I "inherited" Smith's book from my predecessor as the text for a general ecology course (junior-level). I found it to be a poor choice. The fifth edition appears to have undergone recent and massive revision; the text had far more than its fair share of typos, literature citations that were not listed in the bibliography, and perhaps most damningly, colorful figures that were often inadequately explained and sometimes incorrectly labeled. While I understand the presence of factual errors - a text with a subject as diverse as ecology would be difficult for one person to write - there is no excuse for them. All in all, this book was a disappointment.

I have used this book for several years as a text for my general ecology course. Although simple errors may plague this book, it is one of the most comprehensive for a course involving field investigations. The appendix sections on sampling plant and animal populations and life table construction are very helpful for students and instructors. The book is strong on physiological ecology, plant interactions, and case history presentations.

Fast delivery. Book was in great shape for a great price. Thanx!

This book tells the story of two people whose careers took totally different paths - one to success and one to near complete failure. The author of this book, Edward De Leo, worked with Al as a mentor very early on in Pacino's acting career, and probably helped him a great deal, but once Al became successful, De Leo was little more than a nuisance to him, hitting him up for movie parts and money over the years. The story of Edward De Leo's life is really pretty pitiful and the introduction of little bits of information about Pacino, although somewhat interesting at times, fail to disguise this book as anything other than one more attempt by a man who perhaps feels entitled to a piece of Al's success, to exploit it. Kudos to Pacino, who, by all accounts, treated this "old friend" with kindness and generosity. For Pacino fans, there are some interesting tidbits...

I think that this book is very good and well written i had a good time reading it and i think that if you want to read a tale of two actors read this book i highly recommend it. Edward De Leo should write more books i look forward to seeing your next book.Thanks and Good Luck

I had a bad feeling about this one, when within the first few pages the author refers to a German Corps commander as a colonel. This would be at least a two star general. And unfortunately it did not stop there. The author uses catch phrases and words associated with WWII, but not quite in the right context. I understand that it is a work of fiction, but at least some nod to reality should have been made. The author is very knowledgable about New York and does an OK job developing the characters, but he shows his ignorance of the realities of Nazi Germany and the German army and Gestapo of the time.

I almost did not finish reading this book. It is hard to get started and the flow is very disjointed. The author uses a date and time chronology to frame the story, however he interweaves each substory within the chapters, instead of one chapter at a time like most authors do. This makes it very hard to follow what is going on and to pick up where you left off when the sub stories change.

The only exciting part to me was about the last 50 pages, but even that was soured with an anticlimatic ending that did not fully explain the fate of all of the characters. Also, no epilogue, leaves the reader wondering how America fares in the war.

If you are interested in an intrigue story set in WWII and do not care too much about any historical background, then you might like this story. If you want an alternative history novel of WWII based on the facts available, stay away.

Rutman turns in a spectacular story in Clash of Eagles. Set prior to American involvement in World War II, he explores what might have happened had President Roosevelt kept the United States out of the European conflict. When Britain falls to the blitzkreig, America is left to stand alone when the Nazi war machine moves across the Atlantic and down through New England into New York. This is a moving tale of political intrigue, romance, and honor. It explores the depth of pride and love that Americans feel for their country and becomes a powerful testament to the determination of the human spirit. Also, for those who like those sorts of things, there are lots of explosions.

Blotner did a prodigious amount of research for this biography. Any later writer who wants to produce a biography of Faulkner will inevitably find himself or herself relying on much of Blotner's work. The reader, however, will not be so grateful. Blotner seems incapable of distinguishing between that which is important and that which is not. It seems as though he has dumped almost everything he learned into this book. And he learned quite a lot. Why we need, for example, to know the names of everyone Faulkner came into contact with? Finally, Blotner is not a gifted writer; his style is typical of the academic. I can only hope someone writes a shorter, more readable biography of Faulkner someday.

Originally published in two volumes, Joseph L. Blotner's biography of the imminent writer of the American South, William Faulkner, is often touted as THE chronicle of Faulkner's life. Blotner's style is really quite readable. Indeed, this text is so accessible, one must question his accountability on some instances of Faukner's words to friends and loved ones. (Who really remembers what his wife's father said to him on a particular day--famous or not?) All in all, though, this chronicle sits on the top of the biographical heap for the time being. And it probably won't be displaced for many years to come.

This is a very difficult text to get through. Although it brings up a lot of interesting theorems, the language used makes this inaccessible to most readers.

This is a must-have reader for film studies. Most of the TAs and professors at my school dip into this reader to create their classpacks and exam reading lists. The reader, a selection of key essays or excerpts, will introduce you to the language of film studies -- the major theorists from Bazin, Eisenstein, Burch, to Mulvey, Gunning and Dyer etc.; the differing methods of film studies from genre, psychoanalytic, reception, and Frankfurt studies. These are some of the key essays that have shaped film studies criticism over the last century. The book is pricey but well worth it, especially if you don't have the dough to stock up on the original texts. Some of the readings are difficult precisely because they are theory and meant for an academic or professional audience. Take your time, reread selections and savor some of the ideas that still shape how we see and make movies today.

After reading THE FORGED COUPON, I concluded that Leo Tolstoy would have me believe that if I cut off some other motorist on the freeway tomorrow, the anger I generate in that other driver could reverberate from individual to individual and eventually cause someone halfway around the world having a bad hair day to push the Nuclear Button. Thank goodness I'm not paranoid!

The premise of Tolstoy's last short novel, written in 1904, is that the effects of individual actions, whether good or bad, ripple through society causing unexpected consequences far removed in time and place from the original deed. THE FORGED COUPON begins with a father angrily denying his son an advance on his allowance, causing the latter to forge an inflated value on the coupon he's given instead. (In the storyline's time and place, coupons clipped from interest-bearing documents were commonly used as money.) The eventual repercussions of this act provide the background against which Tolstoy lashes out against the flaws he perceived in pre-Revolution Russian society: upper class greed, the oppression of the peasant class, the spiritual and moral bankruptcy of the Russian Orthodox Church, the unfairness of the justice system, and the intellectual banality of the political leadership up to and including the Tsar. As a solution to his societyís ills, the author proposes a return to Christian fundamentalism based solely on scripture, and fictionally illustrates how acts grounded in such can be just as influential in the long term as those generated by mankind's baser motives.

The reader will perhaps find truths in THE FORGED COUPON depending on his/her personal value system. But is the book well done? The front cover of my edition calls it "a classic tale of crime and guilt". Well, it's certainly a tale of crime and guilt, but it misses being classic simply because it's too short. It's as if Tolstoy, who died in 1910, realized his life was coming to a close and thought he'd better crank this one out in a hurry. Had he taken the time to expand the novel to several hundred pages and develop the characters and storyline more, it perhaps would have had more impact. THE FORGED COUPON comes across as a rush job. Indeed, the CliffsNotes version is probably longer than the 88 pages of my edition of the original. Its greatest value was to provide me with some small insight into Russian social structure of the period - a structure swept away forever in the next decade by World War One and the revolutions of 1917.

Short, simple, and yet truly profound, The Forged Coupon reads like Tolstoy's last wish for humanity; compassion, kindness, and responsibility toward our fellow man/woman.

Young Fedor Mikhailovich needs money to repay a debt. After his father angrily refuses to give him any more money, Fedor simply changes a $2.50 note to read $12.50. What follows is an intricate tale of how one evil deed, one selfish act, affects the lives of dozens of others. Tolstoy wrote this novella in his last years, after his excommunication, and he relishes the chance to unveil the pseudo-piety and hypocrisy of organized religion. Yet, his belief in the individual's capacity to find truth is unwavering. Regardless of the theological overtones, however, this novella is priceless for its Aesopian message...that every act, good or bad, goes out into the world like so many ripples.

I give The Forged Coupon four stars only because The Death of Ivan Illych is superior. Still, I wouldn't want my bookshelf to be without this work from the master.

Lionni's original books are breathtaking classics -- wonderful stories that carefully pace each line with gorgeous succulent visuals. But this 'treasury' chops out more than half the original pictures, omitting favorite images, destroying the page-turning pace and in some cases the stories no longer even make sense. This 'treasury' is no bargain -- you'd be better off with one or two of the original unabridged masterpieces. I yearned to see the beautiful 2-page art of "a forest of seaweeds growing from sugar-candy rocks" in _Swimmy_ but was sad to find it missing.

This compilation of stories is completely delightful. They warm your heart and put a smile on your face. My husband used to read them to me when I was SO pregnant I could not sleep. And now we continue to read them to our wonderful daughter Lucy. I get this book as a present for all my pregnant friends. It is a must for your collection.

Some chapters don't really deal with the wars but culture which is irrelevant. The prelude to the war with China and Khwarezm was interesting, but description was a little too tedious. Keeps repeating how he ravaged the cities. Interesting notes about the Christian hero Prester John.

This is quite a good book overall. It is easy to follow and understand. If you are looking for a book on Genghis Khan's early life, I would not suggest this book, though. It basically starts at Genghis's conquering. The author talks more about the Khwarazm empire then I think is necessary, but it is interesting in its own way. Also, the book dedicates more on Ogodei than the title suggests.

This book is very informative of the battles and reasons for the battles of Genghis Khan. If you are looking for a book on the military campaigns of Genghis Khan, I would definately suggest this book.

What about the fact that the parents don't recognize their own child and shun little blue and little yellow? I'm not sure how I feel about this book...some children might be upset to think that their mommy and daddy might not recognize them one day if they change their appearance...

This book demonstrates an understanding of colors, changes of colors through blending, and friendship. A wonderful book for parents to own with children of all ages. Not only does this book cover colors and friendship, it touches on differences in families and people. Teaches that friends come in all colors, and they can affect each other's lives. A perfect book for the home or the classroom.

Simplistic and without real scholarship, one wonders why this is the book that people chose for any kind of language enhancment of the joys of that most subtle and lovely of langauges.

"America ganef!" my Grandma would exclaim upon encountering a pleasant surprise. (See JOY page 115.) That's my reaction seeing this old friend renewed, broader, more current and more liberal in its Jewish scope, and more lively and attractive because of the illustrations and layout. Yet it is still the warm, friendly, funny book I remember from nearly 30 years ago.

Somehow the New Joys of Yiddish has more meaning for me now that nearly all those family members I remember using Yiddish often - some relying on it almost entirely, others just when they used a forceful, colorful, close-to-the heart expression (which was very often) - are gone. The book evokes memories of those good people to whom we owe so much - if only for having had the wisdom to select this country for us and our children.

The book is like a warm and witty friend whose conversation brightens your home and is rarely pedantic. (At a couple of places, such as his seven page exposition on the messiah, he does go on too long.)

Two types of people will find this book enjoyable: those who read the original edition and those who didn't.

So to the Rosten family and Larry Bush - mazal tov!