Robots Books

Every 'Valdemar' book I've immersed myself in has taken me to a wonderful world that I wish really existed.

Kerowyn, like her grandmother before her, is a strong woman, but still very much a woman, as her attraction to a certain Herald shows. She is also a woman not led around by her hormones (Thank goodness.)

A book that should be recommended to all teen and pre-teen girls as a role model.

One of the Valdemar series by Mercedes Lackey, this is the story of Kerowyn, why she became 'famous,' and how she became one of the Heralds of Valdemar. I am a big fan of Lackey's Valdemar stories, good versus evil with the use of a little mind magic and some very hard work. I think a teenager would like these stories if they would read long enough to get 'into' the story. I high recommend this series.

By The Sword is part of the world of Valdemar which Mercedes Lackey has fleshed out and detailed over many novels. This one is not actually a part of the series but it is connected to the series that precede it and it lays the groundwork for some of the stories that evolve after it.

In essence, this book is the story of Kerowyn and her life and development from the age of 16 until she approaches 40. Kerowyn is a very appealing character. She is a very strong woman who has significant skills that are typically not encouraged in the somewhat archaic world that she inhabits. She is the daughter of a minor noble so the world expects her to be married off to some other minor noble to breed children and act as the hostess of the manor. Unfortunately - or fortunately for this story - Kerowyn has no interest in that kind of life. Kero (as she prefers to be called) is a high spirited woman who has her own mind and logic about how things should be and seeks to be appreciated for who she is. The manor-lady role is not for her!

The story starts as Kero is running the kitchen in her father's household which is celebrating the upcoming nuptials of Kero's brother and his chosen bride. While the feast is going on, a band of bandits, led by a mage, attacks the keep, kidnaps the bride, kills her father, and disables all the males who are part of the party. Kero takes it upon herself to ride after the kidnappers and retrieve the bride. To do this she needs help and so she turns to her grandmother who is known to be a mage and was a mercenary band captain for help. We are now given the first magical item that will figure prominently in this story and several others in the future. Needless to say, Kero succeeds in her quest of saving her brother's bride.

Just like in real life though, being successful in a task that you are not even expected to attempt leads to both good and bad things. The good is that the wedding can proceed; The bad is that no one is willing to deal with this strange being (Kero) who did something that many men would have failed at! So, Kero decides to leave her life behind and moves in permanently with her grandmother and her friend who train her for the life of a mercenary.

A new complication arises here as Kero is paired up with the younger brother of the heir to the throne in her land. Darren is sent to Kero's grandmother for similar training as he will likely become that country's army commander in the future. As the two teenagers learn the basics of fighting, they also manage to explore each other's other feelings - and they also explore the meaning of lust and love. After three years together, Darren is recalled to the capital following his father's death, and Kero goes off to seek her fortune.

The next portion of the book details Kero's experiences as a mercenary and briefly chronicles her movement through the ranks and ends with her taking command of the company and running it successfully for ten years. A main feature of the early part of this portion is that Kero meets up with a Herald of Valdemar, rescues him from the Karsites, falls in love with him, and has to give him up to ensure his rescue.

In the final portion of the book, Kero takes her mercenaries to Valdemar to assist in the fight against Ancar. This portion ties all the disparate parts together as Kero gets to meet Talia - the Queen's Own Herald; Queen Selenay; and more Companions. It is no surprise that the book ends with her remaining in Valdemar but I will not divulge the various plot twists and turns so you can enjoy them yourselves!

It is easy to see that Kerowyn's story is the story of any strong-willed and capable woman who has succeeded despite the normal "conventions" of what a woman's place in the world is. Despite the thin veneer of a fantasy, sword and sorcery kind of world, Kero is determined to be judged based on her merits and accomplishments and she succeeds in her chosen career. The story details the struggles that ensue because of this and lays out how she juggles her career, her loves, and her positions with her family and others. It is a very positive story as Kero manages to get all she wants in the end, but the struggles she goes through are a fascinating read.

The story is also skillfully interwoven into the Valdemar storyline. Kero meets some characters that were featured in earlier Valdemar series' like Talia, Selenay, Dirk, and Elspeth. Kero introduces some plot points that will obviously be addressed in future tales from Valdemar like Selenay's marital status and the magical sword Need. While this is quite a good standalone story and book, it is clearly part of the Valdemar storyline and should be read as part of that sequence.

The story telling is at times fast and furious and at times slow as molasses. For the most part this was good as major personality developmental points deserve a very slow and methodical treatment. About the only complaint I have along these lines is that Lackey employs the internal dialog device far too frequently with Kero. It was not necessary, in my opinion, to constantly have her describe her internal debates and thoughts. I highly recommend this book!

One of her best, and a nice long book to boot. While she does get bogged down in some typical Lackey weaknesses (excessive internal dialogue, for one) the action keeps coming and the central character, Kerowyn, goes through a great deal of realistic personal growth.
I read this around the same time that I read the Paksenarrion series by Elizabeth Moon (also fantasy featuring a female mercenary soldier), and wondered if Lackey had been inspired by Moon. Moon does it better, thanks to her own military background, but Lackey deals inventively with her fantasy world and the ways in which magic can aid soldiers in their daily endeavors.

I have read just about every book Mercedes Lackey has written about Valdemar and the Heralds. It isn't possible for her to write too many of these tales. And the more she writes, the better the story becomes. There is such a richness of detail that you feel you are right there in the story. When you put the book down, you still wish you were there and can't wait to find out what happens next.
Kerowyn's Tale is just one more piece of the wonderful puzzle that is Valdemar and all the surrounding countries and cultures.

I gave this book as a birthday present to my boyfriend, who is a lover of vintage robots. He was thrilled with the book! Lots of great pictures and interesting bits of information. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys in robots or vintage toys, either as a serious collector or just someone with a general interest.

As the author of ZAP! Ray Gun Classics, I've looked at a LOT of books on vintage space toys and in my opinion this is the very best one. The diversity of items, production values, factual information and other comments are all superb. I return to this book whenever I need a space toy "nostalgia fix" and I always seem to find something new. No vintage space toy collection should be without it.

More than merely a definitive catalogue of the subject, Blast Off is a socio-historical journey. Toys offer provide the prism through which the authors examine fascinating sociological phenomenon. Make no mistake this is the definitive book for this topic, but it becomes a tour de force by examining the history, economics, and sociology implied by these fascinating products from our recent past.

More than merely a definitive catalogue of the subject, Blast Off is a socio-historical journey. Toys offer provide the prism through which the authors examine fascinating sociological phenomenon. Make no mistake this is the definitive book for this topic, but it becomes a tour de force by examining the history, economics, and sociology implied by these fascinating products from our recent past.

Blast Off! is a fun and fascinating read for any fan of science fiction, space toys, or comic books. It's a beautiful coffee table-sized book with sexy images of robots, ray guns, and toys of all types that make you feel nostalgic even if you don't remember these toys from the first time around.

This book offers a history of "in the know" type stories about specific toys and the personalities who created and purchased them. There's the Buck Rogers XZ-31 rocket pistol that led Macy's and Gimbels into their most vicious price war ever, dropping prices by the hour to support the most successful toy promotion the world had ever seen. And there's the collector Bob Lesser who pays double the sticker price to win dealer loyalty. And there's a never-been-published story of the untimely death of Flash Gordon creator Alex Raymond. Plus the authors offer insight into how toys have affected history, entertainment, and the space program.

If you're a fan of Buck Rogers like I am, you should also check out Blast Off! author S. Mark Young's interviews with Erin Grey in Filmfax (Oct/Nov 2002 and Feb/Mar 2003) for a sensitive rendering of a sensational story.

I bought three books to teach myself how to produce DVDs. The Erica Sadun book is for advanced users and was not helpful to me. The Bob LeVitus "Little iDVD Book" is probably one of the most poorly organized and edited books I've ever come across on any subject.

Pogue's "Missing Manual", on the other hand, is comprehensive, clear and well-organized. I've produced about half a dozen DVDs since reading (and re-reading) Pogue's book and it clearly made a huge difference in what I was able to construct using iDVD.

In my opinion, this is the only book you need to read to learn how to produce movies using iDVD.

Beyond teaching readers to work with iDVD, Pogue also offers loads of helpful suggestions about editing in general. This book is outstanding.

I love this book! I was ready to give up trying to use iMovie because of a small glitch that was incurring. After browsing thru the book the very first time I opened it, I came across the trouble I was having with iMovie. Mr. Pogue directed me to the correct settings and I am now having a great time editing my DV movies.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone attempting to use iMovie. There is so much more to this program than Apple addresses in the help file. Mr. Pogue's writing is concise but not out of reach for the average Mac user.

I have many books by Mr. Pogue and I would recommend any of them if you are stumped and need a well explained how-to-manuel.

Can it get any simpler !! ha ha ha ha ha
I found this book to be extremely informative and easy to understand (especially since i am yet to purchace a mac and digital video cammera ).. I will have no hesitation now to go out and purchase a Mac and a Digital cammera .. and feel confident making my first feature film or "Home Movie " LOL

It's OK. It has about the same amount of material as the "iMovie 2 for Macintosh Visual Quickstart Guide" - The missing manual is fatter because it contains additional stories and things that a reader might find amusing, but that are not particular relevant to the topic. The section on movie making basics is very good. For an expanded view see "The Five C's of Cinematography". I thought I would find more information in this book since it is fatter than in the VQG, but it ended up that they are about even in content.

First I have to give props to David Pogue and his Missing Manual series. As a bookseller and computer geek I've long favored the Dummies books as the best entry-level source for third-party information on software. However, O'Reilly made a smart move when they turned their attention on that market and grabbed Dummies standby Pogue to headline the new series. The Missing Manuals (and their mutant-dogcow mascot) are a credit to O'Reilly and a must-have... assuming, that is, that they cover the program you need. The series is still too small, but I'm sure it won't stay that way.

Now, to the book itself. If you need to do something with iMovie, it's in there. That pretty much covers what I need to say in this review, but it doesn't cover everything the book has to offer. Remember back in the 80s when the Mac made desktop publishing a reality, only to unleash a torrent of wretchedly amateurish graphic design? Well, Pogue spends much of the first couple of chapters attempting to prevent that from happening. This book starts off with a very basic primer on video production and how to use your equipment -- assumed to be a typical consumer-grade MiniDV camcorder, but it covers other options as well, particularly video bridges and the like.

The meat of the book discusses iMovie 2's capabilities, including discussions of its weaknesses and how to work around them. Effects, titles, and transitions are discussed in detail, including some useful information on crossfades (never fade straight to black -- instead, you want a black stillframe). Conversion to other formats is also an issue, and a significant part of the book discusses postproduction using QuickTime Pro. Directions are given for converting your work for DVD or VCD as well.

The issue I have with the book is largely its focus on iMovie in MacOS Classic, and the bugs that are present in that version that might not be in the OS X version. Screenshots all come from 9.x, with the only Aqua material being the interface of iMovie itself. I don't mark down for this since the program operates more or less the same, but an inexperienced user may have trouble. (I might note as well that the book works just as well for iMovie 3, which has a superficially different interface but handles more or less identically.)

So, yeah. If you're doing video production on iMovie, this is the book to get, hands down.

As a child of the 60's growing up in England, I was exposed to a lot of American popular culture and toys.
"Major Matt Mason" and "Zeroids" were some of my favourites. This book gives me an excellent reminder not only of what I had, but also stuff I never saw or even knew existed!
This book is well produced with magnificent colourful photos, but they are let down a little by the matte paper used for the pages that dulls their brilliance. Also, some images suffer from "the jaggies" caused by low resolution of the originals.
Likewise, the layout and text is often jumbled and there are some annoying factual errors.
Also, if the author had a rudimentary knowledge of 50's Hollywood monsters he would have recognised the inspiration for many of the Colorforms Outer Space Men.
Apart from these minor annoyances, this is the book I have been waiting for, for almost fourty years!
"Space Toys of the 60's" is worth every cent, even if only for the photos of the magnificent package and box art!
Those colourful boxes are always the first thing to be discarded by young hands too eager for adventure in space!

This oversized, full color paperback is not a glossy coffee table book. Neither is it a collector's price guide. Instead it's an impassioned and informative discussion of three collectible toy lines: Major Matt Mason (Mattell's Man in Space), Colorforms aliens and my favorite, Ideal's Mighty Zeroids.

I read and learned a lot about the other two toy lines, but I used this book when buying a Zintar Zeroid on E-Bay (for only thirty times the original price of $5, which shows how rare they are). Before that I read the book over and over, looking at the photos and dioramas from catalogs. Gillam even includes pre-release pictures from wholesale toy guides of what these toys might have looked like, as well as extensive photos of alternate versions.

Interest in Matt Mason has never flagged, and Zeroids are once again coming into their own in the world of retro toys (see the Zeroid movie link under Robot Links at alivingdog.com). They represented a high point in Ideal's Motorific line of cars and later boats and cleverly ran on the same replaceable motor. Anyone interested in these three lines, or the history of toys, or just taking a trip down memory lane will enjoy this inexpensive and captivating book.

I bought this book on ebay from the author and I am very happy with it. It is loaded with pictures of each space toy and has nice text. Some toys are shown in their original package. Best book I have bought in a long while.

A Collector's Guide to Major Matt Mason, Mighty Zeroid Robots and Colorforms Outer Space Men. Veteran collector and author James Gillam details the story of toys inspired by NASA ventures into space.

SPACE TOYS OF THE 60's could have been the Major Matt Mason collector's dream come true. However, be warned that the quality of the paper and the image quality of the photos is not very good. I wish the publisher had done a much better job and creating some high quality images that I would want to look at over and over again. Looking at these pictures, as a substitute for expanding my collection, is not fullfilling.

All in all though, being the ONLY book out there right now with any information on Major Matt Mason, this is a pretty good book. At leaset it has photos of all of Mattel's Major Matt Mason - Man in Space figures, vehicles and buildings with detailed descriptions, construction and instruction sheets, product catalogs, collector's reminiscences, prototype information, and company histories.

If you can find a used copy for around $5 it's worth adding to the library as a reference.

...than this "Time Machine" that Mr. Gillam has produced. He left no stone unturned. Covered ALL details and variations very thoroughly. I discovered 3 OUTER SPACE MEN in my attic and a Scorpio in my basement. When I was looking for a reference guide to these 60's Spacemen, I coincidentally saw "SPACE TOYS OF THE 60's" on EBay. I said it, you'll say it: "That's how I would have done it!"

I haven't read this book in long time.As a matter of fact I think it was one of,if not,the first book I ever read.I was lead to it because of the star wars androids.Do you remember the rock'em sock'em robots?HA HA!I couldn't have been mabye 10 years old.I'm 31 now and I still remember this book.It's kinda funny.I'm here because I was attempting to find the book to read in the library here in okinawa,camp kinser.I am currantly reading the book I,robot by isaac asimov.I feel good about complimenting this book it has served me well. I appreciate this opportunity.

I haven't read this book in long time.As a matter of fact I think it was one of,if not,the first book I ever read.I was lead to it because of the star wars androids.Do you remember the rock'em sock'em robots?HA HA!I couldn't have been mabye 10 years old.I'm 31 now and I still remember this book.It's kinda funny.I'm here because I was attempting to find the book to read in the library here in okinawa,camp kinser.I am currantly reading the book I,robot by isaac asimov.I feel good about complimenting this book I appreciate this opportunity.

I read this book when I was about 10 years old, and I'm sure that I wore that copy out re-reading, and re-reading it! What a terrific, timeless, science fiction classic! If you can get your hands on this book and you love juvenile science fiction, I don't hesitate to recommend this one!

My parents gave me a copy of this book for my eighth birthday, and I still have it. A wonderful book for anyone, and a great book for children. I'm surprised it's not on the Newberry list.

It's no secret that some of the best books are written for kids and teens. Baby Boomers will fondly remember Scholastic Book Services before they were a mainstream publisher, and little four page weekly reader newspapers that were passed out in class. Books cost about 50 cents and you'd order them together as a class. What a great stake in classroom reading, how fun to take home your books from class, and how different than a $30 Harry Potter hardback. And what great books they were: Encyclopedia Brown, The Amazing Adventures of Alvin Fernald (part of which showed up on TV), Danny Dunn and the Homework Machine (predating PCs) are a few that come to mind. The Runaway Robot was a classic among classics, penned by golden age sci-fi author Lester Del Rey, and now collectible for it's space-theme cover. These are only a few of the great books modern librarians cycled out of libraries in their continuing war on the imagination. But until someone reprints gems like these, my advice is order yours used, and discover this long- lost classic. You'll be glad you did.

This is a short book, so I only anticipated a rudimentary overview and basic instructions on creating podcasts for a novice. I was pleased to find a good range of information, mostly for people who have had some experience with digital audio and content syndication.

The book is essentially a catalogue of all things related to podcasting. It compares everything from podcatcher software, microphones and headphones, audio editing programs, distribution methods, and all things in between. It also provides a basic guide on creating audio and video podcasts using the iLife products on the Mac or Audacity and Movie Maker on a PC. I felt the best feature of this book was that almost every page included an image of each interface or piece of hardware being discussed. Again, it gives the reader a great side-by-side comparison of the most popular and up-and-coming technologies related to podcasting.

Unfortunately, because the book is so focused on current technology, it will become obsolete very quickly. In fact, the book is barely a year old and is already dated. The author realizes this and attempts to be as forward thinking as possible. This is the second edition of the book, and no doubt subsequent editions will follow.

This book provides everything a person needs to know if he or she is seriously considering creating an episodic podcast right now. It even features some interesting interviews with veteran podcasters. If you do buy this book though, don't expect that it will have a long shelf-life.

You have to admire anyone who tries to write a beginners' guide to a technology this new and that is growing this explosively. Farkas really does an excellent job. His second edition got me up and running on my own podcast within 48 hours of my buying the book.

Most valuable: the author's evaluations and recommendations of products and software. Yes, this material will quickly become dated, but Farkas gives us a good starting point to research gear in online forums and discussion groups.

Least valuable: same as above, as you have to accept that this technology is growing so quickly that any book will quickly become dated. But don't shoot the messenger. Farkas does a great job, and he cannot be blamed because he has written a solid guidebook and cannot control changes within the world of podcasting. Do your own research as needed. Many podcasters are thrilled to discuss their own history with this emerging form. At least Farkas can help you sound like you have some idea of what you are talking about when you ask for help!

Also helpful: descriptions of RSS and script for your own RSS feed, descriptions of hardware available and discussions of each, along with interviews with successful podcasters who maje their own recommendations.

It does help to know a little HTML going into the RSS section, though.

This book is only good if you have absolutely zero experience or knowledge of podcasting. If you have already recorded a few shows, this book isn't for you.

Secrets of Podcasting--Audio Blogging for the Masses
By Bart G. Farkas
Published by Peachpit Press
ISBN 0321369297

Reviewed by Jim Lauria-HuNTUG member

Real world guidance on creating podcasts

A well written and well illustrated guide for beginners looking to create or locate podcasts on Windows or Mac machines.

Farkas includes plenty of screenshots and illustrations to simplify the informative text on how to download podcasts on MP3 players, create scripts and set the flow of your podcast, picking software for editing and recording, and legally playing music on your podcast.

He also offers advice on choosing the right equipment and distributing your podcast and RSS/XML feeds.

An interesting book for beginners which gets a 5 star rating.

Although I haven't (yet?) created one, I am becoming more interested in the podcasting phenomenon. A very good "get your feet wet" book to get someone started in that area is Secrets of Podcasting - Audio Blogging for the Masses by Bart G. Farkas.

Contents: Podcasting Basics; Jumping In; Creating a Podcast; Podcasting Distribution; Appendix; Glossary; Index

Yes, there's only four chapters... but they're *long* chapters... :)

I don't know that I would have titled this book "Secrets of". That almost implies that the book covers the nitty-gritty of podcasting and goes into great detail on specialized topics. That's not the case. Instead you get a broad coverage of the subject matter, from what it is to how to create your own. I've reviewed a number of other podcast books that go into great detail on mics, setting up your own studio, etc. Not here... This is really targeted at someone who either wants to know more about this strange new thing called podcasting, or someone who wants to create a podcast and wonders how to go about it. The information is highly practical, and you get all the "must know" information in order to make sure you are successful your first time out. If you then want to continue on and carry it to the next level, you can look for the books that get into the esoterica of sound theory and such...

I liked how Farkas listed a large number of software packages and hardware recommendations to get started. There's no emphasis on "buying the best of everything", but rather making solid purchases (or downloading solid open source software) that will serve you well going forward and make sure you don't sound like a rank amateur out of the gate. With coverage of Mac, Linux, and Windows platforms, you're pretty sure to find something that will fit your configuration. Also, if you're just into listening, chapter 2 (Jumping In) will give you everything you need to know on how to find, download, and manage the podcasts you find. All this is done with some off-beat humor and a number of interview sidebars with actual podcasters. Getting the perspective of where things are going from more than just the author adds quite a lot to the mix.

So long as you're not looking for expert level tips when you buy the book, you should enjoy the material and get real value from it. I certainly enjoyed reading it, and learned a bit in the process...

This is a great supplement to the big book, especiall if you are a group leader or if you just want to improve you understanding of the 12 Steps.

The item I ordered arrived very quickly and in terrific condition. I will gladly utilize this seller again

Re: Mike McF. I don't think AA is for you, but I can assure you that AA does work for some people. Live and let live one day at a time easy does it.

This is a Hazelden book specifically written as a study aid to The Big Book. It helps to clarify and illuminate the 12 step process and is often used by sponsors as they guide their sponsees through the steps. It is a tool which, if used in addition to (and not in replacement of)the basic program literature, may add a layer of depth and understanding to the step process. This book is also used as the basis of step-study groups in some areas. It appears to have been used to a much greater extent in the past than it is now and it deserves a second look for what it may have to offer.

Useful and worthy book for anyone wanting to practice the 12 steps in their life.

Forget harry potter, forget politics, this is your time to evolve!
This book will change your life and set you free. You'll be able to see the reality as you want it to be not as they want it to impose it on you!
It's time to escape from our own-made prison, it's time to wake up and use our eyes for our very first time!

We give and receive love, unconditionally to EVERYONE, we are ONE, WE ARE GOD!

"I am me, I am free" is an outstanding book that will rattle your belief system, drop kick your social and religious dogma, but nurture you with a new perspective on the world.

Whether you take his teachings as gospel or continue to exist in this matrix, the book will leave its mark on your conscious. You will not be able to see the world the same again.

The above is the subtitle of the book and exactly what the book is about. "Robots", the name first brought to the world by Czech writer Karel Capek. Robots represent the herd mentality of the human race as mentioned in the first chapter: "The nail that stands out from the rest is the first one to be hit." Add a little bit of religion, "We still believe too much and think too little" and politics, "Humanity has given its mind away and allowed the few to run the show", corruption in governments, exploitation of millions by financial institutions, indoctrination of kids, child abuse, mind control, and you get the picture.

You may not agree with everything, but I assure you that you will see eye to eye with a lot of things David Icke says. The book is an "early" Icke, circa 1996. It was written during the period when the author was still SEEKING the answers (today, he KNOWS them). Some of the past reviews dealt with subjects that might be considered either "extreme" (shapeshifting reptilians controlling the world; world leaders - including former Canadian prime minister Pierre E. Trudeau - killing, torturing and raping human slaves), or "personal point of view" (extra-marital sexual relationships flooding us with new knowledge and energy that allows us to evolve to a higher-level of consciousness). A subject I would consider as "radical" deals with AIDS (claims re HIV/AIDS transmission are nothing but lies). Could any (alternative) doctor or healer out there read and comment on this?

By the way, Mr. Trudeau had the privilege to share his bed with the world's most beautiful and distinguished women (Leona Boyd, Barbara Streisand and Karen Kain among others), had a 30-years younger charming wife and had to chase women away so he could get at least a few hours of sleep every week. Why the heck would he be interested in a hamburger when he had steak in his own bedroom?

The book is brilliantly written, both in form and substance. What is absolutely amazing is the clarity and openness with which the author presents his view of the world. He doesn't want to please anybody. He doesn't want to convince or convert anybody. He doesn't camouflage his thoughts and words. That is very rare, indeed, in today's society where people turn off their cellphones, switch off the lights and shut the doors when they want to talk about the world. My compliments to his courage and honesty. "I am me I am free" is a mind-opening and thought-provoking read for those who want to see another point of view.

Unique, articulate and lovable David Icke is successfully searching for truth and knowledge and has fantastic gifts of wit and humor, openness and honesty. It is PURE PLEASURE to read his books, watch and hear him talk. Doesn't matter how much you agree with him, he WILL enrich and inspire your life!!

The Information in this book is simple and yet extraordinarly powerful insightful and lifechanging but only if your willing to put the information into practice. you must read this book with an open mind!!true happyness is within ourselves not any Relegious dogma or whatever society has forced down our throats!!Mr.Icke teaches us to be different to be ourselves.HIGHLY RECOMMENDED BOOK!!!

I knew before I read this book that it was going to share wisdom not only for my entire lifetime but a priceless piece of information and knowledge that I needed just at that time to help me understand and live through an excruciatingly painful chapter in my life and move forward with new insight and unimaginable growth. I think this book should be a mandatory piece of the western education tool kit for living a fulfilled and abundant life lived with true purpose. Nice job.....I'm eternaly grateful.

It gives a great perspective as to how we humans experience love. It also gives a good explanation of what is the difference between romatic love and, true and mature love. It talks about expectations, desires, passion, commitment, fears, etc. It helped me to understand why my love parners acted the way they did in our relationships, as well as why I kept fighting for those unfruitful relationships. ¡Trully interesting!

This book is for anyone truly ready to enter a relationship with a clear open mind and heart. In this time when intimate relationships cannot find their way, endless divorces, embittered men and woman, frustrated couples... this book will lead the way to the new paradigm of relationship. I highly recommend it.

If you are a man, and you are deeply suffering because either you are in love, or because you feel you are loosing one, this book is worth a hundred psycho-therapy sessions. It is very likely that it will help you to understand yourself, and therefore you would become much more likely to take control, or at least, to feel wide relief associated to deep understanding!

In this companion volume to Johnson's "He" & "She" books, he analyzes a medieval story (similar to Marie-Louise von Franz & Allan Chinen) in terms of Jungian psychology--but pursuing p. 195: "The task of salvaging love from the swamp of romance." He describes Western misinterpretation & overemphasis on being in love & its projection of the inner human soul (p. 63: "animus is the soul in woman just as anima is the soul in man") onto an external person--leading to later disaster. Interestingly, it closely parallels Trungpa's "Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism" that I read in parallel. I think Trungpa would agree with Johnson that: p. 32: "Many Western people, caught up in misunderstanding of Eastern religions or philosophy, make an ideal of getting rid of the ego. We need to understand that the ego is absolutely necessary; it has a vital role to play in the drama of evolving consciousness" & Johnson (p. 151) provides an enlightening, extraordinary definition of ego "death." Also, they both address the illusions/delusions of incorrect assumptions/preconceptions & the materialization of spiritual matters. Johnson's concluding chapters (an American Indian legend, a dream, & an analysis contrasting romantic love, human love, & friendship) rounded out his view since earlier chapters seemed a bit over-the-top via overgeneralization, over intellectualization (too much Thinker vs. Feeler), & a religious view of romance & spirituality (vs. Jungian individuation, balance, & integration). I'm uneasy with Johnson's "love the one you're with" (p. 129) philosophy & his praise of Eastern marriage. While he demonstrates how romantic love is egocentric vs. altruistic human love, he deemphasizes this in his story analysis. It seems to me that Tristan was a puer (Peter Pan) archetypal hero--not an adult. Much of what Johnson vilifies as romance could be attributed to narcissism instead--could romantic love merely be an implementation of narcissism? Further, archetypes form complexes by combining with human experience; thus, anima & animus are complexes as well as archetypes. An adult could apply archetypal spiritual love to a real person to form a (human) love complex. Thus, rather than an Eastern contractual marriage or Western falling-in-love, one could follow the Middle Way of human love, balancing one's inner & outer worlds without sacrificing personal affinity. Johnson seems to imply this without explicating it. He performs a most valuable service by exposing idealized romantic falling-in-love & facilitating modern understanding of human love & commitment in a society with a dearth of both.

Contents includes:

interfacing a robot to a PC
electronics schematics : light, touch. motion sensors, distance, compass sensors

Robot magazine cost $5.99 and includes non JAVA educational robots

This book is superior to "Programming Lego Mindstorms with Java."

It is well suited to both beginning and advanced programers. It covers languages basics, but still provides much info to experienced Java developers about robotics Design Patterns.

It also includes detailed instructions and pictures describing on basic robotic construction...things like how to turn a rotary motion to a linear motion, how to change gear ratios, how to build differentials, etc.

There is also a detail chapter devoted to building your own homebrew sensors that even someone with little to no experience in electronics could easily build.

I am very happy with this purchase.

While taking java courses at the local college, I ventured into the idea of applying what I had learned. Being an avid Mindstorms fan, I found this to be the perfect outlet. This book has re-affirmed what I have learned as well as created new ways to look at the programming. Due my success with this product, my professors have asked that I periodically come by with a program for student review and demonstration of applied programming.

It is well written with unassuming overtones. The portions on building your own sensors also make electronic assembly easier. The graphics are black and white on flimsy paper giving the book a sense of newspaper style instructional manuals. This said, presentation could be better.

All in all this is a very good tool for the Mindstorms nut, Java programmer, and techy at heart. I highly recommend added it to your tool box!

If you have the Lego RIS and are interested in Java then this is the book to get. Bagnall leads you through the installation of LEJOS and JCreator (both freeware) including setting up the environment variables on your PC. He also gives a brief introduction to Java, enough to get you started. The chapters on behavior, proximity detection and navigation are especially good. As an added bonus, applying the techniques discussed in this book is a fun way of learning the basic concepts of Java and object oriented programming. It won't make you an expert, but it will get you started.

I just bought a mind storm kit and have had great fun during these thanks giving holidays. I explored the lejos api and have read this book. I am keenly interested in running the robot over the network, with the IR tower. And this book has just all the code and examples to help me work on that. I am using this book and the basic rover bot to test out some java code on it. I have tried a few lejos examples. This is a great book. Its just amazing thatjava can be run on 32K of memory!

--Naveed