J Books

I concur with most of the points addressed by earlier reviewers, and found this book to be one of the best about history that I've read. Many of the letters were eye-opening, detailing facets of America's history of which I was unaware. As an example, I found the letter detailing the My Lai Massacre both illuminating and horrifying. The letter from Roosevelt to 'The President of The United States in 1956' honoring the first American soldier to give his life in WWII is one of my favorites, along with the letter to the Warner Brothers from Groucho Marx that an earlier reviewer mentioned. A few additional thoughts:

1. The choices of letters from the 1990s were the weakest of any decade. I suppose that's to be expected in the days of e-mail, chatrooms, and the demise of the letter writer, but I'm sure there were better selections than one detailing the results of testing performed on the stained blue dress worn by Monica Lewinsky, or the letter to a Star Trek fan.

2. The majority of the letters related to negative aspects of the century, which while powerful to read made it a bit depressing to read more than 30-50 pages at a sitting. As the various forms of media have always realized, bad news makes for better stories than good news. I wish, however, that there would have been more letters evincing triumphs, humor, and/or optimism. Such letters were in evidence, but not in abundance.

3. I agree with an earlier reviewer that noted the liberal bias of the letters selected. There appeared to be an inordinate amount of 'coming out' selections and letters voicing disapproval of the System. They were important letters, however, that gave me a different view of the country's past.

4. One of my favorite history-related books is A People's History of The United States by Zinn. This book of letters reminded me of that text, required in a college history class.

Overall, I strongly recommend this collection to anyone interested in the history of 20th century America.

This is a collection of over 400 letters that attempts to summarize the century using such. It's a fool's errand, of course, but this is a valiant and fascinating effort.

Some of the letters are famous ones: Einstein alerting Roosevelt to the possibility of developing a nuclear bomb, Martin Luther King writing from the Birmingham jail, and Nixon's terse letter resigning the presidency. Others are less-known but still from famous people: Mark Twain complaining caustically about the inefficiency of telegrams, Charlie Chaplin ecstatic about his first movie contract, Bill Gates trying to discourage early software piracy.

And others are from and to obscure people while still being remarkably telling: an immigrant writing to his relatives about his new life in America, a Jewish woman writing of her experiences being captured and interrogated by the Nazis, a letter left at the Vietnam War Memorial, an erstwhile Compuserve user giving up on his connection problems when confronted with technobabble in response to his request for help. It's really a fascinating read, a hodge-podge of life across the century, from mundane domestic problems to the key issues of the day. My only complaint is that there's a bit of a liberal bias, with plenty of letters describing the hardships of the downtrodden masses and not a whole lot celebrating human ingenuity and accomplishment. But perhaps that is a telling point as well, considering it's a bias that has dominated this century.

This book is a wonderful collection of stories from every year of the 20th century. The authors of the letters are famous people and ordinary citizens. These letters express every human emotion love, loss, triumph, joy, and hope. This book is a pleasure to read.

My favorite story is about a young woman writing to her best friend about her bad marriage. Her husband is physically abusive to her and her son. She yearns for the courage to escape and become an independant woman which she eventually does. Another story by a young man who actually survived the sinking of the Titanic He writes his girlfriend about his experience of getting off the ship and waiting to be rescued.

There is a letter by a woman in Hawaii to her brother in Ohio. She recounted witnessing the bombing of Pearl Harbor during World War 2. She recounts going to a bomb shelter and depicts the commaraderie among the people of the time.

There is a Dear John letter addressed to Ernest Hemmingway from a nurse who cared for him while he was wounded in World War 1 He loved her but their relationship was a mere fling to her. She lets him down gently. This relationship inspired Hemingway to write the novel The Sun Also Rises. There is another letter written by a young unwed pregnant woman in the 1930's seeking advice from a doctor. Her father has no knowledge of the pregnancy and her mother is dead. She has nobody to turn to and her desperate plea for guidance is very touching.

There is another poignant letter written by the sister of a Vietnam Vet who died from lymphnoma as a result of exposure to Agent Orange. She expresses her disbelief, loss and sorrow to an anti war group. There are several stories written by expectant parents to their unborn children. Each letter is filled with anticipation and hope. Buy this book. You will never be able to put it down.

I did not expect to like this book. I had avoided reading it for some time, thinking it would be dull, pedantic, not worth the effort it might take to read it, and generally unpleasant.

I am so glad I found out I was wrong.

It's actually enthralling, well-done, and a worthwhile addition to anyone's library. I am not generally fond of ultra-personal non-fiction, or of the twentieth century in general, but _Letters of the Century_ overcame all of my doubts. The explanatory paragraphs and notes are extremely helpful; the letters are generally of medium length, diverse in subject matter, and uniformly fascinating. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and highly recommend it.

Every library should have this treasure. I can't think of any book that is as immediately accessible or as fascinating to anyone who reads it. It's a fun way for anyone to learn about America's last 100 years. It's a great gift for a teenager who may consider American history a sleeper subject; it can help put all the facts into context. I wish I had this book when I was in high school!

For people who are considering a new career, or for those who have been laid off from what they thought was their "ideal position," this book gives a clear insight as to what opportunities are achieveable during transitional thoughts or actions. Rather than the perhaps "normal" let down of having your fabulous position eliminated, this book highlights the benefits and opportunities that are available to anyone who has been laid off or who just wants to move forward in personal and career enhancement.

This step-by-step book, the third in a series, continues the upward movement for self-improvement and career enhancement in easy-to-read steps. The exercises throughout the book allowed me to take an in-depth look at reality; to really allow me to look at where I have been, where I am today, and where I can go. There are no limitations as to where I can go using the positive structure this book contains. And what an eye-opener to get me from my comfort zone to career heights that I never knew existed.

This book is a must for anyone thinking of a career change, or even job enrichment. For me, this book opened exciting new challenges and opportunities and helped me realize my being laid off was just the beginning of new and exciting avenues for my career and personal growth.

EVERYONE TALKS ABOUT IT BUT THIS BOOK SHOWS YOU HOW TO DO IT. A CONTINUATION OF THE SNAPP SERIES, WE NOW SEE A GREAT EXAMPLE OF HOW TO MAKE IT WORK IN REAL TIME.
WHEN I WAS TEACHING AT THE JUNIOR COLLEGE I MADE THE FIRST BOOK IN THE SERIES REQUIRED READING WITH FANTASTIC IMPROVEMENT RESULTS AND NOW IF I WERN'T RETIRED THIS BOOK WOULD ALSO BE REQUIRED.
I STRONLY SUGGEST EVERYONE WORK (DON'T JUST READ IT) THIS BOOK. IT'S THE HOW THAT COUNTS.

This book provides the simple, common-sense, and creative tools that are most likely to lead to success in today's working environment. These are the things no one tells you about when you're starting out, and that you need to re-think your career when you're changing (or forced to change). No book can promise success, but using this book's method in good faith is likely to increase your odds of attaining success.

This is a good book because it deals with what to do after you get the coveted job. A lot of books deal with getting a great job, but then what? Chances are, you're not gonna be at the same job until retirement.

I learned a lot from this book, like how to be a well-rounded employee. One needs to be an expert, entreprenurial and engaging. I'm only the latter, but it's important to be the first two also in order to get ahead.

I just got a new job recently and my boss gave me a large manual on how to work one of the intensive computer programs. In the old days, I would have let it collect dust on my desk. Now, in order to become an expert (and look good to the boss), I'm definately going to leaf through it and try to become more knowledgeable about my job -- and life-long career. It can only serve me well in the end.

Bravo to Eyres et. al. for sifting life down to a project-by-project basis. It makes it so much easier to swallow in smaller, well-planned bites!

My wife and I both found this book to be very helpful. She has just been "riffed" by a large company and I've fallen into something of a career rut myself. So we've been passing it back and forth. What I like best about the book is that it doesn't spend a lot of time belaboring the obvious, which so many business books tend to do. They take one or two ideas that might flesh out a long essay and stretch them out to the point of evaporating to make them into a book. After a while, you feel that the author is just saying the same thing over and over until he hits 200 pages. In contrast, "Career Continuation" moves along briskly so you never get bored or impatient. It also has a real nice focus on specific tools that you can use in making a new career choice. The layout of the book is pleasant to read too and easy on the eye in a way that makes it simple to find the things you want to work on. I also found value in the "Success Tips" which capture in a series of tables a lot of hard-earned wisdom. I also liked how the book stayed upbeat and optimistic without seeming too "Pollyanna-ish" or too "Stuart Smiley" (if that's the guy who was on Saturday Night Live.) All in all, we both found it a good way to try and organize a job search or major career change. It was well worth the twelve bucks.

I can't even put it into words. We enjoyed this tape so much when my son was a baby! I hear the music now and it brings tears to my eyes. I would sit for hours, rocking him to this music and the songs are so beautiful. Whenever I have to buy a gift for a baby shower, I always buy this cassette because it's loved by everyone who receives it. Go out and get this tape immediately, I promise, you won't be sorry!

I'm surprised we didn't wear out this tape! My son is now 12 and we played this, together with classical music, for the first several years of his life! Very sweet - easy to sing along with, catchy tunes. I really missed it when we misplaced it - and just bought another for his Christmas stocking! BTW - he now has a very good ear for music.

My kids are now in their teens and still like this collection of songs. I buy it for every new mother I know and they just love it as we do. It's a must have!! It is just so beautiful

I bought this tape and booklet in 1998 when I had my first child. I am purchasing another now for my second child, because we played the other one so many times we wore it out. All of the songs are very soothing and easy to listen to. I love to listen to the instrumental side and sing to my babies too. This is one of the best children's tape we own.

I know this will sound funny, but here goes anyway....

I have four sons, ages 17, 14, 13 and 6. I first got this as a cassette when my first son was born in 1987. I started playing it as I nursed him at bedtime. It became a routine to play the tape for him each night at bedtime, alternating sides. He always settled right in to bed, wherever he was he always felt at home, comforted.

For each of the teenage boys, I did the same... thankful my cassette managed to last (prior to internet days). Now I have my six year old, and believe it or not, all three of the older boys actually sing the songs to and with him, and sometimes linger in the hallways to catch their favorite song at bedtime! They fondly remember the day when I tucked them in an pressed play.... Was it the singing night? or the music night? is a common guessing game we play. You know that this is an awesome tape when it's instrumental night and your six year old sings each and every word on cue as he drifts off to sleep!!! He even sings when he has his buddies spend the night for a sleepover - no embarassment whatsoever.

We are so thankful to the person who gave it to us so many years ago. I'm now ordering it as a CD, knowing that someday not so far off, I'll be Grandma....with the lullabye disc!

This is an excellent book on debugging. Whether you're debugging mechanical systems, electrical circuits, or software, the methodology presented is extremely practical and systematic. The author presents nine debugging rules that can be applied to any problem. The text is well-written, engaging, and humorous. The author also included a wealth of war stories that are worth the price alone. Highly recommended.

This Book Demonstrates How you could debug SOMETHING systematically, from most important principle to least important principle.(All 9 As the Book name said.) The Examples covers software, hardware, electrical, mechanical debugging. It is just amusement to read the example. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Quite liked it. I now have a game plan for approaching bugs in a nonrandom manner (including intermittent bugs):


Understand the System
- Read all related documentation
- Draw a system diagram and understand how things are connected
- Know the capabilities of your debugging tools


Make It Fail
- Start from a clean initial state
- Consider automating lengthy steps
- Make it fail in situ; don't waste time simulating the environment
- For intermittent bugs: list possible factors and try varying them one at a time; output a logfile and look for patterns


Quit Thinking and Look
- Watch it fail
- Use Remote Desktop / VNC
- Add logging and monitors
- Don't start thinking until you've limited the number of possible causes


Divide and Conquer
- Binary search
- Use test data with an easily identifiable pattern
- Start at the failure point and work backwards
- If you discover other bugs that may be related, fix them before continuing your search


Change One Thing at a Time
- Don't panic
- Back out changes that have no effect
- Compare the logfile with that of a good system
- Check earlier versions


Keep an Audit Trail
- Keep a detailed written log


Check the Plug
- D'oh!
- Have the components been properly initialized?


Get a Fresh View
- Try explaining the problem to someone (or something)
- Ask an expert: co-workers, the vendor, documentation, bug database, the web
- Report symptoms (including possibly unrelated observations), but not your theories


If You Didn't Fix It, It Ain't Fixed
- Fix the root cause
- Make the problem happen again by undoing your fix

I worked with Dave Agans for over 10 years and I can tell you first hand the man knows what he's talking about. From developing hand-held controllers in the late eighties to single-board OS/2-based videoconferencing products to software collaboration tools, we have debugged problems of every ilk. Whether the problem was an FPGA bug, a faulty component in a board, a race condition in a device driver or a dangling pointer in a DLL, Dave always approached the problem with his same set of debugging rules, and they never let him down. Read this book. It's engaging and fun to read. But more importantly it will make you a better debugger, whether you're debugging hardware, software or your lawnmower.

This book is absolutely indispensable for anyone working in any job where things occasionally work in an unexpected manner. It's concise, funny, well-written, and full of immensely useful tips on how to go about debugging problems.

One of the great things about this book is that it's generalistic in nature, not specific. Agans's decades of troubleshooting experience has given him great insight on how to go about debugging in all sorts of environments, so he lays out nine rules for approaching any problem:

Understand the System
Make it Fail
Quit Thinking and Look
Divide and Conquer
Change One Thing at a Time
Keep an Audit Trail
Check the Plug
Get a Fresh View
If You Didn't Fix It, It Ain't Fixed

[...]

Debugging isn't an art performed only by folks with some odd genetic disposition, it's a critical craft which can and must be learned. I was fortunate to have some good troubleshooters as mentors during my days working radar inflight in the Air Force, but I've fallen out of many of the good practices those folks beat^H^H^H^Hinstilled in me. Agans's book is helping me pull out of the thrash and churn mode of debugging.

This book's only 175 or so pages long and is well-worth adding to your library. Actually, substitute "a critical addition" for "well worth adding". I'm also going to make sure this book gets added to the professional development reading list I'm working on creating.

For anyone who wants to know the history behind the personal computer revolution, this book is a must read. The author was a senior writer for Science magazine and understands both the technology and the people involved. There's almost no fluff in the book's 475-pages of fact-rich, well-written prose. My only complain it that, along with pictures of people, I'd have loved to have seen pictures and diagrams of the early equipment he describes.

--Michael W. Perry, author of Untangling Tolkien: A Chronology and Commentary for The Lord of the Rings

If there such a thing as an "epic" story of computer science, then M. Mitchell Waldrop's The Dream Machine is it. Although it purports to be the story of J.C.R. Licklider, and the birth of personal computing, this book is much more than that. It takes us from the edges of the computer science revolution, through the development of the modern computing industry and the World Wide Web.

Waldrop spends more time exploring the shadowy edges of the rise of computer science in America, and the intellectuals whose raw thinking provided the structure around which computing would develop. Giants like Norbert Weiner and Claude Shannon, and more obscure players like John Atanasoff of Iowa State University are given more thoughtful attention here than in most popular history accounts that I've encountered. Not only are their concrete accomplishments covered with clarity and understandability, but the thinking that got them there is attended to as well.

Of course, among the cast of great individuals is Licklider, whose efforts are worthy of the title billing Waldrop gives him. J.C.R. Licklider was a computer scientist before there was computer science, in any practical sense. While Lick (as everyone called him) himself, and the voice of technical accuracy, would likely disagree with that assertion, I stand beside it. Licklider was first a scientist, and he applied those core principles to developing his ideas in computing; computer science.

However, Waldrop's book does not feel like it was about Licklider, per se - despite a very intimate coverage of the man. Instead, the book remains focused on the growth of the intellectual concepts, and the practical technology that rose from those ideas. The scope of characters and technical detail covered by the book is remarkable, and yet it remains a readable and compelling story. The science is clear and understandable to individuals with an interest in the subject, without requiring a deep background (although, those with deeper backgrounds will still find the book enjoyable, and original).

If The Dream Machine were a novel, you might conclude the author used every writer's technique to make it a thriller. Even though you know the outcome, you wonder how the many "miracles" and lucky breaks it took for the dream to become reality.

A graduate course in a book! A tour through historical theories, accounts, and events that made up the development of the modern computer and the Net. Far more extensive than just the story of Kicklider, a historical overview of many of the minds at that time and the events that converged to form the new informaton era.

Many books and documentaries have been produced chronicling the emergence of the mouse, windows and the internet. Most focus on familiar personalities: Gates, Wozniak, Jobs, and that crowd. But, that's too simplistic; they're merely the contemporary pioneers of the modern computer age. All of these invetions were propelled by visionaries of an earlier age, and J.C.R. Lickleider was one them. If you're interested in the history of emergent technology, you'll be fascinated by this alternate tale of the computer revolution in which one man became the focal point of technological change. His name is not a familiar one to most, yet without his ability to get university (and later government) financing for what seemed like zany ideas at the time, we might not have seen the development of ARPAnet, the progenitor of the modern internet. Though Lickleider himself probably never had a complete vision of what was to come from his efforts, there can be little doubt that his role was pivotal.

Author Waldrop takes you through Lickleider's life in academia where he struggled to push his vision of "computing for everyone" in which computers really would be used by the common person, not just by the military or major corporations -- a vision which was understandably rejected by most of his peers when computers were still the size of living rooms and cost as much as the GDP of small nations. Readers who are familiar with James Burke's "Connections" series will see a similar pattern to this story in which one person was at the right place at the right time to gather disperate technological threads together. Lickleider was not responsible for tying the final knot of these threads together, but without his influence, it might have taken a lot longer.

This book is a "must have" in every dressage enthusiasts library. Another outstanding book by Ms. Loch.

I selected this book based on the reviews that have been posted. I was not disappointed in the least.

Finally a book on classical dressage that really tells you HOW to do it. Sylvia Loch is fantastic. I recommend this book to those who sometime feel like the real detail of how to apply the aids is missing from other dressage texts.

I cannot adequately describe the beauty and accuracy with which she writes. Clarifying the aids, and the horse's biomechanics and perceptions with a truly classical constructive approach.

A truly helpful, different perspective with easy to understand content for all riders.

I've had this book for over a year and I didn't pick it out to read until recently. I had been focused on books directed at training young horses and I thought this book would be better suited for a future stage when my mare had at least mastered the basics under saddle. Boy, do I wish I had started this book sooner!
I found this book to be the perfect companion book to others I have on starting young horses. Primarily because it makes you think about what you, as a rider, are doing. It is all too easy to focus on the young horse, instead of yourself. But if you have picked up bad habits along the way, you'll be hindering your progress and frustrating your horse.
What I like most about this book, is that it gives you the horses perspective, how he feels about each movement and how you deliver the aids. It encourages you to breakdown each movement and think about what you are doing as a rider - are you asking correctly and using the aids effectively.
The first few chapters (literally the first half of the book) are excellent for training a young horse, or re-schooling an older one. The subsequent chapters build up through the levels, from Training Level to Grand Prix. I know this book will be well used.

The photographer has really captured the feel of Ellis Island. A visit to the island is a must for people visiting New York. Whether this was the first stop for your ancestors on their arrival to the new world, or they came through other ports of entry, I think the general experiences were the same. All the feelings of expectation, fear, joy or the disappointment of making such a long journey only to be detained or turned back while in sight of the "promised land" are tangible in Stephen Wilkes' images.

As an artist, I purchased this after my artist friend showed it to me, to use as a guide for selecting particular colors and/or color combinations in abstract paintings. It is amazing that the light in the photos has been captured as it truly was--not altered or enhanced with SW to convey a particular mood. Everyone I have showed this to has been propelled to stop and look through every image in the book--it draws you in as you flip through the pages. The colors portray emotion. Content is one of a kind. Highly recommended.

I found this book to be stunning and thought provoking-I wondered about how frightened and angry immigrants must have been to be treated in such a way after what they went through before.

The pictures speak of the passing of time with such a quietness. One can only imagine the complete opposite when Ellis Island was a sea of humanity speaking and crying and hoping while glimpsing NY's famed skyline so nearby. So many hopes realized, so many unfulfilled.

I Love this book, the pictures are beautiful, the design and layout make the pictures and quotes very moving. As a photographer I admire the quality of the work, and the bright vivid prints. I love that most of the images are full pages, sometimes spread across two pages, with small text labeling the room, or part of the property. There are no frames, page designs, or paragraphs to take away from the imagery. For more information and details the photographer includes a section of thumbnails with descriptions, stories about the room, or the shooting conditions, or even bitd of history. The thumbnails and text are at the back of the book with an arial shot and map showing the layout of the buildings. It really helps to peice together the history of Ellis Island. The quotes including add to the emotion behind the images, and I like that they were on parchment paper, so that you can see the pictures behind it. The books are being enjoyed by me and my mother, who is very interested in the hostory of Ellis Island, while I enjoy it for the photography. Great book to own, everyone should have a copy.

I have read each and every one of J.R.R. Tolkiens LOTR trilogy including 'The Hobbit' at least 6 times and I am still not tired of them. They are classics! Some people say there's too much detail. I disagree but I like detail and I think it's the mark of a great author but I understand that some people just want to read the book and not have to listen to the author describe the bark on a tree for three pages (I'm exaggerating, he doesn't go into THAT much detail). These books are great, no language, nothing inappropriate at all. If you are looking for a good book to read on a rainy day I recommend LOTR. P.S If you want to see too much detail read 'Last of the Mohicans'.

I had never read the Rings trilogy. I liked The Hobbit when I read it years ago. I've never been a big fan of high fantasy (elves, dwarves, wizards), but this is the best. The world Tolkien creates is deep and amazing, and although the songs and poems get a bit tedious (especially when they're written in imaginary languages), I really got into the adventure of the characters. I read this right when I got back from Alaska and imagined the landscape to be much like that in Denali National Park.

I bought The Hobbit for my 11-yo son at a school book fair. He plowed through it in no time and loved it so I decided to buy him the Lord of the Rings trilogy as a Christmas present. He can't get enough of these books. He read the first book and absolutely loved it. He's almost done with the second book. He (and I) would definitely recommend any of the Lord of the Rings series. If you like the fantasy type of books then these are a must-have for your collection.

Tolkien was a man beyond his years, he and Lewis (in my humble opinion) started the fantasy genre as we know it today.

Fellowship is so much more than the movie (which I did like) but to read the books as Tolkien wrote them, in the order he wrote them is enchanting!

This story didnt take a couple of weeks but years, a lifetime. There are many reluctant heroes, and many that once in a position to make a difference did. It is about friendship, honor and respect. Things the modern world has seem to forgotton.

(FOR CHRISTIANS?)
I hold a Doctorate in Christian Theology, and I have to say Tolkien knew what he was doing when writing. You are being ministered to...and dont even realize it. You come away from the story wanting more, craving it. Once you find the basis of his story....the Bible, and put the two together you see the kinsmenship. Middle Earth are like parables, take them as such and any doubt you may have about them will soon disapear.

I will admit Fellowship is not the best of the four books (JUST my opinion) but that is not to say it does not blow away most modern books...because it was an absolute blessing to me, and an eye opener on who I wanted to be.

I originally read this in a beaten up one volume version of my
father's. My three volume collection is now beaten up, covered in
contact, and has the odd twistie stain from reading it as a kid.

The story starts slowly, as a bunch of the short hairy guys
procrastinate about when to leave the comfortable and bucolic existence
they live in the shire.

They almost leave it too late, and hence get into a lot of trouble on their journey as a result.

Spiritual authors and teachers just seem to fill you up with spiritual materialism. Krishnamurti says what you're self does not want to hear. That is why his stuff can be difficult to take in. Unlike others who talk about ultimate reality and what not, he does not speak like all the dharma, and new age enlightenment, awakening books. I can imagine the Zen ancients agreeing with him, the zen masters that existed before Zen became full of tradition and baggage.

Krishnamurti should be taught in all the schools as an example of how to think clearly. The effect would be astonishing. This is an excellent introduction to his methods, and you will be well-rewarded if you read this book and take it to heart. If you were to break with tradition and attempt to explain Zen in logical terms, this book could be yours. K's robust sanity is a symbol of hope for an ego-ridden humanity.

This is another collection of short pieces that doesn't do Krishnamurti's teachings justice. To fully grasp & enjoy his teachings, you must go into each & every subject slowly & carefully, as he himself states in many different works. The pieces here are too short, & Krishnamurti's vocabulary & philosophy aren't fully explained. If you've read several of his other works, & are familiar with his vocabularu & philosophy, then this is a fairly decent book. If you're not, this isn't a good place to start.

I am reading these books in sequence so that I will be aware of any shifts in this philosophy as he progresses.

The reading here is easy, but the thinking is more difficult. Krishnamurti doesn't attempt to speak what people might want to hear, but speaks from his heart, from his innermost being. So he doesn't give an easy path to follow nor does he promise such a path. Actually, to provide a path for others to follow would contradict his philosophy.

The answer according to him is in self-knowledge, but that knowledge can not be gained through effort. Nor, says he, can it be passed on to you by a guru. It won't be found in books. (I can't help but be amused by those who emphasize that the Truth isn't revealed in the printed word, and of course they use the printed word to share this message with us.)

The first half of the book is comprised of writings and portions of talks. The second half consists of questions asked after his talks, and in his answers you will find repetition sometimes as he clarifies. He has a way of emphasizing the main points by asking "Is it not?" or words to that effect.

I admit to having difficulties with much of what he says, but this isn't criticism as much as a compliment. The very difficulties I might have benefit me so so that I learn through resolving them. If you don't get this book, do at least read some of his other material. You will be rewarded.

JK was a mystery. His life story was dramatic and his teaching controversial - so many people found his talks transforming and yet many also were disillusioned. I myself, who was too young, foolish and too far away to see the man when he was alive, have been puzzled by the fact that supposedly no one who studies his talks was deeply transformed, sadly admitted by JK himself.

But how could we measure his merit as a teacher by that fact alone? Twenty years after he died, everytime I read his words, the man came alive, sharp, passionate, uncompromising and compassionate.

He came to the earth pure and clean, and he learned the mess of the human psyche in order to teach; he was a deeply religious and poetic man, evident from his few talks after his realisation and before he disbanded the Order, but in order to talk to a wider audience, "his beloved" was reduced to "the nameless" or "that immensity" in his later talks, with only a very slight touch at the end of talk; he didn't study any religious traditons, not even the Bhagavad Gita, and his talks were all his own, which perhaps explains why many people found his talks hard to grasp, because they can't be put into any familiar systems which we have learned before.

How can we judge him or measure him? He reached and touched more people than anyone else in modern times; his talked "from the ground up", from this drab of life everyone lives instead of exclusively to long time spiritual seekers; and his words are the best guards against superstition, which goes hand in hand with spirituality.

I salute to you, Sir !

This is without doubt the best of all Star Trek stories, both in film and in print. It touches on many grand philosophical, scientific, and technological themes: machine intelligence (both in Commander Data and in the Borg), space-time engineering (the first time humanity has done this, via the efforts of Zefram Cochrane), the first contact from an alien civilization (the arrival of the Vulcans), the confrontation with true history (meeting Cochrane and finding out just who the man really was), and the ethics of highly advanced civilizations (the contrast between the Borg and humanity). This book and the film will without a doubt inspire many a young reader to take up the practice of science, and thus it will do the best job of all. Science fiction has the habit of coming true sometimes, but it also has the fault of underestimating. The future of humanity, as exemplified by the Star Trek crew of the year 2367, is a grand one to contemplate, but the true future will be much better: a world populated by humans and machines striving to be the best they can be; a future that is never static, for stagnation to intelligent life is an abomination. We will do genetic engineering of humans, to be the best we can be; we will do space-time engineering, to travel beyond any immediate confines; we will create intelligent machines, to be our friends and allies. All of these things we will do, and much more. Humans and all other lifeforms, organic or not, will be very different in the time frame set in this novel. But they will be restless, ambitious, and always yearning for more understanding, for more insight, for more knowledge: these traits will characterize the beings of the 24th century...and beyond.

"And you people...you're all astronauts on some kind of...star trek?"

That line, uttered by Dr. Zephram Cochrane in both movie and novelization, has to be my all time favorite from the Trek film series. The most interesting difference between movie and book, as far I am concerned, is that despite James Cromwell's fine performance I found the film's Zephram Cochrane incredibly annoying. I never developed a shred of sympathy for him, because the background the film gave me - the Third World War and its chaotic aftermath - wasn't sufficient to make me understand him. I don't know, not having seen the script from which J.M. Dillard worked, whether she added "Zef" Cochrane's tragic battle with bipolar disorder (a disease that before the War had an effective treatment), or if it was among the elements that inevitably got cut as the film took shape. But I do know that for me, it made all the difference in being able to care about this character and root for him.

The book follows the film with little filler added except for background on Lily Sloane and Zephram Cochrane, which gives it a similar pace. They complement each other well.

As usual, J.M. Dillard does a fine job of remaining true to the source material, while still elaborating on it. The story is an excellent one, with plenty of action and plenty of interesting science-fiction concepts for the more thoughtful to consider. It gives us a bit more insight into the "future history" between the near-collapse of civilization and the beginning of the Federation that has been hinted at but rarely detailed in various episodes of Star Trek, in various generations of series.

The plot and characterization are both excellent and the writing is fluid and professional. The book is a pleasure to read.

This is, of course, the novelization of the highly successful Star Trek: The Next Generation film of the same name. First Contact refers not to first contact with the Borg, for, six years later, Picard still bears the mental scars of his assimilation in the form of Locutus, but to Earth's first contact with an alien civilization. It is a story that had yet to be told, although Captain Kirk and his crew had met the extraordinarily old Zefram Cochrane, inventor of the warp drive, in an episode of the original series; additionally, there had been hints that this pivotal event in human history took place some time after a terrible Third World War on Earth.

As the story begins, the Borg have attacked the Federation, with one of their massive cube ships making a bee-line for Earth herself. Picard and the new Enterprise-E starship defy Starfleet orders and rush to the battle, after which they follow a small Borg ship through a time portal which takes them back to 21st-century Earth. The Borg plan is to destroy the Phoenix, the spacecraft which Zefram Cochrane launches and, by way of its successful warp drive test, captures the attention of a Federation scout ship. If that pivotal event does not happen, the Federation we all know and love will never come to be. While half of the senior staff is planet-side trying to make sure the Phoenix launch happens on schedule, the rest of the crew find themselves battling a Borg infestation onboard the Enterprise herself. Data is captured, Picard is in danger of letting his hatred of the Borg overrule logic and reason, and we get to meet the Borg Queen. Personally, I've always felt that the introduction of the Borg Queen was a disservice to the greatest Star Trek villains of them all. The Borg Queen is a complete contradiction that introduced a level of individual vulnerability into a collective that was, up until this time, faceless and seemingly invulnerable.

This is an impressive novelization of the film, making it a worthwhile read to those of us who are already familiar with the onscreen story. In particular, it provides a great deal of insight into the erratic nature of Zefram Cochrane himself; in the movie, he came across as basically a drunk, but the novelization does a much better job of explaining his behavior. That alone makes this novel a natural and extremely beneficial corollary to the movie.

Star Trek First Contact by J.M. Dillard was an excellent book. it showed emotion, fear, dispair, and anger. IT was a well written book considering it was made after the movie. I encourage all Star Trek fans to read this book and watch the movie.