Benoit Books

This is by far the best book on real applications using XML. The author is an expert in the field, and the book is clear and concise, yet it deals with fairly complex applications also.
I highly reccomend this

This book covers the most popular XML application architecture patterns. Great source both for ideas and ready-to-go source code. I was pleasantly surprized to find the whole chapter (Chapter 6: Import from Any Format) devoted to the problem I am facing in my current project... Another excellent book from Marchal that really helps me to do my work.

There are already lots of 5 stars here and it seems unnecessary to vote another 5 stars. Anyway, I would like to give some personal feedback.

1)This book is short in length but rich in content.

Chapter 1 convers XML in a standalone java application, SAX parser is used in this chapter; chapter 2 shows a survex project using SAX parser and servlet; chapter 3 demonstrated how to use DTD, CSS within XML editor XMetal; chapter 4 covers XML publishing, same content can be published with different style sheets for HTML, WML and RSS; chapter 5 and chapter 6 describe the conversion between XML and EDI using xsl; chapter 7 is devoted to an e-Business project, using xsl and servlet; chapter 8 can be read after chapter 4, it is also devoted to publishing, with dynamically generated xml content; chapter 9 is devoted to a stock tracking project, which uses SOAP as the communication protocol, it can be read after chapter 7.

In a whole, this book covers:

a) XML parsers in chapter 1, 2, also java, servlet, design patterns Builder, Visitor.

b) XML editor in chapter 3, also CSS, DTD,

c) Publishing (XSLT) in chapter 4 and 8, also servlet.

d) XML and EDI in chapter 5 and 6, also XSLT.

e) e-Business: chapter 7 and 9, also servlet, SOAP.

2)This books is written for java developer, good understanding of java and servlet is required.

3)There is no chapter on JSP and XML, although there are application of XML with servlet and you can transfer some servlet into JSP; there is no chapter on JMS and XML neither, you may hope to find this kind of example in a JMS book.

4)This book is surpringly easy to use. I read it several times, from the beginning to the end. I tried EVERY EXAMPLE in the book, and every example works.

To be more honest, I only find one problem in the example (I just want to prove that I really tried every example): on page 81, third paragraph, first line, the author talks about how to chnage display style in XMetal:

Choose Tools, Editor Display Style

I found "Editor Display Style" in the menu "Format" instead of menu "Tools", so maybe we shuld replace "Tools" by "Format".

5)This book uses a JDBC database HypersonicSQL, and it is on the CD. So no preinstalled database is required.

6)The servlet container used in the book is jetty, the author provided batch file to use it without any difficulty. However, if you use Tomcat or Weblogic or jrun or another servlet engine, you need to configure it.

This book has many projects, which gives insight into various parts of XML. Basic knowledge of XML is required though. Implementation of these projects is a good way of learning XML. Nothing like hand's on experience.

The author's writing style is also good, he gives reasons choosing any particular implementation.

If you really need to know XML, buy this book.

The author presents very practical example projects in each chapter. The project in Chapter 9 is especially clear on demonstating the SOAP concept. Buy this book to jump-start your XML/Java knowledge and experience. You'll never regret buying this book.

Jamie Vendera's "Raise Your Voice" 2nd edition my "vocal bible", for vocalists is the most comprehensive book for vocalists I have found. While I have read a number of other books to regain my vocal abilities, Raise Your Voice is the best by far. The others I have read were either very basic, "dry", or otherwise non-productive for my particular needs.
RYV is so comprehensive, I could spend hours going into the details. RYV covers everything a vocalist needs, whether a beginner, intermediate, advanced, or even professional singers who have damaged or "lost" their voices due to improper technique, or otherwise "bad habits".
RYV covers everything from proper breathing techniques, vocal health, increasing octave range, proper warm up, "developing style", a chapter for "Hard Rockers Only", and as I've stated, many topics too numerous to mention in this review.
Jamie has spent countless hours, thousand of dollars, and years of research to share his knowledge and expertise with YOU, the vocalist who desires to become your best !
This book is not only about Jamie, but also includes excerpts and tips from some of the best vocal instructors, rock stars and other professional singers, and he is highly endorsed by them.
RYV is not only for rock singers, but also for singers of pop, metal, blues, etc.
From a personal standpoint, I was in a number of bands as a vocalist and keyboardist at a younger age. Due to a cervical spinal injury, and five spinal surgeries later, I was told by a number of my doctors that I would never sing again. RYV has changed that, and I am proud to announce that with dedication and commitment, I am singing better than ever, and have increased my octave range significantly. I do not know where I would be today without RYV.
From my personal experience with RYV, I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone serious enough about their vocal instrument.
Definitely a FIVE STAR RATING and MORE if it were possible.
Highly recommended to all vocalists.

Thank You, Jamie !!!

Regardless of you experience this book will have somethign useful for you to learn. And if your new to singing...this book will set you off in the right direction.

this book is pure 21st century doctrine and not based off 16th century doctrine taught by many vocal coaches.

I have been singing my entire life and of course like many singers ran into vocal trouble, (we all do) This book really helped me to get over many of those problems. If i have a serious question, i always have a personal session with the author Jaime =)

Bottom line, if your serious about singing, and want to eithe rhave it as a hobby or want to do it professionaly like me, this book WILL help bigtime.......bigtime...

This book has helped me greatly as a singer.
It has helped restore my confidence and clear away the confusion I struggled with for sometime trying to understand my own voice and performance.
Having had previous training before purchasing RYV2 I was well aware of how hard it is to find a great teacher. In my experience, it's like a needle in a hay stack to find a teacher that is dedicated to "the student" and is willing to invest in "your interest" and "style" as a singer, but most of all one that really knows what their talking about!! Jaime is "that" teacher, he's very real and completely unselfish with his vocal coaching. (something I have found most other teachers are not)If you watch one of Jaime Vendera's video's on YouTube you'll catch my drift. When I first read RYV2 I was blown away by the amount of information incorporated in the book. This book doesn't miss a beat. It gives you the keys to unlock the truth of solid vocal technique, to preparing your entire being for the busy life on the road as a performer. I can not tell you enough how much this has helped me!! The detail in this book is second to none. There are simple laid out guides & remedies in this book that have helped me with my own vocal health, something I am truly thankful for.

Another fantastic aspect of RYV2 is the members forum. Jaime has set up a online forum for us students to use. So when you are reading the book and doing the exercises you can go online into the forum post any questions you have and get the help you need. This is really really awesome!!
To do what we do as singers is challenging enough. But to be able to find a teacher & book that covers your essential core needs as a vocalist, is rare!!
Despite past training RYV2 is one of the best investments vocally I have ever made.

Thank you Jaime, you are truly a Godsend!

Jaime Vendera's RYV series is one of the best books for training popular voice on the market for the following reasons;

1). It does a good job of addressing issues that matter to the contemporary vocal artist and recognizes a market that is looking for information that you cant find from more traditional voice pedagogues.

2). It covers good voice techniques that will help you to gain new levels with your vocal training and it is full of a lot of added value, such as vocal health, recommended vocal products and select articles/essays from some of the top voice teachers in the world. Its almost a "lexicon" and has qualities found in a good reference publication. Its Jaime's book, but its not all about Jaime... its very generous in how it shares information from other experts in the field.

Jaime is one of the hardest working and passionate voice pedagogues in the business. Owning one of his books is important to anyone's library of vocal books/systems.

I have been singing my whole life. I ran into problems with my voice several years ago and felt as if I was lost in a dark maze with no light at the end to help me find my way out.
Jaime's book, "Raise your Voice, 2nd edition" IS that light.
Through his book he has helped set me on the path to vocal freedom!
Everything he has included there makes perfect sense to me and I am no longer frustrated with my voice and afraid to sing.
The book is easy to read and understand and I use it as my vocal Bible.
I hightly suggest this book to ANYONE who wants to improve his/her singing voice, whether or not vocal problems exist.
Just learning to use the "Micro breath" has helped me tremendously!
Thank you Jaime!

In Xavier Benoit's story, TO PLAY OR NOT TO PLAY, readers embark on a journey of one man's self-discovery as he juggles his career, romantic relationship and the temptations he faces. Malik Standish is a sports journalist about to start a new job assignment which will enable him to secure stability in his relationship with Angel Mychals so they can begin to plan their future together. This new position has him trotting all over the United States following basketball great, James Dollar in his farewell tour before his retirement. Not only does Malik get to travel with the team, he gets to experience the perks of ball players such as fine dining, great parties and lots of women. Not heeding the timely advice of James Dollar, Malik gets caught up in situations that jeopardize his job, his relationship with Angel and even his life.

Angel loves Malik, but the betrayal by her first love two years prior has left her insecure and distrustful. In Malik she has found a man who is charming, handsome and also adheres to her religious convictions of abstinence. However with Malik's new job opportunity, Angel's fears threaten to destroy their relationship and it doesn't help that her first love returns and has her questioning whether she is really over him. Angel must decide whether she wants to continue to push away the man who has stolen her heart or overcome her insecurities.

This novel skirts the edges of Christian fiction because there are inspirational passages used as well as spiritual realizations that occur for the characters. However, the author ensures the characters actions are true to the situations. The author tells the story from the viewpoint of the main characters alternating chapters in doing so. This should enable readers to relate, empathize and really connect with the individual characters, but this unfortunately does not happen. Instead of the characters jumping off the pages, they are one-dimensional and lack enough depth to garner a more emotional attachment. For example, at the most trying time in the relationship for Angel, readers don't get to struggle emotionally through her turmoil instead there is a paragraph of her not going to work and sleeping. Although this novel has a good storyline it lacked fluidity. It seemed to jump around instead of having a natural flow that led to its climatic conclusion. This was due in part to the several subplots involving some of the minor characters. Although the main characters are not perfect, Malik as well as Angel must learn from their mistakes and hold true to their faith in order to love and live a better life. The story is generally engaging, it just needs the skilled hand of an editor to polish its flow and give real conflict and feelings to the characters.

Reviewed by Cashana Seals
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

I am very impressed by the arrangement of this book. Not only does this book inspire me...it blessed me with ability to relate to certain situations in the story...and then bringing everything back to the Word...I will read this book again and again...I will definitely continue to advise all race of life to enjoy a wonderful book and I look forward to Xavier's next book.

Very proud of you

This is an amazing book. It captivates you and stimulates your imagination. It has been a very long time since I have picked up a book that I did not want to put down. I could not wait to share this novel with others. Kudos to you Xavier, a job very well done.

I've read this book twice and Im still finding new laughter in each chapter.Its an easy read and it holds your attention from cover to cover.

I loved Xavier's first novel. It was everything that I could have asked for in a book. It was truely a delight for me to read and I am looking forward to seeing much more from this author.

I was never a real reader until i read this book it is a quick but fun book with a great group of people. This book has got me in to a mystery book CRAZ. It is a cliffhigher for those that need eazier wording (like me) this a great book. It will amaze u who really Killed Olive i counldn't Belive it was _____ oops almost said it but u have to get it to find out.

When you pick up this book, you just can't put it down! A cliffhanger yet funny!

This book was funny and scary. I read it in two days. all the characters are interaesting and have very unique personalitys. This book really deserves 5 stars

Who Killed Olive Souffle? is one of the most interesting and fun to read books i've ever read. The atmosphere of the lone inn , not yet open for ski season really places you in the story.Its fun to try,yourself, to figure out who killed olive Souffle and I personally recomend this book to anyone.

Margaret Benoit came to my classroom and read the first chapter of this book. The first chapter is so exciting, I coudn't wait to get her book! It is really interesting. I learned a lot about crime fighting and got goosebumps at the same time! This book is good for 10 year olds and up (I'm 10)!

Absolutely wonderful illustrations for an apple/harvest theme storybook. Very realistic - makes you think you're right there participating in the life cycle of an apple.

My oldest son has always had a hard time getting to sleep. We struggled for his first 18-24 months until a friend who is a fourth grade teacher (Hi Amy!) gave us this book and we started reading this at the end of our bedtime routine. Now, 6 years and one little brother later, this is still the last book we read before going to bed.

I'm absolutely biased as I think I've read this book about 2000 times now. The story line is wonderful, the pictures are captivating, and the rhythm of the (now well-rehearsed) sentences is mesmerizing. Now, if I could just find a real orchard to visit nearby...

This is an excellent children's book with fabulous pictures. It is just the right book for teachers to use during the fall to compliment a unit about apples. Delightful book.

Upon reading the book to my 3rd grade class my students were mesmerized. They loved the pictures, the writing was easy to understand, and the story line came alive. Ray does an excellent job with the illustrations - they complement the author's beautiful words. Benoit Slawson's writing is absolutely wonderful - my students could not get enough of this book. In fact, we continued our storytime by following the book up with a trip to the local apple orchard (insisted upon by my 8 year olds!). I just wish Benoit Slawson would come out with her next book; although, it will be hard to follow the perfection of "Apple Picking Time". I will be the first one to buy her next book, and I am positive my students will love it as much as their beloved "Apple Picking Time". The book is both poetic and informative - such a wonderful combination for this brand-new, highly talented author!!

I recently purchased the "Fundamentals of Signals and Systems" hardcover book written by Benoit Boulet. This book is one of the more complete textbooks i've read not only for Signals & Systems, but for any subject! It is easy to follow with an abundance of tables, diagrams and examples. The CD that accompanies the book is also very helpful for problem solutions and practice exams.

What i liked most about the book is the price. Very affordable which is more than you can say for other textbooks of its kind.

I am a master student in Aerospace enginnering, and I found the book of Professor Boulet a great reference for all signals and sytems topics I am using in my research. His book is written in a clear and straightforward way that makes it easy to find any explanation related to the basics of signals and systems (all transforms, sampling, state models) and even in some more advanced topics. I really recommend it for any student who likes to have all the signals and system concepts in one book. It's not a grad book, but in my opinion, it's a book to keep on the shelf when studying in grad books that usually skip the basics that we tend to forget.

Hope this helps,

Georges Aoude

Signals and systems is one of the core subjects of almost all engineering schools whether the concentration is in electrical engineering, computer engineering, communications, circuit design, or signal processing. In this college level book the author covers all the classical mathematical concepts, how they work, and how to use them to get the results you want or understand the results you get. It is well organized and if followed through from beginning to end each section builds on the previous knowledge and can be grasped easily. Students who use this book should have had a course in calculus and trigonometry as a prerequisite.

The book jumps right into the subject by starting with elementary continuous-time and discrete-time signals and systems. From there it moves through linear time-invariant systems, differential and difference LTI systems, Fourier series representations and transformations, Laplace transformations, time and frequency analysis, applications to electric circuit analysis, state models, feedback control systems, the z-Transform, sampling systems, communications systems, and system discretization. In addition to the normal chapter layout the book is organized into 70 discrete lectures. Designed as an undergraduate academic text for engineering majors it includes exercises at the end of each chapter and a CD with answers to the questions. As a college textbook or an excellent additional text for engineering students Fundamentals of Signals & Systems is highly recommended.

I am of course biased: I wrote this textbook exactly as I needed it for my courses. But why write a new textbook on signals and systems? There are at least 20 out there covering more or less the same material... In a nutshell: Value to the student and engineer. I had two objectives in preparing this book: (1) clarity to enhance learning (by presenting one concept at a time, providing detailed solutions, using lots of figures and learnware applets, etc.) and (2) low cost to the student. I think (2) has been achieved, and I'll let the readers judge (1)!

It is very helpful to have a book geared toward one's first introduction to GFD concepts, since there are several offerings at more advanced levels.

It is an introductory text, yet still calls to draw upon a lot of mathematical skills. Much easier to go through than Pedlosky, and has many exercises at the end of each chapter. It is esentially a book for the reader more interested in the dynamics and applications like myself than on a rigorous theoretical treatment of GFD.

As someone who just spent a year preparing for my graduate qualifying exams in atmospheric science, this book quickly became my favorite. It is a short book, but is packed with a lot of the fundamentals of GFD. The derivations are not too complicated, and the explanations do a very good job making sense of it all. I did notice, however, that there were several typos throughout the book, an incorrect equation and paths to the wrong figures, but they weren't big enough to distract me.

This book represents the first stage to anyone who wants to know how does the ocean (and atmosfear)work and make it easily. It's simply great!. Thanks Mr.Cushman!

This book was beautifully written; the story is suspenseful, intriguing, and kept you guessing right to the end with a quench for more! The characters seemed to have been created from the deep recesses of the writer's incredible imagination.

This was a great entertaining fantasy story that left me in suspense throughout te entire story. The writing is well the caliber of most author's first published books. I am can't wait until the second book is ready for sale and I recommend that any fantasy reader pick up this book.
Great Story!!!!

If you like a book that will transport you to another place and time, but has interesting characters and discusses relevant issues, you will really enjoy this book. I can already see it on TV. I can't wait for part II.

This was one of the best stories I have ever read. This book wasn't intimidating in its word usage and the story was very entertaining. I have read every Harry Potter book, but none of these comes close to the writing skills or even the story line of this book. I loved it!

From page 25" Fractals (a word coined by Mandelbrot in 1975) have blossomed tremendously in the past few years (written in 1988) and have helped reconnect pure mathematics research with both the natural sciences and computing."

This book has both Mathmatical equations and Computer Programs along with explanations and results (many graphs, plots, and color plate images).

If you have an interest in Fractals, Recursion, Computer programming, Image creation, this is a great book and filled with examples.

This old book is a timeless gem. It goes into the details of the mathematics of fractals and also shows well-commented C code for producing fractal imagery along with good color illustrations.
Chapter 1, "Fractals in Nature", uses computer generated images to build a visual intuition for fractal as opposed to Euclidian shapes. There is also a mathematical characterization with Brownian motion as the prototype.
In chapter 2, "Random Fractal Algorithms", randomness is introduced into the algorithms discussed in chapter one as a way of simulating natural phenomena. Ideas are extended to higher dimensions. C programs that produce mountain ranges using these ideas are presented, along with the resulting imagery.
Chapter 3, "Fractal Patterns Arising in Chaotic Dynamical Systems", turns to the topic of dynamical systems and is less mathematical than the first two chapters. There is some mathematics and some illustrations in 2D and black and white that should be familiar to any student of dynamical systems.
Chapter 4, "Fantastic Deterministic Fractals", demonstrates how genuine mathematical research experiments open a door to a new reservoir of fantastic shapes and images. Programs are shown that extend the ideas of chapter 3 into truly beautiful fractals. Ideas here stay mainly in 2D.
The final chapter, "Fractal Modelling of Real World Images", draws from the material of the previous chapters to present C programs that produce clouds, vegetation, smoke, and mountain ranges, all by altering a few of the parameters in the sample code presented by the authors.
This book is much better than more recent titles that bury their algorithms in complex high level languages or "toy books" on the subject that provide dumbed-down applications and in which the simplest possible explanation of fractals is given with no insight. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in understanding fractal mathematics and in using that mathematics to produce stunning visual effects.

In my opinion, the best work ever written in the category not-for-beginner-but-available-to-non-specialist (such as Beauty of Fractals, by the same authors). An easy answer to question "How can I generate a fractal image with my PC?", from brownian motion to Julia sets. A must for reader interested in fractals (a bit out-of-fashion but still very interesting field).

You cant go past this book,

This book reads at any level, Great introduction to the field as well as an indespencible reference. Shows easy to implement code examples, and has lots of pictures showing what can be acheived.

This has been a main reference for a theisis I am currently working on. The question is, why is it out of print. If you can find it it's worth it's wheight in gold.

This is one of the great books of all time. The author was a psychiatrist who was bed ridden and took the opportunity to investigate the human mind and body. He used scientific observation as his tool. As many eastern Zen masters have said. Just watch as a good shepherd watches his flock. The sheep will be contented and well cared for. He will know each one by their sound. These are not different techniques.

Benoit created with this book a western scientific basis of Zen. Carlotte Joko Beck and her students have created a new Zen called "Ordinary Mind Zen" from a synthesis of Benoit's work and Japanese formal Zen practice.

This is a very difficult book to read. The book was translated from the French. Long paragraphs are one sentence. The book is also written in a dry academic style. The translator was must not have been able to understand what Hubert Benoit wrote, except in a literal sense. I was only able to read it by reading a couple of pages at a time each morning as I took a tub bath. I have read it several times that way. It does get easier the third or fourth time. Unfortunately, formal mediation practice over years would be necessary for a practical usage of this material. The book does have great academic value for people who are interested in the real thing.

...Refer to Charlotte Joko Beck's book "Nothing Special." She writes that it is the best book on Zen that she's ever read. Apparently, it is very difficult to read because it was translated from the original French version. Author was in a serious accident and pondered the human mind for years as he rehabilitated.

Enhanced for the reader with an informative Foreward by Aldous Huxley, Hubert Benoit's The Supreme Doctrine is a masterful survey and exploration of Zen Buddhism. A spectrum of issues and subjects are addressed including the existential, mechanistic, and metaphysical aspects of Zen. Exceptionally well reasoned, written, and presented, this major treatise is a highly recommended and very welcome contribution to the growing library of Buddhist literature for the Western reader.

This book is not an easy read, not so much due to its translation as to its depth and subtly. Like the mark of great Teachers words remembered in hindsight; with each re-reading of this book deeper and deeper lessons can be learned. Though this is not for the novice, nor would I call Beniot a Zen master as such, this book sits side by side on my shelf of important works along with Philip Kapleau's Three Pillers, and Shunryu Suzuki's Beginners Mind.