books: a history of

books: a history of

books:

A history of

The American Patriot's Almanac: Daily Readings on America

William J. Bennett, John Cribb

Thomas Nelson, 2008

Make American history and American Patriotism a part of your daily family discussion
This is another of William Bennett's reading resources for families. Yes, you can (and should) read this book as an individual, but it is more useful and more powerful when you take time to go through the daily readings as a family. You r kids need to become familiar ...

The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2009

World Almanac Books

World Almanac, 2008

Summing up
If an alien landed in Idaho and wanted to learn about the strange place it had dropped in on, this is the book it should start with. After picking up a pair of reading glasses. The typeface is definitely on the small side, but don't let that stop you. This book is ...

The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World

Niall Ferguson

Penguin Press HC, The, 2008

thorough, accurate, reads very well.
Ferguson deserved considerable credit in Colossus for suggesting that a reckoning was upon us. In this book, written before the real calamity hit, he points to the assumptions that have been made leading to the crash. It's plain that no there's no quick fix, that ...

American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House

Jon Meacham

Random House, 2008

pleasantly surprised
I am usually not a non-fiction reader, so I was very pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. A very quick read, it will not only provide insight in the life and politics of a president I personally knew very little about, and in the early american ...

The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals

Michael Pollan

Penguin, 2007

Reading this might change your life -- be careful
The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals I have to caution you that reading this book might make you never want to eat corn-fed beef again. I won't ruin it for you, but since I read this book I can't eat anything but free-range chicken and grass-fed ...

Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln

Doris Kearns Goodwin

Simon & Schuster, 2006

Recommended Reading for the Lincoln Bicentennial in 2009
If you have time to read only one book in all of 2009, make that book Doris Kearns Goodwin's masterly biography of Abraham Lincoln and his Cabinet, TEAM OF RIVALS. This book is simultaneously one of the best books about President Lincoln and one of the best books ...

The 10 Big Lies About America: Combating Destructive Distortions About Our Nation

Michael Medved

Crown Forum, 2008

As a pro-America Iranian, I'd like to recommend this book and thank America for her good deeds
I am an Iranian living in Canada and as a pro-America individual, I'd like to express my gratitude to the American people who have done so much good for the world. In this book, Mr. Medved (host of his own radio show) dismantles the liberal lies one by one and makes a ...

World Without End

Ken Follett

NAL Trade, 2008

World with on end
Just as good as Pillars of the earth. What I liked about World without end is that you don't have to both books to know what the story line is. Great book to read. Bought it for my son-n-law and he loved it.

The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression

Amity Shlaes

Harper Perennial, 2008

Best Read of 2008
Amity Shlaes has written a timely book that informs and intrigues. No politician, regardless of which side of the aisle they sit, is safe. I literally could not put The Forgotten Man down -- read like a novel. Learned a great deal more about the Great Depression ...

Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time

Greg Mortenson, David Oliver Relin

Penguin (Non-Classics), 2007

Great Book Which Should Make Us Uncomfortable
I chuckled over the one-star review from "Francine" in Maryland who panned the literary quality and went back to feeling comfortable with her life. OK, so it's not Steinbeck, but in light of the garbage being fed to the American people though mass media, this is one ...

The Book Thief

Markus Zusak

Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2007

What a Change of Pace
I read this book based on a friend's recommendation and I absolutely loved it. Zusak's style of writing, I found, was incredibly original. A definite page turner. I can't believe that people found this book to be confusing -- maybe out of the ordinary, but that was ...

The Return of Depression Economics and the Crisis of 2008

Paul Krugman

W. W. Norton, 2008

Suggestions for where to go from here
Nearly a decade ago, Paul Krugman released the first edition of "The Return of Depression Economics," a book that took a close look at the economic crises in Asia and South America. Then he suggested that we were threatened to return to the economic conditions that ...

Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief

James M. McPherson

Penguin Press HC, The, 2008

Superb but short work on the greatness of Lincoln's role as commander in chief
A wonderful, brief look at how our nation's greatest President led the North's armed forces during the Civil War. Though it may cover territory other historians have mined in longer efforts, James M. McPherson's "Tried by War" is essential reading for those not ...

The New York Times: The Complete Front Pages: 1851-2008

CC The New York Times

Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, 2008

Priceless Historical Reference
Those who conspire to make government work for the privileged in exploitation of the masses have as their enemy an independent and authoritative journalistic enterprise. The New York Times is one of the last and strongest bastions of an energetic and powerful fourth ...

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Judith Viorst

Aladdin, 1987

It's a horrible day, but it's a great book!
This was a great book! It made us laugh. We liked the part when Alexander fell in the mud, and when his foot got stuck in the elevator. You should read this book because it is a funny book. If you read it, we think you will like it. We would recommend it to both ...