This book is about the practice of grade retention in elementary school, a particularly vexing problem in urban school systems, where more than half of the students may repeat a grade. On the Success of Failure addresses the question of whether repeating a grade is helpful or harmful when children are not keeping up. It describes the school context of retention and evaluates its consequences by tracking the experiences of a large, representative sample of Baltimore school children from first grade through middle school. In addition to evaluating retention's consequences, the book describes the peers' dispersion along many different educational pathways over this eight year period, retention's relation to other forms of educational tracking (such as reading group placements in the early primary grades and course level assignments in middle school), and repeaters' academic and school adjustment problems before they were held back. Focusing on the experience of first, second and third grade repeaters, the volume finds largely positive effects for retention.

"Once A Marine," the engaging memoirs of Alexander A. Vandegrift - eighteenth Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, is a remarkable story. The story is that of a leader who dedicated forty years of his life in service to his country, his Corps, and his fellow Marines. He did it all with personal humility and without losing perspective of the Corps' role in American government and society. This book is an important part of any World War II or Marine Corps collection.

This book illustrates General Vandegrift's belief in the importance of communication, as dozens of his letters to family, friends, leaders, and fellow servicemen are included. Also included are selections from his many speeches, including the famous "bended knee" speech that he gave before Congress to state the convincing case for the very existence of the Marine Corps.

Told here is the story of Vandegrift's career, which truly spanned the globe, with service in Cuba, Panama, Nicaragua, Mexico, Haiti, New Zealand, Australia, China, Guadalcanal, Bougainville, and American locations such as Maine, North Carolina, and Washington, DC. Throughout many actions and from the Atlantic to the Pacific, he relates his extensive service under larger-than-life figures such as Smedley Butler, Thomas Holcomb, Douglas MacArthur, Chester Nimitz, and William Halsey. Also, we learn that in Vandegrift's Pacific actions and campaigns, he led other Marines who would become legends in their own rights - Clifton Cates, Merritt Edson, Joe Foss, Roy Geiger, Herman Hanneken, Randolph Pate, Lewis Puller, Lemuel Sheppard, David Shoup, Julian Smith, and Holland Smith. Five of these Marines would go on to become Commandants themselves.

Vandegrift led the 1st Marine Division in its successful invasion of Guadalcanal, which was the first American offensive action in the Pacific Theater during World War II. This book gives an extensive narration of the invasion for which he ultimately received the Congressional Medal of Honor. Throughout his career, Vandegrift continued to break new ground. As Commandant, he was the first Marine four-star general on active duty.

In a large downtown park in my city, there is a monument dedicated to Marines fallen in combat. General Vandegrift was present and dedicated the monument on November 11th, 1947. From reading this book, I learned that in Washington, DC Vandegrift had named his successor only the day before, on November 10th - the 172nd birthday of the Marine Corps. The fall of 1947 also saw Vandegrift and the Corps emerge successful from the final round of a multiyear struggle for the continuation of the Marine Corps as a separate and distinct service. Vandegrift's dedication, honesty, humility, and foresight for the future of the Corps lead the way in this momentous struggle.

It is often said that Marines do not leave their dead behind. As General Alexander A. Vandegrift, in the twilight of his career, stood at the monument to fallen brothers-in-arms on that rainy November day, he proved that saying to be right. After reading this book, you will know the character that makes up such a great leader.

In recent years, many YA novels have been written about the Vietnam War and the peace movement. While laudably intended to promote understanding and healing, all too many have failed to address the painful moral questions of the War. Whether this is due to a reluctance to assign "blame," or a fear of upsetting too many parents, is difficult to say.

Well, here is a fine book from the period in question that does not shy away from calling the War immoral, that does not hesitate to take authority to task, that does not fail to address the class and racial aspects of the War. Never strident, always gentle but firm in tone, it tells the story of a young white girl who is moved to organize a protest march when a young black man from her small town is killed in Vietnam. Written in sorrow for the deaths on both sides of the conflict, it's justifibly angry at the political delusions and empty patriotic slogans that kept the War going for so long. A short (barely 100 pages) but quietly powerful book that deserves reprinting.

I think this is excellent book for those who want to have an understanding of complicated, but marvelously beautiful world of optics. The book is vast on questions considered - from relatively simple geometric optics to extremely difficult radiative transfer equations and multi-layered particle optics, from bio-optics to planetary optics and remote sensing problems. The book has written on the clear simple English and following from audibly described theory to engineering formulae and references on programming codes. I know that now the second Edition of this book is in preparing. I urgently recommend to read this book to beginning students-optics and professionals dealing with optical methods in their practice.

This book illustrates many interesting examples. The author collect them from many reports. You will know how to apply optimum methods to biology field. This book is practical and plain. If you have studied optimum technique,you will learn the application, from constructing objective function,defining design variables,to finding constraints. If you haven't, this book will offer a elementary course.

In Pierre Michon's The Origin Of The World, a young teacher working in a sleepy countryside town becomes bewitched by the dazzling beauty and seductive personality of one of the residents in this sensual and evocative work. Origin Of The World will aptly serve to introduce a significant French author to an appreciative audience of English readers. The Origin Of The World is skillfully translated from the original French by Wyatt Alexander Mason, and is an original work that earned Michon the "Prix Louis Guilloux" award. This comes as no surprise to those familiar with Michon's work, given the author's consistent history of literary excellence and impressive resume of prizes and awards for his novels, short stories, and essays. Highly recommended!

It is a excellent book, which describes all about I want toknow the most recents concepts in the Spine field, with the most remarkable authors and investigators.

This book traces the strange but true story of an unquestionably brilliant British politician who eventually came to realize he should never have put on the fascist uniform that ruined his career. And even before Churchill thought of it, Mosley said europeanism must now replace nationalism

The back cover states: "This commentary of the Lord's Prayer has been compiled from a series of broadcasts made by Fr. Alexander Schmemann on Radio Liberty to listeners in the former Soviet Union. Because this single short prayer of Christ has everything that needs to be said about God, his kingdom, this life, about all of us--it is not an exaggeration to suggest that in this commentary Fr. Schmemann provides us with a map for seeing anew the purpose and measure of our whole life. Fr. Schmemann awakens in us a fresh understanding of these familiar petitions."

This short little book, 97 pages, written by one of Eastern Orthodoxy's most respected spokesmen of the 20th century, transcends the distinctiveness of the Orthodox Christian tradition to provide fresh, simple, yet challenging, insights into the prayer that unites Christians of all traditions.

This would be an excellent gift book for someone who is just beginning (or even exploring) the Christian journey, or for someone who has been a Christian for a long time and could use a little "refresher course" on the meaning and importance of the Lord's Prayer.

The copy I read will soon be a confirmation gift for a Lutheran young man who is dear to my heart.

This book is highly recommended.

This book features plates and commentary regarding a exhibition of illuminated manuscripts from Italy that toured the US several years ago. Like most exhibition catalogs, it features essays about the general era as it pertains to the art, descriptions and histories of many of the items in the exhibit, and photographic reproductions of many of the best items in the exhibition. The editorial review pretty acurately describes the bare-bones contents, and so I won't repeat that worthy information here.

Italian illumination prior to about 1450 is, in my opinion, lackluster. The French, Flemish, and English were doing a much better job of painting books. However, the examples presented in this book prove just how beautiful Italian illumination could be once the Italians hit their stride. The paintings and illuminations featured in this catalog range from pretty to exquisite to sublimely beautiful.

This book has provided me with lots of inspiration in my own work as a modern-day book illuminator, and I highly recomend it to any other artist seeking inspriation in this genre.