The book is basically a manual on how to asess your own chess and begin to cover up weaknesses and promote strengths. Emphasising the need for unviversality of style (covering weaknesses) it advocates a method of analysing the individuals games to come up with ways of strengthening openings, psychology and analysis at the board.

Certainly this book can be approached by more players than most of Dvoretsky's other works. This book concentrates on self-improvement through the critical study of one's own chess games. Its a great book, though I now strongly believe that his later book Attack & Defense (Batsford, 1998) is a better effort.

Verdun 1916 by Malcolm Brown joins the thin ranks of English-language books written about the horrific Battle of Verdun. Although well written, Brown's book certainly does not surpass Alistair Horne's classic, the Price of Glory, which was written forty years ago. Indeed, Verdun 1916 is essentially a TV documentary on the great battle, merely committed to paper instead of the small screen. Brown, a freelance historian noted for his TV documentaries in association with the Imperial War Museum, approaches this subject with the intent of painting a portrait of war at its worst for the enlightenment of modern Europeans who are beginning to forget the awfulness of full-scale warfare. While the author follows closely in Horne's well-worn footsteps in recounting the battle itself, he does succeed in inserting new and interesting material about human facets of the battle. Verdun 1916 is not much as a campaign narrative, but it does help to put a human face on one of the worst scenes of carnage in the 20th Century.

Verdun 1916 consists of twenty short chapters, beginning with sections covering background to the battle and opposing preparations. The account of the battle itself is fairly succinct at only 118 pages and readers will get just the basic facts, with little embellishment or analysis. Indeed, the lack of any detail concerning the underground fighting in Fort Vaux or the seesaw battles in the villages around the fort are serious omissions. Certainly the greatest weakness of the book is the presence of only a single map - and a map that does not depict important villages like Fleurus, where thousands of troops died. Military readers will also note that few specific units are mentioned, that there is little or no mention of the corps and division level leaders on either side, and that few specific dates are given; as military history, this lack of specific detail just doesn't cut it. On the plus side, there are eighty photographs in the book, some of which depict interesting sidelights, such as the effect of shelling upon the city of Verdun. Scholarly readers will note the brevity of the bibliography and the over-reliance on English language sources; apparently the author made little effort to utilize French or German archival material.

The first half of Verdun 1916 covers the initial dramatic stages of the battle pretty much as Horne did, with the emphasis on the capture of Fort Douamont and Fort Vaux. Compared to Horne's dramatic prose, Brown is sparing in detail and seems intent to invoke a somber pathos. However, Brown does a wonderful job weaving together eyewitness accounts from both sides that put the battle into a better human context than Horne delivered. Whereas Horne focused on dramatic individuals at dramatic moments, in Brown's version of Verdun we read more about the fears of ordinary men expecting to be blasted into bloody pulp at any moment. One could even say that there are no heroes in this account, only victims.

At the mid-point of the book, Brown inserts a considerable amount of fresh material and perspectives on neglected aspects of the battle, such as medical units and civilians. Of particular interest is the British Urgency Cases Hospital at Revigny, which handled many of the French wounded from Verdun, and which was an early forerunner of modern combat surgical hospitals. Brown's discussion of the effect of the German bombardment upon the city of Verdun (some spots, like the Cathedral, were almost untouched) and the involvement in the battle of American pilots from the Lafayette squadron are also quite interesting.

One recent American revisionist historian, John Mosier, claims that the Germans won the battle of Verdun. Brown's book helps to dispute such assertions by demonstrating that the French army did better at Verdun that is frequently portrayed. Certainly the greatest French success was their ability to sustain their defense by means of a motorized logistic pipeline along the "Sacred Way." Indeed, Brown asks, "the success of the Sacred Way raises an important question. Why did the Germans let it happen?" Brown notes that, "the Germans had three squadrons [of aircraft] for bombing, each capable of dropping a 200-pound bomb. But they used them with little imagination." Furthermore, "not one of the thirty-four bridges in the area was destroyed by bombing...and they never troubled the Sacred Way." Thus, the German inability to seriously interfere with the French lines of communication was a major mistake. Brown also notes that while the Germans introduced some tactical innovations at Verdun - like small storm trooper units, flamethrowers and phosgene gas - that most of the ordinary German infantry still attacked in conventional battalion-size masses.

The other major French success at Verdun was their ability to recover lost ground in set-piece battles. In a one-week period in the fall of 1916, the French recaptured Fort Douamont and Fort Vaux at relatively low cost. The French army was able to mount these successful attacks after months of bloody attritional fighting, proving that the Germans had failed to achieve their objective of smashing the French fighting spirit. Brown's conclusions that there were "no winners, only victims" at Verdun glosses over the importance of the French army's ability to absorb the worst that the Germans could throw at them, and survive to launch counterattacks.

One of the few books on the Great War published in Osprey's Campaign series, Verdun 1916 is, at most, no disappointment. Recounting the worst battle possibly fought in the First World War, Malcolm Brown succeeds in detailing and recounting the battle sufficiently enough for newcomers to the history of the Great War to be able to know a thing or two about this clash of arms.
While being filled with photographs and excellent battlescene plates painted by Howard Gerrard, the book lacks analysis of the battles and most details concerning the battles in and around Verdun, which would be a dissapointment to Great War historians and miniature wargamers alike.
Still, it is a good read and should be bought as a supplement to other works on the Battle (or should I say Slaughter?) of Verdun, most notably Horne's classic account, The Price of Glory.

If you are interested in building an earth-shelter/underground home look elsewhere. This is not the book for you. I found nothing really compelling in this book and regret buying it. If you live in an area with hot summers, cold winters and no fire ants then I suggest buying "The Complete Book of Underground Houses" by, no kidding, Rob Roy. Rob claims that you can build the structure of a 40'x40' house for around 10,000 dollars. I learned from Rob that my area is probably not prime for an underground house because with the blazingly hot summers and very mild winters I won't be able to store up enough "capacitance" in the soil to give me extra "cooleth" in the summer, the time I really need it. Still, Rob Roy's book was very informative and I'm glad I bought it.

this book contained beautiful sketches, but the sketches were of multiple failed (for many reasons) projects. if you are looking for lists of what to do, or what not to do, this is not the book for you. i'm still interested in the concept, but will need to buy other books.

Having read the earlier reviews, I had an idea about what to expect from this unusual book. The number of incomplete projects presented was disappointing; the ideas look cool. Some of the buildings are not residences but planned commercial buildings. The book might be interesting as an idea book for an architect. A propsective home-buyer/builder might want to consider other books on the subject as starting points.

As an Army Intel Officer, I hoped to learn something about my chosen profession from an officer who was at the peak of the Intel world. Instead I found myself skimming ever forward to find something new. Given the 5 pages of explanations of Army terms at the back of the book it should have been no surprise that General Kennedy wrote to a general audience, not a military one. I think she missed the mark. Most of her "management" lessons have been given elsewhere and better. Most of her military leadership lessons have been too. Her stories of her early days and the transition from WAC to regular army were good and I wish she had continued. She could have related her views on the change from the Army Security Agency (ASA) to the current INSCOM as someone who was part of ASA and then Commanded INSCOM. Where were the stories of the growth and then near death of tactical SIGINT? I had hoped for a book about an Intelligence professional, and Army Officer and a Female soldier. Instead General Kennedy wrote the reverse emphasis with far more about being a female than an intelligence professional. I was also disappointed that General Kennedy glossed over so many difficulties. She speaks of the "myth" of female soldiers getting pregnant to avoid deployment yet one check of the medical stats at Ft Hood during Desert Storm would dispel the thought that it is a myth. Why not show that just as many male soldiers suffered sudden lower back problems or other ailments that made them non-deployable too. Avoiding deployment is equal opportunity but pregnancy is not so why pretend it doesnt happen? She also missed the opportunity to take to task women like Lt. Kelly Flinn and the Army officer who insisted on breast-feeding at work. Her silence gives the impression of support. Maybe the money she earned from this book (I did my part) will give General Kennedy the opportunity to write another book. Get a better editor if you do General!

Generally Speaking is a book worth reading and should be read by every American. Claudia J. Kennedy devoted her adult life to the service of her country. The United States Army was her home. Her choices benefitted her career and her country. Generally Speaking leads you through the process. It is fascinating to read about a single woman rising through the ranks of the military successfully and yes, gracefully.

I highly recommend this book for people who want to understand the perceptions of powerful, influential feminist elites, and how we might have gotten to where we are today--female soldiers coming home from war in body bags.

While the author does an OK job explaining the subject matter, I don't see why anyone should spend $60 on this tiny book when you can find other books that sell for the same price or less and cover XML and a lot more. Professional SQL Server 2000 Programming from Wrox has two very good chapters on XML in about 100 pages, and *1300* pages more covering just about everything else related to SQL Server, *all for the same price*. There are other books that concentrate on the XML part only and sell for $10-$15 less but I have not read them. And of course, there's always SQL Server Books Online, which is free if you already have SQL Server 2000 installed. If I pay first class fare, I expect the meal and the wine, not just the peanuts.

Most of the reviews here seem to relate to the first edition (which was admittedly kind of short). The book has been updated, and the second edition covers new stuff like XSD Schemas, Diffgrams, SOAP Virtual Names, and all the other SQLXML 3.0 features. I found the book really useful, and easy to read. The examples are great and the concepts are all well explained. Definitely worth buying if you're planning to use SQL Server's XML functionality.

I never expected so much useful information into such a small book. Good books don't sell by weight or page count.
I found this book concise and clear (this man knows how to teach). It sure doesn't explain everything about the subject, but it gives the big picture, with an impressive number of details too.
Ideal to start working in small time.
NOTE about who is this book for:
As title state, this book teaches how to use the XML features of SQL Server 2000, not how to use SQL2000, so if you don't know SQL Server you better read something else first.
From the XML XSL XPath X... side, this book is also for novices as it has a very good appendix that teaches all you need to understand the book.

There's some really good material in this book, but you have to plow through an awful--and I mean awful--load of self-indulgent tripe to find the occasional gem. When the chief authors aren't patting each other on the back and trashing the competition, they're staging made-up interviews with each other or writing about their dreams or other nonsense. The Montreal team essay is a rarity in that it looks in depth at something that actually happened on the field,an incident where a player loafed and cost the Expos a game and then was probably wisely traded. But there is just way too little of that. What there is instead is way too many stats that are difficult to understand or to read and too much from some writers who aren't all that impressive. Tom Austin is truly lame and his comments on what he thinks are the game's worst pitching seasons are sometimes almost laughable.

i thought i'd better add a vote 'for' this book, because i enjoyed it a lot.

While I agree with many of the critical comments, I like the book a lot. Considering the number of pages and the tiny font sizes, the book is enormous, so even if you don't like some of the material, there's plenty here to enjoy.

It's definitely pitched to a pretty narrow audience though. You've got to have patience to wade through pages of explanations of their unique statistics. If all you want to do is read comments on players because you're in a Rotisserie league, this isn't the book for you.

...the story doesn't satisfy.

I love reading novels with an archeological theme so the premise of THE GOSPEL OF JUDAS was certainy intriguing---a newly discovered Dead Sea scroll may reveal an eyewitness account of Jesus' life and death (unlike the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John which were written after the fact) and the information in the scroll supposedly could rock the foundation of the Church. I enthusiastically jumped in, only to be disappointed.

The reader has to wait far too long to get to the mystery of what's in the scroll and what it means to the Church. In the meantime, the reader has to wade through two mildly interesting subplots (either could be a separate novel). The first subplot is fine--the love story between Father Leo, the priest who is called in to examine and verify the scroll, and Madeleine, the wife of a diplomat. The second subplot though is thoroughly uninteresting and dramatically useless---it's a continuing flashback story of Leo's mother's tragic love affair in wartime Rome. It slows the forward movement of the plot as it keeps pulling the reader from the drama of the main story.

When we finally get to the what's in the scroll, it's too little payoff, delivered far too late. Not recommended for readers who love the well-told, well-paced archeologically themed story.

Near the Dead Sea, a new scroll from the time of Jesus has been discovered. The church sends Rome teacher-scholar Father Leo Newman to investigate and translate the newest find. Leo is going through a difficult period as he has doubts about his chosen avocation ever since he met and sinned by having an affair with Madeline Brewer. Still, Leo immediately travels to Jerusalem to join an international team inspecting the rich find, but his assignment is to concentrate on one particular papyrus.

Leo quickly realizes that the document the Church sent him to inspect apparently contains the Gospel accordance to Judas Iscariot. Instead of supporting the other Gospels, this scroll denies much of what has been claimed. Leo begins to comprehend how Judas felt when he condemned his best friend to death.

THE GOSPEL OF JUDAS is an insightful look at the Judas betrayal but in a modern text and through Leo's break in faith. The story line is fast-paced especially in an allegorical manner that compares Leo to Judas. The flashbacks to World War II are cleverly written, but the story belongs to the Leo-Judas relationship that, in turn, proves how talented Simon Mawer truly is.

Harriet Klausner

Life is what we make of it, and (Father) Leo Newman (the story's protagonist) has made a botch of his. And just as his religious faith begins to fall prey to his mounting doubts, Madeleine Brewer ("Maddy" - Mawer's choice of character names is subtly clever) enters the scene, and away they go; displacing thought for action, the cerebral for the physical. Mawer conflates this love triangle - Maddy is married to a British diplomat; Leo is married to his faith and religion - with the discovery of another gospel, this one by Judas Iscariot. What Leo, as translator of the parchment, learns about Jesus Christ and the birth of Christianity causes him to view the religious and the secular in a different light...

This book's marketing can create some confusion: is it a dialectic about faith, a thriller, a love story? It is each of these, and more. Simon Mawer has managed - artfully, gracefully - to ensnare the reader into entertaining even enjoying the questions (and some answers) that transcend our individual lives.

*The Gospel of Judas* is, quite simply, an astounding novel - perhaps the best novel I have read in several years! Admittedly, it does include ALL of the topics and issues that *I* find so thrilling: faith, religion, history, and language. Mawer's love of language mimics his love for the quotidian, and allows him to tell a tale for all.

But don't take my word for it, on faith; check it out for yourself. You must see, smell, feel, and read this novel, to believe it. Highest recommendation.

After reading Stogo's first book, I thought this one would be just as good. Boy, was I disappointed. This book is extremely sloppy -- the editing is atrocious, and there are conflicting statements, sometimes in consecutive sections.

His understanding of standard startup accounting principles is pretty weak -- my SBA advisor (a retired accountant) laughed at some of the startup cost itemizations.

Overall, I *did* learn some good info from this book, but I was happy I bought it used on Amazon, rather than paying the ridiculous list price of this one.

In general, I think it is a good book and worth the cost if you are going into the business. I would also recommend a website called turnkeyparlor; they provide necessary information on important stuff like profitability, site selection, etc.

This is a very informative, user-friendly book filled with the most important information and data on what to look for and what pitfalls to avoid in going into the ice cream business. I particularly enjoyed the business plan and nitty gritty details that are so essential to opening up business. I also enjoyed the recipes and suppliers lists. I found this book to be a Must-read for anyone interested in this field.

This book is extremly dry. My graduate school professer HATED it, as did the rest of my class. Do not reccomend for a Human Behavior/Social Environment class!

Currently using this book in a theory class. There must be a better theory book out there. Bounces form one theory to another while covering a specific theory in a chapter. It is hard for a person unfamiliar with theories to understand what is relevant to the theory named in that chapter heading.

Malcolm Payne's book is widely used as a text book in social work theory courses in Aotearoa New Zealand. Its strength is its breadth and concise coverage of major theory's from a social constructionist perspective. The text's use of language can at times make it difficult to follow in places despite this it has been my experience that most social work students I have taught find it a valuable book to have invested in.

The only good stories in this book were "Marrying off Mother" and the story of Esmerelda the truffle pig. It tided me over until I found the sequel to "My Family and Other Animals" - "Birds, Beasts and Relatives".

Glad I borrowed this one from the library...

I read this book hoping for another gem like "My Family and Other Animals". Unfortunately, I was disappointed.

Although "Marrying Off Mother" has much of the same wonderful timing & wit that's in other Durrell books, it seems to be missing their soul. This is a cynical book, and the timing & wit (that in earlier books shows Durrell's innonence and passion) conveys smugness and superiority in "Marrying off Mother". This attitude wears thin pretty quickly.

If you're interested in reading Durrell, I strongly recommend "My Family and Other Animals". But not this book.

I had high hopes of being impressed, but the 8 stories fell short of the expectaions created by that fine novel 'My Family and Other Animals'.

Yes there are flashes of the Durell humour, but the quality of the writing is sometimes strained - especially apparant in 'Marrying Off Mother' where information about things and people ate given in terse little bites that do not have the charm of a more full-bodied development. Also some of the stories are too improbable for suspension of disbelief, ie. the story of the gambling nun. 'The Jury' is like something out of 'Tales of the Unexpected' or 'Tales from the Dark side', and bears some resemblence to Somerset Maugham's darker tales of Malaya. Also some of the world-weary author comes through in the stories, which means the wry and humourous 'voice' of ten year old Durell, created so beautifully in 'My Family and Other Animals' is merely imitated. The only place it fully succeeds is in Antoine's little speech in 'Marrying Off Mother' - which is worth reading the whole book for!

Perhaps I am being grossly unfair in expecting something like 'My Family and Other Animals' - each book and story should stand on its own. It is worth reading just to get a taste of what other things interested Durell. Some of the stories do not actually have animals in them!