Bonds Books

When is Mr. Bond going to release an updated version? It is missing info on season seven of deep space nine, seasons six and seven of voyager, Star Trek: Nemesis and all four seasons of Enterprise.

I guess most of this info is available on the net, but would be nice to have in depth cue sheets for the TNG films...Mr. Bond re-release this! Please. :D

PLEASE i WANT MORE SONGS FOR WHITEN HOUSTEN FRE

Very through coverage of each series and the movies. I found it fascinating how much music existed for the movies that was left off the soundtrack releases. If you enjoy the soundtrack music for the Str Trek shows/films at all, you will enjoy this in-depth look at the creation of the music and the minds behind it.

The first sentence of this treat for film music nuts, as well as Trekkers, asserts that more music has been produced for Star Trek than any other series of films. Bond discusses the scores for the original TV series and all the movies. Pertinent interviews with the composers conclude most chapters....A fascinating interview with Star Trek: Voyager music editor Garry Sackman and a very helpfully annotated discography of ST music wrap things up splendidly.

Lady Gregory has written a very precise and easily read translation of some of the best of Irish mythology. Originally written at the turn of the ninetteenth century it still holds today.I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Celtic mythology and lore.

The works of Lady Gregory are the best way to get a pure taste of the original Irish Myths - unless you are fluent in Gaelic and can get a hold of older copies. Lady Gregory's elequent speech and style breathes life into Ireland's forgotten Heroes and Gods!

Gods and Fighting Men is an excellent resource because it preserves the lore from the Book of Invasions as well as other sources -- the legends of the earliest inhabitants of Ireland, the coming of the Tuatha De Danaan (The People of Dana) and the stories of Finn MacCumhail.

What is portrayed as "Early Irish Mythology" 99% of the time actually isn't -- the dozens of translations of The Tain, albeit worthy reading, are actually the lore of Ulster, a single Irish province. This makes it Ulster Mythology (regional) more than Irish Mythology (national).

The legends of the Tuatha De Danaan are essential for a comprehensive understanding of Irish mythology, actually comprising the majority of the Mythological Cycle, and deal with the initial settling of all of Ireland.

Unfortunately, it seems to be modern New Age reconstructions of the Mythological Cycle rather than the native stories that seem to be infusing themselves into the mainstream, and that is sad.

In my mind, the Mythological Cycle is the most important cycle in Irish mythology, because it sets up the scenario for all that is to follow. The Fenian Cycle (legends of Finn MacCumhail and his warband) are fascinating not only for their strong associations with Nature, but also for the fact that the stories are well-known both in Ireland and in the Scottish Highlands. The Gods still walked and resided on (or in) the Earth and interacted often with mortals. Magic was all around.

The Tain, on the other hand, is more a time of towns and forts and war-chariots; a time when magic was less present and people were less intertwined with Nature than in the Golden Age. The Gods had already departed our realm and only made brief cameos in the stories.

In summary, Gods and Fighting Men is the actual collection of Irish Mythology from the earliest legends. It affects all of Ireland and the stories are fairly widespread throughout the Gaelic world. Lady Gregory wrote these translations with a view to retain the native Irish sense of story-telling; this she achieved remarkably well.

My one concern is that it would have been nice for Lady Gregory to have cited her sources for each story. I know that in many cases she blended versions from several sources to produce what she saw as the purest form of the story, but a simple listing of these would have been fantastic from an academic standpoint.

Overall this is probably the greatest collection of Irish Mythology I have found so far, albeit Lady Gregory's focus was primarily as storyteller rather than academic (this is not a bad thing -- dry, stale translations of Irish lore would have been extremely anti-Irish in themselves).

This should probably be the FIRST book one reads of Irish Mythology. I highly recommend this book and the fact that it is value-priced definitely doesn't hurt, either. This book is definitely worth several times its cost.

Happy Reading!

Lady Gregory faithfully renders old Irish stories into a form that we clods that only speak English can understand. She does not, however, make them more prosaic, or fix them into what we normally find as our story format! They are true to the original structures of the genre, and are much more lively and fun for that. My wife places them firmly in the nature of Irish legend, which she calls "We went over there and stole their cow!" (Tain Bo Cuailnge is basically a story of a cow theft, and is one of the most famous stories of Irish legend). I love the split style, and it does give the reader a good understanding of the way stories were related in the old days. A must for those who want to know where some of the ancient Irish names derive!

Nicholas of Cusa is a rare and lonely genius who straddles the time of change between the late medieval period and the early Renaissance. A cardinal in the Roman Church, Cusa like many more modern mystics, led a highly active as well as contemplative life.

This collection of writings includes Cusa's most important work, 'On Learned Ignorance' as well as several smaller works including 'The Vision of God' and 'The Unknown God.'

Cusa's mysticism is deeply speculative and intellectual, perhaps more so than any other Christian mystic except Eckhart and Eriugena. At the heart of Cusa's mysticism is God's absolute infinity, which renders God utterly and entirely incomprehensible to the human mind. Because incomprehensibility is not merely due to a defect of the human mind but is an attribute of God himself, Cusa rigorously adopts a strongly apophatic approach to God, developed along lines already laid out by Dionysius the Aeropagite, Eckhart, and Scotus Eriugena.

In the Learned Ignorance Cusa likens God to the 'absolute maximum' who while ineffable, contains the fullness of being and reality. The absolute maximum is God's essence as it is in itself, what philosophers might now call the Absolute. In the absolute maximum, which is basically God's infinite nature, all coincidences and opposites merge into one basic unity. In other words, the many become the one and the one becomes the many in God's plenitude of being.

Cusa then goes on to describe how God is related to the universe. The universe is the absolute contractum or minimum, crudely a mirror of God's infinity and infinite itself, but not God. The universe presents the believer with an overwhelming expression of God's ineffability, however God himself by virtue of his absolute infinity remains shrouded in incomprehensibility and mystery. One of Cusa's favourite sayings is the ancient maxim 'God is a sphere whose circumference is everywhere and centre is nowhere.'

Cusa also argues that as God is radically unknowable, also the universe is in a way radically unknowable. Humans are engaged in an ever deepening vision of God through creatures, though God himself will forever remain unknown to the created mind. Like Eriugena and Eckhart, Cusa pushes his apophatic theology and mysticism to the very limit and seems to argue at times even creatures themselves are somehow theophanies or appearances of deeper realities or reality which we can never know. In this sense he seems to anticipate Kant, who put a radical barrier between the knowable and the unknown.

Cusa's vision of God contains astonishing philosophical and theological depth which remains unmatched until the arrival of Spinoza. His vistas of an infinite universe are perhaps unmatched until the arrival of the mystical cosmology of Giordo Bruno and the universe of Isaac Newton.

While perhaps Cusa's vision may not be appropriate for today's universe, his courage in exploring the hidden deeps of God's being are to be admired for their profoundity and originality, and one looks forward with hope to the next Cusa who will integrate all things into a grand vision before which one feels only awe.

Of all the great Christian mystics that I have read, Nicholas de Cusa is one of the finest. In the masterpiece "On Learned Ignorance" he reveals the "coincidence of opposites," which is the point in infinity when all opposites unite and become blended together in God's infinity, the Infinite Line, which is the Absolute Maximum and Absolute Minimum combined, i.e., the two points (contradictions) of a finite line converging and becoming unified, or equal in God's un-being existence, where there is no proportion between the infinite and the finite. He believed that Jesus Christ is the Gate Keeper of the "coincidence of opposites." We can only understand God through a "learned ignorance" because God is beyond being, beyond all understanding. This work alone is worth the cost of the entire book. Also included are "Dialogue on the Hidden God," "On Seeking God," "On the Vision of God," and "On the Summit of Contemplation." All these works together form a synthesis in Nicholas' philosophy/theology. Nicholas was very gnostic. He takes Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite's mysticism to the next level, if that is even possible. You will also see the obvious influence that Meister Eckhart had on him. There's a wonderful Foreward, Introduction, Abbreviations, Notes to the Text, A Brief Glossary of Cusan Terms, Select Bibliography, and Indexes. This book is a must have for any Christian-mysticism collection. I highly recommend this volume.

This book affords the scholar and novice alike a wonderful foray into the thought of Nicholas of Cusa. A fine collection of principal titles by Cusanus, this book is one full of enigmatic charm and probing insight! The forward and introduction provide a helpful entryway to the texts which are supplemented by a useful glossary of key terms and several notes.

This book is one of many translations that are currently being made for English language readers on the 15th century writings of Nicholas of Cusa. New translations of Cusanus writings began to appear in the late 1970s by Jasper Hopkins of the University of Minnesota. Free copies of some of Hopkins translations are available on the Internet at http://www.cla.umn.edu/jhopkins/. Today, translations of these 15th century writings are also being made by the American Cusanus Society. The author of this book is past president of this society.

The writings of Nicholas of Cusa are significant because his writings, on God and our world, initiated the modern world in which we live today. To me, his writings are the most important religious writings to be found on amazon.com today. His writing will help people transform the out-dated ancient views of God and our world they have been taught into modern views supported by modern science. Without this transformation, a person becomes conservative with a closed mind and will not understand the natural changes that are taking place among liberal and open-minded people.

This book is a necessary addition to any home or public library. It is necessary by any person who is working on the unification of science and theology. And, it is necessary for any person who believes that a pure spiritual/modern world is possible beyond the materialistic-driven spiritual/modern world in which we live today today.

I found this book by chance in Karacht years ago and I was really deeply moved by the wonderful stories written by Mr Bond. Most of my students also find the stories charming and touching. If I had to keep only one book for the rest of my life, this of course is the ONE.

touching and beautiful.

This book is one in a million and is a ray of light in our material world.Kudos Mr.Bond!

...through the eyes of master writer Ruskin Bond. The gentle pace of life in the hills is a characteristic of its peoples - gentle, compassionate yet like all others in their human differences. Simple yet deep sketches of these people are the hallmark of each of these short stories ...depicting pain, poignant moments, desire, avarice, love, compassion, innocence...some of the characters are so genuinely simple to draw at the hearrtstrings of our emotions - just for their plain humanness.A book worth reading...and re-reading when you get overdosed with the fast paced commercialism of today. Retreat to a quiet spot with this and randomly pick up any story ... you will emerge refreshed !!

I was impressed with a pace that Jason Burke established in reporting his decade or more of travel through Southwest Asia (Pakistan/Afghanistan) and Middle East. His optimism and hope stays alive throughout his various first hand encounters with horrific events. His book provides a very different viewpoint compared to the ones that I was able to follow through the USA based newspapers and magazines reports for the two post 9/11 wars (USA/Aghan War or USA/Iraq War II). He does not pretend to be a scholar and is certainly not biased in his analysis. I would recommend this book for folks who want to get a better insight of the Islamic World and all the precieved and real dangers surrounding it.

I read Jason Burke's Al-Qaeda: Casting a Shadow of Terror, and found it the most factual book on the events surrounding 9/11. So, I had high expectations and was hopeful for further updates from his previous 2004 publication. As other reviewers have noted, this book is a travelogue and personal memoir of Mr.Burke's travels around the world, rather then an analysis of the Middle East.

Admittedly, I'm impressed with what has kept Mr.Burke busy the last 2 decades. But, there was nothing ground breaking or amazing here. The entire book comes off a bit flat, and shallow. If you're looking for a fun(relatively speaking), walk through the Middle East since 1990, then this book may entertain you. I was looking for more info on the "War on Terror", and didn't find much in here.

A much better travelogue through Afghanistan (albeit, without the political analysis), is Jason Elliot's An Unexpected Light: Travels in Afghanistan.

ON THE ROAD TO KANDAHAR: TRAVELS THROUGH CONFLICT IN THE ISLAMIC WORLD could have been featured in our Travel Shelf section - but it's so much more, and shouldn't be limited to a leisure travel-reading audience alone. Jason Burke spent a decade among Muslim people in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Thailand and other areas: his guide explores their culture and concerns, blending first-person experiences and encounters with interviews with a wide range of people, from Taliban officials and a former torturer for Husseun's intelligence service to a suicide bomber and an American sniper in Iraq. It's these varied encounters from different cultures in the area which offer eye-opening insights and cultural revelations not to be missed. Any collection serious about Middle East issues needs ON THE ROAD TO KANDAHAR.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This is an excellent and informative book that's also a joy to read. Burke reports for Britain's "Observer" and he spent a decade covering stories in places such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Algeria, and Turkey. He often found himself in the middle of complex acts of violence, and this book is part travel memoir and part intellectual memoir as he struggles to understand what it all means.

I look for a few specific things in a good piece of travel writing. First, it needs to be well written, and Burke crafts strong, clear, concise, fast-flowing writing. He writes like a journalist, which means he trades flowery metaphors for sharp, direct statements. His descriptions of characters and places capture both the details and the mood, which ends up being vital to the points he wants to make. I also want a writer with insight. The author certainly needs to show insight into the cultures he encounters, but if self-exploration is also a goal, he or she also needs to show personal insight. Without insight I'd rather read a Lonely Planet guidebook. I liked Burke's approach. He is honest about his knowledge of other cultures, and he admits what he thinks while also staying aware of his lack of understanding. He describes violent acts and acknowledges that the deeper conflicts often prove to be too old and twisted for him to fully grasp. As for personal insight, Burke goes looking for that only in order to understand the conflicts he experiences. He might explore his own reactions under enemy fire, but it's only to better understand the nature of violence. This isn't a work of "spiritual travel" or a man's search for meaning, but it recognizes that any questions about the nature of violence require an understanding of your own nature. Finally, I have to like the author. Reading a travel book is like sharing a journey, and Burke seems like a cool guy--impressed with his travels without becoming arrogant, tough without going macho on the reader, and knowledgeable without needing to be an expert. He never once annoyed me, which is a bit of a rarity in travel writing (and in real travel).

As for the ideas in "On the Road to Kandahar," I think it's fair to say that Burke ends up with more questions than answers. More accurately, he ends up with the same deep questions and only some preliminary answers, but he also learns how complex and troubling the original questions were. He wants to understand what motivates violence in the parts of the Islamic world he has visited, and what the end result of it all will be. The travel writing helps collect information for the first question. He talks to would-be suicide bombers, Kurdish resistance fighters, and Taliban sympathizers--many of them unlikable and unsavory characters--and tries to get at their motivations. He tries to piece it all together into a coherent understanding. He brings up the stress of change, and how the clash with modernity causes conflict in previously peaceful cultures. He discusses al-Qaeda's philosophies and how satellite television and the internet have allowed these philosophies to modify the grievances of local cultures. He explores how cultures react after they accept violence as an answer, and after they see the results of that violence on other cultures and on their own culture. He realizes that 99% of the world simply wants to get by and live life--to raise children and enjoy friendships and have enough to eat and drink each day.

And, finally, he sort-of comes to an optimistic conclusion--that cultures end up turning against violence. He sees much of the conflict in the Islamic world as a short-term answer (even if "short-term" means one hundred years), a trial attempt to solve problems with suicide bombers and violent revolution, and sees it all fading away once the cultures turn against it. I say "sort-of" because Burke is far from convinced, especially after experiencing the closeness of the London bombings. In the end, it's the best answer he has right now. And, in the end, it's this combination of intellectual honesty and optimism--and its telling in an exciting and engaging way--that helps make this such an outstanding book.

Thaxton was recently enlisted in the Union Army when his regiment was called to the battlefield. He barely had any skill or practice with a gun so he was forced to pick up the techniques along the way. His generals showed him the way and put him in the most dangerous job of all - the aerial observations. The objective of aerial observation was to simply map down enemy forces from the air view. Thaxton began as a private and was promoted to Lieutenant within weeks for his amazing skill and accomplishments. Thaxton was in the air on his hot air balloon mapping down enemy lines when all of the sudden the Confederates made a surprise attack and forced the Union lines to retreat leaving Thaxton behind enemy lines. Thaxton was completely astonished to find himself being lowered from the air and into Confederate hands. Throughout the rest of the story, Thaxton was imprisoned and escapes with a few others and journeys back to the Union lines. This story was vividly described and well written, great characters, and an excellent plot.
This book was very well written and adventurous from its details and descriptions of actions occurring throughout the story. The battles and fights were well described so I could imagine exactly what was going on. The imagery was designed perfectly just so the reader could be aware of what was happening. The first battle of the book was set in a field but later changed to the woods so even the settings changed from scene to scene which was a twist.
Characters in this book were described very well also. They physical traits and how they acted were both clearly stated for all characters. That showed me what to expect out of each and every character for what they might do later on in the story. Given how one character acted I guessed what he would do next such as Thaxton would run away but the author always changed it so this time Thaxton didn't run away. Some characters like Red, were described as being dangerous and clever so I assumed he would come up with a plan of escape and that was exactly what he did. Red constructed the plan for escape with Thaxton and a few others.
The plot to this book was obviously thought out for a while by the author as he showed it in his work. The plot was about a kid that gets captured and escapes from a prisoner of war camp and tries to get back to his lines but encounters several problems along the way. One of these problems is that he meets his cousin that looks exactly like him. His cousin takes Thaxton as an enemy although his cousin is a double spy and works for the Union and the Confederates. Thaxton's cousin challenges him to a duel and Thaxton wins by pure luck. As Thaxton continues on his journey to his Union lines, he meets his dying uncle. His uncle leaves Thaxton with his extremely large estate and fortune.
High Spy was a very good book that I found interesting and exciting. The author kept me guessing what would happen next after every page. This book had an amazing plot that was unique, unlike any other book I've read before. I would recommend it to all readers that favor action and adventure.
-k hurdle

With the introduction of a new character, the entire Spy High universe gets an overhaul. We learn about another school, social roles begin to change and the truth about Johnathan Deverauxe is revealed to us. Also, the elements of scinece fiction really take off here. A.J. Butcher said, "The best part of writing science fiction is that if you need something, you can just make it up." We continue to see teh change of the kids as they become young adults. This book starts their second and last year of training.

Devereaux Academy is a top secret training school for young secret agents. But the kids call it Spy High. The story opens with the Bond Team -- Lori, Ben, Jake, Eddie, and Cally -- returning to Spy High from a break, yet still reeling from the death of their teammate, Jennifer at the hands of Dr. Frankenstein on a previous mission. For that reason, they don't exactly accept Bex, their new recruit with open arms. It's not her spiked green hair, or body piercings, or even her big attitude that makes them suspicious. It's the sabotage of Eddie's SkyBike during practice. And the booby trap that springs up for Lori and Ben in the Gun Run training scenario. Then Cally's cyber-cradle malfunctions nearly suffocating her. When the Bond Team members find out that Bex lied about her background and she's sneaking around the campus late at night, they think she might be a double agent. They take their concerns to Senior Tutor Elmore Grant but he dismisses them. The Bond Team are on their own. Not only do they have to get to the bottom of the mischief at Spy High, but they are just as determined to uncover Bex's true identity.

"The Paranoia Plot" is the 4th book in the Spy High series. While it's helpful to have read previous books in the series, it's not necessary to the understanding of the story or characters. This book is loaded with fast-paced action and enough plot twists to keep thinking readers on their toes. With fun, futuristic props like shock blasters, space-spheres, holograms, and clones, Spy High reads like a video game inside a book.

Copyright (c) 2005 by Peggy Tibbetts

I have recently read the Paranoia Plot, by AJ Butcher. I think it was an amazing book. This was about the Bond Team, a team of teens at Spy High, who are in training to carry out the will of Mr. Devraux, the founder of Spy High. In the last book, Jake's girlfriend and teammate Jen falls in the line of duty, in this case stopping a gang leader named Talon. The team gets a new member, Bex, and ... well, if I said anything else, I would give away the story. It was very well writen (no mistakes), and it had a capturing plot. When Bond Team found out the plot, I felt what they felt. I laughed with Bex at Eddie's attempts to win her heart. I felt relieved when the good guys finally won out. It was a wonderful book, and it held my interest to the end. I gave it five stars, and I think if you read it you will agree that it earns every one.

I love this book! I have so many ideas now for activities with my grandchildren that even I can use. Where was this book when my children were young! AN EXCELLENT RESOURCE! A+A+A+A+A+

After reading Weekend Parenting, I discovered the book isn't just for parents - it's a great resource for grandparents, too! The book could benefit anyone who spends time with children. The activities are fun, easy to do, and promotes that all important "quality time" many hope for but sometimes are unable to achieve without a little help. Well, the help is here and all you have to do is pick one of the 101 activities in the book to get you started. As a grandparent to an active toddler, I'm looking forward to trying all the activities. It sure beats propping them in front of the television!

Finally, a book that offers frazzled but well-meaning parents some truly creative ideas on creating quality time with their youngesters. After all, you can only play "Go Fish" so many times without going over the edge. Cementing our relationships with our children while building fond memories and encouraging creativity is the way to go -- and this book will help you do just that.

I am always looking for more things to do with my son and this book has it all. Wonderful activities that also help mold your kids into the people you aspire them to be in the future. I couldn't ask for a better guide to assist me in finding the best for my child.

This is fast becoming one of my favorite books, simply because it packs so much into one volume (where I previously had to turn to three). "Quantitative Financial Economics" rivals Bodie, Kane and Marcus, and Elton and Gruber in scope and quality.

It almost goes without saying, but this book is much better than anything by Frank Fabozzi.

No one book can contain everything, but lord knows Cuthbertson and Nitzche try. Here is a quick list of chapters: Basic Concepts in Finance; Basit Statistics; Efficient Market Hypothesis; Are Stock Returns Predictable?; Mean-Variance Portfolio Theory and the CAPM; International Portfoli Diversification; Performance Measures, CAPM and APT; Emperical Evidence: CAPM and APT; Applications of Linear Factor Models; Valuation Models and Asset Returns; Stock Pricve Volatility; Stock Prices: the VAR Approach; SDF Model and the C-CAPM; C-CAPM: Evidence and Extensions; Intertemporal Asset Allocation: Theory; Intertemporal Asset Allocation: Emperics; Rational Bubbles and Learning; Behavioral Finance and Anomalies; Behaviorla Models; Theories of the Term Structure; The EH-From Theory to Testing; Empirical Evidenceon the Term Stucture; SDF and Affine Term Structure Models; The Foreign Exchange market; Testing CIP, UIP, and FRU; Modeling the FX Risk Premium; Exchange Rate Fundamentals; Market Risk; Volatitlity and market Microstructure.

Whew!

If I had to recommend a single book to someone who had the energy and discipline to teach themselves the basics of modern finance, this would be the book I'd recommend. I'd also recommend this as an excellent "one stop shopping" refresher for PhD in Finance candidates who are about to take comprehensive exams, for this work serves as a very strong and efficient outline of the most important topics in empirical and academic finance.

Weaknesses are few, but I will say that the chapters of foreign exchange have a "tacked on" quality to them that does not compare to the strengths of the other chapters on CAPM and EMH.

An additional strength is that Cuthbertson and Nieztche are United Kingdom-based authors, and so the tone throughout is one of conscious international focus and attention. Bodie Kane and Marcus and Elton and Gruber often allude to an implicitly US biased market tone, which, as global capital efficiency increases, is becoming a liability.

This is an excellent, highly recommended work for an introductory text, a support text for intermediate studies with a particular focus, or for support and review for advanced students. Cuthbertson and Nietzche have every reason to be proud, and "Quantitative Financial Economics" should be used by undergraduate and graduate programs, and widely available in reference libraries.

This book contains one of the clearest discussions of the CAPM model that I have found anywhere. It is also quite rigorous. It also contains one of the most vague treatments of utility functions in existence. Overall this is an outstanding book on financial economics. Potential sophisticated readers should be aware that the book does rely almost exclusively on time series analysis and therefore is subject to the limitations associated with the same. But for a good clear introduction of the subject from a time series point of view the book is really hard to beat.

An excellent book to start understanding quantitaive methods in financial economics. This could serve as one of the best introductions to the first-timers. The author has taken care to explain the concepts in a lucid manner to prepare the student to take on the concepts at a greater detail. He even touches upon complex issues like stock market 'anomalies' and models of noise trader behaviour. The discussion on 'rational bubble'is also quite helpful. On the whole, a very good text to understand competing theoritical models in financial economics and their applicability in various markets like stock, bond and currency market.

A superb book particularly attractive for those who intend to learn about the application of econometric techniques to finance but likely to find its peer book by Campbell,Lo,McKinlay a bit too advanced...

This is simply the funniest and most enjoyable book on theoretical inorganic chemistry I've ever read. Its format is close to your typical bedside table novel, lively informal and packed with the most awesome qualitative insights on bonding with molecular orbital theory without the need to resort to hardcore mathematics. It also has some amusing puns and jokes mixed with the enthusiasm of conveying this knowledge. The more interested reader should also read Jeremy Burdett's "Chemical Bonding in Solids" for a more detailed account of the quantum chemical and solid state aspects involved. All in all 140 pages of pure pleasure.

I'm a Ph D student in physics working on the adsorption of molecules at surfaces, but I didn't really know what I was doing until I read this book. It's easy to understand (because it's so well written), also for physicists although it is written for chemists (I barely know anything about chemistry, but I understood everything). The book teaches you the most important things you need to know to understand bonds qualitatively and also e.g. the related shifts in energy, charge transfers,... However people working in the field of chemistry or physics shouldn't bother to buy this book because they'll probably have access to the papers this book is based upon. The most important of these papers is:

R. Hoffmann, A chemical and theoretical way to look at bonding on surfaces, Rev. Mod. Phys. 60, 601-628 (1988).

This is a very interesting article that you definitely should read.

This book bridges the language gap between chemistry and condensed matter physics. Starting from the language that all chemists are comfortable with - that of molecular orbitals - Hoffman builds up the idea of bonding in extended structures (solids) as if a solid was just a giant molecule. This is done with a minimum of mathematics, mostly using simple and graphical representation. As a primer to the area of solid state chemistry, this book is invaluable.

I'm not sure if physicists, starting from the other end of the language will find it as useful as a chemist, but it should be straightforward for them as well, giving them the chemist's point of view (language).

This is a short book, and wisely does not try to exceed its boundries, that of an introduction/overview. For a more mathematical treatment, I would suggest Burdett's "Chemical Bonding in Solids." If you only want an introduction written in plain language with lots of graphics, this is the book for you.

This book bridges a gap between molecular orbital theory and the empirical/intuitive way chemists think about bonding in molecules. From there, it opens up vistas in extended systems (e.g. solids, conductive polymers) that most ordinary "molecular" chemists think of as foreign and forbidding because the language and tools used to treat them are those of solid state physicists with which most chemists are (regrettably) unfamiliar. Hoffmann brings all this good stuff home to chemists, without the bludgeon of complicated mathematics, inviting us in, showing us how much we already know. My own background is both physics and traditional synthetic organic/organometallic chemistry. Until I read this book, I had struggled to see how the physics and chemistry meet. This book has really bridged the gap.

This is a must read for all who feel the need to learn about these important investment vehicles. The writing is stellar and easily understood, even on such ideas as futures, hedging, and more difficult concepts like the yield rate curve.

Mr. Veale is an excellent writer and deals with the common and uncommon uses of these vehicles. You will understand how to read any kind of quote, from stock to bond to esoteric qoutes like T-Bill spreads and ED futures.

I usually sell books like this once I have absorbed the knowledge, however this is a keeper since it will be an important reference for well into the future.

I am making the transition from hard sciences to financial markets. I have started reading many math oriented books on quantitative finance, like the great two volumes by Shreve, but guess what, I still could not understand a Bloomberg article or a report on the radio, all these market terms were a mystery to me. Not anymore. This book did it for me. It requires ZERO financial knowledge and yet it is not for dummies. It is perfect for the level of someone who never had a formal training on what is the definition of a stock, what kind of departments exist inside an investment bank, etc. etc.

It is a clear book, I would not call it technical, it reads like a novell, and I can not overstate any more how cleat it is. I definitely recommend it to people who want an introduction on the subject.

Great book. Complex concepts are explained clearly and concisely. Examples are abundant and helpful.

I have to point out that I have the first edition of this book (which did not have Veale's name on it). It is absolutely excellent at introducing the basic concepts behind all types of securities and futures investing one may be considering. They cover what stocks, bonds, etc. are, how they are traded, the terminology used by brokers, and even some historical background. I was really impressed at how clear and understandable all the explanations were. This book was written by someone who really understands the concepts and knows how to explain them well.

The book does not have a glossary in it, but does have an excellent index, which is really better in many ways.