Burke Books

i love the way this book gives you products to desgin that you will be doing at work. The projects templates that you can download are not available!!!

Not bad at all. Practical exercises relevant to the real world. You do need prior knowledge of the application before starting into the book. What you do learn is very useful though..

The book livews up to it's name, these were all projects you can use on the job. I have used multiple projects in my own work. It is helpful to go to the site and download the project files to follow along. There is one section in the first book that gives ou instructions on making the E that are wrong...this drove me crazy for two days until I figured it out. But otherwise, you'll recieve use out of most of this book.

I first purchased this book to try to help me with Illustrator 9 (yes, I know - it's for CS2, but I was totally lost trying to learn my inherited version of Illustrator 9 on my own, and I figured things couldn't be THAT different between versions, right? hah.) To anyone else considering this book for anything other than CS2: Stop. Turn back. It will only make you salivate for CS2, for the features CS2 has that earlier versions of Illustrator lack.

That said, I've since been able to upgrade to CS2, and this book, although modestly helpful -- (it uses projects to teach, and who has time to work through the book's projects? I've got my OWN projects to complete, and need to get up to speed, fast, on only the tasks required for my project) -- is not nearly as helpful for a complete Illustrator nincompoop (i.e. me) as is the Quick Start CS2 guide by Elaine Weinmann, also available here on Amazon.

This book is the one that should've been included in the box with the software, instead of the semi-useful one that was there. But it's not as helpful for a total novice as is the Weinmann book.

I'm a newbie to Illustrator, and I found several of the teaching projects in this book difficult to follow. There is a presumption in the steps provided that you know your way around a little bit more than a novice may be able to grasp. Also, a couple of the projects have mistakes in them which render the reader incapable of completing them unless you go to the publisher's website and download the errata PDF.

Sean M Burke has written the RTF Pocket Guide, The RTF Cookbook and other technical materials on the Rich Text Format (RTF). These writings are worthwhile, and should be mandatory reading for anyone attempting to program RTF readers or writers.
In my case, I needed to produce neat, printable reports from an Excel application written in Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). (It is not commonly known that many Visual Basic features are not supported in VBA, including the ones I required for my output.) After some research, I concluded that adding an RTF writer to my application would produce a quality product with limited additional programming.

Microsoft's RTF Specification version 1.9 is NOT the place to learn RTF. It is very complete, but anything but a text book. Sean M Burke's writings brought me from the stage of RTF novice to an adequate programmer of complicated financial tables in short order. Thank you, Sean.
Robert J Lambird

This book saved me A LOT of time. I had to use PHP to write an RTF document with style definitions to be used in Word and Adobe InDesign. I spent a ton of time searching the web for tutorials or tips, but they were all complicated and incomplete. I also tried going through the source code of MS Word documents trying to figure out how it was written. After a lot of frustration, I found this book. It's short and easy to read and understand. It gives you the basics on how to construct an RTF file with code that is clean, easy to read, and easy to debug. It was just what I needed. I can't beleive there isn't any tutorial like this available on the web. I did still have to look at the MS Word code to fix a couple of things, and I also used an online reference to figure out some of the more obscure codes, but overall this book was very helpful. I recommend it.

I would have to agree with the reviewers that stated that this book is more of an introduction to RTF than a reference guide. While certain parts of the book such as part on Tables were helpful, there were some glaring deficiencies.
For example, regarding Sections the author states: "Sections are not discussed elsewhere in this book, because they only come up in certain formatting features that are beyond the scope of this condensed guide. The only notable exceptions are page header settings and newspaper columns." (pgs. 54, 55)
I believe this is a miopic view of Sections. Sections are used anywhere you need to create a physical or logical break in the documentation. Headers, footers, and newspaper columns are only a few of the potential uses for Sections. We are currently using continuous Sections to hide/show selected text blocks to customize our documentation based upon user selections. In fact, I bought this book specifically to learn more about Sections, but have since returned to digesting the RTF 1.5 spec. on the subject.

There was more introductory and expository material in the book than I would have expected for a pocket guide weighing in it only a scant 150 pages. In addition, the reference I would have expected, which would allow me to navigate an RTF exported from Word, I did not find.

I recommend this to anyone who has some experience working with RTF and who wants to try to actually understand it. For those looking for an RTF decoder ring, you won't find it here.

RTF Pocket Guide is an extremely useful guide to RTF and makes for much better and faster reading than Microsoft's RTF specs. As the book itself points out, it is an introductory guide and does not discuss parsing RTF documents as well as it does creating them. It gave me the information I needed to create programs to write database data out as RTF and certainly does a great job of explaining syntax and constructs.

As mentioned in other reviews, however, the editing for the July 2003 first edition is simply awful. A number of obvious errors exist in the initial sections. The overall content is so good that these errors are all the more glaring: How could an editor read the text and not catch them? If you treat these errors as opportunities to test your own growing knowledge of RTF syntax, they are actually kind of fun to find... but not what you would expect in a reference text. I have not found any obtuse errors; most are obvious as soon as you read them.

Overall: well worth the money, but also an imperfect tool at best.

I thought the misadventures of Dinah Nichols, PR chick were entertaining and funny. This book was easy to get into and you want to keep on reading with the hope that Dinah will get what she really wants, not what she thinks she needs. A captive and witty read.

I think this is Betsy Burke's bet book yet. A sarcastic view of the world of not for profit. I enjoyed the inner office dynamics and characters, every office seems to have at least one of the characters in Ms. Burke's book. I enjoyed the eco-conscious info that weaves through the storyline, makes for a different kind of romance and you will no doubt enjoy the outcome.

I thouroughly enjoyed this book. Ms Burke has a witty and sacastic view of office dynamics, and if you work in an office you can sure relate to Dinah. The back stabbing, gossip, inuendo and inappropriate office affairs are entertaining and funny.

"Hardly Working" by Betsy Burke centered around Dinah, who worked as a PR person for a non-profit organization focusing on environmental issues in Vancouver. Fresh from a recent breakup, Dinah was eager to start a new relationship with Ian Trutch, her new boss who was set by the headquarters to manage the Vancouver office. In midst of all this, Dinah was eager to find out more about her biological father as her mother raised her alone and she was never allowed to ask any questions regarding her father. Soon, Dinah discovered that Ian wasn't who he said he was.

This was not a very good chick-lit as there was never a strong storyline. The author focused on too many things and none of it was fully developed. It was hard to be engaged as a reader and I never had the urgency to keep on reading. There are definitely better books in this genre out there.

Although the PR work Dinah Nichols does for the enviromental foundation that employs her is valuable, it tends to be less than personally rewarding, largely due to her co-workers. The chance to date one of the big shots in the company seems to serve a higher purpose for a while, but Ian might not be what he appears to be. In fact, virtually everyone in the office has hidden depths to them that Dinah is on the road to discovering. Her mother might be a Jacques Cousteau wannabe, but Dinah's is plunging into the sea of life, and finding that the guppies have teeth that are just as big as the ones the sharks have. Amid her own turmoil, life is made more dangerous by ecoterrorism and bad romance.

* Somewhere in all this might be a sound message, but it gets lost in the mix. Dinah's personality is shallow as a mud puddle, yet she is the heroine. Penelope would be a more intriguing character to explore, yet for the majority of the book, she's not the villain, but somewhat of an adversary. Whatever there is that is good can be found in larger quantities in other books. *

Reviewed by Amanda Killgore, Freelance Reviewer.

I grew up spending summers at Lake Geneva and enjoyed reading this book and all its references to the area but I also enjoyed the story and its characters.

I liked this story the first time I heard it, that is, when it was presented as the movie Back to the Future. A sadly disappointing knock off, this book offered little in the way of pleasurable reading. And the fact the author would chose to hurt the good name of Clarence Darrow, is outrageous. To reduce a historical figure such as Mr. Darrow into nothing more than a sex toy used to forward a tired plot is just plain wrong.

Burke writes an interesting romantic fantasy story whose setting is close to home. The story takes place around Lake Geneva, Wisconsin and the surrounding McHenry County Illinois area.

The story starts out with Jeremy Sloan, a mid 30-year-old lawyer, riding his bicycle around Lake Geneva. Accidentally, he is hit by a car and flies over his handle bars. He blacks out and when he awakens, finds himself transported back in time to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin circa 1895.

Awkwardly, Jeremy adapts to the life and through the help of several kind people finds a job constructing the Observatory, which is there in reality. Even with the help of his friends, though, his life isn't easy. He must contend with a sheriff who has taken a grudge against him and yet wonder if he'll ever go back to his regular time dimension. Through his adventures, however, he falls in love with his boss's daughter, Lora. Using his knowledge of the future he saves her from certain death when he finds out that she'll be on a boat that will sink in a storm.

I liked the ending on this book tremendously. Burke wrapped up Jeremy's and Lora's relationship in a satisfactory way. However, as far as a time-travel story, the book had a lot of cliches and was predictable in some areas. This book will have special appeal to readers who live in the locale where the story takes place as Burke drops various sites and city names into the story -- giving it more credence. All in all, a half way decent fantasy / romantic novel.

Burke writes an interesting romantic fantasy story whose setting is close to home. The story takes place around Lake Geneva, Wisconsin and the surrounding McHenry County Illinois area.

The story starts out with Jeremy Sloan, a mid 30-year-old lawyer, riding his bicycle around Lake Geneva. Accidentally, he is hit by a car and flies over his handle bars. He blacks out and when he awakens, finds himself transported back in time to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin circa 1895.

Awkwardly, Jeremy adapts to the life and through the help of several kind people finds a job constructing the Observatory, which is there in reality. Even with the help of his friends, though, his life isn't easy. He must contend with a sheriff who has taken a grudge against him and yet wonder if he'll ever go back to his regular time dimension. Through his adventures, however, he falls in love with his boss's daughter, Lora. Using his knowledge of the future he saves her from certain death when he finds out that she'll be on a boat that will sink in a storm.

I liked the ending on this book tremendously. Burke wrapped up Jeremy's and Lora's relationship in a satisfactory way. However, as far as a time-travel story, the book had a lot of cliches and was predictable in some areas. This book will have special appeal to readers who live in the locale where the story takes place as Burke drops various sites and city names into the story -- giving it more credence. All in all, a half way decent fantasy / romantic novel.

I really enjoyed this book. I cried at the end. I am, however, biased from the standpoint that I grew up in Lake Geneva (the setting of the book) and am an active member of the Lake Geneva Historical Society. Jerome's accuracy of present and past Lake Geneva is right on the money and I could find no fault in it. Add to that a story of romance and I am hooked!!

Have you ever seen Lew Burke's German shepherd, Buddy? If so, then you know that this dog trainer is the real McCoy. Buddy could do almost anything, including math. He was as gentle as a lamb but could become a police dog at a moment's notice.

When I got my own German shepherd, Heidi, I studied Burke's book religiously. I quickly gained her total trust and eventually she learn every trick in Burke's book save for the numbers trick, which she could have learned had I pursued it with her.

I do not know where these doggone idiots got their crazy notions that Lew Burke is a sadist. My dog became the best trained dog in the city of Whittier. When I take her for long walks through the city, Heidi heals at my side without wearing a lease. I take her to nursing homes to be petted by the residents. Heidi also loves to play with children. She is the most beloved dog in the neighborhood. Finally, I came home one evening and found a baby bird between Heidi's front legs. She was protecting it.

THIS IS DEFINITELY THE BEST BOOK ON DOG TRAINING I HAVE EVER READ. THERE IS A CHAPTER ON ATTACK TRAINING. LEW BURKE PROVIDES THIS INFORMATION BUT WITH A STERN WARNING. I took my dog, Heidi, through this phase very carefully, but I wouldn't recommend you doing this.

I only wish that you could have seen Lew & Buddy on such shows as Merv Griffin, Johnny Carson, and so forth. Then, you would be able to see the truth for yourself instead of reading a lot of huey from people who don't know a damn thing about dog training.

Nelson Donley

We bought this book at the recommendation of the manager of a local pet shop -- it was the only book they carried.

The training methods found in this book are abominable and were undoubtedly stolen from Hitler's private files. For example, the author suggests that if your dog nibbles plants, stuff his/her mouth full of greenery and tie it shut, then chain the dog so he/she can't move.

And it gets worse. So if you love your dog, avoid this book at all costs!

I have not fully read this book, but i sent my dog to Lew Burke for training for a month and a half. My dog was very violent before i sent him to Lew. The change was unbelievable and believe me Lew does not use violence -he loved my dog as much as me and my wife. He calls about every other month just to follow up and ask how his "baby" is. Anything that Lew Burke says or writes about dogs should be followed as close as possible, this man knows how to connect with an animal closer than i believed was possible. Thanks "Uncle" Lew...

My husband bought this book right after we got our 1-year-old Shih Tzu from the animal rescue league in our area. Although I personally loved animals, I did not grow up with pets as a child. However, my husband had various pets growing up. Still, he bought this book so that he could learn (and teach me) how to train our dog to obey simple commands like "sit" and "stay", etc.
We found this book very informative and easy to understand. The methods we chose to use worked for us and our dog.
For instance, this book recommended we use a choker collar for training. In no way did this hurt our dog. In fact, she learned in just one training session to sit when we told her to. My husband also found the method of "one leader of the pack" invaluable. From this book, my husband was able to train our dog to obey him 100% of the time, and myself about 80% of the time. This has avoided confusion when we take our dog for walks in our neighborhood. She knows that she must obey my husband, and there is no confusion concerning who is in charge. When I am the only one home with our dog, she knows that she must obey me.
The rest of the story is that we brought our dog home after we already had a cat for two years. Part of the training in this book helped us to train our dog to obey us on command. As it turns out, both our dog and cat get along well together--when the cat gets tired of playing, she just jumps up to where the dog cannot reach her! If the two start getting a little too rough in their play, all we need do is call our dog and she immediately comes to us.
Now, three years' later and an active 18-month old son, our dog continues to obey us and is in no way at all hostile toward our son. In fact, our dog even puts up with allowing our son to pet her the "wrong way"!
If you are looking for a recommendation for a book that has many ideas for training your dog, I would recommend this one. Another way of looking at it is "a diet that works and keeps working for years", or as in this case, a way to train your dog for life, and never have to retrain your dog again!

We adopted a pound puppy twelve years ago. She passed away this week. Our one regret is that we read this abominable book when she was a pup. Thank goodness we saw the damage we were doing to our innocent pet and threw the book in the trash before writing to the publisher.

Lew Burke promotes animal cruelty. He suggests using a "training collar" which stabs the dog in the neck when he/she does something "wrong." He tells you to hide a small whip behind your back while training your dog, and to pull it out and smack the dog with it when the dog misbehaves. Mr. Burke also suggests that, for instance, if your puppy chews plants (as many do), that the owner stuff the dog's mouth full of plantlife and then tie the mouth shut and tie the dog up on the shortest leash possible. And that's only the beginning.

Anyone out there who cares about any living creature, especially their pet, will avoid this book like the plague!

I miss my choose your adventures from days of old- now I can experience it again as an adult and feel somewhat intelligent at the same time. The guy who gave it one star stands out as a jealous and unhappy person who obviously knows the guy and wishes he had the talent. Sorry bud- it is a funny book!

This book made an otherwise boring and long flight fun. The humor is witty. Not only is it entertaining but it gives you a perspective on some of the pressures and tough decisions that executives may have to face. Also, it illustrates the consequences of the decisions after you make them.

CEO is an awesome read! It's fun, never boring and sooooo creative. Owen Burke is an amazing comedian and now he's proven himself to be an outstanding author. I was extremely pleased with this book and I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys laughing and appreciates creativity.

I get the connection. The same unfunny guy from that VH1 90s show has now written a completely unfunny book. The untalented continue to fall up. I got passed an advanced copy of this shlock. Don't bother.

It is a good book as far as explaning what SQL Server has to offer regarding XML capabilities but it should have covered the case studies fully with the .Net Framework. Also, it covers very good the IIS configuration, and how to manage XML Templates, XPath and Schemas. The book has a migration example from ASP to ASP.Net which does not cover ADO.Net. If you want a rich source on how to integrate SQLXML and the .Net Framework THIS IS NOT THE BOOK.

I looked at two other SQL Server 2000 XML books, but found this one to be the best - covering almost everything on SQL Server 2000 XML. Very well written, nice examples help understand the technology better. The chapter on Updategrams is very useful. I wanted to learn updategrams and this chapter covers it nicely to get started using them in production.

Wrox has always prided themselves on code intensive books, and this is no exception. Unfortunately, they are also getting a bit intensive in the area of adding authors to be the first one to market. This leads to a book that seems a bit disjointed. With as few chapters as this book has, I do not see the need for so many authors. I guess it is the length.

Pluses in this book include the chapter on FOR XML and the chapter on OPENXML. I believe this is the area where most developers will like to spend the most of their time. I would have liked to see FOR XML EXPLICIT get a bit more coverage, as this is the bear, but the examples are workable, so I cannot complain too much.

I also enjoyed the updategram chapter. This ability was highly touted in Microsoft marketing events, but took quite some time to surface. The case studies help put the technology in a real world light.

The negatives are few. First, I believe far too much time is spent on XSD schemas, at least with the way it is presented. In a real world scenario, you are probably going to pull the schema from an existing database, which makes this material NULL and void. If you do get into writing XSD, you will find this material far too shallow.

I also would have liked to see how this technology could blend with the direction Microsoft is pushing .NET. I realize this is not the topic of the book, so I have not hammered on this. Perhaps the next book will be SQL Server 2000 and .NET?

I had mistakenly thought that Wrox books were held to a higher standard. First getting a taste for them going through both of Rob Vieira's two SQL Server Programming books and regarding them as the finest technical books I've ever seen. However this Professional SQL Server 2000 XML is a disappointment. Part of the problem lies with having 12 different authors because it seems a bit jumpy. I think I'll really try to limit my future purchases to single source efforts. Also, no care was taken with the code examples that you can download from the Wrox website. The book shows the source but there is really no way of really matching the example to the source other than guessing the name. Often I've needed to open up all 15 or so files in the directory to realize that the particular example is not included. I'm picking my way through but it is not pleasant.

The author must be a Microsoft salesperson. The entire work is based on a WinNT server. Linux and the Apache server software are glossed over. The Microsoft NT package to only *try* to rival Linux/Apache will only set you back $4,000+ from the great god @Redmond. My copy of this title will be shelved... I am sorry I read the reviews and purchased this title. I wanted information, not a sales job.

We're starting our own ISP in Ohio and looked everywhere for just such a book. Upon receiving it I was delighted with the easy conversational tone and clear analogies on topics that heretofore had escaped me. The technical details are presented in an overview fashion and the nuts and bolts of the business side (my area of expertise) is thorough. I've now read it cover to cover twice and found it very full of details and tips that I had not considered. Overall, I would recommend this to anyone entering the ISP business. It is also required reading for our new sales staff. - B.D.

I must disagree with the other review on this book. Unix is treated as a very viable option in the book. It even goes so far as to pick Apache as the web server of choice for Unix platforms and also explores the popularity of LINUX and BSD. However, the author didn't use Unix to build his own ISP and thus that operating system isn't spotlighted as much as the other solutions suggested. This book is an excellent overall review of the technical aspects of running an Internet company. It starts with by addressing the broader topics of the Internet business and progresses on to a very thorough discussion of the intricate business details of the Internet industry. It truly is an insider's guide to creating your own ISP. Additionally, Burke has a candid, down-to-earth -- even a humorous writing style about a subject that most authors usually manage to dull down to the excitement level of VCR instructions. As the Internet starts to affect all our lives in new ways virtually every day, it's great to learn how it's all put together from an author who puts it in very human terms.

I believe this book is aimed for small, start-up ISPs. I think it does not cover with enough detail some very important topics like subscriber management systems, billing strategies, customer care strategies, etc. These are the key elements to be taken into account when a system grows.

Great fun read for a lazy Sunday afternoon. Loved the main character. A gal every woman who has ever fallen for the wrong man can relate to. Worth every penny from a reader who only vists the library but bought this one!

I enjoyed this book, the characters were well developed and you want to keep on reading. Burke's opera training sneaks through in this book, and her insight to the romance and drama behind the scenes is entertaining. Don't be intimidated by the opera theme, a little Chick Lit Culture is good...

British Columbia native Miranda Lyme is a mezzo-soprano performer with a chance to work in London where her father obtained much of his fame. To pay for her ticket from Vancouver, she works four low paying jobs, but the opportunity to perform at the English National Opera is worth the time and effort.

Miranda is falling in love with composer conductor star Kurt Hancock, who is very attracted to her. He informs her that they can see each other, sleep together, and have fun, but his other head will stay hidden from her until he divorces as he feels unsheathing this would be cheating on his wife Olivia. As Miranda wonders about her beloved hiding his third leg from her, she runs over Patrick Tibeau with a shopping cart. Patrick comes from her home town of Cold Shanks and is attracted to Miranda; however she seems to lean towards the married Kurt unless he can persuade her that he offers all of him including his third leg in love.

With its double entendre title to lead the orchestra, PERFORMANCE ANXIETY is a fine chick lit romance starring a bewildered protagonist. Miranda needs to decide between the glamorous conductor, who she sees through starry eyes though not fully available as a kindred spirit or the down to earth townsfolk who sees her through his heart. The story line moves rather quickly yet provides insight behind the curtain in the world of opera. Though some amusing antics seem inane, fans will enjoy Miranda's internal relationship war while she tries to make it as a performer.

Harriet Klausner

Unfortunately, this entry into the chick lit and Red Dress Ink series is boring.

The story of a girl who goes for her dream of becoming a singer is fine, but the narrative is so slow and boring that it just could not keep me interested.

I would not recommend this one at all.

I think the 2-star reviewers are missing the point; the "Reflections" are widely available, whereas much of the best of Burke is found in shorter texts that are harder to find. One would expect the editors to favor those texts instead of providing yet another full text of a book that any Burke reader should already have.

(That said, one also suspects that Penguin wants to keep selling its edition of the full "Reflections" ....)

Whatever its faults, there's really no alternative to this volume for the common reader.

Burke's most important work "Reflections on the Revolution in France" is reduced from nearly 200 pages to 60 pages in this volume. Yet nowhere in the book does the editor describe what he selected or what he dropped, or the basis for his decisions.

Comparing my copy of "Reflections.." to this chopped version I found that Kramnick had dropped passages that were highly insightful.

When I discovered this, I could no longer be confident that the other works were not similarly mangled. I will now search for an anthology of works that is more respectful of the originals (or at least one where the editor is more open about his approach).

Presenting Edmund Burke thematically is perhaps the only way to really approach Burke, as Conor Cruise O'Brien or Russell Kirk (Burke's best biographers) would probably agree. So unlike `On Empire, Liberty, and Reform,' which is chronological, the portable Edmund Burke instead tackles Burke under the themes of America, Ireland, India, and the French Revolution, and a couple other sub-themes, with invaluable commentary. By the end of the book, Burke is better enveloped here than in most biographies, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

"The Portable Edmund Burke" is useful in supplying a number of pieces not otherwise easily obtainable. It, like most books in the Viking Portable Library series, is missing the notes and especially the index that many people would have found useful. To make room for the 47 selections, several have been severely abridged. "Reflections on the Revolution is France" is whittled to leave only about 30% of it. Anyone needing this should look to a full-length treatment. Good ones include the Yale edition of Frank M. Turner, which has an excellent index, occasional notes, and several first-class essas; and Oxford World's Classic edition of L.G. Mitchell, which also has a helpful index and good notes. The speech on conciliation with America is similar chopped to a mere shadow of itself. The Lamont edition is not easily obtainable, which is a pity, but the notes and index of the Cambridge edition of Ian Harris will do well enough for most students. 'A Vindication of Natural Society' survives better (about half of it survives in this edition), but again the Harris edition is a better choice.

If you want a wide picture of Burke's writing, this text is probably for you. If you want to read any of his important texts, then choose something else.