I bought this book in the expectation that I would learn about theories of DVD authoring focusing on techniques and user interface design. DVD authoring is of interest to groups as diverse as wedding videographers and instructional designers. There is a lot of technical detail in the book of the type found in product catalogues. The description of DVD layers, and so forth, is very informative. There is also a chapter listing available DVD software vendors. In fact, the book has a lot to say about DVD as a format and a technology, but rather less to say about DVD authoring. The chapter on navigation is barely above interesting. One section discusses 'advanced' navigation and introduces program control constructs (IF-THEN, FOR, etc.). Potentially very interesting but the examples of the uses of the constructs are limited to one or two lines of code; and one never gets to understand the 'features in action' in a project.

The title of the book is misleading. Production issues are addressed but very little of interest is available on authoring. If you need to learn about authoring in depth, look elsewhere.

This book shows you in an easy to read format the true capabilities of the DVD format and what is required to do it. It helped me in being able to ask intelligent questions when purchasing equipment.

this book has a lot of information on dvd production process. it is targeted to people who want to get into dvd production so the details on process (story board) and software application are very helpful. a good companion if you already own dvd demystified

One has to think very quickly to apply and interpret the Art of War. It is not a book for the light reader. It is alot like numbers. When one searches for a number one will find it everywhere. The precepts and theme of this book is to number one's steps in warfare, to know that there is always a limit to how many victories one may have in battle just as one's days are limited in this life. The best way to understand this book is to read it at least one thousand and one times in ones life, then one will have mastered the Art of War.

Sun Tzu's Art of War, written approximately twenty centuries ago, is the first recorded study of military strategy. In my opinion, the Art of War is the most famous and influential book ever written on the subject of military strategy. Its age and the fact that it is still in print and still used lends it significant credibility in the area of warfare. Sun Tzu in my opinion was a great military strategist. Quite possibly he was the best the world has ever known. It is important to note that some historians believe that Sun Tzu never actually existed, or perhaps Sun Tzu was an alias. Some historians believe that Sun Tzu may not have played a significant role as a military strategist; it is possible that he was overshadowed by more important figures.
I read the edition that was translated by Ralph D. Sawyer, and I thought his work was excellent. The book flows very well and for the most part easy to read. Sawyer wisely informs the reader that each chapter should be evaluated on its own and to keep in mind how the chapters relate to one another.
Those who read it may find useful information that they can relate to in their own lives, however, one must be cognizant that not all concepts would be practical. Perhaps, the results of applying certain concepts specified in this book in everyday situations could be detrimental or even disastrous, for example in a work environment. After reading his book I learned that Sun Tzu's strategies are not only useful to military strategists they can also be used by entrepreneurs, in competitive sports, or any adversarial type situation. In fact, some Japanese businessmen are required to read this book due to its wealth of information and advice on competitive situations.
Since I am planning to enlist in the United States ARMY as a second lieutenant upon my graduation from college, I felt that reading the Art of War would be very beneficial background information for my career choice. This book is excellent reading for someone-such as myself-who has limited knowledge about military strategy, specifically, the theories and concepts of Sun Tzu. I read Sawyer's version for his substantial introduction and insightful historical background information as a means to gain knowledge on the ways of ancient Chinese culture, writing, time periods or dynasties, politics, economic life, and warfare. I especially enjoyed the passages on ancient warfare and its weaponry-- such as the chariot, horse and cavalry, armor and shields, and the sword; it shows how far we have advanced in warfare over the centuries.
Furthermore, Sawyer analyzes battles in which Sun Tzu was thought to serve as commander, and he also provides maps of the three warring states to allow the reader visual examples. I did like the descriptions of the battles among the warring states as Sawyer reconstructed them; they were very detailed including initial troop deployment followed by second, third, and final phases of the battle.
In order to better understand the ramifications of Sun Tzu's time, Sawyer provides history on the three warring states-Ch'u, Wu, and Yueh. Although, I found these particular passages quite interesting I have never enjoyed learning about history, and this book is no exception. In all honesty, I did become rather bored while reading the author's in depth account of certain aspects of Chinese history. It is my opinion that the book detailed specific events that did not contribute to the book as a whole. Additionally, some of Sun Tzu's theories and concepts were ambiguous which could result in the reader misinterpreting as well as misapplying the concepts. Moreover, Sawyer only provides an analysis on a few of Sun Tzu's concepts on warfare; therefore, it is left to the reader to interpret each concept. Sawyer even suggests that the reader obtain other books and publications to fully understand the meaning of each thought, theory, or concept provided by Sun Tzu.
Before I read this book, I would have considered Sun Tzu a barbarian with an ineffective approach to warfare; however, upon completion I realized that he had repeatedly stressed the importance of human preservation, self-control, and avoidance of all military engagements if at all possible. Conversely, Sun Tzu utilized tactics and strategies that required death and destruction when necessary.
I recommend this book to anyone having any interest in ancient Chinese warfare; it is worthwhile reading. The Art of War is by far the most informative military strategy book I have read to date in that the author discusses all facets of warfare for purposes of defeating the enemy. Having said this, I believe the Art of War is not a "once read." In order to understand all of Sun Tzu's concepts and theories on warfare the book must be read several times.

The Art of War by Sun Tzu, Ralph D. Sawyer
If you looking for a historical document I highly recommend this book. Sawyers interpretation is excellent with a clear understanding of Chinese culture and history. He uses numerous examples of battles that occurred in Ancient China, during Sun Tzu era. His writing is clear and easy to understand. I have read other interpretations of the "Art of War" and some areas are esoteric and confusing, not so in Sawyers version. Sawyers book is almost like having two books in one. He has a concise history of ancient Chinese military, he has his own comments (don't neglect reading the foot notes section.) besides an excellent interpretation of the text. After reading Sawyers translation, I now use it as a guide to base the accuracy of other translations.

Again this is not a "business" guide adaptation of Sun Tzu's book, it is a true historic translation of Sun Tzu's Art of War. I believe Sawyer truly communicates the message Sun Tzu actually meant to convey in his book, as military guide. If you're interested in the military might of ancient China I cannot recommend this book enough.

The text, after the three page intro by Nader, consists of 202 pages with some cartoons as well as section title pages included, followed by a ten page index that includes subjects and publications as well as names.

Mokhiber is the editor of the "Corporate Crime Reporter" and Weissman is the editor of the "Multinational Monitor." The text of the book consists of 60 articles taken from these two periodicals divided into eight sections as follows:

1. Corporate Crime and Violence

2. The Corporate Attack on Democracy

3. The Global Hunt for Mega-Profits

4. Corporation Nation

5. The Big Boys Unite: Merger Mania in the 1990's

6. Commercialism Run Amok

7. Of Sweatshops and Union Busting

8. Do I Have to Arrest You? Corporations and the Law

As a collection of news columns, the book consists of anecdotes with conclusions that tend toward hyperbole, but for the most part are accurate, if a bit emotionalized. Since each article was written for the intended audience of subscribers to the two periodicals (the date is indicated at the beginning of each), they read like they are preaching to the converted. No neoliberal will be convinced of such a statement as:

"Most corporate criminologists agree that corporate crime and violence inflicts far more damage on society than all street crime combined. That includes killings and deaths."

The authors provide no non-anecdotal evidence for what might seem an astounding statement, but I have read widely enough to know that it is essentially true, depending on how you define "corporate crime." This assertion is repeated twice elsewhere, indicating little or no editing before assembly here. A few of the articles are followed by a one or two paragraph update bearing on events that happened between original publication and the date this book went to press. There are no footnotes, and scant reference to any sources for their information. I suppose if you have access to Nexus or something similar, you could do a date-limited search (based on when the article was written) to find out more.

It would have been nice if Mokhiber and Weissman had provided an over-arching introductory essay of, say, 20 pages, giving an overview of the problems involving the ever-increasing expansion of corporate behemoths, drawing a relationship between relative power and systemic greed-driven flaunting of the law, and putting into historical context the privatization of profits and socialization of costs. It was lazy and irresponsible of them not to do this, and that is why it gets only three stars.

The book is a quick and fascinating read, but I recommend you check it out from your local library. That's what I did!

The one-star, long-winded review offered below by Greg Peisert almost entirely misses the point of this rich and rewarding book. Peisert's comment cites low unemployment in the United States, but ignores the atrocious condition of overseas work for American corporations and the proliferation of unlivable-wage jobs here at home. Both of these trends are well-documented in "Corporate Predators". You may also notice that Peisert's refutation of the book is based upon cases in which one corporation succumbs to another; he forgets the subject matter of the book is the treatment of workers by corporations, not the treatment of corporations by one another. As the book documents, the treatment of many workers by their employers has become simply shameful, and much of this trend is due to the rise of de facto corporate government here and world-wide. A book well worth reading, and one that's long overdue.

Mokhiber and Weissman provide plenty of potential fuel for the fire with their insightful discussions on corporate chartering, democracy for sale, and Constitutional abuses. Unlike many, they name names and reference credible sources. Unless the dangers of corporate dominance are addressed, we can expect books such as Corporate Predators to become very popular during the next economic downturn. Read it now and not only avoid the rush, avoid the dangers they point to so well.

I feel this book, used in conjunction with the CD, was organized to make it easy for a beginning french student. It repeats expressions and words in different contexts which truly helps the learning process. Later on in the book I found it offered more ways of saying the same thing than I cared to learn.

Being a francophile, I have always wanted to really learn to speak and understand french. I had one semester of college french and thought it was impossible. But this book and the CDs that came with it really helped me to learn a great deal of french in an enjoyable way. With this set and a CD-Rom on pronunciation that I'm using, I no longer find it difficult to pronounce certain tricky french sounds and I now have confidence speaking basic sentences to french speakers. I have been complimented on my "good accent" on quite a few occasions. I can also understand many phrases and simple sentences when I watch french films now - which also boosts my confidence. The book does not explicitly teach grammar, and you learn it naturally through repeated listening and speaking. One difficiency of this set is that there isn't any listening comprehension exercises, which is a minor disappointment. Also, I find it helpful to use this set in conjuction with some exercise booklets and grammar books. In summary, you will not be fluent in french after completing this set, but you will be in pretty good shape doing things like ordering tickets, asking for directions (and giving them too), making purchases, etc. I liked this set well enough that I have ordered its sequal - "advanced french"!

I had three years of french in high school, but like everyone else, I don't remember much of it. This course is well designed in that the first cd provides a basic review, so that the words I hear sound familiar again. The second and third cds provide more of an indepth lesson on simple vocabulary and verbal grammer. The exercises in the book allows the listener to practice both the pronounciation and sentence structure of the language. The only complaint I would have is that the speakers on the cds sometimes recite too fast, and the words slur together, making it difficult for someone not proficient in the language to understand.

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

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

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

Though Joan Rivers has gone through some rough times, her qualifications as a motivational speaker/self-help guru are lacking. She instructs people who have gone through major life crises (i.e. the loss of a spouse, major illnesses, etc.) not to wallow in their pain for more than one weekend. How can a person possibly get over the loss of a loved one in just one weekend? This book, with its one-liners, trivializes people's pain and suffering by saying that you have to "snap out of it," and suggests that redecorating the house will make one feel better. Rivers should stick with what she knows best -- insulting people.

I was stunned to read all the negative reviews others have posted regarding this book! I found it one of the most inspiring things I have come across in a long time. I actually have the audio version of this book, which might make quite a difference. I try and listen to it at least once a week. To hear Joan's familiar and unimitable voice recount her tragedies and how she fought her way back to happiness give "Bouncing Back" a much more personal touch. I will be the first to admit that most of the psychological advice is standardized info that could be obatined in any of thousands of other self-help books. But to listen to Joan's unique voice and hear her apply these psychological theories to her own experiences makes what otherwise be just another self-help book a truly uplifting journey. THANKS JOAN!

...which summarize Joan Rivers' little book. She explains her own life's problems - very significant difficulties from near bankruptcy, professional pariah-hood to the suicide of her husband of nearly 30 years and bulimia.

Some may not like the occasionally flippant tone which is Rivers' hallmark but there's no doubt in my mind of her sincerity, depth of determination and that she grew through the horrible suffering she felt at the suicide of her husband. She describes some very personal difficulties with style and candor.

She does not advocate the currently fashionable "society of victimhood" and cites as one example a woman who witnessed the tragic shootings at Kent State in 1970. This woman's view in 1995: "my life stopped" - Joan's view: "Get over it - that was 25 years ago! How can your life stop?" Sounds flippant but if you read the book you'll see that becoming a self-pitying zombie helps no one and there is ALWAYS someone worse off than you.

Excellent book, uplifting, interesting and unpretentious (Joan mentions she doesn't have a PhD she has an IBTIA [I've been through it all]).

I highly recommend it even if you aren't going through a crisis - it will help you understand someone who is.

This book is essentially everything you wanted to know about the career, family and sex life of Ralph Berton -- oh, and then there's that guy Beiderbecke who keeps hanging around him.

Actually, it's not a bad evocation of a frantic era and how it ended. Berton paints some great word pictures of what it must have been like to travel with the Wolverines and party with a still young-and-healthy Bix. The skeptical or more serious reader, however, may speculate on exactly where the facts end and the fiction begins.

For a more even-handed bio, a better bet is Sudhalter/Evans' BIX: MAN AND LEGEND, which treats its subject with respect without turning into a dry listing of facts and dates.

Still, REMEMBERING BIX is a fun read for anyone in love with Bix, his music, and his times.

i haven't read this in a while. i came across it in a little bookstore in san francisco, bought it and didn't put it down for a week. it is such an unbelievably rich experience. it does bear mentioning that the book doesn't wholly focus on bix. you end up not really caring. the portions dealing with bix are very profound and highly memorable.
ralph berton is a very sensitive writer. his ability to draw in the reader is formidable.
i loaned my copy to my mom, so i came to amazon to buy another copy.

I, too, read it a long time ago. I would have been crazy about this book even if I'd never heard of Bix. Every paragraph is a gem. Berton bubbles over with cleverness. I use expressions & phrases that I picked up from the book, every day! And like another reviewer, I would love to know what happened to Ralph Berton.

I can't believe that someone would even ATTEMPT to compare the evidence for evolution with that for creationism in a 50 page booklet. Not that it would take that much for creationist evidence (I think a 2 or 3 page flyer would probably be enough, and that's being very generous). But the sheer volume of data, from hundreds of different fields make it unseemly to attempt to squeeze it down to only 50 pages.

Perhaps the author made a mistake, and should have titled his booklet "Attacking the Strawman: How I Singlehandedly Knocked Down A Fictitious and Irresponsible Caricature of Evolution"

There isn't much to this "book" (more like a pamphlet). Its 48 pages covers the general arguments without going into much detail. I would say if you know nothing about the issue, its a good book to start with

One of the many things that needs to be addressed, is a common misconception among the public (see reviewer comments below), that creationists are blind, biased "Bible thumping" fanatics, whereas evolutionists are unbiased pillars of objectivity. Hopefully, one will be able to see by a few of the admissions from evolutionists' own literature, that nothing could be further from the truth.

Take, for instance, Professor Richard Lewontin, a geneticist (and self-proclaimed Marxist), who is a renowned champion of neo-Darwinism, and certainly one of the world's leaders in evolutionary biology. He recently wrote this very revealing comment. It illustrates the implicit philosophical bias against Genesis creation - regardless of whether or not the facts support it.

"We take the side of science in spite of the patent absurdity of some of its constructs, in spite of its failure to fulfill many of its extravagant promises of health and life, in spite of the tolerance of the scientific community for unsubstantiated just-so stories, because we have a prior commitment, a commitment to materialism. It is not that the methods and institutions of science somehow compel us to accept a material explanation of the phenomenal world, but, on the contrary, that we are forced by our a priori adherence to material causes to create an apparatus of investigation and a set of concepts that produce material explanations, no matter how counter-intuitive, no matter how mystifying to the uninitiated. Moreover, that materialism is an absolute, for we cannot allow a Divine Foot in the door." -*Richard Lewontin, "Billions and billions of demons", The New York Review, January 9, 1997, page 31.

So here we have one of the world's leading evolutionists admitting what the general public was never told - that evolutionists have universally accepted a materialistic interpretation scheme as truth. All evidence stands or falls based upon it's fit with the dogma of evolution. Any data that does not fit within this hypothetical framework is discarded or explained away.

But let's not stop with Lewontin. Let's see what other prominent evolutionists have actually admitted. Is evolution truly fact, or faith?

"The more one studies paleontology, the more certain one becomes that evolution is based on faith alone . . exactly the same sort of faith which it is necessary to have when one encounters the great mysteries of religion."-*Louis Trenchard More, quoted in "Science and the Two-tailed Dinosaur", p. 33.

"Our theory of evolution has become . . one which cannot be refuted by any possible observations. Every conceivable observation can be fitted into it . . No one can think of ways in which to test it. Ideas either without basis or based on a few laboratory experiments carried out in extremely simplified systems, have attained currency far beyond their validity. They have become part of an evolutionary dogma accepted by most of us as part of our training."-*L.C. Birch and *P. Ehrlich, Nature, April 22, 1967.

"[The theory of evolution] forms a satisfactory faith on which to base our interpretation of nature."-*L. Harrison Matthews, "Introduction to Origin of Species," p. xxii (1977 edition).

"The facts must mold the theories, not the theories the facts . . I am most critical of my biologist friends in this matter. Try telling a biologist that, impartially judged among other accepted theories of science, such as the theory of relativity, it seems to you that the theory of natural selection has a very uncertain, hypothetical status, and watch his reaction. I'll bet you that he gets red in the face. This is `religion,' not `science,' with him."-*Burton, "The Human Side of the Physiologist: Prejudice and Poetry," Physiologist 2 (1957).

"It is therefore a matter of faith, on the part of the biologist, that biogenesis did occur and he can choose whatever method of biogenesis happens to suit him personally; the evidence of what did happen is not available."-*G.A. Kerkut, Implications of Evolution (1960), p. 150.

"If complex organisms ever did evolve from simpler ones, the process took place contrary to the laws of nature, and must have involved what may rightly be termed the miraculous."-*R.E.D. Clark, Victoria Institute (1943), p. 63.

"The fact of evolution is the backbone of biology, and biology is thus in the peculiar position of being a science founded on an improved theory-is it then a science or faith? Belief in the theory of evolution is thus exactly parallel to belief in special creation-both are concepts which believers know to be true but neither, up to the present, has been capable of proof."-*L.H. Matthews, "Introduction to Origin of the Species, by *Charles Darwin (1971 edition), pp. x, xi (1971 edition).

"In fact [subsequent to the publication of Darwin's book, Origin of Species], evolution became, in a sense, a scientific religion; almost all scientists have accepted it and many are prepared to `bend' their observations to fit with it."-*H.S. Lipson, "A Physicist Looks at Evolution," Physics Bulletin, Vol. 31, p. 138 (1980).

"[Karl] Popper warns of a danger: `A theory, even a scientific theory, may become an intellectual fashion, a substitute for religion, an entrenched dogma.' This has certainly been true of evolutionary theory."-*Colin Patterson, Evolution (1977), p. 150.

"The irony is devastating. The main purpose of Darwinism was to drive every last trace of an incredible God from biology. But the theory replaces God with and even more incredible deity-omnipotent chance."-*T. Rosazak, Unfinished Animal (1975), pp. 101-102.

For those interested, I recommend checking out the AnswersInGenesis and ICR (Institute for Creation Research) websites for much more information.

Also, I recommend picking up a copy of "The Mythology of Modern Dating Methods" by John Woodmorappe, "In Six Days: Why 50 Ph.D. Scientists Choose to Believe in Creation" by John Ashton, "Bones of Contention" by Marvin Lubenow, "Darwin's Black Box" by Michael Behe", "The New Evidence That Demands a Verdict" by Josh McDowell, and "Creation Scientists Answer Their Critics" by Duane Gish.

Too many mistakes for my taste :( There were so many obvious mistakes in this book. If York's simple research on scenes from The English Patient was so inaccurate, it makes me wonder how inaccurate the rest of his research for the book was. (How difficult is it to watch a film and get the quotes/senarios right?) Does have some nice photos.

As a Fiennes fan I think this book offers a glimpse of life of a very private actor. Fiennes is a fine and accomplished actor regardless his moody and intense personality viewed by many. His private life may not be the ideal for everyone, but it is his personal life. York Membery's writing is just fine, but should Membery always makes deep comparison of Fiennes's widely-viewed personality with the characters in Fiennes's works such as Ivanov and Hamlet?

It's an excellent book, I must say, although it can be updated. The authors however is yet to prowl further into his private life... if he wants to make this a must-have for all Ralph Fiennes fans, that is. Another prob. is that it tends to lack good pictures, pictures of his childhood days and his family. But since this is the only Ralph Fiennes autobiography available, it is worth a read if you're into his works though.

How can anyone write a fashion book with so few photographs? When you're talking about a particular RL collection or ad campaign and whether it was successful or not, the reader wants to be reminded of what the "Prairie" look was, or the Annie-Hall inspired collection, or the NY Times advertising spread, or whatever. And there are almost no pictures of any of the many players involved, which contributes to the reader's difficulty in keeping all the names straight. The book is obviously intended as a hatchet job -- there are constant, snippy reminders of how narcissistic and perfectionistic he is, but reading between the lines, you also get the impression that there ARE some people who LIKE to work for him. I am no big fan of Lauren's, but Gross obviously has a vendetta against him. Too bad, because this boring book could have been really interesting.

The book gives a fairly good overview of the major stages of Lauren's life and accomplishments. While the chronology is fairly informative, I feel that it focuses more heavily on the personal relationships in Lauren's life. The book falls short in its description of the creative process that Lauren uses and the source of his inspiration and his ability to reinvent itself. The discussion on the business and financial aspects of Lauren's success is fit more for a magazine article than a serouos biographical study -- don't look for any insights here either.

I wonder if "reader" who wrote the first review below works for Ralph Lauren. I bet so. What a personal attack on someone who has obviously worked hard to write a balanced, thorough and honest book. Which this is. Despite Lauren's flip-flopping, first asking for a biography with integrity, then refusing to cooperate when the writer tried to give him what he wanted--a story told in the hysterically funny and revealing author's note at the beginning of the book--Gross not only illuminates Ralph Lauren's business, but also his complex and fascinating character, his tremendous drive and entrepreneurial spirit and the whole world of fashion. He should be proud--not ashamed. And Lauren should count himself lucky that he got a biography of such a high caliber.