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$10.36
1. Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man,
$9.00
2. Teacher Man: A Memoir
$9.87
3. Tis: A Memoir
$16.50
4. Mirror to America: The Autobiography
$13.57
5. 32 Third Graders and One Class
$8.76
6. Educating Esme: Diary of a Teacher's
$16.47
7. One Hundred Semesters: My Adventures
$7.99
8. The Water Is Wide
$10.75
9. Iron and Silk (Vintage Departures)
$18.15
10. Richard Hofstadter: An Intellectual
$15.61
11. Front of the Class: How Tourette
$6.99
12. Tisha: The Story of a Young Teacher
$30.00
13. God, Country, Notre Dame: The
$13.57
14. To Teach: The Journey of a Teacher
$14.30
15. The Love of Impermanent Things:
$11.16
16. Learning to Bow: Inside the Heart
$64.00
17. Historical and Philosophical Foundations
$16.32
18. My Freshman Year: What a Professor
19. Learning to Fly: Reflections on
$11.68
20. Maria Montessori: E.M. Standing

1. Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life's Greatest Lesson
by Broadway
Paperback (08 October, 2002)
list price: $12.95 -- our price: $10.36
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Isbn: 076790592X
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

This true story about the love between a spiritual mentor and his pupil has soared to the bestseller list for many reasons. For starters: it reminds us of the affection and gratitude that many of us still feel for the significant mentors of our past. It also plays out a fantasy many of us have entertained: what would it be like to look those people up again, tell them how much they meant to us, maybe even resume the mentorship? Plus, we meet Morrie Schwartz--a one of a kind professor, whom the author describes as looking like a cross between a biblical prophet and Christmas elf. And finally we are privy to intimate moments of Morrie's final days as he lies dying from a terminal illness. Even on his deathbed, this twinkling-eyed mensch manages to teach us all about living robustly and fully. Kudos to author and acclaimed sports columnist Mitch Albom for telling this universally touching story with such grace and humility. Read more

Reviews (1946)

5-0 out of 5 stars Brought back feelings....
This book was definitely one of those works where you can identify with what they are going through, yet you still have something to learn. I am a cargiver for a lady who has a disease almost identical to that of ALS (Lou Gehrigs) and the symptoms he describes in this book are ones that I am facing everyday I work with her.
1-0 out of 5 stars Tuesdays At Morrie's, Fridays At The Bank
This book is not inspiring, it is unfortunate.Morrie sounded like a great man who knew how to live his life.However, it is unfortunate that media vultures like Oprah Winfrey, Ted Koppel, and the author (another Oprah-manufactured "celebrity" like Dr. Phil) took everything that was probably special about this man and trivialized his words, commercialized his life, and exploited him and his values purely for financial gain.Albom mentions that the advance money for the book paid for Morrie's medical bills...what about all the money after he died?Hmm...he kind of left that part out.Seems that Mitch didn't really learn that much about greed from his old professor after all, which makes him sort of a hypocrite.What could have been a very special book in the hands of a competent author, instead gets a 200-page shlock treatment, from a sixth-grade caliber sports-writer (who apparently can't write many words longer than two syllables) that is watered down so that the masses can swallow it without too much critical thought.If I'd have known this was one of "Oprah's Picks" I wouldn't have even bothered with it, but I have also heard so much praise for this book that I figured it was at least worth a read.It wasn't.It was not inspiring, it was trite, contrived, shallow, preachy, poorly written...which seems to be a trademark of all of Albom's books.Morrie, you deserved better and I hope you are resting peacefully.I suppose it is good that this book is at least inspiring people, but at the same time you have to wonder about the types of people who would be inspired by this simple-minded shlock.Anyone raised in any decent, civilized background probably knew all this stuff already.I think the only people on this earth who have a true sense of what Morrie was about are his surviving friends, family, cohorts and students.I felt no connection to Morrie with this tacky treatment of a powerful subject, which is very unfortunate.I agree with another review that said that if you want some really great, inspiring words, read the Bible, Koran, Torah, etc. and keep away from this tacky book.Heck, read Siddhartha, thats probably a much better choice.Mitch, your grade on this thesis is an "F -"

5-0 out of 5 stars A Lifetime with Morrie
As I sit down to write this review I find myself not looking into the book to see what I wrote in the margins, but trying to remember what I learned from the book.I once had a professor tell me "Shawn, you will never remember what the text tells you, but you will remember what the book taught you".This is one of those types of books and as you are reading it, you feel like you are a part of the story.Throughout the story Morrie tries to relay some of the lessons he has learned, and after reading the book I have realized that they are the most important kind of lessons: lessons on living life.I am not being vague about the content of this story in hopes of enticing you to read this, but I simply want you to sit down with this book without any expectations.Have a relationship with it and it will teach you amazing things. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis    2. Biography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Case studies    5. Death    6. Death, Grief, Bereavement    7. Educators    8. Inspirational - General    9. Patients    10. Psychological aspects    11. Religion    12. Specific Groups - Special Needs    13. Teacher-student relationships    14. United States    15. Religion / Inspirational   


2. Teacher Man: A Memoir
by Scribner
Paperback (19 September, 2006)
list price: $15.00 -- our price: $9.00
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Isbn: 0743243781
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

For 30 years Frank McCourt taught high school English in New York City and for much of that time he considered himself a fraud. During these years he danced a delicate jig between engaging the students, satisfying often bewildered administrators and parents, and actually enjoying his job. He tried to present a consistent image of composure and self-confidence, yet he regularly felt insecure, inadequate, and unfocused. After much trial and error, he eventually discovered what was in front of him (or rather, behind him) all along--his own experience. "My life saved my life," he writes. "My students didn't know there was a man up there escaping a cocoon of Irish history and Catholicism, leaving bits of that cocoon everywhere." At the beginning of his career it had never occurred to him that his own dismal upbringing in the slums of Limerick could be turned into a valuable lesson plan. Indeed, his formal training emphasized the opposite. Principals and department heads lectured him to never share anything personal. He was instructed to arouse fear and awe, to be stern, to be impossible to please--but he couldn't do it. McCourt was too likable, too interested in the students' lives, and too willing to reveal himself for their benefit as well as his own. He was a kindred spirit with more questions than answers: "Look at me: wandering late bloomer, floundering old fart, discovering in my forties what my students knew in their teens."Read more

Reviews (172)

4-0 out of 5 stars Teacher's Grade of Teacher Man:B+
Teaching is a performance art, and every teacher is on the stage every day in front of an audience that doesn't always want to be there, doesn't always understand the language the play is being performed in, and doesn't always understand what happened in the scene before.It's a tough crowd we teachers perform for, and the critics are usually less than kind administrators or Board of Education members that haven't taught in front of a class in years, or who have never taught in a classroom.
4-0 out of 5 stars Teacher Man :-)
Frank McCourt starts off his third book, Teacher Man (a memoir of his thirty-year teaching career), with the following paragraph: "On the first day of my teaching career, I was almost fired for eating the sandwich of a high school boy.On the second day I was almost fired for mentioning the possibility of a friendship with a sheep.Otherwise, there was nothing remarkable about my thirty years in the high school classrooms of New York City.I often doubted if I should be there at all."
4-0 out of 5 stars Teacher Man- Good and Bad
Teacher Man is a very good read, and gives us a broad and clear view into the life of not only Frank McCourt, but also teenagers attending the public schools of New York City.As a student, I found it interesting to hear about a teacher's perspective of a class, and how Frank McCourt drew from his experiences growing up to shape who he was in the classroom.
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Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Elements In The U.S. Population    6. High school teachers    7. Irish Americans    8. Literary    9. New York    10. New York (State)    11. Teaching At The Secondary School Level    12. Biography & Autobiography / Literary   


3. Tis: A Memoir
by Scribner
Paperback (29 August, 2000)
list price: $14.95 -- our price: $9.87
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Isbn: 0684865742
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

The sequel to Frank McCourt's memoir of his Irish Catholic boyhood, Read more

Reviews (555)

5-0 out of 5 stars 'TIS A GRAND BOOK, !
Poignant,intense, exciting, gutwrenching yet heart warming are the scenes, actions and memories described inthis continuation of an indepth look at the the trials, tribulations and successes of FrankMc Court and his family. As you read it,you "are there" in New York, in Ireland, -at Mam's almost reunion with Frank's father, - in the army with Frank in Europe, - in church,- in the boarding house which provided meager temporary shelter, - in the countless dull mind-numbing jobs he had beforebecoming a teacher,- in the classroom trying to inspire lethargicstudents.With wit, and a lot ofmischievious charm, author Mc Court escorts us through his romantic liasons, marriage and birth of his daughter, -his brothers arrival and existence in New York,- his own "coming of age in America" as he matures, -and the death of his beloved mother, Angela, (Mam).
4-0 out of 5 stars THE CONTINUING MEMOIR, BY THE AUTHOR OF ANGELA'S ASHES
Frank McCourt has a flowing, gifted writing style that is all his own. This, the second in his memoirs, tells the chapter of his life where he leaves Ireland for a life in America.How one can endure his hardships and still keep a witty sense of humour is nothing short of amazing.Low paying jobs, racial criticism, and scorn await McCourt upon his arrival.
3-0 out of 5 stars Dissapointing but with a few gems
I felt that he was trying to gain sympathy for his situation unlike the frankness of Angelas Ashes. I was dissapointed with this sequal. He was brave to tell the truth of his situation, however he must have cringed upon reflection of his early life. He does use humor throughout the book and that makes it more bearable to read. I felt like slapping him rather than giving him a hug at the end of this second book. He does tell the truth, to his credit, and doesn't candy coat anything, a continuation of the first book in the context of style. Would recommend this to an older audience, because of the content matter. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Educators    6. Elements In The U.S. Population    7. Emigration & Immigration    8. Ethnic Cultures - General    9. Irish Americans    10. Literary    11. McCourt, Frank    12. Regional Subjects - MidAtlantic    13. Biography & Autobiography / General    14. Immigration & emigration    15. Literature: History & Criticism    16. Social history    17. USA   


4. Mirror to America: The Autobiography of John Hope Franklin
by Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Hardcover (13 October, 2005)
list price: $25.00 -- our price: $16.50
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Isbn: 0374299447
Sales Rank: 20447
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Reviews (15)

5-0 out of 5 stars Truthful contrast
Dr. Franklin is an extraordinary savant.His writing technique is grabbing and august.He presents his life in a clear unquestionable manner; causing the reader to feel the emotion in which he experienced throughout his life journey.
5-0 out of 5 stars Autobiography of John Hope Franklin
Every page is a valuable learning opportunity.Written in a factual, insightful way that creates a focus on lessons learned and then makes these same lessons implements of progress and growth for others.This is a book everyone should read and then find ways to incorporate the example if Dr. Franklin in concrete ways in their individual lives.

3-0 out of 5 stars From Sisters Nineties Literary Group, Linda Smith, Book Review Editor, Reviews
Professor John Hope Franklin's story, Mirror to America, is a chronicle of his life embellished with the history of African Americans in the United States.A rare jewel, Professor Franklin decided early in his education at Fisk University, where he earned his undergraduate degree, that he would make a life long committment to pursue the history of African Americans in this country as a scholar.He attend Harvard University where he earned his Masters and Ph.D. degrees in history, remaining committed to pursue African beginnings in America without compromise and with impeccable courage in the time where racial prejudice was practiced in every phase of American culture.
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Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. African American historians    3. Biography    4. Biography & Autobiography    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Biography And Autobiography    7. Biography/Autobiography    8. Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)    9. Educators    10. Historians    11. Historical - U.S.    12. Novelists, American    13. People of Color    14. Personal Memoirs    15. U.S. History - 20th Century (General)    16. United States    17. United States - 20th Century    18. Zabor, Rafi    19. Biography & Autobiography / General    20. Biography: general    21. Black studies    22. Civil rights & citizenship    23. Political activism    24. USA   


5. 32 Third Graders and One Class Bunny: Life Lessons from Teaching
by Touchstone
Hardcover (19 July, 2005)
list price: $19.95 -- our price: $13.57
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Isbn: 0743272390
Sales Rank: 17395
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
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Reviews (27)

5-0 out of 5 stars A must read for all current/future teachers and those who love them!
I happened into this book about a year ago in Done's hometown of Mountain View. From the minute I picked it up and read the back cover, it had me hooked.By the time I actually bought the book, I had probably read five chapters.Since finishing the book the first time, I must have recommended this book to a hundred people (as recently as this evening).As a high school counselor, I advise students everyday about pursuing their dreams.I have nearly demanded any student who even hints that they want to teach kids (especially primary school) to buy this book as a way of further endearing themselves to their journey, or running like hell in the other direction!It takes a special person to teach kids and Done's wit is as solid as his dedication to his cause.When I read and re-read this book, I often think "wow - he should have done stand up"...and then I remember that he does...everyday in the classroom!

5-0 out of 5 stars teacing children
This is a chanukah gift for my daughter Rachael who teaches preschool.I found the book most delightful, so much so I would call my sister a retired 2nd grade teacher and have to read her a passage as I was reading the book..I am also going to give a fellow professor still involved with grade school children on a volunteer basis through Boston College the in formation about this book..I loved it.The author writes well and makes every day events enteraining and causes you to look at them in a different way..

5-0 out of 5 stars Best book about teaching
This is the best book about teaching that I've read.It shows exactly what it is like to be a teacher.Mr. Done's words reflect many of my own thoughts and feelings.I recommend this book to anyone- teachers (for obvious reasons) and non-teachers (so they can see what it is like to be a teacher).Wonderfully written and a fun read. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography And Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Done, Phillip    6. Education / Teaching    7. Educators    8. Elementary    9. Essays    10. Teachers    11. Teaching    12. Teaching At The Elementary School Level    13. Teaching Methods & Materials - General    14. United States    15. Education / General   


6. Educating Esme: Diary of a Teacher's First Year
by Algonquin Books
Paperback (01 June, 2001)
list price: $10.95 -- our price: $8.76
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Isbn: 1565122798
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Esmé Raji Codell has written a funny, hip diary filled with one-liners and unadorned thoughts that speak volumes about the raw, emotional life of a first-year teacher. Like Ally McBeal in the classroom, the miniskirted and idealistic Codell sometimes fantasizes her career is a musical. Her inner-city Chicago elementary school fades to black as the lunch lady strikes an arabesque or a struggling student performs the dance of the dying swan, all set to her interior soundtrack. (Tina Turner's "Funkier Than a Mosquita's Tweeter" echoes whenever her idea-stealing, dimwitted principal harangues her.) She's a rash, petite, white lady who roller-skates through the halls and insists that her fifth-graders call her "Madame Esmé." But it's not all fun and games: she introduces us to children who fling their desks and apologize in tears, and at one point, after reporting a disruptive student to her mother, who subsequently thrashes the young girl, she dry heaves into her classroom's trash can. Read more

Reviews (127)

5-0 out of 5 stars Remember...It's a diary....
Simply -- I loved this book. I agree with many of the "less positive" reviews of this book where readers stated that Esme seemed overly smug BUT what you have to remember is that this is titled a DIARY. I know she wrote it to be published as a book but at the same time, she wrote it in the same style one would write a diary entry. I can guarantee you if anyone read MY diary, they would probably think the same things about me...how often do we accurately capture the "other side of the story" when we're writing how we feel in a journal or diary?

5-0 out of 5 stars Enjoy
I laughed out loud and agreed with her so many times.It is refreshing to see someone at the beginning of a teaching career with this savy perspective.

5-0 out of 5 stars Great book- fun read
I really liked this book- it is great for those considering going into the teaching profession, and also for those who are already teachers. It is funny and insightful. At times, there seems to be some exaggeration, but overall I thought this book was great. Also, it is a very quick read. I definitely reccomend this book! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography / Autobiography    2. Chicago    3. Diaries    4. Education    5. Educators    6. Elementary    7. Elementary school teachers    8. First year teachers    9. General    10. Illinois    11. Teaching Methods & Materials - General    12. Women    13. BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Women    14. Biography & Autobiography / Educators    15. Biography: general    16. EDUCATION / General    17. Teaching of specific groups    18. Teaching skills & techniques   


7. One Hundred Semesters: My Adventures as Student, Professor, and University President, and What I Learned along the Way
by Princeton University Press
Hardcover (31 July, 2006)
list price: $24.95 -- our price: $16.47
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Isbn: 0691127255
Sales Rank: 166652
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
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Reviews (4)

5-0 out of 5 stars a major work on education in our time by one of the great teachers
I have known Bill Chace since I was a freshman in his English class, so I am hardly objective. But I still can see with a clear eye that this is a great book. It helps us understand what education is about in our culture. What he says about the threats to liberal arts education from fundraising, athletics, tech transfer, careerism, and pressure to make all research applied and goal oriented should be read by anyone who claims to be an educated American with a care about our culture. The book moves effortlessly through his life, propelled by humor and strange incident, from his own funny and poignant undergraduate days, to his liberal bewilderment at Berkeley, to his experience of racism in the South of the 1960's, to his days teaching at Stanford, and then on to his presidencies at Wesleyan and Emory.
5-0 out of 5 stars The Best of Its Kind
A disarmingly brave and revealing academic autobiography by a man whose peripatetic career on five college campuses (two where he was President) uniquely qualifies him as an observer of the academic scene. William Chace tells us at the outset, "[g]iven my experience, none of the rooms where the work of a college or university occurs is now a secret to me." True and unsurprising. What astonishes is that Chace actually invites his reader into those rooms where we observe, under the firm hand of his fine prose, the absurdities, the evasions and self-deceits, and the triumphs of courage that make up the variegated texture of modern American university life.
5-0 out of 5 stars An insider's view of Higher Education
This charming and insightful educational memoir manages to tell us more about what's happening in higher education than could a truckload of educational studies.And Chace does it simply by telling his story.
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Subjects:  1. Education    2. Education / Teaching    3. Educators    4. Higher    5. Biography: general    6. Education / Higher    7. Higher & further education    8. Sociology   


8. The Water Is Wide
by Bantam
Mass Market Paperback (01 November, 1987)
list price: $7.99 -- our price: $7.99
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Isbn: 0553268937
Sales Rank: 15940
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Reviews (43)

4-0 out of 5 stars Honest
I like Pat Conroy's books.He has a unique way of writing that reaches a wide array of people: white collar and blue collar, scholars and the average Joe, men and women.He doesn't flash his intelligence around like some authors, but his brilliance is understated.If you haven't read any of his books yet, do.

5-0 out of 5 stars IF YOU PLAN TO VISIT HILTON HEAD
If you plan to visit Hilton Head and take a ferry to Daufuski Island, read this before going on the trip.
5-0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully written...
Great read, a must read for a teacher but can be enjoyed by all.Ineting story, sad social message. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Aims & Objectives    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Educators    4. Fiction    5. General    6. Biography & Autobiography / General    7. Modern fiction   


9. Iron and Silk (Vintage Departures)
by Vintage
Paperback (12 October, 1987)
list price: $12.95 -- our price: $10.75
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Isbn: 0394755111
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

In 1982, Salzman flew off to teach English in Changsha, China. He writes of bureaucrats, students and Cultural Revolution survivors, stripping none of their complexity and humanity.He's gentle with their idiocies, saving his sharpest barbs for himself (it's his pants that split from zipper to waist whilst demonstrating martial arts in Canton).Though dribs of history and drabs of classical lore seep through, this is mostly a personal tale, noted by the Los Angeles Times for "the charmingly unpretentious manner in which it penetrates a China inaccessible to other foreigners." ... Read more

Reviews (86)

5-0 out of 5 stars How many times will I read this book?
You know I play the "bumbling mute illiterate" card when I write about China. Salzman doesn't. But, he's not a hard core journalist or political commentator like Ian Johnson. Salzman's love of martial arts brought him to China. Like me, he loved David Carradine in Kung Fu. But, unlike me, he speaks fluent Chinese. He's also quite gifted at writing in English. Get this one.
4-0 out of 5 stars Poignant accounts
For a couple of years the early 1980s, Mark Salzman was an English teacher and a martial arts master who went to a poor city in China to teach English. Salzman recalls his many episodes and adventures there with vignettes in his book Iron and Silk. He reveals much about the contrast of the Chinese culture from western culture.
4-0 out of 5 stars China through the eyes of a teacher
I spent several years living in Asia and this movie recaptured many of those memories.While the movie is fairly honest it respectfully portrays Chinese culture from an American viewpoint.
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Subjects:  1. Asia - China    2. Bibles    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. China    5. Description and travel    6. Educators    7. Essays & Travelogues    8. General    9. Martial Arts & Self-Defense    10. Martial arts    11. Salzman, Mark    12. Travel    13. Travel - General    14. Biography & Autobiography / General    15. Journeys    16. Sociology, Social Studies   


10. Richard Hofstadter: An Intellectual Biography
by University Of Chicago Press
Hardcover (01 April, 2006)
list price: $27.50 -- our price: $18.15
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Isbn: 0226076407
Sales Rank: 14584
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
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Reviews (4)

5-0 out of 5 stars An impression
I have read an except of this book, and a few reviews of it including all those heretofore posted on 'Amazon'. Thus what I have is an 'impression' of the book, and not an in-depth understanding.
5-0 out of 5 stars The Importance of Being Loyal to the Democratic Party
Richard Hofstadter obeyed the unwritten rule: tenured liberal arts academics who teach at an "elite" university should make sure they are of great value to the Democratic Party. It is wise to place one's wet finger in the air to see which way the prevailing ideological winds are blowing. Was the admittedly great scholar a raving Left-winger?Nope, the reality is that Hofstadter may have been the most conservative member of the Columbia University faculty. Alfred Kazin even referred to him as "a secret conservative."There is little doubt, it must be added, that Hofstadter would have never had such a prominent and rewarding career had he been even slightly more right-wing.I suspect had that been the case, he would have been doomed to barely earning a living at a third tier school.The famous historian was a indeed a proverbial knee jerk liberal.He admittedly was no longer a Communist, but his secular faith in "New Deal" liberalism was near dogmatic.Furthermore, communism was possibly less dangerous that anti-Communism.Hofstadter was at best an anti-anti Communist.Republicans were deemed to be paranoid and reactionary. Left-wingers may occasionally get a little goofy, but they are essentially well meaning.It is those right-wing buffoons who are supposedly crazier than jay birds and warrant intense scrutiny. Thankfully, Hofstadter's commitment to rational thinking was sufficient to reject the radical left's attempt in the 1960s to take over Columbia's campus. The enemy was not always to the right.Sometimes it does reside on the left.These leftist students were nihilists, although perhaps unwittingly so,and not true reformers.If nothing else, Hofstadter deserves credit for realizing that a nonnegotiable line had been crossed.Biographer David S. Brown hits the nail on the head: "Hofstadter's selective use of the paranoid style brings to mind David Potter's earlier criticism of the status thesis.Like status, paranoia is a slippery concept that belies strict categorization and can be used indiscriminately to pathologize political opposition.""Always looking for the enemy on the right," continues the author, "Hofstadter never suspected liberalism's vulnerability to self-destruction."
5-0 out of 5 stars An Exceptionally Well-Balanced Biography
If you went to college and/or graduate school in the late 1950's or 1960's, chances are very good you read at least one of Richard Hofstadter's (1916-1970) books.Particularly "The American Political Tradition," "The Age of Reform," "Anti-Intellectualism in American Life," and "Paranoid Style in American Politics" were ubiquitous on college reading lists.And this was for good reason: Hofstadter many believe was the most incisive and insightful American historians of the first two-thirds of the 20th century.Coupled with his perceptive and innovative analytical abilities were writing talents that made his books fascinating to read.
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Subjects:  1. 1916-1970    2. Biography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Educators    5. Historians    6. Historiography    7. History    8. History: World    9. Hofstadter, Richard,    10. United States    11. American history    12. Biography: general    13. History / Historiography    14. The Americas   


11. Front of the Class: How Tourette Syndrome Made Me the Teacher I Never Had
by Vanderwyk & Burnham
Hardcover (25 September, 2005)
list price: $22.95 -- our price: $15.61
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Isbn: 1889242241
Sales Rank: 43948
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
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Reviews (21)

5-0 out of 5 stars A Teacher With Tourette Syndrome (TS)

5-0 out of 5 stars A true story of real courage
Brad Cohen's first hand account of how he became a teacher despite having Tourette's syndrome isn't great writing, but if you've ever known someone with Tourette's you know how amazing his story is. Happily most people today know what this disease is--as I was growing up with a brother who had it, no one did. If you haven't seen it, it's hard to imagine the noises, tics, cursing, and mental agony of living with this incurable problem. Cohen's book gives an intimate look at what it feels like to have your body taken over by urges that can't be controlled. He also sensitively portrays the distress and confusion of parents who try to deal with a problem for which modern medicine is almost useless. Again we see a situation where young children in the classroom can accept behaviors that the wider world can't tolerate, and Cohen's openness about his problem with these children is the secret of his success. One gets the sense Cohen's life will always be a struggle--although he has many friends there's no mention of a woman in his life, and gaining acceptance with new people is always going to be a risky business. But his courage is amazing. This book should be required reading for any child who doubts his worth as a person because of this terrible disease.

5-0 out of 5 stars Front of the Class
This was the most amazing book I've ever read. My son was recently diagnosed, and I am so encouraged after reading Brad's book. He is reading it himself now. I am an elementary classroom assistant as well, and am grateful for the insight it provided me in working with students with various disabilities. I think reading this book should be a requirment for all teachers, and anyone working in the school setting, regardless of thier position. Thanks so much Brad! I was so sorry when the book ended, because I enjoyed reading it so much. I am purchasing it as a gift for a teacher as well. I will enjoy telling many people about this very special book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1973-    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography And Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Cohen, Brad,    7. Diseases - Nervous System (incl. Brain)    8. Educators    9. Medical / Nursing    10. Neurology - General    11. Personal Memoirs    12. Popular works    13. Specific Groups - Special Needs    14. Specific Neurologic Diseases    15. Tourette syndrome    16. Coping with disability    17. Neurology & clinical neurophysiology   


12. Tisha: The Story of a Young Teacher in the Alaska Wilderness
by Bantam
Mass Market Paperback (01 July, 1984)
list price: $6.99 -- our price: $6.99
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Isbn: 0553265962
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Anne Hobbs is a prim and proper 19-year-old schoolteacher who yearns for adventure. She finds this and much more in a town with the unlikely name of Chicken, located deep in the Alaskan interior. It is 1927 and Chicken is a wild mining community flaming with gold fever. Anne quickly makes friends with many of the townspeople, but is soon ostracized when she not only befriends the local Indians but also falls in love with one. A heartwarming story in the tradition of Benedict Freedman's classic, Read more

Reviews (36)

4-0 out of 5 stars Fascinating take on her actual memoirs . . .
This is a fun book to read, hard to put down.I read it when I began writing a book about the first band instructor in Dillingham in the 1950s as a sort of guide. It was a GREAT read, she had some courage to go to Chicken, AK, to teach the children. While researching my book, I went to the Alaska Room at the Loussac Library in Anchorage where I got to see Tisha's actual memoirs.Wow, was I surprised at the vitriolic anti-Alaska Native commentary (even at the beginning of the text)!Wow!Robert Specht did a great job cleaning it up for the general audience.Maybe some day her actual memoirs will be published. . . In the meantime, check out some other teacher stories (including mine:
5-0 out of 5 stars One of the best books I've ever read....
I just finished this book today, and it truly is one of the best books I've ever read!!! Anne Hobbs is really an inspiring individual who never gives up no matter how many people oppose her or try to beat her down!! What a great read.I couldn't put it down and I've told my husband he HAS to read it!! Incidentally, we just moved to Alaska a month ago, so it was fun to read it while we are here in Anchorage.I know this sounds corny, but this book will make you laugh and cry!!!! Also FYI, if you google "Tisha", it sends you to a web site telling you more about Chicken, Alaska and more about Anne Hobbs.One of her adopted children still lives in Anchorage and Chicken, and you can write to her, and supposedly she will respond.Her name is Lynn Purdy.

5-0 out of 5 stars Unforgetable Biography
This is a book I will reread many times. If you ever wondered what it was like to live in the wilderness of Alaska, this is the book to read. A fascinating adventure! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography / Autobiography    2. Biography/Autobiography    3. Educators    4. General    5. Biography & Autobiography / Educators    6. Biography: general   


13. God, Country, Notre Dame: The Autobiography of Theodore M. Hesburgh
by University of Notre Dame Press
Hardcover (January, 2000)
list price: $30.00 -- our price: $30.00
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Isbn: 0268010382
Sales Rank: 431732
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
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Reviews (2)

5-0 out of 5 stars Proud to be an American
I "read" this book for the first time on audio cassette and quickly ran out and bought it"Years later, I still think of it and am still amazed at what a tremendous person Father Hesburgh is.If I did not know its true, I would not believe that a person could accomplish so much in a lifetime.Knowing that this country and faith produces such great men, makes me proud to be Catholic and an American.This book would make a great, great gift!

5-0 out of 5 stars The Good gets Better
God, Country, Notre Dame is a book that once again proves what an amazing man Father Hesburgh is.This book is inspiring.If you've never read or heard about Father Hesburgh, this is a must.He has got to be one of thetop 10 most influntial people of the 21st century. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1917-    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Christianity - History - Catholic    7. College presidents    8. Educational Administration    9. Educators    10. Hesburgh, Theodore Martin,    11. Higher    12. Indiana    13. Individual Institutions Of Higher Education    14. Presidents    15. Religious    16. Social reformers    17. United States    18. University of Notre Dame    19. Biography: general    20. Hesburgh, Theodore Martin    21. History of specific subjects    22. USA    23. Universities / polytechnics   


14. To Teach: The Journey of a Teacher
by Teachers College Press
Paperback (March, 2001)
list price: $19.95 -- our price: $13.57
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Isbn: 0807739855
Sales Rank: 15810
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars
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Reviews (16)

4-0 out of 5 stars JOurney ofa Teacher
I thought this book was good.It gave me some good ideas to use in the classroom. I think teachers should always be looking for new ways to teach.

5-0 out of 5 stars A very challenging book
I really appreciated this book. Ayers is very passionate about a teacher's responsibility to help their students become complete human beings. Reading this book, and Grant Wiggins Understanding by Design, in a graduate class renewed my passion for teaching, which is really a passion for learning. Education should be about the big questions of life, not just the details and basic skills that are tested and required by the state and federal government.
4-0 out of 5 stars Hatt-Echeverria's assignment
Ayers approach to teaching is holistic and densely worded.He is a true veteran of the academic trenches having taught for almost 40 years at every level from K to college.He shows the utmost respect and concern for his students.Inextricable from his profession and unshakable in his conviction about what is greatness in teaching. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1944-    2. Ayers, William,    3. Classroom management    4. Education    5. Education / Teaching    6. Educators    7. Teaching    8. Teaching Methods & Materials - General    9. Ayers, William    10. Biography: general    11. Teaching skills & techniques   


15. The Love of Impermanent Things: A Threshold Ecology (World As Home, The)
by Milkweed Editions
Hardcover (28 April, 2006)
list price: $22.00 -- our price: $14.30
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Isbn: 1571312838
Sales Rank: 72721
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
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Reviews (1)

5-0 out of 5 stars Fascinating Read!
What a fascinating book!I would highly recommend this read.O'Reilley's way with words is mesmerizing.Her book makes you stop and think about your own history, your own family with all its quirks.Her sense of humor and deep reflection on her life make this book a true pleasure to read. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Educators    7. English teachers    8. General    9. Minnesota    10. Poets, American    11. Spiritual    12. Women    13. Self-Help / Spiritual   


16. Learning to Bow: Inside the Heart of Japan
by Harper Perennial
Paperback (11 May, 2004)
list price: $13.95 -- our price: $11.16
(price subject to change: see help)
Isbn: 0060577207
Sales Rank: 60129
Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars
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Reviews (31)