Mapping America's Past is an attempt at using maps to portray American social, economic, military, and political development. The maps that are included are excellent, but what was included is somewhat puzzling. The general analysis of wars, expansion, and elections are useful, but maps of political party development in the Cleveland area or prostitution in New York City are not entirely relevant to the general American history student. Similarly, many of the accompanying texts offer little detailed insight into the topics the maps cover.

This book should be considered a general resource, but for an in-depth historical atlas, the reader must look elsewhere.

A highly satisfying review of historical topics.I'm often able to read only in 20-minute bites; every spread of this book is a self-contained history lesson, accessible in 20 minutes but worth revisiting many times. Most important topics and events of American history are covered well, and the rendering of complex information (e.g. the six gauges of railroad in 1850 and how this incompatablity affected commerce, population and political power) is truly inspired. This is a superb gift for an American history buff.

i have enjoyed this series because of ms holts characters but i found the puzzle was simplistic and and easy to solve...i much prefer agatha christie for a more challanging puzzle

The 4th book in the Retirement Mysteries by Corinne Holt Sawyer finds the ladies from Camden-sur-Mer at it again. Friends Angela Benbow and Caledonia Wingate investigate the death of Alexander Lightfoot, who was engaged to one of the residents at their retirement community. (not a nursing home!) Even though these two are in their 80's, no one dares to tell them that they are too old to investigate murders, and when they find out the victim was healthy and not suicidal, they immediately decide it was murder. When a second murder victim is found, Angela and Caledonia dig deeper to help Lt. Martinez solve this case, and find out no one (not even the victim) is as they would seem.

I enjoyed the latest book in this series about the irrepressible Angela and Caledonia. Playing a larger part in this book is Tom Brighton, another resident in the community, and his cheerful demeanor in the midst of hip pain adds to the notion that the elderly are adventurous in many ways. I like the spunk and determination of the characters in this series, and I found myself laughing aloud at their antics.

This book shows that retirement does not mean "out to pasture" and shows how valuable the elderly are (to those that, unfortunately, need a reminder!). This was a delightful look at a feisty group of retirement residents that work together to help the police solve a murder. The characters grow with each book in the series and this book was a great addition to the first three. Great for all ages!

The first book in this series is "The J Alfred Prufrock Murders". Enjoy!

While there are some interesting insights shared by various professional storytellers it does little to actually help you understand the topics listed in its Table of Contents. For each chapter you have a dozen or so experts answer some pretty basic questions in a paragraph or two.

Instead of providing provocative insights into the interesting world of storytelling, this book is actually more of a collection of one-paragraph answers to very general topics. They don't provide enough detail, insightful hints, or strangely enough, even good stories behind their explanations.

Rather than leveraging the experiences and insights from some great storytellers, this text instead provides common sense answers to overly general questions. In the chapter titled "Getting Started" you are told by 17 experts that the best way to get started telling stories is to tell stories...and that's about it. In the chapter "Making a Story your Own" you are essentially told by 16 experts that you should tell the same story alot and try to tweak it to fit you.

Overall, if you are looking for a good source of insight into how to tell a tale, you should probably keep looking.

All my friends who are working to become better storytellers swear by this handbook. It includes interviews with fifty of the best-known professional storytellers in the USA today. I have heard many of them at large national and regional festivals myself and would follow their advice. This book came to my attention through very positive reviews in library magazines, but it has been recommended to me by storytellers famous and unknown.

Snow White and the Seven Samurai starts out with a great premise--all your favorite fairy tales get mixed around--but then does not deliver. There are a lot of characters in the book who do not act like their tales are mixed up. You expect them to be the opposite of the way they are in the real tale, but instead they fall somewhere in between. Characters are added that have nothing to do with fairy tales. While there are some truly clever and funny parts, all in all the book is kind of a hodgepodge of fairy tales and mixed up fairy tales and just regular fiction-writing. For true Holt humor, stick with Expecting Someone Taller or Flying Dutchman.

For some reason Tom Holt has never gotten the attention that Terry Pratchett does. They are both comic geniuses, both very solid, imaginative writers, and both manage to be incredibly prolific. Possibly, it is because Pratchett has chosen to set his stories in Discworld, with a regular cast of characters, and Holt starts from scratch each time. But, without question, you can't go wrong with either one. Providing you like to laugh, that is.

Somehow three little hackers (disguised as three colorblind mice) slip into the castle of the Wicked Queen and come upon her just as she is running Mirrors 3.1 on her magic mirror. They watch as she runs 'Who_is_fairest.exe and sets an appointment in her calendar for doing away with Snow White. As the queen slips off the hackers attempt to take control of the operating system. No surprise, the pest control software works and the Queen returns in what is almost the nick of time. Unfortunately, the female of the three mice turns the mirror off rather than shutting it down. In this world, Mirrors 3.1 is the real operating system, and it doesn't take well to sudden power losses.

In fact, it scrambles everything in memory - which is everything. The Wicked Queen quickly grabs her backup memory bucket (think of it as a 'wet' drive), and heads off into the magic forest to find someone who knows how to pour a full system reload. And so begins the ultimate fractured fairy tale. In it, you will discover that the Three Pigs have resorted to building with concrete and anti-tank weapons. You will meet the wolf that huffs, puffs and says 'rivet.' And find out that Snow White is fond of bondage. You will even get to wonder 'What are these seven samurai doing in a dwarf tale.'

What you won't get to do is sit there, read with a grim expression, and not even utter a snicker. Tom Holt is a wizard at the quickly set up, awful pun ("two wrongs don't make us Wrights" and "good fencers make bad neighbors." He has a knack for literary sight gags and the sublimely ridiculous. His books are meant for those times when all the bits refuse to fit together and you just need to think about something else. Or when you want to get somewhat hysterical for a few hours. While this isn't Holt's very best effort (try 'Expecting Someone Taller' or 'Flying Dutch') it is, like all of his work, way better than any of the competition except Pratchett.

I'm not really a fantasy kind of person. But after reading this book, maybe I ought to shift preferences after all. This book is hilarious, funny. It's corny, easily understood by adolescents. His description and the way the whole story just spins around had my brain churning up mental images. Already I've drawn a sketch of the wicked queen. The Big Bad Wolf and his consort the elf is next on the list. Who knows, maybe the whole cast would make an appearance in my sketch book. Every one is entitled to their own opinions. This book, in my opinion, is a perfect read to cheer oneself up when they're days away from major examinations. Stress-reliever. Read it and if you fall outta your chair as I did during Physics, then it's good.

I recently learned that I got a 5 on the AP Exam and I have no doubt that part of the reason for this is that I used this book to study. With that being said, the book does have its problems. The information in the book is exhaustive in detail and attempts to teach the reader everything there is to know about European History; a noble attempt, but wholely unecessary! "Big Purple", as my friends and I referred to the book, is excellent when combined with a shorter, more concise review book (I split my study time between it and "Cracking the AP Euro Exam") but is far too dense to stand on its own...it'll drive you nuts if you try to prepare studying from it alone!

For AP European History exam preparation, I used three review books: ARCO, PRINCETON and REA. Each of these
books had something unique that made studying productive...and definetely got me higher than a three (I don't know for sure, I
just got back from the test an hour ago). I'll give you the basic information about each one:

ARCO-this book has a short historical review, but the writing style and page format are IDEAL FOR HIGHLIGHTING and
putting in sidenotes. The tests were relatively easy and the "how to take the test" parts are worthless, But this book is
PERFECT FOR GETTING THE BIG PICTURE. The practice essay questions at the end of each chapter had an enormous
impact on my success, but lacked explanations and sample essays; what I did was write the essays and then I had my teacher
look at them.

PRINCETON-this review book has a COMPREHENSIVE SECTION ON HOW TO TAKE THE TEST. The historical
review is more INTRICATE than the ARCO book, but sentences are wordy and is NOT IDEAL FOR HIGHLIGHTING OR
NOTE TAKING. The tests were harder than in the ARCO, and contained detailed explanations. The book helps put together
the pieces of the puzzle, but not as well as ARCO. In addition, a helpful index appears in the back of the book.

REA-This book goes into WAY TOO MUCH DETAIL. I would highly recommend it to those students with die hard teachers
though. For the regular joe, THIS BOOK CONTAINS SIX PRACTICE TESTS. Some questions will make you scared, but
for the most part, the questions are general and straightfoward, just like the real test. The essay questions are great too; sample
essays appear with the answer keys after each test.

I recommend the ARCO book in order to get the BIG PICTURE.
I recommend the PRINCETON book for it's HOW TO SECTION and SEMI-DETAILED HISTORICAL REVIEW.
I recommend the REA book for it's TESTS.

Other than that, its your choice.

Oh yeah, if anyone tells you that the test is hard, tell them that they didn't work hard enough. As long as you put the time and
effort in, you don't screw around in class, and you realize that YOUR GRADE IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY, you'll do fine. I
had a lazy teacher, but I managed to pull it off. ;-)

Well, my first look at this book brought on a wave of overwhelming feelings (It's nearly 600 pages). But don't be alarmed. I was an A (94-96%) student in AP Euro, and I can recall facts generally within a time FRAME pretty well. I've already taken the exam, and I can guaruntee you this: There are about 8-10 questions from this book ACTUALLY ON the AP Exam. This book COMPLETELY BEATS the Princeton review, if that's what you're thinking of using. Most of my friends found that the Princeton book actually had time periods MISSING. Use this as your primary study source (or your only study source) and study AT LEAST 2 weeks prior to the exam, and you're set. I haven't gotten my results back yet, but I'm almost certain of a 4, with most probably a 5. Good luck to all that take it, and bring some Gatorade and PowerBars, that 15 minute break is crucial!

No fooling. "Caution! Bad book!" It went flying across the room and hit the wall. *G* It started out okay, but the bloody idiot goes ahead and falls in love w/ her rapist. I lost all respect for the character. I admit, I didn't finish it. I skipped ahead and saw what happened. Bang, thump as it hit the floor. Then I gave it away to the first poor, unsuspecting teenage girl I could find. If you must read this book, stop halfway through, unless you too are in love with your rapist...in that case, go seek help. You need it.

I just re-read this book for the first time since I was 11 and I still find it entertaining. Other reviewers complained that Kate falls in love with her rapist. Well ... Rollo's not a very nice man, but Holt makes it clear that Kate is enjoying herself at least some of the time. It's one of those love-hate relationships. Kate's attracted to a strong, domineering man who finds her irresistable, even though she knows he's a barbarian. And that IS one of the archetypal fantasies that women have deep, deep down even though no normal person actually wants a Rollo to kidnap her, drug her and force himself on her. It's a fantasy, so it's safe. This book was written in 1982, about the time the "Luke and Laura" phenomenon was going on. They were popular and so was this book. People liked the idea.

At the beginning, I guess Kate should be someone with her own brain and idea. I don't know why VH would make Kate into a paradoxical creature. She was so strong to help her blind dad to continue the business, which to me is an courageous act. However, after she bore a child, she changed a lot. Weaker, not of herself any more. This weakness comes to climax when war time came. She lost herself totally at once when the Rollo entered afterwards.

Besides, did western women (I am Asian) of the 18th and 19th century tended to be controlled by their men (boyfriends, suitor or husbands)? Well, the language is beautfully written, lyrical at times BUT I just cannot stomach the idea that women should marry those rich and famous guys who have RAPED them. Not for modern women, right?

While not quite up to the 5-star standard of EXPECTING SOMEONE TALLER, FAUST AMONG EQUALS is certainly more than equal to the task of entertaining a reader for an afternoon. Holt's unique spin on theology, literature, and popular culture continues to be worth the price of admission to the "Disney-meets-Dante" theme-park ride contained between the covers of this novel.

Almost back to his original stride, this is probably the Holt that I've enjoyed the most in the last five books. That enjoyment can also be summarized in one word: Eurobosch. Yes, following DisneyWorld, the MGM Grand Theme Park, Atlantic City, and Cyberia, the most famous theme park in all of history is now open for business. Based on that mad genious Hieronymous Bosch and his most famous work, "The Garden of Earthly Delights," and operated by the holding company of Beelzebub, et al. You don't have to take the painting and imagine what thrilling rides and attractions are available--Holt has it down.

That's just a part of the book, though. The plot concerns a certain George Faustus who has managed to effect an escape from Hell, right during an impending audit. Now that Hell's operated as a business-- once you start reinventing government, it was inevitable--the loss of a major asset can't be tolerated, and the chase is on.

The good parts here are equal to his previous best, parts like Helen of Troy being a lovely and perfect little woman with a slight penchant for decorating. In the time of Homer, that couldn't amount to much (what? a curtain over the castle window?), but with centuries of design to choose from.... And Leonardo da Vinci--wasn't he just the greatest geek that ever lived? And that's only a couple of the strange yet amusing additions to the lives of historical and fictional personages in the story.

Faust Among Equals is of the school of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy type of humor. It's not as good as HHGG, but that's asking a lot. It is, however, clever and quick, with wry references to Faust, Helen of Troy, and Hieronymous Bosch and lots of contemporary commentary (Australia doesn't come off too well). I listened to the book on tape and Simon Callow is so good at droll characterizations that I cannot imagine reading it myself. Well done.

The story Of Mice and Men is a great novel about two men trying to find a job. This is a good story for teenagers because it has a lot of exciting and some violent parts in it. The characters in it are kind of stupid. Over all this is a pretty good story for people to read.

I'm an 8th grader who just got done reading the book in english class. I thought the book was verry interesting and exciting. The characters especially Lennie were so funny. I recomend this book to all people.

I'm outtie!

I really like the story. The only part I guess I did not like is how they treat retarded people like animals! Because if you look at slow people and then you look at us, we'er all the same! Every thing eise was really good!

This is the 3rd Cheryl Holt book I have read, the first one was Love Lessons, that I quite enjoyed, the second one was Absolute Pleasure that I hated and almost made me not want to buy another Cheryl Holt book, but since I had already read James' story, I wanted to know what happened to his brother Michael, whom I liked from Love Lessons, to I bought this book. And once again was completely dissapointed by Holt's style. This definitevely is the last book I buy from her.
First of all, she has a tendency to create heroes that are very hard to like, and that commit accions that are very difficult to forgive, but in spite of this, the female is always the one who in the ends seeks him out (totally humilliating herself in the process). If you have read other Chery Holt books, you know what I'm talking about, in Love Lessons it was somewhat justified. in Absolute Pleasure it was not, neither in this book. When I read about the way Michael treated her, merely because he suspects that she may have plotted with her brother to ensnare him, it made me dislike Michael very much. He sends her to the country to endure hunger, cold and misery while he lives happily in the city, "pretending" not to know of her situation, when he should have known better, since he was the one who caused it.
I kept hoping that he would learn the truth about her innocence and go looking for her and ask her forgiveness for his inconsiderate behavior, but instead, he had never planned to look for her, if it were up to him she could have died of hunger or cold, and he would have never even found out. Does this sound like a person in love? Of course not, however, Holt tries to makes us believe after she seeks him out, that he loves her, and feels remorse for his actions against her. I'm sorry but I found this very hard to believe.
In Love Lessons, Michael was a very likeable character,and this book completely ruined him. Even the reconciliation scene was all about sex and not about emotions.
I kind of liked the scene when Abigail gives Sarah the drawings of Michael, and when he finds out that his sister in law saw them. It was cute. But that was it.
It is a shame, because the original plot of this book could have made for a good romance novel, but it was developed poorly.

Well I was excited to read this story. I had enjoyed LOVE LESSONS so much that I started this one right away. I was very disappointed in the story. It lacked the emotion of the other book. This one was just sex and not much else. I didn't like Michael and he didn't improve any along the way. Sarah was a bit more likeable especially towards the end. I like finding out what had happened to James and Abigail from the first story. I wish I could have liked this more. The sex scenes are hot but I wouldn't call them love scenes. This book will not be read again by me.

Total Surrender was not my favorite story about the two Steven's brothers but it was still a good read.

Michael left and disappeared at the end of "Love Lessons" and his story picks up in "Total Surrender" at a country house party in Bedford, England. Michael is feeling left adrift by circumstances regarding his parents and then his brother's relationships and his place in life. With his confusion he goes into a self-destruction mode. He has no plans on ever loving a person and feels that love does not exists in the real world. Lust yes love no. All of his beliefs are about to be tested at this country orgy house party in the form of virginal Sarah Compton.

Sarah is a twenty-five year old virgin. She has no idea that the house party that her brother has encouraged her to attend is no place for a respectable young woman. She finds herself confronted by her sensuality and feelings that she has never experienced by a man so handsome she can't believe that he exists.

Reading about Sarah and Michael falling in love was a quite an undertaking. Ms. Holt has created a very memorable dark and brooding hero in Michael. He acts true to form and you can't help but root for the strong willed heroine and that she has success in finally melting the ice around Michaels heart. Although this book is very sensual in detail, and at times you just want to yell and scream at Michael to "wake up" and quit acting like a brat you will find it difficult to put down. Michael is not an easy character to like. But there is plenty of history that will be explained during the telling of the story that explains his behavior and his reactions to different situations. The only complaint that I had was I felt that there was no closure regarding Rebecca and her actions during the story.

Amazon does not describe this as being an exercise book, and so I was very disappointed when I received it. The Holt Handbook that I read was a 1989 issue and so I thought that my purchase would be an updated version.

I've had this book for 4 years and have not used it and I'm a college student. Anyone who speaks English shouldn't need a book like this. Spend your money on a movie.

This work by two college teachers provides an excellent overview on writing papers, including how to research and develop a topic and -- gasp -- orient yourself in a library. In addition to chapters on English grammar and usage, there are separate sections covering the basics of two standard style guides (APA and MLA), with examples. The research portion evaluates many types of sources (primary and secondary, monographic and serial, and indexes) and treats the potential of the Internet for research with appropriate cautionary statements. The layout is very attractive and clear. Useful as a guide to library research as well as a paper-writing aid.