This Moment on Earth: Today's New Environmentalists and Their Vision for the Future

Book Description

An inspiring celebration of courageous American innovators who are transforming the way we protect and care for the world we live in.

The environment, and the movement that grew up to protect it, is under attack--concerted and purposeful. Yet the need for solutions to pressing environmental problems grows more urgent each day. Teresa Heinz Kerry and Senator John Kerry traveled across the country in a national campaign to see at first hand how these issues unite people across party and ideological lines. From the San Juan Basin to the Gulf of Mexico to the South Bronx, from mothers on Cape Cod to Colorado ranchers, they found a vibrant coalition of people and communities deploying ingenuity, technology, and sheer will power to save the world they know and love. Now, in this passionate and personal book, Senator John Kerry and Teresa Heinz Kerry shine the spotlight on an inspiring crosssection of these new environmental pioneers.

The book combines intensive research with keenly observed personal experiences to present a portrait of Americans devoted to the natural diversity and spectacular uniqueness of our country. It also includes an extensive guide on where and how readers can get involved.

Customer Reviews:

May A Republican Say Something?.......2007-10-06

Senator Kerry, this is one of the best books I've read in a long time, and I read a lot of books. The common sense, lack of passion, and optimism did my old heart good. Since I'm not as optimistic as you, I believe if we're to come out of this tailspin that my party has put us in, your approach, not mine, is the key. As a Vietnam veteran who was shot down twice in Vietnam 1968-69, I hope you understand that the Swift Boat guys were exploited by sociopaths. The weak minded simply cannot refuse even the briefest moment in the limelight. They well forsake God and country without hesitation. Supporting you in 2004 has turned out to be one of the smartest things I have ever done. Believe me, it wasn't easy. It temporarily cost me the goodwill of friends and family. Thousands of Americans are still cheering Bush and Cheney not even aware that all their savings may be wiped out before these two leave office. Saudi Arabia on this very day--10/06/2007--has refused to cut interest rates in lockstep with the US Federal Reserve for the first time, signaling that the oil-rich Gulf kingdom is preparing to break the dollar currency peg in a move that risks setting off a stampede out of the dollar across the Middle East. As you know, Israel has already refused aid (free money) in Dollars. When Americans turned their backs on International laws, they turned their backs on God's laws as well. The price for doing so will be incomprehensible for most. Another book, please.

Required Reading.......2007-08-08

The material in this book should be put in the public's face daily via media, billboards, etc. It should be required reading. Every mother should understand that a disposable diaper takes 500 years to biodegrade (and as those chemicals in the diaper biodegrade, they pollute and cause potential carcinogens).

I would not call the book "bipartisan" as per some of the other reviews, and I think its bashing of the Bush administration (even though I am not a fan) detracted from the overall book. However, it is important reading; it had an impact on my behavior.

Stories of Hope.......2007-08-02

I was a little skeptical with this book being written by John Kerry. I wasn't sure what to expect. It gives some really good stories of everyday people who just wanted to make a change for the better. They weren't any sort of extremists or hippies. Just people with common sense and the determination to stand up for their right to live in a clean world.

KERRY gETS IT RIGHT.......2007-06-18

Kerry analyzes today;s environmental experts and gets it right. The book is passionate, well researched, spot on and well written. I was pleasantly surprised.

I think Kerry was at his best early in the book when he evaluated some of the current plans for saving the Earth. He got a little off track as the book progressed, then veered back on track in the last 100 pages.

I highly recommend this book for anybody who cares about the planet. Also recommended: "Earth In The Balance" by Al Gore. Earth in the Balance: Ecology and the Human Spirit

Encouragement for activism.......2007-06-09

This book is both inspiring and upsetting. Inspiring for the stories of success in opposing pollution and degradation of the environment and restoration to a more healthy one. It is upsetting to read of the abuses and pollution creating dangerous places to live.

It is a call to action that we all need to consider. I got many good ideas about issues I hadn't thought about and it made me think about my local situation. It's good to know people have won battles and corrected abuses.

Average customer rating:

Very Basic
Hidden Gem!
A great resource for any teacher!
An ESSENTIAL for All Educators!
THE Best new teacher book ever!

Why Didn't I Learn This in College?
Paula Rutherford
Manufacturer: Just Ask Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0966333616

Book Description

Because participants in our workshop series, Instruction for All Students, often ask, "Why didn't we learn this in college?" that question provided the inspiration for the title of this new book for teachers new to the classroom. This title is in no way meant to condemn those who direct our collegiate experiences. The realities are that we may well have studied these topics and earned a good grade on a test over the theoretical aspects of this information but had no classroom teaching experiences on which to hook the information, that we took an alternative approach to entering the profession, that our focus was elsewhere at the time or perhaps, in fact, it was not taught. Whatever the case may be, teachers new to the classroom clearly need support and a repertoire of effective teaching strategies during their first years of classroom work.

Why Didn't I Learn This in College? is based on the constructs that:

+ the best management program is a good instructional program,

+ if the end we have in mind is student learning, we do not want to concentrate on control and compliance but rather on building learning centered environments, and

+ we need efficient and effective organizational systems for ourselves, our students, and our classroom.

Customer Reviews:

Very Basic .......2007-05-15

This book did not meet my expectations. The information is extremely basic and is a review of college education courses. Although this book would be helpful, it could very easily be replaced with college texts.

Hidden Gem!.......2006-01-13

I happened to find this book while browsing the teaching section. It has truly been a great resource that every (new) teacher should have. Unlike most of our teacher ed. programs, this book gives practical information about how to run a classroom. You won't regret buying this book, it is a wonderful resource!

A great resource for any teacher!.......2004-09-30

My school district gave every new teacher a copy of this book. The new teacher that I am mentoring shared it with me. After reading through it I was excited to find a book that focuses on instruction instead of some silver-bullet discipline plan. The instructional strategies are written clearly and consisely. Both of us bring our copies of Why Didn't I Learn This in College? and use them as we plan our units and lessons every Monday for the following week. I highly recommend this book to any teacher.

An ESSENTIAL for All Educators!.......2002-09-15

Practical, positive, and pure Paula! WHY DIDN'T I LEARN THIS IS COLLEGE? is an ESSENTIAL professional resource for educators at all levels of experience! Paula Rutherford applies her 30 years of teaching and educational leadership to create this book of research-based teaching tips and user-friendly tools that will help increase student achievement in our classrooms. She offers a logical framework for creating learning-centered environments, planning "with the 'end' in mind", and organizing learners and professional tasks for positive results for students, parents, and teachers.

As a veteran teacher and coach for novice teachers, I use this resource as my NUMBER ONE traveling companion and "virtual" collaborator. Paula's pro-active and positive voice resonates through its pages as my teachers and I use this information to bring all students quality instructional programs and opportunities for maximum learning. Thank you, Paula, for being my constant "ride-along" learning buddy!

THE Best new teacher book ever!.......2002-08-28

As a long time mentor for new teachers, I have read many books for teachers new to the classroom. There are a lot of books out there that focus on everything but teaching. This book is all about helping teachers with great teaching strategies that they can use throughout their entire career. New teachers can try a new strategy every day. I am now buying this book for all of my new teachers!

Green This! Volume 1: Greening Your Cleaning (Green This!)

Average customer rating:

Green This - GREAT Book
Green Your Lives and Live Healthy and Longer!!!1
Perfect information for environmental cleaning
Not the whole story...
Do this for your family's health

Green This! Volume 1: Greening Your Cleaning (Green This!)
Deirdre Imus
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1416540555
Release Date: 2007-04-10

Book Description

Change the way you clean and keep your family's home wholesome and healthy with the help of expert and activist Deirdre Imus.

We all grew up thinking chemical smells like bleach and ammonia signaled "clean." But as Deirdre Imus reveals, some of the chemicals we use to maintain our homes are doing us and our families much more harm than good. In Greening Your Cleaning, the first in her Green This! series, Deirdre shows how cleaning house the environmentally responsible way can be as effective and often cheaper than the more traditional, toxic, means. This volume includes:

Simple, efficient cleaning methods for every room of the house

Spotlights on everyday products (all purpose cleaner, glass/window cleaner, laundry detergent) and the toxic ingredients you should be wary of

Summaries of the latest research on the toxic effects of ordinary chemicals

Resource lists of widely available "green cleaning" products and retailers

Filled with tips and testimonials, Greening Your Cleaning will show you how to streamline your cleaning products and practices, and how easy it is to make "living green" your way of life.

Customer Reviews:

Green This - GREAT Book.......2007-10-22

This was an easy read. Very educational and infomrative. Deidre Imus makes it simple to go Green and the Green solutions are easy to implement into every day life. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking to go Green.

Green Your Lives and Live Healthy and Longer!!!1.......2007-10-05

Deirdre Coleman Imus is married to sharp-tongued fired radio broadcaster, Don Imus. She is the mother of Frederick Wyatt Imus better known as Wyatt. Mrs. Imus has done her homework. She was an aspiring actress before meeting Don Imus and she has turned his whole world around for the better. With her in his life, they have created and built a working cattle ranch for children with cancer, siblings of SIDS, and other diseases. While the children only get to spend a week, the Imuses go the extra mile when they hear of a child's loss from cancer by attending their funerals. Deirdre and Don are truly genuine people and this book came out at the worst time. The proceeds from this book benefit charities and not the pockets of the Imuses. This book is her promotion of household cleaning products because they contain cancer-causing effects. Deirdre started this greening craze when she learned that hospitals used toxic products for cleaning materials. Her idea morphed into something far beyond our imaginations because she has developed with the assistance of others in the field to use non-toxic and healthier products for us to clean our homes. The Imuses practice what they preach. They are vegeterians and use the products in their own home. Unfortunately, her husband's spoken phrase got him fired at a time when they raising money for children's charities including cancer, the CJ Foundation for kids with SIDS, and another charity in a radiothon. The Imuses have paid dearly but they still enjoy their lives in New Mexico and New York City. Deirdre Imus is no trophy wife. She might be younger and more beautiful but she has always spoken her mind with Don and everybody else. Buy this book, maybe it will help clean up your life and home for the better.

Perfect information for environmental cleaning.......2007-09-14

Not only is this a extremely useful book, Deirdre and Don Imus do fantastic work with everything they are involved with. Especially the Imus Ranch!
Buy this book!

Not the whole story..........2007-09-05

I'm a huge fan of cleaning with more natural products, and use baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice, etc to do so. In that way, I totally agree with the author's message. However, I don't agree with the presentation of the book. An example is the section on fabric softeners and dryer sheets. The author warns that these commercial products may contain limonene and linalool...as suggested alternatives, she mentions essential oils, such as lemon, lavender, bergamot, and rosewood. Throughout the book, she states that these chemicals, limonene and linalool, are scary and toxic...and then suggests essential oils which themselves have these chemicals in their makeup. (The recommendation of rosewood is another issue altogether as the author recommends it (several places) despite environmentalists' growing concerns for its endangered status and for the protection of the rain forests. Not a very "green" thing to do, IMO.) Her own commercial line of cleaning products contain essential oils as well, and I'm betting limonene and linalool can be found in them as a result.

There are dangerous products on the market, no doubt about that. And we as a society are guilty of "over kill" when it comes to "germs". And natural alternatives versus "man-made" chemicals are likely safer and better. I don't disagree with any part of that message.

Again, I am a fan of essential oils, however one must also understand that anything can be dangerous if applied incorrectly or without due care. I felt that many of the suggestions were overboard and failed to include proper warnings. For example, there are some essential oils that shouldn't be used around pets. Most, if not all, shouldn't be used around cats due to a cat's special physiology and the cumulative toxic effect the oils can have on a cat's liver. I didn't see this mentioned anywhere.

The author talks about the dangers of artificial fragrances, but doesn't acknowledge that many of the "dangers" can and do apply to essential oils as well. She constantly mentions "dousing" and "saturating" items with essential oils...which I makes me wonder if she has really ever been around them. Essential oils are powerful and I can't imagine ever having to "douse" anything with them. Generally, a few drops will do. I could go on and on, unfortunately. In the end, I was left feeling that the "homework" the book was based on had been incomplete and that it failed to tell the whole story. A shame as I said I do agree with the author's basic message. But regardless of where the profits go, I have to be honest with my review. I hope that it will be appreciated.

Do this for your family's health.......2007-09-01

I have always been concerned with the 'fumes' that I inhale when I am cleaning with the products you buy in the supermarket/chemists... although we have started to convert our various cleaning products to e-friendly; but after reading this wonderfully educating book - I just binned all the other products and went straight to my health store and replaced them with ecover. we love ecover products- the creme cleaner really cleans the greasy parts of the kitchen without scratches and it is e-friendly too. I always wondered why this country has such high rates of cancer and illnesses and could never pin down a reason ... our inside environment is so toxic and we thought we were keeping a clean house! I love this book as it re-educates you on what clean really means and that it is really quite simple. I have wasted so much money on toxic products and harming our health! Thank you for re-educating us and keeping life simple. I wish the supermarkets would stock -efriendly products as well. I am lucky that I have access to over four health shops within easy access to home.

This Is Not the Life I Ordered: 50 Ways to Keep Your Head Above Water When Life Keeps Dragging You Down

Average customer rating:

Excellent strategies
This Is Not the Life I Ordered: 50 Ways to Keep Your Head Above Water When Life Keeps Dragging You Down
It's Not About Being Average
Did I read the same book as the rest of you?
If You're a Woman, You Need This Book!

This Is Not the Life I Ordered: 50 Ways to Keep Your Head Above Water When Life Keeps Dragging You Down
Deborah Collins Stephens , Michealene Cristini Risley , Jackie Speier , and Jan Yanehiro
Manufacturer: Conari Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1573243051

Book Description

This Is Not the Life I Ordered is for anyone who has ever felt overworked, overwhelmed, or just plain unlucky (and, who hasn't?!). Through this collection of stories, wisdom, and practical advice, readers will meet four ordinary women who have faced extraordinary life challenges. Together, they have a history of six marriages, ten children, four stepchildren, six dogs, two miscarriages, two cats, a failed adoption, and foster parenthood. Two have lived through the death of their spouses and one was shot and left for dead on a tarmac in Guyana -- which is documented in "Jonestown" airing on PBS' American Experience

This book started simply with four friends getting together for "kitchen-table coaching sessions" to talk about their lives. Week by week and story by story, they realized their great advice to each other could help other women struggling with life's myriad issues of work, family, and love, as well as the big questions of life and death. For over a decade, the power and strength of their collective friendship enabled these women not only to survive but to thrive. They invite readers to join them to learn how they, too, can turn "misfortunate" events into joy-filled opportunities. Readers will want to share this book with every woman in their lives!

* Authors are best-selling business-book author, Deborah Collins Stephens; Emmy winner Jan Yanehiro; State Senator Jackie Speier; and entrepreneur Michealene Cristini Risley whose Flashcards was screened at last year's Cannes Film Festival.

* Authors' support circle includes Debbi Fields, Kristi Yamaguchi, Danielle Steele, Gerry Laybourne, and other power women.

* Features practical "Wit (Women in Transition) Kit" tips at the end of each chapter to help readers to be their own life coaches.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent strategies.......2007-09-12

I found this book to be very helpful as I tried to navigate through a very difficult time in my life. It gave real examples of situations that were much worse than my own, and provided practical ideas for moving forward.

This Is Not the Life I Ordered: 50 Ways to Keep Your Head Above Water When Life Keeps Dragging You Down.......2007-08-14

This book is so inspirational! One of the best books I have read! I highly recommend it to all women and men. I plan on getting copies for my family and women friends. Thanks ladies for sharing your life stories and the stories of so many different and unique women. You are all an inspiration! God Bless

It's Not About Being Average.......2007-08-10

Let's face it - we all come to a point where we think, "This is not what I wanted out of life." This book is for anyone who is at that point or has experienced a personal tragedy that has continued to haunt them. Anyone could read this and instantly identify the vast gap between the average American woman and the authors whose personal stories are shared within its pages, but the point of the book is not to point out who has it worse when dealing with bad situations (a new widow in suburbia or a cmpany executive losing a 6-figure income). The point is actually to give you an idea of just how bad things can be and how you can rise above anything. The basic information provided in the "action steps" apply to just about any situation. There are fantastic motivational quotes throughout and excellent ideas for how to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and get going again, no matter what your circumstances. Even if you are feeling negative and pessimistic, this book can help you find positivity and optimism from those people and places that already surround you. I have recommended this book to several friends who have already read and enjoyed it just as much as I did. I returned mine to the library and promptly bought my own copy (as well as a few extras for gifts)!

Did I read the same book as the rest of you?.......2007-07-30

I stumbled across this book while doing research for a book I am writing. I actually wanted to use the same title for a collection of humorous essays, and then felt compelled to read this one. I am only halfway through it and am exhausted from slogging through the overabundance of headings and subheadings in each chapter, the overuse of quotations, and the endless posturing and patronizing from unrelatable situations that so few women will ever face - shot in South America while disbanding a cult, crying over the loss of a $200,000 job, escaping the Khmer Rouge. How is an average American woman supposed to connect with these stories? I am sure every woman mentioned in this book is courageous, intelligent and generous. But the disjointed writing and sloppy editing make it a chore to find their true essence and a message to carry with me. I had such high hopes for this book. I am glad now that I merely borrowed it from the library rather than purchased it. I do enjoy the cartoons, though.

If You're a Woman, You Need This Book!.......2007-07-18

I just finished reading "This is Not the Life I Ordered," by Deborah Collins Stephens, Jackie Speier, Michealene Cristini Risley and Jan Yanehiro and all I can say is get this book!

This book touches every human aspect possible and carves out a whole new way of looking at life. It shows the power of connecting with women on all levels. These four authors weave in their life stories as well as countless other women's life stories into a book that will become your inspiration to get through the hard times, define your life, enrich the lives of others and live your life to the fullest.

It's the kind of book that you will buy for your friends so you can connect with them on a newer, deeper level.

It's the kind of book that you will read over and over again to receive a renewed strength, sense of self and desire to do more, be more and have more.

This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession

Average customer rating:

Interestingly probative; woefully incomplete
Might be too technical for the average listener
any impressario, non-performer, non-musician, lacks credibility
Music For The Brain?
Very interesting

This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession
Daniel J. Levitin
Manufacturer: Dutton Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0525949690

Book Description

A fascinating exploration of the relationship between music and the mind—and the role of melodies in shaping our lives

Whether you load your iPod with Bach or Bono, music has a significant role in your life—even if you never realized it. Why does music evoke such powerful moods? The answers are at last be- coming clear, thanks to revolutionary neuroscience and the emerging field of evolutionary psychology. Both a cutting-edge study and a tribute to the beauty of music itself, This Is Your Brain on Music unravels a host of mysteries that affect everything from pop culture to our understanding of human nature, including:
• Are our musical preferences shaped in utero?
• Is there a cutoff point for acquiring new tastes in music?
• What do PET scans and MRIs reveal about the brain's response to music?
• Is musical pleasure different from other kinds of pleasure?

This Is Your Brain on Music explores cultures in which singing is considered an essential human function, patients who have a rare disorder that prevents them from making sense of music, and scientists studying why two people may not have the same definition of pitch. At every turn, this provocative work unlocks deep secrets about how nature and nurture forge a uniquely human obsession. BACKCOVER: “I know Dan to have a deep musical knowledge and strong intellect combined with a warm spirit and a big heart. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of popular music . . . He is a fine writer and has the ability to make difficult concepts very clear.”
—STEVIE WONDER

Customer Reviews:

Interestingly probative; woefully incomplete.......2007-10-15

Let me first say that I enjoyed reading this book. It helped me better understand both music and neuroscience. Music's influence on us is a fascinating and powerful subject.

That having been said, however, I do need to make at least one criticism. Levitin's evolutionary explanation for the development of music is egregiously one-sided. He suggests, with others, that music may be an outward demonstration of intelligence and physical prowess - look at me, I can afford to waste all this time and energy - akin to the male peacock's tail. THIS IS ALL WELL AND GOOD FOR MALES, BUT WHAT ABOUT FEMALES!? I read not one sentence in Levitin's book explaining what evolutionary theory would have to say about female singing. I'm willing to accept adaptive explanations for many things.. but in this case Levitin does little to ward off the inevitable criticism that his book features a number of very half-based "just so" stories.

Might be too technical for the average listener.......2007-10-11

A background in music that goes beyond light listening is required to follow parts of this book easily. Or time and effort could be necessary for many readers. But that would take you away from listening to your favorite music unless you can read about music and listen to it at the same time.

any impressario, non-performer, non-musician, lacks credibility.......2007-10-03

For a musicican, for one trained as a musician, this is a heady intellectual book. However, it often misses the point - entirely, aesthetically, and in practical terms. For instance, a piece practiced a 1000 times, according to the author, should be peerless. Obviously, this is not true. The native talent of the performer is paramount, and, most of all, the piece may be practiced WRONGLY 1000 times, of which, as a non-performer, the author is clearly unaware. The author also almost completely ignores the influence and insight of professional classical performers. The author is an administrator and impressario of rock and probably rap bands. The author has no training in musicology, and probably never talked to a musicologist. I admire the intent, but there are no breakthroughs here in understanding, or enjoying music, and no great insights into music's magic.

Music For The Brain?.......2007-10-01

Certainly well documented and written for those in the know. It tends to be somewhat boring on some occations but you have to continue on the read to hear the music!

Very interesting.......2007-09-30

Being a musician, I was suprised at how little I actually knew about sound. The book was very interesting and well written. If you're at all curious about the phycology of sound, check out this book.

Average customer rating:

Memories are Made of This
Rusiko Bourtchouladze
Manufacturer: Columbia University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0231120206

Book Description

Memory enables us to make experience meaningful and to form coherent identities for ourselves and intelligible perceptions of others. Indeed, our ability to imagine, anticipate, and create the future is directly commensurate with our ability to retrieve and recollect past experiences.

But for all its vital importance in human cognition, for all that it seems so ordinary and obvious, memory remains in many ways as complex and mysterious today as it seemed to ancient philosophers. We need only to think about the "tip-of-the-tongue" experience to wonder how memories are formed, where they reside in our brains, and why some are retained, while others are forgotten. What is the difference between long- and short-term memory? Can memory be strengthened? Memories Are Made of This is an account of current memory science that offers answers to these and a host of other questions, comprehensively distilling much diverse and

rigorous science. It delves into the biology of memory functions and researches into the

mechanics and genetics of memory and the importance of emotions, particularly those resulting from trauma, in the memory process. Of special focus are investigations of cognition in other species. Are we the only animals who remember and forget? If not, are there commonalties in the memories of different species? The book also surveys our understanding of the effects of injury and disease on memory and concludes with an assessment of emerging pharmacological efforts to preserve and protect our memories and, in turn, ourselves.

How to Raise an American: 1776 Fun and Easy Tools, Tips, and Activities to Help Your Child Love This Country

Average customer rating:

This may be the most important book published in years
refreshing
Silly and Politically Motivated
Gresham's law for intellect.
presumption

How to Raise an American: 1776 Fun and Easy Tools, Tips, and Activities to Help Your Child Love This Country
Myrna Blyth , and Chriss Winston
Manufacturer: Crown Forum
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0307339211
Release Date: 2007-03-20

Book Description

Do you love America? Are you proud to call this country your home? Now, what about your kids? You want them to love America as much as you do, but when popular culture tells them it’s cooler to bash this country than to love it, how can you teach them to be proud and loyal citizens?

As mothers themselves, bestselling author Myrna Blyth and former presidential speechwriter Chriss Winston have struggled with the same dilemma. Shocked by the growing patriotism gap, they set out to create a real-world resource all parents can use to teach their kids about the greatness of America’s past, the promise of its future, and the important role each of us plays in this democracy. How to Raise an American shows you how to make patriotism a priority without it becoming a chore for you or your kids.

This practical guide offers tips, games, activities, quizzes, and information you can use to make patriotism part of your family’s daily life, including:

- 60-Minute Solutions that easily and seamlessly instill a love of this country
- Dinner Table Debate topics that will have the whole family talking
- Road trip ideas that bring America’s history to life
- Books and movies that exemplify our shared ideals
- Inspiring stories of American courage, honor, and ingenuity
- Fun and educational ways to celebrate American holidays like the Fourth of July and Veterans Day

Blyth and Winston consulted prominent historians, academics, military leaders, politicians, authors, scholars, film critics and parents around the country to bring you a truly useful guide. Part treatise on patriotism, part American history primer, part civics lesson, this book is the antidote to the virulent America bashing our children hear every day.

Inspiring and practical, How to Raise an American is a must for every patriot—parent and child.

Customer Reviews:

This may be the most important book published in years.......2007-09-30

With a son-in-law still serving in the military after his retirement and a grandson having just graduated from West Point and going to Ranger school, imagine my shock to hear our 15-year-old granddaughter telling her brother that America isn't worth fighting for. I could hear her ancestors (who have fought in every war the USA has faced, beginning with the Revolution and French/Indian Wars) rolling in their collective graves. However, I'm smart enough to know not to argue with her. I have, though, been looking for a way to change her mind.

Then I stumbled on this book at the library. THANK YOU, Ms. Blyth and Ms. Winston. This is exactly what I need. Fortunately I love history, especially American history, and can easily take the projects and ideas in the book and develop them to fit our family.

Furthermore, I am relieved and encouraged to see that others have not only recognized the problem but have studied it and have found solutions to offer. It's always nice to know that one isn't fighting alone.

refreshing.......2007-06-11

I just finished reading this book, and I honestly can say I believe that I had been unknowingly temporarily influenced by the media. While I was reading about critics of the U.S. I realized that I have bought into a lot of the hype and negativity, focusing on a lot of bad and not remembering the tremendous good we do and have done as a country. I found myself getting teary eyed throughout the book with the stories of our founding fathers, immigrants, and military. Thank you for the dose of reality it gave me. I think it is hard to find a balance between looking at things through the media and looking at things through rose colored glasses. I loved the part of the book where the author talked about how the United States of America started as an idea, not by people who wanted more power, or wanted to rule, but by men who believed that all people had the right to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness", that we were all created equal. And through this idea, they wanted to form a more perfect government.
Amazing....
This book is full of interesting facts like the reason John Hancock's signature was so big is because he wanted to make sure that King George could read it without his spectacles. I love this country, I feel blessed to have been born here and to raise my three children here. I am determined to help them appreciate this great country, and the freedoms we enjoy. My family and I are going to celebrate Flag day this year for the first time, by reading a small book about the flag, learning how to fold it, and learning about the design and history of it.
Thank you very much for this much needed book!

Silly and Politically Motivated.......2007-06-03

First of all, I love this country and what it stands for. But what I dont understand is how conservatives like Myrna Blyth can label anyone who doesn't agree with her as angry and hateful, while picking right up on her hatred and suspicion of the media and liberals. For example this book is "the perfect antidote for all the liberal bile and anti-American bigotry that the left imposes on public schools, universities, Hollywood morons, and of course the news media"? I haven't heard this much hatred since listening to Bill O'Reilly.

Unfortunately this book is just plain silly and is filled with inaccuracies and politically-motivated content. If you want your kids to learn about this country, take them to a museum or to Washington DC or Philadelphia.

Gresham's law for intellect........2007-05-27

Think tanks most often provide "commissioned" sources for policy makers and ideologues or "hired guns" like attorneys for the rich. Like the Gresham's Law describing how bad adulterated currency drives out the good; these sources generally provide adulterated thinking rather than quality dialog and solid logic. They are a source of intellectual decline. Heritage sponsored promotion of this book. One is reminded of flags on lapels of those who undermine the Constitution while rhetorically exaggerating their defense of American freedoms.

Myrna Blyth's book is an example which also suggests that people, reading less, have lost much of their critical capacity while seeing what they believe and wanting confirmation of their bias rather than a rational challenge. The purpose is to create little patriots with heroes and selective history.

Her methods and examples exemplify, despite pretense, brainwashing more than enlightenment. Too strong? Consider the ironies (lost on the author) that idealizing American democracy should require books to write more about the Moon landing (technology) rather than detailing Iran Contra and similar policies. She also writes that more teaching of history and rational discussion are needed - but then dismisses as unworthy of debate the arguments of the "Communist" Howard Zinn. She also seems to ignore that the decline of teaching history is itself part of the educational policy of creating technicians and worker automatons who lack the desire, habit, and capacity to question authority.

Some of the most incredibly stupid statements and policies have been accepted, against all independent logic, from just such "patriotism". As Lincoln noted, most of the people can be fooled most of the time - especially with this kind of "patriotic" education. One might be reminded that Fascism is built on extreme nationalism and the coaltion of government and the military industrial complex (to use Eisenhower's term).

One might also consider that idealization of heroes is like war memorials - designed to forget all but myths and so ignore the errors and crimes of governments. Reagan is responsible for the terrorism of the School of the Americas, Iran-Contra, assassinations and not by any means the sole reason for Soviet decline. Ford was a nice guy but pardoned a scoundrel, supported the Chilean intervention (installing more like Fascism than democracy), and Timor genocide. Ideas have consequences and our leaders have no fear of judgment for their crimes or mistakes. Phony heroes destroy America and false patriotism is cancerous. Concentrate on reality and things we can legitimately be proud of. Flags can make Nazis as easily as free peoples. As Mark Twain said, one can always love one's country while still only sometimes its government.

presumption.......2007-05-21

It seems overly presumptuous to attempt to instill particular beliefs in your childern. The role of a parent is to foster education and knowledge, teach your childern how to think critically for themselves and not rely on others to form their all important beleifs. Attempting to dictate your childs point of view is extremely detrimental to their intellectual development and if American parents are to do this it will inevitably lead to a far weaker nation in the future. The best way to contribute to your child forming a positive point of view of his country is to contribute in making America a better place.

The Great Bust Ahead: The Greatest Depression in American and UK History is Just Several Short Years Away. This is your Concise Reference Guide to Understanding Why and How Best to Survive It

Average customer rating:

It is just an indicator!
Not Bad But Too Short and Too Extreme
Interesting theory but...
Excellent Read
Pretty interesting read

The Great Bust Ahead: The Greatest Depression in American and UK History is Just Several Short Years Away. This is your Concise Reference Guide to Understanding Why and How Best to Survive It
Daniel A. Arnold
Manufacturer: Vorago-US
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 159196153X

Product Description

The Great Bust Ahead is a concise, straight to the point short book laying out in stark terms the case for a coming depression of historically unprecedented magnitude. It will be worse than the 1930s, beginning nominally in 2012, but perhaps as early as 2009-2010 and lasting up to thirteen years. Centered on hard fact demographics, the book boldly claims that the data presented are so irrefutable, that the outcome predicted by the book is equally as irrefutable. The compelling proof presented accurately accounts for the detailed trend of the economy from 1920 to today (something never before accomplished), and projects out to 2030. The book is very easy to read and understand, and requires no prior knowledge of economics. Down to earth things the average person can do to prepare for what is coming are covered. A summary of the catastrophic domestic social and international consequences is offered.

October 2007 Update: In 2002 when this book was published, in addition to the massive depression beginning around the end of the decade, it forecast:
1. The economy, as reflected by the DJIA, would resume its upwards march in late 2002 or 2003. This is exactly what happened.
2. The DJIA would have a snapback to 13,000 to 14,000 and the FTSE to 6,000 to 7,000 by 2004, but delayed possibly by wars/politics/terrorism/scandals. This is exactly what has happened. Although the full snapback has been delayed for the reasons described, the DJIA has now closed over 14,100 and the FTSE over 6,700.
3. The DJIA returns from 2003 to 2012 would average a historically long-term normal of 7% to 8%. So far, with the delayed full snapback for the reasons described, DJIA actual returns have averaged a more modest 5.8%, as would be expected.
4. Interest rates would increase from 2003 onwards. This is exactly what has happened.

Customer Reviews:

It is just an indicator!.......2007-09-12

Everyone is forgetting that the book is talking about a correlated indicator for the DJIA. There are many things that drive an economy and make things happen like the weakening dollar, monstrous deficits, the Federal Reserve, cheap credit and the housing market bubble, peak oil, etc. These are some of the things that move the DJIA, NOT just demographics. The fact that the 45-54 age group correlates to the DJIA is very interesting and CAN be used to predict what MAY happen to the DJIA in the long term. Demographics of the 45-54 age groups are a strong force pushing the markets, but not the only thing. Even the author says that some things like "the New Deal, the pill and the NASDAQ" affect the correlation with this indicator. The politicians and Wall Street are not going to lie down and let this monstrous depression happen without a fight. They my not win the War, but where the DJIA goes in the future has not been case in stone. The future highs and lows of the DJIA are still unpredictable.

The book is a high school treatise on this relationship and to the economically ignorant is a real eye opener. Most economists know about this force, but the key is what to do about it and when. The author's advice to get out of the markets by 2010 is silly at best. We are now in September of 2007 and the housing market bubble burst is probably the beginning of the down turn of the markets. Wait until 2010 to protect your assets and you will far less assets to protect. The author's advice to sell your home and rent and plow your money into bonds is simplistic at best. Investing in gold, foreign currencies, TIPS etc. to protect your assets are other stratigies that are not addressed. We are all speeding towards this economic depression, but the answers to when it will happen and what to do about protecting your assets is NOT even close to being addressed by this book. The book is $8.95 and you get what you pay for, "a wakeup call for the economically ignorant". Read the book and move onto a more advanced book for a better in depth discussion on economics and your money like "The Second Great Depression (Paperback) by Warren Brussee (Author)". I do agree that a lot of pain is ahead for the world.

Not Bad But Too Short and Too Extreme.......2007-08-22

Let me start by saying that this is a pretty good book for the price and if you don't know what is going on in the economy. The problem is that the book has very limited data to back up the predictions. If you are going to make huge predictions you had better justify it with a lot of credible data that has been referenced. As well, some of the predictions are just too extreme. However, all of these shortcomings aside, the author provides a nice short treatment on what will most likely occur; just not to the extent he has presented in my opinion. Of course, opinions are like debt in America - everyone has their own!

A much more useful book in my opinion is "Cashing in on the Real Estate Bubble." It not only shows you many different ways to profit from the current bubble collapse, but it also shows a lot of detail about the economy and how to profit from America's overall credit bubble. Cashing in on the Real Estate Bubble

Interesting theory but..........2007-07-09

This book is short and easy to read. The author has an interesting concept that the stock market follows the number of Americans at their peak buying age. His graphs and explanations on modifying factors make everything fit. I agree that some correction of our economy (inflation, recession, or worse) is likely in the future, but I feel other factors (energy issues, our national debt, terrorism, etc.) will come into play that he has not taken into account. I also don't agree with his investment suggestions and feel they may be reckless.
If you're concerned about possible bad times ahead, this is one book that may helpful, but I better liked the reasoning and proposals on what to do in Stephen Leeb's book The Coming Economic Collapse: How You Can Thrive When Oil Costs 200 Dollars a Barrel.

Excellent Read.......2007-05-14

Pros:
1. Brief: to the point, no fluff book(let)
2. Logical: Numbers support theory all along
3. Simple: Easy to understand
4. Value: Could save your shirt

Cons:
1. May sound too negative
2. May not consider all factors into forecasting

Pretty interesting read.......2007-05-12

This book and the argument that it lays out is pretty eye-opening. It shows you, through logical argument, how the demographics of our country will impact our coming future economic health. With these baby-boomers greying and falling from their peak spending years, our country will experience a downshift that will really challenge our concept of prosperity... A must read!

This House of Sky: Landscapes of a Western Mind

Average customer rating:

Beautiful
Great American literature
An excellent read!!!
Strongly recommended
This House of Sky: Landscapes of a Western Mind

This House of Sky: Landscapes of a Western Mind
Ivan Doig
Manufacturer: Harvest Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0156899825

Book Description

This work introduced a major modern author to the reading public. Doig’s life was formed among the sheepherders and other denizens of small-town saloons and valley ranches as he wandered beside his restless father. New Preface by the Author.

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful.......2007-10-14

This book was one of the few memoirs I have written when in the end I placed the book down and sighed "wow." What a wonderful story. The author rolled experiences together in western Montana with his dad and grandmother and turned it into a lovestory for fathers and grandmothers, for people of Montana, and all that using very little dialogue. (That gave the book a sense of truthfulness, as who can recite full conversations that took place years ago?)

The constant struggle with man against nature, man against man and man against himself come alive in these pages. Montana and its bittersweet closeness never leave the reader; its isolation and wide open sky are always in the background. Thus the title is so perfect for this beautiful memoir.

This was my first Doig book and I will definitely read more of him. I definitely consider this book one of the top ten in American 20th century writing.

Great American literature.......2007-01-09

This is my all time favorite book. Period. Beautifully written, thought-provoking. It will make you want to move to Montana. It will make you love open sky and a horizon that goes on forever and the importance of family.

An excellent read!!!.......2006-12-31

This was my first Ivan Doig book, and I loved it! As a result, I've read most of the rest of what Doig has written and thoroughly enjoy reading about (and remembering) the areas of Montana where I used to live.

Strongly recommended.......2006-11-27

As soon as I started reading This House of Sky, I fell into Ivan Doig's world. By the end I was so mesmerized by his wonderful language and vivid characters that I was wandering around the house with the book up to my nose, bumping into things, trying to do chores one-handed while reading. I would never have believed that a book that starts out with the gasping, hideous suffocating death of one of the author's parents and ends with the gasping, hideous suffocating death of the other one could contain such boundless love of family, such joy, and such beauty. Doig's vivid writing shades perilously close to poetry, and he has an eye for the perfect anecdote to illustrate his point. Doig evokes in the endless drudgery of Montana ranch life a heroic struggle, and turns his hardworking, mercurial father into one of the great figures of modern literature. As a chronicle of Doig's childhood and its end and of the Montana sheepherding life in the early parts of this century, This House of Sky is a spectacular success; but as a tribute to his beloved family and especially his father, the book is a powerfully moving classic.

This House of Sky: Landscapes of a Western Mind.......2005-08-27

The author "Ivan Doig" introduces Montana through his youthful eye and shares his rememberances of growing up in Montana. If you have yet to read any of Mr. Doig's excellent books or are already a fan; this book is not to be missed.

This Mighty Scourge: Perspectives on the Civil War

Average customer rating:

Citizen Soldiers
it is unprofessional to mix social activism and history
A Reader's Delight - Except for the UDC and the SCV!
Mighty Interesting
Excellent in every way...

This Mighty Scourge: Perspectives on the Civil War
James M. McPherson
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0195313666

Book Description

The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Battle Cry of Freedom and the New York Times bestseller Crossroads of Freedom, among many other award-winning books, James M. McPherson is America's preeminent Civil War historian. Now, in this collection of provocative and illuminating essays, McPherson offers fresh insight into many of the most enduring questions about one of the defining moments in our nation's history. McPherson sheds light on topics large and small, from the average soldier's avid love of newspapers to the postwar creation of the mystique of a Lost Cause in the South. Readers will find insightful pieces on such intriguing figures as Harriet Tubman, John Brown, Jesse James, and William Tecumseh Sherman, and on such vital issues such as Confederate military strategy, the failure of peace negotiations to end the war, and the realities and myths of the Confederacy. This Mighty Scourge includes several never-before-published essays--pieces on General Robert E. Lee's goals in the Gettysburg campaign, on Lincoln and Grant in the Vicksburg campaign, and on Lincoln as Commander-in-Chief. In that capacity, Lincoln invented the concept of presidential war powers that are again at the center of controversy today. All of the essays have been updated and revised to give the volume greater thematic coherence and continuity, so that it can be read in sequence as an interpretive history of the war and its meaning for America and the world. Combining the finest scholarship with luminous prose, and packed with new information and fresh ideas, this book brings together the most recent thinking by the nation's leading authority on the Civil War. It will be must reading for everyone interested in the war and American history. "James McPherson is the master historian of the Civil War in our time." --Gabor Borritt, Director, Civil War Institute, Gettysburg College "Not merely is McPherson the leading living historian of the Civil War, but he is a scholar whose knowledge and authority are unsurpassed; when McPherson speaks, even in a minor key, people listen." --Jonathan Yardley, The Washington Post

Customer Reviews:

Citizen Soldiers.......2007-09-22

The Forgotten Cause of the Civil War: A New Look at the Slavery Issue

I was very impressed with the way Union soldiers debated the issue of slavery in their letters (Slavery was not a controversy in the slave states, so no comparable debate took place among Confederate soldiers). Few Americans are also aware that Union soldiers' experience with confronting slavery in the South provided essential support for emancipation.

it is unprofessional to mix social activism and history.......2007-08-09

Instead of giving us a balanced study showing the foibles and positives of both sides, we are given this pro-Northern dribble. McPherson has a made career of distorting history to suit his social agenda, That puts him the same class as Howard Zinn and Eric Foner.

A Reader's Delight - Except for the UDC and the SCV! .......2007-08-05

With 'This Mighty Scourge: Perspectives on the Civil War' James McPherson demonstrates once again why he is America's foremost Civil War historian. McPherson serves up sixteen essays for your delectation (most of which have been previously published elsewhere).

McPherson arranges his essays around several themes: What caused the war? What were the goals of each side? What strategies did the leaders pursue? And how is the war remembered?

McPherson's genius lies in his ability to synthesize perspectives of value to any reader, but especially the general reader with some knowledge of the war. Many of the essays analyze recent scholarship with McPherson's encyclopedic knowledge and understanding gained from years of study. This reader especially appreciates McPherson's even-handed dispassionate scholarship in a still field laced with emotional landmines despite the passage of nearly 150 years.

Despite all that has been written, McPherson remains remarkably able to bring fresh insight. One essay ('Long-Legged Yankee Lies: The Lost Cause Textbook Crusade') examines the extraordinary efforts by Confederate loyalists to distort the war's history and its teaching, especially in Southern schools. No doubt that gets the goat of the SCV (Sons of Confederate Veterans) and the UDC (United Daughters of the Confederacy), but they don't like him anyway.

An earlier essay ('And the War Came') establishes beyond cavil that the institution of slavery and the interests behind it were the cause of the war. In other essays McPherson examines the relative merits of Grant, Lee, and Sherman and whether the South was foreordained to lose the war due to the imbalance of resources.

I am not a Civil War historian, but I can't imagine that even the most learned professor would not benefit from McPherson's wonderfully distilled insights. I've read a number of McPherson's other works and rank this book at the top. McPherson's sparkling prose and easy clarity made reading 'This Mighty Scourge: Perspectives on the Civil War' a rare pleasure.

Mighty Interesting.......2007-06-12

This is a fine series of essays and book reviews by the author of Battle Cry of Freedom, the best single volume on the Civil War. McPherson is a passonate and lively writer, full of interesting facts and angles on the War.

I would not, however, recommend this particular book for the Civil War neophyte, as it assumes a fair amount of prior knowledge. If your new to the subject, read Battle Cry of Freedom or any of a number of other comprehensive histories before moving on to this book.

Some of the topics:

Slavery as the the main cause of the War.
Harriet Tubman and John Brown.
Confederate war strategy-offense or defense?
Antietam as the death knell for British and French recognition of the Confederacy.
Lee's goals in Gettysberg campaign.
Jesse James' post-war motivations.
Southern censorship of history textbooks inconsistent with the "Lost Cause."
Grant and Sherman.
The North's transition from restraint to total war.
Copperhead newspapers.
Peace negotiations.
Herndon on Lincoln.
Lincoln's exercise of war powers.

The tension between war powers and civil liberties is addressed in the last topic. After a military commission jailed Clement Vallandigham for "disloyal sentiments and opinions" at a crucial stage of the War, the Copperheads howled about free speech, trial by jury, and habeas corpus. Lincoln's famous response: "Must I shoot a simpleminded soldier boy who deserts, while I must not touch the hair of a wily agitator who induces him to desert?"

Excellent in every way..........2007-05-22

Prof. McPherson is, in my opinion, the dean of Civil War historians, a well-earned complement. This collection of essays is up to his usual high standards. They are thoughtful, persuasively argued and well-written. Whether one is new to CW scholarship or has read hundreds of titles, this should not be missed.

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