Frank Books

American politics is comprised of three kinds of people: Those who wittingly support the state, those who unwittingly support the state, and those who support the people. Representing the third kind, Frank Chodorov was a relentless champion of the people. In a conversational style, Frank Chodorov wrote tirelessly on the threats to liberty (threats spearheaded by the state itself). He told us that an income tax was unAmerican and how it is a disguised confiscation of property. He told us that militarism was unAmerican and that political powers gained through war are never abdicated. He understood the game of dictators and he could see that America was in the game.

Why does it take men of Russian heritage, men like Chodorov, Soltzynizn, Dostoevsky, to tell Americans what freedom is? Because Americans have been duped into believing their leaders are gods. "The censorship of thought is a military necessity" wrote Chodorov. Familiar with the warning in George Orwell's 1984, Chodorov wrote, "if the war draws large chunks of our population to the land, an American state after the pattern of orwell's 1984 may be averted." It wasn't averted. Chodorov writes, "the direction of the American state will be toward the acquisition of power for war purposes...the tendency will be more and more toward totalitarianism. That is unavoidable."

Chodorov knew the game so well he could make predictions that were correct to the smallest detail. Anticipating the Cold War, he wrote, "We are again being told to be afraid. As it was before the two world wars so it is now: politicians talk in frightening terms, journalists invert scare lines, and even next-door neighbors are taking up the cry: the enemy is at the gates; we must gird for battle."

And so it was.

And so it was again when we went to Vietnam in 1964 and so it was again when we went to Iraq in 2003. The game of dictators. Chodorov was our leader, and no one has ever heard of him.

Frank Chodorov has been dead since 1966. Today, his invisible torch is carried by 2008 Presidential Candidate RON PAUL. These great men who represent the people are so few. The people are the victims of their own ignorance, their own apathy, their own dogmatism. And only when our national buildings and Interstates are stripped of their criminal identies such as Hoover, LBJ, and Bush, and replaced with those who stand for freedom, like Chodorov, Nock, Rothbard, and Paul, will the people know that these men made a difference. And that difference was liberty itself.

Long before there was such a thing as a libertarian movement, Frank Chodorov was one of the most genial defenders of freedom, of individual rights and sovereignty, and of properly-construed government (sole legitimate business, other than protecting her citizens from enemies abroad and predators - real predators, please, not mere vicemongers - at home: staying the hell out of your business, my business, every citizen's business, until or unless one citizen would abrogate a fellow citizen's equivalent rights) against the improperly consecrated State (which imposes itself upon every last shard of your business, though it be not competent nor Constitutionally sanctioned to do so).

Across these forty-five essays, written with grace, wit, and gentility, you will get to know a clarity of thinking and of feeling uncommon in contemporary sociopolitical writing. You will also get to know a man who suffered neither fools nor collectivists left or right gladly, yet had the surety never to make it a personal or a venal rebuke. I could point to numerous examples of just how lyric, how embracing, was his way of enunciating all the reasons why we should be and remain suspicious of the encroachments of the State against the sovereignty of the individual, but perhaps this will do for an introduction, from his gentle rebuke to the militant wing of the anti-Communist movement, written at the threshold of the Smith Act trial of 1949, "How To Curb The Commies." Here is wisdom we would do wisely to heed even now, as only too many of our fellows seem sooner disposed to a curb upon our freedoms than a healthy defence thereof):

"Heterodoxy is a necessary condition of a free society...Whenever I choose an idea and label it 'right,' I imply the prerogative of another to reject that idea and label it 'wrong.' To invalidate his right is to invalidate mine...The danger, to those who hold freedom as the highest good, is not the ideas the communists espouse but the power they aspire to. Let them rant their heads off - that is their right, which we cannot afford to infringe - but let us keep from them the political means of depriving everybody else of the same right."

As unpretentious and as gently stylish in his way as was his great mentor Albert Jay Nock, Frank Chodorov's championship of freedom should never be purged from what remains of our patrimony.

Frank Chodorov was anything but an "ivory towered professor" as these essays will attest. He was a self-made man, and he was not swayed by the political trends of his times. He had little patience with the naive leftests, and he separated himself from what Lawrence Dennis called "The Dumb Right."

Chodorov was opposed to socialism. He was obviously at odds with the True Believing Communists, but he also expressed criticism at the New Dealers whom he thought would inaugurate socialism under different labels. He shared many of the same criticisms that John T. Flynn had of the New Deal programs.

One of the themes that Chodorov emphasizes is the fact that the "Capitalists" did not do a good job of defending themselves in refuting their Marxist and socialists critics. Chodorov is clear that anyone looking to the professors for intellectual support against Marxist and socialist criticisms was wasting their time. Chodorov was also against supressing Free Speech and Free Press of the Marxists and socialists. He remarked that to do so was to emulate the Communists wherevever they held power that emulating the Communists' tactics lowered Americans to their level. Chodorov's solution was for men to refute the ideas of the Marxists. In other words, one should confront the buzz words and phrases and slogans of the Marxists and socialists such as surplus value, greed, etc.

While Chodorov disagreed with Big Communism, he was no supporter of the Conservatives dreams of the U.S. Military State. In fact Chodorov was disillusioned with many Conservatives who wanted to build a garrison state in the U.S. and match such as state with a police state. Chodorov stated that the Conservatives would split over Anti-Communism, and Chodorov had little patience with "The Dumb Right." In fact, he stated that if anyone ever called him a Conservative, he would punch that person in the nose.

Yet, Chodorov's criticism of Big Communism was more incisive than most Conservatives. One remark he made that was so true was the Big Communism would rise over the dead of the Capitalists AND the workers in The Workers' Paradise. Chodorove also accurately argued that Big Communism would collapse due to its disasterous economic policies. He knew that only because the West, including the U.S., subsidized Big Communism, Big Communism survived. In other words, Chodorov thought that Big Communism's collapse would result from ecomonic policy rather than fruitless wars.

Frank Chodorov's thinking and writing was similiar to that of Albert Jay Nock and other thoughtful men who valued liberty more than they hated "The Enemy" whoever the enemy was at any given time. This reviewer's only criticism of Chodorov is that he could have embellished his arguements against socialism and especially Big Communism by citing historical examples.

Frank Chodorov's writing is clear and thoughtful. Anyone who reads his work would learn not only clear thinking, but they would learn good writing from someone who did not clutter his work with quotes and useless phrases.

I'm looking at doing a project involving a distributed ad-hoc sensor/actuator network. Reading data sheets from various vendors is fine, but I wanted an overall look at the theoretical landscape to get myself oriented. This book did a great job of presenting the state of the art - problems, solutions, research areas. It uses specific technology examples to motivate the discussion, but its focus on fundamentals should make it widely applicable and relevant for some years to come.

This book is a good entry point for someone wishing to learn about wireless computing and communication. It provides a broad survey of the various kinds of wireless applications and implementation design patterns, discussing the technology performance limitations and trade-offs that motivate each design decision. The viability and effectiveness of every design choice depends upon the other choices taken, motivating many complex mathematical optimization problems.

I began reading this book with the assumption that wireless application design rested on the same principles as the design of ordinary distributed computer systems, save for a narrower communication bandwidth, and occasional planned disconnections. This book made me realize that things are much more complicated in the wireless world. In ordinary distributed systems, the main challenge is the design of a static scheme for distributing work among communicating components. Once that is done, one can pretty much separate the infrastructure oriented code from the business logic. In the wireless world, the communication bandwidth's variability and lack of reliability requires the distribution of tasks to react to changing network conditions; this radically increases the difficulty of separating infrastructure concerns from business logic. The limitations of typical mobile devices (small memory, limited power, and slow processor speed) only add to the developer's burden. In designing an application for a pre-existing wireless system, traditional methods of program organization may not be appropriate. The need to discover or invent algorithms that take into account a mobile network's unique characteristics creates a challenge somewhat akin to that faced by the early users of novel massively-parallel computer architectures.

One learns that there are no general purpose easy answers to these problems, but the book does an excellent job in laying out the issues, concerns and approaches, while providing ample bibliographies of published research that readers can delve into for their specific problem. The reader comes away with a familiarity in the terms, concepts and acronyms used in the wireless community, providing an excellent foundation for further reading in the literature (which, unfortunately, is not always as well-written or accessible to the newcomer as is this text).

The importance of this book is due to the consumer demand for wireless devices. People are getting accustomed to the idea of carrying PDAs and having wireless connections at home, office, and even coffeehouses. But how can you secure the connection? How fast can you send data? How do you even know that there's something to connect to nearby?

I've just joined a project in my job that deals with wireless communication, and I had only superficial knowledge of the area. What I got out of this book was an awareness of all the issues and tradeoffs involved in the field. I also found the text to be filled with many explanations, so it was a surprisingly easy read for such a technical topic. It's very up to date as the last few chapters discuss WiMAX.

The value of the networks to your web connected homes will be awesome for you and your family...IF...you participate (See "Metcalfe's Law" p.187-188). The near future holds great surprises for you and your family...IF...you participate (See "The 57.5 Year Megacycle of Prosperity" p.69). Just wait till the wireless web hits the masses. Yes. We must dream bigger, and buy this book!

It seems especially appropriate to review this book on September 11th. Mr. Feather points out that September 11, 2001 changed the way we will all think about and experience our lives in North America. How will we respond in the future? Although no one can know for sure, Future Living is a helpful inspiration to look for the opportunities to improve the world for everyone.

When the stock market bubble burst in 2000, many people assumed that the aggressive forecasts for the on-line world also burst. Some did, but the on-line world is still developing rapidly . . . adding new possibilities and changing behaviors.

The book begins with a look at major forces that are affecting us, "G-Forces" in the book's nomenclature. These are social forces (increasing aspirations for the top part of Maslow's hierarchy), technological innovation (especially microchips, software and the Web), economic modernization (the effects of long-term economic cycles are about to turn positive), and political reformation (democracy reasserts itself against special interests).

Trending those thoughts into the future, Mr. Feather describes a world that has most of the good qualities of both the Agricultural and the Industrial eras with relatively few of the drawbacks. See the comparison on page 21.

The core thought is that your world will become home- and cyber-based at the same time. People will telecommute rather than physically commute, shop on-line and have most things delivered, bank on-line and manage their money there, use the Web for at-home learning (replacing even school), take more responsibility for one's own health and health care, use the Web for more forms of entertainment, increase spirituality through on-line activities including on-line congregations, vote on-line and start e-businesses based at home.

I found the speculations about changing democracy to contain the most interesting ideas. Most of the other forecasts have already happened to a large degree with one member or another of our family.

I was also very interested in his thoughts on economic cycles. I hadn't heard anyone say much about Kondratieff Waves and Juglar Cycles in years. Mr. Feather's analysis (summarized on a stylized graph on page 69) is most interesting, and seems to suggest that the best days are ahead (at least though around 2020).

Although no one can be sure until it happens, I think that Mr. Feather is more right than wrong in his forecasts. We have yet to see the full benefit from the Web and advances in microchips. We will inevitably start to gain disproportionate benefits as time passes and people become more accustomed to the possibilities.

The only major conclusion that I disagreed with was that most people would be better off setting up a multi-level marketing business than trying some other form of start-up. If you run the economics of having everyone do MLM, you quickly see that there will be little long-term gain. I think that local services for the elderly or Web-based information services based on proprietary survey data would be better bets.

I was especially drawn to the notion that we now have the potential to spend more time with our families, expend less energy in nonproductive ways, and devote ourselves to more meaningful lives. That potential is certainly there, but we have to grasp it . . . or it will not happen.

If you still commute a long distance to work, hopefully this book will get you to rethink that choice.

Future Living will be most appealing to those who are relatively unfamiliar with using the Web, especially older people. For teens, the reaction to reading this book might be . . . "so what's new about that?"

After you finish this book, spend some time thinking about how you could make more time available for your family and yourself. Then discuss with your family how they would like to spend any additional time you can make available with them. Then this book will have had a great payoff for you and those you love!

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Frank Feather is a to-the-point business futurist who marshalls an extraordinary amount of evidence on future trends but presents it in common-sense terms and in few words. This book is only 200 pages but it is jam-packed with valuable info for citizens, businesspeople and policymakers alike.
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Feather presents a big-picture view of the impact of the Internet on North American life and society. Nine entertaining chapters then spell out the implications on how a critical mass of North Americans will soon live a Web Lifestyle. These 9 chapters are as follows:
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Chapter 1. Telecommute: Escape the Skyscraper
Chapter 2. Shop Online: Have it Delivered
Chapter 3. Bank Online: e-Manage Your Money
Chapter 4. School @ Home: e-Learn a Living
Chapter 5. Self-Doctor: Heal Thyself @ Home
Chapter 6. Digitize Your Fun; Download It
Chapter 7. Cyber Worship: Congregate Online
Chapter 8. Vote Online: Click the Rascals Out
Chapter 9. Build e-Wealth: Start an e-Business
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This is no pie-in-the-sky futurism but facts about what many people are doing right now. Feather does not argue that everybody will be doing all these things all of the time. But that (as Bill Gates argues) the majority of people will be doing some of these things at least some of the time to live a Web Lifestyle by later in this decade -- what Gates calls the Digital Decade.
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The implications are profound for consumer businesses because the Web Lifestyle is radically altering the way in which products are made, marketed and distributed. (Amazon.com is a prime example.) The Web Life also will require changes in many laws about telecommuting and home-based businesses. And for families caught up in harried lives, the Web Life offers an exciting future that frees up a remarkable amount of time, saves money, and even can help families make money by starting their own online business. Indeed, Feather predicts that, with 630 million people worldwide already online and starting to shop online, most future economic growth will come from family-owned enterprises rather than large corporations.
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These and other forecasts are well argued, backed up with solid facts and, whether you agree with them all or not, are bound to provoke your thinking. As for me, I'm getting a Web Life. And this book is going to be my roadmap. I rate FUTURE LIVING highly. I think you will too.

Futuristic Leadership A-Z
Ever since I had read the book, 'G-Forces: The 35 Global Forces Restructuring Our Future' by Frank Feather during the early nineties, I had been impressed by the work of this author.

What I liked most about this wonderful book was the author's ingenuity of using the alphabet system to illustrate twenty six key action steps to help one prepare for the future. 'To prepare' means to 'see' & 'map' the future.

I may not have agreed with his selection: for example, instead of 'Justify' & 'Uplift' I would have preferred 'Juxtapose' & 'Understand', which make more sense, if one is ready to anticipate the future. Nevertheless, I had found all the author's illustrations of the twenty six action steps to be highly illuminating & personally meaningful.

I reckon, the best way for readers to get a glimpse of the intellectual relevancy, is for me to take the liberty of reproducing the author's preface of the book here:

"Futuristic leaders ACHIEVE results because they truly BELIEVE a different future is possible. They CHANGE their own and their organiza­tion's behavior, habits, and culture, in order to obtain their collective DREAM.

Futuristic leaders fully EXPECT to reach their goal -- and also fully "expect the unexpected" along the way -- because they unswervingly FOCUS on that goal.

Aware that reaching the future requires that they and their organizations GROW -- both mentally and spiritually -- futuristic leaders HEAR things: they listen intently for clues and pieces of vital information that will guide them in that growth.

Futuristic leaders vividly IMAGINE what the future will be like, what needs to change to get there, and how the charted course might need to vary along the route.

They JUSTIFY their mission, not only based on profitable returns, but in the proper ethics and values that will bring it to fruition.

Futuristic leaders KNOW both what they know and what they don't know, and what more they and their teams will still need to know in the future. They const­antly LEARN, day by day, decision by decision, as they move forward.

Futuristic leaders MOTIVATE themselves, and inspire those around them to do the same, to adventurously NAVIGATE previously uncharted territory. They ORGANIZE and optimize every available capacity and resource to help them PERSEVERE until every part of the mission is accomplished.

Futuristic leaders always QUESTION their advisors, their information, and themselves. Then they can best RESPOND to challenges and opport­unities in ways that STRATEGIZE the most responsible and best possible future outcomes.

Futuristic leaders TEACH everything they know to the highest-qualified teams of individuals. They UPLIFT them to VISUALIZE and drive towards their collective future.

As well, in today's "webolutionary" Internet Age, futuristic leaders encourage their teams to literally WEBIFY their organizations into value-creating networks, or "biznets."

Futuristic leaders also XEROGRAPH themselves: they "clone" or duplicate their own abilities and processes in others, to ensure ongoing growth and continuity through yet another generation of futuristic leaders.

Finally, futuristic leaders repeatedly YIELD consistent and spectacular results, and ZOOM their organizations speedily to ever-succeeding peaks of success."

I am always fascinated by the subject of futuristic leadership, especially at the personal level.

To explore, anticipate & prepare for your future, this book is a really good field guide. There are only twenty six steps, but you have to put them to work.

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Every once in a while a book comes along that presents a subject in a completely new way that takes the topic to a new level. This is such a book.
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The material is so simply structured that any serious student of management will immediately view leadership in a different way than before. Rather than trotting out well-worn leadership traits, the author looks at leadership through a futuristic lens. He explains how leadership in uncertain times demands new action-oriented characteristics that constantly focus on the future.
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While some might think the A-Z treatment of the 26 characteristics to be a tad corny, the chosen 26 verbs flow naturally and are treated brilliantly. He redefines each of the 26 words, explaining in a few cryptic sentences exactly what they do and don't mean for furturistic leadership. Then he presents a page full of quotes from world-recognized leaders and spells out the basic principle of the particular word under review. Each word is then examined in detail by referring to exemplars of that word (either well-known individuals or organizations) and describes how the characteristic should be applied.
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All of this is accomplished astonishingly well in only 4 pages per word, and concludes with provocative questions to ask yourself about this verb. The author concludes by recommending that you "take one verb daily" by reading up on it before you start your daily routine.
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All in all, this is a truly remarkable little book which will have a big impact on all who read it.
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Psychologists tell us that most people either believe that the future is out of their control . . . or that they can make a positive future occur. I've seen that division in practice at a college reunion where half of a group sat around waiting for someone to save them while the others were out figuring out how to save the world. That's fine as far as it goes, but what about people who want to go from passive to active. What can they do?

My suggestion is that they get a copy of Futuristic Leadership A-Z and begin studying the 26 verb lessons in this book. With enough repetition, I think many people will find themselves understanding the frame of mind that creates positive results due to intention and action. Think of Futuristic Leadership as a more practical version of that classic, Think and Grow Rich, that has guided so many people.

Frank Feather picks up on the famous Peter Drucker quote in his introduction:

"You can't manage change. You can only be ahead of it." Feather's comment is that "You can only manage 'what hasn't happened yet.'" He's right.

Most of the 26 sections in this book are four pages long. You can read them in a few minutes . . . and learn from them for a lifetime.

Let me give you an example.

T stands for "Teach" in Futuristic Leadership. He refines the word into its futuristic meaning: "To impressively impart future-relevant skills or knowledge to others." He then provides synonyms (such as counsel, coach, instruct, inform . . . .) and opposites (ignore, leave to founder, confuse . . . . ). That's followed by a page of inspiring quotations. My favorite is "I talk in order to understand; I teach in order to learn." Robert Frost is credited with that fine wisdom. Then there's a futuristic leadership principle: "Teach that which supports your goals; eliminate what hinders your progress." Then there's a page-long example. In this case, the example is built around mentoring someone, harking back to the Greek counselor, Mentor. Peter Drucker is also used as an example. The example ends with the observation that we tend to model ourselves after those we admire. "The key is to emulate not imitate, by remaining true to yourself." The section ends with questions to ask. My favorite question in this section is "With whom should I share the knowledge I have gained over the years?"

As you can see, this is a book of highly distilled wisdom that draws on centuries of human progress, many different cultures, and adds many helpful perspectives. It's a book so heavy in wisdom, it'll keep you from being blown away by the winds of fashion. Yet it's so light that you'll feel comfortable keeping it with you for daily inspiration.

Go ahead: Create the future!

Well written chronicle of one of the South's finest soldiers.
Too little has been introduced about the struggle between North and South in the Nations. This book is the best I have read on the subject.
Watie and his gallant band are well represented in their struggle to defend their families and save their homes from ruin during the Yankee invasion.

....one of the worst of which is that the Confederacy was a white, Anglo-Saxon monolith. The truth is that the Confederacy pioneered the idea of giving blacks and women positions of authority [the Matron Law], placed Jews in positions of power, and put General's stars on a Mexican. And, we had the first American Indian General; this wonderful book is his story.

Stand Watie was born in Georgia in 1806, and went west on the Trail of Tears. In Oklahoma, he became a rich, powerful, slave-owning rancher. [Yes, Indians owned slaves; so did Jews, Mexicans, and, surprise, Blacks]. He also gained both friends and enemies; as one of the two rival Principal Chiefs of the Cherokee Nations, he headed the Mixed Blood faction, which some thought got along a little too well with the government. [The other Chief, John Ross, was also a rich slave-owning rancher, living in a mansion, married to a white woman; he had less Indian blood than Watie]. Sort of like the Pure Bloods and the Mud-Bloods in the Harry Potter stories, only this wasn't funny........

When the Civil War came, both sides wanted the Indians of the Five Civilized Tribes in present day Oklahoma; enter another of the few Civil War characters who provide a measure of comic relief, Brigadier General Albert Pike, sent by the Confederacy to recruit the Indians; he did a pretty good job, too, capitalizing on the very real beef that the Indians had with the US. Pike's Civil War career is a minor footnote to a long, productive life. Today, he is best known as the philosopher of Scottish Rite Masonry. Pike resigned in late 1862 [Maybe---another topic], and was replaced by the more conventional, but less colorful, Douglas Cooper. Cooper said that Pike was either disloyal to the Confederacy, or was insane; Masons know which was the case.....

Oklahoma saw action all thru the war; the battles aren't as well known as the eastern ones, but the troops gave just as much, and the dead were just as dead. Stand Watie was a hero of Wilson's Creek, and proved to be an effective leader the whole way. Indeed, this was a theatre of operations where the Confederacy remained viable right to the end. Stand Watie was rewarded with General's stars in 1864, and was the very last Confederate General to stack arms.

This book is a true classic, a well written account of a part of the Civil War that most people don't even know existed.. Many thanks to Mr. Cunningham, and many thanks to the University of Oklahoma Press for making it available.

Excellent overview of Native American Confederates. A little looked at fact of the Civil War. Does justice to all men, women of all color, nationalities whom fought for what they beleived in.

Kermode's book has the rare trait of combining academic insight with easy accessibility. Unlike much modern criticism, it asks why we interpret texts rather than merely describing how we (should) do it. The examples are clear and appropriate. The secular view of scripture may put off some, but Kermode's insight into the narrative structure of the Bible will prove useful even to those who don't share his views. The chapter comparing Mark's gospel to James Joyce's Ulysses is a classic, and is especially useful for use in beginning literature classes

This is a brilliant work on the narrative complexity of the Gospels--brilliant in both its hermeneutics and semiotics. What is especially valuable is the level of comprehension. Kermode does not resort to lofty diatribes to further enshroud the delicate polemics of biblical narrative, but instead relies on varied and astute scholarship which he communicates clearly to almost any reader. A wonderful resource for narrative theory in general to understand how meaning is related and hidden.

Kermode makes no bones about the fact that his interest in the Gospel of Mark is literary--not doctrinal, historical, or theological. These lectures from the late 1970s are still fresh and insightful. And they are as much an exploration of what it means to interpret a literary work as they are an examination of the Evangelist's text and methods. To do so he takes side-trips into Shakespeare, Joyce, Kafka, as well as into a little-known novel by Henry Green ("Party Going"). These are not idle excursions; Kermode's lectures are eloquent and tightly reasoned. In the end, his position is philosophical rather than aesthetic for he asserts that to live is to interpret. "We glimpse the secrecy through the meshes of the text; this is divination, but what is divined is what is visible from our angle.... When we come to relate [the] part to the whole, the divined glimmer to the fire we suppose to be its source, we see why Hermes is the patron of so many other trades besides interpretation. There has to be trickery. And we interpret always as transients--of whom he is also patron--both in the book and in the world which resembles the book. For the world is our beloved codex." And like all good philosphical writing, Kermode's lectures are worth studying closely and reading over and over again.

It's a great book! Introduce the presentation covering the basic topics in Genetic Algorithm and Fuzzy Logic. The methodologies of the Genetic Fuzzy Systems are presented in a very clear way.

The volume brings an outstanding presentation of the major issues, ideas, concepts and algorithms to design and develop fuzzy systems using gentic algorithms. A field of major relevance for researchers and practioners, genetic fuzzy systems provides a major methodological substract of significant impact in practice. The book is unique in its contents and presentation. Chapters begin with the key concepts and smoothly grows to advanced concepts in a clear and very understandable and motivating way. The material mirrors the state of the art in the area of genetic fuzzy systems and contains the most recent results available until its publication. Written by renowned, internationally recognized researchers, the book is mandatory to all who are interested in the field of computational intelligence, its foundations and applications.

In recent years, a great number of publications have explored the use of genetic algorithms as a tool for designing fuzzy
systems. Genetic Fuzzy Systems explores and discusses this symbiosis of evolutionary computation and fuzzy logic. The book summarizes and analyzes the novel field of genetic fuzzy systems, paying special attention to genetic algorithms that adapt and learn
the knowledge base of a fuzzy-rule-based system. It introduces the general concepts, foundations and design principles of genetic fuzzy
systems and covers the topic of genetic tuning of fuzzy systems. It also introduces the three fundamental approaches to genetic learning
processes in fuzzy systems: the Michigan, Pittsburgh and Iterative-learning methods. Finally, it explores hybrid genetic fuzzy systems such as
genetic fuzzy clustering or genetic neuro-fuzzy systems and describes a number of applications from different areas. Genetic Fuzzy System represents a comprehensive treatise on the design of the fuzzy-rule-based systems using genetic algorithms, both from
a theoretical and a practical perspective. It is a valuable compendium for scientists and engineers concerned with research and applications in
the domain of fuzzy systems and genetic algorithms.

Gettysburg is a well written book by two soldiers who fought in the battle. COL William C. Oates fought for the Confederate side and LT Frank A. Haskell fought for the Union side. Each soldier captured his side of the battle in great detail. The stories are well written and easy to read. It is very interesting to read about the different viewpoints of the battle. COL Oates gives a great analysis of why the Confederates lost the battle and how they could have won it. I highly recommend this book for all fans of the Battle of Gettysburg.

This book starts off with a great and fair introduction to the two stories that are to be told by William Oates of the Confederacy and Frank Haskell of the Union. Written by Glenn LaFantasie the lengthy introduction writes about both Civil War authors Oates and Haskell. He is careful in explaining that each man's history, background and present situation which may have had an effect on their writing. After the introduction William Oates of the 15th Alabama structures his story first by giving an historical view of the army movments north and south as a prelude to the battle of Gettysburg. His writing of such a history could probably have been eliminated while his story of marching to Gettysburg and his role in the battle should have taken precedent. Oates offers his controversial view of the battle which is interesting in many ways. Not only does he tell his story but he tells it painted his way. Being a reader of many Gettysburg related books, it is easy to find fault with some of Oates' story. Though this is what makes this book interesting. We need to know what Oates considered and thought was how things went instead of guessing. We need something to stand on and his story though it may not be accurate is very descriptive and essential for understanding the battle.

While Oates offered his view of the 15th Alabama's fight to take Little Round Top, a great story is to follow written by Frank Haskell. Unfortunately, Haskell tends to waste the immediate structure of the battle like Oates had earlier. He tells the readers where such a corps was placed, who was advancing, etc. This boring non-relating story he tells doesn't tell about him or his action in the battle. After this quick and non essential tale of the battle of Gettysburg, Haskell finally gets to his involvement in the fight. This is where Haskell gets interesting. He is very fair on his descriptions and how he associates with other Generals during the conflict. His tale of Pickett's Charge and the carnage is excellent. I really liked Haskell's discipline in not reacting to telling about a battle on the field that he didn't take part in or had not witnessed. His graphic tale of Pickett's charge and the movements covered certainly placed myself right along with him on the field. He builds up Day #3 of Gettysburg very well and comes to a complete end to his story without dragging the reader.

For the novice reader of the battle of Gettysburg, I wouldn't recommend this book as it is not generalized enough to understand without reading more of the basic battles of the three day saga. For the advanced reader looking for more historical insight written by two soldiers that were actually there, this is an excellent book and I recommend it completely.

In order to fully appreciate this minute by minute account you should first see the movie"gettysburg" and visit the national park. The detail of how the soldiers were placed comes to life and even more amazing is the recounting of how the soldiers felt, what they were thinking and the general's strategies in leading their men. I highly recommend the audio tapes of this book.... If you've been there, if you've studied the battle, you will be completely mesmerized!!!

The best way I can think of to characterize my reaction to the depth of Julia's brilliant poetry, is to describe it as a soulful experience. And one for which I am truly grateful.

Whether it is via channeling, extreme sensitivity, or just plain intuitive genius - Ms. Horigan somehow opens the curtains between life and death to reveal Anne Frank's most intimate thoughts and feelings.

If you're a person who appreciates being both moved and humbled when faced with the truth of all that it means to be human...and the beauty...then, you'll love this unforgettable book.

Thank you, Julia, for reminding us what poetry is all about with this most transcendant contribution.

What a touching, endearing book! The poems can easily take you in two directions simultaneously; smiling at the insights and words of a brilliant young lady and crying at the atrocities in her past future. I am always amazed at how carefully poets select their words, they must labor over each one. Do the "naturals" just seem to come by it effortlessly? I wonder.
So what's the problem with this work? I've read it. I wish I could read it again as if it were crackling new off the shelf. But I can't change the past. If I could, I know where I would start.
Bravo, Julia Horigan! Please write another volume very soon! I'll be waiting!

This collection of poems -- a shimmering gem -- demonstrates crafted writing that ranks with the finest poetry published today. In many poems, Horigan takes readers to soaring lyrical heights; in others, she recalls with haunting power the uspeakable crimes of The Spellcaster (Hitler); and in all she writes as Annne Frank, the innocent witness to the resilient will of humankind: the will to overcome evil, to prevail against atrocities, and to reaffirm our sacred, eduring spirit. The cumulative strength of these poems first surprises and engages us, and ultimately compels us to never forget, never. This collection will find its rightful place within the group of works we read and teach with Frank's diary. It's a winner!

This book offers invaluable insight into Gold as an asset class. Its useful both for investors and investment advisors. It details the history of gold, its role in the Great depression in 1929 and various other eye opening facts. Also the book covers gold mining companies. The best part is that the authors give an independent view of this asset class and leave the judgement to the reader whether to be bullish or bearish about this precious metal.

Having spent significant time in the past three years studying and thinking about gold as an investment, I can say unequivocally that the first 10 Chapters of this book are the best 'balanced and unbiased' summary that I have come across of the things I consider topically relevant. I consider it 'must reading' and recommend it to anyone interested in gold and the gold market.

"Katz and Holmes take over where Peter L. Bernstein's modern classic "The Power of Gold--the History of an Obsession" left off. Bernstein had the misfortune of having his biography of the so-called `barbarous relic' (a Keynes coinage now used more often ironically than not) first published in 2000 when the gold price was becalmed below $300. The price has more than tripled since then, just as the macro-economic and financial environment has gravely deteriorated. ... Permeating The Goldwatcher, in fact, is a sense of the fundamental scarcity of commodities (the impact of the demand shock from `Chindia' and the necessity of global economic rebalancing are well covered) compared to essentially unlimited financial products, most notably money itself, which can be conjured into being at the stroke of a computer keyboard. Which is surely the point behind the current mortgage and banking crisis: we have collectively lost all sense of the `sound money' that gold still represents. The credit party was undoubtedly a blast. The hangover is likely to be equally terrific. This book is particularly timely."

Tim Price