Clarke Books

I used this book and the full CNE Study Guide as my primary sources to study for these two CNE exams. I found the Network Technologies section to be very good. It contained everything I needed to know, and a very few things I didn't, to pass the test comfortably. Unfortunately I cannot say the same for the Service and Support section. It covered all the topics, but in nowhere near enough detail. I passed that test, but only barely, and I believe I passed it based more on luck and personal experience than based on the material in this book. You can rely on this book for the Net Tech test, provided you memorize all the information which is very densely packed, but for the S&S test you will be much better off getting additional material.

This book doesn't even come close to what you need to know for the service and support exam. The net tech section is about half and half. Do not rely on this book to pass the S&S exam. Get some good Old, (yes dated, the exam questions are) Novell books on the subject you will be much better off.

I used this book once again for the Service and Support test passed reading only this book. This series is designed to be like a review but it does a good job of giving you enough to pass the tests on their own. It does the job of the main study guide from the same author but without all of the bull that he puts into the other book. I actully passed this test and Zenworks the same day and I am now a CNE. I know it is hard to believe me with this claim but it is true. Thank you Mr. Clarke IV, you did a good job with this series.

Thank You

Dack CNE, MCP, CCNA, N+

I'm not sure what the problem was with "A reader from San Antonio, Tx". I found this book to be a great help to both the network & the support exams. You *must* remember that it's designed to augment full course material (novell white book or the Novell Study Set - ISBN: 076454554X i think) - it is NOT for study on its own.

It fulfills this role well. I've used other Clarke notes before (CNA) and I intend to buy more ... pity there isn't a MCNE set.

First of all let me just say that I have hundreds of books and am not easily impressed but this is a little jewel of a book. A superb way to learn how to port heads. The flow bench section is weak but I forgive the author completely (if you want a decent flow bench buy how to modify and power tune cylinderheads by peter burgess) I found a huge amount of info about what the cover promised and cant wait to try these things on a spare engine or two. I honestly think that with the "what to do" of A.graham bell's four stroke performance tuning and the "how to do it" in Practical gas flow you could impress many people on and off the track.

This book shows how to build a flow bench and how to use it. It shows how make a dummy model cylinder head to test the cheanges before starting on the real thing, and what areas to be aware of. Whilst in a specialist area, it is a must have for anyone planning on doing any 4 stroke porting work, which is the key to extracting the best perfromance from an 4 stroke engine

This is a really practical method for the modification of cylinder heads. He describes how to make plaster replica castings of cylinder heads and use these castings to develop a high flow cylinder head design. The method uses a simple flow bench that he describes how to make and use. Then using that design, how to transfer your design into the actual cylinder head. In this way, you can make mistakes and go back without ruining your cylinder heads. It is a very scientific but very practical method for making cylinder head modifications that can easily be extrapolated to carburetor, intake manifold, etc. He has a really good section on modifying intake and exhaust valves as well.

It's a fair book on airflow and practical work on porting but I bought it only due to the references on building a flowbench.

The book rates extremely poor on this part and I was very close to returning it. I was looking for serious information to build a flowbench, like good information on test and reference manometer setup for measuring real CFM numbers using orifice plates etc. etc. and there was absolutely nothing in this book in this regards.

Even the flowbench building info that exists in the book is poor, it is only for measuring relative airflow, has nothing on correction factors, calculations, formulas, and is in general very vague and very short on this subject.

Dissapointing. If you're looking for information about building a good flowbench, don't even think about buying this book. A better bet is to get your hands on the PHR and Car Craft articles on the same subject, they are far superior in information for building your own budget flowbench.

To the publisher I would appreciate it if the publisher could produce an audio adaptation of this book. I would love to listen to this while I drive to work and to let my 16 month old son listen to it as a bedtime story. My goal is to expose him to some of my favorite passions, maths, sciences, physics, geophysics, paleontology, astronomy, electronics, photonics, new science and discoveries etc. The more audio books you can produce of the above genre the more I will support you. Arnold D Veness

I liked the book, but do not rate it as highly as "Rain of Iron and Ice" by John S. Lewis and "Impact" by Gerrit L Verschuur. However, it is much better than "Fire on Earth" by John and Mary Gribben.
My chief reservation about Steel's work is that he seems easily drawn to flights of whimsy such as Clube's and Napier's contentions regarding Beta Taurid cometary impacts that have affected history on a mammoth scale. While these are captivating proposals, perhaps, there isn't enough hard scientific evidence for them clutter up what was otherwise a hitherto fine scientific presentation of a real problem by Steel. Up to the author's dalliance into the speculative, the book is a good read about a serious, overlooked, preventable threat. His admonitions should be taken seriously.

Duncan Steel is one of the best known advocates for a near Earth observation system, and he and others like him should be listened to. Unfortunately the book is not too great. It didn't hold my attention, partly because of the intrusion of some of his opinions. If nothing else is available on the topic, this could be an okay choice. See instead "Rain of Iron and Ice" by John S. Lewis

Related titles include "Night Comes to the Cretaceous" by James Lawrence Powell and "T Rex and the Crater of Doom" by Walter Alvarez.

Three events in the past decade have caused a great deal of interest in objects around us in space. Giotto's encounter with Halleys Comet, Hubble Space Telescope pictures of the Shoemaker/Levy comet crashing onto Jupiter and lastly the naked eye sightings of the Hale/Bopp Comet we have enjoyed earlier in the year. Originally from Somerset, Duncan Steel now works at the Anglo-Australian Observatory and his book provides a very readable account of the nature and movements of these very varied objects.

Ever since the first pictures of other planets and in particular their moons arrived, studies have been made of their cratering records. Pictures from space have also been the main method of detecting craters but this time down on earth where plate tectonics, erosion, sediments or vegetation tend to erase them.

Astronomy and Geology linked up when cosmic impact events were suggested as possible cause or trigger for some of the major extinctions we find in the fossil record. The effects of both solar and cosmic cycles on all aspects of life on the planet are now widely studied.

Mr. Steel gives an account of a very bright meteor seen by many people in 1993 in New South Wales. When asked for an estimate of how soon it would before another such sighting to occur the answer was given in years. One week later, however, an object estimated to be 2-3 meters in size and traveling at 30Km/Sec exploded 18Km overhead with the amount of energy produced by a Hiroshima Bomb. Events such as these and the trail of impacts left on Jupiter show that objects in space are certainly not solitary. Lines of craters have been found on other moons in the system. Comet Hale/Bopp provided a spectacular sight a few months ago but for now the interest is in the debris and dust they and asteroids can leave behind often in highly eccentric trails across our orbit. Gravitational forces and solar wind affect the objects and the trails have a structure and it is the "busy" parts of the belt which give the peaks to meteor showers as we pass. The widely varying time scales which have been linked with extinctions and other cycles are the result of earth and solar system moving round the galaxy.

The possible effects of a large impact, global warming, ice ages, large fire storms or basalt floods have all been discussed elsewhere but the book considers several other theories. A large object landing in the ocean could cause a truly instant catastrophe.

This is the tsunami wave which can be caused by earthquakes or large undersea slope collapse. Islands in the middle of the Pacific can feel the effects of activity right across the ocean. The sloping continental shelves amplify the height of the waves and in low lying areas they can reach well in land. Observations of the cratering pattern on Mercury led to one theory where the shock waves from a large impact travel round the globe and fracture the crust on the opposite side. Reconstruction of the continents at the times of suggested impact events seems to make it possible to link basalt floods such as the Deccan traps with their "opposite" partner.

The remainder of the book deals with the problems involved first in detecting objects which may be a threat to the earth and also discusses what or how anything could be done about it. The pictures of S/L 9 described as a "string of pearls" as it approached Jupiter show just how much of a problem this could prove. For a book found

on the astronomy shelves in the library this one provided a very interesting read and shows that we on earth are not alone in space.

A fabulously entertaining book, chock full of info found on sites in the 20's before sites were reconstructed. A "keeper" for the Egyptophile who wants some in-depth info...definitely not a book for casual reading.

This book is rated the classic reference on Ancient Egyptian building techniques. It covers all aspects of construction from mathematical procedures to the ways the Ancient Egyptians drilled granite and other hard stones. Various buildings and pyramids are picked out as examples for diverse techniques as well as for the purpose of providing insight into how they were built. Although getting out of date with more information having been gathered during the past 60-odd years, it is well worth reading and having as a handy reference.

Clarke and Englebach are very well versed in typical accepted means of architecture in Ancient Egypt. Though without color Photos this book has many illustrations which do in some cases help you get a sense of the immensity of some of the projects the ancients undertook. One particularly striking section refers to an unfinished granite obelisk at Aswan. The time involved in such a project is staggaring. They do a good job summing up what the committees on Ancient Egypt have all decided is the norm but advance no further, putting in very few original thoughts. The book is also seventy years old, so many of the unexcavated sites they refer to have now in fact been excavated. The authors go out of their way on several occasions to assure the reader that "pyramid cranks" should be disregarded in all forms. They however fail to explain why. Their persistant knocking of the so called pyramid cranks becomes rather annoying because whenever there is a mystery the authors waste no time in assuring us that these cranks are wrong, even if no one knows who is right, the authors don't even venture theory in many cases. But don't get me wrong, this is a good book and will help anyone get aquainted with how most structures were built and what methods they used for quarrying and so forth. Unfortunately again, whenever there is an unanswered question, Clarke and Englebach seem more ready to spout rhetoric rather than entertain any original thought. I really recommend this book even if I have some complaints because as far as actual documentation of construction, this book does go a long way.

Even though this book is several years old now its still a good book that covers all the important factors to consider when planning any engine swap.There is plenty of information covering each topic.This will give you an idea why engine swapping can be expensive.Plenty of photos throughout.An old book but a good book.Good value.If you are thinking of modifying any car and considering an engine swap read this book first.

This is a barely updated book published as a Peterson's title in the late 70s, and while the basics (as applied to RWD cars with front engines) haven't changed, the laws have and so have the reasons for swapping in most cases. The most popular subjects for engine swaps today are four wheel drive vehicles, particularly outside the USA where no off-road vehicle is taken seriously without a diesel engine.

A new edition of this book could be very good, especially if written with non-US readers as well as Americans in mind.

Putting a Rover V8 into anything? Want an ideal starting book? This is the one! Little american bias but very very useful for V8 transplants.

As stated above it seemed a very slow and arduous read compared to others of the same caliber.

"One of the best storytellers that ever lived" is how Jules Verne is described by Arthur C. Clarke, no mean storyteller himself. He's right, although that will surprise anyone who knows Verne only by way of the rotten translations that have flooded the American and British markets in the past.

Mercifully, the situation is changing. Clarke's statement is a truism to readers who know any of the fine recent English renderings, e.g. those by William Butcher, Stanley Kravitz, Walter James Miller, Frederick Walter, or Jordan Stump, or those edited by Arthur Evans.

But with the publication of this biography, still more surprises emerge. It seems that Verne himself and the life he led are in many spots just about as gripping as his stories are. Indeed, it is almost incredible that we didn't know that until recently. Why the hell not?

Well, folks, it's like this: until recently, there was precious little way for the English-reading world to appreciate Verne, because most of the translations of his novels were so bad (often truncating the texts, changing the names of characters, censoring political content, and just plain mistranslating), and most of the biographical material on their author was so formulaic and just plain dull, that it has been simply impossible for Brits and Yanks to take him seriously on the basis of what was available.

But to repeat myself, the newer translations and Butcher's biography are the hopeful beginning of a new era.

Verne emerges from Butcher's biography as a person with hangups, to say the least: an abused child, a man uncertain about his sexuality (bisexual, it seems on the evidence), a seriously depressed ultra-loner, a talented liar and plagiarist, a right-wing anti-semitic extremist who nevertheless harbored anarchist and communist sympathies, the father of a very talented writer whom he imprisoned as insane, and a doting uncle whose favorite nephew tried to murder him. On the other hand, we also have in Verne a man who was as skilful at celebrating the human appetite for adventure, achievement, experimentation and discovery as any writer in any age, and who could write classics in conditions that one would expect to immobilize him with sadness. And perhaps his most awesome achievement was to produce his greatest works under the scrutiny of a clueless editor (his name was Jules Hetzel) who repeatedly forced him to make gratuitious changes in his writings, changes which often warped his plots and absurdly forced his heroes and villains to act out of character. By the same token, Butcher's greatest achievement has been his exhaustive study of the original manuscripts, so that he has been able to show Verne's intentions independently of their censorship by Hetzel. The result will delight and astound, for Verne's conceptions are almost universally superior to the crap imposed on him by his publisher.

As in any scholarly work, one can nitpick. A reviewer elsewhere does not scruple to mention Butcher's error on p. 188, where the abolitionist John Brown is described as "murdered in 1856". Well, yes, that's a mistake, and the same page contains a reference to "the George Sand", and there may be other trivial errors for all I know. So what? I personally wouldn't care if Butcher were caught saying "aint". If anyone is going to challenge Butcher's study, I would rather they challenged his conclusions, if only for the sake of argument.

For example: Is Butcher correct in his belief, stated and argued more than once in his book, that Verne was emphatically NOT a writer of science fiction, but rather a writer of adventure stories? There will be many who will disagree with this genre assignment, and will continue to regard Verne as "the father of science fiction".

I look forward to this friendly argument, which will help us all to decide what KIND of influence Verne's has been. Errors, schmerrors. Let's get into the meat of things.

In this respect as in others, Jules Verne: The Definitive Biography opens a box of goodies whose key should have been jimmied long ago. No one will finish reading this book and retain the patronizing view of Jules Verne that has plagued American and British literary studies.

William Butcher is probably the world's foremost scholarly authority on the life and literature of the French writer Jules Verne. Having written numerous articles and monographs on the life and literary output of the prodigious and often under-estimated and misunderstood French novelist, over many years, and having retranslated some of the best-known Verne novels such as 'Around the world in eighty days' in the last ten years or so, few are more qualified than Butcher to produce this detailed insight into Verne's life.

Butcher systematically demolishes the many misperceptions of Verne's life and of the quality of his writings. He corrects the errors of previous biographies and of previous truncated and erroneous translations of Verne's novels, and brings to light some hitherto undetected subtexts in Verne's works, notably the degree of sexual allusion and the ingenious narrative structures. Butcher highlights the way in which Verne's lifetime publisher, Hetzel, expurgated many of Verne's works prior to publication, thus denaturing, tragically, much of their literary worth: to remedy this situation somewhat, Butcher's scholarship is unique in having gone back to the original manuscripts in order to reveal the unpublished, true genius of Jules Verne's themes and in order to reinterpret his novels.

Butcher's meticulous research brings the reader right into the intimate spaces inhabited by Verne from childhood through to old age, and though his style is rigorously academic, he sometimes recounts episodes and physical surroundings in an almost novelistic fashion. This makes the reader's vantage point, as a fly on the wall observer of Verne's journeys through life, particularly close, realistic, intimate and fascinating.

What has most struck me about this biography is the seemingly bittersweet nature of Verne's life, in which his success and happiness was at all times tempered with sadness, disappointment and even tragedy. The iconic French novelist is revealed, by Butcher, in all his humanity: this biography brings Verne to life with extraordinary vividness and Butcher's knowledge and writing skills help us to empathise with Verne and to admire him.

As I am currently doing doctoral research on translations of Verne, this biography is proving to be an indispensable reference. In sum, I wholeheartedly recommend this text to a wide audience of readers, not merely scholars of Verne, but to anyone and everyone who has ever enjoyed Verne's works and wants to learn about the man behind the iconic novels and films. Butcher deservedly subtitles this tome the 'Definitive Biography'.

Clarke claims he is going to reach down from the Roman elite (which produced the literature) to the masses and to reveal a totally alien (to a presumably homogeneous "us") sexuality. The illustrations are plentiful and may be interpreted in many ways--so many and with so little evidence that any Romans saw any of the ways Clarke does that the reader is left to choose with no real guidance from the author. (And rather a lot of the images come from luxury objects so we remain in the world of representations for the upper stratum of Augustan Rome.)

Only one problem (I think): Clarke doesn't really follow up very well on his early-proposed problem, i.e. just how it is that textual representations of sex don't allow us the same latitude of insight into Roman practices as visual works might otherwise. Still, it might be argued that these thousand-word-speaking pictures do the talking for him, and if that's the case, then I'm fine with that. Get this, though. It's a very worthy study.

Clarke's book provides very clear analysis of the purpose and nature of ancient Roman erotica. He uses a wide range of sources--literature, instructive manuals, precedent in Greek and Roman art, setting, etc.--to back up his arguments, which he presents in a lucid style that is as pleasurable to read as it is easy to follow. I particularly recommend the chapter on erotic art in public locations in Pompeii.

I found the book very straightforward and down to earth. It was very helpful in giving me the information to pass the exam.

Network certification study guide, third edition it is kind long and boring. I would recommend powercertdotcom, they have the best illustrated network course on the land. They use visual animation and graphics which makes easy to understand the concept.

Very comprehensive and an easy read at that. TONS of test questions in the back of the book, plus you get the entire book on CD-ROM in PDF form. So you can leave the book at home and place the PDF's on your computer to read at work. I have yet to take this test, but I'm confident I will pass close to if not a perfect score all due to this text.

The book was in great condition. Just what we were looking for.

Catchy cover and fun as a christmas gift for a texas family or friend. One that will get a chuckle.

In 1968 when my parents moved to Texas they received this book as a gift. Inside the cover their friends wrote, "A few things are different in this great state. We just wanted to keep you posted. Hope ya'll are working on your accents!" Almost 50 years after its first printing this book is still delightful! It captures the image of Texas that, although not always true, has made it a famous state. This book means a lot to me, and this year I am buying a bunch of copies to give to my 7 nephews and nieces. Thanks for keeping this classic in stock.

Had some useful hints. Lots of patterns. Not actually that simple to follow - I kept looking for extra instructions. Would be a good companion book to face-to-face lessons, but a bit frustrating on its own.

Quilting inside the Lines is my preferred book on machine quilting. Pam's techniques are easy to understand, easy to build on and look sophistacated whether they are or are not. Well worth the $$. The book shows designs for many different blocks and how to interpret the patterns for other blocks. After practicing these techniques I found my skills growing quickly and easily. I practiced on paper to understand the motions and the order of sewing. This helped immensely. Most of the patterns are designed for blocks, but can easily be interpreted for borders and sashings. If you can do a meander with the darning foot, you can use this book. Some of the techniques take a little practice to master. Pam's tips throughout are excellent. Well worth the $$. Way better than a three or four hour hands on class. Impress your friends in no time.

Pam Clarke's QUILTING INSIDE THE LINES: MACHINE & FRAME QUILTING provides insider tips and tricks for using different quilting machines for markless quilting projects. From practicing basic shapes such as swirl, leaf, loop and feather to free-motion quilting, this blend of workbook and sketchpad uses arrows and simple dots to teach how to create and fill blocks and borders with minimal marking. Over a hundred great ideas invites the quilter to try new ideas.