Product Description
This all-inclusive thematic anthology of over 150 poems brings together a marvelous array of writings, from Shakespeare and Tennyson to modern poets such as Robert Frost and Ted Hughes to the works of Caribbean, African, and Native American poets. A delightful way for children and adults to spend time together. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

English Teacher Loves this Book!
I am an English teacher with a literature degree, and I love the selections in this book, especially "Prayer to Laughter."My students totally identified with that one.

good favorites poem book
I use this book in the classroom. It has a lot of the old forgotten favorites and I am all to happy to introduce a new generation of children to these poems.

Most Amazing Collection of Poetry....ever!
I have given this book as a gift perhaps eight times now. It is without a doubt the most amazing collection of poetry...old and new, joyful and sad, silly and profound...that I have ever seen collected under one cover. I've taught English for 30 years and it still remains my favorite. It may appear to somehow be poems for children, but it is poetry for our entire lives. I love this book....

For More than Just Young Children
We bought this in the children's section of our local bookstore, but the poetry in the book is aimed at a much broader audience.That's a plus for us -- it means I can read "Adventures of Isabel" and "It's Dark in Here" to the children and follow it up with "The Beautiful" and "A Prayer in Spring."The selections range from Silverstein to Blake to Frost to Wordsworth.All in all, they are well selected, both for their subject matter and their musicality.It's quickly becoming a family favorite.

A Great Anthology for All Ages
This is a great selection of poems. James Berry is a poet and has a poet's ear for language. "To Be Read Aloud" is the key to the title. Open the book. Pick a poem and speak the words into the air. Read them tosomeone you love, young or old. Treat yourself to a poetry reading, by you,for you. This is not lightweight poetry; Yeats and Eliot are not your usual"Children's Poetry". There are classics that children love, suchas "The Owl and the Pussycat," but it's not the second-ratepoetry that is often pawned off on children who don't know better. If youwould like your children to "know better" poetry, this anthologyis full of first-rate examples. ... Read more

Product Description
* For the first time ever - the International Best Seller - James Earl Jones Reads The Bible, is now available on CD!!

Includes the entire New Testament - King James Version
Over 19 hours on 16 compact discs!
Digitally Re-mastered
Featuring a beautiful music soundtrack (background)

In a voice as rich as it is recognized, James earl Jones lends his narrative talents to the King James Version of the New Testament. In over 19 hours on 16 compact discs enhanced with a complete musical score, James Earl Jones interprets the most enduring book of our time utilizing the acclaimed actor's superb storytelling and skilled characterizations. Hailed as the greatest spoken-word bible version ever, and with almost half a million copies sold, this exquisite audio treasury is certain to enthuse and inspire.

James Earl Jones possesses the most recognized and rich narrative voice of the modern era. His film credits include The Lion King, Hunt for Red October, Star Wars, Field of Dreams, and many others, as well as being "the voice" of CNN. In this extraordinary box set, an incredible talent reads the New Testament of the Bible in its entirety. You will be mesmerized by Mr. Jones’ style and punctuation, and will listen to this beautiful recording over and over. Without doubt, the greatest spoken-word audio product ever produced on the Bible. Digitally re-mastered, and enhanced with a beautiful background music score, this will be a collection treasured for a lifetime. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (72)

Grat buy
This was purchased for another family member and they love it.They listen to it all the time.

Not the Bible, just the New Testament
When I search for "The Bible" on CD, and I find on title "THE BIBLE", I expect it to be the WHOLE Bible.Not just one part of it."James Earl Jones Reads the Bible"It should say he reads the New Testament.Other than that, it is great.TRUTH in ADVERTISING!!Especially when it is the BIBLE!!

Excellent
Product arrived on time and in new condition. No concerns with this order. The product itself is great, just spoken in old english which can be difficult to understand at times.

Mislabled, misleading
This is a very soothing and pretty much precise reading.I do find the labeling to be misleading due to the title "The Bible"I did not read the small print (I have eye problems) and thought it was the complete Bible not just the New Testament. I think this should be in larger print.All in all I truly like it.Now I have to buy the Old Testament if there is one or spend additional monies on the Complete Bible.

JAMES EARL JONES
I REALLY LIKE THIS ITEM.JAMES JONES DOES A WONDERFUL JOB. I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS TO ANYONE WHO WANTS TO KNOW THE BIBLE, BUT DOES NOT UNDERSTAND IT WHEN THEY READ IT.
THANK YOU. ... Read more

Product Description
With a voice as rich as it is recognized, James Earl Jones brings the King James Version of the New Testament alive with his narrative talents. Oscar®-nominated, Emmy- and Tony Award-winning actor James Earl Jones has earned a worldwide reputation as one of the world’s most versatile actors and voiceover artists. In over 19 hours on 14 digitally re-mastered compact discs, James Earl Jones Reads the Bible interprets the most enduring book of our time utilizing the acclaimed actor’s superb storytelling and skilled characterizations. James Earl Jones, who includes in his credits The Lion King, Patriot Games and Star Wars, has provided what is hailed as the greatest spoken-word Bible version ever. With over 400,000 copies sold, this exquisite audio treasure is certain to entertain and inspire.

Complete New Testament (King James Version)
- Digitally Re-mastered
- Bonus! 12 classic hymns recorded by the Nashville Faith - Choir and Friends
- International Bestseller with over 400,000 units sold!

Bonus
Old Time Gospel Hymns sung by the acclaimed Nashville Faith Choir and Friends is a collection of 12 classic hymns including Victory In Jesus, The Old Rugged Cross, and the ever popular Amazing Grace. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

King James bible on disc
I've listened to the first CD (Matthew 1-13)and find it most helpful with my bible study.Since I've not listened to all CD's yet I can only comment on the first one.The sound is acceptable. It's not scratched; occasionally the volume rises and then falls, but it doesn't disturb my ability to understand James Earl Jones.The case in which the CD's are packaged came to me partially broken.I won't know until a future date if any of the CD's are scratched due to the damaged package.

Pleased
Very pleased with it. I didn't at first realize it was just the New Testament. Only a few errors as i discovered by following along in my Bible with it but nothing doctrinely terrible :-p. Highly recommend for all christians to own a copy of an audio Bible. It puts things in a new light for those who are learning it and applying to their life.

A great way to get religion.
I have to be honest - James Earl Jones has read more Bible to me than I ever read on my own.And you can listen to the Bible while you're multi-tasking.James Earl Jones has a fantastic voice and there are no extraneous choirs or music in the background.The only negative I can add has already been pointed out by other reviewers.This collection covers the New Testament only.I was kind of hoping to get the Old Testament too but, based on what's out there now, I can wait until James Earls Jones reads the Old Testament

New Testament by James Earl Jones
What a marvelous narrator!I wish I would have read the other reviews prior to purchase as I too was under the impression that this was the entire Bible, not just the NEW TESTAMENT.I would highly consider letting buyers know that even though it says Deluxe, it is referring to the lovely box it comes in.This is very deceptive.Now I have to spend another $41 to get the entire Bible.Please correct this if you value your feedback.

Wonderful!
This is an excellent reading of the King James Version New Testament. Jones reads clearly with excellent pronunciation and makes it easier to listen to and understand. His voice is wonderful to listen to. There is no music played in the background, which is good.

The hymns by the Nashville Faith Choir are enjoyable. They sing several of them with a traditional shape-note tone quality. For some this is an acquired taste. But I love shape-note singing. ... Read more

Product Description
Victor Smiley and his wife Joan have been married for nearly twenty years, but each barely recognises the person they wake up with every morning. Victor is so fed up with his job at the local egg-box factory -as well as distracted by his visits to his favourite prostitute, Kamila- that he hardly notices his wife's constant ridicule. Joan has resigned herself to the fact that Victor will never see beyond her double-chin to a new hair cut or outfit. She even puts up with his constant snoring which keeps her up night after night. Just. For unbeknownst to Victor, Joan is taking her sweet revenge: spending large amounts of money on his credit card, kitting herself out in a sexy new wardrobe, to impress her secret lover, Don. But then, as the bills mount, Victor loses his job. Soon he realises that the only way he can achieve his dream of setting up home with Kamila is to get Joan out of the picture. But Victor is about to get a nasty surprise. For he's not the only one with murder on his mind. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The perfect murder by Peter James
The Perfect Murder. Peter James (Quick Reads)

One of the most cleaver and entertaining books I've read in a long time. Sharply observed, well written story. I highly recommend it. Would make a great movie.
Anita Miller

Always a great read
Peter James, always enjoy every single one of his books.There is no book which he has written and I have read every one that has been a dissapointment. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Way We Read James Dickey
As the editor of two collections of essays on James Dickey and The Selected Poems of James Dickey, I am especially pleased to see the appearance of this new collection (2009) on one of our foremost American writers.Thesing and Wrede have done an outstanding job of assembling original assessments on Dickey's poetry, prose, and place in Southern literature. All the essays are strong.The Introduction provides a comprehensive overview on Dickey criticism.My favorite piece is novelist and former Dickey student Pat Conroy's attack on "political correctness" which has been used in academic circles to dismiss Dickey.Conroy's affection for Dickey's work is honest and admirable, and this collection in its quality and breadth extends the integrity of serious commentary on Dickey, if postmodern readers are careful and industrious enough to give this book the attention it deserves.
... Read more

Product Description
Everyone knows the hits -- "Mony Mony," "I Think We're Alone Now," "Crimson and Clover," "Crystal Blue Persuasion." They are nuggets of rock and pop history. However, few know the unlikely story of how these hits came to be. Tommy James had been performing locally, in Michigan, in rock bands since the age of 12. Prompted to record a few songs by a local DJ in 1964, Tommy chose an obscurity titled "Hanky Panky," which became a minor local hit that came and went.

Then, in 1966, the record was re-discovered by a Pittsburgh DJ who started playing it on heavy rotation, prompting a tremendous response. Soon, every record mogul in New York was pursuing Tommy and the band. And then an even odder thing happened: every offer but one disappeared, and James found himself in the office of Morris Levy at Roulette Records, where he was handed a pen and ominously promised "one helluva ride." Morris Levy, the legendary "godfather" of the music business, needed a hit and "Hanky Panky" would be his. The song went to #1; James went on to do much more; and Levy continued to reign.

Me, the Mob, and the Music tells the intimate story of the complex and sometimes terrifying relationship between the bright-eyed, sweet-faced blonde musician from the heartland and the big, bombastic, brutal bully from the Bronx, who hustled, cheated, and swindled his way to the top of the music industry. It is also the story of this swaggering, wildly creative era of rock n' roll when the hits kept coming and payola and the strong arm tactics of the mob were the norm, and what it was like, for better or worse, to be in the middle of it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (42)

+1/2 - The education and seduction of a rock `n' roll hit maker
Tommy James came of age just as pop was giving way to rock `n' roll. Elvis Presley's performance on Ed Sullivan provided the initial epiphany, and five-days-a-week of American Bandstand, a job in a record store, junior high school talent shows and a prototypical garage band steeped him in both music and the music business. The early pages of this autobiography provide a great sense of what it was like to be in a rock `n' roll band in the summer of 1963, from the joy of making music to the grind of trying to make a living. But once "Hanky Panky" caught fire in 1966, James was introduced to most of his fans as a fully-formed star; here you get to read about the dues he paid.

James' rise to fame has been told before, but the details of his first single's belated success - its initial failure, fluke resurrection in Pittsburgh, and canny national reissue on Roulette - is a great story. It's also the lead-in to the book's main thread: the difficult, father-son-like relationship between James and Roulette founder Morris Levy. In contrast to his co-dependency with Levy, his relationships with wives, children and band members weren't nearly so sticky. James' first wife and their son are ghosts in the narrative, nearly abandoned in his move to New York and divorced as he takes up with the Roulette Record secretary who eventually became his second wife. His second wife eventually meets a similar fate as he cheats on her and eventually moves on.

He forms and dispatches several iterations of the Shondells, with little expressed emotion. He fires half the band after they fight for monies owed in the wake of "I Think We're Alone Now," and is complicit in helping Levy cheat songwriters Ritchie Cordell and Bo Gentry by demanding songs they were pitching to artists whose labels would actually pay royalties. As with the affairs presaging his divorces, these episodes seem to be evidence of a self-centeredness learned from Levy rather than explicitly cruel behavior. But there's surprisingly little remorse offered here, and what there is - five sentences when his first wife reappears for a divorce - doesn't measure up to the affronts. Perhaps James wasn't ready to share his innermost thoughts and personal feelings in an autobiography.

His telling of stories from the music side of his life is a great deal more compelling. Threaded throughout - and really, most successful musicians' careers - is a surprising amount of luck; for James this includes the revival of "Hanky Panky" in Pittsburgh, the discovery of songs for two follow-up singles, a chance meeting with songwriter Ritchie Cordell, the creation of "Mirage," and the incidental knowledge of arranger Jimmy Wisner. What you realize is that James put in the work from a very young age, studied and rehearsed, and put himself in a position to make these opportunities pay off. The crossing of paths may have been serendipitous, but the knowledge and ability to execute was hard-earned. The writing is more anecdotal than nuts and bolts accountings of music making, but you get a good feel for how James navigated changes in the industry to maintain a hit-making career across two decades.

As one might expect from a book entitled "Me, the Mob and the Music," James spends a great deal of time writing about his relationship with Levy and his underworld associates. It's not clear if he fully understands why his relationship with the godfather of the music industry became the center of his adult life, but it's evident how it tainted his relationships with friends, wives, family and associates. Now twenty-four years sober and drug free, James seems at peace with who he was (characterizing his second divorce with "she was a good person, I was a flaming []"), and he's still exciting fans with regular gigs. This isn't the most personally revealing rock `n' roll biography, but it adds some welcome detail to the career of Tommy James. 3-1/2 stars, if allowed fractional ratings. [©2010 hyperbolium dot com]

Hanky panky
A kid who becomes an overnight success falls into the hands of a mob-connected record producer. Getting out isn't easy no matter how unhappy Tommy James is with what he sees happening around him.

Addiction to pills quickly follows success; doctors prescribe them, so what could be wrong with them? Popping pills wasn't like shooting heroin. Such was the thinking back then.

I've always loved this guy's music, and I was interested in the story behind the songs. Part of writing an autobiography is being honest, and anyone who does that will come off as far less than perfect.

I'm sorry that as a kid I bought so many records at the store that the book links to the evil record producer.

Good.....but I wanted more.
To start with I have to admit that I am a huge TJ fan and have seen TJ and his various bands at least a dozen times since 1970. I have every album to date and love TJ's music so I was really happy he wrote this book. It's a quick read and does have a nice flow, but I wanted more. Tommy isn't just another "lucky" one hit wonder or forgotten recording artist that had a few hits and was resigned to the oldies circuit. Tommy James has had an incredible career and is still writing, recording and out there on the road headlininghis own tours.
Tommy James is one of the few recording artists from the 60's who could offer a great overview of the many changes in music both artistically and technically through the years. Tommy wasn't just a singer/guitar player he also wrote and produced his own records and took advantage of each new advancement of recording technology to improve the sound of his recordings. Tommy James helped pioneer new techniques in studio throughout the 60's and 70's. He went from the mono one track reel to reel recordings of the original Shondells to todays unlimited digital recording studios yet not a word in the book mentions any of this. Listen to Tommy's 1977 album "Midnight Rider". It is one of finest state-of-the-art recordings to have come out of that period. A technical masterpiece, yet there is barely a mention of it in his book.
Tommy's career went from small club column PA systems and the "in-house" PA systems of gymnasiums and theaters to the huge and elaborate systems he uses today. Tommy more than any artist still out there playing today has seen so many changes in his career I was hoping for a little more of that perspective. Maybe that's a subject he is keeping for his 2nd book. This book centers on his time with Roulette Records and that is pretty much it. His career after his first couple of solo hits is written more as a quick overview of the past 30 years of his career with hardly a mention of the great things he has done since.
Still, something is better than nothing. What there is is good. I just want more.

It's a great read for someone interested in the entertainment business
Tommy James gives a great account of his recording career at Roulette records. Anyone involved in the music business will appreciate this narrative.

Tommy James and the Music Business
The book overall is an easy read.You get a real feel for life in a famous band.You also get a real feel for the music industry of the 60's and 70's. Morris Levy is made out to be a monster, but he also has his more touching moments.I did not realize all of the personnel changes within the Shondells over the years.

If you are interested in the music industry of that era this book will give you some good insight. ... Read more

Product Description
In Fox's latest adventure, he decides to put on the play, "The Mummy's Toe," in which Dexter has the part of the mummy, Carmen plays the princess, and Fox plays the hero. By the author of Fox Outfoxed. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great Fox!
James Marshall is skilled at writing books to hook low level readers. I use these books in the classroom to get even the most reluctant of readers to devour these stories. If only there were more!! ... Read more

Product Description
Soon every business will be Internet enabled and we'll all start dropping the "e" in "e-business." Everything we do is being affected: product creation, customer fulfillment, logistics, planning and, of course, finance. - Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, CFO, Nokia
Among CFOs, there's a universal belief that either you can embrace the Internet, or be victimized by it. This is prompting finance functions to examine how they will transform themselves over time. CFOs have to address the short, intermediate, and longer term impact of the Internet on their companies. - Tom Meredith, Managing Director, Dell Ventures and former CFO, Dell Computer Corporation

Undoubtedly e-commerce will have a significant impact on the finance function. Increasing shareholder value in this market means growing the value of your intangibles; at P&G;that includes R&D,;marketing and people. - Clayton Daley, CFO, Procter and Gamble

The Internet will not wait - it's a cultural, not geographical, phenomenon. It requires substantial investment up front to gain scale fast. The opportunity will not last forever. We have to be represented in as many places, with as many products, as quickly as possible... We think our biggest challenge is one of execution in the face of insurmountable opportunity. - Warren Jenson, CFO, Amazon.com

CFOs of leading-edge companies in every industry are transforming themselves into eCFOs -- harnessing the power of the Internet to move beyond ERP, "blow up" their budget processes, apply new valuation techniques, and build new businesses. As traditional accounting functions change or disappear, redefining finance's agenda in an e-business world takes on a new urgency. Each chapter of eCFO: Sustaining Value in the New Corporation is introduced by a leading CFO. They, and the authors at PricewaterhouseCoopers, provide an invaluable guide to leveraging e-businees, offering strategies, tools, action plans and insight.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Is this a joke?
Having actually been a CFO, I was excited to learn how I might improve on how I do things, challenge any old thinking I had picked up, etc.However, this book says nothing new.In fact, it says almost nothing at all.

PwC has assembled a collection of jargon and case studies that are so high-level as to be of no use.I give it one star instead of zero because the eCFO checklists at the end of each chapter are, in fact, useful in terms of giving you some things to think about -- but you don't need to buy the whole book just for that.Check it out at the library -- better yet, just make photocopies of the checklists.

Is this book also an indication of what you get by hiring PwC consultants?

Anything about nothing & nothing about anything!
For a real CFO, this one is actually too heavy to read through. As for the practician, although graced with beautiful charts and diagrams, it ain't provide any real beef, either. It is a sample of "anything about nothing and nothing about anything". Vague!

Highly Recommended!
The gang at PricewaterhouseCoopers discusses the chief financial officer's role in the changing corporate landscape. The eCFO is no longer only involved with financial management, but must become an internal venture capitalist, opportunity seeker and risk taker who works closely with the CEO to anticipate trends, recommend new enterprises and manage company investments as a portfolio of financial ventures. The authors draw on in-depth interviews with leading CFOs, case studies, independent research and analysis of the latest best practices. Though charts, bullets and boxes impart a textbook flavor, and the trend material is a little familiar, the book is generally solid and informative. We from getAbstract suggest it to CFOs and CEOs who need that "e" awareness, or to any manager who is trying to drag the boss into the 21st century, or even the 20th.

Great book!
As its predecessor, CFO: The Architect of the Corporation's Future, eCFO continues PwC's collection of financial masterpieces.

eCFO provides a major turnaround in the finance function for the
21st century.The new CFO profile will demand a series of capabilities in order to lead companies through the e-world.Technical skills no longer suffice;CFOs are to be great visionaries and good communicators/motivators in their new leadership role.

For example, the new finance function has to take into account that budgets no longer work.They inhibit growth and creativity.I particularly liked a comment that said that budgets are an exercise of how small a company wants to be.Instead, the authors suggest using rolling forecasts as an alternative to foster creativity and at the same time control risks/costs.

I highly recommend this book.This is the third book I buy from PwC's finance team:CFO, eCFO and In Search of Shareholder Value.

e is for expanding
Although it contains more than its fair share of populist concepts and views it does provide an excellent insight into the expanding role of the CEO. Particularlyuseful were the comments of leading CEO's at some of the worlds most dynamic companies. ... Read more

Product Description
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

Product Description
Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

Product Description
Seriously. You WILL die by the end of this story.

You very much don't want to read this book.

You have been warned.

And if you DO give in to temptation, if you DO give into your morbid sense of curiosity, then I beg you not to read the story to the end.

There's still time.

Turn back.

Don't give in to temptation. Save your .99 cents. Save yourself.

You have been warned.


("Read This and Die" is only 5 pages long. It is a seriously short story.) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

This was a waste of money
This shouldn't even be allowed to exist on Amazon Kindle. It is a waste of money and says nothing. Very disappointing and I am frustrated that I had to pay for it.

wasted minute
pathetic. amazon should be ashamed. i sure am for wasting 99 cents and 1 minute. ... Read more

Product Description
In 2001, Continuum published the extensive collected papers from African Americans and the Bible, an interdisciplinary conference held at Union Theological Seminary, NYC. In the collection's introduction, Vincent L. Wimbush issued a challenge to take seriously those who "read darkness," and to consider what it is they are doing when they read the Bible as "scripture."Wimbush's focus on "darkness readers," both within and outside of the African diaspora, breaks open the discourse around the nature, meaning, and importance of the Bible. By following the lead of "darkness readers," the Bible is revealed to be more than a collection of ancient documents from an inaccessible past; it is the site upon which modern, contemporary ideological battles have and continue to be waged.

In First Pure, Then Peaceable: Frederick Douglass Reads James, Margaret Aymer takes up his challenge. It is an examination of the way in which Frederick Douglass, the nineteenth-century abolitionist, used the epistle of James, particularly Jas 3:17, in his abolitionist speeches, to "read" the "darkness" of slavery and slaveholding Christianity.Within the epistle of James is a rhetoric of the world as "darkness". Douglass uses this to read his contemporary "darkness." As part of her research, Aymer has created an index of biblical references in all of Frederick Douglass' abolitionist speeches as collected by J. W. Blassingame (1841-1860). ... Read more

Product Description
Does every increase in the power of government entail a loss of liberty for the people? James H. Read examines how four key Founders--James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, James Wilson, and Thomas Jefferson--wrestled with this question during the first two decades of the American Republic.

Power versus Liberty reconstructs a four-way conversation--sometimes respectful, sometimes shrill--that touched on the most important issues facing the new nation: the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, federal authority versus states' rights, freedom of the press, the controversial Bank of the United States, the relation between nationalism and democracy, and the elusive meaning of "the consent of the governed."

Each of the men whose thought Read considers differed on these key questions. Jefferson believed that every increase in the power of government came at the expense of liberty: energetic governments, he insisted, are always oppressive. Madison believed that this view was too simple, that liberty can be threatened either by too much or too little governmental power. Hamilton and Wilson likewise rejected the Jeffersonian view of power and liberty but disagreed with Madison and with each other.

The question of how to reconcile energetic government with the liberty of citizens is as timely today as it was in the first decades of the Republic. It pervades our political discourse and colors our readings of events from the confrontation at Waco to the Oklahoma City bombing to Congressional debate over how to spend the government surplus. While the rhetoric of both major political parties seems to posit a direct relationship between the size of our government and the scope of our political freedoms, the debates of Madison, Hamilton, Wilson, and Jefferson confound such simple dichotomies. As Read concludes, the relation between power and liberty is inherently complex. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Precise View of Madison
Recent scholarship has revealed a much more consistent 'Madison' than some historians have granted 'The Father of the Constitution'.Scholars Rosen, Banning, and Rakove have lead the way in this regard. Reads contribution although brief is as Rakove pointed out a deft work.By highlighting the concerns Madison held about the excresent powers of the Continental Congress, amidst the environment where the Congress was frustrated from performing the assigned tasks, revitalizes and reinforces the devotion Madison held for Constituional integrity reconciling the thoughts and actions of Madison in the 1780s, to the 1790s. It is only wished this essay could be expanded, and that the author could apply a more expanded study on Madison's contributions.

User-friendly exploration on the role of/limit to government
Dr. James Read was a recent guest on National Public Radio.His scholarship is evident, but what he has written here is a very "user-friendly" exploration of the early American debate on the role of government, which is as pertinent today as it was in 1776.
Dr. James Read has given us a highly readable, as well as well researched, look at a question which all Americans ponder:"Is big government antagonistic to individual rights and liberties?"The discussion is framed in the context of those early American thinkers who initially set up the American system of government with an especial emphasis on Jefferson and Hamilton.
This is a very readable book that is written in straightforward prose.It presents a nice, concise history of America's early philosophical public policy issues, its greatest thinkers, and the debate in the 18th century about what form the American government would take.It is fascinating to read about the debates taking place in the hammering out of the United States' Constitution.
The book is organized into:
Power and Liberty (James Madison);
Libertarianism and nationalism (Alexander Hamilton);
Popular Sovereighty (James Wilson);
Liberty and States Rights (Thomas Jefferson).

Disappointing
Before reading this work, I looked upon it as very promising.Read, in contrast the vast majority of other historians of the era, proposes to analyze and contrast the political philosophies of four major earlyAmericans by examining their views on the relationship between power andliberty.Thus,the author is also in effect transcending the triterepublicanism/liberalism dichotomy that has domincated scholarship fordecades by returning to the methodology used by the great Bernard Bailyn. Unfortunately, the author ultimately fails to execute.

Madison is thefirst thinker that he discusses, and along with the chapter on Wilson, thisis the highlight of the book.He effectively argues that Madison was amuch more consistent thinker than past scholars have made him out to be. While Madison's transformation from an ally to Hamilton during theConstitutional Convention to a strong opponent several years later has longpuzzled historians, Read demonstrates the consistenty that he maintained inboth positions as related through his interpretation of the Constitutionand the public's understanding and perception of it.In addition to this,he also undertakes the strangely neglected task of comparing Madison withHamilton.This however, leads the first major downfall of the study, viz.his unsound analysis of Hamilton.

To begin with, even the subtitle ofthis chapter is enough to arouse one's suspicions.Hamilton ischaracterized as a "Libertarian and nationalist."The laterappelation is certainly undisputable, but the former is clearly absurd toanyone who has any idea what libertarianism actually entails.Throughoutthe chaper, Hamilton's supposed commitment to liberty and other traditionalWhig or republican principles is given far too much emphasis with far toolittle substantive evidence.Along with this, Hamilton's views onConstitional and economic policy are given a shallow, sympathetictreatment, while other aspects of his life and thought are either ignoredor merely glossed over.This of course, largely serves to vitiate the verypromising contrast of Hamilton with Madison that he conducts.

Nevertheless, the chapter on James Wilson is quite valuable, especiallysince he, unlike the other 3 figures dealt with, has been prodominantlyignored by modern scholars.He shows that while Wilson was as committed tothe concept of popular sovreignty as Thomas Jefferson, he believed that theproper manner to systemize this was primarily through the Federalgovernment.Hence, Wilson, like Hamilton, was a proponent of"energetic government," because he viewed it as the propersystemization of the "energy" of the sovereign people.

Althoughthe chaper on Hamilton was bad, that dealing with Jefferson is worse. Read, quite correctly, recognizes throughout the work that Jefferson,(unlike Madison, Hamilton, and Wilson) viewed power and liberty as polaropposites, with every increase of power entailing a proportionate decreasein liberty.T Surprisingly , however, his actual analysis of his thoughtis among the worst that I have ever read.He seems to make a concertedeffort to make his political philosophy as nebulous and contradictory aspossible.Moreover, while he cites David N. Mayer's invaluable work onJefferson's Constitutional thought, and even states that fellow scholarMichael Zuckert helped him with the work; he utilizes the flawed andinaccurate work of Lance Banning and Richard Matthews.As a result ofthis, he takes up the absurd contention that Jefferson was an agrarian whoopposed capitalism, and thus Hamilton and his radical vision for a neweconomic order.

This view, in addition to being completely unfounded,also highlights the paucity of Read's sources.Such important works asJoyce Appleby's "Capitalism & A New Social Order" and GarretSheldon's "The Political Philosophy of Thomas Jefferson" arecompletely ignored.

While the analysis of Jefferson's thought isdramatically poor, perhaps the worst aspect of the work is the author'stranslation of views of each thinker to the politcal landscape of the late20th century.For the first three thinkers, he manages to claim that theirtheories may actually be able to fit modern day circumstances.Jefferson,however, is excluded from this, given his radical views on power.In eachcase, he uses the common statist platitude that convictions formulated twocenturies ago cannot apply to issues out of their temporal context.In thecase of all of these men, even Hamilton, this argument is patently absurd,as their adherence to the principals of natural rights and libertycertainly make clear.As Jefferson once said, Nothing...is unchangeablebut the inherent and unalienable rights of man."Consideration ofthis, among other Founding principles, has led even as staunch aHamiltonian as Forrest McDonald to conclude the Founding Fathers would lookupon the current government as tyrannical.As should be obvious, I viewthis work as very deeply flawed.Nevertheless, given the proper authorutilizing the same methodology, this could have been a truly fascinatingand valuable piece of scholarship. ... Read more

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Nice
I purchased it for my father, but we didn't use it that much yet the quality of the DVDs seemed fine.

Charlton Heston made a Bible DVD set too, and I'm thinking that might be more exciting then this one.Of what I heard of the DVD it did seem well, kind of dull.Yet I believe that the Bible, read properly, can be very exciting.I give these DVDs a rating of "alright."

driving with the bible
This is a quality product. The only con is that they play backround music while reading Sciptures. That is distracting as both the Word and the music are good.

The Bible on CD's
I ordered this for Christmas - paid the extra to get right away and it came next day.Thank you.

James Earl Jones Voice is Key
This is an excellent way to listen to scripture especially while driving. Fast delivery. Thanks.

James Earl Jones should stick with Darth Vader.
I was excited to get this CD set, since I know James Earl Jones has a great set of pipes, and I have listened so much to Alexander Scourby's reading of the Bible that I was ready for a new reading.I was disappointed the first time I listened.Jones does not use inflection while he reads; the result is that the words sound lifeless.As a Christian believer, that abhors me.

But more than his lifeless reading, I am apalled at Jones' changing of the text.He is reading the King James Version, but he changes the words at will.For example, the text will read "Christ Jesus" and Jones will read "Jesus Christ."I counted 21 errors in his reading of the Book of Ephesians alone.If you believe, as I do, in the divine inspiration of the Word of God, you will not be able to stand how Jones imposes his own changes to the text without any textual or scriptural justification.Jones should stick with Darth Vader. ... Read more

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Just after 7pm on the evening of Tuesday 4 March 1969, at the Old Bailey, the jurors filed back into Court 1 to give their verdict on Ronald Kray. The word "Guilty" brought to a triumphant conclusion the months of painstaking work put in by Leonard Read and his team in their efforts to bring the infamous Kray brothers to justice. In this book, Leonard Read tells his own story, that of the small Nottingham lad, nicknamed Nipper, who went to join the Metropolitan Police - because of their less stringent height requirements - and who rose through the ranks to become part of the team solving the Great Train Robbery. In 1964 Read was invited to put together a team to "have a go" at the Kray gang - the seemingly untouchable East End criminals whose reign of terror involved blackmail, protection rackets and finally murder. In a recreation of the operation, Read and James Morton cover the case from the first time Nipper saw Ronald Kray in a pub in the Whitechapel Road - where he turned up flanked by minders - to the brothers' eventual arrest in May 1968 and the nailbiting suspense of their sensational trial. ... Read more