Joseph D'Agnese

Signing Their Rights Away gives brief biographies of the lives of the 39 men who debated, created and eventually signed the United States Constitution on September 17, 1787. Some of the men, such as George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and Benjamin Franklin, will be well familiar to readers. But the book really shines in relating the histories of the other, forgotten signers. Wealthy and poor, noble and ignoble, these men came together during a sweltering summer and crafted a show more document that in their opinion, was not very great, but good enough, all things being equal.

And there lies the most fascinating part of one of America's most revered documents. In an age of hyper-political partisanship, the framers of the Constitution were forced to compromise cherished beliefs or risk seeing their newfound country break apart. Many of the frames did not trust 'the little guy' and did not think the average voter informed or intelligent enough to elect their own Senators or even the President. The big states, like Virginia, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania wanted representation by percentage of population. Small states, like Delaware and New Jersey insisted on a more fair approach, threatening to torpedo the whole convention if they didn't get their way. Rhode Island didn't even bother to show up. But somehow all of these disparate beliefs and people came together and founded a system of government totally unique and eventually the envy of the world. show less

This kind of irreverent, bouncy narrative is the kind of thing that gets people interested in history. The authors do a service by illuminating the historically obscure lives of most of the Declaration's signers, and by doing so in such an emminently readable fashion. It makes these men into human beings rather than wig-wearing monuments, and debunks some cherished myths about them. As each biographical sketch covers only a few pages, this is suitable for toilet or bedside reading. I would show more recommend this, particularly to those interested in early American history. It is suitable for upper elementary school and up (if you're willing to tolerate the odd swear word). show less

In this informal picture-book biography of Leonardo Fibonacci of Pisa - the 12th/13th century mathematician who introduced Hindu-Arabic numerals to Europe, and for whom the Fibonacci Numbers were named - Joseph D'Agnese imagines what life might have been like for a young boy and man whose quick mind always kept him slightly out-of-step with his peers. Labeled a "blockhead" by a teacher, because his mind would wander in class (as a result of being done with his mathematical problems first!), show more Leonardo is counseled by his father's advisor, Alfredo, to learn as much as he can about the thing that pleases him most - numbers.

An engaging look at an important figure in the history of mathematics, Blockhead: The Life of Fibonacci is somewhat speculative in nature (as the author freely acknowledges in his brief afterword), as little is know of Fibonacci's life. Still, D'Agnese takes what is known, and fleshes it out, producing a story that is both informative, with its examination, not just of Fibonacci's life, but of the importance of Hindu-Arabic numerals and the Fibonacci Sequence, and also entertaining. The accompanying artwork by John O'Brien has an interesting textured quality to it, with subtle dots and lines throughout that hold the eye. I don't know that this is so outstanding that I would list it amongst my favorite picture-book biographies - a little too informal and colloquial in tone for my taste - but it is still well worth picking up, for young readers interested in mathematics, or in Fibonacci. show less

I LOVED THIS BOOK! Kiernan and D'Agnese's brief but very informative book was right up this history buff's alley. After a brief introduction on the the Convention that produced the United States Constitution, the rest of the book devotes a chapter to each signer of the Constitution, giving a solid biography of each, as well as highlighting their contributions to the Constitution. There are appendices that list the full original text of the Constitution and its Amendments, as well as quick show more blurbs about other individuals associated with this historic document, including convention members who did not sign the final document.

In general I love how Quirk books tend to highlight the truly weird and fascinating, while still maintaining some sort of value. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies was my first introduction to this publisher and I can't say that I've been disappointed in much I've seen from them, and this entertaining, yet really useful non-fiction title is no exception.

The dust jacket carries portraits of the signers with colorful one word descriptions such as "Bankrupt" "Pretty Boy" and "Fugitive", and even unfolds to reveal a replica of the original Constitution. The colorful descriptors on the cover match up with the equally memorable chapter headings such as "The Signer Who Stole $18,000 From Congress" and "The Signer Who Believed in Aliens". But, while making sure to highlight these colorful incidents, the book still sticks to the facts and provides a solid biographical sketch of each signer from birth to death without being too long, dry, or boring.

While I enjoyed reading it from cover to cover, the book offers key biographical information on some of the lesser known Founding Fathers that would be useful to many students of American history. Maybe not a top priority for serious academic libraries, but certainly worth including in public libraries and middle and high school collections. show less