B Books

These three books held me spellbound. I'm usually disappointed with series books, as I think most of the concentration is in the first volume--not so with this set. Ms. Gulland is an accomplished story teller. She has an imaginative way with words. I can hardly wait for her next series--hopefully there will be one soon.

I just finished the third book in the trilogy and I am literally choking back tears because I hate it that there is no more left to read!

Sandra Gulland has brought Josephine and Napoleon's romance to life through these incredible books. You feel like you know them personally and you care about their lives. I learned more about France in that time period than I ever did in a world history class! And it was done in an exciting way. There were no boring "skim over" areas in these books!

She has done a first class job with this trilogy and she truly does justice to these famous historical icons.

This is a captivating and tactile series. Ms. Gulland obviously put an enormous amount of research into the books, and they are a great primer for the events surrounding the French revolution. The history, however, is a subtle bonus; the facts and historical figures are woven effortlessly into a rich narrative as told from Josephine's point of view.

A friend passed this gem on to me, and everyone I know who has read it since ended up reading late into the night, entranced by the story. I can't wait to see what this author comes up with next.

I expected very little from these books except a good beach read and I was SO pleasantly surprised at how well-written, readable and informative they were. I knew very little about this time in history and now want to know more (plus, I want to read more by Sandra Gulland!). These were SO GOOD! I went through the trilogy within a month's time and was so happy that I had #2 and #3 ready to read once I finished the previous books! I highly recommend these books.

The Trilogy was a very sympathetic account of Josephine's life written in a very smooth and readable style. The thee books read like one book. The style had a very feminine feel as it emphasized the emotions of the events that took place. I enjoyed the books tremendously.

The Kalevala is the result of Elias Lönnrot collecting and commiting to paper the oral traditions of the Finnish people to produce an epic tale.
This translation has captured the poetic delivery of the original Finnish as perfectly as these two opposing languages could.
The poetry weaves the tales of Väinämöinen, an old seer and the younger Joukahainen who wishes to challenge him. This angers Väinämöinen who chants him deep into a swamp, a meadow and a heath!! To get himself out of trouble Joukahainen offers the old seer his sister Aino as a bride. Väinämöinen thinking he has been offered a house keeper accepts. Aino is quite taken with being his bride but Väinämöinen has other ideas and heads North to woo the maiden of the North. He can marry her if he forges a Sampo, which is a magical machine that churns out salt, flour and money! He can't do that but he knows a man who can, his good friend Ilmarinen the blacksmith. He has to trick Ilmarinen into going North but he makes the Sampo. Then the marriage requires another task and so the maiden remains unmarried.

Meanwhile, another character Lemminkäinen decides to go North and try his luck winning the maiden. He is given tasks in order to win her hand, capturing the elk of Hiisi and the swan from the river of Tuonela. The latter task nearly kills him and he gives up.

Väinämöinen is now making himself a boat to head back up North but he runs out of spells so he has to go and find Vipunen, a giant who knows all the spells. He gets his spells, finishes his boat and heads North but he is seen by the sister of the blacksmith and the blacksmith rides like the wind on his horse and catches up with him. The two men make a pact that they will let the maiden choose between them. The maiden choose Ilmarinen because he forged the Sampo but her mother still wants more tasks done and she orders Ilmarinen to plough the field of vipers. Ilmarinen finds this easy with his armoured boots and cape and so the crone of the North sets him the task of capturing the giant pike of the chill north sea without line or net!!Ilmarinen forges himself a giant eagle and captures the pike. Now the old crone is satisfied and the wedding takes place. Väinämöinen makes a kantele from the jaw of the pike which produces sweet voiced music such that tames the beasts and even causes the sea king Ahti to rise from the depths. He and Ilmarinen use the sweet music to soothe the beasts of the North whilst they take the Sampo for themselves and set sail for home. Louhi, mistress of the North casts a fog spell to stop them, which Väinämöinen conjures away so Louhi unleashes a terrible storm which sweeps the kantele from the boat whereupon Ahti the sea king thinks it is a present to him and he calms the sea. The crone turns herself into an eagle and attacks Väinämöinen's boat and in the struggle the Sampo is broken into pieces. Some of the pieces are washed up on the shore and from the fragments Ilmarinen makes amulets and rings thinking that perhaps there is still some magic left in the pieces. Each resident of Kalevala wears a magic piece on special occasions, wishing for a peaceful life.

Now I've just condensed an epic piece into a few short paragraphs...for which I apologise but it's a great tale and maybe this will encourage folk to read it themselves.

This review is in two parts:

THE TRANSLATION: When it comes to reading ancient literature there are often numerous versions and translations. Unless a story is REALLY good, I only want to read it once. So it only makes sense that one should want to read the best version/translation available.
Thankfully, the Keith Bosley translation of The Kalevala is the most reader-friendly, very much like Seamus Heaney's translation of "Beowulf".
The Kalevala does not rhyme, although there are a few instances of alliteration scattered throughout. Each line is usually a handful of words comprising an even larger sentence, but it's done in a tasteful way so that you won't feel like you're reading a James Joyce run-on sentence like in "Ulysses".

THE EPIC:
The Kalevala bounces around telling tales of several major characters, which is fortunate, considering the length of the work. Without giving anything away, the characters do things like get married, steal precious relics, sing magical songs, go to war and build many more precious relics.

There are lots of good "Chapters" in The Kalevala and I was surprised that a few of my favorites had little or no action in them (according to a guy's definition of action, at least). One of which was the marriage sequence of Chapters 21-24. If you've ever heard the advice, "Don't get married", this is probably one of the sources where such advice comes from.

It is also noteworthy how much influence The Kalevala has had on Fantasy and Metal. If I remember correctly, Tolkien's "Silmarillion" starts off with beings singing things into existence, much like the characters in The Kalevala do.
The Finnish metal band "Ensiferum" has songs that are inspired straight from The Kalevala, such as "Old Man" which refers to Vainamoinen.
There are many other bands in the folk metal genre, that, although they don't specifically cite The Kalevala as an inspiration they clearly have songs that are similar to The Kalevala's oral tradition. Some examples (in my opinion) would be Korpiklaani (Finnish), Metsatoell and Raud Ants (Estonian).

Overall, I liked The Kalevala much more than I thought I would, given its length and I have to admit: I found it more interesting than Beowulf.

The Kalevala has a flow to it that makes the plot/ idea easy to follow. If English is your second language you will struggle with some of its vocabulary. The stories and the essence of this epic poem are captivating. I didn't want to put the book down at night. This is a good way to get to know Finnish culture.

There is an elegant, powerful simplicity to this epic tale, no matter what language you read it in. The symbols transcend both language and time. There is nothing contrived here. Such a tale could not be counterfeited by a modern mind.At the center of the entire epic is Vainamoinen, the singer at the world's dawn. Here is the archetype for the wizard- the first and greatest among shamans. Before Merlin, before Taliesin, before Math, before Manannan, there was Vainamoinen, Eternal Seer.Something real and vital carries over even in translation. Reading this book on a cold winter's night you can taste the sea and smell the forest. You can identify with the characters even though they have godlike powers, because they also have trades that they live by (Vainamoinen is a boatbuilder, Ilmarinen a smith, Joukahainen builds his own crossbows, etc.) These Godlike beings lived simple lives close to the earth. And simple wisdom is powerful wisdom. Yet, there is also so much more of the old, deep legends and symbols buried in these lines. You can tell that they were preserved long after the long lines of singers had ceased to know their original meanings.The ancient Finns believed in the power of words, and the greater power of songs. There is still power here. Or as the epic says:

Words shall not be hid

nor spells be buried;

might shall not sink underground

though the mighty go.

I enjoyed this epic story of Finnish mythology. It was a musical, delightful collection of heroic stories that didn't overwhelm me. I could keep track of the characters and what they respresented quite easily.

I was delighted by this book! I hope all Finnish children are exposed to the exciting yet fun depiction of their mythological heritage.

I know that scholars want to read everything and disect the stories for deeper meanings -- which is just fine -- but I can really see this as a set of stories being told to small children while the whole family sat around the fireplace.

Let me start out by saying that, in theory, a "Landmark Herodotus" has much prmise as and idea. But not in the execution of this volume, I'm afraid.

The model that worked so well for the Landmark Thucydides -- text with maps and appendices to explain larger themes and issues -- does not work so well for Herodotus.

While the maps are a welcome adornment, what this culumes lacks are specific and copius textual notes to explain the material. Instead we are shunted to various appendices at the end that are all done by fine scholars, but are not directly tied back to the actual textual material.

Instead of purchasing this hardcover volume, I highly recommend the much cheaper Oxford Classics paperback edition of Herodutus. It is an excellent English language translation with dozens of pages of highly specific endnotes elucidating the material.

Herodotus is a wide ranging, expansive read in contrast to Thucyudides, who is only covering a condensed period of history spanning some 20-30 years at its core, and is limited in its geographic scale to mostly Greece, Asia Minor and the Agean. [The notable exception being the great chapter on the Athenian expedition to attack Syracuse in Sicily].

If you must purchase this volume, I suggest waiting for the paperback volume to come out. The translation is a classic one, so it has merit from that standpoint. But the format that worked seemlessly for Thucydides, is lacking for Herodotus. With the wealth of material covered by the father of History -- a few appendices cannot do the work justice. You want to be able to follow along as you read the tales, and have the option of checking a source or an explanatory note if a subject strikes your imagination.

In many ways the experience of this volume is like reading a modern tourist guidebook for a country with all of the accomodations reviews for each city in one appendix, and all the restaurant reviews in another appendix.

There are certain classic texts that every serious student of history should own. However, the last thing you would ever probably want to do with some is take them off your shelf and read them. The archaic language, the stultifying syntax, and the obscure references make these works all but impenetrable to even the most educated mind.

This is decidedly not the case with this beautiful new edition of the works of Herodotus with a new, readable and understandable translation. Herodotus, commonly known as the father of history, traces in his Histories the growth of the Persian Empire, its invasion of the city-states of Greece, and their ultimate repulsion by the barely united Greek forces. Instead of a dry recitation of facts, we get an exciting story of abductions, betrayals, exhilarating battles and incredible feats of bravery that would make a soap opera enthusiast proud. But this is not a comic book version of a classic work. It is in fact a highly accessible translation that is a must for all scholars of ancient cultures, but also a valuable resource for all us dilettantes.

Robert B. Strassler, the editor, has done a yeoman's job in publishing this work for a large audience. It begins with a lengthy introduction that gives us background on the widely traveled Herodotus, describes his work and puts in into context. In addition, the volume is full of drawings, photos, innumerable maps and side notes that add considerably to our understanding. If that wasn't enough, it concludes with twenty-one appendices on critical topics by leading classical scholars, as well as a comprehensive index.

Herodotus was more than just a historian for he frequently writes about the culture, geography, religions and legends of the people and areas he describes. These in-depth descriptions add fullness and dimension to our understanding of these events.

With the publication of The Landmark Herodotus, we have a valuable and usable addition to the library of classic histories. Therefore, it will do a lot more than merely look good on your bookshelf.

Armchair Interviews says: Excellent readable book of ancient history.

I have been working through The Well-Educated Mind by Susan Wise-Bauer, and I have been dreading this big volume of Herodotus. I stumbled upon this edition in the library, and what a great find! It has maps,explanatory footnotes, summaries of each paragraph along the margins, pictures of archaelogical sights, and more! The translation is wonderfully readable too.

I heartily recommend this version!

Excuse the old song, but I could not help but to use it for this splendid book. Let me start by the quality of the production and material. The paper is of high quality, especially important in a book of this size. There is but little bleed from the reverse of each page. The paper is smooth and displays the fonts crisply. The binding is superb. You may lay it open nearly at any page and it splays for your waiting eyes.

All the old cob webs are swept away by this clean prose. Yet there is no edgy try at the avant-guard or hyper-modern. Something of a voice manages to come through, but never in a self-conscious manner. We hear the stories with their deep meanings, but not troubling over the facticity of any moment.

The Histories are laid bare without attempt to count the number of ships or match events to dates. Strassler eases you into the panorama of this great work to read and to see it on its own terms. The great assistance of the format: the maps, the notes and the gloss -- all make this work accessible as it has never been.

Only because I had a highly skilled Classics professor, and he an expert in comparative Ancient Greek, was I able to have a tour through this work at a tender age. Now you can have quite a bit in your reading chair.

You will be captive as the text reveals Solon at the palace of Croesus. How the great law giver and traveler lays out his argument that no one can be judged as while alive. And you will pause. You are reading this tome, not so much as one wanting the history, but as one who seeks the paideia, the Greek way.

The page layout has everything you can ask for; and then are all the appendices. Just enough photographs.

Like the Landmark Thucydides, the Landmark Herodotus is an excellent edition, with a good introduction, copious notes, 127 maps, 21 appendices, a glossary, bibliography, dated timeline, and index. Being a huge fan of the Thucydides edition, I was hoping for a Landmark Herodotus, and am overall very impressed with the book. The only criticism I have is in the translation. The Thucydides edition used Richard Crawley's fine and well established translation, but a new translation by Andrea Purvis was used for Herodotus. Hers is not a bad translation, in fact I think it is probably very true to the original Greek, but it is simply not as elegantly done as George Rawlinson's The Histories (Everyman's Library). For example, here is how Purvis translated the Proem:

Herodotus of Halicarassus here presents his research so that human events do not fade with time. May the great and wonderful deeds - some brought forth by the Hellenes, others by the barbarians - not go unsung; as well as the causes that led them to make war on each other.

And Rawlinson's rendition of the same:

These are the researches of Herodotus of Halicarnassus, which he publishes, in the hope of thereby preserving from decay the remembrance of what men have done, and of preventing the great and wonderful actions of the Greeks and the Barbarians from losing their due meed of glory; and withal to put on record what were their grounds of feud.

Readers unfamiliar with other translations will probably not miss anything, but I must admit I found the translation a bit hard going at times. I would personally prefer a slightly less literal and more literary translation than a precise modern version that reads a bit tediously in places. But overall, this is a wonderful edition. Hope we get more Landmark editions, as Strassler seems to hint in his preface.

We ordered several paper backs of this series and then recieved the hard back in the mail. WE DID NOT ORDER THIS BOOK AND WOULD LIKE YOU TO PICK IT UP FROM OUR HOUSE AND CREDIT OUR CHARGE CARD.
Please let me know what to do #813-835-9192.

I have always enjoyed the adult series of Left Behind books. The kids books are just as good. The kids interact with the characters from the adult series, experience the same events, etc. However, since the main characters are teens, these books can appeal to younger readers. So far, the stories haven't had the ups and downs that the adult series has had. The adult series has books that are a lot more boring than others. The kids series seems to be good in every book. These are not for really young kids, but would be appropriate for young teens. I enjoy them and I am an adult.

My 12-year-old son just devours these books, and I'm so happy about it! There are too many negative influences in today's society, and these books are nothing but a positive influence, in my opinion. My son says that these books are bringing him closer to God. How many people can say that what entertains their child does that? My son actually puts the Game Cube down to read these books..and believe me, that's a miracle!

Yes, these books are from a Christian perspective, but even a non-Christian would enjoy the good reading.

The Underground is yet another perfect continuation of the Left Behind Kids series. Logging in as book #6, The Underground finds our four teen post-Rapture heroes unleashing the power of the printed page by way of an underground newspaper that proclaims the message of God's Word to their peers at a high school named after the Antichrist, Nicolae High, which was established in book #5. The kids encounter trouble at every turn, and as schol authorities and social officers relentlessly hunt them down, they struggle to reveal the Truth of God's message and the Truth behind the global disappearances of millions worldwide in which event each one of the four kids were left orphans. They boldly face one close call after another until one of them is captured by the agents of the Antichrist's newly formed regime . . .

The Underground ends with a cliffhanger, making the reader want to read the next book to see what happens and how or if the characters survive. The story is continued in book #7, in which installment the reader discovers how the character who is caught in #6 fares.

Mark Moore has it wrong. This book may be Christian, but it is not propaganda. It tells about something that I (and many other people) believe will happen.
Mark says that it is "ludicrous" to believe that the world would go into chaos if all the Christians disappeared. Yeah right! Let's see millions around the world disappear at the same time and withount warning and not have chaos.
I think Mark's accusations are what's ludicrous. "An evil religion perpetuated by zealous idiots"?!? Give me a break! Christians are as normal as anyone else.
In the Bible, the book of Revelation takes about "20 pages" because it only gives enough information to understand what is going on. These books are much longer because they put the situation into real life situations.

As for the quality of the book? A different reviewer mentioned this and I feel the same way. The time line is screwed up compared to the adult series. From what I remember, there WAS no Global Community before the treaty signing.
All of the kids series books that I have read are good, but not as good of quality as the adult books. I personally think that the authors lost some of their good writing style by continuing the adult series so long, and it is showing up in the kids series.

Joe Leininger provides great insight in his daily efforts to be both a good and Christian person with his success as a commodities trader.

Few businessess are as brutally competitive as trading in Chicago exchanges. However, with great faith and works, Joe obviously holds to his strong Christian values in this tough environment.

This book helps me come to grips with striving for success while hoping to maintain the fundamental value of helping and loving one's fellow man (or woman).

An excellent picture of how to live a balanced life and besuccessful at it. Especially applicable to those in the financialfield, but applies to all of us who desire to excel in our field. Joe's personal experiences in such a high pressure environment serve as poingant lessons. Take advantage of this book as a roadmap on the path to success.

Under the guise of being about trading securities, this is an excellent book about life, about observing what work gives you and what it deprives you of. About making changes that lead to a richer life and how to know when work costs too much. It also offers wonderful insights into the life of a trader and the paradox of being a good trader and trying to balance that with being a good Christian.

Joe has done a good job of taking interesting stories from his life and distilling an excellent life-lesson from each. Joe's life comes through clearly in this well written collection. He is transparent and engaging. Not only does it draw us to examine our inner health and values, but to look to our own stories for the lessons hidden in them. Worth a plane flight to read it.

Lessons From the Pit was a very fasinating and involving book. It is obvious that Joe Leininger spent a lot of time thinking and planning this book. This book is not one where the first chapters are interesting. The whole story is interesting. I kept saying to myself "at the end of the chapter, I will go to sleep, but I just couldn't put it down! He talked about personal subjects also, making you feel like you were just talking to him, alone. I highly recommend this book, and I think that Lessons From the Pit was the best book I have read so far.

"Uncle Sam's newest, biggest bomber- the B-36 is a long, slim Texas gal with a wiggle to her rear. She's a little on the skinny side, but she's beautiful." (The New York Daily News, 1948)

"This is the mammoth battleship of the air on which the United States would largely depend in carrying the war- and the atomic bomb- to Moscow in case its dictators, avid for world domination, start the world's third great conflict in the next few year." (New York Sun, 1948)

During the early, somber days of World War II (1941), The Army Air Corps urgently needed a capable intercontinental bomber that could bomb targets in Europe from bases in North America.

The colossal B-36 designed to meet that critical need is the subject of veteran aviation writer Dennis R. Jenkins' book, "Magnesium Overcast".

Describing the "Peacemaker," the author relates, "The story of the B-36 is unique in American history. The aircraft was an interesting blend of concepts proven during World War II combined with budding 1950s high tech systems."

Mr. Jenkins summarizes his focus: "The intent of this work is to cover the development and production of the aircraft itself, and therefore its operational use is mentioned only when it brings to light information relevant to its design and construction."

The elephantine B-36 had a brief ten-year operational life during which it was the "king of the skies" for only about four years. It's development came at a time when the Navy and Air Force contended for control of America's burgeoning nuclear arsenal. Because most of the military expenditures were earmarked for exorbitant atomic weapon systems, there was tremendous political pressure on the developers to quickly create the consummate Air Force stratagem.

But there were performance limitations with the available technology. For the aircraft to reach its extreme (10,000 miles) long range - the 250 mph B-36 must routinely remain airborne for two days! Only the B-36's ability to fly higher that most jet interceptors and the complete absence of hostile surface-to-air missile systems kept it operational during the cold war. By 1955, its modest cruising speed made it an increasingly exposed target.

Mr. Jenkins reveals, "The B-36, despite its seemingly conventional appearance, pushed 1950's state-of-the-art further than any other aircraft of its era. Its sheer size brought structural challenges, while its high-altitude capabilities brought engine cooling and other problems. Sophisticated gun and bombing systems presented development, maintenance, and operational headaches."

To meet the extreme requirements of its mission, several outlandish design features were incorporated.

Early B-36 crews required a pilot, copilot, radar-bombardier, navigator, flight engineer, two radiomen, and 8 gunner/spotters. The "Peacemaker" was equipped with bunks for the off-duty crewmen and a galley- complete with oven to prepare hot meals!

One of the most eccentric systems developed for the B-36 was General Electric's complex system of 8 retractable remote control dual 20mm gun turrets. When greater range was needed, these heavy systems were soon removed.

Because mid-air refueling had not been developed, the aircraft configuration would be huge, considering the massive fuel storage requirements. To carry the massive bomb load, generous space for three substantial bomb bays was needed.

Later, in an effort to wring more useful life out of the "Peacemaker", the Air Force explored several curious modifications.

A pod that contained two turbo-jet engines was added under each wing, to provide a much-needed boost in power.

With the original 110 in. tires, only three runways in the world were thick enough to withstand the tremendous touch down weight of the B-36. Eventually when an adequate braking system was designed, a more practical multi-wheel landing gear was installed. Convair then experimented with an odd-looking track landing gear system for the aircraft that was designed for use on unprepared landing strips.

To extend the B-36's range, "all defensive armament except the tail turret and its radar, ...most of the remaining crew comfort equipment (bunks, galley, sound deadening, carpet) and astrodome" were removed.

Now, the vulnerable B-36 had virtually no defensive capability. The Air Force experimented with various parasite fighter planes that would be launched from aboard the B-36 when needed. The most interesting was the perfunctory McDonnell XP-85 Goblin, which was uniquely designed for this mission.

As a performance upgrade until the B-52 heavy bomber came on line, the Air Force experimented with replacing the B-36's massive wings with swept-back replacements (YB-60).

The most freakish experiment featured adding a nuclear reactor to power the NB-36H. Greatly modified turbojet engines used a sealed system of air or steam heated by the reactor. Such an aircraft theoretically could stay airborne for years! Unfortunately, very heavy radiation shielding was imperative for crew protection.

Thankfully, the B-47 Stratojet and the B-52 heavy jet bomber became operational and finally put an end to the expensive "Frankenstein" experiments with the outmoded B-36.

Magnesium Overcast: The Story of the Convair B-36 is a high quality, glossy, format book with a "jackpot" of intriguing photographs (many in color), instructive drawings and tables. Many of the wonderful interior photographs, diagrams and engineering drawing were taken from U.S. Air Force technical manuals. The graphics alone make this one of the finest aircraft books I have ever seen. Mr. Jenkins had done a superior job of presenting all the modification programs in great detail with a clear, concise style. He has meticulously researched and presented the life cycle of the B-36 from conception through scrapping out.


About the Author

Dennis R. Jenkins is a consulting engineer in Florida who works on various aerospace projects, including over 20 years on NASA's space shuttle program.

Mr. Jenkins also authored "B-36 Photo Scrapbook". This book began as a collection of illustrations that were assembled for "Magnesium Overcast" but would not fit into the finished work. Since many of these are significant - or at least interesting - and most have never been published previously, it was decided to print the scrapbook as a companion volume to "Magnesium Overcast."

His latest book is "Experimental & Prototype U.S. Air Force Jet Fighters" (Specialty Press 2008). Mr. Jenkins also authored "Space Shuttle: The History of the National Space Transportation System: The First 100 Missions," in addition to more than 30 other works on aerospace history, several on the subject of the X-15 program.

A great long range bomber that served in SAC to perform as a bridge between the "prop" planes and the pure jet. This book is throughly
researched and easy to read. Many photos.

The photos in the book are worth the price of admission, so it shouldn't be a surprise that the accompanying text is so flat. The book focuses almost entirely on the technical side of the aircraft and completely ignores the political, military, and economic forces that shaped the B-36. There are no crew accounts of 30 hour missions. There are few indications of how the B-36 was used (or more importantly, why it wasn't used). In fact, one gets the impression that upon leaving the factory each plane was just rotated back to the factory for an endless series of upgrades.

Still, the detail here is marvelous. Photos and diagrams are provided for nearly every important part. Changes are often detailed down to individual planes. While the book does have a tendency to get bogged down in model numbers and lingo, it still manages to impart a sense of the majesty of this huge and innovative airplane.

Very good reference on the B-36 Peacemaker. Well illustrated with black and white as well as color photographs. Many cut away drawings and diagrams. Considerable technical information A good source book for the serious researcher or individual interested in this Cold War era bomber.

"Magnesium Overcast" is just what an "airplane book" should be: large, attractive, detailed, with a wealth of superior illustrations, many in color. I'd hazard a guess that there are more than 300 high-quality photos and drawings, including a rare chart of the Convair production line.

In any case, it's all here: something for "rivet counters" and "number crunchers" alike. The authors deserve full credit for the thoroughness of their work and the obvious care they lavished on this project. Kudos also go to Specialty Press for producing this significant volume in such lavish style at a reasonable price.

This is very funny stuff. I remember getting this book in college. It's still just as funny or perhaps more funny today!!

Kliban was definitely one of the best. I discovered his work in used book stores and was hooked the moment I saw it. What started was a manic tour to find all of his books. Next was convincing everyone I knew at the time that Kliban was a genius. Some bought, some flinched.

Kliban's work would have no home in today's "funny pages." It's entertainment for adults (he began his career with Playboy magazine) and his work is scattered with obscenity and nudity. None of it is gratuitous. One thing that heavily separates Kliban's work from other cartoonists' is its depth. Social commentary mixed with metaphysics mixed with surrealism. When he's funny he's gut-wrenchingly funny. When he's profound he's deeply profound (not many cartoonists' work can be called 'profound'). He also uses the pun in a way I've never seen before. He either goes over the top and makes you gag(e.g., "Why do you hang out with that sadist?" "Beats me!"), or is very subtle and hilarious (e.g., A buffalo saying "I never met an Indian I didn't like, with the possible exception of Kahlil Gibran"). His work is nonsensical, absurd and funny.

This book includes classics such as "The Birth of Advertising", "Patron Saint of Crullers", "Contaminated Pork Bldg", "The Hairy Family Singers", "Continuous Eye Persons", "Philosophers Looting a Small Town", and many others that defy description.

Kliban's closest equivalent in cartooning must be Argentina's Quino. If you're a fan of Kliban, most likely you'll appreciate Quino's work (though some knowledge of Spanish is helpful).

Sadly, a lot of Kliban's work is difficult to find these days. His "safer" books like "Cat" are readily available, but his more edgy work seems to have nearly vanished. Perhaps someday if mainstream humor revisits off-the-wall absurdism Kliban's work will be appreciated for what it was.

B. Kliban is a pre-Larson cartoonist with some similar traits. Kliban is much more cerebral, however. My college roommate had this book and "Tiny Footprints" and I was hooked. "Soup to Nuts" is a classic.

The B. Kliban book, "Never Eat Anything Bigger Than Your Head," was the most original, funniest and thought-provoking cartoon series that I've ever seen. For humor value I also like New Yorker cartoons, but they are locked in a kind of workplace suburban conventionality that seems less original than Kliban, and anyway they use multiple authors for their body of work.

A "predecessor" of Gary Larsen? Having had Kliban's book and then seeing Gary Larsen's series, Larsen's work is clearly derivative of Kliban, sort of like J.K. Rowling coming after J.R.R. Tolkein.

The book is still funny and mind-stretching, and my original 70s paperback copy is falling apart, so I'm taking the trouble to track down another copy.

Anyway, as far as I'm concerned this book is at the top of the heap of original cartoon humor and actually represents a new way of looking at everything in terms of parody from the early 70s on. Buy it if you dare.

This was my roommate's book and I read it back in the 70's. It was so hysterical we used to laugh until we thought we'd wet ourselves. I sometimes think about funny cartons/sayings and I'm still laughing about it 20+ years later. I'm amazed I remembered the name of the book, but I did, so here I am. I'm ordering it today. I'm going to keep it at work, and when things get me down, I'll look at the picture of the "Wonder Weiner Works" and I know it'll put a smile on my face.

NYPD Battles Crime recognizes that by admitting things are not "all right", that there are problems waiting for solution, we can move onto what may be reasonable and realistic remedies to the crisis at hand. "It was hard to argue that averting crime, even nuisance crime or incivility, before it erupts is better than reacting to ongoing, more violent criminal activity." Pp 79-80.

The three main objectives for an Intelligence Led campaign in law enforcement where a serious or increasing degree of criminal threat is perceived, which is what Compstat is really all about are as follows.

Government officials must begin by eliminating perceived injustices. Previously, and even more so today, the inequalities of cultures must be studied, and understood within the context of the indigenous perspective i.e., avoid mirror imaging. It is vital that western democratic policymakers have adequate intelligence so as not to underestimate security challenges. The disparity between Western material and technological advantages with those of opposing cultures defines the crises.

"The NYPD and organizations emulating its successes are undergoing a revolutionary change - a new way of relating to their environment." P 186.

Law Enforcement Intelligence must also focus on the emerging domestic threat generated, and propelled by the multicultural mentality that renders logical decisions impossible. This particular `group-think' mentality espouses inexplicable virtue on non-Western societies whom proudly profess a real threat. It is the essence for fostering unconventional warfare, terrorism, and globally organized crime.

Prior to Compstat ..."An assemblage of field soldiers and officers, as in the first act of Aida, would deliver on the top command's promise to dramatically reduce crime. But the stumbling of previous reform administrations on a stage replete with bureaucratic land mines and social `snafus' had shown the need for more deftness and sophistication in reconfiguring the NYPD bureaucracy." P 82.

Almost simultaneously, the government must obtain support of the local citizenry, separating the criminal threat from the general population, as much as possible, both physically and psychologically.

Strategic policy should consider when implementing a counterinsurgency campaign against criminality and incivility that personnel develop a sincere empathy for the public they serve. When forces are scattered among, and living with, the population, they need not be told any longer that they have to win their support. Being more vulnerable, they realize instinctively that their own safety depends on good relations with the local people. Civil, respectful behavior will come about naturally on their part.

Finally, law enforcement must develop the necessary intelligence to establish a policy whereby future criminality will not threaten the newly established civility. There are plausible reasons to believe that the majority of citizens support or are at least sympathetic to the counterinsurgent forces. However, the residents in a high crime/combat area usually avoid contact with them. The barrier between the lawful citizen and the counterinsurgent must be broken. Fostering a sense of self-preservation should dissolve the separation between the counterinsurgent and law abiding citizen. Too often residents fear reprisals from the criminal element and with good reason doubt there is adequate defense from counterinsurgent forces. Only when the tables are turned; when the counterinsurgents hold the upper hand on controlling violence, and only after the local resident has been adequately enabled to control his own safety will there be open communication between the counterinsurgents and citizens.

This work with its historical depiction of how Compstat was developed is very helpful in studying and understanding Intelligence Led Policing.

Dr. Silverman's book is an excellent description of the organizational change process orchestrated by the NYPD. Unfortunately, he failed to grasp the old saying that if something is too good to be true, it probably isn't true. The amount of crime and number of murders did drop substantially in New York as Silverman attests. What he fails to mention is that crime in Los Angeles, Boston, and San Francisco (to name a few cities) experienced nearly identical drops in crime during the same time frame and they did not implement NYPD's innovations. The NYPD was merely the beneficiaries of a trend (which actually started in 1991--before the innovations were implemented), rather than the trend's architect. Sometimes it is better to be lucky than to be good.

Mr. Silverman does a wonderful job here. The author makes a very complicated subject easy to understand and read. Silverman brings you right into the workings of the NYPD. The breakdown of the strategies that the NYPD implemented to combat crime was remarkable. Silverman explains Compstat so that the reader can fully understand its meaning and usefulness. This book was not written just for the police world but, for the communities that they serve. If you want to see how the real boys in blue catch the bad guys this book is a must.

I envy the students of Law, Criminal Justice etc. who will be using Dr. Silverman's book as a text book. It is a very well written, exciting account of how the largest police departement in the world used enlightened management techiques and a sophisticated computer system to drastically reduce crime in New York City. Business students and corporate managers can benefit from reading the book as well.The Deming-like management techniques used by the NYPD would benefit any organization.This book is for anyone who wants to be well informed.

NYPD Battles Crime is a scholarly review of a process that not only affected New York City but is being adopted by many other police departments. Prof. Silverman has "insider" access, and gives the reader a detailed view of the politics behind the procedures. This book is also a fascinating look at the way change is implimented in a large organization. I have put NYPD Battles Crime on the reading list for my classes--it is a "must-read" for anyone who is interested in current trends in the criminal justice profession.

If you're looking to learn SEE (Signing Exact English) then go no further. This book really has it all. A better way of signing then ASL in my own opinion because this teaches all the proper uses of the language, and in turn shows in writing and such. Good sized images for each of the signs.

i loved the book very conveient i would recomend this book to the big one any day.....

This book is extremely helpful and very well made. It definitely helps out those who are trying to learn sign language but need a little extra something. I strongly recommend it for beginners or anyone who needs a quick resource from time to time. Definitely worth the money

This is a great signing book for adults. some of the actions are a little tough even for me to be sure on. But gives you pretty much everything you need.

About 10 years ago I took a six week course through the town where I teach (in a private preschool). This book was required and used by the teacher (who works at a local school for deaf children). I would never ever be even close to her ability and speed...but found that this resource has been used successfully each year in our classroom. The children love signing, and we've found that it has increased their knowledge and awareness. Children ages three to six just love the "hands on" experience and are quick to share it with their families. What started as a new addition to our room's curriculum has now spread into all three classrooms in our school. The parents are thrilled, the children are happily learning, and the teachers look forward to learning with them. Thanks go to this great book (and the entire effort to put it together)! The introduction is also very useful. I would highly recommend this reference book for anyone at all interested in signing!

I know that Starhammer is not great literature but it is a thrilling story for traditional science fiction readers. Rowley creates an interesting, if frightening, future for humanity. However, the scale of time referred to in the novel spans a billion years, long before humans existed. Somewhat like in the Warhammer series. He also creates one of the most frightening alien life forms I have read about in science fiction, the Vang. I always thought that it was a shame that Rowley didn't develop this theme to more than the three books he wrote on the subject of the Vang and the Laowan. His Founder series was good but I found the Dragon theme less interesting. Like other reviewers here I have read Starhammer several times over the years and it is definitely one of my favourites.

This whole series is completely suspenseful, and this book definately sets the stage!

I found this book as I was looking for more information on the Halo backstory. Everything I was reading was saying that the developers borrowed pretty heavily from this series and they were definately right. Don't get me wrong, they are NOT the same story. There are just a lot of similarities, which in my mind is a good thing.

A word of warning, though... Don't read this book unless you have a whole day to spend; once you pick it up, it's got you!

IF you like Halo, then you will love this book. I cannot emphasize this more.

The people at Bungie who created Halo are such obvious fans of this book its not even funny.

Things from Halo that are based/similar from Starhammer:
-John(Master Chief)
-Covenent
-Flood
-343 Guilty Spark
-Halo(The weapon part of it)
-Cortana
-There's more, I'm sure

I first read this book many years ago after purchasing it along with a bunch of others at a secondhand book stall. I've read it many times since and never get tired of doing so. Just a sensational story that deserves to be made into a blockbuster of a film. If you love sci fi and haven't read this book yet then do so without any delay. It doesn't matter if you have to beg, borrow or steal the money to buy the book - just do so. You'll be all the richer for having done so!

This book is one of my dumpster diving finds from almost 15 years ago. It has no cover and is about the most damaged book I own.

But, I treat it as best I can, considering I have read it at least twice every year since I found it. It is a detailed trip into a bleak future, where mankind is saved long before it ever reached the stars.

The book has some technical flaws, and the pacing changes through the story, but for all that it presents ideas and visions with clarity and imagination. I would love a story about the long past heros of the novel.

The plusses of the book significantly outweigh the minuses. The heros are thinking, feeling beings, the villans obviously think a different way, and the true villan turns out to be much scarier than expected. Plus, its smart.

In all this is a very exciting and fast paced (mostly) book that is a vision of redemption.