Richardson Books

I spent about a month reading this guide and the Lonely Planet series while planning my trip to Egypt... Well, they were both OK, but the Rough by Dan Richardson is way more detailed and has more practical info on fees, schedules, hotels and workarounds if something goes wrong. Through the trip (Hurghada - Aswan - Luxor - Cairo - Suez - Hurghada) the LP was what I read in the evening before going to museums or tombs and RG was what I carried around in my pocket through the day. My estimate is that I saved not less than fifty times the cost of this book just because I knew most of the prices and situations in advance, before bargaining :)
A must have for travel in Egypt

I used this book while in egypt. I found it to be very outdated and did not have much of the relevent information that I needed. I am normally a big fan of the rough guides but this purchase taught me the lesson that you need to be aware of when the book was published. I did not realize the book was nearly three years old when I bought it. If they have not come out with a recent update then purchase a different book -time schedules change rather frequently and the more uptodate the book is the better off you are.

This book has a wonderful account of the history and culture of Egypt as well as ways on how to make your hard earned dollar do more for you by not letting people rip you off. If you don't like getting robbed by those crazy Egyptians and want to have fun in Egypt this is the book for YOU.

An industriously put together guidebook but poorly informed and dull to read. It's not bad on practical information but hardly turns up anything really new or interesting that you can't find in any other book. More importantly, you do not really have confidence that its authors know much about the history or culture of the country, while what they tell you of the sites seems either taken from other and better books or is what you can see for yourself. No insight, in other words, no gleams of illumination. And it is so politically correct that it is worse than having gippy tummy.

To the point, told you what you needed to know, without saturating you with information. I travelled with a couple of friends to Egypt and found their book to be more informative than mine, despite the fact that their Rough Guide was a little out of date when they bought it. It is especially useful if you are looking for cheap accomodation in Luxor and to a lesser extent, Aswan, plus it also provided some decent maps of both areas. One amusing snippet that caught my attention was the information about the back way into the Valley of the Kings (for the fit amongst you only) - you turn right just before the ticket collection point at Hapshepsut, passed the souvenir stalls and follow the path up the side of the hill. Once at the top and passed a hill on top, veer right again to go into the Valley of the Kings. Unlike the main entrance (where you are checked to see you have tickets), you don't have to pay to get in this way, but you can't get into any of the tombs if you haven't bought the tickets - courtesy of the information in Rough Guide. The Egyptians check for tickets again at each tomb entrance, which from what I can remember, you are told about in the book anyway. Still worth it for the views though, especially of Hapshepsut, but DON'T GO TOO NEAR THE EDGE OF THE CLIFF.

The Aswan bit is also clearer than other books, for example, one bit of info. it gives compared to others, is the fact that once you have paid to go to Philae Temple (which is on an island), you have to haggle with the owners of the boats in order to get there.

All in all, a very comprehensive book, but the edition I saw needed a little updating.

This book is a simple introduction to the topic of evangelism. The writer seems especially influenced by "Experiencing God" by Henry T. Blackaby and to a lesser extent by the perspective of Bishop N.T. Wright. Although the book began by giving me the impression that the writer had no idea of how to arrive at actually making disciples, he managed to dispell these fears in the last few chapters. This isn't the best I've ever read on the topic, but its also not the worst.

I found this material to be a great and refreshing look into evangelism. As a firm believer and one who loves to talk about Jesus, Life and Love, I began to wonder if anybody else thought the current "system of evangelism" was a bit to strict, legalistic and constricted. Not everyone could deal with this system, and I wanted to figure out if others were out there like me. It was a great way to understand how the author might approach evangelism--more like a tour than a sales pitch--and how to go about telling others about this approachable and tangible lifestyle.
Great for all readers of Christianity, whether you believe in sharing or not. It's a part of life, to share it with others and get them excited.

Rick Richardson has done an outstanding job of weaving together the tapestry of contemporary culture with the mandate to bring the good news in it's timeless truth. He does a phenominal job of updating evangelistic methods for today - avoiding the irrelevance of the '70s techniques and the pitfalls that many 'postmoderns' easily fall into. Before you are done with this book, Rick will turn you from a 'gospel salesman' into a welcoming 'tour guide'.

I give it 5 stars and have already recommended it to a dozen friends. I'll use it broadly in my ministry!

This book captivated my attention from the moment I opened it. Richardson's analogy of Christians as Travel Guides vs. Salesmen is a perfect frameword in which to examine how we have practiced evangelism in previous generations. Travel Guides help those with whom they travel recognize what is already going on around them and invite them to respond and take next steps. How exciting for the church to understand it's role is no longer to "sell" something (they were never really sure quite what they were supposed to sell anyway) but to simply accompany people in their normal, anything but ordinary lives and....be open.
I personally can't wait until the DVD curriculum comes out in 2007! I know our church will be studying it.

Does your evangelism lack vitality? Do you get turned off by the sales approach to evangelism? Do you struggle experiencing the Good News as good news?

Rick Richardson replaces the old sales image of evangelism with the new images of travel guide, detective, collaborator, listener, story-teller and matchmaker. All these images are more compelling and motivating than selling Jesus to non-Christians!

Rick's thought-provoking presentation of the gospel message gives a fresh vision of God awesome love and desire to transform the whole world. It's a Big Story that you will want to share with your friends.

Reimagining Evangelism will change your evangelism paradigm, and renew your passion for joining the adventure of inviting friends on a spiritual journey.

eh. The title is intriguing; the back summary interesting... but that's about it. While parts are funny it lacks wit; other bits are disturbing. The continual cursing gets old fast and is exhausting, and somewhat adolescent or even "Jerry Springer-esque." I can only think the writer is as bitchy as her character; Bailey is certainly a [...]... not that those she encounters aren't just as unhappy, sorry souls... you can't make this stuff up, really. Although exaggeration seems to be Richardson's forte making this at times over the top... The dialogue and continual spew of language made for depressing reading, not exactly an uplifting, eye-opener. Lacks intellectual wit and charm... Pity, because the novel does have potential. Had a hard time NOT noticing typos... Reading it made me depressed and [...]. Perhaps the negative emotions are exactly what Richardson is trying to bring out in the reader. I felt the author really WANTS the reader to sympathize w/ Bailey but fell short. Bailey is a victim of herself... Tired of, blaming others, for one's circumstances. I read to be enlightened... With so many great novels to read, this wasn't one of them.

Not much interesting in the book, better off driving around looking for a spot. I want my $26 back.

I was a Boston Meter Maid for 3 years and even though I can't say that I know K. Richardson, I do know her character Bailey. Bailey has traits of all the Meter Maids I knew, including myself. You start off trying to be as nice as can be and give everyone a break but when you start to think your name is the C word and everyone has a story for you, (like I'm really that stupid to fall for it) it turns you into a b*%ch and all you have to defend yourself is your mouth and a sense of humor. The stories may seem unbelievable to some but I was carried a block down Dorchester Ave by some men coming out of a bar during their lunch break, chased out of Fanieul Hall by a 6ft tall irate CUSTOMER, cursed out in every language known to man, threatened, had things thrown at me, parents walk by with their small children and tell them I'm a mean lady, etc.
The book portrayed an accurate picture of what I experience being a PARKING ENFORCEMENT OFFICER. I laughed my butt off reading this book.
Next time you see a Meter Maid and really want to mess with her or his head, smile at them and say "Have a nice day!" They will spend the next couple of days trying to figure out what you meant by that.
Long story short- Well worth reading!

I found this book to be full of probable facts for this life of Bailey. I could not imagine facing so many strangers in a day and have them HATE me right away...because of a JOB. To be judged, threatened, verbally abused, and physically attacked because of a uniform. I believe Bailey brought out the true evil and cruelty that everyone has inside...(when the person ticketed KNOWS that they truly deserve it, but, are PISSED at being CAUGHT!!**feeling like a kid caught with their hand in a cookie jar, and acting out like one..name calling,swearing, shoving....sounds like a bratty kid to me ***) The people that she did face and had to confront tells the TRUE life of a metermaid...not just in Boston, but I believe NOW every metermaid across this country. I believe the main character to be TRUE to life. This is one job that swearing IS apart of the lifestyle. 2 THUMBS UP for the WRITTEN truth!! If swearing is the only downfall that the readers don't like.....wear the uniform for a day or two and find out how many people YOU hear using that exact language....YOU can learn a lot from this book. Hopefully you can get past the brassy language and reach the true guts of this story.

Imagine the stories a metermaid could tell you - this is it! Very funny and entertaining. It's a very original idea for a novel - I've never read anything like it. Be prepared for a wild ride!

If you a rookie in video codec design, you can get basic knowledge from this book. Basic algorithms are explaned in detail(Such as, DCT, Motion Estimation and Compensation,and Entropy Coding). Read this book and read source code you'll know a lot.

This book belongs to the kind that gives you highest expectation before strongest disappointment.

Implied by its title, I bet most people will presume it focuses on the DESIGN of a video codec, not a REVIEW of various techniques in standards.

Unfortunately, only Chap. 13 has sth to do with DESIGN.

This book may be useful for people who do not know much about video coding, but it's not for people who looks for information on how to design a video codec.

From my experience, open source/free software packages, like MPEG4IP, MPEG2encode/decode, TMN H.263 codec, and standards documentation will offer much much more for a reader interested in DESIGN.

Not recommended because the title is too misleading.

The book contains a good coverage of the material related to video CODECc design .This book deals with the intricacies of the video presents separate sections on key components of video CODECs and system design issues like motion estimation and compensation,transform coding, entropy coding, pre- and post-processing, distortion and complexity, transmission of coded video, and platforms.
Author provides a good online help in case of any confusion or doubts which is of immense help.

This book attempts to tell you everything about all the video
compression standards in less than 300 pages. Now does that
really sound possible ?

It was obviously put together this way to appeal to the widest
possible audience, and therefore dilutes its content on each
of the individual coding standards (MPEG-1,2,4 H.263, H.264)
to the point of being useless.

JPEG gets a disproportionate 5 pages, which is not video really,
and then MPEG-2 gets 3 pages and MPEG-4 1 page. Then H.261
H.263 and H.26L are grouped together and are discussed in 13
pages.

Then the book goes into Motion Estimation/Compensation, but
of course it's presented as a generic subject not specific
to any of the standards, which is okay for the pure ME part
but the various encoding modes of the individual standards
are lost (hey, isn't this a HUGE part of understanding
video compression ?).

Rate control, the brains of the video codec, is glossed over.
There is a brief intro to Rate-Distortion theory which doesn't
mention clearly that this is impractical from an implementation
standpoint, and then a brief rehash of TM5 for MPEG-2 and TM8
for H.263.

So far, the only decent book I've found on video compression
(where my interest has been MPEG-2) is "Techniques and Standards
for Image, Video and Audio Coding" by Rao and Hwang.

Then again, I haven't found a thing in any of these books that
you cannot find on the web for free that is much better.

I bought many video related technical books, and I have to say this is the best one on video compression. My other favourite book is: "Video Demystified, 3rd Edition" on the general subject of video technology.

This book not only introduces theory and mathematical backgroups for video coding, but also explains to you the "why" in an easy-to-understand manner. The book also summarizes a lot of practical techniques that people developed during the recent years when implementating some of video coding algorithms.

It is not the amount of information presented in this book that attacted me, it is the way the author introducing those concepts that really brought my interest. Once you have the interest established and the necessary backgroup, you can now go search the internet for all detail video compression information you need (MPEG1/2/4, H261/263/264 standards, fast ME algorithms, rate-distortion algorithm, source code, etc).

I also highly recommend this book as a senior undergrad text book on video coding.

Beginning Python is book on programing using the python language. This book serves as a tutorial or guide to the python language for anyone. If all you know is how to save text files,then you can learn python using this book. If you are an expert programmer then this book then this would be great if you love Java, C++, Perl, or any other language you will have a great time learning Python

I did not find this book very helpful for learning Python. First of all the book is not very informative. In each chapter, you are introduced to a new idea (e.g. lists) but you don't really learn much about it, different/creative ways to use it, or why you would want to.

Any book that purports to teach you a programming language ultimately passes or fails based on the examples it gives you in the text and the excercises it gives you at the end of each chapter. This is where the book is especially poor. There is only one example that runs throughout this book: how to make an omelet. On its own, it's not horrible. In general, program is like a recipe: you give it stuff at the begining and instructions and then you end up with a finished product (although, oddly, this analogy is never made in the book). The main problem, though, is that this is the only example. Every new idea is shown only once, in the context of this example, and many tricks that can be done with Python, but are not relevant to this example are not included in the book.

What's more, the excercizes are all keyed to the same example of making an omelet, which gets more and more ponderous with every passing chapter. Worst of all, as soon as your code no longer performs the way they describe, you're out of luck. You can no longer work through the ideas in the book and it is largely useless.

The bottom line is that there are much better books for learning Python. I would recomend getting "Learning Python" by Lutz and Ascher.

My primary compliment to "Beginning Python" is that it makes learning Python seem easy. .

The book covers a lot of Python basics like strings, numbers, operators, variables. It also covers advanced topics like network programming, extending Python through C/C++, threading, GUI programming and Python with XML. In the end it discusses about the new features of Python release 2.4. Last Chapter "Integrating Java with Python" covers - scripting with java applications, Jython, integrating Java and Jython, J2EE servlets in Jython. I find it useful for both python and java programmer.

Book provides exercises at the end of every chapter, which can help you for self study and better understanding of the concepts. The explanations and the code throughout the book are easy to understand

I think this book would be a good choice for someone in the beginner to intermediate range. If you are a programmer (C, C++, Java, Perl) then it may be a little slow for you. A lot of time is put into syntax, control flow, and basic data structures, it can get a little difficult to digest. I thought more could have gone into topics like "Writing Shareware and Commercial programs".

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn Python but is new to programming.

Python is one of those programming languages I hear about a lot, but I've never taken the time to pick up a book and find out more about it. To fix that, I got a copy of Beginning Python (published by Wrox) by Peter Norton, Alex Samuel, David Aitel, Eric Foster-Johnson, Leonard Richardson, Jason Diamond, Aleatha Parker, and Michael Roberts. Not a bad title to use to get started...

Contents: Introduction; Programming Basics and Strings; Numbers and Operators; Variables - Names for Values; Making Decisions; Functions; Classes and Objects; Organizing Programs; Files and Directories; Other Features of the Language; Building a Module; Text Processing; Testing; Writing a GUI with Python; Accessing Databases; Using Python for XML; Network Programming; Extension Programming with C; Writing Shareware and Commercial Programs; Numerical Programming; Python in the Enterprise; Web Applications and Web Services; Integrating Java with Python; Answers to Exercises; Online Resources; What's New in Python 2.4; Glossary; Index

When I first started reading, I was a little disappointed at the target level. Up through about the Functions chapter, it's information that any programmer should already know (loops, variables, etc.) and would be best used by someone who had never programmed before in their life. While they do say that particular demographic is intended as a reader, I was hoping for more. From Classes on, it's material that squarely hits where intermediate programmers live and breathe, and it's at that point that the book takes off (in my opinion). Using the basic Python skills learned in the first section, you start to see how those concepts are applied in real programs that actually do stuff. And given the wide array of subjects they hit (C integration, GUI development, XML, etc.), you should quickly learn how best to use this language in many of the common situations you'll run into on a day-to-day basis. The writing style and format is consistent, as well as their use of examples throughout the book. You don't find yourself switching gears every few pages for some new contrived example that just came out of left field.

This is a book I'll be holding onto in order to free up time to get some hands-on experience with Python. It gives me what I need to know along with numerous ways to apply that knowledge, and from there I can decide how much further to take my learning...

This book is interesting to see some of the differences between the Doberman standard in the U.K and in the U.S.
A lot of pictures from U.K Champion Doberman Pinschers.
It does have many usable diagrams of the breed standars in it.

I AM STILL WAITING FOR THIS BOOK TO COME. I THOUGHT IT WOULD HAVE COME BY NOW? PLEASE ADVISE. THANKS KEITH

I have recomended this book for years. I am a Doberman Breeder, and it is an excellent source of information. The has several different pictures, that expaline to the novice what the true standard for the breed should look like. It also give some training instructions, and some health issues are covered. I know it is a book that will stay in my refrence collection. Yes it is an older book, but still holds true, information.

The most current information on this typical family dog with special sections on color genetics and related conditions.

Page 17 -- recipe for Double Chocolate Brownies. Part of the recipe is missing. When do you add the eggs, vanilla and sugar listed in the ingredients?

I am surprised that someone didn't notice this since the first printing which appears to have been in 2002, but perhaps the error did not appear in those issues.

I just bought this book and it makes me hesitant to try the recipes -- just wondering if there are other mistakes (this one was obvious).

Note also -- there are only 117 pages in this book with 77 recipes listed (77 recipes if you include the recipe for the double chocolate brownies on page 17 which isn't complete). I think the suggested price of $25.00 is a little expensive for the content.

This is a delightful book for browsing and getting inspired. The photos are pretty and the recipes fine. I wish the author would have included a copy of the current menu at the time of publication. This would help in planning a visit to know if one wants to go for lunch, the real teatime or something else. Overall, I love the book and it is througly charming.

How disappointed I was in purchasing this book, especially considering how much I've read about the author. The writing is marginal, relying more on recipes from the tea rooms. The photographs are low quality, and do not typically depict the tea atmosphere as normally presented by the tea rooms. I was expecting "CLASSY" and got "TACKY". I think the author, Bruce Richardson, uses this book and his other to officiate his own tea room.

Bruce Richardson has done it again! After much success with "The Great Tea Rooms of Britain," loyal readers asked for and encouraged Richardson to do an American version. Over a three year span, logging alot of air and road miles, he has produced what so many have been longing for. He has given us the first-ever look into some of "The Great Tea Rooms of America."

While not feasibly being able to include ALL tea rooms in America, Richardson, based on his many years of experience in the tea trade, picked those that he thought best represented the fine art of tea. His knowledge is incredibly valuable. He begins the book with an introduction of tea itself and the history of the introduction of tea into America. Then begins the journey. With a wonderful representation of many different styles, twenty-one tea rooms are spotlighted, including: Brown Palace Hotel of Denver, Butchart Gardens of Victoria, British Columbia, Cliffside Inn of Newport, Rhode Island, Drake Hotel of Chicago, Dunbar Tea Room of Sandwich, Massachusetts, Dunshanbe Teahouse of Boulder, Colorado, Fairmont Empress Hotel of Victoria, British Columbia, Farmhouse Tea Shoppe of Dunwoody, Georgia, Disney's Grand Floridian Resort of Lake Buena Vista, Florida, Hydrangea of Wilmette, Illinois, Landy Mendl's of New York City, Lady Primrose's Thatched Cottage of Dallas, McCharles House of Tustin, California, Rose Tree Cottage of Pasadena, California, St. Regis Hotel of New York City, Sentimental Rose Tea Garden of Frazeysburg, Ohio, Swan House of Findlay, Ohio, The T Salon of New York City, The Tea Room of Savannah, Georgia, Waldorf-Astoria of New York City....and of course Richardson's own Elmwood Inn of Perryville, Kentucky. Included in the description of each particular tea room is a bit of history, delicious recipes, great color photographs (Bruce is also a photographer), and a narrative overview of his tea experience there. Included is Jane Pettigrew's (of London) editorial on Elmwood Inn. Each tea room's mailing address, phone number and website are listed in the back. I found the book to be informing, interesting and quite simply...fun.

While I know there are many American tea lovers that are thrilled this book is finely completed, there must be as many international tea lovers that are just as thrilled, as this book makes for an excellent tea traveler's guide across the great United States of America. I assure you, you can find confidence in this wonderful book. With Perryville being home to me, I frequent Elmwood Inn and enjoy the pleasures of afternoon tea as prepared by my friends, Bruce and Shelley Richardson. (I feel so fortunate!) After all, this is the only American tea room to be recommended by the British Tea Council.

Wyman Richardson's account of life on Cape Cod, first published in 1947, is a delight to read even tho' much has changed on the Cape since then. This is a book to treasure in the dead of winter when one longs to 'feel the whims of the sea'or 'hear the slow low pitch of a cricket's song.' Richardson, besides being a physician, is a first rate nature writer. His 'other' life comes alive as he describes morning in the old farmhouse where 'you can look out the south windows over the ...grassy hills...over the blue water of Nauset Marsh' and in the early morning 'an orange moon slipping behind the western horizon.' Richardson paints pictures with words that draw the reader, however briefly, into the pages of his book. First rate. I loved it.

I picked up this book looking for a unique, personal perspective on life on Cape Cod. What I got was long-winded discussions of fishing. If you're into long descriptions of and justifications for fishing and duck hunting--you might like this book. The book is also annoyingly written. The author switches voice all over the place: back and for from "I" to "you" to "one." I found that very distracting. He doesn't seem to know that much about the Cape either. If you want ruminations on the quiet of nature--don't bother; try Thoreau's Cape Cod or Henry Beston's The Outermost House.

This is an important book because it, like Thoreau's journals, is a record of a particular place at a particular time. What did it look like then? What plants, birds, fish came and went? How did people think about the place? These questions are answered in writing that transports you back in time to an apparently quieter and more leisurely world. Yes, there's a bit too much on fishing and hunting for my taste, but I find that I just skip those chapters when I go back to this book, as I do every couple of years. A must for anyone trying to get a handle on Cape Cod.

Set in a small farm house on a Cape Cod marsh in a the 1940s and early 50s, it portrays the Cape in a time before masses of visitors changed it from an isolated backwater to an overrun tourist destination (a change that seems to have taken over so many parts of our country). I spent summers on the Cape as a young boy in the late 50s and early sixties, and Richardson's writing brings back that sense of wild emptiness and special light that used to make Cape Cod so special. The writing and lovely illustrations recall a time when you could have a hand in the gathering of your own food and take joy in the beauty of the process. We have gained much smugness and lost so much else since then; the House on Nauset Marsh brings back a sense of how lives connected to nature used to be.

Good read for someone that loves hiking and enjoys the emotional freedom that comes with it. Enjoy the views through the author's eyes and feel the experiences through his words.

A very good read.

I enjoy hiking and have often fantasized of taking six months off from work and hiking the Appalachian trail. Reading this book, a diary of one who completed the trail, and who was subject to frequent bad weather and mice crawling over him in trail shelters, among other things, brought me back to reality. I would give the book 4 stars were it not for the many typographical errors I found.

I found this book to be very enjoyable. I enjoy hiking and since reading this book I have hiked on several stretches of the Appalachain Trail. The book really put you in the "boots" of Mr. Richardson as he journeyed. I admire him for his perserverance and faith. Not only was it a joy to read the book, I learned several hiking tips. The book was well written and easy to understand.

I have to believe that this book was self published. No reputable (or unreputable for that matter) publisher would print a book with as many spelling errors as this one had. I cannot imagine that even the author bothered to read it through prior to printing and missed this many spelling errors. One can find as good of trail journals on the internet for free. I wouldn't bother buying this book.

It is surprising to see such a large amount of useful and well-presented information in a tiny volume like this. Although intended as a supplemental book emphasizing computer experiments, much theory is included, even if presented in a cursory manner. There are exercises and projects included for hands-on experimentation with the algorithms that are quite helpful. Unfortunately, it is too bad that the software does not work as promised, as this does subtract noticeably from the total learning experience. Note that this book is 12 years old, so you're not getting the latest developments in the field, but it is a good starting point for learning about speech coding. I would say if you can get it at a used book price, it is probably still worth the investment. It makes a good companion to the more modern "Speech Coding Algorithms: Foundation and Evolution of Standardized Coders" by Chu. The following is the table of contents.

DSPLAB: The DSP Laboratory Software.
Quantization: PCM and APCM.

Waveform Coding with Fixed Prediction.

Pitch-excited Linear Predictive Vocoder.

Waveform Coding with Adaptive Prediction.

Analysis-by-Synthesis LPC.

Subband Coding.

Projects.

Appendices.

Bibliography.

Index.

I gave this book only three stars. However, if the software had worked correctly, I would have probably given it four or five stars.

This is an excellent introduction to speech coding, but like the other reviewers, I failed to get the software to play out speech files (using soundblaster boards of various vintages - it always failed).

The text is very good and I would like to employ this in my teaching, but inability to hear the results is very frustrating.

Another reviewer has commented on difficulty playing the sound files. I experienced the same problem. I found a work around using some third party software, but I expected better from Georgia Tech.

I expected trouble free software. I didn't get it. Your milage may vary.

This book is written from a practical perspective and this makes it a pleasure to learn about speech coding. Practical exercises provided in the book are can be done with the software provided (2 disks) and this makes learning fun. As a beginer to DSP and espicially to speech processing, I have found most books very technical and difficult to follow without the guidance of a technical person. This book cuts through the technical jargon and gets to the heart of the matter. There are real audio files on which Digital speech processing can be performed, however i found that with my computer, i could not play/hear the sound files. The graphical user interface is straightforward and not difficult to use. I'm glad I bought this book.