Brian Books

This was a great book - if I had just one book about Win 95, this would be it.

i have read the book for the 3rd edition but this was in my class Tim class some one stole the cd for the book so i couldnt do some of the things it sead to do so im just going to try to get the next best thing

Livingston & Straub combine thorough knowledge and casual writing skills nicely, resulting in an easy to find by, easy to follow and easy to execute by reference tome. A " Windows 95 Secrets " tweak, MaxMTU / DefaultRcvWindows, effected a software cost savings equal to the cover price!

Before you call me, look at 'Windows 95 Secrets' by Brian Livingston & Davis Straub, This book provides essential, and much undocumented information about Windows 95 features, installation, Plug and Play, boot files, the Windows desktop, relationships to DOS, networking, performance, and more. Helpful for everyone from the neophyte to the most intense power user. A great gift.

This excellent reference manual has become an indispensable corner stone of my computer library. Well written in clear and concise English the book is full of tips and tricks -- many of them undocumented by Microsoft. "Windows 95 Secrets" has helped me through a number of problematic situations including ones having to do with Network, modem, fax and printer setup and trouble shooting. If you are considering the purchase of only one Windows 95 reference book: this is the one.

This book is priceless if you love editorial cartoons. There is everything and more.
The cartoons and biting sarcasm and wit are effectionate. The art is top rate and
and the humor is too. You will laught all night. When you get a chance also visit his
website to find more :)

Cagle's website is the best place on the internet for political cartoons, and this book is the best of the year that was. Nice to have a low-tech version for browsing anytime.

Great variety of subjects and cartoonists, even those you love to hate. Am looking forward to the next edition...

Since the day, I visited Cagle Cartoons Inc website through print cartoons appearing in Asian Age, I became a great fan of Daryl Cagle. I could not resist writing to Daryl for placing Political Cartoons on mjakbar.org but somehow I landed up signing up for Cagle Free Daily Newsletter with Cartoons. Hold Your Breadth! Daryl Cagle's Pro Cartoonist Index Page is Amazing to explore. But here, the Book 2006 is gonna be full of exciting 150 Cartoons, chosen by Daryl and his staff - humorous and sometimes sad look of the events. It will re-live memorable moments like the Michael Jackson trial, steroid and baseball, the rise of gas prices, Terri Shiavo, the Tsunami, and much more in this book that is sure to be a great gift for you or your favorite political junkie. Why I say this before a read of Cartoons 2006 is because I've gone through each and every Cartoon Newsletter of Cagle and heaven's bless, this syndicated 700 newspaper Cartoonist is a raging success with the Tsunami, M Jackson, Bird Flu, Bush, Where's Osama and earlier, the Keryy vs Bush, Ronald Reagan, Yasser Arafat, etc.

Political cartoons has always been an important American Art form. 2004 was an important year with the presidential campaign, the war in Iraq, and terror: terrorists attacked a Russian school, killing scores of children and killer hurricanes, Athens Olympics & so on like war, terror and politics - the 2005 book covers up all the 2004 happenings in almost 288 pages from a collection of 800 cartoons on site.

Cartoons are an art form that chronicles history and reflects the attitudes of the public with a depth that can't be achieved in words alone. The website is a state of art and the Books are great buys for Library reads and gifts especially when you want to say no words - Daryl Cagle's cartoons speak a lot! Great Must Picks!

-ilaxi

I have been a fan of Daryl Cagle's cartoons for years. His latest collection of political cartoons is a "must see". I enjoyed every page!

A great pictorial history of the year as seen by the top editorial cartoonists! This 2005 edition offers a variety of viewpoints on such topics as the Janet's Boob fiasco to the the war in Iraq, the presidential camapign, Kerry vrs Bush and so much more.....I am hooked!

"Out" is the second volume of the Bendis/Maleev run on Daredevil and its great. This story follows up on the conclusion of the previous volume of the book, when Silke outs Daredevil's secret identity.

This story arc shows how messed up Matt Murdock's life, there is very little in costume action here, only a fight with Mr. Hyde, most of the volume just focuses on how Murdock's life is falling apart. The characterization is great for both Matt and Foggy and the developments the character goes through in this book sets up interresting ramifications for future Daredevil stories.

Bendis' writing is as crisp as ever here, as he sets up his Daredevil run as something, which is not ur normal superhero book. Bendis' talking heads style plays a large part on the developments in this book, and Bendis also shows he gets Matt Murdock's character and why he does what he does. The story feels very realistic due mainly to the fully fleshed out characters. Bendis' dialogue is also crisp, one line that strikes me is the internal monologue by Murdock "I know before I wake up...I know my life is over" absolutely brilliant

Maleev's art is great, he stepped his game up a bit with this volume, making the art here even better than it was in "Underboss". His layouts are great and his gritty and noir pencils give a grounded feel to this story and fit it perfecty.

When you end the main part of "Out" you'll most definately be left wanting more of the Bendis/Maleev ongoing story. So the three issues that follow may be somewhat of a disapointment.

The trial of the century three-part arc, despite being well written, it falls short of the brilliance that the 5 parter before this story was. The main plot consists of Matt Murdock defending a fellow super-hero in court, if your interessted in lawyering, you may get a kick outta this story, but me, not so much.

A lot of the failure in the back up is due to the sub-par artwork, after being treated to Maleev brilliance in the previous 5 parts, Gutierrez' and Dodson's artwork, is ok in their own right, but they dont really match the feel of Daredevil taht much, I still have to say it is nice tho, just no where near as good as the interiors Maleev produced earlier in the trade.

Despite a somewhat disapointing back story, "Daredevil: Out" is most definately worth reading for the main story, the back story, despite not as good, still manages to be entertaining in its own mertis. This book is worth every cent you put into it, but if you haven't read "Underboss" yet, I'd most definately recommend you to read that before coming to read this book, since the plotlines in that book are what moves this one forwards.

As the title implies, Matt Murdock is about to experience one of the worst days of his super hero career. In one of the crowning moments of Brian Michael Bendis' run on Daredevil, Daredevil's secret identity is outed by the press as the FBI and criminals alike gather around to make their move. Out is where Bendis really hits his stride on the title and takes Daredevil to heights that haven't been seen since Frank Miller's last runs on the title. His Hell's Kitchen is a gritty, dangerous, dark spot on an otherwise shiny Marvel-ized New York City, and his depiction of Matt Murdock/Daredevil is the most human the character has been in years. Later on, we see Murdock embroiled in a trial as he defends a low rent super hero who was at the wrong place at the wrong time; which plants seeds for further, bigger developments in Bendis' celebrated run on the title. Alex Maleev's artwork is spectacular as well, which has come to be expected if you've read Daredevil at any great length over the past few years. All in all, mainstream super hero comics rarely get any better than this.

Just a quick glance at the myriad of Daredevil trade paperbacks out there will give some indication of how many permutations this character has gone through. Unfortunately few truly understand the intricacies of the character who can turn into a third-rate ninja in one writer's hands and a cut-rate Spider-man in another's.

Luckily Brian Michael Bendis "gets" Daredevil - much as Miller and Smith have before him. As others have said in their reviews before this one, this is certainly not a conventional superhero tale as it focuses more on Matt Murdock and less on his costumed alter-ego. What appearances there are from the spandex set are limited but very effective. And you have to give credit to ANY writer who can make Mr. Hyde interesting, if only for a few panels.

Two disapointments: 1) The conniving Mr. Silke, who basically sets Murdock up for much of the misery he experiences in these issues, essentially becomes a castrated character barely even appearing in these pages. Perhaps Bendis has something up his sleeve for Silke. I hope so, as this story really wastes his potential.
2) The final third or so of the book is taken up with a White Tiger storyline that is moderately good, but certaily nothing like the Bendis/Maleev stories that precede it.

Bottom Line: The Hollywood screenwriters could learn a LOT from Bendis and Maleev. This is a worthwhile read!

For the record, I've never read anything by Bendis that was as good as Alias, which was fantastic, all the way through. I read "Wake Up" first, and I was very impressed, although I wasn't sure that I was getting a clear idea of Bendis' Daredevil, or of Daredevil himself, for that matter, as I have never read a Daredevil book. I picked up Underboss, then, and I enjoyed it enough to want to pick up the next volume.

This trade contains two stories: "Out" and "Trial of the Century." "Out" is fantastic. The idea is daring as hell, and it's handled perfectly. The characters are all completely believable and compelling--particularly, Matt Murdock, Foggy and Ben Urich; the dialogue is fantastic, the story is engaging and Alex Maleev's artwork is perfect. It has the same gritty feel of Michael Gaydos' artwork, and it looks great; figures and facial expressions are all natural, too.

Then there's "Trial of the Century," which was fairly poor. The main problem with it is the artwork, which is ridiculously poor for all of Manuel Gutierrez's issues (parts one and two). It is distorted and ugly; the way that Murdock's hair sticks up alone shows that Gutierrez doesn't have a basic understanding of how gravity works--or how hair works. Murdock looks very much like an alien in some panels.

The third issue, illustrated by Terry Dodson, is much better. It's nowhere near Alex Maleev's artwork, or David Mack's, but it's nice and stylized, and it does have something going for it.

That said, the writing on this one was okay. It wasn't as good as "Out," I think, although I'm sure that the artwork had something to do with how little I enjoyed it, but it wasn't wonderful, either. One thing that I really enjoyed in Alias was the way that Bendis could makes ridiculous characters like Speedball, or Mattie Franklin (Spider-woman III) believable, or even idealized super-heroes like Captain America or Ant-Man (Scott Lang) feel like real, relatable characters.

That doesn't go over with the White Tiger, who seems like a stereotypical hero, most of the way through. The opposing lawyer and the judge both seem like charicatures; there's nothing really impressive here. Still, it's Bendis, and, really, the artwork is probably what hurts the story the most.

Still, four stars because "Out" is so good.

Be warned: This collection may cover Daredevil #32-40, but Daredevil hardly appears at all. There's only a brief appearance by a super-villian, and that's by the fourth-string Mr. Hyde. There are cameos galore, but of the appearances by Spider-Man, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Elektra, Jessica Jones and the White Tiger, only Spider-man does any real "super-heroing". The story doesn't advance or conclude with a big battle royale and a resolve where our hero saves the day and the world is put right, but with...well, find that out for yourself.

This is the best Daredevil storyline since Born Again.

Read Underboss before this to get the full story. In breif: Daredevil's secret identity has been outed by a tabloid newspaper (whose source is also an unconventional surprise). The repercussions are real and, no, there won't be a resolve with both Matt Murdock and someone else disguised as Daredevil appearring in the same place at the same time.

Bendis' strength as a writer of dialogue and creating memorable, vital characters is at its' peak here. Matt Murdock creates his own problems and ruins good opportunities because of his own flaws, not some super-baddie vowing revenge. Maleev's artwork is dark, gritty, moody and somber: an ideal match for Daredevil (and the colors by Matt Hollingworth and even the lettering by Richard Starkings are also well-suited and noteworthy).

Bendis and Maleev as a creative team for daredevil is so effective and evocative because they were both clearly influenced by Frank Miller. However, they are are not just aping Miller, they're embellishing. Their vision for Daredevil will forever change the character and in time may be remembered as just as important as Millers'.

The only drawback is the artwork in the last White Tiger story. It's okay, and it's a good story but without Maleev, it's just not the same, and it would have been really interesting to see what Maleev would have done with the story-line.

Pick this up. It's not just the best mainstream comic today, it may be the best thing in the entire field.

This book is very exciting. The plot clicks right along, and the character development is magnetic. The Coen brothers should be considering this story for their next film.

From the madness of work in The Big Apple to the eco-terrorism in a national park out west, this book keeps your heart racing and your mind beating. Two strong characters come to an exciting good-evil dual with humor, sex appeal, and intrigue. And I don't regularly read or even like this genre, so this one is a keeper! As the pages turn, it's easy to see the movie in the making...

I just finished Railsback's book and highly recommend it. I really would not be surprised at all if this novel is a bestseller this year! We take our National Parks for granted, but not everybody does, especially Eldred Spell.

It is a killer-diller thriller and it charmed me in the way books I read as a youngster charmed me-with untamed wildness and an overpowering presence for a `villain.'" It charmed me out of myself each time I picked it up . . . it has enough action, sex, and vista to fill a Technicolor screen to over-brimming. In short, it's a helluva ride. I enjoyed it immensely.
-FRED CHAPPELL Poet Laureate, North Carolina

We better start thinking about the problems concerning man and nature presented in this novel. If we don't, we give our choice to people like Eldred Spell, the sometimes sympathetic antagonist, and certainly we don't want that. Railsback really made me think while keeping me entertained at the same time! Good Stuff!!

"Defending the Brand" is the definitive work in the field of protecting your brand presence on the Internet. I have read several books on Internet Security, site hijacking, and other problems of the Internet and even hold a security certification. I am not aware of any other book on the market today that explains so well the problems of malicious hackers and pranksters and how quickly they can destroy your brand name. The book is full of example after example of real-life problems that others have faced and solid advice on how to handle each of the various situations. Of course, it also has sound, positive steps you can take to help protect your brand from problems to begin with. Author Brian Murray doesn't give basic advice that is supposed to fit every situation but helps the reader to determine what factors make a situation warrant action, which ones are better off left alone, which ones might require legal action, and which ones trying to get a legal letter so they can further defame your brand name. Every business with an Internet presence should have a copy of this book. Using the Internet it is now possible to lose many years of positive customer relations in a matter of just a few days. You are responsible for knowing how to protect your company and yourself and this book will open your eyes.

Our company has been the victim of phishing attacks and it has been hard finding books that can help. Def the Brand was recommended to me by a friend and it has been very useful for some aspects. Defending the brand is not only valuable for marketing and legal professionals but I would call it a must read for security professionals given the changes in what we are dealing with. The book does a good job covering the different ways that other people on the Internet can use/abuse your corporate identity.

Wow, this book provides a tremendous amount of insite into the world of online brand management. New technology has created a new set of issues for brand managers and IP counsel. Ten years ago cybersquating, meta tag abuse and typo-piracy certainly weren't in my vocablulary. This is very informative book from someone who is very knowledgeable of what is going on in the online area......

Mr. Murray has changed my strategy on protecting our image and reputation in the marketplace. I knew that we had to closely monitor the use and licensing of our brand in the off-line world but this book opened my eyes to the on-line marketplace. There is nothing more valuable than our companies reputation and as a result of the great examples given, I've changed the way our digital marketing group operates with the Internet. Thanks Brian for this valuable contribution to preserving our shareholders investment.

Just a decade ago, defending your brand essentially meant ensuring that sidewalk vendors weren't hawking knockoffs of your goods. That has changed drastically with the explosive growth of the Internet, which has revolutionized retailing, but has also made it easier for thieves to hawk counterfeit product.

Leading brands are finding the Internet to be a perfect vehicle for reaching out to their existing customers and finding new customers. The flip side is that for every Internet marketing method there exists a nefarious online activity that exploits the power and goodwill of established brands. For example, rumors and fictitious product information can hurt companies' brands.

Never before have companies faced such a siege on their intellectual property and brands, so the publication of Defending the Brand is timely. In a fascinating depiction of today's threats, the book explains in lay terms how an organization can develop a strategy to fight brand thieves.

The eleven chapters are replete with real-world examples of how companies such as Home Depot and Disney have struggled to protect their brands online. The author furnishes effective advice on how companies can better deal with situations ranging from digital brand abuse to illegal distribution. At 250 pages, Defending the Brand is a quick and fascinating read.

This collection of poems will entertain you, make you think, and above all, make you delirious! I enjoyed every one of the poems written. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys poetry with a twist of humor.

I discovered "Delirious" while babysitting for my 6 year old nephew and 8 year old niece. They were fighting over which one of them could read the book. To settle the situation fairly, I told them to each pick their favorite poem in the book and I would read it to them. Big mistake on my part as they each had several favorites and could not decide on the two poems they wanted to hear. After approximately a half hour of debating, my niece settled on "Girls" and my nephew chose "Just Kidding". Reading the poems to them, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed them. All of the poems in the book are cleverly written and touch on topics that have universal appeal to anyone who remembers what it is like to see the world through the eyes of a child. I think I wound up enjoying the book more than the kids did. What a pleasent surprise!

NOTHING'S sacred. Just like all of us kids (and face it; we ARE all kids)Brian would like to let it all hang out--and he does. There's no roping in his imagination and creativity. Every emotion is tapped. Deja vu sets in and past memories of "Oh my gosh! that's ME!" come wriggling to the surface. Written from a kids' eye view and VERY refreshing! A real pick-me-up! He might as well live in a glass house--we know all about the family! Thank God your family loves you, Brian. They DO, don't they? One of my favorites? "The Haircut"

Mr. Allfrey not only captured the hearts and imagination of my students and staff with his collection of poems, he was gracious enough to share his personal insights on the writing process and the pre-writng process. His poetry had many keen insights that my students could readily relate to, and his topics are easy to apply to all facets of my curriculum. A great crossover book.

Being a sixth grade teacher, one of the areas of curriculum I need to teach my students is poetry. Unfortunately, the students usually groan when poetry is introduced due to the seriousness of adolescent poetry. My students still love Shel Silverstein, but think his poetry is a little "young" for their very "advanced" adolescent minds! Thanks to Mr. Allfrey, they now have a book of poems that are Silversteinesque without being juvenile. Thanks to Delirious, I was able to begin my poetry unit by reading good, but funny poems. All of my students were laughing out loud. I've never seen sixth graders so excited about poetry!

This book is fabulous for teachers to use in the classroom...all the way up to 12th grade. Parents will love this just as much as the students.

Invitation Only
By: Kate Brian

Reed has entered the high-classed, lip-glossed world of the Billings. All of her fairytales are just beginning, but when her boyfriend disappers everything seems to crumble. Will she be strong enough to survive? Could the disappearance of her boyfriend Thomas Pearson be her down fall in the Billings?
Reed is a normal teen who is just beginning her sophisticated life in Billings. Reed's drive and compassion for Thomas makes her investigate farther into his disappearance. But not everybody at Easton is looking for answers to his disappearance. Could they be hiding something? Her search will eventually lead her into another guy's arms over the lonely Thanksgiving Break, but he could be hiding some skeletons in his closet.
I loved this book because while Reed was on her journey for the truth I felt like I was right beside her. It was fascinating and kept me on the edge of my seat. It is a fast pace read with tiny cliffhangers at the end of each chapter. This is a book for people who like to be captured into an alternate reality of someone else's life. Will you join Reed on her journey for the truth?

By: Kim G.

Reed Brennan is now a Billings Girl. She goes to parties and is looked up to and envied by most students on campus. Yet things still aren't perfect. One of the other Billings Girls takes pictures of her at a party with a boy that could easily get her expelled. Then they use it to black mail. To make it all worse, her boyfriend, Thomas, is still missing. No one knows where he is but they do know where he'll be at on Halloween - The Legacy. It's an exclusive party that only the most important legacies are able to attend. Unless you can go as someone's plus-one. Which is what Reed plans to do. Of course, not everyone can take a plus-one and the one person willing to take Reed is the one person she doesn't want to go with. But if Thomas will be there, Reed's willing to do anything possible to be there.


Invitation Only, the second book in the Private series by Kate Brian, is an amazing read. I didn't want to put it down once I started. It was full of drama, some action, and gave you an inside look at the life of private schools. The characters were easy to relate to and they make you wonder what's going to happen next, especially the Billings Girls. The ending was surprising but good. I think the first chapter of the next book should have been the last chapter though. I really enjoyed this and can't wait to get my hands on the third book. I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys drama, romance, and the crazy life of rich private school students.

Reed Brennan has become something of a celebrity now that she's a Billings girl. She has won the admiration, awe, scorn and jealousy of everyone at the Easton Academy. But they have no idea how things are really like for her at the famous dorm. After all, they don't know that Reed is the servant girl at Billings; making the beds, serving breakfast and doing all sorts of humiliating chores for the fabulous four -- Noelle, Arianna, Kiran and Taylor. It doesn't matter. She'll do whatever it takes to be accepted. Being a Billings girl is a privilege, not a right, especially for a girl with a humble background like her. But things become complicated when Natasha, her new roommate, takes some incriminating photos of her with resident eighteen-year-old hottie Walt Whittaker, and threatens to send them to the dean. The catch? Reed has to snoop around and find proof that the fabulous four were responsible for the removal of Natasha's former roommate. With her position as the dorm's Cinderella, it shouldn't be so hard to search for this evidence, should it? In her search, Reed discovers secrets about her new "friends" that she wishes she'd never known. As if that weren't bad enough, her boyfriend Thomas is still missing. Her only shot of meeting face to face with Thomas is to get an invitation to the Legacy -- an exclusive party that only a selected few get invited. In order to attend the exclusive party, Reed has to become Whittaker's "plus one," which means she has to go out with him, to the dismay of her former roommate Constance, who has a major crush on Whittaker. Will Cinderella make it to the ball with her dignity ever so slightly intact? And will her Prince Charming be there, waiting to whisk her away from all the madness? After all, if she finds the evidence Natasha is looking for, she'll have to rat out her friends, or she'll be out of Easton faster than you can say "busted." Sigh. So much drama. It appears that being a Billings girl isn't as easy or as glamorous as Reed had thought.

This is a great follow-up to the very riveting Private. We get a sense of who the Billings girls are and how far they go just to amuse themselves at someone else's expense. Yet there is also a part of them -- a more human, generous part -- that makes them the most unique, intriguing girls at Easton Academy. The girls are rich, beautiful and have the world kissing their feet, but they also hold a mystique that overrides all of that stuff. I like the way Brian is handling that part of the story. These aren't the typical rich and spoiled boarding school teens that are so common in YA books these days. They truly are an enigma, and it shows throughout the pages of the book. Reed is still somewhat annoying in her desperate quest to fit into their social circle, but it is understandable. She, after all, has never been accepted anywhere before, and getting the attention of the most fascinating girls she's ever set her eyes on, not to mention the admiration of some rather hot guys, would cause any teenage girl to drool in the same way. She has two new love interests in this installment -- Whittaker and Thomas's roommate Josh. I love Josh; dislike Whittaker, who comes across as one of those rich, spoiled high-class twits. Very one-dimensional, and he's meant to be that way, from the looks of things. There is a big twist at the very last chapter, one that leaves me wanting to find out what happens next. I can't wait to pick up Untouchable. In the meantime, I cannot recommend Invitation Only enough. I take away one star because I was able to figure out what was going on with the whole blackmail thing by the time the story gets around to it, but it's still a brilliant read. This series is proving to be very addicting.

This was really good!
i couldnt wait to find out what had happened to reed!!!
lol :]

This was an excellent book. I loved it so much... somehow I can understand what Reed is going through. I liked how there are new characters, and how the abrupt ending leaves me wanting more. I can't wait to read Untouchable!

I happen to know C++ and this book is quite useful for learning Java, or at least understanding any given Java program. For each Java construct, the book tells what the equivalent C++ construct is or whether it exists at all. In some cases, it also goes the other way -- for each C++ construct, the Java equivalent.

It also covers some Java libraries and briefly outlays applets. There does not seem to be any coverage of servlets or server-side programming.

As good a reference as it is, it seems to be missing some things, most notably initializations. There are pieces of Java code I've seen something like:

subr1(new Foobar {blah(){foo;} blah1(){bar;}});

i.e., a class (Foobar) is being initialized dynamically before calling a function subr1(). The exact circumstances of initialization of variables and dynamic classes are not covered at all in this book.

Other than that, this book is great.

I picked up this book on a whim, thinking it wouldn't be as good as Java in a Nutshell or Core Java, both of which are excellent books in and of themselves. Surprisingly, this contains a condensed version of most of the information of the above mentioned books. It lacks the extended examples of Core Java, but to a good student and intelligent reader, missing out on a few examples won't break your education.

And like JIAN, there is a good amount of reference material in this book, not with the extended detail of JIAN, but enough to get by most of the stumbling stones one encounters while programming.

As a student, I can only carry so many books in my backpack; when I'm programming in the university labs, I want concise and useful as my qualities. At home, I have my Java reference library (CJ, JIAN, etc.), which I consult when I'm at a quandary; for portability and my lab work, this book is the Swiss Army knife of references, one that I carry regularly, and one that can solve about 75-80% of Java problems I encounter.

I picked up this book on a whim, thinking it wouldn't be as good as Java in a Nutshell or Core Java, both of which are excellent books in and of themselves. Surprisingly, this contains a condensed version of most of the information of the above mentioned books. It lacks the extended examples of Core Java, but to a good student and intelligent reader, missing out on a few examples won't break your education.

And like JIAN, there is a good amount of reference material in this book, not with the extended detail of JIAN, but enough to get by most of the stumbling stones one encounters while programming.

As a student, I can only carry so many books in my backpack; when I'm programming in the university labs, I want concise and useful as my qualities. At home, I have my Java reference library (CJ, JIAN, etc.), which I consult when I'm at a quandary; for portability and my lab work, this book is the Swiss Army knife of references, one that I carry regularly, and one that can solve about 75-80% of Java problems I encounter.

I picked up this book on a whim, thinking it wouldn't be as good as Java in a Nutshell or Core Java, both of which are excellent books in and of themselves. Surprisingly, this contains a condensed version of most of the information of the above mentioned books. It lacks the extended examples of Core Java, but to a good student and intelligent reader, missing out on a few examples won't break your education.

And like JIAN, there is a good amount of reference material in this book, not with the extended detail of JIAN, but enough to get by most of the stumbling stones one encounters while programming.

As a student, I can only carry so many books in my backpack; when I'm programming in the university labs, I want concise and useful as my qualities. At home, I have my Java reference library (CJ, JIAN, etc.), which I consult when I'm at a quandary; for portability and my lab work, this book is the Swiss Army knife of references, one that I carry regularly, and one that can solve about 75-80% of Java problems I encounter.

I picked up this book on a whim, thinking it wouldn't be as good as Java in a Nutshell or Core Java, both of which are excellent books in and of themselves. Surprisingly, this contains a condensed version of most of the information of the above mentioned books. It lacks the extended examples of Core Java, but to a good student and intelligent reader, missing out on a few examples won't break your education.

And like JIAN, there is a good amount of reference material in this book, not with the extended detail of JIAN, but enough to get by most of the stumbling stones one encounters while programming.

As a student, I can only carry so many books in my backpack; when I'm programming in the university labs, I want concise and useful as my qualities. At home, I have my Java reference library (CJ, JIAN, etc.), which I consult when I'm at a quandary; for portability and my lab work, this book is the Swiss Army knife of references, one that I carry regularly, and one that can solve about 75-80% of Java problems I encounter.

The book is an excellent resource for anyone who owns a macaw and provides valueable insight to those considering a macaw. Considering it was published in 1996, the information is still practical and worthwhile. I do not agree with the opinion about hybrid macaws but it is minor compared to the vast in-depth reading it provides regarding husbandry, geographical information, physiological information, etc. A must-own for anyone who loves these magnificent birds!

I found this book to be very informative regarding almost all aspects of owning and living with a macaw.

I love this book it has beautiful pictures, lots of information on everything. I would recomend to to any bird owner...

...after reading and seeing all the information that is given, it was well worth it. This book has 100 times more information than any of the other books on macaws. It was definately worth the price.

Although three people are listed as being the authors of this book, the impressive list of contributors as photographers, design, consultants, collaborators and acknowledgments goes on for three full pages.

This is a huge book (534 pages with the index starting on page 511) that certainly appears to cover everything about the large macaws that anyone would want to know.

The book is divided into three main parts with several chapters in each part. The first is Aviculture, written mainly by Joanne Abramson, the second is Veterinary Medicine, written by Brian L. Speer and the third is Conservation, written mainly by Jorgen B. Thomsen.

Over 300 beautiful colour photographs are used throughout the book submitted by 77 photographers as well as many detailed drawings by Marsha Mello.

Nutritional analysis charts are provided for nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables and pelleted diets.

It would be much easier to say what is NOT in this book than to list everything contained herein. Other than the fact that there is nothing written by myself, (grin) I could not think of anything else that could have been included here.

This book IS very expensive, but if you have a Macaw - or even if you love Macaws, you should really see if you can get your hands on a copy. I am sure that you will realize that it is worth every penny.

When I read the first book of Mr Woolf for me it was a revolution in term of loyalty for retail organization and all the things in the book I try to apply them to my customers.
The second one that I have read in 2006 (five years after it's first edition brings me less learnings. May be it's too late, may too much books have been written on the subject (loyalty and CRM).
Whatever the book should be read because Mr Woolf is a specialist of the subject.

I have read Brian Woolf's two most recent works on loyalty marketing. For many, the world of loyalty marketing and its results may seem incomprehensible, or worse yet, unquantifiable. However, in his new book, "Loyalty Marketing: The Second Act", Brian has conveyed the importance and power of building real loyalty with the consumer. His frequent use of case studies spanning several industries, illustrates and quantifies the benefits of building an effective loyalty program and putting it to work in even the most competitive and mature of markets. In today's business environment, it's not enough to simply attract new customers. The silver bullet for success is the ability to retain those customers through the years to come.

Whether you are a proprietor or charged with the marketing initiatives of a large retailer, Brian's real-life examples and insights captured in his latest book, will give you the competitive edge to secure profitable and loyal customers.

As a loyalty marketing professional, I found Brian Woolf's new book, "Loyalty Marketing The Second Act," to be filled with fresh insights and useful information. Building on his earlier breakthrough book "Customer Specific Marketing," Mr. Woolf provides new examples of loyalty marketing practices experienced by successful retailers from around the world. I especially liked his chapter on "The Power of Points," where he extols the virtues and variations of loyalty points programs.

The book is written in an easy to understand style, and the author has a special knack for dissecting complex programs into bite size ideas that are easily digested by both new and experienced practitioners. The book repeatedly demonstrates how to use customer data effectively without being overwhelmed by it. Brian's use of statistical tables is judicious and provides just the right information to zero in on the main point. The real world examples demonstrate a "how to" approach to satisfying the needs of various customer segments while enhancing their value to retailers.

This book is a must-read for anyone interested in successful loyalty marketing practices that result mutually profitable customer relationships.

After having read Mr. Woolf's book "Shrinking the Corporate Waistline", and using it as a guide for my business, I was even more impressed with his book Customer Specific Marketing- The New Power in Retailing. After having worn this book out, I ordered 35 copies for each of my Supermarket Manager's, just prior to kicking off our Loyalty Card Program. The success we were able to derive from this simple approach, was unbelievable!!

Now that I am Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing for a 120 store chain of Convenience Stores, I was overwhelmed with his newest offering. We will soon begin it here.

After having had the opportunity to hear Mr. Woolf speak of Loyalty Marketing, in the simplist of terms, to as complex as you could keep up with, I am amazed with his insight. I am still digesting his "Second Act", after having gone through it for the third time. The down to earth approach he takes, and the attitude he carries through with, let's you know he is truly talking from experience. The practices he illustrates in length throughout the book, makes it a must read for businessmen and businesswomen who are really interested in customer retention. One thing you will learn from Mr. Woolf is "it's much more important to reach the customers who count, rather than counting the customers you reach! This is a very good book!

"Loyalty Marketing: The Second Acth by Brian Woolf

Retail is a complex system involving many, many factors. In 1996, in his first book, gCustomer Specific Marketingh Brian Woolf added two additional lines to the diagram of this complexity: gCustomers are not equalh and gBehavior follows rewards.h I cannot think of any marketing book ever published that has induced as many retailers, especially grocers, into implementing its basic concepts, as did this book.
gLoyalty Marketing: The Second Acth is a natural sequence to Woolffs earlier book, providing an updated insight into loyalty marketing using real examples from around the world. This book will spark debates and discussions among retailers and the next level of insights, gThe Third Acth, will be anxiously awaited.
Database marketing has long been in existence but unfortunately has been too academic, too abstract, too theoretical, and too impractical for retailers to implement. Brian Woolffs greatest contribution to the industry, though not much noticed, has been to transform esoteric marketing terms and concepts into easy-to-understand everyday words and practical ideas.
This book is a must reading for those charged with marketing. Indeed, for everyone in retail, the most competitive industry today.