Hi.I recently read Cranes Rebound and found that it is a really great book.I am 13 and in the 7th grade and i still liked this book.It definetly inspired me to go and read more books by Alison Jackson!

Crane's Reboud was a real good book! It is about boy that goes to basketball camp . a lot of things happend that are real funny . People in my class even liked it. Cheak out this other book by Alison jackson ,My Brother the Star.

You should read Crane's Rebound. It is an exciting book! Once you start to read it you can't put it down. It's about this boy at basketball camp that keeps getting in trouble with other kids. You won't even guess what happened there. I really liked this book and that's why I gave it five stars. Kids in my class even liked it a lot.

Much touted "Southern Womanhood" at it's most self-absorbed. You get it all here. Crinolines, silks, swoons, duels, sabres, smiling slaves, dashing officers, horrid yankees laying waste to all that is beautiful and noble, backbiting jealousies, scandal. All of the stuff that made "Gone With the Wind" a bestseller. Tennessee Williams would have had a grand time with this narcissistic young lady. A modern day psychologist could have made a fortune on her. Imagine an egomaniacal preppie girl in a civil war setting and you have Sarah Morgan. She sighs, she weeps, she yearns for death to relieve her imagined sufferings. Gallant Confederate officers lay court to her and her sister, while she denies that they could take an interest in her plain, ordinary, self. This after spending endless pages describing her preparations to meet them, entertain them, etc. She is remarkable for her ability to deceive herself. Other than how it affects herself or her narrow circle, she is oblivious to what's happening around her. Battles that slaughtered thousands are barely, if at all, acknowledged. The slaves are pictured as happy, singing, smiling, non-entities who amaze and anger her when they give up their joyful lives to run off the the horrid yankees. Some of the other reviewers have called her a sort of "pre-feminist". A long, very long, stretch based on her mild yearnings "to be a man", or "being a worthless woman." Hardly Anthony or Stanton, or even Mary Chesnut. For the most part, she accepts, even embraces, the status quo. She describes endlessly and picturesquely her mourning over her brother killed in a duel over an imagined slight, but never questions the idiocy of the "code duello". She blathers about the "gallant grey coats", but ridicules and snickers at the common soldiers. She has no use for the lesser classes and disdains, with horror, any contact with them. There is no high adventure or heroics here. Though she whines a lot, her actual suffering is minimal. She and her family abandon their house in Baton Rouge (because of a threatened Confederate attack) and end up in a 3 story mansion in New Orleans provided by her Unionist brother. Two other brothers die of disease in the war which illicits melodramatic scenes of grief in which she portrays herself as outwardly stoic but suffering in martyred silence. In short, she is a typical adolescent, concerned only with how she looks to her circle.

Having said all that, I liked the book. It gives a vivid portrait of the thinking of what I imagine was common among the upper crust of Southern society during the horrendous slaughter they initiated. Arrogant,self-satisfied, self-righteous, horribly self-absorbed, and ruthless. By the end of the book, I wished Sherman had been less restrained, and reconstruction a lot more successful.

If you would prefer someone who actually thinks about the issues, who reports on the happenings, who questions the icons, try Mary Chesnut. Her attitudes aren't all that much different (with some notable exceptions), but her feelings are real, and, unlike Sarah, she does divorce herself from her mirror.

When reading this superb Civil War diary the reader is immediately struck by two things. One, it is hard to believe that so young a woman could have expressed herself and her feelings so beautifully, and two, it is even more amazing that everything contain in this diary is exactly as Sarah Morgan wrote it originally. That is to say, it was not polished and edited afterwards (as Mary Chestnut intended to do, but was not able). If you want to take a glimpse at what living through four years of war was like for a Southern family and especially a young Southern woman you need look no further.

What an amazing book! To read this book is to take a trip back in
time. Not a politically correct book, but the diaries of a complex
young woman who was haughty and kind, flirtatious and proper,
deferential to men and determined to be an independent spinster. Sarah
Morgan was a rebel in terms of both her Southern heritage and her
pre-feminism beliefs. Her words depict a white world-view that doesn't
recognize its own racism, as well as her personal defiance of
society's expectations of her as a woman. She was a talented writer
with opinions that varied from modern, by today's standards, to
cripplingly in sync with the standards of 1860s Louisiana. As a Civil
War book, as a woman's memoir, and as a journey into one of the United
States' most fascinating and tragic times, this book is truly
outstanding.

Enjoyable read that works well as a large picture book. For those unfamiliar with the history of the development of California this would be a good start. Timely and accurate overview of the destruction of natural California.

This book beautifully chronicles the damage that has been wreaked upon the California landscape in the last cnetury and a half. Particularly interesting is the commentary about the miner ethos that has prevailed not only among miners but also among loggers, agribusinessmen, and developers, leading to the pillage of the land for the gain of a few. However, the book was also weak here when it contrasted this ethos with that in Italy which has resulted in the preservation of the countryside. It seems only fair that the weaknesses of the Italian system, including the negative impacts of a slower economy and weak central government on the people's well-being, be at least acknowledged here as well. However, all in all the book is still very worthwhile. I will now never be able to forget what this state might have been.

It would be a shame if this seminal work on environmental destruction and the environmental movement were pigeonholed as a "California book." It is of equal interest to East Coast opinion-makers, Washington policy-makers, and all of those with an interest in environmental protection throughout the state, nation, and internationally. Thoroughly researched, it includes astonishing, little-known facts; but it is also highly accessible, written in lucid prose, blessedly jargon free, and including the telling, memorable anecdote. The photographs are stunning and will have an impact on even the casual browser - so the book will have an effect beyond "preaching to the choir." Perhaps most important, the book ends on a high note of hope, describing and lauding those environmental heroes and heroines who have made a genuine difference, one protest movement at a time.

So many Western American historical novels are out of the same mold. Vulnerable woman ends up on bitter man's ranch and so forth. The Wedding Raffle is an original in this field. The Literary Times review details the plot throughly.

First and foremost, both Honor and Luke are genuinely likeable. Both are wounded hearts but the reasons for their wounds ring true and the inevitable recovery happens realistically. I also really liked Honor's spitfire of a mother-in-law.

Where this book is unusual lies in a very skillful and interesting threat subplot. Most threat subplots are tedious and annoying. In this book, Dawson creates a plot that mixes up family dysfunction with a healthy dose of Texas politics in the years before Texas was annexed by the U.S. Sure I read romances for entertainment but I always enjoy it when education is artfully woven into the plot. This subplot works really well.

Bottom-line: A much better than average western historical. I'll keep it on my shelf and might be lending it out.

The sensuous aura that emits from Honor & Luke in their effort not to fall in love with each other almost slids off the page into your lap! This offering from Geralyn Dawson isn't just a page turner....it's a page burner from the moment former Texas Ranger, Captain Luke Prescott first lays eyes on the widow in the yellow dress.

I'm now settling in to read "The Wedding Ranson" and hoping it captures my attention and time as thoroughly as "The Wedding Raffle" did. If Luke's friend, Rafe Malone is half as....ahem, tasty...as he was in "Raffle", then my hubby may be fixing his own dinner tonight while I read!

Geralyn Dawson has captured that which is so valued in the life of a Texan survival, and pure fun. Reading this book was like a trip back in time.

Not your typical cookie-cutter romance novel where they fall for each other, hate each other, FINALLY sleep together and then live happily ever after. The typical ending is halfway through the book, and then it gets interesting. We laughed, we cried, we had a wonderful time, this book and I. Even the second time around. Cliches are true too, ya know. And this book makes them refeshing.

...

Jenny Fortune is struggling to keep her seamstress business afloat. It seems that all three of Big Jack Bailey's daughters have met up with a streak of bad luck after wearing her masterpiece wedding dress. Being a suspicious fool, Big Jack Bailey determines MissFortune (as he dubs her) has placed a curse on the dress and sets out to destroy Jenny and her business.

Trace McBride, local saloon owner, widower and father of three wild girls also known as the "McBride Menaces", rents out the space Jenny uses for her business. Because Trace is extremely busy trying to earn money so he can build his girls' a dream house and gain back his respectability as an Architect the girls begin to spend a lot of time with Jenny and decide she is going to be their new Momma. Continually placing their women weary Father and Jenny in constant contact by their antics the Menaces are determined to force this stubborn pair to fall in love.

Jenny figures the only way to turn her luck around is by getting married in her own "Bad Luck Wedding Dress" and proving to her clientele that the dress and her creations aren't cursed. Trace seems like the most likely candidate, unfortunately, he has been seriously burned by his former wife and is dead set against remarrying. But his daughters, who are even more stubborn than he is, have other plans . . .

This story is filled with endearing characters. There's a wounded hero crying out for love to heal his tortured heart, a charming, understanding and unpredictable heroine and three adorable little girls who add touches of humor and warmth to this terrific love story. If you're like me and like your books brimming over with emotion, sensuality, tenderness and laughter you will cherish this book

Although small in size, this book covers all the aspects of the lives of birds. Everything from nesting to migration. There's more to birding than just identification, and this book is a good start for that step beyond. Also has good illustrations. Recommended.

Bird Life was the first book about birds that I bought when I began seriously observing the birds in my neighborhood. I have more sophisticated guides to birds now, but I still refer to Bird Life for interesting bits of information that I just wouldn't find in any field guide. At only 4x6 inches in size and 160 pages, Bird Life looks like it was made to put in a pocket and take into the field. But it isn't really a field guide. It is simply the largest collection of information on the most different aspects of bird behavior in the smallest space. A list of the topics the book addresses will show you what I mean by that: bird behavior, preening, how birds sleep, feeding, food storage, social displays, family life, songs and calls, hearing, flight, navigation, longevity, conservation, attracting birds, feeding birds, and making bird feeders from common household items. None of these topics is covered in an exhaustive manner. Bird Life provides an introduction to each of these subjects. It doesn't help much in identifying birds, but helps you to understand their daily lives. The information is general but includes examples of species that engage in specific behaviors. And there are illustrations of bird behaviors and anatomy. As an introduction to birds, this book is tops!

Highly recommended for anyone who has ever encountered a bird! Really. It is easy to read and full of fascinating facts. You don't have to be a "bird person" to enjoy this book. You only risk discovering that your avian neighbors might be more interesting than you realized. Casual birders will find some intriguing info that they may not have read before. Makes a fun and inexpensive stocking stuffer too!

Dr. Joseph Dawson's new book is an outstanding study of perhaps the most grueling and longest campaign in American military history. Following in-hand with Dr. Roger Lanius' superb recent biography of the Mexican War's quintessential citizen-soldier, Alexander William Doniphan, colonel of the 1st Missouri Mounted Volunteer Regiment, this is a regimental history well-done and well-told. Dawson's strong military back-ground, meticulous research, and smooth and vibrant writing style brings color and passion to a great military venture. The reader is carried away in the struggle, the dust and grime of the march, but it never loses the focus of the winds of Manifest Destiny and the tidal-wave of national expansion. Glory and gore fill the pages as Doniphan, the most unlikely hero of the war, leads his rag-tag, motley command of Missourians hundreds of miles deep into Mexican territory, winning two major battles on the way. His ability to paint the difficulty and drudgery of the march, the courage and sacrifice of the men, and the unfolding national events in Washington and Mexico City are all woven into the fabric of splendid prose. The only area that may be considered a shortcoming is the last chapter that spends so much time and ink on the sectional crisis over slavery. Here, the flow loses some focus from the previously straight and direct narrative of the war and Doniphan's march. Joseph Dawson succeeded is telling the story of a great but little known military operation that is rivaled only by Alexander and Napoleon's feats.

"Doniphan's Epic March" explores the experience of the 1st Missouri Volunteers in the Mexican-American War. A volunteer unit formed in June 1846, just after the declaration of war against Mexico, the 1st Missouri formed an integral part of the Army of West led by Colonel Stephen Watts Kearny. Under the command of Alexander William Doniphan-an able young Missouri lawyer, militiaman, and politician-the 1st Missouri performed admirably in the conquest of New Mexico and northern Mexico in 1846-1847. He led it on an epic march of 3,600 miles throughout the Southwest, commanding it to victory over two larger Mexican forces at El Brazito and Sacramento. Joseph G. Dawson III, on the faculty at Texas A&M University, tells this story with enthusiasm and pungency.

The significance of Dawson's work rests on his analysis of the role of citizen soldiers in the wars of America, using Doniphan as a case study, both in the context of combat operations and in military governance of captured territory. In many respects Doniphan was a Cincinnatus at the plough, answering the call of his people to defeat perceived enemies. As such he was like many other Americans both before and since. Dawson explores this issue in relation to the nineteenth century American military establishment, an establishment that gave Doniphan, and indeed all other non-career officers, grudging respect at best. In a rare episode, the Army even invited Doniphan to address the cadets at West Point in the aftermath of the war. Dawson concludes that such citizen soldiers as Doniphan have been an important source of strength for the United States throughout its history. Yet they have received scant attention and even less analysis by military historians.

Dawson also uses Doniphan to evaluate the role of the military in governing conquered foreign provinces. This was something that the United States did not have to deal with before the Mexican-American War. But the acquisition of New Mexico and California by invasion of the Army of the West raised important questions about the status of the peoples residing there and the form of government to be established. Doniphan's legal background made him an ideal advisor to Kearny as he dealt with these questions in relation to New Mexico. With the mission of bringing New Mexico into the United States, Doniphan counseled Kearny to swear its residents to allegiance to the conquering nation and to establish a civilian government as expeditiously as possible. Kearny did just that, and Doniphan wrote both an oath of allegiance used throughout the territory and a law code that served well the now U.S.-controlled territory of New Mexico. This approach, championed by Doniphan, set a precedent that has continued.

"Doniphan's Epic March" is a good book. It is solidly researched and well written. Most important, it offers broad conclusions about the role of volunteer officers in American military history.

I don't know why this book is unavailable at this time, I bought it a few years ago and found it to be a big help. Alan Dawson was the drum teacher of Tony Williams and he was big on drummers knowing their craft and playing musically. The book starts off with 86 rudiments and how to play them. You should already know how to read music before attempting this book. Its best for people who have been playing awhile as it does not cover how to hold the sticks, music notation and other basic topics. The presentation is more like an outline for improving technique and how to better your independence. After the rudiments, the author show the "rudimental ritual" which is a method for practicing all 86 rudiments equally. The next section covers how to use Ted Reed's Syncopation as a tool for improving indepenence and reading ability. He presents many ways to interpert the material in Ted's book and show how to play it musically. Next comes a section on using George Stone's Stick Control and finally some thoughts on improving your single stroke roll. The book finishes with some solo material demonstrating everything covered in the book. I use the book as a refresher on technique and for improving my independence. Like I said its not for beginners but if you know how to read music and want to improve in the areas the book covers then its a good buy. Its a good reference on rudiments but to me the best part is the section on using Ted Reed's book.

I know Prof. Ramsey personally (after all, he was my drum teacher at Umass). In my lessons with John, his focus was on independence of limbs (using Ted Reed's Syncopation) and with greater technical facility (George Stone's Stick Control and the rudiments' section of his book).

This book won't teach you cool fills or new rhythms, but without the valuable technique knowledge in this book, you won't be able to learn new complex rhythms. A firm foundation produce good skill. Get this book to sharpen your technique! Highly recommended!

The collection of texts organized by Dawson is a good introduction to the topic. It brings some of the texts of the people that came up with the whole concept of the flow of funds accounts as well as some didactic ones and others that use the accounts for theoretical and empirical modelling. The book has some problems, though. Many of the original texts (like the ones by Bakus et alli and Earley, Parsons and Thompson, for example) were substantially edited, in a way that fails to capture their essence. Also, the selection of papers is, overall, more diverse than coherent and some important modern work in the area has been left out (I am thinking about the texts by Wynne Godley that have carried on the tradition of keynesian stock-flow consistent macroeconomic models during the nineties). Despite these problems, anyone interested in the topic should buy the book. Its virtues clearly dominate its problems.

This is a useful handbook for those who work with applied monetary economics. The collection of papers cover not only the development of flow-of-fund analysis, but also its fundamentals and applications (with examples).

Ever since the demise of the Game Design Work Shop. I have been looking for a conversion for my Victorian roleplaying. This book fills the gap. I, being an old fart roleplayer, have little time to do conversions. The original rules for 1889 where very simplistic. I wanted more meat. GURPS gives me that extra detail that I crave. The history and color supplied is very good, but of little use to me. The characters and tables were what I needed. Very well written, and to the point. many of these suppliments tend to lean to generalities, but this one focuses on the salient points.

I've been dying for this book for months, and let me tell you... it lives up to the expectations. It doesn't matter if you want to play a Jules Verne-esque Romantic Fiction romp or a James Blaylock Steam meets Spells dark comedy, this book will help it come true.

Essentially, this book makes the assumption that Victorian-era culture, morality, and society would not change much had the technological marvels been possible, and I tend to agree. The setting gives players and GMs a terrific overview of a mis-understood culture that is chock-a-block with gaming possibilities.

As an example, my playing group is using this book to re-create the Battle of Rourke's Drift... but the Prussian government has secretly armed the Zulus with advanced weaponry, in order to win an ally in the region. Is it plausible? Probably not. But is it fun? HECK, YEAH!

Never mind those "more-anarchist-than-thou" cyberpunks or "more-gothic-than-thou" Vampire gamers. Pick up GURPS Steampunk. Pick it up NOW. Trust me.

I highly recommend this book, even if you don't find the genre compelling. I may never run a victorian game, but I read the book from cover to cover. The writing is excellent and really captured my imagination. Stoddard evokes a marvelous setting, chock full of gaming potential.