It's really a shame that this book is not currently being kept in print. This is one of those funny, heartwarming books that I find myself taking off the shelf every year or so.

James Kirkwood did a wonderful job of taking a seeming tragedy (the breakin of your home) and blending it with a series of life problems that places the main character in a total funk.

When the protagonist walks in during the apartment breakin, he's had it. Everything is wrong in his life and he goes over the top. Unafraid of the burglar, he ties him down to his kitchen counter and hold the burglar hostage.

The hysteria starts as he ties down the stripped down burglar and forces him to hear all of life's woes. The interchange is absolutely laugh out loud funny.

This great book will take you out of any slump you find yourself in. When things can't get much worse, maybe it's time to do some laughing! That's exactly the tonic for the main character, and it can be just as so for the reader.

Save this for a bad week! A wonderful anti-depressant!

Also highly recommended is James Kirkwood's "Good Times, Bad Times." A wonderful coming of age tale.

I honestly can't remember where I bought my first copy of this fabulous book, probably a thrift store or flea market, but I most definitely remember where I was when I read it. I was on the Blue Line in 1987, taking the train to high school. I started it on the bus and by the time I was on the train I was so entranced that I missed my stop. I missed it by 3 stops! I was laughing out loud. People were looking at me like I was insane. All I wanted to do was tell them what I had just read. I was actually crying from laughter! It was sooo invigorating! Such and extremely original story!! I couldn't wait to share with all my fellow readers. It was years before I was able to get another copy to actually give away. I now have my original copy with all its tape just barely holding the cover on and another copy that I loan out. If you are feeling down, or not, this is a book that will absolutely make you at least grin as you read. I highly recommend this book to everyone!! Young & Old, Bold & Shy!! You can't go wrong.

If you can find this book, buy several copies, as they will disappear. People will borrow it, and you will never see it again; it is that good (I have lost three copies that way). When you read the cover description of the book ("It's New Year's Eve...") , you immediately realize that you have had bad days like that, and you want to know if his day was worse than yours (...it was). I have found this to be one of the funniest, most touching, " go for the gut" books I have ever read, and I recommend it to all! I just wish I could find another copy!

I've got a lot of BBQ books, maybe 40 or 50, and I would have to say this one has moved to the top of my list! Its got it all over the others. This book has "the vibe" its got soul, funk, rock and roll and some of the best damn barbecue recipes you'll ever come across. I'll have to settle for having to recreate the recipes as I am nowhere near this juke joint (but I am putting it on my BBQ Mecca list!)but just flipping thru the pages of this gaw-jus book I get a feeling like I can hear the music, smell the 'que and meet the characters that inhabit this place. Who says Dinosaurs are extinct! Chow time! Get cookin' get smokin! This is one 'Saur that Roars!

I was a little worried at first that this would be a book from the Dinosaur, but not necessarily containing the actual recipes you eat in the restaurant. Fear not, this book is the real deal.

It has most of the dishes they serve at the Dino' - from the cornbread, pulled pork, ribs and peanut butter pie to mojito chicken and steak with chimchurri sauce. Throw in the rubs, sauces, and marinades and you've got everything to make some outstanding food.

To top it off it has some great tips for cooking. You can tell that John Stage is a stickler for getting things done right. And then the writing and photography really take you there.

Yeah, I'm from Syracuse, but the book still stands out from my 80+ cookbooks.

The Dinosaur is probably my favorite restaurant. Unfortunately, I don't live in Syracuse anymore, so I can't always feed the need for their fabulous food. I just got their cookbook, and have had the chance to try only one recipe - the cajun corn. It was dead-to-rights just like what they serve at the Dino. If that's any indication of how close the recipes are to the real thing, I can't wait to try more recipes! This book also offers terrific tips to grillers. If you know someone who loves to grill, this is a great book for them!

That a man would be giving the wisdom to heal my wounds of the past is astonding. No one relates to a woman and her feeligns, needs and pain the way that T.D. Jakes does with this worderfuly simple book. My soul is blessed and my daughters will be blessed threw the wisdom I have gained threw this book. God has Bless Bishop Jakes in his ministry, and us threw him. This is a MUST READ for every female!

All I can say at this time is that Bishop Jakes is a blessed man sent by God. He truly has a heart for the woman that has been hurt, and as for me this book has open up my eyes and set me free from my dark past the inter child that was lost, hurt, and missed used is found and now my confidence and my faith has been renewed so I thank the men of God for letting the Lord work though him. Just to add to what I said because of the book, Iam free indeed there is no devil in hell that can take from me any more I think every woman should read this book they will be set free the Lord thy God is faithful I could go on and on about this book because It is powerful and eye opening a new life will emerge and truth will come I say woman forget about your past. For the man of God has said WOMAN, THOU ART LOOSED, if you have not got the book get today love you Bishop Jakes. Sincerely, Christie D. Washington

"Woman Thou Art Loosed," was truly a blessing to my soul and mind. It was a book which had such a profound annointing on it; you could fill the power come through the pages. Bishop T.D. Jakes is to be commended for such an enlightening interpretation of God's holy divine Word. Thank you for allowing God to use you to touch young women like me.

A teacher of mine recommended this book to me in high school. It was out of print at the time, so she lent me her own copy. She told me that whenever she was feeling down, this book would cheer her up.

She was right. I've reread this book a half a dozen times in the 10 intervening years, and while it isn't necessarily, it is truly delightful. Captain Pausert's adventures with Goth are a lot of fun to read.

Further, the book affirms the philosophy that the good guys can win, even in a bureaucratic universe, if they're clever enough. This may be the attribute my teacher was talking about when she sent me to read the book (although I think the wonder of the book is something less tangible-- perhaps part of it is the way that the book takes for granted the idea that magic can exist, yet it isn't a traditional fantasy novel).

It's wonderful to see this going back into print. I enthusiastically recommend it.

I remember years ago, passing this book in my local library for years, until desperate for something to read, took it home. Five days later I was on my third reading of the book, aloud to my enraptured younger sister. It's a claasic in every sense of the word. A space opera with non-stop action, humor and excitement. The killer robot stalking Goth and Captain Pauisert is a real highlight. This is one of 2 books I would slip to Steven Spielberg. As has already been written, there's a blookbuster movie in the book waiting to be discoveed.

I first read "The Witches of Karres" when I was twelve years old and happened across it in the stacks of my hometown library. I have never found any science fiction book before or since that could match it in terms of pure enjoyment. It is one of only two or three books that I will not lend under any circumstances (and given that it's a perfect first edition, that I won't even let someone touch). I fell in love with Goth and fancied myself as Pausert in many a happy dream. I had nightmares in which the Sheem Assasin came alive, the fur moving and the body taking shape. I still shudder at the thought after all these years. It's a shame the book didn't win the Hugo that year, because it's so excellent, but that doesn't change anything. My only regrets are that Schmitz never published a sequel (though from what I've read he thought about one and maybe even worked on it a bit) and that I didn't buy a stack of the original Chilton first editions for two bucks a pop while they were still in print! Given today's special effects wizardry, "The Witches of Karres" would make a one heck of a fun movie...

I was learned of James "Nick" Rowe's book "FIVE YEARS TO FREEDOM" on the old Robert K. Dornan TV show in Los Angeles way back in the early 1970's. I bought it and read it back then. In Five Years to Freedom, James Rowe exemplefies all that is good in the American Soldier. All that is good in the Vietnam Vet. Courage, Honor, Duty, so absent today by our political leaders. I never knew or met Col. Rowe, but I felt after reading his book, that I was family. And I cried. When he was assinated in the P.I., I re-read it, and cried again. As a vet, I will miss Nick. GOD BLESS JAMES. This book is A MUST read for all student's of the Vietnam War, and should be read at the HIGHEST LEVELS OF OUR GOVERNMENT. WELCOME HOME NICK.

Nick Rowe was already a giant among special operations soldiers when I had him as an instructor in Special Forces in 1982. Every page of his book only serves to demonstrate that which he would never claim - Nick Rowe is an American hero of the model few can match. Read the book to understand what character, courage and a will to live really mean. Years later, in the late 1980s, Nick Rowe autographed my copy of his book. I recall telling him how remarkable I found his story. His response, without batting an eye - "sure hate to have to research it again." There, in a nutshell is Nick Rowe, and the kind of wit that kept him alive. Get a copy of this book and read it. Then remember him every time you see the American Flag. Remember this man, James N. (Nick)Rowe died three weeks before Memorial Day, 1989, at a time this country enjoyed peace, and tell me tears do not come to your eyes.

James N (Nick) Rowe was the quintiessential Green Beret. His story is about how he survived for 5 years as a prisoner of war of the Viet Cong. His story is about the pressures of survival of day to day torture and interrogation. He tells of seeing his friends die. His experience was the basis for the US Army starting the school to teach military personnel how to survive in captivity. He escaped on his way to be executed after Jane Fonda brought a copy of POW personnel files during her visit to North Vietnam. COL Rowe is credited for many saves with the quality of his teachings. The book is a fast read and shows how articulate Nick Rowe was. SIDE NOTE: COL Jame "Nick" Rowe was assasinated in the Phillipines on 21 April 1986. The US State Department called it a "Random Terrorist Act". But he was killed 21 years after his escape on the 2100 block and shot 21 times. Only the Embassy knew his route that day and he was ordered NOT to be armed, though his name was on a "hit" List. Aquino granted freedom to all of his killers several years ago. You can visit Nick's grave. It's on the hill next to the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetary.

A tremendous piece of literature I was lucky enough to read at age 8. I'm still re-reading it today as an adult and continue to find it imaginitive, without being syrupy or preachy. Our protagonist, the minstral-turned-Prince, must save the Princess Saralinda before the coniving Duke forces her to marry him. The Duke sets out an impossible task for the Prince, hoping that he will perish before he weds Saralinda on her 21st Birthday.

What is so amazing about this story is that each character has so much more dimension than the average fairy tale character. At times the Duke is almost likable and the Prince can be frustratingly unheroic. Even Saralinda escapes from the cotton candy persona of most heroines. Sure, she's beautiful, but she has an assumed cleverness that is presented as normal rather than over-emphasized in a Disney-like way.

I would highly recommend this book to children and adults alike. A note to eight-year-olds: Look up the hard words. It's worth the time. Trust me

...the writing is so lyrical, the characters so funny, and characteristic of thurber, frought with human flaws while still being heroes, and each adventure solved, in the end, by wit and ingenuity. the prose is beautifully tight. it is written, like E.B. White, for the inner ear -- sonorous, and full of Thurber mischief. "I am the Golux, the one and only Golux -- and not a mere device." My eight-year old loves the rhythm. My 11 year old loves the humor, and I love thurber's wink to me about literary devices...for us, this book is always at hand for the sheer joy of reading it aloud.

I thought that this book was a great book and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to read great fairy tale. A tale with Princes, Princess and an evil Duke. I couldn't put the book down. It was short and sweet. There is a simple plot and characters that are easy to relate to. There were many descriptive sentences that painted detailed pictures in your head. I also enjoyed the pictures in the book and found them very amusing. This book as some surprising twists in it that you would never guess. Again I would highly recommend this book for anyone of all ages that just want to read something that is good and it doesn't take him or her days to read. It is just an awesome book to read. I hope you enjoy it.

By far the most realistic of the Bond books. Fleming's description of the MGB (later KGB) headquarters in Moscow's Dzherzinsky Square, where the plot to lure British agent James Bond to his death is first revealed, is reputedly based on information to which he was privy in his capacity as a WWII officer in British Naval Intelligence -- likewise the recruitment and training of the psychopathic killer Red Grant, one of the most formidable of Bond's enemies (and the only one in the films who looked for a while about to kill Bond for sure! 007 meets his match in Grant!) This is the book behind what in my opinion is the best of the Bond movies, steeped in the atmosphere of the Cold War into which the Bond series was born. 007 travels to Istanbul in pursuit of the bait, a Lektor decoder which can read top secret Soviet military and intelligence signal traffic. Another form of bait is the beautiful Tatiana Romanova, an MGB cipher clerk allegedly in love with Bond, willing to defect with the Lektor if only 007 will come and fetch her. (Fleming takes yet another jab at the Reds by choosing this name for Bond's love interest -- Romanov was the family name of the last Czar of old imperial Russia, the family doomed to extinction by the Russian revolution.) Kerim Bey adds a bit of panache, mischief and mystery as "Our man in Istanbul," Head of Station T (for Turkey). A truly great and suspenseful plot!

Fleming seemed to have used his first four novels (Casino Royale, Live and Let Die, Moonraker, and Diamonds are Forever) to warm us up to the Bond character and used the same plot style for the first four novels. In From Russia, With Love, Fleming takes Bond and his writing style to a higher, more intellectual level. Fleming is masterful in setting the scenes without being too boring. Bond doesn't appear until the second part of the book (Part II-The Plan) and you hardly even notice. Another interesting note is that of the James Bond movies, From Russia, With Love the movie follows the novel pretty well, even in lesser scenes such as the gypsy fight. This, perhaps, is due to the fact that Fleming was alive only for the filming and release of Dr. No and From Russia, With Love. This book is clearly Fleming at the top of his game and an outstanding entry to the series.

Considered by many to the be the best James Bond 007 book of all time, From Russia With Love delivers the perfect formula for a James Bond novel. Originally, Ian Fleming's tales of 007 were not going so good, so he intended with this book to kill off James Bond once and for all. The end of this novel is quite a surprise to a first time reader.

The book begins by telling of the commanding rule of SMERSH. The leader of this organization is General Grubozaboyschikov. Also working is Colonel Rosa Klebb and director of planning Kronsteen, who treats real people as if they were chess pieces. The muscle of the group is a homicidal madman, who follows orders, and is in practically perfect physical shape, Donovan "Red" Grant. These evil minds have planned the perfect way to destroy the life and reputation of James Bond. Their plan is to lure 007 with the beatiful Tatiana Romanova and a Spektor cipher decoding machine as bait. Then Grant will meet up with them eventually and kill them both. However, SMERSH will take it a step further to lie to the public that Bond and Tatiana were in an affair, and that Bond commits suicide. It's a perfect plan.
Bond indeed does travel to Istanbul, believing that this girl wants to defect, and will give him the Spektor machine only if he personally helps her. 007 meets Darko Kerim, and a wonderful gypsy fight adds to the fun of the story. Bond and Tatiana travel on a train back to Europe, where he meets Red Grant and is told of the plan to kill him. An extremely bvrutal gun and fist fight breakes out between the men with 007 shooting Grant. 007 goes to Paris with Tatiana to catch Rosa Klebb in a meeting. However, Klebb releases a poison knife from her shoe and kicks 007 in the leg, before being taken away by the police. The story ends with 007 lying on the floor of the hotel room...

Perhaps the finest story of Ian Fleming, filled with the excitement and adventure to give this book it's reputation as on of the best 007 novels ever!

"Portraits of Success: 9 Keys to Sustaining Value in Any Business" by James Olan Hutcheson is just another "how to succeed at business" book. I wish its value was more than that, but it isn't. It is neither passionate nor any more informative than its competitors.

In the business books I have read recently, I found this one lacks the authority and substance I found in others. William Pollard's "Soul of the Firm" has the authority, as he took ServiceMaster to a new level. "Values of the Game" by Bill Bradley was worth the read because of Bradley's unique metaphorical look at life. "Leadership" by Rudolph Giuliani has power because of what Giuliani has gone through. "Portraits," however, has a flaccid tone to it. I felt as if it was researched information regurgitated into book form. I felt like I was reading the kind of book which gets sold after a corporate sales seminar.

The book, as seen in the subtitle, can be boiled down to nine major points. In each, Hutcheson retells stories of business success and failures, from security company founder Richard Wackenhut to Yankees owner George Steinbrenner.

Action items accompany each chapter, and herein lay the book's greatest value. Hutcheson provides a topic sentence to lead the mini-lesson, but weakly completes the thesis in the following paragraphs.

The redundancy of subject matter mixed with a bland presentation has me suggesting to you to look elsewhere. It was not edited tightly enough to build the necessary tension and excitement. Overall, "Portraits of Success: 9 Keys to Sustaining Value in Any Business" lacks the poignancy I have come to expect from professional advancement books.

Anthony Trendl

There are many other books now in print which also claim to offer all manner of business "keys" or "secrets." What sets this book apart from most of them is not easily explained but I now attempt to do so. Hutcheson draws upon a wealth of real-world business experience, first during the years when he went to work part-time as a telemarketer at Olin Mills, Inc. (which his grandfather founded), eventually heading the Olin Mills Portrait Studios; and then after he left Olin Mills to found his own company, ReGENERATION Partners. The range and depth of his practical experience in the business are thus extensive. The nine "Keys" Hutcheson shares in this book are based on personal experience, not theory. What also differentiates this book from most others I've read is Hutcheson's consistent emphasis on both human value and human potentiality. He understands full well that one of the greatest challenges decision-makers now face in their organizations (regardless of size or nature) is to help ordinary people produce extraordinary results... and do so in collaboration with others. Hence the importance of respect for human dignity in any workplace. Hence the importance of a manager's faith in human potentiality. Throughout his book, Hutcheson affirms that respect and faith in no uncertain terms.

With regard to the nine "Keys" themselves, no news there. They could just as easily be seven (Covey) or 21 (Maxwell). Everyone is in favor of building companies that last, believes that companies need effective leadership, that a meritocracy is preferable to anarchy, etc. Of course, Hutcheson makes no claim that his "Keys" are "Secrets." Again, what sets his book apart from so many others is the meticulous care with which he presents and discusses the "Keys" in terms of achieving and then sustaining maximum value in an organization. Because there is a continuity to his thought processes when developing his ideas, the chapters should be read in sequence.

With regard to the "Portraits," Hutcheson "paints" several. Those I found of greatest value are of Legend Airlines (which illustrates the power of "fable") and Southwest Airlines (which illustrates the importance of "traditions, myths, and shared beliefs"); also, those of the New York Yankees, Dell Computer, and Katz's Deli. (Katz's Deli? Yes. Read Chapter 7 in which Hutcheson explains why it is imperative to "give the next generation room to grow.") Frankly, I was surprised to encounter a discussion of Dennis Rodman in Chapter 2. What's he doing in this book? Hutcheson explains why. He tells his own "business story" in the Preface and then concludes the book with "Closing Reflections." The tone and style of the narrative throughout made this reader feel that I was engaged with Hutcheson in a personal, albeit one-way conversation. (So many other business books seem to be an anthology of graduate school lectures.) Credit Hutcheson with having a caring personality as well as a sense of humor.

Who will derive the greatest benefit from this book? Certainly decision-makers in who need to increase and sustain the value of their organizations. Also founders of family-owned businesses who have an urgent need for assistance with succession planning while growing the business. Also those in charge of business units and even departments within large organizations if the operations for which these executives are responsible are underperforming (i.e. not adding sufficient value to the parent).

Finally, I highly recommend this book to those who have recently embarked on a business career. Why? Because it will be to their great advantage to understand the importance of what I call "value-adding effort," of what Napoleon Hill once referred to as "going the extra mile." When each of our three sons and then our daughter embarked on a business career, I offered only two pieces of advice: "Love whatever you do to earn a living" and 'Become indispensable to your employer." I wish Hutcheson's book had been available to them then. Countless others will be grateful that it is available to them now.

This is a difficult book to categorize - on one level it's a framework for business (or personal) success, on another it's an account of one man's personal observations and astute conclusions. Above all, it's lucid and remarkably well written. At the core it's about building self-esteem in yourself and others, and how to develop your most important assets - your people.

I like the way Mr. Hutcheson immediately draws you into his life and the forces and personalities which influenced him from an early age. He clearly explains what the book is about and why he wrote it, weaving in story telling, analysis and definite purpose. He continues by laying out the nine keys to sustaining value, which are actually guidelines that can be used in business or in personal endeavors. Each key is empirically supported, is illustrated and reinforced by portraits of success, and is laid out as a set of action items which clearly show how to use the key.

My first pass through the book was fast and left me with the impression that much of it was common sense. A more careful reading, however, showed that what seems like common sense if actually the author's ability to articulate insights gained through a lifetime as an executive who worked his way up in a family business, and his later observations as a consultant. I was so impressed with what I read that I gave a copy to my boss (I work for a privately held company based in India), and he was as impressed as I with the advice given and the clear outline for implementing it. It's about leadership, doing the right things for the right reasons, and how to build and maintain a distinctive culture.

This is a down-to-Earth book that imparts excellent advice and the insights behind the advice. It is inspirational, yet practical, and is true to its title with respect to providing nine keys to sustaining business value.

Grant here gives a consistently interesting account of his role in many of the major campaigns of the Civil War. His prose is clear and his accounts of battles and strategies quite readable, even to those without particular expertise in military history. He sticks to the story, making few attempts to even scores with his numerous critics in the Army or the press.

One thing that should be noted is that these 'personal memoirs' are in many ways remarkably impersonal. There is only a quite brief account of Grant's youth, and his wife, to whom he was apparently quite devoted, is barely mentioned. Grant tells the story of his career as an officer with increasing levels of responsibility, but says little about himself. Also, the memoirs end with the assassination of Lincoln, and do not at all discuss his presidency.

The edition I read was lacking in maps, which was a serious drawback, however it was a different edition than the one discussed here. Because so much of the book focuses on the tactics of specific campaigns, a good set of maps is a very valuable addition, and would be advisable to check for in any edition you consider reading or buying.

No less an eminent man of letters than Mark Twain called Ulysses S. Grant's "Personal Memoirs" "the best [memoirs] of any General's than Caesars." Having now read this outstanding work along with those of Julius Caesar, William T. Sherman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Omar Bradley, Colin Powell and H. Norman Schwarzkopf, I must agree with Mark Twain's assessment. For sheer honesty, humility, and simple but powerful language, U.S. Grant's memoirs are without peer.

Grant allows the reader to go along with him and live once again his experiences during the Mexican War and American Civil War. He interjects his own judgments and opinions sparingly, yet always honestly. Where he feels he made mistakes, he admits them freely, and his criticisms of his colleagues is always tempered by an obvious attitude of professionalism. The fact that Grant wrote a memoir of such eloquence while dying from cancer makes it all the more powerful a book.

I found this modern library edition especially outstanding. The introductory notes by Caleb Carr and Geoffrey Perret, while brief, are extremely informative. Maps and etchings from the original 1885 Charles Webster & Co. edition are included, as is General Grant's report to Secretary of War Stanton on Civil War operations during 1864-65. This appendix makes fantastic reading by itself!

I highly recommend this outstanding edition to all Civil War and military history enthusiasts. It is simply the best military memoir I've ever read.

I have never been much of a Civil War fan, but after reading "The Killer Angels" by Shaara, a historical fiction about Gettysburg, I was interested in following up with some non-fiction about the most important event in US History. This book kept me turning the pages from end to end. Despite its bulk (some 618 pages) I simply couldn't put the book down, as Grant's matter-of-fact description of the events that surrounded him was completely engrossing.

Grant was not an extraordinary man or brilliant tactician, his soldiers did not have the same obsession with him that the South held for Lee, he simply saw the war for what it was, a campaign against a rebellion. He looked at the entire war in its entirety, from battlefront to battlefront, and he repeatedly used that to his advantage. Many times he makes reference to deploying troops to no clear end other than to occupy an enemies flank, this often as a junior with no authority over the battle as a whole. Grant was a man of action, who realized he had to take a step in order to walk a mile. He took the battle to the enemy, divised clear and necessary steps which were needed to win the war as a whole. He was a general who did not just see the war as independent sets of battles, but saw those battles as a means to ending the Civil War.

One of my favorite parts of the text was watching the scope of Grant's vision widen. Starting with his actions in the Mexican American War his vision is very limited: he sees only the immediate battle, and his descriptions focus on minutiae reflecting his low rank. His vision escalates with his rank, until the end of the book, with the surrender of Lee, he sees and describes the entire army, and battles that would have once taken chapters to described are now dismissed in single sentences.

My one disappointment with the book was that it ended with the surrender of Lee at Appomatox. I would have liked to learn more about his actions after the war, and especially learned more about his presidency. I wish that there were similar autobiographies by other presidents, and certainly feel that this one elevated my expectations of all other autobiographies!

Favote Excerpts:

"It is men who wait to be selected, and not those who seek, from whom we may always expect the most efficient service." - Grant (page 368)

"All he wanted or had ever wanted was some one who would take the responsibility and act, and call on him for all the assistance needed, pledging himself to use all the power of the government in rendering such assistance." - Grant on Lincoln (page 370)

"Wars product many stories of fiction, some of which are told until they are believed to be true." - Grant (page 577)

"To maintain peace in the future it is necessary to be prepared for war." - Grant (page 614)

"The war begot a spirit of independence and enterprise. The feeling now is, that a youth must cut loose from his old surroundings to enable him to get up in the world." - Grant (page 616)

Lost Rights sets the record straight on almost every issue making headlines today and exposes how often the government has lied in issues ranging from gun control, the war on drugs, and government officials using their power in office to usurp power from ordinary citizens and transfer it to themselves. Lost Rights is backed hundreds and hundreds of references leaving no doubt of the validity of some of the shocking revelations revealed in the book. This book should be required reading for everyone who cares about their rights and freedoms.

Bovard's classic eye-opener belongs on the shelf of every American. Rather than serve merely as a warning, this book serves as a slap in the face. The violation of rights that this book documents (with stellar scholarship) and explains are not things that are about to happen -- they are things that have already happened and are happening all around us. Want to know "what's the problem with big government, anyway?" Just read this book. It is easy to read, even if it is not easy to accept. Bovard is a great writer and takes polemics and journalistic writing to a new level.

Buy this book and read it. Let it make you really, really angry about where we are. Read "Common Sense" by Paine and read the Constitution of the United States to figure out where we were. Then read "1984" by George Orwell to figure out where we're heading. Then read "The Road to Serfdom" by F A Hayek and realize why we're heading there. Then read "For A New Liberty" by Murray Rothbard and a host of other books to figure out what you can do about it. Then do it.

The United States of America is the greatest country in human history because it is the only nation ever founded on the noblest political principle possible: the principle of inalienable individual rights. But today this principle is undergoing an all-out assault by the enemies of liberty, and the United States is being destroyed in the process. This book presents, in terrifying detail, just how far the destruction of American liberties has gone. Bovard presents a wide range of examples of the arbitrary, viscious use of government power against defenseless citizens, and of the cost in death and ruined lives that this power produces. It is shocking to discover how far the destruction of freedom has already gone in America. Any person interested in protecting liberty ought to read this book.