The first two or three chapters of this book were tough-going. The writing was choppy because the author kept jumping from his own narrative to lengthy quotes from Madison. But persistence paid off. It may not be the definitive biography of James Madison, but it's a good read.

The book is short and focuses on Madison's presidency, with some background on his accomplishments before becoming president. The story that Garry Wills tells is that James Madison enjoyed a moderately successful presidency in spite of himself. While he was a brilliant and effective member of the legislature, he really didn't have what it takes to be a good president. He was too much of an ideologue and not enough of a pragmatic. One of his big mistakes was the embargo. Both before and during his presidency he believed England was more reliant on trade with the U.S. that the the other way around.

The passages about early naval battles in the War of 1812 were fun: the fledgling United States whipping the most powerful navy in the world. Of course, Madison thought the war could easily be won on land and didn't even think we should have a navy. Nor did he think we should have a federal bank, until he ran out of money to carry on the war. The idea that he was ruining the U.S. economy with his embargo probably never occurred to him.

But the book has a happy ending. The War of 1812 ended without destroying the U.S. Additionally, during Madison's presidency the extreme polarization between the Federalists and the Republicans was tempered quite a bit-more people recognized the need for a stronger federal government. All in all, the United States of America was in a better place at the end of Madison's 8 years as president.

This is a very good study of Madison as president. Wills is, as always, a source of insight and the quality of writing is up to his usual high standard. Wills is primarily concerned with explaining why Madison's presidency was not very successful. Wills begins by reminding us that Madison's presidency was perhaps more successful than commonly perceived. He did serve 2 terms and did hand over the office to his chosen successor. The War of 1812, which he blundered into, was brought to a reasonably successful conclusion. Still, this is not a performance that matches his other remarkable achievements. Wills points out that Madison was constitutionally unsuited to being a President, particularly a wartime President. Madison was a modest, actually shy man, who excelled in the committee room but was certainly not the dynamic leader demanded by wartime events. Madison was not, however, merely swept along by events. Wills is careful to show that the War of 1812 was brought on in large part by Madison's unrealistic policies when in Jefferson's administration. Madison's doctrinaire Republicanism and own political choices also hampered his ability to conduct the war well. For example, he allowed the charter of the Bank of the United States to lapse, and the absence of a central bank became a major obstacle to adequate wartime financing. Following a point made originally by Henry Adams in his great series of books on the Jefferson and Madison administrations, what really saved the American republic were the institutions developed by the Federalists, notably the small but highly competent professional military and navy. Madison's administration would conclude with the de facto adoption of many Federalist policies. Wills provides also nice overviews of Madison's pre- and post-presidential careers. He is particularly good on Madison's attachment to the separation of Church and State. Wills is careful to give Madison his due for positive achievements as a President. For example, he was careful to stay within the bounds of the Constitution and his record on Civil Liberties as a wartime president is better than that of Lincoln or FDR. A good book that whets your interest for more information on Madison and this period of American history.

The author, Garry Wills, writes, "Madison's very presidency is semi-forgotten.", and addresses the question "How could James Madison be so outstanding in certain aspects of his life and be overshadowed in others." The text states that an explanation "...could take one of three approaches based on circumstances, on temperament or on specific errors." However, none of these fully explain the dichotomy Madison presents.

Wills notes that Madison had weak points which he carried over to the presidency: "...a certain provincialism with regard to the rest of the world and a certain naiveté with regard to the rest of his human beings." The book's first three chapters cover the "Pre-Presidential Years" noting "Madison is called the father of the Constitution. It is a title deeply deserved on many accounts." He had an intimate connection with all three administrations preceding his presidency being responsible for the framing and passage of the Bill of Rights.

The balance of the book, ten chapters, covers his presidency. He became president under very difficult circumstances. Jefferson literally had given up governing the nation for four crucial months passing on a stalled executive to Madison who had no real executive experience before becoming president. Lacking leadership experience the author relates the many cabinet and personnel problems he experienced while his provincialism often allowed him to get suckered punched in foreign affairs. Contrary to common belief, the Congressional "War Hawks" of the West did not thrust the War of 1812 on him. Madison wanted the war.

The author gives a succinct account of Madison and the conduct of the war from the aborted attempt to conquer Canada to the bright performance of the American Navy. In 1814 when the war was shifting in America's favor, Washington was burned in what the author calls "a perfect study of what was wrong with Madison' conduct of the war..." Political basis for military appointments (a practice continued into the Civil War) and reliance on state militia rather than army professionals contributed significantly to the Washington debacle.

The text gives a brief account of the work of the American peace commission and the treaty ending the war, which the Senate approved on February 16, 1815. The author notes, "Not a single one of its announced war goals had been reached....", but notes that "During his last year in office, Madison rode the swell of popular nationalism...." During the war Madison was truer to the strictures of the Constitution than any subsequent war president "as if to prove that the Constitution did not have to be jettisoned in a crisis."

Garry Wills answers the question of how could James Madison be so outstanding in certain aspects of his life and be overshadowed in others. He concludes this book writing "No man could do everything for the country-not even Washington. Madison did more than most, and did some things better than any. That is quite enough."

The reader will find parallels in today's national politics with the political shenanigans of the Madison era.

For everyone who gets 'movie madness' every March by eagerly anticipating Oscar night, this is a must-own book. It is the bible of Oscar knowledge and includes every nomination and winner from 1927 until the mid-90's. It is by far the greatest Academy Award reference tool that is available and just by paging through the nominee list in the back for a few minutes, your video rental list will grow by the foot.
The first portion gives the reader a quick history lesson including how the illustrious Academy began and how the golden statue got his trademark name. Following that, every year gets its own chapter in which the authors tell of the studio campaigns to get their films nominated, what the critics and gossip writers were reporting at the time, and who got a nominee and who got screwed. The chapter ends with an "Oscar Night," section, which goes down to the most minute detail of each Awards ceremony from the lame jokes the host tried to crack ("U-ma, O-prah!"),to the most flubbed speeches, embarrassing dance performances (Rob Lowe and Snow White?!), timeless quotes ("You like me, you really like me!") and hideous dresses. It also gives the list of presenters and the highlights of the post-Awards parties.
The back though, with the nominee history, is easily my favorite and one can spent countless hours paging through and remembering the classic films of years past or debating with friends about who got robbed in the best supporting category in 1962. I like to use the back as a checklist of what I've seen and need to see next.
My paperback edition is thoroughly warped and I hope the authors put out a new edition or else mine is going to fall apart soon. A warning though, the book does get rather depressing in April because that means there's 11 more months until next year's big show!

If you enjoy the hype of the Academy Awards, this is the book for you. Plenty of behind-the-scenes action that you're not going to find by simply watching the Academy Awards. It's gossipy, dishy, and dirty...a definite guilty pleasure. Great index of past Academy Award winners and nominees as well.

For those with a love for both film and trivia, this book is indispensable. Its the definative examination of the annual mixture of the heartwarming and the gauche known as the Academy Awards. Going year-by-year, Wiley and Bona carefully detail what ruled the box office and amazed the critics as well as giving all the gossipy details on the mostly forgotten men and women who were temporarily declared to be Hollywood's "next great star." Each years ends with a description of that year's academy awards ceremony. Though this might not sound extremely exciting, Bona and Wiley are not shy about injecting their editorial opinions as far as the ceremonies are concerned and several of their sarcastic descriptions of various misbegotten dance numbers and confused presenters, while bordering on being rather snide, are also laugh out loud funny. No matter how savvy and cynical you may consider yourself to be, after reading their behind-the-scenes take on the Oscars, you'll never be able to look at Hollywood the same way as before.

As well, Wiley and Bona have compiled perhaps the most accurate and complete listing of Oscar nominees and winners in existence. They even include lists, for each year, of notable films and songs that were passed over. These lists are probably my favorite part of the book, though I do wish they'd include some explanations of why they selected certain films as overlooked. (As just one example, Beyond the Valley of the Dolls placement as an overlooked 1970 best picture possibility, has always perplexed me.)

No matter how much you may think you know about film and celebrity trivia, this book will have something to surprise you. This is a book I've never tired of reading because I know with each look, I'll discover something both new and hilarious.
In short, this is my desert island book.

This was the first one I ever read of the Cat Who series and it was excellent. It kept me engrossed for hours. I couldn't wait to see what happened to Qwill, Koko and Yum Yum. I could relate with Qwilleran because I lived with two Siamese cats and I knew their behavoir.

It has a lot of excitement, involving a missing train. I learned quite a bit about trains reading this book. Lillian Jackson Braun certainly did her home work researching trains.

I highly recommend The Cat Who Blew The Whistle to any cat and train lover.

Being a cat lover and knowing how felines can be, I decided to read Ms. Brauns books. When I started they became clear that not only does Mr Q have a great pair of cats but he loves them very much. In all of the books I have read of this series so far, Ms. Braun hints at who the "bad guy" might be then she has Koko and Mr. Q work together to solve the mystery. It is fun, reading what Koko and Yum Yum are doing then seeing my own cats "talk" as they do in the books. Mr. Q, with all his billions, works for a living, cares for his friends and loves his cats. I have yet to see where he uses his money to look "better" than any other person in the book. Reading this and others of this series puts beautiful pictures in your mind of what Moose County may look like and how it would be to ive "400 miles north of everywhere".

I am an avid "Cat Who"... reader and I was really impressed with this story. The author has a way of tying things together while making it all seem as if this was the way it should have been to begin with. The attention payed to details as with the train, the interaction of Q,Koko and Yum Yum and the string of other characters make for an entertaining and fast paced book. One almost feels you are in the story with them as they are riding in the train. I highly recommend any of the books from the "Cat Who".. series. I can't wait for the next one to come out. It should prove to be a great read. Way to go Lilian Jackson Braun! Keep on writing!!

Highly recommended! I couldn't put it down - so informative and comprehensive, and chock full of advice and tips. I liked the personal, conversational tone the author used. Finally here's a book that's not just for "yuppie" moms but is so helpful for any mom. If you're a working mother, you need to have this book!

This book highlights an area which is not often written about. In a society where pursuing a career and being a mother is not extirely accepted, I found comfort in Linda's words. Each chapter has details that can be helpful to all working mothers. The excerpt on finding quality childcare is certainly beneficial to those searching for the best care possible. This would be a nice gift for an expectant parent getting ready to return to the workforce.

This book is an absolute lifesaver for a busy working FAMILY. Tips for Moms and Dads, but mostly a supportive guide for the mothers trying to do it all. I've been a working mother for 5+ years and wish Linda Mason had published this book years ago. She is a truly inspirational woman making great improvements in the childcare field. I applaude Bright Horizons, Linda and her husband for creating such a great place for kids and parents to learn, grow and be nutured. I look forward to her next book!

There's no doubt in my mind that Mr. Sklansky should be a rocket scientist and not a poker player/writer. This book is deep , way beyond the comprehension of the average stud player. I've read, reread , studied , restudied this book over and over again and only now am I beginning to see the light . I see S&M students out there night after night losing their shirts making these plays , blaming their losses on bad luck. The title of the book "seven card stud for ADVANCED PLAYERS " is very revealing. After all , most poker players consider themselves advanced players , especially if they've been playing for a couple of years . Let's face it , an advanced player is probably already a significant winner at the game , it's the average player who needs help. To sum it up.. Great stuff for the ADVANCED PLAYER. Dangerous for the AVERAGE PLAYER. Suicide for the BEGINNER.

This book provides the soundest advice on seven-card stud available in print. It is intended for serious poker players with a strong desire to beat the high-stakes poker games played in the casinos of Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and elsewhere, and it could even provide the foundation for a career as a professional poker player. The book is so jam-packed with concepts that it doesn't read very smoothly the first time through. It should be considered more of a reference work than a tutorial -- and it's certainly not for beginners. If this book is studied by a disciplined player, it will pay for itself many times over.

Sklansky et. al. have written the definitive book on 7-card stud. It is fairly easy to read and quite complete. It is probably best for middle and higher limit games but the tactics can be adapted to suit lower limit and spread limit games. It is a must for poker players who do not want to loose atll their money when they visit the casinos and poker clubs. You can be sure that if you sit at tables in Atlantic City, Vegas, California, Foxwood etc. the player(s) across the table from you has probably read this book, and you will be at a significant disadvantage if you have not. It is worth a buy, but you must read it carefully and practice.

Rafe Gentry and his two brothers, Jess and Sam, were wrongly accused of bank robbery. Pursued by a posse, the three Gentry brothers quickly packed a few items from home and split up, each riding off into different directions. On the exact date next year they were to meet at the Antlers Hotel in Denver.

This book is Rafe's story. He came upon a stagecoach robbery. He frightened off the outlaws, but the five people on the coach were already dead. Cowboys from a nearby ranch showed up and took Rafe to jail.

Sister Angela Abbot's mother died, leaving her to the whim of her mean stepfather, Desmond Kent. Just afterward, her real father's letter arrived, forwarded by his lawyer. Simon Abbot had left half of his gold mine to Angela and told her that if he suddenly died she was to suspect his partner, Brady Baxter. Sure enough, Simon died shortly later. Brady offered to buy out Angela's half and she refused. Meanwhile, Kent decided Angela would marry Anson Chandler. He and Chandler planned to split the inheritance. Instead of meekly marrying, Angela slipped away to check out the mine and see if her father was really murdered.

In Ordway, Colorado she found Rafe Gentry about to be hanged by a lynch mob. She reacted instinctively and announced to everyone that he was her fiancé. Once married, the two had Kent, Chandler, and the law hot on their tails.

Connie Mason will hit the New York Times Bestseller's list again with this one! If Jess and Sam's stories are even a fraction as good as this one, then I do not know how I will wait. It oozes with problems and has enough romance to melt the iciest of hearts! Highly recommended reading!

Rafe Gentry and his two brothers, Jess and Sam, were wrongly accused of bank robbery. Pursued by a posse, the three Gentry brothers quickly packed a few items from home and split up, each riding off into different directions. On the exact date next year they were to meet at the Antlers Hotel in Denver.

This book is Rafe's story. He came upon a stagecoach robbery. He frightened off the outlaws, but the five people on the coach were already dead. Cowboys from a nearby ranch showed up and took Rafe to jail.

Sister Angela Abbot's mother died, leaving her to the whim of her mean stepfather, Desmond Kent. Just afterward, her real father's letter arrived, forwarded by his lawyer. Simon Abbot had left half of his gold mine to Angela and told her that if he suddenly died she was to suspect his partner, Brady Baxter. Sure enough, Simon died shortly later. Brady offered to buy out Angela's half and she refused. Meanwhile, Kent decided Angela would marry Anson Chandler. He and Chandler planned to split the inheritance. Instead of meekly marrying, Angela slipped away to check out the mine and see if her father was really murdered.

In Ordway, Colorado she found Rafe Gentry about to be hanged by a lynch mob. She reacted instinctively and announced to everyone that he was her fiancé. Once married, the two had Kent, Chandler, and the law hot on their tails.

*** Connie Mason will hit the New York Times Bestseller's list again with this one! If Jess and Sam's stories are even a fraction as good as this one, then I do not know how I will wait. It oozes with problems and has enough romance to melt the iciest of hearts! Highly recommended reading! ***

I JUST LOVED THIS BOOK. IT TOOK AWHILE FOR RAFE TO LEARN THAT NOT ONLY HE NEEDED ANGELA,BUT LOVED HER AS WELL.I CAN NOT WAIT FOR THE NEXT INSTALLMENT ON HIS BROTHER JESSE. I KNOW IT WILL BE AS GOOD AS THIS ONE I REALLY LOVE WHAT CONNIE WRITES.THEY ARE REALLY THE BEST . I LOVED HER AUSSIE SERIES AS WELL AS THE PIRATE AND THE BLACK KNIGHT.

In a direct manner, this book teaches the reader the basics of OpenGL programming, totally forgoing any platform-specific issues in favor of a more purist, almost academic, approach. Where platform issues are a problem, the authors defer to the GLUT library, leaving those with questions relating to their operating system's specifics to read other tomes. In short, this is an excellent book for someone interested in GRAPHICS programming, and is well worth any price, but make certain you are comfortable programming your platform first.

I have taught Opengl for four years. I've found the best results by teaching from the OpenGL programming guide. Students are lectured from the material in the book, numerous examples are provided illustrating the concepts and principles of 3D programming and opengl function calls. I use VRML 2.0 to demonstrating the code examples, and student can read the opengl code for the example. During the Semester students use the OpenGL programming Guide to create a 3D game. The game uses movable cameras, hierarchial motion, collision detection, display lists, texture maps, materials, lighting, and nurb surfaces. The material is absorbed within a 5 to 10 week period. I've tried other books like the OpenGL superbible, but found the Opengl Programming Guide to be much more comprehensive, and therefore more productive in the results. The OpenGL Programming Guide is a book to keep. Some of the new features in the current release is : introduction to interleave arrays, new glut libraries, and increased documentation on picking, selection and feedback. Get on the Game Programming bandwagon by buying this book. Email me with any additional questions.

as a winNT programmer, i broke my teeth trying to understand OpenGL with the use of the MSDN library. although the MSDN library does offer a few tech articles about how to begin using the NT port of OpenGL, it does a poor job at explaining the basics of OpenGL. moreover, in the best of microsoft tradition, the WGL functions (win32 to openGL interface) are cumbersome and very unintuitive and make the learning process almost impossible. this book on the other hand, throws you into the water by releaving you of all the annoying initialization details and technical details that you would only want to know once you have a feel for the OpenGL API. this is done with the use of the GLUT library. while it is true that GLUT is not the most efficient way to write openGL code, it is better to start learning openGL using GLUT then to have to understand each and every detail of openGL architechture before you can draw one vertex. this is an easy escape. I am most pleased with this book and cant wait to finish it... go fetch...

I HAVE 17 "CAT WHO" BOOKS AND LOVE EACH ONE. NO VILE LANGUAGE, GOOD VOCABULARY AND GRAMMAR. ALSO LILLIAN JACKSON BRAUN IS AN OUTSTANDING WRITER, PLUS BEING SOMEONE WHO KNOWS THE DISPOSITIONS AND ANTICS OF CATS. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW MANY BOOKS THERE ARE AND IS THERE A SEQUENCE TO FOLLOW WHEN READING THEM? I HAVE READ EACH OF MINE TWO & THREE TIMES AND WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THE NEXT ONE TO BE ISSUED. I AM CURRENTLY READING THE CAT WHO MOVED A MOUNTAIN AND FIND IT HAS MORE MYSTERY THAN OTHERS.

There is NO one who can tell it like Mrs. Braun! It's obvious she's a cat-person; she captures the many nuances of cats, their interaction with "their" human (in this case, Mr. Q), manages to throw in lessons for all cat lovers as well as tell one heckuva mystery in the process. I've been reading her books since the first one was published, they are like GOLD to own! I anxiously await each new adventure and pray for Mrs. Braun's continued health so we can all continue to enjoy her magnificant Cat Who series for many years to come.

Ms. Braun's books are like eating peanuts--gotta read them all! Unlike some mysteries where the cat is a minor player, her cats share the limelight equally with their mustachioed "companion", James ("Jim") Quilleran. Koko, the male of the Siamese pair, has an uncanny sense for solving mysteries, for which he tries to give clues to "Jim". The stories are handled with finesse, no bad language, and not too graphically gory. I suggest you purchase them in order of publication date, to be able to follow the series better, although, they can be read independantly. A must-read for both the cat lover AND the mystery lover! You can't help but turn the "next page"....Absolutely enthralling!

Excellent, The Natural Prostate Cure
Since I`ve had cancer this book has been helpful and very benifical. Its packed full of documented facts starting with the Diet, with yeas and nays to follow. The facts about fats: The necessary facts on supplements with more documentation..Its a book every cancer victim needs to read.
It has tremendously helped me in my battle with prostate cancer.
DeVonne Lewis

As a prostate cancer victim, I have read every book available regarding possible cures. Roger Mason's book is simple, positive, well researched and convincing. If you want to avoid resorting to life threatening surgery, radiation or dangerous drugs, this book is for you. The Natural Prostate Cure is a road map to prostate health. A must read for anyone who wants to get well quickly using natural methods.

Roger Mason's book "A Natural Prostate Cure" is a thoroughly researched, well documented, hugely informative and completely logical work that every man should have to help them deal with and survive Prostate problems. I have been following Roger Mason's advice and have found considerable relief from my own personal Prostate problems so I know first hand the benefits. But why do I call this book "A Courageous Stance" Well because he has the courage to give it to you straight! He has the courage to skewer the Medical Establishment and the "Nutritional Charlatans and Dunderheads" and fly right in the face of their foolishness, pompous nonsense, and howls of protest! Buy it and Read it! Who knows? You might learn something! You might save yourself some anxiety about your own Prostate conditions! You just might save your own life!

Warning: Only mathematicians, cartographers, and astrophysicists are qualified to understand this book!

Okay, that might be a bit of hyperbole but it is indicative of the technical detail Danson needs to make his point. The Mason-Dixon line is more about the greed of powerful colonial families, fighting for every square mile of claimed territory than it is about slavery, geography or history.

Yes, this same personal greed drove the development of technology. Even the British government got into the act, offering a reward for a better measuring instrument. Even then, the goal was to master naval power, trading, and economic development, not to advance technology.

The opening chapters summarize the give and take of English royalty, Catholic and Protestant, and their desire to divide up the New World. All this dithering and bloodshed did produce an agreement on one thing: Unless we can get someone to draw the line somewhere and to everyone's satisfaction, all of the dithering and bloodshed will continue. Mason and Dixon were just the guys they needed. Only this same line of "peace" became the demarcation for the American Civil War two hundred years later.

Recommended only for the math-savvy and the hardcore history buffs. Let's hope that there are more than four of you out there...

Edwin Danson's Drawing the Line, How Mason and Dixon Surveyed the Most Famous Border in US History provides a wealth of informaiton on the development of 18th century surveying equipment. A bit too much for me.

The jacket bills this book as the first popular history of the drawing of the Mason/Dixon line. To me, popular history is far more asseccable than the opening chapters of this book. Mr. Danson's work would be very interesting to geographers and surveyor's, but it left me struggling with too much detail about Mason and Dixon's gear and longing for more details on thier lives and personalities.

Danson does provide us details on the emense challange that Mason and Dixon faced. There was much more to drawing their famous line picking a starting point and running surveyor's chains in a straight line between Maryland and Pennslyvania.

This book provides readers with tantilizing hints about Mason and Dixon that lead one to believe they would be very interesting subjects for a biography, but we get no more about them than one gets from listening to Mark Knofpler's song "Sailing to Philadelphia". Perhaps if Danson had reversed his priorities and provided readers with more about Mason and Dixon and less about their equipment I would have rated this book higher.

Still, if you have an interest in map making or surveying or the Mason/Dixon line, Danson's book will inform you, it just doesn't entertain.

Most people have probably heard of the Mason-Dixon line, though they may not be aware of where or exactly what it is. I grew up less than three miles from the famous line that separates Maryland from Pennsylvania, and was aware that there were stone monuments spaced every mile along the boarder - but I had no idea of the origins of this line. Danson weaves the historical backdrop that necessitated the survey and follows Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon, two British astronomers, as they traveled to the colonies with their telescopes, quadrants, and mathematical expertise. A surveying job such as this required exquisite accuracy in the determination of latitude and longitude - a job for skilled astronomers in their day.

For the more technically inclined, appendices are provided that go deeper into the methods surveyors use to shoot the lines. Given the amount of astronomy involved in such a surveying job, I wish the author would have provided more detail about the instruments Dixon and Mason used to accomplish their task. I'm sure it was not Danson's intention to cover this sort of technical instrumentation in detail, but in my (biased) opinion, it would have enhanced the story. Still an excellent book and one any person interested in the history of science should read.