O Books

This is an excellent book, and it worked for me. I went from being near sighted and needing glasses to 20/20 vision (to the amazement of my eye doctor). I have also been bothered with light sensistive eyes since my childhood, and my eyes are now comfortable even in brilliant sunshine.

An excellent book! When I first started looking into alternatives to contacts and glasses I was lucky enough to have a friend refer this book to me. I started reading it and immediately began to apply some of the simple vision exercises. My eyesight improved radically! - About an immediate 75% improvement (towards what I remember from youth). This book had lots of simple eye exercises I could do during short 2 - 5 minute breaks during my workday. It was also really helpful in showing me how to deal with the other mind/body issues related to my deteriorated vision as well as simply helpful instruction on how to avoid eyestrain and the blurriness that comes with it now and in future. Due to these methods, one of my friends who has worn glasses for half their life has totally repaired their eyesight to the point they feel confident enough to have thrown out all their glasses et al! I was lucky enough to find this book early and I've only just begun! Five stars for the lady that keeps me from having to wear glasses!!! Thank you my friend and thank you Janet!

NATURAL VISION IMPROVEMENT
by Janet Goodrich

I have owned this wonderful book since the late eighties, when I started to have an ardent desire to learn more about the eye-brain connection. I have deliberately bought it despite its new agey connotations.

I have learned that, whatever we learn in a lifetime, as much as 90% will enter us through our eyes. Our brains are stimulated more by visual cues than any other senses. Our eyes also form a very significant part of our brains, some two-thirds of which are fully dedicated to vision & associated processing. Jokes aside, sexual attraction relies greatly on vision! Despite its comparative size, each eye ball has more significant moving parts than the Columbia space shuttle!

I love to read & I am an avid as well as a voracious reader. (From early '92 to mid-2004, I actually owned a small bookstore. It fueled & bankrolled my reading pursuits.) Naturally, I want to keep my eye balls in peak condition.

I was introduced to the book by chance. I did not buy the book on the grounds that I had wanted to get rid of my glasses. Today, I still wear my glasses, only when I drive or watch action movies on TV. When I read or work on my laptop, I don't need my glasses at all. This is inspite of the fact that my laptop screen display has been configured with small font size, especially my Internet Explorer, which allows me to read large chunks of information at one glance.

The most productive learning experiences I got out of this book are the 'natural vision improvement' exercises introduced by the author. They are:

- Palming exercise;
- Sunning exercise;
- Near/Far Focus exercise;
- Peripheral Vision exercise;

I have done these exercises for more than fifteen years. Oftentimes, I could amaze myself - & my friends - particularly when I could read relatively small prints on distant sign-boards or posters. I have also combined the vision exercises with some of the 'Brain Gym' exercises, namely, The Owl, Neck Roll, Cross Crawl & Brain Buttons. Additionally, I do a lot of diaphragmatic breathing exercises. I find all these exercises very useful in maintaining my active physiological frame of mind as well as my sharp mental focus when I read.

I have also taught these exercises to professional adults in my creativity classes, as well as to students in the schools. I have also shared them with my own friends. The feedback from them has always been positive.

Of course, from the book, I have also achieved a much better understanding of the eye-brain connection. If you are interested in this book, my suggestion is to read it with an open mind!

Frankly, if you want to keep your eye balls in peak condition, learn & practise the natural vision improvement exercises in this wonderful book! They have been field tested by me for more than fifteen years!

This well conceived and instructive volume combines empirical data and wholistic methods for just about every kind of eye condition short of blindness.
I met Janet Goodrich at a vision improvement course at Crystal Waters. She is one of the most interesting and eccentric ( in a pleasant way) people I have ever met. At the course I not only improved my vision, albeit marginally, but also lost weight. I don't know if she still lives in Australia.
These natural methods are intense and so a lot of people probably won't have time to use them but I can testify that they work, although very gradually. Few people have the patience these days to stick to these routines unfortunately.
If you ever read these reviews, Janet, best wishes.
Regards, Mike.

The author goes over the mental states associated with clear vision and includes a lot of vision games to help stimulate relaxed seeing. I needed more than what's here, but it's a good book and goes over some great stuff.

Dear Max,

Good news! I found a fine story for our next production. It's in a novel called "No Accident" by Kathleen O'Connor. Ran across a review of the book on a web site, bought it, and found it our kind of murder-mystery.

The main characters are Detective Mitch Gallagher and self-appointed sleuth Tess McConnell. Mitch is investigating the murder of an official of the Rayex Corporation where new hire Tess works. Tess dislikes Mitch at first. But she proves valuable as an investigator and eventually teams up with Mitch to solve the murder. In the process, they fall in love. Their relationship has a number of twists and turns that give fresh play to the old theme that true love is never smooth.

These twists and turns include elements that affect the lover/detectives, drive the story, and give it mass appeal:

the widower who must overcome grief to realize new love

the battered woman

dysfunctional families

sex (the healthy and bizarre kinds)

job and emotional burn-out

sterility and ruthless competition in the corporate workplace

skill and courage in solving a crime

pregnancy

the potential for happy marriage and family

Women like me who constantly fight "the battle of the bulge" (and there are many of us out there) will be inspired by Tess. She carries her 183 pounds so well that her lover praises her as a "Celtic beauty" and a "warrior goddess."

Enclosed is a copy of the book. I recommend we buy this story and turn it into a film. It would also work well in one of our TV slots.

Regards,

Shelly

This fictional note is what a movie scout might write to her boss after reading O'Connor's novel. We certainly agree with Shelly.

"No Accident" is a wonderful mystery, filled with heartwarming characterizations and a superb plot.

Detective Mitch Gallagher, intent on finding the murder of David Forjane, investigate the employees of Rayex Corporation. There he meets Tess McConnell, a new hire whose Celtic beauty stirs his blood. Tess is convinced Mitch doesn't like her. How could she? She's overweight and has low self esteem, the result of a relationship with a man who used her for her money. Mitch, however, sees only her beauty, yet his attempts to ask her out are awkward. Then again, there's a murder to investigate. Tess has her own questions about the death of David Forjane and does some investigation on her own. Eventually, she and Mitch join forces to discover the truth behind the murder and discover that their love is...no accident.

Love this author and her quirky characters! Have read "The Way It Happens in Novels" and enjoyed that immensely too! Just hope I don't have to wait so long for her next book! O'Connor has a wonderful way with words, an understatement that surprises and brings a chuckle when least expected. The plot and characters in 'No Accident' bring the reader to the tale's end quickly because you just can't put it down. Bravo!

In New England, though the murder looks like a drive by road rage killing, Detectives Mitch Gallagher and Sal Sclafani think otherwise. They feel the homicide occurred too close to Rayex Corporation, where the victim, David Forjane worked as a rising superstar in marketing and was detested by everyone.

Mitch and Sal question those who work at Rayex including marketing newcomer Tess McConnell. Mitch believes that Tess is the most beautiful woman he has ever seen, but whenever he steps out of his police role he trips over himself trying to just say the right thing. Tess has been in one bad relationship that she is still paying for and though attracted to the detective has doubts about men in general. As the two sleuths continue to dig, Mitch and Tess fall in love, but he knows he must go slow and let her control the relationship even drive his car until she realizes he plans to be with her forever. However, first a killer must be caught and he knows the must keep his stubborn Tess safe as she has stepped right into the middle of the mess.

NO ACCIDENT is an exciting police procedural romance starring a delightful lead couple and a matchmaking partner. The story line grips the audience from the opening scene when someone shoots David while he muses over being bored with his latest girlfriend. The plot picks up two types of tension as Mitch and Sal investigate at Rayex and Mitch meets Tess. Sub-genre readers will take immense delight with this fine tale that insures the investigation and the love subplots mesh nicely into a fine novel.

Harriet Klausner

When David Forjane of Rayex Corporation is murdered, the idiosyncratic Detective Mitch Gallagher, complete with food fetishes, is put on the case. A widower with a heart of gold, Mitch's own life becomes complicated when he finds himself falling for plus-sized Tess McConnell, a red-haired beauty who started at Rayex right after Forjane's death and who is determined to do some sleuthing of her own. Will the pro or the amateur solve this one? Or will they somehow find a way to work together? Ms. O'Connor has written a fun corporate mystery and introduced leap-off-the-page characters. Sequel, please?

I have Ray Bradbury to thank for meeting with Thomas Wolfe early in my life - when I probably would have never heard about him otherwise. He never was (still isn't) a part of school literature programme in Russia.

Bradbury's magnificent short story "Forever and the Earth" in a remarkably good Russian translation was the reason why as soon as I saw a Wolfe's novel in a bookshop in 1983, I bought it immediately. It was "You Can't Go Home Again". Ever since I keep reading him and re-reading again and again. It is a slow read but so intoxicating. Being a fast reader, I have to do it by 10 or 15 pages at a a time - otherwise I get rather tipsy on his words.

"He was a wirlwind. He lifted up mountains and collected winds...
Tom Wolfe's the man, the necessary man, to write of space, of time, of huge things like nebulae and galactic war, meteors and planets, all the dakr things that he loved and put on paper were like this.He was born out of his time. He needed really big things to play with and never found them on Earth." (Ray Bradbury "Forever and the Earth". )
I still think there is nothing written about Thomas Wolfe's work that is better than Bradbury's short story.

I first re read Look Homeward Angel,( which I had not read for almost 50 years) then O Lost. I think that the original manuscript is far superior to the edited version, that was originally published. Certainly the introduction is excellant and sets the stage for W.O.Gant's odessey. Admittedly, some editing would be helpful, to make a smoother transition from one chapter to another, but only minor ones, not the radical surgery that was actually done.

I think that Wolfe realized this, and that was why he changed publishers. I look forward to the unedited manuscripts of the Web and the Rock, and You can't go home again.

My only problem is that during the period when I first read these novels, I have had medical and particularly psychiatric training. It is obvious that W.O. suffered from severe bipolar or manic depressive psychosis. With modern treatment, he would have been a happier man, or at least those around him would have had better lives. But then perhaps Thomas Wolfe would not have been the writer that he was to become.

Look Homeward Angel has for decades been a standard coming of age book read devotedly by people in their late teens and early twenties. Over the years, stories developed concerning the amount of cutting that editor Maxwell Perkins (who also edited Hemingway and Fitzgerald) did on the book. The accepted wisdom was that Perkins pulled a masterpiece out of a huge, unpublishable manuscript. This edition, which is based on Wolfe's orginial manuscript and uses his chosen title, shows that while Perkins did help to shape the book, the text that he began with was not the monstrosity it was later believed to be. Some of the cuts Perkins made, such as W.O. Gant's memories of Gettysburg, would appear in Of Time and the River, and Perkins later admitted that he was wrong to cut it. Other material that one reads for the first time seems less important. Overall, I did not find the book to be that different from Look Homeward Angel. It shows both Wolfe's strengts and weaknesses, his abiliy to create Whitmanesque passages, and to engage in self-indulgent prose. I agree with the other reviewers that it is unfortunate that this book so quickly was allowed to go out of print. Whichever version you read, this is a book best read before you are 30.

What a wonderful book. It's too bad so many readers today know only Tom Wolfe, not Thomas Wolfe. Even though it has been at least 10 years since reading Look Homewood Angel, I knew almost immediately when I came to the new sections. They add a depth to the novel, bringing in the whole town and relatives, rather being only about Eugene Gant. My favorite Wolfe readings involve trains; the experience about time stopping for a moment when you look into the eyes of someone looking directly at you into the train, is exactly as I remember my earlier train rides.What are they doing now, that the train has passed? Other 800 page books might be dull, but not this one. Having been given it as a present recently, I am very surprised and disappointed that it is already 'out of print." More people should know about O Lost!

Like so many others, "Look Homeward Angel" provided one of those pivotal experiences in college. I remember reading it twice - consecutively! - and then hastening on to Wolfe's other books. Well now here is the full work and for me it provided a long, leisurely read that not only had the nostalgia inherent in the story and the leftovers from my life during my first reading, it had more of the things that make Wolfe such an important literary figure in the 20th Century. O LOST ( a phrase oft repeated in this long and rambling coming of age story) is full of the unfinished sentences, fragments, stream of consciousness admixing of past/present/future that Wolfe gradually polished during his brief career. This is a work of poetry that nestles in with Whitman, Dickinson, Agee, Faulkner in its ability to create characters who step off the page and take up permanent residence in your psyche.

Yes, some of the previously edited portions give credence to the need for the Editor's role in shaping a novel. But being able to slowly drift along with Wolfe's imagery and imagination, his acute visualization of life and death, fear and orgasm, rage and gullability...this original piece gives so much back to the reader that finishing the book is painful.

In a time when most novels hover around the 300 page mark it is a complete joy to meander through a tome of nearly 800 pages that takes concentration, patience, and a lot of time to consume. But the journey is overwhelmingly justified. Do your mind - and your heart - a favor: read "O Lost" next.

This cookbook was a pleasure to work with. I especially enjoyed the "Velvety Vinegar Pie" a sweet but unusual pie with the hint of the "sour vinegar" ingredient that was added. The Crockpot Bar B Qued chicken was also a delight for my family. The inclusion of the Diabetic Temperance will also be helpful for those persons who cannot enjoy some of the ingredients in other reciepes.

This small book is packed with a whole lot of goodness. It has been inspired by one who is just filled with all its goodness and love that this book has to offer. You'll be delighted to find the recipes to be a whole lot different from the host of cook books on the market. It helps to set a purpose as to why you may want to cook that next meal. So when you set yourself to that special meal, pick up a copy of "O'Taste and See" and get started on that purpose.

"O Taste and See" is truly a blessing to me. While it is invaluable in the kitchen, it magnifies God and is also a great witnessing tool. I have it on the top if my gift list for any occasion; male or female, young or old! It will edify the saved and exhort the unsaved. I couldn't go wrong!

This Cook book is an excellent source for old fashioned down home recipes, cooking tips, and is very uplifting...I am an owner of many cookbooks, however, this is the only book that feeds the Body, Soul, and Spirit. Whether you are entertaining family or friends, these recipes are sure to be crowd pleasers!

All of the recipies in this book are delicious (at least the ones I've tried. All are tastee good (yum-yum). Would recommend this book to anyone desiring to try something new, healthy and just plain good. The reading is pleasant too, adding a new dimension to the regular cook books. Something here for everybody. Get it NOW!

Where are the big publishing houses? This guy (O'Laughlin) should be picked up by one of the major companies. Whatever/whenever his next book should be front and center of their new-authors release list. "Omens in a Dry Season" portends astounding writing, driven characters, a profound sense of place and a can't-stop read.

Author! Author!

We want more.

I have never been to Yosemite and, though I should maybe feel a bit deprived :), I also feel a strange reluctance to go there now. "Omens" conjures up such a beautiful and mysterious place in my mind that I worry that the reality might not live up or that I wouldn't [or both:)]. And I would be sad too, I believe, to find no Malone waiting there or Hummingbird Hayes or Alex or Angel or Geronimo. Through the story I found myself wanting to help Malone both to forgive himself and to find everything he was looking for in Yosemite and to be saved. This was the subtle power of Michael O' Laughlin's writing. He is able to recreate a landscape beautiful and alive, to introduce the reader to characters who they are able to care about, and to simultaneously move beyond this to less concrete territory- the stuff of myths. I would highly recommend this book to anyone. It works like legends do while still remaining beautifully rooted in the real world.

Michael O'Laughlin has created a visceral trip into nature. I was taken into the heart of a great climber of the early 70's. Through O'Laughlin's precise perception, I traveled into the depths of the Merced River at spring flood, into a cave behind Yosemite Falls, out to the edge of space at the heights of Yosemite's granite walls. This is a very short list of what O'Laughlin made me feel through his evoking of the setting. This novel is magical, mystical, and somehow penetrates the essense of what places like Yosemite can be for people who love nature. At the same time, I would describe the novel as profoundly realistic. O'Laughlin creates a world on the boundary between myth and reality, achieving an amazing balance. He writes with profound detail, capturing the power in nature to manifest human rebirth. This is a novel for any lover of the outdoors and all who appreciate the detailed prose that draws one away from oneself and into a very pleasurable fictional world. Highly moving material. Highly recommended.

O'Laughlin has written an extraordinary novel of struggle and heroism--physical, philosophical and spiritual. In a cultural moment generally devoted to posturing and irony, he dares to be earnest about the things that really matter. His characters are compelling, their individual quests have enormous drive, but the book also contains some of the best nature writing in recent memory. O'Laughlin is truly lyrical on the subject of man against rock. This is a great book that also happens to be a great read.

I was there! While I wasn't really there, this novel brought me closer, through the main character, than I could imagine possible to the world of climbing in Yosemite in the early 70's. Using descriptive and precise language, the author lets us feel the rock, see the vast exposure of climbing a vertical wall, and, most importantly, bridges these perspectives with a solid ethical and mythical cast of characters and dilemas. This novel is both a sensory and personal journey into the symbolic yet very practical world of climbing and of the main character, Malone, who must struggle with loss and coming to understand where he fits in the world. From the jungles of Vietnam where Malone is internally infected with his perceived moral failures to the vividly felt landscape of Yosemite where he seeks redemption in the tactile world of rock, I saw, felt, smelled, heard, and tasted my way there with him. This book is a stunning achievement in allowing us to struggle, judge, and celebrate the renewing qualities of nature, physical achievement, and most importantly, Yosemite, which gives and reacts as a character Malone worships and respects. This novel brings precision, literary mastery, and intelligence to the genre of adventure fiction.

I can't wait until the next book in the series! It is a page turner.

I have benn a long time fan of Yasmine Galenorn's books, both fiction and non-fiction. This instalment into the lives of Emerald and friends was fast and furious! Right out of chapter one she had me hooked on the fast plot and tight twists and turns of Em's wedding and Murry's freaky stalker! I love this series! The characters are well written and have developed over time. I hope this isn't the last in the series as a previous reviewer hinted at! Please write more! Well Done!

This was the most delicious final book in her series. I loved the way everything came together at the end, and the darker tone was perfect.

Read the entire series -- it's a definate winner!

I am pleased to write that this offering in the C 'n C series completely exceeded my expectations...and more importantly, made me anxious for more. Ms. Galenorn has allowed the main character, Emerald, to grow into a more realistic 21st century powerful pagan. The previous novels had left me just a bit annoyed with Emerald's somewhat self-centered personality. "One Hex of a Wedding", though, offered some credible glimpses of vulnerability and willingness to reexamine long-held opinions -- just like a real woman as she grows older and, hopefully, wiser. The cast of supporting characters is becoming more fascinating to me, and they seem to have more dimension now. Heck, I even cried at some of the truly poignant moments in the book!

If you've not read any of the previous books, this could definitely stand alone. But do yourself a favor and read the earlier four anyway. If you find yourself, like me, vaguely annoyed with Emerald O'Brien by book three, don't worry -- you'll grow to love her again in "One Hex of a Wedding", a wonderful treat of a novel.

Another great book in the Chintz & China Mystery Series. Emerald learns more about her ex-husband (and why their marriage ultimately ended) while trying to get through the wedding planner's worst nighmare that leads up to her wedding to Joe. Her maid of honor is cursed and stalked, her other bridesmaid is juggling a job and a new baby while her husband is headed off for an extended job on the road, and her daughter struggles with first love. That doesn't even include the family dynamics brought about by the wedding. Even Nanna makes an appearance. Emerald's reactions are real (why does this have to happen when I'm getting married) and fun (when a photographer tries to pair a swimsuit model with Joe for a calendar shoot). Can't wait for the next book!

I've been trading for over twenty years, including a period as a floor trader on the Chicago Board of Trade. Even with that experience there are tips and tricks in this book I found useful to the point where I employ them daily. To be complete as a reviewer I will say there is a lot of pretty basic stuff from my point of view, but still well worth reviewing since some of it I had forgotten.

Well written, easy reading, well organized

Online Investing Hacks is an excellent introduction to the world of investment. Though the title does contain the word 'Online', I would say that the general information the book provides on investing is not limited to the online realm.

Overall, I was very happy with the book, and found it incredibly useful. Though I do have several investments (401K, some stock, mutual funds etc) I would hardly consider myself an authority on the subject. This book provided very detailed explanations and tips on various forms of investment, from CD's to Index funds, and everything in between. While the experienced investor might not glean much from reading this book, anyone just getting started will find it an excellent reference, and resource.

The format of the book is similar to the other books in the 100 * Hacks series published by O'Reilly. There are exactly 100 hacks, or topics, which are spread across 9 chapters. Each one is an individual entity and can be read and understood without reliance on any of the other hacks.

One minor annoyance I had with the book is that it is geared toward those of you who, for some reason or another, run Microsoft's Windows OS, or have access to Microsoft Excel. Luckily, of the Excel examples that I played with, Open Office's Calc program handled them with minimal tweaking.

I can easily recommend this book to anyone who wants to invest, but is unsure of what to invest in, or needs some tips on making the most of preexisting investments. Those of you who enjoy research and building your own stats and graphs will also find parts of this book rather intriguing, as it covers data acquisition and manipulation with Excel in great detail. It will make an excellent addition to my reference shelf, and I have a feeling it will be well thumbed through in a very short time.

It seems like everyone is involved in investing in some form or another. While I always felt like I should be investing too, it was never clear to me how to begin this process. After all, it's my money. How can I be sure I'm investing in something that will provide some sort of reasonable return? This book is an excellent resource in answering some of those questions and putting the new investor on the right track.

This book is written in the same format as the other "hacks" series by O'Reilly. This format is very easy to read, and the format makes it very easy to find answers. Rather then having to read the book from cover to cover, the reader can pick out topics they are dealing with, read the answer, and move on. Since many of the people interesting in a book of this nature will likely have little time, the book's format works to its advantage.

The book begins with some basic introduction to the stock market and tips for selecting appropriate stocks or mutual funds. The whole middle section of the book deals with data analysis. The author discusses how to understand a company's balance sheet (e.g. what that P/E ratio means), how to spot companies in financial trouble, how to pick a good stock, and even how to trade. There is also a good discussion on minimizing the effect of taxes on your little return on investment.

The author even goes further and gets into a discussion on financial planning. In addition to discussing debt reduction, the author also talks about IRA plans and different strategies for saving for your child's education expenses. I think my favorite part of this book was the discussion on different education savings plans. The author discusses the ins and outs (as well as tax consequences) of each of the plans, and provides some examples illustrating the fact that it's better to start saving earlier than later.

This is an excellent book, not just for its investing advice, but also for its sound financial planning. This is a great book for anyone who is interested in increasing their wealth, saving for a rainy day, or simply saving for future financial goals.

Online Investing Hacks by Bonnie Biafore (O'Reilly) is one of those books that can pay for itself in short order, as well as over and over.

Chapter list: Screening Investments; Hacking Excel for Financial Analysis; Collecting Financial Data; Analyzing Company Fundamentals; Technical Analysis; Executing Trades; Investing in Mutual Funds; Managing Your Portfolio; Financial Planning; Index

I worked at Enron from 1998 through 2001, and spent plenty of time during that dot.com era following my stock portfolio. I watched my Enron stock value go from incredible value to a point where it cost more to sell the stock than it was worth. I won a few bets (face it, that's what they were) on a few dot.coms and lost many more. What could have been an incredible nest egg, isn't. This book would have been a lifesaver if I had read and paid attention to it a few years ago. Biafore shows you how you can analyze and invest wisely using a variety of tools available to everyone.

If you're an Excel user, you'll find it an invaluable tool for analysis. She'll show you how you can use it to create financial charts (#13), calculate compound annual rates of growth (#26), and use rational values to buy and sell wisely (#36). #39 - Spot Hanky Panky with Cash Flow Analysis (using Enron as an example) would have literally saved me hundreds of thousands of dollars had I known about it. Even if you don't care about the investing tips, the hack on downloading data via Excel web queries (#7) was something I didn't know how to do (or that you could even do it!). The book has a little something for everyone.

As with all Hacks titles, you probably won't be interested in every single item. Some may not be applicable to your situation or may be too complex for what you care to handle. But all it would take is one hack to work out and change your investing for this book to pay huge dividends. If you do your own investing, you owe it to yourself to get this book.

This is one of the most useful books on investing that I've seen.

The excellent chapter on fundamental analysis alone is worth the price of admission. Plus there are chapters on technical analysis, mutual funds, asset allocation, financial planning, investing in bonds etc, all equally well written.

Hope the author writes a sequel to this book covering topics not covered here (eg. topics related to options trading).

A required title in any serious investor's bookshelf.

I first bought this book a year ago, and have used what I learned to optimize computers that I would have normaly considered obsolete. It's allowed me to put off having to upgrade untill the new memory standard (DDR) comes out in march, saving me lots of $. I also bought copies for friends this year (2000) for X-mas. Some may say it needs updating, but the authors web site has all the info you would need updated. Many thanks for the Book Dave!

.............Curtis

I use computer frequently, but I am not that of an advanced user. This book really brings me into a higher level of understanding about how Windows works. The author goes into lots of detail about what happens while Windows is running (e.g. during boot up). Yet, the text is very easy to be understood. This book also gives me a new way to look at computing. A faster CPU doesn't always give you a faster computer. If you think your computer is too slow, THERE ARE things you can do to make it runs faster. When performance matters, you have to give up things that you are used to, but not usful. (I can't complain that my computer is too slow when I am using a fansy theme that costs too much memory.) Also, this book does not simply tell you what to do. The author's explaination enables me to make decisions on my own.

This is not a book that simply tell you how to improve your computer's performance. If you have some experiences in using Windows and want to know more about the operating system, this is a nice size book that can get you started. What's more? My machine is faster now. :)

This book has a huge collection of excellent tips for getting the most out of Windows. Every Windows owner owes it to themselves to go out and get this book!

I am an experienced windows user, and I bought this book because I figured it was cheaper than upgrading my PC. I run a K6 266 overclocked to 300, 160 megs of ram, 7200 RPM 27 Gig HD. Once I implemented ALL of the tricks in this book (This is no easy task... it takes a lot of time, and is very high maintenance), my system out performed my ex-girlfriend's Pentium III 850 with 128 megs of ram for applications (not for games, though it still does those well).

I don't mind making the effort, but some people might. If you have lots of time, and you love customizing your PC, you can't go wrong.

Litestep, registry hacks, DOS utils, 5 partitions on a HD... if you like this kind of stuff, get the book! If you don't know what any of these things are, you may be better off upgrading you PC.

This book is an attempt to collect (and organize) a series of tricks to speed up Win9x machines (it does work for Windows 95, 98 and ME, but most of the advices do not translate to WinNt and Win2000, as the author honestly points out).

The author's idea is that you can actually obtain a lot of performance even from older machines, if you are ready to do some work for it (tracking down utilities, testing different configurations, dropping some "cool effects" in the standard UI and so on).

I've recently applied the book ideas to "renew" a couple of very old machines (a 486-based, 24MB ram Compaq portable and a Pentium-75 with 64 MB Ram). I am not a Windows Guru by any stretch of the term, and I did learn a lot on how Windows is organized in the process. This fact alone is probably worth one extra star in my rating.

The book is clear, and is a good read (i.e. it is not a simple itemized lists of tricks, but tries to tie up things in a coherent thread).

Unfortunately, the end result of my attempts to optimize my two museum-quality machines were less stellar than what other reviewers submitted. I think that the main reason is due to the fact that most of the tips seem to be aimed at computers which have been subjected to a lot of "install-the-new-software-gizmo-I-just-found-in-this-magazine-CD".

If you start from a clean installation (or work on a machine on which little extra sw was installed) there seems to be very little gain from applying most of the techniques offered by the author.

Another problem is that both SW and HW are a moving target, so when you try to obtain some of the utilities which the author recommends, for example, you may find out that the current versions may have grown new requirements which makes installing them on an older machine a little troublesome.

This is even more obvious when we talk about RAM or other HW specific issues.

All in all, I'm pleased with the book, but mostly because helped me to better understand how Windows works. People who already have a lot of first-hand experience in installing and maintaining Windows machines would probably give this book three stars at most.