Security Books

I have had a very difficult time setting this book down since I recieved it. If you have any interest in Astrology, you need to read this book! If you are interested in the events of 09/11/01, read this book!
Not until I received the book did I notice the long list of astrologers/authors involved in it's creation (Robert Hand and Johnathan Keyes get special mention as they are two of my favorite authors).
All I can say is "simply astounding, I love astrology".

This work is a terrific resource for anyone interested in understanding not only the astrological correspondences to 9/11/01, but also the implications for the economy and for the collective psyche. Essays are written by top-notch astrologers and are accompanied by maps and charts for illustration. Well worth reading!

The nature of the subject and the writing quality of the seven astrologers involved (the most famous being Robert Hand) make this a very unusual book. A very, very, very broad range of astrological and non-astrological perspectives are very carefully covered in this assessment of the terrorist attacks on America and some of the possible implications for all of us.

Astrologically the main emphasis is on interpretations of the charts of the events in September, together with related charts such as those of the United States, George W. Bush and, to some extent, Osama Bin Laden. Many other charts are also considered such as the World Trade Centre bombing in 1993 and the national chart for Israel. Interpretations of the Saturn-Pluto opposition transit through 2001 and 2002 receive particular attention throughout the book.

The astrology is continually placed in a broad context, with extensive considerations of the historical, political, and economical background to the attacks, together with similar perspectives on the consequences. Many questions are asked. Did the perpetrators use astrology? Did the terrorists intend to crash into the White House? Where do we go from here? Very occasionally some of the views appear rather fanciful, but overall this is superb stuff that does intelligent justice to modern astrology.

As I am sure with most folks, I felt a strong need to look for answers after 9/11. I have always looked to astrology as a focusing point in my life, to get guidance and answers, and was delighted to find a book with an astrological perspective on the tragic events of that day. It is written in a not too techinical way, very professionally done. The authors obviously are experts in their field. It looks at the major players, the city of NEw York, the Trade Towers, Bin Ladin, Rudy Giuliani, and analyzes their charts, and most importantly the interaction of their charts that lead up to the tragic events.
To summarize, I found this book extremely helpful on a number of levels.

Explore these powerful astrological evaluations of the causes and effects of the September 11th attacks. With a selection of readings from popular astrologers such as Robert Hand and Jonathan Keyes, you'll have the opportunity to look at these events from several perspectives. How were the charts of George W. Bush and the United States itself, impacted? What were the economic influences involved?

I particularly enjoyed the fact that every perspective wasn't devoted to the USA, corporate, we are the chosen children of capitalism viewpoint. Instead, we're treated to far more objective looks at the events (and the provocations) which led up to them.

Finally, we're shown a glimpse of what is to come. Offering some astrological probabilities of upcoming aspects, we are invited to see fresh possibilities and insights.

I enjoyed this book far more than I usually do, when several astrologers get together and caucus over the same bit of information. The repetition we may see only serves to reinforce particular ideas and the articles are woven together into a seamless and unified whole.

This book is really not much more than a long glossary. If you know very little about real estate then perhaps you could get some benefit from it. If you know what a FSBO or triple net lease is, then you can probably get by just fine without it. If you don't then you could google the terms pretty quickly.

The chapter on finding properties to buy makes repeated mention to homes rather than commercial real estate. Other tactics mentioned are contacting brokers, telling your friends you are looking, driving around looking for sale by owner (FSBO) property etc. Do you really need to spend money to be told this?

There is some material about what needs to go into the various contracts listed. Yes I think the author is correct the buyer, seller, price etc should probably be in there. Frankly anyone buying a commercial property would probably have an attorney smart enough to figure that out.

The subtitle of the book is "A Step by Step Road Map to Financial Wealth". That part of the book must have been missing in my copy. Beyond very general advice, there was nothing there.

Do yourself a favor. If you need background material find a different book. Then find a lawyer, lender, broker, and maybe an appraiser that specialize in what you are thinking of doing (in that order). Make an appointment to meet each of them for an hour or so and bring your questions. Some of them might be willing to talk to you for the price of a nice lunch and the possibility of doing business with you later. You might need to pay others for an hour of their time.

Please don't try to shortcut the process by only talking to one type of professional. They each have their specialty, limitations, and biases. As an example what a broker might consider a good deal, your lender might not want to touch. Your attorney might find a problem that could save you big OR might find a solution that gets you a great deal.

The idea behind talking to professional is simply to save time. They can give you a pretty good idea about how good of an idea you have. Paying a few hundred for good advice sure beats spending dozens if not hundreds of hours chasing after something that isn't going to work.

I gave it two stars instead of one because it is a fairly good glossary.

When a book claims to be "a step by step road map to financial wealth," one might raise a cynical eyebrow and move on. Doing so in the case of Steven D. Fisher's The Commercial Real Estate Investor's Handbook would be foolish. This is no get rich quick manual, however, and Fisher is clear to point out that winning in commercial real estate requires hard work, a determined effort, and the proper mindset.

Borrowing concepts espoused by wealth producing experts Napoleon Hill, Stephen R. Covey, Dale Carnegie and others, Fisher has created a powerful step-by-step commercial real estate guide by implementing classic self-improvement principles and applying them to a specific field.

Highlights include a mindset questionnaire, how to get started, career options in real estate, sources available, different types of financing, negotiating, and closing the deal. Unlike most real estate investment handbooks, Fisher explains how to manage the property after the purchase, and how to sell it down the road.

The ultimate question is whether or not an average person could take the information contained in The Commercial Real Estate Investor's Handbook and transact a profitable deal. If you're looking to invest in commercial real estate or are open to new methods of amassing wealth, I suggest you pick up the book, and find out for yourself. You'll be very pleased.

Before I started reading "The Commercial Real Estate Handbook for Investors," I tried to prepare myself for a "dry read". However, I was pleasantly surprised. The concepts and explanations are written in a crisp and conversational tone. The author also explains the buzz words in real estate and how it pertains to the bottom line of your investment strategy. This book has it all, from goal setting to definitions of real estate terms to sample emails that should be sent to keep a deal alive. Do yourself a favor and buy this book. The concepts are such that you can apply them to not only real estate but other types of business as well.

THE COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE INVESTOR'S HANDBOOK: A STEP-BY-STEP ROAD MAP TO FINANCIAL WEALTH is for any who would invest in a commercial building, whether it be a warehouse, apartment, shopping center, hotel or other type of commercial income property. Beginners receive tips on how to find deals, how to finance wisely, and how to make purchase offers, with many case history examples and tips on taxation and development included along with math calculations and sample forms. It's a 'must' for any collection catering to real estate readers.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Five of five stars! This book covers the risks and rewards of real estate investing, along with types of investments, the basics of getting started, factors affecting commercial real estate values, understanding real estate market psychology, sources of financing, finding profitable deals, and financing. In short, it covers everything a beginner would need or want to know before embarking on this type of investment.

That's not all it covers. There's also information about commercial real estate loan documents, an explanation of leases, negotiating purchase agreements, managing tenants, insurance, sale of commercial real estate properties, marketing real estate properties, and taxes. Two appendices include sample lease forms. A glossary is beneficial to beginners who haven't yet mastered real estate and investment terminology.

The Commercial Real Estate Investor's Handbook: A Step by Step Road Map to Financial Wealth is definitely not boring or dry. It's an interesting, practical and informative book that anyone considering real estate investing should invest in (no pun intended).

Despite all the fluctuations in the real estate market these days, buying a place of their own is still high on the list of priorities for many people. However, an increasing number of buyers are examining the advantages of shared housing space, as opposed to purchasing a house. Whether you're thinking about investing in a condo, townhouse or apartment for yourself or as an investment, first pick up a copy of Susan Smith Alvis' useful guide.

Alvis offers potential homeowners a better understanding of the difference between the different types of properties, and examines the benefits and drawbacks of shared housing. While some might prefer the greater degree of privacy provided by a single-family home, the alternative offers advantages such as low maintenance and a sense of community. But, Alvis notes, real estate professionals always say, "Location, location, location," for a good reason. Whether you're buying a condo, townhouse or apartment as a place to live or as a rental property, bear in mind that it is important to ask questions such as: Why is the property for sale? How many bedrooms and bathrooms does the place have? Is it close to schools, work, and shopping?

In addition to explaining important documents such as disclosure, and insurance forms, Alvis closes her book with an extensive glossary of property-related terms that are clearly defined. She also includes a financial table that will allow potential homeowners to calculate their monthly payments. So, before you buy, first invest in a copy of Alvis' valuable guide. She'll help you get the best value for your money.

Realtor turned author Susan Smith Alvis knows how to generate a profit-- and in her latest title, "The Complete Guide to Purchasing a Condo, Townhouse, or Apartment", she provides a no-holds-barred, handy reference aimed at maximizing your multi-family property investment dollars. Here, Alvis draws upon her considerable knowledge and "insider's" perspective to lay bare the complexities -- from shopping to closing-- of these unique transactions utilizing a deceptively simple, straightforward tone and format; while her expertise is apparent throughout each chapter, the book's major strength lies in its easy readability and common-sense advice. Another plus -- though it is primarily oriented toward the first-time investor, the author has devoted substantial material to the buyer intent on occupying a shared housing unit full-time. No consumer is excluded, and, indeed, it is a fair assertion that even the seasoned landlord will glean new and relevant information from this guide.

Clearly, the work is tailored to the conscientious buyer. As such, Alvis: defines -- in a logical, step-by-step fashion -- the differences between these specialty properties; illustrates: the necessary considerations based upon the buyer's goals; uncovers: the challenges specific to these structures via varied scenarios; and, more importantly, educates. And, in addition to her own hard-earned insights, this veteran real estate professional includes solid counsel and oft-unknown purchase tips from colleagues representing a cross-section of national markets. These tips -- all gems and presented in a fun, "classified case study" quote context -- outline realistic scenarios designed to navigate the prospective condo, townhouse, or apartment owner through unforeseen wrinkles and avoid potential pitfalls so as to culminate in a successful sale, regardless of occupancy or investment intent.

Ultimately, "The Complete Guide to Purchasing a Condo, Townhouse, or Apartment" is an invaluable reference for the homeowner or investor considering a shared housing unit(s) acquisition.

This book is ideal for people who have never bought a condo, townhouse, or apartment. Each type of property is defined, and myths about different properties are dispelled. The ideas are explained in straightforward language. It's full of useful caveats that revolve around such topics as upcoming assessments, homeowner's boards, restrictions, types of neighbors, and amenities. Quite a bit of the book is dedicated to discussion on the pros and cons of shared housing. There are also discussions on home warranties, subleases, lease options, and vacation homes. In the back are a glossary, appendices with checklists, and an index, so the book can serve as a resource for later use. The amortization schedules in appendix probably aren't necessary because you can find this information online, but it doesn't hurt to have them there because they're in an appendix, not in the text.

You would be surprised at the differences between purchasing a house and opting for a condo, apartment or townhouse! This guide totally demystifies the documents and the process, laying bare the restrictions (the plusses too!) associated with shared living. My own changing lifestyle necessitated a move from a house with all its trappings, to a townhouse complex, and at first my misgivings left me with an air of uncertainty as to what to expect. The invaluable information I found in this handy manual took me step by step through the process, covering areas I am sure would have been overlooked. Those important documents including clauses relating to disclosure statements and warranties, options and ordinances, became a lot less threatening after my virtual tour of the entire process through this exhaustive guide. I even found to my utter delight, a full amortization table based on 30 years, a glossary that simplified much of the industry terminology, sample condominium rules and regulations, and last but not least, a questionnaire that prompted me to think of issues which may have later resulted in pesky little problems. The Complete Guide was for me, a jewel of a find!

The author takes great pains to dispel those lingering myths about condo ownership. She does this in a light easy tone. The book has a good layout in an easy to read format. The chapters flow nicely into one another. The author has included some very interesting case studies and anecdotes provide by others in the Real Estate field.

The book is full of strong practical advice. It also pulls no punches, she makes it clear that condo townhome ownership is not for everyone. She makes sure to cover not only the good points but the bad ones as well, especially in the area of Homeowners Associations-she explains their importance and how to deal with them. All of this done in an easy friendly manner with a welcome touch of humor.

The book is an excellent checklist for anyone considering buying.

Wow - I had to have this book. They are right, he explains everything wrong with Oracle and all about vulnerabilities and exploits.

So, there I was. I was about to buy a new book and I really had to think hard about what to buy - after reading The Shellcoders Handbook, I was really interested in grabbing a copy of this book, in the end, that's exactly what I did.

I am happy with my decision to the fullest extent. Not only was it a great brother to The Shellcoders Handbook, but it was also just good reading in general. It covers seven of the most popular databases around, and each section of the book goes over it's history, it's flaws, how to propogate after a successful exploit, and finally how to lock down your database. You'd be suprised at how easily and how asinine some of the flaws found in database servers are - it's almost laughable, some of the flaws that many servers have been prone to are ridiculous.

The book, like it's brother, covers information that is somewhat dependent on context, but the general concepts you will see and learn are going to remain relevent to all types of research related to the topic at hand for a long time to come.

If you own the Shellcoders Handbook -- or even if you don't --, you should not at all miss on this, The Database Hacker's Handbook: Defending Database Servers is something security enthusiasts everywhere should have on their shelfs.

My review relates only to the Oracle chapters.

This is the first book to actually expose real Oracle hacks. Most security books are just glorified papers on Oracle security, written by people in grey suits with image consultants.

The real fun of this book is in the "Attacking Oracle" chapter. These guys gave the phrase "thinking outside of the box" real meaning. They look for a feature or bug open to the security attack, then they shake it until it breaks. You will see exploits of AUTHID, PL/SQL injections, app. server, dbms_sql.parse bug,... most of them relevant to 9i and 10g versions.

The hacks are mainly in the sections called "Real-World Examples". Most of the exploits are already patched by Oracle and they are also available on hacking forums, but there were some new ones that were quite a revelation.

The security recommendations in the "Securing Oracle" chapter were too general, you can probably find Internet white papers on hardening Oracle that give more details. But, this book is not really about hardening Oracle, even if it says "Defending Database Servers" with small, blue letters on the front cover. This book is about attacking database servers.

I have seen David Litchfield's previous work and I am sure he knows (and has tried) more than what is written here. Can we expect to see that in "The Hacker's Handbook" part II?

The Database Hacker's Handbook (TDHH) is unique for two reasons. First, it is written by experts who spend their lives breaking database systems. Their depth of knowledge is unparalleled. Second, TDHH addresses security for Oracle, IBM DB2, IBM Informix, Sybase ASE, MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server, and PostgreSQL. No other database security book discusses as many products. For this reason, TDHH merits four stars. If a second edition of the book addresses some of my later suggestions, five stars should be easy to achieve.

The first issue I would like to see addressed in a second edition of TDHH is the removal of the 60 pages of C code scattered throughout the book. The code is already provided on the publisher's Web site, and its appearance in a 500 page book adds little. The three pages of characters (that's the best way to describe it) on pages 313-315 in Ch 19 are really beyond what any person should be expected to type.

The second issue involves general presentation. Many chapters end abruptly with no conclusion or summary. Several times I thought "Is that it?" Chapters 2, 5, 7, 10, 13, 15, 18, 21 and 22 all end suddenly. The editor should have told the authors to end those chapters with summaries, as appear in other chapters. On a related note, some of the "chapters" are exceptionally short; Ch 9 and 12 are each 3 pages, for example. Chapters that short are an indication the book is not organized well.

The final issue involves discussion of various databases. I preferred the "Hacking Exposed" style of the 2003 book SQL Server Security, which included Dave Litchfield and Bill Grindlay as co-authors. That book spent more time introducing the fundamentals of database functions before explaining how to break them. For example, more background on PL/SQL would be helpful. With 60 pages of code removed, that leaves plenty of room for such discussion in the second edition.

On the positive side, I thought TDHH started strong with Ch 1. The Oracle security advice was very strong. I thought the time delay tactic for extracting bit-by-bit information from the database was also exceptionally clever.

Although I have not read it, I believe Implementing Database Security and Auditing by Ron Ben Natan might be a good complement to TDHH. Natan's book appears to take a functional approach, whereas TDHH takes a product-specific approach. The drawback of the product-centric approach is repetition of general security advice, such as enabling encryption, disabling default accounts, etc.

At the end of the day TDHH is still a revealing and powerful book. Anyone responsible for database security should refer to the sections of the book covering their database. I also recommend keeping an eye on the Next Generation Security Software Web site for the latest on database security issues. You should also see the authors speak at security conferences whenever possible.

David Litchfield is arguably the foremost expert and evangelist when it comes to database security. He, and his team of compatriots from Next Generation Security Software, have written a book that any database or security administrator should be familiar with.

Even if some of the attacks or exploits described in the book were previously obscure or unknown, the fact that they have been outlined in this book means that administrators need to know about them and defend against them before the "bad guys" read this book and take advantage of them.

One of the best aspects of this book is the way it is organized. Splitting the book into sections devoted to specific database systems makes it exceptionally simple and convenient to use. If you only use MySQL, you can skip all of the information regarding Oracle or Microsoft SQL Server, and just focus on the section of the book that applies to you.

Within each section, the authors provide a tremendous wealth of knowledge. Aside from describing weaknesses, potential exploits and protective measures to defend against them, they also look at the general architecture and the methods of authentication used by the database.

Any database admin should have a copy of this on their desk.

This book provides a great overview of simple DT moves and how to employ them. I found it to be easy to read and follow along with the instructions. The pictures in the text were clear and understandable and matched the descriptions given in the text. I enjoyed the text very much and thought it was a good book.

Highly recommended manual not just for law enforcement officers but also for martial artist too!

Kane really provides an outstanding review here, so I am in a sense writing to "pile on" the accolades hoping to increase sales for this book. It is, without a doubt, the epitome in the Defensive Tactics milieu. Loren Christensen's body of work really speaks for itself, but to those who are unfamiliar, he is one of the foremost experts in the world, providing street experience with analytical study to provide a text that is comprehensive as a text can possibly be while still providing the basic information without losing the targeted audience.

I remember when I started out as a DT instructor in the early 90s. Essentially, my unit knew I was a black belt and said "you can teach this stuff, why hire someone or send officers to an expensive seminar." Cocky as I was, I said, "Sure." Soon, I found myself going to seminar after seminar to prepare myself to teach because I discovered after my first DT class I was inadequacy prepared to teach DT. This led me to become an expert in the field myself (although it has been awhile since I taught a course). I wish this book had been around back then, it would have saved me some seminar fees. I must also say that my sensei is also one of the foremost experts in the field and I also was able to "pick his brain."

This book will help first time instructors as well as police officers preparing to enter a course or refresher course. Further, to any police (or possible) recruit - get the book and prepare yourself before entering the academy. Further, those entering security force career fields with the military should also get this fine text.

The book covers everything from controlling breathing, fear, adrenaline, to employing restraint and beyond. If you are a DT instructor or a police officer, get the book now - don't delay.

In the hustle and bustle of day to day life how often do we get to train? For most of us time is a scarce commodity, with little to spare. With such little time left over for training and the lack of frequency to keep our razor edge sharp, the majority of us walk around dulled, maybe even rusty. Don't be fooled by confidence or pride, it is that razor sharp edge that can make all the difference.

So with such little time to spare, Defensive Tactics fits the bill. The book itself was an easy read, enjoyable and well laid out, and explained things very clearly. Two things about this book really stood out at me. First, the surprising number of photos; I can't remember another book at this value having so many pictures. It was like having a step by step guide to each technique. The second was Loren's voice, as I read the book it was as if I could here Loren speaking to me. Each chapter was laid out clearly, and was simple and to the point. Long-winded explanations were saved for another day or book quite possibly.

This is a book that I have recommended to my own friends and colleagues, and would suggest for anyone who wants to improve their skills. There is something new for every level of skill and can be used as great aid in training. I see this book as another great effort by Loren to keep all his readers sharp and ready for action.

Dave

I don't throw that claim around lightly. I've been an police academy DT instructor, have a second degree black belt in karate and have been doing BJJ for several years now. Loren dosen't present anything new in this book, instead he takes all the things were taught in the academy and teaches it the right way. I like most cops have little faith in joint locks and come alongs and the like because they never seemed to work. Loren shows all the fine details that we were never taught, Easy details that were missed because most academy DT instructors are nothing but 40 hour wonders.

The way Loren shows the techniques are very easy to translate into your own practice but make no mistake about it you still have to practice these moves and Loren constantly reinforces that. That actually is the best part of this book is that Loren's delivery is very common sense oriented and often humorous. Psrt of my own teaching style I have developed by emulating Loren's techniques in his other books.

My only contribution is that the ground fighting section is a great section but as someone who does it weekly I can say with the utmost confidence that you really need professional instruction in that to do it right. The author of that section for instance demonstrates the "hip away" or shrimping as it is known. That is a great technique but I can't stress enough the need to put your duty rig on including your radio and then try the hip away on concrete or the grass. The common hip slide on the mat will not work as your gun and radio act as anchors. You have to learn to modify the technique.

In closing this book offers simple, effective and task specific techniques that one can use to supplement their own martial arts training. The book is briskly paced and laid out in a simple logicial manner that makes it fit great in my training bag so that I can have it on hand to reference it.

Been looking for a good book on point & figure - this is it - great production - step by step guide - every detail covered - a masterpiece - sure has improved my trading and understanding of the method - 100% recommended

I have yet to trade the systems outlined in this book, but I can honestly say in advance, that this book will enhance my trading and investing by orders of magnitude. This is an extremely well-written book, that is extremely simple to read, and has outstanding examples that pound its principles home. I am going to read it a 2nd time, before embarking on the use of some of its trading mechanisms, but never before have I read book of such diligence, and felt as confident about its use, as I have with this book. I wish I could shake hands with its author !

Highly, highly recommended, if you are interested in learning about P&F, or reviewing its concepts.

All you need to know, all you want to know. Written for easy understanding. This book needs to be on every investors book shelf. Clear out some of that junk and make a place for this one. Besure it's easy to reach you will be refering to it a lot. I really liked the printing and binding made for years of use and referance.

This book is written a bit like a textbook with lots of great examples and sample problems you can work through. Takes you through the history, construction techniques, and principles behind point and figure charting. The writing is clear, the author anticipates most likely misunderstandings and proactively heads them off as they arise. What I feared would be a dry treatment is surprisingly readable, even enjoyable.

This has fast become my favorite Point and Figure technical book. It is easy to read, concise in its explanations and definitions, has plenty of clear examples, doesn't waste time with non-essential storytelling. Depth and range of topics is excellent. This book is worth adding to your personal library.

As an MBA student at Kellogg School, I find this book is concise and easy to read. It also teaches me the intuition in derivatives and asset pricing. As it has both basic and advanced material, it can be used as a reference book as well.

I have used this book as text for my final year undergraduates majoring in Finance and the response is great ! The students love it as the writing is clear and most chapters provide enough working examples for independent learning. The mathematical portions in this text are very crucial for understanding derivatives and this is where i think the author scores highly, given his background from MIT !

The later chapters (Chapter 15 onwards) in Part 4 and 5 are more advanced and more suitable for postgraduate studies, which i would love to explore more but unfortunately did not have much time to explore as an undergraduate lecturer.

I was recommended this text book by the study material I was using to prepare the acturial exam FM. Then I came to check this book here and I found out that the price here is way too much higher. With this price, you can buy both the text book and its solution mannual in Actex Mad River with free UPS shipping. Hope this will help.

As financial instruments become ever more complex, McDonald's book gives a systematic treatment of the most common forms of derivatives. Providing a unified etymology that can help you understand how they work.

He groups options (puts and calls) with forward contracts like zero coupon bonds. Through numerous simple payoff graphs, as well as explanatory accompanying text, the ideas are easily grasped. The book starts with these ideas in its early chapters. Then it builds on them, to illustrate associated and often more elaborate constructs, as in insurance strategies for hedging.

Nor is the discussion confined to minimising one's risk. There is an alternative method, of deliberately speculating on volatility, for example.

The modelling of futures and options pricing is dealt with in detail. Including the seminal Black-Scholes formula and related analysis. The assumptions behind Black-Scholes are examined in detail, given the crucial influence of this on many types of pricing. The treatment gets rather advanced, invoking ideas like Monte Carlo simulations of stock prices.

The text is well suited for a graduate program in finance.

The cover and page quality make this book a joy to read compared to other derivatives texts on the market.

Even more important, Dr. McDonald's writing is clear and logical. His theory is current and well laid-out. Compared to Hull it has more PDE's and sound theory. Compared to still other derivatives texts, Dr. McDonald gives more applications to supplement the theory.

If I could only recommend one derivatives texts to students and practitioners needing a thorough overview of the market, this would be the one.

Tragic book, very well written. I suspect all of it is true. If 10% is true, people who care about America need to tell our leaders that things must change now. We must respect the rights of people we have in custody, whether they are Americans, Iraqis, or people without a country. Our leaders have embarrassed our country by doing the things outlined here. Respect for human rights should be our starting point.

In vivid, engaging prose uncommon among attorney authors, Clive Stafford Smith offers a startling first-hand account of America's most well-known gulag: the prison camps at Guantanamo Bay. Smith's volume places the U.S. Government's hypocrisy in the Bush II era on full display, with the prisoners there -- very few of whom, it appears, guilty of any crime at all (let alone legitimate involvement in Islamist terrorism) -- tragic protagonists in a prolonged tour through hell. Despite assiduous compliance with strict military classification and censorship requirements, Smith gives a stark account of torture, rendition, legal tricks, and a relentless war on due process -- by the same folks supposedly spreading "democracy" to the Middle East. With new precision details and personal prisoner histories, Smith's book is shocking even to those who never believed the news coverage. Read it with anger; the outrage is still going on.

If you haven't read Robert Conquest's seminal work The Great Terror about the purges, the show trials, law, and justice under Stalin, you might want to consider reading that first. Perhaps visit the Amazon site which has a quote from Harrison Salisbury saying the book is "an odyssey of madness, tragedy, and sadism". Then read Smith's eloquent book. Much is different, of course, but there is a lot that seems eerily similar. In Russia it was a crime to be suspected of anti-Soviet activities. This did not mean that you were actually guilty of such activities--it just meant that someone thought you might possibly be guilty, and being thought possibly guilty was a crime in itself, worthy of torture, a one-way trip to the cellars, or death in the labor camps. Evidence of guilt seemed to take a back seat to suspicion of guilt. Then read Smith's book.

The Russian show trials were carefully scripted, and designed to give the mostly leftist press in attendance and the rest of the world through media coverage the impression that the rules of law were being followed and that justice was indeed being carried out. Much of the world wanted to believe that the deviationist wreckers were truly guilty and deserved the ultimate punishment for trying to sabotage the workers' paradise. Reading Smith's book will show that the Stalinists were not the only ones who loved carefully scripted show trials before handpicked judges.

There is, as I've said, much that is different. In Russia, a popular sentence was "exile, without right of communication", a hypocritical euphemism for being shot in the cellars. In Guantanamo, as you'll see in the book, "detention, without right of communication", is not a sentence from a judge at a two-minute hearing, as in Russia. The criminal isn't taken to the cellars and shot, at least not at Guantanamo. Prior to some Supreme Court decisions, a prisoner could be held without right of communication for the duration of the war on terror, and since terrorism has been going on for thousands of years, there is no reason to think that many of the prisoners would have ever had a hearing or seen a lawyer for the rest of their life.

In Russia, family members could wait in long lines outside the Butyrka and other prisons with packages of food and clothing for their loved ones: if the package was accepted, it meant the spouse, brother, etc, was still alive there. If refused, they had been taken to the cellars or sent to a labor camp. No such bleeding-heart tenderness at Guantanamo.

Smith's book shows that there are some truly dangerous prisoners at Guantanamo--but there are too many who were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. 11-year-old boys, 93-year-old men, goatherders (how do you prove that while herding goats you didn't meet with Bin Laden?),etc. Pakistan was happy to show it was doing its part in the war on terror by turning in Arabs and collecting nice bounties no questions asked. Kafka's novel The Trial is appropriate reading here. In Russia, the populace, as a whole, heartily endorsed Stalin's war on the wrecker saboteurs: someone, after all, must be to blame for all the problems, and an alternative obvious source to blame was not conducive to good health and long life. The people were not concerned about the rights of the accused, or legal niceties. In America, there is not widespread concern about legal niceties for a bunch of Moslems in Guantanamo and other places of detention. So if you read Smith's book, you'll find it quite depressing, especially if you've read The Great Terror. There's too much in Smith's book that most of us would prefer not to hear about or think about: we'd rather turn on the TV and see Happy News or a nice patriotic CSI TV show or something. It's a fine book, but not a fun one.

Imagine that you have been swept away to a prison, kept in solitary confinement and when taken out for questioning you are continually asked about the tomatoes you were carrying ( the translators don't always have a full command of dialects )and you have no idea what your interrogators want or if they are totally insane. Because this book is written from a lawyer's point of view and lays out only the facts ( only what he has been able to ascertain and what he is allowed to make known ) it takes some reflection and imagination to put yourself in the place of the detainees and savour the experience that they have had and continue to have.
In other words this isn't "Midnight Express", but a look at guantanamo, its rules, the U.S. military, the stories of a few of the detainees and the constitutional and humanitarian issues involved.

From various newspaper articles, I had heard that many of the people in Guantanamo Bay were innocent and that torture happens there. But all of that seemed very abstract until I read this book. I was frequently upset by the things I read in this book. It is difficult to read about torture, as well as your own goverment's ability to waste time, tax-payer money and other people's lives for information that bears no fruit, or worse, fruit that meets their pre-conceived notions. I think that is the saddest aspect of reading this book. Why is the government still detaining people for which there is hard evidence of their innocence? How can we be spending bllions of $$ on the war on terror, yet not get the detainees' ages and names correct?

Highlights of the book:

- How politically-charged the words 'terror' and 'torture' are.
- The account of Binyam Mohamed's 18-month torture abroad and his military trial.
- The discussion of the 'ticking time bomb' scenario, which is often used to justify torture, and why the detention and torture of people held longer than a day, let alone 3+ years, will likely give obsolete or false information.
- The discussion of how the US has given far more dangerous enemies of the past the benefit of a public trial, and our part in ensuring fair trials for Nazi war crime criminals.
- Portraits of people in Guantanamo, both detainess and Americans stationed there.
- Arguments for fair trials and open society versus the current policy of secrecy, torture and secret prisons, even for the baddest of the bad.

The last chapter, where Mr. Smith talks about the effect of the US's decisions on terrorism recruitment, reads more like political rant. I am sympathetic to the argument, but it is speculation. And frankly, not needed. The preceding chapters are powerful on their own. I would encourage people to read this book.

As a data warehouse practitioner for over 12 years, I was recently challenged at my current employer to help assemble a global data quality team and process. Having done much of the work before on a piecemeal basis, we made steady progress.

When I received my copy of "Enterprise Knowledge Management," I found two important things:
1. We were definitely on the right track, and
2. There were some things we had missed.

David Loshin has put together an excellent field guide to all aspects of data quality. It is very easy to understand, and contains practical, effective suggestions. Most importantly, it is a true "soup to nuts" guide to data quality. There is very little that you might need to improve your company's "knowledge quotient" that you will not find here.

I have heartily recommended this book to a number of people when asked about data warehousing and data quality. You'll not find a better handbook anywhere.

David has written an excellent data quality book. He focuses on a real works around data quality. He presents a practical approaches how to solve a different types of quality defects and also pointed out main quality principles. But reader must think how to apply mentioned principles and approaches in reader's organization.

Simply, good reading with application on a real cases.

At the time the book was published I worked as a data quality manager at the New Zealand Ministry of Health focusing on the implementation of the Data Quality Strategy for National Health Databases. It was a great help for us. We've implemented many of David Loshin's principles. Most importantly it helped us to understand that the majority of our DQ problems were not due to the poor data management processes, but because of the inadequate system's design or poor data model, which was either conceptually or contextually incorrect, incomplete or inaccurate.

Most of the literature on Data Quality focuses on the challenges of creating and maintaining a data warehouse. Thankfully, for those of us trying to improve the integrity of the information in our OLTP databases, this book presents a methodology which is not specific to any one data environment.

This book is packed with lists of cases to consider for each step of the methodology. Each case is nicely documented. Actually, much of the book is taken filled with the documentation for each case, which may cause a person to lose sight of the methodology that is being presented.

I am person who prefers to learn concepts. I am not as interested in memorizing details. Hence, I would read this book, skipping most of the documentation in the lists, instead focusing on understanding the methodology. Thereafter, I would use this book as a reference when needing information on a particular step of the methodology.

While I am not a technical person, this booked helped me enormously to understand the management issues that surround data quality. In today's world, I am shocked that more companies are not using this approach to save massive sums of money. This book has given me the tools to do so within my company. I highly recommend it!

I read this on a flight overseas. It helped me to understand what I've been doing wrong over the past few years. As a doctor I have very little time to commit to investing however this was without a doubt one of the most useful and practical books I've ever read on investing. I only wish I'd gotten it sooner, it would have stopped me from making a lot of mistakes! Easy to apply and gave me some real peace of mind.

This book was easy to follow. Fun and insightful. Unlike most investment books its not just a dictionary of investment terms it actually taught me how it all works. I learnt so much about investing, and myself. It was flat out great. I have been investing for some time but this showed me what I was doing wrong. I'm sending it to my kids in college so they get an early start.

Gave this to a client who wanted to be more knowledgeable about basic investing. She spent the weekend working through the book, and called to say it's the best book she's ever read. She said she placed it beside her Bible as her second most important book for her family!

Two thumbs up! Finding an investment book that actually makes sense to me is a rarity. This might actually be the first that actually helps me make money. I would recommend it to any investor, not just the neophytes. It is written in an easy-to-read fashion, but is jam packed with information that anyone can use. In fact, I'm going to give it to everyone I know as a Christmas present. This is the best book I've read all year. Buy it. Read it. Use it.

I read this book to see if I could get more out of it than I was getting at my college investments class. It actually helped me to understand the concepts the complicated text books included. As a student I can see this book being very useful to anybody learning about investing. The graphical depictions are awesome. Really interesting and practical, I'm sending this to my Mom to help her out. Now all I need is some money to do it with!