I was trying to get a book that includes a great deal of modern portfolio theories and some practical examples to show me how to allocate my asset in a more scientific and knowledgeable way. This book has cached my eyes and I was very satisfied by the amount of knowledge I learned from it in a relative short period time. Here are some pro and con I want to mention about this book:

Pro
. Great amount of financial knowledge covered (asset allocation, risk analysis, etc)
. Easy to understand (practical examples present)
. Do not need to spend too much time on it, everything was concisely written (only 250+ pages)
. CHEAP comparing to other financial books

Con,
. Though ideas were clearly crossed inside the book, but some parts are poorly written.(Not a big deal, but still)

Conclusion: a MUST BUY for those entry level or intermediate level investors who want to learn modern portfolio theories in a relative short period of time.

This is an excellent intro to the concepts of modern portfolio management. It is vital for today's investor to understand that he needs to take a portfolio view when making investment decisions and understand how the portfolio's assets are inter-related to each other. He must also realize that understanding how much you can lose is as important as understanding how much you can gain. This book clearly and effectively illustrates these and many more fundamental concepts that every successful investor should know. It's a great read.

In the current market environment, risk management is crucial. This is one of the only books I've read that explains to investors in plain English what "diversification" really means. A great resource for any market, this book is particularly helpful in managing money in the post-tech bubble.

Paul Kallmes compiled and edited a stunning collected of photogaphs and essays concerning the work of Vittorio Sella. He is to be commended for bringing this collection of Sella's photographs to the attention of North American readers. Mr. Kallmes is a visionary. Bravo and thank you Paul!

Vittorio Sella is little-known today, but knowledgeable people like Ansel Adams consider him one of the greatest mountain photographers ever. Sella did his work at a time when cameras weighed 40 pounds, glass negatives two pounds apiece, and mountain climbing was much more primitive than today, without the warmest clothes, tough equipment and bottles of oxygen. Sella is also known for being the first person to scale the Matterhorn in winter.

Sella was the son of the first Italian to write about photography and his uncle was a famous leader of Italian mountaineering. Expedition photographs were a new idea in his day, and primarily served the purpose of map-making for subsequent expeditions. Sella's work also served that purpose, but transcended it with stunning minimalist views. As Ansel Adams points out in his preface, Sella also understood the technique of mountain photography in ways that are missed by many current photographers.

His work was of such stature that he was invited along on important expeditions by the Duke of Abruzzi, which allowed him to be the first to create images of many important scenes. These expeditions included his native Alps, Alaska, Uganda, the Caucasus range, and the Himalayas. His photograph of K2 in the Himalayas is considered the finest one ever.

As dazzling as these images are, the essays in the book greatly add to them by explaining the context of their creation, the photographic problems involved, and the artistic aspects of the work. I enjoyed reading each of them, because each shed a different light on the work.

Although the book is about summit photographs, the book includes many photographs during the ascents, of the people met during the expeditions, and of local scenery.

The summit photos are remarkable to me in many ways. First, he made great efforts to get the right perspective -- often climbing another mountain to get a view the the one alongside. Second, he created stunning panoramas of the major chains which exceed what the eye can see, even if you were there. Third, the pictures have a sense of motion in the glaciers that is quite remarkable. These rivers of ice look like they are moving in videos when you look at them. Fourth, the mountain views have a spiritual quality that is uplifting. Your view of mountains will be forever changed by these photographs.

Also, I feel grateful for the photographs because, although I love mountains, I am not a mountain climber and would never have a chance to see these beautiful, inspiring scenes otherwise.

I encourage you to read and enjoy this book as example of what goals can provide. In the days when Sella was climbing there was no chance of reaching the top of many of these peaks, such as K2 (thought by many to be the toughest mountain in the world to climb). Yet the climbers and Sella achieved lasting meaning for themselves and for us in their partially successful endeavors. Goals take us to the top of our skills by extending our ambition and focus. Be sure you are always looking for the next mountain to climb (and photograph). Let these wonderful images inspire you on to your personal greatness! Also, think about choosing goals that will aid and inspire others for many years in the future as Sella did.

Vittorio Sella photographed primarily in the late 19th and early 20th century and chronicled many important expeditions. In this book, the authors present an wonderful array of his work, and the photographic reproductions are remarkably loyal to the originals in coloration. Admirers of Ansel Adams will love this book and will clearly see the antecedents of his style.

Loved this story about family relations.

I enjoyed this short story very much.

I really enjoyed this cute family type story.

This is the most accurate portrayal of drug addiction I have ever read! It's a must-read for anyone wanting to understand the world of addiction.

Rivals Stephen King, only this guy's tale is true. Fast-paced and exciting. Excellently written. A frightening portrayal of drug addiction, just how low a person gets, and what it does to families, friends, loves. Put it on your Must-Read list. . . .

This was an amazing book. Filled with true life (very real) experiences. I could feel his pain, his struggles and his relapses. The further I read into the book, the harder it was to put it down. A "must" read for families of addicts for a clear understanding of the struggle.

It felt as if Jane Adams was sitting at my kitchen table helping me work through my complicated feelings about my daughter and her beau. With her warm and practical wisdom, this author manages to provide generous comfort and sound advice at the same time.

If you feel guilty, or critical, or even just frustrated with your grown-up kids, you'll find this book reads like a tall glass of cold water on a really hot day.

Every woman past the age of 40 needs this book for life support. In "When Our Grown Children Disappoint Us," Jane Adams not only exposes our nastiest little secret, which is that we care more about our grown childrens'lives than we should - for both their health and our own. The fact that we passionately love our children is only part of the story, as Dr. Adams points out. Another part is that our egos are so painfully involved that when asked about any one of our kids, we nearly always nudge the scenario by painting the rosiest possible picture.
But the truth is that lots of our children have lots of problems, and "When Our Grown Children Disappoint" covers what must be nearly every miserable one of them - from drug addiction to never-ending dependency, from sexual acting-out to dangerous irresponsibility, from physical illness to mental. One way or another, many of our kids are - as our parents would rightfully put it - "ruining their lives." Gently, and with great humor, Dr. Adams, helps us keep these tragedies from ruining our own lives. In the process, in this beautifully written book, this longtime author shows us how to "separate, thereby restoring helth and peace to suffering parents.

It is great to read a book about us new "seniors." For once, a psychologist is addressing the worries of the PARENTS of troubled kids. This time, it's grown-up kids who disappoint, and Jane Adams does a great job of identifying how painful it is to be disappointed in our kids, and yet feel completely frustrated and unable to solve their problems. Her solution: Detach, detach. And what a simple yet wise solution that is. She even tells us how.

If your kids and their issues are keeping you up at night, read this book. You'll feel much better in the morning.

Congratulations to Bill and Cindy Adams on their Whole Systems Approach. In all my thirty years in leadership coaching and organizational development, this is the most coherent manual for corporate change that I have come across. Not only do they successfully show us how to apply living systems theory to large systems change they do so in a practical, balanced, step-by-step manner. Most importantly, they emphasize the need for leaders to engage in their own transformation, to value "not knowing" and to involve everyone in the change process. I highly recommend this book to anyone attempting change in organizations. It's a great book of tools that will raise your spirits regarding what's possible in the world.

There are books on change written mostly by people who have watched change and then written about it. This is written from the trenches by people who have worked in the trenches. They have captured how complex and , sometimes heartbreaking, the process of change in a business. And they have the scars to show for it. This should...MUST...be mandatory reading for anyone attempting to change their business.

As an organizational consultant I found this book leaps and bounds ahead of the others. The information in this book is so valuable, I've recommended it to several of my clients (not a common practice).

Since purchasing WISDOM'S CHOICE, I have had the opportunity to read it and read it again. Each time I was challenged to stop and think not only about Kathryn's words but how they might apply to my own life and spiritual world view. Since I am someone who is quite spiritual I did not have much trouble accepting her thoughts or even the fact that she believes they came to her from a higher power. What I enjoyed most was the breaking down of simple words such as disease (dis ease) and nothing (no thing)and the pages that are filled with food for thought. The book does not preach but rather suggests that you take your own interpretation on what you read. Gently written yet seems to pack a soulful spiritual punch. Size and style make for a nice gift book. If you enjoy thinking about what you have read then this is a must have book. Go a little deeper with WISDOM'S CHOICE!

Shapiro's spiritual experience resulted in her production of a journal transcribing the thoughts that were reaching her from beyond. Wisdom's Choice contains the messages which she received in a 40 day period, providing a series of spiritual messages average readers will easily absorb.

As a skeptic, I was hesitant to open Shapiro's book. But the words spoke to me and touched my heart in a way that I cannot express. Simple, elegent encouragement for this journey we call life! It's totally practical advice, too. Nothing out of the ordinary from this 'spiritual healer'. Thank you!

Once you have read a book on a subject that you find fascinating and easy to understand as is the case with "Immune Crossover . the two faces of immunity "(Enrique Rewald, 1998, Parthenon Publishing), you feel like reading more about the same. This did happen by reading "Tending Adam's Garden", Irun Cohen's outstanding book. Both have much in common. Besides a similarity in design and in some ideas, their approach appears to be complementary. They are worth having near.

I have read Immune Crossover by Rewald and it was clear enough. Then Tending Adam's Garden of course attracted me. I started reading it and I stopped. I have never read any book that starts with the too wonderful words other people write about it. It kills the suspense of finding something good. Modesty is a great virtue especially in science. I don't think that someone else's opinion will change the content of the book.

Lía Barberis
Specialist in medical translations

Cohen's book is the first book I've read about immunology that baldly goes where no book has gone before. Cohen does not seem to be afraid to explore the field of immunology with what used to be the holdings of other fields. He doesn't hesitate to use philosophy, computer science and physics whenever the need arises. He not only ignores the superficial boundaries between the fields we were brought up on, but he even presents immunology in a way that seems obvious, given the other sciences of the 20th century. It is evident from the book that Cohen has a clear agenda and his own theory on the structure of the immune system. What many immunologists try so much to ignore - the urgent need for a new theory replacing the 50-year-old Clonal Selection Theory, turnes in his hands from a problem to a solution. Anyone interested in seeing how science is about to change, how borders between disciplines disappear and how immunology can be the basis to learning information theory, network theory, philosophy, system design, biology, evolution, cognitive systems and much more. And do all that while getting to know one of the most ingenious systems - the immune system, should read the book.

"Ultimate X-Men" was the second title released in the "Ultimate" series, just after "Ultimate Spider-man" came out. Spidey was awesome, but with what little information that had slipped out regarding the new X-Men relaunch, the book looked to be disappointing. But it wasn't.

The new title is nothing short of gripping from page one. Scribe Mark Millar has done amazing things with the retelling, taking risky liberties that pay off. His X-Team initially starts off with Marvel Girl(who sports a punk rocker's hairdo) and Cyclops(Every bit the same boyscout in the Claremont run) who recruit Beast, Storm, and Colossus. Their first mission is to retrieve Bobby Drake, who's being hunted down by Sentinals, but Magneto has his own agendas as well.

The differences from the original are mostly good. The characters are far from being as lighthearted as their normal universe counterparts. Beast's mother refuses to speak with him. Colossus was a Russian arm's dealer and Storm, a small-time carjacker and pickpocket. Magneto is every bit as charismatic and frightening as he well should be. And Wolverine ... well, let's just say he's working freelance.

Millar's dialouge is always very strong and well thought out. Through the first storyarc, he'll do thinks that will make you balk and then appreciate the originality of it all. The Kubert brothers' art works perfectly, always detailed and well paced.

Now, what's bad? Very little. With such a large cast of mutants, many fan-favorites don't make appearances until much later on, if at all. Mystique was a full fledged member of the team in Millar's rough drafts, but not at all present in the final work. Nightcrawler, a personal favorite, appears in the second storyarc collected here, and plays a significant role, but is absent from the later issues. But one should read this for the story, not the charcters. In addition, the second story doesn't seem to really go anywhere. It's good, not as good as the first, but it seems there was more that could've, or should've been done with the plot.

All-in-all, this collection isn't a must-have, but a good read and worth owning if you're a fan of the X-Men. It may not be perfect, but it comes darn close.

I have collected comics for many years, and I know when I read a good comic. HERE IT IS! Not only is the art amazing but the story gets you hooked. My only complaint is WHERE'S THE ANGEL? and on that note whers Shadowcat, or Gambit, or Banshee, or Havok, or Polaris, ect.

This hardcover combines the first two story arcs in this series: The Tomorrow People and Return to Weapon-X. Millar's take on the X-Men is new and refreshing. Using Marvel's new Ultimate universe, changes have been made to continuity to conform to the new story line. The team is different, the characters younger, and their powers a little stronger. The writing is tight and humerous, and the stories, especially the first one, are riveting. Millar does a good job combining characterization and action. These two story lines, especially the first one, are wonderful. The series has started to go downhill a little since, but this book is a must read for any X-Men fan.

I expected not to finish this book, given my previous lack of interest in Vietnam-War history, but I found that the story transcended its milieu and beyond that drew my interest to a key period of recent American history. I imagine that fans will counsel students of history and political science to read it, and they probably should as an interesting nuance from more high-level views provided by more famous luminaries like Westmoreland, McNamara, et al, but I found this fascinating from a different standpoint: how one individual struggled to keep his intellectual integrity in the face of massive institutional pressure not to. There are lots of melodramatic movies that seek to capture the situation more cleanly, but this book, in chronicling one man's true-life experience, did it better and with more resonance than any film I've seen. As a young person who works with "numbers" myself, I understand how frequently people try to manipulate them and use them as persuasive devices for major decisions.

War of Numbers is an essential book for intelligence analysts as well as students of the Vietnam War. Adams provides key insight to strategic policy failure. In order to fully appreciate Adam's contribution to the intelligence history of Vietnam, it is important to understand that wars are fought by nations in the pursuit of interests and that for Americans, the decision to go to war should address seven considerations: Problem Identification, Interests Assessment, Objective Identification (including End State Assessment), Strategic Self Appraisal, National Power Assessments of The Enemy, Strategy Development, and the Identification of Gaps between Policy and Means.
Adam's book addresses errors in the National Power Assessment phase which had a negative cascading effect in subsequent decision making. Flawed enemy strength calculations contributed to flawed strategy development which contributed to a gap between policy and means. When Adams identified the flaw, the Johnson Administration was too heavily committed to a war of attrition to tolerate public exposure of the gaps between policy and means. Strategically, telling the truth about the numbers of enemy forces would have required larger commitments of U.S. forces increasing the strain on public support for the war. The strength of Johnson's political will and McNamara's quantitative analysis approach to war deeply affected the way the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, counted the enemy (called, Order of Battle).
MACV kept three sets of books; The first set of OB was the official version sent to Washington. The second set belonged to the OB Analysts themselves, and the third set was a blend of the first two. The first set was an undercount to keep official Washington placated; the second set was the honest count but did not go anywhere, and the third set went to Westmoreland who kept it close hold.
Adams contribution to the intelligence discipline is his description of how he found the flaw in OB accounting and the political correctness that resisted him within the intelligence community. The key to his breakthrough was to have actually gone to Vietnam, worked the Order of Battle issues on the ground, understand the enemy from "the enemy's" perspective and then double check how U.S. reporting of enemy strength matched that of how the enemy was reporting his own strength. This is when Adams discovered that MACV was undercounting troop strength. He performed a validity and reliability check on MACV and found their procedures and results wanting. The technique he used is described in detail and serves as a lesson learned for today's OB analysts.
The second lesson is how Adams' persistence caused a rift between the CIA and MACV over the integrity of the OB counting. The CIA is evenhandedly portrayed in the book. Individual analysts who looked at the numbers invariably sided with Adams; those in responsive political positions and vulnerable to the political influence of the Johnson-McNamara Administration behave in the subtle manner normally associated with behind the scene politics. Adams illustrates how assessments were watered down, reports delayed, egos clashed in the briefing rooms, and all of the suppressive efforts were brought to bear to keep him muffled and how he countered them. Basically, his operating principle was that the truth should be allowed to surface and he describes how he created those opportunities; back channel copies of reports; boot leg copies of reports, analyst to analyst contacts (CIA to DIA, for example), as well as maintaining contact with the honest brokers at MACV.
This is an important book for students of Intelligence Analysis. It serves as a guide on how to double check the validity and reliability of Order of Battle data; it gives insight to how politics heavily filtered ground truth under the Johnson Administration, and it lets the world see that the CIA wasn't evil incarnate. Like every other agency in Washington, it simply surrendered to political pressure from the White House.

Adams' book is not so much a book about Vietnam as a chronical of what happens when intelligence units and agencies report what the commanders WANT to hear. The CIA and J2 of MACV in Adams' book become pawns in the politics of Vietnam. They ignored facts and basic tenents of intelligence reporting. The agencies feared reaction to the facts and its possible effect on public sentiment to US involvement. Because of that they purposely, according to Adams, reported and knowingly maintained false information.

Even more disturbing are Adams' insights into the CIA of the middle and late Sixties. Though deeply entrenched in war in Vietnam, they seemed to take an overall cavalier approach to the mission. Adams notes after Tet-1968 there were "considerably less than 6" CIA agent handlers in Vietnam who spoke vietnamese. These same case officers received a grand total of 2 hours orientation on Vietnam and their enemy prior to assignment.

This book is a MUST read for intelligence personnel, policy makers and anyone who wants to learn how, the hard way, not to run an intelligence organization.