Bruno Books

Wonderful display of Klein's work and great indepth content. A must buy for a fan of Yves Klein!

This is only the second Bond book I've read recently, the other being Doctor No (James Bond Novels) (Although I've read one, One Her Majestys' secret Service, I think, many years ago). It didn't live up to my expectations. It's a short novel, but the pace is still slow, and not until the last third or so does it become suspenseful. I liked Dr. No better than this one and I would guess there are other better Bond novels.

Well I was ready to hate Moonraker because of the movie. So if you hated the movie...try the book. It isn't campy with the Space Shuttle at all. It has a rocket as the object, but it really isn't about that. The beginning part of the book is about cards. I loved it. However it starts getting bogged down in the middle section and then like all Ian Fleming books it wraps up really quick. I just felt the ending was just too contrived. I liked it because I was prepared to hate it, but it's still not that great. It's the best of the first three but that's not saying much. I would recommend it just for the beginning section because it shows how James Bond thinks and rationalizes things. Plus he doesn't get the girl at all in this book.

Hugo Drax is not in the first line of 007 arch-villains, and the plot of "Moonraker" likewise is not one of the most exciting James Bond yarns in the original run of novels by Ian Fleming. Yet both manage their moments of squirmy pleasure.

Bond encounters Drax first at a posh British gaming club, to which Bond's boss M belongs. Drax is England's hero of the hour, as he's building Great Britain's first nuclear rocket. But M suspects Drax is cheating at cards, and sets Bond against him in a game that ends unhappily for the rocket builder. Bond then finds himself pulled into Drax's orbit again when murder calls at Drax's rocket base. "HELL IS HERE" warns a flashing neon sign, and so it is.

Published in 1955, this third entry in the 007 series gets off to a leisurely start. We meet Bond in a typical light day at the office, practicing at the pistol range, reading dull reports, thinking about lunch. It's an arresting portrait of a superhero struggling with ennui and a sense of purposelessness. He wonders almost forlornly if he'll make it to 45.

The entrance of Drax, a red-whiskered dynamo with a fierce temper, shakes Bond out of his rut by plunging him into that most exciting of espionage activities, high-stakes bridge. It's a masterful sequence by Fleming, in large part because he doesn't stop and explain how bridge works. Fleming goes from strength to strength introducing us to the title figure, the rocket Drax proposes to send off in a test launch that will culminate in a splashdown in the North Sea...well, according to some figures.

"There the gleaming rocket stood, beautiful, innocent, like a new toy for Cyclops," Fleming writes. "But there was a horrible smell of chemicals in the air and to Bond the Moonraker was a giant hypodermic needle ready to be plunged into the heart of England."

That's a good foretaste of the masterful build-up Fleming creates, offering a bit more mystery than the usual Bond thriller. The resolution is where the novel pulls up short. Fleming doesn't do enough to throw you off the right scent, to the point you wonder why Bond can't add up two and two. There's another damsel-in-distress car chase straight out of "Casino Royale", and even an Austin Powers-style "My Fiendish Scheme" dissertation from the villain. The Soviets put in a totally unnecessary appearance.

"Moonraker" can still be safely recommended to the Bond novice. It's a fun ride with a lot of unusual angles. Certainly it wasn't spoiled by the film of the same name, and Fleming handles the novel's locale (southern England entirely) with his usual gimlet eye. You stride with Bond inside a century-old London club, walk along the white cliffs and smell the salt air. There's even a romantic subplot with a capable British policewoman that has a resolution quite unique for the Bond series, and wonderful for the way it gives you a glimpse of Bond's deepest self.

"The gain to the winner is always less than the loss to the loser" is how Bond thinks of life. "Moonraker" gives you an idea what he means; an enjoyable one all the same.

I've been reading all the Fleming James Bond novels in order, and so far this one is my favorite. It stands out for a couple reasons:

1) Bond never goes to outer space.

2) I won't spoil it for you, but something about the epilogue is unexpected, and sets the James Bond character of the books apart from the James Bond character of the movies. I was completely surprised, and it really rounded out the character and made him more human.

The adventure itself is fun. Tropical locale with a beautiful female companion--it's hard to get tired of stuff like that. But what I do get tired of is Bond being sent to beat some villain at gambling. He just did that in "Casino Royale," and it didn't sound like government work to me then, either.

Still, the rest of the plot is fun, and Bond's victory at the end is not without cost. Rather than portraying him as the super-spy of the movies who dashes around unscathed no matter what's going on around him, he gets pretty messed up. (And no, that's not the epilogue surprise I was talking about earlier.)

While I always knew that many films of the James Bond series drifted into camp and outright cheesiness, I never realized how much of a disservice some of them did to the source material until I read the novels. And wow--Moonraker in particular, while one of the better '70s entries in the film series, bears no relation to the gritty homeland security thriller written by Ian Fleming.

The titular Moonraker is an missile designed by British hero Sir Hugo Drax. Drax's invention is set to thrust Britain into the forefront of the Cold War arms race--with the Moonraker, the British will be able to target any European capital with a rocket capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. When the novel begins--on Monday--the Moonraker is set to be tested in just a few days--Friday, when a missile carrying a dummy warhead will be fired into the North Sea. Security is tight on the project--British prestige is at stake.

But 007's boss has other things on his mind. Drax is a fellow member of Blades, a gambling club, and M is convinced that Drax cheats. At bridge. Since Bond is between missions at the time, M drags him along to a late-night game of bridge, where Bond outfoxes Drax to the tune of £15,000. Unbeknowst to them, the same night one of Drax's subordinates was killed by a German engineer in a murder-suicide.

Mere hours after fleecing Drax at the cardtable, Bond is sent to him as a replacement. It seems the murdered man had misgivings about the security of Drax's project, and with so much at stake and so little time on hand, the Ministry of Defense wants no mistakes. Things are not, of course, what they seem, and it soon becomes apparent that the Moonraker is in the hands of madmen.

Like the Bond film, there is a certain measure of predictability about the whole proceeding; of course Bond will live, of course he will save Britain. Unlike the film, Fleming's novel has Bond make all-too-human mistakes, get battered and bruised, and even--spoiler alert--get rejected by the girl. And the novel moves so briskly, investing each and every point of the plot with tension and suspense, that even the mystifying bridge game at the beginning is exciting. Moonraker is pure entertainment.

Highly recommended.

Lets make this clear if you haven't memorized all man commands yet then you definately need to buy this book. I totally agree with other reviewers here that this book is an invaluable reference guide to any sysadmin working on the job.

I have found that this book has gotten me through LPI 101 and 102 exams. I did not get a high score though. On the exams itself you do need another reference.....The best one I have found is Past experience. The LPI is a great certification because the questions that they will ask you will come from left field. But you will need this book to pass it and it will make you a better sysadmin!

If you are a geek and can figure things out then grab this book, read it twice and Pass the LPI. I got my current job purely off LPI certification So my advice is get it!

I'm still studyng for the exam an this book if full of tips and information i will centaintly use, clear content and practical examples, it's a must if you are planning to get the LPI Certification.

This book is directed to people who wants to take the LPI certification. So, if you just want to learn linux, don't buy it.
Anyway, good book. Recomended.

I found this book is invaluable to learn all the ins and outs of Linux and administration. There may be better books to teach you how to take the LPI test but this book will last you thru your system admin career.

I have just finnished exams 101 (730 points/800) and 102 (740 points/800).
Theese seems to be quite good scores, according to the LPI website, and i owe it much to LPI Linux Certification in a Nutshell, 2nd edition.
The book is well written, with lots of relevant information if you want to pass the LPI level 1 exams. And even better, its a very nice book to use as reference in system administration tasks.

However, like someone has pointed out earlier. It doesn`t quite cover 100% of the exams. More like 85%, so if you want 700+ scores, i advice you to seek additinal literature on the web. There is plenty.

But this book is a great foundation and i am using it now on 201 and 202.

This book was amazing! I received it almost a month before I was going on a 5 day adventure to Yellowstone. I planned my whole trip using this book and it was amazing the things I saw and learned. Yellowstone has little sign's that will point you in the right direction but this book sent you places that most people have never seen! While out on my adventure I showed and recommended the book to many people. They were all amazed at the things in this book and went right to the Yellowstone bookstore and purchased it. I found that 5 days was not enough to view everything in this book and Yellowstone.

I am one of those people that like to know everything about a place before I go and I'm just sorry that this was not the first book I bought.
If it had been the first book I bought I wouldn't have needed any others.
Great maps. Great descriptions. I can't say enough good things about this book.

I highly recommend this book. This author provides great history along with useful information in enjoying the park. There is a logical division of areas within the park and she references you to the next map(location) at the end of each discussion. It is an easy to use reference. She gives information about the surrounding towns and immediate areas outside of each park entrance which decreases the need for additional guide books. I highly recommend this book.

I brought this book for my family RV trip to Yellowstone and Grand Teton last month. It helped us plan our routes, learn bits of history and science, and pick camp sites. The mile markers and corresponding information bits were very useful as we stayed mostly on the grand loop. I highly recommend this book, particularly to first-time visitors.

At first my man thought it was stupid of me to purchase this book. I say at first because after he started to read it he said, "Hey that book you bought is really good!" Anyway we used it quite a bit while we were at Yellowstone and also Grand Teton National park as well. A great purchase and an item we will be sure to use many times in the future.

Ok. First I'd like to say that I'm a big fan of THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE. It's one of the best books I've ever read, and I love the movie too(the book is better though).
After "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" I became interested on Traven's work and I decided to order "Government". I found the book rather boring, not bad, but slow-reading and boring.
After that I ordered "The Death Ship"...okey, another oportunity for Mr.Traven...
Boring too...better than "Government"...yes. Actually, I have to say that I enjoyed the first half of the book, I found it funny and well-written and you don't know exactly if the main character is a poor little bastard or a stupid moron.
Well, at the end of the book your pity towards the protagonist just disappears and you finally think that he is an stupid-arsehole-moron that he deserves all the stuff and situations he is through.
I dunno exactly what Traven's intentions were on this book...maybe show the degradated life of a poor-hard-working-low-class-sailor on a poor-stinky-old-ship...but it's not the final result, at least under my point of view.
of course...this is just my opinion.

What is there about this "Story of an American Sailor" caught up in an endless downward spiral of bureaucracy, anarchy, destruction and finally death that has drawn me back for the third read? In terms of the vast catalog of sea literature it ranks in the second tier below that of Joseph Conrad, Herman Melville, Richard Henry Dana, William McFee, etc. but it is still a compelling story for those readers with thirst for salt water, easy to read and in parts impossible to put down.

The book is divided into roughly three sections with three different ships. In the first part the protagonist, Gerard Gales, named only once in the book, is displaced from his fine American cargo ship then is caught up in the ridiculous post World War I European bureaucracies without a passport or seaman's document where he is literally kicked from country to country. This results in a pier-head jump onto an ageless, decrepit tramp steamer seemingly destined to sail the seas forever ala the Flying Dutchman, where he has no choice except to work in the black gang as a coal passer or coal drag, the lowliest postition on the ship.

Even though little is known about the mysterious author B. Traven I am confident he must have been a seagoing man himself. He writes with great authority about the black gang and the conditions in a cramped fireroom with vivid descriptions of replacing the grate bars, hauling ashes and scaling the interior of the boilers. He writes with less authority about the men on deck, navigation, docking and undocking, etc. I found the book's weakness in the middle pages where the ship described was impossibly old and decrepit and the conditions on board inhuman even by seagoing standards of the early twentieth century, but it is of course fiction.

In the last section of the book the two principal characters finally find what seems to be the ship they need to free themselves from certain doom only to have the captain commit one of the most grievous crimes of the sea, barratry. Their world is turned literally upside down resulting in a final descent into madness and doom.

This 1926 book deserves to be read by lovers of seagoing fiction and the merchant marine. It will make the bureaucracies of today not seem so bad after all.

I began reading "The Death Ship" after I had already read just about every biography about the author. I was prepared to dislike the book, because I didn't like the author. As I read the book I heard the rantings of the crazed author at the beginning when the protagonist Gales complains for several chapters at the treatment he receives because he doesn't have any papers. This is consistent with the sort of letters the author wrote to his editor about the hardships he endured when he first settled in Mexico. The author told many stories about who he was and I believe the Will Wyatt biography does a good job of uncovering the truth, but Gales echoes the author's refusal to give any kind of proof in his claims to be an American. Because he won't provide proof he cannot get papers. The author was imprisoned in England and was interrogated and Wyatt believes they eventually got the truth from him when he finally admits his real name is Otto Feige a small town that now belongs to Poland. For much of the authors existence he tried to portray himself as an American just like Gales, but like Gales he refuses to give anyone any proof of his claims. I read the book feeling impatient with the diatribes against government and employers. But then the author moves to the death ship. The writing style changes. He isn't trying to prove he is an American when he writes this. He doesn't pepper his prose with an over abundance of American colloquialisms and he begins to describe hell. The intensity and the passion make you forget the author and draws you into the deepest darkest scariest loneliest place that you can imagine. He talks about the lose of his soul as he works to feed the flames of hell. He contemplates Hamlets dilemma, and I am amazed at the intensity of his writing. Baughmann, one of several B. Traven scholars believes there are two writers, and indeed I can see his reasoning. There is a core and depth to the writing that is not initially present. It is like the author descends beneath all the surface silly fussiness and craziness that is part of his every day life and goes to the heart of darkness that is part and embedded in every man. He explores the nightmare of our loneliness. Perhaps he describes it so well because he is forever an outsider keenly aware of his own oddity.

What a surprisingly readable novel! I picked this one up, not knowing anything about the writer, or his work and was completely amazed. It has a very original style of writing, its very light, it sounds more like a conversation than anything else. Traven's got a wonderful sense of humor and slips jokes in on the sly here and there. I loved it.

As a real live "American Sailor" I really enjoyed this book. Traven must have sailed as amercahnt marine to have written a book so close to ship life. It was funny and sad at the same time. I take this book with me when I go to work and read once in my four month trip.

Spartacus had created a great guide to International. I had continuosly bought the guide every year. Up to date, and have a great map where the gay area are located in each cities. It also informed you that Caution and the safety in each cities. Great accomodation, bar, dinner, and travel area. I also have the Sauna guide, also a great guide.

Upon first look this seems like a great guide. One is overwhelmed with the number of countries and cities listed in this guide--most of the major cities even have maps. The coverage for my city, Seattle, is woefully inadequate and out of date however, which makes me wonder about the rest of the information. Another annoyance is that the description codes (ie. D-dancing, P-private club, S-shows, etc.) are not as complete as the Damron guide, so if you're looking for a particular niche crowd, you may not find it listed. On the other hand, this is the only guide of it's kind and it does seem to give at least a good starting point for most any popular travel destination.

Spartacus had created a great guide to International. I had continuosly bought the guide every year. Up to date, and have a great map where the gay area are located in each cities. It also informed you that Caution and the safety in each cities. Great accomodation, bar, dinner, and travel area. I also have the Sauna guide, also a great guide.

Many mistakes remain in the secions on Asia. Certainly, many venue's information has to be updated. Moreover, imagined bias is printed in the guide. For instance, the guide maintains that in Taiwan the soldiers might be executed because of the charge of homosexuality. It is wrong. Modern Taiwan never executes any gay person, in the military or not. Information in the book is very misleading. ALSO: the current version looks much less appealing than that several years ago. What happened to the publishing house???

I used this book while in Europe for 3 weeks and found it to be an excellent help, especially when I found myself in Frankfurt for an unplanned 4 days. Having used many guide books, this is the best I've seen ... very up to date.

"Combat, Volume 3" is edited with an introduction by Stephen Coonts. This book collects four short novels in the genre of military fiction. The first piece is "Cyberknights," by Harold Coyle. This tale looks into the work of a unit of U.S. Army computer specialists who wage war on the electronic frontier. Although the Internet is their vehicle, their warfare has real world consequences. Coyle creates an intriguing portrait of a unique military unit with its own jargon, protocols, and evolving culture; he raises potent issues of leadership and ethics in an Army facing profound technological and cultural change.

The second short novel is "There Is No War in Melnica," by Ralph Peters. This tale follows the mission of a two-person U.S. Army team investigating wartime atrocities in the Balkans. In straightforward but powerful prose, Peters creates a graphically violent and bloody tale. It is a devastating look at how war and ethnic hatred warp and degrade human beings. Through his characters Peters raises the incisive question: How should the Unted States respond to global acts of genocide? It's a gripping, suspenseful, and even heartbreaking story.

Third in the collection is "Cav," by James Cobb. This tale, set in the year 2021, follows the exploits of an Army unit in combat with hostile Algerian forces in Africa. The story goes into detail about the unit's high-tech weaponry and vehicles, and also explores the personalities of the team. The unit includes both men and women, and is diverse along both ethnic and religious lines.

The fourth and final short novel is "Flight of _Endeavor_," by R.J. Pineiro. When the International Space Station is seized by a mutinous crew member with a deadly agenda, the space shuttle _Endeavor_ is sent with an emergency response team that has orders to retake the station. The story's protagonist is a female former Marine aviator who now serves as an astronaut and shuttle commander. This is an action packed, high-tech thriller that offers an interesting look at a woman in command. Overall, "Combat 3" is a very entertaining and thought-provoking gathering of tales; it's an outstanding addition to the military fiction genre.

I picked this book up from an airport bookstall to while away a transatlantic flight, and came very close indeed to binning it after a dozen pages. What a shame that the editor should have put Harold Coyle's "Cyberknights" first of the four short stories in this collection. The other three are fine, but Coyle - although I hate to say it - has lost his bearings. "Cyberknights" has a promising theme: a special team of computer hackers is recruited by the US Army to defend against hostile hackers from other countries. Working closely with real soldiers and agencies like the NSA, these "Cyberknights" (yes, the pompous title is capitalised every time) also strike back against the countries they *think* are encouraging hostile activities. In the story, they respond to a hack that nearly splashes a flight of F16 fighter jets into the ocean by changing their flight orders "in the computer". (What computer this is, and why the USAF would be stupid enough to link it to the Internet, is not explained). The Cyberknights' response? They engineer the destruction of a chemical plant in the supposed aggressor country.

Apart from being ethically dubious to say the least, the Cyberknights are ludicrous to anyone who knows the first thing about computer security. When counterattacking a hacker's PC, they see fit to upload a huge coloured picture of a charging knight - just to give warning of their intentions. It is clear that Coyle knows little about computers and the Internet, and he has made the mistake of assuming his readers know even less.

"There is no war in Melnica" by Ralph Peters could not be more different. Instead of florid, pretentious fantasies supported by inadequate research, this is a simple, poignant vignette of the NATO intervention in the Balkans and its aftermath. Right from its opening words - "The workman tossed him a skull" - Peters grabs your attention and doesn't let go. With admirable economy of words, he shows you the senselessness of war, the impossibility of identifying the "good" (our allies) from the "bad" (our enemies), and the unbridgeable gulf between those who have been there and the distant politicians and brass who set events in motion without any idea of the consequences - even in retrospect.

James Cobb's "Cav" is a tightly-written, exciting example of a genre in which Coyle ("Team Yankee", "Bright Star") and Peters ("Red Army" and "The War in 2020") have excelled. In 2021 the Islamic Republic of Algeria launches a Blitzkrieg invasion of its southern neighbour Mali, one of the poorest nations on earth. While heavy US and French forces are on the way, a small US Army detachment is sent to head off the Algerian armoured column, if possible, at the only pass through the strategic El Khnachich range of hills. It is a perfect scenario: the superior American equipment (with the advantage of surprise) is pitted against overwhelming force.

R J Pineiro's "Flight of Endeavour" is the longest of the four stories, at 130 pages - but there is no danger of getting bored. What if the International Space Station housed, at the request of the UN, an array of 15 kiloton yield non-nuclear missiles for "anti-terrorist" purposes - and a terrorist happened to seize control of them? A female astronaut and a heavily armed team of Marines go up in a modified Space Shuttle to reclaim the weapons. Unfortunately, the space station is also equipped with a powerful chemical laser... It's a thrilling, thought-provoking situation, none the worse for having been anticipated by 50 years in Robert Heinlein's classic short story "The Long Watch" (1949).

Apart from "CyberKnights", this book is well written, exciting, and ideal for the purpose I had in mind - distraction during a long flight. It also gave me some great ideas, and Peters' story explained more about the Balkans to me than ten years of news reports. Recommended - if you don't like the Coyle story, just skip it and read the rest.

These are all good novellas, but I found that the Larry Bond story (Lash-up) dragged at times (and the giant 'rifle' should have been explained better for those unfamiliar with the concept) and the Dale Brown book was more than a bit preachy, but the combat sequences were top-notch. The third novella (Breaking Point) by David Hagberg was, in my opinion, the best of the three. I've never read Hagberg before but I will keep him on my list of authors to watch for.

Combat #3 offered up four good stories by four good authors.
The first story was written by Harold Coyle.He told of a special Army unit made up of cyber warriors. They are recruited to combat the growing attacks by hackers whocause online terrorism around the world. The next story is by Ralph Peters. His story takes place in the Balkan states. A U.S. Army observer is taken hostage by the people he is sent over to observe.James Cobb tells of a U.S. calvary unit that does combat with an Algerian recon division that is attempting to attack a helpless African country.R.J. Pineiro,one of the rising stars among today's authors tells of a Russian terrorist seizes a space station
equipped with nuclear warheads.It is up to Marine Diane Williams to stop him.Four good stories for the price of one. Read this. You will enjoy it.

Few books live up to the hyperbole of their backcovers. The first installment of the Combat series edited by Stephen Coontz is no exception, "Groundbreaking Landmark" sounded suspicious...and the first story in the first volume, by Larry Bond, confirmed my suspicions. A huge fan of Bond's first novel, Red Phoenix, I've never been very satisfied with his subsequent material. This is probably the worst I've seen from him. A plot that's hardly engaging, card-board characters (with cheesy dialogue) that aren't the least bit interesting, and some of the poorest editing I've ever seen combine to make his installment a chore. At one point he refers Vietnamese flashpoints between the U.S. and China (that have no bearing on the story's plot) but offers no set up for them. We're just supposed to assume that the U.S. and China had been at odds over Vietnam for a long time...it made no sense. Bond's contribution was just dull dull dull.

Then we get to Dale Brown's installment, "Leadership Material". This one succeeds in many places where Bond's installment failed. Its characters are instantly likable. And, while the combat passages are brief, they are harrowing. I found the shennanigans that surround Air Force promotions boards (the primary plot devise herein) to be extremely entertaining - I doubt many others will, though - I'm going up against a board soon myself, it was nice to have an inside scoop.

The back cover of the book suggests it portrays war the way it is or soon will be. Brown's novel takes place back in the early 1990's...another strike against the jacket hype. Great story, though.

The story that will have the broadest appeal (its an absorbing read!) is the entry from the always-reliable David Hagberg. Hagberg (who recently wrote the novelization of the Terminator 3 film) has made a name for himself over recent years penning submarine thrillers. The brief installment in this series is part submarine plot and part espionage thriller. It may not be the most accurate but it is by far the most entertaining of the lot.

Brown's and Hagberg's work here are worth 4 or 5 stars. Bond's installment and the ludicrous hyperbole on the cover knock it down to three. I'd recommend it.

Thought I would make more Classic Italian Pizza than I do. This will give you all of the basics and more.

I only lived in Chicago for 5 years, but I did pick up a taste for stuffed pizza. Heaven! This book, which I have had since about 1987, allows me to make "something like" out here in the pizza philistinia of Seattle. I'll never claim to make anything like The Nancy or my personal fave Edwardo's, but it isn't half bad.

Not sure about the tomato paste, though. Are we reading the same recipe? Canned tomatoes, chopped by hand (I use a pastry knife), all the way.

I echo the review that said you have to bake the crust a bit first to keep it from getting soggy. I've also done a bit of experimenting along the way, and think the sauce I have come up with improves on the one in the book, but any good cook should be willing to do that, I'd think. Tastes differ and all that.

Anyway this book has helped me keep my pizza sanity 1700 miles west of Mecca. Highly recommended.

At 25 years old and still going strong, this is the definitive book on making Chicago-style pizza. If you don't believe me, get on a plane and take the El to Pizzeria Uno on Wabash Ave (go to Due a block down the street if Uno's too busy), order a medium sausage, then come home and make "Deep Dish Pizza #1". I think you'll be pretty impressed by the accuracy.

But it's more than that, which is actually a bit of a shame given how it focuses exclusively on Chicago pizza. Where many books on subjects such as pizza are padded out with minor variations on a basic recipe, Bruno's book gives not only recipes but many pictures and technique discussions. Actual recipes in fact take up only about 40 pages of the book, with the real meat of the book being the two chapters that show detailed, illustrated step-by-step instructions for mixing the dough and making deep-dish, stuffed, and thin-crust pizzas, something that in a technique-heavy food like pizza should be quite essential. Pictures and profiles of the great Chicago pizza places of the day round out the book (interestingly, I'm pretty sure that Uno's pizzaiola Aldean Stoudamire, pictured in the colour insert, is the same woman that Jeff Smith referred to as "Mama" in The Frugal Gourmet Cooks American).

Not being from Chicago, I don't know if Pat Bruno is still working the food beat for the Sun-Times a quarter century after writing this book. What I do know is that although the book focuses heavily on Chicago style pizza with no discussion of Italian-style, New York-style, or New England Greek pizza, it still represents the gold standard for what a pizza book should be. The recipes are a tad outdated (I prefer instant to active dry yeast, which makes a bit of process streamlining possible) but perfectly usable, and the technique photos will never go out of style. If all you've ever had is deep-dish from the franchised Uno's Chicago Grill, well, that pizza's not bad at all, but it's not as good as the pizza you'll make out of this book.

Of course you should expect authentic recipes from a book like this--why else would you want to buy it? If you follow Bruno's directions, you make a lousy deep dish that tastes like a hunk of bread with tomato sauce on it, not real Chicago deep dish pizza. I have duplicated Uno's, Giordano's, etc. at home and Bruno is way, way off the mark.

If you want to make incredible (and authentic) deep-dish pizza, this book shows you in thorough detail exactly how to do it.

The first half of the book is full of pictures describing the processes of making deep-dish pizza in enough detail that someone who has never cooked a pizza can produce an outstanding pizza on the first try. The second half of the book is recipes from the Chicago pizza restaurants. It's hard to imagine the first half being any more clear, and the second half doesn't bore you to death with stuff you will know cold once you've read the first half and used it to make a couple of pizzas.

It is the perfect balance of educational detail and long-term utility.

I've had this book since 1983, the year it was first published. When I bought it, I loved deep-dish pizza, but hadn't a clue how to make it. I've used it to make more than a hundred different deep-dish pizzas, with never a flop yet. I've just purchased my THIRD copy, because I've used the first two copies until they disintegrated. My most popular is the Spinach-stuffed pizza, although the Greek pizza (with Kalamata olives, anchovies, feta and spinach) is my personal favorite.

One thing you won't find is innovations since 1983, but if you hear about something new, it's a snap to include it. It is the difference between learning a recipe and learning the theory. Get this book, and you'll be able to make the kind of pizza you want.

This book ist hot, hotter than everything else I've ever seen bevor on paper! ;o) Hot guys, hot action... hot book! Nothing more to say! Buy and enjoy it... :o)))))

Brilliantly executed and artistically presented, this collection of Bianchi's work will leave the reader in awe. It is a must have for anyone who collects male erotic art/photography.

I am an avid Bianchi fan, and this color photographic collection is beautiful without being what some might call "pornographic." It's definitely not child's fair, but it is a mature adult look at gay male sexuality, and the fotos are stunning and highly charged, erotic visual treats.

I had this book when it first came out and lost it( chances are it was "borrowed" and not returned by one of my covetous friends)but was glad to see it was available again because it is one HOT photographic(emphasis on GRAPHIC) essay. All the men are really great looking and the photos are very erotic.I always like Bianchi's work but i think this is one of his very best...looking forward to purchasing Vol.2.

In Ray Bradbury's science fiction thriller, paper burns at 451 degrees fahrenheit. If that is indeed the case, the temperature of this "thriller" has to be at least 450 degrees. I have never seen a hotter book. Mr. Bianchi says in his introduction that he sees "our sexual energy as a vibrant aspect of our inner Godliness. I wanted to create an erotic record that demonstrates this truth." Be that as it may, he certainly has found some gods for this volume. Beautiful men-- most of them mature-- came to visit Mr. Bianchi's brown couch: from Amsterdam, Atlanta, Australia, Siberia, the Midwest and just across the street.

Mr. Bianchi says that the men here are not professional models. There is certainly a refreshing spontaneity about them, singly and in twosomes and threesomes, as they frolick partially clothed, nearly naked and buck-naked before Mr. Bianchi's camera. (Has anyone gotten more free advertising in the past 20 years than Calvin Klein, thanks to the publication of books and magazines like this one where the hunks often get in and out of underwear that has become known simply as "Calvins?")

These photographs were shot with a digital camera which allowed Bianchi to use natural light, giving these stunning images almost a painterly quality.

This volume is Mr. Binachi's finest work thus far and worth every penny it costs.

Underhill captures the fun and sensuality of Jeff in a country setting...so many of the pics are frameable. The model is all-american personified.

The calendar is all about Jeff and every month we get a wonderful new viewpoint of this guy. Thanks Steven for capturing the diversity of might others might just consider a pretty boy.

Have you dog eared your copies of, Straight Boys, and lost your handsized copy of Jeff in the bed linen? If you answered yes to either of these questions, REJOICE! Imagine 16 months, ( start in September 2000 instead of waiting until 2001 ) of JEFF JEFF and more JEFF! There is something about the way Underhill has exposed Jeff to his new large legions of fans ( he has his own web page now! )that makes us want to know Jeff as more than just the most famous model in the history of 10% products; perhaps we could get to know him as a brother, friend, or team mate. ( then again maybe the mystique of the "unattainable," is what makes him so attractive! ) Whatever the case, this calendar is the perfect icing to a dessert that I know many of his fans will want a piece of. While most of the prints are duplicates from other Underhill works, being able to savour the same heartstopping image for a full month..... gives new meaning to Christmas in July! My only question..... when the hell does September start? Enjoy!

Got the calendar then discovered that there was a book dedicated to Jeff. Now I hear Jeff has his own web page. Underhill, you've made a star. Keep up the good work.

Steven Underhill is a well-known photographer of young guy next door type of images, and a very talented one to say the least. His many published books are collected all over the world. He certainly knows how to photograph his male models to their best advantage with the right lighting, shadows, and settings.

This book of Jeff & More Jeff is just that. If Jeff is your type you'll love this book. A very handsome, muscular and good looking guy who is posed in all kinds of situations. There are no nude shots here, but that doesn't matter, it adds to the mystery. I enjoyed this book and certainly recommend it for your collection.