Shaw Books

This delightful novel has rekindled my desire to read or re-read the classics. I picked it up for no particular reason other than I had never read Hugo. I didn't expect much: My experience with the classics in high school and college was that they are dull and not worthy of modern reading. But, to my pleasant surprise, I discovered a fascinating book that is rich in wonderful characters and vivid descriptions of 13th century Paris. This is a very good book and it's easy to see why it has stood the test of time.

After a recent trip to Paris with my son on a business trip, I decided it was crazy that I had been to Paris and inside Notre Dame so often yet had not read this classic novel. As someone who loves modern Paris, this book captivated me with its vivid portrayal of life in medieval Paris. What a far cry from Baron Hausman's modern Paris -- a Paris with teeming with squalor, poverty, vagabonds -- and the King's Court. Hugo paints wonderful portraits of the main characters -- the hunchback bellringer of Notre Dame, Quasimodo; the tormented archdeacon, Claude Frollo; the exotically beautiful gypsy, Esmeralda.

All of these characters and the city of Paris come to life in a way that transports one back 650 years. My only criticisms of the book are the couple of chapters that painstakingly outline the street detail of Paris and the layout of Notre Dame. For me, these interrupted the flow of the story, the development of the characters and left me quite bored. As soon as Hugo got back into the core story and plot, I was re-captivated.

I do wish that the original French title was preserved -- Notre Dame de Paris -- rather than the English "Hunchback of Notre Dame". While Quasimodo is certainly a core character, the book is a story about medieval Paris, the daily life of the city, the ordinary citizens of the growing city,the privileged class and themes of love, passion, death and honor. For someone misled by the title, this book is far richer, deeper and more complex than just the story of a deformed bell-ringer of Notre Dame in spite of the images that are etched in most people's minds, a great many who haven't read the book.

This is truly one of those novels that deserves its rightful place in the pantheon of literature classics.

Short and ugly ain't no fun. Either is being a witch.


If you aren't interested in fifteenth century Paris, France, and a considerable amount of detail about the odd large building there, don't read this book, you will find it somewhat on the tedious side.

The interesting part of course is that you know something nasty is coming between the accused girl, the authority figure that wants to do her over, the dumb pretty boy, and the smarter would-be saviour Quasimodo.

This novel was written as an argument against the death penalty. The victim was a young, naive innocent girl caught at the wrong place at the wrong time. She was falsely charged by an overzealous prosecutor, then condemned to death for a crime that didn't even take place!

After being rescued by Quasimoto and hiding from the crowds, the King, thinking the mob wanted her hanged, ordered her death, with no knowledge or even any interest in her situation. Thus, she was murdered.

I never previously paid much attention to the debates charging that the death penalty should be abolished, nor did I understand the reasons. I must say, however, that as hard as it was for me to read this book, (I'm not experienced at reading the classics) it changed my mind and made me see the problems with the death penalty.

If you are the kind of person who likes scary-romantic stories, you're the person who'd probably like this book! I suggest you try it out. There are a few sad parts in this book, although it is a very good story.
- 8yr old homeschool student, California

Chesterton is difficult to read because he makes references to things and places that I do not know about but his work is still good reading.

If you don't get his point just keep reading and you soon will because he gives so many examples that sooner or later you will understand one and it becomes clear.

Chesterton is hard to take at times; his irritating metaphors and play on words can grind one down. But, what is extraordinary is that this book is so relevant to the "now". He has grasped the nettle of modern relativism and said: "no, accipio crucem Christi; I believe in the Trintiy of princely might": "it is utterely rational for me to so believe". A definite "must" for anyone who wishes to deal with the issues of modernity and faith.

There are so many reviews here. I'll be brief.
I've read this book many times (though not this edition, which someone said is poorly formatted) and it's a whirlwind of provocative thought. Clever beyond what most any other writer can achieve. A defense of his faith that could almost convince the faithless, and if not, at least it will entertain them.
At least read the chapter on THE PARADOXES OF CHRISTIANITY. It's a kick, and could get you hooked on Chesterton.

"Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of a readiness to die."

Orthodoxy is filled with insightful information regarding some of the most poignant critiques against the Christian faith. This book should serve as a starting point for all exploration into the topic. What's more frightful than arguing with someone who has a lot of answers? Probably arguing with someone who can generate just as many questions and can argue your side of the issue better than you can. We usually only think on one side of the issue (our position), but Chesterton expounds both.

It isn't necessarily a very easy read, but it is still very relevant for today's skeptic. Begin here: "The sense of the miracle of humanity itself should be always more vivid to us than any marvels of power, intellect, art, or civilization." Any book that looks to refute something must begin with awe in the fact that there is an intellect which makes it even possible to toil in the world of ideas and fact. A great follow up book would be Mere Christianity.

A common criticism of Orthodoxy is the format, and while people are entitled to criticize the rambling nature of Chesterton's exploration as aesthetically displeasing, there are plenty of rigidly organized explorations of faith; all neat and tidy with headings even. If you read his introductory comments on why he wrote the book, you should be able to see that the whole work focuses on how he stumbled unintentionally into seeing the beauty and reason of orthodoxy through the accumulation of a thousand little things that all pointed in the same direction: God. The book purposely models this, and frankly I find the joy of the book is how he expresses faith this way.
I admittedly found it very confusing my first read, but each time I read it again more and more of it starts to connect. Give the book a second chance if you stumble at first Soon you'll start to see the pattern of thought in his "rambling" observations, an intentional metatphor for the divine pattern and purpose that escapes us in our everyday "rambling" lives.

This is an excellent book to uncover the beautiful simplicity of the Toyota Production System. Although simple is always best, with complicated cars, machines and huge sums of parts, it sometimes is lost in the jungle of the manufacturing floor. This is where a company's leadership is key to the success of the lean manufacturing endeavor. Obviously, the Toyoda family had a long line of brilliant individuals that have not only kept the principles alive, but continued to drive the company to record growth and profits. This book is very good for showing the way, but there is a lot more detail requred to actually implement the system. As an introduction to the system and the philosophies, this book is excellent. If you are looking to implement lean manufacturing, you will need more than one book to accomplish the task, and you will need leadership within your organization that is willing to change and embrace a new way. Most company efforts will collapse due to managment not having the stamina it takes to fully change their plant floor, their material flow and their processes. With the Toyota Production System, you are never "done" but you continue to look for improvement forever.

The Toyota Way certainly does provide the foundation of using operational excellence as a strategic weapon. With increased competition, companies are continuously challenged to achieve operational excellence in a better way than its competitors, and use this as their strategic weapon or at least ensure that they are meeting/exceeding industry standard in this area. This book contributed many ideas to my MBA dissertation, in creating a profit for an insurance company that had been making continuous losses for a number of years. The continuous process flow mentioned in the book was adopted and resulted in significant cost savings, by eliminating certain processes and improving the quality control.

This book has also influenced me to purchase a Toyota Fortuner, moving from the Honda brand that I had driven for years.

Judith Kean, FCCA

Great for those that are on the go and would like to learn a little more about TPS and lean manufacturing.

This is a must have for any manager or business administrator. My only observation is that some of the chapters are too long in making the point accross. Otherwise, it's an excellent reference to "copy with pride" the best practices from a great company.

I read this book when it was first published in 2004 and recently re-read it, curious to know how well Jeffrey Liker's explanation of Toyota's management principles and lean production values have held up. My conclusion? Very well.

No good purpose would be served by merely listing the 14 management principles, out of context. Liker devotes a separate chapter to each, carefully explaining not only what it is but also how it guides and informs everyone at all levels and in all areas of the Toyota organization. What Liker also accomplishes, and what cannot be adequately summarized in a review such as this, is to explain how all 12 principles are interdependent. Together, they serve as the company's DNA. In the Preface, he recalls asking Fujio Cho (President of Toyota Motor Company) what was unique about his company's remarkable success. His answer was quite simple: "The key to the Toyota Way and what makes Toyota stand out is not any of the individual elements...But what is important is having all the elements together as a system. It must be practiced every day in a very consistent manner." To understand Toyota's success, therefore, it is important to understand that lean production is not a methodology, it is literally a way of life.

The 14 principles are divided into four sections:

Having a long-term philosophy that drives a long-term approach to building a learning organization

Absolute faith that the right process will produce the right results

Adding value to the organization by developing its people and partners

Continuously solving root problems to drive organizational learning

As Liker points out, it is important to understand that the Toyota Production System is not the Toyota Way. TPS is the most systematic and highly developed example of what the principles of the Toyota Way can accomplish. The Toyota Way consists of the foundational principles of the Toyota culture, which allows the TPS to function so effectively.

How does lean improvement differ from traditional process improvement? "Briefly, wheras the traditional approach to process improvement focuses on local efficiencies, in a lean improvement initiatuve, most of the progress comes from a large number of non-value steps being squeezed out. For example, overproduction, delays, and wasted motion. In fact, the ultimate goal of lean manufacturing is to apply the ideal of one-piece flow to all business operations, from product design to launch, order taking, physical production, and shipment."Some of the differences are subtle but no less significant.

To repeat, anyone can read this book and then uncerstand what the Toyota Way is. Possessing a gourmet chef's recipe, however, does not ensure that a gourmet meal will be prepared. Toyota has its own way. Other companies must develop theirs based on their own "roots." In other words, lead from their traditional strengths but not be limited by them. In fact, companies may need to re-invent themselves, not once but several times. That is what Toyota did...and continues to do. Use operational excellence as a strategic weapon and the rewards and results will far outweigh the great effort required.

That said, Liker does provide 13 "general tips." The first is to begin with action in the technical system and then follow quickly with cultural change. Other suggestions include learning by doing first and training second, using value stream mapping to develop future state visions to help "learn to see," and being opportunistic in identifying opportunities for big financial impacts. They are provided with brief but precise explanations on Pages 302-307.

It remains for each person who reads this book to determine which of the 14 management principles are most relevant to her or his own enterprise, and then to determine how to translate each into effective action. Presumably Liker agrees with me that most companies have 3-5 areas in which "lean" initiatives are urgently needed. Developing an execution plan can be tricky, however, because all business transaction involve a process of some kind and improvement of one process inevitably has a direct impact on several others. Here's one possibility, suggested to me by a COO to whom I gave a copy of this book: Read the final chapter, Chapter 22, first. It's title is "Build Your Own Lean Learning Enterprise, Borrowing from the Toyota Way." He thinks that will provide an appropriate framework within which to proceed from Gary Convis' Foreword and Liker's Preface to the conclusion of Chapter 21. That suggestion is worth consideration.

Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out Liker's Toyota Culture: The Heart and Soul of the Toyota Way as well as Matthew Mays' The Elegant Solution: Toyota's Formula for Mastering Innovation, David Magee's How Toyota Became Toyota: Leadership Lessons from the World's Greatest Car company, and What Is Lean Six Sigma? co-authored by Michael L. George, David Rowlands, and Bill Kastle.

John Shaw shares his photography knowledge and experiences for almost 30 years in this book. This particular book explains the techniques of taking successful pictures consistently over time in a well-structured manner. As a reader, you can understand his points and vision easily, and learn from them quickly. That is extremely important for the purpose of a field guide. You want to know what the lecturer is doing and why he is doing that. Both parts are essential, since simply copying techniques does not make you a great photographer. You need to have both personal vision and craftsmanship to accomplish that.

The book is written based on a 35mm single-lens-reflex camera system. You may think that the photographic knowledge and experiences are no longer valuable in the digital era. That is certainly not the case. If you want to fully understand photography and take control of the actual photographic process yourself, then read the book and learn to master your photographic techniques. The current digital camera system is still built based on the 35mm single-lens-reflex camera system. Just like in the modern life, we have more conveniences in the kitchen. There are better kitchenwares, but you still need to learn "how to cook".

Give a person the best kitchen equipment does not mean that he or she will be able to make a delicious meal. The same applies for photography. John Shaw shows in his book not only the techniques, but also his passion for nature and the art of photography. Eventually, it is not the camera, but you who makes the pictures.

I was hoping to learn more about how to take nature photos that make everyone else love what I was enjoying at the time of taking that photo. This book is really good.

I must say this book has exceeded my expectations. So far the best book I've red. It is very well and understandably written. Very nice pictures. Yes, it is true that John describes usage of an analog camera, but the exposure principles are very well applicable to the Digital SLRs. I find it very useful especially for beginners. I believe also advanced users may benefit.

Yeah, it's film centric but much of the information is great for digital too. If you are a wannabee, hobbiest nature photographer like myself, this is a great read.

All of John Shaw's books are great. There is some overlap between them as he goes over the basics but they are all worth a read for any aspiring nature photographer.

I considered this an excellent book. It was written a few years back and had it's major emphasis on film photography. However, virtually all of the material is applicable for todays state of the art digital photography.

Georgiana Spencer Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, was born in the eighteenth century and died in the early nineteenth century, but her life was very modern in many ways. She was an open activist at a time when women were supposed to stay behind the scenes, a bold and flamboyant hostess who used her social prestige to advance her political agenda, and a beautiful but ultimately self-destructive woman whose emotions helped shape British history.

Georgiana was born into one wealthy and powerful aristocratic family and married into an even wealthier and more powerful one. The Cavendishes were bastions of the Whig oligarchy, which governed Britain almost continuously through the eighteenth century until the 1760s, when King George III forced them out of power. In opposition the Whigs became the progressives or liberals of the day, calling for curbs on the King's powers, protection for the liberties of the people, and for progress and social reform (with the ultimate aim of regaining power for themselves, of course). Georgiana was married to the Duke of Devonshire, who was retiring where she was outgoing, far more interested in living a quiet life with various mistresses than in helping to advance the Whig cause. Georgiana, frustrated with a husband who did not appreciate her, threw herself into politics, becoming a friend of Whig leaders like Charles James Fox and campaigning openly for him and others.

Georgiana's private life was complicated. She and her husband were involved in a years long menage a trois with Lady Elizabeth Foster, who was simultaneously Georgiana's best friend and the Duke's mistress and mother of his illegitimate children. Georgiana was addicted to gambling and lost enormous sums which she feared to reveal to the Duke. Eventually Georgiana herself had a love affair which nearly caused her marriage to end and forced her temporarily out of sight. Although she returned to political life after some years, her health broke down and her influence remained diminished.

Amanda Foreman has produced a work of great scholarship which reads like a novel. Georgiana's life is so fascinating that I've read this biography several times just to see what she would get up to next and how she would get out of one scrape after another. Foreman makes the good point that Georgiana epitomized many women of the eighteenth century, who were far more active and involved in politics than is generally supposed, as well as being a harbinger of the kind of power base to which women in the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries still aspire.

I was never a biography fan until this book. Foreman does a dazzling job of bringing Georgiana to life. I could read this book over and over again!

if some one told me what really happen 18th century upper crust i would not believe them.money,sex,adultery,hidden preganacy,lesbianism,royality,gambling and drug addiction.fashion theather social scandals,politics,betrayal, blackmail and war.it's a soap opera that really happen.even a evil bestfriend who bears two childern by georgina husband is through in.this book is addictive.i didn't put it down till last page.

I was wanting more of a historical novel but this book reads more like a text book. Almost every page has notes at the bottom of the page, this makes for very "choppy" reading. Interesting subject but not a cozy read. I had to make myself finish the book.

I am currently obsessed with Jane Austen, came across a glowing review of "Georgiana: Duchess..." in the New Yorker, and couldn't resist reading this story of Regency England. Unlike Austen's heroines, the Duchess has a very dark side - she's a gambler, adulteress, liar, drug addict...I found myself wanting her to be happy (and to win against the evil Bess) in spite of (or because of?) these qualities. In the end, her charisma, beauty, fashion, gentleness, vulnerability, wit, privilege, and political engagement endear her.

I loved the book, the story, the characters, the history, and the politics. Unlike some other reviewers, I found Foreman's writing incredibly engaging and easy to read.

Sure, watch the movie! However, the book really brings the event closer to the human heart.

I read this book some years back under the original title of "Lost Moon". I'm a nerd at heart, but I liked the book so much I just bought it for my husband. I'm reading it again--when he's not.

It's the book that the movie "Apollo 13" was based on, co-authored by astronaut Jim Lovell. Maybe the topic is not for everyone, but I found it very interesting and entertaining. It's not the average beach reading!
For those old enough to remember, we probably raced too fast to get to the moon in the 60's, but fortunately it worked. Tragically, a few lives were lost, but it's almost a miracle that we made it to the moon in 1969 without much greater losses. This was a time when astronauts could and did read scripture from space and no one objected, and the world prayed for the safe return of the Apollo 13 crew. Such a fantastic time in our history.

If you enjoy things like visiting Kennedy Space Center even a little bit, you'll probably like this book. It goes much further than the movie, of course. It's hard for me to put down.

I also like Michael Collins' book about the early space program. These stories are so much more interesting than most fiction.

I got this book for a college class i was taking and it drew me in. I really enjoined the detail that you don't get in the movie. Great book!!

Having read a lot of books and material from Mecury thu Apollo, this was a great read. Having seen the movie, (well, that was Hollywood). I think Captain Lovell and the writer of this book did a fantastic job on belaying the information in a page turning way. I was able to have Captain Lovell sign my book for me and it is a trophy in my library. I say its a must read. I don't think we'll ever see again as a Nation the likes of the space pioneers again until we go to Mars.

Captain Lovell and crew, you guys are truly gifted.

KLD

Apollo 13 tells the story of the famous mission that told the world, that it "had a problem". Being interested in space, I picked this book up hoping for a quick read. The book does a fine job with the technical details and the back story of the mission, but it seemed to have trouble developing any kind of human interest. It's mainly told from Jim Lovell's perspective (after all it is his book), and he comes off as unemotional and arrogant, which are probably qualities that all astronauts have. However, it made for a rather bland and monotonous telling of this event. An example of this occurs after the explosion on their way to the moon when the crew realizes that they will have to return home. They seem more concerned about not being able to complete their mission than the reality that they may not return at all. After a while, I simply grew bored of the constant techno speak between Mission Control and the crew. Eventually, I gave up on the mission and the book as it rounded the moon began heading back to Earth.

I never return books. But after reading the first two chapters of The Successful Writer's Guide to Publishing Magazine Articles, I dug the packaging box back out of the recycling bin. After skimming through the rest of the book, I was rummaging through the trash for the packing slip. The writer may have good advice but I just couldn't get past the dull, flat writing and the disorganized content to find it. As another reviewer commented, it's inspiring to know that if the author of this book could get published, there's hope for the rest of us. Disappointing to say the least.

I wanted to like this book. I really wanted to like this book. Eva Shaw has written good books; as an example, check out "Writing the Nonfiction Book". That one was tight, polished, and useful. The Successful Writer's Guide to... I can't even finish typing the title; the book is just that bad. The content is in the book, but so inaccessible. Dr. Shaw knows her business, and her approach to success will likely work for the aspiring writer. The sad reality is that this book makes the reader work for every bit of useful information, and not in the way that is productively challenging. Rather, the book presents constant obstacles in the form of comma splices, sentence fragments, and incoherent verbal trips around the block that had this reader constantly going back to the chapter title and headings to find orientation. This book reads as though Dr. Shaw typed it in a stream-of-consciousness drive to finish it over a weekend. To think that an editor saw this book before publication strains credulity and insults the editorial profession. Another reviewer wrote that these liabilities are inexcusable in a book about writing, and I agree wholeheartedly.

Eva Shaw knows how to write. She also knows how to be successful in the writing business. Readers new to her books would benefit from reading one other than this as an introduction to her work. The Successful Writer's Guide to Publishing Magazine Articles proves the thesis that anyone can succeed at writing and get published, but uses itself as its own shoddy proof of the low barriers to entry in the business.

Even after reading previous reviews about the sloppiness of this book, I purchased it anyway because the reviewers found the content very helpful. But when I opened the book, I couldn't get past page 10-- no matter what gems of wisdom lay within, the mass of typos and incoherence make it impossible to justify finding those gems. The fact alone that Dr. Shaw has managed to sell thousands of articles convinces me that I can break into this field. The reviews at the front of the book laud her enthusiastic teaching style, which she may very well have in person, but on the page she just stinks. Even her examples of "queries that sold" contained weak and redundant sentences, such as "Please consider this topic, and thank you for your consideration." Wha? There are so many books on this topic, I recommend skipping this one. Any good advice is probably found elsewhere.

As a former on-line student of Eva's, I couldn't wait to get this book, and I was not disappointed. Less than two weeks after completing her class and the book, I have already had two essays published. Eva's help and guidance was invaluable and I strongly recommend both her books and her courses.

Others have noted the sloppy editing, and I agree. But the info here is invaluable for someone who already know how to write for magazines, but needs to be more savvy with the marketing.

As a freelance journalist I can assure you that she tells you like it is. The key is to know thy markets and to be savvy about your skills, and Eva Shaw gives good suggestions on both topics.

I have followed her advice and it has definitely improved my sales.

Please see my review under Winnetou, the Apache knight

This is an excellent translation of the classic German work by Karl May. It tells the story of a young indian chief through the eyes of his "white" friend. It is a story of courage, ethics, and the importance of always giving your best to tasks and challenges. Another part of the beauty of it is that it was written in its entirety by a German man, who to that date had never been to the United States or even seen a Native American. Very impressive.

It is hard to believe that Karl May, a German who never stepped foot in the U.S., could capture the old West as well as he did. Winnetou is a terrific tale of the evolution of a "greenhorn" as he becomes a man of the west and befriends a great indian chief. I would, and have, recommend this book to everyone.

A mix of Old Shatterhand and Winnetou has become my raw model after reading this books many years ago (I was 10 then, I am 50 now). The values I have learned have guided my life since. They have been the foundation for my views of North America, and have been a moral support through my multiple escapes from the agents of a dictatorial regime during the darkest period of a pseudo-Communist era. While being in jail and breaking out, while having a loaded handgun pointed at my head, while fighting for my freedom, I was both Old Shatterhand and Winnetou.
The book is idealized and sometimes unfair towards the Yankee pioneer. However, maybe because of that, the message is easy to grasp for a wide range of readers - respect for difference, an ethical struggle to be the best one can be in a multi-cultural environment. It is easy to do mistakes when you are a pioneer (the first one to do something - be it hunting, farming, nation-forming or whatever other challenges our minds can invent), the essence of it is to learn what is wrong and correct it.
I am writing this review before reading the English translation offered by Amazon. As other reviewers have mentioned, the translation I read had over 1000 pages that contained, in addition to the action, great descriptions of the Apache territories and landscape. It is Karl May's geniality in describing so vividly and so close to reality the geographical context of his adventures without being there ever. I am ordering the book and will look forward to a more complete translation.
And yes, after escaping, I did get to ride horses, wear a Colt, sleep in the wild with my knife close by and fire a carbine and, most importantly, have friends I can rely on with my life.

I'm born of West Indian parents, lived in Germany from age 3 to 12, and at that tender age, I naturally spoke fluent German, but I have never been back since 1967 - I'm almost 50 now! But I'll always remember my love affair with the Winnetou series by Karl May. I remember spending countless days and nights inhaling novel after novel. Our next door neighbor's kid had a huge, leather-bound collection and happily shared it with me. My German is now beyond rusty, and I've been looking for English translations of these wonderful books, and was very happy to come across this one. I wish I could get more Americans turned onto these books - but, although the translated version was very satisfying after so many decades of being deprived, I'm fairly certain that the work suffered somewhat in the translation. But I'm not complaining at all. I'll just have to re-ignite my German comprehension skills and read the real thing again. My 5-star rating is probably borne of nostalgia, but I'm not retracting it!

My aim is to cover shakespeare this year with my 9th grader (I home-school). I purchased this book along with "Twelfth Night". I am so happy I did. The whole original text is included along with a translation of the play in todays english. At the end of the book there are MANY, MANY exercises and tests for the student to complete to ensure they have understood what they read. With this book, you can literally give it to your child and leave them to it. Obviously, you may need to give some guidance along the way, but it will be minimal. A homeschooler's dream because there is very little lesson prep. I will definately be buying other titles in this series!

"The Tragedy of Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare proves to be an amazing read if one thoroughly enjoys the challenge of deciphering the selective form of writing and occasionally complicated dialect. This classic play is based on the true, factual account of the assassination of Julius Caesar as it truly took place in 44 B.C. Of course, Shakespeare has completely made the story his own through the use of comic relief, characterization, and wonderful original composition. Julius Caesar, the ambitious and prideful dictator of Rome, has returned home from a victorious battle against his fellow Triumvirate, Pompey. As he celebrates and relishes his absolute power, little does he suspect the growing opposition of conspirators, some of whom he would never expect. This read is certainly worthwhile if one has a good taste for tragedy and does not mind a challenge.

The Arden Shakespeare series is the best, for either the beginning of scholarly research, the average needs of the English student, or as a resource for the informed theater professional. My only note of caution is for a casual reader who may find the extensive footnoting more of an interruption than a help. Love this book, love them all.

Shakespeare wrote Julius Caesar in about 1599. The play was the first of three Roman plays. Shakespeare based the source material for the play on a translation of a work by the Greek philosopher and biographer Plutarch, called "The lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans". Shakespeare, like Plutarch, praises and criticises the actions of the main characters in the assassination of Julius Caesar. However, the historical events in the play are fairly accurate, although the playwright sometimes changed the sequence and timing of events and added his limitless imagination to produce a timeless play that has been enacted and enjoyed by millions of people worldwide over the centuries.

The play is set in a period of political instability in Rome. The people of Rome celebrate Caesar victory over Pompey, their former leader. However, there are officials that are concerned about Caesar's growing power. The Romans were then aware that absolute power is open to abuse (there are people today who still do not know this simple fact). Among those concerned about the growing power of Caesar are Cassius and Brutus, who are both followers of Caesar.

Cassius persuades Brutus that something needs to be done to thwart Caesar's growing ambitions. Brutus has a problem with his conscience but ultimately decides that it is in the best interests of Rome that Caesar is eliminated.

Caesar receives warnings about the impending danger. During a festival that Caesar attends, he is warned "Beware the Ides of March". Caesar, however, dismisses the Soothsayer's warnings. When the Ides of March arrive and while Caesar is due to go to be crowned, warnings in the form of storms, bad omens and his wife's horrible dreams initially persuade Caesar to stay at home. However, Caesar decides to go after being advised that if he did not show up, Senators might change their minds about crowning him emperor. On entering the capitol, the conspirators stab Caesar to death.

Mark Anthony, a very close ally of Caesar, initially pretends to go along with the conspirators but he is determined to avenge his death. When Brutus addresses the confused crowd to drum up support for the assassination, Mark Anthony cleverly and expertly manages to turn the crowd against the conspirators and incites them to riot. With popular support in Rome, the triumvirs Anthony, Octavious and Lepidus plan to fight Brutus and Cassius. Brutus's conscience still troubles him and he sees Caesars ghost. Fighting takes place and Cassius and Brutus are defeated and both commit suicide to save their honour. The triumvirs then seize power after avenging Caesar.

I really enjoyed reading this edition of the play. Each scene is proceded by a summary of the secene and followed by commentary on the scene, and there are notes alongside the text explaining unusual words/phrases. As an actor, I have been reading Shakespeare for quite awhile, and I still found this book very helpful. If you are new to reading Shakespeare, I particularly recommend this because you will find it very helpful.

Yeah, it's film centric but much of the information is great for digital too. If you are a wannabee, hobbiest nature photographer like myself, this is a great read.

All of John Shaw's books are great. There is some overlap between them as he goes over the basics but they are all worth a read for any aspiring nature photographer.

I learned a lot about exposure, composition, and lighting from this book, but it definitely is a "pre-digital era" publication, so if you're looking for anything specific to digital photography, better check elsewhere. Would seem to me that Mr. Shaw or a digital photographer could bring the equipment section (now titled "Equipment and Film") up to date by at least contrasting film and digital issues--here digital is not mentioned at all. The section on lenses, while very well written, loses pertinence since the majority of DSLR shooters are using cropped sensors. The reader is left to figure out the focal length equivalents to make sense of Mr. Shaw's sage advice.

Don't get me wrong, this man knows landscape photography, and the chapter entitled "The Landscape as Design" is like poetry: "First you must find a visually interesting subject. YOur goal is to present this subject to your audience in a pleasing composition..." He goes on and really hits the target in terms of what separates a good photograph from a great one.

This book is worth owning, I just wish it reflected more about how most people are shooting today, with digital technology!

This is a pretty good basic book with some great examples. I gave it only 4 stars because there are some other great books out there on Landscape Photography which I liked better than this one. John Shaw is a good author to explain the basics and sometimes you see him repeat what you read in the earlier chapters, for me I like it because it kind'a reminds you and you can remember it. This is important for the final shoot out day. ** Close-Ups in Nature ** is another great book from John Shaw and I love the theory and examples in this book.

This book influenced my outlook for the wide angle lenses, the use of Velvia, and polorizing filters. I now use all three liberally. Thanks John Shaw

This is very nice book with wonderful pictures and very practical advices.
I will recommend it to all semi-prof photographers and amateurs as well.