I'm reading this book in Chinese,I love it! Our teachers never told me about it, they just teached us what is 'right'.

Excellent intro to politics text. I highly recommend it for a classroom or for anyone really who wants to sit down with a plain-spoken piece to get you to understand our government. Whether it is for someone with little knowledge as to who this vast bureaucracy works, or for someone with a fairly good knowledge of it all - I don't think it will disappoint.
I think what I appreciated the most was the honesty that the text was written. The authors also included a good amount of humor to emphasize the point (in cartoon, comic, Top 10 List, etc), in order to keep a reader interested.
I think this text is also a good reference as well, as there are numerous court cases and explicit examples of gov't at work - that if you are ever at a loss for "what was it that happened?" or "what does that term mean?" Things are extremely easy to find and be referred to.
Good works.

This excellent book can be read as a follow-up to Joseph Ellis' "Founding Brothers," although written at a more advanced level. Merrill D. Peterson examines the characters of Daniel Webster, Henry Clay, and John C. Calhoun and the issues facing them in (roughly) the first half of the 19th century. These issues involved primarily the differing conceptions of the federal government (federal powers vs. states' rights) arising in the Constitution Conventions of the Revolutionary War period.

This fundamental political difference was linked to other fiercely divisive issues, such as the moral and economic conflict over slavery, and eventually led to the Civil War (to put it simply). Passions were so linked to sectional economic and political interests that the Civil War appears inevitable; indeed, one wonders why it didn't occur earlier. Part of the answer is that Clay and others, through a series of "Compromises" delayed the war. The reader's attitude toward these three "giants" will depend on his/her own values and politics.

Peterson paints vivid portraits of the characters, but he assumes a fair amount of historical knowledge by the reader. For example, his discussions on tariffs, the need to increase the debt, and other economic measures were often too dense, as were the detailed and somewhat confusing party realignments (e.g., Whigs, Republicans, Democrats, "Ultras," and various combinations of these). Although he is sometimes dry, Peterson also has a scholar's wit and appreciation for his subject. Furthermore, the political and legal manipulations of the principles are often fascinating (e.g., Calhoun's unconstitutional theory of states rights known as "Nullification;" the failure of all three to reach the presidency). At times, it feels lengthy (especially for the non expert; the book is basically written at a beginning graduate school level), but it is generally very well written and covers a fascinating period in American history.

Anyone who is fascinated by ante-bellum American history will, I think, enjoy this book. The great triumvirate played a dominating role in the history of our country from 1812 till they died, and reading this book is similar to reading the history of the country during that period, because everything happening politically during that time was affected by one or more of the principals in this work. Peterson does a great job telling the story. My only complaint about the book is that it has no bibliography, and it is tough trying to make up such from the 55 pages of notes which are in the book. How much the book would be enhanced by a bibliography! But if the lack of a bibliography does not bother you then you should find nothing to complain about in regard to this book. I was inspired to read the book by the fact that the author's Lincoln in American Memory is such a great book that it won my personal prize for the best book I read in 1996 (a year in which I read 126 books).

My college ceramics class had to buy this book. It's really good, the section on how to mix glazes using all of the different frits and stains is very informative. The pictures are inspiring, and the book also gives many techniques for throwing and handbuilding.

This became one of those costly book purchases students have come to resent: required for an introductory level class in ceramics, part of the core requirements towards a studio degree, expensively imposed on a class the bulk of whom will never continue on in ceramics, therefore ultimately destined to become a neglected text sitting on a dusty shelf or returned during university book buy-back for a pittance. This is a shame, as the book is one of the more comprehensive and beautifully put together texts of its kind, and had it been required of students whose clear intention was to go on in ceramics, its obligatory purchase would have been more valued and appreciated.

Containing information well beyond the scope of an introductory survey of ceramic processes, this book is densely packed with information, providing a historical and cultural overview of the use and development of one of the most ancient of the arts, as well as detailed discussions of its various forms and construction, the mixing of clays, the necessary chemistry, kilns, and clay's many glazings and firings. Appendixes and charts containing quite a number of recipes for both mixing clay and creating slips, colorants and glazes are provided at the back, encouraging experimentation, as well as a basic description of the chemical constituents encountered in ceramics. In terms of the latter, both within the text and the appendixes, concerns of potential toxicity are highlighted, providing valuable and essential information often overlooked when working with the potentially hazardous components present in most clays and colorants. Additionally, the authors provide encouragement as to how to easily recycle the environmentally unfriendly waste by-products associated with ceramics, along with helpful tips as to how to set up one's studio in a way that is at once utilitarian and environmentally sound, offering a list of governmental agencies and associations that can assist the ceramicist in addressing these concerns. In addition to providing through the appendixes further avenues for exploration on the part of those working with clay, the authors must be applauded for not ignoring or obfuscating the obvious safety and environmental concerns involved in working with ceramics.

Well organized and detailed, the text is also liberally endowed with photographs and drawings, providing clear visual examples of both the equipment and techniques the ceramicist may encounter, as well as beautiful color plates showing contemporary examples of noted artists' work using a variety of forms and processes. These plates exemplify the diverse and often stunning manner of expression that can be captured in clay, ranging from the sculptural and painterly to installation and multimedia. Their inclusion, along with the depth and breadth of information presented here, certainly justify the price asked for this text, and this book should grace the library or studio of any serious student or practitioner of ceramics. And, I suspect, there is enough information provided here to allow the student that has access to a studio and equipment to begin learning ceramics without the necessity of a classroom.

It's about time Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, and others of the 1800'sare recognized for their incredible ability in taking the young nation to new heights. This is a must for any history fan of antebellum American hsitory.

This is the first work I have read by Mr. Goedert, but I hope it will not be the last. Though the book is hypothetical in nature, "I'd Rather Be Right Than Be President" provides an intriguing and historically accurate account of a great American statesman. While many have portrayed Henry Clay as some sort of mythological figure in our nation's history, Goedert clearly depicts Clay as what he was -- a brilliant but imperfect man. This is highly recommended reading for lovers of American political history.

I enjoyed this book. We all hear about tough issues, but this book goes further and offers insightful opinions and sound advice. The format of the book makes it very easy to read. It's an interesting peek into the tough little realities that lurk inside data warehousing projects.

I love the format. This format is very powerful because I can go right to the problems that are relavent to my company and review the suggested solutions. The suggested solutions are based on a lot of experience in the Data Warehouse field from a number of experts, not just one person. You can glean many good ideas from this book.

I have found this Sid Adelman book to be just as useful as his first book,"Data Warehouse Project Management", written with Lorissa Moss.

In his third Sandhill Chronicle, Monuments, Clay Reynolds tones down the terror and enmity present in Agatite (vol. 2) without returning to the quieter chill of The Vigil (vol. 1). Fourteen-year-old Hugh Rudd comes of age in the midst of his hometown's fight to save its old Hendershot Grocery Warehouse building from destruction by the railroad company executives. Like other boys on the cusp of manhood, Hugh must learn how to relate to women, how to fight with but eventually accept his father, and how to smoke, drink, and question authority. Hugh does admirably well, making this the most positive of all the Sandhill Chronicles in terms of happy endings for the main characters. But the town of Agatite does not fare so well. Caught up in a battle with "big business" (Burlington Northern Railroad), each citizen uses the cause of historical preservation for personal gain. They all use the chaos created during the fight for the building to jockey for new positions of power. Before long, long-held town secrets are being gossiped about in the streets. Learning to deal with this gossip, especially the stories about alcoholism, sexual infidelities, and cruelties of the people he has known all his life (including his own parents), is part of Hugh's maturation process. Clay Reynolds writes realistic, gritty stories about small-town life. If you haven't read one of the Sandhill Chronicles, this is a good one to start with.

Clay Reynolds does an excellent job of setting up the characters and making you feel like one of the town members in Monuments. You have a tendency of rushing through the pages in order to discover what Hugh must face next. You soon realize there is more to the book than a battle to save a landmark. This is a must read!!!

I purchased this book because I was looking for some recipes and tips for using my Romertopf clay cooker. The book does a thorough job of discussing the various types and techniques for cooking with glazed and unglazed clay pots, and examines other one-pot techniques (pan-frying, stir-frying pot-roasting)as well. But the real beauty of this book is the wealth of illustrations. Each recipe not only includes a picture of the finished dish, but several pictures showing the 'how to' of the recipe directions. The recipes are divided into clearly numbered steps again accompanied most of the time by an illustration.
I would have given this book five stars but for the fact that the book is designed primarily for European cooks and includes many recipes for dishes not particularly common in American kitchens. There are many dishes using lamb and the spices and the combination of ingredients have a decidedly European feel. That is not intended to be a negative comment as I intend to expand my culinary experience by trying some of the recipes that I have never tasted. But for Americans who like more traditional fare and are like me, looking to learn more about cooking with a clay pot, this book may be a disappointment.

I bought this book without even looking inside it. That is testimony to the quality of "The Cook's Encyclopedia of" series, of which this is one, though it has been renamed for some reason.

I was initially disappointed, because my idea of one-pot cooking is that the contents of the one pot be a main dish, not a side dish. Many of these recipes are really side dishes. Not many people would consider Ratatouille as being a main dish, for example.

So why the five stars? Well, the ratatouille recipe is the best one I've ever seen -- simply wonderful! Also true of the other 20-odd recipes I've made from this book. Commenting on the review by Mr. Moore, where he says "the spices and combination of ingredients have a decidely European feel": He is quite correct, when the dish is a European one, such as Jansson's Temptation, Seafood Risotto, Cassoulet, or Italian Lamb Meatballs with Chilli Tomato Sauce (all of which are excellent, by the way -- the tricky risotto is particularly well-explained).

However, when the book moves further afield, to Morocco for five different tagines (the shellfish one is particularly good), or to India for a Goan Fish Casserole, or to Thailand for a tofu curry, I can assert that the ingredients, spices and techniques are absolutely authentic to their regions.

As with all of this series of books, the layout is almost perfect -- they'd be better eliminating the pointless "technique" photographs and enlarging the recipe font, but it is never necessary to turn a page while working on a recipe. The comprehensive index also works well -- rare in a cookbook.

I've only found one recipe where I immediately disagree with the author, and that is the otherwise excellent Chicken Gumbo. Where is the file roux? I know that excellent gumbos can be made without file, but if you're only going to include one gumbo recipe, it should have file in it. Strange omission, because the other recipe from Louisiana, the Jambalaya, is completely authentic.

One other gripe is that slow cookers are never mentioned, even though slow cookers are an absolute natural for many of these dishes. The author goes on at length about the different types of clay pot, but I have never noticed any actual advantage to clay pot cooking except for the presentation, when you walk into the dining room with tagine in hands, place it in the middle of the table, and whisk the top off with a flourish. It's just a small gripe, however, because most of these recipes can be done in a slow cooker without any change whatsoever except for increased cooking time.

I have five books from this series, and all five of them reside permanently on the top shelf of my 200+ cookbook library. I have used this one less than the others, but that's only because I got it fairly recently.

Having really enjoyed "Players" by Clay Reynolds, I thought I would give "Rage" a try. I'm glad I did. You can see that "Players" didn't just happen. Reynolds has been working at his craft for several years now, as evidenced by the great writing in "Rage". The humor in Reynolds' books is hysterical

I couldn't put this book down. The small town of Agatite brought to mind Mayberry. Sheriff Able Newsome, is reminescent of a modern Andy Taylor, and the Chief of Police, "Jingles" Murphy and his patrolmen are the Barney Fifes of law enforcement. This book gives us all a glimpse into every small town in America. So quiet and peaceful on the surface, yet, invariably hiding one or more secret from the prying eyes of outsiders.

I read this book with white knuckles all the way to the end. An end where I was able to smell the smoke and gunpowder, and feel the fear, confusion and betrayal of the innocent bystanders caught in the middle of a deadly cross fire.

I will never again be able to look at a small quiet town without a modicum of suspicion, nor the friendly smiles of the inhabitants without an inkling of mistrust. This book grabs you by the throat, glares into your eyes, and dares you to look away in a bizzare and twisted game of chicken

The charts and pages on every aspect of making your own flute
are all here, with explanations of WHY, and several options
for finishes, materials, keys, etc.

If you're going to make anything OTHER than a transverse flute,
such as a Shakuhachi or recorder, look on the Web for supplemental material,
but still I'm still glad I got this as a reference. (He also has a bibliography in the back.)

For instance, even the length/bore ratio changes for some
other woodwinds. But the basic info is very handy to keep around.

Simple Flutes by Mark Shepard, a slim (44 pages), elegantly presented, and highly practical guide to crafting simple flutes and making music with them. Flutes of bamboo, wood, claw, metal, and plastic are authoritatively discussed. Simple line drawings and easy-to-understand instructions enhanced and round out this first-rate, "user friendly" guide for anyone with a fondness toward simplicity in their own personal music. Also highly recommended is Mark Shepard's How To Love Your Flute: A Guide To Flues And Flute Playing (0938497103,...).

A valiant effort, but I found this book hard to follow...many of the essential steps seem to be missing...perhaps the book is geered towards only the advanced. I was dissapointed by the characterish results of the approach and was hoping for more of an attempt at "fine" art.

The author gives a step by step approach for modeling a likeness in clay. Very helpful and good at using calapers to get the correct demensions to start with. I would recommend Bruno Lucchesi's books also as he is a modern day master.

Mrs Grubbs has lots of talent, being a pedagogue is not the least of them. As she shares her technique with the reader, every step is thoroughly illustrated and commented. Numerous examples of specific situations are shown in detail along with the sculptor's comments.

The first sections establishes the general principles governing the achievement of a likeness, going step by step through the measurements and accurate mass and volume placement, with practical demonstration.

Further sections detail the progress of the work, and the end sections are practical examples of different portrait renditions of models which vary in age, sex, ethnic features, all being taken from actual work carried out by the artist.

As Mrs Grubbs favors kiln-firing of her clay portraits, readers interested in this technique will also find very valuable information, and will learn how to properly prepare a portrait for this purpose.