Customer Reviews

The Scholastic Encyclopedia Of The Presidents And Their Times

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Do NOT buy this book unless you want your children seriously misinformed. The 2005 edition of this book actually lists John Kerry after George W. Bush as the 44th president in its table of contents!!! Whatever you may have wanted for the 2004 presidential electioin, it is irresponsible to publish a table of contents insinuating that John F. Kerry is our 44th president. Shame on the editors for letting this one "slip"....

Very well organized! Columns helped differentiate what was going on historically from what the Presidents did in office as well as what they did before becoming Presidents. In the back you will find an index with the actual votes from the electoral college for each presidential race. Love the timelines and pictures. Easy to read for middle schoolers. Lots of color and did I say organized? Definitely.

This book is written primarily at the level of a junior high student. It has a great deal of information about each President as well as some fun facts about newsworthy topics during their terms. History is a record of facts regarding the President and First Lady. The author left out a focus on several significant first ladies: Jacqueline Kennedy and Ladybird Johnson. Additionally he stated the major interior restoration was begun by Mamie Eisenhower. This was incorrect. She accepted gifts of furniture as did many First Ladies but she did not lead the initiative. This was begun by Jacqueline Kennedy who helped found the White House Historical Association.

I'm scratching my head at some of the reviews that said it was great for young children. My 10 year old tested, literally, off the charts in reading comprehension, but she needs me to read it with her to explain concepts and ideas the book takes for granted you know - labor issues, tariffs, recessions, lending rates, monopolies, foreign trade, etc. An example is "Because the victorious nations of World War I were already starting to maneuver for power, Harding convened and international conference on arms control."

I do agree that it is bias - the Taft chapter had us practically weeping, it made him sound like such a victim. Also, is assured us that Harding was an honest man though he gave positions of power to unqualified cronies who were crooks.

The Index is horrible. Many topics covered in the book are not listed in the index, so not helpful for her homework.

It is colorful and the sidebars are interesting, though distracting to linear thinkers. I think the write did a fine job giving basic information on highlights. I've enjoyed reading it and have learned a lot. I would say it does leave you with an overall understanding of who the man was as president.

A MUST have book for everyone of any age. I bought the original one for my daughter when she was in Grade School, and we used and read it all the time Soooo interesting. She is now a 22 yr. old College Student. After Obama was elected I decided to order the new one. She has used it in a couple of her college classes. One of her professors even plans to order it. Full of history and extremely interestion facts!!!!!!!!

I have had this book for several years, and it has been a wonderful resource book for finding out more about the presidents. The information is well organized, making it easy to find the presidents quickly and to learn a little bit about each one. The pictures are wonderful, and the variety of material covers a range of topics. For instance, I can quickly learn a little bit about the first lady, things happening during that period, and what the president did before they were elected. This is a wonderful resource to get a quick overview, and it always inspires more questions that have us eager to look up more information about the presidents. Although this is not a "one stop shop" where you can learn everything that there is about a president, it does cover some basics for a quick overview. Thank you Mr. Rubel for a wonderful book! I cannot wait to update this with the next edition!

I purchased this ENCYCLOPEDIA for my 11-year-old son, expecting an objective review of each of the President's terms of Office. Obviously, I was sorely disappointed. Although none of us would agree with every decision made by any President, as loyal Americans, we can and should certainly respect the Office and each man who has served in it. David Rubel's book will be filed in my trash can as soon as I finish typing this, and I will be sure to warn all of my acquaintances against purcahasing anything with his name on it. GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!! (I laugh heartily when I see the entry in the Table of Contents for the next President--John F. Kerry!)

This book is not an exhaustive review of the presidents but goes beyond a short biography of each one of them. It talks about important policy decisions that have shaped the nation and the world. The information is honest and doesn't always paint a pretty picture of all the presidents, demonstrating how poor leadership can change the face of the nation. It also talks about popular culture in the United States at the time the president was in office - the popularity of Harry Potter, for instance. The brevity of the articles makes for a quick read and a great coffee table book. I have bought two editions now and will probably update after each presidential election.

As a Junior in High School I find this book an invaluable tool for studying for my AP US History class's exams...it gives a very complete summary of almost every topic discussed in detail in class and in our bulky textbook. It also helps because unlike textbooks, it keeps things in chronological order. I have the 1994 edition, assuming the author changed little for the earlier presidents, this book is a balanced view of this country's historical and political past.

Wow, an encyclopedia that tells the truth about Bush? Woo Hoo! Thanks for the one star review, it's what made me buy the book. :-)