Personal Books

STUKA PILOT is the autobiography and Second World War adventures of Hans Ulrich Rudel. Rudel, one of the most highly decorated officers in the German Third Reich, was Hitler's favorite soldier. His unbridled passion was to be a pilot and keep flying. Wounded severely several times, he continued flying combat missions until the end of the war. Often incorrectly stereotyped as an "Unrepentant Nazi," STUKA PILOT's emphasis is on Rudel's experiences as a Luftwaffe pilot and commander. Born to humble circumstances, Rudel struggled to gain acceptance into a Luftwaffe officer candidate program. Though an exceptional athlete -- and often a dare-devil -- Rudel chose a dive bombers as his piloting career field.

The book follows Rudel through his early frustrations in missing out on early campaigns and being grounded by unforgiving squadron staff officers. The invasion of the Soviet Union offered Rudel the opportunity to hone dive bombing operations to a fine art. Rapid promotion followed. At the end of the war we find Rudel commanding anti-tank dive bombing units as just about the only force remaining to stem the Red Army.

STUKA PILOT provides excellent military history reading along with lessons in leadership. Though highly recommended, the book does harbor shortcomings. Rudel's printed story is too closely translated from German and the verbiage is sometimes confusing. Rudel's narrative also sometimes strays from a chronological recounting of events. As noted in other reviews, most versions of this book lack maps of any sort and so it is difficult to appreciate the extensive geography involved in this story. Rudel's story also abruptly ends with the end of the war. It is too bad that he did not append later version with his post war activities.

Do not expect to find much about Rudel's personal life in this volume. This book is devoted to Rudel's wartime exploits. Consider STUKA PILOT a military classic. If you enjoy military aviation books about World War Two, this book should find its way into your collection.

As so many of the previous reviewers indicate, Hans Ulrich Rudel was an amazing man. Set aside the sad truth that he dedicated his talents to the service of The Third Reich and instead focus on his individual achievements, which set him apart from nearly every warrior of history, except perhaps Achilles.

I was simply unable to put the book down. Rudel's experiences from bombing Soviet ships, to blasting Soviet armor, to cliff diving, river swimming, foot racing from the enemy to flying with one leg are just a sampling of the adventure this man lived. It's no wonder that he alone bears the highest version of the Knights Cross of all Nazi Germany's many talented warriors.

Rudel's exploits will inspire the reader with unapologetic admiration. His politics were flawed and remained so for the remainder of his life, but he never wavered from his dedication to Germany and to his own ideal of National Socialism. For this too, a man can be admired. Many other great warriors in history also fought for causes that did not deserve their individual greatness.

the lines between hero, fool and lucky are often hard to distinguish and more often ignored. rudel's accomplishments, as he remembers them, are indeed extraordinary. imagine a single pilot sinking capitol ships, destroying hundreds of front line tanks and thousands of trucks and artillery pieces all while flying an aircraft that was obsolete at the war's begining. in addition to rudel's flying stories, he also shares with the reader the more 'traditional' views of germany's enemies and its leaders both of which the author openly embraces. rudel is strictly 'old school'. i first read 'stuka pilot' at the age of twelve, it being the first of dozens of books i have read by enemy combatants over the years. i have found the book an excellent primary source to life 'on the other side' and during subsequent readings of the rudel book over the years i am always as impressed with his skill with an airplane as with his skill with a typewriter. rudel should be remembered for his accomplishments as both writer and pilot along with such other heros of the sky as billy bishop or gregg boyington.

This book is terrific in terms of action as recounted by the most decoated soldier of the Third Reich. After an inglorious beginning, Rudel's star shined on the Eastern Front where he flew 2,530 operational sorties and destroyed a huge amount of enemy material. In this book he analyses many of his tactics, the conditions in Russia, the loss of many of his comrades and his narrow escapes from death and capture. He received his higher decorations from Hitler himself, thus he can also give his imrpessions about the dictator and the private conversations he had with him. Rudel was a real killing machine and he didn't stop flying even when he had his right leg amputated from a direct anti-aircraft hit. The book ends with his months of capture in England and France. Rudel states emphatically that he fought for his country and not for a particular Party, but many times in the book he repeats his horror seeing the "asiatic hordes" invading the German soil and his sorrow that the Western Allies didn't side with Nazi Germany to save the European civilization! Apart from this propaganda moments though, the book is an excellent first hand account of the colossal battles on the Eastern Front and the great carnage that experienced fliers like Rudel caused to the advancing Soviets. The only serious drawback of the book is that the English translation made a lot of errors regarding the Luftwaffe units nomneclature. Thus the Gruppe became a Squadron and the Staffel became Flight, which is absolutely wrong. The same applies for the highest command echelon, which became just Group. The ranks were also translated to their RAF equivalents (correctly this time) which is really absurd for most of the readers who are not familiar with this system. There are also some minor mistakes regarding aircraft types, which shows a lack of a good editing.

Not perfect, but close.

Highs - Historically correct and well told firsthand viewpoint of possibly the best ground attack pilot to fight in WW2.

Lows - Some things are a little bumpy in the stories and don't flow as good as say "Iron Coffins". British translation makes Hans seem "british" at times! More maps of where he was talking about would be helpful.

How did this guy survive!

Overall, excellent. 96/100.

This book has some very good and interesting info about how the brain works and how we think and react to different things. The only complaint I have is that the included DVD that came with the book did not have any audio, whether I played it on my PC or through my home DVD player. There wasn't a way for me to check with any type of tech support either. None the less the book is a joy to read.

This book has some excellent research and thought provoking information for anyone involved with learning. As a working professional in the field of Human Resource Development I will be incorporating some of Dr. Medina's research and vision into our corporate learning strategy.

This book is partly an academic-style introduction to brain research and partly a jauntily written practical "how-to" about getting the most from your brain. John Medina has a warm, upbeat persona, and skillfully incorporates stories from his experiences to illustrate points he makes in the book. From time to time he forgets to connect the dots for readers who are new to the material, and so doesn't always articulate the full point or parallel he is making. However, he gives a broad overview of brain research and makes a conscious effort to practice the rules he preaches. He repeats information, as research says he should, and uses lively, varied examples to engage the reader. To reinforce the book's lessons with visual and aural sensory input, the publisher provides a supplemental DVD. Medina summarizes his key points, and touches briefly on the real-world implications and applications of the findings he covers. getAbstract recommends this book to parents, educators, human-resources professionals, executives and all those who want to help themselves, their children or their employees reach their full intellectual potential.

This is a great book and DVD combo especially for educators, parents, and students. The research is written in light layman's terms with a fun, light style. All of the information is useful and can be put into practice immediately to help the reader learn, teach, and possibly prevent depression, dementia and other brain disorders.

I have read Dr. Braverman's books( Younger You and Younger You), and his material conflicts with this author's material. I do agree with using something like the system given in Don't Like to Read, Then Don't, Listen!: How to Turn Any Type of Text Into Audio Files That Can Be Read to You! to go over information lots of times. Just take data and see what works best for you! This book will give you some ideas to try

The authors of Chi and Creativity present important concepts and methods for living in an expansive and intentional way. In this book we are shown how meditation, guided imagery, breath work, and chi kung can effectively awaken and enrich our creative processes. This remarkable book has have been of great help in supporting my chi kung practice.
Lew Carson, Professor Emeritus of Art, California State University, East Bay

I am greatly honored to express my intense love for this literature. I have been blessed enough to know the authors Kaleo and Elise and be presented with this spirit expanding piece of literature. Being a hypnotherapist and learning more about the Eastern Way of philosophy has helped my grow unto myself and how I see myself helping others.
Reading this literature and absorbing its knowledge has for me enhanced my perception of the tri-fold "singularity" that makes up who we all are. I am fascinated by the detailed instructions and positive suggestions about how and when to come in contact with our "Inner Artist".
I highly recommend this to anyone wanting to develop their perception about energy flows and cycles of life/death by holistically improving in body-mind-spirit.

Both me and my girlfriend, a licensed psychotherapist, have used this book. More than just a creativity guide, its a guide to well being and to life. The masks are incredible. What a valuable resource and a beautiful, inspiring book.

This book is wonderful. I love the mediations, chi gong exercises, and more. Through doing the chi gong and mediations I have been able to reopen my creative self again. I feel like myself again, an artist! The book was very well written and illustrated. I love the personal journal inserts for they helped me to relate to the writer and to my self.

As an artist, I appreciate the physical quality of this book. It feels good in your hands, paper stock and layout are beautiful. As a healer, this book gives me great ideas to build my chi with many different exercises, reaching all aspects of myself. Highly recommended.

One of the very special merits of Dr. Newton's "Complete Conduct Principles for the 21st Century" is strict logic, being revealed throughout the whole book. This merit makes the sentences of the book reasonable and precise.

I especially like the Principle of "Lasting" (# 103): "A real friendship should not fade as time passes, and should not weaken because of space separation." What a beautiful and respectable mind! Few friendships have ever attained that. I hope our human beings will be improved by this great book.

Reading the book increases my hope of a better world in this century, which sadly begins with a dark side. May more people read it!

How nice it is! If one wishes to make his or her
life smoother and happier and do whatever he or
she likes without making others unpleasant, this
is a book he or she needs to read.

I agree:
How to make the world peaceful and better --
The solution can be found in Dr. John Newton's "Complete Conduct Principles for the 21st Century". This is what people in the whole world need, especially now.

At age 45, after considering I've been in the driver seat of my life for the last 14 years provided many opportunities to at the very least give up whining about my circumstances, and on the brighter side recognize my capacity to create, lovelier things. The essay's written by Steve Roberts, however, broadened my perspective even further. Distinguishing power as an ability to be resilient in the face of any eventuality opened my heart to endless possibilities. I have been most struck by the simplicity of experiencing "Love", & "Being Loving", as perhaps an ultimate goal along with listening to my heart. Moreover, owning that I am the knower in my life. With gratitude and deep appreciation I thank you Steve, for sharing your life and your wisdom. I recommend your book often usually followed with a desire to know how it was for them.

Reading this book is like spending time with a dear friend, in the truest sense of the word friend, meaning someone who brings out the best in you. I was entertained, educated and touched by all I read and experienced in reading Cool Mind, Warm Heart. Each time I set the book down I was changed, and I saw the world through fresh eyes. Whoever you are you will love it.

This wonderful book becomes a subtle yet pervasive presence in the reader's life. To experience life through Steve's eyes is like having a still small voice, a Howard Cosells on your shoulder whispering, "You're so much more than you think; there is so much more than you see. Look at it this way, from this angle, over here..."

Reading these candidly written stories, I am invited to consider in ever deeper ways the perspective that everything, every unexpected change offers opportunity to become more than I've considered before. One moment I am reading a story of a man's relationship with his mother who has Alzheimer's or the Swami he met at 8 or his love of wrestling Vermont stones into sculpture, and the next I am wondering why I would choose anything less than love as a response to life. It is like walking in the woods and suddenly glimpsing a grand buck through the trees: I glimpse the greatness I am capable of if I will choose it.

Cool Mind Warm Heart doesn't stay on the pages; it calls my truest self forward, and increases my confidence to be that. I invite you to enjoy the extraordinarily ordinary moments Steve celebrates in his stories.

This is one of the rare books whose stories I "watch" as my eyes move across the written words. So much more than a lovely read, Cool Mind Warm Heart is fully entertaining and compelling. My heart danced from beginning to end!

Cool Mind Warm Heart is a grand adventure in asking the question, "Who am I committed to being beyond all else in life?" Each essay is a delicious piece of honesty and contains the purity of spirit that provides the reader an opportunity to consider life from the vantage of our greatness, not our limitations. Steve Roberts' ability to convey the simplicity of the human spirit is a breath of fresh air, especially in those moments when one feels as though they are gasping for a breath. This book will cause you to consider the vantage from which you view all life and begin to ask your own pointed and poignant questions about what motivates you to do the things you do. And above all else, this book will cause you to smile and laugh out loud!
Kenda Stewart

MR MALARKEY BRINGS THE " BAND OF BROTHERS" MEN INTO A CLOSER INSPECTION, THE BOOK IS WELL WRITTEN, A NATURAL FLOW, GIVES THE READER A REAL FEEL FOR THE WAR. PUT THIS ON YOUR " TO READ LIST" AT THE TOP

Don Marlarky shares with us his experiences as a member of the famed Band of Brothers, Easy Company. His memory of his life in and out of uniform is remarkable for any man, let alone one who was 86 when this book was written. Kudos to his family for encouraging him to write this book for us to respect, honor and enjoy. You will not believe how fast this book reads. There is plenty of action and insight into the heart, mind and soul of one of the most effective fighting men in Easy Co. From Currahee to Zel am See we are transported through one man's experiences as an elite paratrooper who fought more days than most of the men of Easy. You will truly find it hard to put this book down.

A.E. Wentworth
Military History buff
Respector of our WWII veterans

As a niece of Warren "Skip" Muck I owe a debt of gratitude to Don Malarkey for telling not only his story, but a good portion of my uncle's story as well. His honesty, integrity and intelligence shine throughout the book. I feel honored to know the men of Easy Company and be a part of the Easy "family". This book is truly a window into the heart and spirit of these men.

I'll admit when I first saw this I thought "Yeah another Easy company survivor jumpin' on the ol' book bandwagon" but having read the book, I'd be happy to apologise to "Malark'" to his face. When an author starts his autobiography by confessing how he seriously though about shooting himself in the foot to get out of battle, he has your attention.

The book follows Donald Malarky from his childhood in Oregon through his adventures in WW2 and beyond but it is so well written I found myself wishing he'd written more about his youth. Not because I felt he was skipping stuff, but because I enjoyed it so much.

The guiding force in his life seems to have been two fold, the ghosts of his uncles, killed by the first Wrold War "The Malarky boys have unfinished business with the Germans" he says, and the drive not to be a quitter, a fate he sees in his father. This leads the man to have the longest stretch on the front line of any member of E company 506 PIR, even when offered a chance off the line, he wouldn't quit.

If you are not familiar with the "Band of Brothers" then this is the book of a veteran of WW2. That dwindling generation of men sharing their experiences in humanitie's darkest hours. If you are familiar with Band of Brothers you will get more from the book. Malarky touches on some things that other books have skipped over and gives a different view of some well established events such as the mutiny against Captain Sobel in 1944.

Of all the books written by the men of the 506th's E company this seems to have the most heart. The excellent books by Winters, Guerneire and Heffron each seem to have their goals. Winters explaining leadership, Heffron and 'Wild Bill' seem like two old soldiers recounting their adventures to their grandchildren but Malarky, a self described 'Oregon Hermit" has spent his time well in his hermitage. The book looks at events warts and all even at people for whom he obviously still has great affection.

More than a remincience of his war days actions for which we should all say 'thank you', on the pages of his book Donald Malarky pours out his heart and shares his thoughts, dreams and fears, not in what makes up a soldier, but what makes up a man and for that sharing, we should also say "thank you."

Easy Company Soldier
By Don Malarkey/Bob Welch

This book has it all -- action, loyalty, bravery, sorrow, faith, heroism, fear, hardship, loss, camaraderie, desperation and humor. It's the best and worst of World War II. In his quest to succeed Sgt. Malarkey fought two wars. The first was against the Germans and the second, against himself. Both a gripping human interest and violent war story, this is a must read for everyone.

First off, I'm a comparatively slow reader with a short attention span. I usually read in short bursts of about 30 or 40 minutes, often tire, get bored or lose interest to the point where reading actually becomes a chore. Rarely, does a book come along that I just cannot put down. Easy Company Soldier is one of the very few.

I started reading Easy Company Soldier at about 7:30 pm, six hours and seven chapters later I went to bed, got up an hour later and read for another two hours. The next day I finished the book. For me, that's a record only equaled once before.

The story begins with Don Malarkey growing up in Astoria, a city on the North Oregon coast during the Great Depression (not an easy life). His college life at the University of Oregon abruptly came to a halt in 1942 when he joined the army. Malarkey volunteered to be part of what he considered the toughest, most challenging unit in the American Army, the 101st Screaming Eagles Airborne Division. On June 6th 1944 D-Day, they jumped into Normandy, France.

Once again author Bob Welch captivates his audience. In his first WW II book, "American Nightingale" published in 2004, he poignantly captures the horror of war in the powerful biography of Frances Slanger and her courageous struggle to become a combat nurse with the 45th Field Hospital.

Easy Company Soldier is the remarkable story of Don Malarkey, who was originally made famous by Stephen Ambrose in Band of Brothers. With every word Bob Welch continues to envelope you in his dramatic story. Welch's unique writing ability enables the reader to hear every sound, to see the action, to smell the cordite and be a part of the general emotion of battle from France into The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, all the way from D-Day to Victory in Europe.

Don Malarkey has beaten all the odds. He survived 177 days of combat and fighting in many of the fiercest battles in Europe. Most of his outfit, Easy Company, were killed or severely wounded, yet Malarkey came through with only minor wounds. Now at 87, he has beaten the odds again and survived the calendar. After reading Easy Company Soldier I think you will agree, Don Malarkey is and always will be part of our "Greatest Generation".

I found this a book insightful although very simplistic in writing style. It was helpful in giving other counselors a different way of looking at difficulties they have in some therapy sessions. Especially those clients that are stuck in one perspective and can not move off the safety square.

Written with sincere compassion, and a warm, direct tone, Thom Rutledge gives us permission to be human, and helps the reader see that having fears, or tendencies to avoid those situations which create fear, is not a basis for shame. Embracing Fear teaches the reader to transform maladaptive responses, into winning situations, and the importance of finding the gift, lesson or opportunity in challenges we face. With his honest style, he helps us find the reason and rational messages we can listen to within our being when facing difficult or frightening situations. This is a man who knows of what he writes. His knowledge, personal experience, and ability to convey that he truly cares makes him a uniquley therapeutic and helpful writer. The reader is left feeling nurtured all along the way, and yet skillfully challenged as well. Wendy Oliver-Pyatt, MD author: Fed Up! The Breakthrough Ten Step No-Diet Fitness Plan.

I like this book because of Thom's simple, down-to-earth language and his sharing from his own personal experiences. He helps us realize how pervasively and unconsciously fear operates in our lives. His viewing fear as normal, rather than the result of personal weaknesses, enables us to see ourselves as struggling, growing and traveling together with him and others, not set apart and different. He has a safe, inviting approach to dealing with the Bullies, as he calls our fears. I believe, without exception, those who want to live their lives to the fullest will benefit from Thom's perspective and the steps to being in charge of fear. He holds our hand and convincingly shows us page by page.

*****
This book is a great read all about fear. Specifically, it is about embracing fear---facing fear---rather than running from it, stuffing it, etc. Unlike most self-help books, the author does not presume to be an authority with easy answers; instead, he is a fellow human being who struggles with his own fear and that of his clients. He shares very practical techniques to approach your fears so that you can still have the life you want, regardless of your fears.

Fear underlies most if all negative emotions. I found this book to be very helpful. The author asks many helpful questions such as "What would I do today if I were brave?"...leading me to see where my fears stopped me.

Another technique he uses is splitting our self-talk into the negative voices of unhealthy unnecessary fear (which he calls The Bully) and the positive voices of what we know with our heads and hearts (which he calls The Ally). This has been really helpful to me, too. He makes the point that we will never rid ourselves of fear, but we will be less and less bothered by it as we learn how to face it.

This book differs from an ordinary self-help book in that it is amazingly useful, plus the author is practical, transparent, realistic, and humble. I loved reading it, highlighted it all over the place, and will read it again.

It is an excellent value and worth hours of therapy. I would even suggest it in lieu of therapy! I immediately bought two copies to send to two of my closest friends.
*****

This book will challenge you to look fear in the face and walk right though it! On the other side of fear is Love. If you want more love in your life. . . read this book!

Adya is a great communicator of truth. His message truly delivers with so much patience and humor. He will lead you to the doorway. Caution! Once you have entered that door don't be disappointed to find yourself still doing the dishes.

[...]

It's hard to put it into words, there's just something unique about his teachings. He doesn't talk endlessly about koans or sitting like most Zen books. He describes the craziest experiences but emphasizes that the only good thing about spiritual experiences are to find what awakening isn't. He also says that you don't get a thing 'you' want when awakening. He speaks of awakening as enlightenment like experiences and also moment to moment work, thus seeming to go between both popular schools of Japanese Zen. He has an awareness of western and Hindu mysticism also, but keeps coming back to Zen of course. So he is not some sort of integrative teacher, although I had the unfortunate experience of finding one of his books in the new age section of a book store.
I believe he recieved transmission from a Soto teacher.
Recommended for any Zen student or any mystic whatsoever.

Adyashanti shows a fresh and impeccable clarity in this book and brilliantly leads the reader past the noise of the mind and its concepts to rediscover the constant, quiet, untaintable sense of beingness that is ever present.

Brilliant writing doesn't lie in how profound the terms are, but rather, in the simplicity that the unfathomably profound can be expressed in. Adyashanti is gifted with the ability to accomplish the task. The light that every chapter is able to shine upon the mind is put into terminology and sentence structure so simple that any individual will be able to allow the meaning behind the words immediately have an affect on them. So simplified, so wise.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2K90J6J1VNKGL Please enjopy my video review of Emptiness Dancing. Mark Waller author of Awakening: Exposing the Voice of the Mosaic Mind

As I write this there are 20 reviews of this book on the Amazon website, all good. I have nothing to add about their comments regarding this book; it gets right to the heart of the subject.

The book, however, suffers from something I call "random comma disease." The author (or editor?) likes to put commas in inappropriate places in sentences: "Now, is a good time to develop a more loving connection with yourself" (p. 99), or "Accepting responsiblity for what happens in our lives, gives us a lot of freedom and more control, than when we look for someone to blame" (p. 54). Occasionally the odd misplaced semi-colon creeps in as well: "As you gain clarity on what a positive relationship means to you; you will attract it easily" (p. 95).

Surely a conscientous proof-reader could have caught these errors before the book went to press.

Jeanette Castelli self-help book cuts through the long term recovery from breakups and gives the straight bottomline steps to get on with your life.
This is not a quick fix book nor a thesis in human behavior, it is just the right dosage of reality check and inner work. Extreme Breakup Recovery is a shortcut that works when it comes to getting over pain and moving on after breaking up.

As a man, I was surprised how far I fell from grace when a four year relationship with a woman that pushed me to "get married" suddenly and unexpectedly decided to "break-up", after I agreed to "get married"... Huh? My Hearty was broken and my head was all messed-up! This book really helped me start moving on "head and heart" from the beginning... no typical "girly" perspectives or "PMS" excuses. Straight forward, workbook style that leads the way to gettting the job done and openning the door to move on...which I have in a positive manner! Thank you!

In this book I found the way to move on. I was very hopless and thinking that it would take me a long time to feel good again. After reading Extreme Breakup Recovery, I could move on. Actually, after the first few chapters, I was already able to function. Now I have moved on, learned a lot and I am getting ready for a new more positive relationship.

I read about this book in Cosmopolitan April article "The new way to get over a guy" and I bought the book.

It is an easy read, full of wise and practical advice to understand and heal the heavy emotions after a breakup and stop the pain. Also it shows you how to find and learn the lessons from the relationship, develop more self-esteem and move on.

Excellent and really helps !!

This book is a must if you are learning BSD Unix. All the commands you'll ever use are covered in this book. This book is easy to read and explains important topics without being exhaustive (a skill some authors never learn). A great book for newbies to BSD Unix!

If you're looking for a place to start with FreeBSD (or with open soruce in general), this is really the book to get. I knew a little UNIX before I picked this up, but essentially I was a babe in the woods. This book helped me get my system up and running with clear, task-oriented discussions of all of the essentials. This doesn't go as deep as some of the other FreeBSD books out there (for that you'll probably want "Absolute BSD" by Michael Lucas), but it does tell you what you need to know to get started.

I bought the book after I had installed a broken FreeBSD 4.7 on my old AMD K6-II. Despite the few typos here and there, the book helped me figure out what mistakes I had made during my previous installation ! I thus re-installed from scratch, following page by page. In no time, the system was up and running, I was customizing my shell behavior, connecting to the internet through my cable modem (Roadrunner/Earthlink), etc...

With some extra hardware, my old AMD K6-II is now a router/firewall between my cable modem and my WinXP/Red Hat 8.0 dual-boot box without a glitch, and am planning to add a second box to my LAN and use it as a printer server too.

For those who still hesitate, this book is written in english, not in nerdish. That itself makes it stand out from all the computer litterature I've read. This book is very valuable.

Annelise: your book made my hardware firewall project feel like a walk in the park. Thank you so much !

I first tried to install FreeBSD 4.8 on my K6-2 500mhz machine using the FreeBSD Handbook as a guide. While this book (the Handbook) is the standard for reference on the subject, it doesn't really explain it to a newbie's needs (even someone coming from Linux). My first attempts failed. I bought Annelise's book and was able to get 4.8 up and running following her suggestions. Though my copy came with a CD of FreeBSD 4.7, I had already burned ISO images of 4.8. The processes detailed in the book applied equally well. My only complaint would be that the book needs updating to reflect areas that a lot of people (most people) are interested in these days: burning music to CD - especially ATAPI CD devices, and USB mass storage devices. Both could be covered by a chapter on how to use SCSI emulation. I still give it 5 stars.

I had been getting fed up with using Windows and wanted to learn a new operating system. I bought Anderson's book and installed FreeBSD 4.6 on an extra hard drive in my computer. The book covers a broad range of topics and I found it very helpful during the installation process. The first 10 chapters are great. I started to get annoyed with Chapter 12 on connecting to the internet. I used PPP and something kept going wrong. I still do not know what it was but the errors I got were endless. The chapters little sidenotes on troubeshooting were of no help and I eventually gave up. Then I tried to install the printer daemon and also recieved errors. I followed the book as best I could and eventually gave up and moved on. Chapter 14 on the X window system is great. Other than the printer and PPP problems (which could have just been my misunderstanding of the book), I would recommend this book to someone else