O Books

This book has the best recipe for potato salad, BBQ chicken, and salsa!

I got this book as a gift. It was a cute book - something that brought me back to the days of "Dad Knows BBQ Best." Sadly, I don't really use the book too much.

As a cookbook: ok
As a cute gift for a dad who likes to cook: priceless

This is such a fun book, plus it has some great summer recipes (easy, too!)! It's even just a "fun" read for us "babyboomers", takes us back to the good old backyard bbq days with the family!

Being an excellent cook myself, I read cookbooks more for ideas than anything else. This book not only gave me lots of ideas, it brought back memories of my Grandmother's cooking. Also, it wasn't filled with a lot of endless, useless, chatter.

This book has incredible graphics - 50's style. I've stood it up on my counter and everyone who comes over says, "Patio DaddyO!" Unfortunately, it hasn't inspired my husband to take over the tongs. Ah well. This makes a great gift for any BBQ'er or yourself - especially if you're into the late 50's/ early 60's style of anything. Worth the low price and more.

My new favourite cookbook, and I haven't even tried out the recipes yet! Everything about this book seems so fresh even though the graphics are items that are over 50 years old. The copy is vividly written, just reading the recipes makes you want to throw on an apron and get grillin! The titles of recipes are fabulous, such as "Slab o' Fun Barbequed Meat Loaf" and "Cheesy-Drippin, Garlic Fumin' St. Louis Salad" and the recipes are equally creative. I love how they take classics and give them a twist! There is not a single recipe in this book that I expect to find in any other cookbook. Even if the recipes didn't look delicious and interesting I would still want this book. It's a wonderful reference for the 50's kitsch collecter...all kinds of bbq items and pictures illustrate each page, all appropriately chosen. The graphics add so much! This is a gem of a book! I can't wait to display this wonderful conversation peice on my chrome bakers rack in my retro kitchen and have my friends over for a classic patio party!

The Payroll Source is the best payroll book available in the market today. I use it for reference material almost every day. Practically every payroll issue is covered and if you need to see the IRS regs involved, just look at the bottom of the page. What could be more efficient? Try it. You will be thrilled. How did you ever live without it?

I wouldn't have it out of arms reach at my desk! I use it every day and would be lost without it.

This book has been my life blood as a payroll professional. It explains complicated regulations which are often incomprehensible when viewed as code and states them in a concise and useful manner.

Michael O'Toole's book has saved my day on many days!!!

This is THE book to have if you are at all involved with payroll. It is a comprehensive resource and provides information in an easy to read and understand format. It goes well beyond the basics of paying employees and handling taxes by including information on recordkeeping, accounting, technology and management. A truly complete reference that I reach for again and again!

I wouldn't have it out of arms reach at my desk! I use it every day and would be lost without it.

For anyone searching for answers about the meaning of life and curious to understand what death means in this context - this is the perfect source book. Annamaria Hemingway opens up our awareness into understanding how death helps us to appreciate life in a far more meaningful way and illustrates this fact through deeply moving and inspirational stories. The text material that accompanies the stories draws on a wealth of hstorical, philosophical and mythic perspectives that make fascinating reading. The book also demonstrates how letting go of our fear of death gives us the opportunity to consider the strong possibility that death may only be a transition into another form of consciousness. A wonderful book that I highly recommend.

My Four Stars is ringing the top bell in My library. So think 5. I work with the dying and their families daily. This is a very well researched and documented book on death and dying. A compilation of lives touched by personal loss and continuity of conciousness experienced. It should be in everyones library. I teach several classes on line about concious death and dying, for a private university. I have Annamaria's book listed as a " Required Text" for all my current classes. In my private practice, I take it along to clients homes. It often helps bereaved family members find solace. Also an excellent book for those who wonder "what comes next" and for those who question "if awareness continues after the body dies". I was especially impressed with the integrity and ethical character of Ms. Hemmiingway's book. It is well organized and can be read in parts or sections; especially important for those facing loss. In active grief we can only absorb information in "sound bites" or " one story at a time". This book fullfills that requirement! Uplifting and Solid. A great book for everyone including those interested in the study of Neath Death Experiences.
Katherine Rosengren R.N., M.A.

I absolutely love this book, not only does it share experiences of NDEs but also the difference in the peoples lives afterwards. What I am finding particularly inspirational is the stories of people who have been directly affected by traumas ie Oklahoma bombing and 9/11 and how they have turned around their grief into doing amazing things for the benefit of others to the point where i have been moved to look up some of the charities and learn more about their amazing work. This book stirs huge compassion and shows us how a seemingly simple idea when actioned can have such a positive and life changing effect on others. All this and I still have a bit to read :-)

Over the past 8 years American Fundamentalists have attempted to monopolize the literature on Near Death Experiences and associated phenomena, usually employing their publishing factories to disseminate Trojan Horses - books purporting to be about this subject, but carefully crafted for the furtherance of their narrow "religious" agendas. As an Anthropologist (specializing in Death & Dying) for over 40 years, I study the impact of these insidious and often downright untruthful vehicles on the fabric of culture and society throughout the world.

Ms. Hemingway's book is truly welcome on several levels. Her presentation of historical and mythological data is accurate, unbiased,, and very much appropriate to her subject. Her presentations of what many people feel have been their experiences are also unbiased, particularly in her introductions and summary analyses. As a scientist, I am impressed.

Her exploration and treatment of the implications of the reported experiences speaks beyond just the scientist; it speaks to the human in all of us. Thus, the broad value of this book. To her great credit, Ms. Hemingway does not allow herself to be sidetracked onto epistemological cul-de-sacs. Her egalitarian approach allows Deists and non-Deists alike to find validity in her materials, and therefore in their lives.

Of particular interest, regardless of a reader's a priori stance, is the inherently honest message she conveys through the detailed discussions of the life changing nature of these phenomena. Without a subversive agenda of the furtherance of what some narrow group defines as good, this manuscript presents a cornucopia of examples of how to be of benefit, even ultimate benefit, in the lives of others as well as of the self. As such, this book is a service to all mankind.

PRACTICING CONSCIOUS LIVING & DYING takes us where people go when they die, traveling with those who have been declared officially dead and who managed to return to life to share their stories. This refreshing book is a collection of sixteen very different personal accounts of people who have come face-to-face with death in many various ways. There is a rich treasure trove of experience shared in this book which invites the reader to come on a journey each of us cares about, because it's a journey we are all destined to take. I love the way each first person account vibrates with such heartfelt emotion that I feel I'm right there... and the way that many people have found ways to make the deaths of their loved ones richly meaningful.

One of the most surprising and moving stories that touched my heart was the story about search and rescue teams of firemen with their special dogs. After learning of how such close relationships between fireman and dog affect and improve the firemen's other relationships, I will never see the world the same way again. There is a gift in being fully in this moment, right here, right now, rather than mentally or emotionally elsewhere... and I feel immensely grateful to this book for helping me vicariously experience how to go about regaining that sense of childlike wonder and simple heartfelt appreciation with the simple beauty in this world.

There is truly something ennobling and empowering in consciously living one's life, and PRACTICING CONSCIOUS LIVING & DYING helps us discover the secrets of how to better to enjoy the lives we are so blessed to have right now. This book is an extraordinary breath of fresh air for anyone caught up in the minutiae of daily life who longs to catch a glimpse of meaning, continuity, connection, and inspiration beyond the hum-drum everyday.

Oxford University press is currently undertaking the massive editorial work required to finish this ground-breaking four-volume set that was started more than 25 years ago. The third volume, covering the alphabetic range of P through Sk, is due to appear in March 2007. Volume IV, covering Sk through Z and including a bibliography of tens of thousands of items, is planned for two years later.(...)

I'm an American slang bug and that's why I'm just chafing at the bit to browse next volumes of this undoubtedly the very best and most comprehensive and authoritative complete on-going dictionary of slang. A lot has been already said and written 'bout this work hence I'm lost for new words of appreciation. On the other hand, however, dear editors, mercy on us, you can't just now dump this big project halfway thru editing thus leaving us, all American slang lovers throughout the English-speaking world in the lurch. There's a glitter of hope, as I heard, to cooperate with Oxford University Press. OK! Go ahead and good luck then but let these words be soon followed by real actions. Sincerely Alex

murdered by the media

These words are no longer in use, as we no longer converse truly and freely as a nation of English and slang speakers

This volume is little more than a nostaligic curio, like Dr. Johnson's dictionary, or the great Ambrose Bierce's better.

The only English slang currently in use is that receptive vocabulary emitted by our media, and not expressive nor creative as our one way media permits no conversation. We are made to listen, to hear, to receive, only. The internet alone allows literacy, and look at the level of written speech there. Yet even there the formerly great oral tongue is lost.

The most vibrant languages heard throbbing through our land are now those not dictated by our anglo media. There alone does the uniquely human aural ability live and breathe. And thus this massive dictionary properly fades away unfinished.

In any case, what anglo librarian would permit its presence in a library?

Intriguing for historical reasons alone. Not useful for comprehending the language one actually hears around oneself, as no living and present language is heard. Just dust off your old Lord Buckley collection instead, or the Mercury recording How To Speak Hip. Not even riding the city bus helps anymore.

Forty years ago our Amrican language was still richer, more diverse, more playful, more subtle. Now we have only whitely phosphorized talking heads bleating how we must speak and thus how we must think, and by limiting our vacabulary limiting our capacity for free thought. Our only hope is a healthy jolt of James Joyce and the trembling Twain.

I must agree with settimio biondi from Italy. Having purchased the first two volumes, we've been waiting for 7 years for P~Z. This is an excellent, comprehensive work. Hopefully, Oxford...or someone with a sense of responsibility...will finish the final volume.

We have been waiting for this dictionary for a long time. Specifically, since 1975 when Harold Wentworth and Stuart Berg Flexner issued their second supplemented edition of the "Dictionary of American Slang."
Editor J.E. Lighter, a researcher at the University of Tennessee, is somewhat disparaging of Wentworth and Flexner, the only previous lexicographers to take a healthy swing at American slang. (I don't count H.L. Mencken, who compiled many lists, but not in a format that a working writer can use.)
Lighter faults their "looseness of definition, unpredictable allocation of citations and a certain historical naivete." Maybe, but their book had, and still has, the most important merit a dictionary can have -- it is useful.
Also, theirs goes through Z, which is more than Lighter can say in 2006, 12 years after his Vol. 1 came out and many more years than that since he began.
Also, Wentworth and Flexner's volume is wieldy. Lighter's dictionary has many excellencies, but handiness is not one of them.
Wentworth and Flexner covered the whole of American English in a small volume of two pounds, six ounces. Lighter covers one-third the ground in a massive folio of six pounds, one ounce.
Lighter is often, but not always, more comprehensive. Take bum.
W&F give this useful word 26 definitions in a page. Lighter gives 29 in three pages, but three of his usages have earliest dates since W&F's last effort. It looks like a draw, but it's not, quite.
W&F give a nice little essay on the finer gradations of meaning of bum (in its sense of vagabond); Lighter is less preachy on usage, letting the extensive quotations do that work for him. This is the approved method for serious work, but although Lighter's citations often seem repetitive, their length does not always ensure completeness, as we shall see.
W&F derive bum from the German bummler, idler, but Lighter appears to think this an example of historical naivete, finding bum sprung full-blown in 1864, without any certain antecedents. (In its sense of fundament, it goes back in English to at least 1387.)
Turn now to cracker. Lighter gives it nearly half a page, in the sense of "a backwoods Southern white person regarded as ignorant, brutal, loutish, bigoted etc.," tracing it to 1766. W&F does not have it at all.
Lighter is clearly ahead here, but there are problems with this definition.
First, it is politically correct but lexically incorrect. A cracker is not a white person but a white man. Like its synonyms redneck and woolhatter, it is never used of a woman.
Second, not one of the 31 citations even hints at a usage that would explain how the Atlanta professional baseball team in the old Sally League (slang for South Atlantic League; I will be interested to see if this makes it into Lighter's Vol. 3, if I live long enough to see it) came to be called the Crackers. Or how Georgians' and north Floridians' own nickname for themselves came to be crackers, the way people from Indiana call themselves Hoosiers.
Lighter does also give five other definitions of cracker: beans, a remarkable individual, dollar, a poor skier who often loses control and a light-skinned Negro.
Taken in all, Lighter has lifted the compilation of American salng to a new, much higher level -- except for Hawaiian American slang.
Except for go for broke, which is listed as "apparently originally Nisei or Hawaiian English," I cannot find any slang words from the Hawaiian dialect of Standard American -- even though some words in Standard Hawaiian have migrated into Slang English, like kahuna.
There are many definitions in Lighter of grind, for example, but none for the ways we in Hawaii use it as noun and verb (for eating). Chance um is missing, too, and give um and blahlah.
The absence of Hawaiian American Slang (Alaskan, too) is a serious fault, but on the whole the book is a corker ("a person or thing of extraordinary size, effectiveness, quality etc.," originally English slang traced to 1882 but brought into American by Mark Twain in 1889).

This book (TRPL) represents a great alternative for those who are not entirely satisfied with the "Pickaxe", as it goes into much more detail in some areas of Ruby. After reading both books, my general impression is that the Pickaxe can be seen as a lighter reference and TRPL as a more in-depth description. In that sense they complement each other. Make no mistake, though: this book is not a comprehensive reference for the standard library (just as "The C programming language" is not a complete reference for the C standard library).

It was with delight that I ordered this book. Finally, it's here! There have been other books... but leave it to O'Reilly to put out one this good. The authors have done a great job. And you gotta love the illustrations!

Very small complaint: I wish there was a bit of a story about the Ruby language in here. I learned more about the birds on the cover than the history of the language!

Kudos: Never once do they mention "chunky bacon" in this book. THANK YOU.

i write in ruby for about a year or two, mostly as a hoby. after i wrote a lot of simple and complex programs, there were still some basic (or not so basic) things that about ruby that were not so clear to me. this book made it all clear. all i can say about this book is that it is a great book and i recommend it to anyone programming in ruby.

"The Ruby Programming Language" is everything you'd hope for from an O'Reilly book that is co-written by the language creator and the author of "Java in a Nutshell." This is a well-written, concise, and thorough guide the Ruby language.

Unlike the Pickaxe, which tries to be everything from an OOP introduction to a complete library reference, this book focuses on concisely documenting the Ruby language. If you're looking to learn how to program, look elsewhere - the Pickaxe is a much better choice. On the other hand, if you're already familiar with OOP concepts, this book (along with [...]) is all you really need to understand the language.

Of note, the book is also very current, covering both Ruby 1.8 and 1.9. As such things go, this is about as future-proof as it gets - it will remain current for years.

I can't really stress enough how well-written this book is. The authors don't overwhelm you with jargon, nor do they bury important details between fluff and analogies - I find it to be the perfect balance of density and legibility. Seldom do I find technical references such a joy to read.

In short, if you work with Ruby (or plan to in the future), you really should buy this book. You won't regret it.

I only began learning Ruby in earnest a few weeks ago, and I really appreciate how quickly I can go in depth with this book. I examined many well-known Ruby language offerings at the bookstore, and there really was no comparison in terms of readability and comprehensiveness.

True, the book can be fairly exhaustive in detailing langauge specifics; no doubt this will turn some readers off. The problem with other books is that they often avoid detail at the expense of clarity. For my money, this book makes learning the minutae required for competent programming that much easier, by being so complete and well-organized. There's no need for readers of this book to turn to any sort of "supplementary text," as is so often the case with less well thought-out books.

One caveat: if you are coming to Ruby as a very inexperienced programmer, then this book is probably not the place to start (perhaps try "Beginning Ruby: From Novice to Professional" by Apress? I haven't read it, but it seems to have good reviews...)

Originally a "Nutshell" offering, written by Ruby creator Yukihiro Matsumoto, the new edition (written along with David Flanagan) retains the laudable grittiness of a "Nutshell" book, but can be read cover-to-cover. The very first chapter takes readers on a tour of the language, then presents a nifty Sudoku solver consisting of just 129 lines. It's startling how well the program reads, and how quickly one begins comprehending Ruby code. The approach gives readers a feel for Ruby's succinct, efficient syntax, as well as its expressiveness and power.

Highly recommended.

No author to date has fine-tuned the story of O'Connor from ranch to robes as well as Ms. Biskupic. The extent of her study and interviews shows, but does not become an academic report. It is fresh and insightful, and certainly as amusing and straight-shooting as its subject.

If you are interested in the law, the Supremes, history in the making, or simply the politics of what it means to be a woman in the law, this is the book you want to read.

As an admirer of SDO for quite some time, this book opened me up to admire her even more. This book told me so many things that I never knew. It also explained her reasoning behind many of her decisions, both as a justice and in life. Worth the read.

Joan Biskupic's biography _Sandra Day O'Connor: How the First Woman on the Supreme Court Became Its Most Influential Justice_ provides a compelling picture of the first woman Supreme Court justice and of the inner workings of the Supreme Court through four presidential administrations. Biskupic combines assiduous research with a writing style that makes the intricacies of Supreme Court proceedings accessible and fascinating. The biography is impressive on many counts, especially in how it captures O'Connor's skilfull handling of the challenges of being the nation's first female Supreme Court Justice. Throughout, Biskupic's stance is balanced, outlining the strengths of O'Connor's jurisprudence while acknowleding O'Connor's critics.

While the main focus of the biography is on O'Connor's work in the Supreme Court, the early chapters offer a snapshot of O'Connor as a driven career woman, a devoted wife and mother, and an adroit politician. Biskupic shows how O'Connor's life on the family's "Lazy B." farm in Arizona was a formative influence, even though her parents consciously separated her from the farm in order to give her more educational opportunities at a private school in in El Paso. Her father's independence and opposition to the expansion of federal powers in Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal, and O'Connor's experiences as a trial lawyer, an Arizona state senator, and a judge on the Arizona Court of Appeals shaped an approach to law based on pragmatic, narrow definitions as opposed to overarching theoretical positions in rulings. As Biskupic shows, O'Connor's Arizonan, Western roots are manifest in her respect for the Tenth Amendment, which gives to states those powers not directly assigned to the federal government.

Biskupic is sensitive in tracing O'Connor's role as a trailblazer (though, often, in a purposefully understated way), and the biography shows how attitudes toward women have evolved from the 1950s to the present. O'Connor, for instance, despite graduating in the top 10% at Stanford University's Law school in 1952 and having been a member of the Stanford Law Review, received no offers at firms. One prestigious firm, Gibson, Dunn offered her a legal secretary position, which she declined. In an irony reflective of social changes, when Fred Smith, Ronald Reagan's White House Counsel and a former lawyer with Gibson, Dunn, and Grutcher, interviewed O'Connor in 1981 for the Supreme Court vacancy, O'Connor asked him if it was an interview for "a secretarial position." Biskupic begins her book with this effective anecdote, and the biography throughout reveals how O'Connor astutely negotiated gender prejudice in public life.

Biskupic also offers a detailed picture of O'Connor's important votes related to Roe v. Wade, affirmative action, capital punishment, and Bush v. Gore as she became increasingly the fifth tie-breaking in a deadlocked court. Biskupic chronicles O'Connor's evolution as a jurist, arguing that her role as a centrist often made her a baramoter of where the nation as a whole stood. Biskupic points out that O'Connor's legislative background as an Arizona State Senator--as a person who ran for office and thus who was directly accountable to the electorate--gave her a unique perspective in the Supreme Court with its life-time appointees.

Chapter 15, "Scalia v. O'Connor," highlights O'Connor's judicial pragmatism and minimalist interpretations, offering a contrast with Scalia's philosophically driven understanding of law on originalist grounds. In this chapter, Biskupic addresses critiques of O'Connor's decisions and legal reasoning from both the right and left. This chapter is fair in its discussion and highly informative about different approaches to law and about the role of the Supreme Court, in general.

An anecdote at the end of the book reveals O'Connor's personal style. In an interview with Biskupic, Clarence Thomas recalled O'Connor's congeniality and even the subtle impact this had on the court . O'Connor had attempted for a number of years to convince the other justices to eat lunch together after listening to cases. Although Thomas and other justices initially resisted, prefering to work on cases, he and others later relented. Thomas remarks, "Now, you have a group of people who really enjoy other's company." Biskupic argues that such tact helped lead to O'Connor's ascendant role in the court.

Biskupic's biography chronicles O'Connor's own life and provides a view of the day-to-day dynamics of the Supreme Court, including shifts in the court with retirements and the investitures of new justices. The biography, while telling many important stories affecting American law and life, maintains a clear argument of O'Connor's unmistakable influence.

This is a most engaging portrait of a model justice in the common law tradition. Justice O'Connor is a true American icon of humble and hardworking origins rising to the heights of leadership based on character, critical thinking and an ethic of service. Her good will and civility toward those with whom she disagreed is an example to follow. The narrative is well informed, nuanced and flows steadily in a current that merges national, judicial and personal events in the judge's life most artfully. A wonderful book about a wonderful lady and an excellent Supreme Court justice. It is the likes of Sandra Day O'Connor that make one proud to be an American. And though I've never (yet) voted Republican she is also one more beautiful reason to love Ronald Reagan.

Biskupic picks up where Justice O'Connor left off in her joint biography (with brother Alan) of growing up on the Lazy B ranch in southern Arizona, and includes O'Connor's decision to pursue law studies at Stanford ("to make a difference," and as an outgrowth of a professor contending that an individual had a responsibility to the community).

After graduating from Stanford, marrying, and living in Germany with her husband while he competed his military assignment, Sandra Day O'Connor eventually settled in Phoenix. Failing to find employmente commensurate with her education, she started a law firm with another attorney, had three sons (took off five years to raise them), joined many community boards, helped/led several major Republican political campaings, became an assistant State's Attorney General, was appointed to a legislative vacancy (and subsequently elected in her own right), and became President of the State Senate.

Upon William Rehnquist's nomination to the Supreme Court, Sandra O'Connor undertook considerable effort to support him, including contacting fellow Stanford classmates, U.S. Senators, and newspaper editors, as well as making supporting speeches. Afterwards she left the State Senate to run for a vacant county judge position (won).

Several years later O'Connor was appointed by Governor Babbitt (Dem) to the state Appeals Court, and then had the opportunity to spend some time vacationing with Chief Justice Burger.

O'Connor's having grown up on a Western ranch seemed to make her more attractive to President Reagan, who had made a campaign promise to appoint a woman to the Court. Her prior abortion stance (voted to end an Arizona law prohibiting it) threatened to torpedo her nomination, but supporters (including Senator Goldwater) managed to quickly move the process forward and overcome opposition.

The remainder of the book details O'Connor's actions in a number of Court cases. (It was somewhat comforting to read of how sharply she honed in on issues while on the Court - I had a brief experience before her in her County Court, and was amazed and even intimidated by her sharp questioning even then.)

Finally, while I have the highest regard for Justice O'Connor, it was disappointing to read of the large role played by politics - even in our judicial system, and especially the centrality of the abortion issue. I was also unhappy to read about O'Connor's political comments (wanting to retire while a Republican was President), her dancing around the abortion issue, and key role in the 2000 election.

Excellent book. I work in the security space and ended up talking with folks in our Human Factors department about trying to do some work in this area. Other priorities prevented things from going forward. Now they have been re-organized to another department. Does anyone have any hints on how to "sell" this type of program to folks? This book spurred me to action.

Are you a security researcher or professional? If you are, then this book is for you! Editors Lorrie Faith Cranor and Simson Garfinkel, have done an outstanding job of writing a practical book that will help you realize the need for increased security usability in your systems.

Cranor and Garfinkel, begin by stating their premise: that security and usability can be synergistic. Then, the editors take an in-depth look at techniques for identifying and authenticating computer users to systems that are both local and remote. They continue by examining how system software can deliver or destroy a secure user experience. Then, the editors explain how this book is devoted to systems that allow people to control the release of their personal information, enabling them to use the Internet in relative anonymity if they so desire. Then, they look at specific experiences of security and software vendors in addressing the issue of usability. Finally, the editors discuss their collection of classic papers on security and usability that everybody should read.

This most excellent book discusses case studies of usable secure system design, along with the latest thinking about how to approach this problem. More importantly, the content of this book will give developers important insights that will lead to successful designs.

Lorraine Faith Cranor & Simson Garfinkel's SECURITY AND USABILITY: DESIGNING SECURE SYSTEMS THAT PEOPLE CAN USE examines the future of computer security with an eye to consider not only the factors which make a system secure, but how privacy design pitfalls, web bugs, and other issues can affect security choices and effectiveness. Most security titles advocate complex systems which are hard to use, but the authors maintain this belief to be wrong, and provide insights into the future of security which presents over thirty essays from leading security experts around the world.

This isn't a typical O'Reilly book, and it's definitely not an "animal" book. I think that's something that's thrown a lot of people for a loop the first time they see this book. That change is good, however, because what O'Reilly has delivered is a book whose contents will stand up much longer and be more useful than most of the books out there on any technical subject, from any publisher. By having various viewpoints in information rich, managable pieces so well organized, the book itself is usable both as a read through from cover to cover and as a reference.

Security and Usability (S&U) is targeted at two main camps. The usability camp who doesn't quite understand what a security system is. They think in terms of making the user's experience with the software better, and often that means making the design more accomodating. That's great, and very valuable, but sometimes that's been known to compromise the system's security.

The other camp this book targets is a security application or a security system designer. Often this camp doesn't have a great grasp on usability. We (I think I fall into this category) tend to be power users and build systems that work for power users. When regular users (read: "everyone else") encounter such a system they're usually stuck, and understandably so. S&U introduces many usability concepts and paradigms to the software or system designer and provide a springboard for better results.

Make no mistake, this book wont make you an expert in either field, but it will give you a deeper understanding and a strong foothold at improving both scenarios. If nothing else, it gives both camps the vocabulary to start talking and working together.

One of my favorite chapters in the book outlines how ZoneAlarm was designed and implemented, along with some of its issues along the way. This is a remarkably successful application that achieves both good security design and utility while being usable by a large portion of the population. Such a study - and the book has many similar studies to back up viewpoints - is an invaluable aid in getting the message across.

If you write security software, design security systems, or work with a team that does, by all means look at this book. It will improve your product.

I was really hesitant when I got this because I tend to hate collections of academic papers. They're often hard to read, heavily redundant, and jargon filled. This book isn't, and my copy is already dog-eared, and filled with turned-down pages. It is chock full of useful advice, interesting stories, great references, and useful lessons learned. If you build security software, or software with security implications, you should buy this book.

Once you've bought it, it may help to skim the first few chapters, which set the scene, and do contain a fair bit of redundancy, probably unavoidably. If you get bogged down, skip forward, there's lots of great stuff.

[Disclosure: I got a review copy from the authors, but have since bought a copy for someone else.]

I read this book as a young girl and now at the age of 60 I enjoyed it just as much. I read it to my four kids when they were in the 5th grade and they loved it as well. Now my daughter who is a high school teacher is using a copy of the book in her classroom for her students to read.

My dad read this book as a boy in the 1950s. He introduced the Silver Chief books to me and I read and reread them as a young preteen. I have since read them to several children who also couldn't get enough of them. Silver Chief is a beautiful silver animal part dog and part wolf. A Royal Candian Mounted Policeman named Sar. Thornton heads north to track a murderer. While waiting to track down the murderer, Thornton captures and tames Silver Chief training him into a loving companion and loyal friend. When the Murderer wounds Thornton in the leg, it is up to Silver Chief to see that they arrive safely back to civilization.

I read this book in elementary school, after stumbling across it while browsing through the school library. It's such a great story and even though it's for youngsters, I wouldn't mind re-reading it now as an adult, just for the memories of the brave wild dog's adventures.

I remember reading Silverchief Dog Of The North 31 years ago and It has remained with me. Not many books have made this much of an impact on me. I am now looking for a copy of the book and others that are in the series. I would love for my grandchildren to read them all. Thank you Jack O'Brien you are one of the very best.

I read the Silver Chief stories as a grade school kid back in the 50's and even today just hearing the name conjurs up memories and pictures in my head of "the Great White North," the Canadian Mounties and the moving story of the bond between a man and a wild dog. I had a heck of a time finding a copy to read to my three boys -- the [Local] Public Library had relegated it to storage in a warehouse. How unfortunate that so many wonderful children's titles have been lost or forgotten. I'm glad to see this one is still available to another generation of readers -- the romance, adventure and genuine feeling of this story remain timeless!

If you want to learn to build a card castle, this is the book for you. It has all the information you'll need. Excellent book.

I purchased this book for my daughter. She had a school assignment to build a weight bearing structure out of playing cards. She got some good ideas by reading stacking the Deck.

This young man is amazing. I booked him for an event I planned at a science center several years ago and his talent is incredible. Then, after all his meticulous work, he took a leaf blower and destoyed his creation only to let the children collect all the cards!

What I found amazing about this book is that within the first few pages, you will learn the basic technique to stack cards and start building some phenomenal structures. And, even if you are clumsy, your structures will still attract admiring comments. My daughter, who is 6, has started building and enjoys it more than lego.

This is very sad that everything that is recorded about cardstacking is merely this one book. Building Houses of Cards is more than child's play. This is a sport; just like Football, Basketball, or Tennis. I wish there was a Cardstacking Club or something like this... Here is what I hope will grow up and become the first Cardstacking Club: myspace.com/cardstacker

As a marriage and family therapist for forty years I have heard the switching hour event described over and over from the point of view of divorced or divorcing parents. Flesberg's book describes it from the child's point of view. This allowed me to feel and understand the pain of divorce from a different and more striking perspective--one that both therapists and toubled families need to know more about. Flesberg's section on what can be done to reduce the child's stress during the switching hour is particularly helpful.

Dr. Flesberg has produced a book which meets the needs of working professionals, parents, and parents who are working professionals! It is well written and researched. I have already begun using this in the parish. I heartily recommend this book to anyone who loves kids, loves parents, or both.

The Rev. Lewis A. Groce
Trinity Church
Tullahoma TN

Dr Flesberg has condensed many years of pastoral experience and academic research into this small, practical, accessibly written book which can be confidently placed in the hands of busy parents, pastors, and anyone else who cares about children. A skilled teacher, she guides the reader into empathetic understanding of the experience of children of divorced parents, and provides clear, wise suggestions for how to help. I have already recommended The Switching Hour to a number of friends and relatives, and will continue to do so.

I found The Switching Hour to be very informative concerning the different issues that children face after their parents divorce. I particularly liked the blessings for the children on page 100 and 101. We have begun using them as we see our grandchildren go with their biological father for visits. I would recommend this book to anyone needing advise in dealing with divorce.
Rick Otey

Found the book interesting, and it identified some points I had not thought of; therefore, helpful in our work with couples.