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Though in places a bit heavy-going for a non-specialist readership, SDIMM is a first-rate introduction to the information sciences. As an overview of state-of-the-art technology, SDIMM may be dated, but the problems it describes are timeless -- and fascinating. Anyone interested in how information is measured, moved, and translated to the media of minds/brains and computers, would do well to read this exceptional book. Here's hoping RL makes future contributions to the popular science literature.

This is a popular computer book about data compression and data representation. It was first published way back in 1989 and now eleven years later it's not in the slightest bit out of date. How many popular computer books can you say that about?

Althought this book has been written 20 years ago, it is still very
fresh today. The bandwidth with which we communicate, and
our capacity for storing information have increased in the intervening
years, however the fundamental questions that are addressed here
have not changed much. In the first couple chapters, the author starts
with a very precise definition of what information and capacity mean.
This part is merely 50 pages in length, but makes this book worth
owning on its own - I wish somebody gave it to me when I was
learning about information theory.

The remainder of the book is devided into chapters dealing
with different aspects of information: text, speech and pictures,
including problems associated with their storage, processing
and intrepretation. The presentation is insightful, informative,
and, given that it is addressed to an audience of non-mathematicians,
surprisingly precise. Each chapter ends with a ligh-hearted essay,
some of which I found to be deceptively deep and insightful.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I'd strongly recommend this book for anybody interested in how things have evolved in computing. Great insight into stuff we take for granted like compression algorithms, error correction.

I read this book over and over and love it every time. It covers topics that I teach from the standard texts, but it covers them in a way that makes it all make so much more sense to my students. This truly is an amazing book!

Social Security: False Consciousness And Crisis by the late John Attarian (1956-2004) who had served as Adjunct Scholar at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy in Midland, Michigan, is an in-depth, 393-page study of the economic and political issues affecting the Social Security Administration and its polices. John Attarian expertly guides the reader through systematic rulings occasioned by demographic realities, the growing disillusions of the citizenry with respect to the availability and sufficiency of the Social Security system in their retirement years, to the executive controls and exploitations of Social Security trust funds, as well as governmental administrators and congressional political maneuvers with respect to a Social Security-based "retirement insurance" program and its implications for future generations. A work of seminal importance for today's national debate on the subject, Social Security is very strongly recommended for all students of political science, fiscal politics, and economic trends as they have effected the Social Security program in the past and the present, as well as projected impacts concerning the future of Social Security's availability to American citizens in the future.

With Social Security's bankruptcy coming up sooner than our members of Congress want to admit, John Attarian's book is a must read. It is not only very thoroughly researched, but absolutely demolishes the web of myths, lies and "spin" by which we have been misled about what is really going on with our national retirement system. In fact, one of the major myths that he destroys is that there is no crisis.

But beyond bringing the truth into focus, this book then constructively uses this better understanding of the facts to also diagnose some of the major proposed solutions to Social Security's problems. And he concludes, with typical candor and honesty, "This problem is well nigh insoluble,", although he does offer a "modest proposal" of some of the tough actions that will be necessary to get us out of the mess that all of these political falsehoods have covered up.

"Social Security: False Consciousness and Crisis" is a must read for those interested in the history and legal underpinnings of social security. Anyone in the process of formulating an opinion on the future of social security is well-advised to have Mr. Attarian's excellent book near at hand. The footnotes alone are worth the price.

John Attarian's Social Security is the kind of book you loan to your leftist friends when they begin harping about the need for more government intervention in health care, the private sector, etc. Then you remember that leftists aren't the smartest people on the planet; if an argument can't be reduced to an easy to remember slogan, then it won't stick with them anyway. Attarian doesn't provide slogans, but he does give readers a very well documented history of Social Security, from the arguments before its passage in 1935 to the present with stopping off points in 1976 and again 1983, the years when funding crises revealed the deep but not unforeseen flaws in the program. Before entering into the history of the program though, he first lays out the current situation with the program and examines the dismal prognosis for it in the coming years using the forecasts issued by recent SSA actuaries. In a nutshell, the program is destined to go bust and there's no solution to the problem that doesn't involve ceding even more power to the government; and even this would only provide short-term relief. Even if the government were to confiscate 100% of the earnings of every worker in the U.S., it would not be enough to salvage the program. Many of the problems facing SS are well known, but the author provides concrete reasons for the present unease among younger Americans.

I personally found the focus on the early years of SS to be the most interesting. Here, the author culls the documentary record and shows that from its inception, SS was based on fraudulent premises. FDR and his advisors knew that SS was antithetical to the values and attitudes of 1930s era Americans, so they crafted their legislation to make the program sound as if it were an annuity for old age funded by a lifetime of worker contributions. During this time, government handouts were a source of shame and humiliation, so the program's proponents designed a marketing scheme that would assuage the pride of intended beneficiaries. Then as now, the language of the insurance industry has been used to bolster the public's faith in SS -- referred to by supporters and the very legislation itself as "insurance" and "annuity".

Drawing off of Supreme Court decisions, congressional testimony, private and public papers of administrative officials, the opinions of such luminaries as Henry Hazlitt in addition to private insurance actuaries, Attarian exposes several powerful myths of SS. 1) The SS trust fund is not really a trust fund. SS is paid out to eligible recipients from current tax revenues (i.e., current workers pay for Granny's paltry monthly stipend). This point is fundamental to understanding the "lock box" lie started by Republicans in the 1990s and picked up later by Al Gore and the Democrats. The Social Security Trust Fund is not really a trust fund. 2) The funding of the SS program is contingent upon an ever growing pool of workers and an economy destined for limitless growth and productivity increases. Unfortunately, the U.S. has been in a steady decline economically for decades. Real wages are stagnating or shrinking, white collar jobs are making a mass exodus to Third World countries, and the savings rate of the average American stands at a pathetic 5% of net income. 3) SS surpluses are required BY LAW to be spent by Congress as part of its general budget outlay (segues with point 1). It's been this way since the program's inception and any chatter about "saving" the surplus and stuffing it into a "lock box" are just more lies by politicians looking to avoid hard decision making. Workers have seen a steady erosion of SS benefits over time because the program is simply unworkable. Early beneficiaries received far in excess of what they actually paid in; present and future workers will have to pay more and more while getting less in return. The author is very frank in what this means when the money finally runs out in 2015 or so: A profound loss of faith in government followed by potential violence and political upheaval. Imagine paying your whole life into a program only to find out that the funds you thought would be paid back to you with interest don't exist. Millions of Americans are unaware of this fact and their reaction will be anything but mild when the collapse comes. If you're still drawing breath in 2015, you won't have to use your imagination at all, you can watch the mess unfold before your very eyes.

Attarian's writing style is fluid and the topics are well-structured. There are some technical discussions on the mechanics of the program, but I had no problem following them thanks to the author's ability to establish a framework useful to both layman and expert. The testimony and documentary evidence that he has gathered from 60+ years of SS is truly impressive. Both sides of the SS debate are well represented, but the author shows no remorse in exposing the deceptions artfully used by SS partisans. Neither is he reluctant to demolish current "save our SS plans". This book is very timely because of recent legislative efforts to expand the Medicare program. Like SS, Medicare is in dire straits financially, but this fact has not halted or swayed our boneheaded politicians from using the same bad planning and disingenuous rhetoric that went into getting the original SS Act passed. Social spending and bad planning will continue so long as we are stuck with our beloved "democracy". What few people realize is that economic laws are as immutable as those of physics. You can print more and more fiat money and run massive deficits only up to a certain point. It's even possible for the government to confiscate more wealth from private citizens, but eventually, the bag of tricks runs out and the politicians will be left to face mobs of angry workers defrauded out of decades of wages.

John Attarian's critical study of the social security system, which, according to this investigation, is anything but secure,should shake the confidence of younger Americans that their government-controled retirement funds will be waiting for them when they retire. Attarian insists that funds that we have been led to believe have been hermetically set apart for pensions are actually being diverted to other purposes. Equally relevant,social security funds are being rapidly depleted, a fact that is disguised by the way the federal government keeps its books. This looming crisis is further managed by treating social security as a sacred "entitlement" that both of our national parties are unalterably committed to preserving. Attarian argues persuasively that this sacralization prevents the political process from dealing with social security realistically, as a program whose time has come and gone.
Even those who do not agree with the argument of this book should read it carefully, since it makes a strong case for abolishing or radically rehauling a costly federal program. Moreover, Attarian combines a detailed knowledge of economics and economic policy with an elegant writing style. In his hand, economics ceases to be the dismal science and leads instead to witty prose. This book fills a curricular niche in policy courses that political science and economic departments tend to offer. Unlike most monographs I have assigned for courses in this field,however, Attarian's book is a pleasure to read. I shall order it for my students the next time I decide to cover this theme.

I like the condition on the book. It was very clean and new like. there were no marks inside the book and the respond was fast too.

I was very pleased with thier fast shipment. Keep up the good work and i will visit your online store again.

I went to Amazon because I knew that they would have a better price for books, even on new books...I was right! I was able to buy a BRAND new book for $30 less than the asking price at the store. You can't beat that! Amazon is reliable and a great source for low prices.

Excelente Source, I highly recomend this book for those social work students who are learning to assess client needs.

as a social worker in training, i have found this book to be a very helpful source.

First off, let it be said that this is not a critique from the right. People ought to read this work, which is more informative in terms of what we want to do now than, say, the Bolivia Diary, which we don't want to repeat.

One can see here something that has plagued the left for many, many, years. Throughout Che's work, there is a very comprehensive idea of the "good" person and all members of society will be molded into such a person. Che says that in socialism, heroism will become a feature of everyday life.

This sort of hypermoralistic perfectionism is not what governments should be doing. Heroism should "above the call of duty" and not made a public goal. Governments should expand freedom, which could very well include redistributing wealth or changing workplaces and forms of ownership. But creating the new socialist man should be left up to citizens to figure out.

Elections would be nice, too.

In this small book, originaly a letter, Guevara explains the various steps that individuals have in the revolutionary strugle. He explains the relation between a vanguard party and the masses, and focus on the echo that the party has to have on the masses needs. This is a key point in understanding Cuba and Socialism since in a one party sistem, the only way of having a participative democracie is by forcing the party to follow the peoples needs. More over, it's the view of a very tender and humane man, that differs greatly from the more known Stalinist Socialism.

Does socialism deaden individual freedom and creativity? Che Guevara, a leader of the Cuban revolution, answers this question in this 1965 article. He draws on the experience of that revolution. Guevara demonstrates that the individual reaches its highest creativity as part of the struggle against the exploitation and violence of capitalism. It is only through this process that the individual can reach his or her fullest development.

This pamphlet ranks with the communist manifesto, with State and the Revolution, with Trotsky's great writings against stalin, as one of the texts the encapsulates why and how we fight for a world of working people in power, why revolutionists like Che gave their lives for the cause of socialism, why humanity has a future out of the muck and mire and filth, why we fight.

Che admits revolutionists fight for the love of the world. Che who brought books of poetry and of languages and of higher math with him to Bolivia, not for his own enjoyment, but to truly educate the other fighters, Che in simple direct butalmost poetic words, explains why we fight, why we will win.


While this book may not be directly available from Amazon at times, they are available from the booksfrompathfinder on Amazon that you can find by clicking on the new and used books on this page.

Why did Cuba survive the 'collapse of communism' ? Che Guevara explained that
without a communist party, a genuine one which means led by the most politically
conscious and self-sacrificing workers and farmers, leading a constant battle for workers'
control and a higher level of consciousness and solidarity among the whole population,
any revolution would slide back toward capitalism. The Cuban Communist Party is such a
party: the only one in power anywhere since the 1920s.Thus, he predicted the collapse
of Stalinism ( as opposed to communism).Cuba put his ideas into practice in the middle
to late 1980s for the first time on a nationwide basis.It was this battle against bureaucracy
and for workers' democracy that made Cuba strong enough to survive its severest
economic crisis since the revolutionary triumph.Cuba is ready to aid as always any
revolutionary movements that develop as a result of the present crisis of capitalism, and
to aid the revolutions to come : its internationalism is intact. The basic line of march ,the
ideas as a guide to action that make Cuba capable of mobilizing millions for socialism and
the revolution in 2002 are outlined in this pamphlet.Workers and farmers everywhere
who fight back against capital NEED THIS BOOKLET.

Early in my political development when I was being radicalized by the Vietnam war and the movement against it I came under the influence of the pacifist elements of that movement. It did not take much effort to convince me that it was utterly insane to force people who had nothing against each other to murder one another. At the same time I was sorting out social forces in the world and determining whom I was for and whom I was against. I was coming to the conclusion that capitalists were the bad guys and socialists and communists were the good guys. However, I was coming face to face with a dilemma. Communists kill people. Then I read this book. James P. Cannon taught me that the armed struggle phase of a revolution was a war of self defense. My pacifism did allow for self defense. Cannon taught me that in a class society the oppressed class will of course resent their oppression and will take actions to change the situation to be more just. When the ruling class sees that its power and privelege is in real danger it will strike out by any means necessary to preserve the old order. That means they will use the most extreme violence against the oppressed. The oppressed, that is the workers, then have the right and indeed duty to themselves to defend themselves by any means necessary.

So Cannon in this book taught me and allowed me to reconcile my pacifism with revolutionary socialism. Many years have passed now since I read it and I still carry its lessons. That is why I can say that Socialism on Trial is possibly the most influencial book in my life. If you are reading it for the first time you may not be wrestling with the same concerns I was so its main meaning could be different to you. But I do recommend it because it covers various other angles of the revolutionary movement and may have just the answers you are looking for.

A real-life trial, with an exasperated and somewhat ineffectual prosecutor, an interesting defendant - and world revolution as the topic. Ever wonder whether communists aim to kill individual capitalists? How can you be a socialist if the majority of working people today don't agree they need socialism? Why take away the property of the wealthy that they have obtained by legal means? James P. Cannon answered each one of these questions, and many more, in his 1941 trial on charges of sedition. A wonderful, easy-to-read guide for anyone trying to understand Marxism. Excellent for high school students.

Fighting for what's right means that when the government threw the leaders of the Socialist Workers Party and fighting labor leaders into jail in 1941 for defying Roosevelt's war drive and Tobin, the bureaucrat that ran the Teamsters union then, Cannon and the other revolutionists respond by explaining why they were socialists, how the fight for a workers and farmers government in this country will proceed. This book has all the answers to any question about the fight for socialism, not only in the USA but anywhere else. It also contains a lot of history, a lot of humor, and a lot of Cannon's generous wisdom and wit.

This is a wonderful and unique book. When the U.S. government was leading the country into the slaughter of World War II, the Roosevelt administration sought to crackdown on dissent and militancy among the working class. One step they took was to adopt the Smith Act, a witch-hunting thought control act, and then to indict leaders of the labor movement and the Socialist Workers Party on charges of subversion and conspiracy. The socialists rose to the challenge however, turned the trial into a platform to explain their anti-capitalist views to a wide audience. Their years-long defense campaign also played an important role in sustaining the revolutionary movement throughout the war years.
Socialism in Trial is the actual court transcript of the testimony of James P. Cannon, then national secretary of the Socialist Workers Party. Under the hostile questioning of the prosecutor, he calmly and concisely lays out what is wrong with capitalism, and why socialism and communism are the necessary alternative for working people. Cannon takes up imperialism, war, colonialism, and fascism; and discusses trade union struggles, how a revolutionary party is organized, defends the Russian Revolution and takes on the reactionary Stalinists then in power in Moscow.
The book also includes an exchange between Cannon and fellow-revolutionary Grandizo Munis who attacked the socialists' approach to defending themselves in a capitalist court. Cannon's reply should be studied by activists everywhere, all of whom are likely to face similar challenges and need to understand the rich lessons of previous defense campaigns.
Read it and share it with others!

One of the chief founders and continuators of communism in the U.S., Cannon helped lead working class opposition against two world wars. The government put Cannon on trial. This book is the transcript of his courtroom testimony. He answers questions about the fundamentals of socialism-many of them posed by a very hostile government prosecutor. Despite the tense environment, Cannon speaks as though he were addressing interested co-workers during lunch-break in a factory. Down-to-earth, logical, witty, and with a deep and passionate grounding in Marxism. Cannon's assumption is that socialism, clearly explained, will make sense to workers. This approach--rather than talking-down or sugar-coating a la the Greens and other reformists-is the correct approach. As workers see their hopes of health, security, dignity and justice going down the tubes with the unfolding capitalist crisis, they want to hear the unvarnished truth about capitalism and socialism. This book gives it.

"Solving Sprawl" made me want to live in the places the authors describe. For my job, I typically have to read a lot of dry, boring reports and books about planning and policy. By providing great, color photos and true stories about how many of these places were created, I couldn't put this book down. "Solving Sprawl" does something that many people have tried, but few have done this well: it makes the businness of creating more livable communities interesting and engaging. Suddenly, smart growth isn't just something I read about happening in some far away place, it's something that can happen in my town, or anywhere.

If you are interested in how to make your community a better place to live without being bored to tears with "legalese" and "policy wonk talk," buy this book!!!

"Solving Sprawl" made me want to live in the places the authors describe. For my job, I typically have to read a lot of dry, boring reports and books about planning and policy. By providing great, color photos and true stories about how many of these places were created, I couldn't put this book down. "Solving Sprawl" does something that many people have tried, but few have done this well: it makes the businness of creating more livable communities interesting and engaging. Suddenly, smart growth isn't just something I read about happening in some far away place, it's something that can happen in my town, or anywhere.

If you are interested in how to make your community a better place to live without being bored to tears with "legalese" and "policy wonk talk," buy this book!!!

I have an advance copy of this book, and I hope Amazon gives it a full listing soon, because it fills a valuable need - showing people how our communities can grow and prosper without sprawl and the ugliness and damage it brings to our landscape and towns. The authors provide 35 inspiring examples of smart growth - development in cities and suburbs, along with green space preserved - all over the country, while disussing the relevant environmental and social issues.

Too often, environmentalists are criticized (and rightly so) for being too negative, pointing out problems without presenting solutions that work for the economy and for people's convenience. This book takes a most refreshing opposite approach, and backs it up with color photos and project data. The authors know what they are talking about, too: these are the same folks who wrote Once There Were Greenfields, the meticulously documented handbook on the problems associated with sprawl development. Solving Sprawl is the best thing I've seen yet on smart growth, and it should be a boon for anyone concerned with these issues. It was produced by the Natural Resources Defense Council in New York, which has more information on its web site. Get it - you'll be glad you did.

This is a valuable and much needed reference that offers substance instead of rhetoric about containing sprawl with smart growth-oriented development. It persuasively demonstrates how smart growth projects across the country are succeeding in meeting people's housing and employment needs while minimizing environmental harm. Thirty-five projects are profiled in sections devoted to cities, suburbs, and conservation areas, each with project statistics and contacts. Its geographic diversity is especially impressive, from the nation's largest metropolitan regions to small rural towns. This is one of those rare volumes that works for professionals as a technical reference, and for community officials and citizens as an educational tool. It's an inspiring catalogue of some of the best neighborhoods and communities being developed in America today.

Solving Sprawl is a wonderfully lively, readable account of how 35 diverse communities from across the nation have managed to find solutions to the problems of sprawl. Examples from urban, suburban, and rural areas demonstrate numerous innovative strategies for protecting the environment while creating attractive, human-friendly places for people to live, work,
and play. The book is enhanced with photos, maps, and informative sidebars. This is an impressive, inspiring piece of work that succeeds as both an introduction to Smart Growth, and as a guide to translating Smart Growth theory into practice.

What an excellent book for delving into why the Spanish Civil War was lost to fascism when so many peasants and workers were willing to fight to the death for freedom.
Leon Trotsky writes the letters and articles printed here under harsh conditions of exile imposed by Stalin. Their counter posed political programs and the politics of anarchism are brought into life-and-death reality in these pages. A lot about the Russian Revolution too as Trotsky makes comparisons with Spain.
Trotsky fights for a political program to lead the working class and peasants to fight for their own cause against the capitalist class.
The outcome of the Spanish Revolution is history, but for those interested in the politics in Latin America and other parts of the world today this book is a great contribution to the debate on how to fight to win.

This contribution is being written in mid-2003, as the EZLN approaches its tenth anniversary of having taken the public spotlight. Why does the EZLN survive, when other rebel armies here in Mexico fade away? These others, such as the EPR, state they struggle for power, while the EZLN affirms that it doesnýt.

Nowhere is this apparent contradiction resolved more clearly and succinctly than in Trotskyýs The Spanish Civil War: ýAudacious social reforms represent the strongest weapon in the civil war and the fundamental condition for the victory over fascism.ý This truism is applicable everywhere, even in a country like this one which is not moving toward fascism.

The EZLN has carried out a deep going land reform and established near equality of the sexes in the areas it has liberated. The other rebel armies have not gone nearly as far in implementing social reforms as a critical part of the struggle for power.

Today working people face every problem Trotsky discusses in this book as economic crisis and wars, right wing and fascist movements, face us more and more. This can be a handbook of how to fight, and how to win.

This is nearly ten years of Trotsky's writings on the Spanish revolution that overthrew the monarchy at the start of the 1930s and the Spanish Civil War that went on from 1936 to 1939.
Trotsky believed the situation in Spain throughout these years was like the situation in Russia in 1917 where the struggle of workers for power on their own, supporting the democratic struggles of peasants for land, and of Spain?s colonies for national independence and Spain?s national and regional minorities for their rights, could have won, defeated fascism, and been a new beacon for world revolution. His discussions here are not academic. They are practical discussions with revolutionists on the front lines in Spain, with fighting workers around the world. Trotsky?s correspondence with Spanish revolutionist Andres Nin here is a primer on the importance of principle in politics and on the importance of building an international and internationalist revolutionary movement.
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This valuable contribution of the writings of Leon Trotsky, the Russian revolutionary, is essential for anyone trying to make sense of the forces involved in the Spanish Civil War, the revolution, and the defeats to fascism in the 1930s. The book contains letters of Trotsky to Spanish communists and fighters, analysis and opinion of what it would take for the workers to win, and the critical argument for united front actions with others to defeat fascism. Trotsky's writings in this collection are often day to day, written in a very readable style, and the editors have done a good job of footnoting to clarify points for the reader. One quote is worth noting re:the war in Spain: "In civil war, incomparably more than in ordinary war, politics dominates strategy. Robert Lee, as an army chieftain, was surely more talented than Grant, but the program of the liquidation of slavery assured victory to Grant." The Spanish people were not victorious; the fascists did win. This book helps to understand how, why, and even the what ifs...

Today working people face every problem Trotsky discusses in this book as economic crisis and wars, right wing and fascist movements, face us more and more. This can be a handbook of how to fight, and how to win.

This is nearly ten years of Trotsky's writings on the Spanish revolution that overthrew the monarchy at the start of the 1930s and the Spanish Civil War that went on from 1936 to 1939.
Trotsky believed the situation in Spain throughout these years was like the situation in Russia in 1917 where the struggle of workers for power on their own, supporting the democratic struggles of peasants for land, and of Spain?s colonies for national independence and Spain?s national and regional minorities for their rights, could have won, defeated fascism, and been a new beacon for world revolution. His discussions here are not academic. They are practical discussions with revolutionists on the front lines in Spain, with fighting workers around the world. Trotsky?s correspondence with Spanish revolutionist Andres Nin here is a primer on the importance of principle in politics and on the importance of building an international and internationalist revolutionary movement.
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The author must have psychic powers and a clear, analytic mind. Oliverio's argument published in 1998 should have been read by U.S. foreign policy makers. She makes a cogent argument for considering the ways in which people and organizations of power use the concept of terror to hid their own uses of terrorism.

Although this book had been recommended to me by first class scholars, I did not read it until this week because I assumed the work would not be relevant after Septermber 11, 2001. The fact is it is more relevant now then ever before. In many ways, I interpret her to be saying that she loves her countries by loves justice more, much as Camus said long ago. Justice, an analysis of the politics of deviance and terrorism, a global perspective, and a beautiful analysis of the role of theater in the political arenas are only a small part of this poignant book.

This book is more interesting than the Titanic. The icing is the scholarly tone and the sophisticated literal agility of the Italian author.

The book is an important caution for those of us who struggle for freedom and search to create a humane state. With the rising use once again in Latin America of the instruments of oppression, the book cautions us to watch the state, itself. Read it and worry!

Oliverio delves deeply into the roots of statecraft and how those roots intertwine with terrorism. Clearly the author finds the musings of an early Austrian, Machiavelli, sadly relevant to the modern scene.

The State of Terror is a must read for anyone who desires a sophisticated analysis of terror. The book explains how we have been misled by both the political right and left on the issue of terrorism.

What an awesome storyteller. If you have ever had the pleasure of reading a Francine Rivers novel, you will enjoy Lynn Austin as well. While I meditated on Rivers novels for days and even weeks, I found Austin's stories a bit faster paced and entertaining yet at the same time thought provoking and nourishment to the soul. I greatly enjoyed the first three books and highly recommend them. I am waiting for the fourth and fifth!

A glimpse into the our past, our families lives, our history...A MUST READ! You will be hooked!

King Hezekiah has returned his people to worshipping only Yahweh after the brutal paganism that highlighted the reign of his sire. With the return to praying to the One God, Judah has seen prosperity. Perhaps the only thing that has not gone right for the monarch is the lack of an heir; this especially disturbs his beloved wife Hephzibah.

Desperate to bear a male child, Hephzibah visits a pagan shrine worshiping the fertility goddess Asherahl and offers a deal to this false deity. Stunned when he learns what his wife did that broke the Commandant and the key principle to his reign, an irate Hezekiah devastates the pagan shrine. However, he is severely injured because of his berserker ranting. Once calm he knows his country's future is at stake so he turns to God for help and forgiveness for him, his wife, and their people. God answers through the prophet Isaiah who provides direction to clean his house and to select his heir.

The third tome of the fabulous Chronicles of the Kings series, THE STRENGTH OF HIS HAND, offers a terrific look at King Hezekiah's reign at a time of moral and religious crisis that threatens to destroy all he believed in and worked to achieve. Interestingly, the transgression of worshipping the false god by Hephzibah was done out of love for her spouse (good intentions can be an express way to hell). As Lynn Austin did with the insightful SONG OF REDEMPTION and GODS AND KINGS, fans will learn much about ancient Judah while cherishing this excellent work of biblical fiction.

Harriet Klausner

Wow! That's the only word that comes to mind after reading Lynn Austin. I picked this up with one lingering doubt in my mind, "Will this even match books 1 and 2?" They were THAT good, and Lynn Austin did her homework to the nth degree, and I'm sitting here astounded! I was wondering if she'd include Sannacherib, Hezekiah's fierce, taunting rival! Oh, she did all right, and had me sweating a time or two! She did an amazing work, and if you have yet to read this, you really are missing out. I really don't feel like putting the book down when I'm on my lunch break at work, or potty training the 2 year old, and it made me all the more crazy to get back to reading!! Yeah, now read on, right? I still have my review to do!

The theme in this would ultimately have to be trust. And for that matter, not trusting in ourselves. To me that is a gut wrenching matter. Especially when I think I need something, and it just ain't happening! When you look back on the times when you haven't trusted God, please don't feel so bad. It is called crisis, and we all go through it. King Hezekiah went through it, and he HAD to trust God. The question is, would he? If you know the story, well then you already know the answer. But let's not make it so obvious. What about Hezekiah's wife, Hephzibah, who has yet to birth a future king? She thought she was promised, yet no baby, not yet anyway! What about other people in this that we've grown to love... like Eliakim? The Assyrians are planning to attack Judah. Eliakim's wife, Jerusha knows about how beastly ONE of them can be. Will God protect them? Will they rely on God's strength, or will they lean to their own understanding? Isaiah, the prophet is still alive and well in this whole mess, and he plays a big part!

This also gives a better understanding of Passover. With a portrait more real than life, the passover is displayed to me in great awe. It really drives home the point, like for instance with the parsley dipped in salt water. Just an example, and you might really appreciate what an awesome God we serve after this. There is a lot of scripture, yet when you see it come alive, WOW!

All God asks sometimes is to simply trust Him. To put aside our strength, and to simply trust Him. Is it always easy? No way. Is it worth it? Yes it is, because I know from some tough experiences. Outstanding once again, Lynn Austin! I'm ready for more.

You will mostly enjoy this book if you love biblical history or if you would like to understand it better.

First, the writting is not as smooth as more experienced authors I've read. In some places its even a bit jarring. BUT Ms Austin is certainly one thing.....a storyteller!!!

I found myself reading this book and really understanding human nature versus obeying God. It made me repent of some of my own thickheadedness and at other points it made me pray not to fall into the traps that I saw the characters fall into.

Ms Austin has worked good cause and effect into her plotting of this book. Keep up the good work Ms Austin. All in all it was a good read that makes you look introspectively at yourself and hey....thats what every author wants to accomplish...right? 8-)

This was a very concise, excellent study on the problem of terror. I think anyone interested in why our world is the way it is today should read this book. Friedman writes from having 'been there', and his documentation is good, too.

Suprising amount of information in a compact book. I really liked it, and give it a high recommendation.

I am not one to sit down and read a book cover to cover, but I did so with Sudden Terror in about 24 hours. The reason why this book excedes others on the topic is because the author has extensive academic knowledge and personal experience. Dr. Friedman has a master's degree in Arabic and is very well versed in Islamic history as this book illustrates. He is also an Israeli with quite a bit of first-hand personal and military experience on the subject at hand. Not only does he do a fabulous job in writing this book, but he does so with an amazing amount of integrity and character.

A great synopsis of our situation in the world today. I think this is as concise a study on terrorism as I have ever seen. It is relevant for both Americans and Israelis and anyone interested in understanding why the world is in the mess it's in. He does a great job documenting his sources.

Awesome book,from a real different perspective. I liked the fact that the author isn't just writing from an ivory tower, but has first hand experience and knowledge of what makes terrorism tick. He suggests alot of ways to cope with being victims of terrorism that have helped me through September 11th. I really recommend it to everyone, especially anyone who wants to know what it's like being a victim of fundamentalist Muslim terror in Israel.