Independent Books

I found this book nice and clear in information besides of that alot of exercise in it.

This is a good book, but I bought it because of the Audio with it. Still waiting. I have called and emailed Syngress and have yet to get any response from them. The web url listed on the book does not work, and the site has no reference to this book. So much for the extra questions, and audio the book promises. I will definately not recommend Syngress after all the bad luck with this book and false advertisement!

Grabbed this book in a pinch to see what I might need to know for 70-648 besides what I knew from hands-on implementation. I agree that it covers exam objectives, at least I passed with a decent margin. There were a couple "out of left field" questions on the exam that weren't in the book but that's not too bad considering this isn't from Microsoft Publishing.

Sometimes the book drags on covering knowledge that a MCSA 2003 cert holder should already know, but at the same time, the refresher can be helpful. My biggest disappointment is in Syngress' web team failing to deliver the online companion site in time for the book's publishing (and my scheduled exam, natch). As of this review, [...] yields 404. This URL is published on the cover and should have hosted the free practice exams and other supplemental material like MP3 audio covering the "Fast Tracks" (which are in the Study Guide too...handy items). I can't even find the book after poking around Syngress.com.

Still, I found this item helpful.

Don't watch that one!!! Watch this One!!!!!Gavin Watson is true. The cover of Watson's Skins shows the sadly ignored by Dr. Martin anniversary add. But as Dr. Martin lost
the opportunity to show the true nature of their years of success we are graced with with Watson's one man conviction to show
the passion of a youth movement which stepped heavy like Rudebwoys in it's rebellion. Watson shows and proves the Skin
movement and it's original multi-cultural appeal to young working-class males of all cultures.
Now, Hip hop and rap has the same appeal for youth who wish to break cultural barriers and run with the rebels. But this rabble
of rudeness came first. One can only hope that for this generation that they will have a dedicated chronicler with a swift righteous
eye like Watson to tell their true tale. Watson rides again!!!!!!!

This collection of 144 black and white photos is, according to the cover, "a collection of potent images... which perfectly captures the essence of the skinhead cult..." of the late '70s and early '80s in Wycombe. The vast majority of the pictures are fairly dull snaps of various skins in either tough or "taking the piss" poses, which probably aren't of interest to anyone who doesn't know them. The few that stand out as quite good pieces of photography are as follows:

--"Product of the Environment" on page 15 is a brilliant and chilling composition of two sullen 10-12 year old skinhead boys sitting on wall under "NF Skins" graffiti.

--"The Mission" is a cute snap of a young skin in a crombie contrasting heavily against the a group of white-robed black churchladies.

--"Part of the Union" on page 58 is a great shot taken from below of one skin holding something and a blurry skin in a Union Jack t-shirt standing above him.

--"England Expects" on page 91 is another great show taken from down low, it shows a bulldog's head next to the head of a skin with a tattooed neck, with the tower at Trafalgar Square looming above them.

--"Gretch Having None of It" on page 109 shows two skinheads walking away from the camera down a dark, wet cobblestone street with a bulldog contrasting in the foreground.

It would have been nice if there were a lot less photos and some more context in the form of notes. Quite a number of the photos show Nazi paraphanalia, graffiti, and salutes, it would have been nice for the author to put this in some sort of context, especially in light of the photos that show black classmates and Asians in the community. Seeing as how it's basically one guy's photo album, it's definitely a book of limited interest. It should also be noted that the printing of the book is pretty low quality.

Ok, its a photography book, and the subjects and the photographer are all skinheads. That's really all there is to it people. But my God, don't pay $70 for it. I got a copy for $12. Some good photos in here. Nice black&white treatment.

Absolutely devastating

Sadly it chronicles both what this depraved politico (your choice) did and what the voting public will accept and put up with from its beloved leaders. Talk about your "teflon" presidents; Clinton is your poster boy. The greatest shame is that his presidency crippled us in a period of our burgeoning strength and influence. Left us vulnerable to the diseases of complacency, egocentricism and true selfishness. He epitomozed those characteristics and the country lionized him. Too bad for us....

I absolutely cannot believe this piece of crap was picked as one of the 100 best non fiction books of the century! It is not much better than porno---it is little more than evidence of the American obsesssion with sex and the obsession Star has had with Clinton since he entered the White House. What was described in that report was nobody's buisness. Those details are between the President, his family,and Moncia Lewinsky. They are not anything the American public needed to know.

In response to the sole review for this book, having been at the exhibit I have to say that both the catalogue and the show did very well in sharing honest and intimate perspectives about personal relationships with divinity. While more political venues consistantly discuss God solely in relationship to religion, church, and state, _100 Artists See God_ serves both as a breath of fresh air and a reminder that the human relationship with the divine is individual and personal, transcending faith and political alignment.

Art more than any other discipline has the ability to break open new intellectual and emotional ground. It an be a powerful tool. Governments and religions have tried to guide and or control artists since artists began translating their world view’s onto the pictorial and sculptural plane.

Religion has universally been a major control element in the sociology of artists, and the depiction of god is a major taboo in both the Christian and the Muslim world. Between religion and art is a fertile ground for the imagination, it is a ground that is still potentially loaded, a fertile ground for the artist to shock, or stimulate an audience.

You would think that a subject such as the depiction of god (given the military industrial religious complex which is currently so dominant) would engender more than a very light weight response from artists.

Sadly this is not the case. There are no compelling images of faith and devotion nor any compelling criticisms of god and religion, no overt discussion of the grotesque coupling of government and church, and so I can only say that this is a very disappointing book.

It is potentially an interesting project and the curator really ought to be dismissed for their lack of vision and inclusion. So many artists to choose from but they really have filled the book with mediocre works. Sadly evident in the bulk of the work displayed in the book is a lack of insight into the subject and a lackluster commitment to aesthetics.

Do not pick on Bangladeshis, Mr.Green Tiger. To me as a foreigner a completely new world opened up with this book! I never use obscenities myself, but it is good to be aware of signs and gestures that can be interpreted as such in different cultures. After all, where else will you find so many "bad words" printed legally on a paper?!

Great book if you're an ESL student. For writers and research, though, it sucks (author's term). If there's an American out there who doesn't know EVERYTHING in this book by the time they've reached 18, they're either in a convent or heavily drugged.

Susan Eisenhower, granddaughter of a president, fell in love with Soviet physicist Roald Sagdeev just as the Soviet Union was beginning to feel the strains that led to its eventual breakup. Eisenhower, a former journalist and foreign-policy expert, met Sagdeev at a conference, and the unusual and dangerous romance began to bloom.

Set against the backdrop of the intrigues and bloodshed of the last years and days of the USSR, Eisenhower's book could have been a page-turner. The KGB is a constant and unseen presence. After all, a prestigious Soviet scientist was not supposed to fall in love with an American.

Unfortunately, especially in the middle pages, the book bogs down amidst the descriptions of countless international meetings and minor Soviet functionaries. Eisenhower clearly could have used a better editor. The last quarter of the memoir springs to life again with Eisenhower's acerbic account of Mikhail Gorbachev's ineffectual efforts to preserve the Soviet Union. But not many readers will wish to get to that point.

Prominent Soviet scientist falls in love with granddaughter of American President - it sounds like fodder for a best selling novel, so it's all the more remarkable for being true. Susan Eisenhower's account of her love affair with and eventual marriage to Roald Sagdeev is the fascinating story of two people defying the odds of the Cold War to make a life together. From their burgeoning courtship through the maze of beaurocracy they needed to overcome, their story is two-fold: the age-old tale of boy meets girl played out against the intricate politics of a world in transition.

This book has the feel of something that was dashed off in a few weeks to meet a publishing deadline. The photos poorly illustrate the text, and many of the photos are inexplicably re-used at multiple points in the book -- apparently just as 'filler'.

The text does cover some of the basic questions a robot builder might pose, but there certainly is not enough detail to enable someone to actually construct a sucessful combat robot.

There are many better books available on this subject. Search them out and add them to your library before you consider this purchase.

This book is a must read for those new to the sport and who are interested in R/C robot combat tournaments. It primarily focuses on the basics of robot construction, from locomotion to weapon systems to robot fighting styles. Basic robot physics, tactics and acquiring sponsorship are covered as well. It also presents the issues involved with putting on your own tournament. There are helpful tips from a large assortment of knowledgeable people including top builders, vendors, tournament organizers and more. If you are new to the sport, it is an indispensable source of helpful information. Many `newbie' mistakes can be avoided with the experience gained from the book. If you have already had lots of robot combat exposure you should recognize most of the material as fundamental, yet it can still be an interesting and informative read.

In his book, "Gouverneur Morris: An Independent Life," William Howard Adams splendidly brings to life one of our Republic's most important citizens, the incomparable, the iconic, Gouverneur Morris! It's fair to say that this remarkable, witty, intellectual and cynical man was "The Bronx." His family estate, Morrisania, encompassed 9,000 acres of that area in New York. It stretched from the Harlem River to the south and touched on the East River, facing Randall's Island.

Morris was a New Yorker, all 6 ft. 4 inches of him. When Manhattan was young, he was young, too, graduating from King's College, (now Columbia), just before the outbreak of the American Revolution. As a budding lawyer, he tied his rising political star to the powerful Livington faction in NY State. Morris knew everybody that was anybody in NY, PA, MD, and Virginia. He later did a stint, as a Federalist, in the U.S. Senate, too.

Morris didn't hesitate to keep a record of his personal views on the leading American personalities of his day, ranging from: Alexander Hamilton; John Jay; the Immortal George Washington; James Monroe; the legal giant, John Marshall; John Adams; James Madison; Aaron Burr, Thomas Jefferson; Ben Franklin; and his intimate friend, the legendary financier, Robert Morris, to name just a few. When General Washington was desperate for aid for his troops camped at Valley Forge, PA, it was Morris, who provided it. Working with (not a relative) Robert Morris, Gouverneur was able to devise a financial plan that kept the Continental Army afloat until the French government could come to its rescue, just prior to the Allies' great victory at Yorktown, VA, over the British imperialists.

As a delegate to the Philadelphia Convention in 1787, Morris helped to draft the Constitution and authored its "Preamble," one of the most powerful statements in all of the literature of that heroic period. He opposed slavery even though he owned slaves. He championed a Republican government, with checks and balances, to keep any tyrant from taking power and/or the Mob.

As an American Envoy, Morris also witnessed the "Reign of Terror," in France first hand. He had a lot to say, most of it very insightful, about why that experiment failed so miserably. Morris was critical, too, of the Marquis Lafayette's role in that bloodstained fiasco. He believed that Lafayette, a bona fide hero of the American Republic, was too much of "an idealist" to control or influence in a positive way that highly manipulated process. When Lafayette ended up in a grim Austrian prison, it was Morris, nevertheless, that worked behind the scenes to secure his eventual release.

Adams weaved into his portrait of Morris, the passionate love of his life, Adelaide Marie Emile (who was also the lady friend of that foxy Talleyrand). While Paris is descending into chaos, the one-legged Morris (he has lost his left leg in an accident), was chasing after "Adel." He finally caught her. But alas, their romance was not to last. Morris, depressed, consoled himself for a while with traveling throughout Europe. An astute business man, he made a fortune speculating in land, especially in Northern New York. At age 59, the old patriot, who had championed the building of the Erie Canal and laid out, in the role of an urban planner, New York City, settled down on his beloved estate at Morrisania, married a Virginia belle and fathered one child. He died, at age 64, in 1816.

This first rate biography belongs in the library of every lover of the history of the American Revolution. Adams has given Gouverneur Morris, an ardent and brave advocate of republican liberty, his just due.

For years, my knowledge of the revolutionary and federalist eras were informed by bland college textbooks, indifferent professors, and mythological stories. Imagine my joy when contemporary writers (McCullough, Ellis, Zinn, Shaara, etc.) managed to highlight the remarkable achievements of the individuals involved in these eras.

In many of the publications, I kept seeing Morris' name pop up and thought I would read this biography. The main problem with this book is the writing and style. While technically obeying the elements of the English language, the author's style is agonizingly plodding and uninteresting (just like the textbooks and professors that encouraged me to avoid historical scholarship for the first 25 years of my life). Frustratingly, the author applauds the efforts of Ellis, McCullough, and Elkins in brining the people and events of this era alive -- and then does the exact opposite, writing a book so bland discombobulated only a machoist could enjoy it.

There is a reason public demand is so high for books by Chernow, Ellis, and Brands and why this book will quickly be relegated to never-been-checked-out library book sales. The author had an opportunity to write about an interesting subject, but choose instead to write a pretentious 300 page sleeping pill. What a missed opportunity!

By itself, the book is tolerable, but put it next to Chernow, Ellis, or even Elkins and McKitrick and it is crushed. On the bright side, you could learn a thing or two about Morris by reading this book -- just don't expect to have near as much fun as you would with other authors.

This text offers valuable information in which one can become a more informed citizen on the political rhetoric over educational reform. The text is not unproblematic however. The small section on "school as a civic sphere" needed to be expanded upon as well as the way in which all of the reforms focused upon math and reading test scores. Overall, these areas remain minor in comparison the benefits of this text.

One would have thought that after Chubb and Moe's book we would find new insight here; but these writers are not only not economists, but are generally 'conservative' in the sense that they simply won't admit that impoverished kids are desperate for better schools. This book is somewhat closed-minded, but there are valuable lessons to be learned as well. Those who seek profit in education are the vultures who await perched upon the current debate. But things are indeed desperate, and these troublingly complacent academics are not helping things, in my opinion. Worth a read, to be sure...

As a film student, this book is a useful guide in the art of film making. Whilst the information it presents is accurate and generally quite accurate, I found the format of the book to be particularly hard to follow. It is extremely technical and whilst it explains all the terminology it presents, it still leaves the reader feeling somewhat bedazzled by what is essentially an information overload. It is useful, but not interesting, which makes it a little more difficult to learn from and is far too technical too understand without some prior knowledge. This book will give you the technical skills to make films (albeit not the first time you read it), but if you are wanting more of a guide to becoming an independent film maker, I would highly recommend a great text by Greg Merritt called 'Film Production : The Complete Uncensored Guide to Independent Filmmaking'.

The strengths of this book, in my opinion, is the well rounded coverage of technical issues regarding film production. This is not one of those guides which convinces you that it can squeeze scriptwriting, production, casting, postproduction, distribution, and even film appreciation (by giving you a "favorite films" list at the end of the book). This book deals almost completely with technical terms and techniques, which is probably the only issue in filmmaking that can be sufficiently covered in one book. Ofcourse, you will need on hand training, but you can always get your hands on a good old 16mm soviet camera for around $150 or a super8 camera for next to nothing (I did). This books only faults: It's a bit old (1972) and visually it's a bit dull (though there are plenty of b&W pictures and charts). I enjoyed Lipton's rather intimate writing: it feels a lot more like an literal explaination than a textbook.