Perry Books

Great book, liked it very much, kinda wish I had know about the mission gamma seris before I read the book, and that it had talked some more about jake and his journey "immediately" before this book.

As an enthusiastic fan of the DS9 relaunch, like everyone I was eagerly anticipating the next installment, especially as it was the conclusion of a number of exciting stories and threads established in the previous books. And "Unity" does indeed solve the various stories and threads in very good fashion. However, it seems to have been a bit rushed, and was certainly lacking in the depth and detail established in the "Mission: Gamma" series, which I had greatly enjoyed. There are many instances which could have done with just a bit more detail, in order to enchance the 'realness' of the story, as "Gamma" had done; it doesn't really allow you to throw yourself in and get lost with the story. Its almost as if the author had a checklist and was simply checking it off one by one. Furthermore, a number of characters were completely left out of the miz, or given just the barest of attention; its almost as if the author didn't find their stories interesting, and thus ignored them. If it wasn't for the "Worlds of DS9" series which followed it, we would have forgotten that (rather popular) characters like Nog, Shar, Garak, O'Brian, Dax, and others existed. I was greatly disappointed by the ending; where was the reunions of the various characters?
I would say the most lackluster of the DS9 relaunch have been "Favorite Son", "Unity", and "Warpath", the former two being written by S.D. Perry. I reserve my biggest criticism for the editors of this series, who chose Ms. Perry to write this book; she clearly was not up to the task. I would have been far happier had they given the responsibility to one of the many good up and coming Star Trek authors, or someone like Peter David; authors who recognize that good fiction consists of more than simply telling the story.

The title of this review pretty much says it all, as do the other reviews; so I'm pretty much rehashing what's already said in my praise of this book. In general, I was hoping for more with the parasite story; better origin than possible genetic tampering, and this might have been done if they had outright begun to address it sooner. But it's a minor point, because it was concluded well enough, without it being a finite finish. There's always the threat that there is more than one matriarch, right?
And, not to focus on the downside too much, because this book was a fantastic read; but one gripe I do have is the constant over-usage of abbreviations. It bugged me a little bit, how through the enitre novelized series everyone kept calling Kassidy, Kas. It wasn't a big deal, but I only recall Captain Sisko calling her Kas, and it seemed overdone throught the relaunch. But in Unity, they go even further, with abbreviating words that didn't need to be abbreviated or words I can't picture the characters saying it like that. Like, 'the Starfleet brass were already holding a 'holo-con' to be briefed on the situation', or something like that. Just seemed unnecessary; and everyone calling Keiko, Kay. I don't think anyone ever called her that in tv series and just kind of struck me as odd. Maybe it's my own dislike for using abbreviations for words that normallly aren't shorten... Don't even get me started on calling the bathroom the "refresher"; that just came out of right field. It wasn't till the second or third time using it, that I figured it out. Sounds more like the Star Trek equivilant to a refridgerator. Something across between that and a replicator or something; not a rest room.
But that's my own stupid little gripe. I really did love this book. For some reason, when I first started reading the relaunch, I could have sworn I read somewhere (namely, on here) that at the end of Unity, Sisko had to go back to be with the Prophets, that he couldn't stay; so I was kind of reading, half expecting for the other show to drop. I knew it would be a bad ending and was pleasantly surprised never to read that. In the end, the book finishes nicely and really is how the show should have ended; but truthfully, they would have needed that 8th season to get them there.

S.D. Perry, the originator of the Star Trek: Deep Space 9 relaunch book series, concludes one of the greatest series of books in a wonderful book.

The relaunch helped those of us who felt all alone at the end of DS9 on TV feel a little bit better. With this book S.D. Perry concludes the series in sublime fashion, in a 'not so corny' way and leaves hope that there will be more books or more movies!

For fans of Star Trek; DS9, please check out the relaunch series, if for nothing else then to read S.D. Perry's books.

This installment is simply amazing. There were hardly any dull moments in the entire book and I can not think of a single flaw, which is saying a lot because I very seldom don't have anything bad to point out about what I read (fiction or non-fiction).

After reading the Deep Space Nine series for a while, I've developed a good sense of the personalities of the different characters. It's almost as if I've come to know these characters on a personal basis. So when something is written about anyone in the series out of character, I can tell immediately. S.D. Perry writes with consistency and also knows how to make the drama on board Deep Space Nine evolve and hold any Deep Space Nine fan's interest to the end. This is one of the most captivating books in the series I've read so far. One should not skip any books in the re-launch series and read this because every book in the series starting with Avatar leads up to this one. There is action, intrigue, drama and even humor in this book. The conclusion opens up all kinds of interesting follow ups. I've heard people say that they don't like DS9 because it seems too much like a soap opera or space opera. To them I say that you can't make up any kind of story without characters. There are always interesting technological things, strange phenomena and aliens in every DS9 book as you'd find in all Science Fiction. What sets DS9 and other Star Trek books apart is that the characters we've come to know very well add extra dimensions to the stories and make things much more interesting.

Thomas Perry is a fine writer and his novels are very well-constructed. I think the conceit of an Indian woman who knows how to make people in danger 'disappear' is clever, and his explanations of just how she does it are always interesting and believable. Jane Whitfield is not, however, an entirely believable character. She is just too good: she is never petty or venal or self-indulgent or anything but wise, judicious, strong and virtuous. Thomas Perry makes up for that with his intelligent prose, intricate plotting and his wit. Altogether worth reading.

Thomas Perry is an amazing writer, but somehow I didn't feel that this latest venture meets his high standards. There is the usual Jane Whitefield dance with her evil pursuers, close calls, and a subtext that you don't figure out till the end. Neverthless, the fact that Jane is performing her magic not out of her devotion to her work, but because she is somewhat reluctantly pushed into it, robs the story of its customary magic. Thomas, let Jane live out a quiet life with her husband, and write about Jane's earlier adventures instead.

The only thing I can't figure out is - how did Thomas Perry go from writing amazing and humorous crime noir like "Metzger's Dog" and the "Butcher's Boy", to the somber (but no less readable) Jane Whitefield?

I've read all of the Jane Whitefield novels so far and this is the first one I found just a bit tedious. However, that said, Perry is still a better mystery writer than 90% of the authors of this genre. My feeling was the book went on a little too long. I like, and have always liked, the utter competence of Jane Whitefield. There doesn't seem to be much that fazes her or puts her off her stride. Not a bad book but the others in this series are just a little tighter and more suspenseful

I didn't think it possible, but with each new Jane Whitefield book, Thomas Perry creates an even more frightening and exciting scenario than in the previous book. The characters are always fleshed out and believable. Mr. Perry is always worth the time you spend reading his works.

Native American (she's part Seneca) Jane Whitefield has stopped guiding people in danger to safe locations because of a promise she made her new husband Dr. Carey McKinnon. She'd spent the better part of a decade helping those in danger disappear and take on new lives, getting them new papers and teaching them how to stay hidden, now she's finished with that. Or is she?

Now it's her husband of all people who wants her to get back in the saddle and take up her dangerous work once more. His mentor, a famous plastic surgeon, is close to making a medical break though, but he's wanted for a murder he didn't commit. While helping him Jane learns that a group of face-changers are using her name, techniques and underground reputation to prey on innocents in trouble and destroy their lives rather than save them. Jane has to unmask them and put them out of business before they harm anyone else.

Reviewed by Vesta Irene

My professor, a thirty-five year veteran programmer, highly recommended this read as a supplement to the C course, Intro to Programming I am taking. It is well-written and much more concise than the factory text, which is written for programmers. I look forward to finishing the book and the course!

I bought this book in order to learn how to program. It was useful and easy to understand. It was a worthwhile purchase.

I am a beginner in C Programming and I really hate it until I read your book.Everything is so clear.I read many books about C Programming but the more I read ,the more I get confusing.In my opinon,your book is number one . Lienle

This book is from 1993 and is not up-to-date. It has no coverage of Java whatsoever. The good news is that Greg Perry is an excellent author and has a more current book in the "Sam's" series, which is "Sam's Teach Yourself Beginning Programming in 24 Hours," so I would suggest that book instead. It is just as entertaining and a lot more current.

You do need to have another book and THEN reference this one!! This book has very good explanations on how things work BUT it DOES NOT give you any FULL C coding examples except at the end -one long Blackjack game.

I don't know how I missed knowing about Perry, since he's been cranking them out for a quarter-century, but somehow I did. I saw a recommendation for _Death Benefits,_ enjoyed that one, and went hunting for his earlier work. This is his first and it won an Edgar. The title character, never given a personal name, is a "specialist," a highly professional hit man, who began learning his trade in early childhood from Eddie "The Butcher." He's now one of the best and he works mostly for various mafia families. This job involves the murder of a member of a union local, and then the assassination of a senior U.S. Senator who has begun investigating in certain tax areas the mob doesn't want pried into. When our protagonist goes to Las Vegas to pick up his payment, however, he seems to have suddenly become a liability to his employers, who try to remove him from the scene. Big mistake. Taking out a professional, you had better get it right the first time -- and they don't. Pretty soon, mob soldiers, capos, and their underlings begin dropping like flies. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Waring, a smart young crime analyst working for the Justice Department, gets called in on the union hit as her first field assignment and develops her own theories about what's happening. The interesting thing in this sly and subtly plotted narrative is how often decisions are made on all sides based on erroneous information or misinterpretation of evidence. The characterization is excellent and the pace is frenetic, even though the protagonist is never anything but calm and collected. Finally, the small irony in the last two pages of the book is delicious.

Hit man suddenly having to avoid being taken out by his employers.

I stumbled across this book as I randomly looked for a new (to me) author. I put off reading it for awhile until I was in the mood for something on the darker side. I am surprised by how much I liked this book. Really not sure why. Something in the way Thomas Perry writes I guess. I am fairly certain I need therapy of some kind because I couldn't stop myself from rooting for him - meaning: not hoping for the worst for "him". (he does have teeny-tiny moments where he showed very, very, very brief moments of some flashes of not being completely and utterly devoid of humanity or maybe I just was trying to justify my moments of rooting for him because he obviously is evily unwell). I did like his MacGyver-ness. Elizabeth was a total disappointment- I think the synopsis totally oversold/misrepresented her. I will now juggle Thomas Perry and Michael Connelly.

As you read this book, you have to keep reminding yourself that this is the first novel by Perry. It is an excellent debut novel.

Looking at the new books, at the library, I saw Thomas Perry's latest novel, Silence. I wasn't sure if I wanted to dedicate time to get it read and returned by the two week limit, so I went in search of some of his earlier works. I decided on The Butcher's Boy. And it was a great read.

He (the killer is always referred to as "he" throughout the novel) is very good. And extremely careful. His jobs always go through middlemen, so he doesn't know who hired him or why. He doesn't want to know. But he is very effective. A union officer is blown up in California. A senior Senator dies in Colorado. Nothing to link either victims or the people that wanted them eliminated. When the killer arrives in Las Vegas, a few days early, strange things start happening and it isn't long before he discovers that there is a contract out on him. But who and why? The killer finds himself running from not only his ex-employers but also a very smart and dedicated Department of Justice analyst.

I found this novel riveting. Told mainly from the point-of-view of the killer, you find yourself hoping that he makes it out alive. Even though he is ruthless. And the Department of Justice analyst, Elizabeth Waring, is one of the best female characters in fiction. She is smart, tenacious, dedicated. She feels that there is a link between the union official and the senator, but her bosses aren't about to go on "feelings." I looked forward to continuing the novel, spending as much free time as I could reading. For a debut novel, Perry includes plenty of twists and turns, believable dialog and characters, and an excellent plot.

A fantastic debut novel, one that will not disappoint.

An early 80s Edgar Award winner, this wonderful adventure pits Department of Justice prodigy Elizabeth Waring against The Butcher's Boy, the professional assassin who remains nameless throughout the book. He's good at his job. Two early murders, one of an influential U.S. Senator, put the Department of Justice and Elizabeth and her co-workers, sometimes in uneasy alliance with the FBI and local law enforcement, on the trail of an unknown murderer, maybe two since they aren't sure if the homicides are related or not. The factor tying them together turns out to be Fieldstone Growth Enterprises, ostensibly an investment company. Things end up going in unpredictable directions for both main characters, many caused by he role of a mafia-like organization that touches on all of this business and the lives of the murderer and Elizabeth. There are plenty of murders in the book, some first hand, some only discussed, but only peripherally gory in most cases. I found it disconcertingly easy to like the assassin, not the first bad guy of Perry's I liked (see Gordon in Metzger's Dog). I've read half a dozen or more of Perry's books. This is his first, and it's interesting to see in character Maureen a foreshadow of Jane Whitefield (try Vanishing Act), a character I enjoyed immensely in her several novels. This is one more sample of why I find Perry to be a most reliable story teller, entertaining and consistently good.

The Butcher's Boy is not lyrical or beautifully written, it gets straight to the point--action and suspense. It is dark but lightened with sarcastic humor, and it is an intense, page turning thriller: a Female detective desperate to catch the killer, and a killer so well defined that you keep finding yourself rooting for him too. This book has a very satisfying ending no matter which one you were rooting for.

And I totally disagree with the reviewer who wanted to leave the last two pages out--they were the perfect, satisfying ending.

One of my other favorite books is Ludlum's The Bourne Identity (the movie was NOT based on the book!!! so read the book.) The Bourne Identity and the next two in the series were similar to The Butcher's Boy in that they were page turners that have a certain humor that showed itself just when you needed the relief.

I bought this book to gain an understanding of borderline personality disorder (BPD).

I think the book contains a lot of information. I ordered this book along with Sometimes I Act Crazy: Living with Borderline Personality Disorder. For the average reader, I think the other book is slightly better, but they contain a lot of similar information. This book is good, don't think I am giving it a bad review. It gives a good background on the history of the disorder, and it helps give some ideas. The section on pharmacology might be helpful for some, too.

An easy read, or for what I've read so far. Very helpful. Other books were not as clear as this one.

Has some good info, but has a poor writing style. Repetitive use of words; talks down to the reader.

Jerold Kreisman books highly recommended instead.

I am a case manager and this is an excellent book on this disorder. I will be able to use it when assessing clients. It's an excellent book for clients as well.

As the mother of a BPD, my lifelong "sense" of something being wrong as been explained. I've read other books but this one integrates many of the behaviors I've observed and couldn't understand. It has allowed me to forgive myself and her.

Everything was as expected. No surprises on the timing of delivery or the quality of the Russell book.

This was a really nice overview of various topics for a course I have. It's very concise and well organized and is written in language that is easy to understand.

Bertrand has written on many different subjects and many of his books can often appeal to the general reader. This book is for those interested in philosophy and who enjoy esoteric arguments. It is for the person with an average philosophical interest and not necessarily the Ph.D. candidate.
Bertrand tells us that if we wish to become philosophers we must be willing to tackle the absurd. Obviously! A lot of time is spent on Bishop Berleley, Plato and Descartes and idealism - we are all imaging matter; matter is a figment of our imagination; it's all in your head. The author finally assures us that there is something in the universe besides our comprehension of ourselves and our dreams. There does seem to be "reality" or matter even if it is perceived differently or inadequately by each of us. Bertrand finally states that Berkeley's notion that the objects apprehended must be mental has no validity whatsoever. One chapter deals with those that think that we can know more than we actually can know and with those who think, on the other hand, that nothing is knowable - Hegel in the first case and Hume in the latter.
Finally we come to the nature of philosophy and its value. Philosophy deals in questioning the unknown and once the unknown becomes known it is no longer called philosophy but science. So philosophy has a rather nebulous list of achievements. Bertrand closes this book with this final paragraph:
"Thus to sum up our discussion of the value of philosophy; philosophy is to be studied, not for the sake of any definite answers to its questions, since no definite answers can, as a rule, be known to be true, but rather for the sake of the questions themselves; because these questions enlarge our conception of what is possible, enrich our intellectual imagination and diminish the dogmatic assurance which closes the mind against speculation; but above all because, through the greatness of the universe which philosophy contemplates, the mind is also rendered great, and becomes capable of that union with the universe which constitutes its highest good."
Well that, of course, states the case better than anything that I could say but for my part I must offer something.
I have always been attracted to philosophy because the philosophers were asking the questions that seemed important to me and by reading and studying their answers I always felt that I was learning how to think and reason intelligently and logically. By being able to think intelligently and logically I felt that I was then better equipped to solve the problems of life - my life in particular.

Bertrand Russell is one of my favorite philosophers to read and this book was the one that started it all. Russell's analysis of man's epistemological limitations is truly enlightening. A theory of everything, origin of the universe, teleology- concepts that have galvanized human beings for ages are extrapolated from a new perspective by Russell.
The first few chapters that explain data processing by the human mind, perceptions and reality as experienced by the senses is of utmost importance to truly understand what Russell is saying. Lucid imagery and explanations are abundant in Russell's prose.
By the time I was done with this book, I was left wondering if the title 'Problems with human perception' would have been more appropriate.

This book is a model of exposition, covering an amazing amount of ground in just over 150 pages - and the excellent writing makes it seem even shorter than that. It is not really a standard introduction to all of philosophy, however, since it deals mainly with questions of epistemology. But as an introduction to that branch of philosophy, it is definitely one of the best. Among other things, it includes Russell's famous chapter "On Induction", criticisms of idealism, of Kant, and (perhaps surprisingly) of empiricism, and a defense of the correspondence theory of truth.

The five star rating does not mean that I agree with everything in it, however. Russell himself came to disagree with much of what he said in this book (e.g., with respect to his views on universals). But in spite of being somewhat dated, it is definitely worthwhile, especially for the beginning student.

Reads like an extended course description. Very few examples. Code examples are often incomplete so they cant be run. No real 'projects' to test any skills.

Comes with Liberty Basic (shareware) (you can download this seperately and learn more from its own help/tutorials). For the most part, you dont even need a computer to read this book. The code examples are only excerpts so you have to study them from the text in the book anyway.

What gets me more than anything is I found about 5 errors in code and text that are important! Things like mislabeled variables that would confuse anyone trying to learn. Although I guess finding the mistakes is a lesson in itself.

OK, that was the bad part, but I didnt give it a score of 1 because it is easy to read (fast). It does mention a wide range of topics, and it comes with a useable version of Basic (but only limited shareware, also there is a later version online). For a real beginner, this is one way to start off slow. It is disappointing because it could have been much better with only a little more effort. A few larger examples, and a few more actual coding projects instead of just saying 'if you want to create a text box in your program, type the following line....',

and then moving on to the next lesson.

This review relates to the 2nd edition.

Well, after dedicating a solid month, I can say I finally have figured it out. This is a great book with only some typos. The beginning is far too basic even for a pre-teen, but if you dont know this info, you shouldnt continue in the book.

I'm happy to say I can write simple programs now, and even made one for next April Fools!

As many other people in this world want to do, I want to program video games in the future. The only problem was that I had no idea how to start or where to turn to for advice. I had tried to learn over the summer of this year on how to create video games, but the books that I had borrowed from my local library said that I needed to have an understanding of C/C++. And when I borrowed a C/C++ book, I didn't really read it. So I decided to give programming up... for a while at least.

About a month ago, that itch to create video games came back to me when I was grounded. So I went back to my library and looked for a programming book that fit my needs. During my search, I stumbled upon "Sams Teach Yourself Beginning Porgramming in 24 Hours". And so I decided to read the introduction if I met the books requirements. When I learned that I did, I borrowed the book and began to read the book.

The book mainly covers a language called Liberty BASIC (which is probably is as easy a programming language as it gets). Right out of the gate, the book lets you program your first BASIC program, a rocket launch countdown. I was suprised how easy it was to program in Liberty Basic. To me, it felt like dumbed down English. When you are finished with the Liberty BASIC training (11 hours worth), you should have a good understanding of Liberty BASIC.

The book also gives you a detailed introduction to Java, but the first two chapters are only text and no examples. Those two chapters do help with the basics of Java and C/C++ (C is Java's "mother" language). When you do get to the programming part of the Java in the book (four chapters of Java in the book), you use Forte for Java (it already gives you the main code for your project). Unfortunately, I found Forte a bit intimidating at first, but when I played around with Forte a bit and got an understanding, I went through the chapters with ease.

The book also gives you a taste of other languages out there (Visual Basic, C/C++, HTML, Pascal, Javascript, and .NET) I say taste because it goes over the fundamentals of each of the languages entered there. You will find C/C++ easier to understand because of your work in Java.

There were some problems with the book that I found. First, there were some coding errors that I found. I found the most errors in Chapter 10, "Having Fun with Liberty BASIC". Most of the code I found put down on BASIC and ran could not run. How can you have fun with the program if you cannot run the code? More like "Getting Frustrated with Liberty BASIC". Also in Chapter 11, there is a sample code that seems to be bugged but isn't. When you get to the code that seems bugged (I forget which sample it was in the chapter) just expand the width of the window to get the result you want.

There were also many dry spells in the sample code for you to write down and practice. The ones that have little or no examples in them are Chapters 2-4, 12 & 13, and 16-24.

In my opinion, I would reccommend this book to anyone who is considering to explore the world of programming (either regular programming or video game programming) or anyone who wants to program but doesn't know where to begin. This book will not mold you into a good programmer, but it will lay down the necessary building blocks to becoming a regular or video game programmer.

I reccomend this book for video game programmers because it will give you a basic understanding of C/C++, the typical language of game programming (this information will be useful for other books that you have your sights on and if you get another C/C++ book, you will understand some of the subjects being talked about (arrays, literals, operators, basic C/C++ procedures, etc.)

Now I just need some help on what to do next...

That's exactly what is written on the cover. It's a good book for the people who know noting about programming and want to enter in this exiting field. The book is well written and gives you good idea about computer programming and teach you to program in Liberty Basic Which not the best choice from my point of view but it's free.

I would recommend this book for beginers, It explains the basics of programming, and also starts you off in java , c or c++ , although you do need the compilers for c and c++.

and also ultimatediscountbooksource@yahoo.com shipped it quickly and I had the book within a week.

I am an ER PA and very rarely open this book. However, if I do need to look up a drug I know I have all the info I could ever want in this text. Most other text on drugs either to not cover subjects completely or omit some drugs all togather.

This book is a good one, but has one little problem, the book doesn't have much coherence because there are too many people writting the book. You can note the difference of redaction between the chapters because were written for different person and that's what make the book very difficult to read, because one chapters are good, but others are very bad.
I prefer a book written by a few person because are much clear.

"Goldman & Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics" is one brain toasting book. It reminds me of the "Principles of Pharmacology: Basic Concepts & Clinical Applications" (edited by Paul Munson). Of course, either of these two books can serve as a reference tool; and although the latter maintains a price advantage, 'Goldman & Gilman's' is more ubiquitous.
It is rich, versatile, and presents well laid-out voluminous chapters. Anyone who reads this book will appreciate how it tackled General Therapeutics, Biochemistry, and Molecular Biology.

This is the 10th edition, published in 2001. Not quite as 'out-of-date' as suggested by the previous reviewer. It is, however, dificult to keep these texts current.

"Goodman & Gilman" has been the staple of pharmacology for many years, and with good reason. While I agree with the other reviewers that it is the gold standard, in the "old days" the book was updated about every 5 years, and this one came out in 1996. Given that the book probably took a couple of years to revise, the information is close to 10 years out of date! As is stated in the Notice on p. xviii, "Medicine is an ever-changing science." I have been waiting for the 10th Edition for some time now...!

The book is for starters, those who have never programmed before. I wanted to program Microchip PICs and I wanted to do it in Basic. So I decided to learn Basic first and I did that with this book. I can now program PICs at ease. I feel that I have good background in Basic and that I could move easily onto Visual Basic if need be. To master higher level math you need to have a solid background in math's basics, same is with programming. QBasic and this book sure provides starting point.

The math book was in great shape and my daughter is using it in her school work. The book arrived in a timely manor and the cost of the book was less than it would has cost me at her school.

The book itself is the "learn by programming" which works for some people and not for others. The others is mainly looking for answers for there problem which this bokk probably will not give you. However if you are inituative and can see outside the box you learn a lot of programming from the book and it is from the most basic to advanced topics included. The book is totally outdated since qbasic is replaced by visual basic. I however find it useful when I use an old scrapped PC which I build over to control units for all and everything, from alarmsystems to ROV control, even industrial control systems. Is it for the hobbyist... No not anymore, but for those few who still uses DOS machines it is a great tool

This book is an excellent starter for those who want to start learning how to program. You don't need to buy the software because more than likely your computer will have QBasic. I had sold the book and regreted doing so, and now I purchased it again because it also makes a great reference.

Greg Perry makes learning in this edition easy, and very enjoyable for people who want to learn qbasic. Even today there are many people that use the language, especially young teens.

The latest compiler has taken on a new image and GUI from a third party software vendor written for windows, if your not using the program that was provided with MS-DOS and windows 3.1 many years ago. Greg's book clips away functions and keywords that you will learn directly in qbasic. Each chapter takes you through a series of techniques that are common among all computer languages; things such as loops, data sorting, printing, and graphics.

One very good aspect of the book I like is that you can skip to chapters that describe keywords, and use them quickly, without any real knowledge of the language. The general layout in book is pretty good too.All the block print for programming is highlighted in blue, which clearly defines many short lessons throughout the chapters, and the rest of the book.

If you never programmed before, I would recommend this language, along with Greg's book. I've read and learned programming from titles in C/C++, but qbasic is a real delight. It's not all that difficult, and the syntax is very sparse, unlike C, where the scope of it's variables can go out of range. Semi-colons play a big part in C too, which adds fustration for most people.

The keywords are just like the english language with symbols, which anyone can learn very quickly. In just a few short hours, you can have a full color application up and running with greg's book, it's a truely remarkable presentation in learning to program. If you desire programming with windows, then qbasic will prepare you for Visual Basic which is known for rapid application development, and is gaining popularity around the world.

I was looking forward to receiving this book, based on other reviews. What a disappointment. The writing is awkward and the main characters are poorly drawn and described in a ham-handed and repetitive way (yes, by page 20 I was well aware of how well-born and elegant they were) rather than simply allowed to be portrayed by their actions. As a result, they come across as a self-satisfied and arrogant lot for which I had little sympathy and was pretty tired of by time I finally slogged through to the end of the book. It's as if the author was a little too eager for us to know how wonderful and aristocratic they are, for some reason that I couldn't figure out. A little editing would have helped too - there are some repetitive words and errors in the timeline of the character's life that are a little sloppy. The same descriptions for people and places are repeated throughout the book, adding to the sense of impatience that grows with each page. Just get on with the story, one wants to say - stop telling me how noble, accomplished and wonderful everyone is.

Small things irritate throughout - for example, the noble main character is continually concerned about getting his feet wet in the course of his detective work - was this meant to drum up sympathy for his hard-charging efforts? If so, it fails. Many ordinary people get their feet wet every day without complaining and serves as a prompt for them to get waterproof boots much, much sooner than it occurs to our protagonist, which makes one question both his fortitude and smarts.

I believe the writer compares himself to Wodehouse and Sayres, but I see little to echo the subtlety and skill of these linguistic masters. Instead of buying this book, just re-read the real thing - you'll have a much better time.

I loved this book! The mystery was tricky and interesting, but what separated it from the usual run of mystery novels I read was the great, individualistic characters and the beautifully evoked setting of winter in London. I hope it's a series.

I was enthusiastic about this mystery by first-time novelist Charles Finch: set in the Victorian period, interesting lead character and secondary characters, good puzzle... but the writing was so awkward that I literally had to force myself to finish it even though I was interested in the mystery and the characters. It was all I could do to overcome clunkers like these: "The brothers occupied themselves with problems such as these, which only brothers who are lucky enough to be close may discuss" "That is, to put it more briefly, some combination of money, birth, and power were united in him that was impossible to classify and was neither enough to disbar him from the first tier of society nor to include him fully in it--for whatever one takes that first tier to be worth" "Lenox's mind had that quality that many great minds have--the ability to consider several opposing ideas at once--and, though he felt stifled in the case thus far, he had begun to consider...")

At one point, the amateur sleuth has to look up some government financial paperwork and the author spends three whole paragraphs describing the South Sea Bubble, which has nothing to do with the story, and then the next paragraph starts "Lenox thought of all this in passing..." He even has the lead character do some Sherlock Holmes "tricks" like determining that someone came from a friend's house because of a slight scent of lemon and the fact that the friend commonly includes lemon with his tea service.

Reading a book like this makes you really appreciate how hard it is for fledgling writers to write smooth prose and believable dialogue.

Charles Lenox, gentleman detective, is very clever & appealing. Twists in plot, subtle clues & attractive characters keep you turning the pages. If you read this one, you will want to get the next one - due to be published soon ("September Society"). Loving that Charlie Lenox!!
from St. Louis, MO.

After a good deal of prodding from a friend, I recently picked up A Beautiful Blue Death. I am not usually a fan of mystery novels, but I found this book to be fantastic. Great character development and an interesting plot make this book very difficult to put down!