The Fair Tax Book: Saying Goodbye to the Income Tax and the IRS

Book Description

Wouldn't you love to abolish the IRS. . . .
Keep all the money in your paycheck. . . .
Pay taxes on what you spend, not what you earn. . . .
And eliminate all the fraud, hassle, and waste of our current system?
If so, the FairTax is for you!

A smash #1 New York Times bestseller from the moment it went on sale, The FairTax Book launched a massive grassroots movement across the country with its dramatic call to rid Americans of the punishing burden of income tax. Talk-radio firebrand Neal Boortz and Congressman John Linder are leading the charge to replace the current tax system with the FairTax -- a simple 23 percent retail sales tax on new goods and services that would eliminate the reviled IRS and replace it with a system that's fair to all -- while jump-starting the U.S. economy, bringing businesses and jobs back to our shores, and recapturing billions of untaxed dollars currently lost to criminal and offshore businesses. Americans would get to keep 100 percent of their hard-earned paycheck . . . and April 15 would become just another beautiful spring day.

Endorsed by scores of leading economists -- and gaining momentum in both the House and the Senate -- the FairTax Plan could revolutionize the way America pays for itself. Here -- revised and updated, with a new afterword by the authors -- is the straight-talking book that started it all.

Download Description

Wouldn't you love to abolish the IRS ...
Keep all the money in your paycheck ...
Pay taxes on what you spend, not what you earn ...
And eliminate all the fraud, hassle, and waste of our current system?

Then the FairTax is for you. In the face of the outlandish American tax burden, talk-radio firebrand Neal Boortz and Congressman John Linder are leading the charge to phase out our current, unfair system and enact the FairTax Plan, replacing the federal income tax and withholding system with a simple 23 percent retail sales tax on new goods and services. This dramatic revision of the current system, which would eliminate the reviled IRS, has already caught fire in the American heartland, with more than six hundred thousand taxpayers signing on in support of the plan.

As Boortz and Linder reveal in this first book on the FairTax, this radical but eminently sensible plan would end the annual national nightmare of filing income tax returns, while at the same time enlarging the federal tax base by collecting sales tax from every retail consumer in the country. The FairTax, they argue, would transform the fearsome bureaucracy of the IRS into a more transparent, accountable, and equitable tax collection system. Among other benefits, it will:

Make America's tax code truly voluntary, without reducing revenue
Replace today's indecipherable tax code with one simple sales tax
Protect lower-income Americans by covering the tax on basic necessities
Eliminate billions of dollars in embedded taxes we don't even know we're paying
Bring offshore corporate dollars back into the U.S. economy

Endorsed by scores of leading economists and supported by a huge and growing grassroots movement, the FairTax Plan could revolutionize the way America pays for itself. In this straight-talking book, Neal Boortz and John Linder show you how it would work -- and how you can help make it happen.

Customer Reviews:

For everyone.......2007-10-06

Yes, it's a book on economics and taxes, but Mr. Boortz helps to make it an entertaining and easily understood book. While it pretty much explains the theory of the fair tax in full and is a great place to start, it's a good idea to do your own research into the fair tax, studying the pros and cons. Just be sure that you understand the basics, or else you may get confused by anti-fair tax information that gets an idea wrong or blatantly lies...

The Cure for a Disease Known as Income Taxes.......2007-10-03

In this book, Boortz and Linder discuss the abolishment of the income tax. Under this system, wages would not be taxed at all. As an alternative to raise revenue for the government, they propose a national sales tax. The goal is revenue neutral so that same amount of revenue would be collected to run the government.

This would allow the individual to choose when they paid tax. So those who save and invest money rather than spending all of it, would come out much better.

The proposed sales tax rate would be around 23%. While this may sound high, one should keep in mind that no tax would have been withheld from his or her paycheck. For example, say that the average household income for America which is approximately $40,000 a year were not taxed. This would mean the Joneses get to take home all $40,000 of that hard earned income. As it stands today, they are probably only taking home around $32,000 assuming a 20% income tax rate and not considering state, Social Security, or Medicare taxes.

As a component of the national sales tax, they propose that a certain poverty level determination of say $10,000 which would be considered the bare minimum for a person to survive on and each person would receive a "prebate" of $2,300 per year paid in monthly installments. This would significantly help those on the low end of the income spectrum and actually result in additional money to spend on essentials such as food, clothing, and housing. It would also avoid the potential disparities which could occur with a food exemption if the wealthy purchased steak and lobster or other such expensive food items.

Additionally, it would take many of the inefficiencies out of the current system in that each time there is a touch on producing a good or service, income tax is charged. For example, when you buy a loaf of bread, the business who produced the seeds, the farmer who grew the wheat, the mill, the bakery, the trucking company, and the grocery store all pay income tax on their portion of the bread production. By taking the income tax away, the loaf of bread would subsequently be much cheaper (estimated around 25%) from the reduction of built in income tax for a product. (This assumes that businesses will not pay income tax. There would be many rules set up to prevent people setting up "businesses" to evade taxes.)

The Fair Tax also has the benefit of helping prevent tax evasion. Under the current system, there are millions upon millions of dollars of unreported income every year which are not taxed. This could occur in anything from illegal trades such as selling drugs on the street to the legal trades of wait staff or any industry in which cash is used to pay for goods or services but not reported. Every time these dollars were spent by the individuals, however, they would be taxed so this revenue which is currently lost would be collected.

It would additionally get rid of the estimated $265 billion spent annually to comply with the tax code. This is not to mention the 100s of thousands of hours that would be freed up to engage in more productive and enjoyable pursuits.

Economists estimate that in the first year of its implementation the economy would grow by 10.5%. Foreign companies would also have incentive to build factories in the U.S. to take advantage of the eliminated inherent cost included as mentioned in the bread example.

I think that this is a really great idea and hope that it is implemented one day. To learn more about it and see if your congressperson supports it or not, go to FairTax.org.

Fair Tax.......2007-09-29

Excellent reading to get yourself ready to defend the concept when it is attacked by the tax and spend crowd in Washington. It is a quick read and makes a great deal of sense.

A plan for the rich (1.5 *s).......2007-09-23

If you want a fundamental principle of government/society discussed with right-wing, shock-radio bluster, this is your book. Though a congressman is the co-author, the book is simply a continuation of the rant that has been heard daily on a local radio station in Atlanta for over thirty years. We learn early in the book that the passage of the Sixteenth Amendment in 1913 enabling the collection of income taxes is akin to the devastation of Pearl Harbor or the destruction of the World Trade Center on Sept 11, 2001. The IRS is no less than the enemy of the people, fulfilling a Marxian prophecy. You get the general idea.

One would like to think that anyone proposing a fundamental overhaul of our taxation system would first lay out a philosophy of taxation, which must be consistent with a broader philosophy of society and government. You won't find that in this book. The principal author has consistently exhibited a decided lack of social concern and understanding.

The so-called fair-tax is a twenty-three percent consumption tax in lieu of apparently all other federal level taxes: income, dividends, social security, Medicare, corporate, etc. [State taxes don't seem to be addressed.] It has long been held that the wealthy in a nation should pay taxes at a higher rate than ordinary citizens. The wealthy benefit far more than most from government. In fact they have a huge advantage over the rest of us by having an overwhelming say in the choice of those who occupy governmental offices and the consequent setting of policies and decisions. In essence, the rich get richer. They should pay for that largesse.

Consumption taxes are by far the most regressive of taxes that can be imposed. The median earner in this nation spends every dollar on necessary items. The rich do not. In fact a large portion of their income goes towards investments and wealth production. By exempting income, dividends, and interest from taxation, the so-called fair tax would simply exacerbate a tax scheme already weighted to the rich. The tax rate for the rich would plummet; for the poor suckers taken in by the fair-tax scheme, their tax rate would maximize.

The one thing that the book gets right is the necessity of changing the tax system. The loop holes for the rich are disgraceful. The idea that corporations don't really pay taxes is certainly a reality. The book complains about class warfare, not about the one that the powerful have been waging for decades. But the one where the ordinary citizen wants the powerful to get the boot off of his or her neck. But then that merely reflects where the hearts of the author are.

The fair-tax scheme proposed is utterly useless. It seems to assume that consumption is definitive of life - there is no larger context with greater significance and ramifications. For example, issues of power. Usually schemes such as this get a bit of a spike in public interest when first proposed, appealing to ideologues and the ignorant. Fortunately, there usually is no staying power. The length of the attention spans is commensurate with the depth of the knowledge of those jumping on the bandwagon.

The Fair Tax book.......2007-09-15

This book is an absolutely necessary read for any taxpayer in the country. We must get Congress to pass the Fair Tax and get rid of the incideous income tax and the IRS! This book explains in every detail how to do it by enacting the Fair Tax! The book answers all the questions I had!

Prenuptial Agreements: How to Write a Fair and Lasting Contract. Book with CD-Rom (Second Edition)

Average customer rating:

great introduction and hands-on guide
limited usefulness
Prenuptial Agreements Are A Necessity And So Is This Book
Excellent review of prenups

Prenuptial Agreements: How to Write a Fair and Lasting Contract. Book with CD-Rom (Second Edition)
Katherine E. Stoner , and Shae Irving
Manufacturer: NOLO
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Marriage | Family & Health Law | Law | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 141330396X

Book Description

Everything you need to enter your marriage with eyes wide open.

Marriage is one of the few personal contracts in which your state dictates the terms -- unless you create your own customized premarital agreement.

Combining Nolo's legal expertise and plain-English writing, Prenuptial Agreements makes a potentially touchy subject easy to deal with while explaining how to create a valid contract. The book covers:

whether a prenup is right for your relationship

how to decide what a prenup should include

how to assemble a draft agreement

how to turn your draft into a contract

tips on negotiating and communicating

Prenuptial Agreements provides worksheets as tear-outs and on CD-ROM, as well as clauses for preparing an agreement that suits your needs. The 2nd edition is updated with the latest laws of your state.

Customer Reviews:

great introduction and hands-on guide.......2007-04-07

In my opinion, everybody should have a prenup because the process of drafting one teaches couples how to talk about money - and invaluable asset in their marriage to come.
We used this book to plan our prenup before our marriage in 2005.
It gives you all the relevant information, helps you consider all the important points, and alerts you about differences across states etc.
We still used lawyers to bullet-proof the agreement, but knowing exactly what we wanted greatly cut down on fees. In fact, my lawyer commented that she rarely had such a well-prepared client and the draft of the agreement was the fairest she had seen in years.

limited usefulness.......2007-03-16

Because it is written in terms of "we will do this, etc." instead of "they will do this, etc." the book makes prenups more understandable but is less useful for someone who wants to do their own.

Prenuptial Agreements Are A Necessity And So Is This Book.......2007-01-26

As I am preparing to be wed for the second time in November 2007, it is necessary for me to execute a prenuptial agreement to protect my assets and the assets of my children. It would be irresponsible to marry without one. I have researched available information on the internet including a determination of the best book on this subject matter. I ordered this book from Amazon at the best price available and I was not disappointed. The book is informative and includes sample language and forms to prepare your own prenuptial agreement. I, however, will simply use the book as reference material so I can carry on an intelligent conversation with an attorney of my choosing. I would NEVER try to prepare and execute a prenuptial agreement on my own given the complexities, legal issues, and different circumstances of each person. If you are in my situation, order the book and learn from it. Then, seek out an attorney to prepare and execute the agreement to ensure it cannot be challenged. Although I have a distaste for attorneys, sometimes you just can't get along without them. Regards and I wish you all a long, loving and prosperous marriage.

Excellent review of prenups.......2006-12-22

If you are marrying late, with significant assets, or have children from a former marriage you wish to take care of, a pre-nuptial agreement may be for you.

The book is quite thorough in its description of the basics, and provides a sound foundation for drafting a prenup. However, if you are very wealthy with millions of dollars in assets, and you are concerned that your new spouse will thwart your wishes when you die, you really should do your homework with this book, then contact an attorney.

Recommended

Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right

Average customer rating:

Another great book by Franken
We NOW Know The Truth of it
Funny look at shout shows . . .
Unreadable
Why the name-callin?

Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right
AL FRANKEN
Manufacturer: Highbridge Audio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1565117972

Amazon.com

Having previously dissected the factual inaccuracies of a single bellicose talk show host in Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot, Al Franken takes his fight to a larger foe: President George W. Bush, the Bush Administration, Ann Coulter, Bill O'Reilly, and scores of other conservatives whom, he says, are playing loose with the facts. It's a lot of ground to cover, as evidenced by the 43 chapters in Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them, but the results are often entertaining and insightful. Franken occupies a unique place in the modern political dialogue as perhaps the media's only comedy writer and performer who is also a Harvard fellow as well as a liberal political commentator. This unique and vaguely lonely position lends a charming quixotic quality to adventures such as a tense encounter with the Fox News staff at the National Press Club, a challenge to fisticuffs with National Review Editor Rich Lowry, and an oddly sweet admissions visit to ultra-conservative Bob Jones University (with a young research assistant posing as his son when Franken's real-life son refuses to participate in the charade). Less useful are comic book dramatizations of "Supply Side Jesus" and a fictitious Vietnam War story featuring the numerous righties who, Franken intimates, improperly avoided service. And Franken's criticisms of conservative talk show hosts Sean Hannity, O'Reilly, and columnist Coulter, while admirable in their attention to detail, fail to shed much new light on people who have built careers on broad arguments and relentless self-aggrandizement. But Franken is at his best, and most compellingly readable, when he backs off the wackiness and the personal grudges and writes about more personal matters such as the political circus surrounding the memorial service of the late Senator Paul Wellstone. But even on these more serious topics, Franken's wit is still present and, in fact, grows sharper. In a time when much political discourse is composed of rage and shouting, it's refreshing that Al Franken is able to shout in a witty manner. --John Moe

Book Description

America's funniest liberal takes on the issues, the politicians, and the pundits in one of the most anticipated books of the year. Once again, the author of Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations trains his subversive wit directly on the contemporary political scene, leaving the powers-that-be in tatters and his audience in hysterics. Al Franken thrives on being in the opposition, and now that the Republican party controls both the Oval Office and Congress, the gloves are off and the satire is fast and furious. Franken's specialty is using his targets' own words to make comedic and political points. Finding logical inconsistencies, factual errors, and doublespeak wherever he looks, Franken takes on and destroys the myth of liberal bias in the media, hoists the Bush White House on its own rhetorical petard, and punctures the mean-spirited sanctimony of such media darlings as Ann Coulter, Bill O'Reilly, and host of post-Limbauth talk-radio gasbags. Timely, provocative, unfailingly honest, and always uproarious, Lies is sure to raise hackles and spark hilarity inside the Beltway and from sea to shining sea.

Download Description

"Al Franken, ""one of our savviest satirists"" (People), takes on the issues, the politicians, and the pundits in one of the most anticipated books of the year. For the first time since his own classic Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations, Al Franken trains his subversive wit directly on the contemporary political scene. Now, the ""master of political humor"" (Washington Times) destroys the myth of liberal bias in the media, and exposes how the Right shamelessly tries to deceive the rest of us. No one is spared as Al uses the Right's own words against them. Not the Bush administration and their rhetorical hypocrisy. Not Ann Coulter and her specious screeds. Not the new generation of talk-radio hosts, and not Bill O'Reilly, Roger Ailes, and the entire Fox network. This is the book Al Franken fans have been waiting for (and his foes have been dreading). Timely, provocative, unfailingly honest, and always funny, Lies is sure to become the most talked about book of political humor in 2003 and beyond."

Customer Reviews:

Another great book by Franken.......2007-09-22

This book while maybe not so fair and balanced does tell about the lies that people such as Sean Hannity, Anne Coulter, and Bill O'Reiley tell. This book is very funny escpecially the chapter when he and one of his TeamFranken crew went to Bob Jones University.

A very interesting read!

We NOW Know The Truth of it.......2007-09-15

Believe it or not, I was a registered Republican for decades. However, no longer. I think we need a little humor because the truth is so horrible to face. Using the fear of 9/11 and driving it into outrage to push an unfounded invasion into Iraq, the Republicans have earned us the disdain of all, including our own allies. We have also descended into astounding national debt. Our people and pets are being poisoned by imported food and toys (thanks to the "Fair Trade Agreement"). We also have fewer American businesses still in operation (Fenton Art Glass is closing after many generations of American glasswork). Also thanks to George Bush "Amnesty" plan (free citizenship for criminals), we are being invaded by millions of Illegal Aliens. NOW we know that people like Al Franken and others who humorously told the truth from the very start, were the actual real news reporters. I used to hate him and his ilk as Anti-American. How deluded could I have been?? Gee, and we thought Comedy Central's "Daily Report" was just fiction?? Check out their real news reporting with a humorous spin. Okay, the few people who still hold onto the strings of hope that George Bush can speak a modicum of truth will hate this book. I'm simply a realist AND an EX-Republican.

Funny look at shout shows . . ........2007-08-02

I loved Al's book. I thought it was a great mix of political analysis and satire. He takes aim at the shout shows like the O'Reilly Factor and most of the Fox Media lineup who have continually claimed that the media has liberal bias. He looks at this claim and others made by the get loud opinion crowd including O'Reilly and Coulter. He has worked hard along with "team Franken" a group of students from Harvard to debunk the factual misrepresentations of the Right wing media and fact check the issues.

He also pulls some silly stunts like pretenting to have a son/nephew who wants to attend Bob Jones University which is an non-acredited conservative christian University which until recently (after 2000) did not allow interracial dating. He and a member of "team Franken" go on a visit and ask questions until they are found out and feel really relieved because the students were so nice. I thought it was a funny look at the Right particularly the overblown egos of the Right wing media.

Unreadable.......2007-07-29

I didn't care that Franken lives in a leftist fantasyland in which he makes egregious mistakes on many pages, just as those he mistakenly defines as "conservative" makes mistakes on theirs. What I do care about is that this book is so excruciatingly political it is an unbearable bore. I couldn't read it, only glance though it looking for something interesting. I did find a few things, such as when Franken challenged girlyman Rich Lowry to a fight in his garage. That was funny, but it was about the only thing. For the most part this book is a flash-in-the-pan, and, thank God, will be forgotten.

Why the name-callin?.......2007-07-16

I won't as much as pick up this book, sounds like-smells like a lot of speculative bashing and reading into things that aren't really worth getting into! I second the nomination of impeachment of one William Jefferson Clinton! Godspeed!

Thomas Edison for Kids: His Life and Ideas, 21 Activities (For Kids series)

Average customer rating:

A wonderful resource for science-minded kids (and their parents!)

Thomas Edison for Kids: His Life and Ideas, 21 Activities (For Kids series)
Laurie Carlson
Manufacturer: Chicago Review Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Electricity & Electronics | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Physics | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Inventions & Inventors | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1556525842

Book Description

Thomas Edison, one of the world's greatest inventors, is introduced in this fascinating activity book. Children will learn how Edison ushered in an astounding age of invention with his unique way of looking at things and refusal to be satisfied with only one solution to a problem. This book helps inspire kids to be inventors and scientists, as well as persevere with their own ideas. Activities allow children to try Edison's experiments themselves, with activities such as making a puppet dance using static electricity, manufacturing a switch for electric current, constructing a telegraph machine, manipulating sound waves, building an electrical circuit to test for conductors and insulators, making a zoetrope, and testing a dandelion for latex. In addition to his inventions and experiments, the book explores Edison's life outside of science, including his relationship with inventor Nikola Tesla, his rivalry with George Westinghouse, and his friendship with Henry Ford. A time line, glossary, and lists of supply sources, places to visit, and websites for further exploration complement this activity book.

Customer Reviews:

A wonderful resource for science-minded kids (and their parents!).......2006-04-06

Laurie Carlson has done it again! Well known for her history, science and activity books for kids, Carlson has now applied her significant energies to creating a resource for parents, teachers and children to learn more about Thomas Edison's life, times and inventions in an engaging, hands-on manner.

Like her entire catalog of kids' educational activity books, Thomas Edison for Kids provides ample context for the experiments and projects so that children may gain a full understanding of what it is that they're doing and why. Along the way, discussions of Edison's methods, perserverance, constant pursuit of knowledge model an enthusiasm for general scientific discovery not often seen by the young (or any of us, really). Additional historical context is provided by abundant archival photos and examinations of Edison's relationships with his peers, friends and rivals of the time - Tesla and Ford among them.

The activities cover a range of interests and abilities, from constructing an eletrical circuit to testing botanicals. Adults will want to read the directions thoroughly before sitting down with impatient little ones - diagrams for experiments are rather basic for those of us somewhat removed from our science class years. That said, they are usually easy to set-up and generally don't require too much in the way of specialized equipment.

One of the best features of the book is a comprehensive resource list of ideas for field trips and outings, websites, and sources for supplies needed for activities. Along with the time line and glossary they will help parents and teachers satisfy the curiosity about Edison that this book raises in their little scientists.

Copyright In Cyberspace 2: Questions And Answers For Librarians

Average customer rating:

Copyright In Cyberspace 2: Questions And Answers For Librarians
Gretchen McCord Hoffmann
Manufacturer: Neal-Schuman Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Digital Law | Business & Culture | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1555705170

Product Description

You've been floating through cyberspace wondering if you are using and dispensing information legally. Worry, no more! Now, you have the answers at your fingertips. Written in an easy-to-understand question-and-answer format, this handbook provides the guidelines you need without confusing technical jargon and legalese. Topics covered include: hyperlinks and framing, browsing and caching, digital images, interlibrary loan and resource sharing, e-reserves and class-based Web pages, library instruction, and distance education. New and expanded chapters feature information on the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, file-sharing, licensing, writing a copyright policy, and more.

Average customer rating:

A wonderful idea!
These books are great for new readers

County Fair (My First Little House)
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0064434931

Book Description

It's an exciting day for Almanzo as the Wilder family visits the county fair in this second My First Little House Book adapted from Laura Ingalls Wilder's classic Farmer Boy. There are contests, races, and good things to eat, and Almanzo can't wait to see what the judges think of his special pumpkin. Jody Wheeler's luminous illustrations bring Laura's beloved farmer boy to life.

Customer Reviews:

A wonderful idea!.......2000-07-07

This is wonderful! A Little House Book for even the youngest of readers! The complete books of the series may seem a little long for the little ones, this is great to get them familiar with the series. This book is kid sized, and is very well illustrated, the colors are vibrant, Laura would be proud, it is a very cute book! I will be buying more of these books in the future, the Farmer Boy Books are great for getting little boys interested in the Little House Series. A true Winner!

These books are great for new readers.......1999-07-27

I have always been a Little House fan, and I wanted to pass on the enjoyment of Laura and her friends to my 5 year old niece. She loves them so much and asks me when she is going to receive another one. It is our special thing because she will only let me read them to her!!

Average customer rating:

wonderful book for all ages..
Interesting, yet Boring
Interesting, yet Boring
Fair Weather
Fair Weather

Fair Weather
Richard Peck
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0142500348

Amazon.com

Granddad emits a strangled sound, 13-year-old Rosie pitches right off her chair, and young Buster just vibrates. What event catapults the Beckett family into such a state? The arrival of a letter from distant Chicago--and not just a letter, an invitation from Mama's elusive, wealthy sister Aunt Euterpe. She decides that it's high time for the children to see the world beyond "the four walls of a one-room country schoolhouse." And what better opportunity than the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, to honor the 400th anniversary of the discovery of America? Spanish nobility, President Cleveland, and Ferris wheels, oh my! Richard Peck, Newbery Medal-winning author of A Year Down Yonder, paints a charming portrait of a 19th-century farming family turned upside down by a visit to the big city. Narrator Rosie is friendly and funny as she describes the instant (if not entirely successful) citification of her family, encounters with Buffalo Bill himself, and her own delightfully eccentric Granddad who named his horse after Lillian Russell (which is just fine until they meet her at the fair). This wonderful, witty glimpse into 19th-century America--sprinkled with historical photographs--concludes with an insightful essay on the Exposition. Heartily recommended. (Ages 10 and older) --Karin Snelson

Book Description

Thirteen-year-old Rosie Beckett has never strayed further from her family's farm than a horse can pull a cart. Then a letter from her Aunt Euterpe arrives, and everything changes. It's 1893, the year of the World's Columbian Exposition-the "wonder of the age"-a.k.a. the Chicago World's Fair. Aunt Euterpe is inviting the Becketts to come for a visit and go to the fair! Award-winning author Richard Peck's fresh, realistic, and fun-filled writing truly brings the World's Fair-and Rosie and her family-to life.

Customer Reviews:

wonderful book for all ages.........2007-08-15

This is supposed to be a kids book, but the whole family liked it so well that I bought a couple more copies to give away. It is about a rural family going to the Chicago World's fair in 1893. The descriptions of the fair, and the characters in this book are delightful. Highly recommend.

Interesting, yet Boring.......2007-04-27

Open this book and you'll read a story of a young girl with her family, going to new places, and changing her widow aunt's life forever. From Richard Peck, the creator of the Newberry Medal-winning novel, A Year Down Yonder, comes the just as popular, Fair Weather. Using the famous Chicago World's Fair with legends like Buffalo Bill and the beautiful Lillian Russell and a mix of a fictional family, Richard Peck made an exciting historical fiction novel. He truly wrote a story that shows the advance of technology during the 19th century. Many inventions from the typewriter to the zoopraxiscope and even the Ferris Wheel are included in this book. He integrated many inventions. Also, he showed the emphasis on the use of technology, mainly electricity. If you want to read a fascinating book about technology, inventions, or even on the many fashions from the 19th century, you should pick up this novel. Fair Weather is a very appealing book, but it was boring in the beginning. Then again, most books are boring in the beginning anyway. Fortunately the book has an ironic, but still happy, ending that makes up for the beginning. Also, Fair Weather has exciting details throughout the book that will keep you interested. For me, Fair Weather was the best book that I have read in a long time.

- James Nguyen

Sorry if I posted this twice, I can't find my first time.

Interesting, yet Boring.......2007-04-27

Open this book and you' ll read a story of a young girl with her family, going to new places, and changing her widow aunt's life forever. From Richard Peck, the creator of the New berry Medal-winning novel, A Year Down Yonder, comes the just as popular, Fair Weather. Using the famous Chicago World's Fair with legends like Buffalo Bill and the beautiful Lillian Russell and a mix of a fictional family, Richard Peck made an exciting historical fiction novel. He truly wrote a story that shows the advance of technology during the 19th century. Many inventions from the typewriter to the zoopraxiscope and even to the Ferris Wheel are included in this book. He integrated many inventions. Also, he showed the emphasis on the use of technology, mainly electricity. If you want to read a fascinating book about technology, inventions, or even on the many fashions from the 19th century, you should pick up this novel. Fair Weather is a very appealing book, but it was boring in the beginning. Then again, most books are boring in the beginning anyway. Fortunately the book has an ironic, but still happy, ending that makes up for the beginning. Also, Fair Weather has exciting details throughout the book that will keep you interested. Fair Weather was the best book that I have read in a long time.

Fair Weather.......2007-04-26

Fair Weather

The author of Fair Weather is Richard Peck. Richard Peck is the celebrated author of over thirty novels. He's won a Newberry Medal for A Year Down Yonder, a Newberry Honor for its prequel, A Long Way From Chicago, and a Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in young adults literature. In 2002, he was awarded a National Humanities Medal by the president and First Lady Laura Bush. Richard Peck grew up in Decatur, Illinois, and now lives in New York City.

This book was a Historical Fiction book that contained a lot of authentic information. I researched on the, internet, some of the tools and inventions that were in it and found out that, yes, they had been invented around 1983, which was when the book took place. I did some research on the ferris wheel, the zoogyroscope, and the picture postcard.

I liked Fair Weather because it was interesting and made me want to read on. I also liked that it was about a different time period than the one that we're living in today , which allowed me to learn about how things were back then. I liked that it was a Historical Fiction book and it was educational and good to read at the same time. I also liked how the Chicago World Fair was so accurately described and how it was an adventure story. This book helped me learn some things about my topic, but there weren't as many tools and inventions in it as I had expected there would be. I would reccomend Fair Weather ,however, to those who enjoy books that are full of historical events and that are about adventure.

-Fernanda

Fair Weather.......2007-04-26

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic & Madness and the Fair that Changed America (Illinois)

Average customer rating:

Great book, though leaves a bit to be desired....
Very interesting
Amazing
discover your darker side
So fantastic a tale, you won't believe it's true

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic & Madness and the Fair that Changed America (Illinois)
Erik Larson
Manufacturer: RH Audio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

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ASIN: 0739303406
Release Date: 2003-02-11

Amazon.com

Author Erik Larson imbues the incredible events surrounding the 1893 Chicago World's Fair with such drama that readers may find themselves checking the book's categorization to be sure that The Devil in the White City is not, in fact, a highly imaginative novel. Larson tells the stories of two men: Daniel H. Burnham, the architect responsible for the fair's construction, and H.H. Holmes, a serial killer masquerading as a charming doctor. Burnham's challenge was immense. In a short period of time, he was forced to overcome the death of his partner and numerous other obstacles to construct the famous "White City" around which the fair was built. His efforts to complete the project, and the fair's incredible success, are skillfully related along with entertaining appearances by such notables as Buffalo Bill Cody, Susan B. Anthony, and Thomas Edison. The activities of the sinister Dr. Holmes, who is believed to be responsible for scores of murders around the time of the fair, are equally remarkable. He devised and erected the World's Fair Hotel, complete with crematorium and gas chamber, near the fairgrounds and used the event as well as his own charismatic personality to lure victims. Combining the stories of an architect and a killer in one book, mostly in alternating chapters, seems like an odd choice but it works. The magical appeal and horrifying dark side of 19th-century Chicago are both revealed through Larson's skillful writing. --John Moe

Book Description

Two men, each handsome and unusually adept at his chosen work, embodied an element of the great dynamic that characterized America’s rush toward the twentieth century. The architect was Daniel Hudson Burnham, the fair’s brilliant director of works and the builder of many of the country’s most important structures, including the Flatiron Building in New York and Union Station in Washington, D.C. The murderer was Henry H. Holmes, a young doctor who, in a malign parody of the White City, built his “World’s Fair Hotel” just west of the fairgrounds—a torture palace complete with dissection table, gas chamber, and 3,000-degree crematorium. Burnham overcame tremendous obstacles and tragedies as he organized the talents of Frederick Law Olmsted, Charles McKim, Louis Sullivan, and others to transform swampy Jackson Park into the White City, while Holmes used the attraction of the great fair and his own satanic charms to lure scores of young women to their deaths. What makes the story all the more chilling is that Holmes really lived, walking the grounds of that dream city by the lake.

The Devil in the White City draws the reader into a time of magic and majesty, made all the more appealing by a supporting cast of real-life characters, including Buffalo Bill, Theodore Dreiser, Susan B. Anthony, Thomas Edison, Archduke Francis Ferdinand, and others. In this book the smoke, romance, and mystery of the Gilded Age come alive as never before.

Erik Larson’s gifts as a storyteller are magnificently displayed in this rich narrative of the master builder, the killer, and the great fair that obsessed them both.

To find out more about this book, go to http://www.DevilInTheWhiteCity.com.

From the Hardcover edition.

Download Description

In The Devil in the White City, Erik Larson, author of Isaac's Storm, tells the spellbinding true story of two men, an architect and a serial killer, whose fates were linked by the greatest fair in American history: the Chicago World's Fair of 1893, nicknamed "The White City."

Two men, each handsome and unusually adept at his chosen work, embodied an element of the great dynamic that characterized America's rush toward the twentieth century.

The architect was Daniel Hudson Burnham, the fair's brilliant director of works and the builder of many of the country's most important structures, including the Flatiron Building in New York and Union Station in Washington, D.C.

The murderer was Henry H. Holmes, a young doctor who, in a malign parody of the White City, built his "World's Fair Hotel" just west of the fairgrounds -- a torture palace complete with dissection table, gas chamber, and 3,000-degree crematorium.

Burnham overcame tremendous obstacles and tragedies as he organized the talents of Frederick Law Olmsted, Charles McKim, Louis Sullivan, and others to transform swampy Jackson Park into the White City, while Holmes used the attraction of the great fair and his own satanic charms to lure scores of young women to their deaths. What makes the story all the more chilling is that Holmes really lived, walking the grounds of that dream city by the lake.

The Devil in the White City draws the reader into a time of magic and majesty, made all the more appealing by a supporting cast of real-life characters, including Buffalo Bill, Theodore Dreiser, Susan B. Anthony, Thomas Edison, Archduke Francis Ferdinand, and others. In this book, the smoke, romance and mystery of the Gilded Age come alive as never before.

Erik Larson's gifts as a storyteller are magnificently displayed in this rich narrative of the master builder, the killer, and the great fair that obsessed them both.

"Engrossing... exceedingly well documented... utterly fascinating."
   CHICAGO TRIBUNE

"A dynamic, enveloping book.... Relentlessly fuses history and entertainment to give this nonfiction book the dramtic effect of a novel.... It doesn't hurt that this truth is stranger than fiction."
   THE NEW YORK TIMES

"So good, you find yourself asking how you could not know this already."
   ESQUIRE

"Another successful exploration of American history.... Larson skillfully balances the grisly details with the far-reaching implications of the World's Fair."
   USA TODAY

"As absorbing a piece of popular history as one will ever hope to find."
   SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

"Paints a dazzling picture of the Gilded Age and prefigure the American century to come."
   ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

"A wonderfully unexpected book... Larson is a historian... with a novelist's soul."
   CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

Customer Reviews:

Great book, though leaves a bit to be desired...........2007-10-09

I am not a huge reader (too busy with college) but this book really caught my eye and, let me tell you, I made time for it once I realized how good it was. The book is incredibly informative and it is immediately apparent that the author did an ENORMOUS amount of research. As one of the reviewers says on a page at the front of the book, you will be left wondering how you DIDN'T know these stories already (for example, you learn about the first Ferris wheel.)

All of that said, I was hoping for much more information about the serial killer aspect... the author would devote maybe 4 pages worth of Holmes for every 10 pages worth of the Chicago Fair. I was mistakenly led to believe that the ratio was about equal and throughout the book, kept hoping that the Fair's historical accounts would become less frequent and instead would be replaced with more of the true crime aspect. At the end of the book, I came to find out that there simply wasn't enough information about the crimes to fill the book as most readers might have liked.

In short, this book is excellent and I highly recommend it. Just be forewarned, it is much more about the Chicago World Fair (and in more detail than most people probably prefer) and less about the serial killer and his

Very interesting.......2007-10-01

The book goes into more detail than what I care for, but it is very very interesting in everything you learn about American History

Amazing.......2007-09-29

Belonging to a book club for several years, we all agreed this book rated as one of our top ten books. Not only was it historically accurate but it was written in a style that captivated the reader with a serial killer on the loose and a race against time to accomplish an almost impossible feat. A book to be read and reread.

discover your darker side.......2007-09-26

i read the book in less than a week - fascinating descriptions, great narrative, etc! this book is beyond fiction..

i especially enjoyed the description of chicago at the height of the "gilded age" and the workings of burnham, olmstead and others involved in the design/architecture and execution of the "white city" - i can't imagine anything of this scale happening in the current social and economic environments and its a pleasure to read about it

but more than anything, i looked forward to the holmes ("the devil") chapters. i'm not much of a rubber-necker, and this book provided me a first-hand experience in fascination-by-destruction. wow!!

So fantastic a tale, you won't believe it's true.......2007-09-24

Chicago, 1893: One of the best and worst years of the city's existence. On the one hand, it was the year of the World's Fair, when Chicago proved its worth to the world, and American culture was changed forever; on the other hand, it was the year of Dr. H. H. Holmes, a charmingly handsome young man who turned out to be one of the country's most sadistic serial killers. Larson tells the tales of Daniel Burnham, the architect behind the construction of the Fair, and Holmes, the evil mastermind who used the fair to satisfy his bloodlust. These two men, who never met, were intricately linked, and their story reads like the best of suspense fiction.

Larson's research is meticulous; his insight into a psychopathic mind is downright chilling. For most of the book he alternates chapters--here, Burnham; there, Holmes; and back and forth. He slips interesting facts into the mix, in just the right proportions to keep readers amused (who knew shredded wheat would stand the test of time?), while in other places hitting you with gut-wrenching facts that will encourage you to do further research on your own. Why Holmes isn't as well known as Dahmer or Bundy, we may never know; and why Burnham is oft-forgotten, while Frank Lloyd Wright (who, yes, has ties to the Fair) is a household name, remains a puzzling mystery. But thankfully, Erik Larson remembered, and wrote this engrossing, fact-drenched thriller about it. This is a tale so amazing, it'll have you doubting its veracity. But, have no fear--or, yes, be very afraid--this is a true story of human triumph, evil, and the forceful will that we call "humanity."

Average customer rating:

Visual delight

Songs of Shiprock Fair
Luci Tapahonso
Manufacturer: Kiva Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1885772114

Book Description

Seen through the eyes of Nezbah, a young Navajo girl, the Shiprock Fair is a magical time with family and friends. Award-winning poet Luci Tapahonso's poetry captures the anticipation and exhilaration of Nezbah's experience, and Anthony Chee Emerson's illustrations bring the color and excitement of the fair to life. For young readers, ages four to ten.

Customer Reviews:

Visual delight.......1999-12-23

Very nice use of color to express the delight of the Northern Navajo Fair. Lucy text is poetic using all aspect of the fair.

The Cotton Candy Catastrophe at the Texas State Fair

Average customer rating:

Fun and original story with great illustrations
Cotton Candy Fun
As much fun as the fair itself!
Everything's bigger in Texas
Lively and Funny

The Cotton Candy Catastrophe at the Texas State Fair
Dotti Enderle
Manufacturer: Pelican Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 158980189X

Book Description

"The Cotton Candy Catastrophe at the Texas State Fair" was written "for fun," says Ms. Enderle. It is about a boy named Jake and his love for cotton candy. He goes to the Texas State Fair and immediately looks for his favorite treat, but the cotton candy machine goes haywire, and the sugary confection follows Jake through the fair. When he sees that the grounds are covered in a sticky pink blanket, Jake comes up with the perfect solution.

Customer Reviews:

Fun and original story with great illustrations.......2007-04-14

A great story by Dotti Enderle and a great tribute to Texas, where everything is bigger! The illustrations are eye-pleasing and my children laughed several times at the sheer silliness of this tale!

Cotton Candy Fun.......2005-05-04

I loved following Jake and his cotton candy through the Texas State Fair. Wish I'd been there to witness the commotion that followed. This is a delightful tale that children are sure to enjoy.

As much fun as the fair itself!.......2004-10-19

As a long-time Texas State Fair goer, I'm thrilled to own such a fun book that is full of the flavor, adventure, and excitement of the Fair. Dotti Enderle does a wonderful job of creating a monstrous cotton-candy day for one boy and for everyone who reads this delightful book. The pictures are bright and sure to catch a child's attention. You can almost taste the cotton candy as you read!

Everything's bigger in Texas.......2004-10-07

In this tallest of tale tales, Enderle spins a story about some cotton candy that's spun out of control, gumming up the works at the Texas state fair. A great choice to read before a trip to the Midway, or to bring back memories after-the-fact. Be sure to have something sweet on hand while you read -- this book'll make your tummy rumble for a box of caramel corn or a plate of sugar-dusted fried dough. Put on your best twang for maximum read-aloud pleasure.

Lively and Funny.......2004-09-29

Whenever I get a picture book to review, it's always a team effort between myself and my 4-year-old daughter. About THE COTTON CANDY CATASTROPHE, she said, "It was fun and funny. And it had a haunted house that I want to go in. And I like how it got sillier and sillier because the cotton candy made more and more mess." I agree. This is a great tall-tale story of what can happen if you aren't careful with that fluffy pink stuff. The illustrations are a hoot, too -- full of fun -- I especially loved the chickens. And you'll even get a peek at Big Tex, the 52-foot-tall cowboy who really does greet visitors to the Texas State Fair. It's a great regional book and a fun read-aloud.

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