Ms. Gerber really brings Eleanor to life, and makes her human. This book unfolds the story of how Eleanor found herself -- found her skills, her voice, her passion. Even in the face of great challenges -- personal, social, political -- Eleanor had her internal compass which lead her to greatness.

This book also shows Eleanor's self-doubt -- a feeling that all mortals experience. Eleanor is not a "super hero." She was a living, breathing woman who didn't know where life would take her.

Finally, this book is about leadership -- not the hard-charging, slash-and-burn, take no prisoners approach. But the kinder, gentler, diplomatic approach, that appeals to people's desire to create a better world for themselves and everyone around them.

This is a great read, and will leave you inspired!

This is a must add to your leadership library! If you like authors such as Donald T. Phillips-"Lincoln On Leadership" or Axelrod- "Elizabeth I CEO" then you will enjoy this book. The big plus is that it is about a contemporary woman leader. The author adds how you can take some of the leadership qualities of Eleanor and apply it to your own life situations. She gives examples from the lives of women in your community and mine who are working to make a difference each day. This book speaks to the vision of one woman who helped to make a difference in lives of women today. Things that we take for granted were hard fought for ideals championed by this woman. It is hard to put this book down once you get started and will apply to each woman who works to make the diffence in the lives of the family, the community and the world. Read It! You'll enjoy it!

After reading about Colin Powel's style, Bush's War and Guiliani's book on Leadership, it was a nice break to read about one of history's greatest first ladies--Eleanor Roosevelt. It also served as a checkpoint for myself to have a peek at the early 20th century and the beginnings of the UN in light of recent events. This book was written by Robin Gerber who is a senior scholar at the Academy of Leadership which is part of the University of Maryland. Not only a biography of Eleanor, it's also a how-to on leadership and includes side information about how other women implement Eleanor's style in their lives today.
Key Takeaways:
Give Voice to Your Leadership--ER did not start out a brilliant and inspiring public speaker, she had to practice at it. She eventually managed to be an effective communicator through both speech and her writing in columns. She held press conferences at the White House for women reporters only--she identified an audience she could reach and began speaking to them.
Embrace Risk--despite many folks including herself being unsure of her and her role, at Truman's request ER took on a role within the formation of the UN and went on to be a leading proponant of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. She took this on shortly after the death of FDR--a time when she could have retired. Instead she started on a second life.
Never Stop Learning--this keeps coming up in the lives of leaders--they have an interest in the world and learning about it. ER traveled extensively in the latter part of her life and took a good deal of interest in learning about the world and the various cultures enhabiting it. She traveled throughout the middle east and India. She also used her columns, and speeches as a tool to educate others.

Cuddling Teddy Roosevelt is kinda strange...but cuddling a soft bear is better. Who would've known that the teddy bear was named after a president!
In this children's picture book, children will be amazed that they know a bit of history after they read this beautifully written/illustrated book.
~Erin
Age 11

This book appeals to all teddy bear lovers- young and old! It is a great way to share history with children. My kindergarten class throughly enjoyed it cover to cover! A must for anyone who ever had / or has a teddy bear!!

I didn't read the book. I gave it as a birthday gift to my niece who is a teddy bear enthusiast. The rating I gave was based upon her overwhelming response to the book.

She was so taken with the story that she excitedly wrote a letter to the author. To his credit, the author responded with a handwritten letter that, along with the book, became a show-and-tell project for her 2nd grade class. She talks about the whole thing with stars in her eyes. It's truly priceless.

I give 5 stars to both the book and the author.

I absolutely loved The Oxygen Man, so I was eager to pick up Visible Spirits, the the second novel by Steve Yarbrough. It is elegantly-written and impossible to put down. I would recommend it to everyone out there!

Set in the racially charged atmosphere of turn-of-the-century Mississippi, Steve Yarbrough's compelling and subtle "Visible Spirits" is a nuanced investigation of the tortured, conflicted relationship between two dissimilar brothers. Secrets, many of them swirling around sexual assault and compulsion, dominate the life of erstwhile Leighton Payne, the conscience-driven mayor and newspaper editor of Loring, a small town which steadfastly refuses to relinquish its past and defiantly adheres to racist principles. Leighton grapples with his family's past, his wife's elusive affections and the sudden reappearance of his reprobate brother, Tandy, whose inability to hold a job is equalled only by his appetite for gambling, deceit and sexual satisfaction. It is not an accident that Leighton uses a cockroach to "author" newspaper columns which admonish the community for its perverse commitments to ignorance, bigotry and hatred. Nor is it an accident that the malevolent Tandy seizes a racist political opportunity to advance his own interests.

The central focus of "Visible Spirits" on the seething antagonism between Leighton and Tandy matches the novelist's perceptive inclusion of a series of fully-realized African-American charactes. Loring's postmistress, Loda, proudly discharges her responsibilities, despite confronting the daily pressures of a culture determined to minimize her and the constant awareness of connection to the Payne family. Her husband, Seaborn Jackson, a diligent insurance salesman, symbolizes not only the development of an African-American bourgeoisie, but the inherent fragility of social mobility in the South for any Black who dared tamper with the social rules of Jim Crow. In turn, their lives quietly rotate around the quietly defiant Blueford, whose single act of rebellion ignites a firestorm of racist reprisal.

"Visible Spirit" gains its intellectual stature from the seemingly insoluble moral problems it dissects. To what degree does a son tolerate or repudiate his father's legacy? How strong are the bonds of brotherhood, and what consequences result from blood ties? What occurs to a man when he discovers he has never fully obtained his wife's affection? What is the cost of racism, both on the victim and the victimizer? What constitutes an act of heroism, an act of resistance, an act of love? Yarbrough is nothing less than brilliant as he steps back from his own writing and permits his characters to wrestle not only with their own lives, but the vexing moral dilemmas they constantly encounter.

This talented, spare novel contains exceptional dialogue, vivid atmosphere, deft description of physical environments and absolutely believable characterization. "Visible Spirit" is also subtle and multi-faceted. It is a novel whose pace gradually accelerates and whose conclusion leaves the reader chastened but thankful. Those concerned about the issues of racial justice and historical responsibility will welcome the addition of this novel to a national dialogue.

And I mean that. It is a shame. The fact is that Southern writers like S Yarbrough, L Brown, B Hannah, and southern-ish writers like J Lent and D Durham are the best, most important writers we have out there right now. I guess the NY lot has all the power and makes up the winners of the awards, but as far as I'm concerned it's the brave few outside of the city that are truly writing about our race, our history, our future.

Hale these great storytellers! Maybe time and the wisdom of distance will finally give them their due.

This is a must-read book for anyone interested in any of the following topics: African-American History, hunting, Theodore Roosevelt, Southern History, the Civil War, and William Faulkner. As an avid Faulkner reader, I cannot help but conclude that Holt Collier is the real-life person upon which the pivotal character of Sam Fathers is based. Beyond this observation, the book is well researched and is an excellent read. You will not be disappointed. HOLT COLLIER deserves a wide audience and should be assigned reading.

Brilliantly written non-fiction biography using countless primary sources. An amazing new character never before presented to the general public. If this book had not been sent to me as a present I would have never heard of it. Apparently it has been sold only as a regional book, but I can assure any reader, it will have a national following in due course. Very highly recommended. Well worth the read. You will come away from this book thinking about it for weeks, and frankly, you will soon pick it up to read it again.

As a history major in college I developed a taste for the truth that can only be found in biographies. Over the years I have kept a small library in my home and under my bed to read at night, prior to retiring. The book by Mr. Buchanan is a detailed, accurate account of this man and his relationships to the men around him and his world. Being a product of the Mississippi Delta, I can see Holt Collier in the deep bayou's of the old Delta, hunting the bears. I admire the writer's style in his ability to place me there beside Holt all along the way in this book. There, in the realities of Holt's world, the reader walks his paths, thinks his thoughts, and feels the anger he feels.

Finally I would like to thank Mr. Buchanan for this effort and look forward to seeing more of his work in the future.

This collection is a sampler of several hundred Teddy Roosevelt quotations. It is a little book, the kind you are more likely to pick up and browse, than read through from beginning to end.

The editor has conveniently arranged TR's missives by topic. The reader will find our most energetic president holding forth on politics, foreign affairs, voting, citizenship, family, children, motherhood, Lincoln, virtue, boxing, war, and himself among the categories. In short, this sampling covers many of Roosevelt's incredibly varied interests.

Because the topics are so varied, this collection will serve to give those not well aquainted with TR a good taste for the man's energy, passions and world views. For those of us who are TRphiles, this book is a treasure trove, for it calls forth in many ways the truly unique aspects that serve to make Roosevelt perhaps the most "American" of Americans.

Also included are books by TR, quotes about him, his thoughts on the Rough Riders as well as his stirring and famous "...In the Arena" speech.

An inspiring little tome handsomely presented.

This book is like a: "word for the day" calendar, or a "horoscope of the day" calendar. Since this book is 184 pages; read one quote per day, then start over. BULLY PULPIT is a glimpse of T.R.'S life. It's not as time-consuming as a biography would be...

Not since: MORNINGS ON HORSEBACK have I run across a book as interesting as this one.

ENJOY!

This book of TR's maxims is a wonderful little reference to have. I keep it in the bathroom for quick reading, and I'm never disappointed!

Before I read this book, I didn't know much about either of these women. I also couldn't see how you could compare them. But after reading it I realized that these women are indeed alike. They both love to be different, and to do out-of-the-ordinary things. The book has them going on 2 adventures together, each doing the things they love. During these adventures they wear their evening dresses. It is a great story about two amazing women.

As the parent of a curious 5-year-old, I've been disappointed by the scarcity of historical and biographical books aimed at very young children. My daughter had an interest in Amelia Earhart since she first saw her "red plane" at the Smithsonian, so I took a gamble and bought this book for her at Christmas time...and she loved it. In fact, she liked it so much that she's insisted on giving it to several of her girl friends as gifts. It was a big hit with them as well. In fact a couple of their mothers have asked me where I got it (Amazon, of course), and whether the author has written any other children's books.

The story is simple, fun, historical, and symbolically significant (without being didactic or political). The black and white illustrations are interesting to look at, and very detailed (even the pattern on the White House china in the background is historically accurate).

With their colorful personalities, and the strength to defy cultural expectations, Amelia Earhart and Eleanor Roosevelt make great role models for little girls -- and it doesn't hurt for them to understand that the freedoms they will surely take for granted in their lives were won for all of us by women like these.

"Amelia and Eleanor were birds of a feather. Eleanor was outspoken and determined. So was Amelia. Amelia was daring and liked to try things other women wouldn't even consider. Eleanor was the very same..." So begins Pam Munoz Ryan's marvelous picture book adventure, Amelia And Eleanor Go For A Ride. These two famous "birds" were Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady of the United States, and Amelia Earhart, world famous aviator and the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. Based on an actual event, using newpaper accounts, diaries, and book transcripts, Ms Ryan tells the intriguing story of how these two friends ditched a White House dinner party one April night in 1933, and ignoring protests from the Secret Service took a daring night flight from Washington to Baltimore and back. Her easy to read and engaging text is exciting and entertaining. Brian Selznick's vivid black and white pencil illustrations have the look of old photographs, and capture the story beautifully. Together both word and art present a well researched, thrilling story, rich in many authentic details, and includes an Author's Note and actual picture to enhance this wonderful event. Perfect for youngsters 6-10, Amelia And Eleanor Go For A Ride transports the reader back in time when flying, especially night flight was new, and let's you tag along on a once in a lifetime adventure as history is made.

I enjoyed Santiago Rag. As a European I had little knowledge of the American-Cuban-Spanish war and found this story an interesting blend of fiction and fact. Based around the experiences of a young male, we are taken on a series of adventures into the formation and action fighting of Roosevelt's Rough Riders (I had heard about them previously!). As seen mostly through the eyes of our naïve hero we experience the shock and horror of war. But we also have the insights into the broader political issues as might have been contemplated by Teddy Roosevelt. I know purists who don't accept fiction mixed with the facts, but they miss the point of this kind of thoroughly researched story-documentary. Authors like Al Gowan are able to enrich the facts and put the flesh on the bones of historical events. It may not be exactly what happened but an author's insights and imaginative narratives can increase our understanding of history. Set against his personally observed localities, the author creates a fast moving story and an atmosphere that is convincing.

Just to say I'm enjoying SANTIAGO RAG. The pacing is dynamic, the vignettes vivid the descriptions meaty. I like this p. 39, "The Indian's eyes flashed, anger Gabriel had not yet seen. He tood the daguerreotype and replaced it in the pouch. An ember from the dying fire exploded

History buffs and everyday readers alike will find Santiago Rag an engrossing novel profiling the men who fought in Cuba and at the battle of San Juan Hill. Al Gowan uses information passed down from his grandfather and written accounts of participants to weave a compelling story of the hardships in those days and the battle against the enemy and disease. Included are photographs he took recently in Cuba of locations described in the book. As we celebrate the anniversary of the Spanish-American War, Santiago Rag is a great way to experience what those times were like. Jim Armstrong, Publisher and Editor, MILITARY RETIREE NEWS, Tampa, Florida

"The Roosevelt Myth" both shocks and educates the reader about the nature and presidency of FDR. The book goes beyond fireside chats to inspire a deeper understanding of the Depression, New Deal programs, and America's involvement in World War II. In blunt, straightforward language, Mr. Flynn strips away the accepted veneer of the president as benevolent champion of the American people to expose a more flawed personality. His well-documented examination of FDR reveals the president's machinations for power and his misuse of that power, how his disinterested ignorance of economics and subsequent economic policies actually sustained the Depression, and his pursuit of personal gain at the expense of personal integrity. Mr. Flynn's message on the character of one of the most venerated icons of American politics is often discomfiting, but well worth reading if you're looking for a clear, honest examination of history.

No, not as Sumner Welles was, though that story is included here, but here is FDR as he was: a cheap-jack, red-faced, serpent-smiled machine politician. He would stroke, promise, betray, and forget politcal debts unlike any man in this dirty business ever thought to do. He promised, for example, a free Poland, and shunted such things to the side, for political expedience called. Lincoln violated the law, Theodore Roosevelt and Taft slapped down the free market, LBJ destroyed free association, Carter (temporarily) crushed America's respect in the world, Clinton gave everyone a reason to laugh at the executive--but Franklin made relativism an art form. This book shows why America would be better off without a president.

My wife dragged me out to Danker Furniture in Fairfax to buy a couch back in 1988. I knew we had little money, and so I let her do the talking. The store had prop books on the shelves so I picked up the Roosevelt Myth, sat in an armchair and could't stop reading for the next forty minutes. Finally I told the salesman, I don't want a couch but I'll give you a sawbuck for this book. He let me have it gratis. It was a copy that had been annotated in pencil on the back cover. Flynn spared no effort to detail how thoroughly dishonest FDR was in every aspect of his life. He used to play up his infantile paralysis for public sympathy. He even abused his office to pursue his hobby: collecting stamps! By 1944 his mental health was so bad that he zoned out during a radio address. Of course the fawning craven toadies of the press dutifully covered everything up, but not Flynn. He saw a picture with an admiral's sleeve showing. He asked for an uncropped photo and contacted the admiral for the truth while the rest of the scribblers dished out wartime propaganda. Seem familiar? It should, Clinton cheated -- probably still does -- at golf and the press has not changed a bit. Roosevelt made sure that Flynn was punished for writing this courageous work, because he lost his position as editor of Colliers magazine as a result. Most so-called reporters haven't the guts to try a work of this kind today.

In 1909, just after the end of his term as President, Theodore Roosevelt traveled to Africa for a year long safari.The trip was a major undertaking ; hundreds of porters were needed to carry his baggage. Roosevelt's son, Kermit came along, taking photographs which are reproduced in the book. Roosevelt and company bag hundred of animals. It appears that all hunting rules were suspended for the ex-president. Roosevelt and son are soon blasting away at anything and everything that comes into view. British East Africa is described in terms that make today's politically correct readers wince. Attitudes have changed dramatically in less than one hundred years. It is odd to hear Roosevelt describe parts of Africa as a "white man's country," suitable for large scale settlement by Europeans. The book bogs down and I was unable to read it without skimming through some parts. The descriptions of marching through wilderness and chasing after game on foot and on horseback seem to go on forever. There is a lot of great infomation here even if it is necessary to become your own editor by skipping though tedious parts.

This book gives you the genuine flavor of safari 80 years ago.

Not being very good with a gun, having little outdoorsman skills, and not being in the best shape of my life, reading this book was better than being there. If I was there, I would miss the animals, I would be too tired to enjoy it, and besides all of that, Africa is not as it was 100 years ago.
I have just begun to reread this book, and I don't know how many times this is. I enjoy it each and every time I pick it up.

"A Bully Father" is a delightful insight into a remarkable American family. The first portion of the book is a biographical narrative of Theodore Roosevelt, with a strong emphasis on his family life. The remainder is a collection of letters from TR to his children. Although the letters are identified by topic, they are otherwise left to speak for themselves.

These letters were generally written to his children while they were away at school. The letters are treasures from the Age of Letters. Things which today would be communicated in person, by telephone or e-mail were, in TR's day, communicated and preserved in correspondence. The letters cover a wide variety of topics. Events of daily life of the Roosevelt family and evaluations, favorable and unfavorable, of the child constitute the majority of the letters. Nothing was too small for TR's attention. Horse and carriage rides, playing with children or wrestling with Japanese wrestlers, his tennis partners and White House visitors are all recorded for our enjoyment. TR also used these letters to give vocational advice as well as to comment on public events of the day. TR also expounds on his views on literature and history, as well as his views on family values. The classical literature which he and "Mother" read to the children are mind boggling!

This is a book which is enjoyable to read and also makes you think. TR's relationship with his children and his interactions with them provide a standard against which we can measure our own lives. Read this book and treasure it!

Teddy shines through as a true inspiration to all fathers. I read this book, and then "played bear" with my children.

The greatest legacy a father can leave the world is his children. Theodore Roosevelt is more popularly remembered in history as the great Trust Buster and the hero of San Juan Hill, but his greatest contribution was something that until this book, has been overlooked, the impact of a loving and nurturing father on his children.

Reading this book, one gets the unmistakable impression that Teddy Roosevelt was infinitely more concerned about the lives of his children than he ever was about the affairs of the Presidency. Readers are left with the impression that at a moments notice, he would give up everything for the welfare of even one of his kids. What a legacy to leave for history.

In an age where families are under siege and children are becoming more like trophies that are displayed, Teddy Roosevelt's letters to his children shine as a beacon pointing us to what being a parent is all about, raising, loving, and nurturing our children.

What ever happened to writing letters? The art of letter writing has all but passed away. In T.R.'s time reading letters was a family event, something that was eagerly anticipated by the entire family. Today's family is forced to deal with the constant barrage of faxes, e-mails and cellular phones. Family conversation has been reduced to digital bytes rather than meaningful conversation. George Washington may have been the father of our nation, but Teddy Roosevelt had a far more lasting impact, he was a father to his children.