Open Books

I found this book to be a helpful and fun way to study ideas in Buddhist philosophy. While it is fun to sit and experience having a calm mind, it is just as fun to play around with concepts and ideas with a calm mind. I think a lot of these ideas--especially asness--are very important to bring to your meditation. The idea of asness basically holds that the content of what we experience is less important than its coherence (in my understanding, the actual existence of the experience itself). I think understanding this thought takes thinking to its limit, to see thoughts as thoughts.

This is a romp, an extended riff, a playful presentation, a nest of plausible paradox. I have no notion what to make of it qualitatively, but I quite enjoyed the ride. Especially Prof. Ziporyn's spirit of inquiry and experimentation.

Ideas are tools for building things, or breaking them. The ideas in this text are designed to break your hangups. I won't spoil it for you by tipping Prof. Ziporyn's hand. You deserve that pleasure for yourself, dear reader.

Some thoughts: I was reminded of H.V. Guenther's classic riff on Dzogchen, Matrix of Mystery. I would have liked less Hegel (less dialectic altogether!) and more Nietzsche, more Deleuze-Guattari. Those are my own hangups, I suppose, but I stand by my word: a reader interested in straight-up inquiry and good times simultaneously, in short a reader interested in Ziporyn's work, odds-on will prefer A Thousand Plateaus to anything from the Kant/Hegel Antique Collection (now yours complete with certificate of authenticity...), AND find it more useful to their own imperatives.

I tip my hat to the good Professor. May the Dharma flourish in all lands!

Don't be put off by all the SIPs listed here; this book is not only mind-blowingly illuminating, but also extremely entertaining and fun and easy to read, once you get the rhythm of it. It's probably the most sophisticated and genuinely philosophically interesting exploration of Buddhist thought I've come across. This dude knows his Western thought well, and doesn't stop until he gets all the way to the bottom of the issue. I don't know much about the traditional Tiantai school, except very thin textbook stuff, but from this discussion it seems to be the most radical of all schools, even moreso than Zen and Dzogchen, overturning the really root assumptions that we usually don't even notice, even after a lot of Buddhism. It's also the most truly world-affirming view of the world I've ever encountered, where each individual entity is really given its due and absolute value--much more so than Nietzsche, although there's a lot of similarity, even in the style, which is brisk and chatty, mixed with dense and wickedly funny, irreverent and merciless, nuanced and lively. I laughed out loud more than once, at the same time suddenly seeing the point and getting my mind blown. He doesn't hesitate to get to the nitty-gritty of sex, desire, egotism, analyzes and sheds light on humor (what is it, why is something funny?), beauty (likewise), what freedom is, what social being is, and above all WHAT WE REALLY WANT!! This was a big surprise, but so true. The idea of "reversibility" and of "asness" are really useful, really make a lot of former questions clear. All the loose buddhist talk about "being the thing you perceive" is finally explained, and played out in the idea of reversibility of perspective as built into all experience. Likewise "asness": I feel like I finally understand Emptiness, and the implications of it which it seems like most Buddhist schools haven't even dreamt of. This simple idea, that all being is being-as something else, is worth the price of the book, and has implications everywhere. I need to reread it again (third time!) not just for understanding but for the sheer pleasure; but I think anyone with an interest in truly radical thinking, in Buddhism, in the latest developments of WEstern thought, or just in expanding his mental horizons, should check out this book.

Users love software that they don't have to pay for. But, some software professionals have to make a living creating and maintaining that software. Many companies today grapple with the question, "how to make money with Linux and Open Source?" Some software business leaders are worried about whether Linux and Open Source are impacting business viability of operating systems/environment business. Enterprise business and IT managers are quite happy to see the trend towards software they don't have to pay for. But, most often they do not understand what the implications are and what the fine prints way. Martin Fink has done an excellent job of compiling all the fundamental and essential information on the business aspects of Linux and Open Source software. He clarifies and removes many myths people carry in their minds. Probably this is a "one of its kind" book that brings together the various angles such as the overview of terms, understanding legal lingo, business model aspects, talent management aspects and so on. The book covers the essential technical aspects lucidly and adequately. If you are looking for a deep technical source for Linux and Open Source architectures, there are enough pointers in the book; but, this book is not meant for that purpose. I recommend this book for software engineers who have to understand the business aspects and Enterprise IT/Business Managers who are deploying/planning Linux and Open Source components in their business. The timing of the book is perfect. This book is a good candidate for bringing out update versions as the domain expands and matures. I don't know whether Martin Fink plans to upgrade the book year after year.

The author is definitely speaking from experience, providing valuable insights and recommmendations. Coming from a person who's been heading the Linux Systems Division of HP for over three years, it's not surprising.

Part I brings the reader to a sufficient level of familiarity with Linux, open source, licensing, communities and celebrities. Unless you are fully in touch with the open source world, you will certainly learn useful information in this part.

Part II explains what it means to implement Linux in your operations. No attempt is made to review or benchmark available distributions, and no selection process is presented, only some guidance is provided. This is understandable: Linux can take many shapes and forms and you can even create your own distribution. Because of this diversity, a whole chapter is devoted to standards that make it possible to use multiple distributions. The subject of Total Cost of Ownership is also covered, not in terms of numbers, but in terms of items to consider for calculating a total cost. There is no magic formula here, only an indication of what you should consider and how open source can affect the bottom line. The author then discusses the activity of deploying Linux, considering the issues of migration, coexistence, hardware, support, and training. Here again the author provides essential guidance without covering all the details of such undertaking.

Part III is about how to integrate open source into your organization. This is probably where most of the added value of this book lies. It is really in this part that the author draws from his experience in managing open source in a large organization. He first attempts to provide a functional model for an organization developing software, focusing on enabling an open source process as opposed to a conventional development model. This model may assume a large set of developers and may come out of the blue (it is presented then discussed), but it clearly demonstrates how much of a cultural change it requires to fully reap the benefits from an open source process, and how much other corporate functions such as marketing and HR have to adapt accordingly. Most importantly, this model can boldly be used as a replacement for conventional closed-source development. The author then covers other valuable topics: gated communities, the time value of software and how open source changes the equation and can be used to your advantage, the business models around open source, when to participate or create open source software, and what should be considered when deciding to use open source.

A highly recommended reading for anybody who is considering leveraging the benefits of open source within their organization.

I have just finished reading the book "The Business and Economics of Linux and Open Source" and wanted to let you know that I really enjoyed it. I am currently passing the book up my chain of command at work...

Linux and Open source is not "just" for geeks anymore. Business is embracing it and needs the guidance this book has to offer. It is the first book I have seen which addresses Linux and open source from a business perspective.

The background on Linux and Open source brings the reader up-to-speed on the key players and culture of the open source community and why it would be considered - staying focussed on facts and data. From this, Martin goes on to discuss the different issues one must address in considering the implementation of this technology in the Enterprise including the real costs and benefits.

Martin lends credibility to this topic as he is currently the VP & CTO at Hewlett-Packard heading its Linux Systems Division. He has to grapple with these issues everyday...

At a conference where Martin was speaking at recently, a senior executive at IBM mentioned that he was giving this book (an HP executive's book) to IBM's customers. Having read the book, I now understand why.

I came across this book while writing "The Encyclopedia of Networking." What a great resource. I was trying to write a historical outline by referring to the RFCs written during the early years of the Internet. What a task! This book puts it all into perspective. Salus has interviewed the people involved, including Cerf and many others, and in so doing, has made a major contribution to the Internet historical archives. Never mind that it is getting a little dated. Its a great read and kept me up past midnight.

I just finished reading "Where Wizards Stay up Late," another Internet history book. It is just as good and I actually felt a little nastalgia after reading the book, as if I were there myself. I highly recommend both books if you want to learn how all this technology developed. By the way, this book reads more like a novel. The Salus book reads more like a good rendering of the RFCs. But all these writers have done their job in interviewing the historical figures.

If you want to find out how things like the Internet, Usenet and other services we take for granted were developed, there's no better book than this one. Salus gives a detailed chronology of the Internet's history and development, with interviews of the people involved and numerous excerpts from RFCs and other documents. There's even details on how the alt.* hierarchy of Usenet newsgroups was born, with a debunking of the rumor that it stands for Anarchists, Lunatics and Terrorists. A terrific book.

Eric Kavanagh paints a vivid picture of civic responsibiity by connecting the many dots of ingeniuty that are commercially available today. He masterfully weaves history, technology, and civic duty into a compellingly pragmatic call to action. What are our lawmakers and congressmen doing to bring open-source government to fruition? Kavanagh's article is the drop of water that inspired me to write my state representative about this matter, perhaps his article will start a waterfall of activity.

In an age of endemic corruption on all levels of govt, Kavanagh's ideas deserve serious consideration. From the local city council to the halls of Congress, giving citizens a viable tool to hold public officials accountable represents a step in the right direction. The "Founding Fathers" would approve. Well written and easy to read, Kavanagh is on the cutting edge of real democratic innovation. He's probably 100 years ahead of his time.

Accountability, especially for our officials, has always been an elusive precept. While inside deals and corruption have been staples of all aspects of the "state", for time immemorial, Kavanagh presents a potential for breakthrough in holding bureaucrats' feet to the fire. Critics may say we've been in the "information age" for a number of years, and spendthrift/corrupt officialdom is alive and well. Yet this tidy summation of how information can be gathered and tracked gives hope to all the engaged and interested citizens.

This is a very good book! It delves into the details right from the start. I recommend this book to anyone in the data communications field. It can be a bit dry and complex, but the material is complete and after two or so perusals is easy to understand. This book was used in my graduate course for data communications. Excellent book!

Excellent book. I have read first edition (1992) and now it is one of my best reference at the university where I teach.

I am going to buy this last edition to keep updated.

I have been using Fred Halsall's book in my computer engineering degree and it has been very useful. This is a dense, fat book that will provide lots of information. It covers the basics, from the essential theory about digital transmission, protocol basics and implementation methods, legacy and wireless LANs, HS LANs, transparent and source routing bridges, packet switching and frame relay networks/protocols, internetworking architectures, protocols and routing algorithms, multiservice broadband networks, TCP/IP and OSI application protocols, data encryption and network security, network management structures like SNMP and CMIP and other stuff. I can complain about some of the excessive use of acronyms that leave some areas of the book much harder to read. I'm talking about hundreds of acronyms here.

Also, Fred's writing is sometimes a bit too dry, sometimes forgetting to give the reader a general idea about the subject, instead of just jumping into all the details. This is something that is better done in other books, especially Andrew Tanenbaum's "Computer Networks". Tanenbaum also shares his sense of humour, which, in a dense volume about telecommunications, ends up refreshing the user. Also, Tanenbaum's dares to share his opinion sometimes, something Halsall seldom does, giving us only the facts and nothing more. But if it's the facts you want, he's good at it.

I found most of the book clear; the section about Huffman data compression for instance, was excellent. I remember having some trouble with the Viterbi EC algorithm, which isn't very well explained. The book also lacks information about some more modern technologies like GSM.

In general, this is a very competent title, and a great resource to the student or the computer professional. Be sure to check Andrew S. Tanenbaum's "Computer Networks", since you might prefer it to this title, or, the perfect choice, get both. (I have them both and some subjects are a lot better in one book, and others are a lot better in the other title).

This is a marvellous compendium of useful facts about the world's largest theme park. I found it highly illuminating - it has profoundly altered the way I percieve Walt Disney World and its manifold attractions. Since I first tried it a few years ago, I've been using this book to guide my various trips to Disney World ever since.

I had a great vacation with this book

Since the choices in the field of Disney-related guides are vast, I was amazed that one should rise so far to the top of the class. The work is informative and wittily written. Fenster's humor will keep you rolling and his completeness smokes the competition. This ought to be the bible for any family or individual planning a Central Florida vacation. A really fabulous resource which directed my family's vacation and will do so again.

I was quite impressed by the thorough piece of work that is Joe Nevins's earlier "Operation Gatekeeper." This book, however, provides a more concrete human connection by complementing the meticulously documented history of Mexican immigration to the U.S. and racist legal and extra-legal harassment of same(which calls to mind the Latino power slogan "I didn't cross the border, the border crossed me") with the tragic story of one hard-working family man who died in the California desert trying to reach his loved ones.

The powerful text is complemented by heart-wrenching photos by Mizue Aizeki. This book is the perfect antidote to the disgusting scapegoating of immigrants which predominates on US hate radio. It artfully shows the importance of solidarity with the poor populations who are paying the price for corporate profiteering in the age of NAFTA.

I've read a few of this author's books, and so far I'd say this one was my favorite. The book is very well put together, with chapters on the discovery of Julio Gallegos' body after he'd tried to cross the border into the U.S.; then a history of the Imperial Valley; a history of the border buildup; a vivid description of what life has been and is like in Juchipila, Mexico (where Gallegos was born); and a final chapter that shows the connection between the border and the continued needless suffering of those trying to escape poverty and find a better life elsewhere.

Throughout the book we learn of personal details of Gallegos' life, and that of his family who remain behind. After reading this book, it would be hard for anyone to hear of stories of immigrant deaths (while attempting to cross the U.S./Mexico border), and not feel like they may "know" these people a bit better...that they aren't so different from you and I.

The outstanding photos by Mizue Aizeki were a perfect complement to the text, and felt very personal and intimate.

I highly recommend this book!!!

With the recent debates about immigration in the news, I felt compelled to get a good handle on the topic. This book is well-written, and also features amazing photography to illustrate the points. I got a comprehensive overview of the history of immigration enforcement (including the build up of the U.S.-Mexico boundary, and the struggle of those who risk their lives to cross). Not heavy-handed, but touching ... a great read.

I loved Macan's earlier book, "Rocking the Classics". Of all the books on progressive rock, this remains the best by far. It treats the music from a serious perspective - analyzing the key changes, the odd meters, and the science fiction and fantasy lyrics so common in progressive rock. In 300 pages, "Rocking the Classics" gives an in-depth analysis of the history and music of progressive rock.

Well, apparently Macan felt that if 300 pages is good, then 860 pages must be better. Yes, I said "860 pages". This is a book about a rock band, and it is eight hundred and sixty pages long. Yes, I know that the Amazon.com statistics claim this book is "only" 704 pages, but I have it right here in front of me, and this book has a 45-page introduction and then 815 pages of text.

Why am I focusing on the size of this book? Because it's the size of this book that sets its character. For example, in one early chapter the author discusses the Nice (Keith Emerson's band before he formed ELP). The author spends 37 pages discussing the music and the history of the Nice. Add to that the 26 pages about the first incarnation of King Crimson - and a long digression about the reasons for rock critics' passionate hatred for progressive rock - and 29 pages analyzing the output of thirteen other keyboard-based progressive rock trios - and finally, some interesting thoughts about the possible future of progressive rock - what you will find is that even if you DELETED everything about Emerson, Lake, and Palmer from this book, you'd still have a substantial book about progressive rock in general! Not the best prog book ("Rocking the Classics" still is the best), but a very good one.

But if you care about ELP, this is the BEST book that will ever be written about that band. Macan analyzes every single track on every single album - yes, even the Tracks We Don't Speak Of from the Unspeakable Album of 1978. He showers praise on the great parts, and doesn't hesitate to criticize the bad parts. And Macan's musicology is as brilliant as it was in his first book. Did you know that A-flat Major is the key in "Karn Evil 9" that represents the horrific dystopian future? You might not have known it, but you probably felt it: when Greg Lake sings "Rejoice, glory is ours..." in the Third Impression, you felt immediately that this wasn't a real victory. That's because the story is conveyed by the music, not just the lyrics. ELP's musical vocabularly draws heavily on classical music, and if you want to truly understand their music, this book is an invaluable guide. I highly recommend it.

Unless, of course, you have a blanket policy against buying eight-hundred-page books about rock bands.

Edward Macan, a musician, musicologist, and teacher, wrote an earlier assessment of progressive rock called "Rocking the Classics," which looked at the culture surrounding the genre in the United States. Now Macan presents prog rock readers with a comprehensive book that looks at the work of the proggiest rock band of the 1970's, Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Simply put, this book is a must for anyone truly interested in ELP or prog rock. A step forward from his first book, Macan's ideas are explored, backed up, and explained in a clear way, giving those interested a total view of the musical activities of Keith Emerson, Greg Lake and Carl Palmer.

Endless Enigma begins an introduction that addresses all other books on prog: Bill Martin's and Kevin Holmes-Hudson's work especially, but also Paul Stumps' books as well. Macan answers these authors and other critics with passion and solid arguments, even if I am about 165 degrees politically from his stance. Readers new to this discourse might want to skip ahead the discussion of the band and their work.

You should be aware that Macan doesn't just give the usual "ideas" or wonky uniformed analyses one usually gets in books or discussions about rock music (i.e, the Inside Rock video series), he actually discusses the music itself. If the terms bitonality, ritornello, organum, and fugue are unfamiliar to you, you might want to have a music dictionary on hand. I would not say that you shouldn't read this book if you don't understand musical terminology, but if you do know some musicology, the text is a revelation.

I always loved ELP, and always knew their music was complex, challenging, and compelling, but I never understood why until now. Macan gives us the ELP method, or rightly, the Keith Emerson method that stood him well until he and the band deserted themselves after 1975. Fueled in part by boogie-woogie, Bach, Mussorgsky, Bartok, Bernstein, and other modernist composers, Keith Emerson carved out a unique sound from modified stride piano, percussive rythyms and conflicting keys, all the while using new sounds to do it. In the company of a great drummer, and an occasionally great bassist/guitarist, Emerson created a body of work that still moves people, at least people like Macan and Me, the former who writes a tome of this epic length, and me who practically sat down and read it from end to end, neglecting my familial duties to do so. I came away enlighted, even awed by Emerson's accomplishments.

Macan also takes on the "blues-orthodox" critics who never gave ELP a chance, a Quixotic battle, but a noble one. I don't know if it's worthwhile to give space to such proghaters as Lester Bangs, Dave Marsh, and Robert Christagau, but Macan, all too fairly perhaps, does.

Macan reviews all the pre-ELP albums of each member in detail, and then all ELP albums in exhaustive detail, giving an honest critical appraisal at all times. Listening to the tracks he discussed was a great experience. This isn't some rock critic here, this a musician. The difference is some amateur telling about how great a movie is, and a director showing you how the effects and pacing were acheived. Really good stuff, and long overdue, if you want my opinion. An imporant aspect of The Endless Engima is that Macan doesn't lessen the music by dissecting it, but makes you appreciation for Emerson grow. Is it any wonder that rock critics who knew nothing about music hated ELP? The awesome thing to consider is that music this harmonically complex sold so many copies.

Macan makes some claims that are worth exploring, such as that ELP went into decline when Emerson began emulating Copland instead of Bartok; I think that Leonard Bernstein is more of a culprit than Copland here, but that's splitting hairs. I agree, on the whole, however. Macan also, in my view, rightly shows how ELP made a terrible mistake during the Works era (1977-78) and gives an alternative ELP album that would've saved the band. I put this album together, and he is right. You'll have to read the book to get the tracks and their order.

Macan also spends some time looking at rock Organ trios like Egg, Refugee, Ars Nova, and Le Orme, picking out representative albums of each band to analyze.

Get this book. Jump in. Prepare for a ride. Maybe it's my total immersion in this book, maybe it's because I love ELP, maybe its because I'm in middle-age and look back in nostalgia to a young love, but this book has emotional and philsophical force.

ENDLESS ENIGMA: A MUSICAL BIOGRAPHY OF EMERSON, LAKE AND PALMER circumvents most music group coverages both in price and in scope: a $49.95 paperback packs in over 800 pages of material on not just the band itself, but the progress and history of rock music from the 70s to the 80s. Fans saw ELP as a break-taking fusion of rock, jazz and classical elements, while critics viewed them as bombastic and confrontational. ENDLESS ENIGMA's candid rock history uses the band's progress and intentions as a foundation for analyzing rock music's history as a whole and is a 'must' for any serious music library holding.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

If you did like the movie based on this book, you'll most probably like it. As usual, the book is better than the movie, in this case not just because it goes into detail but because of Ondaatje's style of writing. Most of the people I've given this book to read said they sometimes had to give it away for a minute just to take a new breath. It really makes yoy stop and enjoy the stong effect it has on you and wonder how someone can put the words in an order with such an effect. A beautiful story beautifully written which is a rare combination.
To make this short, if you did like Alessandro Baricco's SILK (which is my most favourite book), you'll probably like this one too and vice versa. This book is a must for all people who don't mind reading lovestories but find most of them trivial and banal. This is a book about love - strong and rare, forbidden and scathing, a life-and-death love many of us wish to find. Enjoy.

Few books are felt as much as read, but "The English Patient" falls into this category. Like the film, it is hauntingly beautiful, but for different reasons. The story of people haunted by love and war, their damaged souls converging at a villa in Italy, remains, but the focus and method in which the story is told on paper is spellbinding and stunning.

The passages are like water moving to and fro over rocks, shifting back and forth in time so that the beauty beneath can still be seen, but as a shimmering mirage in the desert. It is a strange instance where it is almost recommended that you see the film first in order to see more clearly in your mind the characters as their stories unfold.

Whereas the film focused more on the burned Almasy and his memories of the unending African desert, where he would meet the enigmatic and beautiful Katherine Clifton, sealing the fate which would leave him a charred and hollow shell of his former self, Hanah is the centerpoint of Ondaatje's lovely poetic prose in the novel. You can almost feel the ghosts hovering over each character as Ondaatje paints a masterpiece with words.

Deeply romantic and lyrical, it is the same story, but a more impressionistic and less linear portrait of love and loss. The book is like a delicate flower just beneath the waters, its beauty evident but achingly kept just out of reach. The film brought the flower into the sun so we could enjoy its texture and fragrance in a more real fashion. Both are magnificent, just a different picture of the same flower.

If you love the film, you must read the book. It is a hauntingly beautiful novel different from anything else you'll ever read. A masterwork of rich and evocative prose that will touch the heart, an organ of fire.

At the closing of the Second World War, amongst the chaos and destruction, four people's lives intersect at a battered villa in Italy. Each individual carries a scared past. Hana is a nurse drained from war and seeking a hideaway. When the unit she is with leaves, Hana stays behind to care for a horribly burned, enigma of a man--known only as the English patient--who fell from the sky with a fiery crash into the desert. Later, a scarred thief named Caravaggio and a bomb-wary sapper cross into their lives. Each stranger unfolds and slowly is given character. Laced with the current story is that of the bed-ridden English patient; haunted by his ghosts, whose constant recanting gives light to a dazzling tale of the obsession of love for a woman and passion so strong it is worth betrayal.
Many abstract memories of each character interlace into the main tale, which many readers are discouraged by. If a reader takes the time to understand and pay close attention to detail, the story unfolds brilliantly. The characters are some of the most human and diverse that have been crafted. It is introspectively healing, but more importantly it is a tale about love and the obsession that it brings, including the human need and lust for it. This story is for meticulous, passionate readers, seeking to simply looking for the human truth about love and pain. I enjoyed this book and have granted a special place for it as one of my favorite books of all time.

This is an awesome book. It's got all the songs off the album and color pictures. It's even got lyrics for all the songs printed separately. This is a must buy if you're a Evanescence fan!!

excellent! it is easy to read, and whilst it doesn't sound 100% right, its still awesome to rock out to.

Upon purchase of Evanescence's "The Open Door" album,I was startled by the sheer heights of it's imaginative force. Particularly outstanding,I felt,were Amy Lee's arrangements on the piano. So,I knew then and there,that "hey. it'd be really cool to learn this stuff." And so,I did. =]] Well,with the aid of this book I did. It's so inexpensive,just get it! It's well worth more than what you pay for it! Also,hehe,in March,I got my copy signed by Amy Lee herself after their gig in Little Rock,Arkansas. Alright,that's all. It's an amazing book. Get it.