Amazon.com
"Until one morning in mid-November of 1959, few Americans--in fact, few Kansans--had ever heard of Holcomb. Like the waters of the river, like the motorists on the highway, and like the yellow trains streaking down the Santa Fe tracks, drama, in the shape of exceptional happenings, had never stopped there." If all Truman Capote did was invent a new genre--journalism written with the language and structure of literature--this "nonfiction novel" about the brutal slaying of the Clutter family by two would-be robbers would be remembered as a trail-blazing experiment that has influenced countless writers. But Capote achieved more than that. He wrote a true masterpiece of creative nonfiction. The images of this tale continue to resonate in our minds: 16-year-old Nancy Clutter teaching a friend how to bake a cherry pie, Dick Hickock's black '49 Chevrolet sedan, Perry Smith's Gibson guitar and his dreams of gold in a tropical paradise--the blood on the walls and the final "thud-snap" of the rope-broken necks.
Book Description
On November 15, 1959, in the small town of Holcomb, Kansas, four members of the Clutter family were savagely murdered by blasts from a shotgun held a few inches from their faces. There was no apparent motive for the crime, and there were almost no clues.
As Truman Capote reconstructs the murder and the investigation that led to the capture, trial, and execution of the killers, he generates both mesmerizing suspense and astonishing empathy.
In Cold Blood is a work that transcends its moment, yielding poignant insights into the nature of American violence.
Download Description
With the publication of this book, Capote permanently ripped through the barrier separating crime reportage from serious literature. As he reconstructs the 1959 murder of a Kansas farm family and the investigation that led to the capture, trial, and execution of the killers, Capote generates suspense and empathy.
Customer Reviews:
Too cluttered.......2007-10-14
The violent murders of Herbert and Bonnie Clutter and their two youngest children: Nancy and Kenyon in 1959 became a media sensation as these violent crimes are wont to do. Inspired by a 300 word summary of the crime in the New York Times, Capote and long time friend Harper Lee headed west to interview everyone associated with the crime. The result of six year's work was In Cold Blood.
Reading the book clarified in my mind just how well I still remember the film and confirmed that I still am not a fan of true-crime (or the nonfiction novel as Capote called his book). The work is well researched and well written but it wasn't a page-turner for me.
The book suffers from an information overload and a lack of organization. Capote seems lost under all these witness testimonies, not sure what to keep, what to cut and where to put things. Things stumble along in a more or less chronological order but without the benefit of logical segues between interviews.
Quite Cold, Indeed.......2007-10-06
It is a testament to Truman Capote's ability that he was able to take a small yet disturbing blurb in the New York Times and not only write a compelling book about it, but create a new literary form, the nonfiction novel, and also turn the story into an American classic. IN COLD BLOOD fully deserves the accolades that have been heaped upon it since its publication.
That newspaper blurb, of course, was about the mysterious murders of the Clutter family (father Herbert, mother Bonnie, and teenagers Nancy and Kenyon) in the small, isolated town of Holcomb, Kansas. At first, it was unclear why the family had been slaughtered and it was thought to be the work of a psychopathic killer. That such psychopathy flared up in America's heartland made the story all the more disturbing. After all, everyone knows all the weirdos and lunatics were supposed to live in New York or San Francisco. To think that they were right in our midst...
Capote's detailed (and controversial!) studies of the murders take us so deep into the story it is like we were really there. Using the techniques of fiction and applying them to a non-fiction story, Capote brings the real life tragedy to life a second time around. This is particularly disturbing with respect to the two men who committed the crime, Dick Hickock and Perry Smith. IN COLD BLOOD probably is the first book of its kind to give the readers such an accurate portrait into the minds and personalities of such brutal killers.
What strikes the reader hard is that, of the two criminals, it is the actual trigger man, Perry Smith, who is the more tender and emotionally vulnerable. That Dick Hickock seems, by every measure imaginable, to be a harsher person than his compatriot is juxtaposed powerfully with Hickock's own complaints that he is the only person on death row who did not actually kill anyone. We now know, of course, that Capote developed some type of emotional relationship with Perry Smith while researching the book and so it is up to the reader to determine how much this might have clouded Capote's judgment and writings on him.
Despite the bleakness of the story, IN COLD BLOOD is written in a very feminine and flowery style. If Capote's homosexuality were not widely known, one could almost assume as much by this. Again, this creates a jarring juxtaposition for the reader, as he is confronted with the darkest corners of depravity.
Anyone who visits the true crime section of a bookstore is confronted with books basically reeking of schlock. A good writer, however, can turn the average, or even below average, subject and elevate it to new heights. This is what Truman Capote did. IN COLD BLOOD is very cold, indeed.
Read the book before the movie!.......2007-10-05
This was a wonderful book, but I made the mistake of seeing the movie and then I had a biased. I enjoyed this.
Capote's Masterpiece Is Full Of Thrills, Suspense, And Incredible Prose.......2007-09-24
When Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood" was published in 1966, it became an international bestseller and was lauded by the critics. Now, over forty years later, "In Cold Blood" remains the crowning achievemt of Capote's career as a writer. Capote's skill as a journalist and natural talent as a writer combine to create the definitive American true crime book. Whether you prefer nonfiction or fiction, Capote's true account of mass murder and it's consequences is sure to please!
As Good as it Gets.......2007-09-19
In Cold Blood is incredibly well written. Unlike many of his short stories, the prose is clean and not overly adorned. Without moralizing, he simply tells the story of one of the most random and nonsensical murders of his time. In my opinion, Capote wrote one great book, and this is it.
Amazon.com
The largely blue collar citizens of Kansas can be counted upon to be a "red" state in any election, voting solidly Republican and possessing a deep animosity toward the left. This, according to author Thomas Frank, is a pretty self-defeating phenomenon, given that the policies of the Republican Party benefit the wealthy and powerful at the great expense of the average worker. According to Frank, the conservative establishment has tricked Kansans, playing up the emotional touchstones of conservatism and perpetuating a sense of a vast liberal empire out to crush traditional values while barely ever discussing the Republicans' actual economic policies and what they mean to the working class. Thus the pro-life Kansas factory worker who listens to Rush Limbaugh will repeatedly vote for the party that is less likely to protect his safety, less likely to protect his job, and less likely to benefit him economically. To much of America, Kansas is an abstract, "where Dorothy wants to return. Where Superman grew up." But Frank, a native Kansan, separates reality from myth in What's the Matter with Kansas and tells the state's socio-political history from its early days as a hotbed of leftist activism to a state so entrenched in conservatism that the only political division remaining is between the moderate and more-extreme right wings of the same party. Frank, the founding editor of The Baffler and a contributor to Harper's and The Nation, knows the state and its people. He even includes his own history as a young conservative idealist turned disenchanted college Republican, and his first-hand experience, combined with a sharp wit and thorough reasoning, makes his book more credible than the elites of either the left and right who claim to understand Kansas. --John Moe
Book Description
With a New Afterword by the Author
The New York Times bestseller, praised as "hilariously funny . . . the only way to understand why so many Americans have decided to vote against their own economic and political interests" (Molly Ivins)
Hailed as "dazzlingly insightful and wonderfully sardonic" (Chicago Tribune), "very funny and very painful" (San Francisco Chronicle), and "in a different league from most political books" (The New York Observer), What's the Matter with Kansas? unravels the great political mystery of our day: Why do so many Americans vote against their economic and social interests? With his acclaimed wit and acuity, Thomas Frank answers the riddle by examining his home state, Kansas-a place once famous for its radicalism that now ranks among the nation's most eager participants in the culture wars. Charting what he calls the "thirty-year backlash"-the popular revolt against a supposedly liberal establishment-Frank reveals how conservatism, once a marker of class privilege, became the creed of millions of ordinary Americans.
A brilliant analysis-and funny to boot-What's the Matter with Kansas? is a vivid portrait of an upside-down world where blue-collar patriots recite the Pledge while they strangle their life chances; where small farmers cast their votes for a Wall Street order that will eventually push them off their land; and where a group of frat boys, lawyers, and CEOs has managed to convince the country that it speaks on behalf of the People.
Customer Reviews:
don't have to read the book.......2007-10-09
I don't care what state you live in, a democratic agenda (modern) is the most economically disadvantaged direction you can choose anywhere in the USA. Therefore I do not need to read the book to know that even with the sad state of the republican party today, it is preferable to the democratic party. However i plan on reading this book to understand what can possibly make the author write such a book directed at a state. (know your enemy)
don't waste your money.......2007-09-20
Do not buy this book. I came prepared to love it, I was really looking forward to an insightful, informed, inside view of this remarkable political 180 of our times. That is simply not this book. It may be well researched, but it is so poorly written that it is nearly impossible to find out. Negative, back-biting, harsh, judgemental, bad-mouthing, blame-the-other-guy psuedo "politics" IF you can call it "policits". Politically themed finger pointing is more like it.
The Land of Oz.......2007-09-15
The author writes a somewhat satirical look at middle America 's political affliations. He has two major thesis. The first being that by the Democrats trying to copy Republicans-and money interests have turned their backs on blue collar workers. These workers have only the social issues to make their political choices. The second part of the thesis ,is that the money interests of the backlash movement (as he calls conservative Republicans) have just payed lip service to ending abortion and gay marriage etc.
So the effect of this is to have a reverse French Revolution in which the common man votes Republican and against his/her economic interests. So farming communities shrivel up,unions die,people go without health care.
Frank a native Kansan explores with humor and interviews peeople of the backlash movement.He bemoans the fact that populism -a left wing philospohy born in the mid west is dead. William Jennings Bryan a fundamentalist Christion was a liberal Democratic Senator from Nebraska.He explores this transformation and his diagnosis would make Clinton supportors and free market libertarians both angry. Since he offend both ends of the sprecta his observations should be taken seriously.
Certainly their are flaws in his thesis. if the Republican party is only paying lip service to social issues ,why are Democrats so afraid of their Supreme Court picks. If Clinton was in the pay of moneyied interests why was the right so moblized against Hillary's health care plan ?
This is a provacative book that explains Red and White state differences and the psycholgy of political self delusion (Blue collar people voting for big moneu interests)
thought-provoking, albeit hackneyed, look at America's Third Estate.......2007-08-02
Looking at Kansas today, it seems hard to believe that the archetypal American Heartland was once a hotbed of left-wing populism. "What's the Matter With Kansas?" shows us a bizarre socio-political landscape where a rural-suburban proletariat ardently defends corporate privilege in hopes that there will be an abortion ban or flag-burning amendment in it for them somewhere down the line.
Given Thomas Frank is a native Kansan, the detached tone he takes in his survey is disappointing. At many points, he comes across as preachy and high-minded to the point that you almost understand why the people of Kansas are so wary of "liberal elites". Rather than focusing on the lack of corporate accountability and excess that bring about the layoffs and cutbacks that hurt working class Americans, Frank takes swings at NAFTA and the many other trade policies that helped make the economic salad years of the 1990s possible.
While it becomes clear that in many cases the white Protestant gun-owning Average Joe is making a mistake when he votes Republican, Frank makes a grave mistake when he turns his nose up at the social and religious values this stratum of society holds so dear. He overlooks the fact that liberals are guilty of this same indulgence of principles. If it's so irrational for a churchgoing factory worker in Kansas to vote for a Republican corporate shill in order to protect his Second Amendment rights, why does it make any more sense for a Harvard-educated six-figure-earning professional to vote Democratic and have his taxes hiked up for the sake of protecting the Roe v. Wade decision?
Frank also overlooks the fact that Kansas was reliably Republican for years before the conservative backlash of the 1980s. Kansas was a Red State back when the GOP was still the party of Dwight Eisenhower, Nelson Rockefeller and Gerald Ford (and the people who would eventually make up the neo-conservative Republican coalition were still Conservative Democrats).
As a moderate Republican who happens to support affordable higher education, I was particularly offended by Frank's portrayal of Kansas' "Mod Squad" as arrogant corporatists. All in all, Thomas Frank has raised a lot of important questions, but his survey of the state he grew up in seems sadly detached and out-of-touch.
Well-written, entertaining but fails to live up to the title.......2007-07-08
Thomas Frank stated purpose is to tell how Conservative won the hearts of the working class, the middle class and the rich all at the same time. His answer is that rich, Republican elites throw up red herring issues (abortion and gay marriage are two that he mentions frequently) that bamboozle the working poor and the middle class into supporting them and their greater cause of Free Market Capitalism and International Free Trade even though Capitalism and treaties such as NAFTA inevitably beat the little guy into a pulp (his thought, not mine).
Yep. That's about it, although Mr. Frank says it much better than I just did. He also never goes into detail about why Capitalism and Free Trade are both evil (he just assumes you agree, I suppose), although he is very critical of Bill Clinton for supporting NAFTA throughout the book. Big business, especially Wal-Mart, are also to blame for de-populating the Kansas countryside. Apparantly, Wal-Mart has some larger agenda in which they plan to drive their customers away from the stores they build in the country...
Seriously, the book would have been helped by further explanation as to why Mr. Frank is such an opponent of Capitalism. He has another book on just that subject, according to a tiny bit of research on my part. It might be a help if readers read that book first, especially in light of Mr. Frank's view that all politics is based in economics: "Most of us think of politics as a Machiavellian drama in which actors make alliances and take practical steps to advance their material interests." (p. 121)
Mr. Frank's fails to properly tell us "How conservatives wone the heart of America" because he does not really believe, deep down, that people will vote in ways that he sees that are economically disadvantageous (Free Trade, etc.) unless they are tricked into doing so. People really believing in other issues and voting for them are foreign to his way of thinking.
This teacher gives it a C-. Thomas Frank really fails to adaquately address the thesis of the book, as expressed by the title. Interesting readiing, nonetheless.
Book Description
Unravel the Mysteries of the Financial Markets—the Language, the Players, and the Strategies for Success
Understanding money and investing has never been more important than it is today, as many of us are called upon to manage our own retirement planning, college savings funds, and health-care costs. Up-to-date and expertly written, The Wall Street Journal Complete Money and Investing Guidebook provides investors with a simple—but not simplistic—grounding in the world of finance. It breaks down the basics of how money and investing work, explaining:
• What must-have information you need to invest in stocks, bonds, and mutual funds
• How to see through the inscrutable theories and arcane jargon of financial insiders and advisers
• What market players, investing strategies, and money and investing history you should know
• Why individual investors should pay attention to the economy
Written in a clear, engaging style by Dave Kansas, one of America’s top business journalists and editor of The Wall Street Journal Money & Investing section, this straightforward book is full of helpful charts, graphs, and illustrations and is an essential source for novice and experienced investors alike.
Get your financial life in order with help from The Wall Street Journal.
Look for:
• The Wall Street Journal Complete Personal Finance Guidebook
• The Wall Street Journal Personal Finance Workbook
• The Wall Street Journal Complete Real Estate Investing Guidebook
Customer Reviews:
An Excellent beginner's overview.......2007-07-20
In concurrence with other customer reviews, this is an excellent book on the fundamentals of investing. The only reason I didn't rate it 5 stars is because the author doesn't address the question so many beginners often pose, "what is a stock?". He provides excellent easy-to-read descriptions of practically every major investing vehicle, but just doesn't broach this most elementary of questions.
Great starter!.......2007-06-16
If you want to be able to understand what the market pros are talking about on CNN, make this book your first pick. You'll learn mostly how the market works and how to use the tools of investing -- more so than how to make big bucks.
Gift.......2007-03-18
I purchased this book for someone else who asked for it as a gift ... all I can say is that they were VERY happy with it and seemed quite thankful that I'd decided to get it for them. Wall Street Journal publications have been, in my experience, excellent for their intended audience and this one seems to be consistent with that track record.
Great starter book.......2007-01-30
For those people out there who are absolutely new to investing this is the first book that you must read. It will help you understand exactly how the stock market works and teach you all the technical jargon that would normally confuse the hell out of you.
Perfect book for those looking to start investing.......2006-06-29
I could'nt figure out all those tables in the Wall Street Journal before reading this book. I'm reading it twice because each page is chalk full of info. Buy if you want to start learning how money works. Great book
Book Description
From the celebrated creators of the ever pupular Three Dog Bakery, the world's first bakery for dogs, comes a fun-filled collection of easy-to-make gourmutt meals and treats designed to keep dogs healthy, happy, and drooling from ear to ear. It's the cookbook that gives "baked-from-scratch" a whole new meaning!
With more than thirty bakeries across the U.S., Canada, and Asia (and more on the way!), a thriving Internet and mail-order business, and products featured in retail stores nationwide, Mark Beckloff and Dan Dye of the Three Dog Bakery have baked tasty treats for pampered pooches around the world. In Cooking the Three Dog Bakery Way, now you can learn to cook these canine-inspired creations at home.
The sixty recipes collected here focus on simplicity, using human-quality ingredients that can readily be found in the everyday kitchen pantry. You will be able to whip up deleashous foods that will make your dog smile, sit up, and beg for more! Many traditional dog foods are manufactured from the lowest-grade ingredients, but in Cooking the Three Dog Bakery Way, you will learn to prepare flavorful foods for your furry four-legged best friend. The delicious delicacies—including Say Cheese! Chasers, Biscotti Bites, PupOvers, Yip Yap Banana Snaps, and Labrador Lasagna—were developed using ingredients approved by one of the nation's top animal nutritionists, and dog-tested by the authors’ own beloved pack of hounds.
In addition to the recipes, you will also find health tips, nutritional facts, basic grooming and training information, charming illustrations, and plenty of pet-loving puns, making Cooking the Three Dog Bakery Way irresistible for anyone who loves a dog.
Customer Reviews:
If it's for personal use.......2007-08-14
If you bought this book for personal use then it's a great book but if you bought it to help with a home business, many of the recipes will not last long. A lot of the recipies I didn't think I would use for my personal pet either. But just to say, I like shopping at their stores.
Four Dogs Eating the Three Dog Bakery Way.......2007-06-21
I recently purchased this book. Like others, I originally heard about Three Dog Bakery because of the book 'Amazing Gracie,' by the founders of Three Dog Bakery. We don't have a local Bakery so I thought it would be nice to try our four dogs on some of the recipes the Bakery suggested.
My dogs, in a word, SCARFED down everything I made. We've done a number of the cookie recipes thus far - all to the tail wagging delight of our four furry friends. We frequent a local dog park and not a dog turned up his or her nose at these treats.
In addition to the fun, easy and healthy treats and meals in this book there are numerous entertaining and informative snippets of information for the dog lover.
I would recommend this book to others who want to offer a healthy alternative to pre-packaged dog food and treats.
cooking for your dog.......2007-06-20
I have been making my dogs food for about 5 years now and am always looking for new ideas. My daugter gave me this book as a gift and I have been having a ball with it. But, best of all, my two girls( 9and13 yrs border collies) are loving it!
Our boy likes the treats.......2007-04-01
So far I only baked treats, but the rest of the recipes look rather yummy. I strongly recommend it.
Easy cooking for the pups........2006-11-10
Many great recipes to try. All of my choices, so far, have been easy to manage.
Customer Reviews:
A Classic for any Cookbook Collection.......2006-12-14
I have had this cookbook since it was first published and I still find that it is one of the cookbooks that I reach for most often. Beautiful photography. I don't hesitate to try a new recipe on company as I've never had a failure. I consider it to be a "Classic".
Best cookbook in my collection.......2006-02-21
This is one of those cookbooks that you can pick up hours before a dinner party, open it to any page, make the dish and have rave reviews. There are VERY few dishes in here that aren't good.
This is an older cookbook, but definitely worth looking into adding to your collection!
A Genuine Gem!.......2005-01-16
Beyond Parsley is one cookbook I always have nearby -- and I have many, many cookbooks. I am renowned among my family members and friends for e-mailing special recipes -- and many have come from this special gem. I have too many favorites in the book to list but if I had to select just ONE, I would choose Cossack Cheese. That one is a WINNER in every respect, and has gained the love of people around the US to whom I have sent the recipe. D. Ray Fuller Jr., Dallas, Texas
The one cook book you must have!.......2003-07-15
We would go hungry without this book! This is the cook book we use far and away more than any other. We have even started some family holiday traditions from the recipes i.e. the green beans with pears - amazing! You never have to worry about making a recipe because they are all fantastic. It is a regular gift from us and we have been told many times it's the receivers new favorite cook book as well. Buy it, it is any cook's must have!
Delicious recipes, beautifully presented.......2000-12-06
This is probably my all-time favorite cookbook (and I have many, many cookbooks). The recipes range from simple to prepare meals for a busy weeknight to elegant meals for entertaining guests or clients. My family's favorites are the Chicken Romano (very easy, very elegant) and the Mizzou Barbecue Sauce. I whipped up an extra-large batch of the BBQ sauce last year and gave it with my grandma's brisket recipe to our friends and neighbors. They raved about how good it was (and well it should be given that Kansas City is famous for having some of the world's finest barbecue). The cookbook also has inventive and tasty vegetable, dessert and pasta recipes, as well as a brunch section which I use every year for a Christmas brunch. I highly recommend this book. If you love to cook, you will not be disappointed.
Average customer rating:
- twister on tuesday
- twister on tuesday
- MY BOY LOVES READING IT
- magic, danger, history
- TWISTER!!!!!!!
|
Twister On Tuesday (Magic Tree House #23)
Mary Pope Osborne
Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Action & Adventure
| Literature
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic
| Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror
| Literature
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Literature
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Fiction
| Nature
| Science, Nature & How It Works
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ages 4-8
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ages 9-12
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Paperback
| Magic Tree House
| Early Reader
| Series
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Osborne, Mary Pope
| ( O )
| Authors & Illustrators, A-Z
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ages 4-8
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Ages 9-12
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
( O )
| Authors & Illustrators, A-Z
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Action & Adventure
| Literature
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Literature
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic
| Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror
| Literature
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Fiction
| Nature
| Science, Nature & How It Works
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Magic Tree House
| Early Reader
| Series
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
All 4-for-3 Deals
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Earthquake in the Early Morning (Magic Tree House #24) (A Stepping Stone Book(TM))
-
Revolutionary War On Wednesday (Magic Tree House 22, paper)
-
Civil War On Sunday (Magic Tree House #21)
-
Stage Fright on a Summer Night (Magic Tree House #25)
-
Dingoes At Dinnertime (Magic Tree House 20, paper)
ASIN: 0679890696
Release Date: 2001-03-27 |
Amazon.com
In book 23 of the Magic Tree House, award-winning author Mary Pope Osborne's popular young adventure series, siblings Jack and Annie travel back to American pioneer times. Their task, assigned by mysterious Camelot librarian Morgan le Fay, is to find "something to learn." When their magic tree house alights on a Kansas prairie in the 1870s, Jack and Annie quickly find a one-room schoolhouse with classes in session. Something to learn! After an all-too-brief school day, the two return to the tree house with their mission completed. But wait: "In the distance, twisting black clouds had dropped out of the storm clouds. They swirled into a funnel shape." A twister! And the young teacher and students in the school don't realize there's a storm cellar under the floor. Jack and Annie must brave the howling winds to return and save their new friends.
Osborne's insatiable devotees will devour her latest adventure story, following Civil War on Sunday, Revolutionary War on Wednesday, and all the other titles in this exciting series. What better way to learn about history than to travel through time and space, experiencing it firsthand? (Ages 6 to 9) --Emilie Coulter
Book Description
In the third book of the American history cluster, Jack and Annie are whisked to a midwestern prairie in the 1870s. They visit a one-room schoolhouse and learn about the hard life of the pioneers. When they return to the magic tree house, Jack and Annie spot a twister on the horizon. Is there time to warn the teacher and the children back at the schoolhouse? Or should Jack and Annie just save themselves?
Customer Reviews:
twister on tuesday.......2007-02-28
This book is about two main charactor, named Jack and Annie, and every day they ask if they can go out side to play, but they actually go out to this tree house that is full of books, and they find a book they like well in this book they found a book with tornadoes in and they decided to wish to go into that book and it took them
there and in the story Annie becomes a teacher who work in a wooden place that had one room and they called it a school. So these funny looking shapes start to appear in sky made out of clouds that looked like
cones and then they started coming down to the floor. If you like old histoy, school and/or tornadoes than I would sujest that you read this book.
twister on tuesday.......2007-02-28
This book is about two main charactor, named Jack and Annie, and every day they ask if they can go out side to play, but they actually go out to this tree house that is full of books, and they find a book they like well in this book they found a book with tornadoes in and they decided to wish to go into that book and it took them
there and in the story Annie becomes a teacher who work in a wooden place that had one room and they called it a school. So these funny looking shapes start to appear in sky made out of clouds that looked like
cones and then they started coming dow to the floor
MY BOY LOVES READING IT.......2007-01-07
My 1st grader hates to put it down, he would rather read Magic Tree House books, than play video games. He even reads them to his class and explains the story for show and tell. In his kindergarten class the teacher would also let him read the Magic Tree House books out loud, not to give her a break, but to promote reading out loud. Great books!
magic, danger, history.......2006-06-02
The book Twisters on Tuesday features magic, danger and history. The magic is the tree house. I bet you're saying huh? Read the book to find out about this magical adventure.
The main characters of the story are Annie, Jake,Ted and Morgen. Annie is Jake's sister. She likes danger and Jake likes to study.
Ted is a featured charactar in this book. He starts out as a human and changes, into a dog and the story's plot is how Annie and Jake help him. I recommend this book to people who like magic and history in their books.
- Moises
TWISTER!!!!!!!.......2006-01-19
I enjoyed reading Twister on Tuesday. Although this book is fiction, it uses many facts so that you always learn something new. Jack and Annie go back in time to a prairie to help Morgan, the secret librarian. They end up getting caught in a twister while helping their new friends to safety. I recommend that you will like reading this book as much as I did.
Jessica M.(Holland, PA)
Average customer rating:
- Similar to 'The Game', but not about pickup artists
- Not so fast!!!
- Powerful tale of the fight to succeed despite racism
- Strongly recommended for debaters, teachers, and teenagers
- I Won a Round with Cross-X
|
Cross-X: The Amazing True Story of How the Most Unlikely Team from the Most Unlikely of Places Overcame Staggering Obstacles at Home and at School to Challenge ... Community on Race, Power, and Education
Joe Miller
Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Sociology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
High School
| Education
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Student Life
| College & University
| Education
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Sociology
| Education Theory
| Education
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Rhetoric
| Words & Language
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
High School
| By Level
| Education
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Nonfiction Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Reference Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
ASIN: 0374131945
Release Date: 2006-10-03 |
Book Description
In Cross-X, journalist Joe Miller follows the Kansas City Central High School’s debate squad through the 2002 season that ends with a top-ten finish at the national championships in Atlanta.
By almost all measures, Central is just another failing inner-city school. Ninety-nine percent of the students are minorities. Only one in three graduate. Test scores are so low that Missouri bureaucrats have declared the school “academically deficient.” But week after week, a crew of Central kids heads off to debate tournaments in suburbs across the Midwest and South, where they routinely beat teams from top-ranked schools. In a game of fast-talking, wit, and sheer brilliance, these students close the achievement gap between black and white students—an accomplishment that educators and policy makers across the country have been striving toward for years.
Here is the riveting and poignant story of four debaters and their coach as they battle formidable opponents from elite prep schools, bureaucrats who seem maddeningly determined to hold them back, friends and family who are mired in poverty and drug addiction, and—perhaps most daunting—their own self-destructive choices. In the end, Miller finds himself on a campaign to change debate itself, certain that these students from the Eastside of Kansas City may be the saviors of a game that is intrinsic to American democracy.
Customer Reviews:
Similar to 'The Game', but not about pickup artists.......2007-09-26
The premise of Cross-X is very similar to 'The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists' by Neil Strauss; a journalist decides to write a book. Joe Miller wrote it about a debater; Neil Strauss wrote it about himself. There are actually a few parallels in debate and pickup; there are rules and guidelines, some people obsess and know every little detail, it's considered a game by those who play it, etc.
So if you liked The Game for its writing, you'll like Cross-X. If you liked The Game for its subject matter, you'll probably be disapointed; Joe Miller is a cool dude, but he doesn't know NEAR as much about social dynamics as Neil Strauss.
Not so fast!!!.......2007-05-22
Aside from the questions of the politics of liberation in education and the difficulties of racial balance in urban schools, there are two inner conflicts at work in the context of this piece of reportage. The first has to do with the shift in practice in academic/policy debate from what could be called persuasive oratory - as the book presents it speeches designed to convince "Suzie's Mom" to a high speed delivery, multiple flow theoretical presentation designed for experts in the subject and style. The difference is a rate of delivery more than one and a half times that of most casual speech, laden with acronyms and jargon. And then there is the challenge to this. The second conlictis the competing areas:small schools vs. large consolidations, urban vs rural, public vs private. At the college and university level the regional organizations have almost disappeared. Debate is an endowed activity or a speciality ( sometimes for ideological reasons, one finds schools with agendas also tend to have debate programs). To really understand what goes on in this book, this inside knowledge is helpful.
So I warn, if you are not going to misread events, "What do you know about academic debate?" It is a complex world, the shifting forms of which are at work in this book: NFL (the original one), NCFL, TOC, CEDA, NDT as well as city, state and regional leagues and tournaments. At first blush it seems there are obvious nasties and obvious good guys, aspiring inner city youth and dedicated teachers, dullard administrators and power mad bureacrats. But you really need to know a bit more if you are going to truly understand this nationwide, multi linked and important activity. And it is important- the precentage of public figures with high school/college debate experience is not much less than the number of NFL (football one that is) players with highschool/college football experience. Miller portrays some empathetic individuals and some he can't stand, but it is vital that any reader be aware that this is advocacy journalism, much like the advocacy debate he is pushing for in the book. Many of the "enemies" are there because of principle not laziness or self interest. The history of debate, changing from the persuasive oratory of the sixties to the speed delivered ethos of the seventies, to the pedagogy of liberation theory influenced rhetoric in the eighties has morphed to performance activity and has filtered from colleges down to high school. Those presented as standing in the way, may in many cases be standing against the educational ideas of Pauolo Freire and Jonathon Kozol and in favor of rather traditional, non deconstructive rhetorical theory.
Mr Miller's book is told from the experience of African-American students in an inner city high school. One must consider why a student is involved in what is admittedly a highly competetive activity. His advocacy reminds me of the alternative of being highly successful in the "game" chosen by one of my outstanding students who said concerning Ebonics, "This little brown girl knows if she is going to take care of herself in this world she better know when to write 'I am' and when 'I Be.'" This is the problem of privliging of a discourse. Mr. Miller( and the performance school) do not acknowledge that within a context or ethos certain discourse is privleged and to act differently is to invite retribution. We are educated to do and not to do a number of acts. And here is the rub, what is truly discriminatory, and is the debilitating effect of any discrimination best fought on a personal or organizational basis. The argument goes on and on.
Powerful tale of the fight to succeed despite racism.......2007-02-03
Cross-X by Joe Miller covers about a year in the lives of several students from Central High School in Kansas City, Missouri as they travel on the debate team. They face racism, infighting from the state activities board, and the choices made by their own family. Miller does an amazing job taking this story and making it accessible to all readers. The stories of Ebony, Marcus, Antoine, and Brandon are poignant stories of survival. These black teenagers compete against white kids from private schools and win because of their quick wit and determination to win. Miller completely changed my ideas about debate: what it is and what it stands for. He includes a history of Central High School, a flashpoint in the controversy over Brown vs. Board of Education and also the site of an astronomically expensive renovation to encourage white families to move to the district. Instead these teens have to face ambivalent teachers, tough home lives, and peer pressure in an environment that expects them to fail. The story ultimately becomes about racism and the right to be different. The only disappointment in the book is when Miller inserts himself into the story by becoming a coach to two of the boys. As an objective observer, Miller was able to narrate a tale showing all of the different sides to these young men. As an active participant, he becomes strident as he attempts to be their savior. As such, the ending is a bit of a let-down. The book exposes the deep differences between black and white education and points out that we need to make a change so that all children have the same opportunities for education so they can succeed. It opened my eyes to the incipient racism in schools today.
Strongly recommended for debaters, teachers, and teenagers.......2007-01-28
I think that Cross-X may be one of the best non-academic education-related books that I have ever read. I want to recommend it to everyone. The book's got a lot of things that make it great: nailbiting suspense (during the descriptions of intense debate competitions), depressing history (about farcical desegregation efforts in Kansas City), highly detailed character portraits (when delving into the histories and quirks of the main characters and their families), musings on journalist ethics (when the author Joe Miller [no relation, by the way] realizes that he's becoming personally involved in the story) and reflections on the nature of racism (throughout the entire book).
As a debate teacher, many of the details about inner-city schools, their students, and the students' parents rang true to me -- and Joe Miller's self-critiques about his perceptions of the debaters and their backgrounds also rang true.
This book is so fascinating that I carried it with me everywhere so I could keep reading and find out what happens next. Usually when I do that with books, they're well-written works of fiction with detailed characters and amazing plot twists; the real-life story that Joe Miller tells is every bit as captivating as the best fiction.
I Won a Round with Cross-X.......2007-01-10
I bought this book for my daughter, who teaches in an inner city high school, after hearing it reviewed on NPR. She has loved it! The book addresses two areas very dear to her heart: high school debate and American race relations. Since I have not read the book myself, I can only tell you that it was a winner with my daughter (an educational award-winner herself).
Average customer rating:
- Loved it!
- You wish you had friends like these
- Loved this book and the friendships!!
- Not as good as some of Dallas' other novels...
- Disappointing
|
The Persian Pickle Club
Sandra Dallas
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Historical
| Genre Fiction
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Fiction Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Alice's Tulips
-
The Diary of Mattie Spenser
-
Buster Midnight's Cafe
-
The Chili Queen: A Novel
-
New Mercies
ASIN: 0312147015 |
Book Description
It is the 1930s, and hard times have hit Harveyville, Kansas, where the crops are burning up, and there's not a job to be found. For Queenie Bean, a young farm wife, a highlight of each week is the gathering of the Persian Pickle Club, a group of local ladies dedicated to improving their minds, exchanging gossip, and putting their quilting skills to good use. When a new member of the club stirs up a dark secret, the women must band together to support and protect one another. In her magical, memorable novel, Sandra Dallas explores the ties that unite women through good times and bad.
Customer Reviews:
Loved it!.......2007-10-09
This isn't a book I would probably have picked up, but it was assigned as a group read. It was a very fast read and I was hooked early on. I finished it in no time and absolutely LOVED IT!!
You wish you had friends like these.......2007-08-04
An 5- book, now that I think of it. Place: Dust bowl Kansas in the 30s. The women get together to sew. Friends you'd die for in the lonely and hard farm country in deep economic depression. Characters wonderfully present. And look at some of these names! Rita and Agnes Ritter, Mrs. Septima Judd, hushand Prosper, Opalina Dux, Ada June Zinn - husband Buck, Ceres Root, Ella Crook,Ben Crook, Nettie Burgett,husband Tyrone, Forest Ann, hill drifters Massie (Zepha, Blue, son Sonny and Baby). Hiawatha the hired hand. -
Queenie Bean tells the story of friendship, mystery, and loyalty that beats all.
Loved this book and the friendships!!.......2006-11-07
I saw this book while on vacation and thought it would be a fun read. I love quilting and sewing, so I was drawn to it. It was more than just a light read though - I loved the characters and how their lives intertwined through many years. I enjoyed the fact that there was a little mystery woven into the story which was set in the depression era, but most of all I loved the loyal friendships, which were timeless. It is a book about how important friends are in our lives - it was truly a gift and one that I will share with my special friends. I couldn't put it down, and I was sad when it ended - like saying goodbye to a good friend.
Not as good as some of Dallas' other novels..........2006-08-02
City and country living clash when the sophisticated Rita moves to a small Midwestern farm community during the Depression. Although she's always been content with her quiet life, Queenie suddenly feels inadequate beside Rita, whom she nonetheless tries her best to befriend.
When the body of a long-missing resident suddenly turns up, Rita's on the case. She wants to solve the mystery singlehandedly and write about her finds for an area newspaper...no matter who she hurts in the process. It's then that Queenie begins to realize just how much her family and friends mean to her, and how fortunate she is to have their loe and support in her daily life.
While the premise is good, I didn't find the writing to be as strong as some of Dallas' other books, like "The Diary of Mattie Spenser" or "Alice's Tulips." I liked Queenie Bean, and sympathized with her character; although I didn't think the readers were able to get into the protagonist's mindset as well as other books. It may, of course, simply be a subjective view on my part...so if you are a fan of Dallas, or historical fiction as a whole, I suggest you read the book and form your own opinion.
Disappointing.......2006-05-16
I read "The Diary of Mattie Spenser". It was a much better book than this one. I never felt like I got to know the characters except for Queenie and Rita. I never cared for the whodunit part of the story. I agree with the reviewer who said it was like two different books. However, I didn't care for either one. I didn't understand the end of it. A very shallow read.
Book Description
What would legendary Boston Celtics coach and 16-time NBA champion Red Auerbach say is the most critical quality for a person to be successful? Would his advice differ from 10-time NCAA championship coach John Wooden's? What would each say to a young person just starting out in pursuit of their dreams? What is the best advice they were ever given?
It took author Christian Klemash more than two years of research, persistence, and original interviews, but now he's ready to pass on the best advice you'll ever get. Only the rare individual has had the opportunity to pick the brain of just one legendary sports coach—let alone thirty-four of the best sports coaches of all time. Klemash gives sports fans a once-in-a-lifetime chance to learn valuable life lessons from the most famous, intelligent, and victorious coaches ever. The legends span the sports world, from gold medal-winning gymnastics coach Bela Karolyi and three-time college football championship coach Tom Osborne to four-time World Series-winning baseball manager Joe Torre and hall-of-fame boxing trainer Angelo Dundee.
These coaches know how to teach top athletes about character and winning, how to manage pressure at crunch time, and how to bring out the best in their players when it matters most. How to Succeed in the Game of Life shares their insights into sports, life, and the most vital keys to sustain success.Featuring Exclusive Interviews with:
Red Auerbach, 16-time NBA World Champion
Bobby Bowden, College Football's All-Time Winningest Coach, 2-time National Champion
Scotty Bowman, 9-time Stanley Cup Champion
Bill Cowher, Super Bowl Champion
Tony Dungy, Super Bowl Champion
Dan Gable, 15-time NCCA Champion
April Heinrichs, Gold Medal Winning Coach of the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team
Bela Karolyi, The World’s Greatest Gymnastics Coach
Bill Parcells, 2-time Super Bowl Champion
Emanuel Steward, Boxing Trainer of 30 World Champions
Joe Torre, 4-time World Series Champion
Bill Walsh, 3-time Super Bowl Champion
Lenny Wilkens, NBA’s All-Time Winningest Coach, NBA Champion
John Wooden, 10-time NCAA Champion
And More!
Customer Reviews:
A Great Read.......2007-08-26
Wow!Could not put it down.An extraordinay self help book.Gave it to my kids they loved it.Don't miss this one
What a great read!.......2007-07-25
I took it on vacation with me and I couldn't put it down. A great book for aspiring athletes and coaches as well as your average Joe who works 9-5. The coaches discuss a variety of topics from their childhood to how they motivate their players. Any easy read for all ages.
Game of life.......2007-07-24
I've read through Game of Life and I enjoyed it very much. There are so many things to take from this book, not just into sports, but also some reflections on life. I would recommend this book to everybody.
Coaching advise from athletic coaches.......2007-06-27
A fun read, especially if yoiu're a sports fan. I read it in search of things that would help my own ability as a coach in my company. Much of it is light stuff but the easy read makes it fun nonetheless and there are few golden nuggets laced throughout the book.
Overcome Adversity.......2007-04-12
Anyone looking for inspiration, either for their own life or to share with others, will find a gold mine of quotes here. This book isn't just for sports fans.
Book Description
It was love at first sight. Amid the frenzied barking and prancing of a house full of Great Danes, one pup was shivering in the corner. Gracie. But when Dan Dye reached her, she struggled to her feet like a clumsy foal, raised her forehead to his, and announced, as clearly as if she had actually spoken the words, You know I'm the one. No get me outta here!
By turns funny, moving, tender, and inspiring, Gracie's tale is a treat for every dog lover. There is Gracie's first morning, racing around Dan in the snowy yard. Gracie's first determination to prove to her step-sisters, Dottie the Dalmation and Sarah the Black Lab, that she's one of the girls. Gracie's defiant romance with a pint-size charmer named Byron, a Boston Terrier from the wrong side of the fence.
Then born of necessity, the eureka moment: When Gracie's delicate constitution starts turning into anorexia, Dan teaches himself how to cook, and in three days is baking her the cookies that will spur her appetite, launch Three Dog Bakery, and transform their lives forever.
Courage. Compassion. Kindness. Soul. Tenacity. And joy, above all, joy. These qualities Gracie possessed in abundance, and shared with everyone, human or canine, who had the good fortune to cross her path.
Customer Reviews:
give this poor dog a bone.......2007-09-02
This is a fun, sweet, and eventually poignant story, and an interesting account of the startup of the three dog bakery. I loved to hear about Gracie, and she sure makes the idea of a Dane tempting (I've got GSDs myself). What I couldn't figure out though, was why the emphasis on feeding this poor dog whole wheat flour, fruits and veggies. The author talks about poor Gracie potentially starving to death, while he searches for the perfect "nonmeat, nonchocolate, nonsalt, nonsugar ingredient" and discusses carrots, spinach, bananas, apples, pears, etc. And I'm thinking -- why nonmeat? I mean, dogs are carnivores, after all. Why not give up on the pears and hand this starving dog vanishing into thin air half a raw chicken and see what she does with it and how she makes out?
Perhaps because my dogs are raw fed that I am so puzzled by the non meat reference. They do eat a few Castor and Pollux organic chicken cookies on rare occasions (we don't have a Three Dog bakery around here) but the first ingredient even of those is chicken liver, not grain flour, which I can't honestly see how dogs could need or want, for that matter. I'm glad Gracie survived, and more power to Dan and Mark for their incredible business success, and Dan's dedication to keep Gracie going one pan of cookies at a time. But after reading this account of feverish and desperate mixing and baking and substituting ingredients (long before they even had the idea for a business), to keep Gracie fed, I kept thinking how misguided the effort, how much easier and more natural it is just to raw feed and why Dan didn't consider giving her a nice raw meaty bone instead of searching for the perfect "nonmeat" ingredients. I still don't understand that. Later he does talk about baking vegetable beef biscuits, but it still seems to me if I had a starving dog I'd cut a chicken in half -- or for a dog that big, perhaps a whole chicken, and just feed her naturally. Better for her, and so much easier. But apart from that, it's a great tail. I mean tale :)
Humorous Dog Story.......2007-08-16
This book is hilarious and very well written. Dan Dye describes the scenarios with such perfect pitch that I found myself laughing out loud throughout the book. He artfully describes his mis-adventures while raising an almost blind and deaf Great Dane puppy and the people that he comes to know and understand while doing so.
Gracie........2007-06-12
One of the most heartwarming dog stories ever written!
Everybody should read this book, dog lover or not, to experience all the different emotions that express love.
Amazing Dan Dye & Mark Beckloff.......2007-03-24
I have given as presents at least ten copies of "Amazing Gracie: A Dog's Tale". It is such an inspirational and heartwarming story. I will forever be grateful to Dan Dye and Mark Beckloff for sharing the story of Gracie with us. Because of Gracie, they started the Three Dog Bakery, a gourmet food store for pets. Through Three Dog Bakery, Dan and Mark have helped raise money for many homeless dogs. In today's world, it is nice to know that there are people like Dan & Mark.
Sweet Story...........2007-03-06
A really Sweet book about the kind of dog we would all like to have, and the kind of story we all like to hear. A dog noone wanted turns out to be the best dog....smart, loving,protective....I read this in two days because I couldn't stop reading it....I loved the illustrations in the book, they are just as amusing as the story. You will probably shed a tear but it is more a happy story than sad. Like they say....the only thing wrong with our canine companions is they they don't live long enough. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!
Books:
- In Defense of Animals: The Second Wave
- Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History
- Jamestown: A Novel
- Jesus of Nazareth
- Just for Mom Calendar 2006
- Kayaking Puget Sound, the San Juans, and Gulf Islands: 50 Trips on the Northwest's Inland Waters
- Land Of The Giants Cl
- Life on Matagorda Island (Gulf Coast Studies)
- Light Microscopy in Biology: A Practical Approach (Practical Approach Series)
- Linear Models for the Prediction of Animal Breeding Values (Cabi Publishing)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- The River Where America Began: A Journey Along the James
- The Hunters
- The Art of Glass: Art Nouveau to Art Deco
- The Conscientious Marine Aquarist: A Commonsense Handbook for Successful Saltwater Hobbyists
- Sunlight and Shadow
- The End of Days: Armageddon and Prophecies of the Return
- Teaching Science for All Children
- Man's Origin, Man's Destiny: A Critical Survey of the Principles of Evolution and Christianity
- Richard III: A Source Book
- Australian ground orchids
Breakfast at Tiffany's: A Short Novel and Three Stories (Modern Library)
Capote: A Biography
To Kill a Mockingbird
The Complete Stories of Truman Capote
Other Voices, Other Rooms
