Why Classics are Classics
	As one reads Peter Pan, one doesn't have to do much thinking to figure out why its story has achieved such worldwide acclaim.  I had ridiculously high expectations of Mr. Barrie's imagination before purchasing this title, and he has fulfilled them completely.

Many parts of the story are nothing but nonsense, which I enjoy above all else.  Mr. Darling, the head of the Darling family, commands his children to take their medicine after he hides the medicine he's supposed to take.  He brags about how noble he is for drinking a medicine that tastes so much worse that theirs.  Unfortunately for him, during his bragging his medicine is found, and the whole family agrees to take their respective medicines on the count of three.  Sure enough, when three is reached, everyone except Mr. Darling takes their medicine, and Mr. Darling once again tries to hide his.

This kind of scenario is what I'd call Mark Twain nonsense.  You can imagine it being true, even though it's quite high up on the ridiculous scale.  Then there's what I would classify as over-the-top nonsense - AKA bull - which there is plenty of in Barrie's original story of Peter Pan.  Going back to Mr. Darling, if we take a look at how he's doing near the end of the book, we find him going to and from work in a dog kennel.  Ah, yes...grown men in pet taxis.  What could be more fun than the "he-didn't-even-try-to-make-this-belivable" silliness of such a scene?  To be honest, I don't know if I'd even read books if they all left out fun stuff like this.

Other silly parts of the book involve Wendy growing up a day quicker than most girls; the narrator claiming he hates Mrs. Darling only to call her his favorite character a few sentences later; the lost boys asking Wendy to change the characters her story just two sentences into it; the narrator using the phrase "woke into life" because Peter likes the word "woke" more than "wakened;" and my favorite, Captain Hook using a stale cake as a missle and then falling over it in the dark.

I believe the novel version of Peter Pan was written after the author had already established Peter Pan as a successful play.  That may explain a lot about the colorful narration, which takes many, many literary liberties.  We see everything from blatant narrator interference with the characters in the story to the shameless attempt at informing the audience that the narrator only chooses to make the events in the story happen a certain way so certain characters in the book won't be disappointed.  Perhaps without these wacky (and maybe even insane) traits in the narration, there'd be no reason to read the book, since it would be no different from the play.  After reading the Peter Pan novel though, I'd have to say it almost seems criminal to watch an adaptation of Peter Pan without any wacky narration.

Contrary to most adaptations of Peter Pan, the individual lost boys (of where there are six I believe) are actually more developed as characters than John or Michael Darling.  Heck, at the end of the book they actually end up moving out of the Neverland to live with the Darlings and grow up to busy themselves in interesting professions.

I may not like the actual land of Neverland as much as I like the land of Oz, but Barrie's narration is unbeatable in my opinion.  He could probably make a Jeopardy contestant's Friday night schedule sound exciting.

I believe Barrie has written another Peter Pan book as well, a prequel of sorts entitled "Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens."  It should be interesting, particuarly if it addresses what is contained in the dark dreams that haunt Peter throughout this book.  Freud would have a field day with such dreams and the whole mother issue.

The only thing I expected to see in this book that I didn't see was "happy thoughts."  That must have been a creation of Disney


Wow... what a b*(#h
	I am nearly finished with this book - I haven't been this mesmerized by a book in forever! I would certainly recommend it


Mmmmmm.....Scrumptious!   And the Memories.......
	Having patronized Boulevard all but twice, I still feel the need to write a review.  You have to understand that those of us "Back East" think that California food is understated and so easy.   Now not being a huge chef myself, but cooking a bit and doing some experimentation and emulation of real chef's recipes (my fave restaurants being of course, Boulevard, and back east, 2941, Le Tire Bouchon, Maestro, Citronelle DC, Galileo, Inn at Little Washington, etc.).  I have no clue where I'd get some of the ingredients in this cookbook, other than maybe the San Francisco Ferry building's fabulous farmer's market (another real SF treat!).  But to be real, we have to sometimes improvise on ingredients.  Do what you can with what you have locally and you might be surprised.  Now I was spoiled with a fabulous waiter at Boulevard who asked the chef to let me know what was in one of the recipes and I have her handwriting -- just ingredients, no measurements.  And yes, I've been able to improvise, and her very treasured scribe is in my own personal collection of "recipes."   But nothing is better than going to the restaurant.   Cookbooks are fab and fun, but getting the realy cooked food directly from the professionals (herselves) are even more exciting.  Buy this book even just for the photographs, as I've never been in a more well-decorated and well-thought-out restaurant.  If only I didn't live on the East Coast!


Practical and Very Useful Book on Software Profession as a Career
	Businesses cannot exist without the IT and vice-versa. They are interdependent. IT systems automate the business processes and run 24 by 7. Therefore we cannot really view those who work at the "Business" level as above us.  So, I disagree with the author on this point. However, he does sort of make a U turn later on in the book.

This book will make you think. For instance: What is the supply demand for programmers in a particular Business domain? This would be a good question to research so that we can plan our career.

He talks about how to survive layoffs by being knowledgeable in different areas. Not everyone wants to stay in one organization for a long time. Another thing is that it is almost impractical to learn everything in a particular technology (say, Java technology). Developers will have different intentions, for example they might have a backup plan in case of IT downturn, either by having a cash cushion or generating cash flow through software products.

I agree about following your passion. It enables us to transcend limitations. It inspires us and makes us reach a level of performance that amazes us. This explains the previous paragraph (which sounds like excuses).

Another principle that he explains - "Be the Worst" is very real. Two projects, one early in my career where I had the opportunity to work with a strong and talented team of developers and project manager. Recently when I found working for people who were not anywhere near my capabilities, they did affect my performance.

This book helps to see and expect what the work environment could possibly bring us and what we can do to proactively handle these situations.

Maintenance is seen as a menial work and recruiters downplay any experience on it. Oh, this is a developer job...  Chad advises you to learn to love maintenance.

He recommends having a mentor and I am glad I read his book. I know mentors can also come in the form of a book!!! You can have more than one mentor.

I love the Eight-Hour Burn concept. This explains why I get very depressed and productivity drops during the last few weeks of the project. Now I know how to make the work stay in the office. No more nagging problems following me home!

The concept of "Presence" is very realistic. I learned this by making mistakes in the workplace and the cost was high. I wish I had read this book early in my career. Lot of things that he explains has already happened to me in my career. Still I was able to learn how to handle those situations successfully next time around.

Reading open source code really helps to solve recurring problems quickly. I have experienced this in my job. The cover of this book really needs to be improved. The content of the book is much better than the quality of cover image


A modern day search for the truth - with disheartening results
	I have spent a lot of time and money researching into Mormon history. The big problem is that, as Henry Ford once said "History is bunk". With Joseph Smith and the history of the Mormon church, there are hundreds of accounts that argue that he was an inspired prophet and just as many, an ingenious charlatan. There are even accounts that avoid making a judgement either way and leave it up to the reader to decide. Hence, using history as a basis for discovering the truth about the history of Joseph Smith can be a very frustrating (and sometimes expensive) exercise. The Church itself avoids encouraging the study of historical events to gain testimony, but instead promotes the individual member to gain a spiritual testimony. It is easy to see from my statement above, why.

This book takes a completely different approach in investigating the truthfulness of what Joseph Smith produced. Forget about what might have happened in the early 1800's and instead, focus on the actual record contained in the Book of Mormon itself. Let current day investigation be the basis for the search of truth instead of historical personal accounts. This removes any bias of the source material and hence allows for an objective study.

Thomas Stuart Ferguson starts out as the Book of Mormon's most enthusiastic proponent. He sacrifices a large portion of his life both petitioning the First Presidency for financial support, and performing extensive archaeological expeditions to find evidence of the civilisations documented in the Book of Mormon (BofM). While he expects an abundance of material to be discovered, he finds none. Nothing. No evidence of the language or writings contained within the BofM, the animals and crops mentioned, artefacts, city names, weapons, metals, glass etc. Nothing for the period documented within the BofM (2500 BC - 400 AD). There are few discoveries outside this timeline, but none within. All he wanted (and expected) to find were actual artefacts or at least murals/pictorials showing the above documented items.

The turning point came when fragments of the Joseph Smith papyri were rediscovered in the late 1960's and found to contain nothing in common with The Book of Abraham. This is a completely separate quest in itself (see "By His Own Hand Upon Papyrus").

While Ferguson may have lost his faith, he never left the LDS church and continued to attend and support it - he even sent a son on a mission. He believed the Mormon church was "the best fraternity on earth". In public, he was a "normal" member, in private circles he believed Joseph Smith was a fraud and as a result, spent the remainder of his life researching why.

This book is both a document detailing Ferguson's quest for the truth, and his way of dealing with it from the result.


Frank Peretti Lite
	I call this one "Frank Peretti Lite."  It was very entertaining but not a deep as his previous books.  Instead of focusing on sin and spiritual warfare, this one had a creationist angle.  I really enjoyed it, just not the same as his other books.  Also, you have to remember that this is fiction.  Of course the scenario is highly unlikely if not impossible.  But the central point about mutations comes through.  Great summer read


On death and dying
	I haven't had a chance to read the book in its entirity, but have enjoyed what I have read.


Get the Hardback version.  It is vastly superior!
	This book was originally conceived of and designed in the manner of an illuminated manuscript.  The images are combined with the text to convey meaning.  In the paperback most of the images are gone and the ones remaining are converted to black and white and shoved into the middle of the book where they lose their context


Timing is everything, and you won't have it.
	One reviewer of this book said he's sick of investing tomes, they offer no practical benefit except to enrich the authors, who usually run money management firms for which the books are meant to recruit clients.

   And of course those firms charge hefty fees, even if their timing is slightly off (say, a few years or so).

   Another reviewer loved the book because he realizes he is going to have to work harder to invest successfully over coming years. If only he had read the book in 1999.

   What is not fully understood by many investors is that the money game is run by Wall Streeters with whom you cannot compete and beat over time. Some of the smartest people in the world work on the Street and they are not sharing what they know with anybody. But they want you in the game. They need you. They take care of their biggest clients (and I mean really big) and every client who is not big is late to the table and last to leave, usually at a loss. Because smaller clients start buying what the big players are just starting to sell. Which is why the big holders sell in dribs and drabs over time. Every winning trade requires a losing trade. Too bad, past results are no etc. etc.

   Try to work the market independently against the big guns and you will eventually come to know the meaning of whipsaw. And its consequences. Everybody thinks they can get out in time. Trouble is, when markets tank--stock market, real estate markets--there is no getting out because there are no buyers. It's a free fall without a parachute. Many real estate speculators will learn this in the coming year.

   The author of this book, Ed Eastering, is well respected and can give you a good view of how the game works. Which is useful in a textbook kind of way. And he attempts to lay out some tips for the solo investor.

   Trouble is, timing IS everything and the information you need to time the market is not going to be found in any book. Or any proprietary system being peddled over the internet. If it worked that well they would not be selling it to you.

   So what's the answer?

   Contrarian investing? When everybody is long, go short, and vice versa? Good idea but it requires a discipline that can tear apart the innards of a veteran Wall Street trader. It is just not wired into the systems of most people to pull it off. And reliable sell signals are about as hard to find as a legitimate 1918 Inverted Jenny.

   Another possibility: do what most of the really rich usually do, stuff it into long-term U.S. Treasuries that pay a fixed interest rate and guarantee the principal at maturity. Of course, you have to keep them for the long term, which the really rich can afford to do. Can you? If not, you may sell the bond at a loss that negates the interest you were paid. So you're stuck with safe U.S. short-term notes which mature at par and pay the promised (usually much lower) interest rate. Not very exciting.

   And if inflation pops your interest rate may give you breakeven or less. Well, that's tough unless you had the cojones to buy one of the most volatile commodities in existence: gold. This is a truly ferocious trap that has ruined many.

   The big guns say don't speculate with money you can't afford to lose. Hey, thanks. That fits about .001 percent of the investing population.

   Read Easterling for the historical big picture. And it ain't a pretty picture. It's all about volatility and volatility is a killer.

   And so the moral of the story may be to be very careful with your investment decisions. Err on the side of caution. The first consideration of the physician is Do No Harm. The first consideration of the financial investor is Lose Not Thy Wad.

   Of couse there is the notion that markets investing is really just another excuse to excerise the gambling urge for people who consider casinos crass. If that's you, may luck truly be with you.


Freakonomics
	One of the most interesting books I've ever read!  I could not put this one down.  If all economics books were written this well, everyone would want to be an economist!  The author has a unique perspective on the analysis of data that is very compelling.  He will make you question every "fact" you've ever heard and observe the world around you from a different angle


Classic statement of animal liberation
	In the 1970's, Peter Singer came out with a radical argument which was new in the field of ethics; animal liberation.

While some philosophers and others had in the past, argued for the necessity of being kind to animals (Schopenhauer probably being the most notable case because of his deep respect for Buddhism), Peter Singer was probably the first philosopher in Western philosophy to set out a systematic rational set of arguments for regarding the rights of animals.

Singer's primary argument, and a very interesting one, is science has demonstrated we show very close connections to many kinds of animals, particularly in the structures of our vital organs, nervous systems and brains.  Singer gathers some strong evidence from biology showing how many animal species are apparently capable of feeling pain and hence of suffering.

On these grounds Singer argues animals are entitled to certain rights, at least when they are being used by humans.  The fact animals can suffer means we can't just treat them as another form of material object or resource for our use, but we need to consider them as fellow beings.

Singer builds up a set of arguments against eating animals, using animals in agricultural contexts, using animals for scientific experimentation, or using animals for commercial research such as the testing of cosmetic products.  Singer draws on some infamous and damning experiments which seem to have caused terrible pain and suffering to animals for little apparent gain in scientific knowledge, including the use of 'rape racks' and virtual torture of infant monkeys in one series of experiments.  At the end of the book, Singer presents several vegetarian recipies and hopes readers will stop eating meat on this example.

Singer's work has been very powerful in its influence, and several philosophers built on and expanded on his work.  However, others have criticized his arguments quite strongly, on many grounds.  It has also become a kind of manifesto for many animal rights campaigners and animal liberationists, some of whom have resorted to violent means to 'free' animals from scientific experimentation.

While I admire Singer's rigorous arguments as well as the formidable evidence he marshals to back it, I cannot entirely agree with them.  It seems that at least some scientific research involving animals is necessary for fighting many awful diseases and conditions which cause terrible human suffering.  I think a total ban on animal research, especially medical research and biotechnology research aimed at improving human health, is excessive.

Animals also form an essential part of the livelihood of many people around the world.  No doubt in many cases some practices lead to animals suffering, but does this mean all useage of animals in agriculture should be stopped?  Where do we make changes?  When do we make them?  I certainly agree agriculture should be done in such a way animal cruelty is removed, and suffering reduced as much as possible, but preventing all suffering is impossible, and reality will require compromise.

Also as another ecologist remarked, sometimes practices which cause harm to an individual animal is necessary to protect the overall ecosystem.  Hunting rabbits and kangeroos or cats or horses will cause suffering to these creatures, but is often a necessity in Australia where in many areas these animals are dangerous pests that ruin the native environment through overpopulation or hunting.

Still, the strongest thing in favour of Singer's thesis is that we do share a profound connection with nature, and our terrible disregard for the biosphere is coming back to haunt us in the form of mass extinctions of species.  We certainly need to redevelop a sense of what Edmund Wilson calls 'biophilia', a sense of affinity with nature and the natural world, rather than simply seeing it as another object to gratify our desires


Excellent!
	If you're into reading memoirs, this is exceptional.  Her clarity of thought and her ability to portray her feelings into words is unsurpassed, in my opinion.  I enjoy her prose so very much.  I can find myself relating to so many of her feelings and thoughts despite the difference of age and time.  This is a great read


One great book
	This book explains in simple terms all the stuff that the other one's don't explain. It's one of the best books on photography hands down.
It's clearly the next step in amature photography you will need.I am currently waiting for it to arrive at my door. I have read it already.
I want to own it so I have it forever. I plain on absorbing every comma, period and explaination mark, and explaining it to everyone.
My hat's off to the author. I LIKE IT


Give the kid a break and use your imagination
	Geez.  Its a book folks.  Nobody said it was going to be perfect.  Granted the sentence structure leaves alot to be deisred but use your imagination.  Draw upon your inner child and immerse yourself in the story and stop worrying about the piddly things.  If you want to read books then read them and enjoy them.  If you want to EDIT them then go be an editor.  We live in a world where people sell drugs that kill our kids for money and your worried about this guy making a few bucks with a writing career?  It's called priorities people, get some.  I say he should continue to write and see what he becomes.

I have read Tolkien (not just The Hobbit and LOTR - but ALL of his works).  Dark Tower, Harry Potter, and Star Wars stuff too.  I love Sci-Fi.  Stop nitpicking.  If your at that point then you have lost the purpose of picking up a good sci-fi book.  Start over.  Do not pass go and do not collect $200.00.


Ultra-high expectations unmet
	I'm a little late in reading this book.  I am trying to pace myself between the movies and the books so that I can enjoy a little Harry Potter at least every year.
  I think Goblet of Fire is the best in the series, so naturally it would be pretty difficult for Phoenix to live up to that standard.  In Goblet, it feels like Rowling had a fantastic ending in mind, and that drove the writing of the story.  In Phoenix, it seems like the story is key and the ending was simply tacked on to round it out and provide some concluding information.  The major theme seemed to be the Ministry's takeover of Hogwarts.  I found that entire thread to be thoroughly engrossing.  Harry's dreams, however, took on sub-plot status, and then rose to the top for the final conflict.
  I didn't mind the length of the book, but it did seem to drag in a couple of places.  The gang spent too much time at Grimmauld Place.  I could have also done without Hagrid's giant story.
  My biggest problem with the book was Dumbledore's secrecy.  Good stories have real roadblocks to keep the hero from achieving his/her goal.  In Phoenix, the cause for most of the confusion was that Dumbledore was reluctant to share certain information with Harry.  He explains his behavior in a most unconvincing way in the final pages.  The secrecy was necessary for the story to take the course that it did, but it lacked good motivation and left me feeling let down.  It reminded me of the natural disaster movie template where the world could be easily saved if not for an arrogant bureaucrat who refuses to listen to the young upstart with all the answers.  It is contrived conflict that is hardly believable.
  Don't get me wrong.  I love the Harry Potter series.  And, perhaps my expectations have risen too high.  I am eagerly awaiting the movie and then I know I will devour book 6 (when I allow myself to read it).  I lose interest in most book series after the first couple of installments.  Harry Potter always leaves me wanting more


Emotional Intelligence 10 years on
	There is about as much additional science in Social Intelligence, compared to Emotional Intelligence, as you could write on a postcard : mirror neurones and spindle cells.   Nevertheless, we can be thankful that Daniel Goleman chose to pay his tax bills this way.  Firstly, it serves to bring back the lessons of the earlier book to best-seller awareness, which is goodness.  Secondly, it re-casts them more clearly in an inter-personal format.  Note that this already existed in Emotional Intelligence, but was not so clearly called out.
The most positive aspect is the confirmation provided by fMRI studies to previous empirical or intuitive knowledge on the importance of inter-personal relationships to psychic ecology.  A question-mark would be against the reliance on Seligman's and Csikszentmihalyi's questionnaire based results.  Questionnaire psychology is frustratingly limited in the gap between the suggestive nature of the results and the impossibilty of distinguishing between correlation and cause-effect


Fabulous....as always!
	I am a big Tananarive Due fan because she never fails to deliver the goods in terms of interesting plot, storyline and characters, which many can be anyone of us. She is a fascinating author as she creates several different scenarios that are very different over a great span of time and unites them in a way that is nothing short of amazing. Keep up the good work.....A T. Due fan! Trinice S. Moses - Sisters with a Purpose Book Clu


Pure Hiaasen
	Carl Hiaasen, who pens a weekly column for The Miami Herald, certainly follows the adage "Write what you know." While he occasionally covers nationally significant events, Hiaasen generally confines his writings to the fertile territory that is the state of Florida. Readers of Hiaasen's columns know well his passions and viewpoints. His sarcastic commentaries often take aim at such topics as the medical profession, land developers, crooked politicians, gun aficionados, tobacco companies, madcap theme parks and the destruction of Florida's environment. But weekly newspaper pieces are not the end of Hiaasen's caustic observations --- they are only the beginning. In 10 novels written over a span of 20 years, Hiaasen has expanded upon all of these topics in hilarious tales that poke fun at every aspect of life in the Sunshine State.

NATURE GIRL is Hiaasen's 11th novel. While he skewers many familiar targets, there are a few new objects of ridicule for his skillful and entertaining writing. Hiaasen's Florida romps all share common traits: quirky plots, countless screwball characters and an irreverent style that creates laughter on every page. The prime target for his ire in NATURE GIRL is Boyd Shreave, a telemarketer pitching Florida real estate who places a sales call to Honey Santana, thereby setting in motion a chain of events familiar to any Hiaasen aficionado. Anyone who has experienced the pain of a telemarketing call interrupting a quiet and peaceful evening at home can identify with Santana's plot of revenge. She turns the tables on Shreave and lures the unsuspecting pitchman to Florida for a phony tour of nonexistent Florida property.

NATURE GIRL begins with an event not uncommon in a Hiaasen novel: someone dies and someone else tries to dispose of the body. Sammy Tigertail, a fugitive half-breed Seminole, takes a tourist out on his airboat. The tourist is frightened by a harmless water snake and dies of an apparent heart attack. Panic-stricken, Sammy decides to ditch the body somewhere in the Ten Thousand Islands area of Southeast Florida. The cast of characters, as often occurs in a Hiaasen novel, expands exponentially. Shreave has a wife intent on divorce, along with a girlfriend who accompanies Shreave on his ostensible Florida vacation. Eugenie Fonda once achieved fame as the girlfriend of a tabloid murderer.

While Santana is obsessed with her plot to destroy Shreave, she must also fend off the advances of a stalker known only to readers as Mr. Piejack and her drug-running former husband Perry. Add to the mix one Florida State co-ed who falls in love with Sammy Tigertail and a private investigator hired by Shreave's wife to follow him on his tryst with Eugenie, and the pieces to a puzzle that create a picture of hilarity are almost all in place.

Carl Hiaasen is a genius in creating mayhem on the pages of his novels. Characters move in all directions across Florida, and readers may often have difficulty keeping track of their various escapades. In the end, however, everything comes together in a typical Hiaasen conclusion. NATURE GIRL is pure Hiaasen, and his many readers once again will experience the joy of his humor and his easily recognized and human characters.

   --- Reviewed by Stuart Shiffma


Changed attitudes!!
	Excellent, realistic, practical advice.  As parent of a very strong-willed two-year old, I continually found myself in a power struggle with him over EVERYTHING!  After reading this book in a couple of hours, I immediately began implementing the techniques (which are very common sense and SIMPLE), and now, just a couple of months later, I have a totally different relationship with my little boy.  I no longer feel like I am controlling him all the time, he is happily independent in ways we are both comfortable with.  This book really changed my life.  BTW, I had previously read the original Love and Logic for older children, which I liked, but it recommended spanking for children under 3.  This did NOT help!!!!!  This book recommends no spanking, but withdrawing all attention empathetically, which is what my pediatrician recommended, which actually works


Outstanding
	Dale Carnegie is one of the authors I have admired for so long. There are numerous reasons why this book is a classic one. He deeply believes that in every person there is good and you can approach it. Of course, there are many negative people who don't like this book because they see everything in black and white. Carnegie on the other side advocates a really delicate, positive and humane approach to everyone around you. It comes very close to "treat the others as you want them to treat you". I am sure that if everyone read and apply the principles in this wonderful book, the world will be a better place. I am sure that you will be pleased as well with his talent to really understand what drives people. Some of the key and basic motivators he discussed are sex and being important. His viewpoint is very close to the one of the bestselling author of scientfically guaranteed male multiple orgasms and ultimate sex. After all genius things are usually simple. Carnegie explores the human nature and common hot buttons together with the reader and gives you tools to manage and push them at your will with the help of numerous examples. I liked that the book is practical, easy and fun to read, and most of all that it delivers great value. I can not say the same for many other books. Definitely get a copy especially if you are a "good" person and prefer to treat people with respect and dignity


5.0 stars
	I seem to keep giving Mr. King all 5 stars.  Well, so what!?  His books are worth it.  I took my time with this book because I knew it was the last one in the series and I didn't want it to end.  The ending will send chills up your spine and you get closer and closer to the Dark Tower.  The journey, the roses, Roland, the history... King is one of the masters!


Statecraft
	A very solid and balanced recounting of the career in power of one of the most important diplomatic figures of the past one hundred years. In his book, Professor Beisner wisely concentrates almost entirely on the twelve years Dean Acheson was in power in Washington, D.C.

The great issues grappled with in the immediate years after World War II still live with us today: Russia, Germany, Vietnam, Japan, North Korea, Israel, Iran, France, and China/Taiwan. If you are curious to know why some things are the way they are in today's world, read this book. The number of key foreign policy challenges that flew at this talented Secretary of State is astonishing


Made my son a reader!!
	Usually it's a struggle to get my 10 year old son to read.  He could not put this book down and has spent the last few days reading it aloud to me and citing different stories.  Now he wants me to look for similar books.  A success!


A Life-Changing Read for Humans 8 to 108
	This is one of those life changing books.  I first came across this while looking midlessly through my local "spiritual" bookstore and ended up reading the entire thing in the next two hours.

As a fast read, with a simple, concise message, this book lacks nothing.  It isn't dated, unless you consider religion or spiritual ideas dated.  Richard Bach creates a story that can effect you as much or as little as you want- but it teaches the precepts of becoming a messiah yourself and helps you to view Jesus, Christianity, God, and yourself in a brand new light.

Needless to say, this is a five out of five.  Buy it today and then give it away


Awesome read
	This book was mind expanding, and told a great story of exploring the facets of one's personality and how much that personality is interdependent with his wife and others. My favorite part was the story of the "Golden Pages" where a person is taught by the wise man that truth of man's existence is inspiring and worthy of discovery, but to share that truth with others is subjecting oneself to ridicule and criticsm, if not war


Sports!
	Year  In  Sports  2005   gives   you  all  of  2004.  As well,it  gives   hockey,basketball and  much  more.  It  gives  you    fast facts,triva


You Can't Go Wrong with Larry Gonick
	I have been a fan of Larry Gonick`s work for years ever since I first stumbled onto his Cartoon Guide to Statistics.  He covers a subject the way it should be covered-historically.  Innovations in science and math have moved along together in a historical time line.  It was this historical approach that made Carl Sagan's Cosmos series one of the greatest innovations in the effort to popularize science.

I have long said that we teach science backward.  We still teach on a 19th Century model.  We start with biology, then chemistry, and finally physics.

Even when I was in high school, I wished that I could take physics before chemistry.  Before I was elected as a school board director, I was on our district's Gifted Advisory Council.  I made the suggestion that we teach physics before chemistry and, then, biology last.  I was immediately shot down by one of the other parents on the basis that sophomores do not have the math courses under their belts to tackle physics.  So why not teach the math along with the science?  Integrate it.  (No, that would make it too relevant.)

I felt vindicated when a friend of mine reported that she attended a lecture by a Nobel laureate making the same assertion that I had been making for years-we teach science backwards.  After all, the toughest course out there is biochemistry-at least that is what every med student I know has ever said.  And biochemistry is the new frontier for blockbuster innovations-nano-technology not being the least of these frontiers.

Gonick underscores my assertion about teaching physics first, because in this book on chemistry, he introduces quantum mechanics, which is normally taught as physics, on page 28.

Don't let he word "cartoon" in Larry Gonick`s books fool you into thinking that these are easy fluff surveys of the subjects involved.  He makes each subject accessible while being entertaining, but each book stands on its own as a complete basic survey course of the subject.

So when I needed to add about two dollars to my order to get free shipping, it took me about thirty seconds to find my book.  I went right to Larry Gonick


Academic Classic
	An outstanding, conceptually challenging, classic exploration of the ontology of art. It may be daunting at first, but once you become accustomed to the level of abstraction of the text, it is extremely  rewarding


Reinforces things you tell your kids
	Sometimes advice coming from a parent is even better when it's reinforced by an outside source.  This book does just that.  It's practical and yet compassionate toward the sometimes awkward feelings young girls deal with.


One of the best intro books on the subject!
	One of the best! You cannot go wrong reading this as an intro to Islam. Truly an insiders look. A must read for everyone who loves freedom


The best book for ARM's firmware programmers so far
	There are many books on ARM's architecture or manual references. So far, this book is the only book which concentrates on the firmware development side. Both assembly language and C are discussed, which is a relief for embedded/firmware engineers like me who like to combine both languages in a project.
The 15 chapters in the book are:
1- ARM Embedded Systems
2- ARM Processor Fundamentals
3- Introduction to the ARM instruction set
4- Introduction to the Thumb instruction set
5- Efficient C Programming
6- Writing and Optimizing ARM assembly code
7- Optimized Primitives
8- Digital Signal Processing
9- Exception and Interrupt Handling
10- Firmware
11- Embedded Operating Systems
12- Cache
13- Memory Protection Units
14- Memory Management Units
15- The Future of the Architecture
The strength of this book lies on the extensive examples on how to program ARM effectively. It is a nice guide for those who want to learn ARM programming style


Dr. Deming's Management Principles- a Charming Illustration
	I read this book five years ago, when I was a manager leading a small company about 15 people. I  honour management style that respect human nature. Deming's priciples presented in this book give me a systematic  insight of the principles based on mutual trusting and respect. I used his  approach -- our company makes good profit -- and more important, all the  staff enjoy working in our company


Useful insights from Dell's direct sales success story
	If you are in the computer business, or in sales, you already know the Dell story. It's about a driven man, Michael Dell, who came up with a simple idea - direct sales - and then expanded his company into the world's second biggest manufacturer of personal computers. Dell's personal story is inseparable from the story of his company, and his book gives readers his unfiltered, first-person perspective. He covers his company's history, challenges, problems and successes in an unvarnished, matter-of-fact style. We highly recommend this book to anyone in the computer industry, to entrepreneurs and to managers who want to make their small businesses grow


Tender, Touching and Humorous!
	Thank you Laura Jensen Walker for your tender, touching and humorous insight into the value of our special girlfriends.  All women will love reading Girl Time


Incredibly Useful!
	As a prospective college student, I have to tell you how much I appreciate Students' Guide to Colleges. It combines many of the best features of the Princeton Review and Fiske guides with much more comprehensiveness. I also appreciate that it is without any trying-to-sound-hip blather because these are not editor-interjected profiles, they're written by actual students. This is a great compliment--I have been looking at colleges seriously for about a year, and this is the best guide to colleges among the many I've seen. I also just read the Oberlin College profile in this book with an Oberlin alum and relative. She said that this was this most comprehensive and accurate Oberlin portrayal she's read in a guide. Among other things, she and I loved the different student perspectives and the unthinkable-in-previous-guides questions like "what aspect of your school would a prospective student not see on a college tour?" The guide's honesty also impressed me, as the Fiske guide lauded Vassar's "diversity," for example, where Students' Guide admits "Although Vassar likes to talk about diversity a lot, most students are actually wealthy and white." I am confident in saying that anyone applying anywhere from Hampshire to Harvard will find this book incredibly useful!!

-Josh


Deep Waters
	The Plot: After an emotional burnout, both Elias Winters and Charity Truitt are ready for a change. Each ends up moving to Whispering Waters Cove and operating a shop on Crazy Otis Landing. The two are instantly attracted and end up investigating a murder together.

I've read this book twice. Initially, I was disappointed in this book. I had just finished reading several other JAK novels. Similar plots, similar characters with similar backgrounds . ... Reading this a second time without the JAK marathon, I found it an enjoyable read. The characters are likable and respectable. Good mystery. Amusing read


Learning Python
	You can always depend on the O'Reilly "Learning" series to provide an excellent detailed introduction to any language.  You will be up and running after you read this book.

My only complaint is the same material was covered several times as it was expanded in detail.


quot;Excellent source of frozen yogurt recipes quot;
	Or so my wife tells me... she photocopied half the frozen yogurt section from the library before deciding we should buy the book. So far as I can remember, they were all good


A very responsible and important study
	I would strongly recommend that anyone interested in this book read the review of this book by M. Goldin on H- Net.It is comprehensive and comes from someone who served in an Armed Forces combat unit during the Second World War.
This book chronicles the negative and prejudiced attitudes held by various figures of the Army throughout the past century.
These attitudes may have been  important in effecting the lives of individual soldiers at the unit level.
They too may have had certain effect on overall U.S. policy in such matters as bombing the rail lines into Auschwitz.
There were also efforts to influence negatively American attitudes towards the emerging Jewish state in Israel.
This is in a way a sad and yet important book to read. It chronicles how that fundamental American ideal of equal treatment of the individual human being was violated by prejudice, and ignorance.


Historical Primer
	'A Little History of the World' is exactly what the title indicates. Gombrich takes the reader from the dawn of time to the mid-twentieth century. Gombrich covers cave men, great religious leaders, philosophers, and events over an incredible timeline.

I got this book for my eight year old son and I to read together. There were certain chapters and topics which grapped his attention. Other chapters were a little over his head in regards to understanding the causes for certain events. In particular, the chapters covering the Inquisition and the causes that lead to the French Revolution were a little difficult for him to truely understand.

This book is a great way to introduce a child to the wonderful stories that make up the world we live in. It may also be a stepping stone to further reading on subjects that spark some interest


The Greatest Book on John Lennon
	The original publication of _The Lives of John Lennon_ in 1988 was accompanied by hysteria.  Much of it emanated from Yoko Ono, who likened Goldman's book to "being punched in the face."  Yoko is a close friend of Jann Wenner of Rolling Stone magazine, which duly ran an article attempting to discredit Goldman's book.  Some of Lennon's fans took this behavior in and assumed that _The Lives of John Lennon_ was forbidden; they would not read it because doing so would make them naughty.

Now, however, the dust has settled, and _The Lives of John Lennon_ holds up beautifully.  Each contention of Goldman's which was alleged to be outrageous in 1988 stands.  Remember the ridiculous panic over Goldman's portrait of Lennon as a heavy drug user?  That drug use has now been acknowledged by just about everyone who knew Lennon, including Ono and Lennon's first wife, Cynthia Powell.  The same is true about Goldman's claims about Lennon's tendency towards violence (a tendency Lennon himself owned up to in his Playboy interview).  And, while Ono and others acted agitated over Goldman's depiction of Lennon as bisexual, Ono herself is found to have said she considered John Lennon a "closet fag" in a 1981 interview.  (Why, then, was Ono so upset by the appearance of Goldman's book?  Because of what it reveals about her.)

It will be clear to anyone who approaches Goldman's book with a fair mind that the outrage its publication originally sparked was unjustified.  _The Lives of John Lennon_ is not dishonest or flawed in any way.  A perusal at his "Sources" section reveals his awesome thoroghness.  Goldman bravely explored areas of Lennon's and Ono's lives that others shied away from out of deference to Ono, a worshipful attitude towards Lennon, and a reluctance to figure things out.  Albert Goldman was the most fearless and thorough writer to approach this subject.  _The Lives of John Lennon_ might be overwhelming to the infantile fans who deify Lennon, but for those with genuine interest in Lennon, it is indispensable.


Great Detailed Tutorial For Those New To Reporting Services
	Many reviewers of this book have given it high marks because it is a terrific tutorial and that introduces most of the crucial techniques for writing great reports. I would agree as I have reporting experience with MS-Access and Crystal and this book helped me get up to speed quickly.  If you like learning in a step-by-step fashion right out of a book - this is the book!

The bad reviews came from people that were looking for more of a reference type book.  While this book is not a bad reference it does fall short as a reference book.  For example,  one reviewer brought up that the ability to shade alternating detail rows of a report does not appear to be easy to find in this book.  I would agree with that. I was unable to go into the index and find a quick solution in this book.

If you want a better reference book try the WROX book, Professional SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services.  That book is not as good as this book from a step-by-step standpoint but it is a better reference when you need a quick solutions.  For example, page 272 has code on how to shade alternating rows - they call it Greenbar Reports.  It was not easy to find in this book either.  How many people would look up "Greenbar Reports" in the reference?  I was looking into "shading alternative rows".  I just happened to stumble upon it.

I bought both books together.  Of course there is lots of overlap but between the two that is all you will need to become a pro at Reporting Services.

Reporting Services could use a COOKBOOK-style text like they have for Access and other programming languages. Those types of books have served me well over the years. Until then this book and the WROX book should do the trick


All the world's children have the same wants and needs
	I am a Lutheran church librarian and I am glad I bought this very satisfactory book for our church library.  Its text stresses that children are the same the world over.  They have the same feelings and needs, and have the same hopes and dreams.  The illustrations are a nice change from the usual.  Each page is surrounded by a gold picture frame in which faux jewels are embedded.  The illustrations appear to be tempera or opaque watercolor, drawn in Persian style.  The colors are very saturated.  The book's cover gives you an idea of what they look like.  The message of this book is one of diversity--that even though children live in different parts of the world and may have different nationalities, races, ethnicities, languages or faiths, they still have the same hopes, dreams and daily needs.  This is a very important message for children to hear in today's world where there is so much suspicion of those we "perceive" to be different.  The more children realize that kids are the same everywhere, the more tolerant they will be.  Children pick up prejudice by the time they are three years of age, say researchers, so you have to nip it in the bud very early, and this book does that in a wonderful way.


Kelly Ripa loved it!
	I heard about this book from Kelly and Regis when they both raved about it on their talk show. I bought it and I'm as excited about it a they are. It's everything they promised and more -- and it's actually fun to read which I never thought I'd ever say about a  quot;job quot; book


A MUST for any lover of baseball
	quot;Stengel: His Life and Times quot; is no mere biography.  It is a chronicle, not only of the earlier days of baseball, but of America itself.  As a biography, it is superlative.  As a history book, it stands on it's own merits


small sizes
	I agree with the other reviewers that the book is worth buying and excellent to give you new ideas for using crochet with knitting. However, be warned that the sizing is fairly small. All of the womens patterns are either size 36 inch or 40 inch FINISHED measurements except for one pattern which is 40.5 inches.


Class differences
	Angels was the smallest college in Cambridge.  It was  built at the beginning of the 15th century.  Fairly had a fellowship.  St. Angelicus students had to find their own lodgings.  Fred Fairly had taken the science tripos and received a first class degree.  He came from a rectory and so his material wants were limited.  He was used to making do. At the end of his first year as a junior fellow he wanted to tell his father he was no longer a Christian.  Fred knew the country was not a place of peace.  The Rectory had been built in 1830.

Daisy Saunders wanted to know how the human body worked and applied for nursing training.  She was seventeen and her mother had died recently and she was free to live away from home.  Daisy, now known as Saunders, was a probationer during her first year.  She was told to keep her eye on James Elder, an attempted suicide via the Thames.  It was January 1912.  To all the patients, except for the dying, food was of paramount importance.  Elder refused to eat.  The constable had said he was a gentleman.  He asked Daisy if the incident had appeared in the press.  For arranging for a notice about Elder's conduct in the newpaper, Daisy was dismissed.

Fred Fairly and Daisy were in an accident with bicycles.  A Good Samaritan thought they were married to each other and put them to bed together in the spare room to regain their health.  Fred was enchanted and afterwards he looked everywhere to locate Daisy.  The kindness of the Wrayburns, the Samaritans, gave Daisy a place to stay in Cambridge.  She would do work in the house in exchange for room and board.  She had traveled to Cambridge to find work in a private hospital.  Happily Daisy was employed at the mental hospital and Fred found her again at the Wrayburns'.  They went for a walk in the country.  Fred asked Daisy to marry him.  Mr. Wrayburn told Daisy that Fred could not be a junior fellow if he married.

In the trial, pertaining to the accident, the journalist, who had accompanied Daisy to Cambridge, was able to identify the man who drove the horse cart wildly causing the accident.  When the heart is broken, efficiency is impaired.  There was some suggestion in the testimony of the journalist that Daisy had been or would have been used, but for the happening of the accident.  Daisy had to leave the Wrayburns and Cambridge because of what was disclosed in court.  Leaving her lodgings, she was free at last to cry over the hurt she had caused Fred.  Daisy and Fred passed each other on her way to the train station.  We do not know what action, if any, resulted.

Both of the young characters are portrayed as having beautiful consciences.  The writing is elegant.


An Inspiration and a Joy
	I am a photographer and a writer and the author of numerous books on photography and I have had a copy of the Sierra Club Engagement Calendar on my desk every day for more than 20 years. I find this calendar to be an inspiration in terms of both its beautiful photography and its wonderful geographic diversity. I've never had a photo published in the Engagement book, but I've probably gathered more inspiration and ideas from these little calendars than from the hundreds of how-to books in my office.

The photos in these engagement calendars are the cream of the cream of the crop of the world's best nature photography. Master photographers like the late Galen Rowell, who had many dozens of photos published here, consider it one of their finest showcases--and who can blame them. Sierra Club has never relented on the quality of the reproduction of these superb datebooks and considering there are more than 50 photos in each book, the price is a bargain.

I have used this calendar as a journal and a diary of my writing progress for, literally, decades. And whenever my brain starts to freeze after writing about photography for weeks on end and I need a new idea to write about, I simply flip through the calendars and I can discover hundreds of them in the work of many of the greatest modern nature-photography masters. Also, when I'm looking for travel ideas, places to go to shoot new pictures for my books, I also look here for inspiration and ideas. The Mojave Desert, Monument Valley, the Everglades, the Sonoran desert--these are all places that I learned about in great detail from these datebooks. You learn more about a place by seeing great photos of it than you ever will by reading about it--or so I feel. (Of course, you learn a great deal more if you hop on an plane and go see it!)

Finally, I gave my mother the engangement calendar for Christmas every year for around 20 years and she used them as a daily journal. I still have every one of those journals and they are a great joy to flip through and see what she was up to each day.

Why this long winded (and very sincere!) endorsement for such a simple product? Because I owe these caldendars (and the Sierra Club) a debt of gratitude for inspiring me day after day, year after year, with the greatest photography in the world. If you have a young photographer in your life, inspire them, show them how spectacular photographs of the natural world can be. For an investment of under $15 you can change their perceptions of nature and help educate them about fine photography. Someone gave me my first copy of this calendar many years ago and I've been grateful ever since.

Of course, I have to warn you, once you look at some of these photos you'll want to put your camera up on Ebay :)  But don't do it! Instead, use these photos as your photographic inspiration and your goal.

Jeff Wignall
Author, The Joy of Digital Photography (Lark Books


A valuable tool
	Going into the business, I bought this book and found it very helpful. This one as well as "I'm Living Your Dream Life" by Michele Cozzens are well worth the money


Amazing
	I originally bought this for my almost-2-year-old because I wanted him to have a new alphabet book with both upper and lower case letters shown (there are not many out there besides chicka chicka boom boom). Instead it has become a favorite of my three year old who already knows her letters. The reason: this book shows the letters and has beautiful illustrations of many items in one picture that begin with each letter. Some things are easy to find in the picture and others are more challenging. It is a beautiful book that provides "I spy" and "Where's Waldo" type challenges. I highly recommend this book for the 1-5 crowd


Think while laughing !
	A really great book by a great man.  I almost laughed out loud while on a train and am sure people thought I was crazy. The book made me wonder how can you lead such an interesting life and yet win a Nobel Prize in physics (I guess you can).
Though the book does not follow a chronological order , I could feel the earlier part corresponds to the youthful times in his life (If he ever got old). Towards the later stages in the book I could also sense some cynicism in his words and he feels strongly about the lack of integrity, particularly in scientific research and life in general around him.
A wonderful book that gives some insight into a brilliant mind and inspires to think while learning and not just memorize facts.


Finally, no more "Lousy and Ridiculous" for chemistry graduate students
	As a recent grad of an org chem graduate program who had to suffer through the nearly 20 year old text "Mechanism and Theory in Organic Chemistry" by Lowry and Richardson, this book by Anslyn and Dougherty is a fabulous update that is easy to read and great asset to any chemistry student.  I agree with the other reviewers that the problem sets are challenging, the text is clearly written, and the material relates well back to current research issues. If you are a graduate student considering getting another reference to help you through your organic chemistry graduate program, get this book before you try "Advanced Organic Chemistry: Structure and Mechanisms" by Carey and Sundberg. I expect that "Modern Physcial Organic Chemistry" will become a staple to most chemist's shelves similar to that of a CRC Handbook or "Advanced Organic Chemistry" by March.


Tremendous
	Line by line, this book has some of the best writing I've seen in a while.  This is an amazing thing, since it's still very fast-moving and not at all overwritten.  The author just has an amazing eye for detail and a very crafty sense of humor.  The book surprised me constantly with its insights, and these characters were so real to me by the end that I missed them for a week.  I read Craig's first book, and it doesn't stand up to this at all.  It's exciting to see how much the writer has improved, and I can't wait for the next one


One of my lifetime favorites
	Alistair MacLean combines psychology, action, history, sociology, and intrigue into a wonderful spy story. The hero potrtays a tried and true James Bond without the condescending attitude. There's none better


S, M, L, XL, EXTRA GREAT!
	I've read, and re-read the book, although not it's full content, but randomly I open it and find a surprise each time. I just love it


Doesn't flow, but...eh, who cares!
	I've gotten through about 1/3 of the book and I'm highly amused.  The first 50 pages are muddled and rather pointless so far.  However, I've laughed my way through them.  One thing Eco has is a very sophisticated sense of humor.  If you enjoy a mental challenge and writing that's loaded with wit, I'd suggest picking up this book.  I never knew there were four kinds of people before: morons, fools, lunatics and cretins.  And I may just be a fool.  :)


A well written and fun read
	This entry in the Fang Mulheisen series came as a surprise. It was closer to something by Elmore Leonard or even Carl Hiaassen. Great, engaging  characters, funny dialogue and an excellent plot


Great for Veteran freezer cooks!
	If you have been freezer cooking for awhile or are completely new to it you will enjoy this book because it has a different spin on freezer cooking than the classics. I started with Once-a-Month-cooking and at the time it seemed revolutionary, but, though I loved it was a hard days work. Then came Jill Bond and she was really talking bulk cooking! When Deborah's first book came out I was excited because it fit in with my low-on-cash, short-on-time lifestyle.

This book is terrific because it provides a healthy alternative that is still pretty inexpensive. The meals are more than casserole and there are lots of options that are more appealing for the warmer weather when you don't want to heat up the kitchen.

My favorites are the Cheese and Chicken Shells (not for everyone however) Chicken Enchiladas (taste great made with homemade whole-wheat tortilla, if you do that), Crab rice Chowder (gourmet), Bean Casserole and everyone LOVES Spaghetti Pie. There are lots of good recipes in this book.

The drawbacks of this book is that after a few initial sessions I felt that I was more likely to choose some favorites than to use her already laid out sessions...that is okay, but, not as easy as using the shopping lists and plans. Worth trying if you are serious about Freezer Cooking, but I would start with Frozen Assest first


perfect for the upcoming cold-weather months!
	I had eyed this book for quite some time before I purchased it, and I am so glad I did!  The pictures of the drinks are so tempting and beautifully done that you are warmed up just by flipping through the book!  Most of the recipes in this book are alcohol based, so don't pick this book up looking for lots of kid-friendly drinks (though there are definitely some that kids would enjoy, such as a s'mores hot chocolate).  The recipes are all simple and there is a nice section on creating garnishes.  Order this book and get ready to sit back and enjoy some tasty, piping hot drinks


An excellent description on the role of the state
	This is an excellent book on the role of the state after a revolution, how it will wither away, and what a society should look like ( or try to mould itself into ) after the revolution.  Lenin, drawing on the works of Marx  and Engels extensively, refutes many claims by both the Anarchists and  opportunists on the role of the state, and corrects many common errors  believed about the Marxist road to Socialism.  This is a thoroughly  informative read.  I recommend those wondering how a Communist society  would emerge after a revolution to get this book;  It will open your eyes  widely


Masterpiece of Western fiction.
	The Big Sky is not just a masterpiece, it's probably THE masterpiece of the genre of western frontier fiction.  This is unusual because it deals with a moment in time that isn't really dealt with that much - the Rocky Mountain fur trade during its golden age of about 1820 - 1850.  The cowboy era has been responsible for most of western film and literature, partly because the images and events that happen in that world are recognizable to us: the economic and social issues you always see dealt with in "cowboy" movies mirror our own experiences in many ways.  The cowboy has also been said to be an image of freedom to Americans, when actually nothing was further from the truth.  Cowboys were regular working stiffs, about as romantic as carpenters or plumbers in their own day.  They didn't consider themselves "free", nor would they have spent much time thinking about it during their brutal 14 hour work day.  They did what they did because they loved horses and riding and cattle and it was good honest work that paid a living wage, and there was a bit of swagger to it - people in town recognized cow hands for the tough-as-leather men they were, especially with their characteristic boots and hats and general flair for the dramatic that many had.  But it was backbreaking work, and the entire cowboy heydey lasted less than 30 years.

I said all that to say that "The Big Sky" really is about freedom, and really is about the West.  It's about the true, wild, primitive west, before the plow, before roads, when there were still huge, intact Indian cultures in place with armies of horsemen and enormous herds of buffalo.  So it's interesting to me that this genre is largely ignored, but I can see why - there are no set-piece plots just begging to be turned into movies - no "new sherriff in town" characters, because there are no sherriffs, and no towns other than a few trading posts.  There is only the land and the sky and the interaction between a few incredibly brave white men and all those Indians.

If you don't already know, this is the story of Boone Caudill and his friend Jim Deakins, and several important side characters, but it's basically Boone's book.  He's driven west by an aching need for wildness and freedom, and is pushed out by a brutal father.  He makes his way west to St. Louis, along the way befriending Deakins, in hopes of meeting his uncle Zeb who had become a trapper years earlier.  The rest of the tail is complex and interlaced, and not a simplistic good guy/bad guy plot at all, and what stands out is the crystalline depictions of the people and places and over all, arching like the sky itself, is freedom.  Freedom to roam at will in that beautiful country is the main character of this book.  Freedom is the religion, the politics, the philosophy, the recreation - it is everything that is important.  The trappers are there to trap - sure - but they're really there because this is a wild, free place, where they will not be hampered by rules, where they can be natural men.  It sounds over romanticized, but it really did happen that way, and from what we know, that is truly the way they felt about their lives and why they endured the agonies of that existence.  Despairing that new settlers are moving west and building farms and towns, Boone cries "Lord, Jim - remember the Tetons standing proud in the sun, and the Seeds Ke Dee...don't you remember her when she was all purty and new and not a man track on her save Injun?"  This novel makes you sob like few I've ever read.  The sense of loss, the closing of an age of the world, hangs in the air like mist.  They are going to be the last to see something so precious, and for their pains they get to watch their world wither and die under the press of settlement.

The movie "The Mountain Men" with Charleton Heston comes close to capturing a tiny bit of this book, and you can tell it's inspired in many ways by it, but no other book or film has ever come close to truly painting the world of the mountain man as has this novel.  "Jeremiah Johnson" is another good film, with many fine touches.  But if you want to follow the water up stream, back to its source in the mountains, then please, before you grow too old, read "The Big Sky" and open your heart to that time and place and the wild, brazen beauty of the America few Americans know ever existed


Slippery
	A wild and crazy ride on a submarine stuck in the Arctic ice. This book is full of crazy characters! Both two legged and four legged.  A must read for anyone looking adventure in the high Arctic


For a long story, this one is worth every word
	This one I read before I started leaving my reviews on Amazon. It's a wonderful story. You'll love the characters. Absolutely a 5 star read


Contemporary English Bible: low cost edition
	My comments are not on the CEV translation, but rather on this particular edition.  Among all low cost editions of the whole Bible (Protestant canon), this one is outstanding in three respects:
1)  it has the most extensive annotations (footnotes, introductions and outlines for each book of the Bible, and study helps) of any.  They are not as extensive as many full-fledged study Bibles, of course, but it is a fraction of the price.
2)  these annotations appear to have been designed to be solely descriptive, not reflecting any particular theological or scholarly bias.  Thus, this edition can be used by persons with quite a wide range of theological orientations.
3)  it has the largest print size.  (Many low cost editions have rather small print.)


Awesome Tecnical Manual
	If you have ever needed to change a part on your bike, upgrade to something better, change out your drivetrain, tune your derailleur's, or  even true a wheel... this is the book for you!  With awesome in depth  pictures, and step by step technical procedures for doing just about  anything to the bike that you so dearly love.  John Barnett's experience  with bike repairs far surpasses that of the guy that you normally bring it  into for those expensive repairs, so spend the money for the book, and save  money in the future while at the same time learning from one of the top  professionals in his business!  Do it, it's an awesome book


An inspiring book
	I enjoyed every chapter and I especially appreciated the author's hand drawn illustrations. I also learned a lot about how forests develop and the importance of biological diversity. I think that I will now see a lot more when I walk in forest. Like the other reviewer, I feel inspired to acquire some acres of logged out land up North and let the forest grow


Excellent book - like any good book on the subject you need to read between the lines
	I thought this was an excellent book.  Those who say this won't turn you into a champion overnight, I've got news for you - NO book can do that.  Only you can...I've raced (retired now) for most of my adult life including some pro races, some of my crew have gone onto Champ cars, NASCAR, and F1, I was lucky enough to be associated with a team that won the Champ car title and my engineer was from that team.  This book gives excellent information and if you can read between the lines you will learn quite a bit that can help you in your racing career.  Those who can't learn anything from this book are advanced enough they don't need to buy any books, but most of us don't have last names like Andretti, Senna, Unser, etc.  If any of you have ever read Senna's book on driving you might also say it's nothing special but you need to read between the lines and figure out what he is alluding to, not what he writes directly about.  Few people will directly give you the "secrets" to motorsports


Excellent though flawed intellectual history of the 20th century
	Peter Watson, holding a number of research degrees, offers a comprehensive intellectual history of the 20th century in this book.  Not being an easy read, it takes some time to get through.

The main strengths of this book are placing the intellectual development of the 20th century in its economic and social context.  This is quite an achievement, considering the remarkable scientific and technological advances and the fragmentation of human knowledge into many small and specialised areas in very arcane topics.

Watson tends to cover science the best, and provides excellent accounts of the development and progress of 20th century science, including the theories of relativity, quantum mechanics, scientific cosmology, evolutionary biology and the discovery of the gene.  However, the book falls down in some parts where it covers philosophy.  Watson dismisses Husserl's Phenomenology as 'abstract' and of little importance, when in fact Phenomenology was probably the most important philosophical school in the 20th century along with analytical philosophy, founded by Russell and Wittgeinstein, and attracted so many leading European minds to philosophy in a time when science was at its zenith of glory.

Overall though, Watson's work is a very important attempt to see where we are in what we know, and where we are going.


The best book in the series
	I read this book in less than one week. Normally I spend and average time of a month in finishing a book, but this was one of the  quot;rare quot; cases that the reading last until 2 am. Marcus travels to a wild land,  Germania Libera in order to send a gift of the emperor and ends with his  life in hands of a German sorceress. The full novel is filled with action  and historical references, it's worth the money!


The Beach House
	I absolutely loved this book!  I could relate to each of the four women at different times in their lives.  It reminded me to take all things to HIM in prayer at ALL times


Kids love it!
	It was a gift for my nephew and it delivered. He just couldn't put it down before he recognized all the characters


Finally, a truly advanced scripting book for VBScript
	Having worked with VBScript for a little over four years I am by no means an expert; however, I feel that my experience does give me somewhat of an advanced applied knowledge of scripting. I was pretty skeptical when I saw the word "Advanced" in the title, but this book laid all my concerns to rest in the early chapters.

The book begins with securing (including digital certs and policies) and encoding scripts as well as listing some nice techniques for implementing alternate credentials in WMI and ADSI. For me personally, the real meat and potatoes of the book was the copious information pertaining to working with WSF and WSC files. Don and Jeffrey take the time to detail the reasons behind XML functionality as well as it's application within the scripted files. These guys clear up a lot of questions on these two subjects and how to package your scripts using these technologies. They wrap up the package peice with explanations around HTA's and form controls in HTML scripts.

The book moves on to cover topics such as ADSI and ADO scripting, working with WshController and remote scripts, WMI and WQL classes and techniques, and different applicable real world examples. All this information is then wrapped up with tidbits of using scripting editors to debug, sign, and package your scripts as well the wizards (WMI, ADSI, WSF, etc) and other tools available to make scripting easier.

I've obtained quite a few VBScript books over the years and this one is by far the only one dedicated to truly advanced VBScripting. If you are new to scripting with VBScript, you might want to start with another book geared to learning the methods, properties, classes, etc of the syntax and the technologies it can use. While this book does offer great explanations on advanced topics, you really need to have a solid background in scripting before you read it.

Thumbs up! Highly recommended bang for the buck


Great Account of Sports and Social History
	Rather than reading a biography of Red Auerbach, Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell, turn to this period book! Here you get everything: a complete portrayal of the situation of African American who were just starting to segregate professional sports outside of the Brooklyn Dodgers. But at the same time it is an introduction to a time, when athletes were not the superstars of today.
On top of that, you get enough biographcal information on Russell and Chamberlain, but also on Cousy, Auerbach and many others.
The book is very well written and starts right with information, no tedious introduction to plough through


She likes it, so it must be good
	I got this book for my fiance on the recommendation of my Rabbi.  She loves it.


Excellent choice for Visual Artists contemplating photography as a medium of expression
	As a Visual Arts student coming to terms with the whole conceptual ideology in contemporary art, I found this book an excellent choice for delving into the theoretical side of contemporary photgraphy. This book is definitely not bedtime reading.  Trust me, I tried it and kept myself awake! There is also an excellent reference to archives, journals and other books to peruse.  I found the book easy to understand and has helped me immensely in my quest to understand what constitutes Visual Art in current times. An excellent choice for all those contemplating a Visual Arts career using photographic image


Must have Book
	If you are into Cooking than this is the Book you must have.

This is not another recipe book but a complete culinary referance for both novice cook and expert


Coffee table book that also has true substance
	_The New Taste of Chocolate_ has the beautiful pictures of a coffee table book, but it has a lot of academic substance and a lot of value to the reader.

The main chapters are:
 - Growing Up with Cacao
 - A Natural and Cultural History of Chocolate
 - From Cacao to Chocolate
 - Identifying Cacao
 - Tasting Chocolate
 - Recipes

There is also a glossary, and a list of companies to order fine chocolate from.

For a beginner like myself, who loved chocolate but hadn't progressed much beyond Hershey's with Almonds when I read the book, _The New Taste of Chocolate_ was very educational.  It explained the path from cacao bean to chocolate bar, and it also explained the difference between dark chocolate, milk chocolate and white chocolate.  It explained how cocoa powder comes from chocolate, why chocolate is so difficult to make candy with if you don't know what you're doing, and why fancier recipes will sometimes specify chocolate manufacturer and cacao percentage.

It was also quite interesting to read about the guidelines for tasting chocolate.  The discussion about criollo, forastero, and trinitario cacao plants was very fascinating from a scientific standpoint.  I later found that what is true for cacao trees is true for many other types of plants (including wheat): the plants that make the tastiest   highest quality edible parts are also the least productive and most delicate, so growers   breeders have to choose whether to grow something that will almost certainly produce a less-desired but still profitable crop, or to grow something that has an uncertain yield but is highly profitable should the plant actually produce anything.

The recipes were also interesting.  After reading this book, I became more adventurous in my chocolate-tasting and started trying some of the European imports I see in the local grocery stores.  My only regret is I am now knowledgeable enough and my tastes are spoiled enough that M Ms and Hersheys with Almonds seem pretty bland


User friendly, great pictures!
	This book has a photo of each dessert so you can see what you're making and easy recipes that look impressive, all using a cake mix box of some kind.  Their Snickerdoodle Cake uses a white cake mix, some other ingredients, and includes a Cinnamon Buttercream frosting recipe.  Yum!   I love the variety of recipes (bundts, bars, round, layered, etc.) and my kids and I can do many together.  I think the packaged cake mixes from the store have a nice taste, so these recipes just build on those mixes.  I just want easy recipes that aren't intimidating, and this book is the solution for that.   I highly reccommend The Cake Mix Doctor.


An old- time favorite
	This was a childhood favorite of mine which I frequently read in the Library of the Troy Jewish Community Center 87 First Street.
I can remember sitting there and reading about such questionable greats as Harry Danning, Sid Gordon and Moe Berg. Of course there were undoubted greats like Hank Greenberg and Sid Luckman. And there was in boxing too Barney Ross and Benny Leonard.
Perhaps there are more up- to- date books about Jews in sports but I doubt there are any which tell a story as well, and give the young person such a warm feeling about the Jewish contribution to what seemed at that time of life, the most important form of human activity.


Simple and clear
	This is an easy to use instructional manual with practical assignments to help you retain the information given. Highly recommended


Find Music That You Love
	We love this book - Mom and Two Year old included!  Gerald the giraffe finds music that he loves and is able to dance like never before.  Fun text, colorful illustrations.  This is a book we have read over and over in our house.  Has a great message about finding the music that works for you.  I love it so much I bought a copy for our niece!


Very thorough but somewhat difficult to read
	If one approaches this book with a view to learning Music Theory, one would be slightly disappointed.  The author brushes right through the fundamentals but that is to be expected from an outline book of this type.   All in all, I think this book will come in useful after I've learned Music  and need to review theory from time to time.  Great book though


Good for the most part
	I'm a fan of Bill Myers work and have been since "Blood of Heaven". This one slipped by me somehow and when I saw it I immediately got it. While the plot is somewhat tight for the most part, I do have some problems with parts of it. For one thing, the thought of a terrorist who will kill someone very close to him (read the book to find out) shouldn't have any qualms about killing millions of others. So why is he so intent on the stones? But the most annoying part of the book is the fact that people call each other by their names so much that it gets old. The minute anything happens, they're all screaming each other's names in the midst of the chaos until you finally just want them to shut up and get on with it. For the first-time emergency, we can live with it...but when something happens every few chapters, you've got to have a break! "Daniel!" "Tyler!" "Helen!" "Tyler!" "Daniel!" "Dad!" "Helen!" "Tyler!" Give me a break! Otherwise, a good story...though not up to the same level as "Threshold" or "Blood of Heaven" (definitely better than "Eli" though). Recommended


superb presentation/content
	The quality of this presentation is far above what  one normally sees in  quot;game quot; cookbooks.  Lots of color pictures; all recipes tried so far are keepers.  BTW: elk substitutes straight across in  most of the recipes so its like two books in one


One of the most lucid and enjoyable math books available
	If you want great  mathematical puzzles, you buy a Terry Stickels puzzle book.  If you want to read about the universe from the world's best amateur mathematician and physicist, you read Martin Gardner.  If you want a  professional's point of view of all the above, you read anything by Ian  Stewart.  This is simply a must read for all clear thinking people


Another way to look at the strong-willed child.
	This book gives very good advice about managing behavior problems in difficult children. However, the concept of a "strong-willed child" is confusing because it implies a child with will power or self control. These difficult children actually have poor will power and self control. The techniques given in this book will help teach such children self control.

It is important to understand that the cause of the strong-willed child is an excessive drive for power over others. The strong willed child wants to be Captain and he wants everyone else including his parents to be a deck hand.  Parenting this type of child correctly, will help him learn to better control himself and respect others. However, he will likely never be the compliant child that some parents are hoping for.  [...


If You Have Any Sight at All You Should be Reading This Great Series!
	Joe Pickett's daily life is not as enjoyable as it once was.  His wife now has a successful business and brings home a lot more money than he does, and there's still the temptations both of them thought about while Joe was away at Jackson hanging over their marriage.  His relationship with his fast growing up daughter Sheridan is not what it once was and his new boss is doing everything he can to make Joe's life a misery.  Throw in a civil war between Saddlestring's largest family and the appearance of, after along term behind bars bloodthirsty J. W. Keeley, who will not stop at anything until he has avenged his daughter's (Joe's stepdaughter's) death through the slow and torturous murder of Joe Pickett, and one way or another the era of Saddlestring's game warden is set to end.

C.J. Box's Joe Pickett adventures seem to very in style with each novel.  The initial Open Season was a surreal not quite but almost Carl Hiaasen type novel, then Savage Run turned the series into a more traditional thriller type of adventure.  Trophy Hunt introduced a very far fetched paranormal element into the series and as many, I was glad when Out of Range returned this series to the traditional believable realistic type thriller, a style which continues with In Plain Sight.

I would strongly suggest reading these books in order, starting with Open Season as parts of previous novels are given away in subsequent ones and In Plain Sight is certainly no exception to that.  It will be interesting to see if C.J. Box continues with the characters of this series in some form or another or if his next book will be a totally different kind of adventure.


Thin plot, thin characters, but still an enjoyable read
	In Plain Sight offers an exceedingly thin plot and thin characters, but it is still an enjoyable read owin entirely to author C. J. Box's prowess at telling a story.

  Saddlestring, Wyoming is enjoying the dawning of spring and, unsuprisingly for a police procedural, a possible murder.

  Opal Scarlett, the grand and really mean old lady of Thunderhead Ranches, has disappeared and perhaps has been the victim of foul play. Tom Wayman, an alcoholic fishing guide, is brought in as a suspect. Opal, in violation of the law, charged Wayman and other boaters a fee for navigating the river that runs  through her land. She strung up razor wire across the river and the lazy sheriff thinks a drunken Wayman killed her when he tossed her into the river. Frankly, there's not a lot of excitement here.

  Joe Pickett, Wyoming Game Warden, is dealing with a problematic new boss and his 14 year old daughter, Sheridan. Sheridan just happens to be the best friend of Jule Scarlett, daughter of Hank Scarlett, one of two brothers who might be heir to the big ranch. Of course, they can't find a will and the two brothers are smashing each other with shovels when Joe arrives to drop off Julie. Julie, it turns out, doesn't live with her father Hank. No, she lives with Opal's eldest son, Arlen, on his "side" of the ranch. There's a third brother, Wyatt, who is a bit on the weird side. The very weird side.

  Enter J. W. Keely, a good old boy, who is on the run from Mississippi where he has murdered a couple. On his way to Wyoming to settle a personal vendetta against Joe Pickett, Keely murders a prisoner and then guns down a cowboy who did nothing more than get Keely angry. Again, not much here. Keely is not a convincing bad guy; more like a typed out description of a "bad" guy.

  Under the name of Bill Monroe (which author Box reminds us several times is also the name of a famous country and western musician) goes to work for both of the Arlen brothers.

  Golly gee: several nasty things happen at the Pickett household. Oh my, the FBI keeps inquiring into the whereabouts of  Nate Romanski (or something close to that spelling) who apparently figured largely in a previous novel. All this produces tension in the Pickett household, high job stress, arguments with best friends. Yawn. Just not a lot of excitement here either.

  Finally comes the climax. Rain. Thunder. Floods. Pickett's daughers kidnapped! The truth comes out! Box tries for a surprise ending, but it's kind of like a wet firecracker.

  All that said, "In Plain Sight" is still an enjoyable, if not particularly suspenseful, read. He has a strong writing style and does a nice job of weaving in a feel for Wyoming's people that is, in my opinion, stronger than the underlying story. This is the sixth of the Joe Pickett novels. I won't be going out of my way to read the older ones, but I will keep an eye out for anything new by Box. He's definitely a comer even if he hasn't arrived.

Jerr


cookbookgal
	This book is comprehensive and easy to follow.  Every recipe I have tried has worked.  The pecan pie recipe is especially good, and very easy for novice bakers.  If you could have only one dessert book on your shelf, this would be it


Terrific reference material
	Growing one's herbs is satisfying but using them completes the cycle. If you've ever wondered what to do with all the herbs you've managed to put in your garden over the years this book can help you. If you are just starting out with herbs this book can get you going properly. Not only does it have recipes but it has some ideas that I never could have imagined let alone used. The bulk of the book is dedicated to the herbal index which is extremely helpful. Each illustrated herb is broken down and expalined simply as to it's use, from root to leaves. The only problem I found with this section is that it is organized by their botanical names, which unless you're so inclined is difficult to find quickly. This is a minor problem that is remedied by the oversized common name, which of course is not alphabetized but more recognizable. A page is dedicated to over 100 of the most common herbs used. It tells you how to cultivate the individual herb and it's uses, which includes the medicinal use. Even if I don't use all the herbs or have them growing in my garden it is fascinating to know the historical and contemporary use of herbs. This book is a constant learning experience that can be read over and over. A perfect garden companion for that break under a tree. The knowledge can prove to be invaluable. Even such common herbs as Thyme can present posssibly new insights into it's benefits. Have trouble sleeping? The leaves of Thyme can help insomnia as well as stimulate the production of white corpusules to resist infection amongst it's many other attributes. There is much more information than I need here but there is something for everyone, from herbal dyes, to baths and massages and to the ever popular potpourri. This is, as the title suggests, the complete book on herbs. A great book for the kichen or to help you plan your herb garden, this book has as many uses as the author presents uses for the herbs


ANOTHER  SUPERB  PRODUCTION
	Histoire et Collections has done it again.A fine work of the quality which the collector and researcher has come to expect from this publisher.
I have previous works on the British Tommy in NW Europe and Canadian soldiers. All are elaborately illustrated with charts, individual item photos, and reconstructions worn by models of combinations of equipment and clothing as qoen in northern Europe. In addition there are many lists, charts, and tables gathering together informatioon gleaned from many scarce and obscure publications.
Muxh of rhia work has appeared in the excellent French language periodical Militaria published also by Histoire et Collections. This method of proceeding has the great virtue of first publishing in a more temporary format and inviting the readers to submit corrections and additional data which can be used to improve the final work published in book form


Delicious, Healthy Food Fast!
	I love to browse through different cookbooks.  I have quite a collection, and usually go to the library to find new recipes to try before I decide to purchase the entire book.  I normally look for 3 things in a cookbook, besides delicious recipes that will work for my family.  This includes:
1)  Pictures of more than 3/4 of the recipes (Color pictures are the best)
2)  A spiral binding, or at least one that easily lays flat
3)  New   innovative recipes that have ingredients I can easily find at a grocery store

I also prefer if the cookbook lists all of the nutrient information including sodium, fat content, protein, fiber, and carbohydrates.

I picked up this book to find new ideas to make a quick meal in-between working and shuffling the kids to various sporting and school events.  Let's face it, eating out isn't always the best for you, especially since you cannot always tell exactly how much fat or sodium you are ingesting.  I wanted some new recipes to try, but not necessarily a dish that would have my kids eyeing it suspiciously and saying "what is it?".  I was not disappointed.

The book offered many beautiful color photographs, and the pages themselves were glossy and thick...not the cheaper paper that many cookbooks use.  All of the nutrient information was included, along with a column called "Nutrient Bonus" that lets you know if the dish contained a lot of Vitamin C, Calcium, etc.  The book was hard cover, but the binding was loose enough that my copy easily lays flat, another good bonus so that I was not always struggling to keep my page open.  It also contains a rather large vegetarian section.

Some of our favorites include: Seafood Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette, Bistro Beef Salad, Vietnamese Style Beef   Noodle Broth, Mock Risotto, Chicken Stuffed with Golden Onions   Fontina, Almond Crusted Chicken Fingers, Beer-Battered Tilapia with Mango Salsa, and Loaded Twice Baked Potatoes.  Enjoy!


Changed my life
	I cannot adequately express what this book did for me.  I related to many of the stories, followed the advice, and am now a happier, healthier and more successful person than I was before.  How can you beat that


Great book to identify your SMLE
	This book was great in helping me identify the details of my SMLE III, including decypering all the symbols. It also provided a nice history lesson on the rifle. I would recommend for collectors, those who own one, or those that just have an interest in them


The Struggle for Revolutionary Culture
	Trotsky once wrote that of the three great tragedies in life- hunger, sex and death- revolutionary Marxism, which was the driving force behind his life and work, mainly concerned itself with the struggle against hunger. That observation contains an essential truth about the central thrust of the Marxist tradition. However, as Trotsky demonstrates here, Marxist methodology cannot and should not be reduced to an analysis of and prescription for that single struggle. Here Trotsky takes on an aspect of the struggle for mass cultural development.

In a healthy post-capitalist society mass cultural development would be greatly expanded and encouraged. If the task of socialism were merely to vastly expand economic equality, in a sense, it would be a relativity simple task for a healthy socialist society in concert with other like-minded societies to provide general economic equality with a little tweaking after vanquishing the capitalism mode of production. What Marxism aimed for, and Trotsky defends here, is a prospect that with the end of class society and economic and social injustice the capacity of individual human beings to reach new heights of intellectual and creative development would flourish. That is the thought that underpins Trotsky's work here as he analyzes various trends in Russian literature in the immediate aftermath of the October Revolution of 1917. In short, Marxism is certainly not a method to be followed in order to write great literature but it does allow one to set that literature in its social context and interrelatedness.

You will find no Deconstructionist or other fashionable literary criticism here. Quite the contrary. Here Trotsky uses his finely tuned skill as a Marxist to great effect as he analyzes the various trends of literature as they were affected (or not affected) by the October Revolution and sniffs out what in false in some of the literary trends. Mainly at the time of writing the jury was still out about the prospects of many of these trends. He analyzes many of the trends that became important later in the century in world literature, like futurism and constructivism, and others- some of which have disappeared and some of which still survive.

 The most important and lasting polemic which Trotsky raised here, however, was the fight against the proponents of `proletarian culture'. The argument put forth by this trend maintained that since the Soviet Union was a workers state those who wrote about working class themes or were workers themselves should in the interest of cultural development be given special status and encouragement (read a monopoly on the literary front).  Trotsky makes short shrift of this argument by noting that, in theory at least as its turned out, the proletarian state was only a transitional state and therefore no lasting `proletarian culture' would have time to develop. Although history did not turn out to prove Trotsky correct the polemic is still relevant to any theory of mass cultural development.

One of the results of the publication of this book is that many intellectuals, particularly Western intellectuals, based some of their sympathy for Trotsky the man and fallen hero on his literary analysis and his ability to write. This was particularly true during the 1930's here in America where those who were anti-Stalinist but were repelled by the vacuity of the Socialist Party were drawn to him. A few, like James T. Farrell (Studs Lonigan trilogy), did this mostly honorably. Most, like Dwight MacDonald and Sidney Hooks, etc. did not and simply used that temporary sympathy as a way station on their way to anti-Communism. Such is the nature of the political struggle.

A note for the politically- inclined who read this book. Trotsky wrote this book in 1923-24 at the time of Lenin's death and later while the struggle for succession by Stalin, Zinoviev and Kamenev was in full swing. While Trotsky did not recognize it until later (nor did others, for that matter) this period represented the closing of the rising tide of the revolution. Hereafter, the people who ruled the Soviet Union, the purposes for which they ruled and the manner in which they ruled changed dramatically. In short, Thermidor in the classical French revolutionary expression was victorious. Given his political position why the hell was he writing a book on literary trends in post-revolutionary society at that time.


I love Alex.
	Dr. Alex Delaware is completely incorrigible! I love this character, but no wonder his pal Milo is going gray - keeping Alex out of trouble is a full time job! There is a scene in this one where Milo tells Alex straight out not to go snooping - he tells him, "I know you ..." Yeah, Milo knows him all right, and so do we, don't we? (And if you don't - read the books! They're great!)

Okay, Alex is a clinical psychologist who is semi-retired, does mostly forensic work now for the court and the police. His best friend Milo Sturgis is a homicide detective with the LAPD. Once Alex gets involved in a mystery, he is incapable of letting it go. In all fairness, it is Milo who gets him involved in this one.

Alex and his girlfriend Robin are rebuilding their house - she's a carpenter, so she's very hands-on with the rebuilding. In the meantime, they're living on the beach in Malibu. Sweet.

Milo is quite taken by one of the jurors involved in a particularly gruesome and high profile case. Ever since the trial, Lucy Lowell has been having nightmares and Milo asks his friend Alex to try to help her. She's quite a character and Alex is taken by her too. (Things get a little complicated when she reveals her crush on Milo - FINALLY! A woman falls for Milo! (I'm not the only one!) The fact he's gay does put a crimp in things, but no matter). While her recurring dream becomes more intense, other strange happenings have her - and everyone else - questioning her sanity. But there is obviously more going on than anyone originally thought and Alex is afraid maybe this dream is not a nightmare at all, but a long suppressed childhood memory. The memory of a murder.

Milo is tied up with another complicated case, so Alex goes off digging on his own - again. I had to laugh - several times, Alex comments about doing something "on impulse" and I'm sitting there waiting for someone to try to kill him. The lies come so easy for him in this one - he's been getting a lot of practice. He pretends to be a journalist, a freelance novelist, a publisher and he even manages to keep his lies straight - he's amazing! But the inevitable happens and he and Lucy find themselves staring down the wrong end of a gun.

The mystery is 20 years old, so it's a very cold trail and a very complicated case - you won't figure it out - the ending is quite a surprise