This second book in the Amazing Days of Abby Hayes series is even better than the first. I laughed out loud when I read it, and I'm not in the 9-12-year-old recommended reading range (okay, so I borrowed from someone who was). It's gotten rave reviews from local kids too.

The amazing days of abby hayes ( the declaration of independance) is a a great book. This poor girl is trying to prove that she is mature enough to go to a annual festival by herself. Abby normally takes her little brother Alex. Of course Alex is upset. Abby scrubs the tub yet lets the bubbles overflow. Read the book to find out what happenS!!!

dear readers,
if your intrested in a fun book this is a book thats fun and has a fun and funny curly red haired fith grader with a talent that sparkles and a personality to match.Its hard not to make friends with this perky purple loveing fith grader with a wonderful writing talent. in this book abby tires to baby sit her brother Alex , but soon her etempt crashes and burns.At this rate how will abby ever be able to go to the Fall Festivel with her friends and nobody else?Read the book to find out!

TENER ENTRE LAS MANOS UNA GRAN NOVELA, O CONOCER A UNA MUJER IMPRESIONANTE por su amor a La Libertad, su desafio a leyes injustas, su firmeza que prefirió la pena de muerta, el despojo de sus bienes y la Excomunión antes que traicionar a sus colaboradores rebeldes.
Tejida con maestria, con un estilo purísimo, impecable, original, RAPIDO, "agarrador ", porque a la segunda pagina ya no suelta uno el libro hasta terminarlo...

El manejo y la riqueza idiomatica ( que jamás es rebuscada ni oscura )convierten a esta novela histórica en una apasionante delicia!

BOOK:
It's by far the BEST NOVEL IN MANY YEARS. If you care for REAL historical facts, READ IT.
If you love the genre, THIS IS A REMARKABLE NOVEL.
The main character starts breathing since the second page, as a spirit driven by the ideal of freedom, ready to give her life, her wealth ( which she gave ) her position as a blue blooded Debutante in the High Society of Mexico..which she gave away...all, all in THE NAME OF FREEDOM..
She fought like the bravest soldier, wrote as a pen dipped in poison against the Spanish Invaders, stood her ground before a President and also before the Holy Inquisition...
It's so magistrally written, that you feel her steps, her despair, her wrath. You ride with her to collect debts in blood,to find the man she loved and that she turned into a rebel...
NO book and no woman like this one: Maria Leona Vicario.
AND SHE REALLY LIVED AND GAVE ALL FOR INDEPENDENCE AND FREEDOM.
This is not a cold History book: It's a life, a heart, a soul !

EL ALMA DE LA MUJER...
Escrita con maestria, con idioma riquisimo que dejaría pálido a Garcia Marquez, a Isabel Allende.
Desde las primeras tres páginas, puedes ver, oler, sentir todo lo que sucede, ver la silueta extraordinaria de una muchacha de 20 años que ARDE EN PASION por LA LIBERTAD Y POR UN HOMBRE...
Que lanzo toda su abundante fortuna a las llamas de la lucha de La Independencia y jamás se retractó. Que lucho a pie, a caballo, que amaba ferozmente a SU PUEBLO Y LO DEFENDIA AUN A COSTA DE SU VIDA...
Una mujer que es ejemplo de lealtad, FEROZ ANTE LA INJUSTICIA...
La novela sólo me duró CUATRO HORAS... y me quemaba las manos. Desconecte los teléfonos Y LOGRÉ QUE EL MUNDO DESAPARECIERA A MI ALREDEDOR...me sentí cabalgando entre los rebeldes,arrostrando la muerte... enamorado perdido de la novela y el personaje..
NADIE DEBE PERDERSE DE ESTA ALHAJA...

ES UNA NOVELA BRONCA, SUAVE, TERRIBLE...

Joline Godfrey's book 20 Secrets to Money and Independence has been making me smile for years. It is an easy to understand guide to some of the more complex ideas of becoming a well rounded women. I first learned about investing, net worth, and even "embracing my wierdness" from Joline. Now I have a better foundation to pursue my dreams from. Independence is something I can have, now. I was about 20 years of age when I first started reading this book. I would recommend it to any young female. You can't be too young to enjoy the empowerment this book gives a girl. And as for the older girls, such as myself, you may enjoy this book even more.It touches on so many important qualities an independent woman needs to cultivate as an adult.Thumbs up for Joline Godfrey. She knows how to empower women of all ages.

20 $ecrets to Money and Independence is a FANTASTIC exemplar for today's do-it-all femmes. Joline Godfrey's humor and wisdom combine, making each page a valued treasure. She enlightens the reader on the originality of themselves and their ideas, both which can be utilized to empower the world. She stresses the importance of women's ideas as stepping-stones that make our dreams a reality. By thinking big and proving their ability, women flourish their potential, and shed the stereotypical naiveté` that hinders too many females in today's society. In addition to her insight, the author provides exercises for reflection and resources that unleash the interests of the curious explorer.
Godfrey's style is entirely motivating, and her tactics foster the active mind, fountain of creativity, and omnipotence within everybody. She emphasizes that belief in oneself can accomplish anything; being a leader, growing money, making passions pay, carrying oneself with poise and confidence, and making a difference are beyond no one. Progressing through this book is like an exciting journey, full of wonders and enriching experiences. The $ecrets within lead not only to physical freedom and wealth, but the inner development of qualities that generate from self-reliance and worldly experience. A pleasure to read for young and old alike, Joline Godfrey is impeccable.

This book was fun,inspiring, and helped me link money with my voice and values. I especially loved the chapters on "Embracing YOur Weirdness and Investing in Yourself. Who knew that being weird was a great path to finacial independence? Great perpective on life, money, and possibility!

Fantastic collection of sources (American, Tory, Whig, British, etc) that tells the chronological tale of the American Revolution. Troop movements, political undertones, the effects on the communities, the horrors and kindnesses of villains and heroes, and the full kaleidoscope of the human experience are generously provided here. The book moves from the ride of Paul Revere to the moving resignation of Washington's commission, a very dramatic narrative pieced together skillfully by a wide variety of independent accounts.

This book not only has a lot of important names in it (I won't repeat them here), it also has letters from people of lower ranks, or townsfolk. You not only get to know what the generals and officers were thinking, but you also get to know what the people in the soon-to-be United States were doing and thinking. There is an incredible diary from a 14 year old girl included in the collection. She recounts the officers who were quartering in her home and what she thought of them and what she thought in general. Her original orthography is preserved as much as possible. Also included are various diaries of people who lived in the areas where battles or troop movements were taking place. Much insight into what life must have been like during the Revolution can be gleaned from these. There are also glimpses of the violence of warfare in those days through the letters and diaries of the people who were surrounded by it.

This collection is made doubly valuable by its comprehensiveness. You'll read the big names, but also quite a bit of the lesser known ones. Each author also has a biography which can be referenced in an appendix of notes, so you know what happened to them. An amazing collection of the famous and the not so famous of the American Revolution.

Yes, these are writings from the War for Independence, but it isn't the whole catalogue, just a sampling. The American Revolution was the first major event to happen in American history and on American soil. This should be two 1200 page volumes of primary documents, from the front and from the generals headquarters and from most importantly, American citizen's diaries, both American and British alike.

The tactics employed were very European, still tuilizing the same old firing line: fire until more of them fall. Canonballs were there to roll along the ground or hit someone in mid-air and leave a three foot hole coming, so there is no real need for battle descriptions. But maneuvers and tactics taken on the road to battle is the most fascinating topic. How close did two passing armies get to encountering one another? What happened to the prongs of the Burgoyne, St. Leger and Lord Cornwallis in the attack? We know they never made it, but how do they feel about it? This has so much potential.

The funny part is seeing how the language was used back then and the gross spelling errors, spelling words how they sound which makes too much sense, that has changed into complexity today. However, the range of documents is excellent, both soldier and civilian alike, because obviously everyone is at war. It is an especially excellent read because when writing was the only form of communication, that is when people had a better grasp on it, writing in a such better language and style than anyone does today. Yes, this recieves my highest recommendation and I wish everyone would read it, but don't stop here. Start with this wonderful collection and move on to The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution by Bernard Bailyn so you know how it started, excellent use of primary documents, then The Glorious Cause by Robert Middlekauf to get a better understanding of the events from a secondary document point of view. This receives my highest recommendation.

In high school, kids spend time reviewing the Declaration of Independence and learning its meaning. This book goes well beyond that to inspect the thoughts and ideas that were prevalent in the late 18th century and how they influenced the document. Becker goes into great detail about natural rights theory according to John Locke and explores the ins and outs of its implications. This to me was the strongest and most enjoyable part of the book. He also explores the thoughts and ideas that were circulating Britain at the time.

Building on this foundation, he weaves a tale as to why certain things were worded as they were (like Britain being run as a ruthless tyrant), and why certain things were left out altogether (like slavery). He also closely examines the changes that took place in the drafts and attributes them to individuals who proofread Jefferson's draft. I really could have done without his granularity in this area.

In all, this was a fascinating read. For those of you who want to extend your knowledge beyond the simple presentation of the document you received in high school, I highly recommend buying this book!

I have read this book, off and on, several times. It never ceases to amaze me. I tend to be a controversialist and rely upon this book often to help those who seem convinced that the Founding Fathers were of a particular religious persuasion. While foundationally on a personal level this may be true, in general they bowed down to a higher power: Reason. Yet this was not new to them nor were their political theories. Their roots came from somewhere else and that somewhere else was from the European soil they had left.

Becker does an awesome job dissecting the Declaration and its influences primarily from Jefferson through Locke. The natural rights philosophy chapter is awesome. This book is over seventy five years old and its arguments have been revisited and even countered but the book is still foundationally necessary for anyone who seeks to study the Declaration of Independence. In terms of studying the Declaration, there is before Becker's book and there is after.

There are many revealing insights and oddities that appear when Becker displays the lines that have been cut from the original draft (e.g. notice there is no mention of slavery in the final version; the reasons for its excision are included in the book). These little tidbits opened my eyes a bit to the relatively benign history of this document that I had been taught. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing so have a little fun and check this book out.

Carl L. Becker's book on the Declaration of Independence first appeared nearly eighty years ago, and yet it is still a valuable and stimulating study of its subject. It is dated now, for two large reasons:

First, Becker wrote before the revolution in studying the history of ideas, and thus unavoidably predates the close-focus examination of the controversy between Great Britain and her American colonies in the years from 1765 to 1776. Two recent books should be read alongside Becker's monograph -- Pauline Maier's AMERICAN SCRIPTURE: MAKING THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE (New York: Knopf, 1997; Vintage paperback, 1998), and John Phillip Reid, CONSTITUTIONAL HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, abridged ed. (Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1995).

Second, Becker focuses on Jefferson as *the* author of the Declaration, neglecting that he was actually the draftsman selected by the Continental Congress and his colleagues within the drafting committee. Thus, the Declaration -- no matter what Jefferson said about it in later life -- was not primarily a window into his own thinking about natural rights and democracy, but rather the final statement by Congress as to the reasons for breaking ties with Britain. To be sure, later generations have read it as an expression of Jefferson's mind -- rather than of "the American mind," as he put it. But, as Maier shows in AMERICAN SCRIPTURE, Jefferson's thinking was nowhere near as unique or advanced on these subjects as later hero-worshipping biographers have suggested.

In particular, as Maier has shown, the age-old dispute about whether Jefferson was or was not influenced by Locke is somewhat beside the point. Even so, Becker's fine book is indispensable for deciding whether we should read the Declaration through Lockean or Jeffersonian lenses, and whether we should regard it as a codification of American aspirations or as a hypocritical catalogue of principles we cannot live up to.

R. B. Bernstein, adjunct professor of law, New York Law School

First book I've ever read that I feel compelled to recommend as a MUST READ for everyone. It's extremely eye-opening (at least to this reader) on the subjects of physical limits, our relationship to our physical selves, and even the meaning of life. You don't need a spinal-cord injury to appreciate Hockenberry's perspective on friends, family, work, American society, or journalism. This book is intelligent, reflective, funny, tragic, introspective, and, as far as I can tell, brutally honest. When John Hockenberry is the lens, the photo is exquisite

For those who enjoy true accounts of people's lives, here is your book. Moving Violations is an account of journalist John Hockenberry's life. The trick is he is paralized from the waist down and is in a wheelchair. The words on the pages are spiced up with hilarious details of his life. The part of his life he reveals to us about the first time John moves into a rehabilitation house tells us about mischief we all can relate to. I enjoyed reading about how John overcomes his difficulties. I would recommend this book to everyone who has compassion for others

Reflection on "Moving Violations" Ellie Widmer

Moving Violations, the memoir of John Hockenberry-- is a very moving story. It is frank and honest, inspiring and also surprisingly entertaining. Mr. Hockenberry uses a style that works well--he starts at the end, goes back to the beginning, and blends the story very nicely. He is a seasoned reporter; he sure knows how to keep his audience's attention! But it is not only his story that intrigues me. It is a pattern of human behavior that I have noticed before, in real life relationships as well as in autobiographies. At some juncture in the lives of a great number of people, the courage, the desire, maybe even the need for honesty appears and manifests itself in a variety of ways.

After major life events, be they catastrophes or spiritual enlightenment-or any number of other life changing experiences-to relate to readers or listeners the formerly hidden or "avoided " side of one's life, the mistakes if you will, the things one would ordinarily suppress is often a significant aspect of writings and speeches. In biographies in which family secrets, for instance, are aired in public, a reader can wonder if the subject is angry or embarrassed, or even if all the facts are accurate. But in biography, when a public figure reveals the sins of his or her youth, the transgressions against the formal law or the social norms, it is usually after a significant event in that person's life has occurred. Sometimes it may be when the writer is approaching or has reached old age; but more often it is something that literally wakes one up to a new sense of priorities, a new value system, a need to be as open honest with oneself, and consequently with everyone else. Self-disclosure can be freeing, healing and energizing.

But my interest in this whole issue is not just that it seems to happen, but rather why does it happen? Is it even a deliberate attempt at openness, or is it a natural instinct after a significant life experience? Is it a debt one owes to oneself to represent one's life as it really was, with the good the bad and the in between, rather that use the selective memory that sheds only positive light on the teller? Does traumatic or life jolting experience remind us so much of our finite condition, that we can no longer abide superficiality? Do we then care more about getting in touch with our true selves than what others may think of us? But most of all, is this a conscious thing? I think it may not be, but rather this behavior may be part of a growth process--a very positive one-- that many but not all people achieve in their lifetime. Could these phenomena be considered a sort of spiritual evolution in the context of a single life span? I would think there have been studies about this sort of thing. If so, I would like to know about them. I thank Mr. Hocenberry for his gift to all readers who pick up this book; it is a treasure.

I accidently "rediscovered" this book a couple months ago, and it captivated me the second read as much as it had the first. The first time I read it, it had so much impact that 3 or 4 years and probably 100s of books later (yes, I read a lot) it was one book that I always remembered, even when I couldn't remember the title or author. When I accidently found it again while browsing the library book shelves, it was like finding an old friend! This book has an excellent and realistic portrayl of life in medieval Scotland, and really brings you into a different world. But also, the story is just really interesting and the characters are very well written. I loved seeing several years in Meg's life unfold and whatever was happening to her was always interesting to me, from the whale adventure, to sailing, to the witch sorcery, to living with Davy's family, to the actual 'quest for the maid' itself.

I definatly reccommend this book to anyone interested in medieval times or Scotland, or someone who just likes a good story with adventure and a bit a romance. Though, if you are a reader who only likes really fast-paced books, it might not be for you, since while it does have exciting adventure parts, some parts are slower.

Reading this a age 11 changed my life. I was forever obsessed with the middle ages, and this filled every craving for my infatuation with Scotland, leaving me only desiring a sequel. Quest for a Maid is my favorite book, and I have read it over thirteen times, never tiring of it. I'm on the edge of my seat every time, and can never put it down once started. Words cannot express the wonder and magic of this book, with its quirky characters and hauntingly beautiful storyline full of humanity and suspense. More than a masterpiece, this book is comfort food for the soul.

This book surprised me and drew me in from the opening line, "When I was nine years old, I hid under the table and heard my sister kill a king." How could anyone resist an opening like that? Quest for a Maid follows its own guidelines about how a fantasy should be written. The evil villainess in this book is also the main character's idol. Our heroine has no magical powers or battle skills, only her wits and courage. Much of the book describes Meg's childhood, which lends the book a kind of innocence to contrast against the elder sister's intrigues. Meg, Davie, and Peem form an adventuresome and loyal trio. You may even find yourself liking the evil villain, though we see little of what she does. Much of this book is written phonetically, but after you get used to it, you'll find yourself thinking in a Scottish accent. This book will make you think twice about love, sin, and redemption. A rare book. Read and enjoy.

When I looked on Amazon.com for driving books, this one's title certainly got my attention. I was, and still am, a nervous driver. I've been driving for 7 months (I'm 20 years old), and have had my license for almost a year. I feel comfortable driving in my own town; it's unfamiliar areas and their more complex traffic conditions that make me uneasy. The book is right on when it says the only way to get over the fear of driving is to get behind the wheel and practice. It doesn't always have to mean a big city; I started out in my quiet, trafficless neighborhood and a cemetery! Gradually, over time, you'll eventually get more and more comfortable with driving. I still have a ways to go (like attempting to drive in Dallas, EEK!) but this book helped me to finally get started. But at least now I have some independence and can run my own errands!

I am 36 years old and never learned to drive before. Early on my attempts at learning consisted of working with very impatient instructors who would tell me I will never learn or that I drive "like an old woman." I just knew if I could find a book that actually explained the cues and motions to use as a guide when am behind that wheel I would be able to know and anticipate when I would need to use those learned skills at the right moments. I have two issues with driving, the first is lack of time behind the wheel, and the second is getting to where I feel comfortable behind the wheel. Am halfway through this book and now when am in the car I am more confident in that this author describes what I am going to be looking for in terms of visual cues for driving on the road. Thank you for writing this book Mr. Klein it is worth the price several times over!

I am 40, and I finally got my driver's license last year. I am still a very nervous driver after a year on the road, and I was hoping for some advice with the problems that I am still having. I was disappointed to realize that I'm not really the book's target audience. I gave it five stars in spite of this because I think if I had found this book when I was struggling to learn, it could have made a big difference to me. This is a book for that person who has tried to learn and thinks they never will. It is less useful for the anxious driver who can get around the neighborhood but is looking to improve skills and confidence to go to the next level. One great thing that I did get out of it is a better knowledge of what I was doing wrong all those years when I couldn't keep a car on the road.

Traquair utilizes a number of contemporary sources--both English and Scottish--to accurately reconstruct Robert Bruce's ambitious grab for the Scottish throne. Traquair also has a fine grasp of politics, the motives of all the key figures, and an understanding of the strategies that worked and the ones that failed. If you want to know not just WHAT happened, but WHY, this is the right book for you.

Yes, it is pure history and a fresh look at it, but done with a readable craft that nearly makes you forget that. Traquair has a firm control of what he wants to impart.

Well researched, loaded with tons of interesting details, maps and pictures - (many colour plates) , I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to have a better understanding of the rise of Wallace and the Bruce and the conflict that caused England and Scotland to go to war.

Peter Traquair's gift is to make a complex narrative readable and enjoyable whilst he retains scholalry assuredness. This is a barnstorming book that takes no prisoners in the pursuit of the truth behind the wars with a genuine feel for the period and the players. He avoids the mythology that damns so many Scottish books and places the wars in their wider context, whether in the Scottish highlands, the Plantagenet court or in the milieu of European warfare. This is a brilliant and rare study. Read it.

This is the best book I've read on the process of writing, and on expressing one's creativity. I wish I had found it years ago! I especially appreciate the quotes she uses from artists and writers (namely Van Gogh and William Blake) to help explain the creative process and how important it is to express it every day and without fear of criticism. Wonderful.

A dear friend gave me this book (scribbling her own words of encouragement on the first page) and it became one of the best gifts I have ever received. I had taken some writing courses that had left me completely disenchanted with the writing process. One teacher's "esteemed" writing bored me (he could actually claim one published novel) and I wondered why the most pretentious writers in our class received the most praise. It was a case of "the Emperor's clothes". I wondered why it was that MY favorite writers in the class were considered lousy students - far from being technically perfect, these lively people wrote the way they spoke. Reading Brenda Ueland's book was a revelation. At last, somebody honest! Somebody who finally said that EVERYONE has something interesting to say. I only wish I had been one of Brenda Ueland's students - impossible, since this book was written in 1938! This book should be required reading in every high school. One need never worry that someone else is a better writer - the point this book makes is: because no two people are the same, everyone's experiences are unique and everyone's writing has worth. So I'll never be a Hemingway or a Fitzgerald, but at least the letters I write to my friends have become more colorful. Thanks to Brenda I am now writing for my true authentic self (instead of trying to please those stuffed shirts who've been policing my words since grade school). If you haven't read this book yet, what are you waiting for? Everyone should be encouraged to write.

A classic among books on the art and craft of writing. It's difficult to believe it was written in 1938, because it is as pertinent now as it ever was. Even Carl Sandburg called it "The best book ever written about how to write.'
Brenda Ueland says, '...we must...find our True Conscience...the very Center, for (there lie) all originality, talent, honor, truthfulness, and courage.'
If you want to write, read If You Want to Write.