The first time I used this program it was a half...handown from a friend of a friend. I wasn't really doing anything but one of the Supergrowth Phases over and over for months. I was 15 and had just started lifting and didn't know any better, yet I still went from 130 lbs. soaking wet to (what I thought was big) 170 lbs. in just those short few months! I lost my half-assed version in an unfortunate washer/dryer gangbang in my gym shorts...but never forgot it's effectiveness, or it's name: "BIG BEYOND BELIEF". I spent four years tracking down this book before finding it on Amazon[.com] (where I should have looked in the first place...duh), and with the knowledge of good nutrition, and exercise practices I picked up during the search by doing other, effective yet not even in the ballpark of "BIG BEYOND BELIEF" I'm at it again with new vigor. In a mere three weeks I have gained 20 lbs. of lean muscle and experienced strength gains like never before. There are guys at my gym wasting their time with inferior programs that think I am on steroids based off the results I have experienced with "BIG BEYOND BELIEF". Bottom line: This is the single most effective program you will ever experience, hands down. This time, my copy is going in the vault, cause I'll be damned if I ever lose it again. Stop wasting your time, stop wasting your money, step up and make the best decision you have ever made for your physique, and your well-being. See ya in the gym...later.

After seeing an add for this book in a Body Building magazine, I decided to go ahead and give it a try. This was about 7 years ago and I havn't looked back since. I continue to treasure my copy. To me it's gold. A message to the skeptics. You're probably reading the reviews thinking to yourself, "This seems too good to be true. No one has had anything negative to say." Well this is the real deal. It is a guarantee that after the your first workout you'll start to feel and notice subtle changes unlike anything you've ever experienced. Those using the program know what I'm talking about. You'll wonder why you've wasted so much time and energy on useless routines that produce useless results. After starting, I was left feeling energized and couldn't wait for the second workout. Big Beyond Belief examines the basic science that goes into producing results. A science that really makes sense and is easy to understand. Once you begin reading, your intrigue will carry you all the way to the end without putting the book down once.

The only bad review for this book obviously came from a guy who didn't have the nuts to try it. I too am a natural bodybuilder. I have gone through Leo's program for over a year and have made incredible gains. Yes to the naive, this may seem like a steroid monster's program. Those of us who had the testicular fortitude to try it know better. I recommend Leo and his book to anyone who wants to gain size and strength quickly. I won't kid you - it's a brutal workout program. I also recommend Leo's Titan Training System book as well. I am on that program now and it's even better. So if you can't handle these programs, grow a pair.

For 16 years Ben Rich was the head of Skunk Works, Lockheed Corporation's secretive special projects division. In this engrossing work, he examines 40 years of aerospace innovations, including the U-2, F-117, and (my favorite) the SR-71 Blackbird. Although the book is all about incredible innovations, do not fear that this book will be overly technical; I never bogged down while reading it and found a lot of it humorous, in fact. (On the same point, it's only fair to note that if you ARE looking for a highly technical work, this is probably not the book you want.)

I must admit that I grew up playing endlessly with toy jet-fighters, and thus for subject matter alone I would have to give three stars. Rather than telling the history of Skunk Works strictly chronologically, Rich breaks the book down into chapters that focus on specific projects. This approach avoids confusion that might arise from the overlapping development of multiple aircraft. It also allows the reader to go back and read about one particular plane without wading through unrelated information. Each chapter also contains "Other Voices," short sections written by others involved in the aerospace or defense industries. Many of these sections were written by pilots and provided some of the book's most exciting passages. I thought the "Other Voices" were a great addition that expanded the scope of Rich's work.

I also appreciated that this book was not propaganda for the military-industrial complex (a rut I believe Tom Clancy has fallen in). Rich is justifiably proud of Skunk Works' successes, but he also admits their failures, notably: an attempt in the late '50s to create a plane fueled by liquid hydrogen, and also a stealth catamaran ship. He is also quick to point out the serious flaws with the military's business procedures and candidly asks, "Do the virtuous get their just rewards? The short answer is not if they're dealing with the Pentagon on a regular basis" (p. 302). The final chapter is devoted to discussing the future of aerospace research and ways the military-industrial complex can become more efficient. For example, he shows that the government could save huge amounts of money if Lockheed aircraft were serviced by trained, experienced Lockheed workers, instead of military personnel who are constantly shifted. Yes, it's a somewhat self-serving suggestion, but it also seems fiscally responsible! I thought I would find the final chapter dull, but as a tax-payer it was actually an eye-opener!

My complaints are limited. The non-linear organization works fine when discussing airplanes, but it hampers the book's main "sub-plot": the ongoing relationship between Rich and Kelly Johnson, his predecessor as the head of Skunk Works. Rich paints a vivid picture of the curmudgeonly Johnson, but the development of their relationship is chopped up by the organization of the book. And although the book doesn't warrant an extensive bibliography, some references to other works would give the reader a chance to explore the topic more thoroughly. But neither of these points significantly detracted from my experience. This is an easy and enjoyable read for any arm-chair fighter jock.

I picked this book up after having read Don DeLillo's Libra, which pictures the protagonist, Lee Harvey Oswald, at a USAF base in Atsugi, Japan during his military service. The U2 spy plane that was based there definitely adds to the aura of mystery and fatefulness that pervades the whole of DeLillo's excellent novel and aroused my curiosity. Rich's account of the Skunk Works' history entirely satisfied my interest in this mysterious airplane. The book can be read in different ways: as a thrilling account of the Cold War, a captivating portrait of the complex and brilliant designer Kelly Johnson, and as a treatise on corporate innovation, cutting edge management methods and industry-government relationships. I found the book to be exceedingly well written, with just the right dosage of technical details, humour, personal anecdotes and historical drama. The integration of 'other voices' from test pilots, high level policy makers and air force top brass complements Rich's narrative nicely and helps in modulating the sometimes breathless pace. An excellent book. I enjoyed it a lot.

Founded in 1943 by Clarence "Kelly" Johnson Lockheed's Advanced Projects Division known as The Skunk Works accomplished revolutionary feats of aviation and created some of the world's most successful military aircraft. Home of the U-2 spy plane, the SR-71 Blackbird and the F-117 Stealth Fighter the Skunk Works (SW) promoted a unique environment within the aerospace industry. This book gives detailed accounts about the projects, people and methodologies that developed some of America's premier military platforms. Every aspect of the innovation process is covered from idea conception through the internal and external politics of promoting revolutionary concepts. Kelly Johnson and latter Ben Rich lead the SW during its most exciting and revolutionary discoveries. This work recounts their successes and failures of management style, discovery and relationships as the details of these projects are explained. Of particular interest is the type of environment and management style that each successive leader of the SW employed to help produce the breakthroughs required to propel these projects to legendary success.

I love the concepts of Leo's and wish it was real so I can visit, especially on Open Mike Night.

Second Chance by Rochelle Alers
***Cute story about a middle-aged couple finding love which makes it a unique, not enough chemistry though.

Eye of the Beholder by Donna Hill
****Great story about a religious young lady who goes from having a dull life to stepping up to the mic on Open Mike Night.

Main Agenda by Brenda Jackson
*****Excellent story. If the others seem to be dragging, skip to this story and then go back to them. Strong, intelligent woman determined to make her mark in the world without a man, how in the world does she deal with love, though? I brought this book because I was searching for more of Ms. Jackson's work. I recently read 'Delaney's Desert Sheikh' which is a Silhouette Desire Romance Book not even 200 pages. Excellent love story, this author knows how to write them.

Sweet Temptation by Francis Ray
****Great story. Make you want to go find you a ranger. Career oriented couple who definitely do not want a long distance relationship. Love has a way of changing the way you look at things.

"Second Chance" by Rochelle Alers. In Washington DC, fifty-three years old widow Leigh Walcott badly twists her ankle. She is rushed to the emergency room of a nearby hospital where she meets Dr. Scott Alexander. They are immediately attracted to one another, which is a surprise for Leigh who has not thought of a male in three decades since her husband died. Over a series of dinners at Leo's supper club they fall in love.

"Eye of the Beholder" by Donna Hill. Tara Mitchell takes her best friend English professor and gospel singer Jae Crawford to Leo's to celebrate the latter's birthday. Though feeling out of her element at the nightclub, Jae meets Clyde Burrell and soon love is on the menu.

"Main Agenda" by Brenda Jackson. Four years ago, Raven Anderson and Lincoln Corbain met and shared a romance on a Black College Weekend in Daytona. Lincoln wanted to continue their relationship, but never found Raven when he traveled to Tallahassee to see her. Now she has entered Leo's as he sits at the bar. Can the memory of that glorious weekend become more than just a personal history tidbit and turn into a lasting relationship?

"Sweet Temptation" by Francis Ray. Howard University teacher and Texas Ranger Chase Braxton and confectionery shop owner Julie Ann Ferrington go on a blind date to Leo's. The two immediately hit it off as sparks fly.

Fans of urban contemporary romance, especially African-American tales, will fully relish this anthology. Each story is well written and quite entertaining. The four lead couples are charming as they welcome the readers into their hearts.

Harriet Klausner

I loved Rosies Curl n Weave & Dellas House of Style

In Welcome To Leo's the atmosphere is not a hair salon where love is sprung in each story. This time it all happens in this eloquent supper club owed by the Hardcastle men and a female cousin.

In the first story Rochelle Alers's Second Chance no matter what the age or circumstance you can always find love again, even after losing your husband and 6 month old child.

Donna Hill shows us in Eye of The Beholder that church going conservative dressers can also look good in a knee high a-line dress and find Mr. tall dark and handsome.

Main Agenda by Brenda Jackson spins a tale of 3 beautiful successful sisters obsessed with the words their mother left, they each almost lose out on true love until.....the baby of the bunch shows them you can have it all.

Francis Rays Sweet Temptation.

All in all this was a wonderful refreshing book as always when you get this dynamic 4 together.

Few literary works are capable of properly representing Christianity especially in such a brilliant way. The few that do are Flannery O' Connor and Dostoevsky's works. However, the problem that occurs is that people who are not Christians in order to understand the work create their own idea of what the author is trying to say. For instance, The Death Of Ivan Ilyich is often seen only in existential terms by those that are not Christian or is given a broad psychological analysis. What the work is really about is the selfishness of man, his loneliness,and the meaninglessness of life without Christ. He empahsizes the meaninglessness by Ilyich and their all consuming materialism. Notice how no matter how much his wages increase it isn't enough. This should resonate with American society, however it is too busy trying to act as Ivan and his family did. Although, written before Capitalism, Tolstoy stunningly rebukes it. In addtion, he brilliantly shows what true Christianity is about and not as the American church would like people to perceive it. For instance, he repeatedly emphasizes the notion of dying to sin (dead to sin) and being alive in Christ. But this is too often missed because people have failed to understand the true nature of Christianity. How he does this is brilliant. For instance, in the beginning of the book his supposed friends are seen as thinking well at least he's dead and I'm not. But Tolstoy is mocking them and everyone who thinks this way. For they are really dead in that they are spirtually dead and slaves to sin, while Ivan has moved on from being dead in sin to dead to sin and alive in Christ. This is what baptism is supposed to represent. Chiefly, this work is a blatant example of the process that an individual undertakes when they convert to Christianity. As a result, those that are not Christian too often don't understand the story and great it is. If you want to examine more work that is equally brilliant read Flanney O'Connors short story's, especially A Good Man is Hard to Find, which is best story available on demonstrating God's grace and essence of the gospel. As to the person who said that the story is ruined by the ending being told at the beginning you are missing the point entirely. Tolstoy was more interested in the content in the story making a specific point, rather than shrouding the ending in mystery. Additionally, the reader is unaware that Ivan will convert to Christianity in the end, so the ending is still not entirely known to the reader. And the title is ironic because Ivan is the one that actually finds life and didn't die, while all the other characters are spiritually dead with the exception of Geraism the servant. He actually represents God's grace being actively present on earth.

If you have ever asked yourself what is really important in your life--this book is a must read. In todays fast-paced, modern day society, Ivan Ilyich appeared to have it all--a high-profile job, a beautiful wife, a well-educated child, and a future son-in-law that most parents would be proud to have in the family. When Ivan Ilyich realizes that he is dying all that he thought he wanted in life is put into question. This book is descriptive, evoking powerful and provacative questions that cause the reader to reflect on one's own life.

This is not a lengthy book, but Tolstoy has managed to discuss the subject of death and create a concise, philosophical piece. This is one of those works that could be read several times, at different stages of one's life, as the answers to the questions it creates will most likely change.

...so I could read this story in the original. This novella is an absolute masterpiece. It made me think about things my jaded self had long since given up on, like God, purpose of life, death, fear. Tolstoy has an absolute deadpan sense of humor, which was so subtle it took me a while to catch on (for example, Ivan's fatal injury occurs while he is hanging expensive drapery out to impress his friends--what a beautifully ironic, even funny way to point out the meaninglessness of his life?).

If you're like me, and don't have the time to slog through "War and Peace" but are interested in Tolstoy, try this book. It's outstanding.

Simple, almost stark paper collage forms the pictures for this fable about cute little mousies laying in their supplies for the winter. Instead of gathering grains and seeds with the other mice, Frederick gathers colors, scents and other beautiful things that provide the mice with much sustenance during the cold, bleak winter.

This simple little book carries quite a big message about how important art and artists are.

This children's book is about a field mouse named Frederick who discovers he is a poet. All the other field mice are working hard to prepare for winter; but, Frederick seems to daydream all the time. When winter comes we see the value of his daydreaming and the importance of poetry and the arts. The book was a 1968 Caldecott Honor book (i.e., a runner-up to the Medal winner) for best illustrations in a book for children. I recommend the book highly.

Frederick is the story of a mouse whose preparations for winter include gathering sunbeams instead of grains. When all their winter stores are used up Frederick warms the hearts and stomachs of his mouse family with a poem capturing the warmth and color of summer. This book introduces the value of poetry and spiritual food to readers of all ages with timeless illustrations.

I would have to definitely say that this is one read that has helped change my perception on reality, as well as give me deeper insight. Although one must be patient with Freud (his writing can, at times, rather sleep inducing), this book can open up a great deal of understanding about current literature and film. My essay I wrote for school comparing Civilization and it's Discontents and Fight Club recieved an A, and I have also been able to identify similarities from here in books such as Brave New World and Island both by Aldous Huxley.

I must say this is a recommended read that you should definitely look into!

To whoever is interested in Freuds "Civilization and It's Discontents" I SAY READ IT! An excellent book which depicts civilization for what it is. In this book Freud discussed a varity of topics such as religion, sex, happiness and human suffering (listed in no particular order). I think that the entire purpose of the book was to show humans that civilization is not any better than times before it occured. We tend to think of ourselves better than pre-civilized times however, nothing has changed because reality is constant. Human nature is focused on beauty, instinct and will.

Freud's Civilization and its Discontents could arguably be one of the most compelling books you will ever encounter, if read properly. The problematic posed by Freud is a fundamental one. Freud argues that the demands of civilization and demands of our instincts are out of sync. He posits that humans are haunted by an assortment of powerful unconscious needs. These hardcore "needs" range from sexual fulfillment to a release of aggression. These primal needs for sexual fulfillment and aggressions were once the tools we used to survive. With the dawning of a new age, we no longer need to use these tools. We turn inwards. See, juxtaposed and interconnected is the other side of the coin, is civilization - a phenomenon that inhibits these primal drives. But we need civilization to give us a different sense of security. It is a catch-22. Throughout the ages, then the constant tug of war between these two forces has caused ruptures in our history was the tension is expressed in frustration.

Freud is really informative when he posits that we turn this aggression inward. Perhaps it is how civilization has configured good and evil that is turning this mechanism out of sync. In an almost sado-masochistic move, the superego is now torturing the ego. It is the collision rather than the confluence that is ruining this forced marriage. I am not certain that Nietzsche really had this sort of impact on Freud but I am reminded of Dionysus and Apollo from The Birth of Tragedy.

Nietzsche was trying to convey a partnership between them more than a countering or perhaps better, a "healthy tension." To be human is to be stretched between these two domains. The Dionysian is the raw impulses, chaos, and absurdity of existence; the Apollonian is the ordering impulse that seeks order, the eternal (in logic, religion, or morality, etc.) and beauty. As a particular existence, we are comprised of the raw stuff that is life in its very heart. We are contradiction, passions, chaos; but we cannot live in this domain alone, because it is ugly, terrifying and absurd. Thus we are wont to make it beautiful, to create from it a habitable and beautiful world (and self). Without the Dionysian, there can be no Apollonian. Without Apollonian, life would not be bearable. Hopefully, Nietzsche (as does Freud) does not advocate a return to our "bestial natures." However, Nietzsche declares that it is better to be a Cesare Borgia than a Christian, for at least great things are possible with the raw power and nobility of the beast. The Christian, to him, is enfeeblement and brutalizes the nobility and power inherent in humankind. To be capable of greatness, one must be capable of evil and good. The Christian, however, esteems everything that is meek, pitiful and weak. Action is evil, the world is evil, and we must quietly await a better one. Nietzsche, and the existentialists, would resist any attempt to ascribe a "nature" which predetermines us. We are flux. We are change. We are in a constant state of becoming and there is no prior nature that determines what we will become.

Although Freud was a champion for the recognition of these primal urges, it cannot be said that he advocated a free for all. What is really powerful in Freud is that civilization is not seen to be purely an external thing and it has real consequences on the inside. Our superego - civilizations handmaiden on the inside - is now calling the shots. As we internalize what the external is telling us to do, how to act - like gnawing guilt it invades our psyche to the extent that no matter how we wish to transgress, we become and need the very thing that causes our frustration.

If you peg the most basic response to fight or flight, then civilization can be seen to have removed that which was causing all sorts of anxiety - as we no longer express and remove sexual needs and aggression "in the wild." Freud it could be argued is saying that the superego now attacks the ego denying out most elemental needs. Those needs though, because of the reconfiguration of civilization are suppressed. The two forces - the superego and the ego, instead of working together are working against each other. If perhaps there is a hope for a sense of a new humanism, that this might be the answer - finding a way for the superego to work with rather than against the ego, that is of course if you have bought in on the duality. The debate rages on.

Miguel Llora

Regardless of your political view of Ronald Reagan, this book shows the true strenght of his moral convictions. This book's collection of love letters to the former first lady shows that not all politicians lack strenth and conviction. In an time where Clinton, and now Condit may cause us to believe that all politiacins are corrupt and morally bankrupt, this book offers hope. These letters show us a man who very strong publicly, but privately warm, affectionate, and deeply sentimental. This collection of love letters makes for good insight but somewhat boring reading since these letters repeat over and over the same thing. That is Nancy I love you. It also offers insight into a first lady which I previously I disliked. Her love for her husband is demonstrated wonderfully in her devotion to him. In conclusion this book does what it set out to do. Offers great insight into the private life of two public figures

There is evidently a survey done annually that asks people to rate who the greatest Presidents were to have served this Country. Number one has often been Abraham Lincoln, and he was so chosen again this year. Number two was John F. Kennedy, and number three was Ronald Reagan. I have always been a great admirer of the man, but I never had strong impressions about his wife. This collection of memories by Former First Lady Nancy Reagan entitled, "I Love You Ronnie", portrays Mr. Reagan as one might expect. Of greater interest was what can be learned about this Country's Former First Lady.

You do not have to read very far into this book of letters and recollections to understand that their marriage was unique. The bond between them reads more like a fairly tale, and that makes the truth of it all the more unusual. Their story of course has been heading toward its end through the tragedy of Alzheimer's, however even this trial was shared publicly for the benefit it may bring. This book as well will benefit The Alzheimer's Foundation as well as The Presidential Library Of Mr. Reagan. The last fact is important as it clears the air as to the suggestion this book was written for profit and personal wealth for Mr. And Mrs. Reagan.

Mrs. Reagan was often portrayed as a woman who was impossible to get along with, an interference, and a borderline head case when she was alleged to have sought the advice of an astrologer regarding her husband's activities. Her decisions become clearer even if you do not share her belief in the methods she may have consulted, and to why she conducted herself the way she did. This is a couple of nearly 50 years who would write notes to each other when they were only across the room. This is a couple that was as excited about being together decade after decade as they were in the opening days of their initial romance. Their relationship is so lengthy and intense it could almost be called symbiotic.

Three months after he becomes President he is shot and very nearly dies. She would later have Cancer, and he would deal with Cancer not once but twice in his administration. They always shared these personal travails with the public in the hope it would help others. They had a special respect for, and a relationship with The American People. Going on National television and telling the Nation mind your own business would not have occurred to this President.

The book is also helpful in gaining an insight as to how he evolved via his relationship with General Electric, from a spokesperson for them, to a man that became first the Governor of California, and then the President, twice. Much of what Mrs. Reagan has to say would be dismissed out of hand by more "modern" First Ladies. How she viewed her responsibilities are for readers to judge. For readers who were around and aware of Mr. Reagan's years in office, you will remember they were not perfect, no administration ever has been. But after only a very short time as measured by History, this Country's citizens recall him as one of the finest. Americans remember what they felt like when he spoke, how he took us out from the "Malaise" of the self-described Carter Presidency, and made this Country once again feel good about what and who we were/are.

Mrs. Reagan clearly contributed to the success of her Husband, and by extension to his Presidency and all of us. This was a man who would not remove his jacket when in the oval office out of respect for the History the room and his predecessors represented. Whether you like the man and his wife or not, an objective review of how they conducted their White House Years will stand as well as any in our Nation's History, and perhaps put into perspective just how atrocious the Conduct of Mr. Clinton, and the presumption of Mrs. Clinton were.

The Presidency is about a great many things, many ideals, and many lofty goals that may never be reached. A Great President and First Lady add to the legacy of other great First Couples before them. They never disgraced the office, themselves, or their Country, by turning the home of the President into a front page National Enquirer Joke.

To learn why this was never even a possibility, read the book.

Sweet and sincere best describe this lovely collection of love letters from Ronald Reagan to Nancy Reagan. The media seemed to show that Nancy Reagan was a control freak and overbearing during The White House years, this book tells another story. The story is of a man and a woman deeply in love and totally committed to one another. What impressed me most was the sweetness and the vulnerability of this once very powerful man.

Many of the letters have been scanned from the original copies so you get a real taste of the time and the personality of Ronald Reagan. The letterhead is often from various places and penned in his own handwriting. These letters show his most private and personal feelings of loving his wife and just how much she meant to him. You also get some insight into his sense of humor and in his ability to love and express love. I was charmed by the feeling that he never took his position(s) in government life so seriously that he lost his true core and his true heart.

At first I was a bit shocked that Nancy Reagan would share something so personal because that was not the impression I once had of her. I also wondered what was in it for her? Fame, she has, fortune? But I later learned the proceeds from this book will benefit the Alzeimers Foundation. Whatever her motivation this is a wonderful surprise of a book and a great way for her to share some really neat things about one of our ex-presidents.

Amin Maalouf tells the life story of Hasan al-Wazzan, a middle ages traveller extraordinaire. Known as Leo, he grew up in Granada in a mixed community, only to be thrown out, along with all the Jews, during the purges. He then travelled to north Africa where his life followed many twists and turns, some good and some tragic. There are tales of wealth, abject poverty, slavery and high position within the caliph courts. His life was a kaleidoscope of styles and standards - of religions and travelling partners. Mid-way he found himself in Rome, a Christian and papal emissary, only to return to north Africa and convert back to Islam once again. No state of mind or situation ever lasted for long.

Leo the African had a fantastic life and Amin Maalouf has written a fantastic story around it. His style is effortless and the descriptions of sixteenth century Middle East are teasing enough to get you looking at the maps and travel guides again. You'll love this book. I did, and I'd recommend everyone with wanderlust to read it.

The book's characters are from the late 1400s, but you would think Mr. Maalouf interviewed and/or lived with each of them. His character development is fantastic. His book gives the reader a different perspective on Islamic life than one tends to get from today's media. You'll hear Muslims described in appropriate human terms (good and bad) as opposed to the sterotypical and fanatical terms we often hear today.

It reads like a history lesson, a travel essay, and a novel wrapped up into one. I suggest it to anyone planning or completing a trip to Southern Spain or Northern Africa. Hearing the Alhambra Palace described as a place of life, commerce and government instead of ruin was a treat. Being able to visualize the rooms, fountains and greenery with each line in the book was even better.

People with some education and who like historical novel will love this book (actually every book that Amin Maalouf wrote is a jewel). Fast paced well documented and well written from the Spain of the Reconquista at the end of the 15th Century to the first half of the 16th Century's Vatican and passing by North Africa, this book keeps you dreaming, from the safety of your favorite chair, of exotic lands and times

Leo Laporte's 2003 Technology Almanac is a great book for people who want to get more from their computer and just don't know how to go about it. Maybe you've heard of a way to put your CD's onto an MP3 player and put hundreds of songs at your finger tips, but you don't know how to actually do it. This book is for you!

Or maybe you will get (or give) a digital camera this holiday season, and perhaps after you've taken the pictures you realize you'd like to email them to your friends, but you don't really know how to do that. This book covers all the fun things in technology and computers that you want to do, but need just a little help getting started. It isn't that hard to do, and Leo makes it all easy to learn by following the Downloads of the Day or the tips that are on each day of the almanac's pages.

(The only thing that I didn't like in this book was the inclusion of the "Twisted Lists" from The Screen Savers TV show, they seemed very silly and out of place, but maybe this brand of humor is your cup of tea.)

Being a fan of Leo Laporte on Tech TV for a couple of years now, I just had to go out and buy his book. This is the follow-up to the 2002 Technology Almanac, and what a great follow-up it is. It's clearly evident how much more work was put into this book, as there are is a lot more substance. For one, every day now is now dedicated one full page, full of tips and tricks. There is also a very extensive table of contents in the front, so it shouldn't be too hard to find something you're looking for right away. Also, Laura Burstein corroborated with Leo for writing this book; she has included important dates in computer/geek history all throughout. Finally, one more thing that I liked was a very extensive appendix with computer statistics. Maybe it's just because I love statistics, but I found some of the information fascinating.

All in all, if you are interested at all in computers, this is a great book to buy. It may not be best suited for the über-geeky, but for beginning or intermediate users, it is great. Leo writes with a very down-to-earth personality that does not treat as you as brainless computer user.

I've spent quality time with Leo Laporte's 2003 Technology Almanac and I must say it is one fine publication. I'm a librarian and I have to pass judgment on whether to buy or not to buy hundreds of books each year. I can't help myself; I always look at a book like this with a critical librarian's eyes even if I'm buying it for myself. Do you know how awful it is to have a book that is chock-full of wonderful information rendered completely useless because the aforementioned information can not be easily accessed? Believe me there are more of those than there are ones, like this, that is well arranged so you can get at the info you're looking for quickly and easily. This has an excellent Index (I love indexes!), Glossary (a great addition and a very good one too), Facts and Figures Section (nice touch) and Leo's Little Black Book (very useful). Each page is easy on the eyes and flows nicely. Over all just a nice, nice job!

There are three things I've found computer books to be in the past, complicated, boring and useless for my needs. None of those things can be said about this book. Not only is the information on how to do things like online security, wireless networking, and troubleshooting easy to understand, it goes one step further and makes you understand why you need to know some of these things. It never overwhelms you, it makes you feel you can do these things and with Leo Laporte's sense of humor shining through it makes it entertaining too. How many times has a computer book made me laugh? Cry maybe, when I become so frustrated I toss it across the room but laugh, never until now! Computers are complicated and frustrating enough, why can't computer books have fun to break up that frustration while they are teaching you? I've found the best way to learn is to have fun and this is one entertainingly, informative book. If there is a question in anyone's mind as to whether to buy this book I can highly recommend it from a personal and a librarian's point of view.

I have trouble reading classic literature. I am an avid reader and I want to enjoy the classics, but just find it difficult to understand the meaning in some of the writing.

This, however, was a pleasant surprise. Although written in the early 1700s, the story itself was fairly easy to follow. Even towards the end, I began to see the underlying theme of the satire that Swift has been praised for in this work.

Being someone who reads primarily science fiction and fantasy novels, I thought this might be an opportunity to culture myself while also enjoying a good story. I was correct in my thinking. Even if you can't pick up on the satire, there is still a good classic fantasy story.

Essentially, the book details the travels of Lemuel Gulliver, who by several misfortunes, visits remote and unheard of lands. In each, Gulliver spends enough time to understand the language and culture of each of these land's inhabitants. He also details the difference in culture of his native England to the highest rulers of the visted nations. In his writing of these differences, he is able to show his dislike with the system of government of England. He does this by simply stating how things are in England and then uses the reaction of the strangers as outsiders looking in, showing their lack of respect for what Gulliver describes.

I found it very interesting to see that even as early as the 1700s there was a general dislike of government as well as lawyers.

I would recommend this book to anyone who reads the fantasy genre. Obviously, it's not an epic saga like so many most fantasy readers enjoy, but it's a nice break. I would also recommend this to high school students who are asked to pick a classic piece for a book report. It reads relatively quick and isn't as difficult to read as some of the others that I've tried to read.

It's amazing how our perspective changes as we age. What we thought was important as children may now seem completely insignificant, replaced by entirely new priorities, priorities children wouldn't even understand. At the same time, things we used to take for granted, like having dinner on the table, being taken care of when we're ill, or getting toys fixed when they are broken, have become items on adult worry lists.

Your perspective on literature can change, too. Reading a story for a second time can give you a completely different view of it. "Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain, which I enjoyed as a sort of an adventure story when I was a kid, now reads as a harsh criticism of society in general and the institution of slavery in particular.

The same thing is true of "Gulliver's Travels" by Jonathan Swift. The first thing I realized upon opening the cover of this book as a college student was that I probably had never really read it before.

I knew the basic plot of Lemuel Gulliver's first two voyages to Lilliput and Brobdingnag, home of the tiny and giant people, respectively, but he had two other voyages of which I was not even aware: to a land of philosophers who are so lost in thought they can't see the simplest practical details, Laputa, and to a land ruled by wise and gentle horses or Houyhnhnms and peopled by wild, beastly human-like creatures called Yahoos.

While this book has become famous and even beloved by children, Jonathan Swift was certainly not trying to write a children's book.

Swift was well known for his sharp, biting wit, and his bitter criticism of 18th century England and all her ills. This is the man who, to point out how ridiculous English prejudices had become, wrote "A Modest Proposal" which suggested that the Irish raise their children as cattle, to be eaten as meat, and thereby solve the problems of poverty and starvation faced in that country. As horrible as that proposal is, it was only an extension of the kinds of solutions being proposed at the time.

So, although "Gulliver's Travels" is entertaining, entertainment was not Swift's primary purpose. Swift used this tale of a guillable traveler exploring strange lands to point out some of the inane and ridiculous elements of his own society.

For example, in describing the government of Lilliput, Swift explains that officials are selected based on how well they can play two games, Rope-Dancing and Leaping and Creeping. These two games required great skill in balance, entertained the watching public, and placed the politicians in rather ridiculous positions, perhaps not so differently from elections of leaders in the 18th century and even in modern times.

Give this book a look again, or for the first time. Even in cases in which the exact object of Swift's satire has been forgotten, his sweeping social commentary still rings true. Sometimes it really does seem that we are all a bunch of Yahoos.

Swift's classic satire of English and European governments, societies, and cultures should be required reading of every college student. (Except for those who appear to be in law school as is the earlier reviewer who referred to Swift as being an "18th century Unabomber." Swift may have been conservative in his beliefs and not cared much for individuals such as Robert Boyle, who is satirized in the book, but he was not violent. Perhaps our "law student/reviewer" is offended by Swift's biting satire of lawyers and politicians in part four.) The version I read was an annotated edition by Isaac Asimov and contained many passages that had been deleted by previous publishers. Asimov's comments enable the reader to more fully appreciate Swift's satire. In part one of the novel, a ship's surgeon, Lemuel Gulliver, is shipwreaked and finds himself on the island of Lilliput, the inhabitants all being only six inches high. This section is great satire of English politics and wars. Royal ponp, feuds amongst the populace, and wars are made to look rediculous. In the second part, Gulliver finds himself in Brobdingnag in which he is only six "inches" tall (relatively speaking). This part forms another satire of European governments. In part three, Gulliver visits the flying island of Laputa where shades of ancient scholars can be called up. This section is a satire on philosophers and scientists. Scientists are portrayed as men so wrapped up intheir speculations as to be totally useless in practical affairs. Absurd experiments are described (for example, extracting sunlight from cucumbers (but, extracting energy from cucumbers and other plants is no longer so absurd Jonathan)). Also described in this third part are the Struldbergs, men and women who are immortal but who turn out to be miserable and pitiable. In part four, Gulliver travels to the Land of the Houyhnhnms, horses with intelligence but who have no passion or emotion. The word "Yahoo" originates in this part. READ IT!