Source The Books

This book is a must read for anyone interested in the inner qualities of our nation's most well-known and respected figures and the lesser-known, who were the people who shaped our country. From the early settlers and our founding fathers to people of the present, this book offers a touching and rewarding look into the lives of people during war, hardships, family life, and many other aspects of life. Letter writing truly reveals the inner part of ourselves. A wonderful book!

Andrew Carrol writes an intresting novel compiled of historic letters in various stages of our Nations history. Whether they are from prominent, well known people, or lesser known, yet just as important members of our society, they keep us enthralled.

I'm 24 years old, young enough not to have lived through many of our Nations defining moments, but when I read these letters (and the helpful notes by the author!) it made me feel as though I knew exactly what was going on. Mr. Carrol did an excellent job, and I've let many others read this novel!

~Gina

This book is one of the best investments I've made over the past year (I typically buy 3-4 books a month). I teach - and am passionate about - American History at the high school level. I discovered this book on Amazon and purchased it out of curiosity and a desire to add to my stash of "primary sources." What a great find! The letters are grouped thematically, not chronologically, and offer a great mix of subjects, authors, and viewpoints. While my primary motivation for purchasing this book was its potential use as a classroom source/reference, it proved an interesting "read," as well. History really comes alive, as do the "players" and events, through reading correspondence. While these letters were not necessarily intended for public consumption, it allows for real insight into the past, and into the psyche of the people who have helped to shape our country. Each letter is "set up" for the reader with an introduction explaining the context in which the letter was written. There are also "postscripts" to let the reader know what took place after the letter (a "conclusion," so to speak). Thank you, Mr. Carroll - it's obvious that a lot of work (and editing!) was expended here for the benefit of your readers!

This book is easy to read and interesting. The editors notes in front of and behind almost every letter really make the book that little bit more. I found all of the letters interesting and many of them quite moving. Many of the letters illuminated subjects about which i was familiar but did not know that little part of the story. I recommend this book for any and every one. You do not have to be American (although much of the information is perhaps from an American perspective) to feel the things that are brought forth by the reading of these letters.

What a fantastic book. The letters I've read have brought voices to America's past. It's like reading a hundred stories in one book. For me, it's been an emotional read. The voices of people-slaves,soldiers, presidents and mothers that helped shaped our nation are still ringing in my ears. I'm recommending this to all my friends. A great trip though history.

I purchased this book as a gift and had done a lot of research looking for just the right one. I loved the book from the moment I opened it and was very excited to see not only beautiful pictures but loads of ideas and design elements that were very helpful. The receiver of the book was also very thrilled with the design elements and help that the book brought to help with decorating her home in the french country style. Loved It.

This is one of the best books on Country French that I've found. The illustrations are wonderful, whether you prefer the older designs or are looking for something with a more modern feel. I loved just looking at the pictures and getting a feel for the colors and styles. This is a book I'll return to again and again to get the feel of the French countryside.

Really a wonderful book - both beautiful to look at and informative. Very interesting reading, as well as artistically lovely with wonderful, colorful photography. I am not a decorator or designer by trade, but go to this type of book for creative inspiration, and this one was a winner.

The book was very informative. It gave me many ideas on how to include my furnishings with a French feel.

I can see this book is going to sit on the top of the coffee table book pile for a long time to come. Aside from the fabulous photos of French Provincial homes, Dannenberg delicately picks apart the details that make a typical Provincial home and garden. It does the job so much better than we sitting in another continent can grasp from a few photos in a book. It teaches us how to copy this style and really appreciate the quality of each piece of furniture, artwork or chattel we acquire for own little pretend patch of France.
I love this book!

I've been a virtual assistant for the last two years and had no help or info available to me to get started. This book will save others from the daily struggle I faced then. People will no longer look at you as if you don't want a "real" job with the popularity that this book will bring to the VA field. It's jam-packed with helpful advice for both sides, employer and VA. It contains real life stories of successful VA's and employers who are now more willing to give us a chance!

It took me 3 months to read this book. Oh, it wasn't because it was difficult to read or understand. It was because I was too busy dealing with the very issues this book addresses. As I made more money and became more productive my employees seemed to be entitled to a piece of MY pie even though I was already giving them their own piece. They knew they were holding me hostage and so did I. This wasn't fair. But I had no choice until...The Obsolete Employee.

Even as I sat at my desk and read the book, the atmosphere in my office changed. It was as if my employees already knew what was in the book. Suddenly they became more proactive, more willing to work and generally nicer to deal with. But, they still knew that without them I couldn't get the job done.

Well, I can't believe how wrong they were, and that I took 3 months to read this critical book. Since I have started reading the book, I have gone from 3 employees to one part time onsite employee and depending on the day 5 or 6 Virtual Consultants. My production has almost doubled, my costs have been cut in half and I stopped growing gray hair. I've taken 2 vacations and am going on a third in a week. Incredible.
Oh, and let me say that this book is not about eliminating the good and necessary onsite empolyees. For me it clarified simply how to better make use of that resource.

I'm just a one-man show but by the end of this year, my clients will never know it because of the resources that are now at my disposal.

I have a shelf where I put all my important books. On that shelf sits, Think and Grow Rich - Napolean Hill, The E-myth Revisited - Michael Gerber, Chicken Soup For The Soul - Mark Victor Hansen, The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing - Al Ries/Jack Trout, The Obsolete Employee - Michael Russer and sitting next to it...The Holy Bible - God

My speaking, coaching, and writing business was booming -- and I knew I needed to get more support -- fast -- or I'd have to start turning business away. This fantastic book was given to me at just the right time, and I read it in 48 hours. I couldn't put it down!

I had just tentatively dipped my toe into the virtual outsourcing ocean and had a great experience. I sent an audio to India to be transcribed, and they did it while I slept at 1/4 the cost of a local outfit. Inexpensive. Professional. Fast. What's not to like?

Still, I had a lot of questions and concerns. Michael Russer answered all my questions and gave me a step-by-step process for how to proceed confidently down this new frontier. Implementing what I learned in "The Obsolete Employee" will likely save me $100,000+ over the next few years. More important, Michael Russer has given me the keys to expanding my business 2x as fast for 1/4 the cost.

This is book is a must-read for any speaker, coach, author, or small business owner.

As a Virtual Real Estate Assistant, this book really speaks to those who are trapped in the old fashioned business world of onsite employees. The Obsolete Employee has great advice on how to run a successful business by outsourcing all of your work. It also gave me a wonderful insight how to help potential clients understand why they need my services and how it can help them financially in the future. The Obsolete Employee is a must for anyone who has never used virtual outsourcing.

As a business manager, I have tried numerous times to hire productive assistants and employees. Only to find out that they slack at their jobs, waste my time and money. Not anymore! With the advice from Michael Russer you can learn how to succesfully manage vitual employees and only pay for the time you need. If you have lost hope in the hiring process, this is the book for you. I strongly urge you to read this book. Like me, I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

This is one of the best Non-dual books that I have ever read. Much of original Buddha-ism is obscured in the diversity of Tibetan teachings. This book focuses only on the highest realization and clearly shows why other practices are lesser vehicles. This book is a gem intended only for the student of high awareness. The majority of students should stick to the yoga and tantra texts, to avoid getting lost and confused by the direct-nature of these teachings. But then again, if you are willing to surrender your beliefs of what is high and good and get to the Truth, this book may be exactly what you need. enJOY!!!

This book is great if you've already received an introduction from a master. If not, you might want to buy it to have it on hand for when the day comes that you can read it without becoming confused by the lofty language and obscure references.

The book was an excellent introduction to a fundamental tantra of Semde. I wish the entire tantra was translated here, but what is included advanced my understanding.

I write this review primarily to comment on an earlier reviewer's comment on problems with this work related to double translation from Tibetan to Italian to English. The reviewer commented that sometimes passages made no sense at all. To me, that comment makes no sense at all. I did not notice any problem that might be related to double translation. Perhaps the reason passages made no sense at all to the reviewer, reflects incomplete understanding.

This book is a reward for many long years of philosophical/spiritual searching. The translation work put into this is a most significant achievement. The work displaces so much else in my library with regard to its area of knowledge/wisdom. I feel like having "arrived" after having read it.

The Supreme Source, for those who have the wisdom to deeply embrace it, is an extraordinary book. I was not particularly familiar with the subject matter of Dzogchen (I knew about it, but had read very little on it) and reading this book says it all.

If you are willing to step beyond the illusion of imperfection, struggle, striving, and spiritual progression then I highly recommend this book. I recommend reading it many times over, and taking the time to do this slowly. Dzogchen is not something for the ego-mind to simply take in and rationalise intellectually, but rather something for the whole being to bathe in until its essence permeates ones skin and sinks deep into the profundity of that one Supreme Self that is All.

I give thanks to Chogyal Namkhai Norbu for making this wondrous spiritual text available to the world. It is something I will take delight in reading and absorbing many many times over the years to come.

Read, enjoy, treasure, and read again.

Blessings,

Jonathan Evatt

I was very happy to receive this book. I wanted to give it for a Mother's Day gift. It was just the right thing because it is very educational. She loved it.
JQ

An amazing book. These letters provide a true snapshot of life from our country's beginning to 9-11. Even better these snapshots are from a woman's point of view, something that has often been overlooked. It's obvious that we American women come from hardy stock. This would be an interesting book for most men to read as well!!!

This is a fascinating way to reread the history of Amerca through women's eyes.Though the letters are written by different women from different
classes, one can readily continue the time frame. The story of the young girl who is sent on a mission to George Washington;the story of the treacherous trip via sailing vessel are both compelling. Highly recommended to women to read about the bravery of our foremothers.

I purchased this book for my mother-in-law for Christmas and she has said that it is a wonderful book. I had trouble finding the book until I went on Amazon.com.

I bought this book for my mother, who enjoys it very much. Its easy reading, but powerful, insightful, and uplifting. Highly recommended.

Not knowing much about this period, I was quite interested to find out more on this era.

This book gives us an over view of what is known of the time. I was stunned to find how little is known of this time. What we do know is that the period went though some dramatic changes? However how we don't know. There are unfortunately few written sources of the period and the archaeologist have little at present to help us.

An Age of Tyrants: Britain and the Britons A.D. 400-600
Christopher A. Snyder
The Pennsylvania State University Press, 1998
ISBN 0-271-01780-5

This is a wonderful book to bring to life a cohesive mosaic of the two centuries that followed the removal of Britain from the Roman Empire to the arrival of the papal mission under Augustine in 597.

Published within the past few years, this book bring together many of the latest elements in the trail of King Arthur available to the modern scholar. His book is filled with the most credible theories based on academic consensus, drawing from the most recent translations and comparisons of ancient sources.

What is most singulary worthy of this book is the lack of judgement on the topic of Arthur and Merlin. After laying out the entirety of the context within which Arthur and Merlin may have lived, these two characters are dealt with only in a brief three page appendix. Snyder describes the historical basis for the two characters then ends his brief discussion without trying to postulate who they actually might have been. "What the historian can contribute, however, is a better understanding of the period and place in which Arthur and Merlin may have lived for those who wish to pin down these legendary figures to time and space."

Indeed! This is precisely what he has done. Anyone interested in playing Pendragon or reading Arthurian literatute will appreciate how he frames the era in terms of these "tyrants" -- self-made men who usurped traditional authority to re-establish order and deal with the chaos of the dissolution of the Roman empire.

As a scholar what I like is that the author has made a thorough documentation of where he gathered all of his information. This book itself is short, at 260 pages of text including appendices. Yet it then has 124 pages of rich and curious notes and a lengthy bibliography from which he cited his information.

Christopher Snyder is Associate Professor of History and Chair Department of History and Politics at Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia.

It is very refreshing to read a book about this period of British history that is not obsessed with the Arthurian legend, interesting though that is. Mr Snyder uses the little written evidence there is from the 410-600AD period to try and form a picture of the conditions at the time. The second part of the book discusses the archaeological evidence in depth and the final part constructs a coherent picture of what life must have been like in post Roman Britain using the evidence of the first two sections. Arthur and Merlin are mentioned in an appendix and at a few points within the text but only to point out that the historical evidence cannot say one way or the other whether these personalities existed.

Mr Snyder has settled on the title "An Age of Tyrants" to describe the era as being preferrable to "Sub-Roman Britain". I'm not sure if this title is adequate but it is superior to the somewhat demeaning "Sub-Roman" description. This period was clearly not as savage as has previously been thought.

My only minor criticism is that I would have preferred to see more illustrations of the archaeological sites and artefacts but overall I found this an extremely interesting book that was difficult to put down.

Christopher Snyder says the inhabitants of what is known today as England, Scotland, and Wales would not have called themselves Britons before the arrival of the Romans. In pre-Roman days they would have been known by names associated with their tribal affiliations. Many of the individuals might have referred to themselves as 'Combrogi' or 'Cymry' the latter a Welsh term referring to friendship and/or love of place. The Romans named the "big" island across the "English" channel Brittania. About 400 years after they arrived, the Romans formally withdrew from Britain and left behind a changed place (and probably a few ex-Romans) -- including the name by which the inhabitants knew themselves.

For a long while scholars referred to the period following the departure of "official" Rome and the final "conquest" of Britain by Angles, Saxons, and Jutes the 'dark ages'. More recently, scholars have referred to this era, which stretches from about 400-600 A.D. 'sub-Roman Britain'. Christopher Snyder says he would prefer to call it the Brittonic Age, although his book title names it AN AGE OF TYRANTS.

Snyder's book is divided into three parts. First, he explores the written record -- the writings of Britains Patrick (5th Century) and Gildas (6th Century) and other non-Britonic witnesses. He discusses Latin terms from the extant written material, such as the word "tyrant" which was construed differently by different people in different places speaking different languages. Snyder suggests the "tyrants" described by St. Jerome or the Honorable Bede may not have been as badly behaved as the negative connotation of theit term suggests. In fact, Snyder says the tyrants distant churchmen described may have been more akin to the "tigern" or Celtic lord.

In the second part of his book, Synder discusses the archeological record of the Brittonic Age--which has been overlooked and undervalued as it falls between the rich material record of the Roman (Cirencester, Bath) and Anglo-Saxon (Sutton Hoo) periods. I found this section of the book illuminating as Snyder has systmatically inventoried and synthesized the evidence from a many "digs" into a coherent whole.

In the third section of his book, Snyder uses the material from parts 1 and 2 to describe life in the Brittonic Age in various kinds of settlements (towns, villas, forts, etc.) and the social structure of the people including aspects of government, religion, military, and economic. He says the Britains were a Romanized-Christian people who did not revert back to the tribal behavior that existed before the coming of the Romans.

Snyder is a professor at Marymount University and for all I know he is a member of a religious order, but having graduated from Georgetown University myself, I know that religious affiliation does not mean one cannot be objective. However, Snyder's conclusion that pagan ways disappeared in the Brittonic Age as the population became Christianized may not be exactly accurate.

Based on a reading of the material in Snyder's book and other material, I suspect Celtic ways and the Christian ways merged into an entirely new religion. According to Snyder, Pope Gregory suggested at one point that as the clergy converted pagans they should adapt "pagan temples and rituals to Christian usage in nonviolent ways." I think that is exactly what happened, and I think that explains in part why The Blessed Virgin Mary became so important in Great Britain--which Snyder, a professor at MARYmount might have noted.

I must admit, like so many others, I was originally drawn to the post-Roman period by the "historical King Arthur." But the period is a rich and diverse one, worthy of study in its own right--not only as "Arthur's Britain." In this incredible volume, Chris Snyder--probably the greatest expert on post-Roman Britain alive today, in my opinion--paints a picture of Britain that is anything but a "sub-Roman" "Dark Age." If you ever raised an eyebrow when your history textbook skipped from the Romans in 400 CE to the Anglo-Saxons in 800 CE, then you should read this book. If I had begun with a volume like this when I began my foray into post-Roman Britain, my how farther along I'd be now!

When I finished this book I had a new understanding of the Revolutionary War. The book contains writings from all perspectives about all aspects of our fight to be born as a nation. At the end I felt a real sense of suprise in my new understanding of what this struggle meant to the participants as it was occurring.
The Library of America makes an excellent book with first class binding and paper. They also get the highest marks for scholarship. The editors of this volume used all contemporary sources and documented them carefully. At the same time they produced an entertaining book on a subject that has been covered in thousands of volumes.
As I read the accounts from privates and generals and everyone in between I was suprised by the high level of literacy of all parties. They all expressed different points of view with a level of articulateness that is missing in most of the writing of today. I learned a new appreciation for the letter as a means of communication. An amusing suprise was the spelling of that era, which was not was not near as uniform as today.
Reading this book gives an insight into the experience of the revolutionary war that is unique. I have read many volumes on the political and military history of that era without gaining the understanding of the events I gathered from this book. If you are interested in the subject at all reading this volume is an investment of time well worth the effort.

This book is like having our founding fathers in the room and talking to you. It's history as told by the participants, not filtered through another author's interpretations. If you care about our country and want to know what really happened, read this book. You'll come away understanding why we fought the war of independence, and you'll also see the roots of both the Bill of Rights and the Civil War as well. I've given away perhaps 10 copies of this book to judges, attorneys and politicians and they all rave about it. Open your mind and find out what really happened to make our country great.

This book not only has a lot of important names in it (I won't repeat them here), it also has letters from people of lower ranks, or townsfolk. You not only get to know what the generals and officers were thinking, but you also get to know what the people in the soon-to-be United States were doing and thinking. There is an incredible diary from a 14 year old girl included in the collection. She recounts the officers who were quartering in her home and what she thought of them and what she thought in general. Her original orthography is preserved as much as possible. Also included are various diaries of people who lived in the areas where battles or troop movements were taking place. Much insight into what life must have been like during the Revolution can be gleaned from these. There are also glimpses of the violence of warfare in those days through the letters and diaries of the people who were surrounded by it.

This collection is made doubly valuable by its comprehensiveness. You'll read the big names, but also quite a bit of the lesser known ones. Each author also has a biography which can be referenced in an appendix of notes, so you know what happened to them. An amazing collection of the famous and the not so famous of the American Revolution.

No matter what you have learned about the American Revolution, this terrific volume from the wonderful Library of America will give you a richer understanding of how it happened and who was involved and when. It is full of documents that are contemporary with key events of the Revolution from various points of view. They are from diaries, newspapers, letters, speeches, key official documents, excerpts from books, and so on.

Of course, part of the problem of reading contemporary documents is that the non-specialist will need some helps to put them in context, understand who wrote them, who the key participants are, and so on. The editor has provided a very fine chronology of the War, Biographical Notes, Notes on the Texts, Explanatory Notes, an index, and a surprisingly helpful table of contents.

The documents are presented chronologically with the dates along the top of the page. You can read it front to back or jump into it here or there. While this volume will enrich your understanding of and appreciation for our Founding, it will also provide a jumping off point for further study. Since these are all source documents that historians use in their writings, having read them will allow you to read secondary writings on our founding with more authority and their biases and any agenda they have will stand out more clearly as your read their work.

A must have for your American History shelf.

Fantastic collection of sources (American, Tory, Whig, British, etc) that tells the chronological tale of the American Revolution. Troop movements, political undertones, the effects on the communities, the horrors and kindnesses of villains and heroes, and the full kaleidoscope of the human experience are generously provided here. The book moves from the ride of Paul Revere to the moving resignation of Washington's commission, a very dramatic narrative pieced together skillfully by a wide variety of independent accounts.

After days of a dry spell, in trying to figure out a design problem; I started to flip through this fabulous book. Maya Lin's Boundaries; is a book that is food for the soul of an architect. Ironically, the title of the book is Boundaries, but the whole essence and poetic journey allows for one to see the world with out "Boundaries".

Traveling through each project, Lin is able to take us from her thought process through a complete execution on each project. She is so delicate in describing each event, from growing up, the Vietnam memorial, to her goals in the future. The reader can travel with her, through each process, struggle, and creating architecture that is able to resonate within it's setting.

Thinking with her hands, Lin describes each event, each challenge, and solution, allowing for the the reader to gain an inside, touching the souls of what every architect and designer needs.

This book accomplishes for me what Maya Lin set out to do - it provides a well of knowledge that I keep coming back to. I have shared her philosophy with friends and family providing a direct and intimate dialogue with her work.
I first came across 'Boundaries' while doing research on public controversy and sculpture. I felt that I was listening to Lin's voice and began to understand why she depicted the works as she did. I was drawn to the simplicity of her designs that left space for human participation. When the book had to be returned to the library I had to have a copy for myself to continue my understanding of her works.
The aesthetic set-out of the book draws the viewer into the designs with more understanding. It is not just a coffee table book, but one that encourages one to rethink and revalue ideas.

Maya Lin's "Boundaries" is both creative and stimulating.

This book is not an autobiography and it is not an art book, but rather an extension of Lin's work. Many know Lin for creating the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and like the memorial "Boundaries" provides a medium-both public and private-to observe and interpret what we sometimes don't even consider.

If you like photography, architecture, or simply wish to know more about an idea behind one of Lin's works then this book is for you. I love the format. It is easy to read and the pictures are of high quality. The pages are numbered from 1:00 to 12:00 and each chapter starts with a new hour. "Boundaries" is refreshing- it's truly unique and inspiring.

Sometimes I felt really sad that I don't have enough money to bring this book home.Maya lin should be an architect who can be also known as a good writter.Her writting had combined both beauty architecturally and verbally,like a stream of purity norished readers'heart,explained her designs with pleasure of sights.She got similar passion as her famous aunt lin huiyin,composed a melody of life,mastered the way a human being might uneasy to see.I am appreciated her way of representation.That she inheritaged from Lin's family.She absolutely knew that poetics in their family traditions,a symbol of very special abilities.

There are two ways to read this book, as Lin points out in the preface. First is just as a coffee table picture book. In that role, "Boundaries" gives a photographic tour of many varied monuments and installations. Lin is best known for the Vietnam Veteran's memorial. At the time, it was an unprecendented look and a deep controversy. Since then, I think it has become what Lin had hoped: one of the most personally involving war memorials ever. Lin has moved on since then, and this book shows many of her more recent works.

Although her family heritage is Chinese, Lin identifies herself as American. That gives her the freedom to use concepts from many Asian traditions. Many of her later works show a sense that I see as Zen-like. They are centered on stone, water, earth, and light. Like that first memorial, they invite the viewer to touch and become involved in the work. "Waves", for example, is a large-scale earthwork to be explored, offering surprising privacy in an open, sunlit lawn.

The second reading of this book comes from its text. It explains Lin's approach to her work. I was quite surprised to fined out how important collaboration is for her. Most of her installations are undertaken with archtitects, writers, or preparators of various kinds, quite opposite the 'lonely artist' stereotype. I was also surprised to learn that her first conception of most pieces is narrative, not pictorial. To me, translating word into image and structure is a complete mystery. My own thoughts work in the other direction. That difference intrigues me.

The book itself is a pleasant artifact. It's well printed, well organized, and displays some thoughtful, unusual typography. It's a vehicle well suited to the material it carries.

"Boundaries" was printed in 2000. That means that the catalog of Lin's work has developed since then. More of her work surely exists that was locked out by the publication date. I look forward to the next book documenting her work, and I look forward to her future development as an artist.

History made easy and fun, thats what this book is all about. I hated history when I was in school because the textbooks were boring. Now this book is something completely different. For every month of each year since the beginning of the century it has the highlights of the important events that happened that time. It is like reading an article in the newspaper, giving you the feeling of the era and also providing great pictures. This chronicle is all about pictures. Its structure has a feeling of a magazine or a newspaper.

The whole idea is that you get all the important events of the 20th century in an enjoyable fashion. It covers all aspects of the history like scientific breakthroughs, artistic movements, wars, politics, from all around the world but with a particular emphasis in the US history ( I have also read the Greek version which gives more emphasis in Greek history).

The book is huge and it is more like an encyclopedia rather than a history book. I like to read it before I go to bed and I doubt that any reader will be able to go from cover to cover singlehandedly. It will really strenghten your skills in world history and because of the informal way of covering the events (more like a reporters point of view rather than a professor of history) you will be able to remember a lot after you have read the book. I enjoyed particularly the coverage of the WWII, it is breathtaking, its like reliving the whole thing. I can only imagine the poor people reading in the newspapers of the era the advancement of Hitlers troop across Europe and then the break of war and the losses and the great battles and..... I can go forever.

This book is also a great option for a gift. Believe me the people that you are going to give this book will really appreciate it and will rember you for a long time.

What an awesome way to learn about the history of America! I love this book!

The use of actual newspaper articles in their original format showed the style of the day as well a presenting the news of the day. Photographs and even some contemporary ads are interesting. Reviewed by two teachers, one eleementary and one high school.

this book is awesome. It gives you a picture into history by using photographs, timelines and newspaper articles.

I bought this for my wife, who has found it to be one of the most informative sources of history in a nutshell. Pick the year, the month, the day and the important facts are there. We both love it.

Tom

I picked up this book to help me develop an application knowing absolutely nothing about GTK+ programming and it was beyond helpful. Excellently written, not to mention many code examples showing how to use the GTK+ library properly and efficiently. This book gives you the tools and the understanding for building your own applications and not just re-creating the examples given to you.
I highly recommend this book to anyone programing in C and want to learn how to use the GTK+ library along with the GLib and Pango libraries. This is one book I'm not going to let go of.

FINALLY... a great book on GTK+.
Easy to follow and understand, great example, great explanations...

Usually I dislike the writing styles in Apress publications, but this is a definite winner. For the first time I can say I actually understand and can effectively use GTK+.

A textview widget in python had me stumped, but no longer. Anyone wishing to tackle GTK+ programming should buy this well organized and excellent book. It is well worth it.

I got this book a few weeks ago and found it to be well written and to the point.

I wanted to like this book, but unfortunately I cannot in good conscience give it 5 stars as the other reviewers have.

I will say the book is well organized and is definitely useful as a starting point for studying GTK+ and the author clearly has a great deal of knowledge about the subject. But what should have been the main strength of the book that differentiates it from the mostly inadequate online tutorials is the author conveying to the reader straightforward explanations of important concepts and insider tips and tricks that can only come from extensive experience. He tries to do this, but I found many of his explanations ambiguous and confusing. Important terminology was left undefined or poorly defined which contributed to the confusion.

The author dutifully plods through a presentation of most of the main widgets, providing essentially the same trivial example code each time with minor variations- basically just showing how to put the widget onscreen. But there was a frustrating lack of material devoted to how to use signals and events to perform any useful tasks. The vast majority of the functionality of any GUI application lies in its event handlers and callback functions. After reading this book, you will be able to prototype the GUI for your application, but you may be at a loss to make it actually do something.

By Ch.3 and 4, the same example code has been replicated so many times that there is an increasing frequency of copy-paste errors that gradually becomes very annoying. Also, there are many typos in the text. The lack of editorial oversight and technical review on the part of the publisher combined with the author's lack of attention to detail and failures in exposition has created a book that I can only marginally recommend- mostly because all of the other books that have been published on GTK+ are either out of date or out of print, so this book seems to be the winner by default.