Customer Reviews (32)

Review of book with two titles
This Book is also sold under the Title "Lost in Translation Volume 1" with the subtitle of "Re-discovering the Hebrew roots of our Faith". This might cause a lot of confusion- I see one reviewer (above) bought the book twice as a result. I have already written a review for the other title and feel I should also place it here for balance.
I found it difficult to know where to start with this critique so I'll begin with the sub-title "Rediscovering the Hebrew roots of our Faith". If this is what you really want to do then this book is not the one you should be starting with. To do that read Marvin Wilson "Our Father Abraham"; Oskar Skarsaune "In the shadow of the Temple" and Brad Young "Meet the Rabbi's". Also investigate the excellent material from "First Fruits of Zion", "En-Gedi Resource Centre" and other serious but accessible academics and speakers like David Bivin and Dwight Pryor.

This book which is written in a very easy to read style began with much promise, but I quickly grew uneasy as it progressed. It makes some very interesting statements as facts, but there were not adequate references (to my satisfaction) to back up or support what was being said. I was therefore never really sure that I could trust what they were claiming. This became more important as the book developed and moved into areas that the authors themselves admitted were controversial. They also make extensive use of the Book of Enoch to support their ideas. I know both Peter and Jude selectively quoted from Enoch, but that does not mean that we can do so freely and uncritically.

The book starts dealing with the language and culture of the second Temple period, and rightly stresses the importance of understanding this when reading and interpreting the scriptures. The next chapters on various types of Covenants and Betrothal are all very interesting but I would like to have known more about their sources to confirm and support the ideas that they were developing. This is important as their covenant themes are referred to throughout this and the following books.

I was very uneasy with the next chapter on "devils, demons and the nephilim". They admit that they are being controversial but I do not think that their case for demons being the departed spirits/souls of the nephilim is at all convincing or safe. I also felt that they were on dangerous ground with their treatment in Myths and Legends from around the world and what they call "counter-covenant". Moses was emphatic that we were not to enquire into how the pagans worshiped "their gods" and not to apply their principles to our faith (Deut 12:29-32). I am unhappy with a perspective which suggests that everything satan does has been copied from the true God, so there must be some truth in it. Even if that were true, it ignores the possibility that the truth has been so distorted that it is impossible to discern what that truth was. Best stick to what God has chosen to reveal than guess through what satan has "copied". Given that caveat I realise that some legends can be helpful in the corroboration of biblical stories like the flood, but I believe caution is advised where the bible is not so explicit.

There is a chapter on the Menorah and the tabernacle in which they blend in their thoughts on the various covenants. Without more references it was difficult to discern what was from an overactive imagination, and what was from genuine research. I understand the menorah theme will return in volume 2 as they attempt to expound on the Book of Revelation.

The book's chapter on the Festivals is too superficial for my liking and leaves too many gaps. I would advise anyone interested in the Festivals to read several of the many other books which are dedicated exclusively to them instead. The authors do concede that they have been unable to go into as much depth as they would like in all their subjects and suggest that more will be revealed in volume two.

There is also a chapter which tries to marry the science of colours and what is claimed to be their meanings in the scriptures. This is then linked with the different covenants God made with various men and mankind, and interpretations are made from this. Hmmmm.

Some of the statements made suggested that the authors' outlook and research was restricted.For instance they refer to the days of the week being named after Hellenistic or Scandinavian deities. This is true in English, but not all languages. In Spanish and Portuguese for example, "Saturday" is named "Sabado" -from the Hebrew Sabbath.This meant that some assumptions applied to Anglo-American culture, but not for others. In this internet age when book markets are now truly "global", I think we should take more care. It can undermine your argument when you are read by people who live where what you say is not true.

Overall I felt the scholarship in this book was amateur. When making new and controversial claims, you really have to have better references from kosher sources to support your position.I intend to read volume two, but am going to be on my guard. I certainly would not recommend this book to any one new to Christianity or to the Hebraic roots of the Christian faith. I am reminded of the advice of the sages concerning the first two chapters of Ezekiel. These are read at Shavuot/Pentecost which includes celebrating the giving of Torah. The advice is not to seek mystical experiences or revelation until you are first firmly grounded in Torah or scriptures. In line with this I would counsel leaving this book until you had several years of reading other foundational sources such as mentioned at the beginning of this review.

Nephilim
Focused much more on Jewish religion and its own agenda/message rather than true study of the subject of demons and the Nephilim.Also, book two that it mentions incessantly is never mentioned by title and very difficult to find.

Interesting yet misleading...
"Devils and Demons and the return of the Nephilim" is a very entertaining work, the first three chapters go into great detail examining the language differences between the traditional "King James" version of the bible and the original Hebrew text, and the Authors also explain ancient Hebrew marriage traditions and various other customs.

However there are some problems with this book, Firstly the book doesn't actually cover Devils and Demons until chapter 4, the Authors explain the differences in terminology and then gloss over where the Devil came from and a little bit about the Archangels, it is hardly a detailed exposition. I continually found myself looking at the cover of this book to try and remember what I was reading, and what it was supposed to be about, if you're looking for something covering demonology or that gives a thorough look at the origins of evil, etc. This is not what you're looking for.

My second problem with this book comes in chapter 6, called Myth vs. Truth, where the Author makes a few assertions that are just plain wrong or don't make sense, for example:

"...almost every one of the common threads of truth that wind their way throughout mythology, no matter how cunningly they twist and turn, came straight from the bible."
(Chapter 6, page 131)

Then it goes on to give examples of Egyptian and Greek mythology, I'm Sorry but Egyptian mythology outdates the Abrahamic religions by at least 1000 years so how is it possible that they copied something yet to be written?

From here on the Authors point out that most Christian traditions and holidays are Pagan in origin and that the people who worshipped these false gods were wrong, and they believed all the Myths to be completely factual.
So the book becomes a bit hypocritical pointing out the lack of evidence for the religions of ancient cultures while ignoring the lack of evidence for their own, they quote the bible as being literal truth and being factually accurate, yet they quote the book of Enoch which talks about there being 300 foot tall giants roaming the earth and they were all killed during the great flood, why haven't their fossils been found, etc?

Aside from these factual errors there are also logical fallacies throughout the book as well (like saying we know such and such is true because the bible says its true, which begs the question) but overall I am giving this a 3 because I learned allot about ancient Hebrew culture and some insight about the complexities of the Hebrew language, however I found the scare tactics and factual errors towards the end of the book disturbing.

One of the Authors, "John Klein" has also written a review for this book and given himself 5 stars twice, it's actually the same review posted two times by the same person, this reeks of intellectual dishonesty and makes me wonder how diligently this book was researched and questions the integrity of the authors.

Christianity Misses the Picture When it Ignores Judaism
I bought the book because of the subject of the title.When I began reading it, I started wondering why the additional subject matter was included.Then, it began to make complete sense, since for too long, Christianity has lost its moorings.

I have been studying Scripture since my early teens (I'm now 52), and I am amazed at how much I continue to miss solely because the Bible (especially the New Testament) has been removed from its Judiaistic roots!That is not only tragic, but infinitely wrong.We cannot seek to understand God's Word, apart from the culture of Judiasm that God also created.Most who wrote the Bible were Jewish (and there are some good arguments for believing that Luke was at least partly Jewish in heritage.

I have already ordered the other two books by these same authors and look forward to receiving them.Whether I'm studying the works of Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, David Baron, or some other Jewish believer, I am constantly amazed at just how accurate this one statement is from the back of this book:"Many of the Bible's so-called 'mysteries' fall away as the authors demonstrate how a basic understanding of the ancient Hebraic culture can profoundly clarify that message."

I have a Bachelor of Bible degree and a Masters in Biblical Studies, and I cannot stress enough just how important studying and knowing the biblical culture is, in order to more fully understand what God is saying to us.Instead, people too often take His Words out of the culture, and due to that, it's no wonder that all manner of weird and off-kilter meanings are applied to Scripture!

Christians, let's get back to the roots of our faith.While we will never be "Jewish," we can learn a great deal from their culture, as it is uniquely and inextricably bound up within the fabric of God's Word!

Where's the second book?
I loved this book. I read it all in short order and was totally fixated on it. There's some great info, that I didn't know! I've been a Christian all of my life, but was incredibly ignorant about a lot of this. Please tell me what the next book is called so I can get it.

Also,....to repeat a point. This book was definitely mis-titled. It did get my attention though, and bought the book because of my interest in the Nephilim. I am disappointed in the fact that there was very little info about devils, demons and Nephilim, but was still engaged in the book, as it is full of great info about the Hebrew traditions and God's covenant. ... Read more

Product Description
John Adams was an American patriot and Founding Father, and Abigail, his wife, was his most trusted adviser for more than fifty years. While John served in both Continental Congresses, Abigail managed their farm within earshot of cannon fire. She later advised her husband through amusing letters as he served as our first ambassador to Great Britain. And when John was elected America's first vice president and our second president, Abigail vowed to be his "fellow Laborer"--and she steadfastly lived up to her promise. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

BOTH ENTERTAINING AND EDUCATIONAL


If you're looking for a quality picture book to give to a young friend, the name of David A. Adler should be high on your list.He has written well over 100 books for young readers - our favorites among those are in hisPicture Book Biography series.These books not only educate but entertain - Adler brings history to life, an initial introduction for many.

A PICTURE BOOK OFJOHN AND ABIGAIL ADAMS is Adler at his best, and also the fourth collaboration between father and son.We first meet Adams as oneof three sons living in Braintree (now Quincy) Massachusetts.It was here that he enjoyed being out of doors, whether it was swimming in thesummeror sledding in the winter.

As a young man he went with a friend to the home of Reverend William Smith, which was where he met Abigail who was "small, sickly, and just fourteen."Their initial meeting didn't impress eitherone of them but as John continued to come to the Smith house toborrow books from Reverend Smith's library their feelings changed.As we now know they married, and Abigail was "his most trusted adviser, his dearest friend for more than fifty years."

Adler traces their lives together through the BostonMassacre in 1770 and following when John displayed great skill as a lawyer.Hesoon represented Massachusetts at the Continental Congress in Philadelphia, and later served as a diplomat in France, spending much of the next ten years in Europe.Throughout this time Abigail managed their home and money.

Time passed, the American Revolution ended and John Adams was elected vice president serving with George Washington as president.While he was an American patriot and a great man ofhis time, Abigail was an amazing woman.

The book includes alist of important dates, source notes, and a selected bibliography.

Highly recommended.

- Gail Cooke

This is an excellent overview of John and Abigail Adams for the budding historical reader!
John Adams was an outdoor sort of boy and enjoyed playing outside with his two brothers.He was born in Braintree, Massachusetts on October 19, 1735.Naturally, as an outdoorsy type, he was interested in becoming a farmer, but his father insisted he have an education and wanted him to become a lawyer.By the age of sixteen he had enrolled in Harvard and soon after he graduated he briefly taught school before undertaking a law practice.In 1759 he chanced to meet Abigail Smith who was totally disinterested in him.The feeling was mutual, but in time they grew to appreciate and care for each other quite deeply.

Later their affection for one another led to marriage and they eventually had five children.In this book you will read about their lifetime partnership and will see how two people could influence the course of history.John, of course, is the main player in this book, however, as Abigail once wrote, "No man ever prospered in the world without the consent and cooperation of his wife."The reader will learn about their personal lives, the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party, John's participation in the First and Second Continental Congresses, his ten year stint in Europe as a diplomat, his years as president, and more.

This is an excellent overview of John and Abigail Adams for the budding historical reader.This book naturally does not go into great detail in any facet of the Adams' lives, but I certainly was able to get a feel for their personalities.The highlights of their lives and political aspects of John's lengthy career are touched upon.This book would be an excellent stepping stone to further research on the Adams family for a young student wanting to attempt a report. The watercolors were very appealing and caught many details such as the period clothing and John's "short, overweight" physical characteristics.In the back of the book are a list of important dates, source notes, a selected bibliography, authors' notes and additional recommend website resources to explore. ... Read more

Product Description
In this powerful, epic biography, David McCullough unfolds the adventurous life journey of John Adams, the brilliant, fiercely independent, often irascible, always honest Yankee patriot who spared nothing in his zeal for the American Revolution; who rose to become the second president of the United States and saved the country from blundering into an unnecessary war; who was learned beyond all but a few and regarded by some as "out of his senses"; and whose marriage to the wise and valiant Abigail Adams is one of the most moving love stories in American history.

This is history on a grand scale -- a book about politics and war and social issues, but also about human nature, love, religious faith, virtue, ambition, friendship, and betrayal, and the far-reaching consequences of noble ideas. Above all, John Adams is an enthralling, often surprising story of one of the most important and fascinating Americans who ever lived. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

John Adams a True Patriot
This wonderfully written biography gave me an indepth understanding of the life of this great patriot.

Great Book Terrible Recording
Don't get me wrong, this is a terrific book.David McCullough has written another winner.And Edward Herrmann is still my favorite narrator of audio books.But the engineers must have been on strike because all throughout this audio book you can hear Mr. Herrmann breathing through his nose, smacking his lips and exhaling.
Still, I'm glad I purchased this audio book in spite of the strange recording.It's wonderful. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
In the 1830s slavery was so deeply entrenched that it could not even be discussed in Congress, which had enacted a "gag rule" to ensure that anti-slavery petitions would be summarily rejected. This stirring book chronicles the parliamentary battle to bring "the peculiar institution" into the national debate, a battle that some historians have called "the Pearl Harbor of the slavery controversy." The campaign to make slavery officially and respectably debatable was waged by John Quincy Adams who spent nine years defying gags, accusations of treason, and assassination threats. In the end he made his case through a combination of cunning and sheer endurance. Telling this story with a brilliant command of detail, Arguing About Slavery endows history with majestic sweep, heroism, and moral weight.

"Dramatic, immediate, intensely readable, fascinating and often moving."--New York Times Book Review ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

One of the greatest books I've ever read
An absolutely brilliant book. Incredibly moving: the only book I've ever read that literally brought me to tears while reading it. But at the same time, wonderfully informative and evocative of the amazing historical events of the day. If you liked the movie "Amistad," you will love this second look at John Quincy Adams' incredibly brave stand during what William Freehling has called the "Pearl Harbor of the Civil War." I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

Fantastic - a free bio of John Quincy Adams inside a larger book about a flashpoint of American history
Long before Sen. Charles Sumner spoke about Bleeding Kansas and was soon thereafter caned on the floor of the Senate by Congressman Preston Brooks, the Congressional waters had ben moving to an ever-higher boil on the slavery issue.

One of the leaders in the battle against slavery was Massachusetts Congressman and former President John Quincy Adams. Earning the sobriquet "Old Man Eloquent" on this issue, in this ever-heating contest, Adams finally got a House gag rule overturned that had prohibited antislavery petitions from the general public from even being discussed.

Adams had been a free-soiler, opposed to the expansion of slavery for many years. But his well-known legal defense of the Amistad defendants moved him beyond free-soiler to abolitionist.

Miller makes Adams fire on the floor Congress come alive, and puts into context.

Much of that context carries through to the 1860s and beyond.

For example, Miller points out that two decades before Lincoln thought of it, Adams opined that Presidentail war powers might be used to abolish slavery during a civil war.

At the same time, Miller reaches further back into history, to point out the early history of slavery in the North. (In the middle 1700s, New York's population may have been as high as 14 percent slave.) That's important to show how Southern arguments and fears that they A. could not do without slavery and B. would not know how to let such a large population go free, were groundless.

Here's a few more fascinating and important historical tidbits from the book.

Page 17 - Jefferson, while a member of the Confederation Congress in 1784, authored a provision to exclude slavery not just from the Old Northwest, but ALL Western territory on the far side of the Appalachians. It failed by one state's vote, which he claimed in turn was lost due to the illness of one delegate.

Page 349 - Showing a fine-tuned sense of satire, even sarcasm, during gag rule debate in the 25th Congress, Adams proposed Congress form a "Committee of Color," specifically designed to investigate Congressional bloodlines, with the "impure" to be summarily expelled.

Page 478 - A fine illustration of the morals of the white knights of the patrician South: Henry Hammond, southern ultra already at this time, in the House, and as Senator, deliverer of the "Cotton is King" speech, was a rou? first class. He took an 18-year-old slave with 1-year-old child as a mistress, then when the child turned 12 took her as mistress too. He also had some degree of attachment to the four teenage daughters of Wade Hampton II, father of the Civil War general.

Read this book, and find out just how entrenched Southern recalcitrance was 20, 30, 40 years before the shots at Fort Sumter.

Required reading for Southern apologists
Anybody who ascribes to the idiotic notion that Southern secession was all about states' rights and really had nothing to do with slavery needs to be reminded of two antebellum events:the Fugitive Slave Act, which was legislation that solely benefitted slaveowners while being a complete affront to the notion of states' rights; and the gag rule in Congress from 1836-1844, which essentially stripped citizens & Congressmen of their 1st amendment rights.

The gag rule was focused on the 1st Amendment right of petition, which was frequently utilized by US citizens in the early 19th century.The cause of the furor was a dramatic increase of abolitionist petitions that proposed the abolition of the slave trade within the District of Columbia, which was under the direct jurisdiction of the US Congress (DC was chosen because most people believed that the Constitution did not give the Congress jurisdiction in the individual states --- DC was another matter).

The Congress of that period was dominated by pro-slavery Southerners and sympathetic Northerners who would rather not stir up too much trouble.However, a small group of Congressmen, led by John Quincy Adams, waged an 8-year against the gag rule.Along the way, Adams & his cohorts, along with an increasingly organized & vocal abolitionist movement, undermined the neutral attitude most Americans had towards the issue of slavery.

Former president John Quincy Adams is clearly the central figure of the story, and it is pretty obvious that Miller likes the crochety old statesman.One cannot read this book and not come away with an increased respect for Adams, who has unfairly been relegated to historical obscurity.It is remarkable to think that through most of the gag rule battle, Adams was in his mid to late 70's, and almost never missed a day in Congress.The story also displays abundantly Adams' formidable intellect and parliamentary skills.

On the other side of the aisle were the Southern fire-eaters, who were capable of great oratorical flourishes but who possessed precious little strategic skill.Miller recounts how, time again, the pro-slavery forces miscalculated with their tactics.Instead of squelching debate about slavery, hotheads like Henry Wise & Waddy Thompson Jr succeeded only in inflaming the controversy.After 8 years, the leaders of the pro-gag forces were realizing that they might have unleashed forces beyond their control, and abandoned the fight to maintain the gag.

The story is presented in an entertainingly narrative style which I found to be quite enjoyable.Some reviewers have found the author's asides to be a distraction, but I found that they contributed well to the story for the most part.Indeed, some sections of the book (such as when Adams is facing down his opponents who are attempting to censure him) are real page-turners.

While the book was very entertaining, it is also quite sobering.One becomes aware of the appalling nature of the slave-owning bloc.So dedicated were they to preserving their own interests that they repeatedly violated the 1st Amendment & trampled on civil rights of WHITE citizens in general, through the censoring of private mail, violating the writ of habeas corpus (South Carolina had a law on the books for almost 40 years, allowing free black sailors to arrested & imprisoned for duration of their ship's stay in port, simply because they were free blacks and MIGHT incite the local slave population to rebel) and (ironically) violating the doctrine of states' rights --- as the right to due process was systematically denied to the citizens of other states (a free enfranchised citizen of Massachusetts, for example, was not due any rights at all under the constitution of Missouri if he happened not to be white).Eventually, the encroachment by the South on the civil rights of the rest of the nation's citizens became ominous enough for the average citizen in the North to become aware of the genuine threat that the expansion of slavery posed.Almost all of this starts with the fight over the gag rule in Congress.

Miller also examines how Southern politicians tried, with increasing difficulty, to reconcile their claims to being good republicans with their obvious anti-republican actions.Miller argues that the politicians of the South fought to prevent the mere discussion of slavery because they knew better than anyone that the institution & way of life they were defending could not be defended in the playing field was level.If violating the principles of the Constitution & the Declaration of Independence is what it took to defend the peculiar institution, then they would do it, but not without a great deal of moral & intellectual discomfort.It is amazing to read some of the tortured rationalizations of Southern statesmen during this period.

This should be required reading for the student of this period.It is not a dry subject, and fortunately the author writes with plenty of flair.If some devotee of the Lost Cause mythos starts blathering on about how the Confederacy was only about the defense of states' rights & tries to use the Constitution as a rationalization for secession, this book should provide you with plenty of ammunition for your debate.

Underrated Public Figures
John Quincy Adams is not on Mount Rushmore; he is not trumpeted in high school history textbooks as a messianic figure, a beacon of freedom and liberty.

Quite rightly so; he would probably have found that amusing.

Adams is subject to an almost criminal lack of coverage in history courses--he does not fit the traditional model of the good American politician, and teachers often don't like to introduce amniguity into their courses by suggesting that an 'elitist' can be a great public figure, and that greatness is distinct from political success. Washington was great because he "created the country." Lincoln was great because he "ended slavery." Adams was simply an extremely good Secretary of State, brilliant Represenative in the House, and--god forbid--knew what he was doing while he was President.

The problem really is that Adams, with all his abilities, was not a politician in the American sense: he was educated, cultured, and actually knew what he was doing. His successor, Andrew Jackson--a boorish man who disobeyed the law, helped wipe out a race of people, and pandered to the whims of "the masses"--is often hailed as a great figure in American politics, apparently because of said boorishness, refusal to obey the Constitution, and genocidal tendencies.

In Adams is a figure that really ought to be respected and aimed for in American politics: a man with a strongly defined sense of morality, well-developed mind and good education, vast experience, and ability to govern. The traits that made Adams such a great man--his refusal to do anything simply because "the people" wanted it, coupled with his disturbing tendency to pursue policies that were intelligent, necessary, beneficial, and incredibly foresighted--seem to doom him to obscurity.

Miller takes on the unenviable task of arguing in favor of Adams as a great man, although he limits himself to his time in the House; in doing so, he provides an accesible and much-needed glimpse into the life of a man by far one of the greatest public figures America has seen.

Don't miss this!
The other reviewers have it right. I first read this superb book when it was first published in 1995. I picked it up thinking the subject seemed a little dry, but found I couldn't put it down. Now, eight years later, I have reread it. Again I couldn't put it down. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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3 Book Collection; Benjamin Franklin; Founding Brothers; John Adams. ... Read more

Product Description
JOHN ADAMS by John Ferling is part of the American Political Biography Press collection of definitive bigoraphies of the American Presidents. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (34)

Historical significance
A must read for any one who is interested in what went on behind the scenes during the Delaration of Independence, the
Constitution the early founding of our country (United States).Every politician should read it, because history does repeat itself!
Vincent

A Very Human Perspective
After reading both David McCullough's biography of Adams and now this one, I have concluded that Ferling's is the better of the two. The main reason is that although McCullough's is slightly more extensive, Ferling's book has a much more realistic view of the man.As his book Almost a Miracle shows the many tactical mistakes that Washington made, this book does the same with Adams.It makes sure to reckognize Adam's flaws as well as his virtues.For example, his frequent hypocracy, his recurrent neglect of family, his indecision, his self doubt, and his many political misjudgements are all fully acknowledged.Yet even with these faults, its overall view of Adams is still that of a great man.

In addition, Ferling's writing is practically as good as McCullough's, so read this book.

John Adams: A Life
I will echo what others have written. This book gives almost every detail of John Adams life. It is an outstanding biography that I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys historical books.

A complete look at his life
By the last page of this book you'll feel like you personally know John Adams. You'll know what drove him to succeed, his stregths, his weaknesses, his personality and most everything that can be known about a person.

As a detailed and thorough look at the life of a man, this biography is superb.

John Adams: A Life
This is an excellent biography, following Adams from birth to death in one volume, and detailing both the positive and the negative aspects of the man clearly and fairly. I've been fascinated by Adams ever since seeing the movie "1776", which gives a marvellous "based on fact" dramatization of the writing and signing of the Declaration of Independence, and this book gave me a more thorough, more strictly factual look at the man. I wasn't disappointed on that score; he's just as interesting without the dramatic liberties taken by the movie.

My only quibble with this book is that the editing, at least in the edition that I have, is rather poor. There are numerous errors in grammatical structure and word choice, the kind of errors that I have become accustomed to in mass market paperbacks but refuse to accept in a scholarly historical work. Things like "he requested that the Congress name his successor be named in his place" and "...the British ... was ready" and "the New England sates" (rather than "States") and "the House of Representative" (even back then, there was more than one representative in the House) and "the dreary weather proved not be a herald of the months ahead" and many others. I understand that mistakes happen, and don't demand perfection. But there are just too many of this kind of error in this book for me to say that it is well-written; probably two dozen, if I had to guess.

Overall, this is a worthwhile biography of a fascinating president. Hopefully, future editions will clean up the writing a bit more. ... Read more

Product Description
Despite the sensational nature of its subject, Lost in Translation-Rediscovering the Hebrew Roots of our Faith is written in simple, clear, rational language that relies 100 percent on the Bible as the ultimateauthority. The authors shed light on centuries of confusion surrounding subjects that are seldom addressed in modern sermons and Bible studies. Using ancient Hebrew language and culture, the authors clarify many of the Bible's so-called "mysteries" and help the reader uncover the treasure of foundational truths that have been "lost in translation." Topics include: *Who is the Bride of Messiah? *Is there a difference between covenant and testament? *How does the rainbow reflect God's plan for mankind? *What is the difference between devils, demons, and Nephilim?Join us on an exciting adventure to rediscover the treasures still buried within the pages of The Book that reveal the pathway to the heart ofGod. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

lost in translation
This book is astounding in it's content in dealing with Scriptures that the Christian church has been blind to.The research is amazing and I love this book.

Help in understanding Revelation
This is an awesome book! Lots of information that the average "Church" person does not receive in church or normal study. I highly recommend this and the whole series of 3. Amazing insight!!! I highly reccomend the read.

Just read it.
On a scale of 1 -10, I give this book a ten ! I have been an avid Bible student and Bible teacher for many years and wish I had learned this stuff 30 years ago.Wonderful !

Lost in Translation, Vol One



I bought volumes One and Two of this series with a good deal of anticipation, but regret to have to admit that I have been greatly disappointed.
The Prophetic Word has been my special area of study since 1974, whenI experienced the spiritual rebirth after reading Hal Lindsey's LATE GREAT PLANET EARTH. What a difference that simple act made in my life!But it did nothing to diminish my natural German skepticism.I scripturally verified every claim Hal made in LATE GREAT.. and have been "verifying" and "double checking" all End-Time prophecy literature I'veencountered ever since!
The two overriding impressions these volumes left me with were boredom and confusion. The authors have a tendency to repeat themselves, over and over again.These books could easily have been cut by at least two-thirds if the writers had just stated their points (the covenants and the ancient Hebrew betrothal/marriage traditions) once and then kept referring the reader back to this section whenever necessary.
Volume One, to begin with, is replete with theories and allegations that have little or no bearing on any solid Biblical support. They seem to be adrift between the realms of allegory and just plain old wild leaps into fantasyland. There is not enough space in this revue to cover all the points of contention in this Volume, so I will only touch upon a sample or two.
In Chapter Four, where the authors' forayinto their fantastic theories begins in earnest, Klein and Spears claim that in the end times demons will even mate with human women to produce a population of baby demons, the Nephilim, as touched upon in Genesis Chapter Six, and described in considerable detail in the book of Enoch, which book, by the way, was not included in the official canon of Scripture. Why not included?Because the Holy Spirit didn't want it there!
One must keep in mind the Biblical admonition of, "...having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof..."( 2. Tim. 3:5, KJV). God's Holy Word was neither written nor compiled into any canon by mere men.It was dictated by the Holy Spirit to human scribes and compiled into the "official church canon", also by Him, exactly the way God wanted it compiled.The Church, again, only did the "legwork".That is why, among other things, this so-called "incomprehensible" book of Revelation ended up in the canon anyway, despite opposition -- and the book of Enoch didn't.
Timeframe is the problem with this allegation.Seven years - not the twenty or so it would take these Nephilim to be conceived, born and grow up. The Holy Spirit would not allow the earth to be populated with significant numbers of Nephilim before that, I wouldn't think. The Biblical evidence Klein and Spears set forth for this theory are Jeshua's words in Luke 17:29 (NAS)
"... These will keep on eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, buying and selling, until ...it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all."(Luke 17:29, NAS).
Instead of following the basic Scriptural tenet of Context, in their zeal for hidden Hebrew meanings, they see demons mating with humans -again! - when the Lord's listing of common human activities clearly means "business as usual" in the context of this discourse.
In the lovely passage of Matthew 23:37,"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling," Klein and Spears try to force a secondary meaning of a Hebrew marriage ceremony metaphor into it; like a square peg into a round hole it fits. What has the impending destruction of Jerusalem to do with a marriage feast?Again!Context is being ignored. Hebrew metaphors are terrific, but they need to fit into the subject matter of the passage.
I would not recommend thistedious, confusing, poorly written book to anyone.The best in-depth analysis ever written - yet - on the book of Revelation is Hal Lindsey's THERE'S A NEW WORLD COMING. It's available from Amazon. For a solid grounding in the Prophetic Word I would recommend it.

LOST IN TRANSLATION SERIES
BOOK IS GOOD, SERIES IS BASED ON THE IDEA THAT THE BIBLE IS ABOUT A MARRIAGE COVENANT BETWEEN US AND ELOHIM. ALSO, THE NEW IDEA THAT THE EVENTS AND CHAPTERS CAN BE ORGANIZED IN THE FORM OF A INTRICATE MENORAH. IT DOES GO OVER THE TYPES OF SIN AND THE TYPES OF DEMONS AND NEPHLYM AMONG MANY OTHER THINGS ESPECIALY THINGS LINKED TO THE BOOK OF ENOCH. GOOD READ IF LOOKING TO EXPAND YOUR IDEAS OF REVELATIONS. ... Read more

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A reprint of the 1954 Bobbs-Merrill edition.

"The fundamental article of my political creed," declared John Adams, "is that despotism, or unlimited sovereignty, or absolute power is the same in a majority of a popular assembly, an aristocratical council, an oligarchical junto, and a single emperor. Equally arbitrary, cruel, bloody, and in every respect diabolical." The consequences of this article for Adams’ thought are nowhere better articulated than in this anthology, which presents his remarkable attempts at constructing a complete political system based on constitutional, balanced, representative government. ... Read more

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Introduction by John SzarkowskiEssay by James Alinder

In the last years of his life Ansel Adams selected the seventy-five images that he believed represented the finest examples ofthe quality and breadth of his artistic legacy. Those images he designated for exhibition throughout the country as "The Museum Set" and published in this essential volume:Classic Images.

Classic Imagesincludes many of Adams' most famous and best-loved photographs and encompasses the full scope of his work: elegant details of nature, architectural studies, portraits, and the breathtaking landscapes for which he is revered. The latter range from his beloved Yosemite to the Pacific Coast, the Southwest, Alaska, Hawaii, and the Northwest.The portfolio is preceded by an eloquent introduction by John Szarkowski, former Director of the Department of Photography at New York's Museum of Modern Art. An authoritative biographical essay- and a detailed chronology - by James Alinder further establish Classic Imagesas required reading for a full understanding of Adams' development as apre-eminent American artist. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Gave it as a gift
I gave it as a gift to a friend of mine who loves nature photography.He loved it.

Nice Reproductions
Ansel Adams: Classic Images

This book provides high quality representations of Ansel Adams' photography inexamples of 75 of his best images. The text, written by James Alinder along with a preface by John Szarkowski, portrays the story of Adams' life and his philosophy regarding art and existence. The text starts the reader off at his birth and takes you through Adams' childhood and the decisions he makes as he searches for an outlet for his creativity and a strong career path. Having also been a professional pianist, Adams' later discovers his passion for photography and nature, and spends the rest of his life a successful artist and activist.
This book takes you through major events in his life and references prints in the book to give visual examples of his ever-evolving photographic style. I would definitely recommend this book, if not as a successful biography, but as a stage for some beautiful, high quality reproductions of Adams' work.

A fantastic Collection
This collection can be seen at the Center for Creative Photography in Tucson, Arizona, through July 7, 2002. This book is the catalogue of the exibition! If you like the book you should see the originals! They will blow you away.

An exquisite collection!
This is a wonderful book filled with breathtaking photographs taken by the late and well-respected Ansel Adams. Each of the photographs contained is a unique masterpiece with a life of its own. Looking at these splendid photographs, one feels drawn right in to the specific location and year. Some of my favorites include, "The Golden Gate Before the Bridge" (1932), "Barn, Cape Cod, Massachusetts" (ca. 1937), "Clearing Storm, Sonoma County Hills, California" (1951) and "Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Arizona" (1942). This book will definitely hold your attention and keep you captivated if not mesmerized. With so many minute and beautiful details in these photographs, it's easy to see why Ansel Adams was one of the most respected and popular photographers of our time. He didn't just take a picture; he ceased moments in time and captured the beauty of the subjects being photographed. This is an excellent book that will make a fine addition to any library. This book would make a great gift for photographers and art connoisseurs alike!

Great Images Reproduced in Tiny Sizes Spoil The Effects
Ansel Adams was very concerned that his work always be reproduced in a high quality way.I fear that he gave too much attention to fidelity of reproduction, and not enough to size of image in the reproduction.This otherwise valuable book is seriously marred by the designer having chosen page and print sizes much too small for Adams' work.I suggest you avoid this book.

I would like to compliment James Alinder on an outstanding biographical essay concerning Adams' life and photographic techniques.This essay will add useful knowledge to anyone who wants to better understand Adams' work and life, and their effects on us all.I would also like to compliment the selection of the images.These are clearly among Adams' best work.

Adams' technique used the very stark light of dawn and dusk to create vivid detail that echoed across the image from figure to figure.The result was to help the eye capture the connectedness of nature, the oneness of creation.So when the details become too small, it is like rubbing out whole chapters in a book.I was very disappointed in the publishing decision for this book's page size.In fact, only one of my favorite images still held most of its power for me in these large postcard sizes, Moon with Half Dome, Yosemite, 1960.

Without Mr. Alinder's essay, I would have graded this book as a two star effort.

Some of the lesser works which have less fine detail still show well.Here were my favorites of this small-sized collection:

Self-Portrait, Monument Valley, Utah, 1958

Monlith, The Face of Half Dome, Yosemite, 1927

Winnowing Grain, Taos Pueblo, New Mexico, 1928

Rock and Grass, Moraine Lake, Sequoia National Park, 1982

Georgia O'Keefe and Orville Cox, Canyon de Chelly National Monument, 1937

Mormon Temple, Manti, Utah, 1948

Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico 1941

White House Ruin, Canyon de Chelly National Monument, 1942

Monument Valley, 1958

Cypress and Fog, Pebble Beach, California, 1967

Sand Dunes, Oceano, California, 1950

If you are like me and love Ansel Adams' work, I suggest you look into Ansel Adams, The American Wilderness, which does feature large enough reproductions.

Sometimes we learn more from mistakes than from successes.Where are your efforts being undertaken on too small a scale to be fully effective?What can you do to change that?

Enjoy the beauty of nature in its full scale brilliance (outdoors and in larger-sized photographic books)! ... Read more

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The words of John and Abigail Adams put into a sequence for the theatre, with addenda in rhyme. ... Read more

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This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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The story of the kidnaping of John Walsh's son, Adam, was only partly told in the most popular TV movie of all time. Now, for the first time, Walsh--the nation's most visible and passionate crusader for missing and exploited children--and his wife, Reve, tell the whole wrenching tale of their son's death. of photos.Amazon.com Review
In this aptly titled book, John Walsh traces the steps thatled him from being a grieving father to becoming a grieving father whohosts TV's America's Most Wanted, the Fox true-crime show thathunts down bad guys every week through a toll-free tip line. Walsh,however, seems ambivalent about the fame he's been granted. Hepresents a somewhat halting, uncertain narrative in this autobiography(cowritten with Susan Schindehette), and he makes it clear all the waythrough that his life is really only driven by one thing: thestill-unsolved 1981 abduction and murder of his 6-year-old son,Adam.

Walsh's anger and frustration over a "bumbling" policeinvestigation of his son's murder is evident throughout. According toWalsh, the Hollywood, Florida, Police Department should have arresteda drifter named Ottis Toole--a convicted serial killer who playedsidekick for many years to the notorious killer Henry Lee Lucas. Walshspeculates that the police had "formed their own ideas"about who killed Adam and didn't want to believe Toole could have beenresponsible. But Walsh is convinced, and he presents a large amount ofevidence to support his case. Unfortunately, it's too late: OttisToole died several years ago in prison.

This is not an easy book to read, and one imagines it wasn't an easybook for John Walsh to write, as he describes, with a staccato stylereminiscent of Jack Webb, the probable sequence of events of Adam'sdisappearance as well as the manner of his death. The bulk of Tearsof Rage concerns Adam's abduction and its aftermath and the impactthe Walsh family has had since in helping to pass various victims' andchildren's rights legislation.--Tjames Madison ... Read more

Customer Reviews (85)

A choice to not lose everything when you have lost everything
I remember being very small when the movie "Adam" came out.It was around this time in early grade school they started to fingerprint us I believe as a direct result of that case and Mr. Walsh's move to help protect children. I never forgot Adam's story.
John Walsh is an amazing man with an amazingly hearwrenching story that no one on this earth should ever, ever have to experience. The book begins with an opening that goes back to one of the terrible days in the Walsh's family. It then proceeds to tell about John and his growing up years. I thought is was amusing to see John was a troublemaker, tough guy with a bit of a hard and daring streak. In a strange way those very personality traits probably saved him later in life after Adam disappeared.
The mid point of the book goes into their discovery of little Adam's remains. At that moment you feel the open wounds and torture both John and Reve must have felt. His description of his reaction is one of the most brutally honest and sad things I ever read. I felt anger and rage for them . I cannot even comprehend what they went through. How could someone be so devoid and sick to take this beautiful boy. There no way to make sense of it.
John was angry and used the anger to make a difference. I believe the anger he directed is ultimately what saved; his life, his family, and the lives of countless others with his crusade. This book is not an easy read yet rewarding in a way that is shows you how the human spirit can prevail .The book is also frustrating; it makes you angry at the system in place back then. Also, that such evil that exists in this world. It is shocking to see how they handled missing child cases back then; knowing what we know now it is amazing the blasé attitude people had about a very young missing child. Thank you Mr. Walsh for sharing your story. You are someone to be admired. I am sure this is a book you did not want to write and a story you did not want to live but you show that strength, courage and convictions still exist today. God Bless you, your wife and family and God Bless the movement you created to make this a safer, better world.

Tears ofRage by John Walsh
Arrived in Perfect condition.A tragic story written from the heart of a wonderful man.If you can bare the sadness, it's a great story of triumph over tragedy.

Excellent book and story!
I was in 7th grade when the made for TV movie about the murder of John Walsh's son aired.It scared the hell out of me.It is one tv movie that I don't even think now I could watch.Walsh discusses in this book the story of his son's disappearance and the subsequent setbacks and triumphs that ensued.He also gives a highly detailed account of how eventually the real murderer was determined(although he was
already deceased).I highly recommend this book and Walsh's other book.

Gone but not Forgetten!
This book, as seen through the eyes of grieving father John Walsh is brutually honest in depicting the agony of the desperate search and eventual heartache of the abduction and murder of their son Adam and how their lives were transformed at the very core of who they are.In great detail, this book shows how it all began and how the criminal justice and legal system let them down when they needed them the most, as well as the sacrifices they made to legislate much needed changes.This is not an easy book to read as it shows a realistic world of the evil side of life which is not pretty but exists alongside the naiveness of those who have never been crime victims.In reading this book, John Walsh makes certain that his wife, Adam's mother Reve Walsh is his silent partner and speaks about them both quite candidly. It is very obvious that this book was not easy to write but John Walsh went deep into their personal life story and put his heart and soul into the writing of this book so that others may not go through the pain and suffering they endured.They are an inspiration to all of us as they were able to continue with their lives and have three more children after Adam.However, Adam will never be truly forgotten! May God bless the strength and courage of this wonderful family and all they give to others in the name of Adam.He most certainly did not die in vain!

John Walsh - A Real Man
Prior to the News Release in December about the Adam Walsh case, I had'nt realized what had happened to Adam. I found this book and read it over the course of a few days and was absolutely horrified. It was obviously disturbing about how this beatiful child lost his life. It is however more disturbing to discover how inept law enforcement is. Our politicians are equally as inept and are only concerned about their seats.

The message I recieved from this book is that a Man named John Walsh refused to be tormented by the incarnate evil that took his son. This one man created a movement to create meaningful legislation to protect people from the monsters that continually infiltrate the fabric of our society. The perseverance of this man has allowed for children to be saved from pedophiles that have destroyed countless numbers of families. Although there will always be very sad stories that end in the worst ways, there is now real tools that can be used to track down the people that commit these terrible crimes.

This book is not a "feel good" book. It will leave you sitting and wondering about how and why. But I was inspired about how this one man refused to let a failed system continue to operate and demanded justice for his son. John Walsh is a true inspiration. This book is a must read if you are a parent. ... Read more

Product Description

Stephen Skowronek's wholly innovative study demonstrates that presidents are persistent agents of change, continually disrupting and transforming the political landscape. In an afterword to this new edition, the author examines "third way" leadership as it has been practiced by Bill Clinton and others. These leaders are neither great repudiators nor orthodox innovators. They challenge received political categories, mix seemingly antithetical doctrines, and often take their opponents' issues as their own. As the 1996 election confirmed, third way leadership has great electoral appeal. The question is whether Clinton in his second term will escape the convulsive end so often associated with the type.

Customer Reviews (8)

Wraps the first 42 presidents in a breathtaking arc
Among the many, many charms in this book is that it lives up to the standard that David Herbert Donald set for himself in his biography of Lincoln. This standard is one that, in turn, JFK had set for Donald and his historian brethren: '[Kennedy] voiced his deep dissatisfaction with the glib way the historians had rated some of his predecessors as "Below Average" and marked a few as "Failures." Thinking, no doubt, of how his own administration would look in the backward glance of history, he resented the whole process. With real feeling he said, "No one has a right to grade a President -- not even poor James Buchanan -- who has not sat in his chair, examined the mail and information that came across his desk, and learned why he made his decisions."'

The Politics Presidents Make is a source book for the sort of historian that JFK would have loved to groom. From President Adams through the first George Bush, Stephen Skowronek studies the problems that defined each president's tenure, and finds himself deeply sympathetic to all of them. The trouble in John Quincy Adams's presidential tenure, for instance, is that he was essentially trying to hold together the old patrician order that the founding fathers had established, while a new era of party-centered politics was on its way in. It took Andrew Jackson -- the founder of the spoils system -- to midwife the partisan revolution.

Or take Herbert Hoover, the classic (to modern eyes) failed president. First of all, Skowronek reminds us, Hoover tried a lot of things before collapsing into inaction in the midst of the Depression; Skowronek says that modern historians have raised some doubts that the New Deal was very new at all (though he doesn't say this with much confidence). Hoover's big problem, says Skowronek, was that he tried to hold together the strains of his ideology even as he systematically violated its tenets: he came in believing in an American System uniquely combining the free-enterprise system with a limited government, then expanded the government's role little by little until his original beliefs were hardly recognizable. Yet he insisted that his policies weren't the least bit innovative, and that they still conformed to the American System. As Skowronek puts it, "Hoover himself would never accept the notion that his actions were opening the door to the displacement of the old order and thus he could never link his initiatives with the promise of constructing a new one."

The grand arc connecting every president, says Skowronek, is the relation they bear to the existing order, and how durable that order is. A president like Hoover, who's a defender of the existing vulnerable regime, is a "disjunctive" president. Hoover's successor, there to overthrow the vulnerable regime, is a "reconstructive" president. After the reconstructive presidents, we typically get a line of "articulating" presidents; after Roosevelt, these are presidents like Eisenhower and Johnson who rule at a time when the electorate supports the given order; they innovate atop what they're given. The president's relation to the existing order forms the basis for essentially the entire book. (Those drawing a little matrix at home will have noticed something missing from the reconstructive/articulating/disjunctive division: those presidents who oppose an existing order that the electorate supports. These presidents are few, and include men like Richard Nixon. They are a hard lot to categorize; Skowronek sets them to one side near the start of the book, basically never to return to them.)

We proceed from Thomas Jefferson, the first reconstructive president (overthrowing the Federalists), all the way through to the most recent disjunctive president (Jimmy Carter), then to the latest reconstructive president (Ronald Reagan), and one articulating president (George Bush). Skowronek has released another edition that extends the story to Bill Clinton; I have to imagine that Clinton counts as an articulating president, largely taking the New Deal as given except for the bits that Reagan had made distasteful (like welfare).

Reagan is an interesting case, exemplifying the trend to which Skowronek draws our eye: the revolutions are getting smaller. Skowronek says it's been this way almost from the start. Thomas Jefferson could basically reinvent the entire U.S. government. By the time we get to Andrew Jackson, he had banks to fight off. Lincoln had strong parties -- the fruits of Jackson's revolution -- to contend with. The New Deal was a big deal, but now FDR had to appease labor unions and corporations before he could get anywhere. And when Reagan tried to kill the New Deal, he couldn't slay the beast of Social Security. In fact he couldn't even come close. To use the term that Skowronek attaches: the institutions have thickened. The more power centers there are, the harder it is to push any one of them.

Skowronek pulls off a really neat trick in The Politics Presidents Make: lay out a political theory while telling each president's story grippingly. It's the most condensed biography imaginable of the first 41 presidents. You hardly need to read it as a work of theory; Skowronek's presidential typology works just as well as a narrative frame for 41 life stories.

Finally, it's not a small virtue in The Politics Presidents Make that it is copiously footnoted. I circled 27 references that look like winners.

I've not felt this sort of intellectual exhiliration in a long while. The Politics Presidents Make is one of the best books I've read this year.

The individual president in the politics of his time.
Stephen Skowronek wants to change how we judge the success of our Presidents. His major contribution to that understanding is to turn our attention away from the individual holding the office. Instead he wants us to focus on a combination of political, social and institutional factors. Perhaps the best way to introduce his theory is to start off with his observation that in general, "power has been less of a problem for presidents than authority" (p.17). In other words, it is easier to get things done then to sustain the justification of the action taken. In fact, Skowronek (hereafter called S.) feels that it in the ability of a president to "control the political definition of their actions" that will determine "the terms in which their places in history are understood" (ibid.)
Furthermore, S. sees that the power and authority have changed over the span of American history according to different arcs of development. S. sees the power of the presidency as being in the resources available to the office at any one moment and distinguishes that history of change (toward more resources and toward more independent use of those resources) as occuring in secular time.Authority refers to the way a president is expected by his contemporaries to use the resources of his office. The historical arc of change of authority structures, S. sees as taking place in political time (p.30).
The final key to understanding S.'s theory is his insistance on the inherently disruptive and creative nature of the office of the presidency. This is something that he insists on time and time again throughout the book (the first instance is on p.xii). Every president imposes themselves on the office in such a way as to change (disrupt) the current political order. Howthey framedoing so greatly determines the extent to which their authority to do so is challenged.
Here is where it gets interesting. Some presidents have been elected with a clear warrant for radical change in the political order. Some are elected to continue down an established path. S. imposes order on all this with a simple two by two box on p. 36. A president arrives in office either affliated with or opposed to the current regime. That regime is either vulnerable or resiliant. A president who arrives opposed to a current regime that is vulnerable has a chance to practice what S. calls the politics of reconstruction. S. examines asexamples the presidencies ofJefferson, Jackson, Lincoln, F.D.R., and Reagan. This is the politics of greatness.If they arrive opposed to a current regime that is resiliant, the president is mired in the politics of preemption. S. sees as examples of this situation to be the presidencies of John Tyler, Andrew Johnson, (maybe) Grover Cleveland, (maybe) Woodrow Wilson, Richard Nixon and (somewhat) Bill Clinton. If a president arrives affiliated with a resiliant regime, he is an examplar of the politics of articulation. S discusses as examples of this James Monroe, James Polk, Teddy Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson. Finally, if the president is affiliated with a vulnerable regime, he will be an example of the politics of disjunction. S.'s examples are John Quincy Adams, Franklin Pierce, Herbert Hoover and Jimmy Carter (pp.17-57).
A couple of points need to be made about this scheme. The different types of politics unfold in a cycle in political time. There is a reconstructive president who usually arrives as the leader of a party realignment and with a mandate to change the corrupt and inept politics of the current regime. Utilizing this warrant for change they are able to make full use of the current powers of the president to change the regime (usually increasing both those powers and the independence of their use). One of their typical rhetorical tropes will be making the claim that they are returning our politics back to its first principles.
The presidents who follow are usually affiliates whose warrant is to continue along the new path. They do so initially as articulators but increasingly as disjunctivists (my own term and an ugly one, I acknowledge). This is due to the disruptive and individual nature of the office. In imposing their own style, ideas and appointees upon reaching office, the affiliates inevitably expose schisms in the party structure and ideology. This type ofpresident will try to run a full-service presidency that pleases all factions of the party but the competition for the resources to do so will begin the unraveling of the coalitions created by the reconstructivists.
Even solid policy success will create problems for the affiliates who are claiming the mantle of the favorite son. Their own implementation of policy to solidify the success of their predecessor begins a debate on the history and the future of that's predecessor's reconstruction.(p.327).
Finally, in the politics of disjunction, the president will tend to resort to the reification of technique. This occurs when the president begins to lose control over the framing of the divisive issues of the day. They then attempt to use a standard of behavior as a justification for their actions. These standards of political behavior were usually introduced by the reconstructive president and have since become "politically vacuous" by the development of events. J. Q. Adams attempted to shore up his appointments by claiming that they were chosen solely on the basis of ability (the standard of patrician politics championed by Jefferson). But the politics of the moment demanded a balancing of political interests that were pressing upon him due above all to the circumstances of his election. Playing the patrician only made him seem duplicitious (see chapter 4, part 3).
Occassionally non-political events (e.g., the assisination of Lincoln) throws into office someone who is opposed to a resiliant regime and we experience the politics of preemption.
There is nothing regular or predetermined about these cycles. My qualifications about what type of president Cleveland and Wilson were shows that S. is sensitive to the difficulties with typing many of the individuals who have held the office. I think his chosen and discussed examples are probably best seen as Weberian ideal types. But I also think that S. feels that his typology can be usefully and clearly imposed on the great majority of our presidents.
Another qualifier on the theory is that the presidency is not the only governmental branch that has developed in secular time. Both Congress and the judiciary became increasingly independent from the presidency and developed increasing resources for expressing that independence.
Just as important, the last century has seen the rise of other institutions that are independent of the three branches (the Federal Reserve Bank) or outside of government all together (large unions, religious organizations, PACs, etc.) These factors along with others make it increasingly difficult to successfully pull off a reconstructive presidency.
S.s organizes his case studies in chronological order. They are in sections that are led off by study of the reconstructive presidents, followed by studies of affiliates and disjunctive presidents. They are very impressive essays that could easily stand alone. Part of what impressed me about them is the amount of archival research that S. has done. I would have expected him to rely on secondary studies and for the most part he has. But he has also read deeply in the writings of the individual presidents. For example, he makes good use of the letters of Franklin Pierce. There is an extraordinary amount of research that went into this book.
There is also a certain amount of hyperbole. I feel that S. sometimes makes his argument through his rhetoric. S. wants to emphasize the powerful nature of the office. So S. tells us that Polk's attempts to manage Jacksonian orthodoxy unleashed "schisms so destabilizing that it would take a civil war to resolve them."(p.162). I am going to suggest that those schisms were unleashed long before Polk did much of anything on the political scene. Polk's actions made things worse at most by accelerating a process already well developed.
Finally, S. feels that the political reality exposed in his theory is breaking down in various ways in the post-modern plebescitary presidency (his terms- don't look at me). I have gone on far too long to even begin to go into why he feels that is. What I hope I have done is to make you want to read the book. This is as important and insightful a scholarly work as I have read in a long time. It has several flaws but scholarly timidity is not one of them. If you are an American politics or history reader, you simply must read this book.
And then write a comment to me explaining how S.'s theory applies to Bush. I am still working on that one.

Good but boring
I had to read this for a class in undergrad, it was ok.I only read like 2 chapters because i was out drinking too often.His thesis is unique and kind of makes you think about the way presidents act within the overall American political landscape.

Most important book on the presidency in decades
Skowronek has written a magesterial study of the American presidency, fundamentally reinterpreting it through a novel historical framework.His writing style is very dense, and often unclear - but the hard work necessary to understand him is well worth the effort.

I first read this as an undergraduate, then twice again in graduate school.Each reading brought out new insights I missed the previous time.

No student of the presidency can afford not to read this.Quibble with him on some details, perhaps, but overall no one can doubt its lasting importance.An instant classic.

BRILLIANT, but a tad dense
This is definitely a difficult book, and understanding certain critical passages may require several readings.In short, this is NOT a good book for an introduction to presidential politics and leadership.For a more readable and still highly regarded account, Neustadt's seminal work is a good choice.However, none of this is to say that Skowronek's book is not brilliant--it is, and reading it carefully is a very profitable experience and will enhance anyone's understanding of the presidency, agree with Professor Skowronek or not.Through all the technical references, Skowronek proposes a paradigm for assessing presidential leadership:Reconstruction, Disjunction, Articulation, and Pre-emption, all of which are based on the nature of the government and its commitments (vulnerable or resilient) and on the president's relationship to that regime (opposed or affiliated).Reconstruction results when presidents are opposed to a vulnerable regime--here are the "great" presidents:Lincoln, FDR, and Reagan, for example.Affiliation with a vulnerable regime produces Disjunction.Articulation results from affiliation with a resilient regime.And Pre-emption is the product of opposition to a resilient regime.Of course, this merely scratches the surface of Skowronek's argument, for which he argues quite well and which he approaches from a fairly historical perspective.I highly recommend this for anyone wishing to gain a deeper, fuller understanding of presidential leadership, especially in considering how much a president's skills affect what type of leader he is and how much circumstances shape his presidency. ... Read more

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A biography of two cousins, one a leader in the American Revolution, the other the second President of the United States. ... Read more

Product Description

These four volumes begin the publication of the Adams archives, a collection which Edward Everett Hale called a "manuscript history of America in the diaries and correspondence" of a single family.

The Diary, partially published in the 1850's, has proved a quarry of information on the rise of Revolutionary resistance in New England, the debates in the early Continental Congresses, and the diplomacy and financing of the American Revolution; but it has remained unfamiliar to the wider public. "It is an American classic," Mr. Zoltán Haraszti said recently, about which Americans know next to nothing." Actually the Diary's historical value may well prove secondary to its literary and human interest. Now that it is presented in full, we have for the first time a proper basis for comprehending John Adams--an extraordinary human being, a master of robust, idiomatic language, a diarist in the great tradition. From none of the other founders of the Republic do we have anything like a record at once so copious and so intimate.

The Autobiography, intended for John Adams' family but never finished, consists of three large sections. The first records his boyhood, his legal and political career, and the movement that culminated in American independence. The second and third parts deal with his diplomatic experiences, and serve among other things as a retrospective commentary on the Diary: they are studded with sketches of Adams' associates which are as scintillating as they are prejudiced. Parts and in some cases all of these sketches were omitted from Charles Francis Adams' nineteenth-century edition.

In 1779 John Adams wrote, "I am but an ordinary Man. The Times alone have destined me to Fame--and even these have not been able to give me, much." Then he added, "Yet some great Events, some cutting Expressions, some mean Hypocrisies, have at Times, thrown this Assemblage of Sloth, Sleep, and littleness into Rage a little like a Lion." Both the ordinary Man and the Lion live on in these volumes.

Customer Reviews (1)

Valuable Insight
President Adams is one of my favorite presidents (Reagan, Washington, Coolidge, Harding and Jackson are also on that list). I purchased these volumes in January and have completed the first. On first glance, there was much to put-one-off----many one sentence entries that held no significance to the uninitiated. However when the reader gets into the "younger" Adams' more philosophical ponderings the reward is rich. Biographers such as Mr. McCollough and Mr. Ellis (Mr. Ellis' best work by a long-shot "Passionate Sage", his other works have been disappointing at best) have done good job of revealing our second president, but reading Adams' own words make the journey much more rewarding. The first volume is down; it's not always easy reading, but often good things don't come easy. Would recommend this collection to any reader who wants a "realist's" view from our Founders, for President Adams seems to be as real as they come. Highly recommended.
7-2008 Update----Finished most of the autobiography portion, and must say---Adams in his own words is very highly recommended. Reading the diary tends to bog down, but reading the autobiographical material, referring back to the diary is the way to go. ... Read more

Product Description
September 1st, 184:.-Mr. Fletcher Webster called on me this morning, to enquire from his father whether I was satisfied with the note to the Spanish Minister, Argaiz, which had been communicated to me some weeks since, for my advice, so that he might send it. I said that if it was to close the correspondence on the subject it required no alteration or addition. It put the whole case on the decision of the Supreme Court; and that was sufficient. It did not touch the merits of the question as between the two Governments; and that was to be avoided if possible. But if Mr. Argaiz was to reply, and to press the claim for reparation, it would be best to suggest to him the inconvenience of a discussion which could lead to no result satisfactory to him or his Government, and which must necessarily become criminatory.
lie said Mr. Argaiz had intimated that he should consider this note as closing the discussion.
At the House, Zadok Casey took his seat as the third member from Illinois. I preva

About the Publisher

Forgotten Books is a publisher of historical writings, such as: Philosophy, Classics, Science, Religion, History, Folklore and Mythology.

Forgotten Books' Classic Reprint Series utilizes the latest technology to regenerate facsimiles of historically important writings. Careful attention has been made to accurately preserve the original format of each page whilst digitally enhancing the difficult to read text. Read books online for free at www.forgottenbooks.org ... Read more