Jack Heselov provides a lot of insightfulness and information in his book regarding credit cards and home loans. The American Consumer can gain a good deal of useful knowledge by reading his book before buying or refinancing their home. Additionally he really nails the credit card companies and shows just how much they are really charging the average consumer who carries a balance on their credit cards. The interesting and humorous manner in which Mr. Heselov has written his book makes it easy and enjoyable to read.

I especially enjoyed the examples used in describing credit card practices. Having never read the small print on my statements before, I perused the statements used in the book carefully. It was an eye opener. Mr. Heselov explains both the mortgage and credit card business in clear, understandable terms. I could not put Politics, Money & Shtick down, and read the book in one evening, laughing out loud a lot as I read the pithy asides and nodded in agreement with the author's views on a potpourri of subjects.

I must say first that the format of "Politics" takes some getting used to. Mr. Heselov goes from giving examples of how the general public is being taken advantage of by credit card companies and the resulting "Credit Card Cancer" to hidden secrets about mortgage companies and loans (his own bailiwick, with over 42 years experience), to anecdotes which go from O.J. Simpson to Michael Milken. Sometimes all in the same page, without any clear boundaries separating them! However, once you acclimate yourself to his unique writing style and get your "sea legs" beneath you, "Politics" is a truly remarkable and illuminating read. Interspersed with the author's own experiences and insights, he paints a picture with seemingly random strokes of the brush about the general climate of Big Business and the political arena. But, like paintings that look like a collection of random shades and layers of paint up close but magically transform into a vivid image when viewed from afar, "Politics" leaves the reader with a clear picture of the forces that lay just beneath the waterline in the political and financial world. Read it once all the way through, then keep it around and read the selections in random order! It is simultaneously amusing and shocking, and guaranteed to entertain and educate. I am on the verge of buying a house myself, and I definitely feel better prepared to face the lending companies after having read this book. Thank you, Mr. Heselov!

This was a well written and researched account which told the true story behind the numerous missions to rescue Bat-21 Bravo and other fliers downed during subsequent missions during April 1972. Firstly I must say I was amazed to read of the neglect shown in the passage of information and/or Intelligence between the American Air Force and Army. How this could come about or allow to continue amazes me considering it had some bearing on the lives of American soldiers and airmen and also on the prosecution of the war.

I was unaware of the full details of the rescue of Lt. Col. Hambleton and the role and involvement of Navy SEALS and Sth Vietmanese troops. I had only seen the movie 'Bat 21' before and figured that it portrayed the 'true' story - how wrong can you be.

I think the authors attempt to answer a number of questions in relation to the 'worth' of one man during the 1972 Easter Offensive is well done but I would recommend that readers should take the opportunity to read 'Trial by Fire' by Dale Andrade which offers a detailed and excellent account of America's last Vietnam battle and which could also place this episode in perspective.

'The Rescue of Bat 21' is a good, quick book (164 pages) to read, the narrative flows along and the story never gets bogged down. If you want to read about man's un-selfish devotion to duty and his fellow man during a terrible war this is the book to read. Well done to the author and well done to those men who played a part in this story, especially those who did not return.

Unlike the Hollywood film Bat 21, Whitcomb's book provides in-depth coverage of entire rescue effort of Bat 21, from the pilots who flew the rescue sorties to the staff and intelligence officers who planned the operation behind the scenes to the Navy Seal team who worked the effort from the ground. Anyone interested in why the SAR mission expanded so greatly during the Vietnam War and why rescues are so critical to the morale and welfare of the air services must read this book. A tour de force!

John Sherwood, author of Officers in Flight Suits: The Story of American Air Force Fighter Pilots in the Korean War

The lone survivor (Bat 21 Bravo) of a six-man crewed American warplane shot down by a surface-to-air missile parachutes near the DMZ and seeks cover to await recovery. Heavy clouds obscure visibility, but other than that the search and rescue aircraft crews have no reason to believe that this won't be anything but a moderately easy pickup.

Coast Guard Lieutenant Commander Jay Crowe commanding an Air Force rescue helicopter drops through the clouds heading for the survivor when enemy fire comes up from all directions. The dashboard begins to disintegrate. Crowe and his copilot struggle to control the helicopter and clear the area. The crew is amazed at the scene below. North Vietnamese Army trucks, tanks, guns, and soldiers are everywhere. Bat 21 is trapped between two enemy divisions barreling across the borders in a full offensive to conquer South Vietnam. Still, the rescue attempt goes on.

As the author of "Coast Guard Action in Vietnam," I am pleased to read, not only a darn good true book about the Vietnam War, but, one that brings out the fact that Coast Guardsmen were active in that long engagement. Flying combat search and rescue was only one of their numerous missions. For example, LORAN, the electronic navigation system used to keep Bat 21 pinpointed and to place ordnance on enemy positions, was installed in the theater and manned by the Coast Guard.

Do yourself a favor, get both "Bat 21" by William C. Anderson and "The Rescue of Bat 21" by Darrel D. Whitcomb. Read them in tandem. Read "Bat 21" first. It puts you with the survivor on the ground evading capture for twelve days. Then read Whitcomb's book. It pulls back the camera to take into view the entire panorama of situation, equipment, and people, that went into this remarkable rescue exploit.

When you start the reading make sure you have a block of uninterrupted time because you may not want to stop until--the end.

weep and laugh and most of all feel all the emotions life holds...Thomas writes______"this is not what I expected. I expected pure joy, and here are joy and sorrow mixing into the same moment." Doesn't that express so often how we feel, this book is filled with so many moments that I identified with...how can you not love a woman who writes ..the truth was she didn't keep the can opener anywhere. The can opener was wherever she'd last left it; the can opener was where she found it. Abigail Thomas reveals so much of herself in this book but even more one finds so much of theirself as well...it does leave one wanting to know even more about Thomas and her life.

After reading Getting Over Tom, An Actual Life, and Herb's Pajamas, I was thrilled to get Abigail Thomas's new book. This book is brilliantly written, revealing emotions that I before now didn't think could be expressed through written material. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has read anything by Ms. Thomas before, and to those who have not yet been introduced to this author's wonderful writing style. The book will make you laugh and may even make you cry. Ms. Thomas courageously reveals things that many people keep to themselves. I thank Ms. Thomas for sharing her life with us and writing such a wonderful book.

to read this honest, large-hearted, memoir, told in a series of short (often only a paragraph, sometimes a page) vignettes. You won't regret it. Thomas reveals a life lived fully, with all senses engaged, smell, taste, touch, in these pieces about her first marriage when she was a pregnant teenager, to a second with a much older physicist ("Dance for me while the chicken is cooking," he says to her) whom she divorces and later becomes very good friends with, to her third, happy coupling, and the children she had during them. I could not stop reading this and suspect you won't be able to either. This book makes you feel full inside.

What can one say about Glenn Beck that hasn't already been said. Popular talk host. Male model. Gold Gloves champion. Nobel Prize nominee.

And now, with this book, he has succeeded in another media. Glenn Beck's inaugural effort made me weep. It's like chocolate butter cream for the soul. A look at an America where there are picket fences, flags, neighbors who care, and a whole lot of pie for everyone.

Glenn Beck is more than just an author. He's an author and a half.

Really.

I tell you... if you ever wanted to read about the real America, this is the book for you. I found it easy to read, but lacking photos of the imagery that is America.(as there are no pages because the book isnt written yet!!!!!

Seriously... Glenn Beck is a true inspiration to what it means to be American and I am sure his book will be great. Everyday he adds something to my morning that will enrich my life.

Oh.. and if you like this book you will also like another book written by Glen Beck someday in the future - "Farming Dog poop for fun and profit"

I have been listening to "The Glenn Beck Show" since he first aired on 55KRC in Cincinnati. If the book is going to be done as well as anything else Glenn (and his team) have done, it will be phenomenal. I just wish I was able to be in the "Caravan through the Heartland". You know that this has got to be a unique vision.

I do have to say that if the book is like the radio show, I will have to read the book about 10 times before I really get it. (Sorry, If you do not listen to the show, you will not get the joke)

Todd

Retired Marine Lieutenant Colonel John Poole has written a timely book to help soldiers understand the enemy and to learn how to fight in the post-911 wars. Based on ancient Chinese writings, some only recently made available, historical example, and his own experiences, Poole takes away a large part of the mysticism surrounding the tactics and thinking of the armies of the shadows. Further, he has the audacity to suggest that the American combat forces adapt to, if not adopt, many of these ideas.

One of the most chilling passages in Poole's book is a reflection from the 36 Stratagems, a Chinese work relatively new to the West, which translates to: "Kill with a borrowed knife or sword". Further, it is not a big stretch to link the Japanese Kamikazes in World War II to the terrorists' crashing of airliners into buildings at the beginning of this new war.

This is not a book for the advocates of the Revolution in Military Affairs. While Poole does not reject the RMA, he is clearly down in the weeds where the American fighting man will be. Nor will this book please the cognoscenti who have never seen the face of war, but this is a book that will save American lives.

How can these third world armies of the night stand up to the might of the American military machine? Poole's answer is that by using maneuver against an attrition-oriented army, these enemies have been able to wreak havoc. The focus of our asymmetric enemies is squad level tactics and low tech weapons. American Special Forces in Afghanistan have perhaps taken a page from Poole's book in applying the American Way of War asymmetrically to the elusive Taliban and Al Qaeda enemies. Operating from the ground and with indiginous forces, the Special Operations teams adapted to the environment, advised alliance forces, and provided timely direction of some very effective precision air power enabling the ground war to succeed. Clearly, however, as Poole warns, the illusive enemy is still underground, both literally and figuratively, and this is but Phase I of a long war.

It is time to revisit the long-enduring fascination with Clausewitz. The new face of war has little relation to Clausewitz, but there are many parallels with Sun Tsu. Before we can begin to fathom the terrorist or the Eastern way of war, we should be compelled to learn more about Sun Tsu and his progenies. Poole points out the major differences between the Sun Tsu and Clausewitz approaches: "While the Eastern commander avoids combat wherever possible, his Western counterpart seeks it". Moreover, the reader is led into a practical description of the Eastern philosophy of the I Ching (Book of Changes), and how it applies to Eastern tactics in a way that is easily understood by the average Joe.

Lieutenant Colonel Poole is clearly in the maneuver warfare camp. His mentors include the late Colonel John Boyd, USAF of OODA Loop fame, William S. Lind, author of The Maneuver Warfare Handbook, and Colonel David Hackworth USA (Ret). Lieutenant Colonel Poole's experience includes both enlisted and officer service in the USMC in war and peace. Whatever one's predilections for or against the philosophy of maneuver warfare, this book illuminates many perceptions and practices of the Eastern fighter. This affordable book needs to be read by all combat arms soldiers, all special operators, and all generals as a companion piece to William S. Lind's Maneuver Warfare Handbook for an appreciation of this new, and yet old, face of war and how to fight it.

A "must-read" for anyone who truly wants to understand small unit tactics. Studying the western way of war is only half of the equation. Reading and absorbing the lessons in this book is the other half - the most important half.

This well-written and well-researched book is sorely needed in today's U.S. military. To all those blinded by the technologies involved in transforming the U.S. military, or the so-called "revolution in military affairs," this book should serve as a 'reality check.' Poole repeatedly shows how the Western over-reliance on ordnance and technological superiority was effectively countered by adversaries who recognized the West's strengths and consciously decided to focus on small unit tactics and training.

Poole's message (some may call it a warning) is clear: the West will never live up to its military potential (or up to its over-inflated militarily superior opinion of itself) if it continues to ignore pursuing the tactical excellence needed to complement its unquestioned technological superiority. The real transformation or revolution in military affairs should be the paradigm shift to ensuring that our individuals and small units are as tactically proficient as they are technologically advanced.

This book can help all Western military decision-makers think differently about warfighting and can help save lives on the battlefield.

"Obsessed with American superiority in all things, Americans may have failed to appreciate what other cultures can accomplish" a quote from Colonel Poole's recent essay in Blood Treasure and Spirit.

"The first casualty of war is the truth," he says, and he proceeds to dispel the idea that America won every single tactical engagement in its three major wars in Asia. Lessons that could have been learned by examining Asian tactics were washed over in the need to protect American morale.

Poole argues convincingly that the Japanese, Koreans and Vietnamese were holders of great tactical and strategic insight, every bit the equal of our own. Many times, we claimed victory when the evidence for those victories was lacking. The Asian he argues could be a model for American small unit tactics.

Poole's thesis, in his own words is simple "The soldier of the future must be a phantom --remaining invisible in the defense, on patrol, and during the assault -- or he will be dead. Those that do the fighting are the ones best qualified to refine these techniques. Western military organizations seldom see their role as one of disseminating lessons learned from lower ranks."

Poole fears America's obsession with firepower, stand off weapons and the admiration for high command curtail the option for self-directed learning at the small unit level.

I admire Poole's work. Poole's train of thought seems to mirror those of his mentor, Colonel Michael Duncan Wyly (co-author of William S. Lind's Maneuver Warfare Handbook.) Colonel Wyly in many ways presented similar information in his tenure as the head of the Marine Corps Amphibious Warfare School. Here are Col. Wyly's thoughts on his inclusion of Korean/Chinese tactics into his curriculum:

"I study the Korean War ... because the problems of the 50's have not yet been played out. It was in Korea that we see a very low-tech army doing quite well against the highest tech army (including the Marines) in the world. Even now, I am not comfortable with how either the Army or Marine Corps have faced up to preparing their "warriors." Our adversaries in the Far East had to be warriors; that is, they had to apply the art of war because they had no other option. I am neither holding them (North Korean, Chinese, and North Vietnamese) to be the premier soldiers in the world, nor am I condemning technology. I am simply pointing out that for years we neglected the essence of good tactics. Even though we have the best technology in the world, there is nothing wrong about having the best tactics as well."

Colonel Wyly's calm, even-tempered lectures on tactics form the nucleus of Poole's work.

I liked "The Primrose Way" because even though the story seems dull and boring in the beginning, it gets better as you learn to understand some of the Indian language, customs, and ways of life. In the beginning, you're on your way to 'the new world'. Once you get there, you're on your way to Agawam, the colony your father is at. You get there, and immediately, you're disappointed. A baren, empty, wasteland is all that seems to be there. But then, you see the Indians. Right away you know you want to meet them and talk to them, just learn to understand them a little better. So you invite one of the young Indian girls to come and live in your village, so you can learn each others languages.

To me, the best part of te book was when Rebekah realized, that she was in love. She really loved Meshannock. This let her realize, eben though something may not be looked upon too highly by the elders in the colony, it still doesn't change how she feels, and makes all the more important to follow through with. This aspect of the book makes the book whole, it ties it all together.

The two most vivid elements in "The Primrose Way" were the characters, the settings, and how they were described. Every time you observed a new setting, or met a new character, it was almost as if it was real. Everything is so well described, with every detail imaginable. It describes the color and feeling of the fabrics in their clothes, what shade of brown or tan their skin was, what the buildings looked like, and how they were made. It made it all so real, like I was back in 1633, in the shoes of Rebekah Hall.

The author spent much time researching her information. She does a great job of weaving historical facts into a fictional story. The Primrose Way allows the reader to step back in time and truly understand what life was like for the people arriving in America from their native country of England. It also paints a very accurate but sad picture of how the Puritans arrival and customs impacted the lives of the Native Americans. I would highly recommend this book to both teens and adults.

When I discovered this work it was a dream come true..For many years I have taught American History to 8th graders. The classes that I have require truly engaging texts and this is one. I have used the book for the past three years to teach valuable lessons about the Puritans and the Native Americans. The author is very accurate in her description of the events and the picture of the climate between the two groups has am impact on the students. What a perfect way to teach historical fiction. I have my students research what is history and what is fiction. They must prove the histroical parts in a defense paper. If you are a teacher lookng for total engagement and a valuable way to relate to this age, buy and use this book. If you are a young adult reader that wants to curl up with a great book this summer you have found a winner. Discover the beauty of a young girl's interaction with her Native American friends. Seek another point of view about the history of this period. Surpise you teacher next year with your knowledge while you read a wonderfully constructed story. Enjoy!

Every picture in the book represents the sorrows and pain of the human condition -- these are the real stories of people who lost their way. "Prisoners of Age" is a fascinating look at those who have had plenty of time to think about the choices they've made. It's revealing, unflinching and beautifully photographed.

I found the book Prisoners of Age to be a very powerful and revealing collection of portraits and photo essays. The images were on par with the photography of Richard Avedon and Mary Ellen Mark. This book forces you to slow down and think about our aging prison population not just as a number but as real people with hopes and dreams. This book does not attempt to pass judgment about the incarceration of the aged but lets the viewer draw his or her own conclusions. The overall quality of the book is outstanding with first rate printing and cutting edge design and layout that showcases the photography.

Prisoners of Age is visually and intellectually stimulating. I was fortunate enough to see the actual exhibition in San Fran. Having the book to peruse through at my leisure is a bonus and brings back the vividness of the photographs on display in Alcatraz while in addition providing some very interesting reading. I recommend it for personal or a gift purchase.

This is truly an astounding book. Now, years later, we finally know the truth: Lyndon B. Johnson was not merely a tragic president who stuck to his guns and fought a war he mistakenly believed he could win (with various political restrictions on the military).
He was, this book proves beyond a shadow of a doubt in its lively transcripts of his secretly taped phone conversations, a tragic president who stuck to his guns and fought a war he firmly believed would be LOST no matter WHAT.
He didn't want to lose, but he didn't want to be the one to pull out, so he got in deeper and deeper, losing sleep and agonizing all the way -- and the consequences to his administration and the country were catastrophic.
There are a slew of reasons why you should read (or gift) this amazing book.
The main one: true, it does give you perhaps more than you wanted to know about LBJ (but I don't care WHAT some reviewers have said: I LOVE the sections where he is flirting with Jackie Kennedy)...but if you read it you get a clear idea of how a president operated -- and many parts of this book are so dramatic and gripping, they read like a movie script. In fact, I can see the Oliver Stone movie now..
Historian Michael Beschloss makes it seem easy when you read it, but transcribing and annotating (so you know through footnotes what LBJ is referring to when he talks and get some historical context..and know when LBJ is spinning) these conversations taped between 1974 and 1965 could not have been easy. Yet, he gives you the meat and you get to "know" how LBJ thinks and, politically, works.
It shows Johnson, warts and all, as a man who could have been one of the very best presidents because of his skills, will and sincere desire to serve. But it shows a highly conflicted, contradictory, at times paranoid and highly depressed man. On the night of his monster landslide 1964 election he is angry and "down," steaming over Bobby Kennedy's influence and possible future machinations. As he presses and manipulates to get his Great Society legislation passed, he's leaking info on election opponent Barry Goldwater, keeping the lid on information regarding his number one aide's role in a sex scandal. He talks of victory in Vietnam, but repeatedly tells politicos and his wife that there is absolutely no way the U.S. can ever win, and he is tormented by his terrible choice and unwanted role. He wants to help the poor and the blacks, but will talk a little more "southern" if he has to while talking to someone who doesn't quite agree with him to make them think he's on their wavelength.
The famous Gulf of Tonkin resolution? Even Johnson believed it may not have happened. But he took the resolution in Congress and ran with it -- using it to justify the war he knew he the U.S. could not win.
In Feb. 1965 he told a Senator "a man can fight if he can see daylight down the road somewhere. But there ain't no daylight in Vietnam. Not a bit."
If you went back and contrasted his public pronouncements with what he was saying privately, it would be shocking indeed: pep talks to the country (and troops) to the contrary, he never felt we could win. Meanwhile, he kissed J. Edgar Hoover's you-know-what to keep hoover on his side (actually, they had been neighbors in Washington and Johnson had carefully kept Hoover on his side for years) in his battle against Goldwater, Kennedy and others.
Not all of the book is about the sad, deceitful slide into Vietnam. Many of the transcripts deal with his election campaign, domestic legislation...but by the end of the volume Vietnam is devouring LBJ alive as it did the country and the innocence and joy of the early 60s.
I read this book rather quickly. It was an INCREDIBLE experience. Read it and you're a fly on the wall in the White House.

This is truly an astounding, superbly compiled, book. Now, years later, we finally know the truth: Lyndon B. Johnson was not merely a tragic president who stuck to his guns and fought a war he mistakenly believed he could win (with various political restrictions on the military).

He was, this book proves beyond a shadow of a doubt in its lively transcripts of his secretly taped phone conversations, a tragic president who stuck to his guns and fought a war he firmly believed would be LOST no matter WHAT.

He didn't want to lose, but he didn't want to be the one to pull out, so he got in deeper and deeper, losing sleep and agonizing all the way -- and the consequences to his administration and the country were catastrophic.

There are a slew of reasons why you should read (or gift) this amazing book.

The main one: true, it does give you perhaps more than you wanted to know about LBJ (but I don't care WHAT some reviewers have said: I LOVE the many sections where he is flirting with and flattering Jackie Kennedy!)...but if you read it you get a clear idea of how a president operated -- and many parts of this book are so dramatic and gripping, they read like a movie script. In fact, I can see the Oliver Stone movie now.....

Historian Michael Beschloss makes it seem easy when you read it, but transcribing and annotating (so you know through footnotes what LBJ is referring to when he talks and get some historical context..and know when LBJ is spinning) these conversations taped between 1964 and 1965 could not have been easy. Yet, he gives you the meat and you get to "know" how LBJ thinks and, politically, works.

It shows Johnson, warts and all, as a man who could have been one of the top presidents because of his skills, will and sincere desire to serve. But it also shows a highly conflicted, contradictory, at times paranoid and highly depressed man. On the night of his monster landslide 1964 election he is angry and "down," steaming over Bobby Kennedy's influence, lack of political deference and possible future machinations. As he presses and manipulates to get his Great Society legislation passed, he's secretly leaking negative info on election opponent Barry Goldwater, keeping the lid on information regarding his number one aide's role in a sex scandal. He talks of victory in Vietnam, but repeatedly tells politicos and his wife that there is absolutely no way the U.S. can ever win, and he is tormented by his terrible choice and unwanted role. He wants to help the poor and the blacks, but will talk a little more "southern" if he has to while talking to someone who doesn't quite agree with him to make them think he's on their wavelength.

The famous Gulf of Tonkin resolution? Even Johnson believed it may not have happened. But he took the resolution in Congress and ran with it -- using it to justify the war he knew he the U.S. could not win.

In Feb. 1965 he told a Senator "a man can fight if he can see daylight down the road somewhere. But there ain't no daylight in Vietnam. Not a bit."

If you went back and contrasted his public pronouncements with what he was saying privately, it would be shocking: pep talks to the country (and troops) to the contrary, he never felt we could win. Meanwhile, he kissed J. Edgar Hoover's you-know-what to keep Hoover on his side (actually, they had been neighbors in Washington and Johnson had carefully wooed Hoover for years) in his battle against Goldwater, Kennedy and others.

Not all of the book is about the sad, deceitful slide into Vietnam. Many of the transcripts deal with his election campaign, domestic legislation etc....but by the end of this fast-moving volume Vietnam is devouring LBJ alive as it did the country -- and the innocence and joy of the early 1960s.

I read this book rather quickly. It was an INCREDIBLE experience. Read it and you'll be a very sad fly on the wall in the White House.

Reaching for Glory is a terrific book, Lyndon Johnson and his times in his own words. The book has two things going for it. First, it gives the reader the ultimate behind the scenes look at the Presidency - and don't forget the critical time portrayed, the aftermath of the assasination of a President, the struggle for civil rights, and the descent into Vietnam. Second, it has been expertly edited by crack Presidential historian Michael Beschloss. Beschloss has done a masterful job of giving helpful information and context is footnotes that never distract the reader. The big revelation in this book is the inner conflict that Johnson felt about escalating U.S. involvement in Vietnam. He knew the U.S. couldn't win; but he couldn't find a way to leave Vietnam while our troop levels still were low, without leaving himself exposed on the domestic political right. Think what you like about LBJ, and even discount what's on the tapes in case you think he was preening for posterity, the fact of the matter is that he was the victim of a cruel and ironic tragedy. I can't recommend this book enough to anyone who is interested in history.

This extraordinary book combines the traditional biographical format with the visual splendor of color reproductions traditionally found in a museum style art book. "The Red Rose Girls" is in a league all its own, combining history, biography, and art in order to recreate the lives of this amazing group of women. This book brings the reader into the world of these talented artists and goes further to explore the complexities faced by women striving for professional execellence. Carter's book definitely hits the mark, recounting the past and presenting themes that reverberate into present day society. Great!

The Red Rose Girls is a remarkable book. Alice Carter does a superb job of documenting the lives and careers of Violet Oakley, Jessie Wilcox Smith, and Elizabeth Shippen Green. When the last page was turned I not only had a deep respect for their professional accomplishments but I felt that I had known each of these women personally.

The strength and success of these women artists is an inspiration to everyone regardless of their sex or chosen occupation. The "Red Rose Girls" is a must have for any library. The quality of writing and research in this book makes it hard to put down and I am looking forward to seeing more publications by this author.

This is an exceptional book. Carter has meticulously documented three significant women in the history of American art and illustration, Jessie Willcox Smith, Elizabeth Shippen Green, and Violet Oakley. It is a must have for anyone interested in the entwined lives and careers of America's first and most successful female artists as the country entered the 20th century. I found the book to be thoroughly researched and thoughtfully written. The Red Rose Girls does a fine job fully

detailing their outstanding contributions to the art world and of their life long intimate love. Inspiring are the pages upon pages of lavish reproductions which display their paintings, sketches, research materials, and the revealing personal photographs. Carter's complete documentation satisfies my needs as an artist, educator, and as a witness to America's ever changing social history. This book is the definitive account of the Red Rose Girls' role in American art and I am elated for the long due recognition they so fully deserve. You will not be disappointed in this wonderful book.

Chilton writes a highly informative and helpful book on brain surgery for the correction of epileptic seizures. It gives medical information that I, as a brain surgery survivor for epilepsy also, did not have before reading the book. I found this book highly helpful and recommend it to any approaching an opportunity for surgery. --- author, Stephanie S. Sawyer,FACING ME, Breaking the Bonds of Seizure Confinement

I have lots of admiration for Leanne Chilton. She shares her personal experience of having brain surgery. I also underwent brain surgery to stop my epileptic seizures. As her title says, I have survived epilepsy and brain surgery. May this book help other people with epilepsy to live a healthy and positive life.

Leanne Chilton shares from the heart. She tells her personal story in a very open way. A story of courage, survival and hope. You may benefit from this book, even if you do not have epilepsy or are not considering brain surgery. If you suffer from seizures or are going for nuerosurgery, please read this book!