It is one of the greatest books of all times. While the human race is being pushed even more into emotional savagery by the pseudo-intellectuals and false gurus, this book courageously discusses the divine enlightenment possible through rational thought.

David Adams is an amazing explorer. His feat of conquering all the seven summits and both the poles is extra ordinary. It ranks amongst the best travel books ever written. His narration is lucid, but strking. He travels with a Norwegian and their struggle in conversing with each other provides a dash of humor. If you liked 'Into Thin Air', you will fall for this one as well.

this story through the use of the negro language,provided an entertaining stor

I am an EMT-B instructor in West Virginia and have used this edition to teach my classes. I have found it to be a great improvement over previous editions. The text is easy to read, comprehensive and all-in-all an excellent text on EMT-B. My only gripe with the book is that it makes prehospital patient assessment somewhat confusing for new students. The book breaks patient assessment up into several chapters, giving the reader the impression that assessment is both difficult and complicated. This lack of single-chapter continuity coupled with the trepidation many new students bring to this module creates the impression that patient assessment is a disjointed, randomized activity. I have to tell my students that for patient assessment, these chapters are a good reference, but that I will tell them just how easy assessment is; TAKE NOTES!

If Brady would spend a little more time examining this module, I feel as though they can make it a little less imposing and a little more readable.

I am a student interested in becoming an EMT. I know the people at the local fire station so I asked them for a resource book and they gave me a 6th edition of this manual and it is proving to be an excellent resource. It has many pictures and at the beginning of each chapter, it gives a real life scenario for you to focus on for the chapter and explains objectives you should know by the end of the chapter. I've found it very informative and hope that the 8th edition follows in its footsteps. Well done Brady!

I have been teaching the EMT-B class for more than 10 years. I have found that this 8th Edition Brady book is the best available. This text prepares my students not only to pass the State and National exams, but also very useful for the real world!

Adam Engst and David Pogue are longstanding and prolific writers in the Mac community. Both have also made the transition to working with Windows as well.

Their book is a good reference work for any dual-platform user. It literally is organized like a Spanish-to-English/English-to-Spanish dictionary:

One half of the book gives Windows equivalents to various MacOS features such as Preferences, Extensions and Control Panels. The other half does the converse, explaining the Mac equivalents to Windows features. Differences in each case are spelled out. In some cases, there is no real equivalent and the particulars are explained (for instance, there is no Mac equivalent for the mysterious Windows "Registry" -- similar functions are handled very differently by "Preferences" on a Mac.)

This book has no real beginning or end and is mainly a reference book. Mac users wanting more of a start-at-the-beginning explanation of Windows should check out "Windows for Mac Users" by Robin Williams -- one of the most well-written computer books on the market.

A long-time Mac and Unix user, I recently started a new job where I have to use a Windows system. I wish this book had been published a couple months earlier, as it would have saved me much time trying to figure out how to do things in Windows that are automatic for me on the Mac. Even still, it has provided valuable explanations for differences I'd encountered, and has helped me out a number of times in the last few weeks. The book is objectively written, complete, and serves as a useful guide to both systems. (I've even found myself browsing the "Mac for Windows users" section several times.) I only wish that the book contained a detailed index; the A-Z approach is fine but a little constraining for a reference manual. But overall an excellent book that sits right on my computer at work.

As a translator, and Mac user, I was delighted to see that Adam Engst and David Pogue, who are, in a way, the Strunk and White of Macintosh journalism, released this original book. As a translator first, it is an essential reference book for terms on both platforms. But as a Mac user, confronted with Windows often (I do own a PC as well) this answers all my questions about how best to understand the different philosophies of the two operating systems.

Well written, clear and efficient, this book is really excellent. If you work with both platforms, don't hesitate to get it. The only drawback I found was the lack of an index. In spite of that, I couldn't recommend it more.

I LOVE Star Trek: The Next Generation. While I couldn't put this book down, it left a lot to be desired. It is basically a collection of mini auto-biographies about the cast focusing on their acting careers. If you want to know more about the characters they play this book offers little insight. If however you are looking for information on the lives of the actors,then this is the book you want. And the title holds true: the crew of the Enterprise-D is the finest crew in the fleet, in any time period.

Star Trek TNG it my favorite T.V. show! This book is great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE IT!!! READ IT!!!!!

Being a lifelong Star Trek fan, I'm used to reading about Trek. A great many of the biographies and "histories" of Trek are boring and poorly written. Finally, here's a book that not only gives you interesting details about the crew we know and love (Yes, the Next Generation crew), but it's well written. This book gives us intimate portraits of the Star Trek actors, the actors who seem so much a part of their roles it's a shock to see them out of uniform. The book reads like a breeze, and confidently exposes the lives and loves of the actors we feel we know so well. Some of the details Shrager elicits are moving; for example, learning of Patrick Stewart's unhappy childhood makes one feels all the more satisfied that he has hit it big. Of course, the browsing reader will enjoy the spectacular photographs, which create a kind of dizziness when you first see them (Jean-Luc with hair! Worf on "CHiPs"!), but the more careful reader will note the way ! Shrager blends intimate details of the actors with the nature of the characters they play. This is good stuff. On a comic note, the great cover you're looking at caused the hacks at Paramount no end of worry; they had the same cover slated for a book they released months later. Of course it flopped; it was nowhere near as good as this one. Buy it, read it, love it.

I received this book for Christmas this past year and was intrigued because of the amount of buzz surrounding it. I have always had an interest in the history of the American Revolution, but I had never taken much time to truly look into the life of our 2nd President, John Adams. After finishing David McCullough's book, I came to a newfound and deep appreciation for John Adams (especially since he was a fellow New Englander). I simply cannot remember the last time I read a biography of such heft that was so incredibly difficult to put down for more than an hour or two.

While Thomas Jefferson receives a great deal of praise due to his writing eloquence and Washington is the acknowledged "father of our country", this book begins to reveal how the strength of Adams' character pulled the fragile rebel colonies and early republic forward during some of its darkest times. Interestingly enough, the book does an excellent job showing the human side of Adams' own pride, for he often worried he would not be given the credit he felt he deserved.

I think Mr. Adams would be most pleased with David McCullough's thoughtful, cleanly-written and compelling work. . . for maybe John Adams can now be given the credit he is due as one of the first great Americans.

After reading John Adams, by David McCullough I walked away with not only great knowledge of the man who helped found this country but a better understanding of how it was formed. Mr. McCullough does more than educate the reader about one of the greatest men in American history, but also does a great job of going beyond John Adams, by explaining in detail the history of the Revolutionary War as well as many of the other men who took part. Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, George Washington as well as the men abroad in Britain and France.

Each story about our former President goes beyond the part he played giving the reader a new history lesson every time. Examples include the Boston Massacre, the Stamp Act, the securing of important loans and treaties as well as the complete details of the writing of the constitution. The History spoken throughout this classic pours out at the reader on every page making it impossible to but down even for the smallest history buff.

I only wish my former history teachers had this book to read prior to my teachings, so I wouldn't of had to wait this long to discover the true facts about our beautiful history.

Its a given that whenever you see David McCullough's name on a book cover that the scholarship will be awesome and the writing will be brisk and entertaining. John Adams is exceptional in that McCullough has managed to outdo even his works on Harry Truman and Theodore Roosevelt, which takes some doing, believe me. The typical view of John Adams is that he was a dull, humorless failure of a President sandwiched between the two great success stories of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. McCullough shows us Adams the wit, Adams the innovator, and Adamsthe truly good man. Furthermore, McCullough also lets us see the entire Adams family, especially Abigail, John's soul mate in every possible way; and his son John Quincy, a worthy heir to his giant of a father. As Revolutionary leader, Adams was one of the first to be determined that the colonies should be free from Britain and one of the strongest representatives the country had in France, Holland, and England. As President, Adams had the thankless job of balancing between the pro-British High Federalists and the pro-French Republicans so as to keep the USout of a war which he knew we could not afford. Neither vain nor charismatic, Adams met the all too common fate of those who merely do a good job without hogging the limelight: he was jeered, ignored, and pushed to one side while he still had many more years he could have served. Another fascinating aspect of Adams' life which McCullough covers brilliantly is his long friendship with Thomas Jefferson. The two men were quite different in style and manner, but were close friends for many years until political differences divided them. I was very happy to read McCullough's account of how the friendship was restored after both men were in retirement, and to know that they kept in contact with each other almost up to the day they both died, July 4, 1826.

ADAM BEDE is a thrilling read, though it may seem hard to believe given the unpromising setting and the stilted way Eliot introduces her story. But after the first few starchy chapters, abruptly, something wonderful happens: she gets wise to herself. It's as if you can see her realize that the upright characters she *thought* she was pinning her story on, dull Dinah and Mr Irwine, aren't really the stuff of which fiction is made -- so she shoves them aside and takes up the flawed characters of her triangle, who resonate with possibility at every turn. Suddenly, miraculously, with almost no warning, all Eliot's amazing gifts as a writer take center stage: Her psychological insight. Her phenomenal wit. The dramatizing genius that allows her, effortlessly, to plot the most intimate narrative developments against the gigantic backdrop of a county-wide feast or funeral. Her fearlessness and surefootedness in picking her way (and ours) through the tangle of social and class relationships of an entire village. In this embarrassment of riches, maybe most rewarding for a reader like me is Eliot's unerring ability to pay off her plots: here, ladies and gentlemen, is a writer who knows how to write the hell out of a climax -- George Eliot's big confrontation scenes never, ever disappoint.

Too, some wizardry seems to keep her narrative touch both incomparably delicate and completely unflinching at the same time. At the heart of ADAM BEDE is a story so sordid I wonder whether it could be broadcast on network TV today, and Eliot tells it without vulgarity but without ever shying away from its ugliness. My most serious criticism of the book is that Eliot didn't quite trust herself enough not to tack an unconvincing (and, worse, uninteresting) happy ending onto her story. But the hair-raising drive of the middle two-thirds of the book is something you'll never forget.

Highly recommended for those who loves classic literature. George Elliot beautifully captured the lives of the people in rural English country in the late 18th century and early 19th century. I guarantee you'll fall in love with all the 4 main characters ie. Adam Bede, Hetty Sorrel, Lord Arthur and Dinah Morris before you finish the book. The courting scenes involving Adam Bede and Dinah are both very romantic and honest. George Elliot had a great understanding of human nature which makes the story very believable although it's fiction. ADAM BEDE's a hero in my heart, and this book's a must read for all literature fans.

George Eliot weaves a simple story of love, suffering, and goodness. While the plot is hardly complex (boy loves girl, another boy gets girl, unhappiness abounds - also reused in Mill on the Floss), the manner in which Eliot develops her characters and their emotions and actions ring as true and resoundingly as a bell. It's so clear, so obvious, but also moving and textured. You feel Adam's absolute love for vain little Hetty, Dinah's calming grace, Arthur's good intentions, Lisbeth's fretting nature. Eliot draws you in with her honest observations of life in a country town, without the background becoming a dominant factor. The near idyllic life the characters lead is a healthy contrast to the town's emotional upheaval.

Adam is an upright, genuine character, and not as perfect as he seems. If his love for Hetty seems unfounded at times, it only serves to highlight how dangerous delusions can be. All the "sinners" are ultimately redeemed by truth - true love, true friends, true promises, and true acceptance. Religion plays a significant part in the novel, but don't let that deter you. It's so much more than that - Adam Bede is truly one of the few works that encompass a world of humanity between two covers.

AB reminded me of Tess of the D'Ubervilles a bit, but there is no villain here, just flawed, honest people in search of unattainable dreams. In the process of trying to get a bit of happiness, they stumble and bleed, but ultimately find something truly worth having. Bittersweetness is Eliot's trademark for good reason.

George Eliot's first full novel is obviously a bit less polished than her later works, but you see the wonderful command she has over language and expression. The book, the people, the story all come alive with her touch. A rare read that has something to say and says it beautifully.

This book is a collection of smallish code snippets that don't go into depth, but may be useful for your programming needs if you have very basic PHP knowledge.
If you want a truly indepth cookbook with
full blown practical solutions that you
can reuse in your own applications, then
you must own a copy of the "PHP web development
solutions" book from Wrox.
I won both these books, and i have benefitted from reading the two...

I ordered a copy of the "PHP Cookbook ORA", along with a copy of the "Professional PHP 4 web Development Solutions WROX". Upon reading both these books, i thought i should offer a honest review comparing the two:

Both the books were informative in their own right

o The ORA book had small snippets of code based solutions (very similar to the PHP Developers cookbook from Sterling and Andrei) that are very useful for programmers who are confounded with small to medium coding problems. However, there was nothing enterprising about the coverage, that one could not achieve from using a combination of the online docs + mailing lists. Another downside was that i could not find full solutions that i could re-use in my projects.

On the Other hand, i found

o The WROX book offered complete solutions to real world problems - a Simple/advanced CMS (the core of which you can plug into your site), a simple search engine, a classified ads board, and lots of cool creative case study solutions that i could extend to use in my hobby sites. The content was very enterprising and all of the solutions presented are the most popular one's amongst web developers these days. More interesting is that these solutions can be completely re-used and extended into your projects. However, the downside of this book is that you would need to have prior PHP knowledge either picked up from WROX' Professional PHP 4 (as is mentioned as a pre-requisite in the book) or from the Programming PHP ORA, or any another competent professional PHP programming books in the market.

So the bottomline is:

oCare for an appetiser - Pick up the ORA book.
oCare for a full meal - Pick up the Wrox book.

I am posting this same review for both the books (so customers can benefit from it). However, i have ranked the Wrox book, a notch above this one, simply because i wanted a burp:-)

This book has been a lifesaver for me. As is the case with all those in the Cookbook series, this book is filled with practical examples. This isn't a tutorial book, but honestly, this book combined with the online docs were all I needed to build my own web site based around PHP. I definitely encourage you to buy this book if you're hoping to learn PHP!

I recently finished an entire semester studying the Amistad mutiny, and Pesci's book was required reading. I read it both before the class began, and later in the semester; it didn't improve with time. Those portions of the story that Pesci did not fictionalize were interesting, but he writes in passive voice, which I found incredibly boring as well as frustrating. His descriptions of characters go on for paragraphs, and often serve no purpose other than to fill space; his adjectives are stale and overused. His stereotypical characters speak in modern slang that at times borders on the ridiculous. It is terribly distracting to have the captives look at one another and say, "We are in a world of sh--!" I agree with Pesci that it is difficult to write period dialogue, but he really should have made the effort. I suggest that anyone truly interested in this event investigate the many factual, well-written books available, including those written for children.

This isn't the kind of book I would normally buy. I don'tusually read historical fiction. In fact, I stick to John Grisham,Scott Turrow, and James Paterson. But since it was a gift, and since I needed something to read on my flight from NY to LA, I picked it up. Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. The first part read like a thriller and the second part like a legal drama. There are so many things going on, and yet Pesci made it flow. It's a great read and even more stunning because it's a true story. I can't wait for Pesci's next book.

I received this book as a gift and almost exchanged it for something else because I usually don't read historical novels. However, I decided to check-out the first few pages. They grabbed me and I quickly became completely fascinated with the story. Pesci does an excellent job of weaving in the numerous facts and personalities that inhabit this incredible incident. The writing is smooth (although the paperback copy I got had a few typos) and he moves easily from the action thriller that makes up the book's first part to the courtroom drama that ensues. Highly recommended, even if (like me) you are not generally one for history. I hope he writes something new soon.