Buck Books

The book has been arrived in good condition and spent a time less than I expect.Thanks for all.

I am an Aerospace graduate student reading this book on my own time and pace (not taking the undergrad Electrical Engineering class that teaches/uses this book). I found out about this book because my friend (an EE student) was in that class and I asked him if I could look through it. After looking through it I decided to buy it, and I'm glad I did.

This is a VERY GOOD no-nonsense book. A brief personal background, I've read Control Systems Engineering by Norman S. Nise (Very good book!), and am now reading this book. I would say that this book is really not something you want to dive into without any prior background. Start with a good controls book (Nise, Ogata, etc) and learn the basics. THEN read this book to get the finer details.

Also, make sure you have the MATH background for this book. A lot of this book is dedicated to the fourier series, laplace xfrm, and z xfrm. If you have not had a formal class is fourier series, you might find this difficult to grasp. I would STRONGLY recommend you have a background of: SISO controls, ODEs, and PDEs.

If you have already taken these pre-reqs, this book is a great 'aha!' moment that nicely combines the concepts from all these areas and really gives you nice insights into how they are all related.

As for the problems, I'm not doing them. I'm reading this book for the material, not for a grade. I don't doubt the objections made that the problems are SIGNIFICANTLY harder than the examples. BUT, life is tough. I would recommend you look through my PDE book (Partial Differential Equations - Strauss) to see the BIG JUMP in the hw from the VERY skimpy examples. There are lots of books like this. They are made to be hard for a reason, you have to use your brain to think creatively. Dont expect every book to hold your hand through problem solving!

I would ignore the people who rate this book a 1 just because they cant solve the homework problems. The writing is VERY clear and to the point. Please note, this is NOT a book you want to rush through when reading. If you take your time you will find that its actually VERY insightful.

Given the fast pace of a normal semester, you might find this book to be very dense. In other words, you will have to absorb a TON of material in a short amount of time. So I can see this being a tough class to take. Reading it at your own pace, this book is pure bliss!

I have struggled through two classes utilizing this book, so I feel I do have a good sense of the material in it. It does say something about a textbook when your professor requires you to purchase a second book to fill in the gaps this book creates (Laplace transform). I feel I still do not have an adequate grasp of Fourier series - and I've read those sections time and time again. I eventually went to another textbook to teach myself the material on my own time.
The lack of mathematical examples make the processes of understanding the material WAY more difficult than it needs to be. Another sore point: A lot of the understanding comes from the practice problems. Too bad there are so few answers in the back of the book. It leaves you to question what you have learned - if anything from the problem.

This book explain very clear what are differences about Fourier and Laplace Transform. Eventhough, those transform appears in the same range of time.
The writer of these book is well known Professors who is also editor of Prentice hall series in Signal processing.Eventhough, I just past these subject two times in Bachelor and Master coursework. I don't found it is useful for my research until recently. I should do more exercise in this book!.

Amazon's editorial reviews are correct. Don't be deceived into thinking that this is anything other than an introduction for the complete novice. It's a book with a particular style: long and wordy. It's only for a particular *kind* of novice: one who needs a lot of hand holding and every detail worked out. It's nearly 1000 pages. I learned the subject in 1976 from an earlier edition that was a third the size (I think) but there doesn't seem to be twice again as many new topics covered.

The mathematics is at an undergrad level, with much (but not all) developed as needed in the text. Topics are missing. For example the inverse Laplace transform is mentioned but not developed (perhaps an appropriate choice in a book for the novice), and the Butterworth and elliptic filters are mentioned, even with graphs of their frequency responses, but they are not defined in any way whatsoever.

Some topics are reserved for the exercises. For example, windowing is covered only in one long-ish problem.

The Amazon review says it's a good book for self-study. I'd agree, provided you understand that you are getting only an introduction at the undergraduate level. If you are a grad student or professional, or if you can't tolerate long detailed explanations, this is not the book for you.

For a book that begins so well, it all comes to nothing in the end.

I could easily see this book being turned into an old PBS videotaped teleplay because that's what it reads like. The characters repeat the same lines over and over, the action, what little there is, is relegated to only a few "sets" and it strives to end on a very serious, thoughtful note. For me, it wasn't enough.

"God's Little Acre" starts out strong but as the book proceeds, it seems as though Caldwell had very few tricks up his sleeve. Ty-Ty, somewhat charming in his eccentricity, becomes annoying and the rest of the family talk circles around one another. The passions and lusts of the family are funny for a while, but in the end Caldwell decides that the best way to resolve things is to begin to decimate the ranks. Motivations and actions become murkier, people don't act the way people act, (not even, I suspect, country folk), and Will, a man who has hardly proved himself as anything more than a letch, is somehow on his way to becoming a folk hero. I found that last part hard to accept. All in all, this book's reputation precedes it but the actual execution leaves something to be desired.

Maybe this book was too contemporary for its 1930's audience. However, the theme and language are quite tame compared to some of the works of the 21st century writers. Although there are many people in Georgia who are extemely intelligent and have created the best literature to date (Margaret Mitchell & Alice Walker, for example). There are still people who are similar to the characters in God's Little Acre in Georgia and other colorful characters in the United States. This work compares to the writings of William Falkner, who is considered tied for the honor of the greatest writer of the 20th Century along beside Ernest Hemmingway. It also compares with Billy Bob Thortnon's brilliance of charater in his writings as well. The theme is spiritual as well as sensual. Don't take my word for it...Read it and compare it to Slingblade, The Sound and the Fury, and The Color Purple.

Written in 1933, this story is set in rural Georgia in a time and location of great poverty. It was quite a sensation when it came out, because it was so full of blatant incestuous sex. First, you have Ty Ty who has raised 3 boys and 2 girls on his own. All 3 boys and one sister have married, while the youngest girl, Darling Jill, is a sex-pot sleeping with everyone who she can. Griselda, one of the sisters-in-law, has a gorgeous body and everybody wants to sleep with her. Ty Ty makes sure that he tells everyone he can talk to that her body is really hot and makes a man want to lick her. As you might imagine, disaster results.

So in one way the entire story (209 pages) is about guys lusting after girls, girls choosing to accept or reject a given lustful attempt, and the father either saying "I want everything to be peaceful" while goading every man he meets to sleep with Griselda.

There are other layers here too. The entire region is destitute. But while Ty Ty has a large spread of fertile land, he has dedicated the last 15 years of his life to digging gigantic holes in search of gold. He is starving to death - and his two negro share-croppers are also starving. Only 2 of the kids have escaped this hole-digging escapade. One is the married sister, Rosamond. She's married Will, a mill-worker. Unfortunately, the mill has shut down and the entire mill-town is starving. They are holding out for better wages and have lasted a year and a half on the barest of rations. The second is the oldest son, who made a ton of money brokering cotton and now refuses to talk to the rest of the family because of their foolish hole-digging.

So Will the mill-worker COULD work, but he and the town are holding out for principles. Ty Ty and his clan COULD farm and feed themselves - but they spend their energy digging holes for gold. There are only 2 non-family-members in the story, Pluto is an overweight man who lusts after Darling Jill. Even he refuses to work. He wants to campaign to be Sheriff, because then he'd be paid for sitting around. Dave is the albino the family grabbed to 'divine' the gold for them. He's married, but after one look at Darling Jill he stays to have sex with her.

Even the greed and lust of the men is often only half-hearted. Pluto wants to be Sheriff - but it's usually too hot for him to go talking to voters. Ty Ty gets a desire to have an albino, but then dilly dallies for hours before setting out.

The title of the book refers to Ty Ty's land, full of holes. Ty Ty feels he is generous by setting aside one acre to be "for God" - that all proceeds from the acre will be donated to the church. But in actuality, Ty Ty "moves" the acre around to make sure that he never digs on it - he doesn't want to risk his gold going to the church. It's the same with other aspects of Ty Ty's life. He feels he's scientific in his hole-digging - but he ropes and grabs an albino man to "divine" for him where to dig next. He wants his family to be peaceful and happy, while goading every male member to sleep with Griselda. None of the characters are very bright. They all are driven by instincts, usually either sex, or greed, or both. The men all go for what they want. With the exception of Darling Jill who has sex when she wants, the women all sit back and are acted on. Griselda in fact lets Will grab her because he is a "real man" - and Will's wife watches the entire thing happen, again because Will is a real man.

Which brings us to the other disappointing parts of the book. The stereotypes in the book are pretty staggering. This entire family is completely unable to care for themselves. They are animals grabbing for gold and rutting with whoever is nearby. The negros are wide-eyed and simple. They're all starving to death and they don't care. I understand of course they are exaggerations in order to make a point - but when the over-characterizations go to the ludricrous stage, it begins to lose its impact.

Also, while the book's sexual exploits are rather tame by today's standards, it is still rather sex-filled. There was a lot of interesting material here - the special acre, the way the people HAD the ability to feed themselves but chose not to do it. The way Ty Ty sought peace while undermining it. But the book instead focusses on the shocking things - of men standing and watching their naked female family members undressing, taking baths, having sex, whatever. You really do not get any sense of any character in the book having dimension. They are either horny men, or sex-object women.

That all being said, I really did feel like there was an underlayer here that was interesting. The idea of this special acre of land really touched me. First, Ty Ty moves it around to keep it 'safe' from the gold. Then Ty Ty puts it under the house, where there's no risk of it being involved in a dig attempt. Ty Ty's home is resting on God's Acre. But soon Ty Ty's digging efforts cause his own house to begin to cave in. When Ty Ty realizes that one of his sons is in danger, he desperately tries to set the "acre" in motion - to always stay beneath his son, and keep him safe.

This novel depicts reality from which we often escape or never admit to knowing. The author shows how enlightenment is a never-ending task. One could say the book sold for sex, but we are sexual creatures. The book, once brought before the courts as depicting immoral acts, transcends any law society has or will create.

I think the notion that anyone would attempt to rate this book as anything less than a cornerstone of American literature and a glimpse into what was once a good portion of our country is a little silly. 80 million copies and 40 languages as an indication of success will probably hold up under the weight of a critical Internet Amazon review. In many ways God's Little Acre is a bit like Knut Hamsun's "Growth of the Soil" in the context of simple people and a story is not exclusively American. It is a part of every developing society, regardless language, race, ethnicity, etc., etc...

Simple, uneducated people who comprised the characters in the book, did do not live a life with a perspective derived from college dorms, GameBoy or a value system indoctrination. They didn't know they were racist, they didn't know they were greedy and they didn't realize that being preoccupied with sex was a bad thing. I'm not so sure I did either. I kind of think that is the point, the author's presentation of something he knew and wanted to share with others, a life quite different from ours.

Don't scream and put your head in a paper bag when you read this book. Don't hyperventilate over racism, sex, poverty and a fool's search for gold. The book is good insight, the book captures the reality of a type of person that lived mostly at another place in time. It is a part of American history, it was a part of American life. I was born in the south, but not that long ago. The characters don't frighten me, they don't speak for me, but I know who they are. I honestly don't think going back to 1933 would be necessary to find these types of folks.

A great book, colorful and tantalizing story and it takes only a couple of hours to read. Don't let shrieking PC keep you from a learning experience.

I love D.W. Buffa's narrative, his style of foreshadowing events in the first chapter, his Joseph Antonelli character and his plot driven stories. Sadly, I found Star Witness to be too formulaic. Perhaps all the things I like about Buffa are getting worn, or, maybe the Hollywood who done it is the worn part. There was one section where Antonelli is interviewing a philosophy professor who is the victim's former spouse that the Buffa I love came through and I had to really pay attention to the dialog. The rest of the book is enjoyable if not great. Buck Schirner does a great job narrating the audio version.

This is a great book by a great author. Star Witness captures the deadly narcissism of Hollywood perfectly.
Morley Winograd

Joseph Antonelli is back in a case where a Hollywood Starlet is murdered in her home. Her husband, a well-known producer is accused. We go through the mechanics of finding out who the players are in the story: The producer/director's partners, the Hollywood Homicide detective who has a connection with the couple, the dead star's ex-husband and father, etc. The trial has some interesting moments, but the ending was, in my opinion, anti-climactic.

"Star Witness", Dudley W. Buffa, NY, GP Putnam's Sons, 2003 ISBN 0-399-153034-X, HC, 388 pg., 9 1/4" x 6 1/4". This 5th of 7 Joseph Antonelli novels finds the protagonist criminal defense attorney musing over the death of Hollywood star Mary Margaret Flanders, a.k.a. Marian Walsh, whose nude body was found in the pool of her Beverly Hills mansion. The funeral was shown on TV & that night Antonelli is awakened by the star's husband, Stanley Roth, who solicits him to become his defense sttorney. He leaves his live-in love Marissa (Kane) in Sausalito & is flown to Los Angeles where he meets the notables: -- husband Stanley, head of Blue Zephyr Pictures; Michael Wirthlin & Louis Griffin, associates; Walker Bradley, actor & Julie Evans, executive assistant to Roth.

We learn Mary Margaret died violently, a throat slashing, and that husband Stanley, the only known person in the home was prone to violent temper. We are introduced to the courtroom Judge Hon. Rudolph G. Honigman & the aggressive Prosecutrix Annabelle Van Roten. Other principals include Jack Walsh, dead star's father, & Detective Crenshaw. Just when you think the plot is over, it abruptly changes direction & we find unsuspected surprizes that nicely tie up the loose ends gratifyingly. This, of the 6 Antonelli novels I've read to date, is the finest & most satisfying. The book deals with revenge, power, position & character in a brilliant manner.

This is unquestionably the worst legal thriller I have yet to encounter. "Star Witness" is painfully boring, with a completely unrealistic storyline that ends with a terribly anti-climactic revelation of the killer's identity. This novel lacks suspense, drama, and every other characteristic necessary for a compelling read. It is nothing more than a windy, self-indulgent waste of paper that will leave even the most ardent of legal thriller fans struggling to finish. There is not a single character that you will care about or cheer for, and the Stanley Roth character is one of the most outrageously unbelievable cast members of any novel in recent memory. Save your time and money, and stay away from this listless attempt at suspenseful fiction.

This review pertains to the abridged Audiobook version of this novel. I listened to it recently and found it rushed, the plot hard to follow, and missing depth. I didn't really understand the characters and their relationships, and found myself lacking emotional involvement in the climactic scene involving Marcus and Kirsten. Reading the rest of these reviews, I realized that most of what readers have commented about (the courtroom drama, the relationship between Kirsten and Marcus, the parallel between the pasts of Kirsten and Erin) was taken out in the abridged audio version. And the audiobook really gives no indication of why this would be called Christian Fiction at all. These seem to be essential parts that would have made the book much more enjoyable- so, I recommend that you read the book (which sounds good, now that I read more about it) rather than listening to the abridged audiobook!

I was so happy to have a continuation of "The Great Divide" that I dove right into this book. While I did enjoy it, I was left with a sense of incompleteness. It did answer so many questions about Kirsten and her relationship with Marcus; but, it did not give the reader a sense of closure. It ended too abruptly and I was shocked to find that there was not another chapter or an epilogue to give a glimpse into the future. Yes, the reader supposes that Kirsten and Marcus have their long awaited talk about her past and the wedding then takes place. However, it would have been nice to at least have a page that simply skipped ahead to perhaps the day of their wedding and made mention of the attendants and a sentence as to how their lives had changed in the meantime. At least a page saying that the wedding was in fact taking place, such as the mention of the funeral in the epilogue of "The Great Divide".
Perhaps the author was just setting us up for a third in what would be a series about Marcus Glenwood. I certainly hope so. It would also be nice to have a third book where Glenwood has a better outlook and doesn't seem so defeated all the time. Now that he and Kirsten are together maybe he can stop being such a victim and stop obsessing about her so much.

I have enjoyed every one of T. Davis Bunn's books. I've bought his books from the beginning. I continue to enjoy his books, and this one is great as usual. Without getting into details, Winner Take All continues to give me a very interesting, fast paced story with great characters.

Winner Take all is an awesome example of courage and boldness. The beginning for me was a little slow to get me interested but about half to three quarters of the way through it got more intense and exciting. Since Bunn is a christain author I do think that he could of added a bit more of Jesus, But to an extent he did show how much evil is in the world and how good always prevails. Even in the hard times. I would read another of Bunns novels.Definately

Marcus Glenwood is back! But as much as I hate to admit it, this does not hold a candle to The Great Divide. I learned about opera a little bit... YUCK! I was about ready at one point and time to give up until I was about 2/3 of the way done with it and I stuck it out. I enjoyed the ending, but this book could have been so much more promising. Believe it or not, I thought this book was maybe 3 3/4 stars, but not four. In my opinion, Bunn fell short because I really didn't see much of a witness all in all for Jesus. When Bunn puts Jesus in light of everything, then he scores a 5, but this time, AH, not quite. I still enjoy Bunn's work. I'm looking forward to the chance to read The Warning or The Ultimatum.

"Breach of Trust", Dudley W. Buffa, New York, G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2004 ISBN 0-399-15190-7, HC, 371 pp. & 6.25" x 6.25"

In this 6th. Joseph Antonelli novel, Buffa has the protagonist lawyer in NY at Harvard Law School class reunion, per request of classmate Thomas Browning, now Vice President. He's asked to be defense lawyer for expected indictment of their classmate James Haviland upon re-opening of accidental fall of Ann Malreaux, 2nd year law school classmate at Christmas Eve party several decades past.

The story line involves mutiny in White House ranks of President Walker & VP Browning, the latter seeking his own nomination & who alludes to a conspiracy to oust him in a scandal related to Annie's death. Antonelli does his homework, contacts everyone associate with Annie & enjoys assistance & sizzling romance from Gisela Hoffman, a young reporter in midst of divorce.

Demonstrated via idiosyncracies of prosecutor Caminetti & Judge Charles Scarborough, is the fierce trial Antonelli is told that must be won at all costs. We are shown the relationship of Joanna van Renaessler, Antonelli's old flame, but now wife of VP Browning -- she has kept secrets.

The plot unfolds with momentum & just when you think its over, the underlying intrigues are at last revealed: -- Antonelli is affable & crackerjack as trial lawyer but he's unprepared to the like of young Gisela. In this novel, the protagonist Antonelli really shines -- likable, lovable & a man for all seasons. This book is not to be missed.

I started reading Buffa from the Judgment. I enjoyed the dark, brooding and at times menacing atmosphere of the novel. I then went back and read the Prosecution and The Defense. And those two were just as entertaining as the Judgment. The novels did not have the tautness or thrill that you would expect from a legal/criminal novel. But they did possess an element of lurking shadows that always kept you on your toes.

Then came Star Witness. Glitzy garbage. Some two cents Hollywood pot-boiler. I thought, well Buffa is having an off day. I waited patiently while throwing good money after bad on a succession of Grisham duds - and he has been churning them out one after another - and then I read that Breach of Trust was coming out. I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. And at $30.00 Australian Dollars a pop getting my hands on it wasn't cheap.

It finally arrived in Sydney and I got it. Read 20 pages and couldn't believe the boredom. Instead of the dark menacing air, there was the air of senile old people reminiscing in flatulent-infested rooms about a past that was even more boring than the time they were in if that's at all possible.

I put the book down and waited a month, tried to re-read. Same. Terrible. I put it on ebay. Couldn't even get one hit for a $1.00. I finally took it down to the local library and hid it on the shelf surreptitiously. Because I am sure that they wouldn't have wanted it either.

I just got Trial by Fire. This is the last one that I am going to take a chance on. If this doesn't pan out Buffa is history for me.

For the young and rich at Harvard Law School, parties that went on for days in the 1960's were common. Of course, nothing too scandalous that would come back to haunt you when you became part of the rich and legal elite and whatever secrets there were - well, they were expected to be kept hidden for the good of all. A law school reunion brings all the players together, with the guest of honor being one of their own. The heir to a fortune, the odd member of their group from their university days went on to become the Vice President of the United States.

Thomas Stern Browning has made a request of his old school friend, Joseph Antonelli. Forty years ago, at a party held at the Plaza Hotel, a young woman fell to her death. Though loved by all that met her, Annie Malreaux had two suitors at the time who were desperately in love with her and both were at the Plaza when she died. In the present day, a murder case is brought before the court; the result of which will put one of these men in jail and end the rising career of the other. Browning has only one more step to go before he reaches his ultimate political goal, and there are many who would like to stop him getting here. Defense attorney Joseph Antonelli must dig into the past that they all share to end the nightmare of the present.

D.W. Buffa undoubtedly has an elegant and meticulous style of writing. Infusing his latest work with a melancholic air Buffa has written a sombre novel of regret and lost love. The courtroom scenes do not take up a lot of time in "Breach of Trust" though the novel could be aptly described as a legal and political drama. What detracts from the read is the pompous speeches of the characters and the inherent selfishness common to most of the major players. It's difficult to care one way or another what happens to there ultra urbanized souls who spend all their time in cities and around people that they all secretly seem to despise.

"Breach of Trust" is the author's sixth novel featuring Joseph Antonelli. This work serves well as a standalone but seems more of concluding piece than an entry in a continuing series. If you don't let the darkness drag you down you will appreciate the careful deliberations that have led to the present day conflict in this thoughtful and unsettled novel.

D.W. Buffa's "Breach of Trust", while not exactly a page-turner, is an interesting novel. Buffa's super-defense attorney Joseph Antonelli is back, this time the reluctant defendant of his former Harvard law school roommate, Thomas Browning, who happens to be the Vice President of the United States. A decades-old death - apparently accidental - of a young woman from the Antonelli/Browning circle of friends resurfaces with a politically motivated vengeance. What follows is a convoluted plot of conspiracies and politics, dredging up long buried secrets while challenging friendships, loyalties, and values.

Unfortunately, "Breach of Trust" suffers from Buffa's pretentious - if not bombastic - windy and preachy prose. Characters are philosophically somber and cynical to a fault, lending to a setting unnecessarily morose and humorless. The left-leaning Buffa definitely has a political axe to grind, bordering on yet another thinly veiled attack on the current Bush administration. But to give credit to the author, the end salvages some sense of political ambiguity and neutrality. At its best, it is a stinging indictment of politics in America, while at its worst, "Breach of Trust" is a bleak and pessimistic assessment of government and justice in America. Intelligent fiction? For sure, but at times frustrating, occassionally simply boring, and A book one you'll not find hard to put down.

This is my second Buffa work. The first was in the mold of John Grisham. I am not sure where Buffa was going with this work. The book begins with the main character, Joseph Antonelli, being summoned for a meeting with the current Vice-President and former Harvard classmate, Thomas Browning. Vice-President Browning has news of a pending charge against one of their former classmates of the murder of yet another classmate forty years earlier. Browning wants Antonelli to take the case.
As the case develops, hints of a White House conspiracy begin to surface. Antonelli tries to sort through the case of the present while dealing with the memories of the past. The problem: the book drags. I would like to see Mr. Buffa go back to the formula that has made his other books bestsellers.

Read this book from cover-to-cover a few years ago to brush up on E&M theory.

I have always been partial to Hayt as an author of classic EE titles and this book did not disappoint. The prose was clean, the development logical and the treatment adequately thorough for an undergrad text.

For those who find their first class in E&M a little daunting, I would strongly recommend the little book: "Div, Grad, Curl and All That" by H.M. Shey. This informal text covers all of the vector calculus essential to basic E&M theory with lots of worked examples and problems with solutions. My advice is to bone up on vector calculus first -- it makes E&M theory much more accessible.

Actually I kind of liked this book. I was in the department of mechanical engineering when I took an introductory EM course using this textbook (sixth edition) about six years ago (I became the teaching assistant for that course afterward). Everything worked out well. Both the instructor and the book explained things well and I worked out many of the end-of-chapter problems.

This is the best book I ever found on this topic. Its assumes you a beginner and takes you to the engineering level. William Hayt has an outstanding way of communication with the reader. All you require is concentration and imagination power.

Chapters are as follows;

1- VECTOR ANALYSIS
2- COULUMB'S LAW AND ELECTRIC FIELD INTENSITY
3- ELECTRIC FLUX DENSITY
4- ENERGY AND POTENIAL
5- CONDUCTORS, DIELECTRICS AND CAPACITANCE
6- EXPERIMENTAL MAPPING METHODS
7- POISSON'S AND LAPLACE'S EQUATINS
8- THE STEADY MAGNETIC FIELD
9- MAGNETIC FORCES, MATERIALS AND INDUCTANCE
10- TIME VARYING FIELDS AND MAXWELL'S EQUATIONS
11- THE UNIFORM PLANE WAVE
12- PLANE WAVES AT BOUNARIES AND IN DISPERSIVE MEDIA
13- TRANSMISSION LINES
14- WAVEGUIDES AND ANTENNA FUNDAMENTALS

The book is well structured. First five chapters are specially of interest for beginners. End of chapter problems are challenging and tune up the concepts you learned in that chapter.

I strongly recommend this book to those who are interested in fundamentals of telecommunications.

As an introductory level textbook, this is terrible. There are barely any examples and the problems are badly worded. Be warned: There is an addendum that goes with the book, because there are a significant number of mistakes.

In taking an Engineering Electromagnetics course, I was very disappointed with the instruction of the course; therefore I turned to this textbook for help. Unfortunately, this book is packed with errors, both in the text, and more commonly the end of chapter problems. For such a theoretical subject, the explanation is lacking, and example problems are few and far between. In addition, there are no answers in the back of the book, and the answers available online or on CD-ROM are not all correct, according to my professor. Sigh. All in all, these factors combined to make this a very difficult course, the worst that I have had in my 3.5 years of engineering education.

I thought the book lacked content. In well written memoirs a reader searches for a certain down to earth quality. This book rings a false note. The sexual passages seemed as if they were designed to inflate the author's ego rather than provide insight. It seemed written to imply the author was a piece of meat in a lion cage...

Rinker Buck has captured all the excitement, innocence, pluck, and wide-eyed enthusiasm in "First Job." I can't imagine anyone coming of age in the early 1970s who couldn't relate to his story. His ability in describing the lushness of the Berkshires is on a level with James Michener. Without the self-congratulatory sexual conquests, this could have been a near-perfect read. How much sexier the story could have been with just a hint of the romantic entanglements. Seems like an awful lot of explaining to do to the women in his family! That said, I'd still recommend this as a truly fun read. Way to go, Rinky!

Don't skim this book. Enjoy the story while you appreciate how carefully the author choses his words.

I've read Rinker Buck's articles in the newspaper and was interested in this book because of the setting which is my neck of the woods. I had been alerted about the sex scenes.

Wonderful descriptions of the landscape and the people around here, but the details of his affairs spoiled it. Do we really need to read about these? I skipped past them.

The best part may be the interview with John Wayne in Stockbridge. Description of the Red Lion Inn is on the mark, too. Have been to the bar in the basement and it was an interesting place.

This memoir is poorly written. I don't recommend this book to anyone.

It's an OK story. Worth reading. As to its historical accuracy, it is a novel which is a work of fiction. Most historical novels are not accurate--the novelist just takes a place and point in time and uses it to tell his/her story. Whether or not it is historical accurate isn't an issue-it is fiction.

There are many different ways to review the writings of any kind.Here we have an old novel written by a woman who grew up in China and understood the cultural differences. It is by no means the most accurate description of Korean history or the way people lived of her time. However, I ended up admiring her attempt to know better and in the end to have understood the people and the way of their living and struggle. Nobody can understand the cultural differences and the values of the society unless we live on both sides of the world. That was what she did and used it for her writing. It was a good writing as a novel and described exactly the way of living of the Korean people during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Unbelievable? That is because you have no idea of the real core of different cultures.For example, my family maintains 1,000 years of written history of family geneology of my clan.It shows how we died during the struggle and how we maintain our family by a written code of conduct based on Humanism. That is the reason why Korean are nationalistic.That was accurately described in her writing.

As all of Pearl Buck's novels, this book is wonderfully written. She reveals such understanding of the people and history of Asia. The truly historical setting of this book makes it especially facinating.

I'm no expert on Korea or Korean history, though I did live there for six months some years ago. At that time, I learned enough about the country to realize that THE LIVING REED is a joke. If you like soap opera, uplifting prose about valiant people striving to overcome whatever, then this book could be for you. But, if you like reasonably authentic background and depiction of central characters who are not cardboard figures, then think twice before devoting too much of your time to such a book. Pearl Buck had a hit with 'The Good Earth', true. But she tried to capitalize on that and churned out more and more 'uplifting sagas' of this type. OK, so maybe she did it to increase understanding of Asia in the USA. It was for a good cause. But what we are doing here is reviewing books. This book is just not very good. Times have changed and it's out of fashion (happily) to regard individuals of any one nation as particularly charged with moral values, fighting spirit, special will power, etc. These traits are pretty well spread across the human race. You will not find this observation salient in THE LIVING REED. The Koreans are portrayed as a nation of heroes and heroines. That's bunk. They are people just like everyone else. However, it IS true that this is a second-rate novel just like a lot of Buck's others.

The book The living Reed is a good book worth reading if one want to know more about Korean history in fictional form. The Korean history is interesting since the country always has been the cultural center of the Far East, between countries like Japan, China and Russia; Chinese culture have always been transformed in Korea on its way to Japan. Several countries did recognize Korea important from both a geographical, political and cultural perspective. So important that these countries supported a war in Korea during the years of 1950-53. The two divided Korea is a living proof of this.

Pearl Buck is not a historical writer of accuracy but describes the Korean history and the Korean people in an interesting, fictional way that gives more understanding for the current situation on the Korean peninsula, a situation that have been neglected by the world too long. To say the less, Korea is still not well.known to the majority of Westerners, as much as Japan and China.

No, Koreans are not heroes more than anyone else but I truly believe that the people that contributed to the modern Korea of today should be remembered and acknowledged and Pearl Buck do it very well in this book.

As previously mentioned by other reviewers, I found the writing of Barbara Metzger and Edith Layton very enjoyable. I didn't like the plots of the stories written by Andrea Pickens or Nancy Butler; however, the most unrealistic/believable story written by Gayle Buck was a complete and total disappointment. Not only did her references to my lady and my lord in conversations between husband and wife sound more like they were speaking to servants, but there were a few mistakes with regard to social etiquette; an example: Lord Hallcroft crosses his legs during a visit with his Aunt in the presence of both his Aunt and his wife. Proper etiquette during that time did not permit a gentleman to cross his legs. Ms. Buck's attempt at being overly formal in the story also did not work for me . . . came across as boring.

The stories by Barbara Metzger, Edith Layton, and Nancy Butler were all pretty good. I especially liked "The Dogstar" (Layton) and "Christmas with Dora Davenport" (Butler). I was quite disappointed with Gayle Buck's offering, "Christmas Cheer." Based on her status as an author, I would have expected more from Ms. Buck, but the whole premise of this story was unbelievable, and the writing was stilted.

I don't know why the earlier Signet regency Christmas anthologies seemed so much better (especially the first 5-7 years). Maybe because Signet now has a 'theme' for each book... perhaps that constricts the writers in some way. Overall, however, this year's "Christmas Courtship" book was pretty entertaining.

Even more than Valentine's Day, Christmas is a time for love, as celebrated in this collection of holiday stories by the stars of the Regency universe. The initial two stories employ the timeless device of having a child matchmake for two unlikely lovers as well as the concept of bringing together a member of the ton with a lady of the working class. Snow is the key to love in the third offering as two people promised to one another, though they've never met and don't want to marry each other, are trapped together in a snowbound cabin. Then, a bookish young lady finds the countryside holds just as much appeal as a library when she meets a wild Welshman on her trip to a rural area at Christmas time. Finally, a husband and wife move from married strangers to lovers just in time for Christmas. For the most part, classic devices are well used to make pleasant, albeit predictable tales. Not every tale is as sterling as others, but fans of the authors involved or of the genre will be pleased.

Amanda Killgore

I enjoyed all of the stories - except one, which I didn't even read. Edith Layton's story "The Dogstar" is the second of a series of stories about some very special puppies. The first was published several years ago in another Christmas Regency collection under the title "The Hounds of Heaven". The other four stories were good reads. Yes, the story about the Russian woman was a bit contrived, but it was fun!

This book is a collection of 5 short christmas themed romance stories. There is no sex in the book. The first 4 storied are charming tales of innocent courtship. The fifth deals with a newly married couple and lacks the charm and flow that others have. Overall I would recomend this book.

Way too much, here's what I'm gonna tell you and not enough telling you. Also way too much background and theory instead of actually doing anything.

During reading the first 3 chapters. this book was very promising. The the author kept repeating himself "I will show you how to do this, to do that". But after the first 3 chapters, his writing becomes dull. Nothing useful to go on reading. Maybe He was rushing to publish this book or the style that he prepared to go into his writing just died out. Whatever reason, one thing I learned from this book is: What a SQL Server DBA is supposed to do on a daily, weekly, monthly basis. I read so many 5 stars books going into details about writing code to backup, restore, scheduling...etc. But those books forget one point: What a SQL Server DBA is supposed to do on a daily basis. Maybe it is not important for an experienced DBA but it may be important for other I.T guys who want to be DBA. That's why we read books for.
After all if you are looking for a deep down details of T-SQL programming, Integration Services, Report Services...etc. Then this book is not for you. If you'd like to know what you are supposed to do as a DBA, this book may be helpful to you.

The Administrator's Guide to SQL Server 2005 is a great reference for DBAs and System Administrators planning to implement and maintain SQL Server 2005. While the book is written for Administrators, database developers will benefit from it as well. For example, one of my day to day activities includes testing various SQL Server configurations before they are implemented into production environments that require near 100% uptime. The chapter covering high-availability provided thorough step by step instructions on how to set up database mirroring and replication. I was especially delighted to find instructions on how to create a production-like test environment using virtual machine technology at the end of the chapter. Each chapter is well written and loaded with good practical advice. I highly recommend this book!

A pet peeve i have w/ Microsoft books is they just mirror the help files. This admin guide is not much more than regurgitated help files. I was hoping for some useful examples, closer to real life problems & solutions. Not there. Plz use the help files in Books Online to look up topics THEN examine the same topic in this book at a local bookstore BEFORE buying it.

First, I'm not a DBA but I install, maintain, and use SQL Server 2005 in lab and workgroup settings.

I found this book to work well as an advance organizer and a good source of advice for DBA tasks. I've use the book mainly for topic overviews and guidance on management issues. (I haven't read the reporting and BI chapters -- at least not yet.) I've found the checklists helpful and the script snippets very useful. Scripts, of course, are a great way to capture and document your actions and the book often takes this approach to tasks.

Reviewers who mention the content of SQL Server 2005 books are right that the content is likely to be in Books On Line (BOL). However, I bought this book to organize and filter these topics for me. If you can get what you need from BOL as quickly and conveniently as you can with this book then use BOL. I can't, so I bought a copy.