W Books

I took the Microsoft exam 70-216 for network infrastructure today and all I can say is AMAZING! How did the writers know what was on the exam? There is so much obscure stuff on the exam that no other book I read covered the questons on the exam. But this one did. So much of the test was troubleshooting the network, so I guess a TCP/IP troubleshooting book would be the right one. But the similarity of this book to the test is amazing.

This book was good to read too and I am using it at my job and fixing some of the problems we've had with WINS and VPN based on what I learned. Great book and best study guide for the test.

This book is heads and tails above any other TCP/IP book I've read or own. Finally understand how DNS works, the RAS section helped me put together my Win2k VPN. Get this is you wnat to understand some of the weird stuff in Win2k TCP/IP.

We are in the process of moving from NT to Win2k and my boss made me the project manager. I had to get on top of Win2k networking fast. I bought this book on the recommendation of several of my co workers. Glad I got it. The book is informative and detailed in explanations and examples. A must have for the busy guy like me.

OK, I admit it. I learned my TCP/IP for Windows NT exams from reading Exam Cram. Needless to say, I passed the Windows NT TCP/IP test, but couldn't tell a subnet from a supernet. Now I have a job in the industry and I needed to actually learn TCP/IP, especially since we are moving up to Windows 2000 in our shop.

This book is unreal in how good things are explained. Great detail in describing RRAS, WINS, DNS, and the TCP stack. Using the information in the book I am now up to speed on TCP/IP. Enough to pass the 70-216 test! Not bad for a NT MCSE!

For Real, this book helped a lot. I owe the author's a beer on this one.

This book is fresh air to someone like myself who has read at least a dozen Windows 2000 books. I get the impression that a lot of the Windows 2000 books were written by people who write books and don't work with the technology. This book doesn't fall into that class. It was great to read this book, because it renewed my faith that a tech book could be written in a way that doesn't put me to sleep.

They cover Windows 2000 TCP/IP from top to bottom. WINS, DNS, DHCP, RRAS, IIS, routing and network devices. Its all there, and its filled with little known factoids that makes me want to keep reading and have another "aha!" experience.

This book also was the major reason I passed the Microsoft 216 exam so easily. Although I didn't buy it to pass the exam, they seem to cover all the material that the exam covered. A nice bonus. I wish they made the book longer, because I'm sure they could have said a lot more that I would like to read about.

This book isn't for beginners, but neither is Windows 2000. I think once the reader is ready to manage Windows 2000, they'll be ready to get the most out of this exceptional book.

I love Calvin and Hobbes. Period. The philosophy, the juvenile humor, the deep quiet truths, seeing the world through the eyes of a 6 year old. Any Calvin and Hobbes book gets 5 stars from me.

This book, just like all the other Calvin & Hobbes books, was an enjoyment to read. I recommend it to all ages of readers.

Calvin is the hero of all children with wildly vivid imaginations. He has great fun with his stuffed tiger Hobbes, going on numerous great adventures, including an attempted trip to the Yukon. Calvin is fairly typical in the sense that such children tend to drive their parents and teachers crazy, yet when they learn to temper and channel their imagination, they often end up doing spectacularly creative things as adults.
Since I was one of those imaginative children who spent all of my time either reading or playing pretend scenarios in the kitchen, I can certainly relate to this inventive misfit. He is hilarious.

First, and foremost, it must be known: All Calvin and Hobbes are great. Yukon Ho!, however, is one that tends to rise above the rest. It's true this is one of the earlier books and includes the 9 verse tune The Yukon Song and has all the great cartoons, but why it seems to be more popular, I cannot say. All I know and can guarantee is that it's funny and is everything Calvin and Hobbes. From the beginning of the book where Calvin is convinced that he and Hobbes have traveled into the future (nope not with a cardboard box) it is too easy to appreaciate Calvin's motives. He's not after the secrets of genetic cloning or the what politician is waging wars with other countries. He's looking forward to floating cities and telling people in the present what he saw. And this is the real beauty of Calvin and Hobbes shows through. It's the quest of a six-year-old to have a good time with a furry friend. Rarely in a comic strip has such devotion and integrity of a kid been so accurately portrayed.

You'll chuckle at Calvin's dad 's explanation of the workings of a carburetor and the hilarious camping trip to a desolate rock that Calvin's entire family embarks on. Rosalyn appears again, and yes, again terrorizes Calvin. Calvin digs up dirt on his dad,which compromises his father's high-ranking position of dad. Calvin tries and fails to be the next Houdini and Susie and Calvin are assigned an a project together. All the way to the new and improved transmogrifier, it's pure magic, purely Calvin and Hobbes.

You can always rely on Calvin and Hobbes to deliver the funnies. And if you're a keen reader, Calvin's unique (if rather skewed) perception of the world with keep the kid inside you alive (I don't mean this literally but as a metaphor). Unless you've been horribley deprived you'll pretty much all remember the magic of a snow storm or a sunset while sitting under a tree or an adventure in the woods or playing Monopoly with a tiger.

The title refers to a series of strips in which Calvin and Hobbes plan to escape the Yukon to be free of the repressions of family rules. Needless to say, their journey is cut short when Hobbes eats the only two sandwiches Calvin bothered to pack.

Any Calvin and Hobbes fan will already own this. Everyone else must buy!

A truely amazing book. I found the illistrations easy to understand and the dialogue easy to read. A must for the body therapist

Tons of info. Takes a few extra minutes to process it all but worth the extra time for the added perspective.

I've had this book for a few years, and always take it with me when I go on retreat, and am still trying to absorb... though I've read and re-read the earlier chapters numerous times. I'm a yoga teacher and dietitian, so am fascinated by the science of movement at deeper levels and it's certainly here! Bless you, TM for your focus and perseverance to communicate at the level you do. Inspiring.

A must for any soft tissue therapist. This completes an understanding of how the body is affected by a series muscles.

A huge topic with tons of minutia that is broken down in an easy reading format. I really liked the way the book is set up. Great way to look at the body as a whole and to start thinking about alternative and complimentary modes of treatment up the kinetic chain that you may not think about before reading this book.

This is an exhaustive account of the role of intelligence leading to the eventual success of the Normandy invasion which opened the last chapter of the Third Reich. It is a dramatic story, with a wealth of plots and counter plots featuring the most guarded secret of the war: Ultra, the machine which solved the Nazi's codes .
It is also an excellent account of the most massive invasion in history, complete with all of the attendant peculiarities of the key participants. Although exhaustive in content, its interest never flags, for it deals with the "make or break" nature of D Day. Highly recommended.

An accumulation of some of the most stimulating and exhaustively-researched details on the intel and counter-intel during WWII, particualrly surrounding D-Day. Truly amazing events chronicled extremely well; even after these many years since the book was first published, Cove-Brown's work stands out.

"Bodyguard Of Lies" is one of the most compelling and important reads out there. Lovers of Clancy novels should put them away for a year and concentrate on some of the most real bizarre, yet important, machinations of espionage and counter-espionage ever created and implemented. What gives this phenomenal work its incredible allure is the knowledge that these creations of historical intelligence import occored only a little more than a half-decade ago. The book takes its title from Winston Churchill's remark regarding the crucial role of good intelligence, where he stated, "In war-time, truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies." Using for his research information that had only been de-classified the previous year (1975), Anthony Cave Brown takes us through the minefield that was "Ultra", the Allies means of reading the secret ciphers of the Third Reich. "Ultra" was of such devastating importance that the entire city of Coventry was sacrificed in order to keep secret the fact that the Allies had, early on in the war, broken the German "Enigma" ciphers. This top secret cipher would time and time again put vital information directly into the hands of the Allies. It is safe to say that "Ultra" may have been the difference between victory and defeat. Brown also details what can only be referred to as the most convoluted espionage and counter-espionage schemes that only the minds of men at war for the highest stakes ever perceived could conceive of. In one instance, a false 'cadaver' was planted in an apparant shipwreck, replete with false identity papers, false obituary, false love letters, fake funeral, and, more importantly, false maps and information intended to persuade the enemy that they had stumbled upon ACTUAL information, and act accordingly. Brown relates other tales - some quite unsavory on both sides - for instance, Allied baiting of French resistance in order to convince the enemy of the plausibility of invasion (or non-invasion, as the case warrented) at a given place or time. Agents were sometimes dropped into situations where their 'handlers' knew that cover had been blown or compromised...all done to keep a certain game afloat or a certain secret intact. Perhaps the most interesting revelations, for me, in the book came from the 'dangling' of certain German Generals and Intelligence officials who were not simply sympathetic to the Allies, but in many cases actually working against Hitler and taking incredible, traitorous risks to help defeat him (the Schwarze Kapelle, or, in English, the Black Orchestra). Abwehr head Wilhelm Canaris is studied in depth, and his behavior, not to mention his persona alone may be one of the deepest level secrets of the Second World War. Churchill is again quoted at the start of the section on 'Special Means', "In the high ranges of Secret Service work the actual facts in many cases were in every respect equal to the most fantastic inventions of romance and melodrama. Tangle within tangle, plot and counter-plot, ruse and treachery, cross and double-cross, true agent, false agent, double agent...were interwoven in many a texture so intricate as to be incredible and yet true. The Chief and the High Officers of the Secret Service revelled in these subterranean labyrinths, and pursued their task with cold and silent passion." This book will leave you relieved that men like Churchill, Sir Stewart Menzies, Alan Turing and the like were on the side of the Allies. The book may also leave some disturbed concerning what deep levels of intregue - double, triple, even quadruple-cross - can be invoked when men, and women, are convinced that they are fighting on the side of right against what they are sure is the side of wrong.

The new and warranted reinterest in World War II, and D-Day specifically has given this book new life. What I am wondering is whether or not the content has been changed, Not an easy read back in 1975 when Anthony Cave Brown first slogged through the newly declassified material which help to make this book fascinating, I am tempted to wager that some things have been re-written. Only a guess of course. This could also be a good thing, as in the case of Pearl Harbor, where after 1995 declassification documents were used to prove ("Day Of Deceit by Mr. Stinnett) that the attack was not, in fact, a complete suprise. Seeing that the original was out-of-print I suppose that this is a welcome development to have a new edition, retitled or no. 30 years is a good long time - and perhaps more information is included while staying true to the "old" edition.

This is an extremely detailed book on Allied (mainly British) deception operations during World War II. While it was written in 1976 it still hold up well, though some new information on the role of GCHQ and signals intelligence has been released since 1976. I am still amazed at the scope of operations the British ran during World War II. A very well written book, though it is by know means a quick read. It took me almost a month to get through it. If you are keenly interested in intelligence operations try to track down this book.

This book is a wake up call to the Creative! It completely opened my eyes to the many things to think about and plan for when leaving your secure job, and going out on your own. Extremely well written, with a plethora of knowledge on the subject. A complete eye opener. A MUST HAVE for the Creative who is planning on going freelance, or starting their own business. Very informative and necessary to read in order to succeed on your own. Very exciting, I could barely put it down!

According to the author's website at http://www.creativebusiness.com/books.lasso The Business Side of Creativity addresses freelancing and the basics of pricing, selling, and running a SMALL design or marketing communications business. The Creative Business Guide to Running a Graphic Design Business focuses on the management of a MULTIPERSON organization. The website gives a summary on the various chapters of each book.

I started out excited about this book, then quickly realized much of what the author had to say was outdated at best, not the best advice on numerous occasions, but yet the book contained some valuable information. A bit stoneage as far as business marketing practices. One hundred pages on setting up your own studio/small business with personnel (No, thank you). If working as a freelancer in the graphics or copy arenas is your thing, its worth paying $20.00 to get something out of it.

This is such a comprehensive book. If you have any question about how to run a business, let alone a creative one, this book is the only one you'll need.

I'm starting a sole-proprietor (one-person) freelance design business and I have found this book to be extremely helpful. It manages to be realistic about what to expect while also providing encouragement that if you prepare well and work smart, you have the opportunity to reach your financial goals. The book has made me consider contracts carefully and has given me valuable suggestions (for example, setting up standards such as "I can't accept jobs for which I can bill less than 8 hours' work"), thinking about what kinds of clients I want to attract in my business, and so on. It has important points to consider if you are locating your business outside a large metropolitan area. I recommend it for anyone who is starting out - or considering starting out - on a solo creative business.

This is a book mainly geared toward classes, possibly overcrowded, that have students from different disciplines (engineering, chemistry, physics, math, etc). This is the book for the Let's-get-this-over-with-quickly approach. I think that this book will probably disapoint physics or mathematics undergraduates - assuming, of course, they care about physics or maths.
The task of carefully choosing a balance between mathematical rigor and applications is the main one that falls upon an author of a calculus text at this level. Not dumbing down the mathematical notation and theorems too much, while being able to keep the dots between the abstractions and the applications, therein lies the art of writing. The more I look at this book, the less the author's choices seems to make sense. If you look at it, it's just an ordinary modern calculus text, nicely illustrated and all. That's the problem. Too many calculus text are copies of other calculus text, and have not put in the effort to connect the dots through the student's eye. Even little things...like defining a parabola as x^2 = -4py, instead of y = -(1/4p)x^2, because, after all, we're used to y=f(x)...Sure, all the theorems are there...So what? Wouldn't be a calculus book if it didn't have the theorems. I ask myself: if you give little boxes of theorems in nice typography, cool illustrations, together with scissors and glue, will little children put together a nice calculus book for you? Will a thousand monkeys with keyboards write mathematics textbooks?
The first book is better than the second. If you can avoid it, don't buy volume II (that is, don't buy the Combined edition). Even in volume I there are problems. For instance, there's omission of integration of algebraic functions resulting in the arctg, IIRC (there's just a formula thrown at you).
Volume II is below average (Multivariable Calculus). Don't expect to learn much along the lines of the /reasons/ behind what you are doing here. Why must you parametrize a curve? To transform a path integral in an ordinary integral in one variable, perhaps? Should you use a position vector or just autoparametrization? Did you see the relation between conservative fields, the gradient and potential energy? Do you think you can relate a map of the density of a population of a certain species to a double integral? All these are examples of issues that you'll not glimpse into using this book. It does not bring you *understanding*. Of course, if what you expect is learning by rote, than this book does that: trains students to calculate little numerical problems or perform algebraic manipulations. No doubt that's important, but that is not all. They performed as you expected. You measure them by that stick, fine. Everyone's happy. Goodbye. Next class. Calculus was invented to solve real problems, let's not loose sight of that. My experience with this book was that it made the explanations so disconected, so without grounding, that I had to look for other texts. Edwards and Penney, Thomas and Finney, Guidorizzi, Kaplan, Piskunov, until I settled for McCallum's Multivariable Calculus. I wasted a substantial time trying to fill in the gaps with other books.
Don't expect to read even a mildly reasonable explanation of partial differentiation. Not rigorous, not enough demonstrations. Some explanations are really bad, like Lagrange multipliers. Oversimplifying explanations is not adequate, IMHO. There's not enough geometric visualizations for the issue of gradients, for instance. Parametrization and the analytic geometry for the second half of the book is interpersed throughout the first half, and in a somewhat awkward order. I've seen better ordering of the material. Total differential and total increment are a little over a page in length.
I blame this book, in part, for the high "flunk rate" on Calculus II at my University. However, it seems the publisher is being very successful in marketing it all over the world. All it means to me is that the marketing department is competent.
In my ordeal through The Quest for Answers, I have found other books that I think are better, at this level. Look for Edwards & Penney, McCallum's Multivariable Calculus (this is probably the best choice) or Thomas and Finney. Anton does not succeed in making you achieve a reasonable working knowledge of the material in terms of comprehension.
On the bright side, the wealth of examples is nice (although your exam will probably be more like the exercises that start at number 40 or so, instead of the examples). The layout is good too. But there's absolutely nothing in it that justifies it as "different" ("New Horizon") or that makes it stand apart from the other books geared at the same audience, unless, that is, you compare it to a 1969 book.
Also nice is how the use of a CAS is blended in the book, so that if you do those CAS exercises, you will be on your way to become proficient in some CAS package wrt Calculus. A note here: I think the author should've mentioned open source CAS - there are at least 2 packages: Axiom and Maxima; they bear no cost to the student and have years of research behind them. Also, Scilab from INRIA (Institute National de Recherche et Information) replaces Matlab and is also open source (but both Scilab and Matlab are not for symbolic manipulations).
3 stars because it does its job of covering the basics. But no "classic", just average.
If you're having trouble with this book, see my review of McCallum's et al. Multivariable Calculus.

I thought I was terrible at math until I picked up this book for a college calculus course. In contrast to virtually every other math textbook I'd ever been forced to use, this book explained concepts clearly and simply, providing examples that increased gradually in complexity. I happened to have a good professor that semester, but whenever I didn't understand something in class, I taught myself from this textbook. It was a rare pleasure to feel I could learn such a difficult subject independently. I ended up getting an A in the class - and more importantly, I learned I wasn't bad at math at all.

To add a bit more information to the raw data of these reviews, I've mapped the universe of all possible readers of this book onto a set of x-y axes. Let the x-axis run from "non-Math-types" up through "Math-types." Let they y-axis go from "non-geniuses" up through "geniuses:"

- Quadrant I: genius Math-types will probably be both irritated and bored with this book. Their irritation will spring from the fact that not all of the pure-math proofs they'll be looking for are here. The book focuses more on explaining and doing calculus than on proving it. Most of the material is proven (properly: no missing steps), but the proofs that would get in the way of doing calculus are omitted. Quadrant Is will be bored because the author does his best to pound on a topic until practically everyone can understand it. Genius math-types, since they're inherently capable of grasping this material from proofs alone, will not be pleased by this repetition. For Quadrant Is, some version of Tom M. Apostol's Calculus books (ISBNs 9686708103, 842915003X, 8429150013, 0471000051, 0471503037, 0471000078, or 0471000086) would be a better text.

- Quadrant II: genius non-Math-types will probably prefer the fact that the author skipped some proofs in favor of applications. However, like the Quadrant Is, they'll probably be somewhat bored by the author's "slowness" in moving on after he introduces a topic. This book will be OK for them, but they'd probably prefer a more "terse" presentation. Unfortunately, I don't have any recommendations for such a book.

- Quadrant III: non-genius non-Math-types (i.e., "normal" people), will find this book just right. As noted above, the author's focus is on teaching and using calculus, not *necessarily* on proving it. If the proofs are complex enough that they'd distract from that mission, they're either relegated to Appendix G or omitted (though most proofs are present). Best of all, the author doesn't skip steps in his proofs: all the steps are there in their detailed glory. Later in the book, he will occasionally skip a simplification of an expression, but none of the "proof" material is missing. In the latter half of the book, he sometimes does the "proof is left as an exercise for the student" routine, but those are for non-essential proofs. After the author introduces a topic/theorem/method, he always gives multiple (at least three) examples. So, if the readers are having trouble with the equations and proofs, they'll have several chances to figure out what he means from the examples. Also, all the odd problems have answers in the back of the book. There are no steps included with the answers, but usually that's not a problem (since there are so many examples in the book). I also found the appendices giving explanations of pre-Calculus math facts very useful: it's been a long time since I've seen those things, so I needed the refresher.

- Quadrant IV: non-genius Math-types will join the Quadrant Is in disliking the skipping of several proofs, but, like the Quadrant IIIs, will be pleased with the thorough, step-by-step nature of the existing proofs. Not the best choice of a textbook for them, but for those who are having trouble with a "pure math" Calculus book, this is a good supplement.

Overall, this is an excellent book (I rate it 5 stars out of 5). The author did a wonderful job matching his material to his chosen audience (Quadrant III, "normal" people). For non-genius non-math-types, I highly recommend it. For genius non-math-types and non-genius math-types, it's OK. Genius math-types should avoid it and try something like Apostol's Calculus.

I'm learning Calculus with this book and I'm finding excellent!
My college changed Swokowski's book (it's out of print in Brazil!!!) by Anton's book. This book -together with Swokowski- is highly recommended for the beginners undergraduates. For me, Anton is very better Stewart's book -for instance-. Therefore, buy "Calculus a new horizont, 6th edition!

Well am trying to find out where can i get all answer sheet for the questions which is provided in the book.

I have found answers to odd-numbered exercies, But am looking for all answers. How can i get it please.
Thanks for helpping customers

I have just finished reading "Comfort" by Ann Hood and I sit here stunned. Never have I been a witness to such raw and intimate emotion. Ann writes of her tortuous journey of trying to cope with her grief after the sudden death of her daughter, Gracie. "She was only five years old." The reiterating of this sentence and the phrases describing her frantic experiences that day in the hospital, over and over again throughout the book, convey the sense of disbelief, helplessness, and raw pain throughout the memoir.

Ann Hood is not a new author to me. I have read many of her other books. "Do Not Go Gently" about dealing with the impeding loss of her father to cancer also revealed her ability to put on paper what was coursing through her veins. "The Knitting Circle" a fictional story of a woman trying to put her life together after the loss of her daughter, was her previous attempt to try to tell the story of the loss of Gracie. In each of these, woven in with the phrases of pain and brutal honesty is an energy and lust for life that is redeeming. I find myself crying and then laughing with tenderness as she goes on to mention something that brings to life the human spirit to survive and cope.

Even though the book deals with such tragedy and pain, it is not a downer. I am left with a sense of connection to Ann and her family that make me want to hug her and bring a cake over to her house. She is each of us...she is a mother who isn't afraid to feel her pain and share it with us. She is a wife who isolates herself in a corner one minute and then grasps tenaciously to her husband in the next. She is a woman who exhibits love, anger, longing, strength and determination. If she can walk through this then there is hope for all of us who also have difficult journeys in our future.

There is a kinship between those who have suffered the death of a child, and this book speaks to that familiarity, and the healing that begins to nudge its way in as the retelling occurs. I nodded my head in agreement, and cried as Ann shared the journey of her grief, the silly things people think they have to say to a grieving parent, and the reality of the words "I'm still here". This book is an empathetic comfort for those who have known the tragedy of burying a child.

Reading Ann Hood's best-selling novel The Knitting Circle, I sensed that she was doing exactly what aspiring writers are told to do: She was writing what she knew well: Knitting, friendship, life's challenges--and losses. What I didn't realize as I read her wonderful novel was that she held a deeper, far more intimate story that was begging to be told. Comfort: A Journey Through Grief is that very personal story about the sudden loss of Hood's five-year-old daughter Grace. With the kind of raw emotion that only a survivor of such grief can share, she journeys back to the events that define her losses and finds light and hope in what seems to be a hopelessly dark place.

In a searing prologue bearing the same title as the book ("Comfort"), Hood begins and ends with the thought that "Time heals," methodically listing the comments that people made to her in the aftermath of Grace's death. Interspersed among the well-intentioned words of others, Hood writes her own rebuttals and rebukes of them. "Once you have lived through all of the firsts, it will get better." ... "Are you writing down how you feel?" "But I cannot write. I cannot think of anything but her." ... "She is in a better place." But how can a five-year-old little girl be in a better place without her mother?" "Are you writing any of this down?" "Only the lies people tell me. There are no words for the size of this grief. There are only lies."

By the time I finished reading the prologue, her words clutched my heart and threatened to never let go.

They say that writing about such pain is therapeutic. I say that reading this book is also therapeutic. As a mother and a nurse, I cannot imagine having to make sense of the loss of a young and healthy child. Likewise, I cannot imagine having to function and move forward after such a shock. Hood reveals just how terribly difficult it is to go anywhere but inward.

"In the days and weeks and months that followed, I told these details over and over and over to anyone who would listen. Repeating them made the story which seemed unbeliebable still, real. It was as if by repeating the details I cold somehow understand them, understand what had happened to Grace, to our family." (Chapter Two: Knitting Lessons).

This book will take you on an emotional ride unlike any other. I have emerged from the pages of this book with an incredible ache for Hood's loss but also with joy for her renewed hope for the future, in her adopted daughter, Annabelle.

Written with grace and brutal honesty, Comfort has touched my life and is sure to touch the lives of all who read about Ann Hood's powerful journey.

by Lee Ambrose
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

How to get through a parent's worst nightmare? I don't know why I was drawn to this but I felt that I should listen to her message. I will read more of her writing.

The author's five year old daughter Grace died suddenly. She writes about her life and her coping with her grief. While the subject matter may turn many away, this 186 page book, which can be read in one sitting, will move you and particularly so if you have children.

Many compare this book to Joan Didion's The Year of Magical Thinking. From my point of view, this book is in a different class - far superior - coming deep from the author's soul where you live and feel the grief as you turn the pages. For example (P. 96): "I have read that when someone loses an arm or leg, for months afterward they still feel the pain in their missing limb. A phantom limb, it is called, as if the outline or shadow of that limb is still there. That is what my arm became. Phantom limbs, aching for Grace. At night I would wake up in pain, my arms actually hurting with longing for her. It is hard to imagine that emptiness can cause pain, but my empty arms arched."

The book is beautifully written. The author has a knack of bringing alive small every day experiences - "I ate wine biscuits twisted into pretzel shapes and hard bread dipped into tomato sauce, tight batons of prosciutto and crunchy stalks of fennel dripping with olive oil."

Hood is direct in explaining her grief - there is no magic silver bullet to deal it.

"Writing about Grace, losing her, loving her, anything at all is not linear. Readers wants a writer to be able to connect the dots. But these dots don't connect. One day I think about how knitting saved my life, and I write about that. But how do I connect it to other parts of my grief? Grief doesn't have a plot. It isn't smooth. There is no beginning and middle and end."

Or

"It had been three years since Grace had died. Slowly, we were back to work, out with friends again. Our loss still filled our home, every corner of it. It still filled us. Time doesn't heal, I had learned, it just keeps moving. And it takes us with it."

And finally, she expresses her anguish in vivid heartbreaking ways:

"The first time I walked into Grace's room after she died, when the reality of what had happened to us in the past forty-eight hours was still unbelievable, the first things I saw were those tights. I saw them and screamed, not the kind of scream that comes from fright, but the kind that comes from the deepest grief imaginable. It is a scream that comes when there are no words to express what you feel. It is an argument with God or life or death. It is a scream that rails against logic and fate and everything there is."

Hood eventually turns the corner but never shakes the horror and pain of losing a loved one. Hood's grief comes alive and is real as you turn the pages. Sad but emotionally stirring book.

I was utterly fascinated by the material presented here. I was quite suprised to find material I had never written since i have written every major work done on the Nazis.

Although it concentrates on the top leadership below Hitler (Goring, Goebbels, Ribbentrop, Himmler, it also details Hitler's actions and leadership as a backdrop. From reading this, you really get a vivid depiction of his key henchmen and the complex intrigues among them.

Well-written, well-researched, and most impressive was how the plot weaves back and forth from Goring to Goebbels to other latecomers to the upper tier of leadersjip such as Speer, Borman,etc.

Brilliant historical work....

An excellent, well-written book that strays from the usual history of Nazi Germany by focusing not on Hitler but on his henchmen. Indeed, Hitler is almost a bit player for most of the first half of the book. Fascinating detail on the private lives and ambitions of Goering, Goebbels, Himmler, etc.
It is very well written and almost gripping, at times. He does have one little quirk, which is to occasionally throw in some very modern idiom, but it does not detract and is actually kind of fun.
I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to move beyond the basic histories of the Third Reich and find out about the strong-willed but self-serving and amoral men who worked out the revolting details of Hitler's regime.

This book is a MUST read for anyone truly wanting to know how it was possible for a man who had and was nothing (homeless, penniless and without friends) to become the most powerful and feared man in the world who controlled a vast empire and millions of people. The author does an EXCELLENT job of keeping the reader's attention and interest. It is difficult to put this book down. It read easily and smoothly. There are lots of details but that does not bog the reader down....it simply flows and stays interesting. The author gives equal time and details about many of Hitler's Inner Circle men, especially, Goebbels, Goring and Himmler. Without the work, talent, energy and loyalty of these men there is not doubt that Hitler would never have become who he was!

Here is an outstanding exhaustively researched account of all the key players in Hitler's Third Reich. Without the help of these men, Hitler would not have come to power, let alone been a politician worthy of mention. It is interesting to read how at least one among his entourage did not want war, and how his stubbornness and hubris changed the course of history. A must read not only for those who are interested in the tumultous events of the 20th Century, but those in leadership positions in politics and other fields, or those aspiring to be in that position.

I have read over 100 books covering the Nazi period, including reading William Shirers book, Rise and Fall of the Third Reich,three times. During this last 10 years every book I read was compared with Shirers. This is book by Anthony Read is perhaps equal or better than Shirers because its both a history book and a concise biography of the main "devil's disciples". This book at 900 pages provides more understanding of events than Shirer achieved in his 1600 pages although Shirer delivered a masterpiece. The reason for this is may be that Shirer in writing in 1958-60 did not have access to some of the detailed later sources as Anthony Read has. What makes this book so great is that Read spends great effort to explain the "Why & How" in addition to the "Who, What, Where, When" covered by most historians. This book provides insight into the squable that Goebbels had with Gregor Strasser that made it easier for Hitler to drive a wedge between Strasser and Goebbels who were very thick in the beginning and might have eventually split the Nazi's Berlin northern group from the Nazi's Munich "mafia" group.
This book gives a greater understanding of Gorings love and devotion to his first wife, Carin, than I got from reading a well researched biography of Hermann Goring by another author. Carin's death has been explained in other sources as: TB, epilepsy, heart failure. AR explains how they were all connected. Hermanns love for her explains why her son, Thomas, from her first marriage was so devoted to Goring.
The book also explains how crafty Hitler was in engaging many of the other political parties before backing out of any commitment at the 11th hour after the other parties were forced to disclose that most of them needed Hitler's Nazi Reichstag delegates more than the Nazis needed them. This book contains many more facts that help the reader understand the personal motives behind most of the intrigues of the main characters.
Goebbels, the proverbial womanizer, should never gotten married but with the death of Goring's wide Carin, it appears Goebbels saw an opportunity to help himself to the spotlight by marrying the beautiful and rich divorcee, Magda, so he could take over the entertainment of Hitler on his trips up to Berlin.
The book deserves 6 stars and is like drinking from a firehouse to cover more in 900 pages than 1600. I'll gladly read this again.

Here is an honorable man. He was born in Victorian America at Uniontown Pennsylvania in 1880. George Marshall was a descendent of Chief Justice John Marshall. He was a graduate of VMI and was commissioned an Officer in 1902. Ed Cray has done an exhaustive study of Mr. Marshall. He portrays his experiences in the Philippines and later his staff work during World War I for General Pershing. Mr. Cray goes into great detail in describing General Marshall as a correct modern 20th Century General during the late 1930's.
George Marshall was given the responsibility of Chief of Staff when the total Armed Forces stood at 200,000 strong. At full force in 1945, General Marshall commanded the largest Armed Service in U. S. History.
Mr. Marshall transitoned from his Military Command to the President's Cabinet after World War II. He assisted President Truman through extremely turbulent times. His demeanor was ever professional. His brainstorm of the Marshall Plan was his epiphany toward World stabilization in Europe. He further distinguished himself later as Secretary of Defense during the Korean Conflict. Mr. Truman could't do without him.
When he died in 1959 Winston Churchill grieved deeply. General George C. Marshall stands only with George Washington as a true Soldier Statesman.

Reading this book gave me the insight (which I guess already had subconsiously) that war is not (just) about the best generals on the battlefield, but maybe even more about those generals organising the campaigns and (grand) strategy.
Untill reading this book I had no idea that the US was so unprepared for WWII as it was. The 28th army in the world in 1939! And Marshall being responsible for making it the efficient warmachine it became, running on trucks, Jeeps, USO, icecream and welltrained units.
Could the Germans and Japanese have won the war had Marshall not been Chief of Staff? Maybe not, but I wouldn't stake my life on that assumption! The way Marshall convinced Roosevelt on may 14th 1940 that a balanced army was needed to win the coming war makes you shiver had Roosevelt NOT listened to Marshall and Hopkins.

Cray writes a very clear story, weaving in and out history on a world scale and back to Marshall pruning his trees in his gardens as almost his only hobby during the war.
A great read and compulsory reading for every soldier and/or statesman.

B. Kreuger, Haarlem, the Netherlands

This is not a bad biography. The facts are there as well as a reasonably complete account of a very complicated part of history. But the people and groups that Marshall dealt with are simplified to the point of caricature. Similarly, matters of grand strategy and the new tactics stemming from technological advance are treated merely as things that Marshall had views on. It's not clear from the book that the author understands anything about war as fought in the mid-20th century above the cartoon level. Of course there were many people; of course things were complicated, and a great deal happened; but in over 700 pages we are entitled to some subtlety and insight, which aren't there. General Marshall, one of the truly great mean, deserves better than this.

This is a fantastic biography of an incredible leader. Marshall is usually associated with the European Recovery Act and as the Chief of Staff of the Army during World War II. He influenced so much more during his long Army career. A true gentlemen and scholar, his long career and dedication to service is an inspiration for all of us today.

For those of you who like their reviews to be direct and to the point: Ed Cray, a professor of journalism at the University of Southern California, has written the single best one volume life of George C. Marshall. The book is 15 years old and is unlikely to be surpassed for another 15-20 years. It is the kind of book that will still be in print 70 years after its initial publication.

Why? Well, it is well-written and a pleasure to read. More importantly, Cray does an excellent job of giving his readers a character portrait of the great general that brings the man alive. Not an easy thing to do with a subject as taciturn as Marshall. The man that emerges is one of real character. He became a protégé of General of the Armies John J. Pershing only after Marshall stood up to him as an overage captain, yelling at the general telling him he was wrong when Pershing had criticized Marshall's division. As Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, Marshall was the critical figure in building the military that defeated the axis powers. He selected the commanders, who often went on to greater fame than he enjoyed. He was the leader of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the war and often had to battle with his naval counterpart Admiral Ernest J. King. In the realm of allied strategy, he faced off against the head of the British Army, Field-Marshal Sir Alan Brooke. In both cases healthy mutual respect kept from making their differences and disputes personal. In running the army during the war, Marshall's administrative style was highly effective and can provide a model for many in other fields to follow. He also suffered. His stepson, who he had done a good deal to raise, was killed in Italy. It says a good deal about the man that he made no effort to protect one his family from dangerous assignments.

After the war, Marshall served as Secretary of State and then later as Secretary of Defense. He won the Nobel Peace Prize for the plan the State Department developed to rebuild Europe after the devastation of the war. He was twice "Time" magazine's "Man of the Year."

Marshall was the first five-star general in U.S. history and that was no accident. In this fine book Cray makes that clear.

For more than a year, after watching a popular documentary -"The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne, I been actively trying to find out more about the "Theory" and "Principle" that support the key idea that the show wanted to bring across to the audience - that's "The Law of Attraction."

One of the key reasons for me to do so is heal my "Gout" problem, which cause me to have leg pain frequently no-matter how carefully I controlled my diet. I wanted to understand how "Miracle was created". As I belief that when a miracle had happened once, it would be happening again if the principle is well understood.

Possibly that is due to my education background as an engineering trained professional, I would want to find out Why first before I can fully trusting any simple instruction. Along the way, I had gone though many books on self-hypnosis, subconscious mind, subliminal music, visualization, intuition techniques, Reiki and some new age stuffs... These seem to help a bit here and there, but surely do not satisfy my goal.

And, after reading about the many good reviews of other readers, I ordered one to check out what's the difference between this book and the others.

To my surprise! This book is Very Well Organized from the Basic Principle start from the Subconscious Mind to the Practical and Most Effective Technique of applying its Power. And, it link-up many of the other information and knowledge that I had learn earlier on.

Besides, the author also produced some CDs to facilitate the reader to practice the lessons in each chapter... Though the script can be read and recorded by individual... I would still strongly recommend to get a copy as some of the Track come with the Metronome... for Alpha and Theta Routine... (a 10Hz and 5 Hz tapping sound in the background that help to Synch the listener brainwave.)

After some training, I intentionally tried some food that is Not supposed to be taken by people with "Gout", and my body does not have any problem with it.

Therefore, I take some time to appreciate the author.
Thank you very much - Harry W. Carpenter.

Last but not least, the application is much more in other respects in life... It is up to individual to explore.

Best Regards
Akers Tang(Singapore)

The Genie within is perhaps the easiest to comprehend (and read) book written on the subconscious mind. It is written in everyday language, without much the airy fairy examples of other books on the same topic.
Further, the author does not spend 5 chapters writing about something that can be explained in 1 chapter, or even (sometimes) 1 page, and that alone makes this book stand out from others on this subject.

The Author acknowledges that the information isn't new, and that he has basically put together what he knows in a format that makes it easy to understand.

If you have never read anything on the subconscious, this (in my opinion) is the best book to start with. It will create many 'ah-ha, so that's what I've been doing wrong' moments.

That said, it does lack information in two distinct areas of the subconscious. The first one is in relation to symbols - the subconscious makes great use of symbols - anything you have an attachment to becomes a symbol, and symbols can go yet further (into the realm of fantasy) as they can do in dreams. Secondly, while he explains how the subconscious can't tell the difference between fantasy and reality (and how it can be used to set goals and program the mind), he doesn't explain that this crucial ability of the subconscious mind can be used to create new memories, which allows a person to gain more confidence in an area they aren't good at (because your subconscious mind uses past memories as a blueprint for how you react to future events, if you program new successful memories, your subconscious can use them as a guide, instead of previous encounters where you're had difficulty)

Overall, I've still given this book 5 stars because it is so easy to understand, and gives so much good information. My 'criticism' comes from reading multiple books (so far 7) on the subject, none of which contained a complete picture of the subconscious.

If you want to know more about your subc.I heartily recommend these CDs

The Power of Your Subconscious Mind
The Master Key System
Thought Vibration or the Law of Attraction in the Thought World
The Science of Getting Rich
The Science of Mind
Think and Grow Rich: Original Version

My 13-year old son has spent the last school year putting into action the suggestions and insight he has gained from this book, and has made such progress (in scholastics, sports, and social arenas) that I have to attribute much of this to the lessons contained in this fantastic book. I also have been awakened and am improving in multiple facets in my life.

I have added about 40 or so similar books to our home library, including all the usual suspects (Napoleon Hill, Troward, Wattles, Vernon Howard, Christian Larson, etc.), but this is such a concise and actionable book that really summarizes the practical applications of the wonderful power in our possession - a power we all have but that we have to be reminded about and not neglect it.

I highly recommended to read this book with an open mind, and you cannot help but be a better person. There is an inexpensive CD that accompanies the book, available at the auther's website that is highly recommended, too. Good Luck, and enjoy reading and learning!

If you are struggling to achieve the success that you want, then you need to do three simple and easy things: 1) Buy this book, 2) Read and learn the concepts contained in this book, 3) Apply what you have learned in this book.

The author boils it all down to an easy to learn science on how you can utilize your subconscious mind to achieve anything that you desire. This is key since I've read several books on the subconscious mind. After reading this book, I know now why I didn't succeed using other author's suggestions. This book is almost more like a fun to read manual of how to program your subconscious mind for all the success you want!

My advice to you is to IGNORE all other books on this subject until after you've read this book and applied the techniques. I have and am seeing very successful results after the first day.