Editorial Review

A beloved classic since its initial publication in 1947, this vivid, insightful journal is a fitting memorial to the gifted Jewish teenager who died at Bergen-Belsen, Germany, in 1945. Born in 1929, Anne Frank received a blank diary on her 13th birthday, just weeks before she and her family went into hiding in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam. Her marvelously detailed, engagingly personal entries chronicle 25 trying months of claustrophobic, quarrelsome intimacy with her parents, sister, a second family, and a middle-aged dentist who has little tolerance for Anne's vivacity. The diary's universal appeal stems from its riveting blend of the grubby particulars of life during wartime (scant, bad food; shabby, outgrown clothes that can't be replaced; constant fear of discovery) and candid discussion of emotions familiar to every adolescent (everyone criticizes me, no one sees my real nature, when will I be loved?). Yet Frank was no ordinary teen: the later entries reveal a sense of compassion and a spiritual depth remarkable in a girl barely 15. Her death epitomizes the madness of the Holocaust, but for the millions who meet Anne through her diary, it is also a very individual loss. Read more

Reviews (560)

'Anne Frank, better than ever'
'The Diary Of A Young Girl: The Definitive edition' is more or less the un-cut version of the book that was originally published in the late 1940's. it contains approx. 30% more material, and in my opinion makes Anne more relatable than ever, particularly to adolescents.
Diary of Anne Frank
Anne Frank "The Diary of Anne Frank"
Unbelivable story
I have just finished the Diary Of a Young Girl and i have the strong feeling that i was moved back in time, as if it was 1944.
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Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Historical - General    5. Historical - Holocaust    6. Holocaust    7. Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)    8. Jews    9. Women    10. World War, 1939-1945    11. History / Holocaust   

Editorial Review

A series of anecdotes shouldn't by rights add up to anautobiography, but that's just one of the many pieces of receivedwisdom that Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman (1918-88)cheerfully ignores in his engagingly eccentric book, a bestsellerever since its initial publication in 1985. Fiercely independent (readthe chapter entitled "Judging Books by Their Covers"), intolerant ofstupidity even when it comes packaged as high intellectualism (checkout "Is Electricity Fire?"), unafraid to offend (see "You JustRead more

Reviews (204)

Think while laughing !
A really great book by a great man.I almost laughed out loud while on a train and am sure people thought I was crazy. The book made me wonder how can you lead such an interesting life and yet win a Nobel Prize in physics (I guess you can).
Fantastic read
This is a fantastic book!Richard Feynman is a fascinating person and an excellent writer.His view of the world is exciting and interesting and his life experiences make for enjoyable stories.One lesson that comes through in this book is 'Think', don't be afraid to stop and think about something, a problem, a point of view, etc.Through these stories and the life of Richard Feynman, we are all shown what it is to live a life well.Get this book!
Feynman at his Finest
This book is by far the best non-technical science book. Period. You don't have to be a scientist to love the spirit of Richard Feynman. From discovering the behaviors of ants with sugar to his stints as an artist and musician, Feynman reminds us all that the world is still our playground, waiting to be discovered.
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Subjects:  1. Anecdotes    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Physicists    7. Physics (General)    8. Science    9. Scientists    10. Scientists - General    11. United States    12. Mathematics and Science    13. PHYSICS   

Editorial Review

The same sharp intelligence and self-deprecating wit that made MichaelJ. Fox a star in the Read more

Reviews (187)

Here is a book to relate to
Michael's book is a fantastic account of his life leading up to and including his struggle with dealing with Parkinson's. As a person with a Parkinsonism who was diagnosed after Michael exposed his disease, I can say he truly made it easier for others to deal with this devastating blow. His hiding of the his disease is common of so many people who are diagnosed with PD at crucial points in their lives. An extremely good book about life rocky road, and for those with PD or any illness for that matter who are trying to create a somewhat normal existance for themselves and their families.
Great book, great story, very good read.
A friend gave this book to me. It was such a good read. I had no idea Michael was so sick, and had such a difficult life. While I did not respect ways he wasted his body by alcohol, drugs, and stupid habits before he found out, at a still very young age of mid-20s, about his Parkinson's disease, his remarkable change to a new man was a very good story. The anectodes from this book will stay with me, and it has a great message for everyone.

Surprising
I've been a fan of Michael J. Fox for many years and was sad to learn of his Parkinson's disease.I expected this book to be largely about the disease and Fox's coping with it.However, I was pleasantly surprised to read an honest account of all of the ways he had messed up his life before coming to terms with himself as well as with his disease.Although I don't like to read sad stories of drinking spinning out of control, Fox's matter-of-fact tone and willingness to take full responsibility for his actions was refreshing.I felt privileged to be allowed this glimpse into his life and his psyche, and I ended up liking him better after finishing the book than when I started. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1961-    2. Actors    3. Biography    4. Biography & Autobiography    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. Canada    8. Diseases - Nervous System (incl. Brain)    9. Entertainment & Performing Arts - Actors & Actresses    10. Entertainment & Performing Arts - General    11. Fox, Michael J.,    12. Parkinson's disease    13. Patients    14. Personal Memoirs    15. Specific Groups - Special Needs    16. United States    17. Biography & Autobiography / Entertainment & Performing Arts   

Editorial Review

A thoughtful companion volume to the earlierSurely You Are Joking Mr. Feynman!. Perhaps the most intriguing parts of the book are the behind-the-scenes descriptions of science and policy colliding in the presidential commission to determine the cause of the Challenger space shuttle explosion; and the scientific sleuthing behind his famously elegantO-ring-in-ice-water demonstration. Not as rollicking as his other memoirs, but in some ways more profound. ... Read more

Reviews (51)

Not as entertaining as SYJ
This book starts off pretty interesting, but gets bogged down in criticism of NASA management.While I agree with Mr. Feynman on this, I kind of got tired of it after a while.Still, this is a worthwhile read, and if you're a Feynman fan I'd say get it.If you've never read Feynman before I'd strongly suggest Surely You're Joking Mr. Feynman!
Enjoyable
This book was great.It won't be the literary testament of the 20th century but the stories are thought-provoking, humourous and edifying.This book dwells a lot on the Challenger incident and the ensuing investigation.There is a fair amount of detail there which may not interest some readers but this reader found it to be a good mix of technical information into a very human story.I have actually not read Surely You're Joking yet so I cannot compare it.In short, recommended to anyone interested in the whole Feynman persona and more generally, the inner workings of a genius.

A Truly Nutty Professor Makes for Great Reading
More stories of the great physicist. In this book he tells of his early family life and the story of his first marriage. He also explains in great detail his role on the ChallengerCommission, and how the problem with the O rings came out. Great reading. Feynman was bigger than life. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Anecdotes    2. Biography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. General    5. Physicists    6. Physics    7. Science    8. Science/Mathematics    9. Scientists    10. Scientists - General    11. United States    12. Essays, journals, letters & other prose works   

Editorial Review

Benjamin Franklin, writes journalist and biographer Walter Isaacson, was that rare Founding Father who would sooner wink at a passer-by than sit still for a formal portrait. What's more, Isaacson relates in this fluent and entertaining biography, the revolutionary leader represents a political tradition that has been all but forgotten today, one that prizes pragmatism over moralism, religious tolerance over fundamentalist rigidity, and social mobility over class privilege. That broadly democratic sensibility allowed Franklin his contradictions, as Isaacson shows. Though a man of lofty principles, Franklin wasn't shy of using sex to sell the newspapers he edited and published; though far from frivolous, he liked his toys and his mortal pleasures; and though he sometimes gave off a simpleton image, he was a shrewd and even crafty politician. Isaacson doesn't shy from enumerating Franklin’s occasional peccadilloes and shortcomings, in keeping with the iconoclastic nature of our time--none of which, however, stops him from considering Benjamin Franklin "the most accomplished American of his age," and one of the most admirable of any era. And here’s one bit of proof: as a young man, Ben Franklin regularly went without food in order to buy books. His example, as always, is a good one--and this is just the book to buy with the proceeds from the grocery budget. Read more

Reviews (158)

Exactly what I was looking for in a Franklin bio
After reading Walter Isaacson's biography of Benjamin Franklin, I have concluded Benjamin Franklin lived a very long time. This one took some time to get through. That being said, I never found Benjamin Franklin: An American Life tedious or boring. Franklin's personality was (and is) unappreciated in its complexity, and his eventful life is examined comprehensively by Isaacson. Each chapter is broken down into manageable sections, making it a great book to pick up and read a little bit at a time. In the end, all these fragments come together to form a fascinating portrait of someone who personified what it meant (and means) to be American. Only appropriate considering he was the only founding father present at the drafting of all four documents critical to the establishment of the United States: the Declaration of Independence, the treaty of alliance with France, the peace treaty with Great Britain, and the Constitution.
The Real Ben

Benjamin Franklin; An American Life
Thomas Barnes
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Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Historical - General    6. Historical - U.S.    7. Inventors    8. Political    9. Reference    10. Scientists    11. Scientists - Inventors    12. Statesmen    13. U.S. History - Colonial Period (1607-1775)    14. U.S. History - Revolution And Confederation (1775-1789)    15. United States    16. American history: c 1500 to c 1800    17. Biography & Autobiography / General    18. Biography: historical    19. USA    20. c 1700 to c 1800   

Reviews (2)

Two books in one + CD...
I have purchased almost all Feynman books so far.
There's Room at the Bottom
Richard Feynman left his hand prints almost everywhere in physics, and here at Los Alamos, he is still a living legend: not just for his scientific brilliance, but for all the color of his personality.His signature characteristic, as you will read in this wonderful book, was simplicity.To wit:
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Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Biography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Essay    5. Essays    6. Intellectual life    7. Physicists    8. Physics    9. Science    10. Science/Mathematics    11. Scientists - General    12. United States    13. History    14. Miscellaneous Items    15. Science / General   

Reviews (4)

The best
This book was written by one of the greatest writers America has produced. How could anybody not give this book 5 stars.

Like Solomon
I thought this book was much more than a humorous or adventerous account.I am reminded of the book of Solomon and the wise adages endowed by God therein.Bejamin Franklin's memoirs cover an array of wise maxims that all men should learn.Franklin especially concentrates his philosophy in the way of frugality and financial responsibility.Too many young men waste their lives in ignorance.If more men sought out wisdom, the world would be a better place.

Dedicated to Mr. Jones
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin was a comical adventure through a life that expresses the ways of an ideal American. Franklin was a husband, friend, printer, inventor, scientist, writer, educator, diplomat, and a politician. Franklin's style of writing was cheerfully humorous (how his friend sucked at writing poems was my personal favorite part) and was made even better by the fact that he was able to laugh at himself. I enjoyed his take on the public's opinion of his papers on his experiments with electricity. He did not get defensive because of his cool, confident personality. I loved the part about the other scientist, Abb� Nollet, who 'could not at first believe that such a work came from America, and said it must have been fabricated by his enemies at Paris, to decry his system.' Overall the book was entertaining and a classic story, but I do not think that I would call it a favorite. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1706-1790    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Franklin, Benjamin,    7. General    8. Historical - U.S.    9. Political    10. Scientists - Inventors    11. Statesmen    12. United States    13. Biography & Autobiography / General   

Editorial Review

Finding out about someone by reading their correspondence is a fundamentally different thing than reading their biography. Letters offer both more intimacy with the subject and at the same time a crucial distance--the exact distance the letter-writer intended from the people to whom he was writing. In Read more

Reviews (17)

Wonderful collection
Having read "Surely you're joking, Mr Feynmann", I had wondered about his relationship with his first wife, because she was hardly mentioned.
Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the beaten Track
Feynman inspires the pursuit of truth in this spin-driven world.

Advice for aspiring scientists
Feynman wrote to the advice-seeking father of an aspiring scientist/high school student:(paraphrase) "the best advice I can give your son is to fall in love with a beautiful woman and talk to her quietly at night."
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Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Correspondence    6. Feynman, Richard Phillips    7. General    8. Letters    9. Physicists    10. Physics    11. Science    12. Scientists - General    13. United States    14. Biography: general    15. History of science   

Editorial Review

Benjamin Franklin may have been the most remarkable American ever to live: a printer, scientist, inventor, politician, diplomat, and--finally--an icon. His life was so sweeping that this comprehensive biography by H.W. Brands at times reads like a history of the United States during the 18th century. Franklin was at the center of America's transition from British colony to new nation, and was a kind of Founding Grandfather to the Founding Fathers; he was a full generation older than George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Patrick Henry, and they all viewed him with deep respect. "Of those patriots who made independence possible, none mattered more than Franklin, and only Washington mattered as much," writes Brands (author of a well-received Teddy Roosevelt biography, Read more

Reviews (118)

Terrific story and superb author
Brand's has a great style with a smart wit and feel for the times as well as anecdotal material that gives great depth to his writing.

The best BF bio out there.
There are quite a few bios on Ben Franklin out there, as you probably have noticed, but I think that this is the one to read. If you just want a quick book, with the basic info, then you might turn to Edmund Morgan's or elsewhere. But if you want the whole story, then this is the way to go. The book is quite long, yet still very readable and always interesting. Franklin's life was amazing, and Brands does a great job telling his story. Highly recommended!

Best biography I have ever read
Mr. Brands has written a very in-depth yet readable biography of one of the most fascinating characters in American history.A delightful read that was hard to put down. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1706-1790    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography And Autobiography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. Franklin, Benjamin,    8. Historical - General    9. Historical - U.S.    10. Political    11. Printers    12. Scientists    13. Scientists - General    14. Statesmen    15. United States    16. United States - Colonial Period    17. Biography & Autobiography / Historical    18. Franklin, Benjamin   

Reviews (6)

Insightful Biography
The People's Tycoon is an insightful and well-balanced biography of Henry Ford, the man who helped usher in the new mass consumer society along with the concept of mass production which produced his famed Model T. This car became a symbol of the ordinary person's ability to partake in this new era of plenty and opportunity. Henry Ford, a leader of this vision, is presented with both his accomplishments as well as the contradictions behind the man and the changes he wrought as well as some of his darker qualities. Watts succeeds fairly well in presenting Ford as the people's tycoon.
Thorough biography of complex, confounding Henry Ford
Henry Ford did not invent the automobile, but he invented something bigger - twentieth century America. It is no exaggeration to say that without Ford's system of production, without his understanding of the mass market, without his Model T, that century would have been a very different phenomenon. Ford epitomized the contradictions, complexities and confusion of that America. Self-taught and utterly confident in what he knew, he despised what he did not know. A radical who created an industrial cornucopia for workers by introducing the five-dollar daily wage, he was an industrial tyrant who hired organized criminal gangs to intimidate labor union organizers. We strongly recommend this thorough biography. Author Steven Watts offers a new way of looking at the facts, and at Ford - and does so with engaging style.

The life of the mechanical, marketing, and industrial genius who changed America forever
While the name of Henry Ford is still synonymous with automobiles and assembly lines, he does not fill the popular culture as he did even as late as the 1970s.This excellent book is not only a biography of the man, it discusses the cultural icon and how it was made and remade.We see a mechanical genius who "read machines as other men read books" and watch his fabulous success with the Model-T and the Highland Park plant.
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Subjects:  1. 1863-1947    2. Automobile Industries (Economic Aspects)    3. Automobile industry and trade    4. Biography    5. Biography & Autobiography    6. Biography / Autobiography    7. Biography/Autobiography    8. Business    9. Business History    10. Ford, Henry,    11. Historical - U.S.    12. History    13. Industrialists    14. Industries - Automobile Industry    15. Mass production    16. United States    17. Biography & Autobiography / Business   

Reviews (33)

A photo memoir of Anne Franks' life
A nice little book about the life of a 16 year old girl killed by the Nazis.Despite the fact that Anne was persecuted and made to live in horrible conditions, she still maintained her humanity.Her killers however lost their humanity.This was a sad tale of a teenage girl living a life she should not have had to live.
A Great Resource For Learning A bout The Holocaust
I am in Sixth Grade and when my teacher started talking about some day in March and when she asked us "does anybody know what today is" only the war-historian in our class knew. It was holocaust remberance day...and I had no idea! We started this book and I started learning all these new things about the holocaust, what it was and how horribile it was. If you have the guts to read a 100% true book about the holocaust, then this is A GREAT BUY! BUY THIS FOR YOURSELF OR AS A TEACHING RESOURCE...IT'S GREAT!!!

Anne Frank the Diary of a Young Girl
I rated this book a five because while you read it makes you relize that you are so lucky you weren't born in those very tragic times.It made me think about how easy I, and others have it.I love this book because it teaches me about other peoples lives and how hard it was for them.I also think that it was well written and easy to understand.I'm not positive that you will like this book because of how sad and frightning the tale is, but if you are anything like me you will have your face stuck in a book 'till your done. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Amsterdam    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography - General    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Children's Books/Young Adult Biography    6. Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)    7. Jews    8. Juvenile literature    9. Netherlands    10. Pictorial works    11. Europe    12. Historical figures    13. Juvenile Nonfiction / Biography & Autobiography / Historical    14. World history: from c 1900 -   

Reviews (49)

Nice work
Probably the most INsightful worK Of Probably the most misUNderstood and unKnOwn fathers of our constitution. AND THE UNCANNY thing about it is that many scholars, both american and CANADIAN ARE Just as ignorant as their viEWing audience of Fans And General readerS.

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography creates a portal into the mind of one of America's greatest minds.Not only did Franklin play a pivotal role in the development of our nation but he also made huge advancements in the field of electricity.His descriptions of experiences such as the famous kite experiment grant some understanding of just how remarkable these revelations were in the mid-1700s.His subsequent invention of the lightning rod, something taken for granted today, is fascinating to read about in his own words.Learning about the electrical innovations that Franklin made, written in his own words and in the language of the period offers a unique approach to the subject of electricity.The fact that Franklin managed to accomplish all of these feats in addition to playing the role as a Founding Father is astounding and only adds to the significance of the his individual successes.

America's Original Genuis
Ben Franklin details his interesting life in his own words. If you want an investment guide, self-help book, historical read, business primer, and a look into the life of an American original, this is it, all in one medium length book. Some readers will find the phrasing antiquated, and sentence structure longer than normal. A small quibble that reflects more upon our modern age than the work itself. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1706-1790    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Franklin, Benjamin,    7. Historical - General    8. Historical - U.S.    9. History & Theory - General    10. Political    11. Scientists - General    12. Statesmen    13. United States    14. United States - Colonial Period    15. Biography: general    16. Franklin, Benjamin    17. Literary Collections / General    18. USA   

Reviews (5)

Dinner with Two 18th Century Gourmets
DINNER WITH TWO 18TH CGOURMETS