No comments about Behind the Scenes in the Lincoln White House: Memoirs of an African-American Seamstress.

3 comments about Father Abraham: Lincoln's Relentless Struggle to End Slavery.

1. I met the author through a friend, and was intrigued at the wonderful conversations I had with Striner. As we discussed "Father Abraham," which at that point had not yet been released, I was very anxious to get ahold of it. Having finally acquired the book, I am nothing but impressed at the detailed information that backs every assertion made, and the very much conversational style writing that Striner uses. The book is an easy read and really gets the gears turning in your mind.



2. It has become fashionable in recent decades for historians and commentators from the extremes of the ideological spectrum to depict Lincoln as a cautious racial conservative, even a racist, only brought in the end to reluctantly embrace the destruction of slavery as a measure to win the Civil War. In such a view, Lincoln is far from the traditional "Great Emancipator"; instead he is limited to following in the wake of those persons more forward-looking, more morally courageous than Lincoln himself. Richard Striner's book persuasively demolishes such a picture and, on the contrary, portrays Lincoln as a dedicated enemy of slavery (and a friend to racial equality, at least in 19th century terms) who labored consistently and at great length to at last crush the hated institution. Striner does this with a careful survey of Lincoln's career from his earliest political days until his death. And Striner boldly takes on each of the quotes from Lincoln speeches and writings that are usually used to "reveal" Llncoln as a racial conservative who adopted emancipation much against his real will, showing those quotes in their broader contexts, describing not only what else was going on at the time and what else Lincoln was simultaneously doing, but also examining those quotes in context of what else was said in that particular speech or document. Lincoln was a politician of great skill, willing to publically advocate a course seemingly adverse to his real goals but, in the long run, laying down a pathway towards accomplishing those goals. And, perhaps more than any other American president, Lincoln was a master of language, sometimes crafting a phrase, a sentence, or a paragraph that superficially says one thing while meaning, upon close examination, something else.
   
   Stiner also provides a valuable look at the very real fears that Lincoln and his associates had in the years leading up to the Civil War that slavery was on a road towards expansion, not extinction. Moreover, Striner shows that the South's leading spokespeople on the subject of tariffs (sometimes cited as the "real" underlying cause of Southern secession, instead of the uncomfortable issue of slavery) privately admitted that their real concern was slavery, with tariffs providing a convenient stalking horse at a particular moment. The shadow of slavery lay darkly over antebellum America, and Striner's book retores the portrait of Lincoln as a dedicated leader in bringing the country forward to the end of the "peculiar institution".



3. I picked this up in a general English language bookstore here in Bangkok, without any expectations, encouraged only by the fact that James McPherson strongly recommends it on the back cover. It's a beautifully researched, well-written, engaging, and convincing overview of Lincoln's attitudes to slavery and emancipation.
   
   The author has a strong thesis and a clear point of view, but whatever your views on Lincoln are at the start, you won't feel bullied (always my experience when I read anti-Lincoln books). The author demolishes all the old arguments for the view that Lincoln had no interest in ending slavery.
   
   The opening chapters were the best and clearest single summary of the build-up to the civil war that I have yet read.
   
   Let me mention two things that I did not understand before I read this book, that I now understand fully, and that most people still have serious misconceptions about.
   
   First, it is often claimed that the civil war was at least partly, and perhaps mostly, caused by an argument over 'tariffs' and only partly by the debate over slavery. Striner points out that John Calhoun, the most famous opponent of the tariffs, was at first very much in favor of them. He later reversed his position. Why? Because it dawned on him that federally funded projects might not just lead to things like roads and railroads (which he was in favor of), but also to publicly funded emancipation of slaves (which he was against). People like Calhoun also felt (and stated at the time) that the tariff issue was just a test case for blocking the power of central government in general, and that their only goal in blocking that power was to prevent any future constitutional interference with slavery.
   
   Second, I used to think that Lincoln 'only wanted to save the union' and saw emancipation as a means to that end. I now see that that was a very simplistic view. The threat to the union only arose in the first place because of the argument over slavery. Lincoln was against its expansion into new territories, because he (rightly) felt that its expansion meant its perpetuation, while its containment in the slave states held out the possibility of its extinction. Through his entire political career after the repeal of the Missouri compromise, he was driven by that desire to bring about the eventual extinction of slavery.
   
   Once his election had caused secession (because of his anti-slavery stance) he then insisted on saving the union, but not if that meant compromising his goal of extinguishing slavery, his original purpose in entering politics in the first place. His goal was to preserve a union still dedicated to what he considered its original principles of human equality and freedom. This account of his thinking seems to me to make far more overall sense.
   
   If you are cynical about Lincoln, or about politics in general, read this book and feel free to take a more positive view.

5 comments about Bobby Fischer: Profile of a Prodigy (Revised Edition).

1. Fischer was a genius, no question about that. This book is a good buy for the price: you get a (weak) biography of a great player, 8 pages of pictures, and 90 (poorly) annotated games for less than US$15.00! Altogether not a bad deal. However, I take issue with the author. Because he was a friend of Fischer's he did not want to ruin his relationship with him by revealing Fischer's odd character traits, as many other reviewers have noticed. Worst, the author wants you to believe Fischer was a good boy, the American self made sportsman who increased the popularity of the game while fighting for better playing conditions and higher appearance fees, which would ultimately benefit chess professionals as a whole. This might be true. However, it is also true that Fischer left chess players as a whole with an undeletable image: that of nerds, eccentrics and the like. All in all I think his contribution to the image of chess was negative, not positive. Upon reading the book it struck me that Spassky allowed himself to play that fatidic match in Iceland. Fischer did not show up at the date and time they had originally agreed. Spassky gave in to Fischer's absurd demands, falling pray to Fischer's psychological warfare. He should have walked away and kept his title, period. Since he did not the rest is history. At the end of the day the character of a World Champion is seem not when he wins a world championship match but rather when he loses it. Fischer, unlike Spassky, Karpov, and Kasparov never showed up to defend his title. This will be his sad legacy.



2. I bought the first edition of this book by mail order when I was about 16, and devoured it eagerly. In those days world-class chess was relentlessly dominated by the USSR, challenged mainly by other Eastern Europeans and the occasional American like Reshevsky, Evans and the Byrne brothers. Boris Spassky was soon to play "iron Tigran" Petrosian for the world title, and the only wild card seemed to be a crazy teenage genius from New York who could beat anyone at all on his day. Frank Brady's writing captured the sheer excitement of it all. For instance, in a great tournament with most of the best players in the world, Mikhail Tal expected Petrosian to crush the upstart Fischer, "but when Bobby beat the USSR champion the crowd roared".
   
   Brady's style is journalistic, but it fits his subject quite well. This much expanded edition takes Fischer's story all the way to winning the world championship, which is probably a logical place to stop. (Fischer stopped playing chess at that point, so the rest of his life has been lived in a very different world). The book is full of interesting facts that you could not read about anywhere else, and until a professional biographer turns his attention to Fischer - which may never happen, because he is about the least cooperative subject imaginable - it will remain the last word.
   
   The games section is a different story. Only a narrow cross section are given, with notes by Brady that reveal his lack of expertise. They are only there for completeness' sake, and should be read as an extension of the biography. If you want to understand Fischer's chess, read his Collected Games, his own "My 60 Memorable Games" (which is itself very limited in scope, though superb in depth), or Elie Agur's brilliant "Bobby Fischer: His Approach to Chess".



3. Frank Brady's "Profile of a Prodigy" is a frustrating combination of good and bad. The good first: Brady gives fascinating behind-the-scenes information that I'd read nowhere else, giving you the sense that you are there. The bad: the book is riddled with mistakes, stuff you wouldn't find in a High School newspaper! Dates and misstatements of facts, too numerous to mention. And some chessic misjudgements too, like when Brady says, speaking of the 1972 Title Match, that Fischer varied his opening repertoire to an English Opening in Game 8 from the QGD of Game 6. But it wasn't Fischer who varied; he played 1.c4 in both games. It was Spassky's reply in game 8 that changed the opening. The book would've benefitted from a good editor, one who knows how to play chess. But despite all this, I'd still recommend the book. It's a fascinating read.
   Bob Hunt, Hillsborough, N.J.



4. 3.5 stars
   
   It is just so hard to review this autobiography, completed at the height of Fischer's triumph, knowing what was to come. Though not meant to be ironic, the author's comments about Bobby having finally found his place atop the chess world cannot but seem ironic now.
   
   That aside, and it is not wholly the author's fault, the book is neither as much as a puff piece as the earlier version was, to my mind at least, nor was it as penetrating as it could have been. It comes across as a sterile recounting of Fischer's career with little mention of a personal life, or wondering about the lack of one.
   
   Though not penetrating and mentioning the seeds of behaviors that even then would have been known to Fischer's friends before they fully blossomed before the entire world the book is not full of praise for Bobby either. The recountings of his continued dropping out of tournaments, his altercation with Benko do not cast Fischer in the kindest light.
   
   The author does seem to be softening, and explaining and excusing, these events but he is enough of a scholar that he leaves them reasonably unvarnished for the reader to make their own decisions.
   
   Interesting, but now incomplete, reading to see the rocky and troubled rise of the solo chess prodigy Bobby Fischer.



5. Nearly everyone who has some decent experiance with chess has heard about Bobby Fischer and his mysterious behavior. He is one of the best chess players in history and I bought the book recently to get more insight into his character and mind. The book has about 400 pages and a little more than a half consists of his biography from childhood up to 1972 Fischer-Spassky Championship and the other part is 80 selected Fischer games with very good annotations and turnament results.
   
   The biography in itself consists very little of Fischer's personal life, and majority of it are various turnament events and how well Fischer did at them. I think it's well worth reading for people who have interest in Bobby Fischer, and would like to immitate his career to some extent.
   
   The part that has put biggest imprint on my memory is when the author (Bobby's early chess advisor) and Bobby went to meet one of the NYC bussinesmen who offered to fund Bobby's travel to a turnament. 'Tis what happened: after a short conversation the bussinessman added:
   
   "[...] 'However there's just one thing I'd like you to do. If I put up the money and send you to this turnament, and when you win and are interviewed by the press, or anybody, I want you to say: 'I couldn't have won this turnament without the help of Sam Blanker."'
   Bobby was on his feet immediately, seeming to have grown years in a moment. 'I can do that', he said evenly. 'If I win a turnament, I win it by myself. I do the playing. Nobody helps me. I win the turnament myself, with my own talent.'" Bobby rejected the offer for one particular reason.
   
   This gives a lot of insight into Fischer's mind.
   
   The pluses and minuses:
   1. Pluses: The book was written in a very simplistic form without input of unnecessary words and information which makes it quick and pleasant to read. I read entire book in 3 days and I don't regret it. The attached annotated games and turnament results are a very good idea for people who are interested in Fischer's chess style (if it can be called a style) besides his biography.
   
   2. Minuses: There's one huge problem with the book which to some extant destroys the postive impressions with the book. I took a way 2 points for this. The author over and over again rationalizes Fischer's behavior in a positive manner which might not be true and tries to impose on the reader the idea of Fischer being the greatest and most rightous genius on the planet. This happens especially in conclusion, of which I read only 2 pages as I couldn't cope with its "Fischer worshipping tone". I advise anyone who reads the book to simply not care so much about those parts.

5 comments about Love, Greg & Lauren.

1. ...about this book. While I cannot begin to imagine the horrors Lauren has experienced and I wish her and her family the best,I was left a little cold by the contents of some of Greg's missives. There are frequent references throughout the book to Lauren's beauty, and the reader is left with the feeling that it's Greg who is more dissappointed with Lauren's swollen face and missing hair than she is. Also -- Greg spent quite a few nights playing bass with his band at local bars while his wife lay in her hospital bed. Who was home with baby Tyler each and every night? Lauren's parents, who receive little in the book in the way of thanks. They're the true heroes of this story.



2. wow! he loved his wife dearly and the vows/meaning of marriage too often put aside were adhered to without question and without regret.. but, more gripping was her strength, her perseverance and her will to overcome almost certain death .. couldn't put it down, she "chose" to live for her son rather than give in to the peace of death .. her husband was a liferaft, but, she was the true hero ... actually, read this about 2 years ago and thought i'd put in a review at this time .. a bit sad and depressing but a very worthwhile read that will stay with you for a long while and make you appreciate what you have



3. There is a review on this book that you can read by a reviewer named Alex that I think all would find very informative. He is clearly a lot smarter, and by all means a lot deeper, than the writer of this book, and he is not afraid to tell you that. His superior intellect has come to the brilliant conclusion that a wealthy, and therefore soulless, burn victim is much less sympathetic than a poor, prolietariet one. He was also upset that Mr. Manning, with all of his money, could not buy himself better opinions on life, love and 9/11 other than the "banal" ones he professed in this book.
   
   Apparently, Mr. Manning has not bought membership to the same blog site that feeds Alex his easy-bake revolutionary ideas like a sludgepump day in and day out. All Greg Manning has to go on in order to formulate his opinions and perspective on the 9/11 attacks is the FIRSTHAND, LIFE-SHATTERING VICTIMIZATION OF HIS FAMILY BY THE WORST ATTACK IN AMERICAN HISTORY. He's earned the right to his outlook on these events more than Alex ever will. Alex sounds like somebody who never experienced getting the #@&*-end-of-the-stick in life, and if he did, he's emerged from it in a cynical, twisted state. You can not like the book, without calling a burn victim's husband stupid. Stupid.
   
   Greg Manning seems like a decent man who has demonstrated through his actions and words the true love he has for his brave wife. This is a fantastic, heartwarming book about an inspirational fight for survival that will make its readers cry in both sadness and joy. Those who have had loved ones in critical care will relate and sympathize for these people, irregardless of their economic success.



4. I had really high hopes for this book and was really looking forward to reading it. I'm glad that I paid a dollar for it used because my money would have been wasted at much more than that.
   
   Let me start by saying that I admire Lauren. She had the courage and will to survive a situation that myself and most others would not have. That being said, the way this story was told was just not interesting enough to take up an entire book. I found the first half of the book to be very tedious reading; I really had to force myself to keep going. I think that was because the first half was mostly about what was going on in Greg's life. Since Lauren was in a coma, there wasn't much for him to say about her so his emails are filled with extremely long detailed narratives on his son, his band, the Yankees and his feelings on 9/11. I suppose this kind of information might be interesting to friends and family, but I found it mostly boring to hear about the kind of food served at his child's birthday party and to hear in detail about each person he talked to every single day.
   
   The second half of the book was better as Lauren woke up and the emails focus much more on her and her recovery. Since this was what I wanted and was expecting from this book, I found this part to be a much more enjoyable read.
   
   As other reviewers have noted, the Mannings live a much more wealthy lifestyle than most Americans. I don't have a problem with this, but I just couldn't relate to them or their lives very well. I think I would have enjoyed the book a lot more if the Mannings were more like the rest of us. The only real struggle in the book was Lauren's physical recovery; the Mannings didn't have trouble paying the bills, had nannies to take care of their child, and Greg was able to take several months off work with no difficulty at all. To me, these everyday struggles would have made this story far more interesting. It also would have been interesting to hear from Lauren and Lauren's family more; all we ever heard was Greg's point of view on everything.
   
   I would recommend this book only to the Manning's friends and family, to people who lost loved ones on 9/11, and those looking for information on the recovery process of burn survivors. For everyone else, you may or may not find this book interesting enough to finish. If you feel you want to go ahead and read it, consider picking it up at the library or buying it used.



5. This book is a truly inspirational read. I haven't quite finished yet, but with every page comes more heart. I, like most others that have or will read this book, feel such an emotional draw to both Greg and Lauren, and my heart breaks over everything they went through. Reading this book not only instills a new found hope, but also a new understanding of what exactly it was like to have been in the shoes of people who were through so much and lost so much that terrible day 9/11/2001.

   On a side note, the link that Greg mentions in one of his emails (politicsandprotest.com)is unfortunately no longer a valid link. FYI it will take you to a Penthouse site. Oops, I guess that's what happens after time. :(

4 comments about Beloved Bride: The of Stonewall Jackson to His Wife.

1. This is a wonderful little book and shows, believe it or not, the "tender" side of General Jackson. While the mere mention of Jackson's immortal sobriquet, "Stonewall," would strike fear in the hearts of Union Army commanders, his wife would one day write of, "...that tender and exquisite phase of his inner life." This book reveals Jackson as a "humble Christian and loving husband father" and bolsters the contention that Jackson is a worthy hero for men and boys today. Buy the book. (Rick Williams, author of "The Maxims of Robert E. Lee for Young Gentlemen.")



2. This book shows how kind and loving Stonewall Jackson was. It is quick reading and easy to understand. It shows you his devotion and shows you the true Stonewall and not the mean and tough person history books portray.



3. ~Beloved Bride: The Letters of Stonewall Jackson to His Wife~ is a compilation of love letters written by the great Confederate general to his beloved wife. Bill Potter and the Vision Forum have put together a remarkable compilation of letters of the great southern General Thomas Jonathan Jackson better known posthomously after the war as 'Stonewall' Jackson. These letters chronicle Jackson's courtship leading to his marriage with his beloved wife Anna Morrison Jackson as well as the turbulent wartorn years that follow. You really get a feel for the anguish of the soldier on the field-who longs to be at home with wife and child-but realizes he has a duty to country to fulfill. Stonewall stands out not only as a man of brilliant military genius, but as a man of dignity, honor and integrity. He was an accomplished West Point graduate and a renowned professor at VMI. Though he remained a humble and pious man with a deep abiding faith in the Gospel of Christ and a firm steadfast belief in the sovereignty of God. The editor Bill Potter does a remarkable job at offering a cursory background on Jackson and his character. He was an exemplary man of character who loved his wife Anna and his child very deeply. Sadly, he was accidently shot by his own men. But Jackson knew that all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to God's purposes (Romans 8:28). (FYI This was one of Jackson's favorite passages of Scripture.) The cover art features a photo shot from the recent blockbuster Gods and Generals of Stephen Lang who played Jackson. I also recommend _Christ in the Camp_, which is a story of religious revival and proclamation of the Gospel during the war between the states by the same publisher.



4. In Beloved Bride: The Letters of Stonewall Jackson to His Wife, Bill Potter presents some of Stonewall's letters to his wife, Anna, written during the war. These letters give a beautiful insight into the mind of the military hero. They show his deep love and respect for his wife, his country and his God.

   There are glimpses into their everyday life, as he discusses gardening, tithes, and his consent for one of their slaves to marry. He referrs to Anna as his "dove" or "beloved" or "esposa" and makes it clear that he dearly loves her.

   Very little is ever mentioned of the hardships of camplife or war. My guess is that he wished to shield her from that as much as possible. He continually encouraged her to put her faith in God for his protection and reminded her that his life was in God's hands.

   His letters show him as a gentle, though strong and steadfast, man, with great respect for others trying hard to live the Christian life. If he treated the troops under his command with the same respect that he seemed to show in all the other aspects of his life, it is no wonder they cheered when they saw him.

   Over all, this is a warm, uplifting read that gave me an even greater respect and admiration for Stonewall. It is a nice change to see the private life of a hero match his public life.

1 comments about Civil War Battles and Leaders.

1. REVIEWED BY: Wayne Walker
   
   This past year, our younger son Jeremy, now age twelve, did an in depth study of the American War Between the States. We used several good resources, such as Fields of Fury by James M. McPherson and the Scholastic Encyclopedia of the Civil War edited by Catherine Clinton. Another one that really helped to put the events and people of that major period in our nation's history together in an understandable way was the Civil War volume of the DK Publishing's "Battles and Leaders" series, which is a guide to the battles and leading figures of the war that tore America apart. As with all other Dorling Kindersley books, there is a wealth of visual images, including pictures of artifacts, portraits of important people, battlefield paintings, and numerous maps, all of which complement the very lucid and easy to read text which chronicles year by year the important events of that era. It is a great book for both children and adults who want to study more about the Civil War.

5 comments about Beautiful Jim Key: The Lost History of a Horse and a Man Who Changed the World.

1. Both Jim Key and Dr. Key were beautiful! What a lovely story...even better because it's true. Mim Rivas' research is extensive and detailed. It's good that a documentary is in the works...so that others will know the story...and perhaps read the book.



2. I found this story an interesting story about race relations and progress in teaching society about kindness to animals at the turn of the 19-20th century -- after I got through the heavy emphasis on commercialsim. However, the heavy thread of commercialism that ran throughout was very off-putting to me -- probably it was a big thread in the author's source materials. She tried to present the story with the exploitation of Jim Key's talents as a key to acceptance of kindness of animals in our society as a main theme -- but I saw that as more of a side benefit of the humans' desire to become wealthy -- a "gimmick" used to further the commercialization of Jim Key. To me altruism truly exists only where the primaries are not attempting to gain anything for themselves, whether that be money, reputation, or praise. Hence this story is about commercialization, not altruism. Now it is true that Bill Key highly valued kindness to animals and that he was uncompromising about the right of Jim Key to enjoy the wealth too -- and that was a great and unusual characteristic at that time (and probably still is today) -- but it does not change the fact that commercialization seems to me to be the main theme of the story. In fact the author seems to make more points about the promoter's innovative commercializations than she does about the progress of teaching kindness to animals.



3. This story of a good man who made a good life for himself, his family and his animals, built from circumstances that were to say the least, less than the best, is a case study in human nature.
   
   I cannot help but contrast Dr. Key with Michael Vic. Key was a man born into slavery and from that experience, chose to treat all life with respect. He and his horse became a catalyst for the change in public sentiment that came as a result of his goodness toward animals and activity the American Humane Movement. Michael Vic who, when also given a life of plenty, choose the opposite path. It seems to be a sad commentary.
   
   I must heartily endorse the book. It is a good story and a good read.



4. This is not your ordinary horse story. You will be asked to believe some pretty surprising things, and my guess is that you will believe them - even if you're as hard-boiled as my Aunt Idena's Easter eggs.
   This is a horse story, in the same way that the film "Seabiscuit" is a horse story. But it is also a fascinating snapshotof the life of a man of color. It describes the situations, attitudes and dangers that he had to contend with from his beginnings as a slave in the pre-Civil War South, to his rise to celebrityhood alongside his famous horse in post-Civil War America.
   It is a look at an astonishing bond between a man and a horse, and the far-reaching changes they brought about in thousands who experienced in person the wonder of their special relationship. How Dr. Key and the titular horse brought about, in large measure, the rise of the animal-rights movement, and helped thousands of African Americans to achieve fair and equal treatment in education and other areas make for fascinating reading.
   This book is an eye-opening delight. It is a must-read for anyone interested in horses, animal intelligence, the struggle for equality by African Americans in this country, and anyone interested in the history of America.



5. Great story !! An amazing story of a Great horse and a really great horse "teacher" !! Very informative I had never heard of Jim Key and I'm very glad the story finally got told, I just wish I could have seen him do his "thing"

5 comments about The Magician and the Cardsharp: The Search for America's Greatest Sleight-of-Hand Artist.

1. We just finished reading The Magician and the Cardsharp by Karl Johnson and are blown away.
   
   If you do not already have this book, get it. Mr. Johnson tells the story of Dai Vernon's hunt for the middle-deal with such excitement, detail, and interest; you would swear he was a magician.
   
   He's not one of us but he is the next best thing; a career journalist who knows how to write a good detective story.
   
   The story of Dai Vernon's pursuit of what many considered a myth - the center deal - is well-known to most magicians (or at least the ones as old as us).
   
   Some magicians assumed Mr. Vernon fabricated the entire story. There is no such thing as undetectable middle-deal, they grumble. And even if there was, no card mechanic would or could ever use it in a real game.
   
   Tony Giorgio's writings against the myth of the center deal has been addressed several times on the Inside Magic web site. We see no need to go into it again other than to suggest this book supports a loud "told you so."
   
   It is difficult to write a book about magic. We've all read the horrible efforts of non-magicians who either describe effects impossible to perform, or expose effects we depend on for our sustenance.
   
   Jim Steinmeyer's approach to writing about the history of our great art deserves praise. We don't believe he unnecessarily exposes magic secrets in his writings.
   
   We thought his balance was perfect in his two latest books: the recently released The Glorious Deception: The Double Life of William Robinson, aka Chung Ling Soo, the "Marvelous Chinese Conjurer" and the incredible Hiding the Elephant: How Magicians Invented the Impossible and Learned to Disappear.
   
   Some may agree with us, some will not.
   
   As much as we loved Mr. Steinmeyer's work -- and we really do -- Mr. Johnson's book on Dai Vernon's hunt for the mythical move surpasses all we've read.
   
   Mr. Johnson's works real magic in his descriptions of the hunt for Allen Kennedy - the card mechanic - and the move magicians either dismissed as impossible to perfect, or irrelevant for a true gambler.
   
   We read Jamy Ian Swiss' review of the book in one of our favorite magic magazines before we picked it up.
   
   Mr. Swiss certainly knows his way around a deck of cards and knows what is possible. Mr. Swiss makes a convincing case that a gambler would learn to perfect the center deal despite the fact that it had limited (or according to Mr. Giorgio no) value in a real card game.
   
   By the way, is it just us, or is Jamy Ian Swiss one of the best writers in our business? The guy is good. In fact, we think he's a gooder writer than us any day.
   
   Some have asked, why would any mechanic take the time necessary to perfect a move that promised no advantage in a card game?
   
   After all, assuming there is a stack you would like to use or preserve, you most certainly would not put the stack approximately in the center of the deck.
   
   Remember, in a card game there would be a cut required after shuffling. The cut would certainly change the order of the bottom or top stack but and certainly not in a predictable sequence.
   
   ("Trust everyone but always cut the cards")
   
   The book makes it clear the center deal can be done. Mr. Johnson points out, however, Mr. Vernon dedicated approximately two-years of daily practice to effectively present it.
   
   Let's assume for the sake of argument Mr. Swiss and Mr. Vernon's skills with a deck of cards exceeds the average internet magic blog editor. If it would take them two years of daily practice to perfect the move for use in a magic trick, why would a gambler spend the time to learn the move or ever use it in a game when his moves are being burned by fellow gamers?
   
   This is essentially Mr. Giorgio's point.
   
   The Magician and the Cardsharp convincingly answers this question. We don't want to ruin the incredible drama of Mr. Vernon and Mr. Kennedy's meeting -- but we are sorely tempted because it is such great literature. You'll need to pick-up the book for yourself and read about the encounter. We think it is almost more exhilarating than the story of how Mr. Vernon finally located the card shark.
   
   One of our favorite scenes leading up to the meeting with Mr. Kennedy, has Mr. Vernon and Charlie Miller meeting the underworld boss of the greater Kansas City area.
   
   We never thought of Mr. Miller as being anything other than one of the very elite, cool members of the Dai Vernon mafia. His skills were legendary. But he had to start somewhere and the description of his first undercover test is hysterical and human.
   
   We don't want to disclose too much. But at the same time, we're aching to tell. It's a great moment.
   
   Please buy the book. Read it, buy copies for your magic and non-magic friends. This is a great story and as such transcends the traditional limitations of genre.
   
   (...)



2. For budding and practicing magicians who love history about their art - hard to go wrong in reading and absorbing this book throughly.
   
   For general readers (like myself) - you can appreciate this book two ways, it's an amazing transport back to another America. Back to a time of riverboat gamblers, railroad card sharps, prohibitions, etc, etc ... and the author's journey in tracing and tracking the whereabouts of a near mythical card trick. You learn about an amazing sub-culture that most of us were vaguely aware of and you learn about the daily lives of magicians and card sharps back in the day.
   
   The other thing you learn to really appreciate and marvel at is that in case you thought non-fiction writers were all lazy (or liars these days :-), Karl Johnson proves them wrong. He literally leaves no stone unturned. If someone remarks that he met so and so on a rainy day. Karl went back and unearthed the meteorological from at least two newspaper to verify if that memory rings true ... and by doing so, he paints a very detailed picture of these small towns (and some not so small) and life in America in the years prior to WWII.
   
   So, even if you're just mildly interested in card tricks or magic, the author has woven a very intricate journey of an interesting subculture and portraits of daily small town America in the 1920's and 1930's that's interesting in itself. Afterwards, you almost feel the need to dust yourself off from the Kansas winds ...
   
   The only people who might be disappointed in this book are people who are looking for card trick tips how to. This is not that kind of book - this book literally shows you that the journey is the reward.



3. This is the story of how one of the century's greatest magicians tracked down a gambler who could do what most slight-of-hand artists only dreamed about: deal cards from the center of the deck. This move, the "holy grail" of card manipulation is really just little more than the MacGuffin in this intriguing page-turner of a story.
   
   Even if you are not the slightest bit interested in magic, card tricks or gambling, this is a fascinating read.
   
   You will be transported to the first third of the 20th century into a story full of memorable and colorful characters. Johnson's attention to detail and the thoroughness of his investigation is nothing short of miraculous.
   
   One of the most purely entertaining books I've read in quite some time.



4. This book goes far beyond most biographical treatments that you see in the field of magic. Yes, it talks about Vernon and his search for Bill Kennedy, and yes, it delves into the magic that they shared (although it was not magic to Kennedy; it was a way of making a living). "Magician and the Cardsharp" reads more like time travel. Johnson superbly takes you back into the past, and gives you a true "you are there" feeling. It reads like a novel, and that is an excellent thing...because you find yourself caring about the characters and seeing how they relate to their surroundings. Superb book; highest recommendation, even if you don't care about magic at all.



5. Prof.Dai Vernon was Sleight-of-Hand's Superman. This book is about Superman's search for a man who could do something that even he could not - deal off the center of a a pack of cards. The Professor, I'm told, told the tale of his quest with great aplomb.I'd say he'd be pretty impressed with the author's version of the tale. It's a very well researched book with a splendid narrative woven around the facts that the author has dug up. You get a peek into Vernon's letters, feel his passion for the art,sense his fear (when he poses as a cardsharp to meet mobsters ) share his excitement (when he discovers Charlie Miller, and when he meets Pleasant Hill's center-dealer) and get insights into the other great magicians of the era. The ways of Pleasant Hill's card and dice mechanics that 'play the boats' or 'work the cubes' will fascinate you.
   
   For non-magicians, this is a wonderful read - a taut , magical tale about a man's lifelong quest for something that most would dismiss as a trivial party trick .
   
   For magicians, there's enough Erdnase/Vernon worship to keep you happy. The description of how Kennedy masters the deal over many years and the tale of Vernon's 'Ambitious Card' routine that flummoxed Houdini will fill your hearts with pride and respect.

1 comments about Lincoln: The Presidential Archives.

1. Lincoln: The Presidential Archives, Chuck Wills, Dorling Kindersley Publications, 160 pp, b/w photographs, watercolor maps, bibliography, ephemera, September 2007.
   
   If you wish to hold reproductions of Lincoln's elementary mathematics notebook, the Lincoln-Todd marriage license, Lincoln's letter to Sheilds outlining the terms of their forthcoming duel, Lincoln's patent application, the first piece of mail delivered by the Pony Express from St. Joseph, Missouri to Julesburg, Rocky Mountains, Mary Todd Lincoln's letter from NYC to her husband in which she asks for more cash, the telegram from Tammany Hall to Lincoln informing him of the Draft Riots and many more documents, then this splendid book is for you.
   
   Not just a collection of paper documents, but also a fine biography with period photographs, maps, and illustrations on every other page, Lincoln: The Presidential Archives, is a wonderful book. In particular, rare photographs of Denton Offut's store where Lincoln clerked, the Lincoln and Berry store, and the Edwards' house in which the Abraham and Mary were wed are published.
   
   The book's heavy and glossy paper and a strong binding allows the book to stay open at every page. Lincoln: The Presidential Archives is both an attractive coffee table book and a 'hands-on' biography. The narrative contents are well organized and the eight sturdy, opaque, full-page envelopes that hold the reproductions have a paper flap that allows for easy removal and return of the reproduction documents.
   
   Lincoln: The Presidential Archives is worth every penny and will be a welcomed gift for any Lincoln enthusiast, Civil War buff, American history reader or social science teacher.

5 comments about Ponzi's Scheme: The True Story of a Financial Legend.

1. In short, this is the best history book I have read in years. Prof. Zuckoff takes a historical figure whose scheme is well-known but whose life story, until now, is not. The absence of historical literature on Charles Ponzi is remarkable because the man lived a fascinating life.
   
   What is amazing about Ponzi's scheme is the amount of success he enjoyed. Over the course of 6 months, he was able to raise $10 million based on his promises to return 50% on investments. This amount, in 2006, would be quite impressive. But Ponzi did it in 1920, when the average American had little savings, rarely invested in anything, and did not have access to widespread information, like the internet.
   
   Prof. Zuckoff does a great job of capturing the essence of America in 1920. The characters are lively. The writing is crisp. The observations are insightful. If you are remotely interested in American history, this is a must-read.



2. Mitchell Zuckoff does a fine job of detailing the rise and fall of Charles Ponzi, for whom the notorious pyramid scheme is known. The author details the beginnings of Ponzi in America, his thirst for success, and his continual attempts to rapidly achieve the success which he thinks he deserves. Though less detailed in this book, the continual fleecing of Americans was an accepted tradition in securities trading and business ventures of the day. Therefore, little sympathy could be felt for the speculators who couldn't resist the temptation to get-rich-quick. The book points out Ponzi's vague desire to be legitimate, but his self-promotion and desire to succeed overwhelm any good judgment remaining. Overall, a good read about an historical icon.



3. The great P.T. Barnum once observed "There is a sucker born every minute". Barnum knew human nature all too well. Take a look around you. How many times per day do you encounter those annoying radio ads, TV infomercials or bulk mailings that tout the latest way to get rich quick? It is increasingly hard to avoid them. You hear the stories and see the smiling faces of those who have allegedly made a killing by following some prescribed plan by a huckster with a book or DVD to sell. I suppose that in most cases these schemes are perfectly legal but I always wonder about the morality of most of them. You certainly never hear anything about those unfortunate souls who lose money in these deals. Yet the quest for easy money is really nothing new in America. Throughout our history Americans have sought out and been victimized by these schemes. It seems we never learn. Perhaps the granddaddy of all these many schemes was foisted upon the unsuspecting public by an Italian immigrant named Charles Ponzi. In his colorful 2005 offering "Ponzi's Scheme: The True Story of A Financial Legend" author Mitchell Zuckoff presents a portrait of a man with a plan. It is a fascinating and entertaining read to say the least.
   Charles Ponzi was truly a man for his time. With a largely checkered past that he adroitly manages to camouflage Ponzi opened the Securities Exchange Company in Boston in 1920.
   His offer was really quite simple and obviously too good to be true. Ponzi promised his customers to return their initial investment plus fifty percent in just 90 days! Now this was just the kind of fantastic deal that would appeal to many folks in the freewheeling decade of the 1920's. Ponzi cleverly positioned himself as a friend to "everyman" and criticized the banking industry for hoarding all of the profits for themselves. But what Ponzi's investors did not know or refused to believe was that the Securities Exchange Company was merely a front for a classic "rob Peter to pay Paul" scheme. This deal really was too good to be true. Nevertheless, tens of thousands would invest their hard earned money with Ponzi and when all was said and done many of them would lose a large percentage of their initial investment. What makes Ponzi such a fascinating charactor to study is that he really was a very charming and likeable fellow. Mitchell Zuckoff does a outstanding job of painting an intimate portrait of the man who would become a household name. Zuckoff also introduces us to the interesting cast of charactors who would have roles to play in the investigation and ultimate conviction of Charles Ponzi.
   In a strange sort of way Ponzi would attain the notoriety he set out to achieve. In the late 1950's the Oxford English Dictionary actually added the term "Ponzi scheme" to its listing of words. A "Ponzi scheme" would be defined as "a form of fraud in which belief in the success of a fictive enterprise is fostered by payment of quick returns to first investors from money invested by others." It was really just that simple. As I indicated earlier this is history more Americans should be aware of. I found "Ponzi's Scheme" to be an extremely well written and entertaining book. Highly recommended!!



4. This is a great biography of Charles Ponzi who, as we all know, gave his name to the scheme whereby an investment fund pays profits directly from the pooled receipts rather than utilizing receipts to produce any real income. Banks make their money by taking money from depositors and then renting it out. In Ponzi's day, banking was blissfully simple--pay 3% to depositors and collect 6% from creditors, a simple business model that tantalized Mr. Ponzi who, we learn, was a tremendously gifted individual with a quick wit and charisma who did not lack faith in himself. Ponzi made his money by selling the public on the fact that they would indeed be able to make a profit and then proving sufficiently capable of doing so that the needed new deposits continued to pour in to his fund.
   
   Where this study becomes fascinating is in its exposition of the mindset of Mr. Ponzi who came very, very close to pulling it off. Mr. Zuckoff takes pains to point out that in writing this book he did not interpolate from extant facts and scrupulously notes his sources. Apparently Ponzi was of the type that just can't stomach the hard work of doing things the accepted way; however, ethics are ethics and regardless of his motive--Ponzi did commit fraud because he was not creating income with his depositors money. Yet, Ponzi's fraud was more of a "short cut" as he never really knew exactly what his liabilities were and was on the brink of figuring out a way to use his fund that would have produced profit; as he himself noted, he could have cut and run with the money but instead was trying to figure out a way to invest the funds. In fact, he did bank the money, so if he was guilty of anything it was overselling the returns. Really, Ponzi created a kind of liquid venture capital fund that just didn't ever get around to making investments. He could have pulled off his scheme and the way the book is written you are rooting for him to succeed.
   
   Ponzi's public persona created such confidence that his fund was able to weather repeated attacks by the media. In fact, his strong public image and his ability to sway opinion actually stymied most of the law enforcement agencies whose responsibility it was to ferret out fraud. However, his past criminal record was his undoing. A sharp reporter figured out how to dent the public trust in Ponzi and a bank examiner unafraid to do his job managed to lock up Ponzi's remaining cash thereby forcing a default. In my opinion, but for Ponzi's past transgression, he would have ended up successful. There's a lesson.
   
   The story is simple but the man was complex. His ability to appear completely unruffled in the face of the most dire of situations continually disarmed the media as well as the police, who were so accustomed to looking for signs of guilt that they let the guy go on repeated occasions. Even though you know what is going to happen it is fascinating to watch Ponzi continually evade detection and capture. There is a real lesson to legitimate business people regarding self-confidence and the power of dressing well.
   
   And as a postscript: Anyone stupid enough to think we've progressed as an economy should turn on the TV after 11 PM and see ads for pills that either melt fat or grow a specific body part. Ponzi lives.



5. Arriving in the U.S. by way of Italy, penniless, Charles Ponzi amassed a fortune of over $8,000,000 before losing it all and winding up in jail. After serving his sentence, he was deported from the U.S., divorced by his American wife, and living without a dime to his name just as he had when he first arrived in the United States.
   
   So how did this famous 'Ponzi Scheme' work? Read on...
   
   The Business: Currency Speculation in the form of International Postage Coupons. If Ponzi bought coupons in bulk in countries with weak currencies, converted them into stamps, and cashed them in the United States or other countries with strong currencies, he would soon be the richest man in the world! (EXAMPLE) In the United States, $1 could purchase 20 Postal Coupons. With that same $1 U.S. Dollar, you could purchase 66 Postal Coupons in Rome Italy. 66 Postal Coupons purchased in Rome for a dollar would be worth $3.30 in the United States. Profits of $2.30 on every dollar spent, or 230%. Other countries might have even more devalued currencies and profits would be even higher. The Hitch, Ponzi understood, would be getting cash for the stamps he bought with the coupons.
   
   Unfortunately, the post office would not allow a person to redeem a Postage Coupon for cash. Still excited about the concept, Ponzi decided to push forward with his plan anyway and decided to worry about the problem of exchanging the Coupons for Cash later. With the promise of 50% interest in 45 days, or 100% in 90 days, Ponzi Opened the doors to his new business dubbed 'The Security Exchange Company' the day after Christmas in 1919. Within 7 months since he had opened for business, he took in $9,600,000 from thirty-thousand investors. Not suprisingly, he still handn't found a way to make a profit through the postal reply coupons nor any other investment and kept paying old customers interest with new customers investment money.
   
   Eventually the Local, State, and National Government took notice and began looking into Ponzi's outlandish claims for enormous profits. During their investigations into his "business practices," he voluntarily refused to accept new investments but still paid out either the principal to people who had invested with him but didn't wait the entire 45 or 90 days to withdraw, or when their Ponzi Notes matured, the principal + interest. Upon hearing of the Investigations, people turned up in troves to withdraw their money. Eventually the money ran out and Ponzi's business went bankrupt. All told, twenty thousand people who had held Ponzi notes at the time of the collapse received refunds equal to 37.5% of their initial investments.
   
   All in all, Ponzi was a con-artist that swindled thousands of people out of their hard-earned money. But he wasn't all bad. He saved the life of a woman that was badly burned by an explosion. Upon hearing from a doctor friend that a caring Nurse was in desperate need of a skin graft, Ponzi voluntarily had 152 square inches of skin from his thighs and back removed. The donations would leave him with broad white patches of scar tissue on his back and legs, however, he saved the nurse's life and she recovered.
   
   This book features old pictures of Ponzi, his family, his home, and other important people, & places at the beginning of every chapter that I found very entertaining. There are also quotes from ponzi and others taken directly from journalists which were in Newspapers of the day. In the end of this book it's stated that in the last years of his life, failing health, broke, Charles Ponzi wrote his own Autobiography called 'The Rise of Mr. Ponzi' which was not published until after his death. I haven't read it yet but plan to ;)