One of the clichés about Monticello is that few houses do so good a job revealing the personality of its builder. But clichés get to be such generally because there's truth to them, and that's definitely the case here. If Thomas Jefferson was one of the most interesting figures in American history (and I think that's unquestionably true), then Monticello may well be one of America's most interesting houses. And for this colorful book produced by the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, we are guided through the house and grounds by people who know their stuff.

Specifically, the chapters of this title are written by Monticello's director of restoration, the curator, the director of gardens and grounds, and other experts associated with the Foundation. Large, colorful photos are accompanied by informed commentary and all the requisite history, as well as documentation of the decades of restoration work it has taken to get the house and grounds to its current condition. A book doesn't make up for a visit in person -- if anything, I wished for more photos of the interior, especially of the book room and "cabinet." But for a general overview of the house, grounds, and collection, and an insight into the man himself, this book is hard to beat. I recommend it as a souvenir, as well as a nice companion to a Jefferson biography.

He is on Mt. Rushmore, the nickel and even the $2 bill. In this Photo-Illustrated Biography author T. M. Usel gives young readers an indication of why Thomas Jefferson is such a pivotal figure in American History. The book begins with Jefferson's two most famous accomplishments, being the third President of the United States and the author of the Declaration of Independence. Usel immediately points out that Jefferson was also an inventor, writer, musician, farmer, architect, and a book lover, but in a book this short (10 pages of text) there is really more space devoted to biographical details than his many accomplishments. Young readers will find nothing here about Jefferson's political philosophy or the significance of his election to the White House as the first orderly transfer of power between political parties in the history of the world. Still, the book does provide all of the basic biographical details that are appropriate for an introductory biography to be read by grade school students.

The fact that this is a "Photo-Illustrated Biography" is something of a misnomer since, of course, there are no actual photographs of Jefferson. Instead there are paintings and engravings of Jefferson and photographs of his home Monticello and the University of Virginia, both of which were designed by Jefferson, and one of his inventions, a portable writing desk (although the device for making a copy of a letter has always been my favorite). This is one of those biographies that refers to the subject by his first name, which always strikes me as odd, but even more so when you are talking about a founding father and especially one whose has enjoyed one name (last) status for a couple of centuries.

As a Rookie Biography, Carol Greene's look at "Thomas Jefferson: Author, Inventor, President" is aimed at younger students. This is essentially an anecdotal biography of Jefferson, which depends as much on little stories young readers can identify with (such as Jefferson as a child studying a bug in the forest) as it does on covering key details in his life. Greene does give a scene of the scope of Jefferson's life and interest, from writing the Declaration of Independence to being one of the first farmers to grow tomatoes in the United States. This book is richly illustrated and the last chapter is especially interesting with photographs of several of Jefferson's inventions along with his instructions for his tombstone. In fact, at some points in this book Greene's text can barely find room among all the illustrations. After reading this book young readers might be fuzzy on all the details that were thrown at them in these pages (I do not think they will recognize the image of Jefferson taken from the $2 bill), but they should have a sense for how important Thomas Jefferson is in the history of the United States.

"Thomas Jefferson: His Life and Works" is a window into one of the greatest minds to ever enlighten the American continent. This short book is divided into eight sections, each dealing with a different aspect of Jefferson life or outlook. Each section begins with a brief introduction followed by a collection of quotations from Jefferson's writings. Some are drawn from well known public writings, such as the Declaration of Independence, whereas others are to be found in Jefferson's private correspondence. In most cases the source of the quotation is given, inviting the reader to conduct further study.

In the study of collections of quotations such as this, I often find the greatest insights not in the points which the speaker intended to make but in lessons to be learned by the contrast between the speaker's implied assumptions and the accepted standards of our day. An example of this is found in this book is Jefferson's statement on the public assemblies from which: "there would be excluded...women who, to prevent deprivation of morals ambiguity of issue, could not mix promiscuously in the public meetings of men." When I read statements such as this I think that, perhaps, the morals of our day do not compare unfavorably with those of past generations.

Overall I consider this book to be a good introduction into the mind and life of Thomas Jefferson. While only scratching the surface of his thought, it does provide a sources for some quotations with which to leaven our speech as well as providing an encouragement for further study.

Although this juvenile biography of Thomas Jefferson is part of the Encyclopedia of Presidents series, it actually does one of the better jobs of looking at the third President as an inventor, scientist and naturalist through the use of photographs of several of his inventions and pages from his notebooks. Jim Hargrove follows the standard format for the volumes in this series by beginning with the story of how Jefferson came to write the Declaration of Independence, including some of the better reproductions of the early draft written in Jefferson's own hand with various changes. Chapters are devoted to Jefferson growing up in Colonial Virginia and his public life divided into discrete units ending with the American revolution, his election to the presidency, and his leaving the White House. A final chapter looks at Jefferson's final years as the Sage of Monticello, which ended with his death on the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration (and includes his instructions for his tombstone). Because each volume runs about 100 pages (including chronologies and index), the Encyclopedia of Presidents series is able to provide more detailed information about each President than any other comparable series. There are other juvenile biographies that will work much better as introductions to the life and work of Thomas Jefferson, but this is where you can find the most detailed information about this or any other president short of turning to an adult biography hundreds of pages long. Sometimes it is hard for an author to stretch out the life and accomplishments of a President to a hundred pages (e.g., Warren G. Harding), but Hargrove does a nice job with the exact opposite problem in covering the enormous accomplishments of Jefferson in these few pages.

A who done it about when where and if?? This is a literary mystery, ya gotta love that, Everyone trying to prove or disprove what Thomas Jefferson Did or didn't do?? Written by a Jeffersonian scholar ,this is an entertaining and fun book, I was really surprised... So If your a history buff this will be great bed time reading. Like the CSI investigation of a great man of history.

This is one of the funniest and most informative books I've ever read about one of the most mundane and potentially boring topics ever. Jefferson Hane Weaver takes a "boring as watching paint dry" subject and makes it entertaining, informative and (believe it or not) a page-turner. Basically, I learned a littel bit about "Odds" and laughed my ass off in the process.

Well Done Mr. Weaver.

Included in this book is some of Micah Morrison's finest work, covering material that has yet to reach the full comprehension of the public, but which someday will seem like the writing on the wall for believers in the American ideals of integrity and individual freedom.

I read the book in two days and while it contained a few items of interest, I was disappointed in the lack of detail in many areas. I would have been really interested to hear Grace Slick talk about the Haight Ashbury days, how the Airplane dealt with the record company business, or the sessions and live appearances that led to some of their great songs. One would think that a woman whose songs were inspired by the likes of Lewis Carroll and James Joyce would have a deeper perspective than this book shows, but maybe not. I think a lot of the blame has to go to Andrea Cagan who most likely told her to make sure to tell her sexual experiences with famous rock stars if nothing else. In any case the editing should have been a lot better; the book is kind of a rambling mess. But for fans of Grace and the Airplane and '60s rock music in general, it's still an interesting read for all its faults.

Grace Slick has been renowned as the acid queen, and the original rock beauty. This book is straight from the recollections of Grace herself, and it is probably not what the fans exactly expected. More of an oral biography, which jumps from one time period of her life to a completely different time within each chapter, Grace reminisces on her thoughts and feelings about her childhood, the tumultuous 60s, and her faults of the 70s. I enjoyed this book because Grace told no lies, and really has forgotten most of her past, or was too high at the time to recall. This goes back to what Grace has always claimed, that in the 60s, if you can remember it, then you probably weren't there. It is a reminder that the 60s are not really a time that we really would like to relive, which shoots down a lot of false preconceptions that the world was undergoing a wave of love, and all times were high and happy. Overall, if you are a die-hard Slick fan, this book is not a complete chronological story like other books that have been written about characters like the deceased: Morrison, Hendrix, and Joplin, but is a book worth the time.

Having long been a fan of Grace Slick, I was thrilled to find that she'd written her autobiography. It's all here, from her early childhood interest in the arts to forming the band the Great Society with her then husband, Jerry Slick, to being asked by Jack Casady-bassist for Jefferson Airplane if she'd be interested in joining the band as their lead singer. She more or less said "why not" and it was the beginning of a long & illustrious career in rock. It's fun reading about all the rock stars she hung out with, particularly Jerry Garcia & The Grateful Dead, The Doors(including a one-night stand with the Lizard King himself, Jim Morrison)& other great Bay Area bands. Filled with a self-deprecating sense of humor, she writes of eventually becoming romantically involved with Airplane's resident genius, Paul Kantner, then giving birth to their daughter China. Grace writes with great humor and intelligence, and the book is a must for Jefferson Airplane/Starship fans.