Book Description
One of the most creative and accessible periods of art the world has ever known, the Golden Age is brought to life in an unprecedented series of biographies of the artists active in the Netherlands during the 17th-century. Painters in the Dutch Republic specialized in portraits, domestic genre scenes, still-lives, and landscapes--metaphors of the tiny new country's immense pride and wealth. This book features biographies on all the great masters from Frans Hals to Vermeer to Rembrandt. There are entries on more that 220 artists.
This unprecedented book draws together biographies of artists who worked in one of the most exciting and dramatic political eras in France, when Paris became the artistic capital of Europe. It features in-depth studies of such well-known Neo-classical artists as Jacques-Louis David, and Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, the artist most revered by his fellow countrymen. Also included are artists of the Romantic Movement, like Delacroix and Gericault, as well as the painters of the Barbizon School, whose plein-air landscapes anticipated those of the Impressionists.
Customer Reviews:
Hi!.......2001-03-18
This is a great book! Buy it NOW!
Book Description
This book is a hands on guide providing hundreds of very specific and actionable tips and ideas for how to rehab, repair, remodel, and maintain residential property. The book is helpful to both landlords and investors flipping properties.
The best way to make money in real estate is to buy distressed property. Most distressed properties (foreclosures, estates, tax sales, etc.) are in a rundown condition. Investors can profit hugely by buying and turning these properties around. While this manual really is not a step-by-step guide to rehabbing, it is full of quite literally, hundreds upon hundreds of fast tips and ideas that will help investors rehab, repair and maintain their properties. Being able to do this cheaply and efficiently alone is a major profit center to be captured.
The product goes beyond telling the reader to simply paint and carpet, but in most cases gives specific products and headache saving tips to solve the various rehab and maintenance issues investors face.
Some topics covered: Kilz tricks, low-budget kitchen cabinet facelifts, 4 countertop solutions cheaper than replacing, holes in vinyl, creativity and repairs, painting tricks that make a room look like a million dollars, sewer clogs tricks, roof leak tricks, rotten wood tricks, the top-50 rehab ideas, trash disposal secrets, using free or almost free materials, dumpster diving, caulk tips, critical tool secrets, why not to use carpet (paint floors or polyurethane instead), rubber roofs, el cheapo roof patches, secrets of used appliances, appliance repair secrets, cleaning secrets, the #1 one tool you need that most investors fail to use, waterheater secrets, beware of these obsolete things, inspecting tools, flow of rehab, lies tenants tell about clogs, broken window tricks, emergency heat solutions, inventoring and organizing your supplies, saving money on rehabs, and a lot more ideas--hundreds.
Customer Reviews:
Mediocre.......2005-09-08
It was acceptable for the price paid, but very little jumped out at me as being terribly useful. I thought the penny-pinching techniques went a little too far into the ridiculous. If you follow some of this advice you will waste a lot of time saving a little bit of money.
Landlords Guide to Rehabs, Repairs and more!!.......2005-06-06
Landlords will appreciate this valuable resource. I have gained so many ideas and tips on repairs & remodeling. Best of all, they work! As you read this book, you'll see Bryan has years of experience in landlording.
I have recommended this book to every landlord or property manager I know, It's that great. I also recommend Bryan's book called "Perpetual Income". I read it cover to cover.
Bryan has been sharing tips and ideas that the real estate gurus have been charging $1000's for the same information. Thanks Bryan for such another valuable resource. Every book you write make our bottom line look better!
for beginner rehabbers.......2005-05-31
This "book" should be in the "complete idiots guide to..." series. Recommended for the clueless beginners.
Book Description
Films like In a Lonely Place, Johnny Guitar, They Live by Night, and most of all Rebel Without a Cause were to ensure cult status for Ray as one of the most revered of all American 'maverick' auteurs. This new edition of Geoff Andrew's unique and acclaimed study of his films discusses Ray's stylistic artistry and abiding thematic concerns,and his work with such legends as James Dean, Humphrey Bogart, James Mason, Joan Crawford and Richard Burton. Above all the book shows how the vivid emotional authenticity of his films, coupled with his special brand of visual expressionism and his eloquently voiced disenchantment with the American Dream, were in established for him a profoundly loyal following in America and Europe that lasts to this day.
This new edition, which covers all of Ray's films, includes an updated introduction and fresh reflections on the enduring importance in the 21st century of one of the greatest directors to have worked in Hollywood.
Product Description
Learn to play Lead guitar riffs, licks and solos using all the essential Lead guitar scales and patterns.
Average customer rating:
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10 Easy Lessons Blues Lead Tech
Peter Gelling
Manufacturer: Koala Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Guitar
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ASIN: 1864692057 |
Product Description
Introduces all essential scales and arpeggios, along with important rhythms and a system for analyzing what you play. Contains lots of great licks and solos and several Jam-along tracks.
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- The Best Waldo Book
- It Rocks.
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The Great Waldo Search
Martin Handford
Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0316342823 |
Customer Reviews:
The Best Waldo Book.......2000-06-13
"Where's Waldo" books are one of those gems that can be appreciated by both adults and children. When I was a child, I received this book and found it fun to search for Waldo, the Wizard, and the scroll (and even the various other items that are hidden in each picture). The most infamous part of the book is finding Waldo in a page full of Waldo clones (your only hint is that he's missing a shoe).
I would rate this book as challenging to the novice, but of medium difficulty to the more experienced searcher.
A genuine concern for a potential owner of this book is "Will this book be worthless after finding Waldo in each picture?" I would answer that as long as you do not write in this book, it will last forever. Your memory will forget the location of Waldo and the items after a few years and the book becomes challenging a second, third, or even twentieth time around!
It Rocks........1997-10-03
I have had this book for ten years, and I didn't solve it til' a month ago!!!! I suggest it for people of ALL AGES!!!!!!
Amazon.com
There are plenty of heavily pedigreed personal-finance experts dishing out good advice, but not many who know what it's like to have to eat ramen all month to make a car payment. On the other hand, there's Mary Hunt, a recovered credit card addict whose free-spending ways landed her family in the middle of $100,000 of unsecured debt in the early 1980s. Pulling herself out of that morass gave Hunt the courage to strike out on her own as a writer, motivational speaker, and the brains behind The Cheapskate Monthly, a newsletter and Web site (www.cheapsk8.com) dedicated to promoting the art of living within one's means, a message that grows ever more urgent as the average American family struggles each year to pay $1,200 in interest alone on revolving, unsecured debt.
While Hunt's previous books have echoed some consistent themes--debt bad, saving good--they've addressed a hodgepodge of different areas: building financial confidence in women and kids, doing Christmas without a stack of credit cards, tips for gourmet cooking at low cost. In Mary Hunt's Debt-Proof Living, Hunt finally puts together a financial primer for all--whether retirees trying to decide when to start drawing Social Security or teenagers ready to sign for their first college loans. Security, according to Hunt, is built with simple tools: tithing, saving, paying off debt, creating a contingency fund for emergencies, driving used cars, owning a home, having insurance.
Although Hunt's "been there, spent that" zeal and warmth have turned her into the Ann Landers of personal finance, she's not just an agony aunt for spendthrifts--business experts will find her a savvy marketer who's using her name and story to build, somewhat ironically, a very effective brand. That doesn't negate her sincerity, however, or the fact that her advice is sound, her formulas work, and her Rapid Debt Repayment Plan has kept increasing numbers of families out of bankruptcy. And finally, Mary Hunt's Debt-Proof Living is just a joy to read--its clarity and lack of condescension make it a perfect gift for anyone just starting to understand the basics of money. --Barrie Trinkle
Book Description
Getting out of debt is only part of the plan. The reader learns how to give, save and build wealth using the Contingency Plan and Freedom Account along with the authors sound and proven principles.
Customer Reviews:
Jesus saves... and pays his credit card bills!.......2007-09-11
There is nothing original in the prescriptions Mary Hunt gives to eliminate debt. On the bright side, it is easy to read and takes almost no effort to understand. On the other hand, I found the references to God and Jesus nauseating. No doubt Ms. Hart loves her religion, but mixing her religious beliefs with the simplistic ideas detailed in this book doesn't add anything. Try "Managing Debt for Dummies".
Debt proof living.......2007-08-24
Everyone should read this book and follow her steps. This is a great way to get out of debt.
Best Budget and Money book out!.......2007-07-16
I first checked this out of the Library but after the third time decieded I needed my own copy. Positive and not degrading like some of the other budget cash only spokes persons.
This book will change your financial life!.......2007-02-24
Pros: Common sense advice that anyone can follow! It WILL help you get your finances in order and help you change your perspective about the monetary side of life. They should make this a mandatory class for high school and/or college students. The website is extremely useful, as well.
Cons: For me, it was disheartening that I could not put the spending plan into immediate action. For someone who is in serious trouble, the advice she suggests may seem too daunting and too difficult to follow. I do not think this is a flaw on Hunt's behalf, but is more an indicator that people with high debt who are spending beyond their means truly need to make more serious and drastic changes to their way of living.
I have posted my personal experience with Hunt's Debt-Proof Living for you if you'd like to read about the positive possibilities that following Hunt's plan offers.
I read Debt-Proof Living two years ago. At that time, we had about $30,000 in credit card debt, we were paying nearly $3000/month on our mortgage, and my husband and I were both driving around in gas-guzzling shiny vehicles. The financial strain was beginning to take it's toll, putting strain on our relationship, our health, and on every aspect of our life. We were living beyond our means, sinking fast, and I reached for this book in desperation.
We were unable to start the spending plan right away because we did not have money to start it with. Every paycheck that came in went right out to keep bills paid just barely on time. As Mary suggested, this was a warning sign that we were living beyond our means and would need to make more drastic changes in order to get to a financially secure place.
First, we traded in my gas-guzzler for about $9000 and I bought a more economical $4000 used car. I still have it, and other than routine maintenance, we have incurred no other cost with it. It also cut our gas expenses significantly. We used the money to make some home improvements so we could put our house on the market. Unfortunately, it took almost a year for our house to sell. All the while we were now falling behind on our mortgage payments and incurring even more credit card debt maxing them all out at $50,000 before it was all said and done.
We finally sold our 3 acre, 4 bedroom, 4 bathroom home last August, we sold a lot our stuff, or just got rid of it, and we moved to a much more modest 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom home, with a small back yard. (I LOVE it!) That cut our mortgage payment by more than half, not to mention cutting my cleaning time by half, too. I took on a part-time job and my husband picked up some extra hours.
This year, we finally got to the place where we could use our tax return to fuel the spending plan suggested by Hunt. It is working like a dream! No more credit cards. We pay cash. If we can't pay cash for something, then we don't get it. We have a savings cushion for unexpected and expected emergencies. This is how it should be. Everyone in my family is happier!
While we are not out of the woods yet with the debt we have accumulated, we can see the light! Even better, if we stick with the spending plan, we will have our home and all of our debt paid off in just 9 years, saving over $100,000 in interest. It will take discipline, but it will leave us with about $40,000 a YEAR just burning a hole in our savings account!
While a total of eleven years, including the two years it took us to get this far, might seem like a long time to get out of debt, had we taken no action, we would have lost our home, and eventually would die of old age and still have the debt! It makes eleven years seem easy!
By following the plan, I have learned just how materialistic and foolish I had been with money. I learned that my family is just as happy, if not happier, with much less "stuff" and space than we had. I have learned to view society in a whole new light, realizing that we are over indulgent and need so much less than we think we need.
What is most important to remember when reading this book is that it is simple, common sense advice for a long term plan. The results that may or may not be seen instantly depending on your individual situation. But ANYONE can improve their financial outlook by following the suggestions in this book.
Ultimately, this book does not give you a band-aid to fix the boo-boos. It gives you a cure!
Ideas that work for everyone!.......2007-01-07
This was one of the first books I read this year as part of my New Year's Resolution to get out of debt. Of all the financial debt books I've read, this one is fantastic. No matter what stage of debt you're in, Mary Hunt's ideas are workable. One of the reasons I liked this book so much is that it gives a simple, easy to follow plan and then backs it up. There are only so many debt books you can read that say: save for retirement! Don't rack up debt! Well, duh. Here's a way to actually deal with it.
Amazon.com
Written in the present tense, First They Killed My Father will put you right in the midst of the action--action you'll wish had never happened. It's a tough read, but definitely a worthwhile one, and the author's personality and strength shine through on every page. Covering the years from 1975 to 1979, the story moves from the deaths of multiple family members to the forced separation of the survivors, leading ultimately to the reuniting of much of the family, followed by marriages and immigrations. The brutality seems unending--beatings, starvation, attempted rape, mental cruelty--and yet the narrator (a young girl) never stops fighting for escape and survival. Sad and courageous, her life and the lives of her young siblings provide quite a powerful example of how war can so deeply affect children--especially a war in which they are trained to be an integral part of the armed forces. For anyone interested in Cambodia's recent history, this book shares a valuable personal view of events. --Jill Lightner
Book Description
One of seven children of a high-ranking government official, Loung Ung lived a privileged life in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh until the age of five. Then, in April 1975, Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge army stormed into the city, forcing Ung's family to flee and, eventually, to disperse. Loung was trained as a child soldier in a work camp for orphans, her siblings were sent to labor camps, and those who survived the horrors would not be reunited until the Khmer Rouge was destroyed.
Harrowing yet hopeful, Loung's powerful story is an unforgettable account of a family shaken and shattered, yet miraculously sustained by courage and love in the face of unspeakable brutality.
Customer Reviews:
Everyone should make time for this book.......2007-10-08
We need this type of literature to remind us of the horror we are capable of inflicting, and the delight we are capable of inspiring. Here we have the opportunity to learn about the history of other countries and cultures and the effects of war and violence. By reading Ung's story, Americans can learn to appreciate that some immigrants and refugees to the United States have endured far more than we can even imagine.
Ung's story is told with the innocence and honesty of a child, even though her reality is riddled with hurt, grief, and despair. How is she able to survive the destruction and devastation of war? What makes her want to go on living? The chaos and randomness of life will make the reader see that each gift is a blessing.
Ung has learned to accept the responsibility that comes with survival. Why me...? What not me...? She states that by writing her book she was able to come to terms with many of the haunting details of her past. By writing about her fear and rage, she was able to face the "monsters" of her childhood as an adult. Telling her story was not about the money or the recognition, but about making people aware of what life was like for one family, for one little girl who grew up during the hell years of 1975-1979 in Cambodia. Though there is much anger and pain, it is the love of family and love of oneself that sees Ung through the trauma of war.
Captivating.......2007-10-05
With a story as tragic as this it is no wonder how the details are so vividly portrayed by Loung Ung. Her story captivates in essence the cruel and communist actions of the Khmer Rouge. As one of the few surviving family members, Loung proves how a love for her father helped her endure such a tragedy. However, she was not excluded from being subjected to the endless amount of pain, which created numerous psychological road blocks such as hatred and vengeance. This is clearly a story of heroism through endurance.
Breathtaking.......2007-08-31
I was interested in reading a book about the Cambodian Civil War, and this book gave me insights about the author's life story. The author Ung went through many emotional times with her family that had to do with survival. It made me cry many times... touched my heart. I recommend this to readers who are interested in the Cambodian war and would like to know what it's like to be in Loung Ung position during the time of chaos.
Read it with caution.......2007-08-18
The author was too young and her memories were not always reliable. Read it with caution. For instance, Ung wrote about a family trip to Angkor Wat, which took place in 1973 or 1974 when she "was only three or four years old" (p. 109). I had a discussion with a former Lon Nol soldier who was in Siem Reap at that time and he was adamant that Angkor Wat was not accessible because the Khmer Rouge was in full control of the area.
Cambodia had been fighting a civil war since 1970, so it is hard to believe that there were people vacationing at that time, especially in a region that was controlled by the Khmer Rouge. But the book contains a picture of the family trip to "Angkor Wat," which was taken at Wat Phnom, a temple in Phnom Penh.
Exaggerated stories of surviving atrocities are not unknown. It even exists within the Jewish community; for example, the story of Deli Strummer, which has been written in the Washington Post. I would compare "First They Killed My Father" to that of Holocaust survivor's Deli Strummer. If you want to read something poignant like that of Anne Frank, get Chanrithy Him's "When Broken Glass Floats."
She remembers for us to remember..........2007-05-15
In the epilogue, Loung thanks her editor, because she's says without the editing, we'd all be reading a much longer book. In this case, I would love to read "the much longer book".... I can't say enough positive about the book, even though I know it has received criticism. It's a first hand account of the same stories I've heard first hand over.. Stories that deserve to be retold so that hopefully they never have to be experienced again. Whether you are an academic with an interest in Cambodia / Southeast Asia or the casual reader, you will be haunted a young girl's life.. in " First They Killed My Father".[...]
Book Description
British battlecruisers were not a "failed design" as is so often claimed, but a very successful and revolutionary one that was critical to, and instrumental in, Britain winning the naval war of 1914-18. This book contains previously untapped evidence from the wrecks of the sunken battlecruisers and detailed analysis of admiralty records to show why Admiral Fisher's famous battlecruiser concept was a revolution that drew together technological breakthroughs, global communications and intelligence gathering to create the first worldwide rapid-response task force.
Customer Reviews:
Great.......2007-04-08
I realy liked this book. The author has spend a lot of effort reserching and producing an original work that argues well that these ships deserve more credit than they get.
Very slim but well work the read.
A good research source.......2007-03-14
Although this it is a small book, it is well researched. The illustrations are first rate. It is loaded with details and provides the best explanation of why the battlecruisers blew up so easily at the Battle of Jutland.
Quick refreshing read.......2007-02-09
This is a refreshing change; albeit in a very small volume (hence the 4 rather than 5 start Review). Rather than regurgitate the hackneyed "Battlecruisers were a flawed concept" the author puts forward a rather different angle - that of a successful concept ahead of its time (and probably technology). A concept that was brought into disrepute by the loses incurred through poor strategy and incorrect cordite handling procedures. Its a pity that the companion Volume (British Battlecruisers 1939-45) however Does not follow in this vain- instead it takes the traditional approach to the subject and absolutely contradicts statements made in this volume. It I a pity tat the authors on these two volumes did not collaborate to provide a consistent theme to this story. Of the two I recommend this one because of the difference in view-The second volume adds nothing new to the subject
A Cut Above the Rest in New Vanguard.......2006-09-26
Naval aficionado Lawrence Burr has done something fairly unusual in an Osprey New Vanguard volume - he has introduced an original thesis and used the slim 48-page format to defend it, as well as to describe the actual subject in some detail. There is nothing stale or rehashed in this volume, but rather, a fresh look at a well-known story. Burr begins by stating that the standard view of British battlecruisers - that they were a flawed design and dangerously underarmored - is incorrect. Instead, Burr writes that, "British battlecruisers were a highly successful class of warship" and proceeds to defend his thesis with great vigor. Furthermore, the author's narrative on the Battle of Jutland provides fresh insight on that much-debated battle, which should also give the reader pause to consider the battlecruiser's role in that action.
There is some similarity between this volume and the earlier NV volume by Angus Konstam on "British Battlecruisers 1939-45," but the overall approach in this volume is far more analysis-based than the previous title. The author spends about a dozen pages discussing the development of the battlecruiser concept under Admiral Fisher in 1904, which the author describes as the marriage of speed, firepower and global communications to produce a weapons system that could be wielded to defend Britain's far-flung interests. However, the execution of Fisher's concept was under undermined when a new First Sea Lord, Admiral Wilson, was appointed in 1910 and he began to tinker with the armament of the battlecruisers. The author notes that Wilson imposed an inferior fire control system upon all but one of the battlecruisers (HMS Queen Mary) and rejected development of improved armor-piercing shells. These two mistakes would cost the battlecruisers dearly at the Battle of Jutland in 1916 and sully their reputation. The color plates in this volume by Tony Bryan are excellent and include the normal plan and side views, as well as a view of the underwater wreck of HMS Invincible.
The middle of the volume then has a brief description of each class of battlecruiser, along with its basic data, but there is somewhat less technical detail than in Konstam's earlier volume. Given the space limitations, the author could not squeeze everything in and this is where he decided to skimp. The section on battlecruisers at war is rather detailed for such a small volume and begins with the action at the Heligoland Bight (he does omit the role of British battlecruisers in the pursuit of the German battlecruiser Goeben in 1914, which might have impacted on his thesis), the Battle of the Falklands, Dogger Bank and the Dardnelles bombardment. He then devotes seven pages to Jutland and describes the battlecruiser's role in detail. The section on Jutland best supports the author's thesis that it was ineffective gunnery rather than weak armor that lead to the loss of three British battlecruisers at Jutland. The author, who was involved in recent underwater expeditions to the wrecks of Jutland, then uses modern underwater evaluations of the wreck to further support his thesis that sloppy ammunition handling procedures in the turrets of the British battlecruisers was more responsible for their loss than inadequate armor plate. Certainly the author does an admirable job expounding his thesis and he is fairly convincing, although he omits to mention that there are still some details that don't fit into his hypothesis. For example, the British supposedly rectified the deficiencies noted in their battlecruisers at Jutland, but then 25 years later HMS Hood - not much different from a WW1 battlecruiser - sank after an explosion not unlike what happened to the three lost battlecruisers at Jutland. So maybe inadequate armor was a factor after all. In any event, this volume is well-worth having for its thought-provoking analysis, excellent color plates and incisive battle analysis.
Amazon.com
Primary Colors author Joe Klein offers a nonfictional take on his favorite subject, Bill Clinton, whom he describes as both "the most talented politician of his generation" and "the most compelling." Klein is of two minds when it comes to the man from Hope: he is at once disappointed by Clinton's failure to achieve greatness, but also a defender of what Clinton did do. He can be unremittingly harsh about the 42nd president's personal shortcomings: "Bill Clinton often seemed the apotheosis of his generation's alleged sins: moral relativism, the tendency to pay more attention to marketing than to substance, the solipsistic callowness." Yet he also credits Clinton with running "a serious, substantive presidency" whose chief success was dragging "Washington toward a recognition that a revised form of government activism might be appropriate in the anarchy of an instant economy." Klein is a smart and engrossing writer, and The Natural is an honest liberal's best effort to explain eight controversial years. Readers who supported Clinton will discover new insights into why he didn't accomplish more; those who opposed him will gain a sharper understanding of why he remained so popular with the public. --John Miller
Book Description
Joe Klein, best-selling author of Primary Colors and one of our most brilliant political analysts, now tackles the subject he knows best: Bill Clinton. Astute, even-handed, and keenly intelligent, The Natural is the only book to read if you want to understand exactly what happened–to the military, to the economy, to the American people, to the country–during Bill Clinton’s presidency, and how the decisions made during his tenure affect all of us today.
Much has been written about Clinton, but The Natural is the first work to cut through the gossip, scandals, media hype, and emotional turbulence that Clinton always engendered, to step back and rationally analyze the eight years of his tenure, a period during which America rose to unprecedented levels of prosperity. Joe Klein puts that record into perspective, showing us what worked and what didn’t, exactly what was accomplished and why, and who was responsible for the successes and the failures.
We see how the Clinton White House functioned on the inside, how it dealt with the maneuvers of Congress and the Gingrich revolution, and who held power and made the decisions during the endless crises that beset the administration. Klein’s access to the White House over the years as a journalist gave him a prime spot from which to view every crucial event–both political and personal–and he sets them forth in an insightful, readable, and completely engrossing manner.
The Natural is stern in its criticism and convincing with its praise. It will cause endless debate amongst friends and foes of the Clinton administration. It is a book that anyone interested in contemporary politics, in American history, or in the functioning of our democracy, should read.
From the Hardcover edition.
Download Description
Joe Klein, best-selling author of Primary Colors and one of our most brilliant political analysts, now tackles the subject he knows best: Bill Clinton.
Astute, even-handed, and keenly intelligent, The Natural is the only book to read if you want to understand exactly what happened -- to the military, to the economy, to the American people, to the country -- during Bill Clinton's presidency, and how the decisions made during his tenure affect all of us today.
Much has been written about Clinton, but The Natural is the first work to cut through the gossip, scandals, media hype, and emotional turbulence that Clinton always engendered, to step back and rationally analyze the eight years of his tenure, a period during which America rose to unprecedented levels of prosperity. Joe Klein puts that record into perspective, showing us what worked and what didn't, exactly what was accomplished and why, and who was responsible for the successes and the failures.
We see how the Clinton White House functioned on the inside, how it dealt with the maneuvers of Congress and the Gingrich revolution, and who held power and made the decisions during the endless crises that beset the administration. Klein's access to the White House over the years as a journalist gave him a prime spot from which to view every crucial event -- both political and personal -- and he sets them forth in an insightful, readable, and completely engrossing manner.
The Natural is stern in its criticism and convincing with its praise. It will cause endless debate amongst friends and foes of the Clinton administration. It is a book that anyone interested in contemporary politics, in American history, or in the functioning of our democracy, should read.
"Joe Klein knew Bill Clinton before the rest of us did. Now he reminds us what we forgot -- and what history will remember. The best book yet on an astonishing presidency."
H.W. BRANDS, AUTHOR OF THE FIRST AMERICAN AND T.R.: THE LAST ROMANTIC
"Any one of Joe Klein's skills -- dogged reporting, a thorough, subtle grasp of issues, and a clear-eyed, compelling style -- would make him the envy of most political journalists. By putting all of these skills to work on such a rich subject as Bill Clinton, Klein has produced the first indispensable book on the Clinton Presidency. He has performed the almost impossible task of fighting past the melodramas and sex farces to ask -- and answer -- the question so often obscured by the larger-than-life Clinton persona: 'What kind of President was this?' Friend or foe of the forty-second President, you will find your judgments challenged by this book."
JEFF GREENFIELD, HOST OF CNN'S GREENFIELD AT LARGE AND AUTHOR OF OH WAITER! ONE ORDER OF CROW
"When they talk about the first draft of history, this is the epitome of what they mean."
JOSEPH J. ELLIS, AUTHOR OF
FOUNDING BROTHERS AND
AMERICAN SPHINX
Customer Reviews:
A fair but ultimately very sad book.......2007-09-07
Joe Klein takes a detailed, dispassionate look at the Clinton Presidency. He takes great pains to put it in perspective, both generational (Baby Boomers take over from the WWII Generation) and international (pre-9/11). He acknowledges that it took Clinton a while to get a handle on being President, and bemoans how much was opportunity was squandered because of the President's own failings. Yes, Klein opines (and I agree) that Bill Clinton is one of the most staggeringly bright and naturally gifted men to ever hold the White House. But he also nails Clinton on character issues, even beyond Monica Lewinsky (once referring to the President as "a bimbo when he comes to flattery"). When you're done with the book, you appreciate all the nuanced things Clinton accomplished, but you're heartbroken over what he could have done, if not for the inexcusable distractions.
Clinton's intense but flawed humanity is what makes him interesting.......2007-01-25
This short, fast-moving book on Bill Clinton forsakes a historian's detailed and measured treatment to get at the essence of this man's presidency. Because it's more like a magazine article than a doorstop, you're likely to actually read it, maybe in one sitting.
The book has become timely again, in light of Hillary Clinton's presidential bid. The "Hillaryland" liberal faction split the White House of her husband, elected as a "Third Way" moderate. Her premature insistence on addressing health care was the most grievous policy error of her husband's presidency. And Hillary's unbelievably complicated proposal, concocted in secret, showed no political sense. Aides described how Hillary could drive Bill, with a phone call, from a good mood to a staff-chastising tantrum, and how they distinguish those tantrums by the tone of his shouting.
She comes across as the more conspiratorial and paranoid of the two, an uncompromising liberal true-believer pursuing a scorched-earth policy against enemies. Sort of like, uh, that president she helped impeach, Richard Nixon. You wonder how she, and this country, would fare with her in the Oval Office.
Klein does not see this as a sham marriage, though. While ever aware they might be playing him, he sees them as devoted to each other.
One of his best chapters describes how Washington's culture of political warfare began with Watergate, intensified through the endless Iran-Contra investigations and the attack-ad era and culminated in the Gingrich speakership and the relentless Whitewater, Paula Jones and Lewinsky investigations.
Clinton failed his potential for several reasons. The placid Nineties were too tame for a truly great presidency. After the healthcare miscalculation, he never seized another opportunity to remake major domestic policy. And the impeachment scandal fatally distracted him in 1998 when he had the budget surplus and standing with Congress to make a real mark by fixing Social Security.
Like a charcoal sketcher, Klein has a fine eye for quick but telling detail. He sees Clinton as needy of praise and human contact. He'd keep dazed listeners awake into the wee hours, talking more and more intensely, unwilling to let the moment go.
Klein describes bowling with him one midnight just before the New Hampshire primary, after the candidate enters but finds the emptied-out joint devoid of hands to shake. Klein, awaiting his turn in the lane, would find Clinton standing so close he pressed up against him, seeming to crave human contact. Clinton's intense but flawed humanity is what makes him interesting, and endlessly so.
Pleasurable Read.......2005-11-29
The book shows that a journalist wrote it. That wasn't meant to be as backhanded as it seems. The stories about Clinton et al are those we can recall, this isn't a back room exposé full of conspiracy theory.
A good journalist (at least) writes as if he has something to tell you. Only in the last chapter does Klein really subject the reader to an opinion piece.
If you were alive at all for the eight years of Clinton's presidency then...no, none of this is really "new" or "insightful" but I, for one, found it none the less interesting.
A very Objective Look at Clinton.......2005-04-23
I have to admit that Klein's book about the Clinton presidency is one of the most objective accounts of Clinton I have ever seen. Although friendly with the ex-prez, Klein pulls no punches and presents Clinton's presidency warts and all. In the end we all know what Clinton did, but Klein gives us more insight as to the "whys" of his actions. Is Clinton the greatest president of all time? No. Is he the worst? Not even close. If all books on presidents were written as objectively as this one, we would all have a better understanding of what makes these men tick.
Is Clinton a better president than W? You tell me: peace and prosperity vs. war, a declining stock market, and skyrocketing gas prices.
too short, unorganized.......2004-06-20
I got the impression that Mr. Klein just threw together a bunch of odds & ends he had left over from another book and notes -- the way they made the movie "Midway" out of edit-outs from "Tora, Tora, Tora!"
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The Natural: the Misunderstood Presidency of Bill Clinton.(Book Review) (book review): An article from: Presidential Studies Quarterly
Donald II Raber
Manufacturer: Center for the Study of the Presidency
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
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ASIN: B0008DARTS
Release Date: 2005-07-31 |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Presidential Studies Quarterly, published by Center for the Study of the Presidency on March 1, 2003. The length of the article is 813 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: The Natural: the Misunderstood Presidency of Bill Clinton.(Book Review) (book review)
Author: Donald II Raber
Publication:
Presidential Studies Quarterly (Refereed)
Date: March 1, 2003
Publisher: Center for the Study of the Presidency
Volume: 33
Issue: 1
Page: 250(2)
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Product Description
The author "takes readers behind the scenes of Bill Clinton's presidency. Both sides of Clinton's two terms are revealed and examined as Klein recounts the former president's very public personal failures and often overlooked political successes".
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ISO's View on Stellar Evolution (Astrophysics and Space Science, Vol 255, Nos 1-2 1997/1998)
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0792351525 |
Book Description
This conference proceedings contains review papers and contributed papers discussing early results from the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) on the subject of stellar evolution. Three topics have been emphasized in the book: young stellar objects and Vega-type stars, circumstellar matter of massive stars, and late stages of stellar evolution. The very rich harvest of new results from ISO is demonstrated by the many discoveries of new solid state and molecular bands in the spectra of stars and circumstellar shells, and by spectacular images of circumstellar and interstellar matter. The book is intended for professional astronomers and students.
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