The trouble with apologetic works is in the nature of what causes them: argument and criticism. Few people write apologetically about issues or ideas that are not already often hotly disputed. The pleasant aspect of this book is that, for the most part, it reminds that because the Book of Mormon is an actual text, it can also be treated objectively, whatever one believes about the ideas or issues that surround its origin and purposes.

Many of the writers here -- whose articles are drawn from the somewhat monumental academic undertaking, The Encyclopedia of Mormonism -- allow the Book of Mormon to speak for itself. Therefore, we can see what the Book of Mormon appears to be when it is taken on face value that it is what it says it is: a text containing selected writings of an ancient people who were removed from the Near East and arrived and developed a multi-faceted cultural milieu in the Americas.

In this way, 'Mormons' and non-'Mormons' alike are able to determine whether the Book of Mormon has the kind of internal consistency that could make its self-contained assertions credible. This might not be the way that 'Mormons' want us to "test" their sacred literature, but it certainly bows to the scientific objectivity of contemporary academic standards.

In so doing, the book also proves that 'Mormon' scholars are genuine scholars and capable of participating in a broader academic field (as many of the contributors to this volume regularly do).

This book provides the most comprehensive compliation of facts and evidence, providing photographs and eyewitness accounts that lead to an unmistakable, inescapable conclusion: The actions of the Ohio National Guard on May 4, 1970 were completely unprovoked.

Unfortunately, those responsible for what could only be called a deliberate, criminal act were never prosecuted. After reading this, I strongly suggest you pick up The Kent State Coverup and read the rest of the story on how individuals within the Ohio National Guard literally got away with murder.

Join Timothy and Tabitha as they search for the source of a ghostly noise, and their delight when they discover what it really is! Plenty of cooperation as the whole family joins in, and suspense without fear for even the youngest reader. I stumbled upon this book in the public library and ended up buying a copy because my daughter couldn't bear to return it.

At the end of this juvenile biography, Zachary Kent lets the final verdict on Ulysses S. Grant as a soldier be rendered by Robert E. Lee, who wrote: "I have carefully searched the military records of both ancient and modern history and have never found Grant's superior as a general." That is a most impressive comment, especially coming from the man who still enjoys a reputation as the most superb tactician in American military history. It also underscores the fact that even though Grant was the 18th President of the United States, his reputation ultimately rests on what he did as a general during the Civil War and not what happened in the two scandal plagued terms he served in the White House.

As with most of these volumes in the Encyclopedia of Presidents series, this particular volume begins "in media res," with the pivotal battle of Shiloh, which nearly derailed Grant's military career during the Civil War. Kent develops Grant's life as a series of peaks and valleys. Successful as a young lieutenant in the Mexican War, Grant was a failure in peacetime at everything he ever tried. However, during the Civil War "Unconditional Surrender" Grant achieved a series of notable military successes in the West until President Lincoln brought him East to take command of all Federal forces. After the war Grant becomes President, not out of any sense of ambition, but rather because he feels that he can fulfill Lincoln's vision of a reunited country, even in the face of strong Congressional opposition from the Radical Republicans. However, a series of scandals wearies Grant (who probably could have won a third term in any event), and he retired to discover he was broke. Dying of throat cancer and urged on by Mark Twain, Grant restored his family's fortune by writing his autobiography literally on his deathbed.

More than any other President, Grant's life story is inspiring when he is not in the White House. There are very few generals who became politicians who were comfortable in the change (Andrew Jackson would be the exception that proves the rule), and Grant repeatedly proved himself not to be a politician. But it says something that all of the scandals never touched upon his character or his reputation with the American people. Note: I was somewhat surprised that this book offers very few photographs of Grant, although there are dozens of historical etchings (including some that are based on photographs that I have seen before). As always, this Encyclopedia of Presidents volume is very informative. Kent does an above-average job of not only detailing the events in Grant's life but in giving young readers a true sense of the man. This is not surprising, because Kent is one of the better historians writing for young people around.

Phenomenology is a difficult subject. Many books have been written about it, but this one has been to me the very best introduction to the subject. It is clearly written, well explained, and easy reading, despite the complex terminology which phenomenology uses. The book covers in great detail the thought of Husserl, Sartre, and Merleau-Ponty.

Another volume in the series 'Studies in Imperialism from Manchester University Press, this series aims to promote comparative studies across the very great breadth of British imperial history.

Kent Fedorowich in this volume describes the origins and application of schemes in Canada, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Kenya and Southern Rhodesia in the South African and First World Wars.

From high hopes in settling battle-hardened soldiers on the land, then a fashionable idea as the virtues and healthiness of country living were contrasted with the Hell that was urban life for all too many, the reality on the land was impossible for many with an urban background woring marginal lands in an internationhal economy which in time did not want their produce.

Of course the idea of settling soldiers on frontiers had been known since Roman times.

Soldier settlement was thought to be a failure by the 1930s,having failed to boost the economies of the countries which received the former soldiers as settlers, but as war veterans made up eighty per cent of British unemployed aged between thirty and thirty-four by the late 1920s, the importance of soldier settlement should perhaps be seen in reinforcing the crimson threads of Empire which had been slackened during the Great War.

Detailing the application of settlement policies in a wide variety of countries and climates, Kent Fedorowich's work is the result of extensive archival research in Britain, Australia, Canada, and South Africa and includes a bibliography which testifies to the great task he has undertaken in detailing aspects of social and economic history of an attempt to forge new societies in many parts of the Empire.

That this attempt failed is perhaps more due to the onset of the Depression , though the ideological, political and administrative failings outlined by Fedorowich played important roles too.

Written in a lucid and lively manner, the chapter on the failure of the ANZAC legend is seminal reading for anyone trying to understand Australia in the 1920s.

This book should appeal to anyone trying to understand the organisational complexity of the British Empire at the zenith of its geographical spread, and the unravelling of earlier dreams of spreading a stout British yeoman class around the Empire.

In researching the Gunnison Massacre and the Steptoe Expediton in the 1850's I found this book to be the ultimate source of information on these obscure but important events in American and Mormon history. Dr. Fielding was a professor of history at BYU. His extensive research is combined with a well written account of how John Gunnison, an Army Topographer, and the book he wrote on the Mormon's in 1852 would drastically impact the course of history. The book documents the events in that period that eventually lead to Mountain Meadows Massacre and the "invasion" of the US Army in 1857. Anyone with an interest in Mormon or American history should read this book.

The Utah History Encyclopedea, edited by Allan Kent Powell, and published by University of Utah Press (1994), has proved to be my number one source for research on the history and Native American studies in Utah.

I am an archaeologist and have been working in Utah quite a bit over the last three years. While I had some knowledge of the prehistory and Native American Tribes of southern Utah, I did not have any specific knowledge of the history of Utah, its founders, historic events, towns, or cities. Each of the reports I write (typically for government agencies)needs to have an Archaeoogical/Historical/Cultural Context section. I have used this book hundreds of times in the last three years. While not all of the information I need is contained in the book, each section and article has a suggested bibliography which I can use to find additional information.

Although this is a reference book, I find that I frequently enjoy reading articles which are not related to my research. While it has proved to be an enourmous resource for my research, its articles are written in lay terms, which anyone might enjoy who is interested in the history, prehistory, or Native American of Utah and the West.

I highly recommend it to the general public and my colleagues.

Deborah Dosh Director Kinlani Archaeology, Ltd. P.O. Box 67 Flagstaff, Arizona 86002 (520) 526-9797

Values in the Key of Life is a wonderful read! I've used several portions with my students, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a thoughtful and uplifting book.

This book covers everything that a budding phyosociologist could want to know about setting up surveys, collecting data and analysing the results. Despite its modest title it is strong on multivariate analyses - anyone thinking of applying ordination or akin techniques to plant data should read this book! It also comes with a disc including some free software, which appeared to work perfectly well. I am not sure that this was a great selling point for me since I have all these features + more in other, commercial stats packages. The package would certainly be adequate to get a student started though - good value!