While entertaining, this collection of Straight Dope columns lacks the ZING of some past columns. The topics are not nearly as interesting, and the answers lack the humor that Cecil is known for. Also, far too short. Let's beef these books back up and reinstill the wit. Perhaps answer some questions that have not appeared in your column already - fresh material!

Yet another book from him...
If you havent heard about Cecil Adams then let me tell you he's one of the most eccentric "personages" ever existed... he claims to know everything about everything and cannot be mistaken... a bit arrogant sometimes he comes again to make mankind a favour and take us all from profound ignorance...
Good book for trivia fans...
Warning: expect to read almost anything imaginable here on these pages... it's true!

This fourth compilation of the Straight Dope weekly columns contains some fascinating and interesting questions and their answers, including the occasional debate between Cecil Adams and the Teeming Millions about an answer's correctness.

It also includes some funny and occasionally odd elements lifted from what was at the time the Straight Dope's online area on AOL: Message board postings with more Q&A and debates about the questions.

Happily, this one didn't include any of the quizzes in other volumes, which weren't all that interesting and detracted from those books.

Lawrence Block is one of the finest mystery writers, bar none. In particular the Bernie Rhodenbarr mysteries are among the best in the genre. Block stumbles a bit in this installment, but still produces an entertaining story.

In attempting to pay homage to Bogart and throw some romance into Bernie's life, the plot becomes strained under the weight of extraneous plotlines and characters. Relationships, characters and plotlines seem contrived in places, lacking Block's usually laser-sharp writing and story development. The resolution of the mystery is also a bit unsatsifying and feels forced.

With that said, it's still an entertaining read. Bernie is as charming as ever and the dialogue is as crisp and realistic as you will find in any novel. While not the best book in the series, it's still a fun ride.

This is certainly not the best book in the Bernie Rhodenbarr series, but it is still entertaining in the way I expect from Block. Bernie is back with his wisecracking and his lockpicking, this time with a convoluted plot involving Humphrey Bogart movies and an attempted country called Anatruria. But it's all really unimportant, and the main clue, the word "caphob," turns out to be the key to the solution but in a really obscure way.

It's really too complicated for its own good, and Block has definitely done better, but I would read another Burglar book for the reason anyone reads a series novel, for the main character and the regular supporting cast: Carolyn, the lesbian dog groomer; and Ray, the ubiquitous policeman. Oh, yes, and Raffles, hard-working, toilet-using feline about town.

The Bogart references are fun, too, especially for a film fan.

Bernie may be too generous for his own good in Lawrence Block's seventh Burglar Who..." series. There are many more characters in this fast paced novel, "The Burglar who Thought He Was Bogart." Bernie is over obsessed in attending a Bogart film festival. Night after night he goes to the movies. It is here he first meets Ilona who is a principal player in this novel. Lawrence Block must be a Bogart fan as well. This is evident with the dialog, which is reminiscent of Bogart films such as "Casablanca," New characters are crisp, colorful and convincing. Max Fiddler; a New York can driver appears to pick Bernie up on more than one occasion. (I wonder what the odds are of this happening in NY?) I hope Fiddler returns in a future book. Old characters from pervious novels are mentioned. Carolyn Kaiser, his best friend who runs the Poodle Parlor, a dog grooming place and Ray Kirschmann the best cop money can buy also play important roles as they have in the past. Once again Bernie the burglar turns sleuth to solve the murders. After all what would a " Burglar Who" book be without a murder or two. I am looking forward to the eighth book, "The Burglar in the Library." When I do the review will appear here along with the other Bernie Rhodenbarr books.

The book is a collection of articles published previously by Gardner in different magazines. The length of each article and the press-like style makes it an easy reading for anyone. Definitely it is not the Gardner of "The Whys of a Philosophical Scrivener" but it constitutes a good illustration of how far we still are from achieving a society that thinks rationaly and scientifically even in the layer of highly educated people.

Gardner recognises that in the variety of topics and outrageus ideas covered in the book not all are of the same category. I would like to see Gardner describe his opinion on which are the criteria that should be met by highly speculative theories in different fields of knowledge that would allow them to be considered scientific speculation and not pseudo-science. How can we provide an open environment that will not kill creativity and at the same time maintain a rigorous scientific approach?

For european readers, either from catholic or lutheran backgrounds, it continues to be surprising to observe how widely spread the creationist mentality is still present in North America.

The references that Gardner makes to many of his readings constitutes a great source of information for further investigation.

If you liked Gardner in "The Whys'" you will not find much value in reading this book. However you may want to give it as a gift in your campaign against irrationality, superstition and manipulation.

Business travel sometimes lands you in a hotel with few channels, none of which have anything worth watching. So what do you do after checking email? Hoepfully you'll have something good to read with you - like this book. My fiction reading leans toward mysteries, so it is not much of a stretch for me to find a de-bunking book interesting. These are not really new pieces for the author - really a collection of previously published articles. The magazine legnth and style means each is self-contained and easy to digest - perfect after a 10-hour day at a client. What comes through is just how many whacky ideas are out there. And how a bit of science and a small measure of logic combined with a questioning attitude can help keep you sane. I don't watch daytime TV even when I am home during the day - but I doubt the author is considered a good bet for any of those shows that make their ratings based on the folks that believe that stuff.

There are certain qualities and characteristics that make a great writer. One is the ability to write well, of course, but closely related is the ability to convey clear and succinct concepts in a way that communicates with the reader. The best authors all leave me with that "ahah" moment, as they teach me something I didn't know before.

For these reasons and others, Martin Gardner is one of my favorite authors. I've enjoyed his articles over the years, and find his books both refreshing and educational. This book, "Did Adam and Eve have Navels," is consistent with Gardner's reputation as one of the best science and mathematics authors around.

Gardner's book consists of a collection of essays (there are 28), each dealing with some aspect of pseudo science (or, in some cases, I'd call it pseudo logic). The title on the front of the jacket corresponds with the subject matter of the first essay. There is something about simple questions and observations that fascinates me. They tend to be overlooked or ignored, but often lead us to deep insights. In Gardner's first essay, he explores the logic - or lack of it - in the idea of the mythical Adam and Eve and whether they actually had belly buttons. This seems like a whimsical question, and one probably best forgotten by most people. The problem is, as Gardner points out, whether you answer the question "yes," or "no," there are unexpected consequences.

This is pretty much Gardner's style throughout the rest of the book, as he picks off one after the other unsupported idea or myth. Topics include ideas about intelligent design, egg balancing, numerology, Cannibalism as a myth, Freud, and the Star of Bethlehem.

Some of the most interesting stores Gardner tells, and some of the most alarming, are those that deal with pseudo science at the academic level in some of the nations more prestigious universities. There is the example of Courtney Brown (an associate professor of political science at Emory University) who claims to be able to do SRV (scientific remote viewing, which is another word for clairvoyance) and "Yogic flying." His book has received praise from the likes of Harvard psychiatrist John Mack, who believes that aliens from a different dimension are visiting earth, kidnapping its citizens, and doing some really nasty stuff to them.

There are also stories about the influence of political extremism on science, including the following statement from ultra feminist Lucy Irigary:

"Is E=Mc^2 a sexed equation? Perhaps it is. Let us make the hypothesis that it is insofar as it privileges the speed of light over other speeds that are vitally necessary to us. What seems to me to indicate the possibly sexed nature of the equation is not directly its uses by nuclear weapons, rather it is having privileged what goes the fastest ..."

In addition to these exposed escapades, I think my favorite chapter was number 14, which describes "Alan Sokal's Hilarious Hoax." The hoax was a paper that Sokal submitted to the editors of "Social Text," in the Spring/Summer of 1996. Sokal wrote the paper as a hoax to illustrate the foolish things the journal would print, and their failure to engage in any sort of academically meaningful peer review. Sokal began his parody by explaining that there really isn't an objective world out there, that can be studied and understood by the scientific method. As Gardner put it, "the funniest part of Sokal's paper is its conclusion that science must emancipate itself from classical mathematics before it can become a "concrete tool of progressive political praxis."

If these stories didn't portend such dreadful consequences for public policy and science education in America, they'd be so funny you'd hardly be able to stop laughing. Or crying.

About the only complaint I have with Gardner's book is his tendency to laugh off some of the examples of scientific illiteracy. For anyone remotely familiar with science, the laughing off is understandable - as in the case of Lucy Irigary calling the equation E=Mc^2 sexed. The problem is, for those who don't really know much about science (either how it works, or what it says) some of the laughing off might look like pride, or the inability to deal logically with alternative ideas.

To a certain extent, I can understand what Gardner's doing. Some ideas are simply so absurd as to lack any respect at all. [And Gardner would point out that the reason they are absurd has to do with their failure to explain the evidence. So, this is not about pre-conceived perceptions, but about allowing the evidence to lead us to conclusions, instead of following our favorite myths, political convictions, or emotional desires.] Still, there were times I found myself wishing Gardner would say a little more about why some of the ideas in his examples were silly.

Anyway, I really liked this book. I highly recommend it to anyone. It's easy to read, well written, and for anyone concerned about the proliferation of pseudoscience in modern society, it's pretty much required reading.

This book is a good reference but not for those who are not proficient already in MAX. As others have stated, the examples often skip steps, assume knowledge of the workings of the program and show "this is what you should end up with" pictures that don't relate at all to what the instructions give. I get the impression also that each chapter was written by a different person because they cover material that has sometimes been discussed or later chapters cover basic material that was left out at the beginning. If you are beginner, don't buy this.

This book is Great. It provides an indepth explanation of the concepts and abilities of 3D Studio Max2. It is definately for the more advanced user and is definately a must. The first Vol is like a big encyclopedia that explains the concepts but does not provide real hands on learning methods, This Vol. is by far the best of the 3 and is an important tool in every animators libary.

Well, Boss Hog may get confused easily, but don't let him shy you away from an excellent text. I still recommend this book to people learning Max 3. The tutorials in the first several chapters are very intelligently written, and attempt to tackle very complicated concepts in a very concise manner. The text has helped me master more advanced concepts and tools of both Max the program and animation in general. The section on character work, while a regurgitation of what you'll find in Illusion of Life, Timing for Anim, and Foster's works, is still helpful to the beginner. The first third of the book is also an excellent source of principles that any budding animator who's transitioning to 3D would be wise to read. I've been animating professionally for 7 years, and I think that this text is great. If you get lost on the tutorials, then just read the text and LEARN the PRINCIPLES since that's really the important thing that these experts have to share with you!

I reviewed this book for the JOURNAL OF AMERICAN HISTORY when it first appeared, and nothing that has happened in the seven years since 1992 has changed my mind. Chief Justice Rehnquist writes clearly and well, but his research and historical perspective are sadly outdated. For example, he accepts the hoary myth that there was no good reason at all to consider Andrew Johnson an appropriate target for impeachment, despite Michael Les Benedict, THE IMPEACHMENT AND TRIAL OF ANDREW JOHNSON (New York: W. W. Norton, 1973), a fine study showing that Johnson deliberately violated many Congressional civil-rights and Reconstruction statutes validly enacted over his veto, that he also sought to gut efforts to enforce the Fourteenth Amendment, and that ultimately he deliberately provoked the 1868 attempt to remove him from office. Moreover, Rehnquist's analysis of the impeachment and trial of Justice Samuel Chase fails to situate it in the context of the previous year's impeachment, conviction, and removal of U.S. District Judge John Pickering, or the larger battle between Jeffersonian Republicans and Federalists over the control of the nation's judiciary -- a context without which the Chase impeachment is all but impossible to understand. Readers seeking light on this subject should consult Richard E. Ellis, THE JEFFERSONIAN CRISIS: COURTS AND POLITICS IN THE YOUNG REPUBLIC (New York: Oxford University Press, 1971; Norton paperback, 1973).

Chief Justice Rehnquist's book extols executive and judicial independence -- unexceptional and unexceptionable positions, to be sure -- but he also implicitly denounces the actions of democratically-elected legislatures -- a position more open to question, even as it is consistent with much of his constitutional jurisprudence as shown in Sue Davis, JUSTICE REHNQUIST AND THE CONSTITUTION (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1988).

Ultimately, perhaps, readers may value this book for its potential illumination of the presiding officer over the Senate's trial of President Clinton, but it adds little or nothing to our understanding of the history and law of the impeachment process. -- Richard B. Bernstein, Adjunct Professor of Law, New York Law School

If you're looking for clues as to how Rehnquist will preside over the impeachment trial of Bill Clinton you'll be disappointed. In fact this book is more like a simple retelling of events than a focus on constitutional issues. Rehnquist does make the point that the acquittal of Justice Chase helped foster a judiciary independent of political litmus tests by Congress, and the acquittal of President Johnson did likewise for the executive branch, both of which Rehnquist feels are good things, but other than that you'll be hard pressed to find anything about the author's personal opinions. The narrative of the book is far too much concerned with broad historical developments which are discussed in much better detail in other sources, rather than focussing on the particulars of the impeachment trials. The material on the trials themselves probably takes up no more than a quarter of the book.

It's obvious to the reader that Chief Justice Rehnquist has a good command of the subject he is discussing, which are the political and the historical implications of two very important impeachment decisions in the U.S. My only criticism was really that the book delves into a lot of history and one begins to wonder why, but then the relavence to the impeachments is made clearer as the reader progresses through the book. History enthusiasts may find it somewhat redundant in that respect, but the conclusions are well drawn and the American political system is shown for what it has always been- alive with partisanship and designed, through the constitution, to put at least a small roadblock to allowing one branch of government or party from completely dominating.

My review has very little to do with the author, but more to do with the material offered. I am studying to become a counselor and this book has helped me to understand the current principles introduced by Freud and others and why they DO NOT HELP the counselee.

The book clearly offers both sides of the picture so that the reader can be informed of current psychiatry and biblical counseling. I believe God's word is sufficient to help ANYONE in ANY form of health. C2C helps us to understand how to apply it and the role that the Holy Spirit plays in counseling.

A must read for pastors and Christian Counselors alike!

This book uniquely removes the counselor from the counseling. It centers it's context on what the scriptures say, as opposed to what the counselor thinks.

With the nouthetic approach, the counselor has the unique ability to remain apart from the solution, not a part of the solution. This dynamic is critical to effective counseling.

I believe that in the counseling arena there is to much human intervention, opening the door to a high subjective point perstective. Although there is often good intention in the human perspective, we must know that the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

Bible centered counseling is the state of the arc in counseling. When you get your anwser, it's god that is giving it not man.

I would applaud mr. Adams for a work well done.

Competent to Counsel by Dr. Jay Adams is worthy of reading, but is equally worthy of implementation. This book is not a theory of counseling so much as it is a call for believers to begin the biblical counseling of one another.

Dr. Adams shows a positive approach to what the Bible teaches on counseling. Most relationship problems arrive at our doorstep because sin entered the world ages ago. Many personal problems are a result of God's need to impose trials on His children to help them grow, or, to rebuke sin in His children's lives. This book addresses how to caringly work through such spiritual issues, one believer to another. In many instances, this is accomplished through simple encouragement-an art form and a responsibility often overlooked by the church today.

While modern "psychotherapy" is often grounded in doctrines of amoral values of humanism, Dr. Adams is careful not to disparage all psychology, the study of the human mind and human behavior. Actual illness needs to be referred to the appropriate medical doctor. But issues of sinful behavior patterns by professing Christians need to be handled by the loving care of fellow believers working through a biblical model of problem identification, repentance (where needed), and change.

Many have called this book groundbreaking. What has happened with Nouthetic Counseling since this book was first introduced is nothing short of revolutionary in the Christian church. The numbers of Christians who have been restored into a healthy relationship with God and the church as a result of this book are simply uncountable.

Read this book. Put the principles into action.

This book tends to over simplify the SAT II: Math test. There were not nearly enough practice questions, and the few practice questions they have are too easy. The actual test was more difficult than the question in this book. I used this book to review the simple concepts that I have forgotten over the years, but because I have a strong background in Math, I was able to score a 800 on the test. If you're not great at math, this book will not increase your scores too much.

You're nervous, you're sweaty. You see the person in front of the room talking but you can't quite understand what he is saying because you are too focused on the task before you. You know that this test could mean saving thousands of dollars and getting into the college of your choice. Welcome to the SAT II subject tests, a rite of passage for anyone who is applying to more competitive schools. Most students haven't even heard of SAT II's and are unfamiliar with the importance of these specialized tests. This book provides the reader with a guide to understanding the nature and format of the SAT II Math IC and IIC. Before I make any comments on the book I want to provide you with some details about my math background. I am an honors student who is currently enrolled in AP Math (Calculus) and scored a 680 on the math section of the SAT I. When I took the Math IIC for the first time (after having used this book to cram the night before and morning of the test) I scored a 780 out of 800, not bad. I feel that this book is effective only if you have a solid math background and if you are willing to do all of the exercises and practice in the book. Like anything the more you work at it the better you will get. This book is very good when it comes to providing the reader with quality content in an easy format to understand. It is also important to know that this book alone will not make you score well, but will raise your score. Good Luck on the Test!

This book have 2 practice IC and IIC tests. It also has topic summaries so you can review everything. With the pratice exams of IC and IIC, you can figure out which test is best for you, and it has complete explantions.

I would have to agree with the previous reviewers in the sense that this does not give an in-depth view of the entire Babylon 5 series. Granted, this book is a great overview of the series (up to the end of Babylon 5's fourth season), but I suggest looking up other Babylon 5 materials if you need more information.

Andy Lane's book is the ultimate in Babylon 5 guides and the "A-Z" index is also a required reading to backup the former. What this book stands for ? It is a non original book (using the above two ones as reference) but provides the reader with enough backstory and technicalities to tie-up all the above into the Babylon 5 station itself. It can fascinate the reader with tech specs and photos of all known ships, guns, etc. plus all other procedures of living in Babylon 5 station. Also a nice insert are the VIP criminal records, the known space grid, a.o. As a publication is perfect making it the last required book for those dedicated Babylon 5 fans. If only it was a novel idea...

Very detailed, with a lot of information. Of course it could be larger, with much more information on other ships, aliens, etc., but it accomplishes everything it promises.

A nice romance about a painter and a princess. The story is placed against the background of Mayfair Square in the first quarter of the 19 century. We have the standard 'princess oppressed by her station, in love with a commoner' story. Mayfair Square is also, apparently, the scene of more than one Stella Cameron novel. This is a story to read when you don't want to think too deeply and are looking for a feel-good read.

The painter, Adam Chillworth, is in love with Princess Desiree, who returns his passion. But the princess' station in life and the fact that Adam has been cut off from his family means that there are obstacles to a union of marriage. Marriage is accomplished in order to resolve the Princess' problems, but opens the couple to further complications. Of course, this is a romance, so the suspense resides in HOW the obstacles are overcome, not in whether or not they ARE overcome. A nice bonbon!

In About Adam, Stella Cameron invites us to 1820's London for another visit to Mayfair Square. The late Sir Septimus Spivey is kind enough to bring both returning and new visitors up to date on the current inhabitants and former residents of #7.

Although she is only 20, Princess Desiree has been in love with Adam Chillworth for years. While Adam has similar feelings for Desiree, he has dismissed hers as the crush of a young girl. After all, not only is he several years her senior, they are also so far apart in social status that the chasm my be impossible to cross. Princess Desiree's brother, Jean-Marc, Count Etranger, plans to make a match for her that will be advantageous for the family. Although Adam is a successful painter, he is not at all what Jean-Marc has in mind for his sister. But Desiree knows her own mind and heart. She loves Adam, and she plans to get him. With the help of Spivey (the resident ghost with an agenda of his own) and a host of matchmaking friends, it should be no trouble at all. Unfortunately, someone doesn't want Adam and Princess Desiree together, and may stop at nothing to keep them apart. Desiree and Adam must band together to overcome danger.

Stella combines suspense, humor and emotion with a wonderful plot and characters. You won't want to leave #7 Mayfair Square!

What do you get when you mix a princess, an artist and a matchmaking ghost? You get the latest in Stella Cameron's immensely popular Mayfair Series,,,ABOUT ADAM. Spivey almost has his mission completed, to rid 7 Mayfair Square of its lodgers, he has one more match, Adam Chillworth the man who lives in the attic and Princess Desiree, both have had feelings or each other for a long time, but Adam continued to see Desiree as little more then a child.

It will take some strategic planning with Desiree and Adam's friends to get these two together. Will they be able to accomplish it? or are there forces out there that are determined to keep Adam and Desiree apart?

ABOUT ADAM is my favorite of the Mayfair series, it is funny, hot and has intrigue that will keep you guessing. You also get to revisit with past characters. Get About Adam so you don't wonder what you are missing.

Barb Hicks

It is hard to concentrate so much information in a single book, covering all of South America from Colombia to Chile. Lonely Planet have tried and have done a good job, but the target was too ambitious... If you are literally running through South America with little time, and perhaps you don't want to carry the weight of too many guides, then do get this book. It is of some use, and offers interesting reading. Yet, if you plan to get to know each country more thoroughfully, you are much better off with Lonely Planet's (or other publishers') single guides on each individual country, and there are lots to choose from.

I have just returned to Norway after a year backpacking around in Latin America (of course accompanied by the Lonely Planet books). I do not claim to be an expert, but I know what I look for in a travel guide!

This edition of the LP South America did not disappoint me. (Please note that I used it only for Colombia, Ecuador and Perú). It is up to date on the information, and as with all the other LP books it is easy to find your way around with it. It includes maps over the big cities, good information about the hotels, restaurants, places worth visiting, and time schedules for bus, train etc.

You have to take into account that this is a guide that is meant to cover the whole South America so naturally it is not as detailed as the guides for each country separate. It is good as an overall guide if you plan to go to more than one or two countries, as you would try to cut down on the baggage you would have to carry around.

As for the prices for hotels and food, the book is not accurate.. But you cannot expect that. It is hard to keep up with all the changes, especially in the Latin American economy, where the inflation is "somewhat" higher than in the rest of the world. So, for prices, do your own research, or at least be prepared for changes! (We usually doubled the prices in the book and that gave us a good indicator of what to expect).

You will find that if you are walking around with the LP book under your arm, many of the local people will approach you and ask you if you need help. Say yes - even if you don't need help! It is a great opportunity to get in contact with the local people!

This book is a must on your travel!

This book is an absolute must for the budget,adventurous,willing-to-stay-in-a-funky-hotel-with-lumpy-beds traveler. In a writing style as colorful as the cover, Lonely Planet helps you plan your trip with concise information on: restaurants (with many references to vegetarian places), lodging, festival dates, nightclubs, local language and customs, safety information and more. Lonely Planet South America can also lead you to out of the way villages and towns where you are thrilled at the sight of a real toilet after a five-hour bus ride which left you covered in dust. Nothing comes more in handy after starving on the long bumpy ride than grabbing your guidebook out of your backpack to find out the best fried plantain stand and cheap posada (inn) in this block-long town. And I was very grateful for those tips the book gave on where to ask for that guy "Juan" who is the only person who sells stamps within miles! From the Amazon to the Andes to the Caribbean, Lonely Planet was there for me. Seeing other tourists leafing through the same guidebook, brimming with over 1000 pages of invaluable information in a small book you can cram in a purse, was always a comforting sight in such different-from-home lands.