Having read -- and enjoyed -- "Street Kingdom," I feel compelled to respond to the customer review posted on March 29 under the headline "Sad, Wrongheaded, Insulting to Black Readers." While reviews are obviously a matter of personal opinion and taste, this reviewer seems not to have read the same book I did. In fact, he/she writes, "the book SOUNDS like most attempts to "humanize' blackness" -- "sounds like?" Did you actually crack the pages of the book and begin to read? Or did you base your opinion/review on what you heard second-hand? "Street Kingdom" is a very complex portrait of a subculture and Century's own involvement in it; he does not sugarcoat the unflattering aspects he witnesses; but by the same token, he does not villify or editorialize on the people whose lives he is documenting. The reviewer goes on to note: "This is the kind of book that most liberal white Americans believe helps to promote racial tolerance; instead it sets the race movement back." What?! If you are looking for a book that promotes "racial tolerance," pick up the new autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. And "race movement?" I'm not even sure what this means. Are we living in 1969? Lastly, the reviewer chastizes Century for "fixating, sometimes with peculiar intensity, on the up-and-down lives of his black subjects." Forgive me, but I think that's called REPORTING. A good journalist is supposed to fixate, hopefully with some degree of intensity, on the lives of his fellow human beings. Again, this reviewer shows his/her own "wrongheaded" biases by instructing us that Century "like most naive white liberals-- should fixate first on his own racial sensitivities, expectations and attitudes." A bizarre statement, given the degree to which the author places his own reactions and perspective at the core of his story; this is certainly a book that says as much about one white writer's encounters with a segment of African-American culture as it does about that culture itself. Perhaps that's what's best -- and ground-breaking -- about "Street Kingdom"; and it's what's most difficult for dogmatic, pre-programmed minds to accept.

Having read -- and enjoyed -- "Street Kingdom," I feel compelled to respond to the customer review posted on March 29 under the headline "Sad, Wrongheaded, Insulting to Black Readers." While reviews are obviously a matter of personal opinion and taste, this reviewer seems not to have read the same book I did. In fact, he/she writes, "the book SOUNDS like most attempts to 'humanize' blackness" -- "sounds like?" Did you actually crack the pages of the book and begin to read? Or did you base your opinion/review on what you heard second-hand? "Street Kingdom" is a very complex portrait of a subculture and Century's own involvement in it; he does not sugarcoat the unflattering aspects he witnesses; but by the same token, he does not villify or editorialize on the people whose lives he is documenting. The reviewer goes on to note: "This is the kind of book that most liberal white Americans believe helps to promote racial tolerance; instead it sets the race movement back." What?! If you are looking for a book that promotes "racial tolerance," pick up the new autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. And "race movement?" I'm not even sure what this means. Are we living in 1969? Lastly, the reviewer chastizes Century for "fixating, sometimes with peculiar intensity, on the up-and-down lives of his black subjects." Forgive me, but I think that's called REPORTING. A good journalist is supposed to fixate, hopefully with some degree of intensity, on the lives of his fellow human beings. Again, this reviewer shows his/her own "wrongheaded" biases by instructing us that Century "like most naive white liberals-- should fixate first on his own racial sensitivities, expectations and attitudes." A bizarre statement, given the degree to which the author places his own reactions and perspective at the core of his story; this is certainly a book that says as much about one white writer's encounters with a segment of African-American culture as it does about that culture itself. Perhaps that's what's best -- and ground-breaking -- about "Street Kingdom"; and it's what's most difficult for dogmatic, pre-programmed minds to accept.

I ran across this book at the local library. Very interesting read. I wish he'd write a follow up to let us know what happened to all of these people. Life on the streets that isn't a reality to most of us and a scary reality to those who it is real to. 5 stars.

What would happen if Sir Isaac Newton, one of the greatest scientific minds in human history, actually discovered the secrets of alchemy and magic? What if other historical figures, such as a young Benjamin Franklin and Louis XIV, King of France, were affected by this discovery? Author Keyes presents a fascinating story, obviously well researched, which demonstrates that humankind's inability to mature morally as fast as it does scientifically, leds for horrifying consequences. The story weaves around numerous historical and fictional characters and the pace is kept lively. In particular, the author does a good job with the female characters, making them much more than simple cardboard cutouts. The ending is particularly good and I immediately read the sequelA Calculus of Angels" to find out what happens next.

Although I'm generally not into alternate histories, I picked this up along with the 2nd book in the series because of the historical people involved as well as the reviews on line. I wasn't disappointed.

The real life historical characters like Benjamin Franklin and Sir Isaac Newton (among others) seemed finely realized, even if their histories were tweaked a bit. For instance, Franklin said and did things I could imagine he would have said and done. The characterizations are well done and believable.

As to the alchemical inventions and what-have-you, I was most taken with aetherschrieber (hope I spelled it right), which you'll come to understand when you read the story. (Hint: It's some type of office machine.)

Though a somewhat dark book, I couldn't put it down, and I finished it in about a week. I was glad I decided to get book 2 at the same time.

Don't be intimidated by the name of this book or that Newton is on the cover. This is not some boring, overly-detailed science book: It'll actually leave you hungering for more!

History is a fascinating subject and all of the "what if's" are even more fascinating. In this very well researched and written book we are faced with "what if Newton's genius took him in another direction?" The characters of Newton, Franklin and Louis XIV are extremely well developed. The portrayal of Adriene and her delima of being a woman with a brain is a special touch I appreciate very much. It shows the author's sensitivity of the issues women have faced through history. I reccommend this book and cannot wait for the next one.

If you're relatively new to the MLA style, this book is a decent introduction. It has a fair number of samples and will get you started with few holes in your knowledge. However, the real shortcoming of this book is in the discussion of Internet citations.

The section on citing electronic publications is very poorly organized. I wonder whether the author has spent any significant time on the Internet. The categories of sources and the examples given don't handle some of the most common situations you'll run into. It can be rather frustrating having to cobble together citation formats from the examples provided which are close enough to the source I'm trying to cite.

As a result, if you're looking for a book to simply help you appropriately cite your sources, I'd look for another book. (I don't know which one yet; I'm still looking.) However, if you're looking for a general MLA style guide, this book is a respectable start.

I am incredibly anal about formatting my papers correctly, because it represents easy points to me. As most of you know, a large portion of almost any grade on a paper is format. I have bought many handbooks and guides for the MLA format, and I can say with absolute certainty that Joseph Gibaldi's is the best. Of course everyone has their own format, and as you become more specialized in your education you will no doubt be prodded away from MLA into that of your own niche (APSA modified version of CMS for me... ~groan~), but this book will prove most valuable for the majority of your undergraduate education. It has basic tips for research and the mechanics of writing; which, unless you slept through all of your high school English classes (or, as in the case of myself, have an emnity with commas), you'll probably know already. Where this book is indespensible is in its exhaustive documentation listings. To date, I have never found a source which this book doesn't list. I thought I had it stumped this morning when I needed to know how to cite an online congressional record of a speech, but to my surprise it was there, prompting me to write this review! This book has been a lifesaver many times; every college student needs it. Sit down, follow the instructions in the book (well first make sure your instructor wants your paper in MLA format!), and I promise you that you will receive full marks for the format portion of your grade! My only quibble is that it says you don't need a title page, yet I have never had a professor that didn't require one. However, that is an issue for the people who sit around and think up the MLA rules, not with the book. I do believe this has been the most useful book of my college education!

I recently had to write a 10 page research paper for a Greek history course I was taking. One of the required books to use when writing this new style of paper was the MLA handbook.

At first glance I thought that this book would be a rough overview of things I already knew since that is what most books of this are. However, the MLA is much different, I am convinced, after 7 months of use, that this is THE PERFECT format book ever.

If you are trying to write a well written and comprehensive paper, this book is a must. If you are trying to pull up your grade with perfect formatting and source citing, this book is a must. If you want a good grade period, this book is a must.

Do not brush this book away, buy it, keep it, and cherish the tons and tons of information it gives in a very readable manner.

With Soulful Divas, David Nathan - a true lover of r&B music - has compiled interviews with many of his favorite singers of the past 40 years. Some of the subjects, like that of the humorously raunchy Millie Jackson and the troubled Nina Simone, make for compelling reading. Most suffer from his endless fawning however. Take, for instance, Diana Ross. By all other accounts, Miss Ross is a difficult person, yet Nathan makes her out to be practically a saint.

Nathan's frequent access to all of the top divas exposes the modern journalist's dilemma: if he fully captures his subjects in print, warts and all, he risks alienating them and being denied interview access to them in the future. Instead, Nathan fawns all over his subjects and gets repeat interviews with high-profile women who are often leery of the press (Aretha Franklin for one). Because of his "tactics", we are able to enjoy his many interviews in one setting (this book). Too bad most of his portraits don't penetrate the surface.

This book is a must for music lovers. I have followed the careers of every Diva in this book, my only dissapointment is that wasnt longer and included more Diva's. I especially enjoyed the one on one with Aretha, Patti, Diana, Dionne, and Glady's. I have a new R-E-S-P-E-C-T for all the Diva's. Mr. Nathan gives great insight on what sacrifices that each performer has made to become a star. He shows that its not all its crack up to be. I hope that this books shoots straight to the top. I can guarantee that you will not be dissapointed with this book. Pick up a copy and give it to friends. These Divas story need to be told to the world.

Great book Mr. Nathan. I loved all the subjects picked in this book(I'm sorry that I don't know Doris Troy)and thought he did a fantastic job of painting a realistic portrait of the ladies using their own words and his personal experiences with them. I never knew Chaka Khan had such a turbulent past. Oh, and Esther Phillips- that temper! I laughed so hard. Diana Ross seems pretty nice (I love her) and I do love Dionne and Nina- they are such proud women. I hope the divas in the makings can successfully carry forth the diva achievements as their foremothers have done. If there is a sequel to this, Mr. Nathan, you must include Cissy Houston, Melba Moore and Donna Summer.

The story contained in this book is a good example of why governments should have stayed out of the exploring business in the Arctic regions. The inadequate research, underfunding, and the willy-nilly selection of leaders and expedition members practically doomed the Greely excursion to Lady Franklin Bay before it began. Once under way, the objections and obstructions put forth by Secretary of War Robert Todd Lincoln definitely contributed to the tragedy that ensued. There is no doubt that the members of the expedition acted very heroically in many instances, including the commander himself, but there are also many times when foolish things happened, and those things had tragic consequences later. Reading this book is a good cautionary tale: plan ahead for as many contingencies as possible, have proper funding, and make sure that instructions are sufficiently clear and flexible enough to take into account changing situations.

I loved the book. If you enjoy adventure, history and reading about explorers and expeditions into extreme climates and dangerous places then this is a good book for you.
I have read many books dealing with both Arctic and Antarctic expeditions as well as exploration, mountain climbing and military history.
This is the story of an Army Signal Corp expedition and a series of screw-ups which left them stranded in the unforgiving climate of the Arctic. The extremes that these men were subjected to and the pressures brought to bear on them are mind boggling. We wonder what we would do under similar circumstances.
I came away thinking that there were really no "good guys" in this book, but lots of "bad guys" and just people who couldn't/wouldn't get along. Some had personality quirks that only magnified their plight and made things worse for everyone. No heroes in this account, only survivors. A good read.

Len Guttridge's extensive research has uncovered the true story of what happened to the ill-fated Greely expedition. For the first time, we are given new details of this horrendous part of our history. In the past, things that have been written about this expedition have been almost entirely from Greely's official records. The excerpts from new unpublished diaries and papers in Guttridge's book give us new insights about other members of the expedition and their hostility towards Greely. We see Lieutenant Greely's decisions on the retreat south as pure madness. As Mr. Guttridge concluded, Mr. Greely was no match for the arctic. Washington politics concerning the rescue of these poor souls was equally disheartening. Guttridge has subtly exposed a desperate plot by a chosen few to stay alive. Interesting that the two cooks, Greely and Brainard are among those who managed to survive. The horror of the fate of those not so lucky makes this book a real page turner. It would make a fabulous movie.

Objectivity is Absent Without Leave in Wiley Sword's book about the 1864 Tennessee Campaign by General John Bell Hood. In the latter months of the Civil War, a desperate Jefferson Davis, acknowledging the fading fortunes of the Confederacy, appointed the aggressive young Kentuckian John Bell Hood to command of the Army of Tennessee. Hood's orders were to try to break William T. Sherman's relentless siege of Atlanta. After Sherman's inevitable triumph, in a last gasp effort to save the Confederacy, Hood marched the Army of Tennessee on an ill-fated invasion of Tennessee. The mission was to attack Union occupied Nashville, and seize its considerable stores of weapons and subsistence supplies. This would cut off Sherman's supplies, and provide the same for the starving and ill-supplied Confederates. It would also provide the southern populace with renewed will to continue the war, and hopefully inspire enlistments in the shrinking southern armies. The results were disastrous for the Confederates, with Hood's forces suffering decisive defeats at Franklin and Nashville. A mere sixteen weeks later, Robert E. Lee would surrender his army at Appomattox. Although Wiley Sword does an excellent job of describing the strategies, tactics, and first hand accounts of the fighting, he is obsessed with consistently criticizing every aspect of Hood's performance, character, and even his entire career. Hood's prior brilliant record as a Brigade and Division commander, almost universally praised both during the war, and ever since, is astonishingly brushed off by Sword as dumb luck. Sword essentially censors Hood's admirers and defenders, while quoting his detractors and critics with great frequency. Virtually every explanation for every decision that Hood offered in his post-war memoirs is rejected by Sword as lies and distortions, often without corroboration. Even Hood 's childhood demeanor is mischaracterized. Sword persistently exaggerates Hood's flaws and failures, and minimizes (at best) his accomplishments and virtues. In a final claim of clairvoyance, Sword even accuses Hood of fathering eleven children after the war to impress the public. Unwitting readers, mesmerized by Sword's gifted style and extensive research, are nonetheless being denied balance and unbiased analysis. Objectivity is not only AWOL, it is guilty of Desertion in this work.

Sword's book is a marvelous written chronicle of the destruction of Hood's Confederate Army of Tennessee. The authors ability to weave the horror of war into a detailed military history is especially enticing. This is combined with a keen analysis of the triumphs and failures of the leaders on both sides of the conflict.

The Last Hurrah is the story of the Confederacy's last and probably best chance to reclaim Tennessee and Kentucky for the South and to possibly bring the war once more to Northern soil. But more than that it is also the story of poor leadership on behalf of the Confederate General Hood and the political pressure on Union General Thomas to bring the battle to Hood. Sword, chronicles the planning of Hood's offensive and his miscalculation that the supplies to feed, cloth and arm his army could be obtained through a rail link and from the land that they were invading. This mistake perhaps doomed the campaign given that this was a winter campaign and the Confederate soldiers were often without shoes and blankets.

The best part of the book focuses on the battles of Franklin and Nashville. While Sword does a fine job in detailing the battles themselves as well as the strategy and tactics utilized by the respective Generals, he shines in discussing the human effects of the battles. The slaughter at Franklin and the Confederate charge against a heavily defended Union line, without the benefit of significant supporting artillery, makes one shudder. In reading the depiction of the casualties the horror of the war and the human costs were brought home.

Where Sword also excels is in his critique of the leaders of both sides. Sword obviously is a fan of General George Thomas. On the other hand he is very critical of General Scofield's conduct at Spring Hill and latter at Franklin and Nashville. Scofield's generalship would have led to the destruction of his army during the retreat from Spring Hill to Franklin but for the ineptitude of his Confederate counterparts. His conduct at Nashville, and his failure to commit his troops, probably allowed what remained of the Confederate Army to escape.

Sword's worse criticism was justly saved for Hood. The criticism was well deserved, especially for the decision to make the frontal assault at Franklin and again at Nashville. His poor generalship and inability to take the advise of Nathan Bedford Forrest led to the loss of almost two thirds of his army.

All in all this is a fine book and a must read.

One of the great "myths" is that a good history book is written from an "objective" point of view. In truth, this is simply not possible. Every author approaches the subject with a certain degree of bias and a certain "agenda" that they wish to push. Sword, unlike some other authors, does not seek to hide his "bias", but rather sets out his clear (and frankly rather convincing) case that Sam Hood's generalship was poor. Within this setting, he provides detail about some of the more important, but again forgotten, battles of the Civil War and sheds light on some of the more important, but again forgotten, figures such as Pat Cleburne. All in all a superb book and well worthy of the prizes that it has won and the accolades that it has received.

I live in Omaha and I well remember when this story broke in the press. It was big news; Lindbergh baby headlines, in fact. When I saw this book was available, I knew I had to read it and find out the information that the press refused to carry. John DeCamp names names and skewers people with little regard for his own personal safety.

I won't go into too much detail on what happened. Read the book to find that out. It is sufficient to say that there were many allegations of child abuse, homosexual encounters, drug abuse and embezzlement of monies involved. The people accused of the abuse were very prominent people in Omaha society, and still are today. DeCamp lays it all out for everyone to see. He cites sources and makes devastating charges against all those involved. He even indicts the federal government as a willing participant in this cover-up. DeCamp is most impressive when he outlines the scandals of Bob Kerrey's tenure as Nebraska governor in the early and mid 1980's. Several bank scandals and questionable loans cast Kerrey in a fairly sinister light. DeCamp says Kerrey used NIFA (Nebraska Investment Finance Authority) to make loans to his buddies and corporate interests. This is the same thing Bill Clinton did in Arkansas with the ADFA while he was governor, around the same time! Those wacky Democrats! What will they come up with next!

Needless to say, some of the revelations in this book are tough to read and pretty shocking. There are explicit descriptions of unnatural acts and violent incidents. There are big drawbacks to this book, however. For one thing, DeCamp has an ego the size of a house. He is constantly patting himself on the back and makes sure everyone knows how much money he could make, how successful his career is, and how many big names he can drop. It gets old real fast and hurts the book, in my opinion. He also gets off on some weird tangents. It's one thing to brag about your involvement in the Gordon Kahl case, or the militia movement. When you start talking about a CIA project called Monarch, in which America's youth are being programmed to kill and maim, you are really stretching credulity. I even roared out loud with derision when I got to the section on Monarch. Attempting to tie one of the Franklin kids into Monarch isn't a good idea, either. It erodes credibility. Despite these parts, the book is a good examination of the entire scandal. No matter what anyone ever says, the death of Gary Caradori is EXTREMELY suspicious. No one can argue that Peter Citron isn't a pedophile, either, as he served time in prison for that crime. These two events alone cast sinister suspicion that something was going on, although whether anyone will ever know the true scope of the scandal is highly unlikely.

Would I recommend this book? Yes, especially for the Kerrey info and the actual discussions of the Franklin cover-up. Just be sure and read this book with caution. Never believe everything you hear, see, or read!

The Franklin Cover Up has a news update.The author John DeCamp recently won a million dollar lawsuit for two of the children discussed in the book.We plan to bring him to speak in Maine ..Interested readers should contact Bella English of the Boston Globe Newspaper.She authored a recent article about Sharon Simone who sued her father in civil court.Sharon and her two sisters were awarded over 1 million dollars by the jury who concluded their father had committed incest against them as children.The father never appeared in court for the trial.He was the F.B.I. agent in charge of pedophilia for the entire country.For other important related reading material read:EYES TO MY SOUL by Tyronne Powers; ORDERS TO KILL by Attorney William Pepper;TAINTING EVIDENCE by John Kelly;BREAK INS DEATH THREATS AND THE F.B.I. by Pulitzer Prize winner Ross Gelbspan;F.B.I. SECRETS by Wesley Swearingen;all books written by Andrew Vachss. The Franklin Coverup exposes F.B.I. involvement in Organized Pedophilia.Here in Maine they just passed a law making it mandatory for all school teachers to be fingerprinted to weed out child mnolestors in the classroom.These prints will be sent to the F.B.I. who will administer this program.

Imagine a criminal organization whose members occupy the most powerful posts in a major city, including Chief of Police, local head of the FBI, publisher of a monopolistic newspaper, columnist for the newspaper, and elite businessmen.

Now imagine these powerful people involved in a ring whose horrifying activities stretch the mind, including pedophilia, drug running, child pornography, child prostitution, and a Top Secret CIA project called Monarch.

Such is the state of Omaha, Nebraska in the 1980s, as John Decamp's book _The Franklin Cover-up_ details.

Read it on an empty stomach.

The story of Ben and Me is a biography of Benjamin Franklin from the eyes of his pet mouse, Amos. While this book had some facts, it was mostly historical fiction with funny twists. I enjoyed this, yet i seriously doubt that all of Franklin's brilliant ideas were actually thought up by a mouse. This is a good book and have fun reading!

We used this book as a read aloud for the family, Dad included! It was incredibly funny and the illustrations are superb! It is skimpy on historical data but the charming quality of the tale delivers an unforgettable Ben Franklin....The ever suffering mouse Amos taught the essence of the American character that built this country. Go for it!

If you like fun filled educational books, you have got to check out the book Ben and Me, written by Robert Lawson. It is about Ben Franklin and a mouse named Amos. Amos acts like he is a little know-it-all, and Ben is a stupid person. But is that really what happened? You decide. I hope you have as much fun as I did.

The Scold's Bridle is one of Minette's best! When the old lady that everyone in Fontwell hates dies a myesterious death in her bathtub - people breathe a sigh of relief.

Not so for her doctor Sarah Blakeney, she sees more to the death than meets the eye and takes it upon herself to discover the truth behind Mathilda Gillespie's gruesome death.

What the reader finds beyond the main plot is ingenious writing, rich characters and wonderful story telling. This is one page turner that I tried desperately not to read in one sitting - I really wanted to savor it.

All in all a fabulous book!

Minette Walters likes to experiment with all the sub-genres of the traditional mystery. In The Scold's Bridle we are treated to a perverse twist on the English village mystery complete with nosey parker neighbors and skeleton's in everyone's closets - some of these skeletons are fairly decomposed and very gruesome. I have to agree with one reader's comments that this book does take a while to start, but this is primarily due to Walter's love of character monologue. Damn, these people love to make speeches! She really should turn her hand to playwriting as this novel's plot is almost entirely revealed and the story moved forward through dialogue (or the sections of the diary which in film, or on the stage, would be done as voice-overs). I must disagree with all these whiney readers who find these despicable characters one-dimensional. Obviously, they haven't come across truly mean-spirited people in their lives. Believe me, there are thousands of nasty minded and cruel people all over the globe and they are just as three-dimensional and complex as the good people out there. I was introduced to Walter's work through a TV adaptation of The Sculptress and marveled at how she can make a character seem so thoroughly nasty in one scene and get us to feel sympathy for the same person moments later. The Scold's Bridle is populated with people like this and if all you want from a book is a reflection of the so-called real world then skip it. This is a facinating entertainment and a vivd work of imagination. How about that dialogue!

Scold's Bridle is my favorite of all Minette Walters books. Her characters aren't totally sympathetic, or good, or evil for that matter. You never know who to root for or who to hate, in the next plot twist a good guy becomes bad or vice versa. There is alot of suspense and action in these novels, and Ms. Walters really makes the reader think. These are not mindless quick mysteries, although I read them quickly. Read them all, so far there isn't a bad one in the bunch!