Dorm Room Diet - Solid Lifestyle Approach for All Really
	Oz talks sense. From the first chaper, I was hooked. She suggested making a minor change for the first week. I cut back on one soft drink per day - from 3 down to 2. That was quite painless. I also took her starter tips - drink water before meals and don't eat closer than 2 hours before bedtime. Again, those were minor and didn't crimp my style.

This is not really a diet book though it deals with diet (as in what you eat). It's really about living well and making mostly good choices but not going overboard (and ultimately failing).

Oz is a vegetarian, but she said that red meat was fine in moderation. Go for only twice per week on that she suggested. I love beef, but I also like chicken and fish and can tweak that part of my meal plan. Chips are junk food, but a bowl isn't a huge deal. Just don't grab the bag and keep munching. If you have an urge for chocolate, melt some semi-sweet chocolate and dip fruits like strawberries in the chocolate. It really does satisfy that chocolate craving with smaller amounts of chocolate.

That's typical of her advice and things that I can handle and maintain.

She also talks about exercise and about supplements (meant to supplement and not take the place of good food). She's reasonable with her ideas here as well. I added some extra work out time (even jogging 5 minutes while watching TV adds up if you do it pretty often) and bought a basic vitamin plus B, C and E (all heartily approved by my doc).

Oz lost 10 pounds her first semester. This is not a crash course. She's down 30 lbs now (over 2 years I think) - just slowly and surely. And, she's maintained rather than yo-yo'ing.

I think most people (college or not) would benefit from reading this book and trying out Oz's common sense plan. Older readers might need a little less food overall and might not opt to go out and have a snowball fight to burn calories, but the basics are here for a good lifestyle plan that isn't painful and does work.

This would be a great book for anyone (females more so) headed off to college or in college. Oz has dealt with being overweight. She did a lot of research and put a workable plan into action. I think most readers will love her style and also will be able to use her ideas and stay slimmer and healthier.


Wow!
	This is a very involved book, bringing to light all the past and present characters. I loved it. It was nice to see the history of O'Connor and his mentor Jack. I thought Ms. Burke pulled this one off nicely with the mystery being spread over a 40+ yr timeframe. Nice job. It was nice to see new characters introduced also, I hope to see them in future books. If you haven't read this series, you could probably get away with starting out with this book. I have to tell you though that you are missing a lot by not reading all of the other books in the Irene Kelly series.


A quick, terrific read
	Once again, David McCullough's treatment of an american icon is the best of its kind. This biography reads like a fascinating novel, and McCulloughs narrative ability is unmatched. No one seems to be able to tell a story the way he can.
  The great Theodore Roosevelt, known throughout the world and across the ages as an incredibly strong, tough, larger than life figure actually began as somewhat of a weakling. The book covers his total transformation from a sickly child to a man of great resolve and courage, the man who would become President of the United States.
  Best of all is that McCullough likes and admires his subject. This is not always the case with biographies. Roosevelt and his family are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve. Highly recommended, as are all of McCullough's books


Last Man Standing - Baldacci's best
	I "religiously" read all of Baldacci's books - he can't write them fast enough for me; and this is one of his best! I'd give it 10 stars if I could


A good book but like most heinlein's books
	to surmise, the book is about an actor who is hired to be a political figure.
I will not reveal any more as to not ruin the nature of the plot.
I felt that like some of heinlein's books, the book is plauged with
politics, less science fiction, the only sci-fi thing about it is that the plot takes place in space, other than that, it's all politics.
Same thing with Citizen of the galaxy, a book that starts off really well and ending with a theme that do not portray sci-fi rather it shows heinlein's knowledge in law.
I felt that the book could have been much better and i don't see how it won the Hugo award.
Conclusion: The book is a fun pass, but nothing more. don't expect any groundbreaking plot, or jaw dropping plot twists, just your old fashioned politicians-dear-diary


5000 yrs of Western Civilization Mapped Out
	I am an inveterate map reader. Whenever I travel there is a map in my pocket. But a recent trip to the Middle East and growing hobby collecting ancient coins had left me lost and confused as I tried to put in context  the ruins visited and the coins I collected. With time, the names of cities  and regions change so that one needs a separate map for each period.   Morkot's superbly written historical atlas not only provides maps, but the  rationale and context for their evolution and change. One of the best  features in the structure of this book is the use of the overview, followed  by a series of in-depth accounts, each from the perspective of the  important  quot;players quot; during a given historical period.  This  approach is immensely effective in reinforcing the information since the  same information is repeated and new information added as each of the  regions, their politics and battles, are succesively presented.  From the  Mycenae to the Parthians are thousands of years, thousands of miles, and  thousands of political entities whose ebb and flow of power and reach of  influence affect us even today. For the first time after years of puzzling  over strange Grecian place names and leaders, I am now able to begin to  understand the who what when and where for the 5 millenia preceding the  birth of Christ.  I wish this had been the first book I read in my study of  ancient history.  I can hardly wait to start on Penguin's sequel - Acient  Rome


What have you got to lose
	If you wanna stop smoking then give this a go. You'll either stop right away or you'll never beleive your doomed to puff on for life . Either way you win. strange thing to say about a book but true i say. Amazing stuff.


Excellent and entertaining stories that illuminate essential spiritual truths
	I like most of Jack Kornfield's work and this book is no exception.  It has a lot of good stories that are very entertaining and each of them illuminates important spiritual truths.  The focus of this book is on misconceptions about enlightenment and samdhi experiences.  Also, it contains some beautiful accounts of samdhi experiences taken from various religious traditions.

There is a lot of practical wisdom in this book about finding meaning on the spiritual path and in life in general.  Jack Kornfield dispels the illusion we are ever a finished product or that our various personality quirks will ever disappear completely.  In one section, he quotes Ram Dass who once was asked, did you get rid of all your personality problems and he replied, "no.. but I've become a connoisseur of my neurosis."

In another section, Jack talks about vocation or purpose in life.  I found this to be particularly well done and personally meaningful.  While the book is good, I think you may get more out of the audio CD because you get to hear the tone of his voice and inflections.  I think this carries a part of the communication that doesn't come across in his books.

My favorite taped work by Jack Kornfield is your Buddha Nature.  This is on the 10 paramitas (perfections) and I think it represents his most poignant expression of his thinking on life.  If you like After the Ecstasy, the Laundry... you may want to consider purchasing this as well


Absolute leader among all the Econometrics textbooks
	This book is inspiring!
The coverage is very broad and it can serve as a handbook for graduate students. Even the hardest bits of econometrics are explained in an easy to understand way.
My personal favourites are chapters 16, 17 and 18.
I will definetely buy a hardcover of the next edition of this econometrics masterpiece.
Summing up, it's one of my favourite books.


Possession Is The Least of Our P{oblems
	This series of books is a beast that has possessed me with its great storylines, characters and cliffhanger endings.  Kudoes to LaHaye


Good History Book, Bad Science Reference
	Bishop presents an entertaining history of bees and beekeeping, and gives us an absolutely fascinting tour into the relationship between humans and bees, both ancient and modern. What she misses are her science references:

On page 142, Bishop recounts the removal of a stinger: "...he grabbed the whole sac, which simply squeezed in more venom." This is not true. It is an oft-repeated piece of conventional wisdom, but in 1996, entomologists at UC Riverside published an article in The Lancet (348:301-302), with the conclusion that rather than removal method, speed is of the essence. Visscher and Vetter wrote of their conclusion: "The method of removal is irrelevant, but even slight delays in removal caused by concerns over performing it correctly (or getting out a knife blade or credit card) are likely to increase the dose of venom received. The advice should be changed to simply emphasize that the sting should be removed, and as quickly as possible."

On page 276, Bishop writes about royal jelly "...worker bees secrete and feed exclusively to a select few fertilized eggs, one of which, on this special diet, will grow into a queen."  This is patently incorrect. Royal jelly, as all beekeepers know, is fed to all the brood by nursery bees for the first 2-3 days of the brood's development. After this time, most brood who are not destined to be queens will receive pollen as food, whereas queens are fed the jelly all their lives. It is rather stunning that an author who keeps bees herself and obviouly spent considerable efforts in researching her book can make such a glaring error in bee knowledge.

This was quite a blow to me at this point in the book as I have enjoyed the book very much, and to run into such a blatantly uninformed statement from the author caused me major disappointment. Otherwise, this is quite a good, absorbing read.


Yet another great read
	Very good book. She did it again, draws you in so you can relate to all characters and their issues. Book 2 stayed interesting continuously. Looking forward to Book 3


An Often Overlooked Gem
	TRUMAN CAPOTE's wrote THE GRASS HARP early in his career and it is an often overlooked gem.  This sweet, eccentric, moving and decidedly southern tale is the leisurely paced story of the repercussions that ensue when three townfolk decide to up and run away to live in a treehouse on the outskirts of town.  Three quickly becomes five and eventually swells to even more as the makeshift home becomes a sort of paradise and refuge where stories are shared, closeness is established, and love blooms....think FLANNERY O'CONNOR meets SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON with a dash of STEEL MAGNOLIAS.  Themes of finding one's place and path and making oneself known are skillfully woven into the narrative.  It has the feel of a fantastic and utterly charming myth.  Primary assets are the "thick as molasses" southern mood and syntax as well as a bevy of unforgettable characters.


Just write
	The big gift that the present public school system bestows upon most of us is a giant inferiority complex.  Few of us ever wake up to the mental prison-cells that society has put us in and fewer still escape.  Anne Lamott's book is one of those that not only encourages people but shows them how to let go of their perfectionism and internal critic and all the other fears and ego traps that keep us from creating.  Once you get past this junk, you begin to see you don't really need books telling you how to write at all.  You just need to write.


My Favorite Kid's Book
	This is my favorite kid's book--and I've read a lot of books to my four-year-old! The illustrations are simply wonderful and the story is great. It just begs you to use funny voices as you read. I buy it as a gift for every birthday party


Necessary Illusions: Chomsky's tour de force
	Of all the articles and books of Chomsky that I have read, Necessary Illusions: Thought Control in Democratic Societies is without doubt the most exhaustively researched (and footnoted), the most logically  structured, and the most convincing. Chomsky reminds us that the majority  of the populace rely on the various media institutions for their  information about political affairs; both domestic and foreign. One can  only hold an opinion on a topic if one knows about the topic. So take, for  example, the popular myth of the 'persistent Soviet vetoe' at the UN during  the cold war. Why do people believe the USSR was constantly vetoeing any  and every Security Council Resolution? Simple! When they did, it generated  front page condemnation. When the US or the UK exercised their right of  veteo: silence. As Chomsky notes, during the years of 1970 and 1989 the  former Soviet Union veteod 8 resolutions. The US veteod some 56. This is  what Chomsky refers to as Thought Control. Unless the public examine the  factual record of the UN themselves, they will never come by this  information, (at least not in the mainstream press). So although Chomsky's  title may appear somewhat paradoxical, or oxymoronic, a moments reflection  on such facts shows it to be, in fact, extremenly pragmatic and truthful.  The question is, have you the honesty and sheer guts to question yourself  and challenge the information which has contributed to your beliefs?  The  crux of Chomsky's argument is that propaganda is to a democracy what  violence is to a dictatorship. Chomsky points out that, in fact, propaganda  is, contrary to popular postulations, more important and vital to a  democratic society because people still have some rights. That is, since  people can talk, the powers that be must ensure that only the correct words  come out of the peoples' mouths. In a dictatorship it does not really  matter too much what people think; for whatever they may think, they have  to do what they are told, by pain of death. In countries such as the US  (and the UK) other, more subtle, methods are required.  People often  critisise Chomsky for the sources of his information (the copious  footnotes). No such critique can be levelled at this work. Chomsky's  sources are declassified internal planning documents, naval proceedings  documents, and the very institutions he examines, New York Times,  Washington Post etc. If there was one Chomsky book I would suggest you to  read, this would be it


A Book for All Ages
	Naomi Shihab Nye is a bridge-builder.  She reaches out to those of other cultures, and always expresses understanding of those sometimes forgotten in our society.  A good book for all ages


As much as I hate to say it ...
	Pat was right!  Anyone read the news lately?  Bush has succeeded only in creating more terrorists.  Mission accomplished.  Buchanan may have some whacky views about illegal aliens, but he knows his foreign policy when it comes to warfare and economics.  If he and Ralph Nader didn't dislike eachother so much they would no doubt make the best running mates this country has seen in half a century.


No comparison to the film
	"East of Eden" is a beautifully written, sprawling, three generation saga of the men and women who settled the Salinas Valley in California. The story begins far away in the East, on the farm of the unscrupulous Cyrus Trask and his two sons, Adam and Charles. Adam is an upright, honest young man who naturally draws people to him, while Charles has an angry, violent spirit.
Charles tries in vain to earn the love of his father, and takes his anger at his failure out on Adam. Adam is sent by his father into the army as a sign of his love, but Cyrus keeps Charles close to home, knowing that war would release something dangerous and violent in his other son.

Adam wanders for many years across the country after his service, and some of the most lyrical passages in the book describe his life as a tramp, closely mirroring Steinbeck's own experiences during the Depression. Finally he returns to the farm and exists in uneasy partnership with Charles until the mysterious Cathy arrives. The more astute Charles quickly realizes her true nature, but innocent Adam marries her and they move to California.

Adam expects Cathy to pursue his dream of life on a ranch, but Cathy is a vicious, evil character with no redeeming qualities, and after the birth of twin sons she escapes only to re-emerge much later when her sons are grown. Adam hibernates for many years on the ranch, broken-hearted over Cathy's desertion, and convinced he must hide the secret from his sons forever, which become an impossible task. Repeating the pattern of their father's life, the twins Aron and Caleb vie for their father's love, with Aron effortlessly winning it while Caleb comes to believe there is something evil lurking in his spirit. But this time around, Caleb is redeemed in a way Charles never was.

Steinbeck's prose is masterful, and his descriptions of the Salinas Valley, lush with the rains, brutal with the drought, capture exactly why men were drawn to the west. His portrayals of character and motives--sadly lacking in the movie--are totally convincing, and his Adam is a flawed but admirable character.

Steinbeck has been a bit out of favor--at least until this was chosen as an Oprah book. As an English-as-a-second-language teacher I recently taught "The Pearl," and that book too surprised me with its gorgeous writing and subtle imagery. (We all read it in high school but I now realize it went right over my head.) Try Steinbeck again--you won't be disappointed--my book club wasn't!


Indubitude
	If you liked Empire, you'll love Multitude. The authors and reviewers alike speak of Multitude as a follow up to Empire, but I think something very different is happening here. Hardt and Negri have pushed and pulled each other forward over a vast and forbidding territory, and in Multitude they have attained a height/depth of perception well beyond Empire. If you are attempting to learn your radicalism, or inform your progressivism, through Hardt and Negri, then you may see Multitude as continuing from and expanding Empire, and you may also join the chorus bemoaning the perceived digressiveness and discursiveness of both books. But what we actually have here are two attempts at the same fateful book: where Empire was the best try we had at the time, Multitude now succeeds. Where the digression in Empire circled around the feeling of our world-cultural hematopoiesis, the discursion in Multitude captures it.

Fukuyama attempted to deal with Multitude in the July 25th NYT Book Review, and either utterly failed at, or purposefully decided to avoid, addressing the book qua philosophy. At this point in his apologizing for economists, it is hard to imagine that Fukuyama's name has ever been mentioned in the same breath as Hegel, or that he has ever actually read any of the German Idealists;- whereas with Hardt and Negri, we almost have that level of man among us again. For Fukuyama, history has indeed ended, because he has stopped feeling it and can now only move around his darkened signifiers. For Hardt and Negri, and for those who have read, listened, and felt their way into the great becoming that is world history, we are indeed not at its end, but at its very beginning.

The chief problem with this book is that the English language, as a field of common meaning, is not up to handling this level of thought anymore. (E.g., the very British cheery insufficiency of George Monbiot's 'Manifesto for a New World Order'.) Hardt and Negri wrote Multitude in English, but were thinking in German, that neoplatonic lego of a language. So, if you consider yourself progressive but can't get the feeling and sweep of Multitude, then trash your TV, stop reading anything written after 1930 for a few years, then come back to it. You will find you have become allergic to CNN, but you will also find that - finally - you can *feel* what the world and her history are all about.


Loved It!
	I found this to be a real page-turner.  It addressed all the issues leading to the near destruction of the High Plains in the 1930s: agricultural, social, political.  Dealing heavily with first-person accounts, I learned about the Dust Bowl, the depression, and the psychology of the times.  Great book


Another excellent book by Connelly
	A very good crime fiction book. Connelly fans should buy this book without any hesitation if you don't have it already. Why it's good?

1) Connelly is very good at creating 3 dimensional, believable, realistic characters and this book is no different.
2) A very realistic behind the scene look in the inner workings of a police department, he's supposed to have been a crime beat writer.
3) Logical plot. His books are not as fast flowing or edge of the seat exciting or scary as some thrillers, but they can't be if they are crime fiction. Rather, he takes you through the investigation step by step, going through the process that his detectives go through so you can see how they solve the crime.

Cons: The only con I have is that the books are somewhat noir (I'm plagarizing this word from some other review). The thing is, Bosch is not your spiffy "yes sir", toe the blue line cop. And so, even though you want Bosch not to stir the pot and just get on with his detecting he does his best to sabotage his position in the force and your wishes, well, c'est la vie, apparently Connelly likes to put angst in his readers' lives.

I'm not going to spoil the book, if you must know what the book is about you can read the intro. All I'm trying to get across is why this book is good. A must buy


Winning Custody
	This was, by far, one of the most inspirational books I have ever read. The ramifications of this book have had far reaching effects on all aspects of my life. This is a must read for anyone going through a custody dispute. The author really knew what she was talking about


Clearly Illustrates Traditional Japanese Construction
	Anyone who wishes to build a Japanese tea room either in the garden or attached to their house could do well to start with this book. You can also use this book to design accents for a single room, or to craft an entire house. It was written by a German architect who  lived in Japan several decades ago and carefully measured surving older buildings as well as studying architecture there. While there are more detailed books in Japanese, this may well still be the best available book in English


A good resource, but opportunities are missed
	This volume contains a lot of valuable information, and is the only work of its kind I am aware of, ie an exhaustive survey of worldwide charismatic Christianity. That alone earns it four stars.

However, I was disappointed that the editors chose to write from a pro-charismatic bias that may alienate non-charismatics. Indeed, some of the shorter entries seem more like blurbs for the ministers and movements they represent rather than academic, encyclopaedic introductions. The problem is not with what information is included so much as what information is *not* included - for example, absent from the entry on Oral Roberts is any mention of the dubious fundraising techniques and outrageous publicity stunts for which he is most (in)famous. Ian Bilby's entry details his leadership of Elim New Zealand, but includes no mention of the sexual scandal that led to his removal as Elim's NZ leader. All but the most staggering embarrassments in Pentecostalism's history seem glossed over, as if not offending anyone was a major principle in deciding what to include.

I would expect a scholarly work to reflect both the glory and the shame of this important subject. This is an annoyance in an otherwise very good work.


HarperCollins Bible Dictionary
	This Bible dictionary is a one volume source for nearly everything associated with or found in the Bible.  It covers the Bible cover to cover with personalities, places, themes, concepts, etc.  Anyone who needs a resource for Bible studies or just for general knowledge will want to own this book.  Church libraries should have it available for library users. This is an excellent resource.

The editors chose authors who can write succinctly and clearly when they write on their subjects.  Readers will appreciate the thoroughness as well as the readability of this book.

I can't emphasize it enough.  This book is a must have for anyone interested in the Bible


Ready to get fit
	An excellent overall guide for both beginners in weight training and women who are familiar with their local gym!  In this book you will find weekly workout plans laid out clearly for you as well as other lifesyle suggestions to meet your health and fitness/physique goals


A  COLORFUL  INTRODUCTION  TO  PC
	Any beginner or intermediate learner, who wants to be enlightened on the basic mechanisms of both computer and its peripheral devices, would be laying a good foundation by starting with this book. Without compromising its concise outlook, the coverage of this book is as comprehensive as it is illustrative. Its updated chapters are well-appreciated, although that anyone who currently owns the seventh or even the sixth edition would not be missing much by sticking with either editions.
Despite being labelled "How Computers Work", the contents of this book are not limited to PCs. They covered other related issues like: Networking, Multimedia, Printers, Software, and so on. Detailed explanations, which are frequently complemented by high-resolution graphics are abundant. This book literally takes its reader into the 'engine room' that keeps a computer running. It is an impressive virtual tour on paper!
However, if you are an advanced learner, this book will be of little use to you. In fact, there is hardly anything in it that any self-respecting advanced learner has not come across. Likewise, Apple/Mac stalwarts need not invest in it. Its focus is entirely on the PC: with no room for Mac.
All-in-all, the uniqueness of this book is plausible. It is a welcomed advantage. Every PC component, as well as peripherals, are laid bare. It is a resourceful hand-holding tools for beginners: a worthy and dependable guide for any novice


Simple and Sweet
	I read a lot of books about gay guys, girls, ect. but never have I picked up one that touched so well on the subject of homophobia.  It's a simple enough story to read, compared to some other gay authors but it touches extremely well on problems that one can encounter growing up, first with weight, then intelligence, then being gay.  I couldn't put it down after the first chapter


Excellent resource for an Italian cookbook library
	This review is written from the perspective of a serious home cook that has been studying cooking for 25 years and concentrating on Italian cooking for the last 10 years.

This book is targeted to anyone that wants to learn the history of Italian cooking. This book is full of both information and recipes.  This was one of my first Italian cookbooks, and is still one of my favorites.  This book is an authentic Italian cookbook not the Italian-American type that we are accustomed to in the USA.  If you want a good comprehensive book on authentic Italian food this is one of the books that I would recommend.

However, if you are a beginner Italian cook, this is not the book for you.  The directions are written for someone that is familiar with the Italian kitchen.  The author assumes you have a basic knowledge of the Italian kitchen and typical recipes.

One complaint, and it is minor, is the lack of glossy photographs that I have become so accustomed to in cookbooks.  The recipes in this book more than make up for the lack of photographs.

Overall this book is highly recommended for those that are serious about Italian cooking


The temporary death of a priori
	Before the Epiricist philosophers came along, it was generally accepted that there were certain things that humans merely knew facts to be true. Basic philosophical concepts were reasoned to be true by a priori reasoning. Thus, complex metaphysical ideas were formed by inductive logic, working off what was assumed to be true. Then Hume came along and destroyed more than two thousand years of metaphysics. Hume showed that everything we know can be broken down in to two categories: Relations of Ideas and Matters of Fact. Relations of Ideas are things that a true by defintion. 2+2 will always equal 4, because that is how it is defined. Try as we might, we can never successfully imagine 2+2 equalling 5. So relations of facts do not really tell us anything about the natural world. They are definitions we use to describe what is happening. Matters of fact, on the other hand, are ideas we have that arise from our experience with the world, such as "The Sun will rise tomorrow morning." Unlike with Relations of Ideas, Matters of Fact are not true my their defintition. We can imagine successfully "The Sun will not rise tomorrow." How, then, if we can imagine the supposed impossible, do we know anything to be truly impossible? Hume creates the basis for philosophical skepticism in this enquiry. He effectively show us that we can never know anything to be absolutely true. It wasn't until Kant's Critique of Pure Reason that philosophy recovered from the blow of Hume's metaphysics. This is a seminal text in the history of metaphysical and epistimilogical work and should be read by any and all philosophers


quot;Must quot; reading for all Elie Wiesel fans.
	Elie Wiesel's And The Sea Is Never Full provides the concluding volume of memoirs, relating his meetings with world leaders, his travels, and his diplomatic adventures. Familiarity with Wiesel's importance and his prior  memoirs will lend a special appreciation for this concluding volume


A pleasurable read
	I really enjoyed this book from beginning to end. There are some very touching passages that get to the heart of what a good marriage is and the unique bond that husband and wife share. I am glad this story wasn't about finding new love soon after losing someone who was clearly her best friend and soul mate. For the most part it is about finding other areas of pleasure in your life through exploring different types of bonds with friends old and new. It is also about new beginnings while still honoring the memory of the one she's lost. I could read this novel over and over. The deep respect for marriage is refreshing in a world that can be dismissive of marriage's sanctity and too often focused on those that fail


Pretty Good Read
	You know the author is good when he can make you tear up for a former KKK member on Death Row. While the book was a little slow at times, I couldn't wait to turn the page and find out what happens next. If you like John Grisham, you'll like this book.


OMG!
	This book is HYSTERICAL!

Check out the video (above) of the housewife slapping her husband's butt with a spoon
while she's got him bent over the kitchen counter!!!!!!

FUNNY


one time around of good mystery
	hercule poirot is up again to a very baffling mystery...this mystery is about one family that facing a crisis after one of the memeber dies...and in this family case,christie once again using her expertise (ie mystery surrounding the family) in manipulating her imagination according to the right situation...and i can assure you that you will thoroughly satisfy after you read this book..


An epic portrayal of an important, maligned truth.
	Ayn Rand's masterwork earns its reputation as a monumentally influential book.  It is at least as important today as it was when it was published in 1957.  Altas Shrugged lays out, in the form of a sprawling novel, Rand's philosophy, Objectivism.  It has been said in a couple of different surveys that the book is ranked by Americans as the second most influencial to them, trailing only the Bible.

Atlas Shrugged covers a lot of philosophical ground, but at its heart is a story that drives home the importance of the people who produce disproportionately in society; people who invent, design, build, manufacture, improve and manage.  She lays out the a story of a society that resents these people and their wealth despite the fact that they earned it and that they improved everyone's standard of living while they improved their own.  Mysteriously, society's producers start vanishing, one at a time until almost none are left.  The outcome and the explanation are fun reading while they make an important point.

Our society has been wealthy enough for long enough that it is way too easy to take that wealth for granted and forget where it comes from.  The decisions we make when we fail to keep in mind the source of the wealth do really have the power to make our standard of living go away.  Rand reminds us of this critical, but easily forgotten lesson in an eloquent way.

Read it and then tell ten friends to read it too.  More of us need to see this side of the story.  The fact that it's unpopular right now just makes it that much more fun


if you are only going to read one Woolf, read this one
	If you are going to read only one of Virginia Woolf's many works, this is the one to read.  She is the greatest novelist, but her novels cannot be equal, some being better or more universal than others.  She really *arrives* in this one.  I first read it twenty years ago in college, but I still think of phrases, thoughts, and concepts from this book.  The novel's themes resonate the way poetry does.  Worth the reputation.  I hope no one ever tries to make a movie out of this one


Horowitz on the destruction of the American academy
	Horowitz with the help of researchers provides glimpses of the "101 most dangerous academics in America." Your own political outlook will determine whether you think Horowitz is an American hero or a buffoon.

  I'll vote for American hero as Horowitz provides details on professors whose very existence on a campus should motivate people concerned for their children and the destiny of the United States to march on the legislatures that use taxpayer funds to pay most of these "academics" demanding their immediate termination.

  College has changed. Where the goal was once to teach young minds to think independently, it is now a place for intdoctrination, with punishment meted out for non-conformance to the various left-wing doctrines being rammed down the throats of young adults.

  The book is so densely packed that choosing representative excerpts could easily create a shorter bookof its own. For example, Professor Jose Angel Gutierrez opines "[w]e have got to eliminate the gringo, and what I mean by that is if the worst comes to the worst, we have got to kill him." This from a licensed attorney, now a professor paid from the public purse - taxpayer dollars. Prof. Alison Jaggar, another beneficiary of taxpayer money, seeks to combat the "male-dominant structure of everyday life." She seeks, essentially, a world without men. Not exactly an inclusive outlook.

  The examples cited above are mild. Most are far worse - and these are the people, often supported by taxpayers in public colleges, who are forcing their views into the minds of young people. With tenure and increasing control of the hiring process, other views are shut out of the academy. The academy itself is being converted into a political training ground. Many of these left-wing radicals are tenured and can not be fired, not even the likes of Prof. Haunani-Kay Trask who says "[t]he enemy is the United States of America and everyone who supports it." She also advocates the deportation of all non-ethnic Hawaiians from the islands. And the taxpayers foot the bill for her to "teach".

  Some of the names are familiar to many as talking heads, such as Prof. Joseph Massad who demands the destruction of Israel and denies that the Jews are a nation. Imagine what happens to a student, a Jewish student in particular, who disputes Massad's views. This happened and Massad screamed at the students. When the matter was investigated - a rarity - Massad conveniently couldn't remember the incidents.

  Other of these professors make equally outlandish claims, many of them based on race, gender or sexual preference.

  Reading this book is a sure invitation to outrage - and then depression as you realize that there is little the average citizen can do to stop what is happening, unless citizens band together to create enough of an uproar as does happen on all too rare occasion.

  A must-read for anyone concerned with the fate of America's young minds and the nation itself.

Jerr


He is so HOTT!!!!!!
	This book is a story about a girl named Valerie. Her life is turned in the direction of weird when her mom anouccnces that she wants a divorce because she has found a new love. With another woman!! With this scary detail in mind Valerie's dad has been called on business to a small unknow country in Europe to be a royal chef.
One good thing does happen to her though. When in the library trying to figure out her new school test she mets the Prince. Prince Greog.
To find out more read Royally Jacked.
And remember even if the begining is boring keep going cuz the book does get better and continues to do so.
So enjoy:


Better than the previous Editions
	I bought this book because it was required for a class I am taking.  I had the 3rd Edition already and wasn't too impressed.  But this 5th Edition is much more appealing.  I just became PMP certified and reviewing this book before taking the exam was a great primer to get my head out of pure PMBOK and into real world Project Management.  The case studies and Directed Readings are great for seeing real world PM activities.  I would suggest the book for guidance and classroom type learning.  If you're an experienced PM then this book is too academic and won't feed your intellect.  Buy something else


Do you ever wonder what happened to Meissonier? No? Do you even know who Meissonier was?
	If not, here is a chance to find out. Two figures left an imprint on the French art amidst the turbulent times of the late nineteenth century. Manet, whom history dubbed the father of Impressionism (although at the time art critics branded him untalented) and Meissonier, then the highest paid painters and now a figure obscured by history. How did time turn the tables on these two characters? Why is Meissonier forgotten, while the Manet's paintings sell with $20 million price tag? The answer is in this book.

Mr. King's skillful examination of the art's progression from its realism to the appearance of impressionism in the latter part of 1800's makes for a delightful reading. He analyzes the art critics of the time, the leading political figures, the consequences of a war with Prussia, the French life and French economy.

Written with intellectual appeal and with an eye on the events that drove history, The Judgment of Paris is highly recommend to all lovers of historical non-fiction.

-by Simon Cleveland


A READABLE, ENGAGING CLASSIC
	This book is more dated than THE SECRET GARDEN, but it's still a great story. It's hard NOT to identify with Sara Crewe.

I loved this book as a child (though not as much as I loved THE SECRET GARDEN, which I think is a better book). However, A LITTLE PRINCESS may appeal more to some people; some readers may find the story stronger and the main character, Sara Crewe, more likable. Sara's determination to stay herself despite how other people treat her and view her is inspiring and may help readers through tough times of their own. Some scenes (I don't want to spoil the surprise by describing them) are magical.

A LITTLE PRINCESS is a great story that makes readers think. Some of those thoughts make you uncomfortable, like the thoughts about differences between rich and poor children - but that (I think) is part of the book's greatness.

Be sure to get an unabridged edition: this book is beautifully written and should not be simplified. Kids now CAN read and will love this book: at least, every girl to whom I have given a copy has read it and reread it -- on her own.

For a modern, well-written book about another girl at an English boarding school, read Libby Koponen's BLOW OUT THE MOON. It has the same classic feel, though American heroine is very different from Sara in some ways (though she too is determined to hang onto her identity) and MOON is quite funny


A Comprehensive Survey of Classical Literature
	A useful reference work for anyone interested in the literature of the ancient world, The Oxford Companion to Classical Literature is arranged alphabetically and contains encyclopedic entries for all of the major authors and their particular works, Greek and Latin gods, mythological characters, histories of Greece and Rome, major historical figures, and relevant places.

The original edition of the 1930s by Sir Paul Harvey became a classic of its own and was intended by the author to be a handbook of information for readers of the Greek and Latin authors and of modern works that touched upon the classical world. The current second edition is edited by Margaret Howatson, who revises and enlarges the Harvey edition. She notes that while a few of the entries on technical subjects were written with classical specialists in mind, the book generally requires no knowledge of Greek or Latin and is intended for anyone curious to find out more about the classical world.

An ideal companion for any reader interested in Greek or Latin literature and history


A Great Magazine, A Great Collection, A Great Concept--Can You Tell I Like This Idea?
	We are so truly lucky to live in an age when something like this is possible! Without existing virtual technologies, compiling a complete collection of the New Yorker would otherwise be a near impossibility due to space considerations, availability, and of course the daunting financial investment. For the price of a modest concert, eighty years of intelligent discourse, satire, observation and fiction are all available. I have nothing negative to say about this; it does what it promises and does it well. It still amazes me that I now have every issue of The New Yorker, and look forward to the continuation of this extraordinary trend of publications releasing the entirety of their output


This is The Premier Book on Interior Decoration!
	If you want to get an excellent idea about the history of the domestic  interior, this is the book for you.  Every type of  dwelling is to be  found, with exquisite detail.  From the very simple, to the palatial, one  finds great delight in these wonderful watercolors.  Culled from the  domestic interiors of Europe, the Continent, Russia and America, these  historic records give the reader an extrodinary glimpse into the past.  It  is an accurate record of the most minute details, from the floors to the  paintings on the walls.  Scholarly enough for students of Interior Design?  Yes; but why should they have all the fun


From the Heart of a Lonely Man
	This is a must read book.  Not just once, but many times.  Each time you read it you understand and see a different view of the book.  One needs to read this book from the Heart as the meaning of Kokoro means from the Heart.  The story of a married man, yet lonely.  Why he feels guilty about the death of his best friend.  A scholar with no ambition, rich enough to enjoy a few simple things in life.  How he talks about the ending of his own life. He is sure his wife will be taken care of after his death.  The student is confused. I am confused.  Read the book more than once.  Each time you read, put yourself in each characters "shoe".  Written with passion, Kokoro, from the Heart. Is this book fiction or non-fiction, you decide


Vintage Parker
	Jesse Stone is sort of Spenser's alter ego. He's younger, and Spenser's never had a drinking problem, but other than that, they're pretty much the same character, except Stone's about thirty years younger. Robert B. Parker has been writing detective novels for a very long time now: this is the fourth Stone novel, there are 31 Spenser novels, three featuring his third character, Sunny Randall, and nine books that aren't part of a series, some of them non-fiction. That's 47 books, for those who aren't keeping up with the math. Obviously, by now Parker knows what he's doing. He seems able to write one of these every six months or so: he alternates between Randall, Spenser, and Stone with ease, and just floats along.

In this outing, Stone's faced with a real problem. Paradise (the town he's Chief of Police in) has been hit by a rash of killings, and it's soon apparent that they're the work of a serial killer, or killers. Stone has no way of tracking the killer at first, and the killers seem able to strike with impunity and kill whoever they wish.

Meanwhile, there's also a scared girl at the local high school, the victim of a gang rape and some threats afterwards. Stone has to resolve things, and control the situation so that the girl doesn't get hurt.

And of course there's his personal life, which has been a problem for him since the series started with Night Passage. His ex-wife is a manipulative sociopath, interested in only herself and how she can control him, near as I can tell. In this installment, she attempts to manipulate him more than she should, and things take some interesting turns.

I enjoyed this book a great deal, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for some light reading


A readable  book that deserves some credence
	This is a warm and readable book about a fascinating subject: What happens at death, or near death? It is written by a world renowned and respected scholar and medical doctor. And, in spite of the fact that I am a Christian, with conservative beliefs, and even though I maintain my faith carefully focused on God, I do nevertheless give the accounts in this book some credence (along with its companion, written subsequently, "Life Beyond Death").  I invite you to read it and see why


Rather surprised!
	I actually enjoyed this book very much.  I was in a romance slump and needed something different.  Well, I got it.

There is no need to give a synopsis of the story -- my predecessors have done an excellent job.  The only thing I really want to say is that I really, really liked Muriel and Edward, the dog.


Seth Frantzman is an idiot
	This is the stupidest review I have read so far on this site. The person who wrote it has no idea what they are talking about. I seriously doubt they even considered reading the book. (I haven't but I've been poor and I've been on welfare.)

You should know something about a subject before you spout off


what happened in the Middle???
	I just finished reading the Hitorian. The first 400 pages were so compelling, that I could hardly put it down. Then..... it became soooo boring. It literally took me the same amount of time to get through the next 200 pages as the first 400. I just had to keep putting it down and shaking my head, thinking this has to get better, considering how good the first 2/3rd's were.

I also have to say that I was disappointed with the ending - it was way too contrived for me... SPOILER ALERT*** - I found it EXTREMELY unbelievable that Dracula would 'assume' that Helen died in the fall and not gone after her, as the author states when Helen is recounting how she made it out alive from the fall. I mean, come on... Dracula is supposedly all knowing and has tracked this woman all over the world. Now were supposed to believe that he simply says "damn, she fell - I guess after all I've been through, I won't bother to check - I'll just find another victim" - sorry, didn't buy it and it really was a big let down after so much potential in the beginning..

Overall, the book was really great. Fascinating reading for the Dracula fan. Just wish the ending held up to the beginning.


Missing person
	Wendell Jaffe swindled a lot of people out of money and then conveniently disappeared from his boat.  The verdict was suicide, but the insurance company that had sold him a half-million dollar insurance policy is not convinced.  When 5 years passed, the company was forced to pay the premium to Jaffe's wife.  Two months later, a man looking very much like Jaffe is spotted in Mexico.  The insurance company hires private investigator Kinsey Millhone to investigate and she does spot a man who appears to be Jaffe, along with his girlfriend Renata.  They escape Kinsey's surveillance and she returns to California.  Jaffe's son Brian is in big trouble with the police and Kinsey concludes that Jaffe will return to help his son.  As she continues her investigation she becomes acquainted with Jaffe's supposed widow and his two troubled sons.  She also comes in contact with some of her long-lost family, and agonizes over whether she wants to establish a relationship with them, and open up old wounds.  Sue Grafton can be relied on to provide a good read, and this book, although not the best in the series, is no exception


Gripping!
	This is one of Nora Roberts' best books ever! I have read everything she's written and this is now my all time favorite. I ADORE this book.  The characters are interesting and very human, the plot is gripping and the background fascinating.  Callie, an archeologist, comes to a little town in Maryland to set up a dig and ends up learning about her birth parents and reuniting with her ex-husband. What I really like about this is the two main characters already have a history before this book so its so much that they fall in love on the spur of the moment, like most romances (including Roberts).  Definitely a book I highly recommend for both the romance and the thrilling plot.  It will keep you glued to the pages until you figure out who the bad guys are


All around good, easy read
	I started the book last night, and couldn't put it down until 4 am, but at least I finished it! It was a good storyline, I enjoyed getting a simple  glimpse into the media world.  It also gives you a good peek into the  corruption behind campaigns and politics in general. I really liked the  characters in this book, although each one, in my opinion, could have used  some more depth.   The only reason this book doesn't get 5 stars is because  as you read it - you start to feel that the second half of the book   lt;with extra emphasis on the last quarter of the book gt; was completely  RUSHED.  I really don't like a sudden closing to a book. However, it really  does keep you guessing until the last couple of pages.  I just feel that it  could have had MORE of an impact, and MORE of that  quot;UMPH quot; had the  story been written at the same speed throughout. I do recommend this book  for anyone who just wants a good book to read.  If you're looking for  something you will remember for life - this isn't going to be it.  But if  you're looking for a pleasant way to spend a nice afternoon - - - by all  means, try reading Mary Jane Clark's  quot;Do You...etc. quot;   Final  word: I believe her mother-in-law, the OTHER Clark, would be quite proud of  her ex-daughter in law.  The woman can write.  However, given her talents,  I wish she would learn to write in her own style, instead of in the  familiar style of the OTHER Clark


hilarious
	truly and surely one of the best comic strips ever! were you to be sick in bed and need something to make you laugh, this is the best medicine


The Profit Order World
	Reviewers are right about this book tracing the origins of the modern surveillance state back to the birth of the modern prison system but they are not mentioning the prime motive for this that Foucault points to: profit and capitalism.  With the rise of industrial society it was more important to regiment and discipline the masses than 'off with their head' or hands.  The panopticon prison idea was taken to the factory and service industry by industial giants like Carnegie and Rockefeller and the fruits of this profitable perversion can be seen all over society today: delivery drivers monitored throughout the day by GPS, social security cards, public schooling (founded by the same industrial giants) intellectual and psychological grading, job placement and conformity, credit ratings, licences needed to do everything but go to the bathroom, a growing snitch culture...Foucault's major thesis is that surveillance (discipline) aids profit and any deviation from profit leads to state-sanctioned punishment in the form of increased surveillance.  As industry and profits increase so will the surveillance and discipline that make it run smoothly.  Every facet of modern society works to this end.  The irony is, as techno-pundits like McCluhan later pointed out, in the modern world the prisoner with a tv set has as much denatured freedom as the tycoon in his guarded estate and they enjoy a lot of the same things in a world where pleasure is increasingly programmed and vicarious; in a world that has turned from the moral order to the profit order, where bad credit today is the profit order version of the ancient moral order idea of excommunication.  Everything that stands in the way of the profit order, whether it be an idea, person, religion, or country is attacked.  Bottom line, we are all 'human resources' in the political economy, in the religion of capital: packaged and packed like a bunch of sardines with the capitalist state and its laws protecting the tabernacle of profit over all else.  The inanity and inherent fraud of our system, not to mention the explosion of prison populations and an insane consumer society, makes a lot more sense after being traced by a renegade like Foucault.  Of all his books this is also the easiest read.  This is a beautiful book by a complicated man.  by the way, he taught at the University of Buffalo for a short time.


One of the better sexual books.....
	When I thought there were not any more sex  quot;techniques quot; I could learn from a book, this book just amazed me.Combined with stuff about how to make a lady feel special out of bed, this book can make you a better lover, husband or sex partner for sure.


Totalitarianism:  Nazism and Communism.
	Hannah Arendt's _The Origins of Totalitarianism_ is a book that takes a hard look at two rival totalitarian movements in the twentieth century, Soviet Communism and Nazism, and traces their historical roots.  The book is divided into three volumes focusing on Antisemitism, Imperialism, and Totalitarianism.  The first of these volumes is concerned with the historical origins of Antisemitism.  Arendt examines some of the ways historians have dealt with the historical roots of Antisemitism.  For example, some historians have argued based on a "scapegoat theory" that the Jews were used as an innocent scapegoat for the world's ills.  Arendt concludes that such approaches are flawed because they fail to take into account the full historical situation of the Jews.  Arendt explores the rise of Antisemitism in the birth of the nation-state, the emancipation of the Jews, the rise of the Jewish financiers, the roles of Jews within society, and the infamous Dreyfus affair.  Of particular interest here is the role of conpiracy theories concerning such individuals as Benjamin Disraeli or the infamous forgery The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.  The idea that the Jews constitute a race or are members of secret societies or clubs played an important role in the historical development of Antisemitism.  The second of the volumes in this book is concerned with the rise of Imperialism.  Here, a discussion of racism and racial thinking is examined involving such racial theorists as Count Arthur de Gobineau and various forms of Social Darwinism.  The role of the Boers in South Africa is looked at and a thorough examination of the lives of such individuals as Cecil Rhodes, who called for the creation of a secret society of aristocratic Nordic elite, is made.  The great Pan Movements, Pan-Slavism, Pan-Germanism, and the Pan-Arabism of T. E. Lawrence are dealt with and their subsequent roles in the creation of the totalitarian states is explored.  The final volume of this book is concerned with Totalitarianism proper.  Here, the role of propaganda and the secret police, as well as terror and the concentration camps are dealt with in their place in Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia.  Arendt explores each of these issues and shows why they are so particularly disturbing.  Arendt contends that totalitarianism sought to annihilate the nature of man completely.  Repression and terror abound within the totalitarian state and freedom is virtually nonexistent.  Written during the Cold War period and just after the Second World War, this book takes an important look into the minds of such totalitarian leaders as Adolf Hitler and Josef Stalin.  Their movements of Nazism and Soviet Communism continue to haunt the modern world even though they have been largely extinguished.  The book is important today not only for historical reasons, but also because it gives a unique view of the world within a totalitarian society and the unique political danger that such totalitarian movements and institutions causes for the modern world


Great summer read
	I found Airframe to be a great book to read on my summer vacation.  I was expecting it to be more of a science fiction novel but it is really a book about corporate intrigue and social commentary (i.e. the media).  That being said, I was not the least disappointed.

In his typical style, Crichton takes an aerospace engineering course and boils it down to plain English.  I learned so much about the construction of airplanes and the airline industry - it was fascinating.  He also does a great job in raking the mass media over the coals - which was fun (and somewhat ironic from the creator of "ER")!

The book is fast paced and reads like a movie - which I am sure is no coincidence by Crichton ;)  The main character is very likeable and you find yourself rooting for her.  There are a number of plot twists and surprises and it certainly keeps you turning the pages.

In summary I would not say that this is Crichton's best work, but it is surely a very enjoyable book that I would recommend to everyone


Beautiful and Practical
	This is not the book for you if you're impatient with precision and specifics; if you want good results, you'll do what Michael Recchiuti tells you to do. You'll buy the higher-butterfat butter, you'll use the Scharffen-Berger or Valrhona and chuck the Hershey's, and you'll be so glad you did, because every recipe --and I mean every single one of the seven or eight recipes I have tried from this book thus far-- has been fantastic.

I would not call this a good beginner's cookbook, though the photography is gorgeous enough to qualify this as a coffee table book even for those who don't want to get in the kitchen. Some baking experience is helpful, as is a well-equipped kitchen (stand-mixer, immersion blender, heavy-bottomed pots for sauces etc).  This is an outstanding book and I highly recommend it.


Better than Volume 1!
	For those who have not read Volume 1, just get Book 2 and get all the great information plus lots more.  Being a born-again Christian, some of the dialogue is beyond my belief system, but just glean the book and keep the great stuff.  If your faith is well-grounded, just look at this as a first class medical journal and forget the buddhist hogwash


wow.
	if you've been given this book, or recommended it by a friend then you've been blessed. this book is bizarre, yes, but if it finds its way to you i'm sure you won't be troubled by that minor detail. thank you Elisabeth Haich, for this book - it's a gift - i can't possibly explain in words the effect this book had on my life, nevermind fathom how the author used words to discuss topics which have traditionally defied discussion. i still can't believe that this book actually exists, but i'm eternally thankful it does


Yazoo City Native
	I am from Yazoo City so this book has always been one of my favorites. I saw Willie Morris at a car wash in Jackson, MS not long before his death. I was shy and didn't want to bother him, so I didn't introduce myself and have a chat. I would have loved to have spoken with him. Now I regret my shyness - should've taken the chance. Yazoo City has an enduring quality and charm that shows in all his books and stories. No matter where I live, it will always be home. There is a great feeling of safety and warmth whenever I drive into the city limits. It is a feeling of home. Not many people have that sense of home these days. I feel blessed to have grown up there


Must Read for Actors!
	This play was amazing! I am not a reader, and I couldn't put it down. I recommend this play for any actor. It will stretch your mind and acting abilities.


MAGNIFICENT!
	I don't know why the other reviewers though it was a horrible book. It was absolutely captivating!  I was immediately enthralled in the story, and the has such a profound message.


A thick Read
	A great reference book to have for any designer, although a little tedious at times a solid read with a great historical overview of the subject. I would definitely recommend to any enthusiastic designer with a thirst for knowledge on things Typographical.

Since reading, I have become more critical of Typography in general and it works as a great guide when in doubt


Laughing so hard I;m doing #1 in my uderbritches
	Just when you thought you've heard all Larry has to offer...  it gets WAY better...   I've only just started reading it the past 2 days, but I have to say it..  I DON'T CARE WHO YOU ARE THAT'S FUNY RIGHT THERE!!!!!

He's got hte downhome Good Ole Boy humor mixed 9at least i see it that way) with a good interpretation of how ALL "blue coller" working class people are.    I may be a yankee.. but I'm from the great city of PITTSBURGH PENNSYLVANIA.....  AND WE LIVE AND THRIVE ON GOOD OLE AMERICAN LIVING.   Funny how Redneck verbage and Pittsburghese IS errily SIMILAR.  Makes me PROUD to wave, wear and salute the red white and blue


This book contains powerful healing techniques
	This book was referred to me by one of the author's students. I have been practicing Karuna Reiki for several years.  I was thrilled to read this book. The author has introduced many specific healing techniques and symbol combinations that have produced amazing results for my clients.  She obviously has an incredible passion for Karuna Reiki because the book reads as if the energy itself wrote every word.


NOBLE PRIZE WINNER ON CONFLICT
	The 2005 Nobel Prize for Economics was awarded to Robert Aumann and Thomas C. Schelling.  Schelling is professor of Economics at the University of Maryland and applied game theory to conflict.  His focus was on the weapons issues but his ideas have been applied to a host of business issues.

	In this review, we will apply some of Shelling's concepts to how companies fire employees.

	Schelling says "uncertain retaliation is more efficient than certain retaliation" when bargaining and "the capability to retaliate is more useful than the ability to defend."  Now let's get practical.

			GOODBYE SCENARIO

	As a verb, "goodbye" is the act of parting.  It is also an acknowledgement of parting.  A goodbye scenario assumes that once employees physically leave the building, they will never be a factor for the company's future.  The relationship was transactional and the transaction is now over.

	If the firm defines the termination as a goodbye scenario, the firm should be guided by a business model that says, "What's the least expensive way of terminating this relationship?"  And Board members should ask tough questions about paying too much.

			AUWIEDERSEHEN SCENARIO

	"Auwiedersehen" is German for "Until we meet again."  It has a more open-ended quality than the English "goodbye."  In an auwiedersehen scenario, the assumption is that once employees physically leave the building, they may continue to be a factor in the firm's future.  But it is unclear what that factor may be.

After their non-compete contracts are over, they may join a smaller competitor and become potential allies or opponents in your firm's efforts to develop strategic alliances or acquire the firm.

They may join firms that touch your industry and become potential referral sources of new business for you or a potential source of caution to others about using your company.

They may attend alumni programs at their schools and encourage/discourage graduates from joining your firm.

Each of these scenarios assumes capability of retaliation plus uncertainty of retaliation.

The best practical defense in terminating employees under these conditions is "Treat  people with dignity on the way out because the assured costs of such positive treatment are less than the potential downside retaliatory risks.

		AUWIEDERSEHEN VS IT'S NICE TO BE NICE

	We work with companies that treat departing leaders with dignity
on the grounds that  "it is good public relations and good for morale if we help former employees achieve a `soft landing.'"  This positive rationale works only in cultures supportive of such a rationale.

	The Schelling rationale does not depend on an organizion having a specific culture for treating people with dignity.

	It develops a contingency approach to management based on a risk assessment.

There may be times when a "goodbye" scenario does indeed make good sense.  There are other times when "auwiedersehen" makes better economic sense.

In applying Professor Schelling's theories, management's failure to take defensive measures with those possessing abilities and options to retaliate is is just bad economics.  One sees it at work every day.

(...)


A Fantastic Exercise in "What If"
	This isn't really a novel and it isn't really a collection of short stories, but the vignettes are more fable than whimsy because fables are filled with lessons.  Alan Lightman writes about many possibilities of the alternate reality of time, as he imagines Einstein envisioned them.  Each alternate reality builds off a cliched phrase we use to describe time:  Time is Money, Time Flows Uphill, Live in the Present - Forget the Past, Time is Motion, etc.

Lightman writes beautifully and his imagined realities are intriguing, each could be the setting for powerful stories.  It's a quick read, a fun read, and well worth the 'time.'

- CV Ric


Using this book at UNC Charlotte in class
	All right... All right, I say. So I'm writing about a preteen book about a little girl. That doesn't make me weird does it? It shouldn't since I had to read it for a college course. So I'm writing because, well, who would've ever guessed, but I loved it? It's a ripping story, man. It is funny, inventive, historic and riveting, all the things I was sure it wouldn't be when I got assigned the book. So, here I am, blown away by a book about a little girl. I don't even like history, but it wasn't presented as antiquated. It was dealt with as you and I would deal with our history, as pertinent, in the moment, and nothing that has been generated and worked over in a history book. I'm telling you, the character Darby is great, as are all the characters, including the total garps that go around spouting their racist jargon, etc, until Darby unintentionally questions everything, causing all matter of problems, like maybe she'll get knocked off by the Klan. The story is actually something you'll find yourself absolutely focused on. I couldn't put it down. I've read a lot of adolescent fiction for this class, and I can say that if I had a kid, I'd be pouring this down their brain. So, does that make me weird? Who cares, huh? I had to read the book for my class, and I'm happy I did


Creating Mindful Reactions That Are Good for Your Health!
	I decided to read this book because I enjoyed Dr. O'Connor's book, Undoing Depression so much.  I am delighted to report that Undoing Perpetual Stress is an even better book.

What is perpetual stress like?  The metaphor that Dr. O'Connor uses is that of an impala who thinks there's a cheetah behind every rock.  The flight or fight response is never at rest . . . and the poor impala's health is soon destroyed.

Dr. O'Connor argues that our over stimulating world creates the same kinds of stress from unseen "threats" as the world goes whizzing by at 75 miles per hour.

In the book, he describes the sources of the stress, how stress undermines your body, immune system, brain and mind, and what you can do to put the stress comfortably in the background.

This book will appeal to those who are stressed out, those who experience anxiety and depression at the same time, those who love such people, and those who want to better understand the mind-body connection based on the latest scientific research.

Undoing Perpetual Stress is filled with many helpful exercises that will help even those who don't think they have too much stress.  One of the best from my perspective was taking a psychological snapshot of yourself every five years . . . and spotting what was wrong with your life at each stage.  I was astonished to realize how many memories I had repressed, but which are still influencing my psychology.  And Dr. O'Connor is good about reminding you to "practice, practice, practice" the exercises and his advice.

I have been a meditator for over ten years, and this book helped me to gain a lot of perspective on what the meditation is helping and what it is not.  While I have eliminated a lot of the background noise, I haven't dealt with a lot of old issues.  It was helpful to find out what those issues are . . . and what to do about them.  I found that my creativity and mind were suddenly freed by the process.

For parents, there's a lot of new information here on how various parenting methods influence a child over a lifetime.  It's a lot better than what you read in that first book about how to be a parent.  Check it out!

This book should be required reading for anyone who finishes high school


LOVE IT!
	When I saw the cover of this book, I had a feeling I would love it. The picture of the little boy on the cover flexing his muscles is something I have seen my three sons do many, many times. When I opened it and started to read, wonderful memories flooded back of when my sons were younger. I laughed and cried almost simultaneously while reading several of the stories.

If you have sons, or have friends that have sons, this book is a must. I will be buying my friends who are mothers of sons this for Christmas


Incomparable
	Few works survive two and a half thousand years and remain a masterpiece. This is one of them.

Thucydides crisp account of the long struggle that brought disaster to his native Athens is remarkable for it's candor, despite events that must have been tragically painful. The text includes legendary personalities (Pericles, Alcibiades, Demosthenes, Nicias, etc): their actions, words, and fate. Facts license readers to decide what's important, and the events described are worthy of discerning the essence of humanity.

Who would have thought the promise of Persian defeat (told by Herodotus) would be squandered in a tedious contest that ultimately proved grave for all involved? Athens' distinction as the first democracy makes it a vital epic (given recent attempts to democratize the Middle East). Melos destiny at Athens' hands may give pause. As may the Syracuse expedition (especially Book Seven).

I read Warner's translation thirty years ago (it was 50p then), and still turn to it from time to time. Also recommended: `The Landmark Thucydides' (Robert Strassler, Victor Davis Hanson). This is a volume for those willing to spend a bit more to obtain the history matched with maps and footnotes


Contentment
	I too have stood at the dessert table of a buffet hopelessly unable to eat as many servings as I wanted.  This is a perfect metaphor for the book "When All You've Ever Wanted Isn't Enough".  The book is about the spiritual yearning you feel inside, that always seems to want something more.  Until they arrive at that "something more", people can never truly feel content.

As is the case with most of Kushner's writing, he uses a book of the old testament to further his explanation. In this case, he effectively employs the seemingly paradoxical book of Ecclesiastes.  This book of the Bible finds its author searching for more in life.  In the end, the author finds that it is not so much the end as the journey itself that has importance.

Kushner's overall point is best summarized on page 189.  Does it make a difference if I am honest, good, or faithful?  It does not seem to matter to my bank account or fortune.  "... It matters if we are true to ourselves, to our innate human nature that requires things like honesty and kindness and grows flabby and distorted if we neglect them.  It matters if we learn how to share our lives with others, making them and their world different, rather than try and hoard life to ourselves.  It matters than we learn to recognize the pleasures of every day, food and work and love and friendship, as encounters with the divine, encounters that teach us not only that God is real but that we are real too."

It is a simple yet beautiful message.  People that live this message will certainly discover the beauty in their life


Here's the template!
	This is *da book* on  quot;The Dick Van Dyke Show quot;, but it's really far more than that.  It is the finest book on a TV sitcom I've ever come across.  Waldron painstakingly discusses everything you'd ever want to know  about  the show, and he interviewed (seemingly) everyone connected with the  show, including Carl Reiner, Mary Tyler Moore, Dick, Larry Matthews, Rose  Marie, and many of the writers. If you're a DVDS fan, you've gottta have  this tome on hand.  I can't recommend it  highly enough.  I fervently hope  Vince will do subsequent books on  quot;Cheers quot; and other  sitcoms...he's the ONLY man for the job


As informative and Entertaining as the Movie Counterpart
	I purchased this book after having seen Super Size Me and I was a little worried that there would be nothing new for Morgan to present. I, however, was proven wrong. This is a very good read that is able to put down more statistics and specifics about the food industry that the movie was not as focuses on. The movie, of course, was focused mostly on the fast food industry.

Morgan Spurlock is always a surprise. You seem him with his long sideburns and know he is from West Virginia and you just expect the stereotype. He is not a stereotype. The book is written in a very clear voice, the same intelligent humorous voice that came across in the movie, "Super Size Me."

My one disappointment is that I was hoping the book would have more details about the diet that his girlfriend put him on when he finished his 30 days, but now I see she has her own book. Ah, marketing!

I think you can read this as stand alone but as everyone notes, it works great in conjunctions with the movie to help you not forget


Exquisite Historical Prose!
	The nature of a people is seldom easy to describe because the attempt is often sabotaged by either the Outsider's incorrect perceptions or the Insider's preconceptions, depending on which is constructing the definition. What we find with W.J. Cash's The Mind of the South is no different, although it is a pleasant journey. Sparkling with some of the most fluid prose ever found in historical writing, Cash's work deserves recognition for this reason alone; yet there is value in the exposition itself, even if it forgets a full two-thirds of the South's population in its description (blacks and women). What the modern reader is left with, then, is not so much a description of the "the southern mind" as it is "the white southern male mind." And while Cash's work does not quite apologize for the many neuroses of that mind, it does attempt to explain the effects it has had on our perception of the American South, with a small dash of glory added for good measure.

First, it is important for us to take into account the wonderful introduction to the work by Bertram Wyatt-Brown. Wyatt-Brown shows that Cash's battle with depression was a salient part in understanding his interpretation of the South, as was his upbringing. Wyatt-Brown seems to agree with my assessment on the Insider/Outsider effect:

    "The origins of Cash's interpretation of his culture and region lay not only in the objective fact of Southern intransigence about issues of race and change, but in the very makeup of his mind. Like so many creative depressives, he stood apart from the society around him. Such a position of detachment can provide a special angle of vision that those immersed in society cannot obtain (Cash xxvii)."

Wyatt-Brown, with this statement, makes Cash an outside-Insider, by virtue of his being a manic depressive. He is a southerner, and therefore capable of the same preconceptions of his own people as any southerner; however, according to Wyatt-Brown, by reason of his mental condition, he is elevated away from this status and into a new status altogether, a presumably better one. I would agree with this, if the work itself is to be taken as proof. Cash is capable of wonderful insights into his own culture and society. However - and this is crucial! - we must not gloss over the fact that by omitting women and blacks from his work, Cash loses some credibility. It is here, it seems, that Cash could not escape the Insider mentality.

This work is characterized by one over-arching theme: southern culture, though as elusive in most respects as any other, is penetrated throughout with one defining and collective temperament. In essence, this work is interpretative rather than linear, as it attempts to analyze rather than delineate. This elevates Cash from the traditional historian (in the mold of Clement Eaton) to sociologist or social commentator (in the mold of David Halberstam). That is not to say that Cash does not know his history or pilfers it from others; it seems impossible after reading The Mind of the South for one to imagine Cash using such smooth language while pulling facts from anywhere outside his own mind. The disjointed quality usually apparent in any attempt to fuse sources without an overall voice is thankfully absent. Cash is who we hear while we read, and it is his elucidative brush-strokes that paint the image of the Southerner.

Much is left out of this short review of Cash's work, as brevity is a consideration. A more complex examination of the work would require many more words than I have time for at the moment. But I do feel obligated to at least sum up the trajectory of Cash's masterpiece. The first few chapters lay the groundwork for Cash's southern temperament - individualistic, violent, quasi-aristocratic, provincial, just to name a few - while the remainder of the work displays the evolution of that temperament while it is worked upon by forces both outside it and from within, and its own natural need to adapt. The Yankee plays his part, as does Uncle Tom and the fugitive slave, the southern belle and the Garrison abolitionist, the carpet-bagger and the scalawag, the confederate soldier and the lynch mob, the fire-eater and the bible-thumping revivalist. It is impossible for any society to exist in a vacuum, or as a prehistoric insect preserved in amber. That being said, it is still remarkable that the American south came as close as it did


Another hit from Barry
	This is another collection of Barry's columns and a surefire hit for any fan.  As usual, his columns pack a punch and end with a zinger or inside joke.  Mr. Language Person makes an appearance or two in this collection, and Barry also takes on TV commericials, his relationship with his wife, and (always a winner) the life of his teenaged son.  Recommended


bright and enjoyable, but not especially deep
	While I agree with several people who don't consider this chick-lit, I don't see why that is a bad thing. I enjoyed Radish's writing style, purple prose and all. If you're expecting a Dickensian journey into a complex character, this book is not it. However, it does provide a snapshot of a woman forced to assess her life and choose between the road less traveled and her current miserable life.

Yes, the (positive and negative) circumstances of Meg's life were unrealistic, but I felt they were dramatized to make a point. We all have strong, kind, and amazing people in our lives, but we have to look for these things in people. I had an aunt just like Marcia, who fought her battles with a fantastic sense of humor, courage, and love for everyone around her. The message I took from this book is this - life can be all you want if you simply take the time to nourish your own strength and that of those around you. It doesn't take money to be powerful and satisfied with your life


Insightful and Exceedingly Rare Scholarship
	Kudos to Finkelstein for having the courage to tackle such subject matter.  The fact that he himself, a descendent of Holocaust survivors, has been attacked and derided for writing it just goes to prove one of his underlying points: you cannot criticize the state of Israel or its proponents without being labeled an anti-Semite.  Any discussion of their illegal occupation or the countless UN resolutions condemning them is tantamount to sympathizing and promoting terrorism.  By far one of the most interesting sections is the portion dealing with the Swiss banks; this version also has an updated appendix that covers rulings left out of the hardcover edition.  Finkelstein does come across overtly hostile at times but his anger is justified and those holding it against him seem to blow it a bit out of proportion.  Very odd that those on the far left and far right both give accolades to this work.  Hilberg's endorsement carries a tremendous amount of weight, and those unfamiliar with his seminal multi-volume set The Destruction of European Jews would be well served to check it out


He LOVES it!
	Not only was the book cheaper on Amazon than the bookstores but I ordered this book for my boyfriend from here and I got it earlier than expected so that was great! He says it has great step-by-step images and that's a positive for him since he learns more from visuals. Also, it has instructions that he's able to follow and understand.

We both just wish it had more "food art" in the book but, overall, it's a great book


My Infant Smiles Whenever He Sees This Book
	We have enjoyed another of Eric Carle's books--Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See--since my son was a few weeks old.  So, when my son was about 7 months old, I bought From Head to Toe.  It was a wonderful purchase!  After a few reads, my son was imitating the animals just like his mama--waving his arms like a monkey and on his hands and knees like the cat.  It was so wonderful for me to see that my son was understanding and processing the books I read to him.


A rich and thought-provoking book
	If you are a runner, you may have experienced the mental benefits that running provides.  You may have also felt a spiritual presence while running, perhaps saying a prayer or working through personal problems while on the trail.  In this extraordinary book, Joslin explores this mind/body connection and gives many different ways to experience the spiritual side of the sport. He shares meditative techniques developed over many years and very rich personal experiences with excerpts from his running journal.  The book is well thought-out and written with a great deal of humility and care.  This is one that I will read again and again.  It changed the way I approach running.  I also think about this book throughout the day, even when I am not running.  A great book


Leslie does it again!
	I am a total addict of Leslie Sansone's Walk Away programs - I had many exercise videos, but never stuck to anything until I found her energizing, fun, and most of all easy workouts.

In her personal, talking-to-you-like-a-best-friend style, Leslie shows you how regular exercise benefits you in all ways from your health to your body to your mind and then presents her easy to follow basic workout which consists of three walking steps that are interchanged and sometimes modified while doing the program.

There is no dieting in this program!  She is a strong proponent of getting up and moving to better your life and shows it here by offering a few modifications you can make to your way of eating to help you lose weight, but no real diet, which I think is great!  It helps to show that the real health factor is getting the exercise you need, not feeling deprived of the food you want which is why many diets fail.

She has many success stories to motivate you peppered throughout the book and closes with a discussion about how stress affects your life and how you can beat it through exercise.

I love Leslie!  She is personable, motivating, and a great teacher - I am forever grateful to her for getting this former couch potato, at-home mom to stick to an exercise routine that I know will always benefit my life


Thinking and Racism
	To think about racism is to be thoughtful. To be thoughtful is to be engaged in the process of learning. To refuse to reflect on and examine your belief systems is to be ignorant


A Loving Look At Middle Earth
	This book was originally published ca 1980 as England and Always.  I have not seen the original so I can't tell how much of this book is new material (beyond a chapter dealing with Peter Jackson's films).  Lobdell has examined Tolkien's writings from several interesting and unusual perspectives.  One of the most interesting deals with the influence of Edwardian adventure fiction (Haggard, etc.) on Tolkien.  Another fascinating chapter deals with Middle Earth as a Christian world in a pre-Christian age.  There is also a short fiction story in an Appendix which is meant to be a sort of parallel to Tolkien's own abandoned sequel to The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the Shadow.  I enjoyed this story, though of course Lobdell as a fiction writer cannot measure up to Tolkien. (But then, no one can!)

I am a long time Tolkien reader and addict (since the age of 12 in 1969.)  Most of the time I do not care for Tolkien "criticism" and "literary analysis", which to me seems to suck out the magic, but Lobdell's work is different.  The World of the Rings enhances Middle Earth and intensifies the love I feel for it


One of King's Best
	Masterfully thought out   written. Not your usual supernatural, horror King story. Written in 4-5 completely different chapters there is some supernatural, but it begins as a story of some friends in childhood, follows them through the years   culminates with them as adults. Each chapter is completely different yet ties some characters in. At the end they are all tied together in some ways years later. It's ingenious in it's finale and I advise you set aside some time for reading. It's very difficult to put down. Once it grabs your interest, it just sucks you into the story. If you remember your childhood friends (we all do) you'll identify with the story


Heroic and On Target.
	Phyllis Chesler is a most unusual feminist. She really doesn't fit in with the equity feminist crowd and is a complete dissenter from the female superiority, gender feminist crowd. The one thing that makes her consistently worth reading is her passion for telling the truth. This seems to be her most pervasive (and endearing) feature as an intellectual, and the trait was ubiquitously on display throughout her recent "Death of Feminism" release. Here she tackles a verboten subject which is whether or not women are the unbridled source of goodness that many feminists assume them to be. Numerous examples of misapplied and unprovoked indirect aggression are identified and elucidated in the text. On the whole, it makes for compelling reading. We find that women are regular human beings just like everyone else. They have many of the same, yet subtlety different, characteristics as do men. In these pages, Chesler illustrates the magnitude of inter-woman hostility as their strong social skills can often be applied in a negative manner. Many mother-daughter conflicts are projected into adult situations. Why feminists wouldn't have wanted this published seems rather silly to me. We should regard women as they are and not as objects of fantasy. Chesler never implies any inter-sex superiority or inferiority, she is content to describe what is, and it's great stuff indeed.


Perfect Introduction Book
	I have just finished my sophomore year in college and in my first course relating to information and computer security we used this book. I would recommend it to anybody who is interested in getting into the rapidly expanding field of infosec.
     As they say with the CISSP certification, it is an "inch deep and a mile wide". This book covers many, many topics however it is really intended to be an introduction to these concepts.
     It gave me a good overview of information security concepts and prepared me for senior level Infosec courses as well as preparation for graduate school.

*Note that preparation for the CISSP exam would require much more then just this book


Liberals--"Save the Bureaucracy, To Hell With Kids."
	Ask your favorite Liberal or Socialist the following objective question and you'll quickly find out how totally vile many Liberals, Socialists and Do-Gooders are:

     "If you, as an elected Government bureaucrat could send
a poor, black child to a violent, academically inferior Government public school (K-12) for $15,000 per child per year of taxpayer money,
     OR, send that same poor black child to a nurturing, academically superior Private or Parochial school (K-12) for
$7,500 per child per year of taxpayer money

     To which school would you, Ms. Liberal, send that child?"

     For over 13 years Liberals, Socialists and most Do-Gooders
have bravely answered:  "I, as a good Liberal, would send that
poor black child to the violent, academically inferior Government School!"

     Save a poor black kid for $7,500 per year? or Destroy a poor black kid for $15,000 per year?  And most Do-Gooders and
Liberals choose expensive destruction?

     Have fund asking your Liberal friends the above question
and watch the squirming.


Check the facts
	Girl Sleuth is a must-read especially for the over-50 Nancy Drew fan.  Rehak's research is remarkable.  However, on p. 47, Rehak has Mildred Augustine headed west to the University of Iowa from her hometown of Ladora, Iowa.  She would have headed east.  I have been teaching 30 years in the school district that now includes students from the town of Ladora and have my own degree from Iowa.  I've traveled Highway 6 between Ladora and Iowa City many, many times.

Marcia Nilles
What Cheer  I


Fun Reading and great characters
	This was my first Julie Garwood novel and it was very good. I thoroughly enjoyed this authors descriptive characterization. The playful bantering had me laughing uncontrollably and falling in love with the characters even more with every page I read.

With all the other reviews, I don't need to explain the plot. It isn't anything new for the romantic suspense genre, but very entertaining and an enjoyable read. It has mystery, intrigue, suspense, action, and romance. What more can a reader want?

Is it worth the money?  Definitely. Can't wait to read more.


My Favorite Quotation Book!
	I have had this book for 9 years and it continues to be my favorite.  I have several other quotation books, but I always keep coming back to this one. It covers many topics that are categorized in a user friendly format which makes searching for the perfect quote a breeze.  I recommend this  book for the quotation fanatic


Great Book! Greg Isles never disappoints me!
	Turning Angel was a page turner for me so I bought BLood Memory. WOW! It did not disappoint me


Witches with a Message
	I had to read this book as an assignment for a Seminary class on Leadership.  I was sceptical that a children's book about witches would be applicable to a master's level college course.  My scepticism was unfounded.  This is a good, fun read.  But, more than that, this is a story that tugs at heart strings and teaches through the trials and personalities of it's characters.  I recommend it to "children" of all ages!


Western Liberalism on Trial
	In Faith in Nation, Anthony Marx delivers a spirited rebuttal of the "literary trope" (p 15) about a liberal, inclusive Western nationalism. Instead, he argues that even the "truest" brand of Western nationalism-that of England and France-came to being only after brutal fratricide of massive scale. His entire theory is based on a central position that nationalism developed much earlier than is popularly believed today. This leads one to question why does he insist on such a position? Has he made the case for it? What happens to his theory if the position turns out to be wrong?

I will argue that the definition of the state, or the lack thereof, is key to answering all of the above questions. Only by implicitly loosening the definition of the state, can Marx trace the genesis of Western nationalism back to as early as the 16th century, thus cementing the linkage between Western nationalism and religious violence. However, the liberal adaptation of the concept of the state puts Marx's entire theory on shaky ground.

According to Marx, the state is the raison d' tat of nationalism: for nationalism to become a historical force, it "must ... refer to a state as an existing structure or potential object of engagement" (p 8). Although he declares early and clearly what nationalism is (p 4), he never spells out his definition of a state. In fact, what we would think of as a modern state today can hardly be found in 16th century Europe.

Only when the definition of a state is sufficiently loosened, can Marx backdate nationalism to the 16th century, when most of the political authorities at the time existed in the form of royal courts. Only after he pushes back the genesis of nationalism, can Marx connect the religious violence of the 16th century to nationalism. Only when the religious violence is viewed as part of the history of nation building, does it acquire significance in the nature of Western nationalism. Otherwise, the St. Barthelme Day massacre or the burnings at Smithfield is just another "normal" religious upheavals in history, thus any association the massacre or the burnings may have with nation building would be purely coincidental-as Liah Greenfeld implied when Marx quoted her in saying, "Frenchness was disassociating itself from Catholicism." To Anthony Marx, however, French nationalism and its French Catholic identity are not external to each other. They are just different stages in the same dialectic process. Therefore, real "Frenchness" is actually the public oblivion in France of the strange relationship between the church and the state1.

Yet all the grand reasoning depends on Marx's definition of the state. After all, can we call the royal courts of the 16th century "states"? Not only has Marx not given his readers a clear answer, some of his own writings seem to contradict each other. For example, Marx mentions that the Treaty of Westphalia marks the beginning of the modern states (p 35). But the French War of Religions and the reign of Mary Tudor-the very conflicts that are supposedly at the core of nation-state building-occurred almost a century earlier. Even if we use the later date, 1648, as the beginning of the state system, one still has to be cautious to label all subsequent political authorities "states". Regardless whether Louis XIV actually said "I am the state", the fact that monarchical authority is directly associated with an individual ruler makes it transient in nature (relative to institutionalized modern government), therefore it can hardly be designated the "object of engagement" for nationalist ideology.

Since Marx's concept of the state is on shaky ground, his entire theory appears highly questionable. I would argue, however, there are two options that can salvage his arguments. One is to weaken the link between nationalism and the state. In other words, nationalism may develop independent of the state. This observation may have a wider application outside of the context of Western history than inside of it. The other option is to introduce a third element, such as political culture, that can bridge the violent past and state and nation building in later times. For example, one accepts that the massive fratricide did happen earlier than the emergence of the nation-state. Nevertheless, the bloodshed molded a new political culture, which manifested itself as a more inclusive nationalism when the nation-state took shape later. If such an interpretation proves to be a more sensible reading of history than that of Marx, then Marx's criticism of Western nationalism can be easily appropriated to deconstruct the Western political culture-the liberal democracy-itself: that it has a ugly past but short memory. However, is the world ready for such a "total recall"?


Europe since 1945 for the Non-Historian
	Tony Judt's  "Postwar - A History of Europe Since 1945" is the well researched material from a British conservative born 1948 in London  and educated at Cambridge and Paris on political, social and economic developments in Europe following World War II.

Steeped in information about little understood countries, the book would be a great read for non-Europeans interested in how the continent recovered from the war, especially in East Germany, the Balkans, and the Eastern Europe countries that were strongly influenced by the USSR.

The book makes the point, that without the threat of the USSR in Eastern Europe, the US isolationist might have prevailed, which would have adversely influenced the recovery of West Germany, and Communism might not have collapsed so quickly.

Although the book is relativly easy to read, its 800 plus pages are peppered with little over-the-top clauses that add about 200 unnecessary pages to the work. Nevertheless, as non-professional historian, I would rank the book slightly under 5 stars.


Great book, needs a new update
	As a pharmacy student, I found the Washington Manual to be the best pocket guide for looking up guidelines and treatment options, as well as interaction charts and pregnancy categories.  This is a well written book that covers most of the major cronic health conditions and treatment.  This book does not waste time and space talking about every detail of each disease state, but rather focuses on the causes, measurements and treatments.  My only criticism is that this latest edition is dated 2004 and in medical therapeutics, is considered old