Richards Books

Greatly enjoyed reading this book even though I am not usually a big science fiction fan.

I must echo all of the previous reviews in stating that this is a remarkable first novel! I simply could not put this book down, and nearly missed my train station stop. I have not been this excited about a work of science fiction since I read Asimov's *I, Robot* as a teenager.

The dialogue is realistic, the characters are three-dimensional with excellent character development, and the plot is compelling. The attention to detail in scene description immerses the reader in the action so that you feel as though you are one of the characters involved in the story. As I turned the last page, I found myself hoping that a sequel was in the works so that I could look forward to being captivated again . . .

I must say, this would also make a great film! I hope that Lynch's next literary effort is around the corner.

Definitely one you can't put down. As you finish one chapter, you think you'll read just a page or two of the next because you *must* know what happens ... and then you're at the end of that chapter and on to the next.

I thought it was a creative concept and exciting story. Once I began reading, it was hard to put down. Can't wait to read Mr. Lynch's next book.

I'm not usually a fan of science fiction. A storyline might capture my imagination for a time, but invariably the characters or dialogue or the plot structure would seem forced and amateurish, and I would put the book aside. Not so here with Mr. Lynch's debut novel. Pendulum captured my imagination quickly - through the time-tested devices of strong and interesting character development, a fast-paced, credible plot, spiced with fresh dialogue and intriguing plot twists. I enjoyed it immensely and recommend it highly!

Hi, I haven't read the book yet but I am going to order it now b/c my friend told me all about and how I just had to read it. Their ship is called the "sinfull sausage' what isn't to like?

This book was a good charming mystery. It had just the right amounts of twists and turns to make it a good, curl up by the fire book. The pirates give this book, just the right amount of jazz and the thousand islands in this book, gave it just the right touch of fantasy. Overall I'd rate it 4 stars!

This book was a very charming mystery. It had just the right amount of twists and turns to make it a good cozy curl-up-by-the-fire book. The pirates gave this book just the right amount of jazz, and the Thousand Islands really gave this book a nice touch of fantasy. Overall, I'd give this book 4 stars.

The book that Mahy wrote was one of the funniest books that I have ever read. This book was full of many laughs and suprises. It is about these middle age men who work very hard in a teashop and they are very tired of working. They want to do something they always wanted to do and that was to go on a voyage as pirates. So one day they just dropped eveything an set off to the thousand islands hoping to have fun. Before they set off the harmless bunch of pirates kidnapped a famous inventor to help seach for one of thoughs action filled adventures that pirates always have. If you are trying to find a funny book then this is the book for you.

The book that Mahy wrote was one of the funniest books that I have ever read. This book was full of many laughs and suprises. It is about these middle age men who wor very hard in a teashop and they are very tired of working. They want to do something they always wanted to do and that was to go on a voyage as pirates. So one day they just dropped eveything an set off to the thousand islands hoping to have fun. Before they set off the harmless bunch of pirates kidnapped a famous inventor to help seach for one of thoughs action filled adventures that pirates always have. If you are trying to find a funny book then this is the book for you.

I'd wonder how much time and frustration it would take finding out all this in depth information about the country and it's attractions myself. Especially since we didn't know much about Poland in the first place. It was a true blessing having this book around, especially since many Poles at places you need it most often don't speak English or German. Only price information should need some adjustment (which might have something to do with EU membership related inflation?). I used the print which was updated in Jan 2005, but some prices already doubled!

I recently went to Poland for the first time and found this book to be an absoutely wonderful guide to Warsaw, Krakow, and the Auschwitz concentration camps. All too often guide books that cover an entire country lack the kind of detail a traveler needs, but this book did not suffer that problem at all. The section on Warsaw was actually better organized and contained more detailed factual information than the DK book dedicated solely to that city. This was the only book I needed to help me get around Krakow and Auschwitz as well. I can't speak for the hotel and restaurant recommendations in the book because I never used any of them, but as far as information about historical sites and points of interest this is an outstanding book.

Update: In planning for my second trip to Poland, I recently purchased the Rough Guide to Poland, and I have to say it is even better than the Lonely Planet book because it includes quite a lot more detail. If you only buy one book, get the Rough Guide. But if you buy two, the Lonely Planet book is also very good.

My wife's maternal grandparents hail from Poland, so when planing a Eurpoean vacation for this summer, Poland it was. As independent travelers, we have always favored Lonely Planet travel books in the past. Once again Lonely Planet delivered the goods. Detailed descriptions of things to see & do, places to stay, and various methods of transportation. Additional internet rescources for finding more hotels than the ones reviewed. I would recommend this series of travel books to all from young backpackers to mature (myself) travelers.

Lonely Planet has been known for covering EVERYTHING in it's books. Thie one really does have a big flaw. Sites are quite OK and hotels are good too - though sometimes choices may be strange. However shopping is done dreadfully - at least in Warsaw. If your happy with the souvenirs you bought using this book, then you are quite lucky. Many shops with fine hand craft, genuine Polish hand-made are unlisted. Also shops with Jewish memorabilia, getting more popular after turbulent history tend to be missing. And when you come to normal shopping its a complete disaster! You wanna hang out in a mall or buy clothes a lot cheaper then in western Europe? Sure... Tourists and Ex-pats do it. But for sure NOT using Lonely Planet. The ever popular Arkadia Mall (biggest in this part of Europe), a place where English, German, French, Spanish and other languages are often heard as often as Polish is missing. So is the not much smaller and also popular with expats Galeria Mokotów. And what mall do tehy list? The dull out-skirt Sadyba Best Mall with a few stores, the usual fast-food joints and a few crappy stores. And it's lonely planets best tip on shopping? Come on! Almost no one goes there, except primary school trips (it's only attraction is the IMAX cinema).

I am puzzled by teh Warsaw shopping chapter. You can't come to the city and not here of Arkadia or Galeria Mokotów. If you see them, you can't recommend the crappy Sadyba Best Mall. So either someone didn't reaserch shopping at all (and just went to SBM) or Lonely Planets standards are dropping and the choice was made in some different dark ways. I just hope the ownership was not an issue. SBM is the only American mall. Arkadia is European, Galeria Mokotów - Jewish and most others French... What other thing could have provoked such a choice?

As a Pole living abroad (but frequently visiting) I have the dual perspective of "a local" but also that of a tourist. This book is easily the best source of background information on all sites and places in modern Poland, from the well-known tourist attractions to the small villages off the beaten track. I was pleasantly surprised at the depth of historical, ethnographic and cultural information about many of those places.
Thanks to this book I managed to discover some interesting places in Poland that I should have known about, if not visited before. Once I got there, I found that relying on the information in the book (especially on "how to get there" or "where to stay") proved more reliable than the information available to the visitor "on the ground". My short trip to the Jura National Park, north of Cracow, was a perfect example of a trip I would not have done if it was not for this guidebook.
Thoroughly recommended to anybody planning to spend an extensive holiday in Poland, or for repeat trips; if your travel is limited to the main cities like Warsaw, Cracow or Gdansk you may find other guidebooks, specific to those locations, sufficient.

This is a book written with courage and conviction. It addresses the potential for harm in the supervisory experience in a way that raises awareness of this dynamic, and names the experience and resultant trauma for those who have been mistreated in these important and powerful relationships. Our human desire to possess certainty, which is illusion at best, is part of what fuels these abuses of power. This book brings such issues to light, using both personal story and professional, theoretical understanding. It will be helpful to anyone in any role of the supervisory relationship.

In the model of corporate whistle blowing, Richard Raubolt tells his story of psychoanalytic training; exposing abuses of power, authority, status and control. In Power Games, he brings together respected analysts who weave a pattern of similar training experiences told with personal angst along with professional theory. Together, they identify the areas of training abuse and propose an alternative method of training that incorporates democratic principles of empathy, and respect for subjective experiences. This is a must read for individuals, like me, who are outside of the professional community of clinical psychotherapy. With an "insider's" help, the shroud is removed and we begin to understand the inner workings of this mental health profession. Collectively we should support the evolution of training practices that will inevitably develop therapists with greater self-understanding, knowledge and a voice of their own.

Richard Raubolt has authored a unique book. The perspectives of the prominent contributors to the book regarding the potential for abuse in psychotherapeutic training and supervision are diverse and eye-opening. The pitfalls of ego and authoritarian teaching on the part of trainers can be devastating and demeaning to potentially talented students of psychotherapy. Dr. Raubolt's courage in his documentation of his own toxic experience in clinical supervision is to be commended. He demonstrates in a very personal and powerful way, the potential for the misuse of power in the very institutions that are mandated to educate and support clinical excellence. This book is well written, informative and boldly honest. It is a "must read" for anyone that is involved in training; educators and students alike.

This is an original,brave book, which does what so many mental health books fail to do: it is unflinchingly honest and personal. Most books on psychotherapy discuss the dynamics of the patient or patients in intricate detail in order to support the author's or authors' version of "Truth"or at least what has been defined as Truth by instructors, supervisors and training analysts. The person of the therapist is homogenized and relegated to a "Stepford" professional existence in far too many training programs. As a result, both psychoanalysis and good writing are dying.
Well, this is not the case in this refreshing and frank discussion of training. While a number of theories are presented that are well articulated they follow rather than diminish the deeply personal experiences of those seeking advanced training and supervision. Complex, ornate and rarified theoretical nuances are not allowed to interfere with descriptions of effective, respectful and democratic training.
Senior supervisors, instructors and training analysts should be among the first to read this book. Candidates may also do well to study the experiences of other professionals before selecting a program of training. Honesty and learning go together best when done hand in hand for both student and teacher. -Dr. Becki J. Telford

In paper after varied, interesting paper, this book stitches together a picture of the painful underbelly of life in psychoanalytic institutes. Even where the best and brightest gather at the pinnacle of mental health thought and treatment, power corrupts as deftly and unconsciously as it does anywhere else in the human species.
For all our scholarship and dedication and aspirations to facilitate healing insight in our patients, it turns out that we have trouble walking our talk with each other. And worse yet, our candiates develop in our shadows.
As Raubolt demonstrates in this relevant and riveting collection of psychoanalytic experience, at least we have the wherewithal to turn an
analytic eye to our own fragility and our possibilities for reform and redepmtion. Both 'cult' and 'culture,' after all, derive from 'cultivation' ---of our own human soil, in this case. Luckily, we keep on tilling, often with humor, courage, resolve. This book speaks deeply to the task before us.

Nancy Spohn, LCSW, May 15, 2007

This particular book provides the reader with a comprehensive view of PHP development. I was pleased with the vast amount of topics covered. This book is a very useful tool for developers.

This is a great book in that the author provides comprehensive coverage of a complicated subject, and does it in clear, concise and understandable language. The book should be a promary resource for programmers. I look forward to more contributions from this author.

'Pro PHP XML and Web Services' by Robert Richards is a great book to help you learn your way around these technologies. Packing in over 900+ pages, this book gives a broad overview of the subject matter which is outlined here:

01. Introduction to XML and Web Services
02. XML Structure
03. Validation
04. XPath, XPointer, XInclude
05. PHP and XML
06. Document Object Model
07. SimpleXML
08. Simple API for XML
09. XMLReader
10. Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations
11. Effective and Efficient Processing
12. XML Security
13. PEAR and XML
14. Content Syndication: RSS and Atom
15. Web Distributed Data Exchange
16. XML-RPC
17. Representational State Transfer
18. SOAP
19. Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration (UDDI)
20. PEAR and Web Services
21. Other XML Technologies and Extensions

If you need a book that dives into the XML technology and doesn't look back, this is a nice pickup that gets the job done. Lots of other Apress books I feel are a bit too long, but this book at over 900 pages I have less complaints about. It's solidly written and a nice companion book to have on your bookshelf for anyone that programs with XML.

**** RECOMMENDED

This book is amazingly well written. The content is organized in an intuitive and logical fashion. The author explains base concepts and progresses into advanced topics, providing consistent depth of coverage along the way. The author's writing and concise examples get the message across on the first reading - unlike some texts that require multiple passes. It's also noteworthy that the Technical Reviewers, Christian Stocker and Adam Trachtenberg, are renowned PHP experts and authors. If you plan to study or work with PHP and XML, this book is a MUST HAVE.

This is first and foremost an XML reference. The author takes the reader through over 100 pages XML background in the first three chapters, then an overview of a few utilities like XPath and XPointer before he touches on PHP. Having provided some grounding in the basics, he then proceeds to develop the use of XML in PHP from the basic topics of DOM (Document Object Model) and XSLT (Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations) to the more advanced topics of SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) and web services.

Along the way Richards introduces the reader to utility classes like SimpleXML, SAX (Simple API for XML), XMLReader. He also touches on PEAR (PHP Extension and Application Repository) utility classes and topics like security, RSS (Really Simple Syndication) and UDDI (Universal Description, Discovery and Integration). The author's examples are reasonably concise and readable; making the necessary points without getting carried away.

The bottom line is that this is a highly effective reference (that means fairly comprehensive, but dry reading; I read cover to cover, but it was relatively tedious) on XML and its varied uses in association with PHP. This is not a book for the newcomer to programming, nor is it a cookbook for examples for the casual programmer/web developer, although the author does provide PEAR examples for connecting with major web services like Amazon, Google and Yahoo (among others). My suggestion for readers is to review what you need of the first 11-12 chapters to ensure a firm grounding in XML, and then hop to the chapters specific to the problem being faced.
P-)

With the intelligence community re-inventing itself to meet emerging threats, the Heuer book's re-release will serve the new generation of analysts well.
The first two chapters deal primarily with biases, mindsets and perceptions -- those key areas which have had less than a good impact on thinking in and outside of the intelligence field. The eighth chapter covers what he is known best for, the Analysis of Competing Hypotheses, covered in a step-by-step manner.
I require all my analytic students to read this book and I find it gives me new insights with every re-reading.
The new publishers have done us all a favor by putting this into the public venue once more.
Heuer's work and his ongoing contribution to the field make him an international intelligence treasure.

This book is simply a must read for anyone interesting in the field of intelligence. Heuer really knows his stuff.

The core function of the U.S. Intelligence System is to collect unprocessed information (data) and transform it into useful knowledge (intelligence). This transformation is accomplished through a cognitive process called `analysis' (more accurately research and analysis). Richard Heurer examines this process and attempts to explain how it is performed. This book reflects his long experience working for on the thorny issues associated with understanding analysis on behalf of CIA. The book is less than successful primarily because Heurer appears to believe that mere technique or `tradecraft' can be codified and used to produce good analysis.

In point of fact to focus on technique is to ignore the reality that the entire process of intelligence production is dependent on the analyst's knowledge of the target. This knowledge enables an analyst: to collate unprocessed information and extract relevant pieces from it; to recognize patterns of behavior and anomalies within the target; and to steer collection programs to obtain still more information about the target. Target knowledge, particularly for CIA analysts, should enable the analyst not only validate discrete target related events and occurrences, but also to integrate them into knowledge packages that would actually be useful to intelligence consumers. Perhaps more importantly, Heurer ignores the truth that good analysis is more dependent on the personality of the analyst than on any amount of training. The qualities of persistence, curiosity, objectivity, and intuition cannot be acquired through teaching. Finally Heurer gives very little attention to the value of sound research as an indispensable part of the analytic process. The analyst who presumes the information before him is all there is to a story is making a major error. True as, Heurer notes, information must be managed with care or it can overwhelm an analyst, but target knowledge should allow the analyst the wheat from the chaff. Properly executed research can result in a more informed and accurate intelligence product.

In the end Heurer makes a valiant attempt and certainly provides some important ideas and concepts that do help the analytic process. His arguments about perception, managing information, and open mindedness are all perfectly valid. Yet at the end of the day, target knowledge and personality will trump technique (tradecraft) every time.

One reviewer has the following criticism: "The book is less than successful primarily because Heuer appears to believe that mere technique or `tradecraft' can be codified and used to produce good analysis." Whether or not Heuer actually believes this or not, I do not know, however, I disagree with this criticism as it pertains to this book. I have never worked in a formal intelligence environment or as an intelligence analyst, so I am only addressing what I perceived as the intention, stated or not, of this book.

I believe it is clear that he is addressing this book (or series of articles) to those who are already trained intelligence analysts in some capacity, and is discussing the importance of, and giving some instruction on how, to avoid the pitfalls and hindrances associated with our human cognitive processes. From my perspective, he is not trying to teach a particular one-size-fits-all analysis technique, or trying to imply that anyone can perform and excel as an analyst just by following a prescribed procedure.

Actually, I believe he addresses some very deep and sophisticated topics in a very practical manner. His writing is very plain and easy to understand, as are the examples and studies he cites to make his point. He does not attempt to write like a scientist, he keeps the subject matter on a level that makes it easy to understand, which in turn, makes it more useful to you. (You cannot apply what you do not understand.) In fact, as I read this book I could immediately recall situations in my life where I paid a price for making some of the mistakes he outlines and see that I could have brought about much better conclusions and solutions if I had the knowledge in this book.

This is a very good book for any type of manager, lawyer, analyst in any field, detective, researcher, etc..I cannot imagine anyone not being helped by the subject manner in this book and his very practical instructional approach.

I have used what I learned in this book, and couple others, in some recent business problem solving efforts, and had very successful conclusions to these efforts.

Richards Heuer's Psychology of Intelligence Analysis is based on a compilation of declassified articles from the CIA's Center for the Study of Intelligence, prepared for intelligence analysts and management. However, this book will benefit anyone conducting analyses of complex scenarios in a structured way, including health care professionals, financial and market analysts from all industry verticals, law enforcement and security staff, auditors and fraud investigators, and many others.

Heuer's point is that `analysts should be self-conscious about their reasoning processes. They should think about how they make judgments and reach conclusions, not just about the judgments and conclusions themselves'. The book presents a discussion of how mental models and subconscious cognitive processes can limit our reasoning capabilities (especially when coping with uncertainty and doubt), as well as an introduction on how we can try to understand and negate these effects.

In his analysis, Heuer presents data from internal and external cognitive studies, scrutinizes past CIA success and failure cases, and proposes a re-evaluation of the way we generally look at problems. The author brilliantly makes his point in Chapter 13 by showing scenarios in which the reader is invited to review previous statements and `evidence' from the text, look at the discussion from different angles, methodically apply or remove certain models, and then compare his/her own conclusions as a professional analyst would be expected to do.

The outcomes are disturbing, but not surprising. Disturbing because it is alarming to see how our judgments are normally biased by previous experiences, pre-conceptions and mental models; also because it is extremely hard to change or even notice this fact by ourselves. Not surprising because we can see the same analytical problems happening over time; even when talented, trained professionals are warned about the dangers of cognitive biases, such as `events that people experience personally are more memorable than those they only read about. Concrete words are easier to remember than abstract words, and words of all types are easier to recall than numbers. [Information having the qualities cited] is more likely to be stored and remembered than abstract reasoning or statistical summaries, and therefore can be expected to have a greater immediate effect as well as a continuing impact on our thinking in the future'.

Heuer's presentation of the subject is very pleasant to read, fluid and rich in real-life examples from psychological research, political and military intelligence, and other domains. The author clearly differentiates empirical data from his own assumptions and opinions, even when his conclusions are naturally drawn from research data (i.e. following his own advice).

The book leaves the reader with some unanswered questions as to how one can change his/her own biased mental models to improve the outcomes of an analytical process, as many issues simply have no known remediation and are deeply rooted in the way humans reason. That being said, the greatest value of this book comes from Heuer's recommendations and logical steps to be followed in order to improve the accuracy of verdicts and conclusions, and avoid known cognitive traps that can ruin even an expert's assessment. Heuer also points out that by knowing about the existence and understanding the nature of the problem, we can further research ways to identify and isolate negative effects of cognitive limitations on our forecasts, plans, and professional judgements.

I finally got my hands on a copy of "Quake". It was probably one of Laymon's longest novels and certainly one of his best. It's the story of a family that gets separated during a huge earthquake in Los Angleles. Each family member goes through hell and high water to get back to their destroyed house. They all meet plenty of unsavory characters along the way as well. Laymon, to me, always does an excellent job of getting into the psyche of deranged minds. There are no shortage of deranged minds in this book.

Any one that had read anything by Laymon should not skip this book. It is rather hard to find, so if you come across it, do not hesitate to pick it up!!

I think Quake is the longest novel I've yet read by Richard Laymon, an author known for his wordiness. It is also one of the better novels of his I've read. I am always fascinated by how Laymon can delve into the psyche of a purely despicable character and make him realistic and yet entirely unredeemable.

After a huge earthquake, Los Angeles is in ruins. The three members of the Banner family, separated by their usual daily routines, are all trying to make their ways back to each other. Cliff, the husband and father, gets caught in traffic on his way to work; daughter Barbara's driver-ed teacher goes nuts while she and her friends are in the car with him, leaving them stranded in the city; and wife and mother Sheila, about to take a bath, dives naked into the tub upon hearing the rumble. As Cliff and Barbara work their ways home and have their own frightening adventures, Sheila must deal with Stanley Banks, the perverted neighbor who has been spying on Sheila and now see his opportunity to make all his fantasies come true -- if he can stop listening to the voices in his head long enough to make it happen.

Even at 567 pages, Quake is a really quick read. I did think at some times that Laymon was stretching events out a little far, but his depth of characterization makes it all worthwhile. Stanley is very likely the most fully developed villain I have read about in some time; all his thoughts, motivations, and actions are right there for the reader to pick up on, even if we would probably be better off not knowing.

But Laymon also shows his tender side through the other stories, as Cliff joins forces with thirteen-year-old Em, who reminds him of Barbara, and Barbara herself finds time in the midst of the chaos for a blooming teenage romance. Laymon is especially adept at writing teenage characters (see Come Out Tonight), and these asides make the horror a bit easier to take (though Quake is pretty tame compared to some of Laymon's other novels, like The Cellar), as the author once again exercises his talent for showing humanity at its worst.

All the ingredients of a classic Richard Laymon novel, sex, gore,sex,gore,and then more sex and gore. What takes place after the big quake hits is more terrifying the the quake itself. A quick fun read for any Laymon fan.

In this book the reader is introduced to Major League Geek and Momma's Boy Stanley who has rampant Hormonal Lustful Desires for his neighbour Sheila Banner. Then an Earthquake hits the Los Angeles area and Stanley's pathetic sexual fantasies may just be realized as Sheila is trapped in the bath in her house.Actually Stanley is so desperate that he is willing to have sex with any female which soon becomes apparent to the reader. In this book Laymon once again explores his tired old Themes of Teenage Lust Out Of Contol, Graphic Violence and Rape which a lot of sad,lonely individuals seem to like reading about.I give this book 5 stars because once again Laymon has enticed me to buy this book with the promise of something original so he did succeed in making me part with $15 for the usual Laymon trash masquerading as Horror.

This is not a book you want to read if you are easilly disturbed by anything. Laymon writes like a man with no conscience. I found myself shocked several times by the taboos he was willing to violate. A ton of shock value. Definately fun.

I have been hearing and reading Richard Rohr for many years. This daily meditation collection from a number of sources of his writings and talks is very valuable. More importantly, it has become part of my daily 'quiet time' in the morning. I consistetnly find it prophetic, personal and engaging....as any genuinely spiritual resource should be. If there is one daily meditation resource you want to get...this is it.

This is the best daily devotional I have ever read!!! Fr. Rohr is truely a "spiritual genius"! I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for the true spirit of Jesus and His teachings in the Catholic church, you will not be disappointed!!

Richard's simplicity and "prophetic" voice comes across quite beautifully in this book of daily meditations. His gift for making very difficult subjects into "a-ha" & "of course" experiences for the rest of us is quite remarkable. This all comes together in small daily tidbits via this wonder-full book. He continues to remind us that true spirituality is about simplicity, love(grace), letting go, and "grounded-ness"(Reality is God's greatest ally). His prophetic voice about our personal and societal idols (power, prestige, and possessions) is at the heart of the matter.

The meditations in this book are selections from the talks and books of Richard Rohr. Each is short and on a specific topics. Books can be used day-by-day or according to topic. There are more than enough meditations for every day. The meditations are not from the liturgical readings for the day, but rather according to the spirit of the season.

For those familiar with the work of contemporary work on the Trinity may appreciate Richard's reflection on An Image of God. Rohr appropriates a contemporary worldview of the Trinity using contradictory imagery to raise our consciousness of a relational Trinity. His description of Trinity illustrates the notion of radical grace which can comfort those wanting a deeper spirituality of love. The use of the term radical grace refers to Rohr's appeal to wisdom theology. It is through radical grace that the tension between the Father (the powerlessness of power) and the Son (the power of powerlessness) is reconciled by the Holy Spirit. Moreover, only faith sheds light why the tension must exist.

I have read this book a couple of times. I have used Dr.Colling's book, among others, to reconcile my scientific understanding, specifically concerning evolution, and my faith. I have been able to develop a harmonious understanding between the two topics, that I was told could never coincide. I thank Dr.Colling for his hard work and encourage his continuing research.

In September of last year (2007), Olivet Nazarene University Professor Richard G. Colling found himself embroiled in a controversy over views expressed in this book. Random Designer (Browning Press, 2004) had been used as a textbook in some of his science courses, and recommended by other professors at the university. When certain church members and pastors learned of the content of Random Designer, they objected to Colling's views on evolution loudly and persuasively. Despite the support of faculty at Olivet, several of these denominational leaders wielded their influence to intervene and compel the removal of Colling from the biology department.

One unintended consequence of their action is that I picked up and read Colling's work. Hopefully, the controversy will spur many such new sales, because I believe that many will benefit from reading Random Designer. The book targets some of those very pastors that led the charge against Colling, as indicated on this slip cover blurb:

"Written in easy-flowing personal narrative for working professionals, pastors, religious leaders, public school teachers, college students, and people of all faiths, Random Designer is a story of a loving and caring Creator who miraculously harnesses the random and chaotic forces of nature to accomplish his ultimate purposes. And now, after faithfully laboring for billions of years to bring His creation to an awareness of Himself, He calls to us from the deepest recesses of our minds. Will we hear His voice?"

Random Designer is divided into two sections. Section I deals with the science of randomness. Randomness is the necessary consequence of the laws that govern our cosmos, particularly the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics, or entropy. Colling shows how entropy works as a randomizer, and how this same law suffuses the earth with a constant flow of energy which in turn serves to being order to randomness. Hence, in Colling's view, the natural rise of life on earth through evolutionary processes. Randomness becomes the necessary fodder for natural selection, and it is apparently the Designer's tool of choice. If like me, you have contemplated the place of randomness in Creation, you will benefit from Colling's descriptions of these processes.

In Section II, Colling turns from science to the theological and practical considerations of randomness. I want to highlight two of the chapters. One seeks to answer questions that surround Adam. Is Adam an historical figure? Is he a metaphorical "stand-in" for the human race? Colling explores these and other possibilities. A chapter which fascinated me is entitled "The Ultimate Creation". Colling cites science which suggests that the human race may have arrived at the pinnacle of evolution. The same processes of randomness that increase complexity must also serve to maintain complexity. The complexity of the human genome may have reached a balancing point. Or to put it another way, the human genome may be nearing full capacity. If this is true, as genetics suggests it may be, then it is not unreasonable to conclude that we are the ultimate creation of the Random Designer!

Random Designer is written for undergraduates, and as such is an easy read. If you are seeking understandings which bring purpose and order to a world of apparent randomness, you may find Colling's book helpful.

I appreciate the different perspective. I would like to encourage the author to continue his work in this area.

Colling writes in a clear and understandable manner to show how biology, and in particular evolution, is in accord with basic Christian theology. Frankly if you have studied biology a good deal, you'll find this work rather repetitive and simplistic. You want to read something like Perspectives on an Evolving Creation or God After Darwin: A Theology of Evolution. But this book is ideal for the biology layman, who had little training or forgot what they learned previously, and never understood the basics of evolution.

In a sence, Colling is the anti-Behe. Behe wants to show how there are some aspects of life that are inherently complex, and therefore couldn't have evolved. He therefore goes into great detail on the steps of different processes, to show how this is a complex process, and obviously, couldn't have happened "merely by chance". In doing so, he doesn't go into any greater detail than would be found in a myriad of other disciplines, in a higher-level text consulted by experts in the discipline. Behe thus gives an impression of false complexity. Colling instead shows how the basics of evolution are easily understandable, while recognizing that the theory is rather complex. Colling goes through evolution step by step, relating it to our understanding of God in the Bible, thus showing that the issue is more a matter of superior pedagogy and good heuristics, rather than objects which are "irreducibly complex".

The first half of the book shows what evolution is, and why it's believable. Colling explains in concise terms ideas like entropy, neatly side-stepping misconceptions commonly held by Literal Creationists like entropy forbidding the development of complex lifeforms. The second half delves into what the meaning of all this evolution can have for our understanding of Christ as Christians. Particularly of note is the title idea- that randomness exists, and God uses this randomness in his design. Indeed, it is within this idea that Colling actually introduces some novel thoughts, on how failure is necessary for God's success.

This is not a book to convince the unbeliever, nor is it groundbreaking for those who closely follow the Intelligent Design controversy, or the theology of evolution. It is however an excellent work for those new to the discussion, wishing to get their feet wet and understand the basics. In fact, for that purpose, I have never run across a finer book.

This book addresses science and faith. Colling starts out discussing thst the purpose of the book is to attempt to reconcile, explain, and exlore the views of science and faith. The fist part of the book involves bringing non-science people up to speed on basic biological principles and research. The second part addresses the much more elusive aspect of why we were created as we were created.
This book is like beef jerky. It is really tough to chew and the processing is slow at times, but when you get done, you have to have another piece. It is hard to reform ideas about creation from the Christian upbringing to accepting the scientific evidence. It would seem that God could have chosen evolution to create His most prized possession. The informationon the Second Law of Thermodynamics, radio isotope dating, the Big Bang theory, and the possible ways that the first life could have formed was extremely helpful and tactfully presented.
The foundation set in the first part stands firm for the much more subjective second part. Some main points were that we were created to know the Creator, humans are the first creation with the ability to discern the presence of God, life is mainly about intimate relationships , and we are made in the image of God, therefore having the mind of God.
No matter what veiws you hold on this issue, this would be a beneficial book for you to chew on.

OK. What more do you need to know? This book is written by three gentlemen who live, eat and breathe computer incident response & forensics. The fact that they present the information in a well written and easy to follow format is just a bonus! If you're one of those "I wanna do it" types like me, you'll read through the material and then tackle the provided data to see if you can solve the crime. A great starting point for future incident responders and folks who want to know more about computer forensics.

Thanks a lot, we are very happy to have this book in our library!

I took this book because it was told to me by my professor to purchase it.
But after reading its content I feel its really worth buying this book.

As an author and instructor, I tend to be pretty picky about the books I choose to read and use in my classes. The authors present the material in a good logical progression. I especially like that it also provides sample evidence on the DVD. Most of the computer forensic books that currently exist contain mostly theory. This is the first good hands-on text that I have seen.

The authors have captured a good cross section of scenarios and then guide you through each case in-depth, offering practical solutions when faced with obstacles. The content provides methodologies, techniques, and tools that anyone can use. In addition it covers a variety of media such as USB memory and Palm devices.

This is a book that I will definitely keep. It is one of the best forensic investigations books currently on the market and would be a great asset to anyone wishing to enhance their skills.

This book is written in such a style that is easy to understand, yet technical and detailed enough to maintain your interest and attention all the way through.

The book presents several ways of accomplishing the same tasks in a non-biased, non-vendor-specific way. It explores the use of free, open-source tools as well as commercial offerings, and drills down into forensic analysis of both Windows and Unix/Linux Operating Systems.

The included CD contains actual forensic data and a few tools, which is both interesting and exciting to use while following along with the lessons in the book.

After receiving this book and opening it to the first page, I was almost unable to set it down until I finished it. I received it on a Friday afternoon and I had completed reading it by the end of the weekend. I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in Computer or Network Security.