Q Books

This is such an exceptional guide! As instructional manuals go they can be rather dull and boring, but I believe this to be helpful, insightful and easy to understand. Ms. Williams has done a delightful job with the context and verbage - easy for the layman to understand. As someone interested in this type of format, this manual is outstanding. And kudos for including the cd-rom.

Okay, first off, I love this manga and its quirky art, and has such, I feel an obligation to tell off the nay-sayers.

Its art is some of the most interesting I've ever seen. Even though at first glance, it looks like a series of rushed scribbles, not a stroke is wasted. Scribbles are: wrinkles in clothes, movement/speed lines, or just garbage to illustrate the dystopian-nature the world the story is set in. But most of all, what truly makes these scribbles art, is that the character designs are 100% consistent; in no way does anything ever look awkward.

But enough of that, here's what you'll get compared to the softcover edition:

CONS
-- No color page
-- The box it comes in feels rather cheap. It's covered in wrapping paper-like stuff glued onto a white box that is prone to filth. Additionally, doesn't take damage well on the "wrapping paper" edges.

PROS
-- An inch larger in both height and width
-- "Feels" pricey with tough paper and those blank pages hardcover books always have.
-- No ads in back
-- Much whiter paper: Blacks are blacker, whites are whiter. Softcover whites look yellow in comparison.
-- On pages with the "painted" style, especially ones with lots of blacks, they are just ugly in the softcover edition. The hardcover disposes of the blurriness and grain, and the difference is a dramatic clarity increase.

Should you buy it if you already have the softcover? No.
The difference is not that big. But hey, if you can get a good deal (I got mine for $1 at Barnes & Noble), go for it.

Trelane, erstwhile Squire of Gothos (of the TOS episode of that name), returns. Here we learn that Trelane is nothing less than a juvenile Q. Q, mentoring Trelane, brings him to the Enterprise for educating. Things begin to unravel when one Trelane embraces the unlimited power of chaos, and decides to take revenge. First Trelane annihilates Q (!), and then begins to unravel the barriers that separate parallel universes, bringing on a war of all against all. How can Picard overcome the demons of what might have been (and are in other realities), and defeat the most powerful being in the whole multiverse at the same time? And, what of Q?

This book is an absolute masterpiece! The author masterfully runs first two and then three storylines (three parallel universes), examining the same people in very different situations. As the story reaches its crescendo, and the characters begin to cross between universes, it becomes positively gripping.

And, I must say that I love listening to John De Lancie's voice. He does a masterful job with this audio book. I love this audio book and can't recommend it enough.

A gateway between worlds of antiquity and today. Those thirsting for deeper knowledge of the esoteric basis of Tarot and how it corresponds to Kabbalah will not be disappointed.

Alexander the Great, was born on or around July 20, 356 B.C.E., and is my favorite personality to read about in history. To me he is the whole package general, statesman, conqueror, and philosopher. The smartest man who ever lived, Aristotle, tutored him. Alexander conquered more of the known world than any other figure in history, accomplishing all this before he dies at the ripe old age of 33. Some people called him conqueror and violent overlord. Some other called him civilizer and even God! All of them yet, called him "The Great". He was the first man in modern history that took this name, "The Great"! Even as a young boy, he shows great promise.

Curtius' work is the oldest extant work available and based on eyewitness accounts. He does a better job than most in explaining the battle scenes, and seems to be more balanced in his admiration and criticism of Alexander then any of the other early biographers. I love his Bucephalus Story, and I recount it here so you get a flavor of the promise this young Alexander shows.

The legend begins with Philoneicus, a Thessalian, bringing a wild horse to Philip for him to buy. None of the hands was able to handle it, and Philip grew upset at Philoneicus for bringing such an unstable horse to him. Alexander, however, publicly defied his father and claimed that he could handle the horse. The bet between Philip and Alexander was that if Alexander could ride the horse, Philip would buy it, if not, Alexander would have to pay the price of the horse, which was 13 talents, an enormous sum for a boy of Alexander's age to have.

Alexander apparently noticed that the horse had been shying away from its own shadow, and so he led it gently into the sun, so that its shadow was behind it, all the while stroking it gently and whispering into its ear, (Alexander seems to be the original horse whisperer). Eventually the horse let Alexander mount him, and Alexander was able to show his equestrian skill to his father and all who were watching. The incident so impressed Alexander's father, King Philip that he told the boy "Look thee out a kingdom equal to and worthy of you, for Macedonia is too little for thee". He named the horse Bucephalus, which means Ox head, and rode it across Asia, founding a city in its honor in India after its death. This story gives you an inkling about the man.

This book is a must read for students of Alexander, I also recommend Plutarch's and Arrian's work. Contemporary writers, J.F. C. Fuller and Tarn. Most of Alexander's greatest military traits are in the area of military logistics and to understand his genius in this area I highly recommend reading, "Alexander the Great and the Logistics of the Macedonian Army," by Donald W. Engels.

As a retired U. S. Army Major, I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in ancient warfare, and history.

(...I once took a course at Stanford and its instructor had once worked at CalTech. I once mentioned my interest in Richard Feynman to her and this led to her recounting her real-life encounters with him. Notably, she english-teacherly entoned "he definitely had something." By meeting with this english professor, I in effect did touch the hand that shook the hand of Richard P. Feynman. )

This is superb treatment on how light and matter interact. Suprisingly, many of these concepts prove invaluable in semiconductors, but as far as I can tell, they are not usually discussed in undergrad solid-state courses. But these Richard Feynman type concepts could easily be taught and should be taught.

Back in school, I was interviewed by an Bell-Labs/Stanford EE Ph.D. grad as part of my program's ABET certification renewal process. When I pointed out this obvious weakness in the standard EE solid-state course, this guy became angry and hostile towards me. His body language, his tone, and the words that he used suggested that I didn't know what I was talking about and I remember him saying "Teaching Semiconductor Physics can never be easy," forcefully contradicting my assertion that teaching semiconductor physics could be much simpler (and in all likelihood even easy, at least to honestly interested students).

Anyway, if one is planning to take or have taken sophmore level EE solid-state physics, I recommend reading this book. It will provide a framework that will enhance one's understanding of many solid-state concepts very quickly. And to hell with Bell-Labs and Stanford's EE hidden curriculum.

This is an excellent text of Tertullian, De Oratione.
All Evans' work is great. Anyone wanting to read Tertullian should find copies of the treatises he managed to publish. I know he did "On the Resurrection" and "Against Praxeas", but there may be more.
Why doesn't the Church produce scholars like this anymore?

Frater Achad remains one of the most interesting and important magical figures of the 20th century. His initial Qabalistic discoveries continue to yield new and provocative ideas concerning The Book of the Law and other Holy Books of Thelema.

Q. B. L. or The Bride's Reception is a masterpiece of Qabalah and controversy. Its importance to the world of modern occult literature can be measured not only by its value as a remarkably understandable textbook of the fundamental principles of Qabalah, but also because it offers us a rare glimpse into the heart and mind of a brilliant and sincere seeker of wisdom and truth. -- Lon Milo DuQuette

From a poetically understated rendering of a brutal crime in a Bedouin emcampment, to machinations of might in the corridors of the White House, Q.O. is an engaging thriller. But beyond action and suspense, this book also provides a context for the roots of contemporary terrorism -- while its protagonist provides a startingly unique solution.
Much as with a Tom Clancy novel, one gets the sense, in each setting, that author Marc Schlechter has been there himself -- if not as a participant, certainly as an observer. Such is the level of detail and nuance found throughout Q.O..
In short, for any reader interested in looking beyond the headlines, to consider the causes and counterforces that are most probably at play in today's "War on Terror," Q.O. is an irresistable read.

When I saw the animation of Qi folw and the 3 D view of acupoints, I was very excited. This is the program I dreamed of. It also shows wild herb pictures and dried herb pictures.
It was easy to navigate and all the illustrations and pictures are very professional. Especially the anatomical illustraions of the acupoints help me to memorize the point location easily.
I have never seen the acupuncture program better than this.
I would say " you are the best". If this program had more function such as "edit the text" function, it would be better.
But anyway, I recommended this program to my acupoint class instructor Dr Yu and she began to use in the classroom.
All the classmates were very happy with it. I think the instructors should use this program for visual and effective teaching.