ET Books

It is VERY nice book. Especially for medical students and residents.
You can understand from detail to basic of diseases. With this book, you know how to approach and make your list of differential diagnosis.
I worked for infectious disease patients for a while, and this book was very useful because you can get the general knowledge not only about infectious diseases but also general internal medicine, skin lesions, bone diseases, and so on. I especially recommend the chart of antibiotics(Chart 37). I like this book because we can also get the update etiology of diseases. So nice.

This book packs in all the important aspects of client treatment into each section. The headings are a little hard to see when skimming, but the information is excellent. A must have for Nurse Practitioner school!

Very concise, covering a large number of conditions with information about clinical features, diagnosis and treatment... just the best medical book for students, residents and general prationers.

Everyone has a few books they constantly refer to in their library. This is one of mine. The whole CURRENT series is excellent & I update every new issue as soon as it is available. Ideal reference with clear concise text & pictures throughout the book

It is a very good and useful book. It has everything you'd want in it plus more. It includes the signs and syptoms, what you can do to treat the problem, etc. I just wish that it had pictures in it so you could have more to go off of.

Distant Cousin is one of the best books I've ever read. It's set in todays world with great characters. Unlike a lot of Sci-Fi books this one is more story driven and draws you in from the first couple of pages. Guys should not be scared off by its listing in Romance because you will enjoy this too because of its female lead character from another world who is both vulnerable and tough when necessary. I guaranty that you will thoroughly enjoy this book.

This book had me hook, line and sinker from page one. I fell in love with Ana Darcy and Matt Mendez, felt as if I had known them for years. I was mentally transported to Texas, New Mexico, Barbados and Duke University Medical Center. A good read is one that takes me away and that is exactly what Distant Cousin did. I laughed at the humor, got butterflies in my stomach at the suspense, goose bumps from the love scenes and there were times I teared up for Ana Darcy Mendez. I am not a sci fi gal but I can not wait to read the next book in this triology. Highly recommend.

I really enjoyed this book, especially the parts about Barbados and the Olympics. I lived in Barbados for two years (was stationed there with the USN) and I recognized most of the references in the book. The story was delightful and I'm preparing to read the two follow-on novels. This series would make a fun movie!

What if our First Contact from another planet was a human? What if the first real alien to visit Earth from another solar system was a human woman on a mission to find the distantly related cousins of her own people? What if she brought with her a warning of an impending disaster of apocalyptic proportions? And what if nobody believed her?

Al Past's novel Distant Cousin is a most unusual science fiction story with a most unusual heroine. Ana Darcy has jeopardized her mission and cut herself off from her own people to bring a desperate warning to Earth authorities. Astronomers at a Texas observatory don't believe her, but the US military is willing to interrogate her - under custody of course. Her astonishing escape from Army detainment is our first hint that she may be more than she first appears and capable of more than we imagine. (Memorable quote from the Army Air Defense: "Barbie's baby sister from outer space is in our custody and you let her get away! If the mother ship beamed her up, you better pray they get you next!")

Befriended by ordinary people as varied as the family owners of a Texas dude ranch, a mild-mannered reporter, and an Olympic contender from Barbados, Darcy conceives a daring plan to evade government capture while hiding in plain sight and deliver her warning in a manner which cannot possibly be ignored. And afterward, she might just fall in love ... if she can trust her own feelings ... and trust her boyfriend with the truth about her origins. By the end of this most original novel, I knew two things for certain. The first was not to underestimate this diminutive and seemingly harmless protagonist. And the second was that the sequel, DC Repatriation, was going on my "buy-it-soon" list so that I could learn more about Ana Darcy and her mysterious people.

Typically, once I move beyond the pantheon of the all-time great SciFi writers (e.g., Clark, Bradbury, Heinlein, Brin, Niven, Sturgeon...), I find myself disappointed in the quality of the writing. I don't mean this as a slam on the genre, only on my difficulty in finding SciFi novelists who can combine a good SciFi storyline with good writing. Al Past is such a novelist. From the opening line, Distant Cousins leaves no doubt that its author knows his way around the English language. Other reviews have explained the story line, so I'll simply say that if you like SciFi, and prefer that it be well-written, you should give Distant Cousins a try.

I bought this book to learn about low cost, state of the art, earth-bermed technology. The book delivers on this promise. Anybody considering going this route should take advantage of the author's school of hard knocks expertise. The method described for creating a very strong concrete block wall were especially useful. The sod roof is something I'll have to think about for a while as you give up a lot by going this route in terms of the open airy feel that can be achieved with post and beam construction techniques. Still, what he says (structurally) has merit, though from an environmental point of view it strikes me as a bit "out there". The writing is excellent. The technical details are all there to duplicate what he's done. At the same time he keeps it interesting and the reader engaged. Good stuff.

This is the so called "holy book" for building an earth sheltered home. Definitely should have started 20 years ago but it is needed for today's building needs. Energy efficient - low cost ( pretty labor intensive ) Awesome to build. Have a five year plan.

I thought the book was a very informative and practical account as well as very well produced and edited.

Thanks!

This is where I started when I began exploring of building my house underground. What bothers me is so much cement. I like Mike Oehler better. Check him out too and decide for yourself.

An excellent reference for those who are interested in Earth Bermed and Earth Sheltered houses. His attention to detail in the excavation and foundation chapters is worth the price of the book alone. Especially when there is a lack of in depth internet resources available for those wishing to build their own earth sheltered house. Although this book deserves the 5 stars for fulfilling its basic promise, I wish he had devoted some time to discussing plumbing for a simple structure. But overall, he gives this reader 90% of the information necessary to start a small sized earth bermed house.

If you are looking to have an earth roof, you will need to purchase his other book "Timber Framing" where he goes into rich detail the structural engineering requirements of load and tension and compression. With these 2 books, you should be able to complete rough plans for a structural engineer to review and stamp with little or none modifications.

Also, for those searching for energy efficient stoves, I recommend aprovecho.org's institutional rocket stove or Ianto Evans Rocket Stove which are both 300% more efficient than traditional wood stoves.

On a conclusionary note. I priced out timber framing members for the roof section of a square 30'x30' roof and it came out to over $9000 in timber alone ( not including the tongue & groove planking). Compare that to a traditional 8/12 pitch roof somewhere in the $3000 price range for rafters, ridge, and plywood. Put a metal roof on that and you should be good for over 30 years atleast. Sure the earth roof is better for the ecosystem and eye but a regular roof allows placement of rainwater collection, solartubes and solar heaters/panels as well. For the cost conscious, I have come to the conclusion that a traditional roof that is superinsulated along with the earth berming techniques in this book will allow people to have their own energy efficient house for less than they think.

This important book reveals another dimension to Tolkien that remains obscured by his monumental storytelling. Tolkien was gifted with a many-sided creativity, as most artists are, and his visual creativity casts as vivid a vision of re-enchantment as his written work.

This book is much better than I thought it would be. Mostly I was curious to see more of Tolkien's art, but the text that goes along with it is wonderful. Christopher Tolkien asked the authors to write this book to showcase his father's art, and they do a wonderful job of describing the pictures, pointing out details that I missed, and putting them in context of when and where and why Tolkien drew them. Several versions of the same pictures are shown so you can see how Tolkien worked through a problem until he found the best final product. Plus the inspirations for some of the pictures are also shown, to show that Tolkien copied others sometimes, but in the end put his own mark on it. By copied, I don't mean plagarized. He drew his eagle from a book of birds to make sure he got it right, or was inspired by other artists particular works. Highly recommended if you are a Tolkien fan. If you are just into art and not a Tolkien fan, then I don't think this will interest you.

This book is a great way to collect some of Tolkien's best works of art and to get a glimpse behind the scenes of one of the greatest literary figures of the 20th century. Highly recommended.

Lleno de ilustraciones color, y algunas en blanco y negro. Me gusta porque es lo que Tolkien imaginó para sus obras... eso es lo que lo hace más hermoso. Además demuestra que Tolkien era un alma muy sensible, amante de la naturaleza, y esto se refleja no solo en sus libros sino también en sus dibujos. Me gustaría que estos dibujos estén incluidos en sus obras, no solo los dibujos de otros artistas. Hermoso, hermoso, para todos los admiradores de Tolkien.

This book features many of Tolkien's ink, watercolor, pencil, and colored pencil works. The detailed descriptions of each drawing include history, explanations, and dates. Quite a few maps are included, as well as illustrations for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. It is wonderful to see how Tolkien imagined Middle Earth and its inhabitants. The colors he used are very earthy and lovely.

My favorite drawing in this book is "End of the World" done in pencil and colored pencil on a sheet of notebook paper - you can actually see the lines of the paper. It is so simple; yet, the story it tells includes subtle intricacies and complexities similar to those in his writings. I also love the pencil and colored pencil drawing, "The Tree of Amalion," which obviously blooms with the flowers of Tolkien's imagination since they do not resemble traditional flowers. Finally, the hand drawn Christmas cards are beautiful mini-stories with dancing bears and penguins, and Father Christmas making deliveries.

This book is truly exquisite, full of details and surprises for those of us who didn't know Tolkien was an extremely talented artist. It is a worthwhile purchase in my opinion.

J.H. Sweet, author of The Fairy Chronicles

This book arrived in top condition and in time. In a college book store this book cost a lot more, so I am very pleased to be able to buy it from this seller.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the descriptive way the author wrote. I have been through Colorado and have seen the beauty she described. Also enjoyed the story because there wasn't a lot of violence and if there was any sex, it was only in our imagination which is the greatest kind. I was amazed at how the lady rode for miles in rugged wilderness without seeming to get lost. The fact that she could subsist on meager food was also interesting.

For many years I saw this book in National Park bookstores and passed it by thinking it would be an example of the overwritten, rather tedious journals of other Victorian travelers. When I finally found it at a used bookstore and rather reluctantly bought it, I was surprised to find out how exciting and relevant her story was.

Because I live in Colorado, I recoginize and travel through many of the places she describes. Just this weekend as we traveled along Highway 67, my husband and I remarked on the likelihood, that this was the same route she'd taken out of Colorado Springs.

Her accounts lend life to the grey, weatherbeaten cabins, abandoned roads and rusting rails that we see. Even though many parts of Europe and the US were relatively modern at the time of her adventures, it is surprising to read just how primitive and precarious was the life of many Colorado settlers.

Even if you aren't from Colorado, read this book to become aquainted with a Victorian woman who found a way to live life fully. Read it to learn about life in the west. Read it just because it's a good read.

Did you ever read any of the BEANY MALONE novels by Lenora Mattingly Weber? In them I first read about Isabella Bird and her remarkable life in the American West. Beany's older brother, Johnny Malone, is a teenager when the series begins, a young Denver boy with a remarkable passion for unearthing the memoirs and daguerrotypes of Colorado pioneers and taking notes on the old-timers who settled the state. Their colorful lives make his ordinary life seem rather pastel, so he often sinks into a nostalgia of the past, while his family members tease him about the dreamy look in his eyes. He helps a veteran journalist, Emerson Worth, complete his magnum opus, OUR CITY HAS DEEP ROOTS. And among the pioneers Johnny obsessed about was none other than Isabella Bird, so when I found this book on a recent trip to Boulder, I added it to my rucksack.

If you are reading on horseback, as Isabella Bird did, this is perhaps the ideal book to carry with you. She was a woman used to the English-style horse with its Ascot breeding and high carriage. What she found in Colorado were, naturally, the horses of the West, more perfectly adapted to the mile-high atmospheres, but slung somewhat lower than anything she's been used to and slightly swaybacked. Bird adapted quickly, and the fun of her autobiography is to see her taking in her stride a series of calamities and hardships that would have Job complaining bitterly! No matter if it's an insect infestation or tumbling right through a sheet of ice into zero degree river chills, for Isabella Bird it's all part of a day's fun. Travel writing in the 19th century was, of course, the leading genre of prose. From no other source were English-speaking readers able to find out more about other people's lives, and the curiosity was immense.

You'll like Isabella, and her crazy love affair with Colorado. She remains very much a lady, but will challenge your preconceived notions of what a lady is and isn't. Most of all you will thrill to follow the course of her journeys up and down the mountains through which, now, there are some better trails but still the same amazing sunrises which she describes with the thrill of one for whom every day's an adventure.

I bought this book while visiting Estes Park, CO...hungry for books about life in the West that may not be so readily available here in NJ. I found it to be one of the most enjoyable books I have ever read! Isabella's descriptions of the Rocky Mountains and the climate through which she travelled are vivid and gripping. But more than that, she gives a detailed and honest account of what life was like for settlers on the frontier. How she managed to ride thru the mountains where the only "trails" were tracks of wagons or animals, when often those were covered with the seemingly constant snow, boggles the mind. Her love for Colorado sings out in every word she writes. I too was deeply touched by its beauty, and hope to return again, this time with an enriched appreciation due to this wonderful recounting of Isabella Bird's journey.

While the author states that this book is to be targeted to persons seeking to enter senior management or higher roles within non-profits, I think this reads more like a general job search book. It sounds like the author is writing from the standpoint of a headhunter. Here is the table of contents:

1. Defining the Nonprofit Sector
2. If You're New to the Nonprofit World
3. Organizing your search
4. Focusing your search
5. Finding openings
6. Establishing and Cultivating your Network
7. Creating a Great Resume
8. Writing Persuasive Cover Letters
9. Acing the Interview
10. Recruiting the Right references
11. Negotiating Salary & benefits
12. If you don't get the job
13. When the job search ends

Chapters 3-13 are what I consider topics you can find in any "job search" book. Though I should say that the author does *touch* upon how the Non-profit sector is unique in some of these respects. What I did find useful are all the website references that may provide more information.

It reads quickly- I think I finished it in about an hour. I appreciate the amount of information that it packs in its 100 pages, especially if you are looking for a resource book that is quick-and-dirty and to-the-point.

As an alternative (or as a supplementary), I think Transitioning to the Nonprofit Sector by Kaplan, published in 2007 (Laura Gassner Otting), might be more informative, depending on what your objectives are.

I read this book in the fall 2006 when I was in the midst of looking for a job in the DC area. It was a helpful resource. It reinforced information I already knew and then mentioned new information. It gives tips on creating a resume, informational interviews, interviews, the importance of a thank you card and what to include in it. I will definitely continue to refer to this resource again. I've mentioned it to other friends as well looking for a job in the nonprofit sector.

A must have resource for finding your dream job in the non-profit sector. What's great about this book is that it is comprehensive, but short. It contains all you need to know to find and get your job in one slim, easy-to-read, volume.

This book is small, but it's packed with useful information. It helped me put together a resume and strategy for successfully landing a leadership position in the nonprofit sector.

Slesinger's book is an excellent blueprint for beginning a search and following through, even when life gets in the way. The step-by-step game plan and practical advice alone are worth the cover price, and best of all Slesinger leaves you motivated and feeling like you want to immediately get started hunting for your next great job. I have to confess that I literally missed my bus stop while examining the section on resumes; I do a lot of hiring and I see a lot of resumes, and his advice is dead on.

If you want a new job or think you might, get this book now.

This classic on what your daily walk should be like as a Christian is as relevant today as it was in 1728, when the book was first penned. Some terms and wording reminds one that this work is almost three hundred years old, but it nails so many issues that are dealt with today, that it just shows what a timeless work this is.

It is revealing and sobering. Not a light read. You have to be serious about your walk with Christ or it will be a total waste of time.

Here is the clarion call to a true life that
glorifies God. Put the lies of culture aside
and learn the real truth.. and live it!!

If you're looking for a challenge in your spiritual walk - this is the book for you. Law's classic book was the transforming resource in the lives of the Wesley brothers as well as abolitionist William Wilberforce - just as it changed their lives, this book will not leave you the same!

I've read an abridged and edited version for the modern reader by John Meister (158 pages) - but it wasn't enough - I had to order the small type 317 page version! This is not an easy read - on the difficulty scale of 1 - 10, this would be a solid 9. I wouldn't suggest this book to anyone in high school or even college - Law deals with real world issues and a little seasoning in life is necessary to get the full effect of his challenge. This is a perfect book for the Christian man who wants more than a Purpose Driven Life, the man looking for a profound, insightful, and challenging read that will deeply impact the core of his being!

You can find these books online. The longer version is a Vintage Spiritual Classics edition and retails for around $13.00. Rare will be the person that will want this book - but if you're the one, don't pass this one up! I give this my highest endorsement and recommendation.

Law deals directly with the concept of devotion to God - and asks some difficult questions about where man places his true devotion in life - in the things of this world, or in the Kingdom of Heaven? Law argues that a wise and reasonable man will wholly devote himself to the things of the Lord for they are far superior to the temporal and worthless things of this world. In fact, Law says that a lack of this devotion is a clear indicator of gross ignorance! The book gives several practical elements necessary for a devoted life including prayer, study, humility and confession. But it is not the elements about which Law writes, it is the manner in which he presents them to the reader that makes this book so exceptional - Law raises the bar and challenges the follower of Christ to live an exemplary life, a life worthy of their calling, a life comparable to the great saints who have walked before us or even to angels who minister above us!

wow - what an inspirational, hard-hitting, right on read this has been. I'm still in the process of reading it but I already love it. This should be required reading for all Christians. Then perhaps the church would live differently than the world and perhaps we'd have less scandal.

So far I can see that there needs to be a balance. One could easily tend towards legalism and a justification by self-works type of mentality. Perhaps he'll cover in later chapters how it's the Spirit of God that now creates the will to do differently and also empowers us to do so as we allow him to lead us in all areas of our lives.

But as long as one is aware of this work of the Spirit in a believer's life, then this book can do nothing but stimulate one to self-reflection and love and good works.

The fact Pastor John Piper in some of his books, "Don't Waste Your Life" and "A Hunger for God" quoted Law in this book several times intrigued me to read it personally. As I went through the chapters, however, it is clear to me and will become clear to the readers as well that Law sounds eerily close to a Roman Catholic minus the devotions to the rituals. Despite many deep, excellent, stinging, uncomfortable, soul-searching reflections and illustrations on the Christian life contrasted against the futility of a self-centered life that I believe are profitable for Christians, particularly to defy the preaching of prosperity gospel that seems to "prosper" more than the true gospel, sadly Law embraces the fatally erroneous doctrine of justification by works. In his view, Christians need to practice the principles of piety, self-denial, generosity, meekness, simplicity of life and all the Bible, particularly the New Testament teaches, the best they can in order to be saved that sounds all too familiarly popish. What he mostly brings up from the Bible is the wonderful teachings of Christ. There is no mention of poverty of spirit, dependence on God's grace to live a sanctified life or to desire to live for him to begin with, let alone the cross, justification by faith, sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, and perseverance of the saints.

Well, the immediate questions that arise are of course, aren't Christians saved already, and that they are saved by grace on the basis of the finished atoning death and resurrection of Christ on the cross, and not by works? How does one know that he has done his best? What is the standard? Whose standard is it to use to determine whether one has done his best, man's or God's? If it is man's standard, which one? The Pope's? How can we be so sure if it is his standard to be used, not someone else's? If it is God's, where is it in the Bible that says God commands us to do the best we can and not rely on him for everything without excluding our responsibilities? Where is it in the Bible that God's standard says we are saved as long as we do the best we can? This is unquestionably deadly because in the end, it points to the perfectionist demand of the law where no one can meet, which is warned against by the Apostle Paul in his epistles, particularly to the Romans and Galatians. The meat of what Law talks about is all about doing and there is no mention of child-like dependence and trusting on God's grace in Christ through the Holy Spirit to enable us to follow what Law, in some cases, biblically and exquisitely exhorts to embrace and practice. To properly describe what Law offers here is a mixture of rich food and poison. The rich food is his biblical heart-piercing warnings, rebukes, reflections, illustrations and encouragements, specifically about prayer, fasting, simplicity, modesty, generosity, humility and self-denial that I must admit are too good, too important, and too bitter-sweet, eye-opening of an exposure and remedy to my own weaknesses to be overlooked as well as too precious to be neglected in practice. The poison is his constant insistence of justification by works. For the fullest benefit to be reaped, enjoy the rich food. Let it purify our souls and reform our lives, but spit the poison out. Instead, embrace and enjoy the even richer food of justification in Christ alone, by grace alone, through faith alone, and to the glory of God alone for these are the fountain that enables all true piety.

This is a good book for people from realities and understandings uncommon to Earth. Humourous, not to be taken seriously.

E.T. 101 is the funniest, most entertaining book I have ever read, bar none! What a comfort and joy to receive this delightful letter of explanation and instruction from Home!E.T. 101: The Cosmic Instruction Manual: An Emergency Remedial Edition

I thought, "how interesting, a little book on science fiction". How very wrong I was. This book was written in 1990 according to the first several pages and I must say its prophetic, filled with wry humor and great insights to todays earthly condition.

It was well written, well organized and to the point with very little excess. I see this book similar to eating peanuts: "don't need to eat very many and your full". Its chock full of great stuff and worth more than what it is selling for I must say.

Something I've never seen before... a book about walk-ins and extraterrestrials which is intentionally humorous, witty, and does a good job at it! I wasn't expecting anything other than something solemn and serious about love and light. It's quite good. Although it defines all the terms it uses at the beginning, it still assumes you have a pretty good idea what those things are. The humor isn't as confusing as it could be... it's still way more comprehensible than a lot of New Age books I've read. The book's stance and behavior seems to be entirely different from most New Age books I've read, despite how its goal is evidently the same. (Preparing the world for its upcoming changes, which include heightened vibration, commonness of androgyny, etc.) There are title headings such as "Look Jane, see Spot transmute" and "When in Rome, do as Acturians."

I laughed out loud when I first discovered this little gem in a Northampton, MA bookstore, in the early 1990s. Since then, I've read and re-read it several times. It's language and insights could almost have come from some young tatooed and pierced skate-boarders I have known. Yet the wisdom and humor are on a par with that found in Neale Walsch's "Conversations With God."
Put this on your bookshelf along side Ken Carey's lyrically profound "Starseed Transmissions," and the refreshingly matter-of-fact transcriptions of Lisette Larkin's "Talking With Extraterrestrials" and "Listening to Extraterrestrials." Reading and pondering "101" and these other books have helped me to appreciate why we humans have chosen to incarnate on this planet at this time.

Despite a less-compelling (to me) detour into German socialist unrest, this is a suspenseful, compelling, and very well-written work which brings out the full tragedy of the Paris Peace Conference and the treaty it produced.

One of the greatest untold stories of modern history is that of Germany during the close of World War I. And Richard Watt, the author, tells this sweeping drama with a suberb style and in unprecedented detail. Watt covers every major event and intimately describes what went on behind closed doors during this extremely tumultuous time.

Despite its defeat at the hands of the Western Allies, the German armed forces continued to play a leading role (albeit in the form of independent freikorps units) during the Communist and Secessionist rebellions in late 1918/early 1919. During these desperate times, private armies of Communists, Socialists, and ideologically vague - but intensely violent - conservative battled it out, often to the death, on the streets of Germany's great cities. And all the while Germans everywhere were starved, threatened, and exhausted physically, financially, and morally. It should come as no great wonder then that anyone living through this period should desire order above all else. And this ultimately led into the hands of Nazi propagandists who turned it to their own advantage.

The book also covers some of the most fascinating episodes during this period - the Kiel Sailors' Mutiny, the Berlin Uprisings, the First Bavarian Revolution, the Second Bavarian Revolution, the amazingly amateurish diplomatic proceedings at Versailles, the birth of the 'Stab in the Back' legend by the 'undefeated' Germany Army, the birth of the Freikorps movement, the brief German fiefdoms in Latvia and Lithuania, the great scuttle at Scapa Flow (see The Grand Scuttle by Van Der Vat), the internal Weimar cabinet struggles regarding the Versailles Diktat, how the Allies agreed on particular frontier/reparations/guilt clauses, and how the German Army did ultimately lose the war.

Weimar Germany - and perhaps much of Eastern Europe - was irrevocably and horribly scarred by this devastating period of chaos, political assassinations, and utter financial ruin. Gone was the relatively staid, quiet time, and relative tolerance of the imperial monarchies. Henceforth, Europe would be murderously divided by Communist & Fascist ideologies running like an explosive fault line running through most European nations.

Besides an outstanding text, Watt includes a few photographs of the major personalities - including a rare few action shots taken during the Berlin Spartacist and Communist uprising. Watt's conclusion is that the ultimate right-wing victory was from the Social Democratic 'sell out' to the right-wing military establishment. The SD would never so much control affairs as preside over them. Key positions in the gov't - judges, military commands, and police officials - would remain occupied by right-wing elements until a suitable opportunity came to overthrow the hated Weimar Republic. What is amazing is that this [...], stepson of a republic managed to survive for over a decade despite the fact that almost all German political parties were unanimous in their hatred of it.

This is another outstanding book by the truly talented Richard M. Watt, and I highly recommend it!

This is a very fair, balanced, extremely readable history of the the last years of WW1, the various revolutions and mutinies in 1918 and 1919 (mainly in Germany, but also Hungary,etc.)and the grand finale of the Versailles Treaty. When reading this book, one cannot help but agree with the thoughts of Jan Christian Smuts, who very accurately predicted the great and horrible events of the next 25 years. Apparently, Pres. Wilson did not carry out his lofty ideals in the end, Lloyd George had serious second thoughts (persuaded in part by Smuts), and Clemenceau remained angry and adament. This is among the few books that I've read that tells about all sides of the story. The six weeks between the first Versailles meeting (on the 4th anniversary of the Lusitania attack), and the final signing are especially well done here. I never realized that the Allies were on the verge of attacking Germany if the Treaty was not signed ASAP. We also forget that the Allied naval blockade continued for about 6 months after the Armistice, resulting in the deaths of thousands of German children. It did not end until the final signing of the Versailles treaty.In short, a whale of a good book!

I would heartily recommend this to anyone with an interest in 20th century history. Superb history, the way it should be written.

The author sought books on the German Revolution of 1918-1919; finding none, he wrote this one. The failure of the German military to win the war by 1918 produced mutinies, revolution, and the end of their Second Empire by October 1918. A new republic was proclaimed, and the Armistice led to the treaty of Versailles. While the Kaiser fled to Holland, his military remained as a wanted burden to the new republic: it alone could suppress the revolutions breaking out all over Germany. This left them as the striking force fro a republic that they despised; eventually they came to support the Nazis (p.527) and a new European War. This seems like the inevitable result from the Allied failure to overthrow and purge the German ruling class, or divide the German Reich into separate nations, as was correctly done after World War II. Denazification and partition, plus grouping the small nations into large blocks, kept the peace for 50 years. But nothing lasts forever.

Woodrow Wilson gave many speeches on "Democracy", but he was appointed President of Princeton, Governor of NJ, then President of the US through his personal ambition. Pages 15-20 tell of the contradictions and complexities in his personality. His dictatorial rule at Princeton led to his firing. A personal friendship allowed him to be nominated as the Democratic candidate for Governor of NJ. He promised to work with the "organization", then reneged on his promises! He drafted a torrent of liberal legislation (as did Bismarck in the 1880s). He met Edward House, and insider and power broker in the national party. House's technique" get a clean candidate and let the party organization do its job; it still works today! Jim Marr's "Rule By Secrecy" tells how and why the 1912 election was fixed to create the private banking cartel that controls our economy. Running a third party candidate helped in 1980 and 1992.

Wilson's dictatorial personality abraded many in Congress; he lectured them, he didn't talk to them. His cabinet had few men of first caliber; it was as if he could only work with subordinates. But Edward House knew how to manipulate him (p.22).

Wilson declared war as a fight to make the world safe for democracy, an idealistic crusade that overlooks the fact that wars are waged for loot: markets, provinces, colonies, etc.

Perhaps Wilson's greatest fault was that everything was handed to him; he didn't have to claw his way to the top by competitive elections (p.27). Page 36 tallies the triumphs of Woodrow Wilson. Perhaps the "errors in judgment" were due to his pride and his refusal to take expert advice (p.37), complicated by his arteriosclerosis or some other disease ("megalomania"?). Wilson gained fame and recognition through his speeches; a rhetorician, not a manager.

though i dont have this book my friends say its an excellent book and I've seen it for my self and it is definatly a must buy

If you are a mtg collector, you definitely need this book. Although it is much "thinner" than Volume 1 but it's still a must for any serious mtg collector

It so good it has tempted me to buy alot of Magic cards

Richard Garfield is the creator of Magic The Gathering card game. This book gives the reader an in-depth look into the game and shows the beautiful illustration that each card contains. This is a must have for all players and collectors of the card game.

I collect the cards and I don't know how I would have known if they were rare or common cards if I hadn't found this book. It's the best!