My title for this review pretty much says it all: the author has a clear and well thought out structure, but since these are truly essays, they contain almost no quotes or references of the source material. Had the author made use of such referencing, this could have been a powerful work. The authors' opinions are presented without the backing of the base material, and as such sound as if they are propaganda. As it is, it is of little use to a serious reader of this subject.

I find the subject of the historicity of Jesus to be absolutely fascinating. Joseph McCabe's Myth of Ressurection is an interesting and scholarly work, but if you want a truly insightful and profound book check out Earl Doherty's The Jesus Puzzle. Doherty basically focuses on the "conspiracy of silence surrounding the Paulian epistles. He questions why Paul makes nary a mention of the deeds, life, and sayings of Jesus. His conclusion is simple yet surprising: Paul wasn't writing about a human Jesus but rather a mythical Jesus similar in scope to the "savior gods" which he learned about in his youth. I guarantee by the end of Doherty's arguments, you'll be thinking as I did: "Damn, why didn't I think of that."

Read it, and then if you want you can check out McCabe's take on Jesus.

I have to tell you...This book is moving..the similaries between ancient religions and the jesus story are interesting..One thing I've found is that when you tell christians what you've discovered they state that it's just "tricks of the devil"...Ask them this...Wouldn't it have been easier just to have a room at the inn????

Sometimes you come across an autobiographical novel that's as fresh as spring rain. Other times you get this kind of hackneyed story lacking any kind of insight or wit. In short: a boring and useless novel.

I loved this book for two reasons. 1. It shows what beats in the heart of every real football fan, without resorting to sentimentality or gratuitious violence. And it did while making me laugh - Nick Plumage ( the Man United Poet ) is one of the great walk-on characters of 90's literature, the handicap football match scene made me piss myself, and the protagonist Tommy is such a conceited bastard you have to love him. Fat Paul, Father Kellly, Mrs O and Melissa are all good characters who have nothing to do with football. 2. It's not just about football and lads' stuff, it's about reaching your thirties and wondering what's next? When your past haunts you because it's suddenly out of fashion, and when your hobby ( in this case refereeing ) becomes bigger than your career, where do you stand? Another thing haunting Tommy and Melissa seems to be the kids they haven't committed to having yet. At 350 pages it looks long but the style is always light and there's always a laugh around the corner to keep you going. Also a good book if you think London is overrated and full of softy southerners.

Easily one of the best football novels around. A book that contains some classic moments of humour (mainly the non-PC ones). Realistic knowledge of actual locations, people's behaviour and what they really think. Highly reccomended just for the disabled football match, Nick Plumage and the marking of the infants' books at the end. --This text refers to the paperback edition of this title

I do not own either of the two RadioScience (vol 1 and vol 2) books by J. Carr, but I had the chance to browse through them at some length at a bookstore. I would pretty much agree with Robert Jones Amazon review remarks. In fact, I'd like to hear from him and have posted my e-mail address with this review.

The books contain a wide variety of information meteors, (even) telemetry, solar observations using VLF and other topics. It didn't seem to be terribly deep in the area of radio astronomy. There are plenty of circuit designs, and I may be a bit unfair here, but in the area of radio astronomy (RA), it may not have been enough. I consider RA the radio science part of things that deals with objects outside the earth, sun, planets, stars, nova, galaxies, etc.

Both books are accompanied by a CD-ROM but I couldn't find much of a description about the contents of either. Both books have very thorough indexes, which I appreciate in any technical book. I'd agree with Mr. Jones comment about the book needed an editor. The publisher is part of the Howard Sams 'empire'. I'd add that there are few books for beginners on these subjects and that they all seem to be lacking an editorial touch. That's too bad because it seems to have allowed the authors to wander a bit on the subject. In the case of the two books, it appears that it has also led to some slight difficulties in the presentation. If you are really intereested science and radio applications, it would seem that these two books, at least volume 1, would be useful way to get started. He has some good supporting authors (Mims, etc.) and has a respectable collection of references.

The good news is, there's a lot of good information in this book. The sections on natural radio emissions, VLF receivers, and loop antennas are particularly useful. The bad news is, the editor/typesetter should be bound to the mast and flogged.

First, the level of prior knowledge assumed is a bit inconsistent, and a few bits of information seems overly elementary while other sections beg for more background. For example, the millivolt is defined (incorrectly, see pg 37), but knowledge of frequency vs. wavelength, voltage [neither volts nor microvolts were defined], current, power, resistance, capacitance, reactance, impedance and decibels are all assumed. Also, the included information sometimes seems irrelevant. For instance, the (long) section on receivers deals with characteristics of SSB, CW, RTTY and even radar receivers, even though these operating modes have little to do with natural radio emissions, the stated purpose of the book. As an extreme example, the author expends a short paragraph and a figure on the tangential sensitivity of radar receivers. That's relevant? Then, after a long (and slightly belabored) discussion of the importance of dynamic range, spurious responses, third order intercepts and the like, the author provides a number of circuits with little or no associated performance specifications. How is the reader to know what level of performance to expect from each circuit?

The sections on antennas (other than loops) seem like an incomplete cookbook, with not enough information given to build some of the examples, but also not enough background to figure out the missing details yourself. There is a program on the included CD-ROM that will calculate dimensions for several of the designs. Might have been nice to mention that in the text, however. In fact I saw no mention in the text that the CD-ROM even existed.

These complaints are minor quibbles. However, the poor typography and (lack of) editing are not. A few examples:

Pg 37 refers to a "previous calculation" that doesn't exist.

Pg 37 defines 1 mV = 1/1000 mV.

Pg 48 has the square root of the quotient 5/2.8 becoming "v5/2.8". It happens again on the same page and again on page 50. I guess that typeface doesn't have a square root.

Pg 98 calls the Earth an "oblique spheroid" when I believe it is an oblate spheroid.

Pg 157 mentions a 1972 paper describing observations of a 1979 eclipse. Time travel.

Pg 196 has the Greek letter lambda being replaced by "l" for wavelength.

Pg 201 Definition of mu (permeability) for Eq. 12-1 is wrong due to an extraneous "p".

Pg 203 Eq. 12-3 is wrong by a factor of 1/pi.

Pg 224 Fig 13-2 substitutes "Earth's service" for "Earth's surface".

Pg 342 Eq 20-1 is wrong due to an extraneous factor of 2.

There are others. There are several places where information is omitted, e.g. Chapt 10 claims to discuss direct conversion receivers but doesn't, parts lists leave out parts (L1, pg 131-132), diagrams leave out critical information (e.g. dimensions in Fig 8-3) or diagrams are missing altogether (pg 183). Units get switched (Pg 171), variables get switched (Pg 359), and algebraic signs get switched (Pg 46). A pet peeve of mine is that absolute temperature is given in degrees Kelvin instead of just Kelvins. There are other places where the discussions are incomplete. In short, where on earth was the editor in this process? The copyright page shows that the editor, typesetter, and indexer were all the same person. Surely she read the manuscript? If I could pick up the above problems with one read and no editing background, shouldn't a professional editor of technical books do at least as well?

I'm not trying to berate the author. Mr. Carr is a prolific and knowledgeable writer of both books and magazine articles. The book reads like a good draft manuscript, and any manuscript will have errors and oddities like the above. That is what the editor is for. The problem here is, the publisher, apparently thinks that being prompt equates to no editing.

Now, can I recommend this book? Yes. In spite of my whining, the book brings together information that is hard to get elsewhere and the author did a pretty good job, even if the editor didn't. If you are interested in natural radio emissions the book IS worth having, despite its editorial faults. See also Volume 2.

This book is a great reference book for the VLF hobbyist to professional. It explains stuff about mostly propagation, VLF to HF antennas. Also there some pretty good projects to let you
get your hands on some VLF theory. Also for extra education this book is made for the college student that needs some extra
background on the subject of radio science observing. If you can master this course you have a communications degree waiting to be hung up on the your wall with honors. Also there is Radio Science Observing Volume 2 . Please Note you must first get this volume before you can get the 2nd Volume. This book
volume 1 and 2 should grace on longwave radio, and SETI's serious hobbyist thru engineers, scientists bookshelf. Its almost like a college course that is still recommend for very radio enthusiast and serious engineer.

All in all, this was a good book. The general info was very abundant, but the specific information was either sparse or non-existant. For example, he gives a wonderful nomenclature diagram of a locomotive, but when it comes to frames, he doesn't explain how to build them very well or where the critical points are.
This is definitely not a good book for a beginner. On the contrary, the chapter on whistles was very good, although still lacking some detail.

On the other hand, (I also wrote "well...") the graphics are very good. The photos are all very nice and the drawings are exquisite.
Note: I was in a bad mood when I wrote "well...", and that is why I gave it a lower rating that time.
Trevor

This is a must have for evey Live Steamer. Joseph Nelson has provided a great resource for anyone who wants to build a Live Steam Locomotive and an important resource for every workshop.

This book is a piece of history, but that's all it is. This was when Faulkner was hanging out in New Orleans with Sherwood Anderson, and Anderson told Faulkner if he wrote a book, he would get his publisher to print it. This and Mosquitoes are the result. They are both terrible, and it takes longer to read them than it took Faulkner to write them.

The interesting thing here is Faulkner's obsession with the war hero and the tragedy of war cliche's. Remember also, that Faulkner was walking around in a pilot's uniform that he made himself after failing to join the air force. This book is very much the same thing, and for that point, it's interesting. It's amazing that such a dolt became one of the true voices of wisdom for the century. The upside of this book is that it lets you know you have plenty of time to develop. If you love the guy, you'll read this anyway, but you can save your time and skip Soldier's Pay and Mosquitoes. Save them for when you've already developed an obsession.

This early novel by William Faulkner is interesting as an example of where his style and focus were as a very young writer, before both had settled into the predicatable Faulkner voice of his later and better known books. I enjoyed the book more when I first read it, I think, than I do now. But one thing has still not changed. I can remember having to read certain passages over and over and still not being sure what they were about. I still don't know. There are those who think this deliberate ambiguity is a plus but I prefer to be able to follow the plot of a book. I don't even mind working at it, as one must with a number of writers. But it is frustrating to come up against an impenetrable hedge of words that crowds out meaning, and this happens a lot with Faulkner.

I have read almost all of Faulkner's books and enjoyed many, if not most, of them. Frequently moving and always interesting, these books deserve a special place on the bookshelf of American literature. But admit it, often Faulkner - even in his later books - uses words the same way that Jackson Pollock used paint. He sprays, splatters and dribbles them into a squiqqly mess that might, like a good Pollock, be pleasing or meaningful in an 'abstract expressionist' way, but simply doesn't make sense on a purely cognative and narrative level. There is less of that in Soldier's Pay than one gets later, but you can sure see it coming.

Many people who review this book give it a bad rating because they have read Faulkner before and expect his writing to be of a certain style and intellectual caliber. Perhaps this book is not quite up to the level that people are expecting, but when you compare it with much of the other literature available dramatizing this time period (just after World War I) in a fictional manner, this book stands out as being a simply extraordinary peice of literature. While it lacks much of Faulkner's later literary intuitiveness, this book still demonstrates true Faulknerian style with its soap-opera-ish manner of storytelling and robust character development. Even this, one of Faulkner's least talked about and least admired novels, is better than the work of 99.9% of the authors writing today. What people consider "bad" as a Faulkner book is still leaps and bounds ahead of what other writers are able to produce. I found this book to be an excellent stepping-stone into Faulkner's style and literary skill from less "deep" books. I would definitely recommend reading this book first before reading other Faulkner novels. Once you finish this one, THEN try another book directly after this one - his style will be much easier to follow and understand.

Overall, a wonderful book for discussion and reflection!

This book has more errors than should ever be allowed in a professional product. There are typo's in both text and examples. The CD does not contain the source code from the book and I vote this the worst source ever of any computer based information I have found to date. It has left me very unsure of the publishers (QUE) standards and I may never purchase another QUE book again. I simply do not trust them. Spend your hard earned money on a different choice

"Special Edition Using Java, Second Edition" is an excellent reference to JDK 1.0.2. However, today (April 15), only a month and a half after being billed as "Computer Programming Expert Editor's Recommended Book, 03/01/97", it is a dated reference and the cover claims of JDK 1.1 coverage fall short--they are preliminary and peripheral to primary Java programming topics. For example, there is no coverage of the major changes in the Java event model of JDK 1.1, which permeate almost every application. I recommend waiting for better JDK 1.1 coverage, hopefully in Joseph Weber's new version, "Special Edition Using Java 1.1" which has not yet been released, but for which Amazon is taking orders today

This book is nothing if not large. This was QUEs attempt to capture the entire spectrum of JAVA and make it easy to understand (a task that they accomplished) but then the standards changed again. This is still a great book for learning Java; but, you will have to move on to other resources for news on the updates

I came across this book in the local library. The book has a fair amount of colour theory and some in depth coverage of the different filters available. Unfortunately the example images are another story. Most of them show heavy unnatural filtration and many pictures are really strange. For example, the picture of a building on page 40 has been shot with such heavy magenta filtration, I doubt anyone would attempt anything like this in real life. In the example on page 66, all the buildings have turned magenta. There are some more extreme examples on pages 31, 90 and 91.

In a book on filters, I would have expected such examples to be the exception rather than the norm (probably to illustrate what one can do with a strong red or magenta filter, etc). If the author wanted to show the effects of such heavy filtration, he could have chosen better or more appropriate examples.

I understand what the other reviewers have said about this book and agree that a good few images are heavily filtered to the point of extreme. On the other hand I think that this is necessary in the facilitation of understanding what effect certain filters can have when placed infront of the lens in different situations. More experienced photographers will be looking for the subtle and almost impercievable use of these wonderful photographic tools and I myself would have liked an emphasis on this area far more than on the bold approach. Nevertheless I feel that this is an excellent *general* work on filters and will be useful to the broadest possible audience.

There is some good technical information in here for beginners and intermediates who have little or no knowledge of filters and their uses. Meehan covers quite a bit of ground and does the usual stuff while he's at it. This is the stuff that photographers like myself see over and over again in almost every photography book which every photo book feels it necessary to reproduce over and over again adnausium. Some of the images in this book are excellent and the theory is right on, so if you are a photographer looking for a filter book that will rock your prospective bookshelf, maybe this isn't the book for you, but I have found it generally pleasing and it has it's place among my photo books without any complaints from me.

... I have always been overwhelmed by the seemingly infinite number of
filters available and used by professionals. This is the first
material I have ever found that not only explains the different types
of filters but also explores the science how they work. I now feel
more confident using filters and am better able to anticipate their
effects. Far from being focused on "special effects", this
book is a great reference for anyone looking to enhance their
photographs through the use of filters.

To learn the details of GSM, this is not the book to choose. The text contains a vast amount of information but not in a manner which is readily understandable. There seem to be holes in the explanations and, in some instances, contradictory statements. After two days (well, one was a Friday so maybe that doesn't count as a whole day) of trying to make sense of the chapter on logical channels and frame structure, I am at Amazon looking for an alternative.

This book makes me want to learn enough (from some other source, of course) to write my own book.

Principles & Applications of Gsm (Prentice Hall Communications Engineering and Emerging Technologies Series)
by Vijay Kumar Garg, Joseph E. Wilkes is a perfect choice for the ones that deal with the GSM networks on daily basis. Eventhough it covers most of the necessary topics, it was difficult for me to find a connection between the different chapters, which is not strange since it goes from radio's concepts to SS7 aspects. However, you will definitely find an answer for your doubts either on its pages or in its valuable references.
Kumar Garg & Wilkes show several models that help designers to understand the details that should be taken into account when developing / operating their network without loosing the main idea of an easy-to-read book (there is some math involved but nothing so terrible...)
If you are looking for GSM material, this may helps you: you will get the info you wanted without spending too much. I think this book is the perfect partner for the Artech' series (ie: Gunnar Heine's GSM Switching, Services, and Protocols).

GOOD QUALITY, UPDATE, MOST OF THE TERMS ARE CLEAR DEFINE, CAN BE USED AS AN INICIAL BOOK FOR STUDENTS.

It is incomprehensible that anyone would have the audacity to consider writing a book called, "Build a Case Against an Unsatisfactory Employee," let alone actually publish it. Anything for a buck in America.

This book is something that belongs under the category of "witch hunts" rather than employment law. Books on how HR directors should effectively weed out substandard employees prior to hiring them are infinity more useful and far more humane. This book is more concerned with getting rid of existing employees than with helping people grow in their positions.

The editorial review states, "the problem is how to deal with the unsatisfactory worker who has gained legal rights to continued employment," certainly says a lot. Employees have legal rights for a reason - so that their employer cannot harass them. Teaching someone how to "build a progressive disciplinary file on an unsatisfactory employee" in order to circumvent an employee's rights is certainly a foul way to effectively build teamwork, increase employee morale, and create a workplace in which all employees will excel in their roles. One can't help but express concern for employees where their supervisors are more interested in maintaining "disciplinary files" on them, rather than promoting a positive work environment that encourages all people to reach for their potential.

It's a good thing this book is "easy-to-read" - that should certainly help the kind of person who would actually consider using this book. Unfortunately, it is the mentality behind books such as this that pervade the American workplace today, leaving workers far more stressed, burnt out, repressed, and uncreative due to fear of reprisal from egotistical supervisors bent more on climbing the corporate latter for personal gain than on developing a workplace where all are united for a common, positive, cause.

In the opinion of this writer, this book is merely an attempt to teach school districts, and other agencies, how to harass outstanding employees who stand up to their dishonest employers. The author is part of a law firm that recently represented a school district that retaliated against an exemplary employee who stood up for the civil rights of his/her students. The district was found to be in VIOLATION of federal law by a Federal Law Enforcement Agency and the employee prevailed.

I keep this tool next to my desk! It should be the primary resource for supervisors who must deal with the substandard employee. I know the author personally and professionally. The philosophy behind this valuable tool is one of prevention and improvement. Most employees will respond positively to such an approach. For that very small margin of employees who simply exploit the world of work for personal gain, this book can benefit all of us by helping supervisors professionally discipline that margin. This book is an absolutely essentional tool for introducing consistency into the discipline process for all employees in the workplace, and it is presented without apology, as it should!

I'm co-owner of a locksmith shop, and am always on the lookout for good books for reference and to train new people. Usually TAB locksmith books are pretty decent, but "from Apprentice to Master" is weak. It doesn't have much to say its 300 plus pages. I don't see it as too technical at all.

The safe and vault work part is about three paragraphs long. The section on "General locksmith law" is in the right place, in chapter 7, because if you tried to follow the advice you'd be filing for chapter 7 (or chapter 13 bankruptcy). It says you should "draft every order, receipt, and agreement yourself." I'm not sure if that means not to trust your employees to do any writing, or if means to create all your own forms from scratch.

He also says to buy the fire codes from the National Fire Protection Association. Only a really large shop that does a lot of commercial or industrial work would want to spend that kind of money to buy those codes and keep them up to date with supplements. Most shops get along fine without them, because what they say about door hardware isn't all that complicated.

Maybe instead of urging people to buy more books, Rathjen should have put in a good chapter on fire codes. The title definitely should be changed, maybe to something like "A little about locksmithing".

.... Though the author has put in a great amount of
effort in the illustration aspect, somehow the jargon and tech talk
just lost me. Definitely not for the beginner.

This book is great for beginner locksmiths already associated with locksmithing terms and theory.. if you know nothing about locksmithing, hold off on this book til later.This book covers all the basic duties a locksmith can preform and in basic detail the how to`s of locksmithing