He graduated from Annapolis, spent a long tour in the Navy, elected for two terms as state senator and then to the Governor of Georgia, before being elected President of the USA. He married Rosalynn, a childhood sweetheart, during his time in the Navy and they had three sons. He now has six grandchildren, at the last count.

After that, Jimmy and Rosalynn returned to Georgia. After founding the Atlanta-based Carter Center he is devoting the rest of time writing and doing good for all the world's people.

Prolific former President Carter's slim volume of Christmas memories--most spent in his hometown--makes for a quick and easy read and leaves a lingering satisfied feeling. No vignette is particularly earth-shattering, but perhaps it is the mundane and wholesome nature of his experiences that makes them all the more engrossing.

While few observers would term Jimmy Carter a great president, only the most blindly partisan Republicans fail to see him as a noble patriot overflowing with integrity. These identifying attributes are quietly displayed throughout the episodes he narrates. Even when he steps on a few toes, they are feet that deserve it. Those with a phobia about vestiges of Christianity in public schools will shutter when he writes of his childhood, "it would have been ridiculous in those days for anyone in our community, or the state of Georgia, to think that the dedicated religious services that were held every day in the public school might violate in any way the First Amendment." The former president sees great value in the school's religious presentations "because they reached every child, not just the churchgoers." Such virtuous suasion may earn him membership in the vast right wing conspiracy in some circles, but unabashed honesty forms the basis of Jimmy Carter.

Perusing his others Yuletide tales spent in the Navy, as a young father and husband, serving as Georgia's governor, on to the White, House, and back home again, readers may be disappointed by the skeletal nature of certain chapters. However, Carter's post-presidency has produced a substantial oeuvre, and other works can undoubtedly flesh out the missing tidbits.

Maybe the book's greatest strength is near complete avoidance of the political realm. Carter seems to be saying that Christmas is for all Americans, and while politics has its place, it takes a back seat--or at least it should-- to our nation's sacred holidays.

However, the book is less obscene and violent than most christian writings, particularly the Bible. Thus, it is suitable for children.

Carter defines integrity with three required steps. Step 1 is the act of discerning what is right and what is wrong; your personal views are well thought out in advance. Step 2 is acting on what you have discerned, even at personal cost. He cautions that doing what is right will often be painful. Step 3 is saying openly that you are acting on your understanding of right from wrong. Carter repeatedly makes the point that the test of integrity comes only when doing the right entails a significant cost.

Carter analyzes actual and hypothetical examples using his three-step definition. His examples include journalists, marriage vows, political candidates, competitive sportsmanship, and college professors' letters of reference, and more.

Carter's scholarly and lawyerly-logic efforts were certainly not light-reading, but he did well in making a potentially dry subject interesting and informative. While his frequent and almost excessive direct references to his Catholic beliefs and his admiration of the American Civil Rights movement led by Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. might make some readers uncomfortable, I thought they were effective and appropriate to his discussions. Towards the end of the book, Carter even proposes a set of eight principles for bringing true integrity to our politics and democracy that will certainly generate both positive and negative critiques.

Overall, I admire Carter's courage in tackling such a difficult subject (everybody thinks they know what it is, but very few seem to agree on it) and being the first to put it out front for all to see. An introspective and thought-provoking book that was well worth the effort it took to read and absorb.

He makes it very clear that he values the moral consensus we seemed to have in the 50's (However with Carter having been born in `54 it is unclear how he knows exactly what that consensus was) and while he makes passing note of the problems of the fifties such as racism and sexism he still wishes to have some sort of return to the values of the fifties while retaining the freedoms of today's world.

What Carter fails to realize is that the moral consensus of the 50's was an imposed one that created the racist and sexist strictures of the 50's. It was 'the good old days' only because the opinions of large sections of the country were totally ignored. Carter's rationale in Civility suggests, rather underhandedly, that we should all be conforming to one moral code. That moral code, in Carter's writing, seems to flow directly from a middle/upper-class, white, Protestant viewpoint.

If Carter's ideas are followed, all recognition of the wonderful different ethnicities and religions that make up this country will vanish. America will again be the melting pot, a homogenous, bland mixture of nondescript gray, with no diversity, no room for freedom of speech, no room for the change that is vital to life.

Then again, I though to myself while in the bookstore debating on what to procure, isn't it about time that someone writes an honest, frank book about how to be civil, particularly in the civil arena? After all, democratic politics thrives when discussion, self-government, and liberty without license are at high levels and in case anyone has cared to notice, all are at levels approching an all time low.

So I bought it and my judgement was correct. Professor Carter is not on a high horse, he does not condescend and his comments and observations are astute and viable. (although as an atheist, I felt he gave me no option besides "be a moral christian" or "be uncivil").

The book - broken into three parts - can get repetitive, particularly on part II. The first part, on what civility is, defends Professor Carter's notion of civility against all comers: Sociologists who think uncivility spurs pluralistic politics, psychologists who think it is a good way to air frustration, and philosophers who think civility is just plain opression without the name.

The second part identifies different ways that we are uncivil to eachother. Carter argues that uncivility is generally a result of how easy it has become not to interact with eachother, hence, not spend time identifying eachother as "people, same as us". Instead of writing letters, we use the internet; instead of taking mass transportation like trains, we drive to work alone in our automobile; instead of joining clubs, we watch characters on TV join them. This is where Carter gets preachy. One hears him subtley thinking, "Ahhh. The glory days; let's go back, shall we?"

The third part is the easiest to skip. It is about how to regain civility. We all know how, of course, but generally try to forget that we do. Teach kids 'right' and 'wrong'; set good examples; think about others, sometimes, in lieu of ourselves. These are not hard rules, just common sense ones we've convinced ourselves to be oppresive ones. While this section merely points out the obvious, it is the obvious that we've been overlooking and need to be reminded of.

There are particularly great chapters here. A few chapters are on the art of listening to others views sympathetically, instead of listening so as to construct an immediate retort. Two consecutive chapters are on the rule: "liberty is not licesncse". Just because we have free speech, does not mean we need to, or should, be offensive just because. Another stellar chapter is on the civility of making moral judgements. Too many people are telling us that judging is wrong (which of course, is itself a moral judgement). In reality, moral judgement is necessary to maintain civility, to remind yourself what and what not to do by example, and to let others know that you either approve or disapprove of their actions, which is as powerful as any legislation.

All in all, this was a good, well-thought, succinct and enjoyable book. Occasioinal preachiness and repetitiveness aside, it is one that (as one reviewer noted) should be read in high school, college, and as a pre-requisite to public office. Of course, don't tell the PC police!

Maybe this is what "cyberpunk" should have been, if it hadn't succumbed to its own hype. _The Fortunate Fall_ is a real story about characters I came to care about, facing real problems, in a real world. Not all that nice a world, but a believable one.

This would be a noteworthy work from a well-established author in the field. As a first novel, it's astounding.

The subtitle, "The Life and times of a Perpetual Optimist" is very appropriate. It's almost hard to believe the stories she tells about a bad car accident, her divorce and the discovery of a lump in her breast are treated as "lightly" as they are. I feel she just scratches the surface of the true emotion brewing within. Betsy, if you're looking for something to do in another workaholic phase, you have about four good novels in the meat of this book. "Nothing To Fall Back On" is an absolute misnomer.

You are an amazing woman. Thank you for your honesty and for sharing your life.

I also think she should've spent more time writing about her actual work at "New York Woman." Besides the female bonding, what else was going on?

In any case, Carter gave this reader a peek into the New York magazine world. It was certainly an environment that I had aspired to when I was younger but after reading this, it's less fascinating to me. Carter actually appeared a lot more interesting when she was on her way up, writing for the air & water newsletter and for the Washington bank than when she was editor in chief of her own magazine. Hopefully Betsy will write another book.

Immediately after being unmasked, Blunt became a social outcast. Tabloids described him as "the spy with no shame." Besides passing secrets, he was accused of being a sexual pervert, a plagiarizer, a dishonest appraiser, and someone who bought valuable paintings on the cheap from unsuspecting friends. Consulted about a libel suit, his lawyer explained that Blunt's spying had defamed his name so badly that no further defamation was possible.

As an undergraduate in Cambridge, he was a member in good standing of the fashionable Bloomsbury Group, still going strong in the 1920s. Recognition for his art criticism came early. No one looked on him as a political activist. Bloomsbury faded with the depression and rise of fascism; many members turned to communism, but Blunt wasn't among them. He must have been attracted, however, because his art criticism took on a distinctly Marxist tone for a few years. His attraction must have been more intense because of what followed. Joining the Intelligence Service after the outbreak of war, he passed thousands of documents to the Russians. Flooded with material by enthusiastic English spies, Russian officials were deeply skeptical. In any case, there was far too much, so many documents were filed and ignored. The paranoid Stalin was avid to learn of British plots against Russia. That none turned up merely increased his suspicion, but eventually the Soviets realized their good fortune. Spying seemed a sideline for Blunt. Art was his true love, and he wrote several important books during the war. After leaving the government, Blunt's spying stopped, and he became a renown art historian. However, many in British counterintelligence had their suspicions. When Burgess and Maclean defected in 1951, suspicions grew stronger, but no one in high places had a taste for another embarassing spy scandal, so it was decided to let matters lie.

A man of modest historical importance, Blunt lived a complex life in fascinating times, and this book does him justice.

This is not just another tell-all biography. Ms. Carter scrupulously weighs earlier evidence from Blunt's friends and foes, accepting or rejecting them according to rigorous standards. Hardly a detail finds its way into her pages that is not based on a checked source. Ms. Carter has also accessed Soviet espionage files and agents' accounts that have come to light since 1989. Her book is a masterful piece of research that is also at times amusing and sad.

Unfortunately, Ms. Carter's publisher, Farrar Straus and Giroux, does not seem to share her scruples for detail. They have printed an American edition that is downright slovenly. Reader beware: there are typos and/or omitted words on the following pages: 66, 80, 300, 351, 363, 402, 404, 429 and 448. And these are just the ones I spotted.

Miranda Carter provides an incredible insight into the life of one of the strangest enigmatic individuals of the past century. The author paints the complete picture so that fans of true life espionage stories and biographies in general will simultaneously be stunned yet bluntly fascinated by this spy, almost two decades after his death. ANTHONY BLUNT HIS LIVES is an intelligent and engaging true-life account of the infamous art historian counterspy worth reading.

Harriet Klausner

Giant of Mars is actually not written by Burroughs. The story is not nearly up to par with his writtings; in fact the story contains boring, childlike descriptions of uninspired incidents. The giant is not very interesting, and the way he is defeated is horribly boring.

Skeleton Men of Jupiter is better, actually worth reading, although I find the ideas about Jupiter to be simply ludicrous--much more so than the fantasy ideas about Mars. At the beginning, John Carter is kidnapped and taken to Jupiter. His adventures among the natives begin there. The biggest problem with Skeleton Men is that it was supposed to be the first part in a series of stories. The other stories were never written, and one is left with a feeling of "missing out."

The first half of the book is simply bad. The second half shows promise that is never realized. And finally, this book is afflicted with the same problems of books 4-10 in the series: they simply retell the same basic stories from the original trilogy, without the same flair for story-telling. Stick with the original trilogy (especially A Princess of Mars) if you want classic Sci Fi.

"Giant of Mars" has long confused ERB fans, many of whom have wondered whether he actually wrote this story. The truth has been circulated for years but somehow doubt and literary legend seem to overwhelm it. John Coleman Burroughs did indeed write this story, and he admitted as much publicly.

"The Skeleton Men of Jupiter" is pure ERB space opera and it restores Barsoom's chapion to his former glory. This tale had the potential to become one of the all-time greatest ERB adventures, but he never wrote more than the first of four installments. Our hero resolves a major conflict and the reader is not left wondering if John Carter and Dejah Thoris survive, but their adventure is nonetheless incomplete.

Fans eager to read more about Carter's adventures need to get this book, but let the reader beware, it can only be unsatisfying. One is left with a sense of wonder, for Burroughs is said to have been burned out near the end of his life, but there is much about this story which is fresh and engrossing.

A worthwhile book, and one I refer to often.

I have since sold my store and am a consultant in the jewelry industry helping people run a better buisness. I MAKE the stores I visit get two books:

How to make a business run without you by Susan Carter and
The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber.

Both books are about why small businesses fail and what to do about it. The E-Myth is the phsychology of how to run a business so it runs without you but Susan Carters book is a step by stpe on how to actually do it.

In a snapshot, it's this: If you can't leave your business because you're "the only one who can do it", think again. Take bank depsoits. Write down exactly how to make the depsoit, where to get the forms, which bank to take it to, where to enter the data.

If you did this on your job, coulsn't soemone else take over?

After doing this, for the last few years of owning my store, I didn't have a job. The employees ran the store.

The best part of this book is the center section, Susan lays out exactly what each chapter of your store operations manual should look like.

Did you know that MOSt McDonals franchises do 100% of their potential after only being open 30 days? Why? because of the operations manual for that franchise.

$[money] for a lifetime of knowledge? Worth it? Buy it and let it sit on a shelf and it's worthless.

Buy it and use it and you get ONLY 5 hours more with your family per week (that's 250 hours per year), is that worth $[money]?

i think so. For me I sold my store and am doing what I love, helping others have their store run without them...

Ms. Carter has a superb eye when she chooses to exercise it (check out which of those decrepit metal chairs on page 172-3 made it home to glory on page 42 -- not to mention the superb "city house" Adirondack chair on page 179, and many other "found" icons throughout). Her prose is both witty and chipper, yet deeply feeling for the simple things of the world, and the homely pleasures they offer.

Of course, everyone will find her accepting to a fault with regard to some item or another; but given her "whole greater than the sum of the parts" approach, its no surprise that these soul-invested objects all manage to find acceptance somewhere.

I feel that I've met a dear friend in the pages of this book; someone who lives the transforming power of love and has invited us into her very special world. To think that this exuberant spirit is not only a full-time junker, but also a wife and mother -- and a VP at Ralph Lauren! I'm curious to know what her husband is, besides one lucky hombre. I'd give a lot of stuff (and tolerate even more) to call a woman of this quality my own. And she takes excellent pictures, too....