Bryan Books

Magee ended up outdoing himself in his later work "The Tristan Chord". And this is worth overall 4.5 stars for the same reasons: balanced, eminently insightful writing and just enough quirkiness to keep the interest at a high level throughout.

I guess it says alot for this book that I knocked off a half star entirely for its brevity. You end up wanting MORE at the end. Maybe I should have just relented and given this one 5 huh?

More than any other figure in the classical Canon, Richard Wagner (1813 - 1883) has provoked a dichotomy of passion in regards to his music, character and legacy. Bryan Magee's *Aspects of Wagner*, a series of concise, articulate essays about the composer and theorist, confronts both sides of the polarization, examining the essential components that inspire such adulation, probing with unusual insight the negative connotations ever associated with mere mention of the name.

These aspects, in brief:

THEORY: After the success of Lohengrin, Wagner took a six-year break from composing to recharge the cylinders, theorize and re-examine the operatic form. The result of this sabbatical would shake the foundations of the Canon. For Wagner, no longer would drama be a means to a musical end - window-garnishing syntax to embellish the sonic - instead, music would be the means with which to express the dramatic ~emotion~ of the piece. Music would emphasize, shift and elucidate to the passage of the text, a notion that has proved indescribably influential: the whole of modern film-symphonic owes its debt to this innovation.

JEWS: A virulent anti-Semitist, repelled by the physical aspect of Jews and critical of their compositional abilities - "shallow and artificial" - Wagner espoused these opinions in the public forum and, in reality, reflected the mindset of mainstream German society during his time. Further propagated by Wagner's widow and offspring, these views influenced Hitler as a youth and were taken verbatim for his totalitarian platform. Wagner's demand for Judiasm to be eradicated, via renouncement of faith and conversion to Christian theism, was corrupted by the Nazi propagandists as a call for physical annihilation. More fuel for the critical fire! And yet, one of Wagner's closest companions, Hermann Levi, was a Jew, and conducted the premiere of Parsifal; moreover, Wagner's worldview of pacifism and assimilation doesn't jive at all with the Fascist manifesto - the Nazis took what was useful and abandoned the 'feel good' vibes. Bryan Magee doesn't really address any of this, however: rather, he theorizes as to ~why~ Wagner considered Jews inferior artists, especially in regard to the fact that three of the dominant geniuses of our modern culture were Jewish - Marx, Freud and Einstein. Magee points to the cultural repression of Judaism throughout hundreds of years, an isolationist subjugation that was only beginning to disintegrate by the start of 19th century; the flowering of Jewish intellect - and assimilation of Western culture - would take several generations to unfold. The resultant revolutionary thought of the triumvirate above, undeniable in their influence, stemmed from an outward contemplation and subsequent deconstruction of the adopted conventional standards. Indeed, Wagner's original essays are surprisingly insightful as to the underlying reasons for the artifice of Jewish composers of his day, though the eventual intellectual aptitude they would bring to the table undoubtedly eluded the composer.

IDOLATRY: As much the subject of abject idolatry as venomous refutation, Wagner is a love-or-hate figure, with little ground of compromise between. Magee theorizes that this is because the music, in harmonic construction and theme, gives expression to all that unconscious and repressed in the human mind, including Oedipal sexuality, unleashed eroticism, moral questioning and violence; the tonal qualities stir forth base, animalistic urges to the forefront, taboos further exemplified by the stage-work. The composer's emphasis on the undercurrents of the psyche predated modern psychology by fifty years: thus the subconscious ~rejection~ of many to his music, and its appeal to the more questing intellect.

INFLUENCE: A short list: Gustav Mahler, Anton Schonberg, Richard Strauss, Dvorak, Piotr Tchaikovsky, Claude Dubussy, Edward Elgar, Dmitry Shostakovich, Anton Bruckner; James Joyce, Bernard Shaw, Marcel Proust, D.H. Lawerence, Oscar Wilde, E.M. Forster, Thomas Mann, Virginia Wolff; T.S. Elliot, Baudelaire, Lytton, Ezra Pound; Nietzsche and Freud. When one contemplates the authority these people had over their disciples, the position of Wagner, in terms of all aspects of modern thought, truly staggers the mind, and lends credit to Magee's conclusion that "...Wagner has had greater influence than any other artist on our culture of the age."

PERFORMANCE: The greatest compositions can never reach true interpretation, according to Magee; each conductor brings something different to the performance, and only reaches an approximation of that on paper - even the creator fails to achieve a definitive performance! Magee also goes into depth about what is needed to properly stage a Wagner spectacle, and uses the model of Bayreuth's opera house, constructed by the composer himself, as the epitome surroundings. Wagner set the orchestra out-of-sight, so as not to distract the audience from the on-stage drama; he arranged the acoustics of the opera house to give emphasis to the words, with the music hovering beneath as counterpoint and ambient emphasis. Another issue in this essay is the conflict that arises in non-German speakers listening to Wagner. With the text so critical to the overall appreciation, and the differences of semantic inflection taken into account, there are two choices: learn German, or seek out the better translations that, although conforming to the grammar, sometimes lose the power of meaning.

MUSIC: Magee criticizes the (then) contemporary adaptation of Wagner's sound-cycles to politically-correct allegory. Wagner deliberately utilized myth and archetypes to simplify the narrative and give emphasis on emotional undercurrents; using it as critical commentary on current issues (1960's) was, to Magee, a debasement of Wagner's ideal. Magee also notes how difficult it is to write about the music ~itself~: thus the glut of media talking about every aspect of Wagner *except* that which he is most famous for, that which firmly set his place on the Romantic pantheon!

This book serves as an insightful analysis of Wagner, in all his complexities and contradictions. Recommended for the student of the classical Canon.

Even though this book is years old, the ideas remain fresh and challenging. Questions of pacing in performance (maybe the dreaded longueurs are not necessary), and origins of Wagner's antiSemitism (an interesting twist on the privilege of the cultural outsider).
An easy read, something to discuss at intermission.

This penetrating essay on Wagner's works is deceptively brief. Magee's analysis is brilliant and right on target. He manages to say in a few well chosen words what other books ramble on about for pages. This book is well written, authoritative, and masterful. I can't recommend it highly enough.

This may seem odd, but to those of you interested enough to read reviews of this short book of essays on Wagner written nearly 40 years ago, my first advice is to read (no, run!) to Byran McGee's "Tristan Chord," published only a couple years ago, which in my humble opinion is one of the two greatest analytical works of Wagner's operas published in the last century. (The other is Deryck Cooke's "I Saw the World End"--an analysis of the "Ring" first published in 1979.)

McGee in that longer book and in this shorter collection of brief essays exemplifies the finest qualities of the English in his Wagner criticism: common sense, plain language, brilliant argumentation. He is such a relief from scholars (sorry, particularly German scholars) who think that opaque or convoluted rhetoric suggests depth. That's a [...]. Mr. McGee by comparison is fresh air...and his brilliance is self-evident.

This is a short book, six essays, each well defined on various aspects of Wagner. Two are clearly the most interesting: first, McGee's analysis of why Wagner's music excites such passion (pro or con)--i.e., what makes that music so affecting, so transcendant, so "dangerous" to many of us. He explores our guilty pleasure in Wagner better than any author has ever done. And second, his book offers a very interesting essay on the reasons for the flowering of Jewish intellectuals who so dominated and contributed to late 19th and early 20th century culture after over a thousand years of Jewish irrelevance to wider Western culture.

Those two essays make the book definitely worth acquiring and reading. The other essays are fine, if less sparkling. But I cannot emphasize enough: if you have any interest in Wagner, you must acquire Mr. McGee's "Tristan Chord." It is the best overall key to understanding Wagner's operas in print today.

Great exercises for a bad back. I started doing yoga with Bryan Kest with his original 3-part Power Yoga series, then I took great classes in the NYC area, and now I moved to the Philly suburbs. This CD is the best class I've taken since moving. It's great if you already have a background in yoga, not for beginners, but I love it.

A real live class is best, but this cd and booklet works very well as an alternative if you can't get to a real live class.

There are 2 CDs in the package, and I've done just the first CD which encompasses a little over 1 hour. It's quintessential Bryan. The poses are quite similar to those found in Intensive Body Sculpting, like the pretty challenging "half-moon pose" (which I haven't yet managed to perfect, but I'm working on it) but you also get a lot of boat poses for your core/abs (boat pose is when sitting, you raise your legs up straight until you form a "V" shape and you hold your legs for about five breaths, with your arms parallel to the ground) and a bunch of spinal stretches.

Overall, I thought the CD was good. It's part strengthening/part stretching, and complements Bryan's other practices. I don't know if there are other yogis who do poses like Bryan does his. I've tried Shiva Rea's Yoga Shakti (which I didn't like) and some Baron Baptiste (which I didn't think was as challenging as Bryan Kest). So it's safe to say I'm a Bryan-Kestophile. His stuff really gets me going.

Very strongly recommended.

This is a great yoga workout. The CD and book are easy to follow along with. The routine is challenging but fun. It's an hour and a half long, but goes by extremely fast and really strengthens your back muscles.

I really enjoyed this CD, but I think it's important to note that it's called "Spinal Strengthening," not "Spinal Repair." It isn't appropriate for someone who is currently injured. Your back needs to be pretty strong & healthy to do this practice. It's actually a good all-around practice, and the instructor gives you plenty of time to get into the asanas and feel the benefits. That's what I like about Bryan Kest. A lot of other teachers who do this type of practice move too fast and have the same old asanas. He puts a different spin on it, and I enjoy it.

As evil forces seek to merge heaven and earth, the former dragons and their allies seek to stop them. Events build to a climax in three different worlds, with an unexpected, heartrending conclusion. My personal favorite of all Davis' books.

This book was wonderful! It was so exciting, and I loved it. I read it in four days. I didn't take it to school because if I did, I probably would read through class and not be able to pay attention. I had to be sure to save it for after school when I had more time.
Although in this book, Billy only appears in this story in a scene where he is talking to Walter on his cell phone, the plots and descriptions make it so you can hardly miss Billy and Bonnie! I really like both the new and old main characters in Enoch's Ghost, and I really enjoyed the descriptions of Heaven's Altar and of Heaven.
In addition to Walter, Ashley, and Karen, Sapphira, Acacia (the oracles of fire), and Elam are among others who appear once again in Enoch's Ghost. In Enoch's Ghost, Mardon tries to make a new tower like Nimrod's, but with this one he hopes to join Earth and Heaven. It's up to Walter and all his friends to stop Mardon's evil plan!
Enoch's Ghost was well written, and I hope that you will read it as well!

This is an excellant continuation of the series. It has been enjoyed by both a teenager and an adult. I highly reccommend it.

If you are tired of your son or daughter playing video games all day, tune them into a series of books guaranteed to keep them occupied at least a few days anyway. This is the second of four books in the series "Dragons in Our Midst". My son could not put these books down! They are written with good morals in mind while not being preachy. You will want to buy the whole series because once started, they will plow straight through! This mom gives a big thumbs up!

Bryan Davis perhaps the most talented writer in the Christian Fantasy genre today. His books, while initially aimed at children, are captivating to read, you won't want to put them down. This latest in his works does not disappoint, the characters come alive in your imagination!

first of all, person who commented this book last def. needs to get a reality check. i hope this person sees this review b/c it's vital. i hav one word to describe what you jus wrot...EW!! what gives you the right to start dissin bryan ethier like crazii jus cuz hes out there. lemme tell you honey, maybe you should view all prospectives of the story before you start throwin words around. mayb you should find out more bout this author too before you go all out bein a jerk. this author is off the chain n is as real as you can get. trust me i'd kno. plus the sub. arent throw around!!!! he uses a PERFECT example of rockets, child birth! perfect example, like, duh! bryan ethier is by far my favorite authors cuz hes so real, he doesnt put on fronts he tells it like it is. his writing is el fantastico. keep up the good work, mr e! hope to see more! dont let the dumb haters bring you down keep ya head up!! by the way this story is 5 stars, i hate space n even i was glued to it! luvs it =)

What a great way to learn about how incredible space travel is!! Being born just 3 years before the lunar landing, my knowledge of space travel bordered on something between "Star Wars" and, sadly, "Battlestar Galactica". Through Bryan's book, I can see the incredible wonder of how the space program in the US developed and indeed, enveloped the nation in a hopeful, positive atmosphere. I haven't yet seen my first shuttle launch, but I hope to instill in my 5 year old daughter the same wonder and awe in the marvel that is space that the author instills in us.

Bryan Ethier has created a masterpiece. This book brought all of those childhood memories back that I thought I had forever forgotten. It brought me back to a time in America when things seemed so exciting and nothing could stand in our way of exploring the stars. It rekindled the feelings I had as a child when I watched the Apollo missions launch into space and wondered if I'd get a chance someday to touch a distant planet or star. Nothing seemed impossible then. There was nothing that we couldn't accomplish. With this book, Bryan Ethier made me realize that we still have that same spirit living in all of us and that the dreams of our youth should never be forgotten. Just a wonderful, wonderful book that I hope will one day be treated as an American treasure.

Lost in Space was great. I enjoyed reliving the power and awe from the early years of NASA, and instead of rote facts, this book really gives you a feel of being part of the space program. It is a well written account of numerous personal experiences of the astronauts, to average Americans and their involvement surrounding this phenomenal thing we call space exploration. I strongly recommend this one for anyone who hold a special place in their heart for the US space program.

I was very disappointed with this book. I expected to read about being a young boy whose imagination was captured by the beginnings of the American manned-space program; how the courageous efforts of those involved in the Mercury program brought about a wave of pride in America; and that it was the dream of many boys and girls to travel into space and maybe go to the Moon!

What I got was a book that talked a lot about the Space Shuttle program and child birth?!

Having grown up with the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs (and being old enough to remember them!) I was eager to share in the memories of a kindred spirit, but found the author's recollections lacking. It seemed the author struggled to have enough subject matter to give the book sufficient length.

I loved this book. Very satisfactory follow up to volume 7. I don't want to give anything away, go buy this book!

A schism within the JLA sees them without the assistance of Batman. This is a big problem, when the Queen of Fables comes calling and wants to use the League for her own ends, even somewhat literally.

Will Batman come to their aid? Even if he does, there is still the distrust to deal with later, and the vote.

These were originally published as JLA #47-#54.

These stories happen right after "Divided We Fall", where Batman gets voted out of the JLA. The remaining JLAers are still dealing with that, when the Queen of Fables is freed from a book and attacks with all manner of fairy tales. With the exception of the very interesting twist of an Aquaman / WonderWoman relationship which continues in this story (see panel 32), and the appearance of Batman and his supposed betrayal of the team, I found this story tedious compared to the others.

The JLAers then start to become divided, with the three that sided with Batman facing off with the three that sided against. Here the story gets going, with the six of them going after Dr. Destiny, who is changing reality, while Superman confronts Batman. Dr. Destiny is seemingly defeated at the same time that Superman and Batman agree there will be no secrets. They call the six other JLAers to Batman's cave, reveal their secret identities, join Batman back to the team....and then meet their alter-egos suited up. Their split-personalities have truly been split!

The ensuing story, with the civilian identities of the JLAers trying to resume normal lives, the superhereo identities of the JLAers battling "fulfillment of wishes" problems full time, with WonderWoman and Aquaman in the middle (they have no secret identities), is one of the best in the series. Both sides, with some exceptions, realize they can't live without their alter-egos, and that the creature "If" has been fulfilling wishes, including theirs to be separated.

The fact that "Eel" O'Brien, Plastic Man's alter-ego who is a former criminal, somewhat reunites the team, is one of the best stories on him in the series.

Fav panel: pg 137, where Kyle Raynor obsessivly covers his walls with JLA cartoons.

I liked the story line of this book. We all wonder what if you met your alter ego? It catches the flavor of what happens when there is a break up or split. It is worth the price

This collection follows directly after the Tower of Babel storyline. This follows as the JLA comes to terms with Batman's betrayal and consequent expulsion from the group. The first story involves the Queen of Fables, who have escaped from a book of fairy tales and is suffering from the Snow White's Stepmother Complex and is intent on bringing down Wonder Woman (in her eyes, Snow White). The JLA battle all types of fairy tales monsters and modern horror-flick creatures (Jason and even the Terminator). There's even a scene where the Martian Manhunter is being shoved into a burning oven by a witch a la Hensel and Gretel. Anyways, the JLA overcomes the odds but they are at a major crisis, where those that voted for Batman don't seem to see eye-to-eye w/ those who voted against him. Superman sees this problem and has a conversation w/ Batman where it shows how his betryal has left the JLA vulnerable and uneasy due to the distrust growing between them. To remedy this problem, Batman calls them to the Bat-cave but there's one problem, every single super-hero and their alter-egos have literally split (except for Aquaman and Wonder Woman). The split takes it toll on the JLA, as Mark Waid shows how one cannot co-exist w/out the other. Superman looks more like the Kryptonian ruler he had been forseen to be by his father and Clark Kent is afraid of his own shadow. Batman seems to be simply a machine w/ no personality and Bruce Wayne is a psychotic fop. Anyhow, at the end Plastic Man (actually his alter ego) comes to the rescue and sorts out this entire metaphysical mess. The JLA returns to all its glory with Batman welcomed back into the fold. I really enjoyed this story, it was epic in the sense that it involved the near end of the World but to me it seemed to hinge more on the personal side of the JLA. This contrasts greatly from Grant Morrison's epic tales which involved a cartload of chracters. Mark Waid has hit a homerun wih this story and I would recommend it to all comic book fans.

I was both appalled and enthralled reading this literary piece. Excellent, to say the least. It takes the reader to a place of self examination, sometimes an ugly journey to sojourn! I felt myself relating to Joseph, then despising his arrogance and judmental behavior. Bryan Gibson is a brilliant author, I am looking forward to reading more from him.

Loved this book. It was engaging, suspenseful, and smart. To be 100% honest, it was a bit difficult to follow at times, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

I loved this book. It is a must read, for all the true readers out there. It provides thought provoking questions, and has you spellbound through each page.

I advise anyone who loves to read to buy this thought provoking masterpiece.

First let me apologize for any typos or fragments that I may display in this message. I'm a busy mom, so sleeping is a luxury.

Your book was amazing, Mr. Gibson. I truly loved it. I was so impressed with the story line. I am a fan of a Soldier's Story, so your analogy of the Sarge aka Joseph Tally was beautiful. Your story touched base on a lot of issues that plague African-Americans today. I know for a fact that many times I feel like Joseph Tally and want to get rid of the "fools" I encounter on a regular basis. By the way, your breakdown of the coyote and roadrunner was "Super Genius".

When reading your book, the question I kept asking of Joseph was "Who gave you the right to judge?" That question often plagued me when watching A Soldier's Story as well. The Foolkiller reminds us of all the residue of slavery that haunts our people, and how we dont even realize it. They say that after a year of being captured, brainwashed and raped, Elizabeth Smart suffered from "Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome", can you imagine what generations of suffering (from the slave trade to now) has done to us?

Your story brought up so many valid points, and it is truly a story that we as a people need to read. Even if one doesn't truly agree with it, it makes you think. Which is vital when reading anything, I believe. Pardon my fragments and grammar. I have not been blessed with the writing skills that you possess. Your wording was filled with so much texture. Even if I wasn't a Harlemite, I would still be able to see and smell what you wrote.

I would just like to thank you for blessing me with that bulletin on MySpace that led to the purchase of a wonderful story. If you have any more let me know, so I can add it to my library.

One more thing. I know why they dont want to publish your book. It was never their intention to teach the slaves or their descendants. Like Fredrick Douglass said, he was free from slavery when he learned how to read. They want to keep us deaf ,dumb and blind. Because if we ever were to wake up, what a war it would be. This is why they just want us to read more Homo Thug, and My life as a prostitute garbage. You are truly talented, Mr. Gibson, and I wish you much success!

Wow, just wow. I read the book in 2 days. It was a page turner. The story wove fantasy and reality together in a strange way - or was it all fantasy, or was it all reality? Things that make you go Hmmm......

I especially like the different types of fools discussed in the book. The fools, and the reasons why these characters were fools, is something that isn't often talked about in our community. When it is, it's usually discussed in a holier-than-thou OR you-ain't-better-than-me/us manner. In my opinion, it was discussed in a way that each fool was seen as equally negative.

Hopefully what I just said makes some sense. Great book. My only complaints were that it wasn't long enough (I wanted more more more!) and that I didn't fully understand the ending (was it meant to be understood, though?). I've already recommended it to one person and will be recommending it to many others.

While the additional weopens are interesting, I have playtested scenarios where the Clans have been running a Right of Possesion for an out of the way planet and they are attacked by another player for the planet's possession - they called themselves Renegade Centurions. How did these odd things get here, and what is this about The Empire of Terran Overlords (from that other game RENEGADE CENTURION @copyright)? Those are tanks??? THOSE ARE TANKS!! Just one squad of tanks; One heavy, and two mediums. The Mechs' weopons just don't seem to have much of an affect on the tanks, but those tanks - Just ONE Shot spelled doom for a Daishi. They aren't playing by the Clans' rules -- or maybe it's that the Clans aren't playing by the newcomers' rules. You decide what comes next.

Master Rules covers and even replaces most of the rules this book but its so well orgnised and comprehsive it does fall into the famed 'Must Have' catagorie. Also, who reading this dosn't want that cover as a huge poster hanging on there wall?

The book had tons of new rules for myself since I invent systems, weapons, and forces nightly (like multi-launch gauss rocket systems and anti-g) this started it all for me ( got before the BT MRules book).

A plethora of rules add on to expand your game. Take as much or as little of it on as you want. Admittedly, if you used every rule in it your turns might never end. highs: the rules for artillery make them conform more closely to real world. the expanded terrain is cool, and the modifiers for movement over 10 is included! Lows: the modifiers for the movement of the fastest units can make them quite literally impossible to hit.

At least, in that FASA has charted out the Battletech universe for a while. Why? If you look in the Field Manual series (go ahead, check out FedSuns and Lyrans, I'll wait...), you'll notice they include new technology. Most of this new tech was included in MaxTech, except for the Lyran new stuff.

Basically, this is, as they say, an official house rules book for Battletech. They add in a bevy of alternate rules, new accessories (Light Gauss Rifle, Medium-Range Missiles), and new systems (gasoline-powered AgroMechs, anyone?).

It's a pretty decent book. Most of the new equipment is experimental, and not that useful, but could be fun for short-term use. They also include a nifty Battle Value Calculator, and give ratings to each and every published 'Mech and vehicle as of printing. There are also nifty tables listing every single thing you could possibly put on a 'Mech you're building, which is also helpful.

If you play Battletech, this is a useful purchase. It's not a must-have, but I'd recommend it.

Wrox Press seem to have become masters at putting together volumes from a large number of authors. This 600-page volume is another example. This way of working does have some drawbacks, there is a little repetition of some basic stuff throughout the book, but not enough to truly detract from it.

The book, after some expository material, details 11 projects of increasing complexity. They use PHP, MySQL, PEAR::DB, Smarty and PHPLib. The target audience, according to the book jacket, are programmers who already have a good knowledge of PHP, SQL Databases and XML. Frankly, I think they overdo the amount of experience you need to use and benefit from this book. If you are on top of all those topics well enough to consider yourself "professional" then this book may be too simple. If, on the other hand, you are, like me, conversant with PHP and SQL but would like to take yourself up to "professional" use of technologies like XML, templating and WAP enabling then this book will be good.

The book is stuffed full of code examples -- and while you can download them in a ZIP file of over 3Mb you shouldn't think of this book as a "cookbook" as such. It shows various methods for performing most of the tasks you need to build solid backend web site systems to deal with a large variety of data. The projects cover importing and exporting of XML, messaging systems, forums, content management, using templates for both HTML and WML, search facilities and both simple and complex content management among other topics.

One thing I did appreciate about this book is how much they left out. No coverage of PHP fundamentals, SQL fundamentals and simple stuff like web forms might be covered once, at most. I certainly didn't need another book on my shelves explaining the basics.

My largest criticism of this book is one shared by too many modern titles for computer programmers; there is too much explanation and too much repetition. The section on SQL is the perfect example. Most projects contain some tables describing each database table, a diagram of the relationships and then the full SQL required to build them, their indices and some example data. For their proposed target audience this is way too much information, and as it is safe to assume that everyone who buys this book has a decent `net connection, why put a printout of SQL available online in a PHP book? I could have easily written the SQL myself and having it in the book doesn't make it much easier and since it was available online it was a total waste of space.

I also have to take exception to, an (admittedly short) chapter devoted to installing and configuring PostNuke. It gives you no more information on this simple task than the online documentation. As someone who has installed PostNuke a couple of times and never needed any assistance beyond the readme files (and the first was long before I considered myself a good PHP programmer) I felt this was a complete waste of space and not "web development" at all.

My final criticism is once again shared by too many modern titles, there isn't really enough discussion of the design decisions and complications. There are enough code examples and walk throughs to satisfy anyone, but not enough key design decisions are discussed at all, with only a few short examinations of any real design problems. I would have appreciated some walk throughs of such things as code that was too slow, problems with race conditions, methods for mixing static and generated parts of a site and all the real world stuff that intrudes when your site gets slashdotted and that code that was so neat with a hundred visitors a day becomes a thousand. Then show how the code they provide is better, avoids the problems and how to get my code to the same state. Since this book is "professional" a little more real world, please.

I simply enjoyed this book and all the solutions presented in it.
I had earlier mastered PHP from reading "Beginning PHP4" and "Professional PHP4" from the same publisher, and this book was a natural choice to make.
I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone that has a sparse to decent knowledge of PHP - you will love the engaging concepts,designs, code methodolgy and spanking case study solutions.Promise.

Seems Wrox is going great with PHP titles with pretty good collection coming one after another! Being into web development myself, this book has come as a great relief. It has given functions and methods with ready to use solutions. Could actually put them to use modifying them, plugging them in various applications.

A must have for the Web Developers / Designers!

I have been a professional PHP developer for a number of years now, since PHP3 was still being actively developed. I have ready nearly every book on the topic, and have worked on more projects than I will ever remember to put in my Portfolio.

I picked this book up after hearing some fairly good ratings on it, and couldn't wait to get started.

I picked the book up and decided to spend a Saturday reading it (As I do with almost all of my new books). However, I found myself putting the book down not too long later...

This book has scattered bits of good information that I did flag, but I found much of it repetitive or almost useless. I was very disappointed by the use of Smarty templates, I found myself picking through the Smarty code just trying to get to the actual application (I build what I need for designs, I don't need to rely on a system like Smarty).

While I did appreciate the sections on XML, the Pseudo-coding (Algorithm breakdown), and the table diagrams, I was very discouraged by the coding practices such as print("<a href=\"$page\">link"); I personally feel that escape characters are very unorganized and look sloppy.

The section on creating a news service was rendered useless because it has (seemingly implied) gaps in the code, and relies heavily on Smarty templates, again very disappointing.

To shorten the rest of the rating up I'll just be real brief. The section on building a system for phones browsing your website was useless, as well as the wireless MyStuff server, the Advanced CMS section (as well as the Simple Search Engine) both had very poor programming practices, and the writers cover the same concepts over and over in their own ways (Which can get quite boring..)

This book seems too difficult for the beginners, perhaps appropriate for the intermediate who want to learn Smart and some OK (but not great) programming practices, and definitely frustrating for us advanced programmers.

I originally was going to rate this book a 4, but now that I'm done with my review I have decided it only earns a 3...

Before buying this, you should have a SOLID grounding in the theory and practice of php. This book does offer solutions, even ones that seem elegant.

BUT, it never really stops to explain the actual coding. It takes time to explain only the approach they take to the problem and the rationale for their approach. It assumes you understand the code and moves right along. You will not find ANY hand-holding here.

Moreover, of the solutions presented, at least two use XML. So, you might also want to have some xml skills on hand, if you are to make use of a significant part of this book.

Once again, the book seems good and you can learn from it. But, understand that you need a solid php foundation to effectively use this book.

This textbook was required for completing prerequisites to obtain my Early childhood degree. But it was one helluva good book. The chapters were short so it was never overwhelming to read. At the end of each chapter were lesson plans and therein lies the gold at the end of this rainbow. This book is a treasure trove of easy lessons to implement in a preschool early childhood classroom. This is not just a fabulous textbook it is an amazing classroom and center resource.

this book is excellent because now I know almost all about the health,nutrition, and safety for the young child.

I was required to buy this book for my class. It is utterly boring. If I had trouble going to sleep, I just read this book. Some of the information is outdated (e.g. how the chicken pox vaccine should be given), as it's copyright is 2005, and the subject matter it contains on the health, safety and nutrition of the young child is constantly changing. The publisher needs to create a 7th edition and use different authors.

Book was delivered quickly and in good condition, Got a great deal and more than i expected would definitely order again

I ordered my book on the 31st of December and I recieved it by the 3rd of January. I use my book for school and it has really helped me alot.

This is a fascinating book that gives one a tour of numbers, their properties, idiosyncracies and uses in quick computation etc. Having each number somewhat independent from one another you can read any chapter at random and gain quite a bit. The text does require concentration to fully appreciate the ideas. Also I found that having a notepad and pencil proves quite handy. In some cases I had to read certain paragraphs twice to fully understand the material.

There is one drawback that I just cannot overlook. The editing is substandard. Granted a typo here and there can be forgiven but it appears that in this case the number of errors is quite significant. Hence the four star rating.

However, if you like numbers and their properties this is a good book to have by one's bedside to read a chapter or two daily.

For anyone who likes numbers, this book is a delight. Open it at random and find some fascinating treasure. Great for kids who are starting to reach out.

I think this book has something for just about everyone. It's a great read, and it's not dumbed down.

Not since the great Indian mathematician Srinivasi Ramanujan has anyone gotten so involved in the personality of numbers to the extent as which Bryan Bunch has, and the reader is far better off for it. The classic story about Ramanujan and the personality of numbers is the tale about the number 1729. When he was ill in a hospital in England he was paid a visit by his friend and colleague G. H. Hardy, who had been given a ride in a taxicab bearing that number. Upon greeting Ramanujan, Hardy remarked that 1729 seemed like an exceedingly dull number and he hoped that this would not be taken as a bad omen. Ramanujan immediately answered: "No, no, my friend, on the contrary; it is a very interesting number. It is the smallest number that can be formed by adding two cubes together in two different ways!"

Such is the involvement of author Bryan Bunch with the personaliy of numbers. His tales of whole numbers from one to googolplex, fractions, algebraic, transcendental and imaginary numbers is sure to entertain and inform any reader with an interest in the world of numbers. His work is such that there is no such thing as an uninteresting number. To prove that there can be no such thing as an uninteresting number, consder the following: 'One' is interesting because it is considered neither prime nor composite; 'two' is ineresting because it is the only even prime number; 'three' is the smallest odd prime number; 'four' is the smallest even number to be a square; 'five'is a Fermat prime; 'six' is the smallest perfect number;...until the first 'uninteresting' number is reached. The fact that it is the first uninteresting number immediately makes it interesting!

Despite a few minor errors and the November 14 discovery of the primality of 2^13446917-1 (replacing 2^6972593-1 as the largest known prime number), I still believe that this book would be of great interest to any reader with an interest in numbers.

1729 = 1^3 + 12^3 = 9^3 + 10^3, in case you are interested in the Ramanujan story.

Not since the great Indian mathematician Srinivasi Ramanujan has anyone gotten so involved in the personality of numbers to the extent as which Bryan Bunch has, and the reader is far better off for it. The classic story about Ramanujan and the personality of numbers is the tale about the number 1729. When he was ill in a hospital in England he was paid a visit by his friend and colleague G. H. Hardy, who had been given a ride in a taxicab bearing that number. Upon greeting Ramanujan, Hardy remarked that 1729 seemed like an exceedingly dull number and he hoped that this would not be taken as a bad omen. Ramanujan immediately answered: "No, no, my friend, on the contrary; it is a very interesting number. It is the smallest number that can be formed by adding two cubes together in two different ways!"

Such is the involvement of author Bryan Bunch with the personaliy of numbers. His tales of whole numbers from one to googolplex, fractions, algebraic, transcendental and imaginary numbers is sure to entertain and inform any reader with an interest in the world of numbers. His work is such that there is no such thing as an uninteresting number. To prove that there can be no such thing as an uninteresting number, consder the following: 'One' is interesting because it is considered neither prime nor composite; 'two' is ineresting because it is the only even prime number; 'three' is the smallest odd prime number; 'four' is the smallest even number to be a square; 'five'is a Fermat prime; 'six' is the smallest perfect number;...until the first 'uninteresting' number is reached. The fact that it is the first uninteresting number immediately makes it interesting!

Despite a few minor errors and the November 14 discovery of the primality of 2^13446917-1 (replacing 2^6972593-1 as the largest known prime number), I still believe that this book would be of great interest to any reader with an interest in numbers.

1729 = 1^3 + 12^3 = 9^3 + 10^3, in case you are interested in the Ramanujan story.