincidence? I honestly do not know. But either way I cannot recommend this book to any of our African American pastors.

Butler Bass also seems to misunderstand the place of evangelicals in mainline churches. Generally speaking she does not acknowledge that there are very many evangelical mainline congregations and even more evangelicals in congregations that are not totally evangelical.

"The most troubling division comes from the tensions within the Presbyterian denomination between the church's traditionally more liberal theological constituency and its vocal evangelical minority." P. 146.

One need look only at the Evangelical Presbyterian Church and the upcoming exodus of evangelical congregations in the Presbyterian Church USA to see Butler Bass' misconception of mainline evangelicals. In one PCUSA presbytery 60% of the Sunday morning attendance was in Confessing Churches. Currently the PCUSA has entire presbyteries who wish to leave the denomination as a whole presbytery. The EPC is setting up a provisional presbytery to receive the congregations leaving the PC USA. Some projections estimate that the provisional presbytery will be as large or larger than the original EPC. Similar phenomena are occuring in the Episcopal Church, the Lutheran tradition, and the Methodist tradition. Indeed within a few years the PC USA will cease to be the majority Presbyterian voice in the United States given the current rate of change. That is to say there will be more Presbyterians who are not members of the PCUSA than those who are.

On page 2 BB writes, "Rather, I journeyed with a surprising group of contemporary pilgrims - those folks who gather in mainline Protestant congregations, communities that describe themselves as theologically centrist to liberal-progressive and are part of denominations that trace their lineage back to colonial America. I hung out with brand-name Christians - Methodists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Congregationalists, and Episcopalians, ..." Does BB mean that only centrist to liberal-progressive Christians are mainline? What about centrist to evangelical, those just right of center but still in the center? What about those who are just plain centrist, for whom the evangelical/progressive divide is irrelevant. In the Presbyterian Church, USA I know many a minister who is just plain Presbyterian. Are they not mainline because they do not at least lean towards the progressive side?

On the other hand if mainline is defined as tracing their lineage back to colonial America, and centrist to progressive is a subset of mainline, why exclude the other subsets? One cannot read Presbyterian history in North America without seeing that there has always been tension in our antecedent denominations over this very issue. We have had Old School/New School, Old Light/New Light, Modernist/Fundamentalist, Liberal/Conservative, and now finally evangelical/progressive controversies. What is important to note about these controversies is that despite the formation of some splinter groups the majority of both sides remained in the denomination. Both sides remained mainline. In our current context there will be some splintering, with many congregations leaving the PCUSA and moving to the EPC. There remain many evangelicals who wish to remain in the PCUSA and to work through the difficulties. The Constitutional Presbyterians is such a group. And while many New Wineskins congregations will go to the EPC, many other NWAC congregations will remain in the denomination. Why then exclude such a large and healthy, and historically significant cohort, from the study? If this is progressive inclusiveness we need a different inclusiveness.

BB never addresses the fundamental question regarding mainline churches. Until the 70's American culture required church attendance. To be a good American one also had to be a churchgoer, if not a genuine Christian. Protestant was preferred over Catholic and Orthodox was a genuine peculiarity. Mainline denomination (meaning successor to a northwestern European tradition) was culturally more desirable than Southern Baptist or Pentecostal. Little League was never scheduled on Sunday morning. Mainline churches did not have to go out into the highways and byways and compel them to come in. We relied on our culture to do that for us. That has changed. Now our culture is not only not supportive of Christianity it is at best suspicious of and at times hostile to Christianity. Which means that for the churches to thrive they have to go to the world and interrupt people's lives with the Gospel. Her list of best practices is quite good. But it is not the main issue. If the congregations do not create their own new participants they will all die. Of all the personal anecdotes I read I was struck by how many quotes were from people who had been churched as children. I counted only two people who were adult converts, and one of those came to Christ through an evangelical Bible study, then moved on to one of the cohort congregations. BB rails against evangelicals. But were it not for an evangelical Bible study this young woman would not have become Christian. The study church certainly was not doing any evangelism. And this is the biggest problem with BB's book. It is all about baby boomers who were churched as children, left the church, and now are back. The issue we face now is how to reach people who were never churched. Yes, by all means, the depth discipleship described in the ten signposts is great. But it is almost, though not completely, inner focused. Even the testimony section is not about bearing witness to Christ to non-Christians. She has changed it to bearing testimony within the congregation for the benefit of the congregation.

The result of this Boomer propensity for navel gazing is a steep decline in worship attendance across the board. I had hoped that this book would help us see ways in which mainline congregations can address this very issue. Unfortunately this is not the case. Of the four Presbyterian congregations in her cohort three were stagnant or in decline. I say this not to pick on Presbyterians. Rather they are the easiest to get data from. So the long term question remains. If I am not replacing my losses in participation how will this congregation's ministry continue? If our ministry is good, but dies, who will take over the needed ministry? Who will host the tent cities?

Butler Bass' real issue is how can a liberal/progressive church survive, and maybe possibly grow numerically as an unanticipated but welcome side effect. If you think that the answer lies along the axis of "it is possible to have our old, traditional worship with a hymnbook and an organ prelude, with a cerebral Enlightenment/Modernist confessional approach to faith," you will be sorely disappointed. The congregations she studied have abandoned those things for the most part. Her ten signposts are all things that were not practiced in mainline Protestant congregations in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries in North America, as she very ably demonstrates. Her answer instead is that to survive as a mainline Protestant congregation you have to start doing the very things that her mainline village church never did. That is to say, to survive as a mainline congregation one must stop being traditionally mainline, or change one's definition of mainline, both of which violate her premise.

On p. 174 BB describes a "mainline" church that is not at all traditional mainline. "Combining elements of jazz, performance art, film clips and video, multimedia reflection, live-camera feed, testimony, readings, silence, contemplative prayer, and journaling, they christened this service The Studio." How is this traditional mainline? Simply because they still put Congregationalist on the marquis? BB never addresses this question. The congregations she describes are no longer "mainline" in practice, only in name and judicatory membership. That is exactly the issue.

Her study congregations are post-modern experientialists who are PC USA or UMC or UCC or Episcopal or Lutheran in name only. This is not necessarily a bad thing. But let's be honest about it. The Presbyterian, Methodist, and Lutheran ministers of the study congregations may be able to describe Reformed, Wesleyan, and Lutheran theology respectively. But she gives no evidence that the members understand or even care about it. And of course, denominational identity was a hallmark of mainline Protestantism. The congregations she worked with are not traditional mainline churches any more. The answer she arrives at is exactly the same answer the "evangelicals" arrived at. Traditional mainline Protestantism, based on northwestern European culture beginning in the early Sixteenth Century and founded on Enlightenment rationalism, no longer is a viable model for Church in post-modern North America.

Butler Bass spent many years as an evangelical, and an eloquent one. She has left that behind and moved into the progressive fold. Well and good. But in leaving the evangelical fold she feels the need to castigate her former colleagues. Martin Luther ultimately affirmed, "I am not!" Perhaps this book is her "I am not" to her evangelical sisters and brothers. I hope that as her service to the church continues the evangelical stage will be her thesis, the progressive phase will be her antithesis, and that she will find somewhere and somehow the peace of a synthesis.

I still have hope. Tonight I start reading Dr. Butler Bass' The Practicing Church.

5 out of 5 stars Christianity for the Rest of Us: How the Neighborhood Church is Transforming the Faith.......2007-08-04

Ms Bass is a wonderful writer that makes this topic easy to read and understand and she gives such insight that it triggers great discussions.

5 out of 5 stars A book to give us confidence.......2007-07-09

Diana Butler Bass writes with a style that pulls the reader in. She is clearly a religious realist. Her categorization approach is useful to others, even those who do not have the technical tools to examine their churches formally. If one is honest, one can look at the hospitality (for example) in one's own church and see if it is an effective area of ministry. Looking through these categories allows a problem-oriented approach to be adopted. It may be a little more difficult to build on strengths, but that is because of our enculturation, and not because of this book! I thoroughly enjoyed this book, have recommended it to our pastor, and will read it again to pick up things I may have missed the first time. I came away from this book saying, "We can do these things, and we can grow!"
God Grew Tired Of Us: A Memoir
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Incredible will to survive combines with determination to go further
  • Inspiring
  • Amazing story of Grace in Tragedy
  • God Grew Tired of Us: A memoir
  • Mixture of Humor and Sadness
 God Grew Tired Of Us: A Memoir
John Bul Dau , and Michael Sweeney
Manufacturer: National Geographic
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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  5. The Lost Boys of Sudan: An American Story of the Refugee Experience The Lost Boys of Sudan: An American Story of the Refugee Experience

ASIN: 1426201141
Release Date: 2007-01-16

Book Description

This unforgettable book is the first-person account of a miracle—indeed, a whole series of miracles. A tale of suffering, tragedy, and sorrow redeemed by indomitable resolve and a stubborn refusal to despair, it's set in a Sudan shadowed by unrelenting war and ruthless violence, yet illuminated by faith, generosity, and steadfast commitment to the human spirit's finest instincts. It's also the eloquently plain-spoken self-portrait of a young man who has looked death in the face many times and come away with an inner strength as impressive as it is modest and a wisdom as inspiring as it is matter of fact.

One of the uprooted youngsters known as the Lost Boys of Sudan, John Bul Dau was 12 years old when civil war ravaged his village and shattered its age-old society, a life of herding and agriculture marked by dignity, respect, and the simple virtues of Dinka tribal tradition. As tracer bullets split the night and mortar shells exploded around him, John fled into the darkness—the first terrified moments of a journey that would lead him thousands of miles into an exile that was to last many years.

John's memoir of his Dinka childhood shows African life and values at their best, while his searing account of hardship, famine, and war also testifies to human resilience and kindness. In an era of cultural clashes, his often humorous stories of adapting to life in the United States offer proof that we can bridge our differences peacefully. John Bul Dau's quiet pride, true humility, deep seriousness, compassionate courage, and remarkable achievements will take every reader’s breath away.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Incredible will to survive combines with determination to go further.......2007-08-26

The subtitle of this excellent book ,i.e."the heartbreaking and inspiring journey of a lost boy of Sudan" is such that nothing could be more appropriate. And so does the illustration in the book's jacket design(credits to Newmarker films and Melissa Farris).

After the heart-wrenching feeling of losing their families, the incredible journey of John and the tens of thousands of lost Sudanese boys through a thousand or so miles of unknown and ferocious landscape is beyond human understanding! Yet, it was accomplished, with all those miserable conditions they carried, when they reached Ethiopia. From that land, they were again cruelly driven to the same misery until they reached the Kakuma Refugee Center in Kenya.

Perhaps in order to truly comprehend the essence of what the book narrates, the reader should imagine him/her self to be with the lost kids in their terrifying exodus. That these are YOUNG CHILDREN some as young as 8yrs and 6yrs!That they are NOT adults,like the MOSTLY ADULT refugees we hear about or the ADULT prisoners of war on their death march for a hundred miles more or less. Can anyone truly see a THOUSAND OR SO MILES of terrain associated with desolation,nakedness,terror,hunger,thirst,fear
disease,sorrow,despair and death by wild animals or hostile human beings?Immersed in this predicament,you LISTEN TO and HEAR their sobs,cravings for missing or dead parents,lament for dead or dying companions,cries from their wounds and broken bodies,slow death by starvation and the more
horrible sensation of dying of thirst leading to drinking their own or their friends'urine for survival,their fear of the night and the searing daytime. Then suddenly,gunshots,machine guns,mortars aimed at them!They panic and scatter in different directions to hide.
The aftermath of all these sufferings?-->dead bodies to bury.CHILDREN BURYING CHILDREN with sharp sticks from the bush and their bare hands for lack of axes or shovels. Can anyone comment if there is such a scenario elsewhere in the world,
past or present? Children burying children in a MASSIVE scale.

John's faith in God and himself made it possible to attain his goal from rural Africa to an American university.The adjustments and adaptations to an ultramodern world from a "stone age" type of existence by John and his Sudanese companions in America is fascinatingly told in the book.From there,he is resolved to accept the challenge to go FURTHER to help himself,his family and his people back in Sudan. He has also given us a gift which serves as an example that in the face of unbearable adversity, hope and success are still attainable with a strong faith and will. I'm sure that John Bul Dau has also spiritually added to the title of his book"God Grew Tired of Us" ...the words "But He Did Not Really Abandon Us."

This is a highly recommended reading for everone but perhaps particularly to our youth.

5 out of 5 stars Inspiring.......2007-07-19

I've seen the movie twice and have met John Dau professionally a few times. The book goes into much more detail than the movie and is simply inspiring. His spirit and his honest insight into life is truly wonderful. After reading this book and learning about the horrors he has gone through in his life in Southern Sudan you wonder how he is not bitter or angry, which he does not seem to be in the least. He is simply moving forward. I'd recommend reading this book. His perspective on our country is refreshing and honest. We could all learn something from this man's integrity.

5 out of 5 stars Amazing story of Grace in Tragedy.......2007-07-03

The author's experience in childhood rates among the all-time records of extremes of human suffering. The story is, however, much more than a record of suffering. It is a story of triumph and faith in the goodness of God without being trite or over-simplifying very complex paradoxes and inconsistancies in life. John Bul Dau is a living demonstration of the superiorty of faith, optimism, and determination over despair.

5 out of 5 stars God Grew Tired of Us: A memoir.......2007-05-30

This book showed the human side of this tragic war in this country and how they survive. This made you aware of others and their struggles during the war in Africa. A must read on your list.

4 out of 5 stars Mixture of Humor and Sadness.......2007-05-10

A daunting story of survival. Somehow the author though obviously scarred by the experience still finds humor, compassion and optimism with life. If you liked "Kite Runner" then give this one a try.
War Is a Force that Gives Us Meaning
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Busting the Myth of Redemptive Violence
  • Prescient
  • Thoughtful meditation on the wages of war
  • war is a force that gives us meaning
  • A Book for the Times
 War Is a Force that Gives Us Meaning
Chris Hedges
Manufacturer: Anchor
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

As a veteran war correspondent, Chris Hedges has survived ambushes in Central America, imprisonment in Sudan, and a beating by Saudi military police. He has seen children murdered for sport in Gaza and petty thugs elevated into war heroes in the Balkans. Hedges, who is also a former divinity student, has seen war at its worst and knows too well that to those who pass through it, war can be exhilarating and even addictive: “It gives us purpose, meaning, a reason for living.”

Drawing on his own experience and on the literature of combat from Homer to Michael Herr, Hedges shows how war seduces not just those on the front lines but entire societies, corrupting politics, destroying culture, and perverting the most basic human desires. Mixing hard-nosed realism with profound moral and philosophical insight, War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning is a work of terrible power and redemptive clarity whose truths have never been more necessary.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Busting the Myth of Redemptive Violence.......2007-09-01

This book and its message is NOT an assertion that all war is inherently wrong and that there is no distinction between the administration of justice and the return of evil for evil. It is an assertion that aggressive militarism, the glorification of warfare, the failure to recognize that it is born of sin and human failure and the pimping of it by religious and political institutions is misguided at best and possibly disastrous when not discerned and/or allowed to go unchecked by Godly, moral reflection.

Very often, pacifism is equated with passiveness, even though there is no linguistic link between the two words. Therefore, the application of pacifism, or anything approaching pacifism, is regarded as disastrous.
In a certain sense perhaps pacifism and passiveness are similar. To be passive means to receive or be subject to an action without responding or initiating an action in return. But passiveness also implies that one is not participating, that one is inert. In this sense nothing could be farther from the truth.

At any rate, Hedges does not profess to be a pacifist- although I believe in a certain sense of the word that he is. Nowadays I consider myself a pacifist or peacemaker with regards to warfare. What that means to me is not a belief that all violence is always wrong no matter what. It does mean that I judge any given situation with a spiritual discernement. It means that I choose violence as a solution last... not first. It means that I do not hate my enemies, but rather love them and consider my ultimate enemy not my fellow man... but the spiritual forces of darkness in the celestial realm as the Bible teaches. It means that I know that the power to give life is far greater than the power to kill and destroy. It means that I think eternally and act spiritually inasmuch as I am able as a weak and pitiful sinner and carnal man. It means that I leave room for God's plan and God's sovereign right to vengeance before my own. It means that I do not fear death... and am thus not controlled by fear in my actions or reactions... inasmuch as I am able. I believe that this book ul;timately reveals that Mr. Hedges feels essentially the same way.

Chris Hedges is the son of a Presbyterian minister, the Rev. Thomas Hedges. He has a B.A. in English Literature from Colgate University and a Master of Divinity from Harvard Divinity School, where he studied under James Luther Adams. Thus, Mr. Hedges' view of the world and of warfare are undoubtedly colored by theology. Hedges is currently a senior fellow at The Nation Institute in New York City and a Lecturer in the Council of the Humanities and the Anschutz Distinguished Fellow at Princeton University. He spent nearly two decades as a foreign correspondent in Central America, the Middle East, Africa and the Balkans. He has reported from more than fifty countries, and has worked for The Christian Science Monitor, National Public Radio, The Dallas Morning News and The New York Times, where he spent fifteen years.

Hedges' has a stinging, no punches pulled, no holds barred style of writing that I personally find very strong and inspiring. This book "War Is A Force That Gives Us Meaning", is one of the few books that so deeply inspired me that I read it straight through as quickly as possible. The book left me a bit disenchanted and in a brooding mood in the end. The realization of the validity of Hedges' perspective and cultural commentary is a bitter pill to swallow for anyone who values true freedom and moral truth. This is heavy material for a moral, freethinking person to reflect on.

Here are two excerpts from the book that I discovered when skimming through it at the bookstore that made me buy this book:

1. "We make our heroes out of clay. We laud their gallant deeds and give them uniforms and put colored ribbons on their chests for acts of violence they commit or endure. They are our repositories of glory and honor- of power, self righteousness, patriotism and self worship - all that we want to believe about ourselves. They are our plaster saints of war- the icons we cheer to defend us and make us and our nation great. But they are part of our civic religion- our love of power and force. Our belief in our right as a chosen nation to wield this force against the weak and rule. This is our nation's idolatry of itself- and it has corrupted our religious institutions just as it has corrupted religious institutions in other nations- fusing the will of God with the will of the State to create a potent and deadly form of idolatry."

2. "War from a distance seems noble. It gives us a feeling of belonging, of comradeship, of power, a chance to play a small bit in the great drama of human history. It promises to give us an identity as a warrior, a patriot, a believer- as long as we go along with the myth- the one the war makers need to wage war. But, up close, war is a soulless void. The world of war descends to barbarity, perversion, pain and an unchecked orgy of death. It is a state where human decency and tenderness is crushed- where those who make war work overtime to reduce all love and sensitivity to smut and filth.
In war the moral order is turned upside down. All that is repulsive and feared in peacetime is lauded and cheered in war. The noise, the stench, the cries of pain, the eviscerated bodies, the bloated stinking corpses spin us into another universe. And in this moral void, often blessed by the church or the mosque or the synagogue- the hypocrisy of our social conventions, our strict adherence to religious edicts and virtues and utter refusal to honor others comes unglued. War, for all its horror, has the power to strip away the trivial and the banal, the empty chatter and self righteous obsessions that fill our days. It lets us see."

Whether you agreee with Mr. Hedges' take or not... his offering is/should be an important part of the dialog on these topics. I give the book my highest endorsement.

5 out of 5 stars Prescient.......2007-08-12

A well argued work, the most amazing thing about it in hindsight is how while written before the Iraq invasion, and without once referring to its immenence, Hedges predicted so much of what has occurred in Iraq--how the 9/11 victims would become martyr fodder, the destruction of Iraqi culture, the connection between torture and pornography, the inciting of latent and rather benign ethnic differences into endless blood feuding by those who wish to perpetuate the fighting. Utilizing classic literature, an in depth understanding of conflict throughout history, and his own first hand experience as a war correspondent for decades, Hedges makes his argument that war is hell not a video game, and, while no, it's not a new one, we shouldn't as a result be going to war every time a kid who is well known for lying cries "wolf."

4 out of 5 stars Thoughtful meditation on the wages of war.......2007-06-14

This book is basically a philosophical, psychological essay/meditation on war and its role in human life. At times it reads like a whirlwind tour of the atrocities and cruelties that humans have visited on one another. Hedges was a war correspondent for over a decade and traveled to many of the world's war zones, including Central America during the 1980's, the Balkans, and the Middle East. Hedges' experiences in these places obviously had a profound impact on him, and this book is essentially a collection of his impressions. Hedges seeks to situate war within the human consciousness. Using literature and actual political proclamations, he demonstrates that war is often depicted as the highest human calling, in which young men and women gain the opportunity to achieve heroism and fight (and often die) for lofty ideals. This is contrasted with the humdrum and monotony of everyday life in which many people struggle vainly to find some meaning in their lives. One of Hedges' goals is to shatter this romantic myth of war by exposing the carnage and emotional and physical destruction that it unleashes and the lies, foisted by political leaders, that undergird it. A good portion of the book follows a particular pattern. Hedges will make a general observation about "war," such as, "In times of war, such and such thing tends to happen." He then provides specific examples to back up his generalization. Probably my favorite aspect of this book was Hedges' savage indictment of nationalism. I have studied nationalism and its origins from an academic point of view (Gellner, Benedict Anderson), but Hedges here provides a compelling and damning depiction of the ways in which nationalist sentiments serve to mobilize people to commit the most barbaric acts. He provides numerous examples of how political leaders have exploited nationalist rhetoric to stir up animosities among communities for their own political gain, and how these communities far too gullibly often fall for this tactic. While fundamentalist religion in recent years has justifiably gained attention as a source of conflict, nationalism, which also creates artificial us versus them distinctions, has not garnered as much criticism.

This book is not a policy manual. Hedges concedes early on that, despite the cruely and barbarism of war, he is not a pacifist and that military action is often necessary. However, he is infuriatingly vague about what those conditions are under which war should be regarded as justified. He also takes pains to argue that he is not a moral relativist; in most conflicts, one can justifiably identify one particular side as being morally superior (or, at least, less immoral) than the other, but he doesn't clarify what criteria to use to make that distinction. In sum, this isn't the book to read if you are looking for any sort of moral guidance on when war is justified. But alas, this is probably an unfair criticism, since Hedges seeks here to write a more meditative reflection on the costs of war. Overall, I would recommend this short book (I read it in a couple of sittings) to anyone seeking such a philosophical reflection.

4 out of 5 stars war is a force that gives us meaning.......2007-06-04


Chris Hedges uses past experiences to describe the reality of war. He uses what he calls "sensory reality", where people look at war in terms of what it really is as opposed to trying to justify it, making it a heroic movement. In one of his chapters he also describes "mythic reality" which he says is unfortunately used throughout the majority. Mythic reality is where people sugar coat the war in order to turn it into a success for their people. Hedges describes how the people of today try to use our constant need to fight as something to enlighten our country, they use this mythic reality in order to make themselves either the victim of the war or the heroic figure which textbooks constantly portray. As he's experienced a lot through war, he uses facts from what he himself has witnessed in order to prove that war is not a heroic event, it's rather just a brutal fight that our modern day justifies in order to be proud.
As the media today is trying to recruit, Hedges also discusses how the war is taught to the youth as something exciting, heroic and worst of all something to look forward to in order to find yourself.
Hedges is a magnificent author, ready to back up all of his points with facts from his past experience. I have nothing negative to say towards any of his theories as he has proven reality and is the one person who has let the world read the truth rather than what the textbooks say.

5 out of 5 stars A Book for the Times.......2007-05-30

Prompted by reading Mr. Hedges' article on the same topic in The Nation, I wanted to read more. His book should be a 'must' reading in today's world; I have yet to read a better treatment of this timely and emotional subject.
Kaplan SAT Subject Test: U.S. History, 2007-2008 Edition (Kaplan Sat Subject Tests Us History)
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 Kaplan SAT Subject Test: U.S. History, 2007-2008 Edition (Kaplan Sat Subject Tests Us History)
Kaplan
Manufacturer: Kaplan Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1419550527

Book Description

Includes:

*4 practice tests with detailed explanations

*Expert review to prepare test takers for the U.S. History content they need to know

*Effective strategies

*Index

*Glossary of key terms

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Useful.......2007-07-21

I scored a 790 on the U.S. History SAT 2 using this book and "The Best Test Preparation for AP United States History" by REA. Because I took the AP and SAT test around the same time, I studied mostly from the AP book, which had more comprehensive reviews. However, the practice tests in this book were quite helpful.

5 out of 5 stars wonderful.......2007-07-18

I found the detailed explanation particularly helpful,it also provides you with in-depth knowledge of the whole U.S history

5 out of 5 stars Perfect for last minute prep.......2007-06-22

I started reading this book a week before the test, and it helped a great deal! The format is excellent and the questions are like the ones on the actual test. If you studied for the AP US History test before taking the SAT II, this will be a breeze to go through.
Charisma: The Gift of Grace, and How It Has Been Taken Away from Us
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • the foundations of charisma and natural leadershp
  • An intriguing discussion
  • A Literary Theology Response to Postmoderns
  • cloud of verbiage
 Charisma: The Gift of Grace, and How It Has Been Taken Away from Us
Philip Rieff
Manufacturer: Pantheon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0375424520
Release Date: 2007-02-20

Book Description

Charisma has come to be understood today as a special gift or talent that celebrities–artistic performers, athletes, movie stars, or political leaders–possess, a quality that makes their lives exemplary and transforms them into objects of universal appeal or attraction.

In Charisma, Philip Rieff explores the emergence and evolution of this mysterious and compelling concept within Judeo-Christian culture. Its first expression was in the idea of the covenant between God and the Israelites: Charisma–religious grace and authority–was transferred through divine inspiration to the Old Testament prophets; it was embodied by Jesus of Nazareth, the first true charismatic hero. Rieff shows how St. Paul transformed charisma into a form of social organization, how it was reworked by Martin Luther and by nineteenth-century Protestant theologians, and, finally, how Max Weber redefined charisma as a secular political concept. By emptying charisma of its religious meaning, Weber opened the door to the modern perception of it as little more than a form of celebrity, stripped of moral considerations.

Rieff rejects Weber’s definition, insisting that Weber misunderstood the relation between charisma and faith. He argues that without morality, the gift of grace becomes indistinguishable from the gift of evil, and it devolves into a license to destroy and kill in the name of faith or ideology. Offering brilliant interpretations of Kierkegaard, Weber, Kafka, Nietzsche, and Freud, Rieff shows how certain thinkers attacked the very possibility of faith and genuine charisma and helped prepare the way for the emergence of a therapeutic culture in which it is impossible to recognize that which is sacred. Rieff’s analysis of charisma is an analysis of the deepest level of crisis in our culture.

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars the foundations of charisma and natural leadershp.......2007-07-27

The author details the foundations of charisima , indicating what true qualities establish people to have this trait and without these foundations , the charisima is not real. This is a very deep book, sometimes difficult to comprehand and follow and thats why I gave it three stars. The author writes like an intellectual, but I think he may be missing his mark to appeak to a large audience as a result.

5 out of 5 stars An intriguing discussion.......2007-06-17

CHARISMA: THE GIFT OF GRACE, AND HOW IT HAS BEEN TAKEN AWAY FROM US tells of the idea of charisma from its earliest recognition by Old Testament prophets to the first charismatic, Jesus of Nazareth, and how charisma became part of the Christian church's evolution. Rieff argues for a different understanding of the relationship between charisma and faith, examining traditional and modern perceptions and paving the way for a dialogue between believers on the topic. An intriguing discussion, CHARISMA should prove of interest to any serious religious collection.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

5 out of 5 stars A Literary Theology Response to Postmoderns.......2007-04-08

"Charisma" and Philip Rieff are not for everyone or for most. (Read the prior review from G. Lehman about the difficulty of the writing style to see this.) If you have not read widely, especially in the Bible, and the postmodern precursors like Freud, Nietzsche, or Weber then "Charisma" will likely strike you as an academic bore.

Rieff accomplishes what seems to be a postmodern impossibility: thinking "intellectually" about the Bible and theology. By "intellectually" I mean that secular, academic, scientific perspective of conceptualization, rationalization, and articulation of ideas that is foundational in higher education and "elite" groups. It's what professors and public intellectuals do. Within that class of people, the Bible and theology are most typically viewed as intellectual deadends of proven unworth that appeal to sweaty snakehandlers under the tent on a hot August night. Rieff demonstrates that it is possible and interesting to think like an "intellectual" about Biblical and theological concepts in much the same way he did with his recent work, "Sacred Order," (another Rieff book I'd highly recommend and with the same caveats as observed with G. Lehman).

"Charisma" traces the meaning of the term, "charisma," from its original theological roots to its current postmodern corrupted state, explaining along the way how this corruption occurred (primarily through the writings of the postmodern precursors like Weber), but more importantly, the intellectual, moral, and cultural implications of this corruption. While we live in the postmodern Humpty Dumpty world where words mean whatever we chose them to mean, Rieff explicates "charisma" as a religiously derived term that springs from God and His Authority and then observes how the Humpty Dumpty changes in meaning that have occurred in the past 150 years have transformed the term into the postmodern foolishness of "charisma" as something that George Clooney, Madonna, and the latest American Idol possess. Please consider briefly the implication behind "charisma" as an element of fame versus "charisma" as the force of God's authority. If this is not an interesting or challenging comparison, you are not curious how this change in meaning developed, and you don't see any cultural or moral implications in the shift, then this book is not for you.

One appealing element of "Charisma" is that Philip Rieff has actually read the Bible and can pass the standard true-false test on its content. He continually demonstrates the bad misreadings of that text by writers like Weber and Freud who clearly read the Bible selectively (or more charitably with the map of misreading as described by Professor Bloom) in their attempts to discredit that theology and inflate their proposed substitutes. It's one thing to reject a perspective because you simply disagree with it, but it's another thing to reject it through misreading. As someone who was trained in the postmodern university, it is with considerable embarassment that I realize how much of the postmodern criticism of religion I accepted without reading the footnotes in that criticism. Freud makes a lot more sense when you uncritically accept his view of the Bible. If you know the Bible, Freud becomes just an another intellectual on the make trying to push his theory.

As I noted in my review of "Sacred Order" I've been a constant reader for over 40 years. I found "Sacred Order" to be one of the strongest, most interesting, and compelling books I've read. I see "Charisma" in the same light. This is a great book and worthy of reading, rereading, and reflection.

And, there awaits publication of a third volume in this series!


2 out of 5 stars cloud of verbiage.......2007-04-05

If you think run-on sentences and page-long paragraphs are a necessary conduit to recondite wisdom, then you might want to wade into this morass of Latinated English prose. For myself, I think if the professor can't speak ordinary English I suspect that he's not thinking clearly. I wish I would have been warned that this is a project of two of his adoring pupils. And I wish I had been warned that couched in the ponderings are rationales, it seem to me, for disgust for the world as we know it, and reasons that Christianity almost has to be pivoted against Jewish religion. I myself have thought that many good persons have been working on this issue to a much more agreeable resolution.
REA's AP US History Test Prep with TESTware Software
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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 REA's AP US History Test Prep with TESTware Software
J. A. McDuffie , G. W. Piggrem , and S.E. Woodworth
Manufacturer: Research & Education Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0878913327

Book Description

Get the AP college credits you've worked so hard for... Our savvy test experts show you the way to master the test and score higher. This new and fully expanded edition includes a comprehensive review course of all the topics covered on the exam: the Colonial Period, the American Revolution, the U.S. Constitution, Westward expansion, the Civil War, Reconstruction, Industrialism, World War I, the Great Depression, World War II, the Vietnam Era, Watergate, Carter, and the New Conservatism. Features 6 full-length practice exams with all answers thoroughly explained.

Includes CD-ROM software containing 3 of the book's tests as timed, computerized exams that provide actual exam conditions with controlled timing and question order. Your score and test performance are automatically calculated plus the program provides analysis of your performance with suggestions for further study.

Follow up your study with REA's test-taking strategies, powerhouse drills and study schedule that get you ready for test day.

DETAILS
- Comprehensive, up-to-date subject review of every US history topic used in the AP exam
- 6 full-length practice exams. All exam answers are fully detailed with easy-to-follow, easy-to-grasp explanations.
- CD-ROM TESTware program containing 3 of the book's 6 practice exams to give you the closest thing to experiencing an exam live at a computer testing center.
- Study schedule tailored to your needs
- Packed with proven key exam tips, insights and advice

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
TESTware CD-ROM is both Windows and Macintosh compatible.
> Suitable for any PC with 16 MB of RAM minimum, Windows 98 or later.
> Any Macintosh with a 68020 or higher processor, 16 MB of RAM minimum, System 7.1 through 10.2x.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABOUT OUR BOOK AND TESTware
ABOUT THE TEST
ABOUT THE REVIEW SECTION
SCORING THE EXAM
CONTACTING THE AP PROGRAM
AP U.S. HISTORY STUDY SCHEDULE
AP UNITED STATES HISTORY COURSE REVIEW
1 The Colonial Period (1500-1763)
2 The American Revolution (1763-1787)
3 The United States Constitution (1787-1789)
4 The New Nation (1789-1824)
5 Jacksonian Democracy and Westward Expansion (1824-1850)
6 Sectional Conflict and the Causes of the Civil War (1850-1860)
7 The Civil War and Reconstruction (1860-1877)
8 Industrialism, War, and the Progressive Era (1877-1912)
9 Wilson and World War I (1912-1920)
10 The Roaring Twenties and Economic Collapse (1920-1929)
11 The Great Depression and the New Deal (1929-1941)
12 World War II and the Post-War Era (1941-1960)
13 The New Frontier, Vietnam, and Social Upheaval (1960-1972)
14 Watergate, Carter, and the New Conservatism (1972-2001)
AP UNITED STATES HISTORY PRACTICE TESTS
Test 1
Answer Sheet
Answer Key
Detailed Explanations of Answers
Test 2
Answer Sheet
Answer Key
Detailed Explanations of Answers
Test 3
Answer Sheet
Answer Key
Detailed Explanations of Answers
Test 4
Answer Sheet
Answer Key
Detailed Explanations of Answers
Test 5
Answer Sheet
Answer Key
Detailed Explanations of Answers
Test 6
Answer Sheet
Answer Key
Detailed Explanations of Answers
INSTALLING REA's TESTware
Technical Support
USING YOUR INTERACTIVE TESTware
About Research & Education Association

AP US HISTORY EXCERPT

ABOUT OUR BOOK AND TESTware
This book - along with our exclusive AP U.S. History TESTware software - provides an accurate and complete representation of the Advanced Placement Examination in U.S. History. REA's comprehensive course review, frequently cited as the best on the bookshelf, and our six practice exams are based on the format of the latest AP U.S. History Exam. Each of our practice exams includes every type of question that you can expect to encounter when you take the AP exam. Following each REA practice exam is an answer key complete with detailed explanations. Our explanations are designed to contextualize he material so that it will stick with you and thus boost your command of the subject matter and the ins and outs of the AP itself.

Our printed practice exams 4, 5, and 6 are also on CD-ROM are part of our interactive AP U.S. History TESTware. Taking the exams on the computer will afford you additional study features and the benefits of enforced timed conditions, individual diagnostic analysis of what subjects need extra study, and instant scoring. For your convenience, our TESTware has been provided for you in both Windows and Macintosh formats. Many features are included that you will find helpful as you prepare for the AP U.S. History Test. See page ix for our study schedule and guidance on how to gain maximum benefits from this book and software package. (For instructions on how to install and use our software, please refer to the appendix at the back of the book.)

By studying our review section, completing all six practice exams, and carefully checking the answer explanations, students can discover their strengths and weaknesses and prepare themselves effectively for the actual AP U.S. History Examination.

Teachers of AP U.S. History courses will also find REA's book and software to be an excellent resource in the classroom. In fact, many AP instructors use it as a supplementary text because it so comprehensively supports and addresses specific curriculum objectives for the course and exam. Our interactive TESTware software is an outstanding tool to help boost your students' test-taking confidence. For TESTware site-license information, point your Web browser to www.rea.com and click on "Teachers' Corner."

ABOUT THE TEST
The Advanced Placement Program is designed to allow high school students to pursue college-level studies while attending high school. The three-hour five-minute AP U.S. History exam is usually given to high school students who have completed a year's study in a college-level U.S. History course. The test results are then used to determine the awarding of course credit and/or advanced course placement in college.

According to the College Board, students taking this exam are called upon to demonstrate "systematic factual knowledge" and bring to bear critical, persuasive analysis of the full sweep of U.S. history. This is why we make every effort to establish and build upon context for you, rather than encouraging rote memorization of disconnected facts.

The AP U.S. History Exam is divided into two sections:

1) Multiple-Choice: This section is composed of 80 multiple-choice questions designed to gauge your ability to understand and analyze U.S. history from the Colonial period to the present. The majority of the questions, however, are based on 19th- and 20th-century history. This section tests factual knowledge, scope of preparation, and knowledge-based analytical skills. You'll have 55 minutes to complete this section, which accounts for 50 percent of your final grade.

2) Free-Response: This section is composed of three essay questions designed to measure your ability to write coherent, intelligent, well-organized essays on historical topics. The essays require you to demonstrate mastery of historical interpretation and the ability to express views and knowledge in writing. The essays may relate documents to different areas, analyze common themes of different time periods, or compare individual and group experiences which reflect socioeconomic, racial, gender, and ethnic differences. Part A consists of a mandatory 15-minute reading period, followed by 45 minutes during which you must answer a document-based question (DBQ), which changes from year to year. In Part B the student chooses to answer on two of the topics that are given. You will have 70 minutes to write these essays. The free-response section counts for 50 percent of your final grade.

These topics are broken down into thirds:
- Political Institutions (1/3rd)
- Social and Economic Change (1/3rd)
- Behavior and Public Policy, Diplomacy and International Relations, Intellectual and Cultural Development (1/3rd)

The time periods covered are as follows:
- Pre-Colonial through 1789 (1/6th of exam)
- 1790-1914 (1/2 of exam)
- 1915-present (1/3rd of exam)

ABOUT THE REVIEW SECTION
This book begins with REA's concise yet thorough 230-page review of U.S. history designed to acquaint you with the exam's scope of coverage. Our review covers these topics and historical time periods:

- The Colonial Period (1500-1763)
- The American Revolution (1763-1787)
- The United States Constitution (1787-1789)
- The New National (1789-1824)
- Jacksonian Democracy and Westward Expansion (1824-1850)
- Sectional Conflict and The Causes of the Civil War (1850-1860)
- The Civil War and Reconstruction (1860-1877)
- Industrialism, War, and the Progressive Era (1877-1912)
- Wilson and World War I (1912-1920)
- The Roaring Twenties and Economic Collapse (1920-1929)
- The Great Depression and the New Deal (1929-1941)
- World War II and the Post-War Era (1941-1960)
- The New Frontier, Vietnam, and Social Upheaval (1960-1972)
- Watergate, Carter, and the New Conservatism (1972-2001)

SCORING THE EXAM
The multiple-choice section of the exam is scored by crediting each correct answer with one point and deducting one-fourth of a point for each incorrect answer. You will neither receive a credit nor suffer a deduction for unanswered questions. The free-response essays are graded by instructors and professors from across the country who come together each June for a week of non-stop AP essay grading. Each essay booklet is read and scored by several graders. Each grader provides a score for the individual essays. The DBQ is scored on a scale from 0 to 15, 0 being the lowest and 15 the highest. Each topic-based essay receives a score from 0 to 9. These scores are conceal...

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Helpful.......2007-07-21

I scored a 5 on the AP U.S. History exam using this book. Both the reviews and practice tests were very helpful. I especially enjoyed the reviews, and used them extensively to study for tests in my AP history class.

5 out of 5 stars Just what I wanted!.......2007-06-20

I bought the REA AP US History book to prepare over the summer for the course in fall. The history review is very detailed and seems to contain all the info I'll need! I'm very happy with the condition of the book- it was the second cheapest on the list of Used Items- by BrokenBindings- and it arrived in perfect condition. The only thing I'm dissappointed at is the delivery. Amazon cited only 2 days for delivery, and it took 9.

5 out of 5 stars amazing.......2007-01-22

this review book is the best out there. i bought it second hand so i didn't get the CD with it, but the book covers everything. i use the textbook "america's history" by henretta, 7edition, and although very thorough, this book puts it in a consciese (sp?) form but includes everything ... good for cramming.

5 out of 5 stars Good for your money!.......2006-12-25

I prepared for the APUSH exam last May just by reading this book for TWO WEEKS (and I read an older version of this guide). I only stopped at the 1970s and still received a 4 on this exam. I highly recommend this; you will be satisfied. If I read this study guide twice and more thoroughly then I would have received a 5.

Buy this book, study it THOROUGHLY, and feel very prepared on the day of the exam.

5 out of 5 stars Best review book for AP US History.......2006-08-25

This is with no doubt the best review guide that you can buy for AP US History, if you use it to its full potential, no questions asked.

The review material is around 200 pages long, and all the important facts and information that you could need for those possible topics on the exam can be found there. Since there is such a large amount of review material though, I would recommend purchasing this book early in the year and highlighting important things in each section, so when you study for the AP test a month or so before the actual AP test you won't have to freak out about what parts you'll need to read out of the entire 200 pages of review (or just skipping it altogether.

Besides the excellent review this book provides, the best feature of this book in my opinion would be the six review tests it provides, along with about 6 sample essays for each of the tests. I did not do any of the essays myself; beginning in early April I simply went through ones I thought might be important topics on the exam, read them, highlighted them, and then studied them. As for the 6 multiple choice parts of the exam, I completed about 3 of these, and highlighted ones I got wrong. I would recommend doing one practice test a week before the exam (since I started them in april I only completed three) and reviewing only the ones that you get wrong.

By doing everything I mentioned above with this book, I got a 5 on the exam (2006). The two FRQ (Free Response Questions)'s I had to write for the actual AP exam were practically the same as two of the essays I had read in this book, so it really was an invaluable tool.

All this being said, if you buy this book at least a few months before the AP test it will really help you on it; if you buy it only a short time before the test you should probably just skip the review and try a few practice tests, look at the ones you got wrong, and study that time period (and of course read some of the essays).
Euler: The Master of Us All (Dolciani Mathematical Expositions, No 22) (Dolciani Mathematical Expositions)
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • A great book
  • Charming but historically inaccurate.
  • Nice book for readers with a background in math
  • William Dunham has done it again!
  • " Euler, the anlysis incarnate "!!!!
 Euler: The Master of Us All (Dolciani Mathematical Expositions, No 22) (Dolciani Mathematical Expositions)
William Dunham
Manufacturer: The Mathematical Association of America
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0883853280

Book Description

Leonhard Euler was one of the most prolific mathematicians that have ever lived. This book examines the huge scope of mathematical areas explored and developed by Euler, which includes number theory, combinatorics, geometry, complex variables and many more. The information known to Euler over 300 years ago is discussed, and many of his advances are reconstructed. Readers will be left in no doubt about the brilliance and pervasive influence of Euler’s work.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars A great book.......2006-10-12

Don't be fooled by the brevity or put off by the high price of this book - it's worth its weight in gold. If you have a university level math degree and you want to do proofs again, this book is for you. I have been able to understand everything in the book as a result of Prof. Dunham's amazing ability to explain things. I did have to resort to the Internet on occasion to brush up on some trigonometry and calculus. I have been reading it slowly for 2 years now and I'm only half way through - sometimes I pull it out when I need some brain exercise. If you like math, you will like this book.

3 out of 5 stars Charming but historically inaccurate........2006-01-26

Once again, the Ivy League establishment has got it all wrong. They continue to perpetrate error in the historical record just as they do in the scientific record with that preposterous theory of evolution.

First of all, Euler should not be credited with topology. Descartes had formulated, before Euler was born, the key topological equation F + V - E = 2.

The Greeks attached mystical significance to the five platonic solids. So much so, Euclid included the five regular solids in book 13 of his Elements as if it were the culimination of his work, as if the three-dimensionality were a culimination of the two-dimensionality of the earlier books.

These "regular" solids are three-dimensional objects: namely, the Tetrahedron, the cube, the octahedron, the dodecahedron and the icosahedron. They are "regular" because, on each, the faces are congruent. Furthermore, the face angles are equal. For example, a cube's faces are all the same size.

If we count the faces on the tetrahedron, cube, octahedron, dodecahedron and icosahedron respectively, we get 4, 6, 8, 12, 20 respectively.

If we count the vertices of each respectively, we get 4, 8, 6, 20, 12.

If we count the edges respectivley, we get 6, 12, 12, 30, 30.

Now, create an array of the faces, vertices and edges:

F:4 6 8 12 20
V:4 8 6 20 12
E:6 12 12 30 30

Descartes noticed that F + V - E = 2. For example, 4 + 4 - 6 = 2. Or take the second column: 6 + 8 - 12 = 2. Descartes conjectured (as we all would) that this formula represents an invariant amongst all polyhedra.

Descartes died in 1650 A.D. when he was poisoned by some jealous Swede. Euler was born in 1707 A.D., some time after Descartes's death. Liebnitz had translated this work of Descartes which shows F + V - E = 2. And Euler is known to have read all of these Liebnitz manuscripts at the Hanover archives.

Why scholars persist in giving Euler credit for this equation boggles my imaginatino unless their reading is limited. If it is limited, then appellation of scholar for such men is unwarranted.

Pictures of the five platonic regular solids can be seen in Daud Sutton's little book "Platonic and Archimedian Solids."

4 out of 5 stars Nice book for readers with a background in math.......2003-04-25

I really enjoyed reading this book that describes some background on Euler and his work. It is written in an informal style, so for people with a math background it reads like a novel.

The book is not suitable for people who want to learn more about the person Euler, but do not have a math background, because 75% of the book is about real math (equations). So if you don't enjoy reading equations, do not buy the book.

Summary: as enjoyable as the other Dunham books, although a bit more expensive (but still worth the money).

5 out of 5 stars William Dunham has done it again!.......2002-03-25

With the publication of this, his third book, Dunham has once more shown himself to be a master himself of mathematical explanation. Unlike his previous two books, The Mathematical Universe and Journey Through Genius, which covered results by a variety of mathematicians, this book focuses on selected results that sprang from the remarkable mind of Leonard Euler, one of the most prolific and important mathematicians of all time. What sets Euler apart is not only the vast quantity of his output (the publication of his collected works, the Opera Omnia, spans six dozen volumes, or over 25,000 pages in all!), but also the breadth and originality of his work. Not only did Euler contribute to a wide array of mathematical fields -- from number theory to complex analysis to geometry -- but in many cases, he was the founder of those fields. For example, Euler invented the field of analytical number theory, and he was the first mathematician to recognize the importance of and to discover the important properties of complex numbers.

This book in many ways resembles Dunham's Journey Through Genius. As in that book, Dunham has selected 15 or so theorems to present in detail, and he makes an effort to keep the proofs similar in spirit to the original proofs. Although the proofs are complete and the book is full of equations, they are accessible to anyone with a high school level of mathematics education. But in addition to the proofs, Dunham also provides historical context, as well as commentary on how later mathematicians used and improved upon Euler's work. For example, we learn that Euler began to loose the sight in his right eye at the age of 32, and that despite his virtual blindness by the age of 65, he continued his prolific rate of output until his death at age 84.

The book's title is taken from a quote by Laplace, who said, ``Read Euler, read Euler. He is the master of us all.'' Indeed, if you have any interest in mathematics, you will almost certainly find yourself in complete agreement with Laplace's sentiments by the time you finish reading this wonderful book. ...

5 out of 5 stars " Euler, the anlysis incarnate "!!!!.......2001-09-15

" Analysis incarnate " , no other more suitable words probably can describe the incomparable power of Euler, as his contemparies called him. Concerning the usual style of Dunham to write this stimulating book, other readers have made many comments and I think there is no need to repeat that. What I want is that Dunham to write another book, perhaps volume 2,3 etc and also write a thorough biography of Euler, one the greatest mathematicians in the history. ( To me, for mathematical ability, his should be at the same rank with Newton, Archaemedes, and Gauss, even Einstein concerning the mathematical and theroetical aspect, is below par compared with Euler )
Kaplan AP US History 2006 (Kaplan Ap U S History)
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Extremely well-qualified to get you that high score
  • great book
 Kaplan AP US History 2006 (Kaplan Ap U S History)
Kaplan
Manufacturer: Kaplan Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0743265599

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Extremely well-qualified to get you that high score.......2007-06-22

This book went through rain and sunshine with me three weeks before the exam. Without it, i think I would have failed the exam.

4 out of 5 stars great book.......2006-05-16

With literally only 3 days to study for the exam, I used this book to help me out, and I read ALL the review, and even had time to take a practice test. There are 30 chapters and a quiz after each one (about 5 questions) which really help, and the really scary thing is the questions were strickingly similar to the actual AP Exam, actually some were almost EXACTLY the same. I went from a "1" on the diagnostic test to a "4" after reading the whole book. I hope I did that well on the actual exam =)

Only problem in there was that there were a few typos...I hate typos some years were mentioned before and then they changed it into 19-- instead of a dat ein the 1700s or they added an extra number like 18326 or something, and had a few misspellings, I'm finding these typos to be downright annoying and they appear frequently in Kaplan's books.
A History of US: Book 6: War, Terrible War 1855-1865 (History of Us, 6)
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Wonderful Book!
  • The History of US series gets the story of the Civil War
  • The History of US series gets the story of the Civil War
  • Horn Book couldn't be more wrong
  • War Terrible War
 A History of US: Book 6: War, Terrible War 1855-1865 (History of Us, 6)
Joy Hakim
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0195153294

Book Description

Riveting, moving, and impossible to put down, War, Terrible War takes us into the heart of the Civil War, from the battle of Manassas to the battle of Gettysburg and on to the South's surrender at Appomattox Court House. Follow the common soldiers in blue and gray as they endure long marches, freezing winter camps, and the bloodiest battles ever fought on American soil. Off the war fields, War, Terrible War captures the passion and commitment of abolitionists and slaveowners alike in their fiery debates throughout the land. With profiles of Abraham Lincoln, Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant, John Brown, Harriet Tubman, Jefferson Davis, soldiers on both sides, slave owners, abolitionists, average citizens, and others, War, Terrible War is the compelling story of a people affected by the horrors of war during this tragic and dramatic period in A History of US.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Wonderful Book!.......2007-04-20

We used this book as a supplement to Ken Burns Civil War DVD set (which is wonderful). They follow each other nicely! This has become a valuable part of our homeschool classroom. Well laid out, easy to read and understand.

5 out of 5 stars The History of US series gets the story of the Civil War.......2003-08-04

"War, Terrible War: 1855-1865," the sixth volume in Joy Hakim's A History of US series, tells the story of the Civil War, although the author points out that there was nothing civil about it. Instead, Hakim favors Lincoln's notion that the purpose of the war was to give the nation a "new birth of freedom." Within these pages young readers will learn about the bloody conflict, beginning with Fort Sumter and the battle of Manassas to Lee's surrender at Appomattox Court House and the assassination of President Lincoln.

However, I have to admit I was a bit distracted because while I understood 1865 was the year the Civil War ended I was not sure what 1855 was supposed to signify as a starting point. The previous volume in the series, "Liberty for All?" set up the slavery issue and created some overlap in covering the years 1820-1860. But why the year 1855? The Compromise of 1850 was in 1850, Harriet Beecher Stowe published "Uncle Tom's Cabin" in 1852, the Kansas-Nebraska Act was in 1854, the Dred Scott decision in 1857, the Lincoln-Douglas debates in 1858, and John Brown's attack on Harpers Ferry in 1859. Off the top of my head I would say that the Republican Party might have been founded in 1855, since they put up their first candidate in 1856, but that is not mentioned in this volume.

In fact, after a preface that sets the stage for the Civil War by recalling the infamous dinner in 1830 when President Andrew Jackson and his Vice President John C. Calhoun quarreled over the issue of Union, the first chapter of this book is devoted Southern states leaving the Union after Lincoln's election in 1860. The war begins in the second chapter with the Confederates firing on Fort Sumter and the battle of First Manassas (note Hakim lets the winning side name the battle). Then Hakim goes back in time to Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin," the story of Harriet Tubman, and the mythological political career of Abraham Lincoln. Chronology continues to become a secondary consideration as Hakim devotes a chapter to Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederacy, before looking at the slavery issue and the story of John Brown. Only after establishing Lincoln's problem in trying to hold the Union together does Hakim return to a chronological account of the major campaigns and battles. But never a mention of why 1855 is the starting point for the volume.

That is a minor concern, because I prefer a solid argumentative structure to mere chronology. Consequently "War, Terrible War" can be seen as having four distinct sections. The first (Chapters 1-2), establishes the spark that started the Civil War. The second (Chapters 3-10) goes back and provides key background elements that will help young readers to understand the issues and personalities that are played out in this particular drama. The third (Chapters 11-25) covers the Civil War through the Battle of Gettysburg and includes both the Emancipation Proclamation that made this a war to free the slaves and the Gettysburg Address that reestablished the idea that "all men are created equal" as the supreme American principle. The final unit (Chapters 26-31) covers the end of the war and the brutal irony of Lincoln's assassination once the threat to the Union was ended.

Throughout the book Hakim not only relates events, she captures the passion and commitment of abolitionists and slave owners through a series of profiles of politicians and soldiers on both sides, slave owners, abolitionists, average citizens, and others. These books are richly illustrated with historic photographs, etchings, political cartoons, maps, and the like. The margins are crammed with definitions and mini-biographies, as well as quotations from both historic figures and contemporary historians. As always, the major strength of this series is that Hakim keeps her young audience first and foremost in mind. Constantly asking her readers to think about these events from the perspective of the participants, she also does a marvelous job of anticipating questions from them as well. For example, if anyone has seen the Ken Burns documentary on "The Civil War" or the film "Gettysburg" and is wondering why Hakim does not talk about Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, there is a note in the margins to check out the book "The Killer Angels."

If there is a better juvenile American history series out there for young students who are being home schooled, then I have yet to see it. This is a superb series that does an admirable job of adapting a wealth of information and historical details to its audience. Hakim knows that her readers have grown up on computers and the Internet, but she does not sacrifice her subject matter on the altar of stylish presentation.

5 out of 5 stars The History of US series gets the story of the Civil War.......2003-08-04

"War, Terrible War: 1855-1865," the sixth volume in Joy Hakim's A History of US series, tells the story of the Civil War, although the author points out that there was nothing civil about it. Instead, Hakim favors Lincoln's notion that the purpose of the war was to give the nation a "new birth of freedom." Within these pages young readers will learn about the bloody conflict, beginning with Fort Sumter and the battle of Manassas to Lee's surrender at Appomattox Court House and the assassination of President Lincoln.

However, I have to admit I was a bit distracted because while I understood 1865 was the year the Civil War ended I was not sure what 1855 was supposed to signify as a starting point. The previous volume in the series, "Liberty for All?" set up the slavery issue and created some overlap in covering the years 1820-1860. But why the year 1855? The Compromise of 1850 was in 1850, Harriet Beecher Stowe published "Uncle Tom's Cabin" in 1852, the Kansas-Nebraska Act was in 1854, the Dred Scott decision in 1857, the Lincoln-Douglas debates in 1858, and John Brown's attack on Harpers Ferry in 1859. Off the top of my head I would say that the Republican Party might have been founded in 1855, since they put up their first candidate in 1856, but that is not mentioned in this volume.

In fact, after a preface that sets the stage for the Civil War by recalling the infamous dinner in 1830 when President Andrew Jackson and his Vice President John C. Calhoun quarreled over the issue of Union, the first chapter of this book is devoted Southern states leaving the Union after Lincoln's election in 1860. The war begins in the second chapter with the Confederates firing on Fort Sumter and the battle of First Manassas (note Hakim lets the winning side name the battle). Then Hakim goes back in time to Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin," the story of Harriet Tubman, and the mythological political career of Abraham Lincoln. Chronology continues to become a secondary consideration as Hakim devotes a chapter to Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederacy, before looking at the slavery issue and the story of John Brown. Only after establishing Lincoln's problem in trying to hold the Union together does Hakim return to a chronological account of the major campaigns and battles. But never a mention of why 1855 is the starting point for the volume.

That is a minor concern, because I prefer a solid argumentative structure to mere chronology. Consequently "War, Terrible War" can be seen as having four distinct sections. The first (Chapters 1-2), establishes the spark that started the Civil War. The second (Chapters 3-10) goes back and provides key background elements that will help young readers to understand the issues and personalities that are played out in this particular drama. The third (Chapters 11-25) covers the Civil War through the Battle of Gettysburg and includes both the Emancipation Proclamation that made this a war to free the slaves and the Gettysburg Address that reestablished the idea that "all men are created equal" as the supreme American principle. The final unit (Chapters 26-31) covers the end of the war and the brutal irony of Lincoln's assassination once the threat to the Union was ended.

Throughout the book Hakim not only relates events, she captures the passion and commitment of abolitionists and slave owners through a series of profiles of politicians and soldiers on both sides, slave owners, abolitionists, average citizens, and others. These books are richly illustrated with historic photographs, etchings, political cartoons, maps, and the like. The margins are crammed with definitions and mini-biographies, as well as quotations from both historic figures and contemporary historians. As always, the major strength of this series is that Hakim keeps her young audience first and foremost in mind. Constantly asking her readers to think about these events from the perspective of the participants, she also does a marvelous job of anticipating questions from them as well. For example, if anyone has seen the Ken Burns documentary on "The Civil War" or the film "Gettysburg" and is wondering why Hakim does not talk about Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, there is a note in the margins to check out the book "The Killer Angels."

If there is a better juvenile American history series out there for young students who are being home schooled, then I have yet to see it. This is a superb series that does an admirable job of adapting a wealth of information and historical details to its audience. Hakim knows that her readers have grown up on computers and the Internet, but she does not sacrifice her subject matter on the altar of stylish presentation.

5 out of 5 stars Horn Book couldn't be more wrong.......2002-02-17

Both my sons are reluctant readers, and I've never seen them respond to books like they have to War, Terribe, War. I've read them too, and it's the most engaging, honest, and informative history of the Civil War I've ever encountered. Horn Book (above) says the pictures are "gruesome"--wasn't the Civil War gruesome? When are these educators going to realize that kids are far more saavy and capable of thinking about tough issues than they think? That's why my children are usually so reluctant to read. Hakim treats them with respect and the results are amazing. As for the writing not being clear and true, did the reviewer even read the book? I can't believe they did if that's what they're saying. I highly recommend this book to curious readers of all ages. We're going to order all the other History of US books.

5 out of 5 stars War Terrible War.......2000-04-24

I have been teaching American History for the last five years. In my experience, I have found the History of US series by Joy Hakim, to be a great supplemental resource to educational textbooks and curriculum. In particular, I have found War Terrible War to be one of the finest books of the series. I highly recommend this book and series to students, parents, and people who enjoy history.
Selling Sickness: How the World's Biggest Pharmaceutical Companies Are Turning Us All Into Patients
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • ver compelling
  • Buying into SICKNESS
  • Think for Yourself
  • Disappointed
  • Should be required reading for ALL women and girls!!!
 Selling Sickness: How the World's Biggest Pharmaceutical Companies Are Turning Us All Into Patients
Ray Moynihan , and Alan Cassels
Manufacturer: Nation Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 156025856X

Book Description

Thirty years ago, Henry Gadsden, the head of Merck, one of the world's largest drug companies, told Fortune magazine that he wanted Merck to be more like chewing gum maker Wrigley's. It had long been his dream to make drugs for healthy people so that Merck could "sell to everyone." Gadsden's dream now drives the marketing machinery of the most profitable industry on earth.

Drug companies are systematically working to widen the very boundaries that define illness, and the markets for medication grow ever larger. Mild problems are redefined as serious illness and common complaints are labeled as medical conditions requiring drug treatments. Runny noses are now allergic rhinitis, PMS has become a psychiatric disorder, and hyperactive children have ADD. When it comes to conditions like high cholesterol or low bone density, being "at risk" is sold as a disease.

Selling Sickness reveals how widening the boundaries of illness and lowering the threshold for treatments is creating millions of new patients and billions in new profits, in turn threatening to bankrupt health-care systems all over the world. As more and more of ordinary life becomes medicalized, the industry moves ever closer to Gadsden's dream: "selling to everyone."

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars ver compelling.......2007-06-12

This book was a real eye-opener. The authors write very clearly, and it is well referenced. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants an introduction to just how crooked the relationship can be between 'Big pharma' and the medical profession.

5 out of 5 stars Buying into SICKNESS.......2007-04-20

Ray Moynihan is a legend, and more importantly he appears to have some integrity and intelligence. While other so-called journalists unquestioningly accept what is spoon-fed to them from big Pharma, Moynihan bothers to look beneath the veneer created by PR and spin-doctoring. The book has been written so that non-medical people can understand it, but is referenced in order that health professionals can check the veracity of his claims - and he really doesn't claim anything he can't back up by referenced literature. I applaud Dr Pelton for reading the book at all, but feel a little sad that he doesn't go a little further and discover for himself that most modern theory of disease is based on little more than wishful thinking, huge profits and massive disinformation campaigns.

3 out of 5 stars Think for Yourself.......2007-03-13

This book does an excellent job exposing where some companies have done wrong. I can write the same book about almost any industry in the country. Now how many of them have developed a life-changing drug like Enbrel? As others have pointed out, this book (and most others like it) do a miserable job of providing context. Our life expectancies are lower than other industrialized nations because we are the fatest people on the planet, I can only imagine what it would be like if we didn't take the drugs that keep us alive. Can people exercise and take care of themselves and avoid a lot of these issues? Sure they can-but they don't and then they go to the doctor expecting a miracle cure. Can they not feed their little kids pounds of high frucotse corn syrup and avoid turming them into 20 year old diabetics, sure they can-but they don't. Every doctor I've ever been to or talked to says they tell every patient to exercise and watch their diet first (before ever prescribing anything). When the patient fails to comply then the doctor does what they think is the best thing to keep their patient alive. Pharmas certainly do wrong things, like any other business, and they need to be policed, but they should not be the scapegoat for sensationalist journalists (who are, guess what, selling the news/books) and short-sighted politicians are are unwilling or unable to deal with the larger healthcare issues our nation now faces.

Read this book, but please read others as well (that ought to make Amazon happy!)-try some that don't agree with what the media has programmed you to think about big pharma-if you can find any.

3 out of 5 stars Disappointed.......2007-03-08

The book presents ten examples of unethical conduct by pharmaceutical compnies in order to promote their products. The tactics include misrepresenting statistical facts, overstating health risks, influencing medical authorities, creating new medical conditions in order to sell drugs for them and so on.

All the facts in the book are true. But the impression the book creates is skewed. Modern medicine cannot exist without pharmaceutical industry, and the relationship between it and medical professionals is more complex than portrayed in this text. I also believe that most doctors deserve more credit when it comes to choosing treatments for their patients.

But opinions aside, the book actually is getting boring as it progresses, probably because it is clear how each chapter will end soon after the beginning. I also expected less political and more medical information. I also think the authors should have touched on other reasons of proliferation of drug culture in modern society.

Overall I was disappointed.

5 out of 5 stars Should be required reading for ALL women and girls!!!.......2007-02-23

As a single woman writer with a very modest income, I have struggled and struggled for years to pay ever increasing health insurance premiums. Health costs are going through the ROOF and much of this is explained in "Selling Sickness."

And the coup de grace is Governor Perry's recent mandate that all 11 and 12-year-old girls be vaccinated against cervical cancer. In February 2007, USA Today reported that Perry *bypassed* the state legislature to force this law on the books. Three shots of this nice, new chemical will cost $360 and prevent only 70% of cervical cancers. Yet Perty is comparing this to the Polio vaccine?

"Selling Sickness" pulls back the curtain on the politically-charged (and financially inspired) machinations of the pharmaceutical industry and explains the mass manipulation. It's a very disturbing book, but also well documented, well researched and utterly fascinating.

Read it and weep - for America's health care system.

Books:

  1. Damn the alligators - full speed ahead
  2. Desert Hawk, revised edition (The Falcon & the Hawk)
  3. Emmett Till: The Sacrificial Lamb in the Modern Civil Rights Movement
  4. Exploring Mesoamerica (Places in Time)
  5. Facing the Lion: Growing Up Maasai on the African Savanna (National Geographic)
  6. Film Directing: Shot by Shot: Visualizing from Concept to Screen (Michael Wiese Productions)
  7. Flight Stability and Automatic Control
  8. General Jo Shelby: Undefeated Rebel
  9. Georges Vanier: Soldier; The Wartime Letters and Diaries, 1915-1919
  10. Global Warming: Personal Solutions for a Healthy Planet

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