Jones Books

Many knitting pattern books are boring, because they repeat one another. Most of the drawings in this book are original. There are indeed a number of pictures of cats, dogs and horses, but many of them are not your ordinary animal patterns: a cycling cat, two happy cats, a smiling kitten, a dalmatian. What is even more interesting is the richness of inspiration: dragons, a lizard, a snake, the greek gods Pan and Dionysos (for some reason called Dyonisus in the book - in latin, he should have been Bacchus, but this is really nit-picking). And also, trees, a giraffe, an ancient maya gentleman, a moon and a sun, ibexes, griffins, a feathered serpent, some friezes and abstract designs, a football, a french horn, and more. And, of course, a tap dancing lizard.

There are suggestions for garments, on which I basically disagree, but this is personal. The source of my disagreement is that the suggestions are for very, very wide garments. There is another option, which is to use thinner yarn.

All the grids are in black and pale grey. If you want a result in more than two colors in a row, the authors suggest swiss darning a.k.a. duplicate stitch, and fabric painting, which is more original. They give interesting color plates to document this point of view. If you were looking for a double jacquard solution, then you have to select your own colors and if necessary produce your own computer grid. Even in this case, starting from the two colors design in the book is relevant.

In conclusion, this is an inspired and original book of patterns.

My mom got this book to use for loom beading, since beads like stitches in knitting are not quite square so the designs can be used for either. In keeping with the whimsical title and pattern featured on the cover, this book is packed with really cool patterns. Many of the designs feature dragons etc and all are excellent. The quality is consistent and good and there are so many patterns. Interspersed are cartoons in which dogs knit and humorously give tips on aspects of knitting.

I have no idea why this book is out of print. Now I have to steal my mom's copy. If you are at all interested in knitting you need to check this book out.

I met Catherine and Roy at a dog show in Michigan during the early 90's. They were creating beautiful custom sweaters, scarves, etc. for the proud doggie owners. I spent more for my sweater with two views of my beautiful Champion Gordon Setter than I ever spent on a piece of clothing in my life! But it is also the most beautiful work of art I own.

I do cross stitch, and needle point, and have used many of their charts in my work. While looking for more charts on the internet, I found out that somewhere along the line Catherine has become a Henna artist, and I am assuming, no longer designs for the needle work audience. PLEASE come back Catherine and Roy!! We (the less talented) need your assistance!!

The book is WONDERFUL!! the charts are easy to follow, and are shown in color on scarves, sweaters, coats, and stockings.

If you are a needle work lover, and can only have one book... BUY THIS ONE!!!!

There are some hints and tips in this book, particularly for machine knitting, but this is essentially a book of charts. There are 5 sections of patterns in the book. "Past times and distant cultures" includes African designs, dragons from both Asian and European traditions, and other mythological designs from a variety of cultures. "In the wild" has realistic animal patterns as well as more mythological creatures. "Not so wild" is a collection of domestic plants and animals with a few buildings and boats tucked in. "The heavens" has sun, moon, and star designs, plus a neat set of angel wings. "At home" has a hodge-podge including flowers, Christmas designs, a map of Africa, a hedgehog, and some musical instruments.
I have used several of these designs (including the tap-dancing lizard) in hand-knitting, with complete success. The charts are clear, there is a good variety of designs, and it makes a nice change from traditional color-work.

I bought the book, not because I had much interested in knitting, but because the illustrations--a collie lamenting that the beaded border on her sweater made it longer every time she wore it--were so much fun.

Then one day I needed a show quilt. So I took the "little dragon" intended to be knit three times around a watch cap and made it into a seven-foot long monster. It was accepted into a juried show.

I sent a slide to the authors, Roy wrote back that that was the kind of thing they hoped would happen with their book.

Thank you, Bear Jones!

You are the first author to treat Wicca as just another religion - no better or worse than any other. Melinda does not wear black, dress gothy, act anti-social, or any of the other stereotypes. Her belief is sincere and she is a real person, not a caricature.

I liked the plot line and story twists. All of your characters are real people. You've written a very entertaining book, here.

Thanks again,
Hecaté

This book got my kids and me through a very long hard day.

When I packed for the recent evacuation from Houston, I tossed my new book in my handbag, never imagining that I would spend all day trying to cover less than a hundred miles. As my husband grew angry and my kids went crazy, I lost myself in the first few chapters of this book. After that, I began to read out loud and my husband and my kids actually listened and followed the story. My kids don't pay attention to anything non-electronic and my husband doesn't read anything but Gun & Ammo or Sports Illustrated.

When my voice got tired, I spelled my husband Rick at the wheel and he continued to read the story to the rest of us.

Mr. Jones, anyone who can get my husband interested in a book is a good writer. Higher praise than that, I cannot give.

Thank you, Mr. Jones.

I have to say that I was captivated from the very beginning. Although I don't know anyone like Melinda, I would like to. She seems like a person worth knowing. I have to say that Mr. Jones has put much thought and observation of the female psyche into his book and I am pleased to recommend it to anyone who wants a well written story. Congrats Bear!

I loved this book! Melinda is my kind of woman - the kind I wish I was.

Mr. Jones has created a small Texas town that resembles my own so much that I found myself wondering if he was from my hometown. I know what it's like to break free and move to the city as well as what it's like to have to go back home in defeat. Maybe I need to get a dog, convert to Wicca, and apply at the Abbot Police Department.

Keep writing, Mr. Jones, but faster!

Matty Cole
Abbot, Texas

I fell in love with Melinda from the start.She is my kind of Lady, strong willed, independent, knows who she is and what she is all about.Very well written, I felt myself pulled into the pages, It's one of those books that you find hard to put down.Bear Jones is a very talented writer, I'm sure we will see alot more, I know for one I can't wait untill the next book!

Jones does a great job of teaching people how to "win" with the media as opposed to "surviving" or "defeating" the media. That mindset change is key for most people. I learned many new tricks of the trade from reading his book.

If I had to pick only one book of the hundreds written on how to deal with the media, this would be the one I'd recommend. In fact, when I reviewed an earlier edition of this book several years ago for my newsletter, The Publicity Hound, I said that this was the book I wish I had written. As a former newspaper editor who worked in the business 22 years, I thought I knew it all, and more. I didn't, particularly when it came to TV. I couldn't put the book down.

Clarence Jones, a former award-winning investigative reporter in both newspapers and TV, knows his stuff, including all the tricks reporters use to loosen your lips. The book is pithy, with easy-to-read chapters broken down into numerous sub-heads--making it easy to find exactly what you're looking for in a hurry.

Jones takes you inside the heads and brains of working journalists. He explains how they think, how they react, and what they have the power to do to you if you don't play by their rules.

I read an earlier edition from cover to cover and referred to it so often in my consulting practice that the book literally fell apart from use. When I scanned this 8th edition, I got lost in it AGAIN, long past my bedtime. Reading it will make you much smarter, much savvier and much better prepared to meet the media when bad news strikes. Even if all the stories about you are good (yeah, right), please don't do another interivew unless you read this book first.

Joan Stewart
The Publicity Hound
http://www.PublicityHound.com

If you deal with the media then you should have read this book already. I read Michael Levine's Guerrilla PR Wired, a brilliant book on PR, and then read Winning With The News Media. Both were influential in my career.

I work as a Public Infomation Officer and Paramedic for EVAC Ambulance in Volusia County, FL (Daytona Beach / Metro Area). This book is is quite simply the BEST how to guide to any one who works with the media. Clarence Jones continues his tradition of excellence with the new and revised 2001 edition. Don't hesitate just buy it, you'll love it.

I must admit, as a Public Information professional I at first found Jones' writing style and key points for working with the media rather simplistic. But as I continued reading, I found myself marking and underlining passage after passage. As a spokeman and media relations officer within NATO, and having just returned as a spokesman for NATO operations in Macedonia during a major deployment of troops, I wished I had read this book before I went there. I was doing as many as 20 interviews per day ranging from live stand-ups with CNN and BBC, to radio call-ins and newspaper interviews representing media world-wide. This book reinforced everything I learned leading up to and during that experience, stating clearly what's important and why, as well as many tips and techiques that seem rather minor but are really quite important when push comes to shove and you find yourself face-to-face with a reporter. I will use many points from this book to further refine my own training program for senior leaders within NATO and to prepare them for interviews. A great resource that has found a prominent place among my professional books.

I got this book for my mom for Christmas, who really likes it so far. I read through it first and was impressed with the layout and extra things that made this cookbook unique and interesting. I love how it helps with eating in the seasons. So many recipes looked intriguing, although I haven't had a chance to make any yet. I'm excited to get another copy for myself!

I have had this book since it was published. It is not only informative, but provides an easy way to dip your cooking skills into the waters of whole food cooking in an easy and educational way. My favorites are Black Bean and Polenta Casserole, White Corn Tortilla Soup, Taco Salad, and Banana Muffins. I have to say that every recipe I have made has turned out well and been delicious. I love that eating and cooking healthy can be so fun and easy. As a busy mom, these are important things to me. 12 Thumbs UP... way up!

I was so thrilled to find this amazing cookbook, categorized by season! I always feel instinctively inspired to eat certain things during different seasons, and once I had this cookbook, I understood why! And I was so thrilled with the fantastic variety of recipes that are offered using ingredients connected with the various seasons. The recipes are easy, yummy, AND kid friendly! And I have been amazed at how good I do feel, when I am eating according to the seasons! I highly recommend this cookbook for anybody wishing to find a way to eat in harmony with the seasons.

This recipe book is wonderful! I love how the author makes good for you foods actually taste really good. I absolutely love this book! If you are looking to eat better and feel better, this is the book for you.

Lots of real-food recipes! I won't have to make a quick trip to the health food store to try out this book. Also looks kid-friendly. The book is well put together and easy to read. I'm sure I'm going to be using it a lot!

This book does an excellent job of testing all relevant concepts. Some of the questions are artificially difficult and a little on the difficult side, but if you learn the answers your boards will be a success. I just finished the book for the second time and noticed a marked difference in my ability to remember the concepts that i had seen before. i definitely recommend this question book.

It's just as good as learning from the authors in person. Comprehensive with nice discussion of answers, sectioned by system, and a good format to review topipcs.

I had the pleasure of working with Brian Hall for a couple of years and he is a fantastic educator and is always quizzing himself and others to keep everybody sharp. I used this book for my written board review and found it to be very helpful. The residents nearly universally used this review at the Mayo Clinic and seemed to feel that it was of substantial help in their preparation.

This is a great review book, it got me 100% on my first anesthesia test!!!

I thought this Q&A review book was easily the most "bang for the buck" in preparation for the written boards. It does require a solid fundamental knowledge of anesthesiology, but the questions are very representative of written board-type questions, and the answers are comprehensive and largely satisfactory. Textbook references are fairly comprehensive and accurate. I highly recommend this book as a final step in preparation for the written boards!

I have only recently purchased this book and must say that Lisa Jones is hilarious! Her analysis about everything in black pop culture from big bottoms to blaxploitation puts a humorous spin on race in the United States. I really enjoyed how much of herself (Jewish, Black, woman) she put into the novel. I wish that she would continue to make essays such as these and keep them aligned with current events.

Though some of the events she talks about are dated news events (Mike Tyson rape and Dr. Dre assaulting Dee Barnes), her appropriately hilarious outlook makes reading her essays relevant even today.

I highly recommend this book.

My mum gave me this book a couple years ago and it opened my eyes to different ideas about race. I'm 15 and a few references to the old days are above me but this book speaks to me. It's the perfect cure for an identity crisis and Ms Jones thought processes are deep and humorous.

I especially love the essay "Tragedy Becomes Her" and "Is Biracial Enough". The essays in part 2 - Bring the Heroines made me think about the maltreatment of black women and gave me more reason to be proud of my mum and grandma's and aunties.

It's a good book to give to young black women especially to help them see that they are worth more than people will lead them to believe.

Pure genius.

She needs to write another and another and another. I thought I was actually there in her memories....real time....in color. I have read this book several times and I am suggesting it to be read for a book club I belong to. A great read!!!!!

She needs to write another and another and another. I thought I was actually there in her memories....real time....in color. I have read this book several times and I am suggesting it to be read for a book club I belong to. A great read!!!!!

I purchased this book when I was still a teenager, and to be honest, I dont remember what attracted me to the book. I like to consider it one of those moments where fate leads you to somthing that will make life-journies a lot easier.

Bulletproof Diva became "my bible" I carried it in my bookbag along with my schoolbooks and dreamed of becoming a woman like Lisa Jones who so eloquently articulates her lessons her passions, her battles and her life. I am now 26 years old, and my worn dog eared copy of this book (which has survived a building collapse, two moves and several tempermental boyfriends) is still listed as a favorite.

I hope that it will inspire, elevate and nourish your soul, as it has mine!

It's been nearly ten years since this book was published, and many new techniques have emerged since then. It doesn't cover split rings or split chains, or mock rings, but it gives good information on basic technique. Not much in the way of patterns either, but good for a beginner.

This lovely book is an excellent buy for the beginner learning to make tatted lace as well as for the more experienced tatter wanting a good collection of small patterns. Ms Jones starts off with descriptions of six different methods of tatting, with the hope that if you don't understand one method you'll understand one of the others. Details are given of a range of different techniques including lock stitch, roll tatting, cluny tatting and others, however there are no instructions for split rings or self closing mock rings as these had not yet been popularised at the time the book was written in the 1980s.

There is a huge collection of patterns including tatted cross bookmarks, Christmas designs, tatted notepaper and an alphabet. Most of them are small pieces for beginners to enjoy, but the more experienced tatter will also enjoy this selection. One or two of the photographs don't quite match the diagrammatical instructions, but for the most part they are accurate.

Regarding the diagrams, they are hand drawn and clearly presented and apart from one of the crosses I worked quite a number of the pieces in the book myself, and had no problems.

Most people will enjoy this excellent collection of patterns and instructions and the book will remain a treasure on your bookshelf for many years to come.

When I first learned to tat this was the only book I referred to time and time again---two years later, I'm still going back to The Complete Book of Tatting to brush up on mock picots, cluny tatting and attaching edgings to hankies. Rebecca Jones gives *six* methods of tatting, including needle and reverse Riego, and also includes instructions for more advanced things such as Josephine knots and node tatting. The patterns aren't big or complicated, but there are plenty of smaller droodles and bookmarks perfect for novice tatters. A must-have for any tatter's library.

I purchased this book upon the recommendation of my tatting mentor. Like my mentor, I agree that all tatters should own this book. It is a substantive work, addressing the many techniques of shuttle and needle tatting--both basic and advanced. There are a number of patterns which provide excellent practice for beginners and food for thought for budding designers and advanced tatters. I frequently return to this book as a reference for tatting technique and for patterns to tat quick projects or gifts. Rebecca Jones' Complete Book of Tatting should be required reading for every tatter!

This is an excellent book for the novice or experienced tatter. The book offers excellent directions and diagrams for projects in the book as well as information for the tatter to begin designing and completing their own patterns.

When the author of the wildly popular "The Da Vinci Code" insisted that his novel was factual, he lit a firestorm among academics and theologians. One response, "Cracking Da Vinci's Code," shot to the top of the bestseller lists. As the film soared to the top of the box office, pastor and theologian James Garlow returned with a dictionary style listing of information that readers and moviegoers will need, if they're interested in the facts, and just the facts. Thorough and credible.

There have been roughly 14 books that spun off the writing of Dan Brown's novel, 'The Da Vinci Code.' Some are commentary, some are scathing commentary, and some discuss the facts and fictions of the book and movie. This book does the latter.

This is not a commentary on Gnostic or Christian thought, although the authors are a pastor, a doctor of theology and an art historian. The book serves as a reference discussing the proposed facts by Dan Brown, who has caused confusion in some when saying in his novel that the facts within his book, The Da Vinci Code, are accurate and well researched.

The book is laid out in an encyclopedic format, discussing topics alphabetically that may weigh or have been discussed in Brown's book and movie. The authors' theology is that of conservative evangelicals. For those who are not of this theological persuasion: this book shows little in the way of slant, so don't be turned off by this. The main area where non-evangelicals might disagree is in the discussion of the Canon, but otherwise, this book is neutral in its defining of terms and ideas from the movie.

Since Brown's work centers around art to a large extent, having an art historian as co-author lends credence to this work discussing Brown's proposed facts. Several glaring mistakes by Brown are described in detail in this book.

This book does a superb job as a research tool to discern fact from fiction in 'The Da Vinci Code,' which is the stated purpose of the writing. In fact, I gave this book 5 stars because it fulfills its stated task so well. So, if you are interested in finding out where Brown was right and where he was wrong, this would be one of the first and easiest places to go.

In The Da Vinci Code, author Dan Brown presents a mix of fact and fiction certain to lead many to question the Bible's integrity and Christianity's impact on history. Since fact checking does not seem to be a strong suit for Brown, this reference guide, The Da Vinci CodeBreaker, provides well-researched answers, both theologically and historically, to questions raised after reading Brown's book.

The topics are in alphabetical order. Maps, charts, photos, and symbols help discern fact from fiction in a clear, concise manner. Even if you've never read The Da Vinci Code or seen the movie adaptation, you'll still find great information in the book. The chart explaining when and why each book of the Bible was canonized is especially helpful.

The Da Vinci CodeBreaker by James L. Garlow (with Timothy Paul Jones and April Williams) is perfect for anyone who seeks to know the historical truth about Jesus and the Christian faith. This book will have you prepared to provide answers when someone asks you about the claims made in the novel and the film.

The Da Vinci Code Breaker is the first reference style response to The Da Vinci Code. Formatted much like a miniature encyclopedia, it claims to provide information on over five hundred facts and terms.

Entries in this book range from one sentence to several paragraphs. They cover historical persons, church councils, and even contemporary writers and their critics. It also covers early church, Gnostic, and other apocryphal writings and concepts. Charts are provided periodically for help in breaking down complex topics, such as the content of the Nag Hammadi Library. For a few select individuals, timelines are constructed highlighting important points in their lives. At the back of the book are a few maps and advertisements for additional resources.

Not only is The Da Vinci Code Breaker unique in its format, it's also unique in quality. It covers every issue, item, and person relevant to the subject in an accessible and informative manner. It helps delineate the facts from the fiction in an easy-to-use format, as it claims. Whether it's used on its own or in conjunction with other responses to Dan Brown's novel, The Da Vinci Code Breaker is a necessary resource for those who seek to be informed about the truth.

Even though I am predisposed to dislike "The Da Vinci Code," reading James Garlow's book has given me many more reasons. It is an easy dictionary for names, places, and terms referenced in or related to Dan Brown's novel. Though it appears to be written for the reader who is already familiar with the novel, I haven't read it all yet and didn't find The Code Breaker less easy to understand.

Garlow says that hosts asked him during interviews for his preceding book, Cracking Da Vinci's Code co-authored with Peter Jones, why he was attacking a work of fiction. The reason is Brown claims that only the story is fiction. All the historic details, he says, are true. Garlow says the average reader can't tell the fiction from the fact, which I can understand completely because so many tiny details are untrue.

1. Do you know who founded Paris? A Gallic tribe called Parisi. Brown gets that wrong.
2. Do you know how many glass panes are in Le Louvre Pyramide? It isn't 666. The museum reports 673.
3. Brown describes La Pyramide Inversée as having a tip "suspended only six feet above the floor"; below it is "a miniature pyramid, only three feet tall." The tips of these two structures are "almost touching." Doesn't a yard's distance seems a little far for "almost touching"?
4. That miniature pyramid is described as coming "up through the floor," but a close observer can see that it actually sits on the floor and can be moved aside for sweepers.
5. Leonardo Da Vinci did not name his famous painting Mona Lisa, so he wasn't sending a message through the title. Brown says L'isa is an alternative name for Isis. The Code Breaker states that it isn't. The English name Mona Lisa was given to the painting by a Da Vinci biographer many years after the artist's death.
6. Leonardo made notes while painting The Last Supper in which he refers to the figure at Jesus' right hand as a man, clearly from the artist's context to be the Apostle John, not Mary Magdalene.

Details like these wouldn't make up the text of many books if Brown hadn't boasted his accuracy at the start of his novel and in interviews afterward. I don't doubt he believes the hoax and that he thought he got many minor details right; but The Da Vinci Code and his other novels suffer, at least a little bit, from careless research.

But The Code Breaker reveals more disturbing errors or hoaxes which many people will assume to be true. Why make up stuff like this?

1. The Vatican, which Brown says ruled Christianity and suppressed the true accounts of Jesus' life in the fourth century, existed only as a simple church at that time. It was not building its new power base, as Brown claims.
2. The books and letters which make up the New Testament were not declared God's Word by a council. Most of them had been accepted by disciples of Jesus since the time they were first circulated.
3. Brown says English is a pure language, free from the corruption of the Vatican. This is idiotic. The English language comes to us from the German language, so wouldn't German be far more pure than it? Also, many English words were imported from Norman French.
4. Finally, in a section which makes me laugh from a literary perspective, main character Robert Langdon states the church burned five million women as witches over several centuries. The Code Breaker points to sources which record only 55,000 witch trials which resulted in executions and over 20% of the convicts were men. Many of these trials were done by common people, not the Catholic Church.

The Da Vinci Code Breaker calls itself "an easy-to-use fact checker," and I agree. Not only does it include corrections to the novel, but it also describes why the Gnostic writings were rejected, how the Bible was assembled, and other writings or recordings on the issues distorted in The Da Vinci Code.

WOW, Ryan Jones has really hit a hot button with DATASHARK! You won't sleep any easier after comprehending the scope of NSA operations, but it is good to know that some of us are watching the watchers. "Who will guard the guards?", indeed! Buy this one for a thrill ride you won't want to get off!

--TERRY, LAS VEGAS, NV.

This is a GOOD book and a great read. I re-read it recently, something I don't do with many books, and found it a bit better on the second read than the first time through. In fact, given recent events, like the on-going Chinese hacks into U.S. government computers, it's down-right required reading to understand possible threats and outcomes of the hacks. But what I really enjoyed about the book were the characters and the action, and the very "real" feeling Datashark gives them. Mr. Jones's web site shows the depth of his research into the background of his book, and that wealth of material shows in the book's ability to suck you into the all-too-close-to-real world of Datashark. I look forward to more books by Mr. Jones!

Wow! I started reading this during my lunch breaks but found I couldn't put it down. It's one of those books you simply must get back to to see what happens next. It'll scare the hell out of you if you don't understand much about computers and government. It will scare you even worse if you DO. When's the next one coming out? I'm ready to see this one on the big screen and the next one on my desktop. Techno-mystery-action-thriller at its best.

This book will make you just a little more nervous in the digital age. A superb story, Ryan Jones has a nice talent for weaving a tale that left me wanting more. The only problem with books like this is that they don't last long enough, especially when you are on a plane and have a few hours left.

The interesting thing about writing about classified information is that no one (save a select few) can prove you wrong. This book makes you wonder how plausible the entirety of the storyline is, and believe me, that is a frightening thing.

After finishing this book, I was a little scared to be returning to the DC area and having to drive by Ft. Meade on the way home. I hope Jones can keep this up and keep me on the edge of my seat with future titles.

I found Datashark as engaging as DaVinci Code. A great read, interesting and creative until the very end. Great plot, storyline and writing style. I am not very computer literate and was amazed how Jones made the complex details understandable and smooth flowing.

A bit disappointing that it was too short. I found myself wanting more. Looking forward to other works by this author and if there is not a movie version of Datashark on the horizon someone in hollywood is in a coma. WOW and double WOW!

Dr J.F. Unger Jr

The book I ordered for a Christmas gift was received on time and was in perfect shape.

I hate number theory. Number theory is like the cement on your driveway. Real and Complex analysis are the Porsche and Ferrari you drive home every night. However, this is a great book, possibly the clearest and well written of books on the subject - it helped me tremendously with Rudin and Brown and Churchill. I still hate number theory.

I bought this book while studying cryptography, a field that relies heavily on Number Theory for inspiration and from which it draws many, if not most, of its constructions. Most books on Cryptography summarily relegate the relevant number-theoretic aspects to short appendices that fail to build any intuition about what is going on. This book delivers precisely what is missing: a very readable, easily accessible introduction to the main topics of number theory that leaves the reader with a much better idea of how everything fits together. The book is very well suited for self-study, and includes answers to all exercises.

It should be noted, though, that the book does not address any of the computational aspects of Number Theory that are so dear to Cryptography (e.g it's easy to take square roots mod p if p is prime, hard to take square roots mod pq unless you know p,q). This, however, does not reduce its usefulness, since such results become very easy to absorb once one has a decent understanding of number theory and its workings. To fill the computational gaps, I would suggest Dana Angluin's "Lecture Notes on the Complexity of Some Problems in Number Theory" which are freely available on the web (the 2001 LaTeX'ed version)

Ever since my undergraduate days aeons ago, I have always had an aversion to any number theory, but Jones and Jones have changed my mind completely. In the last year, I came across a few articles that made me want to learn more about the topic, but wasn't sure where to start, as I wanted a book that had proofs that I could follow, and yet also gave me some motivation to dive into more complicated mathematics such as elliptic curves. Elementary Number Theory fit the bill perfectly and has served as a wonderful introduction to the subject that I could follow and enjoy.

This book is the perfect blend of text and formulae for me, and seems an excellent combination of rigour and looseness, always trying to keep a steady pace for the reader without bogging down in pedantic details that are irrelevant to any but the most fastidious of readers. At the same time, the authors also ensure that the reader gains an appreciation of actually proving theorems about numbers, instead of relying on mere intuition or hunches.

As mentioned by other reviews here, the authors have included complete solutions to all of the exercises, which are sprinkled throughout each chapter, as well as at the end of each chapter. This is a welcome change to so many math texts that have "exercises left to the reader," and has been a requirement for me when reading a text in an unfamiliar subject. The exercises are selected appropriately to the content of the chapters and I found them to be a welcome complement to the rest of the book.

In addition, the book discusses applications of number theory to cryptography in a very readable fashion, with any additional mathematics required for the book (in this case some simple group theory and analysis) in two appendices. A book on number theory would also be incomplete without at least a brief discussion of Andrew Wiles and Fermat's Last Theorem. Of course, Elementary Number Theory steps up to the plate appropriately and gives an overview of the history of the theorem and a (necessarily) thin overview of Wiles' proof.

I think, however, one of the best features of the book is that Jones and Jones have attempted to make the text very readable, in the sense that you could sit in a bath and enjoy part of a chapter without any trouble. I have always enjoyed reading mathematics without pen and paper handy, mainly because it improves my memory and visualization when working through problems, and this text helps greatly in that regard. They do not go for the obscure, and realize that the people who are reading this text are doing so for the first time (hence the title) and will not be overly impressed if the authors had chosen to blind us with their brilliance. The authors understand that we are mere mortals with busy lives, and appreciate a smoothly flowing textbook without having to stumble through unique and cryptic notation or a difficult proof without any explanation.

This book presumes so little of the reader that anyone can start learning number theory using this book. There are plenty of exercises and all of them have solutions. All the major topics are covered, and in a fashion and pace that allows you to grasp the underlying concepts. This book maintains accessibility and quality throughout. Highly recommended, particularly for beginners.