Maximum Ride #3: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports (Maximum Ride)

Book Description

There's one last chance to save the world in MAXIMUM RIDE: SAVING THE WORLD AND OTHER EXTREME SPORTS, the closing chapter of James Patterson's thrilling trilogy. The time has arrived for Max and her winged "Flock" to face their ultimate enemy and discover their original purpose: to defeat the takeover of "Re-evolution", a sinister experiment to re-engineer a select population into a scientifically superior master race...and to terminate the rest. Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman, and Angel have always worked together to defeat the forces working against them--but can they save the world when they are torn apart, living in hiding and captivity, halfway across the globe from one another?

Customer Reviews:

Everybody loves Max? Not quite........2007-10-07

I bought this book under the impression that it would be entertaining and at least relatively well-written. Unfortunately, I was sorely mistaken. Although younger readers may like Max and her companions, I would advise against the series for anyone over the age of eleven.
Many parts of the book were poorly thought-out, and there were gaping holes when loose ends should have been tied up. For example, there is no explaination of how Max's arm began functioning again, but the chip was gone. And what were Itex's motives for 'torturing the bird-kids,' as Max puts it? I could go on and on, but I would probably be typing for the next few weeks. Lastly, Max seems to have no flaws--she's pretty, strong, smart, and fast. And it's not just Max, none of the characters have any depth at all. The book would probably be about half as short if it weren't for the pointless space-filling details.
All in all, I think that Maximum Ride was a waste of time and trees, not to mention space and gravity. Don't waste your money.

Satisfying thrid instalment.......2007-10-05

It's nice to see that once again, the cast of Maximum Ride is portrayed as young people, rather than just little adults. Even in their not so perfect world, the episode where Max and Fang butt heads over Ari and Fang's reactions further down the line illustrate what it would be like to not only have to take on an evil multi-national conglomerate, but what it's like to be fourteen and taking on such a task.

The use of the internet as a rallying cry to bring other young people into the scene to help out the flock shows readers, young and old alike, that young people are bright and resourceful, not just running to the closest adult (who'd hear a kid telling a crazy story and blow them off) to resolve the situation.

Mr. Patterson has done a great job at creating a universe where young readers will very much enjoy themselves and want to come back for more. Heck, I've got a Master's degree and am ten years out of high school, and I can't wait for the next book in this series.

Pleasant diversion.......2007-10-04

Max Ride is a fun character. She and her companions have been well developed through the series. As the fifth book in which these winged adolescents appear, it is a pleasant way of relaxing into the world of one's imagination.

If you are a teen you will love it!.......2007-09-18

If this book was targeted for a broad audience then I would rate it a 1. However, and fortunately, it is not. If you are 9 to 14, buy it, you will love it! The series has a very specific range of readers: kids under eight will not be able to comprehend the concept (excluding the elite); teens over fourteen may be psycologically beyond accepting the elementary concept (for them I recommend adult science-fiction).

Patterson does a wonderful job of delivering an outstanding teen series. Read them all!

I hope this isn't the last for Max!.......2007-09-13

A great trilogy! I just hope this isn't all for this delightful yet action packed series. A great book series for any age.

The Edison Trait: Saving the Spirit of Your Free-Thinking Child in a Conforming World

Average customer rating:

Love rewires the brain
This book is now titled Dreamers, Discoverers and Dynamos...
Will help you understand your child.
Helpful for dealing with bright but very difficult children.
This book was comfort food for my soul!

The Edison Trait: Saving the Spirit of Your Free-Thinking Child in a Conforming World
Lucy Jo Palladino
Manufacturer: Times Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Adolescent Psychology | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Parenting | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

School-Age Children | Parenting | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0812927370
Release Date: 1997-04-29

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Lucy Jo Palladino defines the Edison Trait (named after Thomas Edison) as divergent vs. convergent thinking. Edison Trait kids--one in five children--have the qualities that make innovative leaders, inventors, explorers, yet they often have a hard time in school where their personality traits may be seen as weak or negative. Palladino recasts these children in a positive light and gives specifics on understanding and becoming an ally for your Edison Trait child. The book is convincing, reassuring, and accessible. Perhaps it will help parents of nonconforming kids resist the pressure to make their kids "just fit in."

Book Description

"My daughter lives in her own world, sitting in the back of the classroom, doodling unicorns. She's a bright kid who's getting lost. How do we reach her?"

"My son can program my laptop, but I have to hound him constantly to do the simplest things. How can I motivate him?"

"My kid has to get his own way. And he's always racing around, always on the go. How can such a smart kid be so hard to live with?"

Millions of children--one in five--have what psychologist Lucy Jo Palladino, Ph.D., calls the Edison trait: dazzling intelligence, an active imagination, a free-spirited approach to life, and the ability to drive everyone around them crazy. They have the raw talent to succeed in our fast-paced, information-rich, techno-magic world. But, unbridled, their talent also brings conflict into their lives. Edison-trait kids excel at thinking divergently, brimming over with one idea after the other. However, schools, organized activities, and routines of daily living reward convergent thinking, which seeks to focus on one idea at a time. Parents and teachers get frustrated by the Edison-trait child's apparent intractability and lack of focus. A mismatch between school and child can mask the child's considerable gifts for creativity and independent thinking.

Drawing on examples from over two decades of private practice, Dr. Palladino helps parents, teachers and others appreciate this challenging aspect of their child's intellect and personality. She distinguishes and describes the three main styles of the Edison trait. Dreamers live in their own world, following no one's schedule but their own. Discoverers insist on learning about and experiencing the world firsthand. Dynamos are full of energy, with a flair for surprises, power, and speed.

A small percentage of Edison-trait kids also have Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), which puts them at even greater risk for problems in school. To address parents' concerns, The Edison Trait includes chapters on defining, diagnosing, and treating ADD.

Thomas Edison, who flunked out of school was able to harness his talents to give the world some of its finest inventions. Today this same ability to brainstorm thrives in creative geniuses such as Maya Angelou, Bill Gates, and Ted Turner.

Dr. Palladino offers eight guidelines for parents to understand and help Edison-trait kids:

1 Believe in your child.

2 Watch what you say.

3 Build a parent-and-child team.

4 Encourage your child's interests.

5 Teach your child self-control.

6 Coach your child to learn how to achieve.

7 Take care of yourself.

8 Take care of your family.

The Edison trait is on the rise in our younger generation, who are growing up in a world of accelerated change. Dr. Palladino reveals the link between Edisonian thinking and Information Age success. She explains how Edison-trait children are born leaders of the twenty-first century. Her inspiring and reassuring book will light the way.

Customer Reviews:

Love rewires the brain.......2006-04-18

Pharmaceutical drugs are only one line of defense in treating ADD. Drugs can alter brain chemistry but the patient is fundamentally the same personality. Medication alone will only go so far. A combination of prescriptions and psychotherapy yield better long-term results. Thomas Edison owed his life to his mother who believed in him when the schools kicked him out at 6. There is something to be said about love ... love itself can rewire the brain of a "problem" child.

****************************************************************

DOES YOUR CHILD HAVE THE EDISON TRAIT? by Lucy Jo Palladino

He was a boy who learned only by doing. At age six, he had to see how fire worked and accidentally burned his father's barn to the ground. The next fall he began school, where he alternated between letting his mind travel to distant places and keeping his body in perpetual motion in his seat. Because he was distractible and restless, he did not last long in a formal classroom. His teacher called him "addled." Eventually, his mother had to home-school him. As an adult he would recall: "My father thought I was stupid and I almost decided I must be a dunce."

The core of his learning was his passion for experiments. As his new teacher, his mother gave his talent free rein. At the same time she infused him with the disciplines of study. With time and determination, he mastered his runaway mind. He grew up to become a prolific inventor, bringing the magic of electricity and sound recording into the world. He either invented or improved hundreds of practical conveniences. It is said that Thomas Alva Edison succeeded where others failed or never tried, because it was his nature to dare.

Today, a growing number of children have that nature to dare. Like young Edison, they are easily distracted and disorganized, but also wildly imaginative and inventive.

They have minds that are at home with meanderings and leaps of vast proportions. They make unexpected, sometimes startling, connections.

QUALITIES OF A CREATIVE MIND
There was once a man who drove a truck on a road through a town and got stuck under a bridge that had a low clearance. The men of the town gathered around the wedged truck to think of ways to dismantle the truck or the bridge. Finally, a young boy came up and asked, "Why don't you let some air out of the tires?" That is what they did, and the truck went on its way.

This was a child who had the Edison trait. He saw an element of the scene that no one else saw, because they were busily and systematically focused on what to them was relevant to the solution.

An Edison-trait child:

Expects the Unexpected
A child with the Edison trait makes sudden, astonishing connections. Because his inner critic disallows neither the ridiculous nor the sublime, he can be innovative, ingenious, and fascinating. He can see ordinary things in extraordinary ways, which is the very essence of creativity.

His sense of humor is disarming. It stems from keen perception and the ability to see things from a different perspective. Sometimes he exhibits the kind of straight-from-the-subconscious humor that makes successful stand-up comics so funny. He blurts out ideas that are just under the surface, things that most others would have automatically censored.

Thinks Autonomously
This is a child who stands up for his own ideas, especially when they are uncommon or nonconformist. He is an independent thinker and does not rely on the opinions of others to form his own judgments. In a matter of personal interest to him, he stands firm with conviction, even in the face of strong opposition.

Hyperfocuses and Persists
When the Edison-trait child is intrinsically motivated, he has formidable mental power. If he is working on a project that is his own brainstorm, he is determined, tenacious, and persevering. As if by magic, he can work for hours involved in what he is doing. He finds ways to overcome barriers; his passion sees him through. In matters of his own choosing, he has inner direction and resolve.

Is Diverse and Intense
Edison-trait children are pluralistic, nonconforming, and multifarious. Once they begin to speak on a topic of their choosing, clear your calendar ... you'll be here for a while. Flights of fancy are common. One thing leads to another, though sometimes the connections are not apparent to the rest of us.

Has a Mind That Is Holistic
The Edison-trait child notices and reacts to things from any and all directions, so he is likely to have a global sense of places he has been. Take this child to the shopping mall and he'll probably be able to lead you back to your parked car.

Lives on His Own Schedule
Time passes slowly for this child when he is not engaged in an activity of interest. Otherwise, watch out! When an Edison-trait child works on a project of his choosing, he is dedicated and determined.

Loves to Come Up with Ideas
Some do this slowly and dreamily. Others are like kernels of popcorn popping. Many do both. They have qualities of being both a whimsical Dreamer and a high-charged Discoverer or turbulent Dynamo.

DOES YOUR CHILD HAVE THE EDISON TRAIT?
All children are imaginative and enjoy make-believe, but children who have the Edison trait live even closer to their imaginations. It is their lifeblood.

Children manifest the Edison trait in various ways. Some are quiet and reserved and live in their own worlds. Others are loud, interruptive, and bold.

Your child may be a Dreamer, a Discoverer, or a Dynamo. Or he may combine features of any or all of these patterns.

Dreamers drift from place to place, on a schedule of eternal time.
Discoverers have to find things out for themselves and do things their own way.
Dynamos are always in motion, with a flair forsurprises, power, and speed.
To see how closely your child's patterns match the profile of children with this trait, take a moment and think about him since his earliest days. Then ask yourself these questions:

If your child is a Dreamer
1. Does he get absorbed or intensely involved in his own ideas much of the time?
2. Is he prone to saying things out of the blue?
3. Does he procrastinate to an extreme?
4. Are his interests and activities eclectic?
5. Does he start at least three projects for every one he finishes?

If your child is a Discoverer
1. Is he easily attracted to sights and sounds around him?
2. Is it vital for him to express his opinion?
3. Does he crave novelty, power, and excitement?
4. Is he always ready to speak, especially if you're talking?
5. When he wants his own way - which is almost always - is he relentless?

Or, if your child is a Dynamo
1. Does he get aggressive or intensely emotional about his own ideas much of the time?
2. Is some part of his body always in motion?
3. Are chances to run and climb as vital as the air he breathes?
4. Does he have boundless energy, enough for about three children his age?
5. Do you find yourself wondering if he lacks common sense?

The more "yes" answers you gave to these questions, the more reason there is for you to read on.

DREAMERS
Dreamers are mind wanderers. These Edison-trait youngsters seem to be lost in timeless space. From time to time, they have blank expressions on their faces or may look a little dazed. Actually, they are floating through one or several ideas in another realm, a world of their own.

I dwell in Possibility
A fairer house than Prose,
More numerous of windows,
Superior of doors.

Like Emily Dickinson, the author of these words, Edison-trait Dreamers are self-styled visionaries and poets. They have an ephemeral quality, a digressive style of thinking, and an inclination to see things from an unusual, even quixotic angle. In the classroom, after a lesson is taught, the Dreamer may not give the expected response, so others presume he just didn't "get it." But ask him and you'll find out that if he was tuned in, he probably "got it" all right - in an entirely unintended or uncommon way. He produces the kind of answer that makes you think twice.

Dreamers like sensory experience. They are drawn to color, sound, texture, taste, and fragrance. Often, Edison-trait Dreamers remember odd and seemingly unrelated facts and details, knowledge of an idiosyncratic nature. Seldom can they say exactly why they are drawn to these particular thoughts or recollections, but their fascination can become intense. What appears as spaciness to us is felt as absorption by them.

DISCOVERERS
Discoverers are Edison-trait adventurers who must blaze their own trail. They are high-spirited and have to see "what would happen if . . ." They are spontaneous and they must do things their own way.

Discoverers are multi-sensory, usually with a strong preference for visual input. This is a child who craves, and often creates, the stimulation of power, surprise, or diversity. He wants to explore his own ideas and express his own opinions. He wants life to keep him interested. If he does not find people stimulating, he will stimulate them, usually by provoking laughter or anger.

Discoverers like to live in the moment, without giving too much mind to what will happen in the future. Typically, they are not planners. Discoverers live with the attitude that they'll discover what's going to happen when it happens. That's what makes life interesting.

When a Discoverer is on the trail of an idea or project of his own, he feels a sense of urgency or impatience. During these times the Discoverer may "hyperfocus." He pays attention to what he is doing with an unusual degree of intensity and to the exclusion of all else. Discoverers also "multitask." Multitasking means doing more than one thing at a time. Dreamers and Dynamos hyperfocus and multitask, too. But Discoverers do it more.

DYNAMOS
Dynamos are fuel-injected speedsters. They have erratic spurts of energy. They overexcite easily, and when this happens, trouble is on the way.

In some ways, a Dynamo is also a Discoverer. He is impulsive. He acts first and thinks later. Like the Discoverer, the Dynamo loves power and speed. And like the Discoverer, the Dynamo is strong willed and immovable in his position.

The distinguishing feature of the Dynamo is his boundless physical energy. Dynamos keep their bodies in motion, one way or another, almost all the time. They walk, run, skip, kick, climb, jump, bounce, leap, bound, pounce, bolt, dash, race, sprint, dive, swim, splash, and fly.

Dynamos act with gusto and zest. They are risk takers and daredevils. And they are constantly entertaining. Life in their company is never dull.

THE EDISON TRAIT IS LIFELONG
The Edison trait is a personality characteristic. It endures. As Edison himself did, people with the trait have to make good matches between their aptitudes and their life work.

TURNING THE LIGHTS ON
As the parent of an Edison-trait child, you have probably asked yourself some variation of the following question: "If my child can recall the entire roster of the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers, why can't he remember that eight times seven is fifty-six?"

To better understand your youngster, picture him wandering through an empty house alone. Most of the rooms are dark. One or two are well lit. When your child enters a bright room, he is filled with enthusiasm to explore. He remembers those bright rooms and develops a strong preference for them. Of course, the way you see it, he should be able to turn the lights on in any room, if only he would use the light switch. When you ask him to and he doesn't, a strain of tension develops between you.

From his point of view - and this is his house - his lights are wired differently. In the past, your Edison-trait child has tried to use the same kind of switch he sees others use, but to no avail. He senses that he doesn't operate the same way. He has a different configuration. Problems start getting solved when you work from his blueprints, not yours. You empower him to figure out his own circuitry, and the rules and methods to turn his lights on.

CONVERGENT, NO - DIVERGENT, YES
Having the Edison trait makes some things easier for your child and some things harder. The things that come easy are

Thinking up wild or unusual ideas
Standing up for, feeling strongly about, and getting involved in those ideas
Making things up, and imagining the future
Trying things out
Starting new projects
The things that come hard are

Focusing on someone else's ideas
Letting go of his own ideas
Remembering things he's been asked to do
Practicing skills repeatedly
Finishing things
The things that come easy are divergent thinking skills. In divergent thinking, one thought stimulates many others; thinking branches out. The things that come hard require convergent thinking. In convergent thinking, many thoughts reduce to a single one; thinking funnels in.

Read the lists again. It is no surprise that Edison-trait children will not shine in a typical classroom, or on the playground, or in most forms of organized sports. In settings like these, their chemistry sets them apart. They are the exceptions to our implicit rules of how children should think and perform, rules that say they should behave like uniform convergent thinkers.

CONVERGENT THINKING AS THE NORM
It is a natural human tendency to assume that all minds work the same way. We tacitly agree that all minds should naturally be able to follow through on one idea at a time, from beginning to end, with attention to detail. We call convergent thinking the norm and we presume it's what comes naturally if a brain is "normal." Divergent thinkers are viewed as having "attentional problems."

We label convergent thinking as right and divergent thinking as wrong. We base the methods we use to train our children on this premise. We expect children to focus in a linear fashion for as long as we say they should. This is true at home and at school. And at school, as class sizes get larger and children get more diverse, a teacher's tolerance for a student's divergent thinking necessarily diminishes. The same curriculum gets taught to all students in the same way and at the same pace.

The brains of Edison-trait children are misunderstood, not inferior. As students they are attentionally disadvantaged because we punish, and fail to appreciate, their unique creative slant. They get blamed for not completing desk work in the allotted time. They are scolded for not staying in their seats until recess. They are forced to work at an unsuitable tempo, and then get graded down for poor handwriting, and errors in grammar, spelling, and math facts. These outcomes are inevitable artifacts of a mismatched approach.

We teach to their weaknesses, not to their strengths. We insist that they see things our way, but we won't see things theirs. These children are stunningly divergent. They are on a quest for discovery, exploration, and stimulation. Surely we can be flexible and accommodate their style. They can and will develop convergent skins, but only if their desire to learn is protected and kindled with success.

WE CAN HELP EDISON-TRAIT CHILDREN DEVELOP SKILLS

We Can Guide Them to Motivate Themselves
These children need extra incentive and stimulating rewards. They need to experience success so that they can believe in it. They need reasons compelling enough to keep up the extra effort to get through the glass maze.

We Can Communicate - Think and Talk - in Their Language
A child with the Edison trait needs to feel he's in control. He will accept help only if it does not threaten his autonomy. He is prone to feeling crowded and seeing adults as overbearing.
The Edison-trait child is easily overwhelmed. For this reason, he needs clear direction, phrased in brief, concise messages. He needs his workload assigned in manageable portions. He needs structure, simple categories, and prominent visual cues.

For this same reason, he needs frequent breaks and relief from tension. He responds best to a calm and steady voice, devoid of emotional charge.

The Edison-trait child thinks in images and stories. He needs instruction that is attractive and captivating. He responds to metaphors and identifies with characters he likes. Creative approaches work best. Humor is a strong ally.

Your goal is to value your child's divergent thinking, while at the same time teaching and encouraging him to think convergently. With guidance and support, he will learn how to concentrate, shift focus, and do things in sequence. He'll make his own ways to organize his thoughts, words, papers, time, and money, to follow through, plan, schedule, and stay on track. He will come to appreciate conventional wisdom and the merit of reflective thought.

BRIDGES, NOT FENCES
Pretend for a moment that when babies are born, they already know how to talk. Right from the cradle: "Hello, Mother. Hello, Father. Please feed me. I'm hungry."

Now let's say 80 percent of the babies in the United States are born speaking English, but you're a parent of one of the 20 percent who speak a foreign language. You know you must help him to learn English somehow, so he can get along with everybody else. But it's clear your little guy likes his language better than yours.

He learns barely enough English to get by, but no more. He prefers the sound and the flow and the feel of his own tongue. He doesn't know how much of your language he can learn, even if he tries. And why should he try, when everyone acts as if he already should speak English fluently, and people make a bigger deal over his failures than his efforts?

At first, you forbid your child to speak his language. That doesn't work.

Next, you reward him when he speaks only English. That works some, but it's a strain on everyone.

Finally, you make a commitment to learn and appreciate the language he speaks. You enter his world - through his sounds, his words, and his expressions. You don't insult his language; you find what is beautiful and useful about it.

At the same time, you acknowledge every attempt he makes to speak English - regardless of whether he succeeds or not. You let him know you recognize his efforts and his desire to communicate with you. You tell him that you see his courage and his hard work.

And then, a funny thing happens.

The more good you see in his world, the more good he sees in yours.

You build bridges, not fences.

You become enriched by your knowledge of his language. And he grows in his motivation to learn yours.

Excerpted from Dreamers, Discoverers and Dynamos by Lucy Jo Palladino

This book is now titled Dreamers, Discoverers and Dynamos..........2005-01-28

The less expensive version of this book has a different title: Dreamers, Discoverers and Dynamos : How to Help the Child Who Is Bright, Bored and Having Problems in School.

We have been searching for The Edison Trait online today since the copy we are using is due back at the library. Fortunately we discovered that it has been retitled and is now sold as Dreamers, Discoverers and Dynamos : How to Help the Child Who Is Bright, Bored and Having Problems in School.

My wife has kept the library copy until it is overdue and has a hold on it. This is the most excited I have seen her about a book since we were married. She has found some very practical tools to help us with our children.

Will help you understand your child........2001-12-06

I now understand my child so much better after reading this book.

Helpful for dealing with bright but very difficult children........2000-12-13

This is a very compassionate book about smart but difficult to manage children. These "Edison-trait" children are spirited, passionate children who are very intense and hard to live with. The author calls them "divergent thinkers", who are very creative, imaginative, and see things in a different way than others. They have problems focusing on others' ideas and letting go of their own. School can be very frustrating for them. For example, they don't like practicing skills repeatedly. I found Chapter 12 on School to very helpful. It gives some good tips to help these children succeed at school and to feel good about themselves regarding school. There are ways that parents and teachers can help them and provide encouragement without the child feeling labeled or stigmatized. There is also a large section in the book on ADD and ADHD. The author writes "While just about all children who have ADD have the Edison trait, not all children with the Edison trait have ADD." While they share the same traits, such as being easily distracted, disorganized, and disobedient, in the child with ADD, these traits are excessive and disrupts his functioning. The problems are more severe in the ADD child. This book is very compassionate regarding the needs of the children. It provides hope for parents.

This book was comfort food for my soul!.......2000-01-21

This is the first book I have EVER found myself in. I have always been fascinated by psychology, but have never fit into anyone's theory or box. I have usually found myself relating to the negative characteristics of two opposite types in someones personality groups. My spirit was broken by well intentioned parents trying to make me fit in with what is supposed to be "normal" in our society. Lucy Jo Palladino has seen in children what so many professionals refuse to, or cannot see. I saw Dr. Palladino on TV promoting this book and was drawn to it because at that time I was beginning to see the hopelessness in my 2yr old son that I remembered feeling as a child, but never did understand. Dr. Palladino understands how my brain works. I never understood it, I just knew I was different but didn't know why. The book is invaluable now that my son is 5 and I need guidance on how to teach him self control and discipline. It's not easy, but the methods in this book help me nurture and teach to his strengths instead of trying to change the very nature of who he is. The biggest surprise in this book was that I found out my husband is also an Edison thinker, just a very different one than I am. He's a dreamer and I and my son are discoverers. By the way I don't label lightly, this book seems to be written about my family. Is there anymore out there about this? Is there any way to write to the author? I am so thankful for this book and would recommend it to anyone who thinks their child might be in this book. It could literally save their life. I am very fortunate that my attempts to check out of this world that did not accept or understand me were not successful.

Saving the Breakout: The 30th Division's Heroic Stand at Mortain, August 7-12, 1944

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Rings True To Someone Who Was There...
A Classic Account of a Forgotten Battle...
Two stories under one cover.
An Informative fast paced read

Saving the Breakout: The 30th Division's Heroic Stand at Mortain, August 7-12, 1944
Alwyn Featherston
Manufacturer: Presidio Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0891414908
Release Date: 1993-06-01

Book Description

From its very first page, the American infantryman is the hero of this magnificent account of men at war.

Customer Reviews:

Rings True To Someone Who Was There..........2005-12-22

My father landed on Utah Beach in the second wave on June 7, 1944 (D-Day +1). His unit was attached temporarily to the 28th Division, as reinforcements. Later they rejoined their real unit, the 1st Platoon, 2d Battalion, 120th Infantry Regiment, 30th Infantry Division.

After having defended Hill 314 for four days, out of ammunition and food, my father and three comrades were captured by German SS forces at Mortain on August 11, 1944. He spent the next 11 months in a German POW camp.

Yes, I'm proud of his service. However, I recounted all of this to establish his authority to comment on this book.

A man of few words, he shared that accounts of the aspects of the battle of which he had first-hand knowledge were very accurate. This book enabled my father to finally understand the full scope and nature of the battle, and reinforced for him (and his wife and five children) how amazing it is that he survived the experience.

We continue to pass this book from one family member to the next. We have all found the book to be an excellent read.

A Classic Account of a Forgotten Battle..........2003-02-08

What a superb book. Featherston, a journalist by trade, made himself into a first rate military historian with this, his first published work. He even outdoes the mighty Stephen Ambrose here. His focus is the 30th Infantry Division's lone stand at Mortain, as it bore the brunt of the German last great Panzer assault in France.
Much has been written about Mortain, how the Germans threw away their last bit of armored strength in this hopeless, Hitler ordered counterattack (Operation 'Luttich', the German word for Liege, a city in Belgium) and its subsequent repulse. Far too much credit has been given the Allied air forces in this battle and not enough to the infantrymen who faced the onslaught on the ground.
That fact was, that despite air support, the Old Hickory Division met the Germans head on, and this was some of the best German military units, the Waffen SS in addition to other Panzer divisions, and it beat them cold.
Featherston, interviews the veterans and they tell their story with pride, as I think they should. They took on the best Hitler had, and stopped the vaunted German Panzer force dead in its tracks.

This is a must have for any ETO fan.

Two stories under one cover........2000-06-13

Great book. I personally liked to read divisional histories, and this is in my top five. The writer takes you throught he divisions pre war history, European deployemnt, and combat history. The reader gets two stoies here, one is a history of a Army National Guard unit going to war, and the other is the Battle of Moritain, a pivital conflict in the conquest of France. I read it in a weekend, you will find it hard to put down as well.

An Informative fast paced read.......2000-05-08

As a current member of the 30th Mechanized Brigade I found this book to be an extremely interesting look into the roots and history of a forgotten Division. The author provided a great deal of insight into this critical battle through the personal experiences and recollections of the actual soldiers who fought against some of the best German troops at that time. This book was very informative and details a battle that very few people had heard of, which is a shame considering what these everyday soldiers accomplished under such exteme conditions. I would highly recommend.

Average customer rating:

makes your eyes think!
Perfect Baby Shower Gift!!
A book for all ages
The Perfect Home.....

Henry Builds a Cabin
D.B. Johnson
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Picture Books | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0618132015

Amazon.com

When Henry gets a bee in his bonnet to build a cabin in the woods, his friends all help out--mostly with advice. Henry, a bear character based on 19th-century writer Henry David Thoreau, hears from his pal Emerson as they raise the beams. "Henry," he says, "your cabin looks too small to eat in!" But, "it's bigger than it looks," says Henry. He shows Emerson a bean patch he has planted behind the cabin. "When it's finished, this will be my dining room," he explains. A sunny spot beside the cabin will be the library, he tells his friend Alcott, and a path curving down to the pond will be the ballroom with a grand stairway.

The many devout fans of author D.B. Johnson's award-winning Henry Hikes to Fitchburg will be tickled to see another title featuring the placid, self-contained Henry. Johnson's kaleidoscopic colored-pencil and paint illustrations are as fascinating as Henry's perspectives on what a home can be. As in his first title, Johnson makes quiet allusions to other luminaries of Thoreau's time, including Ralph Waldo Emerson and Bronson Alcott. (Ages 5 and older) --Emilie Coulter

Book Description

How big does a home really need to be? When Henry decides to build a cabin for himself in the woods, he gets some help and a lot of advice from his friends. But Henry, being Henry, has his own ideas, and he sets about building his house as a bird builds its nest. As he adds everything he thinks his cabin needs, Henry's new home ends up being a lot bigger than it looks! Inspired by the life of Henry David Thoreau, and illustrated with nature-filled paintings by author and artist D. B. Johnson, Henry Builds a Cabin is a thoughtful and beautiful meditation on what a home can be.

Customer Reviews:

makes your eyes think!.......2003-09-06

What a delightful book! Based on Henry David Thoreau's time at Walden pond, this simple, direct little tale first recounts how and with what he built his cabin. By emphasizing Thoreau's skill and his use of recycled old house parts, the book enlivens his self-sufficiency and his critique of materialism.

The best parts are the three guests who interrupt Henry's work, each one suggesting some shortcoming in Henry's construction. The cabin is too small to eat or dance in, they suggest, too dark to read in. Each time, Henry beautifully and effortlesy turns these criticisms upside down. He patiently (and with quiet enthusiasm) explains that by living in nature he has annexed all of the space and sun and beauty around him. His cabin is the entire woods and the whole pond. Thoreau's individualism emerges through these confounding, whimsical dialogues.

D. B. Johnson, the author, conveys all of this in graceful, clear, subtle little exchanges. The talk is all quite concrete and easily grasped, so kids have no problem with the story. Yet Johnson's language also carries Thoreau's deeper meaning, in clever and refreshing ways.

The zestful, kinetic pictures provide rich pleasure. Click on the sample pages and see for yourself! Reminiscent of early cubism and of the figurative work of Kazimir Malevich, the illustrations divide the picture plane into coutless little segments. Johnson blends them pleasingly yet also uses them to demonstrate the wonder that every little corner of nature holds for the alert eye. In his fragments of the field of view, Johnson might include a butterfly, a squirrel, a rabbit, a cardinal or bluejay, rain drops, falling leaves, on and on. Trees and pond, sky and clearings all appear active, filled with spirit. Kids will love finding and noticing and searching, for these illustrations continually surprise: they make your eyes think! Pieces of nature intersect through the cabin windows, and the wonderfully broken view swirls around Henry and his visitors in a vivid depiction of our connectiveness to nature--one of Thoreau's central beliefs.

In sum, an efficient and expressive meeting of story, thought, and imagery.

Perfect Baby Shower Gift!!.......2003-02-11

We borrowed this book from the library and I must buy a copy for my 3yr old. He loves it. The illustrations are unique and so pleasing to the eye. They are a little abstract but not too much so you can't see what is being conveyed.

Henry builds a cabin but his friends doesn't think it's big enough. Henry says it's big enough for all kinds of things. In the end, you find out what the cabin is perfect for.

Delightful read and a sure bet for a Baby Shower Gift!

A book for all ages.......2002-12-16

I'm 12 but I really like this picture book. I learned a lot about what Henry Thoreau was trying to do when he built a cabin by Walden Pond, and it was fun learning it through this book. The illustrations are funny and I like how Henry solves his problems. I also like Henry Hikes to Fitchburg, which is even funnier because Henry makes his friend learn a lesson in a funny way. I also recommend another great book about Henrey Thoreau, that especially girls of all ages will like, Louisa May and Mr. Thoreau's Flute. It talks about how Henrey Thoreau helped Louisa May Alcott learn to like the outdoors and learn to like writing. Henry's funny in that book too so I think readers will like it too.

The Perfect Home............2002-03-03

Henry, a sturdy looking bear wearing a large hat and workclothes, is building a cabin in the woods. He borrows an ax and cuts down twelve trees for framing, buys an old shed, takes it apart and uses the wood for the walls and floor. He builds a front door, finds two used windows and some old shingles for the roof. As he's building, friends stop by to look at the cabin and check on his progress. Emerson comments that it seems too small to eat in. "It's bigger than it looks," replies Henry and shows him his garden out back. "When it's finished, this will be my dining room." Friend, Alcott thinks the cabin will be too dark to read in, but Henry shows him a sunny spot right outside. "This will be my library." And when Miss Lydia shows concern that there won't be room for dancing, Henry shows her the pathway down to the pond, his grand stairway to the ballroom. On July 4th, Henry's cabin is finished and he moves in. He eats in the "dining room", reads in the "library" and dances in his "ballroom". When it begins to rain, he hurries back to his cabin, where in a very wise and amusing way he shows us that his new home is just perfect..... D.B. Johnson is back with a marvelous sequel to his award winning first picture book, Henry Hikes To Fitchburg, based on the life of Henry David Thoreau. His simple and inspiring text is sure to be a springboard to interesting and thoughtful discussions. What does a home really need, and how big does it have to be? Mr Johnson's creative and expressive, light-filled illustrations enhance the story beautifully, and capture the imagination. With an author's note at the end "About Henry's Cabin", to help fill in the details of how and why Thoreau built his cabin, its cost, and his two years living at Waldens Pond, Henry Builds A Cabin is an engaging and unique little treasure youngsters 4-8 shouldn't miss. "Most men appear never to have considered what a house is, and are actually though needlessly poor all their lives because they think they must have such a one as their neighbors have."

Disney on a Dime: Money-Saving Secrets for Your Walt Disney World Vacation

Average customer rating:

Disney doesn't HAVE to be a fortune
"Disney on a Dime" Save your dime, and don't waste your time!
It worked for me
Disney on a Dime for a Miserable Time
Not what I expected

Disney on a Dime: Money-Saving Secrets for Your Walt Disney World Vacation
Chris Carlson
Manufacturer: The Intrepid Traveler
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Tourist Destinations & Museums | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1887140573

Book Description

You can afford the Disney World vacation of your dreams--if you know how to save for it, save on the way to and from Orlando, and save while you're there. The Carlsons, parents of four young children, know from repeated, firsthand experience that you don't have to spend thousands of dollars to have a Walt Disney World vacation. They share their money-saving strategies for accumulating the necessary funds and then getting the most for the least on travel, tickets, food, resort hotels, and souvenirs for the kids.

Customer Reviews:

Disney doesn't HAVE to be a fortune.......2007-05-14

I had to respond to some of the nay-sayers that have reviewed this book. We go to Disney a few times a year, and it is by far one of the least vacations that we can take. This book hits the nail on the head!

You can DEFINITELY bring in a cooler with your food, and not only will it save you money, but is healthier and better tasting than the burger and fries that you will find at the park.

Staying in a rented house is not only less expensive, but infinitely more comfortable for a large group. Most people don't even realize that this is an option.

Going to Disney doesn't have to be an all-out spending fest! You can still give your kids the world without paying for it for months on end and spoiling them in the process. Set up limits on when/where to buy souvenirs, bring your own food, find budget accommodations. Once you get to the park it is the same magic for everyone, whether you've spend $1000 to get there or $5000.

"Disney on a Dime" Save your dime, and don't waste your time!.......2007-05-01

After thoroughly reading "Disney on a Dime: Money-Saving Secrets for Your Walt Disney World Vacation", all I can say is save your money and the time you would spend reading this book. Not only is there nothing earth shattering revealed in this book, there is easily better information available online for free. There are many Disney based web sites out there, and I'd venture to say that 99% or more offer better information than this book does.

The first myth of the book to dispell is bringing your own food to the park and storing it in a cooler in a locker. Not only does Disney not allow outside food, they surely do not allow a cooler! Apparently the author has never been through the outside security checkpoints or bag check that has been implemented since 9/11/01. Secondly, the author advocates stealing condiments, cups, and just about any foodservice item you can fit in your pocket/purse. While this can be done, it's absolutely ludicrous to think anyone WOULD do this. Is this really saving money, when everything you are taking is provided free of charge in the park? I think not. I can go on and on, but I think anyone with a brain gets the idea here.

In closing, I think the average person understands that a Disney vacation is by no means inexpensive. The published statistic is that the average family of four will save for seven years to take a 1 week Disney vacation. With many of the offers Disney has had the past few years (discounted 7 days vacation promotions, free dining plan, etc.) it is now even easier to take that vacation AND stay on Disney property. Do your homework online for free, and avoid this book at all costs. That'll be your fist step in saving for your Disney vacation. It's a shame that I actually had to give the book 1 star to write the review, as it's not even deserving of that.

It worked for me .......2007-03-27

I used this book and from what I've read it mentions stuff that I might not have or didn't think of. Disney is and will always be expensive. The title itself is not to be taken literally. We took our lunches in and not a word was said..I did this without a second thought. Believe me,they got plenty of money out of me when it was all said and done. So I feel no guilt about saving a few bucks for lunch. If you can save some money while at "The World" do it. This is a guide and an informative one at that. 263 days and counting!!

Disney on a Dime for a Miserable Time.......2006-12-14

You can't do Disney on a dime. And if you could, you'd have a miserable time. Most of the tips in this book are either ridiculous or downright hilarious. Did you really come to Disney to fill your pockets with free food and condiments from a topping bar? That's one of the tips for saving money at the park. Or how about bringing your own food into the park after driving there from your off-site motel room and telling the kids that they can't buy any souvenirs? What a vacation.

There are a few good tips in the book, but you probably know about them already or can easily find them for free on-line.

I'm a big fan of saving money at Disney. It is possible to save money there without ruining your vacation by cutting every corner. A good Disney vacation is expensive. All the penny jars (another tip from the book) in the world won't help with that. Do your own research and don't expect miracles. And don't be misled by authors whose next tip might involve panhandling outside Cinderella's Castle.

Not what I expected.......2006-08-25

This book was really basic in offering tips for budget conscious disney travellers. It didn't help me much. A lot of the information I already knew. I was looking for something more and I didn't find it here.

Real World Math: Money and Other Numbers in Your Life

Average customer rating:

Real word Math: money and other numbers in your life
Real World Math

Real World Math: Money and Other Numbers in Your Life
Donna Guthrie
Manufacturer: Millbrook Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Public Finance | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Money Management for Young People | Personal Finance | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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The Everything Kids' Money Book: From Saving to Spending to Investing - Learn All About Money! (Everything Kids Series)

ASIN: 0761302514

Customer Reviews:

Real word Math: money and other numbers in your life.......2007-04-26

This book was terrific. It was one of the most useful books I have read in a long time. It takes you step by step through daily life finances and gives you information that you really need. Even though Math is not one of my favorite subjects, I now know how important it is to stay on top of my personal finances and spending. I recommend this book to all young adults because it will help you get ready to be independent and make financially smart decisions.

Real World Math.......2001-05-11

Don't let the cover of this book fool you. At first glance, the cartoon characters and fun design give the impression that this book is intended for young audiences as a basic math primer with real-world examples and applications. It's not. In fact, a more apt name for this book might be: Surviving the Real World: Managing the Money in Your Life, and it is suited to an audience of eighth graders and up, with many examples that will appeal to high school juniors and seniors. The authors do a good job of presenting the major events in a person's life that require money management skills. These include: opening and using a checking or savings account; the uses and abuses of credit; purchasing and maintaining a vehicle; paying for higher education; investing; renting; and creating a budget. The chapters devoted to each of these topics include easy-to-relate to scenarios in order to teach the value of money management skills. For example, we learn how Josh can save more than $200 dollars on prom night by reviewing his before and after budget; and, we feel relief for Kate after she finds help and overcomes debt after maxing out her credit cards in her first year of college. In many of these chapters, the authors include a box that lists the major terms and jargon of each industry. Readers learn how to `Speak' bank, car buying, credit, rent, and more. An especially important aspect of this book is the emphasis not only on how to manage money, but also on how to think about money. The authors mix in a good dose of frugality with their math formulas. Readers are constantly cautioned to think about the long term costs of making a purchase; in fact, a whole chapter is devoted to shopping for bargains, using coupons, and most importantly, using self discipline when spending. The authors employ their own variant of K.I.S.S. (keep it simple, stupid) with K.I.C.S. (keep it cheap and simple). From there they list a number of ways to save money day-to-day, such as eating dinner at home and going out for only dessert, or having a VCR party at home with friends instead of paying for a movie ticket, that eventually turns into huge savings What this book lacks in depth it makes up for in breadth and a good resources section at the end for further reading. It's an excellent first introduction to money management in real world situations.

Average customer rating:

Parallel story line does not work
BORING!
History and adventure combined for a good read
a noble attempt but falls short
Alma

Saving the World
Julia Alvarez
Manufacturer: A Shannon Ravenel Book
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 156512510X

Amazon.com

Julia Alvarez is the author of five works of fiction, among them In the Time of the Butterflies and How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents, books for children, essays, and poetry. Saving the World is an unfocused attempt to make a statement about the haves and the have-nots and the people who try to improve the lot of those who have never had a real chance in life: those people who try to save the world. Unfortunately, it does not bridge the chasm between authentic high-mindedness and sentimental twaddle.

There are two stories intertwined in the novel: one of Alma, a self-centered depressive author and the other of Isabel, a no-centered Spanish rectoress who, in 1803, with her 23 orphan boys, joins Dr. Balmis on a ship bound for the new world destined to save the world from smallpox. The boys are to be carriers; each of them vaccinated with cowpox and then, when the vesicles fill with fluid, it will be harvested to vaccinate others. This part is, basically, a true story.

Alma has a contract to write a book, gets stuck, and becomes enamored of Isabel's story instead. She starts to write, and her husband, Richard, is called away on a project to the Dominican Republic, Alma's native country, to establish a "green" zone. Another world-saving project in theory, it turns out not to be as advertised. Alma sends him off alone, telling him that she is going to work on the book--some book, anyway--and then wool-gathers about why. Isabel constantly asks herself if she has done the right thing by exposing the boys to the rigors of sea travel, the dangers of ailments other than smallpox, and will she ever have a husband and babies of her own? These two women are portrayed as having remarkably little self-knowledge, despite their concentration on taking their own emotional temperature hourly.

A red-herring sub-plot is that Alma's close neighbor and "good friend," whom she seldom sees until she finds out she's dying, has a crazy son who has a crazy wife. They come to visit as Richard is leaving. Their threats to Alma and to the world at large are described by the two loonies as "ethical terrorism." This nonsense gains Alma's sympathy and she ends up protecting and defending them, spouting poetic aphorisms as reasons. The other loose cannon in the tale is Tera, Alma's one-dimensional firebrand friend who is saving the world from everything you can mention, according to her own lights. She is tedious in her extremism, and especially annoying to Alma when Alma needs attention, which is all the time.

All manner of dreadful things take place in this truly messy book. Alma and Isabel cry a lot, everyone gets to act out and then we go around again. Unfortunately, this story trivializes the world-saving work of the Spanish Royal Philanthropic Expedition, which was an around-the-world voyage of the smallpox vaccine and really did prevent outbreaks in the New World. Now that is a fascinating story. --Valerie Ryan

Book Description

Latina novelist Alma Huebner is suffering from writer's block and is years past the completion date for yet another of her bestselling famly sagas. Her husband, Richard, works for a humanitarian organization dedicated to the health and prosperity of developing countries and wants her help on an extended AIDS assignment in the Dominican Republic. But Alma begs off joining him: the publisher is breathing down her neck. She promises to work hard and follow him a bit later.

The truth is that Alma is seriously sidetracked by a story she has stumbled across. It's the story of a much earlier medical do-gooder, Spaniard Francisco Xavier Balmis, who in 1803 undertook to vaccinate the populations of Spain's American colonies against smallpox. To do this, he required live "cariers" of the vaccine.

Of greater interest to Alma is Isabel Sendales y Gómez, director of La Casa de Expósitos, who was asked to select twenty-two orphan boys to be the vaccine carriers. She agreed— with the stipulation that she would accompany the boys on the proposed two-year voyage. Her strength and courage inspire Alma, who finds herself becoming obsessed with the details of Isabel's adventures.

This resplendent novel-within-a-novel spins the disparate tales of two remarkable women, both of whom are swept along by machismo. In depicting their confrontation of the great scourges of their respective eras, Alvarez exposes the conflict between altruism and ambition.

Customer Reviews:

Parallel story line does not work.......2007-09-21

I read this book in Spanish, not knowing it had been translated from English. After reading the first couple of chapters, I realized I was reading a translation. The translation was ok, but not great.

The parallel story line does not work well. Alma is self-centered and her concerns are trivial. Isabel's story, however, is gripping, particularly if you are a history buff. I wished that the author would have focused only on the story of the Royal Expedition. It would have made for a much more interesting novel. Every time I finished a chapter about Isabel,I felt disappointed that I would have to plow through a chapter about Alma before being able to continue Isabel's story.

BORING!.......2007-09-12

I have never felt so inspired to write a review. I generally feel obligated to finish books that I purchase, but I am really struggling with this one. I am an avid reader and have probably read close to 8 books in the last 3 months. Some of them very enjoyable. However......

History and adventure combined for a good read.......2007-08-17

Author Julia Alvarez sets up two parallel stories in Saving the World. In the 21st century Alma Huebner, a successful novelist, is trying to write a long-promised novel, juggle family and friends, and decide how she really wants to live her life. In the 19th century, Isabel Sendales y Gomez wishes to leave the small world of the orphanage she oversees for the bigger world. Both women receive their chances to find a new life.

Alma Huebner has put off her editor and agent for more than two years, while beginning to research the story of the Balmis Expedition, which set out in 1803 to rid the world of smallpox. It carried Isabel Sendales y Gomez with it as the caretaker of 22 boys who are the live carriers of the coxpox vaccine. In Isabel, Alma finds a heroine, and a haven from the demands of her life. When her husband is offered an assignment in the Dominican Republic, Alma stays behind--ostensibly to make progress on her novel, but she finds it difficult to concentrate on anything outside her dying neighbor Helen, and the story of Isabel.

In alternating chapters, we learn Isabel's story of her journey from Spain to the New World, with stops in Puerto Rico, Venezuela, and Mexico, before she travels with the expedition to the Phillipines. Isabel finds the wide world to be exciting, a little dangerous, unpredictable, and surprising. Alma longs for some of the same, while staying in the safety of her Vermont home.

At times Alma's story stretches itself thin between the mundane and the fantastical, but her character is interesting enough to carry the reader along. Isabel, while dwelling in an inherently more dramatic atmosphere, is a steadier character who slowly carves out a new life in the midst of chaos. With each change in narrative Alvarez leaves the reader longing to know what is happening in that other world--a sure sign that that characters and the story line are strong.

Armchair Interviews says: If you're looking for a fascinating combination of historically based adventure and a story of modern dilemma, try Saving the World.

a noble attempt but falls short.......2007-07-03

If you've read Ahab's Wife and liked it then this if for you. However, if you read Ahab's Wife and thought it unbelievable, pretentious etc... then don't bother reading this book. I admit it; I was hooked to start. Alma a woman approaching or in the throes of menopause struggling to write a book, a married to Richard who works for a do-good corporation that helps unite the down-trodden with the means to provide a sustainable future entertaining. Throw in some kooky friends (Tera - the vigilante, the peace riot organizer) and the good neighbor, Helen, who is dying and it was okay. Then we have the story of Isabel, the historical figure who accompanied the Royal expedition to rid the New World of Small Pox. A noble and highly successful endeavour. Initially Isabel is fine, she is informative, prehaps a bit overdramatic about her loss of faith, her disfigurement etc...but entertaining. Then she becomes like Ahab's wife, the sustainer of the mission, the one who can calm the children, or still the director's violence and his self-importance so the mission is not lost. She deplores slavery and reaches out to the slaves they purchase to insure their mission carries on, she knows how to read, how to write, she is a diplomat behind the fiery director, the mother to the motherless orphans, securing them all homes, falling ill herself so the mission will continue. It all becomes too much to the point that you wish to say enough, enough. I am reminded of a quote from a famous author who said at times he struggles to keep reading when the story is so poor, the character so self-important. And midway through the book this is the case, Isabel is so full of herself and Alma too so wrapped up in her misery (which is of her own creating) that I just wanted it to end so I could say - I finished, it's over.

Alma .......2007-06-18

If only this book had skipped the Alma chapters, I would have given it an A+. The writing becomes so disparate as Alvarez switches between the modern world (Alma) and the historical world of Isabel.

The chapters about Alma have potential, but are choppy and it is hard to become immersed in them. On the other hand, the Isabel chapters are beautifully written and you want them to go on and on.

It's my first Alvarez book, and I'm going to try one or two of the others that the other reviewers suggest.

This is a good book for a plane ride. : )

Seize the Daylight: The Curious and Contentious Story of Daylight Saving Time

Average customer rating:

Excellent History of DST
As informative as it is interesting
Timely Topic
A Detailed Review of an Interesting Subject
A grudging five stars

Seize the Daylight: The Curious and Contentious Story of Daylight Saving Time
David Prerau
Manufacturer: Thunder's Mouth Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Social History | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1560257962

Book Description

Benjamin Franklin conceived of it. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle endorsed it. Winston Churchill campaigned for it. Kaiser Wilhelm first employed it. Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Roosevelt went to war with it, and more recently the United States fought an energy crisis with it.

For several months every year, for better or worse, daylight savings time affects vast numbers of people throughout the world. And from Ben Franklin's era to today, its story has been an intriguing and sometimes bizarre amalgam of colorful personalities and serious technical issues, purported costs and perceived benefits, conflicts between interest groups and government policy makers. Daylight savings time impacts diverse and unexpected areas, including agricultural practices, street crime, the reporting of sports scores, traffic accidents, the inheritance rights of twins, and voter turnout.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent History of DST.......2007-02-17

This book really opened my eyes to the story of "Daylight Saving Time".
It was a fast read and I recommend it to anyone who is involved in DST.
:)

Highly recommended.

As informative as it is interesting.......2007-02-12

I grew up hearing as an explanation for Daylight Saving Time that it was "good for the farmers." It turns out that this is a widespread misconception, and it also turns out not to be true: farmers have in fact historically opposed the adoption or expansion of DST because of the inconveniences it imposes on them. Another childhood illusion put to bed, if decades late.

Since 1986 the U.S. has observed DST from the first Sunday of April to the last Sunday of October. Beginning in 2007, DST is to be expanded by three weeks (in accordance with the Energy Policy Act of 2005). It will now begin on the second Sunday of March and extend until the first Sunday of November. Given this change I figured it was high time for me to find out what Daylight Saving Time is all about.

I review below David Prerau's Seize the Daylight: The Curious and Contentious Story of Daylight Saving Time. It's the first of two DST-related books that have been weighing down my TBR shelves. Both books were published in 2005--the idea of exploring DST apparently being very much in the air in the first years of the new millennium.

---

Benjamin Franklin proposed in 1784, when he was serving as the American minister to France, that Parisians conserve energy--in the form of candle wax and tallow--by changing their habits, rising with the sun rather than sleeping in with their shutters closed against the daylight. The idea never caught on, and it is at any rate impractical as it would depend on the alteration of individual habits on a large scale for it to have any chance of working for a community. Over a hundred years later, in 1905, a certain William Willett devised an alternative plan for increasing the number of usable daylight hours during England's summer months. His plan, what we now call Daylight Saving Time, called for setting the nation's clocks forward in the spring (he initially imagined the time being changed in 20-minute increments on each of four successive Sundays) and back in the fall, thus not relying on people to alter their sleep patterns on an individual basis. His idea didn't catch on either, at least not immediately. In his book Seize the Daylight: The Curious and Contentious Story of Daylight Saving Time author David Prerau, who has coauthored government reports on the effects of DST, traces the complex history of DST from Willett's tireless campaigning on behalf of its adoption to the modern era. Prerau also provides a chapter on the two artificial adjustments to natural sun time that men adopted prior to the introduction of DST. (Mean solar time was adopted starting in the late 18th century. It differs from apparent solar time in that the length of a day is a constant throughout the year rather than depending on the amount of daylight in any given day, which varies throughout the year. The second artificial adjustment was standard time, adopted in the late 19th century, which is when a single mean time is recognized over a large area.)

The history of DST has been, as Prerau's subtitle asserts, a highly contentious one, the case for and against its adoption taken up over the years by a variety of special interest groups--the railroads, theater operators, purveyors of sporting goods, golfers and farmers and concerned parents and religious purists. Political cartoonist jumped to portray its inconveniences. Presidents and prime ministers came to recognize its merits as an economizing measure. And scientists and astronomers were divided on the question of implementing it. The editors of the scientific journal Nature, for example, ridiculed DST early on by equating the time change with the artificial elevation of thermometer readings in the winter:

"'It would be more reasonable to change the readings of a thermometer at a particular season than to alter the time shown on the clock, which is another scientific instrument.' They wondered if perhaps another bill would be proposed 'to increase the readings of thermometers by ten degrees during the winter months, so that 32F shall be 42F. One temperature can be called another just as easily as 2 A.M. can be expressed as 3 A.M.; but the change of name in neither case causes a change of condition.'"

It's surprising just how many people have had an axe to grind one way or another on the DST issue.

The implementation of DST was neither a quick affair nor a straightforward one. Initially adopted in the U.S. during World War I, for example, it was repealed in 1919, retained in pockets of the country between the Wars, adopted again and expanded during Wold War II, and repealed again by Truman after the War. It remained in use by local option in the decades following, and wasn't adopted as national law until 1966. Even now its implementation is not entirely regular, as certain states and territories have opted not to observe DST. In short, the history of Daylight Saving Time is a confusing mess. Transforming the complex story of its adoption in the U.S. and England and elsewhere in the world into a readable narrative is a great accomplishment.

Prerau's book is packed with information, some of which certainly surprised me. I'd had no idea, for example, that it was standard as late as the 19th century for communities to determine their time locally, so that the time from town to town would vary by minutes depending on how the communities were situated from one another longitudinally.

"As long as travel and communications were relatively slow, it didn't much matter that, for instance, in the United States when it was 12:00 noon in Chicago it was 12:31 in Pittsburgh, 12:24 in Cleveland, 12:17 in Toledo, 12:13 in Cincinnati, 12:09 in Louisville, 12:07 in Indianapolis, 11:50 in St. Louis, 11:48 in Dubuque, 11:39 in St. Paul, and 11:27 in Omaha. The relaxed pace of travel, the lack of instant communications, the inherent inaccuracy of contemporary clocks, and the less frantic pace of life all made minor time variations unimportant."

What a strange world our great-grandparents inhabited.

Prerau sometimes errs on the side of including too many details in his book, but for the most part the story he tells is fascinating, and the book well written. Seize the Daylight is a nice example of a type of book that I particularly enjoy, one that is as informative as it is interesting to read, one that sheds light on a convention or invention that quietly informs our daily lives but which few of us bother to investigate on our own. Seize the Daylight definitely rewards the reading.

Debra Hamel -- author of Trying Neaira: The True Story of a Courtesan's Scandalous Life in Ancient Greece (Yale University Press, 2003)

Timely Topic.......2006-02-23

Prerau has done a fine job chronicling the history of DST. Every reader is certain to find something here he didn't know (Example: Having been overseas 1973-75, I was completely unaware that the U.S. had ever experienced a period of year-round DST!) I'd prefer he had spent more time exploring the available evidence of DST's "advantages" and "disadvantages," which he comes to rather late in the book.

New legislation in 2005 will extend the period of Daylight Saving Time in the U.S. considerably, so this topic is "timely" in more ways than one. Whether you love or hate DST, this book provides a useful foundation of history and fact as the controversy bubbles on.

A Detailed Review of an Interesting Subject.......2005-08-12

I never realized that Daylight Saving Time (DST) had such a controversial and turbulent history. I believe that the author has done an excellent job in detailing DST's evolution, often in excruciating detail, right up to the current, yet still fluctuating, situation. The writing is clear and engaging making the book very easy to read. The book also contains many caricatures that were published over the years clearly expressing people's views on this most contentious issue. I highly recommended this book to anyone, especially those interested in recent history. The fact that this subject has recently made the news makes this book very timely.

A grudging five stars.......2005-08-05

This is a very well-written book that thoroughly details the history behind timekeeping, as society evolved from each city observing local "sun time" (high noon = sun at highest point in the sky) and the increasing need for synchronization brought on by the industrial revolution and advancing technology such as railroads and telegraphs. Beginning with Benjamin Franklin and William Willett, various arguments are advanced for the idea of moving the clock forward in the summertime in order to cause society to be more active during morning daylight, in order to reduce the need for artificial lighting. This practice is haphazardly observed by various countries until WWI and WWII illustrate the practical utility of the idea. In the US, daylight saving time (DST) is haphazardly implemented, until legislation eventually standardizes the observance in the 1960's.

The reason that I give a "grudging" five stars is that I still personally disagree with DST. Biological circadian rythms do not easily go backward, and I believe that one day research will describe the deleterious effects (sleepy drivers, morning heart attacks, reduced productivity in schools and workplaces, etc.) that can be directly traced to disrupted biological rythms that take weeks or months to recover from the artificially disrupted schedule. These effects, when fully identified, may more than fully counteract any marginal beneficial economic advantage from energy conservation. If DST is such a good idea let's move the time zones one hour forward and then leave them there rather than shift back and forth twice a year. This book does not even address the issue of circadiam rhythyms, except for a one-sentence mention on the second to last page. A full evaluation of DST must include this important factor, as anyone who drags out of bed for weeks after "spring forward" day, sipping cup after cup of coffee just to awaken, can personally attest.

Saving the Jews: Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Holocaust

Average customer rating:

Book is probably among the three most important books on Franklin Roosevelt ever written!
Best book on FDR and the Holocaust
Memo to Amanda Smythe
An honest historically accurate book
Getting history right

Saving the Jews: Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Holocaust
Robert N. Rosen
Manufacturer: Thunder's Mouth Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1560257784

Book Description

Saving the Jews is a rigorously researched narrative and interpretive history of how FDR and his administration dealt with the Nazi persecution of the Jews and the Holocaust, 1933-1945. It disputes the generally accepted view that Roosevelt abandoned the Jews of Europe and that America was a passive, callous bystander to the Holocaust, and reveals the true story.

The author has conducted new research that explains how the Roosevelt administration and American Jewry saved the passengers on the S.S. St. Louis; how American Jews (and the Jews of Palestine) opposed the bombing of Auschwitz and never asked Roosevelt to bomb the camps; how America and other western democracies saved over seventy percent of German Jewry from Hitler; how Rauol Wallenberg was sent to save Jews by the American government. The research done on this book has found no credible evidence that FDR was an anti-Semite but found that Roosevelt was personally close to many Jews. FDR secretly developed the strategy for the Wagners-Rogers Bill (allowing 20,000 German Jewish children to enter the U.S. in 1938, 1939). Yet most historians continue to accuse him of failing to support the bill.

Customer Reviews:

Book is probably among the three most important books on Franklin Roosevelt ever written!.......2007-06-25

This is a must read for those who want to understand about his relations to Jews during the holocaust years. Read my amapedia review below!

Best book on FDR and the Holocaust.......2006-10-12

Having read this book in hardcover, when it was released, and then after reading the Wyman Institute's largely pathetic attacks on the book, I remain convinced that Rosen has done this nation a service in protecting and defending FDR from attacks from these narrow minded Holocaust historians who have defamed FDR over the past few decades on the issue of the American response to the European Holocaust against Jews.

Memo to Amanda Smythe.......2006-09-07

In going over the reviews in order to consider whether I should get this book, I read yours in which you claim to know a great deal about military history. You say there was no point in bombing railroad tracks as they can easily be repaired. True. The way you knock out a rail line is by bombing its bridges.

An honest historically accurate book.......2006-05-13

I completely disagree with the last comment. The book does not "omit" anything that actually happened. It does however "omit" the fantasies that have been propagated by historians like David S. Wyman. In his book "The Abandonment of the Jews" he falsifies many historical events in order to further his own agenda.

What Rosen has done is eliminate the dramatics from the actual historical event. Yes, obviously the Holocaust was a tragic event, but victimizing an entire race, while criminalizing the leaders is a very black and white way to approach the subject.

I would also like to note, that this book is written in a very scholarly manner. The average reader would not pick this book up so clearly this book was not written in hopes of "lucrative" gains.

The author also tends to grasp military history which many historians tend to neglect. This is clear in the sense that many authors ask why the US did not bomb the rail road tracks leading to Auschwitz. Anyone who understands military history knows the uselessness of those efforts at the time, the technology simply was not there. On top of that the German army could certainly fix a railroad track! So many books on the holocaust are critical about things that would never have been done.

Thank you to Rosen for setting the record straight. This is truly a masterpiece of the highest caliber of research. There is no agenda for this book, it is a clear representation of historical fact. The book was greatly needed, and hopefully will find success.

Getting history right.......2006-03-14

This book is both an enormously engrossing read and a well-argued and researched correction of history. The correction is necessary because of "revisionist" historians who have claimed that FDR was not only anti-Semitic, but failed to take actions that could easily have saved countless Jewish lives during the Holocaust. Rosen combines a careful look at the facts, including previously unexamined original documents, with incisive analysis and common sense, to to conclude that the truth is just the contrary. FDR's efforts to protect Jewish lives and rights were genuine, often proactive, and almost always as much or more as could reasonably be expected within daunting military and political constraints. Rosen's attitude toward FDR is not worshipful, but by giving us a richer understanding of the historical context, he heightens appreciation of Roosevelt's character and of what Roosevelt did accomplish. The book may also serve a more general purpose: It is an antidote to the paranoia caused by both historians and pundits who apply perfectionist standards to events viewed in hindsight. Equally important, it is a great story very well told.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End: Saving Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Caribbean at World's End)

Average customer rating:

Beautiful book
The Mystic's Journey
Force of Will
Different insight worthwhile!
Lovely photos

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End: Saving Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Caribbean at World's End)
T.t. Sutherland
Manufacturer: Disney Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Action & Adventure | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1423103742
Release Date: 2007-04-10

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful book.......2007-06-01

This book was on my 8 year old grandson's birthday list. He loves it. Paper is high quality and full of very colorful pictures.

The Mystic's Journey.......2007-05-31

As with previous releases, Disney created a number of books featuring photographs from the movie Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. These picture books are best for bedtime reading for young children. The books are loosely based on the movie and each tell a part of the story:

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End - Saving Jack Sparrow is a 24-page picture book zeroing in on the attempted rescue of Jack Sparrow. Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) is hopelessly trapped in Davy Jones' locker after a harrowing encounter with the dreaded Kracken. Jack has gone beyond and to bring him back will require somethinig special.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End - Force of Will is a 24-page picture book telling the story of Will Turner. He wants to rescue Jack but also to ensure the love of his life, Elizabeth Swann, doesn't come to harm.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End - The Mystic's Journey is a 32-page picture book telling the story of Tia Dalma. Tia Dalma, Pintel, and Ragetti must reach exotic Singapore to convince the infamous pirate Sao Feng to provide them with charts and a ship.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End - Singapore! is a 32-page picture book telling the story of the infamous Chinese pirate Sao Feng and his part in the movie.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End - Escape from Davy Jones is a 32-page picture book telling the story of the heroic escape from Davy Jones.

These picture books are meant for readers 5 to 7 years old. For older children who are reading on their own, their are much better Jack Sparrow stories to read. There's a fairly good junior novelization of the movie, and there's a growing number of Young Jack Sparrow books

Jack Sparrow #1: The Coming Storm
Jack Sparrow #2: The Siren Song
Jack Sparrow #3: The Pirate Chase
Jack Sparrow #4: The Sword of Cortez
Jack Sparrow #5: Age of Bronze
Jack Sparrow #6: Silver
Jack Sparrow #7: City of Gold
Jack Sparrow #8: The Timekeeper
Jack Sparrow #9: Dance of the Hours
Jack Sparrow #10: Sins of the Fathers

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End is a great adventure story and recommended for anyone who loves pirates. For adventure lovers, I also recommend "The Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches" and "In the Service of Dragons."

Force of Will.......2007-05-31

As with previous releases, Disney created a number of books featuring photographs from the movie Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. These picture books are best for bedtime reading for young children. The books are loosely based on the movie and each tell a part of the story:

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End - Saving Jack Sparrow is a 24-page picture book zeroing in on the attempted rescue of Jack Sparrow. Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) is hopelessly trapped in Davy Jones' locker after a harrowing encounter with the dreaded Kracken. Jack has gone beyond and to bring him back will require somethinig special.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End - Force of Will is a 24-page picture book telling the story of Will Turner. He wants to rescue Jack but also to ensure the love of his life, Elizabeth Swann, doesn't come to harm.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End - The Mystic's Journey is a 32-page picture book telling the story of Tia Dalma. Tia Dalma, Pintel, and Ragetti must reach exotic Singapore to convince the infamous pirate Sao Feng to provide them with charts and a ship.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End - Singapore! is a 32-page picture book telling the story of the infamous Chinese pirate Sao Feng and his part in the movie.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End - Escape from Davy Jones is a 32-page picture book telling the story of the heroic escape from Davy Jones.

These picture books are meant for readers 5 to [...]. For older children who are reading on their own, their are much better Jack Sparrow stories to read. There's a fairly good junior novelization of the movie, and there's a growing number of Young Jack Sparrow books

Jack Sparrow #1: The Coming Storm
Jack Sparrow #2: The Siren Song
Jack Sparrow #3: The Pirate Chase
Jack Sparrow #4: The Sword of Cortez
Jack Sparrow #5: Age of Bronze
Jack Sparrow #6: Silver
Jack Sparrow #7: City of Gold
Jack Sparrow #8: The Timekeeper
Jack Sparrow #9: Dance of the Hours
Jack Sparrow #10: Sins of the Fathers

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End is a great adventure story and recommended for anyone who loves pirates. For adventure lovers, I also recommend "The Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches" and "In the Service of Dragons."

Different insight worthwhile!.......2007-05-21

I'm a huge fan of Naomi Harris so I think this was a wonderful little
book! I loved the pictures and the insight that you aquire from reading
how still another charactor was looking at the situations in the movie.
I'm very happy I purchased this booklet!

Lovely photos.......2007-05-21

I found this book to be full of lovely photos but brief on text.
Basically the same format as the "Dead Man's Chest" Storybook. Once
you see the movie it all makes sense and it is 98% complete but all
is in how you look at it, and it's difficult to "read" it correctly without
first seening the movie, as with the last book. The childs novel is
a great deal more informative. All in all I'm happy I bought it.

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