Caroline Ames is yet another one of the innocent characters created by Taylor Caldwell. In this novel she portrays the innocent mind better than in any other book she has written. Caroline is subject to her father's sheltering ways. Her father finds security in money because he was poor as a child, and this security has made him one of the richest men in the world. He wants Caroline to care for his money after he dies, so he forces her into a life-style that is equivalent to the homeless today in hopes that she will learn to appreciate money like he does. Doing this, he shelters her until she knows nothing but what she is taught from him. Her father then dies, and Caroline is forced to survive in a world she knows nothing about or even has the desire to understand. She fights through marriage and torn relationships without realizing that she is wrong in everything she does. The innocent mind is amazing and almost admirable, but Taylor Caldwell gives us a new look at the unknowing mind, showing how what we do not know or understand can ultimately destroy us

I read this story thirty years ago and just again reread it. It is just as compelling today and hard to set down once started. Taylor Caldwell's command of words and beautiful descriptions of life in the era it was written is beyond comparison. A vibrant story with a pulse of its own to stir the heart and mind of the reader.

Too many words confuse the review. The depth of research, the story line etc. put the author in times that you have to believe she lived even though she did not. An acclaimed story line from a very talented past authot/

Tourism generates over $41 billion annually for the Florida economy, which is more than twice the entire GNP for Cuba. That is why there is a fierce fight for the Florida travel guide market. Fodor's Florida Travel Guide is one of the three guides that I reviewed during my two week driving vacation through Florida, and it came in first! (Fodor's #2 and Mobil Travel Guide #3 [see my other reviews]).

The refreshing writing style of the reviews were as practical as they were sometimes sardonic, i.e. "This resort couldn't be any more remote, not to mention a long way from any water or beaches". Then on the other side of the bay the writing was, well cozy, i.e. "A charming lobby with a rock fireplace and a saltwater aquarium sets the tone of this utterly inviting resort". When you compare this with the utilitarian reviews of Fodor's and the downright drab reviews of Mobil, you will find yourself enjoying the candidness of the book and thus, trusting the commentaries.

The accommodations and dining recommendations are reliable and on the money. This guide lists the best restaurants that Florida has to offer. A lodging and restaurant index would be a definite plus for this guide. As it stands now, if you have a restaurant you want to look up, you have to go through all the listings in the city you are in until you stumble across the name you seek or miss seeing it completely.

On the critical side, this guide omitted a significant portion of Florida. There is no mention of Gainesville, nor Ocala, nor Ocala National Park. Very disappointing. With these omissions this guide really is not a "State" guide; Florida is not just Miami and Orlando... "hello, publishers".

The rating system is labored and difficult to understand. The explanation of the "new star rating system" is buried in the book and not indexed. It was by quirk that I found it. Strange.

The Internet web site addresses provided for hotels could be more comprehensive considering that this is a 2003 guide. In today's world of "connectivity" you can visit the hotel sites and see the accommodations and rates prior to making reservations. And, website/email addresses are restricted to the lodging listings even though many of the restaurants now have their own websites with photos and menus and email to makes reservations.

However there are two significant areas in this guide that could use improvement: maps and hotels/restaurants.

Regarding the maps: the maps in the guide are lackluster. More and better maps would greatly help the user.

What put this guide on top of the competing guides, is the clear and enjoyable writing style of the review. The introductions of the regional areas are the best of the guides I reviewed. You will do well if you have to chose just one Florida guide and you select Frommer's.

I just want to give kudos to this book, because it was really, really wonderful on my most recent trip to Florida. I've used other guides in the past (Lonely Planet, etc.), but they seem to be more suited for very exotic locales instead of Florida. For that, Frommer's is the best. They have incredibly accurate information (prices, hours, directions, etc.) and give honest reviews for hotels, restaurants, and attractions that I really appreciate, like "this is the definition of a tourist trap," etc. I was surprised and pleased with this guide, and I'd recommend it in a heartbeat to anyone else who's going down there.

Having Recently purchased Walt Disney World and Orlando For Dummies 2003, I have to compliment the writers all the way because the information given was so acurate that it matched my expectations completely with no stone left uncovered.
It's not often that someone can visit a country and just having read a simple book prior to leaving gain so much knowledge that i was able to plan my trip down to the last minute with the vital information that gets put down to "lost time " in most cases.
I was amazed at the accuracy of subjects covered with things ranging from Park admission prices to Restaurant's and those that we did visit during our trip matched the descripton to a full.
So credit where it's due to Jim & Cynthia Tunstall,for a job well done for the Book that i can no longer be without...A Big Thank-you to you both for something so Informative !!

We just returned (9/8/99) from our first trip to Puerto Rico and enjoyed using this tour book. We are especially pleased to have read their section on Karst County (page 181) and made it a point to travel in that area. Their section on Old San Juan was especially informative.

I was a professor at the Univ. of Puerto Rico during the 1980s, and return occasionally for scientific work. I also teach a Tropical Biology course every other year that includes spring break in Puerto Rico. I've read about eight guides to Puerto Rico and nearby islands, and I think this is the best in terms of accurately reviewing history, culture, and some of the biology and geology. The photographs are extraordinary, and really capture the island in all its facets. This Guide also gives the best information about each town's history and points of interest. It probably devotes the least space to casinos and cruise ship information, but I see that as a strength. I want my students to develop some understanding of the history and culture of Puerto Rico, even though it's a biology class, and I have found the first couple chapters of the Insight Guide do a better job than any of the drier academic sources out there. If you want to buy a guide to Puerto Rico for your own enrichment, this is the one to get.

Known for their numerous photographs, researched facts, and great coverage of historical and cultural items, the "Insight Guides" series has covered almost every nation on earth with wonderfully. Their "Insight Guide to Puerto Rico" was especially much more fascinating to me since they covered a lot of things and places I did not know about my homeland.

Beautifully binded, full of colorful photographs and drawings, and informative, this guide allowed me to explore more towns, sites, and places that are usually off the beaten track for a normal tourist. Their coverage of Puerto Rico's satellite islands: Vieques, Culebra, and Mona, was very interesting, and I was happy to see Mona in photographs, because it is rarely captured in photographs.

The chapters on Old San Juan, Ponce, and the Karst Country were also all informative and refreshing, making my trip much more entertaining. From the island's plethora of important rum distilleries (world's biggest producer of rum) to a brief discussion on local dialect, the editorial staff at "Insight Guides" did an excellent job of representing this beautiful Caribbean island in all its' splendor.

If you are looking for the best travel guides to Puerto Rico, this book and "Lonely Planet's Guide to Puerto Rico" are the two best travel books to this island. Don't forget to pick them up before your next visit to the island.

The authors seem to out do themselves with each new edition that comes to press. Most text books are out of date before they go to press and certainly before the instructors can make their lesson plans for the students. By the instructor using the work book and the guide with this text you will have an unbeatable combination. Simple language and the technical blend and the student is able to comprehend with minimum difficulty. The previous editions have retired to become reference texts and so will the Third Edition when the Fourth Edition becomes available for this Instructor of a Certified Nursing Assistant Class at our local Technical College.

I am using this textbook for a CNA course. I looked it over before registering for the class and the textbook attracted me to the course. It is colorful, well-organized, and thorough. I was impressed with the range of topics covered and variety of ways material is presented and re-enforced. The study aides and headings are easy to use and it is easy to read. I would recommend this book to anyone who will be working with the elderly in a long-term care setting.

The author had two broad objectives in this book. The first was to provide a critique of positivism, including logical positivism, logical empiricism, operationalism and falsificationism. The second was to identify the implications of this critique for economic methodology.

The first part of the book describes the role of the Vienna Circle in the rise of logical positivism during the 1920s and 1930s, followed by the maturation of the tradition in the form of logical empiricism, then the philosophical attack and the emergence of the "growth of knowledge" tradition with Popper, Kuhn, Lakatos and Feyerabend.

The second part of the book consists of essays on various aspects of positivism and alternative approaches including the "Austrian" approach of Robins and Machlup (each pitted against Hutchison), Friedman's instrumentalism and Samuelson's "descriptivism".

The third part provides some provisional answers, notably a case for methodological pluralism.

In view of the way that positivism dominated the philosophy of science during the 20th century this scholarly appraisal of the rise and fall of the movement is a valuable contribution to the history of ideas. However as a contribution to contemporary thinking on these matters it would have been a more original and challenging enterprise if positivism had not already been devastated by Popper, who replaced justificationism and inductivism with critical rationalism and the non-authoritarian theory of knowledge.

This is a new edition of Caldwell's 1982 book but it is not really revised and so it does not do justice to his "mature" thinking which can be found in an article "clarifying Popper" in the Journal of Economic Literature, March 1991. This article draws on Popper's theory of metaphysical research programs and shows that when he is depicted as a critical rationalist instead of a falsificationist, several pieces of the jigsaw fall into place, including Popper's re-invention of "Austrian" praxeology and Talcott Parsons' "action frame of reference" under the heading of "situational analysis".

It seems that the field of economic methodology has been unduly influenced by Mark "Bluster" Blaug's commitment to Lakatos rather than Popper, to "falsificationism" rather than critical rationalism and to the Kuhn/Lakatos notion of research programs with inviolable "hard cores" rather than the Popperian program which subjects "hard cores" to critical appraisal. Lakatos, as a Hegelian, attempted a synthesis of Popper and Kuhn, to capture the Spirit of the Age, as it was, becoming in the process a Historical Figure. This grand scheme did not work out and the tormented progress of the Lakatosian World Spirit continued to cause confusion on several continents (and in the isles of Greece) even after Lakatos himself had gone.

When the idea of Popper as a critical rationalist is taken on board, as Caldwell appeared to be doing in his "clarification" paper, then some really interesting results emerge, as indicated by Boland in 1982. It may be that the real impediment to progress in economics is not the failure to be serious about falsification (as Blaug has argued) but the failure to recognize that the real driving forces in methodology are Instrumentalism (as per Friedman) and Conventionalism (as per Samuelson). These need to be subjected to critical appraisal, in the context of ongoing research, not merely as a part of the history of ideas.

In this book Caldwell has shown a remarkable open-mindedness to the much-maligned ideas of the Austrians. This would have taken a deal of nerve in view of the hard things that are said about them by his peers and by luminaries such as Samuelson. (There again, it was Samuelson who, up to the Fall of the Wall, thought that the Soviet economy was doing well and catching up fast with the US). Similarly, it was bold to champion Popper's ideas on the metaphysical aspects of scientific research programs. This is exciting stuff and one hopes that Caldwell is prepared to continue the maturation process that was apparent in his article, even to the extent of producing a seriously revised edition of this book.

This is probably the best introduction and overview to a broad range of philosophical concerns within the discipline of economics. It is accessible to the lay reader but is not dumbed down in order to be popular. It does not require any particular knowledge of economic theory but instead deals with general philosohical and methodological issues in economics. Nonetheless, the reader is engaged with key methodological debates within the discipline of economics.

The book implicitly contains a number of critiques of the (neoclassical) economic orthodoxy, set in their historical perspective. The basic concern of the book is with the influence of logical positivism and its descendants on economic theorising and accepted methodologies, and the book concludes with Caldwell's suggesting an approach to resolving many of these issues, called "methodological pluralism".

If you are interested in examining the philosophical foundations of economics, this is probably the best book around. If you are interested in the philosophy of economics, there is also a reader entitled "The Philosophy of Economics" by Daniel Hausman which would make a good companion. "Why Economics is not yet a Science", Alfred Eichner, 1983 is an interesting questioning of approaches and methodologies in economics. If you are interested in alternatives to mainstream economic approaches, then "A Modern Guide to Economic Thought" by Maire and Miller, 1991 is a good introduction (aimed at an interested university undergraduate without necessarily having a strong current background in economics studies).

There is also a large literature on the sociology of economics, examining how the discipline of economics adapts to new ideas and criticisms. "Canonizing Economic Theory : How Theories and Ideas Are Selected in Economics", Christopher D. MacKie, ME Sharpe, 1998 is a good starting point for this.

There is no doubt that Dr. Lee Cheek is a brilliant author whose command of the English language is indeed impressive as displayed throughout this discourse. As a new student to understanding the political thought motivating early Americana, this book serves as a highly evolved analytical treatise to the Calhounian theories between the role of State v. 'general' government, majoritarianism, constitutionality, popular rule of society and much more. Many of Calhoun's cognitive exploits are excerpted from his original Papers and his two major works, i.e., the Disquisition and the Discourse. Although this work clearly stipulates many views of substantive Calhoun detractors, the author tends to discount the majority of their missives by stating that those detractors have often misunderstood Calhoun's more contemplative meanings on many issues. It would seem that given the numerous footnotes referencing other authors on Calhoun throughout this work, there is much more to the Man than is portrayed in this volume; certainly, it must be entertained that those discussions may fall well outside the scope of this volume. Calhoun's experiences and writings have given rise to a great deal of debate about the Man and his objectives. Even today, 152 years after his death, he remains an enigma of political discourse. To more fully appreciate this work by Dr. Cheek, it would behoove a student interested in pursuing a more indepth look into Calhounian thought to digest the unabridged texts of his Disquisition and his Discourse, and perhaps, many of his Papers.

Dr. Lee Cheek is a fabulous author, he takes advantage of every sentence. Every thought is loaded with political genius from a true student of politics. Dr. Cheek has a love and energy for politics that is pure and refreshing. He brings a new perspective to a often misunderstood historical politician. Cheek brings Calhoun back to life and shows that his thoughts and political theories are still relevent in the modern America. It is fabulous and I would highly recommend it for anyone who wants a good read in American Political Thought.

In the thirties critics acclaimed Erskine Caldwell as one of the most influential writers of his time. His books sold in the millions and his play, Tobacco Road (based on the novel), had an unprecedented record run across the nation. By the time the sixties emerged, Caldwell falls into obscurity, disdained by the critics and forgotten in the canon of southern literature.

Caldwell's Icarus-like rise to fame and descent into obscurity is the catalyst which inspired Dan Miller to explore one of the south's most prolific writers. What was behind the man who was so passionate in his work yet ended up destroying his professional career, his marriages and his relationships with his children.

The Journey from Tobacco Road takes a microscopic look at the forces which shaped and made Caldwell the writer that he is. Born of educated parents who were members of a fundamentalist presbyterian sect, we find a man full of contradictions. His parents had formal education. Their son never graduated from high school (or any school for that matter) and was a poor writer and reader. Their denomination, The Associated Reformed Presbyterian Church, was highly fundamental yet Caldwell's father had a great passion to confront the injustice of poor and Black people. His passion was transferred over to his son who became the extentsion of his cause for justice.

You will come across layers of complexities of Erskine who was controlling in all of his relationships with his wives and daughters. His obsessive need for control extended itself into the lives of his children to the point of abuse. Yet despite these tendancies Caldwell reached the hearts and minds of his readers in his depiction of the southern poor.

Miller has given the reader a revealing portrait of a man who was at the top of his literary popularity only to fall in obscurity. We are shown the elements of why this happened and can see that the same trap is set for writers who become popular but are spurned by the academic literary community. Caldwell's journey is an interesting one as he goes through the school of hard knocks only to rise a winner. Miller's biography is clear and concise. He doesn't put Caldwell on a pedestle but he reminds us this is an author who shouldn't be ignored. You will enjoy this biography.

Miller's concern about Caldwell's obscurity is not to be ignored. Recently I sat on a class in southern literature. When I read the syllabus, I saw the conspicuous absence of Caldwell's name. On approaching the teacher, I asked why and she immediately became embarassed and said she that Caldwell's name had mistakenly been dropped while editing the syllabus. Miller's book is certainly one we need to remind us of the life and contributions of this man of southern literature.

Dr. Miller tells the interesting truth behind one of the best selling authors of all time. Caldwell's life growing up poor in the deep south set the tone for what his work will become in the upcoming years. Miller, a student of David Donald (2 time pulitzer prize winner, "Look Homeward Angel:Bio of Thomas Wolfe", and official Lincoln biographer) at Harvard University, gives the reader a complete picture of an author who has been forgotten in time. Caldwell's gritty, often pornographic style has been belittled by todays critics, but Miller shows Caldwell was more than a pulp writer, he was a complex man, with a simple style. A must read.

My accounting professor was awful and it was this book that saved my grade in the class. It provides very detailed explanations and summaries of each concept it covers throughout the chapter, not just at the end of the section. The accompanying working papers and study guide were also very informative and helpful.

Best book so far for teahing accounting. This is the book for learning accounting.

This was my first Adveture Racing book. I really enjoyed it. I learned some very useful information. My hi-lighter was used quite a bit. The pictures are spectacular! They will be hanging on my bedroom wall soon.

Adventure Racing, the Ultimate Guide offers practical advice for adventure athletes. Most questions we had before our first race, and that we've heard asked since then in our adventure racing club are answered here.

How do I eat? What do I pack? What kind of shoes? How do I train? What is a race like?

The questions are answered with their voice of experience but without alot of extra frou-frou 'all about me' inspirational stuff that makes some books by athletes hard to read.

For perspective, Liz and Barry include some gear lists from several large races and the training regimens of top adventure racers.

Don't expect this to be the only book you'll ever need to read to be an adventure racer - but it points you in the right direction so that you can figure out how to focus your education. In other words - it doesn't teach you everything you need to know about navigation, but if gives you some great tips, training advice, and points out things to pay attention to during your education.

I definitely recommend this for new and 'wannabe' adventure racers - not just someone bound for the Eco Challenge but also those with their sites on a 1 or 2 day race. If you were inspired from the couch watching exciting footage of the big races - this is a great start for your adventure.

I found this book to be more practical and answer oriented than Derek Paterson's 'Adventure Racing, Guide to Survival,' although it was good too, but in a story-telling sort of way.

PS: With my friends I started an adventure racing club for us mere mortals who want to be adventure racers. I've completed some shorter races and organized a couple - so, while I'm not an expert, I'm definitely part of the novice target market for this book. Wish they'd written it last year. ;)

This book has been an invaluable guide and should be considered mandatory reading for both racers and crew.

I've competed in one 24 hour adventure race, crewed for another and am preparing for my 2nd 24 hour race which is a couple of weeks away. The practical advice and suggestions that Barry and Liz present are excellent and have prepared me for what to expect in nearly every facet of my races. I particularly like their section about team dynamics and the importance of racing with people you like.

Adventure racing is not a sport to be taken lightly given the length and duration of races as well as the multiple disciplines involved. Research and education are crucial and this book is an excellent start for all of us budding adventure racers.

Here is a solid, basic theology coupled with a Study Bible that cannot lead you astray. Simple enough for new Christians, yet the Expanded Edition has enough meaty notes to satisfy the advanced believer. Most of the bottom page notes are brief and to the point, with some exception. Lucid, pointed, full of facts, occasionally Ryrie shows his theological position in such places as not listing Jehovah-Rapha (God is my healer) as one of the Jehovah titles in his notes, when nearly all other Jehovah titles are listed from the Hebrew. Basic bottom line: Baptist theology,pleasantly Dispensational,great for salvation orientation and facts on books/authors, satisfying for mainstream readers.

I used the Ryrie Study bible for a quite a while when I first got saved. This is an excellent study bible. Very nice.

Steve Mays Pastor, Laurens, SC.

Dr. Charles Ryrie is is well known for his unusal ability to explain Bible truth so clearly and logically. The thousands of notes in this Bible are a vertual Bible Institue. It is chuck full of clear and simple explanations of very difficult passages. These notes are written by an esteemed scholar with impeccable degrees and qualifications. The very latest information through archeology and history make the notes as up to date as you can find. Dr. Ryrie has such a vast knowlege of the culture of the Bible times that he explains so many things that are not understood without that background of knowledge. His outlines of books of the Bible are extremely well done and helpful. This is one of the best helps of Bible notes available. It is a must for a hungry Bible student who wants not just truth but truth that is from a warmed heart of God's servant.