David Gallagher Books

The book does a good job of discussing teaching theory and how it relates to web-based instruction.

Alas, its technology discussions, which make up half the book, are quite dated (like the book says Java hasn't really shipped yet -- ok, quiet you cynics -- but will be incredibly influential).

This book contains several generally accepted principles in creating learning environments. I was actually shocked by an original thought somewhere near the end. The author is very vague, and contradicts himself several times.

He says "A major advantage of the Internet is that teachers do not have to worry about software and hardware issues as much as in other situations." This is absurd. It is a major barrier to learning. Teachers often have to cope with just those things before any learning on the subject matter can take place. It was not any easier in 1997 when this book was published -- it was more difficult because the technology was still young and far less stable, and because learners were not nearly as comfortable in the environment!

I feel that in his push to get his book to market early in the game, he sacrificed content and ideas for (what was then quite forward-thinking) technology.

You can learn something here, but watch your step.

I found Brooks' account of the instructional use of the web as practical and thought provoking. He does not portray the internet as the saving grace for all aspects of education but, demonstrates proven strategies for instruction

This book is the rulebook for the fanatasy game of Warhammer- you collect, assemble, and paint an army of your chosing (things like Elves, Orcs, Goblins, vampires, and knights, among other things) and then partake in battles and campaigns with other players. Very useful if you're interested in actually playing the game, but not light reading- it's a rulebook, not meant for enjoyment.

Dynamic Html Unleashed is a once of great DHTML books. But this is clearly not a introduction book. You should have a good HTML and javascript knowladge .

The book appears very comprehensive, but really needs a quick reference guide on all the elements of dynamic HTML (including scripts and HTML itself).

I've seen Peter Belesis' work around, and it is way too confusing and buggy to get any real use out of it. His Hierarchical menus are beautiful, but you never get to see one on your own site because it is so convoluted and screwy!

Although once you go page by page looking for a topic you can find it, the index is one of the lamest I have seen. They should have spent more time on developing it. Unless I can remember seeing a topic someplace in this book, I will choose my others to reference first.

I'm sure all the information is in this book, but it is so poorly organized that trying to read it is unreasonably difficult. It seems that every chapter was written by a different author and very little was done to coordinate the flow of the book. Throughout the book the authors talk about making scripting for both NS and MSIE but very little attention is paid to teaching you how to write for BOTH platforms. Again, the information is there but you need to work awfully hard to find it.

Dark, mature, gritty, desperate, sinister, Machiavellian, detailed. All of these words do not describe Blood on the Reik. They do however apply to the world that we were told Blood on the Reik would reveal to us: the world of Warhammer Fantasy. Many of us who are aware of this setting with its rabid fans spread throughout Europe, its dozens of well written novels, its own miniature based fantastically popular war game, and its unique but recognizable world have long searched for a way to introduce our friends to the setting. We have searched for a way to grant them, with but a glance, the same fascination that we have.

Blood on the Reik promised to give us this. It is surely cleverly conceived. It was pitched as a work that will give us the sweeping visuals that have so inspired fans of the Warhammer world, focused on the largest nation of humanity, the glorious Empire. Blood on the Reik is presented not as a work of fiction but as work that might be found within the world of Warhammer. Reik's exterior appears as if it was a folio produced in the halls of Altdorf, capital city of the Empire. Every facet of its exterior oozes the setting. From the exterior inscriptions, comments from the "author" and its claim of having "12 Color Plates and 260 Representations this work is, one the surface, an immersive experience.

Presented as a work by Altdorf resident Tobias Helmgart, an author and traveler who compiled this book during his crossings and experiences throughout the Old World, Blood on the Reik fails to live up to its exterior. This is principally due to the artwork of John Blanche. The aforementioned color "plates" (an anachronistic term for full-color photo) are all his work and are truly vile to behold. The sketches are done, alternatively, by Blanche and long-time Games-Workshop artist David Gallagher. Where we have Gallagher (who to be fair comprises most of them) we have success, where we find Blanche's drawings we find little more than the etchings you might expect on a cave man's wall.

The text, what little there is does pass muster and should be applauded save for the fact that there isn't enough of it.

It's a shame that for many months this was the sole art-book for the Warhammer Fantasy world. Thankfully the recently released Darkness Rising: A Complete History of the Storm of Chaos learned from the mistakes of Blood on the Reik. It has the flavor, the immersive setting, detail, and beautiful artwork. Unless you are a true collector buy it and not this.,

I'm not sure about the quality of the art book, but the online game was cancelled. The link provided above goes to a page providing that information. The art book, then, is an interesting curio, an "almost was" snapshot of a game killed due to publisher disinterest.

It is always amusing for me to come across yet another attempt at "Revisionist Koresh History". In this book the author tries to portray David Koresh as a misunderstood religious leader instead of being the evil sociopath that he truly was.The author attempts to give the reader the "Human side" of Koresh's followers.What he fails to describe that it was all a case of "David , please take my wife and daughter, kindly plunder my Bank Account and that way we won't have to think for ourselves anymore".The author glosses over the numerous Charges of Child Abuse while ignoring the fact that Koresh kept the children for 51 days in a hostile environment where there was no running water, electricy, heat or even decent food. As a negotiator with David Koresh the author failed miserably in respect to not getting the innocent children out of harm's way into the care of the proper authorities where they could be given a hot meal, a warm bed and a safe place to live far away from conflict and gunfire.The author tries to show the real humanity of those involved and fails because there was no Humanity in that Compound only a thug who hide behind women and innocent hildren and interpreted the Bible through the barrel of a gun.

This book shows the human side of the Branch Davidians that was certainly missing in the sensationalistic portrayal presented by the media. Rather than seeing the Branch Davidians as mindless followers of a madman, Tabor and Gallagher show the reader the history, theology and genuine fervency of the movement, as well as David Koresh.
This book does well to show the other side to the Waco tragedy. One that is often missing when discussing "cults" or new religious movements. One realizes that the true tragedy perhaps is the unnecessary loss of lives in Waco due to government fumbling, media sensationalism and anti-cult misdoings.
It is informative and easy-to-read and gives much food for thought on the saliency of the media in forming our opinions.