Pitt Books

As this book titled RedHat Linux 7 Unleashed (RH7U), it is covered with many in-depth explanations on what RH70 offered.

My expectation is also fulfilled, as I want to know all about Linux Basic and tend to get certified with RHCE and Linux Sair/GNU. I read this book companied with RHCE Study Guide and about to take the course on May 2002.

Currently, as I write this review, I see the RH72 Unleashed and have some thoughts to buy that as well as this RH7U provide a good structured explanation. This book is just like the Manual book that RH Corp. should provide.

I give 4 stars, as there is no book contains an all-in-one-solution to get your Linux running for production phase. This book offers a horizontal explanation on how you could get Linux started with minimal configuration. Linux means huge knowledge, that's why you need special book to read if you would like to have your Linux in specific job like firewalls, routing, DNS, SAMBA, etc.

Finally, this book is the best book I have to explain Linux!

The book I received does not match the sample pages that are displayed.

If you are looking for a good book on Linux/Unix I strongly suggest you DON'T BUY this book. I bought this book mainly because it has the RH7 3 cd set but was also hoping it would be useful in the future since at the time I really didn't know much about Unix. The author can't explain many topics at all. He just assumes that you already know all the stuff and that you are reading the book as a novel. ...

This book gives simple, clear answers to the simple questions.
However, for more complex Linux code, go elsewhere. I find the chapters Shell Scripting and Automating Tasks give poor examples and the explanations are unclear. For someone new to Linux, this book is a good starting point but for someone looking for a little more technical info than your average Linux manual, this book fails. Two reasons I purchased this book was to learn cron and introduction to shell scripting. Both chapters regarding these topics are hard to read and examples given are futile. For something regarding bash shell scripting, O'Reilly's Learning The Bash Shell by far outweighs the merits of this book, in that particular area, mind you.

However the syntax for simpler items regarding Linux is clear and common-sense oriented. But there are so many Linux books covering these fields, it would be nice to see a manual put forth covering detailed code in the manner this book explains simpler terms.

This book was my first foray into the world of Linux and I found too many errors for this to be a good start for a newbie. Case in point is Chapter 20 on ipchains. The sample firewall script is inclomplete (missing a definition of $ME in the constants section) and contains basic errors (such as showing an option as "-I" when it should be "-i"). Most galling is the publisher's website. There is no section on errata to undo some of the mistakes that made it into print. Moreover, unless your web browser supports vbscript the web site will not load. It requires dissecting the start page source to find a way into the site.

Buy the book for the disks, but expect to spend some time extricting yourself from the mistakes in it if you follow all the author's examples.

I think this book wasn't very good. The whole story is kind
of slow and boring. The main characters are Brandon and Gramdpa. They are both Navajo. Everything else about them wasn't well described. The plots and story events are long and boring. It takes about 60 pgs to get to the first problem. For example: Brandon's parents are arguing about weather gramdpa should stay with them. The message in this book is never forget your lost ones. I would recomend this book to anyone who likes slow and long books.
By
Brendan

The story is about a boy who's grandfather gets sick and has to come up to his house from Little Waters , Arizona on a Navajo reservation. Brandon the, main character, has to give up a lot of things in the begging before his grandfather gets there. He has to take down his posters and he doesn't want to have his grandfather in his house living in the same room as he is. They have some problems like for Brandon he has to do Navajo traditions like in the morning at like six o'clock in the morning he has to run to the sun. Then Brandon sees why his grandfather makes him race the sun and it's because it just makes you fell good. Then his grandfather gets a letter from home and he wants to go home so Brandon gets some money and takes him to his home town. There they talk talk to there relatives. The next day Brandon's parents get there and they are very mad. Later that day they go to his grandfather's house and then there they spend the night. The next day Brandon races the sun and you'll have to read the book to find out what happens next.
I thought this book was very interesting because it had some Navajo traditions that where very intriguing. I would give it three out of five stars (which is above average) because it was a little slow at times like in the begging when Brandon and his best friend are doing math and come home and talk about Brandon's grandfather coming to the city. On a general basis it was a good interesting book. It was good but if u like action packed adventurous books I don't recommend it to you.

12 year-old Brandon Rogers' grandpa has to move in with him. At first, what he does is annoying to Brandon but then he starts liking it. Brandon didn't know much about his culture until his grandpa came but then he learned how to race the sun.

I didn't like this book because there wasn't any action until the end and there wasn't any suspense.

I wouldnt' recommend this book because it was one of the worst books I have ever read.

Brandon, an ordinary twelve-year-old boy who lives in suburbia has an Indian heritage. Brandon who does not know much about his Navajo background sees a letter sitting on the kitchen table and sees that his grandfather will be coming to their house for the summer. His parents decide that he should sleep in Brandon's room and replace is bed for a bunk bed. Grandpa comes to the home with and Indian smell, He is exhausted from riding so long to the their house. By the next morning before the sun is up, his grandfather wakens Brandon. This is where the teachings of Navajo life begin! Grandpa sends Brandon to race to where the sun comes up, and then race back when the sun peaks over the trees. After that, it makes him feel great. Now he has to "Race the sun" each morning. Next, Grandpa teaches how to plant, where to plant, and what to plant. After a month, Grandpa is sick. Sick of his old age and misses his home and the fresh smells of the sage brush down where he lived. Brandon now cares for his grandfather and wants to take him back down to the reservation. Brand fiqures out a way to run away with his grandfather without anyone knowing it! The rest of the book you will have to read. I give this book *** (3) out of 5 stars. The book was planned well but had a sad ending.

12-year old Brandon's Grandpa said he was going to come. Brandon was horrified, but then when his Grandpa told him to race the sun and heard him chant at night, Brandon couldn't stand it anymore. But soon Brandon grows to loves his Grandpa. Soon, when he heard that his Grandpa had cancer, and wanted to go back to his homeland, but his parents won't listen, he decides to runaway with his Grandpa.

I think this book was kind of boring then kind of fun. First it was boring, but the middle and the ending was great! Some of the parts were funny (like the part when Brandon called Grandpa a genuine Navajo alarm clock), and some of the parts were sad (like the part when Grandpa died...)
I would reccomend this book to anybody who likes stories that are a little bit funny and sad.

This was not her best book, atleast compared to the first two I read. It was just too watered down with society talk. If you've read the first two you don't need any more lessons on people of society vs. the working class.
HOWEVER, I did discover the reasoning of why food is served after a funeral, or atleast it made the most sense of anything I've heard so far and just for that reason the book was worth reading. I'm looking forward to her 4th book in this series, I've become quite attached to these characters.

This is the third book in the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt novels by Anne Perry and I am very glad to be able to give an enthusiastic five stars as my opinion of this offering.

As a fan of these Victorian era mysteries I had wondered how Ms Perry was going to proceed with the investigative directions of Charlotte and Thomas. Now, after reading three, I feel that I have a better handle on which role will be played by each character and were they fit into the overall scheme of the books. The actual plot of the book has been very well described in other reviews. I enjoyed this title because it gave almost equal roles to Thomas, Charlotte and Emily. The residents of Paragon Walk were so fully developed and wonderfully rounded out that I began to think of them as real people. Perhaps there was a degree of closeness there which began to feel slightly artificial but it was a necessary part of the whole in order to make the ending believable. Neighbors in an upper class London street would probably not have been quite so much in each others pockets, but these were and the conclusion showed why that was so. I was able to see through two episodes which took place but never dreamed of the reason behind what the central dark portion of this case was all about.

I found this an absorbing read. It held my interest and kept me wanting to find out what was going on and what was going to happen next. A distraction for me was Charlotte's sudden ability and desire to leave her child in the care of someone while she made many, many, many trips away from home to investigate the case with Emily. Did Pitt not have anything to say about her sudden abandonment of her home and child to investigate? (Now see, I wanted her to be more involved in book two and was slightly dissatisfied when she was not. Now that she is more involved in book three, I'm questioning if this would have been allowed by her husband. How is an author ever supposed to satisfy us all?) Another point, suddenly Aunt Vespasia (don't you just love that name? pure Victorian!) and Emily were manufacturing clothes right and left so that Charlotte could attend funerals and other functions with them. Did Pitt not mind? Did Charlotte not feel some sense of abandoning her decision to give up all that when she married "below her station" because she loved Pitt? I can't have it both ways but there was so much emphasis on clothes this time that it became an irritant to me.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading the fourth in the series, Resurrection Row. It looks as if the characters will take turns being front and center in the solving of the mysteries. This one was rushed quite a bit at the end and could have done with a lot more explanation of what happened after the solving of the case. Still liked it, though!

Mysteries that involve historical periods can easily be swallowed up by their period dress, distance from our current lives and uncommon mores. In this third novel in the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt series, Anne Perry seems to find her footing more effectively in Victorian England than in either of the two previous books, The Cater Street Hangman and Callander Square, and surpasses the usual costume mystery.

A 17-year-old woman is raped and murdered . . . dying in the arms of her sister-in-law. Thomas Pitt is assigned to investigate. Matters are complicated by the victim having just returned from visiting Pitts' sister-in-law's house . . . making his brother-in-law a possible suspect.

As in Callander Square, the investigation soon begins to take its toll on the haughty heads of the houses on Paragon Walk.

Once again, Charlotte is able to work on the investigation by insinuating herself into the social lives of the walk's residents through her sister's introductions.

The solution of the mystery is a fair one, built up logically from all of the clues.

The story itself moves along fairly nicely, and the book can be read in one pleasant sitting if you are in a hurry. Or you can spread it out if you prefer.

The book still lacks enough action, and the pace of the plot and character developments will strike most people as slow. As a result, this book will be best liked by those who are drawn to the verbal warfare that's often found in Victorian drawing room novels.

I agree with the other reviewers who were disappointed. I too will continue to read the rest of the series, because I really enjoyed Cater Street Hangman, the first in this series. I found that this was just hot as interesting as the first two books in this series. Neither was it as good as the one Monk book that I have read, which introduced me to Anne Perry's writing and made me want to read more.

In "Paragon Walk," Anne Perry once again delivered a penetrating look at Victorian society along with witty, sharp-edged dialogue. But I felt deflated after finishing it. The solution to the mystery included some silly, far-fetched elements, and it did not answer my nagging questions the way I hoped it would.

In its favor, the book had many intriguing characters. I am glad to learn Aunt Vespasia returns in future novels. As for the nastier residents of the Walk, their cutting remarks and veiled references to unsavory subjects made me want to see them stripped bare and to learn all their secrets. Once again, the ending let me down.

I was also disappointed Inspector Pitt did not do much sleuthing this time around. He spent too much time asking the same questions of himself and sending another officer off to question servants. Also, the novel had too many scenes at society parties, where people displayed their dislike of one another. I almost wanted to scream, "Enough! I get it that so-and-so hates this other person. Give it a rest, already!"

Overall, I enjoyed reading "Paragon Walk," but as I worked through the last 30 pages, I didn't know whether to laugh or to fling the book across the room. I hope next time, Pitt gets to do more detecting and that my curiosity about various characters is better satisfied.

I have to admit this is by far, the best, most exciting book Perry
has written so far. I normally like Monk and Hester better than I do
Charlotte and Thomas. Charlotte doesnt seem as clearly defined as
Hester. Hester seems so real to me that I would love to sit down,
have a spot of tea with her and listen avidly of her experiences with
the suffering. One thing that seems rather unusual in Perry,s books
is the way women of the 1800's are speaking out about politics. They
go to balls and spend alot of time discussing what,s happening in
Africa, Germany, etc. Of course most of the time they arent talking about it to the men but maybe I am naive but I had assumed that back
in the 1800's women remained silent no matter what they thought and
men would laugh to think they would listen to any female,s opinion as
they literally knew nothing. But in these books women are much
more in the round of what,s happening...yet we are told they do not
read newspapers. I would imagine that while husband and political
friends are discussing important worldly things, unknown to them, the
little wife is listening to every word. This is a book that is very
hard to put down at any time until you reach the conclusion and just
when you figure you have figured it all out, another shocker comes
along. P.s. I would love to know where and how Perry gained so much
insight to 1800's history. AS my grandaughter might say: it's awesome!

The title refers to the river gate into the Tower of London, the route by which those convicted of treason traditionally were conveyed to execution. This is the 15th title in the Late Victorian mystery series about Inspector (now Superintendent) Thomas Pitt of the Metropolitan Police and his wife, Charlotte, who often takes part in his cases, asking questions in the drawing rooms of Society while her husband more often pursues truth in the streets. The theme this time is betrayal in all its forms, from betraying one's country to betraying one's own principles, from the choice between personal honor and family loyalty to the choice between love and practical necessity. As the gamekeeper on the Desmond estate in Hampshire, Pitt is not and never will be a "gentleman." But Sir Arthur Desmond had him educated beside his own son, as a competitive companion of his own age, and Pitt owes much of his success to the knowledge drummed into him by his tutor and to his educated elocution. Now Sir Arthur has been found dead in his London club, in circumstances suggesting senility or suicide, but Matthew, his son, can't accept that -- nor can Pitt. Sir Arthur had been a low-level member of the Inner Circle (a sinister secret society the author invented a number of books ago and which often takes the place of more believable bad guys), and had begun speaking out regarding the activities of its members in Cecil Rhodes's economic conquest of southern Africa. (That's the secondary theme of the book: extractive colonialism, which succeeded the explorers and missionaries.) Then Pitt is summoned to the Foreign Office to investigate suspected treason, specifically the passing of sensitive information on British colonial plans and negotiations to her principal rival, Germany. He's slowly working his way through the possibilities, being forced to investigate people without actually telling them anything, when the wife of a Very Important Person Indeed is murdered and her body seemingly is washed up at Traitors Gate. Naturally, all three cases tie together eventually and Perry handles the details very skillfully. In fact, in structure and character, this book is one of the best in the series. She also manages to orchestrate three separate climaxes, and even includes a hilarious closing scene in the gentleman's club involving Charlotte's sister's uncle-in-law, Eustace March, whom readers will remember from earlier stories. And Pitt even manages to get in a couple of good licks at the end against the Inner Circle, . . . though one may blink at his methods.

I find the Inner Circle not very credible. They were good for a few books but they have worn out their plot value. However, I did like the fact that Pitt is featured more prominently. I for one am losing interest in Charlotte and find her more unappealing with each book. Actually I find Emily and Great Aunt Vespasia more entertaining than Charlotte. Less Charlotte is a step in the right dirction. Despite the Innter Circle this is quite a good book with a satisfying ending.

TRAITORS GATE is another entry in the long-running Thomas Pitt series by Anne Perry. I like these stories, as evidenced by the fact that I've read them all up through this one. Given that this is a series, though, you should consider whether or not it's a good idea to start here if you haven't read any of the others. Part of the enjoyment of a series is the development of the personal lives of the main characters and this one is no exception. You can, however, pick TRAITORS GATE up and read it on its own. As far as the central plot is concerned, what you don't know won't hurt you.

This novel has been faulted for the overwhelming presence of the "inner circle", for the idea of a precinct superintendent being chosen to investigate an espionage case, and because this case doesn't involve Charlotte as much as usual. I agree that the "inner circle" seems a bit overdone and I also agree that Thomas' role in such a case is rather unlikely. Neither of these issues really detracted from my enjoyment of the story, though. After all, it's fiction and some degree of suspension of disbelief is called for. As for Charlotte's role, I find it refreshing to get a story that focuses more on Thomas every now and then.

My problem with this book, and it's a common one in this series, is the long-winded pontificating on some social or political ill of the day that Perry likes to indulge in. In TRAITORS GATE it's the evils of European colonialism in Africa. Perry takes to her soapbox and, while I may sympathize with her point of view, I just don't think a mystery story is the place for it. I read mysteries for entertainment, and TRAITORS GATE entertained me most of the time. Only when I found myself wading through digressions on colonialism and rhapsodies on the beauties of unspoiled Africa did it get tedious.

Perry's moralizing aside, her mysteries are pretty good. I enjoyed the mystery that is central to this book and I enjoyed the renewal of my acquaintance with Thomas Pitt and the other main characters in the series. I expect most fans of the Pitt series will feel the same way.

This entry in the Thomas and Charlotte Pitt series suffers from its dependence on "the Inner Circle," an all powerful secret organization that requires absolute loyalty of its members, at the center of its plot. Previous novels in the series have dealt with the Inner Circle, but that organization is central to the plot of Traitor's Gate, and the breadth of its reach stretches credulity beyond the breaking point.

The idea that the superintendent of the Bow Street police station would be asked to investigate a major case of espionage is also far-fetched.

Those criticisms aside, the plot moves briskly and the characters are complex and interesting. The last 50 or so pages are gripping as the novel moves toward its climax.

This is a fascinating book that is theoretically sophisticated and guides us through the body in modern and postmodern theory. Her insight into the range of body modification practices and how they are linked to broader cultural shifts in late modernity is sharp and convincing.

poor quality printing with very few photo's and what they were was not up to today's standards

The general tone of this book is very much like a second rate graduate thesis. It manages to be blandly academic in terms of style yet with none of the rigor one would associate with a decent sociology text. For example the author appears to have interviewed a grand total of about five people. Also none of the people interviewed are particularly interesting characters; the focus seems to be people recovering from sexual abuse or people affirming their sexuality by getting branded.

Now I don't have a problem with this phenomenon, I think its pretty interesting but If you want to read that kind of thing you can find tons of it free on Bmezine. Bmezine, has tones of experience stories like this, actual pictures and a means to contact people actually involved.

If you scrape away the interviews all you have left are the authors opinions about modification and a few cheap sudo cyberpunk photo's.

If you want a good read about body modification read the modern primitives re search title and the industrial culture handbook. I don't really have any good academic recommendations but I bet with a bit of research you can find something a lot better than this.

Victoria Pitts's book "In the Flesh" is the most brilliant analysis of postmodern culture I have ever read. Through the lens of recent phenomena in body modification--from the beautifying to the erotic and grotesque--she shows how issues of subjectivity are complexly intertwined with body strategies--performances in which the actors at once gain and lose themselves. With exquisite analysis of fascinating subjects and clear-minded use of postmodern theory, her book is the epitome of rigorous scholarship, both theoretical and empirical. It is, in a word, a theory of flesh and its agencies; but beyond the body, it offers us a scaffolding from which to view the painfully complex issues of contemporary culture at large.

The book deals with a myriad of social issues pertaning to the body and its modification to show both resistance and conformaty to mainstreem and subculture respectively. And indeed the book was interesting to read once and maybe twice if one is writing their masters thesis or doctoral dissertaion. However, I felt that the book would someteimes just drag on and on. What was however interesting was the course that included the book in its uses. The work is very academic, professional and worth the time to read.

The 1940-43 desert campaign is probably the most satisfying of WWII. Civilians were scarce, so one can admire German military prowess without the usual atrocities. The British revealed their best qualities: magnificently stubborn in defense, fearless but slow in offense, hobbled by inferior equipment but more by cautious generals.

This middle volume of Pitt's definitive history begins after Operation Battleaxe, Wavell's disastrous June 1941 offensive that persuaded Churchill to replace him. Solid, if unchiarismatic, the new general, Auchinleck, fended off Churchill's demands for quick action, reorganized the army, and launched operation Crusader in November. Rommel, obsessed with besieging Tobruk and misled by spies (caught and turned by the English as usual), assumed this was a feint until almost too late. During the confused fighting that followed, both sides suffered heavily, and Auchinleck showed more offensive spirit than many of his generals. On the verge of victory after a week, Rommel abruptly turned and retreated 500 miles into Libya. His long, fragile supply line had dried up. Both sides were exhausted when the front finally stabilized, but after only a month the Afrika Korps recovered and took the offensive. The battles and retreats in spring 1942 marked the nadir of Eighth Army morale. Discouraged soldiers and junior officers often admired Rommel more than their own leaders. Taking over direct command of the fighting, Auchinleck performed well in stopping the Germans inside Egypt, but Churchill was determined to make another change. Auchinleck's successor, Montgomery, enjoyed great success, but that happens in the next volume.

Three volumes on the North African campaign might seem too much for anyone outside a staff college, but Pitt (who served in the Middle East) is a fine writer: lucid, witty, and opinionated. Besides providing clear descriptions of complex unit actions, he brings the major figures to life and gives a vivid picture of the problems and miseries of soldiering in the desert.
-0-

This book has been originally writtem 20 years ago and today is reproposed in a new package. Being brief the problems with this book are essentially two:

1) the author has a tendency to get lost in details many of them insignificants for the story, and some of them plain wrong (and the author could have corrected them).

2) the book is in the stream of war histories watched only by one side. It is interesting to note that the author never mentions the unusefulness of the battle of El Alamein: it is in fact well known that the Torch landings will have forced the Axis army to withdrawn anyway and therefore the British could have attacked the Axis much more easily. But this it would not have been a British-only victory, but an Anglo-American victory.

Therefore it seems a little pretentious to call this book the "definitive" history of the western desert war. Given the boredom caused by the plethora of details, it is more likely the "bed-time" history of desert war.

This is not a coherent account of the campaign in North Africa. There is no maps to indicate the movement of the armies. The author does not do an adaquete job of combining the mitlitary strategy of the North African campaign with the personal narratives. I would reccomend the Desert Generals by Corelli Barnett and the biography of Rommel by David Fraser to understand the North African campaign but defnitely not this book!

"Montgomery and Alamein" is the third volume of a three-volume set by Barrie Pitt published by Cassell & Co. in London. Pitt is no stranger to war or the theater about which he writes, having served in both the European and Middle East theaters in World War II.

After the quick and unexpected fall of Tobruk on June 21, 1942, to a carefully orchestrated air and ground attack by Rommel's Afrika Korps, the German advance in North Africa once again threatened the British hold on Egypt and the Suez Canal. Churchill flew to Cairo on August 3, split the Middle East command by creating Eighth Army, relieved Auchinleck and Ritchie, and placed Gen. Harold Alexander in command of Middle East Command and Lt. Gen. Bernard L. Montgomery in command of Eighth Army. Throughout the remainder of 1942, Montgomery led his Eighth Army to successive victories against the Desert Fox.

Montgomery had his work cut out for him, but he and his men inflicted a defeat on German forces at Alam Halfa on September 7, and thereafter methodically pressed the Afrika Korps back toward El Alamein. Rommel, who could no longer hope to regain the offensive in North Africa, now found his forces practically surrounded at El Alamein. From October 23 to November 4 the battle raged, and when it was over the Axis had been decisively defeated, their losses staggering. It was a prelude to Allied landings farther west on November 8, and the success of Soviet forces against the German 6th Army at Stalingrad in February the following year.

Thoroughly researched and written in a delightful, fast-paced style, Pitt gives readers their money's worth. I came away from "Montgomery and Alamein" with a far better appreciation of the man who arguably was Britain's most irascible commander, but also the most successful. It was once said of Montgomery that he was "quick as a ferret; and about as likeable." But in war there isn't room for nice guys. Montgomery knew that.

In the end, one has to give credit to Cassell & Co. for introducing all three volumes of their "Crucible of War" series on North African fighting-you won't want to buy one without purchasing the other two.

"Auchinleck's Command" is the second volume of a three-volume set by Barrie Pitt published by Cassell & Co. in London. Pitt is no stranger to war or the theater about which he writes, having served in both the European and Middle East theaters in World War II.

Pitt gives the reader first hand accounts of fighting in North Africa from a soldiers' view point as well as that of the generals. Highly readable, accurate and with well-researched detail, this definitive work brings the reader to the crucial battle of First Alamein in July 1941. Gen. Erwin Rommel and his Afrika Korps had consistently outfought the British since Rommel's appearance in theater in early 1941. However, thanks to Auchinleck's personal intervention at First Alamein, disaster was averted and Egypt remained in the hands of the British.

Although Auchinleck was forced into retirement after First Alamein, on June 20, 1943, he was back in the good graces of Winston Churchill and placed in command of the Indian Army.

In the end, one has to give credit to Cassell & Co. for introducing all three volumes of their "Crucible of War" series on North African fighting-you won't want to buy one without purchasing the other two.

My book had all expert puzzles although it had labels for beginner to expert. I don't know if I got a different edition but I have done Sudoku puzzles online which are far easier than the so called beginner ones in this book. The first ones are the same difficulty as the final ones. When you average 27 given numbers in the beginner section and also the expert section, you know someone made a mistake when they printed the book or did their program to create the puzzles. If you are already an expert, this is good for working the puzzles. If you are a beginner, you will likely get very discouraged. You can use the helps in the beginning and create some of your own to be able to work the puzzles.

A wonderfully detailed intro with the basics well covered ( for that I give the author one gold star) . . . and then . . . nothing! The rest of the book is just a compilation of puzzles. True they are rated from beginner to expert, but not a another word of help from the author. Oh, yes. the x-wing is covered briefly, but where are the rest of the advanced techniques promised by the statement on the cover, "Conquer the hardest puzzles of all." If you do, you will do it on your own!! I see why there are copies for sale here for a few cents. That's about what it's worth. Too bad!!!

Teach yourself Sudoku was not only the first Sudoku book I owned but is still the best. The puzzles in this book are true Sudokus, unlike others I have seen which are unsymmetrical.

The first section of the book offers clear and useful advice with helpful diagrams and quick tips to help you progress. There is also a smattering of interesting and amusing quotes throughout.

In all the puzzles are well paced and graded and will certainly keep you occupied this winter.

After a good introductory section the book launches into Sudokus at the beginner, novice, intermediate, and expert levels. I do not advise this book for beginners. My average completion times (although they may be slow compared with many others!) were 26 minutes for the first 5 of the "beginner" level, and 39 minutes for the "expert" level. For "beginner" in other publications my average is about 6 minutes. In my opinion the "beginner" level puzzles are much too difficult and will probably lead to the book receiving little attention from beginners.

Beware of puzzles 43 and 141... they're unsolvable. One clue needs to be added to each. For puzzle 43, add a "9" to row 5, column 5 (very middle of the puzzle). For puzzle 141, add a "6" to row 6, column 5. This will help save your hair from being pulled out.

This is the sort of negligible and pedestrian collection that gets published as the result of the writer's entering a competition and having his or her submission adjudged to be better than the other contest entries. In most cases, the winning entry gives the reader a sense of how god-awful the other entries must have been. The Drew Heinz Prize has a long history of duds and dogs, and this collection is another. It's not that it's outright terrible; it's just that it's a collection of formulaic workshop-style exercises. The prose is uniformly drab. The plots are mechanical. The characters are pale echoes of people you've read about, too often, elsewhere. Prizes like the Drew Heinz are ensuring the increasing marginalization of serious literary writing.

This is a fabulous book of short stories. Very complex and engaging.

I'm guessing that the writer of the previous review probably is disgruntled because he or she entered the Drue Heinz contest and lost... Who knows. I, on the other hand, think Brett Ellen Block is an imaginative and smart writer. Her debut collection is vibrant at every turn. She evokes complex emotions superbly, without breaking a sweat. She also happens to be very, very cute. How long will I have to wait to read a novel by Brett Ellen Block?

This book provides an overview of UNIX-LINUX commands. There are not a lot of complete ksh scripts. Korn shell users might want to also consider "Korn Shell: Programs for Your Survival at Work" by Larry L. Smith. Some of the examples in Randal K. Michael's "Mastering UNIX Shell Scripting" are also helpful.

I was disappointed in this book. Most of the book covers things that directly relate to Unix, and not necessarily to korn shell programming. However, if you are new to unix and/or new to korn shell scripting then this should be a good book for you.

This book is essential for a unix system administrator student or one who is just starting out. It has the most complete and thorough coverage of daily system routines such as cron and job control. I have not been able to find such coverage of process handling in any of my several system administration books. I have read a few books on shell scripting but this one covers not only how to script but a great deal of knowledge surrounding shell scripting on a daily system administration practical basis. If you want a great reference tool, buy this book.

This book is an invaluable addition to the literature of the field, dealing with a period of the artist's life previously little studied. There are many fine illustrations. This is a must for scholars and others interested in modern art.

The title "Piet Mondrian in the USA" is rather misleading, as the main interest of this book lies in its descriptions of the work of Mondrian's immediate followers in New York, events contemporary with Mondrian's life there, and the careers of the major American artists who continued making abstract art in the wake of Mondrian's influence. All of this is peripheral to Mondrian himself, and the magnitude of his importance is often lost as a result.

What actually does pertain to Mondrian is related in the form of personal anecdotes and reminiscences by his circle of admirers, such as Harry Holtzman and Charmion von Wiegand. At least half the text is devoted to these followers, and how they applied Neo-Plastic ideas to their own work.

Rembert's writing style is often obtuse and vague, and her scant commentaries on Mondrian's paintings are insubstantive and incomplete. The reproductions of works by Mondrian and other artists range in quality from good to poor, those in the latter category being mostly blurred, badly-lit photographs taken by the author. In addition, the editors seem to be largely unfamiliar with the orientation of abstract paintings, as Mondrian's final work, "Victory Boogie Woogie," is reproduced sideways. Some of the images of Mondrian's paintings are inextricably cropped, while others are placed against a black background and cropped so that the background reads as part of the work. Unfortunately, these mistakes are pervasive-Rembert identifies a Jackson Pollock painting as "Cathedral" from 1947, when in fact it is "#31" from 1950. The image is also reproduced backwards.

In short, this book suffers greatly due to the effects of sloppy editing, bad photography, and weak commentary.