Great book! My copy bought new in 1978 is in two pieces and is only held together by my will. I was hoping to replace this with a new updated version as the moon sign tables only go up to 1978. It is remarkably accurate ( I too am "A wolf in sheeps clothing"). Jefferson Anderson, if you're out there how about updating this great little book? I highly recommend this to anyone interested in astrology.

Why is this book out of print? I've been an astologer for over 30 years, and you don't often come across an astrology book the likes of this one. Shockingly accurate, perceptive commentaries,dealing with the true underself, with a point of view that is both absolutely illuminating, and full of depth. I am going right now to the search engines to see what other information I can get on this author to further my own knowledge.

So sorry to see this book is out of print. It is fantastically accurate ---by far the most accurate astrology book I have ever owned. Most people find themselves readily!

As a student in England, doing work on military academies, I came across the notes, papers, writings, etc of Thomas Jefferson in the bibliography of "West Point", by Norman Thomas Remick. I'm absolutely thrilled that Merrill D. Peterson has put it all together in one 1600 page book. It makes this part of my project almost like one stop shopping. The book is marvelous as a research reference, while at the same time being very interesting reading. By the way, as I see that the book "West Point" is not among the Amazon books on Thomas Jefferson, I hereby highly recommend it to you. It was marvelously interesting, as well.

This edition of Jefferson's writings is an excellent comrehensive collection. Edited by Jefferson biographer Merrill Peterson this volume is a treasure.

It includes Jefferson's Anas, Autobiography, The Notes on Virginia( complete), Summary View of the Rights of British America, his version of the Declaration of Independence, numerous public papers, and addresses. This volume is a must have for the Jefferson reader. It also very necassary for the current state of the American Republic which would be wise to hear the words of this great man. A great buy!

This book is a treasure: it contains many of the writings of Thomas Jefferson, and his letters.
They are reveal a crisp thinking, like Voltaire, Rousseau, the abbey Gregoire, Rabeau Saint Etienne, and other geat thinkers of the 17th Century (T.Jefferson meet with most), as well a Pascal who was way ahead of his time. TJ try to explain the rational for generosity, compassion, respect for life, respect for people, respect for justice, and more: anyone who claims to be president of the USA (or any sovereign nation) should read and understand this book. Unfortunatly this is probably not the case... Politicians love to use a citation of TJ, but their policies would often be despised by TJ.
Let's hope that the future will give the US presidents with the values of this great thinker, and for the time being let's just be patient.

Thomas Jefferson is to me: one of the most admirable people in history.This book has an amazing fictional aproach but yet it is still factual and educational and you can still be one of the biggest Jefferson buffs out there and not have to do years of studying.This book is to me the most animated biography that mosturizes dry facts to fertile entertainment.

I was really intreged by this book because it was understandable, interesting, and filled with facts about this amazing man that I've never read or heard about before.

Probably one of the best books I've ever read- it is very informative, but I was able to read it like I would a novel- a rare trait in nonfiction literature. It was written in a way that even one who is not a history buff can enjoy it. It shows that Jefferson was quite ahead of his time, but he was not superhuman as some sources lead us to believe.

I felt that this book was very informative for those of us that don't know exactly what goes on with the raising of a guide dog puppy. The kids in Miss Barlow's room did a wonderful job in writing the book and illustrating it. I feel that this book is good for adults to read as well as kids. Great job kids!

I heard about this book in the local newspaper and knew my dog-loving grandkids would get a kick out of it. They enjoyed the pictures and the story--all done by the students. They love the story so much they read it to me every time I visit.

This is a touching story told from the puppy's perspective. Bright and colorful illistrations. Very well done. Great job Miss Barlow and Kids! I loved it.

This book was fabulous. It is considered the first novel ever published by an African American; the author was born into slavery but eventually escaped (his account of this, "Narrative of the Life and Escape of William Wells Brown," is included in the book). Clotel is the main character of the story, a mulatto fathered by Thomas Jefferson.

The novel begins with Currer (Clotel's mother and Jefferson's slave), Clotel, and her sister Althea. After Jefferson goes to Washington, Currer is left with another master, who eventually dies, leaving Currer, Clotel, and Althea to be sold on the auction block. The book then continues to tell the story of what happens to each one.

I've never been very into books about African-American issues or slavery. This wasn't for racial reasons; the whole genre just never sparked my interest, I guess. I decided to give this one a try; sort of dipping my toe into the water to see how it is. The book was great -- very easy to read, intriguing, no parts that dragged on and on. I highly recommend it. The only "down" side is that the chapters tend to skip from person to person, and by the time I came to the next chapter about one of them, I had already sort of forgotten how this person came to be in the situation they were currently in. That's probably just me, though; my memory is awful sometimes. All I had to do was flip back a few chapters and refresh my memory. No big deal.

The book focuses a lot on how religion was used as a justification for slavery. Funny how, one hundred and fifty years later, people are still using religion to justify all sorts of discrimination and violence. Learn a lesson much?

It also brings attention to the fact that there were a lot of slaves who were mulattos and could actually pass for white. For some reason, this never occurred to me. I mean, obviously I knew about the practice of slaveholders having children with their slaves, but the picture of a white slave toiling away in a field just never entered my mind. That's not something I ever heard about in my history classes; it was always "white" owners, "black" slaves.

I can't say enough good things about this book.

The genre of African-American fiction began in 1853 with the publication of this historical novel in England. Even though William Wells Brown, a fugitive slave from America, wrote four versions of this story, the first version was not published in the United States until 1969. The reason this novel was not introduced into American society until this time was because of its reference to the relationship Thomas Jefferson had with his slave, Sally Hemmings. The idea that Sally bore him children, which he sold as slaves, was enough to keep this novel out of the American public's eye forever! Still, this novel found its way here and in later versions, Jefferson's connection to Sally vanished all together. This novel centers on three main characters: Currer, a slave who was once Thomas Jefferson's housekeeper and mistress, and their two daughters, Clotel and Althesa.

The separation of Currer and her two daughters in the beginning of the story provides the actual framework of this novel. Through this separation, Brown is able to create three separate story lines united by the institution of slavery.

The first story line involves Currer's life as a concubine of Thomas Jefferson and later a slave to a Reverend John Peck. Through her life, Brown presents the hypocrisy of the slave owner owning another human being as well as some Christians' biblical approval of it. Brown uses the second story line of Clotel and her relationship with Horatio Green, to depict how vulnerable and hopeless life was for black women under slavery. Horatio adores Clotel so much that he provides her with a home of her own to raise their daughter, Mary. But Horatio desperately wants to further his political career and does so by marrying a white woman by the name of Gertrude. Feeling jealous and threatened by Clotel's presence, Gertrude sells Mary into slavery. The final story line involves the fate of Althesa. Like her sister, Althesa is a concubine to her master Henry Morton. But Morton later marries her and is a loving father to their two children. Even though Althesa experiences true love through marriage and was able to raise her children, the actual tragedy of her situation lies in what happens to her children. Through Althesa's story, Brown proves how her free rank in marriage did not grant freedom for her daughters, which continually shows slavery's disruption of the black family unit.

CLOTEL, though considered melodramatic by some, is an exquisite piece of literature. Its importance is not only tied to the fact that it is the first published work of its kind in this genre, but gives readers a glimpse into the English language used by black people at that time. I think this novel was an excellent start for the genre of African American literature.

This story is very interesting as we are descendants of Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson, whose relationship, the historians attempted to erase from history. The only problem with that is they left 1800+ descendants.

It is a good story that should not be discounted because it was not written about by the so call established historians.

As the Dred Scott papers appeared today on line. Many many stories are stillout there that could intrugue us about our county's past

I've always maintained that the best way to understand the founders is to understand them on their on terms. Mayer believes this too and does an excellent job at profiling the constitutional thought of Jefferson and his political philosophy. Too often, shoddy partisan scholarship like that of Richard Matthews gets it quite wrong on the founders. They do so quite purposefully choosing to dwell statically on one quote or episode instead of objectively highlighting the development of their subject. Mayer explains Jefferson on his own terms, as "whig," "federal," and "republican," hence his First Inaugural Address. Jefferson was an adament defender of federalism, state's rights and the Constitution. His alleged "radical egalitarianism" was more than tempered by his mistrust of central government and the huddled urban masses and his rejection of majoritarian tyranny. "Democracy is not practicable beyond the limits of a town," avows Jefferson. Despite his occasional contradictions, his early tenacity of youth and sympathies with the French Revolution, he was a true Whig and a classical republican, and advocate of limited government. He is an enduring founding father who deserves careful study and admiration for his statesmanship.

Also recommended: Alexander Hamilton and the Constitution by Clinton Rossiter.

This is indeed the finest study of Jefferson's political thought to date. Unlike other authors, Mayer penetrates to the core of Jefferson's political philosophy, revealing him to be fundamentally a "real whig," with emphasis on his distrust of government.

Having consumed most of the recent volumes on the life and times of our third president, I would have to say that Mayer's book is one of the strongest when it comes to the concrete exploration of his political thought processes.

One of the reviewers on the back cover copy says that "Mayer allows Jefferson to speak for himself. This alone would recommend the work." Indeed. This is one of the strengths of the book with its extensive referencing to the words of one of our founding fathers. It also does the same justice to the philosophers and statesmen who influenced Jefferson throughout his life.

One of the most interesting aspects of the book is the scholarly analysis of what it meant (to Jefferson) to be a Whig. I was also compelled by the discussion of the whig concept of a government is more republican (small r) if it is founded in jealousy, and not in confidence.

Mayer is not reluctant to point to many of Jefferson's overly optimistic or downright naive assumptions on the practical implications of running a government.

One area I wished Mayer spent more time exploring was Jefferson's thoughts on bicameralism and separation of powers; and more specifically on the original contention that the Senate served as a break on run away emotions protecting minority interests (to avoid tyranny of the majority that Madison was so fearful of, but not Jefferson).

All told, this book is of value for those who admire Jefferson, who are critical of his standing, and for those who quote his examples without really knowing what they are doing.

HOW TO LEGALIZE DRUGS by Jefferson Fish,Ph.D.is the most comprehensive & informative publication i've come across addressing the highly charged political & social issues surrounding drug policy reform. Contributing to this masterpeice are 30 thinkers from the disciplines of anthropology, economics, law,philosophy,political science, psychology & sociology with each presenting an in-depth, scholarly & multifaceted dimension to our understanding.

In dedicating this work to the "victims of Drug Prohibition," Dr. Fish describes in painful detail what has become known as "the drug exception to the Bill of Rights." He even considers the entertainment value of the war..."like public executions of the past,or Romans throwing undesirables to the lions...if politics is about giving bread & circuses to the masses, then 'fighting drugs' may provide the kind of exciting entertinment that citizens are willing to pay for!"

LEGALIZE gives ample consideration to both public health (harm reduction) & human rights based approaches to policy reform & unlike many, Dr. Fish maintains hope in the midst of despair. He believes the time is ripe for powerful rapid change as we've seen with the collapse of the Soviet Union after decades of the Cold War & earlier in the century with the end of alcohol prohibition.

LEGALIZE contains 9 different proposals for legalization, from the most limited to the most sweeping, with a variety of health & rights based rationales. Dr. Fish points out that even if only marijuana were legalized, then the war on drugs would shrink drastically & many drug warriers & criminal justice bureaucrats would be out looking for jobs.

For those interested in more than superficial or soundbyte awareness of the War on Drugs, the in-depth treatment in LEGALIZE heralds the possible return of intelligence & commonsense to these & related issues & is a monumental & comprehensive statement in its own right.

Steven Wishnia, copyright © High Times Magazine (October 1999) What would the world of legalization look like, and how would we get there? Jefferson Fish's anthology, How to Legalize Drugs (Jason Aronson), tries to answer those questions. Its 24 essays-by such drug-policy luminaries as Dr. Lester Grinspoon, Ethan Nadelmann, and federal Judge Robert Sweet-discuss the history of the Drug War, strategies for ending it and ways to manage legal drug use and sales. At 660 pages, with chapter titles like "The Transition From Prohibition to Regulation: Lessons from Alcohol Policy for Drug Policy," and "Discontinuous Change and the War on Drugs," it definitely isn't prime baked reading material. But if you want an intense look at specific issues and nuances, you'll be rewarded. What are the differences between the harm-reduction and the rights-based libertarian arguments against the Drug War? How do the language and concepts of drug-related discourse reinforce prohibitionist thinking? ("Marijuana, for example, has never caused a death, but how does one persuade the public to adopt a more accurate view of the pharmacological reality?" the authors ask.) Which drugs should be legalized, and where and how would they be sold? And the ACLU's Kevin Gray, comparing the Drug War's effect on black communities to Jim Crow, calls for "an antiwar movement." Fish, a psychology professor at St. John's University in Queens, NY, suggests a gradual transition to legalization, through steps like legalizing needle exchange and medical marijuana, and moving on to regulating marijuana like alcohol and tobacco, and legalizing coca leaves, psilocybin and MDMA. However, he believes the end of the Drug War will be "discontinuous"-as rapid and sudden as the extinction of the dinosaurs.

Some books on drug policy reform target the heart, calling attention to the incredible suffering caused by the war on drugs but "How to Legalize Drugs" targets the brain. Jeff Fish has put together an extraordinarily complete collection of essays that covers the range of arguments bout how to reverse our drug policy. This book covers all sorts of theories about how change will occur, what sort of changes is likely, what kind is desirable, what form the transition might take, and what the result of such change might be. Historians, attorneys, pharmacologists, economists, political scientists, psychiatrists - all offer their different perspectives here. So much is discussed - from Douglas Husak's excellent analysis of the two fundamental caps of drug reformers (harm reductionists and Libertarians) to highly specific are of interest like "the impact of the War on Drugs on Puerto Ricans," that it would make a perfect text for a course in drug policy.

If you are new to the movement and find yourself spending more and more time discussing different aspects of reform, this is the book for you. If you've been around the issue for years, and find the subject as interesting as I do, this book is refreshing. With most "arguments" from Drug War warriors consisting of the same old drivel about "the message we're sending the children," someone needs to take the discussion to a more intelligent level. This book does it.

Part of the Jeffersonian fascination involves the many facets, ambiguities and paradoxes he presents: the libertarian who owned slaves; the budget-slashing, small-government advocate who was a personal spendthrift, perpetually teetering at the brink of financial ruin; the shy and ineffective public speaker who was one of the most ruthless and scheming of backroom political operatives; the reclusive scholar and intellectual who spent two hours a day on horseback, and apparently indulged surreptitious passions in the slave quarters. Professor Wallace gives us a little known side of Jefferson: the student of Native American culture, history and language, who took quite deliberate measures to destroy them. Jefferson, who apparently was sincerely fascinated with the Indians, and sympathetic to their plight as they vanished under the burdens of disease, debt, whiskey and the murderous encroachments of frontiersmen, did little to protect them and their way of life, which was incompatible with Jefferson's expansionist, egalitarian vision of a nation of white protestant yeoman farmers. At best, Jefferson hoped that the Indians could be assimilated into white society, as were the Cherokee before Jefferson's successors allowed them to be dispossessed. A fascinating book with some great sidelights (for example, I had no idea that Siouxian tribes at one time lived in Virginia).

Many works on early United States history tend to give Indian affairs less attention than it deserves. There are two recent books with which I am familiar that help correct this situation. The first is Robert Remini's study of Jacksonian American, "Andrew Jackson and his Indian Wars". The second is Professor Wallace's book on Jefferson's relationship to the Indians, which I am discussing here.

Remini's and Wallace's book can be read together because both tell parts of the same sad story. Expansionist pressures from settlers and the fear of the United States of Indian attacks, particularly when incited by hostile European nations led to a policy of land cessions, wars, and forced removal westward of the Indian tribes. The process culminated with Andrew Jackson's Indian wars and presidency, the subject of Remini's book, but it was effectively put in place by Thomas Jefferson, as shown by Wallace.

Jefferson and his Indian policy, however, seem to me to present a more complex case than Jackson. As Wallace's book shows, Jefferson was indeed a polymath, a scholar and intellectual as well as a, paradoxically, man of power and position. Jefferson took a genuine interest in Indian archaeology, culture and language and made himself or encouraged others to make, scholarly and enthnological contributions that are still important towards understanding the Indians.

Jefferson, even on Professor Wallace's account, had compassion for the Indian tribes and an interest in their well-being, even if this interest was overshadowed, as it was, by his desire to obtain Indian land for the new nation and even though his view of Indian interests was misguided and partial.

Wallace's book traces Jefferson's early relationship with Indians beginning before the revolution when Jefferson was a land speculator in the then Western United States. He explores in detail Jefferson's writing on Indians, particularly his writing on the Indian chief Logan in his "Notes on the State of Virginia." Jefferson's partial reading of the fate of this "Noble Savage", according to Wallace, shows the ambivalent character of Jefferson's approach to the Indians.

Wallace describes in detail Jefferson the politician approaching Indian affairs in the original United States territory and in the Louisiana purchase, which doubled the size of the United States. The announced goals of the policy were peace, land cessions and civilization for the Indians. Too often, these policies became simply the means for tribal destruction and deprivation and for the removal policy, for both the southern and the northern tribes, that culminated in the administration of Andrew Jackson. (again, see the Remini book.)

There are some fascinating quotations in the book that illustrate Wallace's points that are set aside and emphasized in blocked-type and quotes. It is a good way of gaining focus. The book has a wealth of documentation and is not simply a political history. As I indicated Jefferson was a complex individual and this book shows him, focusing on Indian affairs, in all his personal and political variety.

Wallace has a clear feeling for the tragedy of the American Indian. Yet his book is balanced in tone and does not degenerate into ideological or special pleading. His opinions are stated clearly and eloquently in his introduction and conclusion and in his discussions of the events described in the text. The book has the measure of a scholar and encourages the reader to reflect for him or herself on the record.

There are those who are skeptical of the public's recent interest in American History, as shown by the success of McCollough's John Adams as well as other popular historical works, on grounds that it is a new attempt to promote American exceptionalism and to avoid considering the tragedies of our past. I disagree. I think, this interest in history shows a renewed love and interest in our country with no desire to minimize its failings. Wallace's book to me shows both love of our country and a sense of one of its major tragedies.

I felt that this was an excellent book on Thomas Jefferson's views toward the native people of North America. It illuminated many parts of his feelings toward native people and their place in the "American Republic." I felt that it also raised many questions about his participation in early land speculation with Henry, Washington, and Franklin as well as his role in the eventual displacement of native people. Anyone interested in early colonial policy toward natives will surely love this book.

Jefferson Davis remains a dark, remote Civil War figure, hardly as romantic as Lincoln or as inspiring as Lee.

What William C. Davis has done is to make both the man and the forces that gave him fire and light more immediate and tangible.

Weaving through the myriad controversies and struggles of the pre-Civil War, Civil War and post war years, the author somehow manages to explain endless geographical, political and societal issues without ever losing sight of Davis' central role in them.

A dense but vastly entertaining book that even readers who are not interested in the Civil War would find fascinating.

Really enjoyed listening to this book, especially the themes in which Jeff Davis' strengths and flaws were carry on throughout his entire adult life. The last few tapes are outstanding on how the confederacy got reduced to a well guarded 3 mile wagon train.

William C. Davis has written THE biography of Jefferson Davis. The book not only reads as easily as a novel, it also has been meticulously researched. Keep your eye on this Davis. He is fast becoming one of America's best popular historian.

Thomas Jefferson's thinking hovers over many of today's debates regarding separation of church and state, school prayer, the place of public education, and the place of faith in our own lives.

This is an excellent exploration of the complexities of Jefferson's beliefs and the even more complex world of how his writings and thoughts continue to impact America today.

This book is an excellent compliement to Charles Sanford's "The Religious Life of Thomas Jefferson." Whereas Sanford does a scholarly review of the content of Jefferson's religious ideas, Gaustad in this book gives the narrative and context for how Jefferson applied his ideas concerning religion and religious freedom. Most interesting to me in the Gaustad book were the accounts of the political fights Jefferson and Madison waged for religious freedom during the early years of the Republic. Gaustad filled in the historical gaps and gave me context for understanding how momentous the struggle truly was. Also brought to life by Gaustad are the correspondences between the aged ex-presidents Jefferson and Adams about God and religion. I highly recommend this book to those interested in the history of ideas and freedom of thought.

Excellent book As a school board member this book is important to show the importance of saving public education to perserve the American EXperiment. Jefferson was always in favor of a public educational system as a means to perserve the wall of separation between church and state. I would recommend this book for anyone who is oppossed to vouchers and charters schools