O Books

What a great addition to any St. Patrick's Day arsenal! A great cliff-hanger-type folk tale, complete with kings, sea monsters, vindictive witches, and a heroine who gives a whole new meaning to "riding off in the sunset"! The illustrations are superbe! My kinders raved about this book, even though I feared it would be a bit above them. We read it in sections, stopping at the brink of each near-certain disaster, so that it was just the right amount of listening for my many wiggily boys!! It fits in so well with our current fairy tale theme, that I would include in this genre, as well. This is a not-to-miss adventure, complete with classic twists and turns, and a few new ones!

I bought this book for my nephew but decided to wait to give it to him for several reasons. The main one being that I absolutely LOVE the book myself! LOL! However, while the story is good and I know he'll enjoy it, he's still a bit young (not even 2); it seems more appropiate for 4 years old or older.

In the story, Young Kate uses her wits to save her family and her village with an ending I never saw coming -- not your typical 'Fairy Tale Ending' but an excellent one nonetheless especially for our modern times. I fell in love with the illustration's ton of detail that kept me looking at each page long after the reading was over.

My one complaint is that, while the book itself is good sized so you can see the pictures, the paperback edition seems a bit flimsy. If this story is to be loved (and thus read) as much as I think it will then I may have to order another copy or two to last through the years. Perhaps the school binding edition is more sturdy?

Both girls and boys will enjoy this story and I think you grown ups will, too.

"O'Sullivan Stew" is a rollicking book with a truly heroic female protagonist. The pictures are both lovely and funny--if you pay special attention to facial expressions I guarantee you'll be laughing out loud. Kate, the heroine, spins yarns with a skill beyond her years, painting pictures with her inventive tales. Her speech is like music--you can practically hear her brogue while you're reading. And if her storytelling doesn't convince you that she's painting pictures with her words, then the illustrations will. They vary from dreamy pastels to muted and murky to bold and bright depending on the nature of the tale she's telling. And when she stops, the world turns black and white.

Not only does this book contain excellent illustrations, a strong, believable heroine, and a captivating story line, but there are several surprises and an unexpected ending. I hope you'll read it... it would be a shame to miss out on such a marvelously fun book!

The Irish have long memories, and even longer tales to reflect that. This book is a wonderful way to get children caught up in the excitement and tension of a classical tale, while also giving them a resourceful and modern heroine to admire. The book is everything a children's story should be: it's funny, the languish reads well and beautifully, and the illustrations are well done. This is a must-have.

This is probably my favorite story for a St. Patrick's Day read aloud. The village of Crookhaven is cursed when the local witch's horse is stolen by the king. Kate O'Sullivan and her father and brothers try to steal the horse back but are captured. It is up to Kate to weave a series of tales to get them all off the hook by describing other "true" stories where her family was in a "worse spot" than this one. The King is amused and enthralled by Kate's tales until the last one and all her work is about to be undone until an astonishing secret is revealed.

Hudson Talbott's illustrations are a riot of color and action. The expressions of the characters are so evocative you will laugh out loud.

Grab some Irish music to play in the background and share the story with everyone. The story will compell you to read with an Irish brogue even if you never have before.

Hudson Talbott books are like having a storyteller sitting at your elbow. The pacing of the story as it interplays with the illustrations is perfect.

Like a good box of chocolates, this book is best consumed one piece at a time, slowly, with time to ponder, cry, and hug your dogs between portions. In Daniel Pinkwater's perfectly crafted essay, the reader can actually feel the writer's love for his big old fur-friend. I'm crying just thinking about it. Anyone who has had to put down an adored dog, anyone who has lost an old pal to illness or accident, will love this book. But it should come with a warning -- may cause ceaseless sobbing. It's worth the tears.

I first read this book when my own dog died. The collection of stories from sometimes famous writers about their own dogs and own losses is incredibly moving. It helped get me through a rough time. Since then I've given the book to others when they've lost dogs (or cats) and each one has really appreciated it.

This is a great book to read if you are grieving the death of a beloved dog. This a great collection of short, long, moving, funny, serious, and sentimental stories about dogs. Many of the writers are unfamiliar names to me and I found myself wishing that the book included a brief bio of each author, or at least the date of the first publication of each story.

Some of the greatest writers of our times have humbled themselves to celebrate the memory of lost dog-friends amd provide us with a spiritual boost. To experience the depth of feeling and understanding a human and dog can share is only possible through direct experience, or through the masterful language of these gifted people.

As a dog trainer, shelter worker and rescue volunteer, I am continually confronted with man's inability to respect, admire and wonder at the enrichment domestic dogs and cats bring to our lives. Even the most expensive purebred specimens are not exempt from man's ability to be inhumane.

Knowing that human intelligence and emotion at its highest levels of achievement and expression, through the works of these brilliant writers, recognizes the treasure that is the dog's presence in our lives, and deeply mourns its loss, gives me continued hope for humanity.

Barbara Davis
BADDogsInc
Corona, CA

Old Dogs Remembered is a wonderful collection that reflects on the joy of being owned by a dog and being the object of unquestioning devotion. While it is the collected remembrances and obituaries for famous people's dogs long past, it also focuses the reader on the dogs in our lives now. Our dogs pass away, but we have the power to make sure they are remembered. Take a minute to reflect on your current companion or one that awaits you in an afterlife that can only exist because we love our pets. Write his or her story, and save it, for yourself, your children, or just for the future. All old dogs deserve to be remembered.

Emerald and Joe are set to get married, things couldn't be better, the two of them are so wildly happy together. But while enjoying an engagement party throw by her friend Harlow, her ex-husband Roy, shows up (thanks to an invite from their son Kip) and rains on their parade. The man can't hold his liquor and reminds Emerald of why they aren't together anymore. After picking a fight with Joe, Roy leaves and the party continues.

The next day while setting up for a barbecue, Joe is shot and rushed hospital. Roy looks to be the only suspect but Emerald knows he wouldn't stoop to murder, attempted or otherwise. During all of this, someone is stalking her maid of honor, Muray, and making sure to shake her up by leaving signs of his "affection" inside her home. It started with flowers and escalated to shattering her pet snakes cages and ripping apart her bedroom and clothing. Is this a match made in heaven or is it doomed to failure?

I can't wait until the next book in the series! It is a page turner.

This was the most delicious final book in her series. I loved the way everything came together at the end, and the darker tone was perfect.

Read the entire series -- it's a definate winner!

I am pleased to write that this offering in the C 'n C series completely exceeded my expectations...and more importantly, made me anxious for more. Ms. Galenorn has allowed the main character, Emerald, to grow into a more realistic 21st century powerful pagan. The previous novels had left me just a bit annoyed with Emerald's somewhat self-centered personality. "One Hex of a Wedding", though, offered some credible glimpses of vulnerability and willingness to reexamine long-held opinions -- just like a real woman as she grows older and, hopefully, wiser. The cast of supporting characters is becoming more fascinating to me, and they seem to have more dimension now. Heck, I even cried at some of the truly poignant moments in the book!

If you've not read any of the previous books, this could definitely stand alone. But do yourself a favor and read the earlier four anyway. If you find yourself, like me, vaguely annoyed with Emerald O'Brien by book three, don't worry -- you'll grow to love her again in "One Hex of a Wedding", a wonderful treat of a novel.

Another great book in the Chintz & China Mystery Series. Emerald learns more about her ex-husband (and why their marriage ultimately ended) while trying to get through the wedding planner's worst nighmare that leads up to her wedding to Joe. Her maid of honor is cursed and stalked, her other bridesmaid is juggling a job and a new baby while her husband is headed off for an extended job on the road, and her daughter struggles with first love. That doesn't even include the family dynamics brought about by the wedding. Even Nanna makes an appearance. Emerald's reactions are real (why does this have to happen when I'm getting married) and fun (when a photographer tries to pair a swimsuit model with Joe for a calendar shoot). Can't wait for the next book!

This book is clearly written and user friendly. Biafore gives links to information sources, making it easy for the reader to get more information on each of the hacks. These links alone are worth the price of the book.

I've been trading for over twenty years, including a period as a floor trader on the Chicago Board of Trade. Even with that experience there are tips and tricks in this book I found useful to the point where I employ them daily. To be complete as a reviewer I will say there is a lot of pretty basic stuff from my point of view, but still well worth reviewing since some of it I had forgotten.

Well written, easy reading, well organized

Online Investing Hacks is an excellent introduction to the world of investment. Though the title does contain the word 'Online', I would say that the general information the book provides on investing is not limited to the online realm.

Overall, I was very happy with the book, and found it incredibly useful. Though I do have several investments (401K, some stock, mutual funds etc) I would hardly consider myself an authority on the subject. This book provided very detailed explanations and tips on various forms of investment, from CD's to Index funds, and everything in between. While the experienced investor might not glean much from reading this book, anyone just getting started will find it an excellent reference, and resource.

The format of the book is similar to the other books in the 100 * Hacks series published by O'Reilly. There are exactly 100 hacks, or topics, which are spread across 9 chapters. Each one is an individual entity and can be read and understood without reliance on any of the other hacks.

One minor annoyance I had with the book is that it is geared toward those of you who, for some reason or another, run Microsoft's Windows OS, or have access to Microsoft Excel. Luckily, of the Excel examples that I played with, Open Office's Calc program handled them with minimal tweaking.

I can easily recommend this book to anyone who wants to invest, but is unsure of what to invest in, or needs some tips on making the most of preexisting investments. Those of you who enjoy research and building your own stats and graphs will also find parts of this book rather intriguing, as it covers data acquisition and manipulation with Excel in great detail. It will make an excellent addition to my reference shelf, and I have a feeling it will be well thumbed through in a very short time.

It seems like everyone is involved in investing in some form or another. While I always felt like I should be investing too, it was never clear to me how to begin this process. After all, it's my money. How can I be sure I'm investing in something that will provide some sort of reasonable return? This book is an excellent resource in answering some of those questions and putting the new investor on the right track.

This book is written in the same format as the other "hacks" series by O'Reilly. This format is very easy to read, and the format makes it very easy to find answers. Rather then having to read the book from cover to cover, the reader can pick out topics they are dealing with, read the answer, and move on. Since many of the people interesting in a book of this nature will likely have little time, the book's format works to its advantage.

The book begins with some basic introduction to the stock market and tips for selecting appropriate stocks or mutual funds. The whole middle section of the book deals with data analysis. The author discusses how to understand a company's balance sheet (e.g. what that P/E ratio means), how to spot companies in financial trouble, how to pick a good stock, and even how to trade. There is also a good discussion on minimizing the effect of taxes on your little return on investment.

The author even goes further and gets into a discussion on financial planning. In addition to discussing debt reduction, the author also talks about IRA plans and different strategies for saving for your child's education expenses. I think my favorite part of this book was the discussion on different education savings plans. The author discusses the ins and outs (as well as tax consequences) of each of the plans, and provides some examples illustrating the fact that it's better to start saving earlier than later.

This is an excellent book, not just for its investing advice, but also for its sound financial planning. This is a great book for anyone who is interested in increasing their wealth, saving for a rainy day, or simply saving for future financial goals.

Online Investing Hacks by Bonnie Biafore (O'Reilly) is one of those books that can pay for itself in short order, as well as over and over.

Chapter list: Screening Investments; Hacking Excel for Financial Analysis; Collecting Financial Data; Analyzing Company Fundamentals; Technical Analysis; Executing Trades; Investing in Mutual Funds; Managing Your Portfolio; Financial Planning; Index

I worked at Enron from 1998 through 2001, and spent plenty of time during that dot.com era following my stock portfolio. I watched my Enron stock value go from incredible value to a point where it cost more to sell the stock than it was worth. I won a few bets (face it, that's what they were) on a few dot.coms and lost many more. What could have been an incredible nest egg, isn't. This book would have been a lifesaver if I had read and paid attention to it a few years ago. Biafore shows you how you can analyze and invest wisely using a variety of tools available to everyone.

If you're an Excel user, you'll find it an invaluable tool for analysis. She'll show you how you can use it to create financial charts (#13), calculate compound annual rates of growth (#26), and use rational values to buy and sell wisely (#36). #39 - Spot Hanky Panky with Cash Flow Analysis (using Enron as an example) would have literally saved me hundreds of thousands of dollars had I known about it. Even if you don't care about the investing tips, the hack on downloading data via Excel web queries (#7) was something I didn't know how to do (or that you could even do it!). The book has a little something for everyone.

As with all Hacks titles, you probably won't be interested in every single item. Some may not be applicable to your situation or may be too complex for what you care to handle. But all it would take is one hack to work out and change your investing for this book to pay huge dividends. If you do your own investing, you owe it to yourself to get this book.

I've been a big fan of Tolle, Adyashanti, and Byron Katie, but recently discovered Jeannie Zandi and Pamela Wilson and really loved their tender approach. This led me to this book which I could not put down. There is something very tender and welcoming about the feminine side of the spiritual search. I wanted it to keep on going when I got to the end of this book. It's so nice to see so many different sides of awakening and to realize it does not have to look a certain way. Having an expectation about what it "should" look like is one of the many obstacles we encounter.

I was very excited to attend Rita Marie Robinson's book signing at the in Santa Fe on Oct. 12 and was delighted to get a copy of her book here.

Rita has crafted a heartwarming look at the spiritual journey of 12 women who lovingly share their wisdom in what is call Satsang - a Sanskrit word meaning "bringing together in truth". I spent most of the next day reading the stories of Santa Fe's Pamela Wilson, Muni Fluss, Sharon Landrith and Gangaji, whom I had recently seen at a Satsang in Ashland, Oregon. I so identified with each woman's story of their path to recognition or awakening. I felt a kinship and joy as I realized I was not alone in this journey I have been on since 1971.

Rita has connected each interview with her own story of her growth and insights gained as she took up the challenge to fulfill the inner urge she had to tell these women's stories. In addition I found in the telling of these stories, the wisdom of 'resting', being totally present to the now, living our ordinary lives in exceptional love, patience and peace.

I have found that "Ordinary Women Extraordinary Wisdom" is full of additional encouragement and understanding for living a level of 'no limit soul connection'. I encourage you to get a copy of this book.

I agree with author Raphael Cushnir as quoted on the back of Rita's book..."One of those books to savor, underline like crazy, and then age with gracefully." Congratulations Rita."

The author, Rita Marie Robinson, in her quest for understanding, has written, beautifully, about the passage she interprets as the direct path. This is spiritual awakening, described in its most welcoming, feminine way.

Ordinary Women Extraordinary Wisdom is a series of interviews, led by Rita Marie Robinson, with twelve remarkable women who have become spiritual teachers (friends as they prefer to be called) through their own emergence into enlightenment or recognition. An unexpected notion is that these women live in our world and among us. Each one's path is unique. Each moves beyond the personal "story" and explains the sameness within all, that which is truly us and only waits to be revealed. Though each teacher's portal to arrive there is distinctive in style, "there" is the same transcendent place to reach within each of us. This is what the interviews assure. Also, and perhaps most importantly, the book promises that there is no lengthy and arduous technique to master; no circuitous route. This peace, mystery, love, intelligence, consciousness, presence, whatever the reader may choose to call it, is available right here, right now. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Reading Ordinary Women Extraordinary Wisdom is nourishing and satisfying like being in satsang, a practice often mentioned by the women. Satsang, a Sanskrit word, means "being together in truth". An interpretation of this is a meeting of hearts facilitated by the teacher. The authentic, candid interviews that Rita Marie Robinson leads are compelling. The reader muses about Rita's own recognition, as the author's loveliness oozes between the lines. While reading this text, one drifts into one's own inquiry an invitation the reader can't help but accept. This book is a highly recommended read for a truly pleasant, demystifying and enlightening venture into the feminine model of awakening.

It's a good book. Some of the women are a little out there but it is a helpful book.

I practically had an awakening experience just reading this book. Hearing about awakening from so many different viewpoints, with different voices and experiences, as well as the voice of the narrator/author helped me take the information deeply inside of myself where I could feel it viscerally, treasure it in my heart, and allow it to move through me into my world. Highly recommend.

I bought this to hold Seder in my student home. It was my first Seder, as well as the first for all present. This book made it very easy to accomplish, as well as a lot of fun. Just remember, it goes from back to front :)

Eson's Haggadah is an excellent addition to this literary and religious tradition. He brings new insights and new explanations to this venerable literature. It is worth reading and using.

The Passover Haggadah For All generations is truly designed for all participants,young and old, attending the family Seder. With chldren in mind, Dr.Eson has clarified and developed through extensive research answers to questions that the probing young mind might have. It is truly a different Haggadah and is sure to make the family Seder an exciting experience.

We have a new contribution to Passover this year from Morris Eson, Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the State University of New York at Albany and long-time member of Temple Israel in Albany. Together with Devora Heckelman, a member of the United Synagogue Commission on Education and con to several Solomon Schecter Day Schools, and Fay Silton, Education Director at Temple Israel, Morris Eson has produced a valuable pedagogical tool designed not only to enliven th Passover seder but to serve as a supplementary text for middle school and secondary school students in their study of the Book of Exodus.
The Haggadah contains all the basic elements of the traditional Passover service plus valuable commentary and historical information based on the writings of Judaic scholars and Eson's own reflections. According to the author, many of the segments are designed to be read aloud by participants, serving to maintain a high level of interest. He notes also that the commentary draws from a wide variety of sources - historical, scientific, literary, as well as from his own imagination.
Besides offering helpful explanations of the origins of Passover rituals, the new Haggadah provides many opportunities for children and youth to participate. Notes throughout the text are drawn from both ancient and modern sources, serving as a bridge between the different generations at the Seder table as well as a bride from the present to the past. The author also includes suggestions of discussion topics to enhance conversions during the meal (e.g. "Our people's Fascination, with Language.). Mixing the traditional with the innovative, this Haggadah will appeal to those looking for a Passover study experience.

Despite trying new haggadahs, it's always been difficult to have two seders every year be continually interesting and a new learning experience for our children, ourselves, and our guests. It also becomes expensive to buy new sets of haggadahs. So it was a wonderful find to discover A PASSOVER HAGGADAH FOR ALL GENERATIONS - A MODERN MIDRASH. It keeps the traditional Hebrew while it brings new insights and commentaries for lively discussion. Dividing the commentaries into a four year cycle helps us viscerally understand that we continue to learn from the tradition, though our family has to be self-disciplined not to use all the commentaries in any given year. We also like the format, lots of white space and easy to read. This is a hagaddah to use and to keep using.

Perl is my workhorse language. I've written more Perl code, both personally and professionally, than any other language I've learned. Whenever I receive a new project, I immediately think of how I would accomplish it quickly in Perl. I've also been a fan of O'Reilly's "Hacks" series of books. When I heard of the marriage of Perl and O'Reilly's "Hacks" series in the book Perl Hacks, I knew I had to pick up a copy. It was a match made in heaven. The nature of Perl for terse, yet powerful constructs, and the hackish nature of the "Hacks" series makes for one of my favorite books in this series. The collection of articles in Perl Hacks are great for putting more productivity into your programming experience.

Those of you not familiar with O'Reilly's "Hacks" Series may need an introduction. The "Hacks" Series is an ever-growing set of books with focused attention on a particular topic, like Astronomy, Mental Improvement, or even Halo 2. The books are generally short, and contain article-length "hacks" of varying difficulty, noted by a thermometer next to the hack number and description. These "hacks" fall into several categories; the non-obvious solution to a problem, the performance improvement, and the "gee, I didn't know it could do that" oddity. What makes this series special compared with other books is the willingness to "void the warranty" on a particular product, and get straight to the internals, whether they lay in hardware or software. If something can be made better by opening the covers, or twiddling with the program layout, then its eligible for inclusion in these books. The series lends itself to a wide range of topics, and the format is great for a quick read, or for (my favorite) just randomly opening the book and reading what's there.

Perl Hacks is not a book that you'd find yourself reading straight through (although you do want to make sure you visit every hack in the book at least once). The book is divided into nine chapters: Productivity Hacks, User Interaction, Data Munging, Working with Modules, Object Hacks, Debugging, Developer Tricks, Know Thy Code, and Expand Your Perl Foo. There are 101 hacks in this book, ranging from the simple (Reading files backward, or managing your module paths) to the truly perverse (Replacing bad code without touching it by substituting the system-wide exit call with your own[...]. Each hack title is listed in the table of contents, with both the page number and the hack number. Each hack contains a graphic of a thermometer next to the number to show the relative difficulty of the hack (higher temperatures = more difficult hacks). There quite a variety of hacks placed throughout the book. Not once did I feel that the book was padded with something that really didn't belong in the book. If anything Perl Hacks opened my eyes to things that I would never have thought to do, but could easily see as being useful. I wouldn't have thought to create my own personal module bundles for moving my Perl programs between machines (I've always done it the old fashioned way: run, cpan install, repeat), but hack #31 makes it so "of course" that I'm thinking of including this in all of my Perl code that I ship. Hack #74 shows how to trace all of the modules your program uses (and all of their modules, too). Hack #52 is a simple hack ("Make Invisible Characters Apparent") but I can see this saving a developer or two some time when figuring out why their code isn't behaving properly. Of course, not all hacks in the book are productive (at least, not while you're programming). Hack #37, "Drink to the CPAN" is a drinking game you and your Perl buddies may want to try.

Perl Hacks is a short book, at less than 300 pages, but it's loaded with incredibly useful information. Much like the "Perl Cookbook" (also from O'Reilly) you'll find lots of useful items hidden in their pages. Many times I started with one hack, and finished the chapter reading the rest of the hacks because there were just that interesting. Perl Hacks is highly recommended for any Perl programmer to have on their programmer book shelf. Sure, you might be able to find some of the hacks out there on the net, but I think you'll find as I have that this is more of a go-to reference for finding out some of the more interesting corners of Perl.

I received this book as a token of appreciation for my contributions to
the 2006 Perl Advent Calendar. It's the first book I read as part of the
O'Reilly Hacks' series of books, and it proved to be a light yet informative and entertaining
read.

The book covers various useful "hacks" or small tricks that allow one to
achieve a lot of cool tasks when working with Perl. These tricks are unorthodox
and stretch the limit of one's Perl knowledge. Since they require an advanced
knowledge and understanding of Perl, I would recommend this book only for Perl
experts. Some of the B:: using modules were even too high-level for me to
understand how they worked internally. However, I understood the purpose of the
code in all cases, even if I didn't understand the code itself.

So it is a recommended read for people who've worked with Perl a lot,
and wish to learn many new and useful tricks. Perl Hacks for Perl hackers,
indeed!

To be completely honest, this isn't the book I thought it was going to be. Most O'Reilly Hacks books start off pretty simply and in a few chapters take you to the further reaches of their subject area. Whilst this is a great way to quickly get a good taste of a particular topic, it has the occasional disadvantage that for subjects that you know well, the first couple of chapters can seem a bit basic. As I know Perl pretty well, I thought I would be on familiar ground for at least half of the book.

I was wrong.

Oh, it started off easily enough. Making use of various browser and command line tools to get easy access to Perl documentation, creating some useful shell aliases to cut down typing for your most common tasks. "Oh yes", I thought smugly to myself, "I know all that". But by about Hack 5 I was reading about little tweaks that I didn't know about. I'd start a hack thinking that I knew everything that the authors were going to cover and end up frustrated that I was on the tube and couldn't immediately try out the new trick I had just learnt.

It's really that kind of book. Pretty much everyone who reads it will pick up something that will it easier for them to get their job done (well, assuming that their job involves writing Perl code!) And, of course, looking at the list of authors, that's only to be expected. The three authors listed on the cover are three of the Perl communities most respected members. And the list of other contributers reads like a who's who of people who are doing interesting things with Perl - people whose use.perl journals are always interesting or whose posts on Perl Monks are worth reading before other people's. Luckily, it turns out that all these excellent programmers can also explain what they are doing (and why they are doing it) very clearly.

Like all books in the Hacks series, it's a little bitty. The hacks are organised into nine broad chapters, but the connections between hacks in the same chapter can sometimes be a bit hard to see. But I enjoyed that. In places it made the book a bit of a rollercoaster ride. You're never quite sure what is coming next, but you know it's going to be fun.

In fact, the more I think about it, the more apt the fairground analogy seems. When you ask Perl programmers what they like about Perl, you'll often hear "fun" mentioned near the top of the list. People use Perl because they enjoy it. And the authors' enjoyment of Perl really comes through in the book. It's obvious that they really wanted to show people the things that they thought were really cool.

Although I did learn useful tips from the earlier part of the book, it was really the last three chapters that were the most useful for me. Chapter 7, Developer Tricks, had a lot of useful things to say about testing, Chapter 8, Know Thy Code, contains a lot of information on using Perl to examine your Perl code and Chapter 9, Expand Your Perl Foo was a grab-bag of obscure (but still useful) Perl tricks.

So where does this book fit in to O'Reilly's Perl canon? I can't recommend it for beginners. But if you're a working Perl programmer with a couple of years' experience then I'd be very surprised if you didn't pick up something that will be useful to you. And don't worry about it overlapping with other books in your Perl library - offhand I can't think of anything in the book that has been covered in any previous Perl book.

All in all, this would make a very useful addition to your Perl library.

From the title, I wasn't quite sure what to expect from Perl Hacks. Was it going to be about rummaging around in Perl's internals? Making Perl do clever, yet ultimately dumb and pointless tricks? It turns out that, while there is some fairly voodooish material here, some of it quite playful, on the whole it's a very practical book. Aimed firmly at the advanced Perl programmer who knows when it's appropriate to mess about with the symbol table, temporarily turn off warnings, or crack out one of the B:: modules, this is a collection of 101 suggestions to improve your productivity, boggle your mind about what Perl can do, or both.

The content reminds me a little of the likes of Exceptional C++ Style, a mixture of advanced best practices, and things which you may not need to know, but you'll probably still be interested in finding out how it works. For instance, have you ever considered tieing an array or hash variable to a function? Ever wanted to name a supposed anonymous subroutine? Print out the source code as well as the line number of a syntax error? Nor me, but Perl Hacks shows how it could be useful. These are illustrative of the spirit of the book.

My favourite material was probably the chapter on modules. Included are how-tos for outputting all the modules used in a package, automatically reloading modules in running code, shortening long package names with the CPAN 'aliased' module, and making up your own bundle of modules for easy installation. There's also an interesting object chapter with subjects such as: inside out objects, using YAML for serialisation, using traits and autogeneration of accessors.

Additionally, there's a little on using those scary B:: packages, using modules which use the B:: packages or other dark magic (e.g. peeking inside closures), some fairly hardcore tracing and profiling, that touches on some Perl VM internals. Also worth mentioning is the hack that hijacks the angle bracket glob operator to create Haskell/Python-style list comprehensions.

You are going to have to be one scarily gifted Perl hacker not to find something useful or at least thought-provoking at regular intervals throughout this book. My only complaint is that the hack format, which the blurb on the back of the book describes as a "short lesson", does not lend itself equally well to all hacks. While I liked the chapter on objects, some of the hacks (in particular the traits hack, some of the testing material) were too short.

If you like the sound of a book that's somewhere between Perl Cookbook, Perl Best Practices and the second edition of Advanced Perl Programming, you're going to love this.

In a time when new computer languages are dime a dozen, perl unquestionably retains its beauty. Keeping with the philosophy of perl - there is more than one way to do it - the book shows you ingenious ways to work with this powerful language. This is a true hacks book and meant mostly for the advanced user. Before reading this book, I didn't even realize what I didn't know and I rate myself just short of contributing to CPAN. Even if you have read all the popular books - Perl Programming, Perl Best Practices etc. you'll still find a lot of gems.

Simply put if you like perl, you'll love this book. Welcome to the next level...

I guess the main idea here is whether or not the soul is immortal.

Does the soul exist outside of this physical, earthly experience ?

I've only begun reading Plato after years of reading a lot of other new age type books such as the Edgar Cayce material and Dr. Brian Weiss.

Plato is often consistent with those new age ideas but he expresses his thoughts in a more poetic way.

Plato and those others believed in reincarnation and even being reborn as an animal.

A new age theory about this is that if you go back to 10,500 BC and beyond you had a lot of people running around with for example the body of a human being but the head of a horse, tree branches for arms, etc..

Most people had tails back then.

This was a result of people projecting themselves into this physical dimension and getting entangled in the animal and plant worlds. As they did this across multiple incarnations they started to develop those animal appendages in their physical bodies.

It was in ancient Egypt around 10,500 BC that the priest Ra Ta and other Atlanteans helped these "things" to rid themselves of these animal characteristics.

That "mystery of mysteries" the sphinx is a creature that is part human and part lion. Don't think this doesn't have some very deep and hidden meaning.

Another key point in the book is the death of Socrates. He dies like a true philosopher, not in fear, but calmly.

At one point Socrates actually proves that one plus one is not equal to two. That's power.

Jeff Marzano

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Initiation

Initiation in the Great Pyramid (Astara's Library of Mystical Classics)

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What happens at death? Is the soul immortal? Why does the philosopher seek death but avoid suicide? What is so attractive about death to Socrates?

This is a masterpiece of a book. While Socrates does not prove the immortality of the soul, his arguments for such, as in the "law of opposites," the "theory of recollection" and the combination of the two, make way for a very interesting and mind enhancing read and is a hell of lot more valid, intelligible and religiously inclusive than any of the biblical literalist's security hold in fallacious illusion, or was Socrates and Plato infallibly inspired? Was Homer infallibly inspired? Of course not. In turn, Socrates is counter-argued with the "theory of attunement" and subsequently argues back for the immortality of the soul.

His thoughts which entail the body as the inhibitor of obtaining true wisdom, that philosophy aids a man to go beyond his body, so that at death he can be released from the body and use his wisdom to achieve a higher realm of true wisdom, as the body acts as a place of desires that prevents men from perceiving the world of ideas apart from the world of appearances. The death of the body is the release of the soul and the condition of the soul, either that controlled by desires or that of philosophy that has brought it to a higher realm, will determine where the soul travels to after death.

Socrates further gives us a description of the round, spherical earth. This exposes the fallacy of biblical literalists who attempt to prove biblical divinity by quoting Job 40:22 and Isaiah for the spherical earth, or does that make Socrates inspired? His further description of the earth's hollows by water and the place called Tartarus brings us to the identical words of St. Paul, who certainly was influenced by many non-Christian teachings, which permeated his entire belief system. Also Socrates gets Eastern in the reincarnation of the soul back to the world of desires, including that of animals and insects, which makes this book a fascinating read to say the least. This book is a gem and great masterpiece to contemplate on. I love Plato - and Socrates too.

I will not quote myself, but I'll evoke the words that I have written here before in the review of Krishnamurti's book. Since you're reading this I guess you're interested in Plato's philosophy and this work in particular. I'll just say few words and then will let you to dive into the book and find the meaning for yourself.
This is the book that belong to Plato's later works, and debate continues whether Socrates in this book is historical Socrates or just voice of Plato. If you take into consideration few Aristotelian lines than first option would be the true one. But, no matter which one is right, Socrates here is presented as few characters of world literature are. I can not speak about philosophy here, so I shall speak about style. Bearing the posture of romantic poets, and if you picture ancient greek dungeon as some reneiscance castle dungeon, you'll have the setting. And tht's it. No quarells, no fightning and vicious murdering, just one of the most beautifull speeches conserning human soul, and only one, diginified, death.
Books like these give me hope that there is still a chance for a world to become the better place.

If it was up to me to preserve just one of the dialogues of Plato for posterity it would be the Phaedo. That is because this is the metaphysical core of the teachings of Socrates (the main character) as told by Plato. As is emphasized in the text, death is the main topic of concern for the true philosopher- and that is what is covered here. However, there is nothing morbid about it. This is a message of hope, for Socrates establishes the divinity and immortality of the soul. The good man, he who has purified himself through the love of wisdom (Philosophy) goes to a higher, purer realm to be with like-minded souls and the gods themselves. The bad man also goes to his just reward with those of like character.

If I was to abstract the core truth here it would be that the true philosopher is always trying to free his soul from the body- for only then is the soul free of the distractions and distortions that can corrupt it and keep it from direct perception of the Ideals (Absolute Truth, Good, Beauty, and Justice.)

You easily see where the Church borrowed so much of its basic theological underpinnings. In fact, reading this work abolishes forever in your mind the idea that the pre-Christian pagans were in anyway necessarily savage or barbaric in their deepest spiritual beliefs. This is spirituality more pure than anything preached by the Church- and it is supported by reasoned argument and not appeal to empty faith and authority.

The closing of the dialog is probably the finest depiction in Western literature of the death of a great and good man. You truly concur that Socrates was indeed the wisest and justest and best of all men.

Socrates is unique among philosophers, not just for his place among the early Greek philosophers, but also for the fact that he is the most famous philosopher to never write his own books. What we know of Socrates comes from contemporary accounts and students, most particularly Plato.

Set in 399 BCE, the Phaedo is a reconstruction of Socrates final conversations with friends on the day he died. We do not know when this dialogue was written, but it was probably before The Republic (Plato's most famous work, also featuring the figure of Socrates). Like The Republic, this dialogue features a well developed theory of Forms -- these are introduced gradually here, slowly filling out the details of each step. This develops the story of the caves idea from Plato's earlier work in epistemological, metaphysical, moral, and semantic terms. Plato also advances the 'imperfection argument' here -- the idea that when we sense something, it is never perfectly the thing we are thinking of, and that idea or standard to which we relate what we see, hear, feel, etc. is tying into a more perfect Form.

However, the idea of the soul is rather less developed here than in The Republic. The soul is simply mind, or intellect - all emotions are here placed as bodily aspects. This is rather Pythagorean in a fashion, that only the soul grasps the perfect Forms, and so should consist of nothing but reasoning ability, for emotions distort and cloud the perceptions and judgments.

In the end of the Phaedo, we witness Socrates drink the hemlock, without fear or trembling, as a philosopher should know the value of life and welcome death with a firm hope. The story is almost religious in nature here.

David Gallop's translation is good and true to the original (in as much as I can tell from my small Greek learning). It is somewhat tending toward the formal side. This is serious stuff, but in a small number of pages manages to capture much, and this makes it all the more relevant.

Rivers is a wonderful author and I expected these books to be as good as her Lineage of Grace series. They were not quite there...

When I was a child, I became an avid reader when I picked up my first secular novel, and I was particularly facinated by historical novels because of my love for history. When I became a Christian, I was in such love with my Savior Jesus Christ that I couldn't get enough of Christian literature. I put aside novels for years. I never thought that there were good Christian novels available, except for romances and the like which only seemed to arouse in me sinful passions and desires. I ran across Francine Rivers somewhat inadvertently. It had been so long since I read a novel that I decided to try once more with "The Prophet." I read it within a week and was rushing to order another one. I was overwhelmed by her skill of writing. She intrigued every facet of my interests, from a good story, to a historical drama, to a Biblical edification. The focus of this book from start to finish was the awesome glory of God. I was in tears often. As the book begins, God's glory is demonstrated in a somewhat allegorical format as we are led along with Amos in the pastures of Tekoa where he shephered his flock. I saw Psalm 23 come alive and was deeply impressed by the gracious patience of my own Good Shepherd as I saw the parallels between the sheep of Amos and myself, as well the actions of Amos to Jesus Christ. Following Amos further through his life exhaulted the long-suffering love of God in bearing with the obstinent sin of His people, and yet His perfect justice to deal with unrepentent rebellion. Rivers' novel brought the Biblical book of Amos to life, which I read in the Bible at the same time. I would highly recommend this book. It is the best novel I have read.

You did a good job in getting the book out fast and it was what I wanted. The book is like brand new.

Thank You

God Bless

Char

The Prophet (Sons of Encouragement)Even if you are an avid student of the Bible, most of us don't spend the time it took Francine Rivers to get to know the prophet Amos. We might study the words he wrote but Rivers has brought the man to life. I came away from this novelette with a new appreciation for the calling that God has on a man's life and what path that might lead one on. Just as Amos was compelled to walk the chosen way that God lead him - so are we. I thank Francine Rivers for reminding me that I too must walk in love and obedience - no matter what the personal cost.

This was a great book! I was in the middle of another book when I got it, so I didn't get to read it right away and my husband started reading it. He loved it so much and I had to wait until he was done before I could start on it! And he never reads my books! But he finished it quickly, so I didn't have to wait long. :-)

Great Book, I am on the road alot and it is a must have during my travels. Cant wait for the next book?

For all your frustrated drivers out there, help is on the way. So hang up the phone with your shrink and start cancelling all those anger management courses. Laughter is the best remedy. And you'll get plenty of chuckles out this pocket-sized handbook!

This book is very funny and a must have!!! I love the characters that are featured in the book as well. This is going to make a great stocking stuffer during Holiday time!!!

This is definately a book that everyone should have because it a great party starter and brings up great conversation. Its the type of book that you show to a friend and watch them read it from beginning to end. This book is a "MUST HAVE" for those who drive in traffic everyday. It will also make a great gift.

Very funny book with great illustrations, good enough to read over and over again.