Languages Books

Like all Langenscheidt Dictionaries I have come across, its quality is great. Anybody who has used a Langenscheidt knows what I am talking about. But what I like about this one especially is the perfect size, since it is small enough for taking along in a bag, yet not too short. The material of the cover is superb because it is beautiful, as well as easy to clean if needed, and it is flexible as a paperback, but lasts in good shape for a long time (as I have seen until now, it lasts like forever).

This is one of the better German dictionaries I've come across. It is perfect for college or high school use.

The covers are a thick plastic-type of material which makes this volume stay together much longer, especially if it's put in a backpack and lugged around a lot (as mine is).

The pages are SNOW WHITE and very easy to read, unlike the HarperCollins (ISBN 0062737503) which has newspaper-colored pages. The font is kind of small but that shouldn't be a problem for most college and high school students.

This is called a "pocket dictionary" which makes it sound small but it is not really that small. It's a little bit larger than an average sized romance novel, and a little bit wider. It's very thick and heavy and when I stood it up against a pop can for size comparison it's about a half an inch taller than the pop can.

The pronunciations are given in IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet), which I consider a plus. IPA is not hard to learn and German pronunciation is pretty straight-forward anyway. If you can spell a word, you automatically know how it's pronounced.

All in all I REALLY like this dictionary and I think it serves the purpose of being a college dictionary really well.

This book has survived being stuffed into my bookbag everyday for several school years, and I've taken it with me on a trip to Germany. I'm planning on taking it with me when I go to Germany in a few weeks. The spine hasn't broken and the plastic cover hasn't torn. It's rare that I haven't been able to find the word that I needed in this book, and the list of irregular verbs is very helpful. I own two German-English dictionaries, and, in spite of the fact that the other one is thicker and looks more likely to be useful, I absolutely prefer this one.

I started using this dictionary in 1999 when I had my first German class. Six years later my German comprehension has finally reached university level and I still find myself using it for quick references. I very rarely have not been able to find a word in this compact dictionary, and its compactness is by far its best quality. All the relative articles are given (unlike many beginners dictionaries), although there is no pronunciation guide. I also love how it shows no signs of wear and tear after almost daily use. For a source with more in depth references I strongly recommend http://dict.leo.org/ (from the Technical University of Munich). This is especially true for translators that have to know what a certain word in different contexts means.

This dictionary was a required book for my lower-level college German classes, and I can see why. I also have a Webster's German dictionary, and I am not as pleased with it as I am with the Langenscheidt. It is a great size to carry about in your bag, and, despite all the use (and abuse!) it has seen, mine is still in really good shape. In fact, I liked this so well that I have two copies - one for my desk at home, and the other to keep in my bag for school. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a good, usable German dictionary.

"Colonel Chabert" is one of Honore de Balzac's volumes from his omnibus work, "The Human Comedy." The Colonel is a comic figure in and old military great coat and a wig who is ridiculed by young legal workers at the beginning of the novel. But, the joke is on the clerks, because Chabert is a war hero of the Napoleonic era who was given up for dead on a battlefield at Eylau. This translation from the French by Carol Grosman tells the story of the old soldier's resurrection in contemporary jargon. The novel is relevant today considering the service of soldiers in many wars continuing in our world. What happens to these heroes when wars end, or more accurately, shift to new fronts? Balzac paints the portrait of one old colonel who remains honorable and as a consequence seals his fate. The translation is very readable and the short novel is brief "scene from private life." The work will stimulate further interest in the monumental work of Balzac who had a relatively short life (1799-1850).

One of the greatest novelists of all time, Balzac was most at home in the Paris of Post-Napoleonic Paris. In a time when the middle class was showing its strength and starting to reach towards the aristocracy, Balzac shows just how selfish and grubby and greedy humans can be in attaining and how treacherous they can be in keeping their all important upward mobility.

Colonel Chabert is a man disfigured in the Napoleonic Wars who was left for dead on a battlefield. After digging his way out of a mass grave, he finds that he has no legal right to his title or his massive estate. Nobody will believe his true identity. For ten longe years he goes about trying to communicate his plight to anyone who will listen. They only see a crazy bum, and his wife rebuffs his letters. She already has a new husband and kids. Finally Chabert is able to convince a lawyer named Dervilles to accept his case, namely that of reclaiming his title, lands, and wife. The problem is that noone is really interested in his life being resurrected. Most people would rather that he remained dead. So begins the ludicrous battle of a man against the law to prove his own existence.

This short but great novel, or novella, is a tragic take on the world's thirst for social status and the judgement by visuals that our society is only too guilty of to this day. If it walks like a bum, talks like a bum, it must be a bum. Colonel Chabert has such a hard time convincing people of his identity because of how they perceive him. It sounds echoes of Frankenstein in that a good man is reduced to a monster when all he really needs is love. The fact that even his wife wishes he were dead just drives home the isolated suffering of the book. As in all Balzac novels, you feel a world moving under the mantle of the book. The Human Comedy of Balzac is one of the crowning achievements of literature and ranks right up there with Shakespeare and Thomas Hardy.

Balzac, one of the greatest writers who ever lived, did not trip up with this one. I read it with great pleasure and conclude, as people so often say, that the movie based on the story did not equal the original. Ever the cynic (some might say 'the realist') Balzac portrays here the efforts of a noble-minded soldier, who rose from an orphanage to serve his country under Napoleon in Egypt and eastern Europe, only to reap the all-too-common fate of dedicated and true warriors---to be forgotten and ignored. Death (which he accepted) might have seized him, but he found a living death, a denial of his sanity and identity, as the reward of his service. Reported killed at the battle of Eylau, against the Russians, after a heroic action, the soldier literally crawls from his grave to a kind of shadowy survival. In his earlier life, Colonel Chabert had raised a woman to his own status, but now finds that she is unwilling to let others learn of her origins and does not want to recognize that he is, in fact, her long lost husband. Honestly thinking she was widowed, she married a highborn aristocrat who knew nothing of her humble beginnings.

The tale is one of greed, intrigue, loyalty and disloyalty. As usual, Balzac manages to cast a light, pitiless and bright, on every rotten corner of the human condition, while offering a few inspiring examples in contrast. Every detail of a lawyer's life in 19th century Paris is scrutinized, every glimpse of urban dairyman or elite country squirehood rings true. No wonder I admire him so much, no wonder I have no hesitation in urging you to read COLONEL CHABERT and any other volume of Balzac you can lay your hands on.

Carol Cosman's translation of Balzac's French 'Colonel Chabert' into the English has been very effective here- she does not input her own interpretations and seems to have a good handle on Balzac's natural, concise wording style.

The story itself is fascinating. In a nutshell, it focuses on a military man who is essentially erased from society, and the tribulations and insights he has from this 'non-existant' state as he tries to re-establish himself. Not only is this a witty and profound social commentary, but an entertaining twist which just keeps twisting.

In reading other's reviews of this short masterpiece, it seems as if many people have missed the meaning of the finale. While it is indeed a very enigmatic ending, it is not as lugubrious or fatalistic as most believe. What happens is that Colonel Chabert, in essentially having his old identity annihilated, becomes enlighted. In the ultimate destruction of his ego he becomes free. This is the magic finale which Balzac labors so hard, and so majestically, to set up in the plot.

This tome is very impressive, and relatively short (just over 100 pages) for those new to Balzac who want a nice, piquant appetizer. Balzac is one of the most brilliant French fiction writers of all time! He is a giant, and in 'Colonel Chabert', he weaves another illustrious stitch into his tapestry the Comedie Humaine.

...of a great Balzac novella. Ms. Cosman captures the rigorous, logical quality of Balzac's prose - most translators get lost in unidiomatic wordiness. This 100 page novella showcases the Master's comfort with legal matters, his profound understanding of "the fang and the claw" and features at its center the incomparable Derville, Balzac's great, recurring lawyer character. I usually recommend Pere Goriot for first-time Balzac readers because of the rich connections between that novel and many other Balzac works - but I am hard pressed to imagine a better one-course meal than this rendering of Colonel Chabert by Ms. Cosman. I certainly plan to read her version of The Girl with the Golden Eyes.

It's no wonder Les Miserables is a classic. Victor Hugo takes the reader into a psychological realm that was well ahead of his time. There are no human virtues, and few human follies, that this book doesn't explore. -Stephen Prins, author of: Strife of the Lorin

I like teaching this novel, but I don't have time to teach the full text. This abridgement does a good job of capturing the fullness of the story and the characters in about 40% of the pages. I like the historical timelines at the beginning and the Notes sections at the end. My students find the novel easy to manage, too.

You look at this book cautiouly, circling it warily. 1,260 pags?!! (Do not even consider an abridgement, for that is wicked) To read this massive work, you must be brave and determined. It is not easy or light, and, although it is far and away my favorite book, there were many times when I would lay it aside and blink with that slow, "God give me strength" air. Yet what epic journey worth its scratch is fluffy, over-in-a-day fun? Jean Valjean has hardship, so does the reader. One doesn't so much read as inhabit Les Miserables. I lived with this book for an entire semester, and had been dipping my toes into itt for over a year. When I finally read the last pages, there were tears streaking my face. That is a rare compliment to Hugo. My tears were not only for the sad fate of the convict-saint, but for th completion of such a long journey. I never rea Les Miserables to finish it. Perhaps this is merely an indication of insanity, perhaps an accurate reflection of the mind set necessary to read and enjoy Hugo. Get lost in his page-long sentences and revel in the vrebiosity! Be brave, and don't give up.

If you ever thought Hey, it must be easy to be an actor, just pay attention to Michael York, who's using only his voice! He keeps separate several characters, male and female, with nuances and accents that we can understand instantly.
Pity about this abridgement is that the translation was never edited. There is no distinction between that and which, for instance. "Which" is used exclusively.
But I'll keep listening to M. York, c'est formidable!

If you are the kind of person thirsting for the image of Man as a being to whom nothing is impossible - and to whom everything great is possible, then "Les Miserables" is the novel for you.
With a few exceptions, such as Ayn Rand, there is no writer in world literature who has portrayed such a grand, noble, sublime and inspiring image of man as Victor Hugo.
In "Les Miserables", Hugo has given the best expression that his genius could to this element.

The theme of this masterpiece is : "The projection and glorification of a moral-spiritual force based on Love, Compassion and above all Conscience, aimed at overthrowing the existing order of human existence and establish a new world where these cardinal values will guide human life."

Such an important, profound and philosophical theme could only have been selected by a visionary such as Victor Hugo - whom I consider the greatest novelist of the 19th Century.

Other than Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged" I do not know any single novel in world literature which seeks to present a unique philosophy to change the world and give a new direction to human existence.

According to me, the plot-theme is : "The step-by-step purification of a man's soul and his achievement of spiritual perfection."

Jean Valjean is the hero of the novel. The best years of his life have been wasted because of the iniquities and injustice of the prevailing social order. Emerging from prison after 19 years, his soul is immersed in anger, bitterness, hatred and a feeling of vengeance against society. How he acieves spiritual perfection, as viewed by Hugo, is what the story is all about.

However, this point has not been recognised by many. While most say that the theme is : "The injustice of society towards the lower classes", Hugo's intention was to dramatise "Man's struggle against the laws of society".

Keeping this in view, the accepted plot theme is (as best defined by Ayn Rand) : "The lifelong flight of an ex-convict from a ruthless representative of the law", this representative being Javert.

However, the struggle of Jean Valjean continues long after his conflict with Javert is resolved.
Victor Hugo is not just showing that Conscience is above Law, but this: what is the highest level of selflessness and self-sacrifice a man is capable of and what makes it possible.
As far as I can see, the accepted plot-theme has been identified the way it has been, because it defines a specific purpose(i.e., Javert's pursuit of Jean Valjean). Perhaps critcs would dismiss my point of view because neither is it Jean Valjean's explicit goal to become perfect nor does he set himself an objective which would symbolize his attainment of perfection.
But I look at the plot to have been construsted in a manner which inevitably leads Jean Valjean to perfection.

Bishop Myriel is the guiding image for Jean Valjean:his role represents how love and compassion can resurrect a man's conscience.

Fantine is the symbol of the woman and Cossette is the symbol of the child who are the victims of social evils.

Javert-the implaccable, ruthless and awe-inspiring policeman who shall never compromise on his values - is the symbol of blind conformity to the existing legal and social order.

One of the greatest achievements of "Les Miserables" is its sweeping sense of drama. What I love most about Hugo is the superb dramatic situations - suspenseful, thrilling, emotionally intense - he creates.
The scenes are so breathtakingly grandiose and mind-blowing that one can only think : "How did he get such a brilliant idea??!!"
The best part of the novel is the fighting at the barricades during the July Revolution in Paris - led by, perhaps the most admirable hero in 19th Century Romantic fiction - Enjolras.
Enjolras - despite a minor role - made a greater impact on me than the two central characters - Jean Valjean and Marius. One also cannot forget the lovable, heroic, 12 year old Gavroche.

The greatest drawback of "Les Miserables" is the plethore of esssays on various social, historical, religious and other issues, which are exasperatingly long, which interrupt the plot, make the novel cumbersome and the reader impatient.
However, they give the reader a picture of the world which Hugo had in mind (and which he wanted to revolutionize-and how) while writing the book.
They may not be directly related to the plot, but are certainly related to the meaning of the novel.

Further, the plot tends to become loose at times. The coincidences are rather naive and force the reader to conclude that they are meant solely to bring coherence in the story or to present a particular aspect of Hugo's philosophy.
Some may find the descriptions unnecessarily meticulous, though in poetic terms they are stunningly beautiful.

However, all this seems irrelevant if we concentrate on the profound pschycological analysis of the value-conflicts of Jean Valjean (and Javert) rarely matched in world literature; the scope and intellectual value of the novel; its immense social and philosophical significance and its wonderful portrayal of man as a heroic being.

But above all is the unsurpassable dramatic treatment rendered by Hugo's genius : the sheer artistry, the incomparable ingenuity, the soulful emotional content, the startling originality and compelling suspense-there is NO OTHER SINGLE WRITER IN THE WORLD who has equalled Hugo in this aspect-make, in addition to its numerous merits, "Les Miserables" one of the greatest achievements of the human mind.

Les Miserables is such a classic that one has the impression of already having read it, or seen it in one's mind, perhaps with Michel Bouquet in the role of Javert, or Gerard Depardieu. To read Les Miserables, published by Victor Hugo in 1862, offers the pleasure of recognition and a fresh beginning. Always one is carried away by the tension of this book, its unforgettable characters, is use of language--let us not forget that Hugo was the first to introduce slang and popular language into written French--its story and its time. The unhappy tale of Jean Valjean, from its progressive redemption, disastrous childhood of Cosette to the idylle with Marius, from the sacrificial figure of Fantine to the sinister characters of Thénardier and Javert, the novel is a beautiful lesson of humanity. "I come to destroy human fate," wrote Hugo, "I condemn slavery, I drive out misery, I inform ignorance, I treat the disease, I light the night, I hate hatred. This is what I am and for this reason I wrote Les Miserables."

(...)

When I decided to read Les Misérables I was pursuing two objectives: to read a classic novel and to practice and improve my knowledge of the French language. Knowing how long the novel was, both goals seemed difficult to attain. I am happy to say that I was able to accomplish both.
Les Misérables is a fascinating novel in which the author denounces the French society of the 19th century. It tells the story of Jean Valjean, who after 19 years in prison is released only to realize that there is no place in society for a man like him. Reading the story, your learn about the marginal life ex prisoners have to live in a society that forces them to carry a document (a yellow passport) that they have to show all the time in order to function in society; the horrible situation unmarried women are placed in when society punishes them for having children out of wedlock; the situation of the the elderly; and also of abandoned children ...
Hugo also intercalates the main story with long passages of reflections about different subjects such as the history of the "argot", Waterloo, a description of the underground sewer system in Paris, that although they can be challenging for the reader because of their length, they enrich and complete the story.
Les Misérables is not an easy book to read. In order to fully comprehend this story, it is necessary to have some knowledge of the historic events that took place during those years.
The third volume of the Pocket Classiques edition has a listing, in the back of the book, under Les Clés De L'Oeuvre, of the historic events that happened in France since 1723 until 1852, that are paralleled to the events of the story. This feature and a Larousse Encyclopedic Dictionary were very useful to me to identify the events as well as the historic characters that are named in the book.
Even though the vocabulary is not easy, with the aid of a dictionary, I was able to comprehend and enjoy the totality of the text. Due to Hugo's style, long paragraphs in which sentences are connected to each other to no end, to reflect the flow of the writer's thoughts, and the difficulty of the vocabulary, I would not recommend this reading to a French beginner or even an intermediate level.
I laughed, I cried , I worried about the characters ... I spent hours reading the story without being able to put the book down. After finishing, Jean Valjean, Cossette, Fantine, Marius, Gavroche, Javert were in my mind and in my heart for a long time. I feel that Les Misérable enriched my life.

Les Misérables en français est un très excellent livre. Le texte est vraiment mieux que les traductions en anglais, tous ceux qui ne montrent pas la vrai beauté et grace de la prose d'auteur. L'histoire est d'un homme qui est presque detruit par son systeme de justice, d'un homme bon qui doit colleter avec son gouvernement parce qu'il croit dans le mieux-être de toute la humanité, même s'il doit donner sa vie.

D'ensemble, ce livre est un oeuvre de génie, et oui, peut-être les anglophones devraient le lire en anglais avant qu'ils commencent à le lire en français. Mais, de vraiment comprendre l'esprit d'un cerveau, on doit lire Les Misérables dans la langue d'origine. Je jure qu'on ne sera pas déçu avec le livre original. Il en vaut la peine de lire ce livre en français, mme si seulement d'enrichir la vie et l'esprit. Achetez ce livre et soyez content que vous avez gagné un vrai chef-d'oeuvre pour lire et chérir pour toute la vie.

I am providing a feedback on other reviews of this title, not a review of my own. Unfortunately, I can't find another way to send feedback to the reviewers.

I've found it so very odd that all the reviewers of a French text have written their reviews in English. None addresses the advantages of the original text over a translation. So my question is: have any of you read the French version or are you reviewing the English text?

I am not trying to question your proficiency in French, but I suspect the Amazon system may be lumping all reviews together without regard for the particular version or edition reviewed.

This novel is one of the all-time classics in literature. It is a compelling story of a simple working man, Jean Valjean, caught up in the French "justice" system of the 19th century. His crime was petty. He broke into a bakery to get bread for starving family members (in the modern United States, he might have received probation). Because the baker's family lived in the building, he was charged with breaking into an occupied dwelling and sent to prison. In France, you were required to have a passport to travel within the country. Released from prison, he is given the infamous "yellow passport" issued to people with criminal records. An act of heroism allows him to obtain work without showing his passport, but his past catches up with him and he is sent to a prison galley for life for a second petty crime in his past as a "repeat offender."

He escapes and recovers a cache of gold that he had buried, then rescues the orphan daughter of a woman he had known, but is pursued by the relentless policeman Javert, a man who has no compassion and enforces the law to the letter.

Jean Valjean is a simple man and, basicly, is trying to help other people. The system does its best to grind him down. It is notable that the story ends when people are taking to the streets and building barricades in a fight against the very system that led to his troubles.

I would not have survived my recent journey into the world of Homer's Iliad without this lexicon. With its inclusion of irregular forms and its detailed listing of examples of usage, it is my best friend in my Homeric studies and I consider it one of my best investments. Thank you, Richard John Cunliffe. You are a hero among Classicists.

I agree with every bit of the praise from other reviewers, but the criticism from one reviewer about the poor binding is valid in my experience.

I once owned the hardback version which had sewn signatures. It never wore out, but I lost it during a move. I now have the paperback, which is glued, and the pages are coming out after about 2 months' of moderate usage. Others' experience may vary depending upon how the glue sets in their particular copy, but it should be noted that this book is not bound the way a reference book should be. Buyers should limber up the spine by running their fingers down the fold in several parts of the book, but even that is no guarantee (it didn't work for me).

For all that, it beats Autenrieth even for beginners because the ability to match passages to specific definitions is decisive. This is particularly useful when you encounter what appears to be an odd use of a common word. You can simple scan the entry to find the line reference. If we are going to have a contest of praise, let me submit that as the book's best feature.

This one is good for when you're studying a particular passage closely. It also functions as a concordance! It's a bit slower to use than Autenrieth, et al., but much more authoritative and thorough.

This dictionary is a godsend for anyone who wants to have more than a passing acquaintance with the poetry of Homer. Two things make it an indispensable aid in reading Homer.

First, it gives an exhaustive listing of the various meanings and nuances of meaning that any given word has in different passages of the Iliad and Odyssey. Since there are many words, particularly verbs, that vary in meaning from context to context, the dictionary helps one gain a more 'global' understanding of Homer's words.

The second area in which it proves inidspensable is in helping the reader idenitfy obscure forms of verbs. All too often one comes across a verb in the perfect tense that looks like it could be derived from any number of different verbs. Fortunately, instead of rifling through the dictionary, bouncing from verb to verb to find the one that is being used, Cunliffe does the reader the favor of listing virtually all forms whose
1st first person present could prove difficult to identify and refers the reader to the appropriate verb.

All in all an essential reference tool in the Homerophile's library.

This is quite simply the best lexicon for use while reading Homeric (or Hesiodic, generally) Greek. The text is designed specifically with The Iliad and Odyssey in mind; each word is given, followed by information on _where_ in the Homeric corpus those words appear, allowing for line-specific correlations.

The book also has outstanding morphological information on the words themselves, and a small appendix featuring Homeric conditionals.

This book is *far* superior to Autenrieth, and is more useful than the various editions of the L-S-J in that the words are keyed specifically to Homeric usage, and there are no non-Homeric forms to add extra clutter.

Outstanding.

Linux System Security: The Administrator's Guide to Open Source Security Tools, Second Edition
by Scott Mann has advice on starting from scratch when you are setting up a machine to make it secure from attack from the outside.

It looks at everything from the filesystem upwards, and will give you a good starting point for looking at this.

Linux is better than Windows.

Actually all tools described are not Linux specific and can be used for any Unix including FreeBSD and Solaris.

The authors seems to know the subject and really used tools that they are writing about. For several popular tools the book provides some useful info that is difficult to find elsewhere. Pretty decent typography, although it's a little bit too academic and does not use icons on margins that IMHO simplify reading. 

As for the classic open security tools, the book covers PAM(36 pages), Sudo(20 pages), TCP Wrappers(24 pages), SSH(55 pages), Tripwire(24 pages), CFS and TCFS (30 pages), and ipchains.

From the first reading it looks like the chapters are *not* a rehash of existing online documentation. In addition to the chapters about classic open source security tools I like chapters about logs: a chapter on syslog (Ch.8) and a chapter on log file management (Ch.17). 

Now about weaknesses. The chapter on Tiger is rather weak. Moreover regrettably Tiger is a legacy tool, but actually information is not completely useless -- it's not difficult to switch to another tool after one understands how Tiger works. Actually Perl is superior for writing Unix vulnerability scanners in comparison with shell. May be hardening scripts like Bastille would be a better choice for this chapter in the second edition of the book.

Book is incomplete in a sense that neither Snort (or any similar intrusion detection tool), nor open source network scanners (Saint, Sara, etc.) are covered.

Of course there are some typos, but generally not that many. But what is really bad is that the Prentice Hall book page currently is pretty basic with no errata or additional links. The authors do not provide a WEB site for the book.

This book can probably be used for studying Unix security at universities along with somewhat outdated Practical Unix and Internet Security and this combination can somewhat compensate deficiencies of the latter (non tool oriented descriptive approach).

This book is well-written, thorough, and practical rather than academic. I particularly found the chapter on securing network services to be helpful, and was able to identify some potential security problems on the systems I support as a result of information provided in that chapter.

This book is incredibly thorough, and up to date. For example, Red Hat Linux 7 has just come out, and does now has xinetd as a replacement for inetd. Well, you guessed it, this book has about 27 pages on xinetd!

Want info on ipchains? This book has at least 50 pages on the subject!

I could go on and on about this book it is so good!

This book is written by experienced people, not just an author who was assigned another book to write.

You will not regret buying this book!

Anyone who is tempted to preserve their life stories will find here an unusually attractive companion for the adventure. The attention to graphic detail (in layout, colors, fonts, and photographs) results in a book that invites readers to explore its contents and to participate in a growing trend: creating a legacy of recorded life experience for present and future generations.

All of us have personal life stories to share, but many of us don't really know how to best preserve those stories for future generations. Living Legacies: How to Write, Illustrate, and Share Your Life Stories, from Duane Elgin and Coleen LeDrew, is filled with practical suggestions on how you can "uncover the seeds of stories in your life, [and] follow a simple process for writing them."

Elgin and LeDrew on focus on what they call the "life story," which is more than photographs or a biography. Life stories delve into feelings about what happened or why it mattered. They incorporate visual images and memorabilia as well as the written word. As well as sharing events with others, "when we record our life stories, we enter a process of self-reflection that often leads to new insights about our lives."

Recording a life story can be very simple, and often only takes only a page or two. Elgin and LeDrew provide step-by-step instructions for deciding what stories to share and how to get to the essence of each one. They also explain how to choose the visual images that best illustrate the story, with lots of examples.

Stories can be simply typed out on plain paper, or they may incorporate fonts and backgrounds that enhance them. The authors explain how to choose what materials and techniques that best communicate what you want and how to best use your personal information and style.

Life stories aren't just for the older generations-one chapter is devoted to helping children tell their special stories.

The authors present their guidelines in a practical, easy-to-understand manner that allows lots of room for individual creativity. They also provide a resource guide with additional tips, organizations, and vendors of speciality materials.

Your life is filled with unique and priceless experiences. Living Legacies provides all the information and tools you need to share those experiences with others.

Rarely does one see such a comprehensive work involving this subject. Thus book has just enough detail included to help the reader to become the writer. Anyone with a family needs to read this and heed it's advice so as to be able to leave a history to the generations to follow. How often do we see folks struggle to find their heritage? Had previous generations followed the wisdom found in this book the knowledge would be readily available. Good work. I shall certainly recommend it to anyone who cares to leave their own legacy.

A book like this, which is superbly written, is long over due to come in our midst. Think about it, for generations of human kind, almost all life experiences are lost forever when we individuals pass on. We've been left with a few diaries, history books, memoirs of famous people and other literary works but none that strikes at the heart of the rich indivdual experiences from us all that can so profoundly enrich the lives of our loved ones and others.The reader of "Living Legacies" has been given an fabulous opportunity to make a profound impact on the lives of so many people by producing and sharing his/her own living legacy. This book shows the reader how clearly and simply it can be done. Every single sole owes it to themselves and to their loved ones to read this book and create their own living legacy. Too bad the rating system only goes to "5"; Id rate this one a "10" if I could.

"For it is in giving that we receive," is a phrase from the Prayer of St. Francis. I remember it so well from my childhood and am struck by how true this is in reference to this book. "Living Legacies" is the perfect gift to ourselves and our loved ones because, through Coleen's and Duane's gentle coaching, we open up memories that can bring healing, restoration, enrichment and so much more. Putting this inspiration to paper and sharing it makes both this process and the product a precious gift to the writer/giver and the recipient. I have given this book to more than 50 people since its publication in January of this year. Every single recipient has remarked on the quality of the information and the simple beauty of its message. This is a sure thing if you're looking for a special gift that communicates how much you care!

Virtually everyone, at some time or other, has influence upon the speech and language development of the very young. Understandably, parents and grandparents are in the best position to guide and motivate their offspring as they learn to communicate. While well intentioned, most parents do what comes naturally. Of course, children will learn language and communication skills as a natural part of growing up, but you can have a dramatic impact on how the baby, toddler or young child in your life learns to communicate. In fact, you will, whether intelligently planned and executed, or not.

Laura Dyer's remarkable book, Look Who's Talking!, covers all the bases regarding language and speech development among children, from birth to age seven. Though rich with references to current research explaining how children learn to talk and the potential problems your child may have along the way, and what to do about them, Dyer has beautifully cut through the scientific jargon. Her language is clear, informative and easy to understand.

A Certified Speech-Language Pathologist, Laura Dyer, MCD, CCC-SLP, is well qualified to write comprehensively on her subject. While working with researchers at Florida State University, Mrs. Dyer studied the early detection of communication problems in infants. After earning a master in communication disorders from Auburn University, she worked with children as a speech-language therapist.

If you are concerned about the language development of your child, Look Who's Talking!, will become the most dog-eared book in your library. And for good reason! You'll learn how to enhance your child's language development and communication skills beginning at birth, including significant influences and common concerns about their development. You'll be able to spot warning signs and head off potential problems with sound production, vocabulary, and overall language ability. Dyer thoroughly equips caregivers in such important matters as nurturing pre-literacy skills, sign language, multi-language learning, and using musical activities and imaginary play to enhance language skills.

I had my copy of Look Who's Talking! several months before reading it. My children are grown, so I didn't feel a pressing need. Now, I regret the delay. Reading it has opened my eyes to its value, not only for parents, but for grandparents and anyone interacting with children. Everyone who works with little ones in any capacity needs a copy of Look Who's Talking!

Look Who's Talking is an excellent book. Ms. Dyer has obviously reviewed a large volume of research (see the notes section for many helpoful resources)and has covered many topics. Yet, she has managed to write in terms that are easily understood and helpful to parents and others. She has included specific examples to illustrate important points. Her book is filled with helpful and encouraging statements like these.

- You are your child's first and most important language model.
- Language is best learned by doing.
- Talking about a child's interests helps language development.
- Active learning is better than passive learning.

The author describes scaffolding as it relates to speech and language development. She includes helpful charts which provide information about a wide variety of topics including the following.

- Sound Acquisition
- Consonant Cluster Acquisition
- Recommended Staff-Child Ratios (childcare centers)
- Signs of Hearing Impairment

I have a copy of this book myself, and I have given the book as a baby shower gift. I also have the author's Little Language Songs for Little Ones tape, which my children and I enjoy listening to in the car.

You'll be glad you added this book to your personal or professional library.

Knowledgeably written by Laura Dyer (a speech-language therapist especially skilled in working with children), Look Who's Talking! How To Enhance Your Child's Language Development, Starting At Birth draws upon academic research and field work alike in order to show how parents just how they can help stimulate their children's ability to use language. Individual chapters address such topics as proverbial signs and gestures; common language development concerns and warning signs; steps for successful sign language usage; bilingualism and second-language learning; the unique challenges of international adoptions; using music to enhance language development, and so much more, Look Who's Talking! offers straight answers to common questions and is highly recommended reading for the parents of bubbling young personalities wanting to express themselves with an articulation suitable to their age.

I purchased this book several months ago seeking advice and tools to help my daughter who is developmentally delayed. I found this book to be filled with very practical advice and tools that a parent can use to help their child to develop great language skills. I highly recommend this book.

Look Who's Talking is a wonderful resource for parents who have questions about their child's speech. Laura Dyer, a speech-language therapist with a master's degree in communications disorders, has written a book that is well researched, easy to use and full of practical advice.

Look Who's Talking begins with an overview of speech and language development, including influences, potential problems and causes. Complicating issues such as auditory processing, hearing, language delays, and developmental delays are discussed. One of the key features of this book is the very detailed descriptions provided for each age and developmental stage; parents of babies and older children will find this a helpful resource.

This truly excellent book fills a large void in the software engineering and IT world - tying the business case to software. It is of paramount importance to demonstrate a quantitative, bottom-line impact when embarking on a software development or evolution project. Too few engineers and managers consider the full business context when making decisions. Many hard lessons in my 20 years of experience could have been avoided if I had the insights and techniques that this book provides.

I expect Mr. Reifer's book to be a classic in the field. It is chockfull of practical methods with worked-out examples of making the software business case. Not only is it rigorous in it's quantitative approach, but the author's broad and seasoned perspective helps practitioners steer through the minefield of people, politics and organizations. I seriously believe we would have more successful software projects if all technical people took on such a balanced view.

Don Reifer's book provides information not found in existing books on software engineering, process improvement, and project management. His primary audience is technical people who must sell a project to business people. In particular, he provides concrete, practical advice for selling a process improvement program. For example, Chapter 4 stresses the importance of focusing on cost avoidance instead of cost reduction to justify improvements. In Chapter 7 he suggests briefing middle managers individually to obtain their support. Based on my experience, this is sound advice because middle managers are often the most difficult people to convince in an organization. Giving personal attention to each manager pays big dividends later. He also suggests taking advantage of state tax laws to partially offset the costs of training employees. This is a win-win strategy for both the firm and the state. Training gives employees new skills and improves retention. This, in turn, helps the firm obtain more business and so generate more income for the local economy and more tax revenues for the state. He explains the difference between project and capital funds, and how to exploit this difference to obtain the resources you need. The book has many useful checklists. For example, one identifies the types and sources of information needed to prepare a business case. Another identifies the critical items to check when deciding to acquire a business.

His book will also be of interest to marketing people who are preparing sales presentations for complicated technical products. For example, these individuals could prepare business cases to compare possible alternatives. Even experienced managers unfamiliar with software products and process improvement will find the case studies useful.

Don Reifer illustrates the concepts presented in Part 1 with actual case studies in Part 2. These are based on his 30+ years of experience in the software field. The case study in Chapter 7 begins with what amounts to an engineering view of the problem and then the author provides comments indicating how a manager would like to see the information presented. This case study really shows the contrast between the technical and management ways of thinking. The case study in Chapter 8 shows how to assess the value of a company whose primary assets are intellectual property and knowledge capital.

Overall, the book is concise and well written. I was able to quickly absorb the concepts and techniques without spending a lot of time. It is a valuable addition to my reference shelf.

Making the Software Business Case: Improvement by the Numbers covers an area too few software engineers have any exposure to: financial modeling and business analysis, as it relates to the IT domain. Reifer's concise (300 page) book provides a broad overview of how the IT area appears from the business side, including critical material on how to frame technical proposals in business terms.

Amongst the many nuggets to be found in this book are:

· useful tips on where money can be found
· good insights into the politics of proposals and budgeting
· getting middle management buy-in
· countering executive challenges
· successful management of cross-project initiative dynamics
· software capitalization/depreciation
· Discussion of reuse from a cost avoidance perspective.

This book is not only good in terms of its material, it is also an eminently readable book in terms of style. Reifer elaborates his argument through the clever use of case studies that provide human interest and momentum to otherwise dry material. These case studies include:

· A defense contracting firm implementing software process improvement
· A public utility replacing an outdated mainframe-based transactional system with modern client-server technology
· An industrial controls firm suffering from moribund products
· A firm seeking to Internet-enable its internal systems

Reifert places strong emphasis on "making your numbers believable." He argues that this believability must address these nontechnical considerations:
· Cash flow
· Cost basis
· Cost/benefit
· Estimate fidelity
· Present value
· Profit and loss
· Risks
· Source of funds
· Tax implications

He does an admirable job in placing these concepts in context, and providing a clear overview of each.
The utility case study demonstrates the importance of understanding the overall financial dynamics affecting one's enterprise. For example, the differences between capital and expense budgets can be key in determining whether to purchase or lease equipment. As Reifert elaborates in the utility scenario, "Because this has been a profitable year, an increase in expenses [i.e. leasing as opposed to purchase capital expenditures] could have a profound positive tax consequence." The book has many examples of this type of valuable, integrated business insight.

Reifer has much sound general IT management advice mixed in with his financial message. A recurring theme through many of the discussions is the need for an executive sponsor, to provide political cover and tactical advice in forwarding the business case.

He also urges the reader to frame benefits in terms of cost avoidance rather than cost reduction-promising cost reductions often lead to the question, "OK, then who are we going to let go?" Not a good way to win friends.

I found his observations on the subject of central process quality assurance groups interesting:

"Reinventing staff organizations such as process and quality assurance groups is a good idea. Engineers assigned to such staff groups get stale once they've put in more than three years of service. Being in an audit and support role, they forget how hard it is to develop and deliver quality products under extreme deadline pressures." (p 137). The book displays a continual awareness of the need to balance these contending issues of cost, schedule, and quality.

The case study based on the industrial controls firm has an explicit architectural theme. This is an especially compelling discussion; software engineers are well aware how critical architectural decisions are, and how often they are compromised in the rush to write code. The discussion demonstrates how to make the case for architecture and include it in an overall work breakdown structure. Reifert is exceptionally creative in his case study creation, taking the opportunity to demonstrate hidden agendas, the pitfalls of contractor estimates, and developing a good working relationship with high-level consultants.

The book provides a solid summary of software estimation. There are whole books written on this subject, so the chapter is necessarily at a high level (although it does dive into some detail on the COCOMO II model in particular). However, it provides a valuable discussion of aspects of high-level IT budgeting beyond tactical project estimation, presenting numerous examples of cost breakdowns covering all phases of the systems development lifecycle, from architecture to maintenance.

The final case study moves into even more adventurous ground, discussing a company seeking to Internet-enable its internal systems via takeover (hostile if necessary) of a specialist firm. The ensuing narrative outlines the due diligence such a move requires, and the various tactical and strategic issues it may raise. A brief discussion of international intercultural relationships is excellent.

The book has only one minor flaw: it was obviously written during the dot-com bubble. There are frequent references to industry dynamics such as a venture-funded firm's survival depending on extreme time-to-market pressures, and perhaps an overemphasis on faddish Web technology.

This book is easily on my Top 10 software engineering book list. It provides a lucid, crisp overview of business issues that are all too mysterious to the average software engineer. Given the potential that well-architected, business-responsive software has to increase productivity, this volume is a service to both the software engineers and the enterprises that employ them.

This book is the aggregation of Mr. Reifer's extensive experience in software management and economics of reuse. His earlier books, "Practical Software Reuse" (ISBN 0471578533), and "Software Management" (ISBN 0769511007) evidence his experience, and probably account for the realistic approach he takes in this book.

Despite his technical background he takes a business-focused approach early in this book by explaining the difference between business and technical cases. Too many technical managers confuse the two, and this plus the other material in Chapter 1 explaining the fundamentals of business cases will set you on the right course.

Chapter 2 is the essence of this book, with advice on relating goals to metrics (using the Goal/Question/Metric technique), and the development and alignment of business cases to development life cycles. This is followed by two excellent chapters covering principles, rules, and analysis tools, and strategies. Much of this material is standard fare, but Mr. Reifer's clear explanations are better than most books that cover this material.

The second part of the book employs case studies that lead you through the development of a business case using principles, concepts and techniques given in the first part of the book. These reinforce part one of the book, as well as provide clear examples of business cases that work, and the process with which to develop them - including challenges, how assumptions were derived, and other nuances of which you should be aware.

The final part of the book is a single chapter on overcoming major barriers, and the sage advice is well worth heeding.

Overall, this is one of the best books on business case development because it is business-oriented, has an approach that is financially and tactically sound, and is written for technical-oriented managers in their own language.

This is not a book for software developers or managers who work in a small shop where there is focused development, little formal bureaucracy and a great deal of camaraderie. It is written for the person with responsibility in a large organization who has an idea for a major new project and needs to get it approved. Essentially, it tells you how to survive and thrive in a large organization that builds software.
The advice is fairly simple but quite accurate. Use numbers in your presentation that can be justified and are consistent with any previous numbers that relate to the project. Have solid data concerning the expected return-on-investment (ROI) from the project as well as any additional costs that may not be outwardly obvious. Quite accurately, the author is emphatic about the principles of present and future value. So much so that appendix B is just a set of basic compound interest tables. This is the most important advice that anyone in a large organization with a business case to plead can ever receive.
A lesser, but still critical point is that you must have a manager to champion your proposal through the managerial hierarchy. That champion must also know the expected ROI from the project very well, as upper echelons will consider a lack of knowledge on the part of the champion to reflect a lack of interest. Another point to reckon with is that if you receive the budgetary increase, it most likely means that someone else in your organization had theirs cut. Nasty, but also the way things are.
Finally, the author takes you through a case study as to when you should acquire a company rather than build a new internal division from scratch. His analysis of what to examine and consider significant is a solid strategy for determining which is the better option.
This is a book that really has two audiences, those who are lower level managers in large organizations with an idea for a new project and those who are starting a company and need to convince the people with the money to open their wallets. For them, it is priceless, but for all others it is difficult to see where they will find it of value.

Writing is a business and without understanding how to use traditional business techniques, you won't make a dime with your writing. Sedge takes readers through the process of understanding who their potential clients are and how to sell ideas to publishers so they can make a good living writing from home.

I've ordered a number of writer-writing related books, and have found some of them to be overly formal, overly simple, outdated, and just all around uninspiring. But this book was very useful and had me making notes and sticking post-its and thinking of little schemes of my own. His instructions were clear and easy to understand and were written with tension and rhythm so they read more like a story than "step by step, boring". I liked that! I also enjoyed his vivacity - you could tell he was an original thinker, a schemer kind of marketing person, which is what you need to be in today's market (no matter what you're selling). The tips he gave, or stories he told illustrating those tips, almost made me wish he didn't tell; they were so good and useful, I almost didn't want everyone to have access to them! However, there was plenty of room for your own interpretation and creation in the suggested ideas, it was more of a philosophy (concretely demonstrated) than a step by step guide, as I said. I want to say, "Thank you" to Michael Sedge for the book - great for anyone in marketing, not just writers (and we are all in marketing nowadays, or need to be) If you are a writer who wants to sell your work and grow your business,with style- then this book will suit you.

Michael Sedge, owner of Strawberry Media Agency and guru of marketing strategies great and small, has his finger on the pulse of struggling writers and authors everywhere because he has been there. Sedge has been able to parlay his writing skills into an impressive global business and shares his tricks of the trade in this fascinating volume.

Sedge focuses on, very simply, how to sell writing. He dubs his game plan "guerilla marketing," and he creates an orderly universe out of a terrifying and confusing market. He offers a powerful litany of ideas for: researching the marketplace; smoozing with secretaries and others who are in support positions; anticipating markets based on current events, dates, and trends; using personal style to create markets; maximizing profits and minimizing work; how to create publicity packets; and many other useful tips to new writers.

Sedge throughly understands image, and scatters examples of how to seem larger than life in order to better promote oneself:

"Distancing yourself makes everything more profession, more `big league.' If you are requesting information about John Hendricks, founder and CEO of the Discovery Channel, would you expect to receive it directly from Hendricks? Of course not; he is much too busy for that. The company has a public relations office for such things. This is the exact image you want to present for your business."

Marketing Strategies For Writers is a bible for marketing. It is the type of book that should occupy the same space as the best writing books in a writer's collection. Sedge writes with humor, the earnestness of an excellent teacher trying to impart pearls of wisdom, and genuine compassion for the plight of writers everywhere. He gives writers hope with his abundant wisdom and optimism; and he prods and emphasizes with interesting tales of his own success.

Sedge is someone who should be listened to, as he has produced an incredible 2600 articles, several books, and tapes and scripts. His agency handles photography, marketing, writing, editing, and anything else that is required within the publishing field. He is truly the guru of marketing...and writing.

This is a super book. I work with writers every day- and this is the book I tell them to go buy. Every new writer needs this book. Congratulations- this book is fun and gives writers the information they need to know in today's marketplace. ...

Michael Sedge's latest book has only one purpose: To help you make a lot of money at writing. It is that simple, yet that outstanding. While other books on this topic are either broad overviews or blatant chest thumping, Marketing Strategies for Writers is neither. Sharing with the reader what has worked for him--and what hasn't--Sedge offers clear step by step advice. He also describes in detail how to make editors want YOU! Not just for writers, this book is an excellent reference for marketing in all fields. My wife runs a real-estate agency, and has bought a box of these books for her staff. Bound to be an instant classic. If you are serious about writing, this is the book for you.