O Books

Anne Graham-Lotz have done it again. I enjoy all of her books. They are truly spirit filled.

Ms. Lotz presents the Bible in a totally different way than anyone I know. When she speaks of Isaiah, she makes you feel like she knew him personally. She really gets into the mind of the character. Even though she is Billy Graham's daughter she has issues just like the rest of us. People don't always treat her so well either. She is very humble in letting us know that. Her writing is for the average person who needs encouragment.

My mother had searched for this particular book forever. She is a Graham fan! A great Christmas gift I must say! Thanks!!!

As the daughter of the world renowned evangelist Billy Graham, author and speaker Anne Graham Lotz frequently shares in her auspicious father's spotlight --- not on his shirt-tails as it were, but because of her own skilled ability to speak and write in a similarly compelling manner. Lotz has written a number of titles entreating fellow Christians to draw closer to Jesus Christ as the meaning maker to all of life's quandaries and as the final answer to discovering true inner-satisfaction and peace amidst a troubled, war-ravaged world.

In her newest text, Lotz continues in a similar vein, challenging evangelicals to "wake-up" to the call that time is speeding by and countless individuals pass into eternity unprepared spiritually. Citing 9/11 as her own personal "wake-up call," Lotz recounts her invitation to speak on "The Early Show" mere days after the 9/11 attacks. Revisiting her thoughts and feelings from that time, Lotz reports on her on-air conversation with co-host Jane Clayson, in which she shared that it is America's moment to decide whether "we're going to implode and disintegrate emotionally and spiritually or whether we're going to make the choice to be stronger." In response to Clayson's assertion that many people were expressing indignation and anger at God, Lotz replied with an honest observation that, for the most part, Americans have been shaking their fist at God and telling Him to get out of the schools, out of the government, out of businesses, and out of the marketplace. "And God, who is a gentleman, has quietly backed out of our national and political life, our public life, removing His hand of blessing and protection."

On the heels of such a pronouncement, Lotz then begins her text in earnest as she lays the foundation for the practicalities of re-awakening a believer's heart who outwardly appears to be in tune with Christ because such said Christian quotes Scripture, prays out loud, sings hymns from memory, and has a cursory understanding of historical Christianity. Yet this person lacks the heart passion for God's Word, for intercessory prayer, for sharing the gospel, for saving a lost and dying world, and for Him alone. Pointedly, Lotz goes straight for the jugular and aims to either incite fresh passion or see complacent Christians cringing at the truthfulness of her words.

With the prophet Isaiah as her model, Lotz explores this biblical character's journey to greatness by detailing his life struggles, which she successfully pairs with modern-day life events so as to further demonstrate how alike today's believers are with historical figures and how God works in similar fashion throughout the ages with His people. Lotz urges Christians to recognize their sleeping state, wake up, open their eyes, rend their hearts, bend their knees, heed the call, move their feet to action, and stay awake for the duration. One of Lotz's strong suits is the ability to balance difficult calls to change with hope for lasting inner-transformation. She understands that Christians, on their own steam, cannot achieve (or succeed over the long haul) what the Bible calls them to do without the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit.

Fans of and newcomers to Lotz will be admonished, chastised and revived. And due to Lotz's gentle boldness, they will thank her for the upbraiding.


--- Reviewed by Michele Howe

This is my first time reading anything by Anne Graham Lotz. She was a guess speaker at my church & I enjoyed her sermon. This book is a must read.

As a novice scribe in the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) I ordered many books having to do with calligraphy and illumination. This book, the Illuminated Alphabet, has proven to be very helpful and I am extremely pleased with it. The images are large and easy to see and the examples have given me wonderful ideas for the scrolls I am learning to create. Learning painting techniques and seeing the detail is what I needed and this book has done exactly that. I highly recommend this book for those learning how to be scribes.

It you have any interest in calligraphy, luminations, or just pure beauty, then this is one small volume you will want to add to your collection. Now I must admit that the skill needed to create these wonderful works of art is much greater than I will ever have, but that is okay. I use works such as this purely for inspiration. I figure that it is a nice world just to know "someone" out there is able to creat something like this. It gives me something to shoot for. This work is certainly not for beginners but I don't think a beginner would be hurt one bit for having read and studied it. I shows just what can be done if you have the skill and knowledge. This is always a good thing. I also appreciated the authors notes on the history of this art form. I do know something of history, and this information alone was worth the price of the book. Recommend this one highly.

This book has helped me to learn and try my hand at several different styles of medieval illumination. I highly recommend this to any potential scribes out there!

"This book contains the best things to know to begin doing Illuminated manuscript writing. The authors list great resources, give useful lists, and then help you get started!!
In addition, I like the several styles of complete alphabets, how they are presented and described, and how to do the illumination techniques. It has taken me several years and attempts to find a book this beautifully complete. Other potential authors and publishers could learn from this wonderful book, because finally I feel confident enough to tackle the several projects I've got waiting for me. You don't have to be an artist to begin to do this work when you use this book.
Thank you to the authors and the publishers for their insight. Now I have the knowledge to be more confident in knowing where to start and how to progress with illuminating some of my projects.
Sandra Jones Ireland; Prince Edward Island Canada

A gorgeous book showcasing and demonstrating decorative calligraphy. Step by step instructions for a wide variety of styles and period pieces of illuminated lettering. A great way to add some interest to sketchbook journals. HOWEVER! A patient and attention-to-detail mindset is required for this exacting art form.

This book served as a guide to go from not knowing anything about iMovie to being able to create a large slideshow project. I ordered another guide first and couldn't get off square one. This guide allowed me from starting at no knowledge to understanding well enough to get my job done. The iMovie icon sat on my desktop for years before this book opened it's utility. A small and worthwhile investment to get the most out of this software. It has even given me the bug to get a camcorder and move from photography to videography.

I love this book. Its so easy to read and informative that it'll suit any age! Its an easy way to get the know-how on Imovie and Idvd and also helps seasoned ammatures (like myself) brush up on the commands and answers any questions you might have.

As digital video cameras spawn in the hands of you, me, parents and tourists like cockroaches in my kitchen we find ourselves needing the kind of technical and aesthetic help not really seen since the advent of `desktop publishing'. Once again a `Missing Manual' has come to my help. `iMovie 3 & iDVD: The Missing Manual' is an excellent book.

I previously reviewed iPhoto2: The Missing Manual and said "The target audience for this book would probably be a little less technical than myself, however when I find myself in a field I don't understand well I don't mind a little stuff for the absolute newbie" -- and once again this is true. iMovie 3 & iDVD: The Missing Manual finds me in an area where I am technically inferior. Once again I truly appreciated this book and its style.

The book is broken up into four sections, one devoted to video cameras and shooting a movie, a large one on editing in iMovie 3, and smaller sections on exporting out of iMovie 3 and on using iDVD. At the end are two useful appendices: the first is a menu-by-menu look at iMovie 3, and the second is an iMovie 3 troubleshooting guide. The latter is often needed and always useful -- iMovie 3 still has more than one bug.

The first section gives a great deal of incredibly useful information about video cameras and how to use them, including hints on various types of shooting such as sporting events, interviews and weddings. The technical information on cameras is perfect if you have yet to buy a camera, including a guide to which features are essential and which unnecessary as you can do the same thing (only better) in iMovie 3. When it goes on to the `how to shoot' section, you get pretty much the same advice you'll get anywhere, but since we didn't really read all of from the last book on video we read (and forgot half the bits we did read) it's nice to have it there again.

The second section does a good job of explaining the details of iMovie 3, even down to some of its shortcomings and bugs. I also appreciated the way it spent as much time on improving the quality of the finished film as it did telling me how to use the various parts of the software. It follows a logical sequence through the movie-making process, giving good details on how iMovie does the job, how to get the best result and what sort of things to avoid -- particularly useful for things like transitions and effects when less is best.

The third section, titled "Finding Your Audience," is a bit more of a problem. It really has nothing to do with finding an audience and a lot more to do with QuickTime. The section first spends ten pages telling us how to get our edited film back onto the camcorder or onto a VCR, then it spends a lot of time dealing with exporting to QuickTime, including posting movies to the web and some info on using the QuickTime player, including some "tricks" with QuickTime Player Pro.

The attention to the finished product in the second section carries through to the fourth section on iDVD, though the writing here is not quite as good. It is incredibly informative, however. I learned a great deal about putting together all sorts of iDVD projects, including ways of customizing almost every aspect of the finished product.

O'Reilly have the usual marketing stuff on their website while Pogue Press have the handy little Missing CD section with links to all the free and shareware software mentioned in the book. Neither has a sample chapter or the table of contents.

One of the drawbacks of getting free software is that we don't get good free documentation. One of the benefits of free software is that we can choose which `documentation' to buy. Some people might prefer the style of the `Dummies' books, others the style of Peachpit's Visual Quickstart Guide. I've had a look at all three and like the balance of depth and explanation that Pogue has in his `Missing Manual' series. I once again find myself recommending a `Missing Manual' to everyone. While catering to the beginner, this book goes deep enough that all but the most long-term user of these two pieces of software will find something to learn in this volume.

Yup. This book really made using iMovie for the first time a walk in the park.
Wiht absolutely no prior experience in this sort of stuff (the closest I've come is Photoshop Elements), I was able to, on the first try, make a music video of my son's first christmas.
I was then able to convert an old videotape from the late 70's into a gleaming, groovy DVD.
The book is well laid out, easy to navigate and above all, usable.
It's a five-star manual, no doubt about it.

I bought this book as an afterthought when I started using I-Movie. At first, like most of us, I thought--hey, I can use I-movie intuitively without a manual...but after my Imovie 3.0 crashed and corrupted the movie I'd been working on for 100+ hours, I was eternally grateful to have it nearby. This manual is wonderfully organized, very easy-to-understand, and answers virtually every question you could have about I-Movie and I-DVD. It walks you through everything from how to shoot footage that is eye-appealing...to editing it to a work-of-art in I-movie...to converting it to a Quicktime video and/or burning it to DVD. It is honestly one of the best manuals I've ever used for anything---clear, concise, yet comprehensive. Thanksfully, you don't need to read the whole book in order to "get started" with I-movie; rather, it's a great tool to pick up on an "as needed" basis while you're editing. This book is definitely worth the small investment. It truly is "the missing manual" for I-movie. O'Reilley has done it again...great job!

Read the lesson then watch the video in a blend of exercise book and video package in Adobe InDesign CS3 One-on-One. It's the perfect lesson approach for any learning Adobe either on their own or via on online class: Step-by-step text lessons pair with the DVD video demonstrations and projects keyed to real-world experience. With over 900 color images, diagrams, and over three hours of video instruction, these 12 self-paced tutorials will prove invaluable keys to any who seek a progressive lesson plan.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

A good starting point. An ideal book for those who know little of InDesign.
For intermediate users adds new knowledge.
### Portuguese:
Um bom ponto de partida. Ideal para aqueles que sabem pouco de InDesign. Aos que já sabem um pouco acrescenta novos conhecimentos.

'InDesign CS3 One on One' is an outstanding book by the Adobe master Deke McClelland. Mr. McClelland follows in the footsteps of past Adobe book efforts and really nails it this time around either. With 500+ pages of content laid out on beautiful full color paper, examples jump of the pages saying TRY ME OUT!! Content is spread out into lessons, of which there are 12 in total. The flow is exceptional and the writing matches up just as well. Steps are easily laid out so the reader will have little problem knowing how, what, and why things are done the way they are. If the book alone wasn't good enough, a 3 hour DVD featuring lynda dot com tutorials comes along as well.

If you work in the publishing industry and want to learn or get better with InDesign, this is an amazing effort that will please all readers of this material. Flow, layout, writing, color, extra content, this is what all books should strive to be and Deke has done it again!

***** HIGHEST POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION

Like other Deke McClelland books, this one is a complete guide for learning InDesign CS3. The book covers almost every detail of the software and the author, with an extensive experience in graphic design, shows the tricks and advanced techniques for taking the maximum power of InDesign. As a plus, the book comes with a very nice DVD with almost 3 hours of video class. Highly recommended.

After trying out the cheap yet disappointing, glorified user manual entitled "Indesign CS3 For Dummies", I decided to give Deke McClelland's more expensive option a try. I am thrilled with this book! If one knows nothing about InDesign, then this book is recommended to provide a jump start on using the program. The book is accompanied by a DVD which provides great video introductions to every chapter. The premise is to show the user what they'll be learning, and then walk them through each step required to obtain the results shown in the video presentation. Right away, the author instructs the reader to install the provided lesson files on their hard drive and open up InDesign. This is a "learn by doing" book and well worth the money.

I think children of all ages will love it!!

Kids are so cute and this book lets you know it. It's the cuttest book I've read in a long time. I'll be waiting for the next one to come out.

This is a truly funny book that never gets old and tired. nicely compiled and truley a great gift for anyone age 0-1,000. I couldn,t stop laughing. This book shows that Kids Are Really Punny

I have this book in my classroom and every student has read every joke. Your kids will love it! Tara Winslow

All profits from the sale of this book go to the ForAllKids Foundation dedicated to children's charities. If that isn't reason enough to purchase this wonderful book, just know that you and your children will have countless laughs because of it.

I have three girls myself, and they absolutely love this book. The whole family enjoys the countless hours of entertainment that it provides.

Over the years, Rosie O'Donnell has received an amazing amount of jokes that children all over the world sent to "The Rosie O'Donnell Show." In this hysterically cute book, O'Donnell compiles a bunch of her favorites that she guarantees to bring smiles and laughter to your day. Each page of this book is loaded with humorous jokes that children took the time to send in. The jokes are often complimented with funny drawings, that give the book a much needed personal touch.

This book is a real winner, and a must for any family with children. It will not dissappoint.

This is certainly the best book so far in this series. The action is non-stop, and the tension just keeps increasing. We get a first-hand look at the operation of First Nation-owned gambling casinos, and the effects both good and bad that these facilities have on the First Nation tribes that have them. They bring prosperity and money for programs for the people, but they can also bring unsavoury people and companies to the casino because these people want to take advantage of he money that is being made. This book runs two parallel stories as usual. Father John is trying to determine what happened to an Arapaho who has disappeared. This Arapaho is the pit boss at the casino on the Wind River Reserve. Vicky is working as a lawyer for the casino and uncovers many secrets and frauds that get her into a pack of trouble. And of course, there are dead bodies along the way. The plot eventually melds together, and we have the formidable pair of Father John and Vicky Holden working together to uncover evil, dishonesty and also to unmask a murderer. This series keeps on getting better and better.

Excellent book if you like Native American thrillers. We read a lot of the Thurlo books and Margaret Coel's books are a lot like those. The book keeps you on you seat and guessing all the time about the plot. You won't be able to put the book down once you start.

Margaret Coel casts the dice to spin another tightly plotted mystery on the Wind River Reservation. Lean times force Vicki Holden to do some legal work for the new casino on the reservation though she has doubts as to the easy money flowing to the tribe.
Vickie's path crosses Father John's and their feelings for each other still cloud their judgement despite their best efforts to ignore the regard.
With all mysteries a body turns up that demands justice. Father John and Vicki, both find questions that need answers around the casino. But a new man proves them wrong in their assessment of him, and finds a place in Vickie's heart.
Pages turn till the very end, which provides clues for the next installment in the fine series.
Nash Black, author of TRAVELERS and SINS OF THE FATHERS.

Margaret Coel hits all the right notes in the latest book about Arapaho attorney Vicky Holden and the Wind River Reservation's priest, Father John. The discovery of a dead body at Double Dives brings Father John into an investigation, just as his friend Vicky is offered a job at the Indian reservation's gambling casino. Vicky has her doubts about the casino job, but she is convinced by Adam Lone Eagle, the other attorney at the casino that it would be beneficial to her people. Vicky has been barely making ends meet in her law practice, so she agrees to join Adam. As she learns more about the operation, Vicky becomes suspicious about the legality of some of its practices. The human side of gambling problems is revealed when one of Father John's employees becomes enmeshed in gambling debts. The delicate balancing act of Vicky and Father John's relationship is again addressed in this book, and the possibility of a new romance for Vicky causes them to face some issues that they have chosen to ignore in the past. The beautiful background of the Wyoming reservation, the well-defined characters, and the tightly-woven plot are all typical of this series.

This latests mystery was no exception. The plot involves a casino that has just opened on the Arapaho reservation in Wyoming. Vicki, an Arapaho lawyer, is desperate for work but not very excited when she gets offered some work by the casino -- she has some concerns about the place. In the meantime, Father John, Jesuit priest who runs the reservation mission, has been called on to say some prayers over a body that's been discovered. And that involvement leads to Father John's getting caught up in whatever is going on at the casino, as he attempts to locate someone who has gone missing. So -- you have both Father John and Vicki snooping around the casino, and since they have an unstated special regard for each other, you know their paths will cross -- and they do.

I don't know why I love Coel's mysteries so much, but it has to do with her portrayal of life on the reservation -- I feel like it's a place I know well, and that her fictional characters are real people I've met. The plotting is very good, but that's not why I read the books. My only complaints about her books are 1) enough of Vicki and Father John pining for each other -- Vicki needs to forget about him and find someone available; and 2) I don't like all the violence that usually marks the end of Coel's books -- this one being no exception.

For anyone who has experienced the loss of their mother at a young age -- a very important reminder that grief is not always a bad thing...

This book is a touching collection of poetry and personal stories that will move any reader. Through these women's specific stories, we get to our own personal feelings; the feelings are universal. Although my mother lived till she was 96, I can relate to the depth of emotion expressed by the writers, the poignancy of their observations, the sweetness or anger or loneliness of their images. A non-Catholic, I am deeply moved by Ann Murphy O'Fallon's essay, "Lilacs." She tells how it was when she was nine and the priest came to give her mother Extreme Unction, and they had to dress up for him. Her 13-year-old sister tells her, "It's because she is dying, don't you know anything?" Joanne Kelley ends her poem, "Missing," with the lines, "Imagine a winter so hard that no birds survive and nothing moves in the ice." Cindy Washabaugh writes in her poem, "For Pam, Who Can't Remember," "Grandma stood at the stove crying in the same small voice she laughed in, making Campbell's soup for everyone at 8:45 in the morning because, she said, soup makes you feel better."

Such a brave and often amazing collection--in these never sentimental, always eloquent poems and essays, daughters tell it like it is to have lost the most important person in your young life. And I'm grateful that before each writer speaks, the editors tell me in what way and how old the daughter was when her mother died. In a perfect world, a mother should live long enough to be a comfort and then a vexation and ultimately the wise (or unwise) woman she always was. These women had to make that journey all by themselves. It is a privilege to hear how they did it.

I have vastly enjoyed this book of writings and poems by those who have
lost their mother. It moved me to tears and then to an urgent sense that
I must share this book. We need more beautiful places to grieve our
losses. Becoming whole is a life's work, and grieving fully and sharing
stories that break the spell is part of the process. "Kiss Me Goodnight"
gives one a haven to do so and serves this sacred process."
Marilyn Zimmerman, Associate Professor, Dept. of Art and Art History,
Wayne State University, photography/installation/performance artist
and curator

Get out a new hanky or get the tissue box ready. You'll need it!

In Kiss Me Good Night the editors compiled stories from 47 women who recall their mother's death (if they remember) or how they feel now.

The women, through prose or poetry, tell about their mothers and how certain sounds, smells, tastes and things like seeing a purse (like their mother had) trigger strong emotions of loss and longing--and remembrance.

This unique sisterhood opened their hearts and souls to us, and make us appreciate our mom more--if she's alive, or relieved we were not a young child when she left this earth.

Many women are from an era when people did not talk about death or dying to children, and that left them confused. Many times when the mother died, young children were dispersed to relatives, raised apart, because the father could not work and cope with raising children alone.

Who do you talk to? How do you understand?

Missing their mothers as mom and role model and feeling the loss of her nurturing, these women found that talking to others, even all these years later, was therapeutic. And writing allowed them to help many others.

My most lasting word image is one woman looking through a photo album of a mom she vaguely remembers and seeing a "Kodachrome vitality." Maybe that's a reminder to us to keep family pictures updated to capture our own vitality.

Armchair Interviews says: Powerful, powerful words and the emotions they bring. Kiss Me Goodnight is for those women who have already lost their mother--and those who cannot even bear to think about that happening to them.

This is an excellent book. It's well written and provides good code examples for every concept. It is written for users who which to learn SQL on SQL Server 2005; the title of the book says it all!

After reading the book, it felt as if I had completed a university course with lectures, lab work, and homework assignments. So, I estimate I saved $500 and all the time I would have spent in an evening class.

I highly recommend this book. It's one of the best computer books I have read in the last two years.

I am a beginner of database, and the book make the SQL simple to learn.

This is a nice, succinct book on learning SQL using SQL Server 2005. Most of the book is dedicated to teaching SQL basics, not on using or administering SQL Server itself (exactly as the title suggests). However, the first chapter will give you everything you need to know to get SQL Server up and running.

I'm a big fan of the O'Reilly "Learning" books, and like many other books in that series, "Learning SQL on SQL Server 2005" is a great introductory book on its subject. Highly recommended for those who'd like to learn or review the fundamentals of SQL and SQL Server.

SQLAuthority.com Book Review :
Learning SQL on SQL Server 2005 (Learning) [ILLUSTRATED] (Paperback)
by Sikha Bagui, Richard Earp

Short Review:
This books covers simple and complex concept in very easy language with lots of examples. Every beginner can learn a great amount of tips from experienced authors. Whether you are a self-learner, new to databases or in need of SQL refresher, this is good read.

Detail Review:
This book is written by two conceptual strong SQL Server Gurus. SQL Server is growing extremely popular in the area of high-performance data applications. It is very important to learn about new features of SQL Server.

This book truly represents the concept and the motive authors holds while writing the book. The book is written as systematic guide to learning SQL using SQL Server 2005 - a relational and multi-user database.

This book starts with simple SQL concepts of management studio, simple select clauses, creating database and tables from scratch. It starts getting more involving and building difficult concepts on previously addressed easy concepts. Chapters about joins, sub queries, constraints are written with conceptual depth as well as lucid and simple language.

Authors suggest that this book is expected to be used by schools and SQL training organizations. I will add to that this book is for everyone who just wants to enjoy reading about SQL. This book should be read with hands on SQL Server practice. Reader will get most out of this book while doing exercise at the end of the book.

Review questions and exercise at the end of each chapter kept me occupied for long time. Few of them are very simple and few of them I have learned from this book. If you are experienced SQL programmer, I still suggest that you will enjoy reading the review questions. I will list few of those questions here.

When would you use the ROWCOUNT function versus using the WHERE clause?
If you are going to have too many nulls in a column, what would be data type to use?
What is the maximum number of the rows that a self join can produce?
Which function can the WITH TIES option be used with?
Is SELECT INTO allowed in a view? Why or why not?

Not always all the time, everybody wants to learn about difficult subject and in depth analysis. There are few times, when even experienced DBA and developers want to read back to basic concepts. I enjoy reading this book, if you are reader of my blog (www.sqlauthority.com) you will enjoy this book as this book is in agreement of my views of looking at SQL with simple logic but strong concepts.

There are few errors in the book but they are very minor and I was able to catch them easily. Authors seem to have good understanding about ORACLE in addition to SQL Server. That introduced some errors but on good side they are able to unleash few ideas which are not easy for SQL Server DBA to think of.

The chapter I enjoyed most is Joins Versus Subquery. Authors very easily explained their needs and differences. This statement shows the strength of chapter; If information from a table is needed in a result set, then that table can not be buried in a subquery- it must be in the outer query; simple but effective.

I highly recommend this book, if you are interested in learning about SQL in easy way. This book is PERFECT book for beginners and great reference for experience developers.

Rating : 4 and 1/2 stars

In Summary, This is must have book for every SQL student.

Pinal Dave
Principal Database Administrator
(http://www.SQLAuthority.com)

This is a good introduction to SQL, using SQL Server 2005, but does have some errors. For example, in describing the BIT data type in section 3.4.1.3, the author states "BIT columns cannot be NULL and cannot have indexes on them". It is true that you cannot have indexes on them, but I have used NULLs in bit fields for a long time on SQL 2000, so why would they drop that feature in SQL 2005? After a quick test, and then a google search on that exact string, you'll quickly find that the statement is true for Oracle databases. You'll find the same sentence, verbatim, in Oracle's T-SQL reference.

Having found this kind of error, it does cast a shadow over some of the book. Verify the statements yourself if you question something, especially if it's sepcific to SQL 2005. They may be wrong. Other than that, the reader should be running the queries themselves and verifying the results (ie, learn by doing.)

Other than that, the chapters on Joins, Sets, Functions, and Subqueries to be good introductions, but not going beyond the basics. But this is a LEARNING book, so don't expect much more than the basics.

First time when I read this book nearly 15 years back, after the SSLC examiantion, I couldn't get more insight in to he life. The myths and other imaginatory things were above the ability of a 15 year old boy. After that during the past 15 years I read the book may be 1000 times. Each time when I read I had to think some thing more and more, still each and every time after reading I will be going in to the geometrical lights of the different sights of the diamond.

I still remember reading the original (Malayalam) version of the book as a teenager. My heart fills with unspeakable blend of sorrow and happiness whenever I re-read the book. In my humble opinion not even Vijayan could surpass this masterpiece of Malayalam literature even after all these years. I wonder how the translation went - since the original was virtually untranslatable. What a barrier is language - and how many such gems are still unfound. Peace and Love.

I read the malayalam version of this book "Khasakkinte Ithihasam".This book gave me a nostalgic experience.I belong to the Palakkad district in Kerala,India where the story is based.During one of my vacations I have travelled to that place and I could find all the images described in vijayan's novel there.It was so real.From the moment I arrived at the Thasrak[Khasak] I felt as if Vijayan's Ravi is walking with me and showing me all the places especially the village school.Ravi can be considered as a saint on a pilgrimage to understand the inner meanings of life.In vijayan's other novels also we can find such pilgrimages as Kunjunni in Gurusagaram{infinty of grace} and Chandran in "Thalamurakal"

Ever asked, without batting an eyelid, I would say that the best work in Malayalam Literature is O V Vijayan's `The Legends of Khasak'. The novel first published in 1969 and the subsequent editions came throughout the years. Through Khasak, Vijayan was not writing a novel, rather he was creating a new literary language which was till that time unknown to many Malayale readers. Still, in Malayalam literary field, critics find it's difficult to replace the novel with another piece of work. It took 19 years for Vijayan to complete the novel. What made it unique, as said by Vijayan himself, the novel took the energy from its own soil. He was not merely telling a story. He took the characters out of their commonness and wrapped them with his magical literary sense. The novel goes through a whirlpool of fantasy, myths and history. One could find stories, sub stories and the harmonization of nature, birth, death and rebirth.

Khasak is a rousing song. A journey to the lost ecosystem. A must read novel

I read the malayalam version of this book "Khasakkinte Ithihasam" 5 years ago .Reading this book gave me a nostalgic experience because the backdrop of this novel is quite near to the place where I belong in the Palakkad disrict of Kerala,India. During one of my vacations I travelled to "Thasrak$QAll the images depicted by Vijayan in the novel is still alive in the village.It was so real.From the moment I alighted the bus at the Koomankavu I felt as if Ravi is walking along with me.He lead me to the outhouse where he lived,the village school and the mosque of "allapichamollakka".The soothing experience of the novel laced with the flavour of my native village always makes me feel good.All the vijayan's novels narrates the story of pilgrimages.Ravi in "legends of Khasak",Kunjunni in the "infinity of grace" and Chandran in "generations"all these characters are pilgrims.

Excellent Book. Who said an old dog can't learn new tricks. Found several little tid-bits that have trimmed a number of my scripts or changed the way I've implemented services! A great desktop companion for advanced and intermediate admins.

This is a very good book. These remarks are for Linux users on the way up. If you are already an über-üser, well, you will probably like this book anyway.

If you don't have the first volume, you might want to start with it. It has some simple but very useful things that apply to just about anyone with their own Linux box and a command line.

This volume is much more advanced, and most of the tricks and techniques deal with much more specialized problem domains, ie. things you might not have run into yet. One advantage of this book over the first is that it is very up to date in its recommendations of existing software to use.

'Linux Server Hacks Volume Two' by William von Hagen is an outstanding companion guide for ALL Linux users and administrators. Packed with over 450 pages and 100 new hacks not in Volume 1, these aren't just known by everybody things that you can do with Linux, these are hot tips and tricks that most any Linux freak can excel from learning about.

Chapters Covered:

01. Linux Authentication
02. Remote GUI Connectivity
03. System Services
04. Cool Sysadmin Tools and Tips
05. Storage Management and Backups
06. Standardizing, Sharing, and Synchronizing Resources
07. Security
08. Troubleshooting and Performance
09. Logfiles and Monitoring
10. System Rescue, Recovery, and Repair

Pick this book up now, you will NOT be disappointed in this delcious Linux FEAST!!

***** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

I can't say enough about the work done in Linux Server Hacks vII by the two Bs. Bill and Brian have hit the ball out of the ballpark with this one.

Just the section on LVM (Logical Volume Management) have saved my bacon!

Every single "hack" (read tip) is extremely practical, applicable and relevant to managing and administering Linux systems whether "servers" or not!

The absolute best part of this book is that you get really useful, insightful views into the experiences of seasoned veterans of Unix systems. If you sit in a NOC or if you're the 24x7 guy/gal on a server farm, this book is an occupational requirement! Everyone else will appreciate it if they're running Linux. In my modest network of perhaps 30 Linux systems, I can tell you that I saved hours of effort with just two of the hacks included in this volume. Considering the time savings, buying this book saved my company more than 300% on the cover price.

Are you a system administrator? If you are, then this book is for you! Authors Bill Von Hagen and Brian K Jones, have done an outstanding job of writing volume two of a book that focuses on cool hacks they developed or used in their server and system administration careers.

Von Hagen and Jones, begin by exploring the authentication options that are available to you in heterogeneous networked computing environments and simplify administering user accounts and passwords. Then, the authors explore ways of connecting to remote systems. Next, the authors explain how to set up central servers that do things like synchronize the time on all the systems in your environment, deliver IP addresses to newly connected hosts, and integrate these services with existing ones. The authors then present a variety of cool sysadmin tips and techniques that they've accumulated over the years, including how to keep processes running without writing a daemon or staying logged in, how to use PXE to netboot Linux, how to share information with fellow sysadmins in a centralized fashion, how to get the most out of classic but incredibly useful terminal-oriented applications, and so on. They continue to explore some cool ways of making it easier for you to manage storage, deploy new systems, do backups of today's huge disks, and even reduce the need for some of the restore requests that occasionally clog every sysadmin's inbox. Then, the authors provide some tips and tricks for managing distributed storage and making sure the administrative environments on your servers are synchronized. They then discuss a wide range of security tools and techniques that can help you sleep at night and protect your systems at the same time. Next, they provide techniques for optimizing system performance, whether by figuring out who's hogging the entire CPU and shooting down that user's network sessions or by using cool knobs in the /proc filesystem to tweak system performance or using journaling filesystems to minimize system restart time. Then, they include hacks that enable you to centralize log information in a variety of ways, be warned when problems arise, and get the most out of system status information, whether it's log information, internal disk controller status data, or remote hardware status information that you can collect via SNMP. Finally, the authors show you how to boot crippled systems so that you can diagnose problems, repair munged filesystems, and even recover deleted files of data that was stored on disks that have gone belly up.

This most excellent book has presented hacks that are techniques that the authors have used at various times. More importantly, they view these techniques as time- and hassle-savers that are usually downright fun and cool.