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V Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

V
The Complete "Peanuts" 1950 -1952 (Peanuts)
Published in Hardcover by Canongate Books Ltd (2007-10-18)
Author: Charles M Schulz
List price: $29.72
New price: $22.89
Used price: $22.89

Average review score:

The seeds of greatness
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-30
These are the strips you seldom see reprinted and yet they say so much. The first two years of "Peanuts" introduces you not only to many of the key characters (who look somewhat different than they would in later years) but also to the usually gentle, yet occasionally sharp, humor of Charles M. Schulz, which was splendid from the start but would get even better as the years passed. As a bonus, you get to see Schroder and Linus as babies, and Lucy as a toddler. (In Schulz's comic-strip world, they would age, but only a little.) You see Charlie Brown before he wore his familiar shirt with the zig-zag design, and meet Snoopy when he seemed more dog than human. What's more, there is an excellent introduction by Garrison Keillor, a summary of Schulz's life by David Michaelis, who would go on to write the definitive Schulz biography, and a lengthy interview with the great cartoonist himself. Even the index is helpful in locating such all-important items as when the immortal phrase "Good grief!" was first uttered. A valuable collection indeed.

From one completely new to "Peanuts"
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-26
Prior to reading this book, I had only circumstantial knowledge of "Peanuts". I thought this could be a good way to get started on it, and I was right!

That sublime book is hardcover, has a dustjacket, 2 full years of strip-ness, an introduction before the strips, and an essay after them, and also an interview with Schulz.

The whole thing is top-notch. The essay provided enormous insight on what "Peanuts" represented in its context, its public importance, and on Schulz as a person. That essay even made me cry. I swear to God, you'll cry too. Behind Schulz's funny and cute world are some terrible pains and lifelong scars. Schulz was a full of self-doubts and low self-esteem, despite his tremendous success, and all the experience he gained from that shows through his work, and works cathartically by making those moments look fun and funny and outside of ourselves.

I was surprised by "Peanuts" because I did not expect it to be this profound, nor this funny. To be honest, I expected something much more naive and lame, but it was not!

This book is my absolute recommendation for anyone intending to get started on "Peanuts": it is classy, it has perfect paper quality, good intro, amazingly deep and touching essay on Schulz and "Peanuts" - which relates the tragedy of his mother and of his going to war, and his last days - and an interview of the man himself; the whole thing gives you the impression that there was something saintly about Charles M. Schulz, and indeed, I want him canonised.

always a pleasure
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-07
I used to red peanuts when I was a kid and finally we have the complete colection in a nice edition...it is always good to see my childhood pals..charlie brown, snoopy. A good edition for collectors and fans of comic books

PENAUTS THE BEST
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-11
Penauts is very good with lots of jokes from the times of your gramma's expressing themselves of there feelings and find the old gang of ol Charlie Brown I consider those who like to buy there penauts collection at Amazon.com. Good luck!

Peanuts, a huge Pleasure
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-10
I really enjoyed reading the first volume. It was really funny, and had great jokes. The presentation was wicked and very nice. At the beggining of the book they give you a great introduction and at the end there is a very long interview which is quite interesting to read. I really do recommend this volume of Peanuts even if you aren't a great fan and don't really know anything about it, because it gives you many laughs. I bought the volume on amazon because I never found any other store or bookshop that sold the volume cheaper.

V
Falling Up
Published in Hardcover by HarperCollins (1996-05-30)
Author:
List price: $18.99
New price: $5.28
Used price: $1.54
Collectible price: $17.00

Average review score:

A fun book for all ages
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-29
Falliing is such a great book just like Shel's other books. I have so much fun reading it to my children. This is a wonderful collection of poetry for children. This is the perfect example of what children's books should be... fun.
Another must have book for any fan of Shel Silverstein is Boety by Beau Beaudoin. His books are often compared to Shel, Dr. Seuss and Tim Burton. What my kids love about his illustrations are they are in color.Boetry

LOVE Silverstein ......
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-07
This is a great book like all Silverstains books:
Where the Sidewalk Ends 30th Anniversary Edition: Poems and Drawings
The Giving Tree
A Giraffe and a Half

Another author tha I love is Nowiki:
Why Some Cats are Rascals, Book 2

great book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-03
Review of Falling Up

The poem book Falling Up is a very good book. In the book the poems are about a mix of things including important lessons and funny things. Shel Silverstein did a very good job with his books and all of the books he wrote. Falling Up is by far my favorite poem book by Shel Silverstein.

Three poems that really caught my attention are "Gardener", "Spoiled Brat", and "The Toy Eater". I like "Gardener" because it is just a funny poem about a kid making a mistake. "Spoiled Brat" is an example of a life lesson that is very well written. I thought "The Toy Eater" is a great poem about making a little kid believe something that isn't true. All of these poems are very good examples of great imagination.

My favorite poem is "Obedient". This is a good poem because it is a life lesson and a funny poem. The life lesson is that when you do something there is a consequence and in this person's case they got a taste of their own medicine. This poem is funny because the poem takes the order literally by staying in the place for forty years. "Obedient" is a really great poem so I recommend that everyone should read it.

I think this book is a very entertaining, page turning book of poems. It is a great book for all ages, I highly recommend this book.

Falling Up
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-04-26
I am doing my review on _Falling_Up__. This book by Shel Silverstein is written very interesting because the poems inside are not just plain boring poems, they have a lot of thought put into them. His poems in this book are funny and they are tied in with the pictures. I think that Shel had a very wild and active imagination. You need that to wright a book like this. The book has a lot of poems that you would have never thought about being in a poem book. I think that that shows how Shel Silverstein was as a person, not just in his poetry. _Falling_Up_ is a good book also because the poems are goofy, and weird, yet he has a way to pull you into them in this poetry book. I recomend this book to any person who has a wild imagination like his, and whoever likes his stuff and has never read this book.
Danielle Guttman


ALWAYS A JOY TO READ.
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-30
To be frank, I get a kick out of Silverstein's work. It is always a bit quirky, always takes a couple of readings to really "get," and is very entertaining while being quite insightful as to human nature. This work is no different from his other works, same quality, same odd way of looking at life, same delightful black and white drawings. Publisher's Weekly got it pretty right here, in their usual, rather snotty way, which is one of the few reviews I have ever agreed with them on. (except their little shot at some of his art that they felt may no be appropriate for kids...obviously the author of that review has never been around kids very much). This work consists of 171 pages of poetry rhymes and drawings. I first read Silverstein in Playboy magazine years and years ago when I wasted my time with such publications. I did not particularly care for him them, but over the years have developed quite a like for his work. I truely love this book and do highly recommend it.

V
Akira, Vol. 1
Published in Comic by Dark Horse (2000-12)
Author: Katsuhiro Otomo
List price: $24.95
New price: $99.99
Used price: $8.73
Collectible price: $80.00

Average review score:

a pinnacle of graphic art madness in the service of depicting a mad world
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-25
The entire series is an essential item in the library of any aspiring graphic artist or graphic novelist. This is my most important resource concerning the modern styles that predominate manga and anime today. Taking on the complete set, I expected to be blown to pieces but instead I found myself slow cooked in a pot, sliced into thin slivers over the course of a few weeks, and put back together again. If you can stand the pain, it turns out to be quite a ride. Perhaps because of their experience of being the only nation ever to suffer the effect of nuclear war, I suspect that the Japanese have mastered the depiction of post-apocalyptic dystopia. However, Japanese graphic art has a long history dating back hundreds of years. I am not surprised that this is an excellent example of visual elements taking charge of the storytelling where words provide the common ground on which you may stand with others in the audience. I suspect that even in its original language this work would captivate just the same. Perhaps not to the taste of many avid readers of graphic novels because of the sparse dialogue. Personally, I tend towards more graphic elements so this was a treat.

Graphic SF Reader
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-03
Akira is awesome. Even from a time when you would have just about had to commit a crime against the person of a Japanese tourist, or pay ridiculous amounts of money to get anime and manga and things like that, Akira was available.

It is no surprise that it was, as is an example of that artform at its finest.

Neo-Tokyo is a city recovering from devastation and world war.

When a young bikie gang leader rescues a young boy named Tetsuo, after almost running him down, Kaneda soon comes to realise this is no ordinary boy, because of the government interest in him.


Great
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-23
I have heard many people say that the books are better than the movie, I don't think this is true. The movie version of Akira is much better than the books. I'm not insulting the books but the story of Akira is better in the movie. The books contain much more detail and character development but lots of the events I thought didn't move the story along; like Tetsuo taking over the clown gang and that society Tetsuo starts in Vol. 5. The movie moves along very quickly and all of the detail's are important. It moves along faster and the ending is better. The books are still much better than most I have read and Akira is the only anime I find really interesting but the movie version is better. I would recommend this after seeing the film.

Great classic story
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-11
One of the best comic/manga books in the history, with the original black and white artwork in a nice and decent package.

I only wish they released it in the japanese original reading, not the americanized left-to-right reading. At least they made a great job and didn't leave backwards texts and other mistakes like that. I'm curious to read the other volumes to see if they inverted Tetsuo's "mutated" arm.

Book my flight directly to Neo-Tokyo today...
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-08-06
For those interested in knowing a bit about this reviewer, "Akira", the film, was the first avenue that I traveled within the world of Japanese animation. It was bold, it was beautiful, and the enchantment of the music eventually pulled me deeper into this growing form of cinema. Since my first viewing nearly 10 years ago, I have found myself comparing all other films of the same nature to that eventful first viewing of "Akira". It wasn't until a couple of years ago that I found a used copy of Katsuhiro Otomo's graphic underground comic under the same title. Since I found that comic, I never read it. I was afraid. I was afraid that it would tarnish my youthful image of the film. I was afraid that it would not live up to the film, and while I am the first to argue that books are typically more genuine than films, I wasn't sure if the same could be said for Otomo's comic. As it seems to be a growing trend with graphic novels, I was completely wrong. Otomo's release of Akira through Dark Horse Comics could not be a better companion to the film, and vise-versa.

What immediately pulled me into this edition were the first few color images that create the story surrounding this "Neo-Tokyo". It delicately paints the birth of the third World War and how a nation full of loss attempts to recover. Like most stories with a similar structure, we then are brought abruptly into the world of teens. Friendships are announced, youthful indiscretions are demonstrated, and we read as gang lines are maliciously drawn. This is a fast-paced new world, but much is still unknown and unexplained. As our story progresses, we are inundated with all the great elements of a heroic sci-fi story such as Akira. Friends are torn against each other, government conspiracies are as common as the drugs on the street, and a bigger threat looms around the corner (which is only hinted in this first volume) named only "Akira". Almost better than the film, Otomo does a superb job of building the suspense, adhering to top-notch action, and building a world that seems too eerily familiar. While the use of motion lines sometimes becomes a bit tedious, what makes this reviewer smile is that the motion lines genuinely mean that action is taking place. Otomo does not let us down when it comes to the action sequences of this graphic novel. It felt, as I was reading this, like I was watching a very detailed film. You could feel the explosions, you could see the chaos during the gang fights, and (again, maybe it was just me) you could hear the Colonel yell through the frames and into your mind. It was like no other graphic novel I have read.

What compelled me about this story, as it did with the film, is that you have a majority of the action between teens, or the youth of this devastated country. While the science fiction element acts as strong middle story, what glued me to the page were the contrasts between adults and the teens. This is a story about rebellion. It is a story about those that disrespect authority (both on the governmental level as well as the within the society). Otomo has created this new world where we only see (at least so far), three levels of hierarchy. There is the government who conceals the truth, battles from within, and is not afraid to disrespect anyone's rights to get their result; then there is the teen gangs who have some loyalty from within, respect no predestined authority, and are not afraid to fight for their ideals. Finally, we have the middle men, the secret society that seemingly wants to play both sides. They do not trust the government, while the biker teens may be stronger than they anticipated. Mixed within this is our boy Tetsuo, a product of random chance.

Otomo, for this first collection, has created a great mixture of pop culture references/styles with chaos. Between the fighting and the sheer unknown he builds a force that is both frightening and surprising. I especially loved the torn friendship fight near the end of this collection between Tetsuo and Kaneda. I enjoyed the style Otomo chose to tell this story, instead of building the friendship from the beginning; it is learned through the actions of our two characters and through their dialogue. There are no flashbacks or long introductions, just the knowledge that these two friends are in the same gang and they are extremely loyal to each other. While I do find Kaneda's story developing a bit slower than the exciting Tetsuo confusion, they both provide strong point-counterpoint moments to grow into. Honestly, what more do you need.

Overall, I am extremely sorry that I did not start this series earlier. I cannot wait to begin the next book and see what shortcuts were made in the film that perhaps can be better explained in this series. The illustrations are fabulous and extremely addictive. Otomo creates such a strong world that you feel like you are right there next to Kaneda as he is going through the confusion. Akira: Volume 1 is a perfect start to a science fiction masterpiece. I strongly recommend this story to all those interested in strong characters, fantastic stories, and a creature so menacing that only Otomo could think of it! Go get this book now!

Grade: ***** out of *****

V
The After-school series. [v.1]
Published in Unknown Binding by A.A. Knopf (1929)
Author: Sigrid Undset
List price:
Used price: $4.80

Average review score:

Kristin Lavransdatter
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-07
This is a long novel, and like War and Peace it goes on throughout the life of its main character. Cold climates make for long novels, I think. I loved it because it handles the life of a Medieval Norweigan noblewoman and her family from childhood through old age and death. It is very accurate and compelling. It reminds me that some issues in women's lives are constant, no matter what.

A Soap Opera for Smart People???
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-10
first off..i did not know that this was back in print....secondly i am damned glad it is...a great alternative to all The DaVinci Code wannabes...there are no diabolical plots..no artistic chicaneries here...it's 14th century Scandanavia people!!!it's cold...it's hard living...it's LIFE..and there is a lot of LIFE in these pages...Kristin marries a way-philandering man but he's a major babe and she endures...she prevails, actually...i first read this at the tender age of 12...then 10 years later...come to think of it..i'm looking for something to read now that has TEETH to it...maybe i'll revisit KRISTIN...could do worse3, no???

Book and service
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-25
Excellent quality of a very hard-to-find book. I purchased 2 copies and was delighted with both of them! Prompt shipping...can't ask for more from an online purchase!

Kristen Lavransdatter: Classic Deluxe Edition
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-14
This is an excellent book! You will not be able to put it down. You will be drawn into the characters' lives. This is one of my all time favorite books.Kristin Lavransdatter: (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)

Historical fiction at its best
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-19
This is an incredibly rich, multi-layered look at medieval Norwegian life. Undset skillfully interweaves customs, superstitions, and a great knowledge of the Norwegian manorial life into this 1000+ page epic. There are no awkward pauses in the story in which an author gives the background information, but instead is able to blend these details into the narrative.
Though this book might seem like a lengthy time commitment, this book is hard to put down and actually a relatively fast read.

V
Birth of the Firebringer (The Firebringer Trilogy, V. 1)
Published in Hardcover by Atheneum (1985-11)
Author: Meredith Ann Pierce
List price: $12.95
New price: $23.93
Used price: $0.33
Collectible price: $12.95

Average review score:

Childhood Favorite Still Holds Fire
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-17
This was my favorite book as a child obsessed with unicorns (when even my dance teacher presented me with unicorn-themed because of the hair at the front of my head that refused to lay down). I read it over and over back then, but 20 years later couldn't remember much about it. So I found a copy and re-read it, finding it as charming and captivating as I always had!

It's a fabulous coming-of-age fantasy, complete with the requisite prophecies and dangerous journey for our hero, young Jan, prince of the unicorns.

Even though this is the first book of a trilogy, it stands perfectly well alone - the sequel wasn't released til 7 years later, so, as a child I never even realized there was more to the story. But I have the second in the series, "Dark Moon," at home, ready to be read! :)

Birth of Firebringer
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-08-18
I liked this book. It had a wonderfuly diverse vernacular portaying a delightfully detailed world. I read it first when I was 10 and didn't understand any of it and only remembered it vaugley, but it was the book that launched me into the world of fantasy art and writing. After many years I have found it again and it has proven to be everything I'd hoped it would be.

Unicorns in a different way
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-03-20
I've read plenty of books with unicorns portrayed as gentle creatures who are ridden by humans. While I have nothing against these types of books and enjoy reading them, this book brings out a different side of the unicorn, along with giving you characters you'll love.

Aljan (or Jan) is the unicorn prince's son. He has a wild, hotheaded streak about him that, unfortunately, gets him in trouble often. However, Jan longs to have his father look upon him with pride and vows to clean up his act.

Jan goes on a journey with other unicorns to the Hallow Hills, a place that belonged to the unicorns before the wyvens drove them out. The unicorns only hope to reclaim the land that was once theirs lie in the belief that a great warrior known as the Firebringer will come and fight the wyvens.

The unicorns make the annual trip to intiate new warriors. The road is long, and the dangers are many (gryphons, renegade unicorns, and storms, to name a few). At the end of the trek, Jan finds out that he is the Firebringer that the unicorns have long told of coming.

This book is different than most books about unicorns in that instead of gentle unicorns, they are pictured as great warriors who fight to survive. It is interesting to see them as such.

Overall, a great fantasy with interesting and strong unicorn characters.

an early awakening that i wasn't aware of...
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-02-21
Meridith Ann Pierce is Jah-lila.
this author has done what all of those other authors who write for Lewellyn can only hope to attain....she has explained Paganism in its simplicity and all of its mysterious complexity..and aimed the reading for young adults.
How many of us were children when we read the first "Birth of.."?

Now, how many of you feel that not only was it a birth of the firebringer, but also the birth (remembering)of our authentic selves? How many of you readers because of this trilogy can now see yourselves magic and a whole person who remembers their own Divinity?
I think we owe much thanks and gratitude to Meredith for helping us. Not only is she an author, she is a Midwyfe...a Priestess of sort.
Anyone who wants to discuss this more may email me at the_tisher@yahoo.com i welcome your thoughts.
Merry Meet

Still love it after all these years!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-10-02
I've recently been reading a few of the books I really loved as a child, just for the sake of reminiscing and because the stories have stuck with me for years.

The Firebringer trilogy has a particularly important story for me. I first read the first book, The Birth of the Firebringer, when I was about 9 or so--I got it out from the library, and I think it only took me reading it once to get it to embed itself in my mind. I never found the other two, though.

Fast forward to high school. I was talking to a friend of mine, and we somehow got on the subject of unicorn-related kid's books. I had long since forgotten the title of the book, but I remembered the cover, with the multicolored unicorns on it, and that there were some words that had seemed a little odd to me, such as "hale" and "pash". She suddenly remembered "Oh, it's called 'The Birth of the Firebringer'!" and I never forgot again.

Fast forward again to a couple of years ago. The trilogy was still woefully out of print. I managed to find a copy of Birth fo the Firebringer used--I gladly put down $20 for it. A few days later I had the wonderful gratification of re-reading that wonderful story again and revisiting one of the most amazing alternate realities my imagination had ever visited.

Lo and behold, not long after, the series came back into print, and I was able to complete the story!

The Firebringer Trilogy is geared towards young adults, but grown adults who enjoy a good fantasy story will like it as well. It's also very well-developed, with a variety of characters and an interesting storyline. Plus it's nice to see unicorns that aren't all just sugar and spice and everything nice, and that live in herds and have social structures.

Highly recommended for all ages.

V
Mars #1
Published in Paperback by TokyoPop (2002-04-23)
Authors: Fuyumi Soryo and Shirley Kubo
List price: $9.99
New price: $1.55
Used price: $0.83

Average review score:

Mars...a great manga
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-11
I am an avid manga collector and had been wanting to check out Mars for a long time since I saw a write up on it in Newtype magazine. It did not disappoint. The artwork is lovely and the storyline isn't skimpy or cheesy, it is a manga with substance and relatable charaters, I am 20 and love this manga. I currently own volumes 1-6 and am looking forward to number 7! :)

I was swept away on this series
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-17
I thought this is a great romantic seires. Kira and Rei a weird couple yes. Shy and sweet quiet artist girl to Dangerous bad boy that does what he wants. But I loved how the started the first volume. It already showed so things that will come ahead to this couple. Some people look for the art in manga but it wasn't like that for me. I liked the art and this a old manga but has been proveing to this girl that many has loved this series for the beauty of it's story and art. For romance I recommend this book. They already get this couple in some very sweet moments :). I get lost in this series every time I read it. To know more about the series I so recommend buying the fullength series which is 15 books. I love reading them over and over. I hope you find yourself swept away as I was when I read the first book then I couldn't stop reading after that I had to the next one then the next one. You get so later yo.

Great Manga!!!!!!!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-08
GREAT MANGA!!!!
I'm in my twenties and this is one of the best mangas

Awesome! Totally relatable
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-12-26
this book rocked. Not gonna drone on like the rest of my reviews except to say read this. I loved how you could tell just how different these two were. Short book, but had me on the edge of my seat all the way. Finished in twenty minutes, but came back to read my favorite parts. And the picture when they kiss and they're sparkling! AWESOME ART MAN! Get this book.

This is Jumaane

Awesome
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-19
If you dig love stories and like manga, this series is a MUST READ. The artwork is very good and the characters are expressed very well, the plot is insanely good, and its fifteen volumes long, meaning that there's a lot more to love! And, the main character drives a Ducati Monster, the awesomest bike in the universe. What more could you ask for???

V
Counter Hack Reloaded: A Step-by-Step Guide to Computer Attacks and Effective Defenses (2nd Edition) (The Radia Perlman Series in Computer Networking and Security)
Published in Paperback by Prentice Hall PTR (2006-01-02)
Authors: Edward Skoudis and Tom Liston
List price: $59.99
New price: $31.00
Used price: $27.00

Average review score:

awesome
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-28
I'm technically not finished reading this book yet and probably never will be until they update it again and still it will be a good reference manual for several years anyway. Skoudis and Liston do have a way of making complex issues seem to make sense. I thank them for writing it and thank Amazon for making it available to me.

Easy read for terms, too much stuff in some places
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-11
It was an easy read, as far as the writing itself. It wasn't too dry, but in some places there was too much information all at once. I've only read the first 350 pages or so, but I can say for sure that Chapter 6 should have been cut into 2 or 3 chapters. The sheer ammount of material covered in those 100 pages or so was too much to be taken all at once.

Counter Hack Reloaded
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-09
Most of the tools in this book are widely used and known, but the reason that this book is so interesting is that it describes how you can defend yourself from attacks with such tools.

Therefore this is a very good reference book.

Great book overall but...
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-08
I can't argue with the fact that this is a great book to learn security. It also serves as a fantastic intro to networking with some really good insight into the interworkings of TCP/IP. One thing that is great about this book is the detail that the author goes into on each section. This should be required reading for all new security/network professionals. Its funny but the things that people take for granted that they know (foundational knowledge)are the very things that not many people in the field truly understand at a deep level. This book will help you to not be one of those people.

Only one real gripe - I know typos happen and errors are common in technical books BUT... in a chapter about TCP/IP to misspell the late Jon Postel's name is just unbelievable -- Wow. (p.32)

Excellent book for those interested in internet security
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-09
This book has done a great job at informing readers of network security. After supplying a little OS and networking background information the author composes the information in a way that an attacker would view it so the reader can get inside the mind of an intruder. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in how attacks are executed.

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The Message of the Qur'an: The Full Account of the Revealed Arabic Text Accompanied by Parallel Transliteration: v. 2
Published in Paperback by The Book Foundation (2004-04)
Author:
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The Qur'an from an enlightened individual
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-25
This is the greatest translation of The Holy Quran in English. It is complete for it contains the meaning, the Romanized form of the Quran, and it is also in Arabic. Make no mistake this is an authoritative translation of The Holy Quran for the English reader and you will not be disappointed. The paper on which it is written is nice and one of the best that I have held. Just get it for what you are getting is the closest thing that man can get to GOD. For those who are unable to afford Asad translation there is a website, it is www.geocities.com/masad02/ be warned sometimes the daily bandwidth is reached so it becomes inaccessible.

The best translation for non-Arabic readers
Helpful Votes: 20 out of 20 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-05
If you're sincerely after an understanding of the Qu'ran, either learn Arabic and read it (translations are not technically "The Qu'ran"), or buy this book! Like many of the translators of the Qu'ran, Asad was not born into the religion and was not a native speaker, but unlike the rest, he spent many years living among the Bedouin who are the only ones still speaking the Arabic in which the Qu'ran was written down. Modern Arabic is taught in schools and spoken by millions, but many of the words in the Qu'ran have fallen out of common usage, so even the best of scholars may almost be forgiven for not always getting it quite right. But in translatin the Qu'ran, it HAS to be right. The multiple meanings of the original words of the Qu'ran make faulty translations and confusion altogether too prevalent for Western readers. Asad was born a Polish Jew who discovered Islam and spent most of his life researching Qu'ranic language. He became a highly respected scholar, even in the Islamic world. He was a close friend of King Abdul Aziz (Ibn Saud), a confidant of the Indian poet Iqbal, and was appointed to represent Pakistan to the United Nations after India's partition. His translation and abundant footnotes are invaluable to anyone who is really looking to penetrate this 1400 year-old text. The Prologue by the English Islamic scholar Charles Le Gai Eaton is fascinating, the footnotes are a joy to read and extremely helpful in understanding the nuances of the words and context in which the verses were brought forth, and the book itself, with its gorgeous insertions of calligraphic art, is beautiful to look at. In many footnotes, Asad compares his own translations to that of Pickthall and several other translators and explains his choices and leaves the decision to the reader to accept or reject them. I never enjoyed reading introductions or footnotes until I got Asad's book. It's not exactly portable, since the original Arabic, as well as transliterations are presented along with the English, but it's worth its weight in gold. If you're trying to get an idea of what the Qu'ran is all about, this is the one for you.

The Message of the Quran by Muhamad Asad
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-02
Beautiful translation and explaination.
Use of classical commentators of the Quran was very helpful.
Clarifies many misunderstood concepts of the Quran.
I read and re-read again and again.
I do find this 'Message of the Quran' refreshing.

Unsurpassed English Interpretation
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-18
Just a short review as others have expressed better than I the unsurpassed job of interpretation of the Holy Qur'an into English which Asad was able to achieve - his interpretation and footnotes are far, far better than any before.

The layout of the book is also a gift to those who are learning Qur'anic Arabic: with English, Arabic, and a transliteration on one page (along with the all-enompassing guide to pronouncing the transliteration) Asad has provided a powerful tool to those who are students of Arabic.

A wonderful, wonderful work. The best interpretation of the Holy Qur'an in English that I've read, and a book of beauty printed on fine paper and with exceptional typography. This should be the standard text for all English speaking Muslims as well as any English speaking person desiring to raed the Qur'an in the very best interpretation.

My only complaint, and the reason I 'deducted' a star, is that the book with its fine heavy paper does not have a proper heavy-duty binding. After 2 or 3 weeks I had to have my copy re-bound as the cover began to tear off and the signatures began to break the stitching. I would hope that in subsequent editions the publishers would provide a better binding so that this text would not unravel after a short period of heavy use,

An incredible translation and work of art!
Helpful Votes: 7 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-05
Determined to find out the truth about Islam myself rather than rely on other people's impressions, I decided to read the Quran for myself. Over the last 2 years or so, I bought and tried about 3 different translations. I tried several times to get through the Quran, but found it difficult to wade through. I have read the entire Bible in the past, in the NASB translation, so I am not used to having trouble reading religious texts. I still needed to read the Quran, though. I found a website that discussed different translations, and the one by Muhammad Asad got good marks. So I decided to order a copy. I was not disappointed. The translation itself is wonderful - very readable and so much clearer to my American ears. Not only is the actual English translation of the Arabic excellent, but each page also contains Muhammad Asad's very learned and helpful commentary. I am grateful for this. In addition, the book itself - the physical book and its pages - is a work of art. I don't say this lightly - The book is filled with gorgeous calligraphy throughout. The pages are not thin onion skin like so many bibles - the paper is heavy and has a gloss which really shows off the art work and renders the text (the original Arabic, the English translation, and even the transliteration which is provided to help you sound out the Arabic should you so desire) crystal clear. This edition also contains essays and basic instruction on the Arabic system of writing. There is also an attached ribbon to keep your place. This edition is pure class - full of beauty both visual and textual. Definitely worth the cover price - especially if you are a native speaker of English trying to read the Quran for the first time. Also: this edition is promoted by CAIR, so I trust its orthodoxy.

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Why Do Dogs Drink Out of the Toilet?: 101 of the Most Perplexing Questions Answered About Canine Conundrums, Medical Mysteries and Befuddling Behaviors
Published in Paperback by HCI (2006-09-15)
Authors: Marty Becker D.V.M. and Gina Spadafori
List price: $12.95
New price: $4.80
Used price: $1.48

Average review score:

funny and true
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-09
Very humorous account of our dogs less than civilized behavior. Great little gift for the novice dog owner.

Loved it
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-29
This is a great book for animal lovers. If you have a dog you may not miss Why Do Dogs Drink Out of the Toilet. You can lern so much about dogs behaviour, etc. Very much recommended reading. I also liked
The Dog Who Rescues Cats: True Story of Ginny, The

A dog is not just a dog...
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-23

This book not only taught us things about our dog, it did it with a laugh. There were so many different things stated in the book that my husband and I were suprised. Where I live sometimes there is a lot of thunder. The book explained to make the noise of the thunder game time so our dog does not get scared. We do that now. It is great. Whe does not get scared and we do not lose that much sleep. If it was not for the book, she would still be a little freaky about thunder type noises. We appreciate the humor of the book and the education it offers.

An informative and sometimes funny look at dogs.
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-09
Marty Becker, DVM, combines his encyclopedic knowledge of dogs and a great sense of humor into a book that is both funny and useful in informing us of why dogs do and don't do certain things. The reasons for their different behaviors are explained in simple and easy to understand terms, but in a way that amuses us while it informs us. This book makes a great gift or Christmas present for yourself and the dog lovers in your life.

Now my DOG makes sense!
Helpful Votes: 11 out of 11 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-23
This book has helped me understand my dog, and I think he is happier too!

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Surgical Recall (Recall Series)
Published in Paperback by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (2005-05-01)
Author:
List price: $39.95
New price: $28.97
Used price: $10.00

Average review score:

Best Recall Book - Use it to prep for pimping
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-06
Surgery is a difficult rotation in terms of content and time commitment. Therefore, it's best to study to maximize your time. This book will prepare you for surviving rounds and those pimp sessions while you are retracting. The book is well organized by topic and great to quickly review before discussing/encountering a particular patient. The book saved me several times during a long surgery. However, of note, to survive the shelf exam and osce, you will need a textbook as well. Good choices to supplement this book would be Essentials of General Surgery or First Aid for the Surgery Clerkship.

Best pocket guide I had during all my clerkships.
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-02
A MUST for the MSIII General Surgery rotation. I can remember reviewing the Lap Chole section just before I went into that surgery, and EVERY QUESTION the attending asked me were in the 2 pages I had just glanced over! Probably the single most useful pocket guide I had during my clerkships, and I didn't even apply into a surgery residency after medical school. A terrific book.

Buy this book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-10
I'm a first year medical student but have already begun using this book and the question/answer format is incredibly easy to use and time efficient. The topics in this book are taught in class and at the hospital (for the few times a week I am there).

Get this and read it and you will honor
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-01
Everyone talks about this book and the information in it is great and very relevant. Keep reading it and you'll do well on your shelfs, on the wards and whatever else. I used this as a third year and I just kept reading it until I had it almost memorized. The chiefs on my rotations were surprised the stuff I used to know from this book. By the way I got the advanced one too and not nearly as helpful as this one.

A Must have!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-30
Excellent review source for boards! Slips into your pocket for easy reference. Consider the PDA version also!


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