This book tells you the story of a computer algorithm that, in the words of the author, "taught itself to play checkers". The second section, which contains the core of the book, is organized as an abridged diary that describes the steps taken to create this program and to test it in rated competition under the name of Blondie24 against human opponents at an online gaming site.

Since the book is aimed at a general audience, the first section introduces all the relevant knowledge required to fathom the rest of the book. This section introduces the purpose of artificial intelligence, the demystification of the all-famous computer Deep Blue that defeated chess champion Garry Kasparov, the basics of artificial neural networks and of the game of checkers, and a survey of previous attempts at producing computer programs to play checkers. The last chapter in this preparatory section states the two fundamental questions that the author (David B. Fogel) and his partner in this endeavor (Kumar Chellapilla) set out to answer when they started to build their own checkers program, which can be phrased as: (1) Can a computer program learn on its own the features important to play checkers at the level of a human expert? (2) Can this learning be achieved by just playing games against itself and receiving feedback only after a series of games without even knowing which games were won or lost but only how many?

Their approach consisted of using an idea borrowed from "mother nature" that only until recently has started to be embraced by the scientific community in the field of artificial intelligence. This idea is evolution. By combining random mutation with selection over a "population" of checkers-playing artificial neural networks that played against each other they obtained after 250 generations a program that was able to reach the expert-level rating and that even scored a few victories against human players rated at the master-level.

Most technical details are left out in order to make the text accessible to a wider audience. However, in the spirit of being a scientific document, there are references to all relevant scientific papers in case you want to do further research. The writing style is both engaging and easy to follow. In addition to the main text of the book, there is a wealth of notes in a special section at the end of the book which the author uses to expand on specific topics that might be of interest to the reader. It is for this separate notes section that you might benefit from using two bookmarks, instead of just one, while you read the book. There is also an interesting section in which the author addresses a series of objections that have been raised against the ideas he discusses in this book.

In my opinion, the only weakness of the book is that it spends too much ink in telling you about the moves that Blondie24 (and its siblings) made in some specific games. This will be of interest to you only if you are keen on checkers.

If you have an academic training equivalent to a B.S. in Computer Science you will have the additional benefit of ending up with a clear picture of how to reproduce the ideas used to create Blondie24, although no computer code is offered. The idea they use is so simple and yet so powerful that you'll be temped to jump into the bandwagon of evolutionary computation after reading this book.

An absorbing and enchanting tale of a personal quest for the deeper meaning of AI: the discovery of how intelligence itself arises. Fogel seizes the challenge by capturing the evolutionary process and shaping it to breed a checkers expert from an artificial neural net. Scientists, humanists, and artists will appreciate his inspiring wit and clarity of thought in narrating the growth of Blondie24, a synthetic sentience born inside a desktop PC.

I once took an introductory AI course (Brown '84, Professor Eugene Charniak) and was immediately turned off when, during the first lecture, the professor said that we would not cover learning. To talk about intelligence without learning seemed misguided. Blondie24 shows the power of learning in an organic, evolutionary way.

David Fogel gives a broad overview of the origins of the main approaches in classical AI. He explains how many approaches fell into a seductive trap of top down planning. His own approach uses evolution as a powerful tool for learning. Learning from the experience of life on earth, he proves that selecting simply on whether his chess program wins, loses, or draws over multiple games is sufficient to allow considerable learning. This is a powerful lesson that should be applicable across any discipline -- not simply checkers.

David writes simply and clearly and with respect even for the AI pioneers whose approaches he disagrees with.

Blondie24 has inspired me to read more on this subject. It is thought provoking -- I now want to start doing my own experiments in evolutionary programming to explore the ideas further.

P.S. I found that "Creation : Life and How to Make It" by Steve Grand to be an excellent follow up read to Blondie24.

Video Girl Ai is a school romance story that everyone can relate to. You remember what it was like when the sight of your loved one made your mouth dry, and your palms wet? When the most intelligent thing you could say in their presence was "N..nnn...urgle"?

Yota (known generally in the school as "The Dateless") just can't manage to tell Moemi about his feelings for her. He always chickens out, freezes up, or just ends up standing on his own tongue. School pin-up Takashi, Yota's longtime buddy does his best to help, unaware of the leading role that he's been playing in Moemi's fantasies.

With his lack-of-a-love-life getting more complicated by the moment, Yota seeks escape by hiring a video. Simple silicon, no feelings to hurt. "I'll cheer you up" is the message on the front of Video Girl Ai's box.

Unfortunately Yota's VCR fries a circuit, and catapults Ai out of her world and through the screen into Yota's bedroom.

Ai does her best to cheer Yota up, as helpmeet and advisor, but it looks more and more like she has a few loose circuits of her own...

Video Girl Ai was an amazingly sweet and cute well-drawn manga. So the plot is very typical-except for Ai. Poor dateless boy is best friends with most popular stud, Takashi. Dateless, as he is actually called though his real name is Yota, is in love with the class cutie, Moemi, who is in love with his best friend. One day Moemi confesses to Yota that she's in love with Takashi, and Yota could never bring himself to tell her that he loves her. Takashi kinda blows Moemi off, thinking she's joking. Yota, who just had his heart broken does something so martyred I almost wanna puke, but it's kinda sweet, so I forgive him. He cries over what Moemi's going through instead of worrying about himself and proceeds to help get them together through the rest of the graphic novel. Now where on Earth does Ai come in? One word: Gokuraku. A video store which is only visible to those pure of heart (like someone who just had his heart broken and is crying over someone else's pain). Naturally, Yota heads over to the adult section. :::sighs::: Men. He sees Ai's tape, and is handed wordlessly a card from the old man working at the cashier. He is left to his own devices-namely, taking home the video despite the fact he's underage. Unfortunately, he screwed up his VCR that morning during a graphic dream by knocking it off the shelf. Ai actually pops out of the screen. Though she may come off a bit...slutty, she's very cute. She tries (keyword: tries) to get Moemi and Yota together. Unfortunately, near the end, Moemi hooks up with Takashi. The book ends with a cliff hanger-when is the next one to be released? I can't help hoping that in the end of the series Ai will end up with Yota. questions? comments? e-mail me at: sailorgirl615@sailormoon.com.

This is one truly masterful blend of comedy and romantic fantasy! Masakazu Kastura(creator of IRIA and DNA 2)truly peaked with his title: VIDEO GIRL AI. Lonely heartbroken Yota learns the girl he had a crush on is really in love with his friend. On his way home from this revelation, he sees a video store that he never noticed before, and decides to take home a "video girl". In Japan, a video girl is a video-recorded date for men. But this one is a real Video Girl, and comes right out of the TV into Yota's living room. Now, he's got Ai, his own little genie-like playmate for three months. It's her job to comfort him and make him feel secure, but because Ai's tape was played on a VCR, her program becomes different and she starts to fall in love with Yota. While at the same time Yota is trying to get over his feelings for his unrequited love, Moemi, who on her own seems to have a thing for Yota too even though she's now dating his friend Takashi. Then, Ai gets sent away by her creator, and redone with a new mission, to just root for Yota. But their love for each other prooves too strong, which causes Ai to be sent away again. When she returns, she has no memory of Yota or the love she had for him. This while Yota has gotten a new girlfriend in the cute Nobuko. Does Yota pick the right girl in the end? Will the Video Girl god ever leave Ai alone and let her get a normal life? All the questions and more are in the manga. Also check out the cool anime on DVD or video also from Viz!

The drwing style is a bit wierd, but possible to adjust to. And so worth doing so!
Yukari is one of those perfect kind of girls: Very studious, always obeying her parents wishes, never doing anything unexpected, wrong, or, well, anything except perfect. She doesn't have an easy time with it, though. When she runs into a punk and a transvestite on the street one day and is asked to modle clothing for them, she adamently refuses. At first. But then she meets George, the designer for Para-kiss, and she has to wonder if she should accept their invitation into this new, wonderful, and forbidden world.

"Paridise Kiss" is deffinatly one of the best comic books I have so far picked up, plus it's as good as the first one. It's loaded full of the very famous Japanese fashion. (Lolita Fashion, Japanese Street Fashion, etc.) It is so different from the usual comic books..(Notice that the eyes of Ai Yazawa's comics are diffrent and more wide than normal comic book charecter's eyes. For example, Sailor Moon, and Marmalade Boy.) Still, comic book strives to be diffrent, resulting in how now, there is a whole new style called "Para-kiss." You must check this book out, and if you might want to find out what Lolita Fashion is, you should check out the pure Japanese, infamous books... Gothic & Lolita Bibles, 1 through 4. (I believe that's as far as it goes.) Also, Alice Doll comic have Lolita fashion in them, and so does the comic book "Cinderella" (no, not the classic!) and Cardcapture Sakura. You can also find out more about Lolita Fashion and Gothic Lolita fashion on my website [website]
-Enjoy!

I like this volume a little better than the first one, because we get to know the whole cast a little more and get some hints as to what drives the characters. Yukari does seem a bit weak in most of the volume, but she starts to pull herself together toward the end, trying to establish herself. I thought her weakness was actually well done and sets up her trying to carve a place for herself. All I know is I can't wait to get my grubby paws on volume 3. I haven't been this hungry for the next volume of a comic in ages!...

One of the best things about this book is it puts a face on Confucius and, more importantly, his disciples. It's difficult to read The Analects (which this book uses a few sayings from) and keep straight who's who; this book helps a lot. The last section with a brief bio on a few of the disciples is fantastic. I can find no other source to compare to this. Now when I read The Analect I see the faces from this book when different people are mentioned. My only complaint is that different translations of Confucius' work seem to use slightly different names then those used in this book. It can be a bit confusing when this book is the first one you read, but I would still HIGHLY recommend it.

Just getting started on your desire to understand eastern philosophies? Have you stood at the bookstore for hours pouring over where to start and what to buy?

Any of this authors books are a wonderful place to start. The reason? Because these books are all about the title subject in a nutshell, easy to read as a comic book, the story lines and illustrations are wonderful, and after you read this as well as all the other books by Tsai, you will have a great, well rounded start on your path and will know what you want to study more deeply!

To add, when others ask you about your interest in eastern philosophy, you can get them started here as well, because these books are fun, consise, and you know they will enjoy them over and over again!

The Cartoon Chinese Philosophy books of this series interest me for two reasons: I like Chinese History and I have to teach it to high school kids.

On a personal level I enjoy reading through these books and find it much more useful than some of the straight translations even though they may be more complete and more pleasing to academics. In addition to the Confucius book, I have enjoyed both Daoist books and the version of the Art of War.

As a teacher, I like this book even better. New York State requires high school kids to have 2 years of world history. In this new political correct world, world history is no longer dominated by Europe. In fact, must of the New York State exam is about Asia and Africa. Thus Confucianism is a very important concept to teach.

Filial Piety, the concept of order and relationships, and the 5 Confucianian relationships are extremely important. But they are not fun things to the average teenager. There are many lessons we can get from Confucius as adults, for kids its a bit harder. However, these comic books make teaching Confucius so much easier and effective. The kids like to read them and they get so much more from them.

So in short, yes this is not the complete Confucius. But for anyone who wants to read a visually pleasing edition or teaches this is quite good.

this was an exilerating expierence. Cox liked it very much. Th motions of the characters were lavishing. However, it only gets a two in my book beacause there wasn't enough passion in it.

I wouldn't read this book unless I had a highlighter in my hand. It is full of wisdom that can be absorbed by anyone whether they are just beginning a journey of self discovery or have all ready reached enlightenment. The author can make you believe he actually lived in ancient China by the way he paints vivid pictures with his words. I became so absorbed I felt sometimes I was living and traveling with the Taoist monks and sharing their adventures. The book is very easy to understand and enjoyable to read. It will make you wonder about the possibilities of the Human potential. I advise you to buy it!

The Immortal's Gift is perhaps one of the most important books ever written on the most important subject of all, Life. All too often books that deal with the growth and progression of the soul speak in vague, abstract ideas that are impossible to grasp. The struggles and triumphs of the main character, Hunglu, are so universal, I felt as though this book were written for me. I identified with so many things about the character and couldn't believe how many things in the book I've experienced to some degree. This may be the best teaching tool I've seen on this thing called life! This is a reference that I will return to time and time again. This is not only a great place for anyone wishing to understand Tai Chi to start, but it is a great beginning for anyone who wishes to realize the loving potential of their soul.

This is the best book in my library.
Write by professionals, with usefull techniques and well explained details of almost every cool aspects of AI in the game programming world.

Being in the game development business, I am always on the lookout for new and different tricks, techniques and strategies. When most programmers go to the lectures, panels and roundtables at the Game Developers Conference, we are looking to pick up this same sort of material... we share ideas and approaches - but rarely get the chance to get down to the code details to make it easy for us to implement those ideas into our own work. This book makes that possible.

Along the lines of the other "Gems" series of books, this collection is filled with ACTUAL techniques and code chunks that are used by some of the top professionals in the industry. Just flipping through the list of the contributors to the book is like going around the room at one of the AI roundtables at the GDC... in fact, Steve Woodcock and Neil Kirby are 2 of the "3 AI guys" that RUN those roundtables! (The 3rd being Eric Dybsand who has contributed to the "Gems" series but not this title.)

Many books on game development are informative. This one is actually USEFULL. I have personally adopted Steve Rabin's source code from the section "Implementing a State Machine Language" into my own game and it has saved me many hours of development and improved the readability and understandability of my code for the rest of the team. Just that section alone has netted at least a 1000:1 return on the cost of this book. Other sections have given me a different approach on how to handle the economic strategy layer that I could have come upon myself... but was able to implement a lot quicker than if I had done it myself. It was definately worth the price.

Are any of these sections worth the purchase price for YOU? I suppose that depends on how much you value you your time. Once you equate the cost of the book to the man hours you save, it's a no brainer!

Published by the same folks who brought you Game Programming Gems (and edited by one of the more prolific AI authors in that series), AI Game Programming Wisdom provides a wealth of real knowledge by actual game programming professionals, not professional authors. As a game programming professional, the number of game programming books that sit on my shelf is fairly small. Most have nothing interesting or meaningful to offer beyond rudimentary descriptions and concepts.

AI Wisdom is definitely a cut above the rest. The topic selection is intelligent and relevant, and the articles are all of a consistent quality and polish. I've already referenced articles several times when writing production code, and several co-workers have borrowed it when they had a particularly tricky problem to solve. This is simply a must-have resource for any professional AI programmer, period. Or, if you're an amateur or hobbyist looking to see the tricks and techniques professionals use, then this is a book you absolutely can't afford to miss.

This book provides introductory passages that illuminate the art of Tai Chi Chuan, and set a beginner on a path to cultivate internal energy. Translations of famous masters take up another chapter. The book covers all of the major styles, although the illustrations for each form(except for the simplified form) are probably meant for informative purposes only; they're not detailed enough that the reader could learn the form from studying the illustrations. Including chapters on martial applications, further combative situations involving the gentle art, weapons, meditation and Taoism, this book is probably the most thorough Tai Chi Chuan book out there. I highly recommend it.

This book is just what its title states: a complete book on Tai Chi Chuan. This is one case where you can judge a book by its cover. It covers everything you would want to know about Tai Chi Chuan including its history, styles, health benefits, and martial applications to name a few. I never thought much of martial arts books that used illustrations to show forms, but this book manages to pull it off. If you want to learn about Tai Chi Chuan, or are currenty practising it, BUY THIS BOOK!

This book is THE most comprehensive guide to the "supreme ultimate art" in EXISTANCE! This book gave me Chi Kung excercises that allowed me to actually feel the chi flow into my hands plus it talked about ALL the styles of Tai Chi Chuan, gave the philosophies and principals of each style, talked about energy extention (channeling your energy into a staff to give it the slicing power of a sword), and it reveals the ultimate attainment of any martial art, spiritual cultivation! If your fire still needs quenching after compleating this book the author includes notes and follow-up books for each and every chapter that can be expanded plus listings and addresses of other great masters! I strongly feel that the author really went overboard to give you simply THE best!!!

There is a lot of information is Guttmann's translations of Kuo's T'ai Chi Boxing Chronicle. However, I found much of it difficult to access. Kuo discusses many aspects at great length, especially the internal energy work of the system. To do so, he uses a very specialized vocabulary that is not always explained clearly. There are also points where I felt that the translator may not have chosen the best word to make the meaning clear. One example of this is where the text speaks of adding "strength to every separate strike." The word "strength" seems odd, as it suggests a muscular strength rather than a soft power. This may not have been the meaning, but it is an example of where more explanation by the translator would have helped. However, it is clear that the author knew a great deal about tai chi and has honestly tried to pass on what he knew. I found the section on if tai chi was only a soft art, or could it also contain hardness to be especially interesting. While I wouldn't recommend this as an introductory text, someone who already has a background in tai chi could get a lot out of The T'ai Chi Boxing Chronicle if they were willing to put in a bit of effort.

This is really a good book.
Absolutely not for beginners.
It is very deep in the analysis of almost all the Tai Chi aspects as you can see in the Book Summary listed by other reviewers. It really gave you material to think and work on.
Anyway sometime there are terms not explained that could really mislead the meaning of the matter. That's the reason why only 4 stars. I really and strongly recommend this book to all the instructors and advanced practitioners whatever style they practice. This is a book that will forever give you Tai Chi insights each time you read it.

"In this book we will examine the Chen family treasure, the chronicles that were hidden for nine generations until the time of Chen Wang Ting, near the end of the Ming dynasty...", P. 8.

For those new to Tai Chi: The practitioner of Tai Chi Chuan (trans. Grand Ultimate fist) must be willing to spend a great deal of time refining each movement. Tai Chi will teach even the most athletic practitioner to move muscles that they didn't know they had and to stretch their range of movement without loosing balance. To be soft but not weak, to deliver powerful strikes but not tense (Like a whip it may crack at the end but it is a flowing motion that gets it there). To listen to the opponents move and unbalance them (Granting the practitioner the ability to win a fight without hurting the opponent should he/she choose to do so). For health it is a non-impact exercise that will teach you how to use and strengthen your body. It is good for the elderly because the training is soft and gentle (In fact training with too much power will hinder ones Tai Chi development).

The Book: This book is for those who want to deepen their knowledge of Tai Chi. It breaks apart and gives detailed explanations of the philosophy, training methods, and learning sequence. It will NOT ACTUALLY TEACH YOU ANY OF THESE THINGS. It will only explain what you are looking to accomplish within each aspect of training. I would recommend this book for anyone who wants an overview of what Tai Chi is. Experienced practitioners should read and reread this book (as they improve in one skill something else will suddenly make sense). For learning applications I would recommend Feng Zhiqiang and Chen Xiaowang¡¦s English language book, ¡§Chen Style TaijiQuan¡¨, ISBN# 7505404806. I would not recommend attempting to learn a form from a book, find a qualified teacher or buy the video.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction. The Overview

* The Yin-Yang Reversal Theory

* The Tai Chi Body

* Tai Chi Balance

* Tai Chi stillness and Action

* Awareness Energy

* Enlightenment Through Action

Chapter One. The Three Steps of Tai Chi Boxing Principles

* The Weak Beats the Strong

* The Slow Beats the Fast

Chapter Two. The Three Steps of Tai Chi Boxing

* Step One: Investigate the Body, the Form, the Waist, the Top of the Head, the Spine, and the Steps

* Step Two: Study Moving, Receiving, Collecting and Striking Energy

* Step Three: Study Following, Sinking, Lightness, and Dexterity

Chapter Three. Investigating the Method of Tai Chi Boxing¡¦s Push Hands

* Step One: The Push Hands System of Awareness Energy

* Step Two: The Posture and Force of Adhere, Stick, Connect, and Follow

* Step Three: Seeking Awareness Energy in Push Hands

Chapter Four. The Energies of the Eight Gates and Five Steps

* The Energies of the Eight Gates Clearly Defined

* The Five Steps Clearly Divided

* The Practice of the Set and its Representation of the Eight Gates and Five Steps

Chapter Five. The Sequence of Learning Tai Chi Boxing

* Part One: The Practice of the Set

* Part Two: The Practice of Drawing Silk

* Part Three: Learning to Separate Energies

* Part Four: The Practice of Chi Kung

* Part Five: The Practice of the Spirit of Vitality

* Part Six: Uniting the Inside with the Outside

* Part Seven: Getting the Opportunity and the Position

* Part Eight: Sacrificing Yourself to Follow the Opponent

* Part Nine: Knowing Yourself and Knowing the Enemy

* 1. The Order of Learning Tai Chi Boxing

* 2. The Foundation of Centrifugal Force

* 3. Lightness and Dexterity are Revolving

* 4. The Seventy-Two Essential Terms of the Chinese Boxing Art

* 5. The Yin-Yang Summary by Chen Chang Hsing

Chapter Six. Guidelines for Tai Chi Application

* The Nine Principles of the Practice of Tai Chi Boxing

* Tai Chi Boxing¡¦s Drawing of Silk

* The Nine Rules of Tai Chi Martial Arts

* The Tai Chi Boxing Book ¡§Kung Hsin Chieh¡¨

* Tai Chi Boxing¡¦s Chart for Evaluating Progress

* The Question of the Hard and the Soft

* Tai Chi Boxing¡¦s Definition and its Motion

The Ancient Poem of the Universal Post

First, "Tai Chi Classics" is not the worst book out there on the subject of taiji (tai chi). Although I am not familiar with Waysun Liao outside of the context of this book, his knowledge seems to be genuine. He has some valuable insights and ideas. However, this is not the best book available on taiji either.

The chapters on the background and history of taiji are misleading at best. The author vastly oversimplifies the history of Chinese philosophy and collectively calls Taoist, Confucian, Moist, and Buddhist philosophies "Tai Chi ideals." The section on taiji's martial history takes much the same approach. The author fails to mention Chen village even once, and offers only a vague interpretation of taijiquan's history.

The most valuable portions of this book are the chapters on qi cultivation and the classics. While these chapters are not outstanding (and I would not recommend them as a resource) they are the best part of the book. The final sections do offer translations and interpretations of three taiji classics, but to my disappointment the author offered no historical background or context for these classics -- not even a few sentences indicating who the authors were or what their role in taiji history was.

The secret of internal martial arts is how to develop fa-chin or discharging force. This book reveals that secret.

Most TaiChi books tell you what are the moves and how to do them correctly. But that isn't real TaiChi. Unless you harness the internal power, your movements are going to be empty.

Master Liao provides the link that can tremendously advance one's practice in the internal martial arts through his revelation of secret training methods.

I am a former student of Master Liao and can attest that whathe outlines and explains in his book is for real. This book is a mustfor any martial artist. Regardless of the style practiced, thecontrol and use of chi is essential for the martial artist to becomefully developed. This book explains the cultivation and use of chiclearly and completely.

Madame Bovary is a story about a common woman who marries an ordinary husband living an unglamorous middle-class life in a provincial town. It's that realistic. The heroine, Emma Bovary, longs for the wealth, romance, and adventure she finds in the Romantic novels of her time. After her marriage to Charles, a second class doctor, and moving to a small, mediocre town, she finds her life full of routine and banaltiy. She rebels, and seeks to satisfy her desires for a more glamorous life. This leads her to adultery and financial difficulties, which both lead to tragic consequences.

Emma Bovary is a character you will either despise for her actions or sympathise with and understand. It is true, her actions bring misfortune to her family, especially her husband Charles. Although he is weak and unambitious, lacking the gallantry of her image of a lover, his sentiments for her are genuine and she fails to see it. Moreover, he so trusts and admires her and never sees through her deception. I find that he is the character, if not most interesting, then most tragic and worthy of sympathy, as he becomes the true victim. As for Emma, like her or hate her, she is one who many will relate to.

This is not an exciting read, not fast paced or action-packed. Still, the messages in the book will reward your efforts. I'm no expert on Romantic novels but I think it's quite unlike other novels of it's time. Flaubert's descriptions and use of language are very moving, sometimes disturbing, especially when describing the ravages of sickness or pain. Those who like to contemplate on moral ideas in a literary work, or who love the beauty of language for the sake of it will enjoy this book very much.

This book is about a woman named Emma Bovary and her husband Charles Bovary. They are married and she becomes bored with his love and he doesn't satisfy her anymore. She becomes very depressed with life because what she imagined her love life to be is not at all what she is actually getting out of her marriage with Charles. Because of this fact she becomes attracted to other men she meets along the way. She meets a couple men and can't seem to stop thinking about them. Instead of trying to forget these other men she ends up having affairs with 2 of the men. She is affaid of what her husband will do but has the affairs anyway. She does end up seeing how much she does love Charles in the end. During Emma's deep quest for love I felt for her. She was a hopeless romantic in search of passion and a love like that towards herself. I feel as if Emma did not care enough to see the love that she did have for Charles until the very end of the novel.

In the opinion of our book group, this is still one of the greatest novels of all time in the richness of its descriptions and the loving, yet candid, description of the human condition. Flaubert's use of language and imagery is a beautiful representation of realism. His search for "le mot juste" - or exactly the right word - is still amazing. It was great to read this novel again through "mature" eyes. Life's lessons tend to lend a more sympathetic view of things. Although none of the characters are endearing, they are still engrossing. The story rings as true today as it did 150 years ago when Flaubert wrote it. All in all, Madame Bovary is simply, not just a novel, it is literature.