Our son is very active and extremely bright. When he plays with others he stands out and unfortunately doesn't seem to understand that people have a space limit and prefer not to have someone in their's. He wants to touch almost everything and is very intuitive. The scariest thing is, he is a lot like me. come to find out, I am an active alert adult. The book covers adults briefly too. This type of child needs more positive reinforcement b/c they are hit with a lot of negativity b/c they are different - not in a better or worse way - just different. He gets up revved and ready to go and will never admit that he's tired - even as his eyelids are slowly closing while he says, "I'm not ..............." zzzzzzzzzzzzz. ha!! ha! I had to find something to better understand his and my behavior and this book helps you to see his skills/talents as gifts instead of as something negative. Our son is also very strong-willed and is a natural leader. This will serve him well in later life - however, as his parents it's hell sometimes. Appreciate your "little pistols" and see them for the wonderful people they are and will grow to be.

This book is a Godsend! I was at my wit's end in dealing with one of our twins. He was obviously intelligent, but just didn't get it together. A friend suggested this book, which we read voraciously. One of the things that became clear: I was active-alert, too! No wonder we clashed. I'm not sure that I am any better at things now, but I think I understand him a lot better, which is half the battle. We used the book to help us work with his kindergarten teacher, and that worked well; and we are blessed with a brilliantly understanding first-grade teacher, who can provide boundaries for his behavior without limits to his development.

This book will tell you if your child (or yourself or your partner) fits this category. If there isn't a fit, move on; this book isn't for you and you need to consult other literature. If you find a fit, this book is what you need. It explains why the behavior occurs, what is probably missing from the child's environment, and how you can work with the child's behavior. It lets you understand, as well as develop strategies so that you can work together for harmony in the family. You may never achieve 'peace', but harmony is a pretty good outcome.

For us, there are still bad days and weeks. But Jonathon no longer has to ask the terrible question he once did: "Does Daddy really love us?" And I know that my son does love me, despite all we have been through, perhaps because of what we have all been through.

As an adult 'active alert', life is not always easy. Being by nature a 'non-conformist' is a recipe for disaster in many areas. But this book has helped me see how to manage my life a little better and to use the gifts I have, while keeping an eye out for the effect of the weaknesses that this type has.

When I quickly read through the descriptions of Active Alert children, I knew Linda was talking about my daughter. My first child was so different and there had been no major conflicts during his early years (even now as a teenager, he is usually a pleasure). My own personality is not as intense as my daughter's; so I was at a loss how to respond many times. I was constantly fluctuating between feelings that I was at fault as a parent and that my daughter was impossible to live with. With this book, I was able to understand why my daughter acted as she did and was given the tools to work with her. I bought this book when she was 6 yrs. old but occasionally need to refer to it now(10 yrs. old). Our relationship and family life is much improved and I'm grateful to the author for her sensitivity and insight.

This book was REALLY good! I'm only 14 and I got this for Christmas, 2000. It had great information on Lucy and wonderful pictures that I haven't seen. I've seen a LOT of Lucy pictures but obviosly not those. If you love lucy, you should go out and get this book. It's really good.

I loved this book. It is chocked full of some famous pictures of the American icon, Lucielle Ball, as well as other not as well known shots. Its filled with well known episodes like the chocolate factory and the grape smashing. I really recommend it.

WOW! This book is filled with information, pictures, and interesting facts that the world never knew about Lucy. This gives you a look behind the clown and into Lucille Ball, the woman. Here is a side of Lucy few people know or see. It has great pictures of Lucy's life, both private and public, and it covers her life up until the day she was born on August 6th, 1911, till the day she died on April 26th, 1989. This pictorial biography takes you on an entertaining and informative tour through the life of a legend, a must-have for ANY Lucy fan!

You have heard of the obnoxious person who, upon meeting a biographer who has given up the last 25 years of his life to write the definitive biography of say Queen Elizabeth II, asks, "Now tell me, what's she REALLY like??" Friends, I am that person, which is one reason I always find New Yorker Profiles an unalloyed delight. Rightly or wrongly, I always believe I am getting the real insider stuff.

David Remnick makes thoughtful selections in this anthology. He has covered a time period from the '30s to the present, some very famous people and some you have never heard of, and the same is true for the authors of the Profiles. I fully intended to make a leisurely tour through the book, picking and choosing a Profile here and there for a short read. Once I read the very first one, Joe Mitchell's "Mr. Hunter's Grave," I was hooked and read the whole book from start to finish. So much for leisurely reading!

It is hopeless to attempt to select a favorite; all have their own merits. I was particularly fascinated by Truman Capote's insightful piece on Marlon Brando. Capote's flamboyant personality frequently overshadows his tremendous skills as an interpretive writer. Jean Acocella's study of Mikhail Baryshnikov is an excellent in-depth study of both the man and the artist. John Lahr's Profile on Roseanne is almost scary (or at least Roseanne is!) Joe Mitchell's, "Mr. Hunter's Grave" is so beautifully rendered you can understand why The New Yorker never took him off salary even after Joe suffered the granddaddy of all writer's blocks; he didn't submit an article for fourteen years! The New Yorker always said Joe had a "work in progress."

"Life Stories" is worth it at twice the price. Some of these profiles are unobtainable (unless you have a roomful of old New Yorkers). This is a book you will go back to again and again.

Anyone who has ever read Joseph Mitchell's fascinating profile "Joe Gould's Secret" (now a book and a movie) knows what the New Yorker does with "Profiles". If you haven't read Mitchell, here's your chance, plus an unbelievable collection of life rendered beyond simple biography by a stable of superb writers. It's a must for any serious reader !

This is a compilation of some of the best Profiles to appear in the New Yorker over the last 80 years. Sometimes you will be familiar with the person being profiled, sometimes not, but in all cases you will find the stories entertaining and the writing, superb.

My favorite Profile happens to be of one of the non-famous persons, George H. Hunter ("Mr. Hunter's Grave," by Joseph Mitchell). It is a story not so much about a person but of a long-forgotten community, and a way of life. Despite being the longest entry in the audio collection, I rewound the tape three or four times to listen to it again and again - it was that good.

Some of the celebrity stories are just as compelling, although, being celebrities, many aspects of their lives are already well known. But this sometimes opened a window into foreshadowing that could not have been appreciated by the reader (or even the writer) at the time the piece was done. One example of this concerns Ernest Hemingway ("How Do You Like It Now, Gentlemen?", by Lillian Ross). Hidden somewhere in the middle of the Profile, Ross mentions the fact that Hemingway's father had committed suicide. This had no major relation to the story in general, and was probably forgotten by most readers at the time, but we have the perspective of history. And it becomes more than just a tidbit when we realize that Hemingway, too, committed suicide 10 years later, in 1961.

Another eyebrow-raising instance came when hearing about Marlon Brando ("The Duke In His Domain," by Truman Capote). Capote was on location with Brando in Japan as Brando was taking part in the filming of "Sayonara." Brando at one point confesses to Capote that he had to lose weight for the part, and that he wasn't there yet. He still had 10-15 pounds to go. Despite this, the dinners delivered to Brando's hotel room are not those of one looking to cut down; to the contrary, Brando could only gain weight eating the food being sent up to him! Hearing Brando fuss about what he should and should not eat and Capote take note of the rich foods on the tray, it almost seems fake, as if Capote knew how Brando was going to end up. But, of course, he didn't. The story was written in 1957!

But what makes this collection great, though, is the quality of the writing itself. It matters not the subject: actor, comedian, dancer, writer, boxer, even a dog! The common thread running through all the Profiles is the way in which each story is told. Always lucid, always interesting, the stories are less stories and more like works of art.

If you enjoy exceptional writing, this collection is for you. Highly recommended. Five stars.

"The Louisiana Houses of A. Hays Town" combines text by Cyril E. Vetter with photographs by Philip Gould. Together, they celebrate the classic houses designed by Town. The book is full of superb photos of both interiors and exteriors. The book ends with a short essay by Andres Duany, in which he declares, "The long, long career of A. Hays Town is like a bridge that brings forth the traditional architecture of Louisiana to the present generation of builders."

Many picturesque elements recur throughout the book: classical statuary, brick floors, exteriors with a look of natural weathering, 2-level exterior galleries, etc. Some particularly memorable images include the following: Hamilton House's interior courtyard overlooked by a second floor balcony; Westerman House's charming lily pond, made from an old sugar kettle; the rustic wood posts on the porch of the Bonnecaze House; the elegant white pillars of the Godchaux House; and more.

My only disappointment is that floor plans for the homes are not included; they would have, in my opinion, given readers a better sense of these houses. Still, if you love great American architecture, I recommend this book.

Town, a South Louisiana native and student of the South, offers a subtle salute to the region's heritage in the 25 homes featured in "The Louisiana Houses of A. Hays Town." Photographs by Philip Gould capture the subtle design and recurring patterns in Hays' design. The text by Cyril E. Vetter and a tribute by Andres Duany is reverential...It is tempting to pause over Gould's photographs of Town's work, treat them like Ken Burns treats Civil War photographs and follow the lines. An alley of crepe myrtles frames the brick archway entrance to a richly detailed courtyard...A weathered fence serves as foreground detail for a shot of a deep, brick-floored porch...These are elements of Town's style. His residences wear it well.

Brick Floors and Cypress Beams in Louisiana

Today, real architects don't do charm, but long before it fell out of style, A. Hays Town, born in 1903, was building Acadian cottages, Creole villas and Spanish courtyards in his native Louisiana. After retiring from his commercial practice in the 1960's, he designed even more of these houses, which are beloved by Southerners. Now everyone can visit 25 of the 500 he built in "The Louisiana Houses of A. Hays Town" (Louisiana State University Press; $39.95). The sparse text is by Cyril E. Vetter, and the 200 photographs by Philip Gould prove that good proportion and materials work. White-painted brick walls with red brick floors under high ceilings with cypress beams work even better. This is true regional architecture, handsome and useful.

This book is very different. It explains the mostly
untold side of Tory life during the American Revolution.
It centers around Pru, a young girl living in New England.
She leads a middle class life with her family. Because she
lives in a tiny town, she knows almost everyone. Then, the
Revolution starts. Not only does she lose most of her Patriot
friends, but her family is a target for threats. What will become of her and her family? You'll only know by reading. LOVE THY NEIGHBOR.

I enjoyed this book because it showed us that some Tories were
just like us. All they wanted was what was best for their children. I recommend this to EVERYONE! Please buy it. You wont
be disappointed.

"Love Thy Neighbor: The Tory Diary of Prudence Emerson, Greenmarsh, Massachusetts, 1774" was such a great story! I was a little weary when beginning this story, as I feared this Tory family would be betrayed as rich, snobby, and not as humans, as that is the assumption with Tories. Luckily, that was not the case. I was glad that a book was finally published with loyal British people and what they dealt with through their eyes. A must read if you've read, or been reading, books about the Patriots. I recommend.

Throughout books based on American history, we have seen numerous Young Adult books about the Patriot side. Finally, Ann Turner has written a book about what it was like to be a Tory. Love Thy Neighbor catches you from page one. Centering around Prudence Emerson, a teenager living in Massachusetts, this fictional diary talks about daily life and the problems of being a Tory. Not only is she perscuted by Patriot neighbors, but forced out of her home with her family. Read as you learn about the Revolutionary War and the "other side". Great! Dont forget to read other Dear Americas and Royal Diaries.

Colonel Wes Fox has done it all and his book chronicles more than four decades of exceptional service to his country and Corps. From Private to Colonel, from combat rifleman to combat leader, teacher and commander, his career was marked by extraordinary commitment and dedication. Throughout, the love of his family and a brief glimpse into their sacrifices provide our Nation a view into the Marine family. At the end of every chapter are lessons learned...lessons that should be taught to our Marines of today. He is not an armchair officer. Throughout his career he lead from the front, inspiring and training his Marines to be prepared to overcome the demands of combat. "Marine Rifleman" should be added to the Commandant of the Marine Corps Reading List and be a must read for all NCOs, SNCOs, and officers.

Wes Fox's book is the story in hiStory. His style of writing and knowledge gets the reader into the adventure with him, whether it is on the battlefield in Korea or parachuting in Virginia. His descriptions of the battlefield terrain have you knocking the dirt off your trousers and smelling the rot of the jungle.

The book really shows the opportunity for a career in the Marine Corps. While every marine is a rifleman by training, there is the opportunity to experience so much more. Some miltary retirees said they did the same thing for 20 years. Col Fox had 43 years of experiences. You follow his career from boot to Colonel of Marines. Each new rank has its own chapter. I was involved in his Staff Sergeant chapter. Wes Fox was my Drill Instructor. The lessons I learned from him have served me well for 46 years. Each chapter has a summary about Lessons Learned. Many of them can be applied to civilian life as well as the military.

Having been a recruit at the time Wes Fox was a Drill Instructor at MCRD San Diego I can tell you he was a "Hero" to many of us who were either in his platoon or in an adjacent platoon as I was. Sgt Fox was a Poster Board Marine. It is amazing to me all the things he did during his 43 years in the Corp. "No Fear" would describe this Marine. I especially appreciate the Lessons Learned at the end of each chapter. This book should be read by young people to help them appreciate our dedicated military and what life can be like when you make it a career. Semper Fi Colonel Fox.

Wayne Sarf's Little Bighorn Campaign is a clearly written and accurate account of the famous battle of 1876. Its other great virtue is balance. Sarf presents all aspects of this complex event in a fair and readable manner, a "must read" for anyone interested in the Littler Bighorn Campaign.

Here's where to start if you want to read just one book on the Summer Campaign of 1876 against the "off-reservation" plains indians. This paperback from 2000 is a reprint, with a few minor corrections of misprints, of the 1993 hardback edition. The only actual new text is the "preface to the revised edition," dated May 1999.

Sarf's approach is even-handed, and he has a real eye for telling details and for vivid quotes from participants and eyewitnesses. Boxes set apart from the main text give needed detail and background, particularly on individuals participating. A great deal of exotic color is provided by the various indians who rode with both sides in the conflict. For example, riding with General Crooke were The Other Magpie, a beautiful female warrior, and Finds Them And Kills Them, a transvestite who dressed and lived as a woman except during battles! You don't encounter soldiers of that calibre in most military histories!

The Summer Campaign of 1876 is distinguished by the almost staggering military incompetence displayed by the U.S. Army leaders. Apart from Custer, who generally seemed to know what he was up to, and the canny Nelson Miles, virtually every commander in the field seemed to be clueless, cowardly, vacillating, and in a couple of cases (Gibbon comes to mind at once) apparently paralyzed by mental illness.

Well-written and extremely readable. If you have ever wondered how Custer really got into that very bad fix, this is the best place to start your quest for understanding, and Sarf also offers a good annotated list for further reading.

Wayne Sarf has researched all the master historians in the past and present to provide a fascinating well written history and objective book on the LBH and Sioux Campaign. The book tells the complete history of the campaign from its inception to its finale, Custer's and the Sioux's as a free people. Sarf quotes both the participants concerning their actions in the campaign as well as perspectives of major historians. He also offers his own views based on the historical record and logic. An important example is his evidence and commentary concerning General Terry's June 26th rendezvouz which is pure fiction and self serving. As Sarf well proves, Custer acted judiciously and appropriately based on the information, circumstances and the expectations provided to him in synch with all the military commanders . Unfortunately for him, the circumstances changed once he was committed to the attack. Wonderful perspectives including side bars on the military participants, weapons and Native Americans. Also includes a readers guide for additional reading including critiques and some cheeky comments.

I am really finding myself enjoying many of the new entries into the extended Little House family, this book included. However, I did not like it quite as much as others in the series (and of course not as much as the originals, but that goes without saying!). I don't think this is the writing, but perhaps just the setting, more urban than any of the others, so not as full of descriptions of self-reliant country life. This book is well written, and I do look forward to following Charlotte's life and seeing how it fits into the big story of the Little House family! I especially enjoyed the description of school life in the early 19th century Boston area.

I really enjoyed the book, but it's the shortest "Little House" book ever written. The story ends abruptly when a family friend leaves to join the war; I would have liked to see the story continue on, like maybe what happened to the friend, whether he was killed in battle or came back to marry his sweetheart, etc. I'm assuming there just wasn't enough information available.

Like all the others of the Little House books, it was wonderful. You can't compare it to Laura's writing, but it is pretty close. Melissa writes wonderfully and puts some thoughts in your heads. I really loved the book as much as the others. Keep on reading.

Whether you are a lost Jew, the spouse of a Jew, or just someone who is interested in Jewish observances and traditions, this is a worthwhile book to own. The authors emphasize Judaism as a series of choices that you can make or not make. They discuss, in admitted brevity, the various facets of Jewish life and Jewish customs as they have evolved since the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D. Each chapter concludes with a list of books for further reading. You will be tempted!

this book is wonderfully inspiring. it presents jewish values and traditions in a non-intimidating fashion. it's not written like a text. the language is engaging, interesting, and informative. not only is this book a reference on different jewish customs, but it includes reasoning behind each and every one; reasoning that can fit into your lifestyle regardless of faith. it provides numerous ideas for implementing different aspects of judaism into your home. it does this so well that i found myself want to jump into everything all at once. it presents judaism in a new and refreshing light, something that is joyous and most likely you haven't heard before. it also includes wonderful ways to pass on these traditions to kids.

This book is perfect for the young Jewish family, or for an individual to use after converting. I found it very informative and helpful. It is easy to follow and understand, a great follow-up for those who read Anita Diamont's book, "Choosing a Jewish Life."

The book contains edited and slightly commented oral arguments for a number of cases brought before the Supreme Court of the United States since Earl Warren ordered that oral arguments be recorded. Few know that it is possible to attend oral arguments at the court (highly recommended if you ever visit Washington D.C.), and even fewer know the recordings exist. This is a set of six tapes with edited and commented (by Peter Irons) cases, together with a book which transcribes the tapes and includes highlights of the opinions in the case. There is also a brief introduction to the Court in the first tape.

The cases touch on a number of issues, ranging from the highly controversial (Roe v. Wade and abortion rights, Edwards v. Aguillard and teaching of creationism in school, Johnson v. Texas and flag burning) to issues which perhaps aren't so controversial anymore (such as the 'one person, one vote' rule). They are, nonetheless, very interesting to listen to.

I have very few regrets about the book, but they should perhaps be mentioned. First, there is no doubt that there is a somewhat liberal slant to the presentation and comments by Peter Irons in the tapes; I don't find it too problematical since they tend to agree with my own feelings on the subject, but others may find it annoying. Second, I cannot but be somewhat disappointed that these are ->edited<- and not the full arguments. I realize one hour or more per case may be prohibitive and it is perhaps better to have more cases and edited highlights of the arguments, but I would have loved to have access to the full argument nonetheless. At least in some cases, the impression given is certainly not that of the whole argument (in Edwards v. Aguillard, one gets the feeling that the attorney for Aguillard did pretty well, but one need only read Stephen J. Gould's account of the arguments to know that Justice Scalia trounced him and it was only through the intervention of the amicus curiae brief by the Nobel Laureates that the eventual decision was reached). And thirdly, it is very disappointing that the companion book has only highlights of the opinions in the case. The full opinion (together with full dissents and concurrences) would have been a very welcome addition to the set.

Despite these problems (which are the reason I give it a 4 star rating rather than a 5; I wish we had a 4.5 rating), this is a highly recommended set. This is a great and facinating look at the Court and at oral arguments therein, and it is highly recommended. Even if you are only interested in three or four of the cases or issues, you will find it a very worthwhile investment.

I truly admire Peter Irons, the primary editor of this work. Anybody who brazenly stands up against a government agency in order to publish material in the public record (these Supreme Court recordings and transcripts were not supposed to be reproduced) is OK by me.

And what a collection this is! Even people without any interest or education in law or politics will recognize some of these -- and those who are law junkies will love them all. I do not necessarily agree with others that Irons chose cases based on his "liberal" leanings; the cases we see and hear are among the very most important in the ongoing struggle to define "what the law means" (the phrase Chief Justice John Marshall used in Marbury v Madison). Even if one disagrees with the outcome of particular cases, it's important and educational to *hear* just how the argumetns for both sides were presented. This eliminates much of the mystery behind how the court operates, and that is certainly a good thing.

I just love the book and recordings, and have read & listened to them over and over. I give my highest recommendation for this work, and even moreso for students and families interested in our system of criminal and civil justice.

I am not a U.S. Supreme Court enthusiast, but in light of the Courts activity in the 2000 presidential election case (George W. Bush vs. Al Gore), I searched out books on the U.S. Supreme Court and found "May It Please the Court" to be a fascinating read. It sheds light on the ebb and flow of the U.S. Supreme Court's rulings and reasonings over the past 30 years.

Recently millions of Americans were privileged to hear live the two presidential election cases that the U.S. Supreme Court took and vicariously we all had a "fascinating you-are-there experience." In "May It Please the Court" editors Peter Irons and Stephanie Guitton spent scores of hours at the National Archives in Washington retrieving and editing twenty-three cases and once again give average Americans the opportunity to experience, in proxy, each court case.

In 1955 the U.S. Supreme Court began tape recording all cases from which twenty-three ground-breaking cases were selected by Peter Irons and Stephanie Guitton. These are segmented into five sections: "Secure the Blessings of Liberty," "Congress Shall Make No Law," "In All Criminal Prosecutions," The Equal Protection of the Law" and "A Right of Personal Privacy." Each section has an informative foreword by the Editors.

Skilled advocates on both sides, as in the two presidential election cases, argue each landmark case forcefully, and most often, as in the recent presidential election cases, the Court's opinions have sparked controversy. Our Constitution invested great powers in government officials and these powers are only kept in check by the Bill of Rights. And these Rights only have meaning if government officials can be forced to obey them. Only the courts have the ultimate power of enforcement and thus the Supreme Court of the United States of America has the ultimate power. This excellent book helps all Americans to understand how this Court balances the legitimate powers of government officials and the rights of the people. Highly Recommended.