'Death On The Installment Plan' is a raging animal of a novel that eclipses even Celine's own 'Journey' (though, it must be said, not by much). Structurally it's a shambles, but the unbelievable energy behind each & every sentence is enough to propel the reader straight through the 600-odd pages. What few of the other reviews have pointed out is how gut-bustingly funny this book is. A laugh a line with Celine and no mistake...More than that, 'Death...' contains absolutely the funniest sex scene ever written, bar none. While 'Journey' is tighter and harsher and the later works are more crazily surreal, 'Death...' is the shot of pure Celine that literature needed when it was first published and which the literate world could use another dose of now. And that's no Cambridge lie.

Though not as consistent as "journey to the End of the NIght", "Death..." is where Celine perfects his style, a scattershot volley of sincere human emotion. "Sincere" is the right word; Celine never wrote a line that approached the glibness and superficiality of postmodern writing, and yet his best work (though most of it was written in the 1930s) continues to erode the facade of lies that the 20th century has erected over reality. His passages on a childhood filled with with petty soulessness ring true even in our time, and his never wavering cynicism reveals his most subtle quality; compassion, or, more accurately, an empathy for those who do not fit and yet struggle to live the best life they can under the immutable, spirit-crushing reality thay are born into. In a few words, a transcripted nightmare we all share. A wothy companion to "Journey", although its long-windedness makes it salighty inferior. And that's still a high compliment. Read "Journey" first, then settle down with "Death." Highly recommended for a rainy, raw day.

This is, quite simply, the best novel I've ever read (and I've read quite a few). At times hilarious, at other times poignant to the point of inducing tears, this book is a roller-coaster ride through the range of human emotions, human foibles, human triumphs. There's more insight on every page here than in most full novels. Far better than "Journey to the End of Night." A masterpiece. (Read ONLY the Manheim translation.)

I had the pleasure of reading this book last year as assigned material in a graduate business course taught by Ralph Keeney. My degree is in information systems management and, frankly, I took Managerial Decision Analysis only because I needed 3 elective credits to graduate. In retrospect, however, the course was among the most beneficial to me and Smart Choices was certainly the most relevant book I read in graduate school. I say it was the most relevant because it demonstrates how to define problems and make decisions not simply as a business leader, but as an individual. The PROACT approach is a valuable tool for making formal decisions like "Which career path should I choose?" or "Which software package should I recommend to my client?" But the mentality that the approach engenders is pervasive. You will find yourself unwittingly applying elements of it to questions like "How should I spend time with my kids this weekend?" or "What is the best Valentine's Day gift for my wife?" The greatest benefit to me has been the piece of mind that comes with knowing that I don't just make better decisions -- I am now a better decision maker.

I am a corporate strategy consultant and an author of business books and articles. As a young man, I was taught all of the techniques described in this book in their most complex form. I loved the ideas, and have used them with great success for the last 30 years. Professor Raiffa is someone I admire greatly, as a result. I was delighted to find that this book addresses these complex tools in their simplest possible form, and applies the lessons to everyday living (especially the most important decisions that most people have to make). I immediately bought copies for everyone in my family as a way to help coach them in how to have more effective lives. You should do the same. I also suggest that you use the book as a model the next time that an important decision comes up that your whole family should participate in. This will not only help you develop better choices, but it will greatly improve the communications in your family about the decision. I strongly hope that the authors will write a similarly simple version for business people. I know a few hundred people to whom I would like to give such a book.

As an executive I am faced with making key decisions almost every day. In many complex decisions there is almost always conflict between logical analysis vs. intuitive processing while there is a shortage of perfect information and time. Smart Decisions lays out a simple, clear and practical framework and process for decision making. Although many of the concepts are not novel, the power is that the book links various tools and technigues as discrete decision making steps. Each step builds on the next. They greatly enhance the concepts through many practical examples for making business and personal decisions. I highly recommend this book!

Had this been a collection of stories and essays by anybody else, I would have thought it was nothing special. But having read the Diary of Anne Frank first, the stories and essays make so much more sense. You can just see her whiling away the dull moments of the life in the secret annex, honing her writing skills. It is easy to see her skills as a writer increase from story to story. But even more interesting is to read the messages contained within her works. The writing skills she displays are obviously that of a teenager, although much better than most people her age. But the real value of these pieces are the insights which she brings to them; her life experiences and her approach to life's big questions. The last essay in the collection is entitled, "Why" and seems to sum up her short life. Read this book, but only after you read the Diary so the essays will be meaningful.

In her now famous Diary, Anne Frank said "I want to go on living even after my death". As of 1998, The Diary of Anne Frank had reached sales of 25 million copies and been translated into more than 50 languages. (source: TIME, October 5, 1998). It has been required classroom reading for half a century now! In a way, her wish has come to pass.
This subsequent publication "Tales From The Secret Annex" combines short stories, reminiscences/vignettes, and even an unfinished novel to show us yet another dimension to this remarkable person. Reading these stories and little essays confirmed my personal opinion that Anne Frank was a childhood genius with unlimited potential to achieve anything she would have set her mind to. It's hard to imagine this thirteen year old girl writing with such depth and perception, while living in seclusion, terror and fear for her life. She was writing from her heart, not with an expectation of being published. And yet these stories shine with a polished brilliance, and a certain unforgettable quality. I read this book for the first time 8 years ago, and have returned to it now, remembering the stories as though I had read them just last week. My favorite is entitled "Kathy". In three short pages, Anne captures every emotion experienced by a kid who is misunderstood by her mother, assaulted by schoolyard bullies who mock and rob her and cause her to lose the gift she was bringing home to her mother.

Here is how she ends her essay entitled "Give":
"If only our country and then Europe and finally the whole world would realize that people were really kindly disposed toward one another, that they are all equal and everything else is transitory!
Open your eyes... give of yourself, give as much as you can! And you can always, always give something, even if it is only kindness! No one has ever become poor from giving! If you do this, then in a few generations no one will need to pity the beggar children anymore, because they will not exist!
There is plenty of room for everyone in the world, enough money, riches, and beauty for all to share! God has made enough for everyone. Let us all begin by sharing it fairly." (written March 26, 1944).

Anne was sent to Bergen-Belsen, where some time during March 1945, she, her sister Margot and hundreds of other prisoners were stricken with typhus. Their captors, preoccupied with the advancing Allies, left them to die.
World... read her book!

These stories and essays are well-crafted, yet easy to read. There are lessons to be learned from each piece, and these lessons can be identified easily. But the themes and ideas remain in your head and leave you thinking long after you set the book down - thinking about Anne Frank's life in the Nazi-occupied Europe as well as her ideals. Anyone will discover some aspect of their persona mirrored in Frank's characters, whether it may be through Paula or Kathy or Eve or anyone else.

You should approach the book with an open mind and respect for the writing. If you see that Frank was an intelligent young human being, and not a little kid whose writing you can deal with condescendingly, read this book. Otherwise, skip it. This is honest, wise, well-crafted work, and it should be treated as such.

The story is seen from the viewpoint of its title character, Brat Farrar, a foundling who grew up in an orphanage somewhere in England, he ran away to sea, traveled around and lived in America for awhile. When the book begins, Brat has just returned to England, he is stopped by an aging actor while walking along a street. The actor has been struck by Brat's amazing resemblance to someone he knows, Simon Ashby, who is due on his 21st birthday to inherit the family estate, though Simon was not the original heir - it should have been his twin, Patrick, who apparently committed suicide when they were 13. The actor makes Brat a proposition, he is persuaded to pose as Patrick come back and claim the family fortune.

This was my first Josephine Tey mystery, and it kept me up late, I couldn't wait to find out what would happen. Originally published in 1949, this author was well known for writing great mysteries that did not follow formulas. Tey has chosen the British countryside and the world of horse breeding as the setting for this one, an enjoyable read, old-fashioned, British, with a country pastor and a character called Aunt Bee. Some things are perhaps predictable, for example I guessed pretty early on who Brat really was, but there were still plenty of other surprises along the way. This would have been a great Hitchcock film.

Josephine Tey excels at the twisted plot, the kind of story in which the unreal seems so real that not only are readers puzzled by the meaning of Truth, but even the characters in the story seem a little confused. This was made into an excellent movie, but the book weaves an even tighter and spookier plot. Brat Farrar agrees to assume the ID of a dead boy and step in as master of a British estate. Then he begins to believe his own tale as things that should be foreign to him somehow feel oddly familiar. Fully developed side-characters and tight, tense plot make for a wide-eyed, suspensful read set against the irresistible backdrop of post-war English country life with all the usual quirky and eccentric inhabitants of the genre.
Excellent.

When foundling drifter Brat Farrar is offered the proposition to pose as the aristocratic Ashby family's long-missing heir (whom he strongly resembles), he finds it impossible to resist. What he did not reckon on was the growing attraction to his own "sister" and the veiled enmity of the younger twin "brother," whom he has displaced as the master of the Ashby estate. The author expertly draws the characters so that we always favor the likable Brat, despite his fraudulent part in the scheme. When it becomes obvious that his life is in danger and that there is something decidedly suspicious about the death of the real Patrick Ashby, the suspense builds unrelentingly, keeping the reader's eyes riveted to the book.

In addition to the suspense and the excellent characterizations, there is the extremely interesting background of English horse breeding and racing, which the Ashby fortunes are currently built upon.P>Yes, you can see some of the incidents coming ahead of time, but that's the way it is in real life. The author is honest with the reader in letting us know what is developing as the hero himself discovers it. Overall, this is a great read, an excellent novel of suspense.

Here is another book of wonderful biographical anecdotes of one of the most intriguing scientists who has ever lived. However, those who are looking for merely a continuing edition of the tremendously popular (not to mention hilarious!) SURELY YOU'RE JOKING MR. FEYNMAN should take note: this present work does not qualify as that.

To be sure, there are a handful of chapters which would fit right into SYJMF. However, 2 major sections cover some exceptionally serious topics which are hardly material for Feynman's typical humor. One section details his love for his first wife as well as her untimely terminal illness. The other covers his work on the commission to disinter the technical problems that led to the explosion of the Space Shuttle CHALLENGER in 1986. These major sections encompass roughly 3/4 of the book.

The chapter on his wife's suffering is especially poignant and touched me very deeply. Feynman was a man whose love and compassion matched his intellect. I could not but feel empathy and admiration for the way he took care of his bride, knowing all along that she would not live long. His decision to be straight with her about her condition, instead of feeding her some fairy-tale story about how she had a good chance of recovery, was both painful and edifying to read.

The section on the CHALLENGER goes into great detail on everything that went wrong that fateful day in '86 as the nation watched the disaster on TV. To this day, I have not seen a television documentary cover this story as I think it should be covered.

I recently saw a special on the CHALLENGER on the DISCOVERY channel. It did an excellent job of focusing on how the engineers at THIOKOL were screaming at NASA not to launch, well into the wee hours of the morning of the catastrophe. However, what the special omitted was the cover-up and closing-of-ranks that NASA did AFTER the accident. To me, NASA's behavior after the fact was even more reprehensible than its carelessness before the launch.

It was for the reason of politics that then-president Ronald Reagan personally requested that Feynman be on-board the investigation committee [a committee that also included the astronauts Neil Armstrong and Sally Ride, among others]. Reagan knew that Feynman would get to the bottom of the matter (which he did) and that Feynman did not care for the politics of making NASA "look good" (which he didn't).

With this in mind, even people who are not interested in Richard Feynman, but are curious about what happened to the CHALLENGER would gain much by reading this book. Feynman explains his thorough, logical methodology and how it rubbed many people the wrong way. His straight-forward and honest disclosures of NASA's gerrymandering created much animosity between himself and NASA exec William Rogers (who, it seems, was more interested in NASA's image than getting to the heart of the matter). For those who are interested in further reading on the CHALLENGER topic, I would recommend NO ORDINARY GENIUS: THE ILLUSTRATED FEYNMAN ...

For Feynman enthusiasts, this book is vintage Feynman - a can't miss. As a bonus, the center of the book has photographs from his life, as well as some of his sketches. The book is equally recommended for people who wonder about what "really" happened to the CHALLENGER, and why it happened. NASA aficionados may be disappointed in the work as it exposes (truthfully) all of the fudge-factors, apathy for safety issues and faulty reasoning NASA used with the efficacy of launching CHALLENGER on time and preserving its positive image after the fact.

A lot of books written by scientific people claim to be "down-to-earth" and for the "layman" but end up creeping into the obscure. Not so here. Feynman starts with his feet planted firmly on the ground and never strays.

The first few stories range from the serious to the light-hearted. From the pain of losing his wife to being invited to speak at a funeral for a man whom he can't remember. These accounts give you a good look at the ability of Feynman to convey a story and make it interesting. The majority of the book however is given to the time he spent on the committee that investigated the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. Using no nonsense, straight-forward writing he takes you through the process of how he and the others, despite a lot of bureaucratic red tape, managed to find out what went wrong on that fateful day. What could very well be a dry and uninspiring subject becomes quite informative and engaging through his telling.

This is my first book by Feynman, but having absorbed the whole thing in one sitting it surely won't be my last.

The title of this review may sound as a little bit of an overstatement, given Leonardo Da Vinci's stature, but it is a very close way to depict this distinguished North American physicist who, among MANY other things, won the Nobel Prize, worked in Project Manhattan (at Los Alamos lab) and was part of the team that investigated (and discovered) the cause of the explosion of the Challenger. If this could already be enough to elevate him a lot, you'll discover through this book how his life was constituted by one of the most interesting and rich cultural mosaics one can imagine.

Always struggling to look at things "differently", Feynman became a very sought-after educator, teaching at the United States most prestigious universities, as well as other schools in places like Brazil.

At the end of the day, Feynman's most important teachings might come as: 'Never take yourself too seriously' (as other reviewers have already commented), 'Always keep an open mind' and 'Focus your efforts on what really matters'.

If you enjoy this book (which I'm sure you will), check out what could be considered the first part of it: 'Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!' : Adventures of a Curious Character; as well as Tuva or Bust! Richard Feynman's Last Journey - both, highly recommendable.

I started a new Memorial Day tradition this weekend ... to read a book about an American war/battle/or so-called 'police action' ... every year. I tend to read a lot of military history during the course of the year anyway, but since America was reminded of how sacred our Memorial Day truly is last year, I thought it proper to secure the weekend from this year forward to reading about our military heroes past and present.

THE LAST BATTLE is billed as the story of the Mayaguez incident at the very end of the Vietnam conflict. It is, in fact, the story of our last battle with the Khmer Rouge, the Cambodian Reds who instituted a strain of Mao's 'Cultural Revolution' called 'Angkor Wat' ... an attempt to start life over from 'Year Zero' where all forms of western civilization were severed with ultimate brutality and the citizens of Cambodian cities were evacuated to the fields for 're-education' ...

Author, Ralph Wetterhahn, does the three marines left behind a great service in telling their individual stories (their life at home before the war and during) ... and the three marines' names were recently added to the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington D.C.

THE LAST BATTLE is a riveting read. The men who died deserve the remembrance Mr. Wetterhahn affords them. We, the benefactors of their ultimate sacrifice and heroism, owe them the attention and place they deserve in our nation's history.

THE LAST BATTLE scores a perfect 10 on my scale ... a perfect 5 on the Amazon scale.

Ralph Wetterhahn served our country with an exemplary fighter career. Like most of the best operators he is relentlessly self critical, and his modesty is most refreshing. The story he tells spilss over into the actions of politiocians and serving members of the armed forces. This book is a "must read" for all serving members and it shows how human everyone in the chain of command just happens to be. The flying, fighting, and policy making will make you think. There is a very serious aircraft accident, plenty of real frightening action, and the quiet, serious actions that made all the difference. You will squirm as rounds fly through your helo and its performance declines. I learned that a trumpet player from my band evacuated 78 Marines from Koh Tang Island under fire. I am so very grateful for this effort and more than ever value my friend's service. Ralph Wetterhahn also found out what happened to the three marines that were left behind, and he went up the front walk to tell their families. I have done that as well and it is the hardest thing to do on Earth. Please buy this book and encourage anyone who votes to read it. All our leaders are a picture drawn by their own experience. I think you will cheer and cry when you read this. I am looking forward to the next one... My best to you all,

This book by Ralph Wetterhahn deserves the five star ratings that it has received to date by Amazon.com reviewers. This is a great story; told in the manner similar to Mark Bowden's 'Black Hawk Down' and both books sit proudly in my library. Prior to reading this account of the 'Mayaguez' incident I had very little knowledge of what had occurred other than an American ship had been seized by communist forces during or just after the Vietnam War. I wasn't aware that American military personnel had lost their lives in retaking the ship or even that a battle had been fought.

This book, for me, was full of surprises. The details about the micro-management of the rescue mission, the large number of aircraft, ships and men involved and the large loss of equipment and men were all "eye openers". I read with surprise that within so little time after the end of the conflict in Vietnam that the higher echelons of the American military seemed to have forgotten all the hard lessons learnt during that war. When you read this book you cannot help but come away with nothing but praise for the soldiers, sailors and airmen involved in the mission. The story of the three man machine-gun crew was sad, more so because the author had taken the time to research their background and final fate.

It is understandable why the American Government wanted to hide the fate of these men and I would hope that those involved felt some remorse or shame in the shabby treatment that these men's actions and memory have received. Overall this is a great story with a pacey narrative that is full of action and detail. It was also interesting to be able to follow the fighting during the assault on Koh Tang from the perspective of the Khmer Rouge. The accounts of the author's visits to Cambodia and his follow up interviews with family and friends of the missing along with the surviving Khmer Rouge were quite interesting and gave the story that much more biting effect.

If you enjoyed books like 'Black Hawk Down' and 'Flags of our Fathers' then I am sure that you'll enjoy this book. This is the sort of story that all serving members and their leaders should read and I would like to say how deeply I felt towards those men who flew into hostile fire and those who stayed behind to cover their comrades at Koh Tang.

An almost indispensable 3-volume reading to understand the success of framework technologies in today's software systems. The books include most of the top articles on the subject, providing a thorough insight in both design and implementation issues regarding frameworks, also complemented with practical experience about framework usage. Although the work is mainly concentrated on technical aspects, the articles are comprehensible enough to be taken as reference material by a broad community, for example, software engineers, programmers, or technology managers. The books are useful for anybody planning to include framework-based techniques in software development processes or planning to improve current object-oriented practices. It is also an excellent source for graduate courses.

Volume 1 lays the fundamental concepts supporting object-oriented frameworks, and describes the problems and challenges that this technology raises in software development. The book covers topics such as domain analysis, development concepts and approaches, documentation, and management, among others. Of course, the compilation of articles makes some parts little redundant, but this is a minor detail compared with the fruitful contributions made by the book. In particular, the articles on reusing hooks, hot-spot-driven development, composing modeling frameworks in Catalysis, and composition problems, causes and solutions, are a sample of the outstanding level of this work. Each chapter adds at the end a number of related questions and student projects aiming to reinforce concepts and promote further investigation. As a comment, novice readers should take the sections concerning hooks and hot-spots carefully because these topics are presented in a slightly confusing way.

Volume 2 focuses on specific framework implementations, dealing with existing frameworks for different application domains, such as businesses, multi-agent systems, languages and system software. In this book, the readers will find a level of detail much closer to specific implementations issues than in the previous volume. Nonetheless, the writing style remains mostly clear and accessible for a quite broad audience. The case-studies and experience reports described by the articles show an attractive industrial perspective of the framework approach, and more important, they go an step forward in the road of a more mature discipline for software development. In addition, a CD-Rom with concrete examples of these applications is included with the book.

Volume 3 completes this series with a number of domain-specific application frameworks developed by industry, showing how to apply the concepts and ideas of the previous books in software products. In this line, it includes very interesting frameworks for manufacturing systems and distributed systems, among others. It also goes through concrete software scenarios, illustrating the benefits of combining domain knowledge and object-orientation expertise. Although the level of the articles is rather odd, the volume certainly provides the readers a realistic picture of the problems of building and adapting frameworks by learning from others' experience. A CD-Rom is also included with this book.

Overall, these framework books collect the state-of-the-art on framework development, offering a comprehensive and easy-to-understand guide for both academics and practitioners in the field. It is clear that framework technologies will not solve all the problems (perhaps they rise more challenges than current approaches), however, taking advantage of the framework possibilities can make your development process more repeatable, productive, and also less painful. The gains of this retrain are no doubt a good investment.

This three volume set distils the experience of a number of software practitioners, project managers, application engineers, researchers, and academics in dealing with framework-based software development. It offers a comprehensive and accessible treatment of the theory and practice of building and using application frameworks.

The three volumes address the needs both of the business and of the research. They suggest practical solutions to recurrent development problems and point out hot research topics.

In particular, Volume 1 "Building Application Frameworks" highlights the difficulties and draws the path towards the successful development of effective application frameworks. Each chapter has a final section with review questions and project proposals, which helps teachers and students to better assess the mastery of new concepts.

Volume 2 "Implementing Application Frameworks" comprises a number of case studies that exemplify how to develop complex frameworks by exploiting the synergy of advanced techniques and methodologies, such as design patterns, architectural styles, software components, multi-agent systems, and more.

Volume 3 "Domain-Specific Application Frameworks" emphasises the best practice in software development and reuse for a variety of application domains.

Volumes 2 and 3 include two CD-ROMs with case studies, sample models, framework code, and demos.

This book in conjunction with the books "Domain-Specific Application Frameworks: Frameworks Experience by Industry" and "Implementing Application Frameworks: Object-Oriented Frameworks at Work" are a series of three books that constitute a complete and necessary guide for the design and implementation of application frameworks. They are based on multiple academic and industrial contributors experience building a wide range of domain-specific application framework. These books are very easy to read and understand and you can learn from them not only what a framework and an application framework are, but also how to apply this technology to real world domains, like manufacturing, health care, distributed computing, real-time systems, simulation environments, ...

First book, "Building Application Frameworks: Object-Oriented Foundations of Framework Design" introduces application frameworks, their benefits and problems. It addresses all the fundamental concepts behind OO application frameworks and provides guidelines for OO application framework development. It is organized in eight parts. Part one provides a complete overview of OO application framework technology describing what is an application framework, what are the problems and benefits of application frameworks and how to use, develop and evaluate an application framework. Part Two presents some historical application frameworks and discusses some general guidelines to increase the reusability of application frameworks. Part Three describes how to build a framework analysing a concrete domain. The rest of the book provides all the necessary information to completely build an application framework. It presents all the concepts managed in framework development, which are the different development approaches, how to test the resulting frameworks, the problems derived from integration and a question sometimes forgotten but very important, the framework documentation.

Second book, "Domain-Specific Application Frameworks: Frameworks Experience by Industry" is focused in the experience of industrial and academic contributors in the development of OO application framework in different domains. Each chapter covers step by step the complete development of an application framework in manufacturing, distributed systems, real-time systems, telecommunication, multimedia, chemistry and data visualization domains. It includes the motivation developers founded to choose application framework technology, the problems they had to solve and the final solutions they developed.

Third book, "Implementing Application Frameworks: Object-Oriented Frameworks at Work", shows step by step how to implement application frameworks in different domains. It is organized in six parts covering examples about i) Business Frameworks with different examples in sales and administrative domains, ii) Artificial Intelligence, iii) Agent Application Frameworks, presenting interesting frameworks for speech recognition, neural networks and agents. iv) Specialized tool frameworks, v) Language Specific Frameworks, vi) System Application Frameworks, which present and analyse the application of OO frameworks in combination with other methodologies as component-oriented programming, language constructs or constraint programming and vi) Experiences in Application Frameworks. This last section is very useful because analyse the lessons learned using the application framework technology.

The Unseen Hand as the cover of the book states is "An Introduction of the Conspiratorial View of History". The major problem with the book however is that it can quickly turn a person off of the conspiratorial view of history. Epperson draws conclusions that aren't warranted. Chapter 39, Nixon's removal from office, is just about as inane of a theory's conclusion that I have ever read.

If Epperson's is correct about how powerful this conspiracy really is the "insiders" would have acheived their objectives long ago. This is not to say that the book is a complete waste of time. I myself used it as a reference book by taking the hard facts (names, places, events) that Epperson wrote about and doing my own research and then drawing my own conclusions.

This is NOT a book for someone who has never done research in the area of the conspiratorial view of history. It's a book for those who have done some research and who are interesed in doing more research by using Epperson's book as a reference tool for further research.

This review comes from a person who doesn't see a conspiracy behind every tree -- just every other tree.

The author of this book, Ralph Epperson, promises to introduce the reader to the fundamentals of the conspiratorial view of history. This view of history is in direct contradiction to the accidental view of history, or the theory of history accepted by most historians today. The conspiratorial view of history posits that all historical events are either controlled or directed by individuals or small groups of powerful people. Accidental history has no controls; events happen because they do, and no amount of effort may successfully direct events.

Epperson supports the conspiratorial view of history, and he tries to prove this theory in "The Unseen Hand," a 488 page collection of secret societies, economic totalitarianism, and communist plots. According to Epperson, the overarching theme of conspiratorial history is that of power. When the rich amass enough money, they begin to thirst for power over their fellow human beings. Since most people want to have a say in the way their lives are run, these power hungry individuals must try to enact their plans in secret by using their influence and wealth to effect change that favors the interests of the rich and powerful.

The book is roughly chronological. It starts with early events in history and slowly marches through time until it reaches the 1980's. According to Epperson, the conspiracy began with the formation of the Illuminati on May 1, 1776. The Illuminati, founded by a Bavarian professor named Adam Weishaupt, dedicated itself to overthrowing the old world order of monarchy by adopting ideals of reason. Mankind, through reason, would come to reject religion and nationalism and found a collectivistic society. Epperson quickly draws links between the Illuminati and later movements such as Marxism and the socialist Fabians.

Another aspect of this conspiracy, in close collaboration with the Illuminati and its later incarnations, is that of international banking. The bankers quickly moved to institute central banks in Europe in order to control the population through the manufacture of fiat money (money backed by debt, not gold or silver) and the creation of inflation. The American revolutionary war and the American civil war were attempts by the bankers to weaken the country and institute a central banking system, a goal finally achieved at Jekyll Island in 1913.

No conspiracy book would be complete without a discussion of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Trilateral Commission, the Freemasons, and the Bilderberg group. All four groups are discussed in some depth here. Epperson takes great pains to point out that most of the upper hierarchy in American government are members of these four groups. The goal of these groups, which are funded by foundations set up by banking and oil interests, is to create a "new world order," or a global socialist/communist government ruled by a small oligarchy of wealthy individuals.

This book works best when discussing the creation and role of government in a society, as well as the role of central banks and the control of the money interests. Epperson gives succinct explanations of how government and banking work, and how both can cause serious trouble if not properly regulated. It is ridiculous to believe that people in charge of so much money don't know the causes of inflation, or why prices of oil fluctuate as much as they do. Yet on any given day we are constantly informed by policy makers and other elites that they are as confused about why things happen as we are.

What doesn't work as well is some of the weird claims that pop up throughout the book. A claim that Karl Marx was a Satanist certainly raised my eyebrows, as did the claim that Jesse James lived to be 107 years old and was a 33rd degree freemason. Where did that come from? We know that DNA tests performed on Jesse's remains leave little doubt that he was killed just as the history books describe. Of course, a conspiracy theorist would claim that the results were doctored or are fabrications. And that is the problem with conspiracy theories: every counterclaim to the conspiracy theory is a lie or a half-truth, which further bolsters the conspiracy.

The source material for this book rests heavily on other conspiracy volumes, and most of the material for this book seems to be drawn from books and pamphlets from the John Birch Society. The Birchers built their entire organization around the ideas of a communist conspiracy and the creation of a global new world order. The last chapter of the book devotes a large amount of space in praise to the JBS, so an objective account of conspiratorial history won't be found in this book. Epperson also made the mistake of not going directly to source material for his information. Instead, he relied on the interpretations of others, and some of these people are wackos.

This is still an entertaining read for those who want to learn about alternate history or the paranoia of those who believe in such theories. There is good information in this book, but care needs to be taken when looking at the volume as a whole.

I beleive Epperson is an intelligent person he wrote a book that you can't put down. A book that has the frightening reality of the world. I dont know how to sum up the book it is a masterpeice. I am of young age but i do hope that some day Epperson is widely read and worldy famous and can possibly be another new age enlightenment thinker. I hope that the world realizes what is really happening in it. The facts are there they are simply undeniable and I believe with the amount of evidence given by Epperson it is fair to state that there is an international conspiracy. So if you are reading my review i hope that you as i have realize the truth about the world today and please read Epperson's book.

I came upon this book after reading some of Peter's fiction: War in 2020 and Red Army. I really had no idea that he wrote such serious essays about military-related topics until I was searching for literature after September 11th to answer the question: "What now"? This book is a collection of his military essays compiled after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and woven around the theme of American triumph in trying times.

I had to take a break after each chapter to think about the questions raised. Many of his assertions challenged my view of the world. He is trying to shake we idealists and optimists from our hallucinating state to view the harsh reality of the world around us.

How does the world treat young men who are raised as warriors (killers) from birth in perpetually warring societies? What options other than force does a superpower have against the amorphous and state-less threat of terrorism? Will urban warfare be the rule and not the exception in the 21st century? Is there any hope for global stability? And finally, will America triumph?

I liked how the preface focused specifically on the events of September 11th and the myths Peters feels were perpetuated in our popular culture as a result. But the rest of this book raises more questions than it does provide answers. To his credit though, anyone who holds up answers in these trying times is a liar or a fool or both.

Fighting for the Future is an extraordinary book . Peters clearly and precisely discusses the nature, challenges, and opportunities facing the US Army in the years to come. Indeed, readers may not realize that each of Peter's essays compiled in Fighting for the Future was written exclusively for US Military officers and have appeared in the professional journals that few others read or are even aware of. But make no mistake about it, the mid and senior ranks of the US military have been devouring and debating the basic tenets of Peter's conclusion for several years. Peters has sparked a debate of such white hot proportions, that these writings are now becoming more accessible to the wider public. Not everyone will agree with Peters. He has the subtlety of a bayonet charge as he articulates the challenges ahead. It is this honesty and clarity of thought that has made these writings so popular within the military ranks. His discussion of the warrior and what it will take for the US army to effectively engage him is brilliant. His clear and unabashed conclusion that we must face the unpleasant fact that our Army must be prepared to deal effectively with cultures and societies that are controlled by a small percentage of these warriors who enjoy killing and war is troubling but unavoidable. Peters concludes that we are going to have to remove these warriors by killing them or imprisoning them if we are to have any success. No sugar coating here. No spin, just the cold hard facts driven home. I strongly, recommend this book for anyone trying to understand the nature and scope of the battlefields of the future. Perhaps more importantly, the publication of Fighting for the Future, gives non military people a glimpse into the debates and thinking now raging among the best of our military leaders.

If you're a citizen of the US, you need to read this book so you understand what's at stake; and what the real world is like outside our borders. There are no sound bites, instant gratification, feel their 'pain', or other such nonsense.

If you're a politician, read this book so you can get a clearer idea of where our foreign policy needs to go; quit hustling votes and LOOK at what we (the West) are facing. War is an extension of policy; and Mr. Peters quite adeptly shows where we need to stop talking and start hitting.

If you are a Military Professional, for your Troop's Sake, read this as a MANUAL OF ARMS. He doesn't have all the answers; but he certainly can give you a start on your mission-essential task list. The Marines are already codifying doctrine on the "Three Block War"; it's time get with the program. If you run into Senior Military Leadership that says we don't have a future in Urban Combat, avoid them like the plague.

We are in the for the fight our lives; and this book can reduce the casualties; Friend and Foe alike. He articulates what I personally saw happen in Iraq, Bosnia, Ethiopia and Somalia (9 months in Mogadishu alone). He has encapsulated the essence of what we have to do to ensure survival of our way of life.

He doesn't imbibe you with Patriotic Rhetoric, Mr Peters simply states that if we want to maintain the lifestyle we have, we'll have to fight for it; against people for which fighting is the ONLY thing they know. They don't want a lasting peace, they want a lasting piece of the action; on their terms, with no compromise or pity. Death and anarchy are a way of life, the groups described in his book exist and they don't want progress, they want the power of Gods. Unfortunately, these same people lack any type of conventional wisdom comensurate with that power.

In Somalia, I was branded as being too agressive in our operations; I wanted to pound on the Technicals until the survivors quit. Seven years later, the hindsight everyone employs seems to vindicate my stance. I questioned our presence in Somalia; but never the role we should have adopted once we committed Troops: Find the Bastards and Pile On.

Tracy-Paul Warrington Chief Warrant Officer (retired) US Army Special Forces

tracy.warrington@60mdg.travis.af.mil

At first I wasn't too sure about the book, but after the first chapter, I didn't want to stop reading and kept reading on chapter after chapter. What an exciting character Danielle Steele is. I was so excited when I got to the end of the chapter and read that a Part II is coming out in "The Shadow of a Noose" I just hope that it comes out soon. I love Louis L'Amour books, but now I really love reading Ralph Compton books.

I am a die-hard Louis L'Amour fan, but i had run out of books to read so i thought i would try out Ralph Compton. boy, was i surprised how much i loved this book. so much so that i was finished with it the same day i got it, and finished the sequel the next day. i am awaiting the third book in the trilogy eagerly. if you, like me have are looking for good western books try Ralph Compton, and also Jake Ballas. They are both extremely good.

It was the first book that i read by Ralph Compton. I must tell you that i cant wait to read the next one. The book kept you on the edge of your seat. Its the first time i have read a book that continues onto the next one. Cant wait for to read (The Shadow of a Noose).