Social Sciences Books

I could not finish reading the book, because I could not take the authors seriously. The many misspellings and mechanical errors were far to distracting. This text is a worthy example of how NOT to write a book.

As the media becomes one of the most dominant means by which we frame our social reality, it becomes crucial for each of us to understand how media can become a mean to someone's own end. An excellent treatment of hegemony and dominant/ prefered readings. This should be a required text in all communication/ social science programs. But it ain't bad readin' for anyone else who consumes media either, namely you!

An excellent reader explaining the media's role in perpetrating common stereotypes of historically marginalized people. Includes analysis of advertising, sexual representation, TV and music. An excellent textbook for cultural studies.

broad and complete view point on the issues that face college critics in media fields. Most comprehensive text I have been required to buy with my major. Would highly recommend to other prof.s

First, let me say that the premise of each article was great for a 400- or 500-level college course and prompted many heated discussions.

But, along the lines of the other reviewer... how are we to take it seriously when we come across dozens of grammatical errors, missing words (the most prevalent error) and punctuation disasters? It read as though the articles were submitted, read by a third-grader and then stuffed hurriedly into the book for publication. A quick read by the "editors" would have found the vast majority of errors.

This is not something isolated, for 3 out of the 4 textbooks I have been assigned this summer session have dozens (yes, "dozens") of grammatical, typographical and punctuation disasters -- books well into their 2nd, 4th and 7th editions. No wonder kids graduating college habitually spell "too" as "to."

Fix the errors before you print the third edition!

It was a good book but there didn't really seem to be a purpose. A little eclectic and scattered it was an interesting read but i would recommend The Electric Kool-AId Acid Test by Tom Wolfe instead.

If Marx addressed the problem of modern man's alienation from an economic perspective, Pinchbeck addresses the exact problem from a spiritual stance, not unlike Jung. In the argot of postmodernism, this is a "readerly text. In other words, it's not something you'll use for your graduate thesis; but that's what I like about it: none of us is able to put forth our own personal ontology as something universal or objective. To do so would not only be a bore, but insufferably self-absorbed. Pinchbeck offers his experiences with wit and learned insight. Can't ask for more than that given the nature of the subject.

I read Pinchbeck's 2012 last Fall, and found his writing on contemporary shamanism fascinating. Where 2012 discussed a lot of other seemingly random, somewhat interconnected phenomena, the underlying narrative was his discussion of psychedelic drugs. Having never tried psychedelics, I found his study interesting, and 20122 was hard to put down...so I had to pick up Breaking Open the Head.

Breaking Open the Head is just as good as 2012. The focus was more on the drugs, less on Pinchbeck's life. Pinchbeck presents a convincing case for the decriminalization of psychedelics. He provides vivid depictions of his trips...both physical and psychedelic, making this a fast, entertaining read.

Pinchbeck has a talented, colorful writing style. I think this book will be helpful to people that are just beginning their quest for knowledge about entheogens. He gives a nice overview of the cultural history involved and quotes from writings by many well-know researchers. My favorite two parts in the book were his descriptions of Burning Man and the Ethnobotany Conferences. I laughed as I read through them, remembering some of my experiences at those events.

I am not trying to be too critical of the book, although I have to be honest. There were some inaccuracies and they distracted my concentration as a reader. Whenever I see inaccurate info, I always wonder what else was inaccurate that I didn't notice. It sort of ruins an author's credibility. It is like he needed to do a little more research in a few places.

The Pickard Case p. 212 - His LSD lab produced way more than 1/3 of the world supply. And the missile base it was operational in did not have the marble tiled bathroom or the expensive stereo system (those were at Todd's missile base - the lab was at another base).

Eating mushrooms in chocolate broth w/maoi p. 214 - Mushrooms and MAOI combo is fine, but chocolate being in the mix can be dangerous. I personally got myself into a hypertensive situation one time by eating chocolate accidentally while on an MAOI. Just a warning...

There were more inaccuracies but I will not note them all here.

hard to explain how positively this book affected me, but suffice it to say it points the way into a journey of awakening.

This is an extremely well-written social history of England during the summer of 1911. We follow the activities and actions of many different people, from high to middle to lower class, during what was considered one of the most beautiful three summer months in the 20th century. The author gives us a carefree look at how the folks lived, and what they did and how they thought. Over everything, however, looms the cloud of the coming war, even though the people at that time were completely unaware of it. That is what makes this book so poignant; they laughed and loved, and probably believed that their way of life would continue into the foreseeable futre, when in reality the end of their era was swiftly approaching. It's an informative, and sad, book that shows we can never really plan for the future, because fate is making its own decisions for us, and taking our lives out of our hands.

Having access to some wonderful archives, Juliet Nicholson gives us a view of a fading era from the perspective of privilege. While the social unrest that marked the time weaves through the story as a subtext, the focus is on the rarified life of the upper class. Despite it's title, the summer was anything but perfect--marked by an unprecedented heatwave. If anything, the reader may well see the title as filled with irony rather than paradox. One gets the sense of an empire on the decline, much as anything because of the decadence of its leadership--and that is where this story really misses the bigger picture. Ultimately, this is more of an individuated presentation of the age, akin to "The Shooting Party", than a political analysis or true sociological study. As such it is a good summer read.

The Perfect Summer is a charming history of Edwardian England before the upper class existence was irrevocably changed by WWI. Nicolson has written a truly lovely book that reads almost like a novel. If you enjoy 19th century English history this book is a delightful good read. Enjoy!

This is one of the best social histories I have read. It reads like a novel with intriguing characters and plot twists. It was very informative to read about the famous and well-known (e.g. Virginia Woolf, Winston Churchill) as they were just starting out. The book gives real insight into not only a pivotal year before World War I, but into the birth of 20th century as a whole. Highly recommended.

Because I am a long-time admirer of Nicolson's grandfather Harold Nicolson and his wife Vita Sackville West I read "The Perfect Summer".
I found it disappointing: a collection of many repeated and well-known anecdotes from contempory accounts of the early 20th century.
Far better to go to her sources which can be found in most libraries, second hand bookstores and Amazon. Sources like Harold's great political diaries, Diana Cooper's wonderfully engrossing memoirs, Chips Channon's Diaries not to mention all the collections of letters and novels of the era.
The photographs are sadly indequate, poorly chosen and often irrelevant. I feel Ms Nicolson was taking advantage of her illustrious connections and shows an intellectual laziness.

I flew through this book because I could not stop reading it. The details of life growing up in the Bronx were truly mind blowing, especially for someone who grew up in a super sheltered environment.

However, the best part of this book is how Canada relates how the gun culture has doomed inner city children to an adolescence of violence and how something must be done to change this.

This is the most powerful anti-gun books I have ever read, and the message isn't shoved down your throat, it's told through the author's own life experience which makes it that more powerful.

A must read.

This is hands down one of the best books I have read. Not only does Geoffrey Canada explain in gritty detail the inner workings of ghetto society, he also lists solid well-thought solutions, which would enable inner city youth and residents to rise above poverty and despair. We, the people, have turned a cheek for much too long. Something really can be done. This book should be required reading for high school and college-level coursework.

Dr. Canada presents an emotive argument for gun control through story and eclecticism. He makes an interesting case for the slide from Fist to Gun without ever dealing with the reason for the violence of fist and/or gun. One might argue with his conclusions though one cannot argue with his heart's concern as to the results caused by the increased violence. Overall, a good read for thought and/or argument.

I personally have had the opportunity to hear Geoffrey Canada speak at my college twice, he an alumni of Bowdoin College. Not only is his book inspiring, he spoke to my class about joining the "losing team", and making a difference in the lives of others, like those of the South Bronx and Harlem, NY. Not only has he lived to tell, he has taken his experiences and turned them into something very positive, by developing and running the Harlem Children Zone, making a difference to those children there. The book is a great read for anybody who is an urban educator, or involved in social services.

Canada grew up poor in the South Bronx in the '50s. Violence, then, as now, was a way of life. All boys fought - life was worse for those who refused. Violence and the rituals surrounding it established the social pecking order. In the preface to his memoir Canada says, "The difference is that we never had so many guns in our inner cities."

Canada's first memory of street violence came at age 4, when his two older brothers had a jacket stolen at the playground. The boys' mother sent them right back to fetch it, promising them a beating "ten times as bad as what that little thief could do to you," if they failed.

They left the house in tears and returned triumphant, with the jacket. Their mother sat them down and told them it was a lesson in not becoming a victim. The author, her youngest, was unconvinced.

Then a neighborhood boy who habitually refused to fight was "stretched" over a car and savagely beaten by a group of boys. "The lesson was brutal and unmistakable. No matter who you fought, he could never beat you that bad."

Canada's memoir is a thoughtful, moving portrayal of social behavior in a culture of violence. A quick study, Canada learned to use posturing, attitude and negotiation as well as his fists to minimize the number and severity of violent encounters.

But he is absolutely convinced that violence is a learned response, not innate. He and the other small boys, says Canada, were aghast at the prospect of fighting. Only fear of worse violence and a life of cowering in corners spurred them to fight.

Today, says Canada, the same imperatives operate. But guns have shattered the rituaized formality of the pecking order. Toughness is no longer determined by fighting skills or "heart" but by willingness to pull the trigger.
This is the book's most chilling precept. The streets are now ruled by those whose most important attribute is a lack of compunction about killing.

Canada's own experience as a gun carrier is a perfect illustration. Home from college he found a nearby street ruled by a gang of toughs so intimidating he would take a circuitous route to avoid them. So he bought a gun. Carrying it, he found his whole personality changed.

Instead of avoiding the block or even crossing the street he would swagger through the gang, his whole attitude provoking a challenge. But back at school in bucolic Maine he saw his behavior in a different light. Appalled at how close he'd come to shooting someone, he threw away the gun.

Those who don't leave the ghetto don't have the luxury of contemplation.

Canada has devoted his life to helping poor children and reducing street violence. Today he runs a program which offers classes and recreational activities which involve the whole community. The Rheedlen Center uses public school buildings, open 17 hours a day, in an effort to provide children and families with safety.

At the end of the book, Canada offers a program for solving the problems of violence in the inner cities. Chief among them is getting handguns off the streets by using buyback programs, registration at the place of manufacture (so any gun can be traced) and registration of ammunition.

Whether the reader agrees with his solutions or not, Canada's memoir is powerful testimony of a future of little hope without major change. It is also a riveting and convincing personal history.

Politics and politicians matter. Even corrupt self-serving politicians bring some structure and stability. We may scoff at politicians, but the fact is when they fail, when they are replaced by ideologues and hate mongers, and when the institutions in which they serve no longer work, the social body dies and people stand naked and unsheltered in the world. Civilization disappears and what we've built to establish justice collapses, plunging us into chaos and horror.

Dallaire's book brings home that the genocide resulted from political failure. Failure first within Rwanda to hold the Hutu extremists in check. Failure of the UN to realize the magnitude of the problem. Failure of the major powers, especially France and the United States, to risk people and material to prevent a massacre. Failure of the Tutsi expatriate forces in Uganda to care for the Tutsi still in Rwanda. And, as Dallaire makes clear, the naïve failure of a soldier to understand that politics matter.

Vincent Poirier, Dublin

What can I say about this book... It is not an easy read and it is important to realize that it is written from the point of view of the General Dallaire, the Force Commander for the operation. The writing is simple and straightforward and it essentially covers Dallaire's life and career first with the Canadian armed forces and later as the head of the ill fated United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR). Dallaire assumes the blame for the numerous failings of UNAMIR while also pointing out that assistance form the UN and from member states was not forthcoming. In a sense, the book makes it clear that since Rwanda has little strategic value to the world, no member nation, other than one or two ex-colonial powers was interested in putting its troops in harms way to prevent the genocide. What is surprising is the fact that the UN and its member nations were acutely aware that the country was headed for an ethnic cleansing and chose to do nothing about it. In the case of the UN, one can't help but feel that the organization was not only sidelined but also manipulated by various Rwandan political parties, ex-colonial powers and UN member states. All in all it makes for an excellent description of the UNAMIR mission as long as one realizes that it only presents the viewpoint of one person

Another unfortunate reminder of a holocaust allowed to take place because of our Western-world's refusal to act; blatantly ignoring the fate of a people because of their 'lesser-than-us' status according to our 'civilized' mindset. "Never again." How many more times will we hollowly say that? Romeo Dallaire's account of his harrowing uphill battle against international bureaucracy for a people he made it a moral duty to protect, is an example we can all truly learn from and live by. He bares all, opening the door for us to see into his post-war, tortured mind and soul. His humble question: "Did I do enough?" resonates deeply throughout this must-read.

I did quite a bit of research on Rwanda in 2006 and 2007. This excellent book was by far the best, most accurate source of all the materials I used. I then spent time in Kigali in the summer of 2007, doing extensive interviews with many Rwandan. Unhesitatingly, Dallaire is loved in Rwanda. Those who know of his book regard it as objective and authoritative. I have purchased and given away probably a dozen of this book. It is a MUST READ for all who are seeking an objective report of what transpired in Rwanda in 1993-1994.

Professor Bill

This is a long book, but still you don't get bored while you are reading it. Mainly I just got upset as I read how Romeo Dallaire tried to stop this genocide from happening. There was an informant telling him that the Hutu extreemists planned to kill the Tutsis. The UN's reaction was to order Dallaire to inform Rwanda officials about what he had been told. This was a very grave mistake, since people who were planning the genocide then would get access to this information.
Mainly, very little if anything at all was done to stop the planning and the actual genocide to take place. It's disturbing to compare this genocide to the one which took place during WW II. It was decided that this should never happen again, and still there has been Cambodia and Rwanda, and what is happening in Congo nowadays (4 million dead??)
Dallaire writes that he warned that if the situation wasn't handled with care after the Rwandan civil war and genocide, the risks were high that the entire region would be destabilized. In his book he mentions how this region has been destabilized due to problems that weren't solved.
It's a disturbing, good and important book written by an eye witness, and I encourage everyone to read it.

I started this book 2 days ago, and I just finished it. The books has a hanging ending, just waiting for a sequel. I can't wait to share this book with others! It was amazing!

The first few pages of GONE had me captured into a world where suddenly, without warning or without explanation adults everywhere just vanished. The inpending result was to leave all of the children of the world in a world of chaos, having to fend for themselves and in many cases, in a situation of life or death.

There were moments that grabbed me and characters that grabbed me. For instance, the character Lana, who was in a pickup truck with her grandpa when he disappeared. The pickup truck was instantly left without a driver and the pages that follow had her fighting for her life in a crumpled truck at the bottom of a hill.

Yet, there were too many storylines of monotony. In an effort to establish the new world that these kids exist in, there are dozens of instances of children who are wandering the streets, not knowing how to cook themselves food, not knowing how to deal with crisis' and such. It was, of course, realitic, but was also monotonous. Many pages of story are wasted with too many side stories that tell the same story and don't further the main story.

Honestly, I found the read an easy one, an interesting one, but ultimately found myself wishing I was done with it. My interest came and went and more often than not... it went.

Gone is simply a fantastic read. If I were a filmmaker, I would be knocking Michael Grant's door down in an attempt to secure the movie rights, as I think the story plays out in such a theatrical way that it's almost begging to be brought to life on the big screen. The Young Adult market is just exploding with terrific reads these days, and I hope adult readers have already discovered that fact and conquered any fear of embarrassment they might feel about picking a book like this up. At the same time, I hope older children and teenagers aren't put off by the size of the novel. Yes, 576 pages sounds like a lot, but Gone is a surprisingly quick read, thanks to the author's storytelling prowess, his penchant for keeping the story from ever bogging down the least little bit, and his success at breathing vivid life into each and every one of his characters.

It's a normal day in Perdido Beach, California - until, that is, all of the students see their teachers suddenly disappear in the blink of an eye, then notice soon thereafter that some of their older classmates have also vanished. In an instant, the entire population of the city is made up of children under the age of 15. Not surprisingly, chaos quickly ensues, as the children must come to terms with the hard reality that their parents and everyone else they have depended on all of their lives are - well - gone. As the shock begins to dissipate, the kids begin to realize that they need direction of some sort. There are small children and babies out there needing to be located and taken care of; potentially dangerous appliances need to be turned off; food needs to be collected for the group before looters steal everything off the shelves, etc. In the eyes of many, Sam is the right man for the job, for he has already shown his mettle in the past by saving a bus load of kids from careening down a hill after their bus driver suddenly collapsed behind the wheel. School Bus Sam doesn't want that type of responsibility, however.

Caine Soren, de facto leader of a group of kids from nearby Coates Academy - a school for problem youths - does want that responsibility, and he and his coterie of Coates underlings basically roll into town a few days after the event and take over. Caine has his own secret agenda, of course, and his hard-fisted tactics lead to conflict and tragedy. A certain number of kids begin developing special powers of one form or another, and Caine is ahead of the game in terms of either recruiting or neutralizing those who could pose a threat to him - except for Sam, whom Caine sees as his biggest threat of all. Some people in life have leadership thrust upon them, and School Bus Sam is one of them. That makes an ultimate showdown between good and evil all but inevitable.

Obviously, the big question I had going into this novel was how well the author would explain the unexplainable disappearance of everyone over 15. Then, early on, Grant actually raised the stakes, as Chapter 1 ends with Sam worrying that he might have helped bring it about somehow. I was hooked on the story for sure by that point. I can't say the author hit a home run with his big explanation at the end, especially as it leaves a few questions unanswered, but it certainly doesn't leave a bad taste in your mouth. And when you step back and look at the whole picture, the ending isn't nearly as important as everything that happens in between. I personally don't like the comparisons being drawn between this novel and Lord of the Flies, as Gone features a much more nuanced and complex situation: here, starvation is not an immediate concern, you have the dynamic of romance very much in play, and the base desires that fuel the "bad guys" are exceedingly human rather than animalistic. I daresay Gone is a superior read to William Golding's literary classic, and I'm fervently hoping for a sequel.

This is a compelling page turner, and there's room for a sequel! That's always great news when I become attached to the characters I'm reading about. Grant keeps up an intense pace with wonderful, blind-siding action. This is a Sci-Fi twisted 'Lord of the Flies'. When Perdido Beach is enclosed in a strange sphere, all the adults disappear. Suddenly teens are left with great responsibility and the younger children look to them for survival. Sam was once a hero, but is this newest challenge too much for him and his friends? In addition to the bizarre 'cage' the teens are isolated in, they are met with human and animal mutations, mad coyotes, and ruthless bullies who want control of the adult-less town. Can't wait to read what Grant has next for his readers.

Chrissy K. McVay - Author

I couldn't get past page 56 on this book. It was as if someone wrote a book about a very drawn out drama just to get paid or their name out there. I donated this book to Good Will. Hopefully, an 11-year old will pick it up, read it, and like it. Just not me, nor any adults for that matter..

As the mother of five that relied on childcare during the many years of single parenting I think we tend to concentrate too much on the elite and their need for childcare. The notion that this childcare contributes to the foreign exchange is a little off base when in reality it contributes to an underground economy because the salaries are mostly off the books and taxes are not paid in any form. Safety issues also arise when you consider that most of the illegeal aliens caring for our children have never had childhood immunizations, and refuse the TB test. This may sound unimportant and nit picking but the reality is diseases we thought were erradicated like whooping cough can be traced to the unimmunized worker. Leaving your children behind to take care of mine is something we as a nation should give more thought about.

...Nevertheless, this book gives the reader valuable insight into the impact and opinions of women migrant workers in the service trades. All of the anthologized authors write in an accessible style free of academic jargon. I was particularly interested in the articles which did not have an American viewpoint and which presented the views of the women (and occasionally men) involved. For example, in various essays we get to meet Dominican women in the sex trade hoping to form relationships with European men; a college-educated Vietnamese women entering into an arranged marriage with an immigrant man holding an unskilled job in the U.S.; Filipina household workers laughing about the rules proposed by prospective Hong Kong employers; and a Sri Lankan man taking over the traditional woman's role to assist migrant relatives working in Saudi Arabia.

There are some gaps here, such as the lack of first-person narratives and the views of Eastern European women working in Western Europe, but no anthology can be all-inclusive. This book is a good start and will be an intersting learning experience for most readers.

Global Woman: Nannies, Maids, and Sex Workers in the New Economy, edited by Barbara Ehrenreich and Arlie Russell Hochschild, Metropolitan Books, Holt & Co, 2002.

Most of us are well aware of the patterns of illegal immigration which bring numerous undocumented workers to the US and other developed countries from less developed countries. Those who work in agriculture, lawn care, and low paying jobs like janitors are well known. This book takes a detailed look at female migrant workers. These include maids, nannies, nurses, those who care for the young and elderly and extends to those kidnaped or sold into the sex slave trade and those who seek marriageable partners in developed countries to obtain visas. A single mother can earn enough in a developed country as a nurse, a nanny or as a prostitute to leave her children behind in the care of a relative and pay for their education and daycare. This process gives her children access to a better education that can lift them out of poverty.

This book is a collection of essays authored with assistance of researchers from numerous third world countries. The sociological aspect is consistent with Ehrenreich's usual works--always rich with social commentary. This time she functions as editor and provides one chapter from her earlier experience at Merry Maids as told in Nickeled and Dimed. Hochschild is professor of sociology at Berkeley.

The major migratory pathways for women are described generally as from south to north. In the US, African American women accounted for 60% of domestics in the 1940s. They have now been replaced by Latinas mostly from Mexico and Central America. In Europe migrants come from Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. In the oil rich Mideast, many come from Bangladesh, Indonesia, the Phillippines, and Sri Lanka. In France, they now come from Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria; in Italy, from Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Cape Verde. Generally, migrants have replaced those who once came from poor rural areas of their own countries.

Several chapters on nannies and their problems are especially informative. The hours are long, overtime is seldom paid, time off it minimal, workers are sometimes farmed out to other families, or required to travel with the family on "holiday." The children often become attached to the nanny as part of the family, but this can result in jealousy on the part of birth mothers. Many nannies leave abruptly after an argument.

Various aspects of the sex trade are explored. In the Dominican Republic, married women may voluntarily go to the larger town of Sosua to work as prostitutes in the sex tourist industry. This good money is used to pay the family bills, but husbands sometimes spend the funds on alcoholism and gambling when the wife is away. Some prostitutes hope for a marriage proposal from German tourists. In Thailand, in the less prosperous mountain districts, daughters once were sold into sex slavery when the economic survival of the family required it. Now, rapid industrialization and rising standard of living have created major growth in sex tourism. Industrial workers have more money to spend on prostitutes. Mountain Thais now are more willing to sell their daughters to fund the purchase of electronics and other consumer goods.

In Viet Nam, the war killed many males and a disproportionate number of males were able to migrate to the US after the war. This has resulted in an over abundance of females. Educated females become un-marriageable. Arranged marriages with US citizens is one solution to this problem.

This book provides perspective on another aspect of the woman's rights movement in developing countries. Apparently several previous books have issued, but this subject has received little attention in the overall scheme of immigration policy. I saw no discussion of how these problems should be addressed. Presumably better laws are needed as well as a willingness to enforce existing laws in the case of the sex slavery and sex tourism. Different solutions seem appropriate in the case of licensed nurses who are aided in getting visas to fill a real shortage. The presence of undocumented migrants working as nannies and domestics is yet another problem. Perhaps different solutions are needed for each group. Mixing all of them in a single volume confuses the issues. The book lacks the impact it could have had.

This book is nicely done and thought provoking, but the absence of proposed solutions is a major omission. A collection of charts provide details of the female migrations. Notes. Bibliography. Index.

In brief essays, the authors present generally unbiased academic discussions of the globalization of female workers. Though hardly a new phenomenon, it has dramatically increased in the last 50 years and is a topic that is deserving of this type of examination. The topics are clearly delineated between domestic workers, cheap labor and the sex trade - however, there are unfortunates whose experiences range from one to the other out of necessity, desperation or coercion. This harsh reality of the vulnerability of these women is discussed with jargon-free, scholarly precision. Excellent for libraries, research and the well-read individual.

I used Alan Brinley's text "American History: A Survey" for my AP US History class this year. My teacher specifically chose this book, as his daughter, who attended another school, started out by using the ubiquitous American Pageant, but as Pageant was about two times larger than the book and it was March and they had just started WWI, his daughter's teacher started to photocopy Brinkley's Book and give those pages out to his students. Brinkley's text is much shorter, and much better in my opinion. The primary source disc is a must. We always used that for discussion in class. One important part is that Brinkley focuses less on the battles of a war for example, but emphasizes the big picture of a war, like the reasons and effects. Is it perfect? No. But is it one of the better books out there? Yes. Without a doubt. Take it from a motivated AP student, it's the better choice. Here's to getting a 5! Thanks Brinkley.

This book was used when i bought it but when i received it, it was like brand new everything page in perfect condition. I used the book for my history class and passed with a "B". Thanks Alan Brinkley...LOL :-)

I love how fast it took, sorry i took so long to leave a comment...

This past year, I have had to use this edition of the Brinkster's text for an honors-level American History I course. From week one, the instructor was as uninspired and incoherent as The Godfather Part III, so I knew I would have to use the textbook if I wanted to learn anything. American History: A Survey presents an unbiased account of the nation's adventure through time, but in its successful attempt to remain neutral, it comes off as bland as a rice cake. The Prime Source Investigator CD features some nice flashcards and quizzes, but the text itself is perhaps more boring than Warhol's film Empire. A friend of mine recommended The American Pageant, and after reading a few chapters of it, I've decided to plunk down the cash for a more engaging read.

We use this book for AP U.S. History and I have to say, it must be the most dull and uninteresting textbook I have ever had the displeasure of reading. It provides a lot of information all right...there's plenty of text, text, and more text. However, the text focuses entirely on all of the wrong parts of U.S. History. The AP exam is broken down into 40% political and economic, 40% social, and 20% other stuff, such as arts and such. This book, instead, is broken into approximately 95% social, 4% political and economic, and 1% other. It's absolutely ludicrous. What's more, a large majority of this social history is on women's history. Despite the fact that women played a role in American history, it is absolutely ridiculous that Brinkley places more emphasis on women in American history than anything else. He gives little focus onto the rise of the technologies of the Industrial or Modern eras, the American imperialism, or anything that really matters for that matter. He doesn't give any impression that the world was in danger from the Axis forces during World War II. In fact, he is so preoccupied with the rise of women that there is almost no mention of anything important that the United States did on a global scale during the 20th century. If you enjoy women's history, then this is definitely the right book for you. If you're looking for a well-balanced textbook that provides a scope on ALL aspects of American history, save yourself the money and use a different book.

This was an extremely useful book for the understanding of Statistics and Econometrics. Each topic had examples to show how the formulas work. The computer chapter went over the programming in SAS, Excel, and Eviews for the problems in the book. Best of all, the problems had answers. This is a must-have for beginning statistics and econometrics since it starts from scratch, and for theory students in search of an application.