To the writers I give five stars for excellent research and writing but feel compelled to remove stars for the product itself.

The few pages that I did read I found interesting, moving and impressive, but...

Minus 1 star = poor printing and fonts, seems the scanner used was not properly set showing lines across the pictures & fonts indicating lack of ink or other scanner problems throughout the book. Minus 1 star = weak graphics, although I found the photos interesting, the grahpic quality is just as poor throughout the book. It is not the age of the photos, it clearly shows the scanner lines, robbing the photos of their quality.

Minus 1 star = poor or lower grade in paper quality.

I also disliked trying to read the book and gave it up when I had to figure out the half printed fonts some that were meant to be "H" but looked like "I" as it is with the entire book. I felt it was a very poor printing effort for the price! And it damaged the excellent writing skills and the history therein. The errors in printing caused me to loose interest in the book and its value in the story! Had the printing been to my satisfaction, I would have given it higher rating. Just do not like poor quality reading material. Especially when I tend to add a book to my extensive library collection.

"War Stories 1939-1945" is a very insightful account of the menories of people personally affected by the horrors of war. Written with meaning and purpose, this collection of short stories imposed a powerful impact on me. Percise, direct, and successful at tugging at my heartstrings,"War Stories 1939-1945" brought to home a part of history that I once felt unattached to. After reading this well written book, I now have a more sympathetic understanding of the sorrows,terrors, and tragedies that WWII afflicted on so many innocents. My only regret is that is was not longer.

Great writing, and the package is certainly not poor! War Stories by Bea Schmitt and Dennis Randolph Moore, is a compact book consisting of recollections by those who cried - due to the tragedies inflicted upon humanity during the Second World War. As the previous reviewer mentioned, the writing and research, beginning with the foreword, continuing with the 'memories' and concluding with the epilogue, is thoughtful, clear, precise and packs a powerful punch. The packaging consists of a full color laminated cover, the trim is Quality Trade Paperback, the paper upon which this book is printed on, is 60 lbs acid-free cream paper stock. This paper is standard for all books printed through Lightning Source, Inc., which uses excellent grade, expensive stock with long shelf life. The photographs are naturally OLD, black and white photographs, which were send to the publisher via e-mail, and were extensively worked upon by the publisher, in the program called Photoshop, to heighten the resolution as much as possible. NO SCANNER WAS USED for these photographs. While one can argue about that the cream color of the stock itself,is not quite complementary of black and white photographs, nevertheless, the opinion of the publishers' quality control was that the print and the photographs emit an aura of authenticity, a sense of heirloom letters and photographs passed on through generations. And indeed, this is the intention of the authors and the publisher, to pass on the memories of those who cried, on to the newer generations, while keeping the tone of their cries on the wind, authentic, and intact. Warm regards, The Publishers

I bought the ninth edition (1956) for 200 yen, so I can't really complain! The book fascinates me because while it is very informative and a showcase of Jesperson's erudition, it also is flawed by his anglophilia and sexism. "Nevertheless, there is one expression that continually comes to my mind whenever I think of the English language and compare it with others : it seems to me positively and expressly masculine, it is the language of a grown-up man and has very little childish or feminine about it." p. 2 Other languages are weak and childish -- on the Hawaiian language: "Can any one be in doubt that even if such a language sound pleasantly and be full of music and harmony the total impression is childlike and effeminate? "(read on) p. 3

While researching for an essay on the Scandinavian influences on the English language, I found Jespersen's indepth and >clear< analysis to be of great use--especially when one considers the droll, dry, PC-speak of so-called 'modern' linguistic inquiry

-i.e. save yourself a lot of coffee and put Jespersen in the shopping cart (no book on English is a more enjoyable read).

This book tends to focus on American Archaeology, especially the American Southwest. It is well written and informative but in many places is very dry. Overall, this is a good text for a classroom.

As a grad student with a BA in Anthro and an MS in Physics,
I'm a connoisseur of fine science writing. This book is
superb! The reader can appreciate the development of New World
archaeology as an intellectual quest and adventure, expanding our perceptions of the past and who we are.

This book was very theoretical, not very practical. It had a lot of examples, some of which were very interesting. But some of the examples were quite strange and weird which makes the book sometimes a bit nonsensical. I would recommend it if you are looking for examples of overly-spiritual gardens not for normal everyday gardening.

I found this an excellent and far-reaching book, beautifully organized into six "metaphors"--faith, power, ordering, cultural expression, personal expression and healing. This is a book for someone interested in exploring the deeper meaning and symbolism of gardens throughout history and in a variety of cultures, as well as the contemporary art of the garden and the exciting trend in community gardening. I found the section on healing particularly moving.

Randolph tells the story of Richard Nixon,the only president to resign the office of the president.You get a rarely seen glimpse of the president whom history and the public tend to remember as the crook, instead of as the only president who could have gone to China , or ended Vietnam. It goes into detail from his childhood in Yorba Linda, California, to his return to the public life of the eighties.

I found this biography for young adult readers to be a thorough and in depth account. It was interesting and informative. I would highly reccommend it!

This particular portrayal was a mandatory reading in a History course in college, and by far, the depiction from Campbell is astounding, and amazing. He brings to the surface far more than just the fable you hear about in junior high Texas history. The man was tall, but this piece makes him larger than life.

Texas's Savior Ever since Texas was a territory in the middle of no where, one man stood up to lead the way to statehood. That man who rose above the rest and conquered endless, unimaginable barriers was Sam Houston. Rudolph B. Campbell wrote a chronologically correct book about Houston entitled Sam Houston and the American Southwest. He became the most popular and most honorable man in Texas. The battle of San Jacinto, acquiring Presidency of the Republic of Texas, and obtaining a place in the United States Senate all proved that Sam Houston was a competent and trustworthy leader. First and foremost, the battle of San Jacinto was one Houston's greatest accomplishments, defeating Santa Anna and shamefully returning him to Mexico. This battle turned out to be the turning point in Texas's becoming a Republic and Sam Houston's popularity beginning to soar across Texas. Even though the revolution was a failure and Mexico still didn't recognize Texas as a republic, Houston still received the recognition that he deserved. It happened "...at three o'clock in the afternoon, Houston ordered his 'effectives' into battle formation that stretched across the prairie" (Campbell 68). After this strategic move, Sam Houston attacked and eighteen minutes later ended the battle. With this fight under his belt, Houston slowly arose to become a powerful and noteworthy man. This rise in power enabled Houston to become the first President of the Republic of Texas on September 18th, 1836. He was basically the only man for the job, supported by a landsliding "5,119 vote to Smith's 743 votes" (74). Houston saw himself as the candidate who could bring unity to Texas, despite its ambiguity and immense size. With Mirabeau B. Lamar at his side as vice president, Sam Houston would find as much

money for Texas as he could, balance the budget, and keep good relations with Mexico. In order to make and save money, Houston sold Texas's navy. Even the money gained from this sale didn't help the budget at all. By the time Houston's term of presidency was over, the debt had grown to roughly two million dollars. As far as keeping relations with Mexico, Houston must have apparently done a very good job because they did not attack again for a long period of time. Plus, he helped the Indians, especially the Cherokee, as much as he could, considering how he U.S. was driving them farther and farther away from their land. After Houston's three-year term was over, he resigned and moved to a higher position. In addition to already being President of the Republic of Texas more than once, Sam Houston became one of the first senators of Texas as well. Nothing is more suitable for a man with Houston's recognition and fame than to represent "his" state in the United States Senate. Even a more powerful and demanding job than president of a republic, Houston represented Texas better than any man possible. As a senator, and included in his inaugural address, Houston believed that "...finance, Indian policy, and relations with Mexico" were the most important things needed to be taken of in Texas and all over the United States (93). In the interest of finance, Sam Houston recommended that suspending all payments of interest and principal on the debt should be done. In addition, signing treaties, describing boundaries, with the Indians would depress war and bring on peace. Finally, the Texas senator thought it would be best to "...leave the Mexican nation alone," since "diplomatic relations had not been improved" (93). Overall, Sam

Houston improved Texas by taking its troubles all the way to Congress by using his intelligence and popularity to serve as a weapon for political listeners. Rudolph B. Campbell showed how Sam Houston became the most prominent, influential, and powerful man of his time. Houston basically devoted his entire life to serving other people's needs and wants. There wasn't a man during his time that was even close to becoming as great a hero as Sam Houston.

Karen Hess does a great job of introducing you to the person that was Mary Randolph. She helps us understand the background of cooking and cookbooks in America. For those who are interested in how cooking was handled in the earlydays of the states, or for those cooks who are always looking to try something different - this book has a lot to offer.

The author, Mary Randolph, was a member of the aristocratic Virginian Randolph family, and was reputed to be the best cook in Richmond, Virginia in the early 19th century. This book is regarded by most culinary historians as the first true cookbook of the American South. Randolph provides an introduction to food and customs of old Virginia and includes recipes and serving instructions for a wide range of soups, beef, veal, lamb, mutton, pork, fish, poultry, sauces, vegetables, puddings, creams, preserves, cordials, plus pickling techniques and the making of soaps, cleansers, and perfumes. As such, the book is not only an excellent cookbook, but also an excellent almanac and reference for historians and writers of fiction concered with the ante-bellum South. The recipes herein can easily be translated into today's methods of preparation, with the use of healthy ingredients. As a native Richmonder, this book was a staple in our home when I was growing up, and I can attest to the tastiness of many of the recipes herein.

Messrs. Seaxton and Betts, editors of the AMERICAN ARCHITECT magazine in 1927-30, compiled this originally two volume display of photographs, drawings, plans, and renderings of some 100 then new theatres. It is a somewhat technical gallery of how architects met the challenge of designing theatres for the multiple use concept then becoming commonplace, but its multitude of photos will delight anyone interested in the physical nature of theatres. This one-volume reprint contains an added Index to the theatres therein, but the non-glossy paper is not as faithful to the photos as is the glossy paper of the first edition, still to be seen in some libraries. Still, the first edition is absolutely unobtainable, and this edition is more than adequate! The 342 pages of this handsome hardbound book should please anyone who loves beautiful theatres as well as the somewhat technically oriented text. There are, of course, a few typos such as the caption being wrong for the lower left photo on page 58 of "book 1" (section) which is identified correctly on page 15, and the photo on page 28 of "book 2" (section) is really the MIDLAND THEATER, Kansas City, MO. The accuracy of these and other details can be verified by the Theatre Historical Soc. of America in Elmhurst, IL. Especially for would-be architects, this will take one into a dreamland of fantastic architecture which is now seeing some of the theatres pictured herein restored to usefulness, and this volume will generate a longing for the delightful aura of lavish (and not so lavish) movie palaces and theatres from the recent past. Had color photos been available at that time, this book would deserve 5 stars! This volume's worthy successor is the title: "BEST REMAINING SEATS: The Story of the Golden Age of the Movie Palace" (1961), or its later reprint edition: "The Best Remaining Seats: The Golden Age of the Movie Palace"(1987), both available here at Amazon.com. While not an architect's book per se, it is the seminal historic work in the field and not to be missed.

I was hoping for a LOT more. This is simplistic so anyone can understand it BUT the advice is almost always "SEE YOUR VET"
Having taught a college class on canine home ER, this is a ridiculous advertisement for the veterinary biz. Simple, common
non-health problems are looked upon as a situation requiring the vets help...and I am talking the every-dog-on-the-planet-does-this kind of things such as coughs up a bit of phlegm ( or whatever it ate too fast) and the occasional sneezes, as well as dry skin.Never is a simple, try the logical,home remedy suggested. Essential preventative supplements and care are not addressed nor much of any of the truly important aspects of the average dog.Being in a business where we have hundreds of customers as well as having been a breeder, I was totally disappointed. I can not even HONESTLY sell this book in our shop.We'll use it as a give away...maybe.My heart says "NO"
it is just too "the vet is god" so go see him/her.
I suppose it can come in handy if someone just happens to have a life threatening emergency come up and they are instructed to go to the vet when they might not have. But there are so many better books out there. The one by Giffin and the UC Davis one
are excellent and for the more medical person, the Merck.

Practical interpretations of dog symptoms, with easy to read flow charts. Arlene Millman, author of BOOMERANG - A MIRACLE TRILOGY (The tale of a remarkable Boston Terrier).

Before diagnosing my eleven year old chihuahua with a fatal illness I used this book to troubleshoot the possible problems my dog was having. I also used this book as guide to articulate the different "signs" and "symptoms" of my dogs behavior so that my vet could help her. I recommend this book for every dog owner- treat it as a reference guide & always keep it handy for reference...who knows when you'll need to perform mouth-to mouth (YES) to your dog, or treat your dog for shock. My dog-wouldn't be here with me right now if I hadn't read this book. Sincerest thanks to the authors.

To get five stars, a book would have to leave a lasting (positive) impression on me and would have to leave me begging for more. On the other hand, a three star book would be mildly interesting, and would invariably have its faults that would keep me from liking it even more. I would probably not miss out on much by not reading such a book. By this definition then, I would give "Waking the Tempests" three stars.

Randolph talks about various aspects of life as it was just after the fall of Communism, from topics such as the status of women, healthcare, sex, ballet and the fine arts, and criminal justice. In doing so, she tells the stories of a number of people, some sad and some encouraging, that she met while in Russia in 1992.

In talking about homosexuality, Randolph mentioned that "virtually every Russian" knew that Ivanovo (an industrial city close to Moscow) was a lesbian hangout. When I told my wife (who is from Ukraine) this "fact", she couldn't stop laughing and thought that this was one of the most outlandish things any American had said about the former Soviet Union. I wonder where Randolph got her information, since this "fact" about Ivanovo ws not referenced. Additonally, she makes the occasional snide feminist comment in the book that I really didn't much appreciate.

All in all, if you're looking for a book depicting life in Rusia just after the fall of Communism, then you may find "Waking the Tempests" interesting. However, for various small reasons (some of which I mentioned above), I personally just didn't think that this book was a standout, especially since there are already a number of published American accounts about living in the former Soviet Union.

I listened to the book on tape, the narration was excellent. What I particularly liked was that this book was about ordinary life in Russia, rather than the political situation. Lots of bleak description on all sorts of aspects of Russian life during the years following the fall of the Soviet Union. Fascinating, very long, and rather depressing.

I happened to be going through books at work when I came upon this particular one; I'm a self-professed "Russia-freak", so it seemed the type of thing that would be just up my alley.

Randolph and her husband are both journalists, and lived in the USSR/Russia from 1991 to 1993. Instead of living almost completely in the "second society" of newly rich and expatriates that Matthew Brzezinski describes in his book "Casino Moscow", or being almost completely on one's own as in Lori Cidlyo's book "All the Clean Ones Are Married", Randolph manages to pull off a fine balance between the two. This balance is maintained in Randolph's writing as well. She's a Western journalist coming to write about "everyday" Russia, and she tries hard to get the real story. One of the things that impressed me is that, although she used a translator, it was more to make sure that what she was reporting was accurate. There is at least one point in the book where she mentions about her translator not translating a certain question to her liking. Most Western reporters would have no clue if this were to happen, and I think it seriously limits our view of the world.

Randolph tackles a different subject as it pertains to the Russia she experienced in the book. There's one about the problems with housing, and attitudes toward private ownership (especially of land), as well as chapters about religion, cults, women's issues, homosexuals, the state of the arts (case in point: ballet), as well as others. What is impressive is the time she took to track people down and have serious interviews with them, rather than be satisfied with fluff pieces that could be easily made into simple anecdotes or pieces to feed into current stereotypes of Russia.

When reading this book, one can think that the conditions in Russia are unfathomably bad. However, it's not like the Russians can stop living because life there is crazy. Randolph starts the book with a story about her returning home one grey winter's day. She looks up and is struck by the beauty of a blazing light in the distance, and after a moment realizes that it is the reflection of the last rays of the sun on the golden crosses of a church. She compares this experience with her stay in Russia. As horrible as a lot of life there seems, there is something there that is enduring and beautiful. This is the sense that I came away with after finishing this book. I only wish that it was a little bit more current, as much has happened in Russia even after her last interviews in 1995.