Selected International Investment Portfolios (Series in International Business and Economics)

Book Description

This book addresses many of the issues which arise in the funding and settlement of cross-border financial transactions, covering a broad spectrum of the international finance issues encountered in global business operations.

Global and regional capital markets are becoming increasingly important. Accounting differences in reporting financial information, and innovations in these financial markets, are examined. Theoretical issues in international finance are addressed by applying a neural network model to the effects of foreign exchange rates, using cluster analysis and Chernoff's faces to explain historical mutual fund performance, and examining the impact of asymmetric information in trade balance announcements on prices of financial assets.

Portfolio investment and foreign direct investment are addressed by examining the diversification benefits of reducing risk and enhancing return in selected Latin American capital markets, and the role of various firm-, industry- and country-specific variables which influence the entry mode in foreign markets through foreign direct investment.

Foreign exchange, futures, equity and debt markets are explored, including a strategy of borrowing in low interest rate countries and lending in high interest rate countries, foreign exchange issues affecting intra-firm cross-border trade, the risk and return of emerging-market debts relative to emerging-market equities, and the socio-ethical and economic effects of international debt in developing economies.

Book Description

This digital document is an article from International Advances in Economic Research, published by Thomson Gale on November 1, 2005. The length of the article is 5807 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: Evaluation of selected methods of classification for the Warsaw Stock Exchange.
Author: Malgorzata Luniewska
Publication: International Advances in Economic Research (Magazine/Journal)
Date: November 1, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 11 Issue: 4 Page: 469(13)

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Selected International Investment Portfolios

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Selected International Investment Portfolios
James C. Baker
Manufacturer: Elsevier Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OGTQAA

Book Description

Learning Rants, Raves, and Reflections offers a unique collection of passionate, provocative, and personal stories that show how technology is transforming how we learn today and reveals what we can expect in the future. Written to be highly accessible, this non-technological book about technology provides a general overview of the current world of e-learning and includes real-life case studies, actual examples from organizations, and valuable lessons learned. Learning Rants, Raves, and Reflections also examines the promise and failures e-learning and the evolving tools that are changing the face of training and education. Edited by industry leader Elliott Masie, the book includes seventeen passionate and personal perspectives from today’s most respected learning experts. These learning snapshots reflect the current and future state of the industry. Throughout the book, these expert contributors rant (tell of their experiences when learning was thwarted), rave (recount times when learning was enjoyable and successful), and reflect (thoughtfully explore the nature of learning and the learner).

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Learning Rants, Raves, and Reflections offers a unique collection of passionate, provocative, and personal stories that show how technology is transforming how we learn today and reveals what we can expect in the future. Written to be highly accessible, this non-technological book about technology provides a general overview of the current world of e-learning and includes real-life case studies, actual examples from organizations, and valuable lessons learned. Learning Rants, Raves, and Reflections also examines the promise and failures e-learning and the evolving tools that are changing the face of training and education. Edited by industry leader Elliott Masie, the book includes seventeen passionate and personal perspectives from today's most respected learning experts. These learning snapshots reflect the current and future state of the industry. Throughout the book, these expert contributors rant (tell of their experiences when learning was thwarted), rave (recount times when learning was enjoyable and successful), and reflect (thoughtfully explore the nature of learning and the learner).

Learning Rants, Raves, and Reflections.(Book review): An article from: Training Media Review

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Learning Rants, Raves, and Reflections.(Book review): An article from: Training Media Review
Jon Aleckson
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000NJLBCO
Release Date: 2007-02-15

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Training Media Review, published by Thomson Gale on May 1, 2006. The length of the article is 1580 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: Learning Rants, Raves, and Reflections.(Book review)
Author: Jon Aleckson
Publication: Training Media Review (Magazine/Journal)
Date: May 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Page: NA

Article Type: Book review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

This volume on black holes can be seen as a sequel to Physics of Black Holes, published by Kluwer Academic Publishers in 1989. The authors are recognised experts in their field, and have many years' experience in teaching courses on general relativity and black holes.

Customer Reviews:

Frolov and Novikov's Black Hole Physics.......2000-04-09

I referenced these authors and also Klapdor-Kleingrothaus and Zuber (see my review of their book) in my paper on Quantum Gravity delivered before Professor Kursunoglu's Orbis Scientiae Quantum Gravity conference in December, 1999 (see my review of Kursunoglu). The Editor has summarized the book in his usual excellent way, and here I should just add that there is much material in this book not covered in others, including relationships with 2+1 dimensional quantum gravity (see my review of Carlip, black holes inside monopoles, dilatons, quantum hair, etc. Everyone should buy this book and, if necessary, hire a consultant or tutor to translate it into more simple English.

Book Description

This book aims to provide the reader with a working knowledge of the various means of controlling the solubility or dissolution rate of a drug or other solute in an aqueous medium. The book begins with the factors which govern solubility in general and then looks at aqueous solubility in particular, including the properties of liquid mixtures and the thermodynamics of solutions formed from mixing two components. The bulk of the book is then devoted to techniques for altering solubility and dissolution rate of organic compounds in aqueous media. It discusses in detail the most commonly used solubility enhancers: buffers, cosolvents, surfactants, and complexants. Each chapter is self-contained and emphasizes the details for applying the techniques.

Customer Reviews:

But where are the special AHAs?.......2003-04-01

Yalkowsky has written a gem here: quite possibly the best book on solubility in aqueous media I have read, and right up with the best on solubilization in the same. One of the interesting conundrums posed is: why do people float on the dead sea? But my favourite was where it was showed that James Bond would be unlikely entirely to dissolve if he were dropped in a vat of acid by Blofeld. Excellent.

Book Description

Drosophila--the scientist's favorite laboratory organism--is a key subject for studying genetics, development, and behavior. The second edition of this popular hands-on guide brings the methodology up-to-date, with contributions from the leading researchers in the field. Chapters include the
elements of Drosophila biology and genetics; mutagenesis; transposons--gene tagging and mutagenesis; chromosome mechanics: the genetic manipulation of aneuploid stocks; enhancer traps; looking at embryos; immunolabelling of Drosophila; population and ecological genetics; behavior, learning, and
memory; cell culture; and preparation of nucleic acids.

Customer Reviews:

Good book, but biased in favour of genetics:.......2000-01-18

This is a very good book, and contains useful protocols. For those of us who remember the first edition, it was heavily biased in favour of genetics. So is the second edition, in spite of the fact that Drosophila is being used more and more for studies in cytology, physiology and biochemistry. Nevertheless, this book is indispensible for those interested in doing classical genetics with Drosophila. It explains how to maintain flies, how to do basic crosses and ballance chromosomes, and how to do P-element induced mutations. There is also a section of how to extract and manipulate nucleic acids from flies, and a very brief (but interesting section) on fly BEHAVIOR and genetic studies of fly behavior. I found this interesting since many researchers have been turning to Drosophila as a model organism in learning and behavior (including addiction and substance abuse) studies in recent years. Several things are noticably lacking from this book however. A section on polytene chromosomes is conspicuously absent, in spite of the fact that this is one of the main tools of Drosophilists. The inclusion of several sections on fly cytology would definitely have been useful, such as PISH (polytene in situ hybridization), and other methods for locating gene products in fly cells. A section on microinjection and transformation of fly embryos would have been useful too. The basic theoretical information is there, but the technique is not dealt with specifically, and no protocols are given. The P-element enhancer trap system is dealt with briefly, but could have been expanded more. For those interested in the fruitfly as a model organism in cytology and molecular biology I would recommend 'Drosophila melanogaster: Practical Uses in Cell and Molecular Biology,' from the 'Methods in Cell Biology' series (Volume 44). This is a good book although it too could use more detailed protocols. Unfortunately this book is out of print, so it is hard to comeby! Alternatively, the 'Cold Spring Harbour Press' is due to come out with 'Drosophila Protocols' in the Spring of 2000. I have seen the putative table of contents, and it looks like this may be a very comprehensive book, and I'll make sure to have a look at it as soon as it is published. Greg Doheny (Vancouver B.C.)

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Drosophila: A Practical Approach
David B. Roberts
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKZ02O

Book Description

Set in the conflicted eighties, the story recounts the intertwined journeys of self-discovery of preteen Effie O'Reilly and her lonely, loving mother Janet. A single mom and former flower child, Janet has fought her way up from the precarious countercultural seventies to an executive career and a house in an upscale gated subdivision bland enough to shield her child from any whiff of that risky past. But subversive, artistic Effie wants something more. And so one day she rebels, throwing her school into hilarious chaos, and runs away for a long day in the city, where she gets a taste of life on the edge. The tumult, the street people, the teeming eventfulness of inner-city life, all call to her with news of something other.

What that other life is and how Effie and Janet each in her own way finds it in the course of an eventful and uproarious year is the story told by this unusual novel.

And it tells it at breakneck speed in an energetic loose-jointed rhyming verse that veers easily from Shel Silverstein-like jingles to melancholic passages of great poetic beauty. The book can be read - preferably aloud - in a couple of hours. Broadly comical and satiric, unabashedly sentimental, and at the same time savvy and gritty, it is one to be read again and again.

Book Description

Confessions of a Civil Servant is filled with lessons on leading change in government and the military. Bob Stone based the book on thirty years as a revolutionary in government. It comes at a time when the events of 9-11 are sharpening America's demands for government that works at all levels.

Customer Reviews:

Dynamite.......2003-07-15

"This is an exhilarating book, full of spirit and spark. It vividly and
passionately describes the author's groundbreaking, bureaucracy-busting work
as head of the National Performance Review. Ignited by Tom Peter's In Search
of Excellence,
Stone became Al Gore's right hand in working to reinvent government. His
book is filled with wonderful stories of revolutionaries from every rank and
level. It contains many great tidbits of advice and wisdom. The author used
to refer to himself as Energizer in Chief. His book is just that: an
energizer. It breathes the soul of civic revolution. It is full of fun as
well, an easy read. Stone is totally devoted to action that breaks down
ridiculous and often absurd barriers from getting the job done right. But
the book is full of humanity as well, as when Stone decides to retire so he
can live closer to his young grandchildren. If you want to touch clear,
decisive, humane leadership, if your soul needs a spark to re-ignite itself,
run -don't walk- to get this book."

Civility Is Not Dead.......2003-07-02

This tell-it-like-it-was gem about the author's thirty years of public service is nothing less than remarkable. Adroitly written with good humor, Stone's quiet, but dogged steadfast nature is wonderfully evident in every page and makes you count your lucky stars that people like him actually join the ranks of our government. These experiences should serve as a guide for future generations of civil servants tackling the often thankless and misunderstood job of government service. But more than that - there is a lesson plan for all of us who navigate the treacherous waters of small and big organizations alike. I for one, plan to give this book to my twenty-one-year-old college graduate to read.

Book Description

This digital document is an article from World Literature Today, published by University of Oklahoma on July 1, 2003. The length of the article is 432 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: Sheryl St. Germain. Swamp Songs: the Making of an Unruly Woman.(Book Review)
Author: Susan Smith Nash
Publication: World Literature Today (Refereed)
Date: July 1, 2003
Publisher: University of Oklahoma
Volume: 77 Issue: 2 Page: 107(1)

Article Type: Book Review

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Enjoyable read but.....

Interesting Writing. Pulitzer Prize Biographer.

FANTASTIC BOOK

Politics: Art of the Best Possible Compromise

Three Roosevelts "In the Arena"

The Three Roosevelts: Patrician Leaders Who Transformed America
James MacGregor Burns , and Susan Dunn
Manufacturer: Grove Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Political | Leaders & Notable People | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Presidents & Heads of State | Leaders & Notable People | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
General | United States | Historical | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
General | 20th Century | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
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A World Transformed

Ethics and Statecraft: The Moral Dimension of International Affairs Second Edition (Humanistic Perspectives on International Relations)

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Bad Leadership: What It Is, How It Happens, Why It Matters (Leadership for the Common Good)

The Roosevelts: An American Saga

ASIN: 0802138721

Book Description

The Three Roosevelts is the extraordinary political biography of the intertwining lives of Theodore, Franklin, and Eleanor Roosevelt, who emerged from the closed society of New York's Knickerbocker elite to become the most prominent American political family of the twentieth century. As Pulitzer Prize- and National Book Award-winning author James MacGregor Burns and acclaimed historian Susan Dunn follow the evolution of the Roosevelt political philosophy, they illuminate how Theodore's example of dynamic leadership would later inspire the careers of his distant cousin Franklin and his niece Eleanor, who together forged a progressive political legacy that reverberated throughout the world. Theodore, Franklin, and Eleanor Roosevelt led America through some of the most turbulent times in its history. The Three Roosevelts takes readers on an exhilarating voyage through these tumultuous decades of our nation's past, and these momentous events are seen through the Roosevelts' eyes, their actions, and their passions. Insightful and authoritative, this is a fascinating portrait of three of America's greatest leaders, whose legacy is as controversial today as their vigorous brand of forward-looking politics was in their own lifetimes. "A remarkable example of narrative and biographical history at its best." -- Bruce Clayton, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "No one has written more trenchantly about Franklin Roosevelt and American politics ... than James MacGregor Burns...." -- H. W. Brands, The Raleigh News & Observer "A detailed study.... Written with impeccable scholarship." -- Malinda Nash, Houston Chronicle

Customer Reviews:

Enjoyable read but............2005-08-22

It may have seemed like a good idea to write mini biographies of three prominent American citizens with the same surname and place them between the same covers but it doesn't really work. Burns's admiration for FDR is nothing new, and his (and his co-author Susan Dunn's)coverage of Eleanor Roosevelt is little short of hagiography. The poor relation of this book is Teddy Roosevelt. We get a bare bones account of the life and career of this fascinating individual before we move on to the meat of the book, the life and career of FDR. Unfortunately there is little analytical comparison between the presidencies of TR and FDR except to say that they both moved to the left in their political philosophies. At a more trivial level we are told of the remarkable similarities between the career paths of the two titans but just how much this was planned by FDR is unclear. The overlap in their political lives is not very revealing with TR coming to the end of his groundbreaking career and FDR beginning his. One note of discord was FDR's choice of party. We get glimpses of both personalities but not enough, TR the domineering presence who overwhelmed all who met him, who was possibly one of the most intelligent men to hold the office of president, and FDR the highly self-aware, calculating politician who had an uncanny ability to tap into the American psyche. TR was also the subject of a multiple biography by James Chace (1912; Wilson, Roosevelt, Taft, and Debs - the Election That Changed the Country). He fares better here with both Taft and Debs being relegated to bit parts. The treatment of Eleanor Roosevelt in this book is truly gentle. Although she did some great work in the UN (The Universal Declaration of Human Rights will be her undying legacy) she had difficulty escaping her patrician past. Her liberal tendencies did not see her move with the times and her stubborn support of Stevenson over Kennedy smacked of anti-Catholicism. Nevertheless she embraced many unpopular and sometimes dangerous causes and remains the most influential First Lady in the history of the presidency.

An enjoyable read but this is only a taster. For a deeper understanding of these three shapers of history you will have to go elsewhere.

Interesting Writing. Pulitzer Prize Biographer........2004-12-06

This book caught my attention when it received good reviews from major newspapers, magazines, and critics when it came out (which you can find on the Internet). The writing is interesting and moves along smoothly. James MacGregor Burns knows his material well. He won the Pulitzer Prize for his biography of FDR. The theme and emphasis of this book is that the three Roosevelts were elite and rich, and yet battled concentrated wealth.

The book begins with the solemn scene of President Lincoln's funeral procession, which Theodore Roosevelt as a child watched from his upscale residence. The book then shows how Theodore Roosevelt was influenced by Lincoln's presidency. Theodore Roosevelt did what he thought was right and rejected the life of comfortable leisure.

Theodore Roosevelt acted boldly in some circumtances, while in other circumstances he acted compromising (like a skillful politician.) This was very much in the model of Lincoln who moved at first to only protect the union, seemingly acted in a compromising way (like a skillful politician) until the war seemed to be under control, and then made his masterful move to abolish slavery - a truly magnificent achievement.

This book has limitations. Theodore Roosevelt's foreign affairs are not mentioned. The emphasis is on the progressive nature of the three Roosevelts.

The book shows that Franklin Roosevelt followed the path of Theodore Roosevelt. Like T.R., FDR was born into a rich, elite social class. He entered politics, became under-secretary of the Navy, and then governor of New York. T.R. was in FDR's wedding to Eleanor Roosevelt, who was from T.R.'s family circle. And he used masterful political skills as president like T.R. (and Lincoln), except that FDR took the power and achievements of the presidency to an all-time high, transforming that office into the "imperial presidency." The coverage of FDR is very good, although you really need to read a full-length biography to learn the full story.

The section that covers Eleanor Roosevelt is maybe the strongest part of the book. Eleonor Roosevelt was a tireless champion of issues for ordinary people and the disadvantaged. She took up causes that her huspand politically could not. She championed the anti-lynching law when FDR had to be silent or risk losing his political coalition. She astounded a group of impoverished workers on strike by showing up to their gathering to show her support. Here was a well-dressed lady of the highest education and refinement showing up without security to show her support for their cause.

All three Roosevelts (Theodore, Franklin and Eleanor) made "The Time 100 Most Important People of the 20th Century" list. FDR was ranked the runner-up most important person of the 20th Century, along with Gandhi. (Einstein had the top spot).

"The Three Roosevelts" is a good way to learn about the three Roosevelts without having to read three lengthy biographies.

FANTASTIC BOOK.......2003-02-19

This novel was immensely informative and entertaining. I am an English teacher who reads a lot, and I could not put it down. I loved the descriptions of leaders such as Huey Long and Gerald Smith and the isolationist movement. It was also impressive that it was so well-balanced and avoided sensationalism and cheap shots. The authors did not take sides or make quick judgments. You must read this book. My two favorite sections were the descriptions of the New Deal and the class struggle in New York during TR's time.

Politics: Art of the Best Possible Compromise.......2002-11-26

James MacGregor Burns and Susan Dunn, Democrats by conviction, give an unequal account of the life of three Roosevelts by dedicating most of their biography to Franklin Delano Roosevelt. MacGregor Burns and Dunn show their audience how these three patricians left behind a relatively easy life to descend into the arena of politics. Theodore, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt had to overcome their prejudices about other classes, religions, ethnicities and races to get an understanding of the issues at hand and, at times make, painful compromises to get things done. MacGregor Burns and Dunn explain to their readers that the three Roosevelts have ultimately left an indelible imprint on the psyche of the nation by each setting an example of transformational leadership. On the domestic front, the country has been working on the best possible reconciliation of the respective interests of business, labor and consumers as well as the rights and duties of its respective races and ethnicities. Abroad, the country has weighed the pros and cons of an interventionist policy on a case-by-case basis to safeguard its vital interests, and to advance the cause of a world that espouses the values of responsible democracy and capitalism.

Three Roosevelts "In the Arena".......2001-11-02

An interesting fact of American politics - that many of our Presidents came from the "upper class" of American society - is the central premise of "The Three Roosevelts: Patrician Leaders Who Transformed America." In this book, co-authors James MacGregor Burns and Susan Dunn examine the role played in American history by arguably the most influential "patrician" family of the twentieth century - the Roosevelts of New York.

"The Three Roosevelts" is essentially a book containing short political biographies of Theodore, Franklin, and Eleanor Roosevelt. Theodore Roosevelt (TR) became one of our greatest Presidents. Early in life, his sense of "noblesse oblige" caused him to choose a career in politics rather than a life as a member of the wealthy elite. He was elected, in turn, state representative; then governor of New York, as a Republican. He was appointed Assistant Secretary of the Navy in the McKinley Administration. Three years later, he was elected Vice President of the United States, and succeeded to the Presidency when President William McKinley was assassinated on September 14, 1901. His seven years as Chief Executive were some of the most successful of any Chief Executive up to then.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) was a young man who appeared to have little of his cousin Theodore's intellectual acumen, driving ambition, or ideological bent. Franklin followed his famous cousin into politics, but unlike his cousin, Franklin became a Democrat. Like Theodore, Franklin's political career advanced steadily. In rapid succession, he was elected State Assemblyman, then State Senator. By age 31, he had been appointed Assistant Secretary of the Navy by President Woodrow Wilson.

In 1921, FDR was stricken with polio, which paralyzed him from the waist down. In 1928, after a seven-year hiatus from politics, FDR was elected Governor of New York. His two two-year terms were highly successful, but by then FDR already had his eyes on the biggest prize of them all: the Presidency.

From 1929 to 1932, during the early years of the Great Depression, FDR proved himself a capable governor of New York. By 1932, after three years mired in the Depression, Americans were ready for a change. They elected FDR - the man promising Americans a "New Deal" - as President of the United States.

The vast majority of "The Three Roosevelts" is taken up with an account of FDR's "transformation of America" during the Great Depression. Here, Burns and Dunn portray Roosevelt as a man employing a pragmatic approach to governance... try whatever works! Congress passed a body of legislation that was tremendous in scope. For the first time, the Federal government actively intervened in American life in an effort to make life better for all. The modern welfare state was born.

The third of the "three Roosevelts" - Eleanor (ER) - was an integral part of her husband's political success. After her marriage to FDR, Eleanor remained indifferent toward politics, although she steadfastly supported her husband's political ambitions. As FDR's political career progressed, so did Eleanor's interest in politics. In fact, she was much more of an ideologue than Franklin. Burns and Dunn imply that Eleanor grew to have a tremendous influence on Franklin, possibly pulling him more and more to the left of center during his Presidency.

On April 12, 1945, after thirteen years as President, years which saw the United States struggle out of Depression and stumble into a world war, Franklin D. Roosevelt died. He had helped build the modern welfare state, and had guided the United States to a position of victory in the Second World War.

In the years following FDR's death, Eleanor Roosevelt continued to be a major influence on American politics. Through her nationally syndicated newspaper column "My Day," ER continually interjected her ideas and opinions into the national debate. She was appointed as an American delegate to the first organizational meeting of the United Nations General Assembly. Later she would serve on a UN commission that authored the Universal Declaration on Human Rights. She championed the cause of equal rights for all Americans, and was vocal in her support of the new nation of Israel.

When "The Three Roosevelts" appeared in bookstores in the spring of 2001, I eagerly bought a copy. This was the first book I'd seen in over twenty years that was written by James MacGregor Burns, the historian best known for his two volume biography of the 32nd President - "Roosevelt: The Lion and the Fox" and "Roosevelt: The Soldier of Freedom."

My hope was that Burns and co-author Susan Dunn would provide a penetrating examination of what caused this trio of extraordinary individuals to leave behind the values and traditions of their 19th century "patrician" class, in favor of a progressive and at times socialistic political agenda. It is a question left largely unanswered. "The Three Roosevelts" remains a book very long on biographical information and very short on historical analysis.

The authors show an almost complete lack of objectivity toward their subjects. Burns is well known as a liberal "New Deal" Democrat, and his political bias shows on practically every page. He is ably abetted by Dunn. The result: "The Three Roosevelts" is practically a paean of praise to TR, ER, and especially FDR. Criticisms of the "three Roosevelts" are few, and even those are largely muted. Burns and Dunn's unabashed, gushing admiration of the "three Roosevelts" is annoying, and limits the usefulness of the book as an objective study of these fascinating characters in American history.

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The Three Roosevelts: Patrician Leaders Who Transformed America
James MacGregor & Susan Dunn Burns
Manufacturer: Grove Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000M46P4Y

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Donnelly is Michell's Hero

Proof that some gene pools don't have any deep end.

Funny, Interesting & Peculiar

Some Interesting Characters, Some Not

great reading

Eccentric Lives, Peculiar Notions
John Michell
Manufacturer: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1579122280

Book Description

The passionately misguided individuals profiled in this entertaining book form an unforgettable portrait of human imagination run wild.

Never has so much energy been poured into such oddly misbegotten ideas, inventions, enterprises and movements. The 22 individuals and groups described here with wit and understanding represent the widest range of true eccentricity. Lady Blount believes that the earth is flat; Cyrus Teed, that it is a hollow shell with us on the inside; Baron de Guldenstubbe that statues write him letters. Nesta Webster devotes her life to exposing international conspiracies; John Carden to pestering one young lady. Geoffrey Pyke invents a giant battleship made of ice; and Amanda Feilding and Joey Mellen live in peace and prosperity after drilling holes in their heads. The peculiarities of their beliefs are surpassed only by the boundless enthusiasm with which they defend them, and their stories are all here, told in John Michell's lively prose and accompanied by historic photographs and drawings.

Customer Reviews:

Donnelly is Michell's Hero.......2006-07-23

Well I got to meet John Michell at the INFO Fortfest back in 1998 after he did a talk on Ignatius Donnelly and I was the only Minnesotan in attendance. Donnelly gets an amazing chapter as the greatest genius the U.S. ever produced, more or less. There's such a fascinating description of a wide range of eccentrics in this book that it's really a great window into an era when individuality really meant something.

Proof that some gene pools don't have any deep end........2006-06-14

Not a bad read for this type of book. There are some really weird people and ideas covered in this book. Too bad the author didn't go further afield and cover more of this sort of thing in the 20th Century;as well as more outside of Britain.
Most of what you'll find in the book has been rehashed time and time again. However; if you have never read about people like this,it will probably amuse you.
I did hang in and read most of the book;but the two chapters on Shakespeare were just too much of the stuff that has been repeated over and over without any resolution;that I must admit,I just couldn't force myself to plod through. However;to give credit where it is due;we are given some pretty good photographs of most of the characters involved.
I was, however,quite taken by the chapter on Geoffrey Nathaniel Pyke (1894-1948),the inventer of Frozen Battleships and how he was actually listened to by Mountbatten,Churchill and Roosevelt.I guess there is some truth to it all;but I've never come across any mention of him and his ideas.

Funny, Interesting & Peculiar.......2004-08-09

An enjoyable compilation of interesting stories.

Each chapter is self contained, making this book ideal bathtub/bedtime reader.

I was thouroughly entertained by this book. It is a quick and fun read. The bibliography and index lets you conduct any further investigations on those subjects that particularily interested you.

Try it, you'll like it.

Some Interesting Characters, Some Not.......2004-05-30

This book bumps up against the contemporary reality that we are regularly exposed to peculiar people through news and entertainment media. This book includes some extremely odd people but it also spends a good deal of time discussing people who were odd a century ago but quite dull by today's standards. Seems to me that the author needed a sharper focus. Was it purely to entertain? Was it to give a historical sense that eccentrics have always been a part of the community? Was it simply an attempt to restate in narrative form the notion of "to each his own?" Any one of these might have called for some change in the material or a sharper edge to the narrative.
Having said all that, if individuals with odd beliefs and eccentric notions are of particular interest to the reader, there are some notable characters to be found in this book.

great reading.......2000-04-26

I read this book after reading another by the author as I liked him so much and I was not dissapointed! The book provides detailed, fasinating accounts of people with eccentric hobbies that they have devoted their lives to. For example, Mrs Elizabeth Wells Gallup, the baconian cipherer. A great read. enjoy.

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Eccentric Lives & Peculiar Notions
John Michell
Manufacturer: THAMES & HUDSON @
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000SFJT0E

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ECCENTRIC LIVES AND PECULIAR NOTIONS
John. Michell
Manufacturer: Thames & Hudson.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000P8X2C0

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Eccentric Lives and Peculiar Notions

Manufacturer: Cardinal
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0747403538

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Eccentric Lives and Peculiar Notions
John Mitchell
Manufacturer: Citadel Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000UUMAKS

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ECCENTRIC LIVES & PECULIAR NOTIONS.
John. Michell
Manufacturer: Thames & Hudson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000O81K9I

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Eccentric Lives and Peculiar Notions
John Michell
Manufacturer: Harcourt
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OJHL4U

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