First of all, let me say that I love Poirier's first two books, the excellent Tuscon-themed short story collection Naked Pueblo and the quirky and compelling coming of age novel Goats. I also greatly enjoyed this latest assemblage of five stories, which inhabit that same darkly humorous area as his other work-and yet I found them slightly lesser in comparison. The twelve stories of Naked Pueblo are rooted in a sense of place and ring with authenticity and personal experience, whereas the stories in this book seem somewhat more manufactured, more obviously "written." This is a bit of nitpicking criticism though, because the stories are all gripping and enjoyable reads. Once again, Poirier seems blessed with the ability to balance outrageous (and yet wholly plausible) characters with intensely realistic and often sad emotions.

The first story, "Buttons", is the story of a family button empire that transforms into an egg empire whose hilarious attempt to ride a consumer craze results in inevitable downfall. Interwoven with this story is that of one of the the founder's great-grandchildren, who's locked in a silent sibling rivalry with his twin. A similar sibling rivalry is the catalyst for the narrator of "A Note On the Type," to go to veterinary school in Boston and thus move in with a bizarre aunt. It's the most stylized of the stories, and follows the same format as "Buttons," telling the story of the student while also going into his family history. The book's best moment occurs here, when the narrator waits for service at a deli counter and fantasizes about the young woman behind the counter, constructing her as a fascinating white trash theorist gathering research material.

The most inconsequential of the stories, "Pageantry", is the mostly inner-monologue of a teen contestant at a local beauty pageant. She recognizes the whole enterprise as an enterprise to prey of the dreams and thwarted ambitions of adults through their children and can't wait until she's old enough to say no to her mother. The story is a pretty sharp little piece, but the ground has been so thoroughly covered in so many contexts that it's hard to find anything new in it. "Gator" and "Worms" both concern themes of loss and parenthood. In "Gator" a Louisiana teacher encourages a student, the daughter of a gator-skinner, to become a Manhattan shoe designer. He clearly has some twisted inner fantasy of being her father, and Poirier beautifully captures his sense of loss when she leaves. "Worms" is another heartbreaking story, in which a Vassar woman who's forced to move to rural Texas to find work as a journalist falls in love with and marries a worm farmer. This is perhaps the only story in the bunch where the main characters aren't psychologically messed up in some way or another, and so it somehow seems more cruel when tragedy strikes.

Although a bit slim (the whole book can be read in about two hours), it's another solid collection from Poirier and I look forward to his next bit of writing.

I've been a fan of Poirier's work for a while, and I think Unsung Heroes is his best work yet. He has a gift for telling stories that manage to be outrageously funny and crushingly sad at the same time. You can tell the author's having fun when he's writing, and that fun is contagious. Even in the saddest stories--the ones that reveal characters coping with loss, loneliness, and alienation--you get to enjoy a wild ride on the way to that moment of illumination and empathy. "Worms" and "Gators" are spectacular, and I'll never forget how hard I laughed when I read about the invention of packaged, pre-scrambled eggs in "Buttons." Thank you, Mark Poirier, for writing so well, for eschewing the conventional, and for being unafraid to entertain your readers. I'm looking forward to the next book!

Mark Poirier's book is one of the best I have ever read. First of all the whole premise of the book is original, twisted, and interesting, as the author must also be. My favorite part was the brilliant metaphore about Shaquille O'Neal's shoe. Well done Mark Jude Poirier, I expect great things from you in the future.

Who doesn't love magic? And who doesn't love a good book? Author-Magician Mark Setteducati and Anne Benkowitz have combined to create this delightful treat. Mysterious, engaging and down-right fun, get ready to be entertained. Illustrator Steve Ellis brings the tricks alive with a colorful flair that adds to the enjoyment.

Families who want more wholesome entertainment will find it here. These hands on tricks that unfold right before your eyes keep you guessing on what could possibly come next. And how did they do that? So curl up with the kids, and prepare to be astounded. I sure was!

This is a first. This book is a prop that lets you do a magic show for yourself. You'd think that if you're doing the magic show it would be pretty tough to fool yourself. You'd be suprised. As you turn the beautiful pages of this graphic masterpiece of a book and follow the directions, you can't believe the miracles you're seeing. And then once you've performed the book for yourself you can use it on a completely different level to fool yool your friends. This is perfect for almost any age, anybody who likes magic, or really interesting pop-up-type art books. Simply terrific.

Let me start out by saying I am a professional magician that has been in the business for over twenty years. So I have seen my share of magic books good and bad. The Magic Show book is easily the best book I have seen for kids as well for adult in over 15 years. Actually I have never seen and magic book as well illustrated as this one..kudos to Steve Ellis. What I loved about the book is that each amazingly rendered page hypnotically leads to the next trick, like a magic story. Then after the last trick in the book fools you, you'll rush to show the book to your friends, so you can start from the begining. Also what I love about the book is that its a great book for kids to bring with them on a long trip in the car or waiting at the airport. I only wished I had a book like this when I started out as a magician. The tricks inside even fooled me (but please don't let other magicians know that). Sincerly C. Polaris

My Grandma didn't like books with naughty language and excess sex. In the '80s, I started to read different mystery series that I thought she would like and the Mrs. Murphy books fit the bill. Even though Grandma's gone, I still read the Mrs. Murphy books because I'm hooked on this lightweight, but cute series by Rita Mae Brown [and Sneaky Pie Brown]. Murder On The Prowl, the sixth book featuring 'Harry' Haristeen, postmistress of Crozet, Virginia, and her very talented companion animals, is not the best book in the series, but is still an entertaining read. St. Elizabeth's, Crozet's private high school, is the focus of the multiple mysteries in this story. Film classes, false obituaries, field hockey, high tech car washes, and halloween dances are some of the things that occupy the time of our now familiar cast of characters. It has never been difficult to accept the fact that the animals can communicate with each other or that they solve the mystery before the humans do. My biggest complaint involves the poison used on the second murder victim. Malathion can't kill people in the way it supposedly did in the book. That out of the way, I recommend that you read Murder On The Prowl and the 5 previous Mrs. Murphy mysteries.

In Cozet, Virginia, the best kept secret is that all the animals fully comprehend English to the point of being able to talk to each other and read the language. Humans are unaware of this ability. When the headmaster of a local school, a film director, and a female assistant are all murdered, Mary Minor "Harry" Harristeen and her two cats (Mrs. Murphy and Pewter) and her dog (Tucker), independently investigate the killings.

Rita Mae Brown with the help from her own feline, Sneaky Pie Brown, demonstrates why she is such a popular author. She creates an exciting mystery series that deftly anthropomorphizes animals so that readers believe in the fantasy world she has devised. MURDER ON THE PROWL is a particularly well constructed mystery that is a brilliant blending of The Lady And The Tramp with Ms. Jessica Fletcher.

Harriet Klausner

When phony obituaries begin appearing in the Crozet, Virginia's local newspaper Harry knows that something strange is going on. But when dead bodies start turning up, she begins investigating. But even before she can find out what's going on her furry companions, Tee Tucker (Welsh Corgi), and Pewter and Mrs. Murphy (cats) are on the case trying to find out who will turn up murdered next, and trying to keep their owner out of danger.

Rita Mae Brown has done it again. This is one of the best Mrs. Murphy mysteries to date, and a must-read for fans of the cat-cozy genre.

This is a thoughtful little soccer history reader by a well-known Uruguayan poet and writer. It's written in tiny little topical chunks covering the history of soccer in roughly chronological order. Starting with the pre-history of soccer it unravels leisurely until at the end there is a small denunciation of the big money interests that have corrupted the game which has a grip on the imaginations of little boys (and now girls) around the world. Scattered throughout are lyrical testimonials to individual performers and goals throughout history. As I read, I kept wishing for an accompanying DVD to show these magical goals, but upon reflection, I realized that what Galeano can paint as magic with words might well fade into banality when subjected to the freeze frame. Even though a lot of the players and matches mentioned will mean little to North American soccer fans, the book is still essential reading for its ability to impart the mystical grip the sport has on much of the globe.

Media coverage of the World Cup makes it clear once again: when it comes to soccer, many Americans just don't get it. This little book could be the key for those who would like to figure out what makes for all the passion and excitement. Galeano writes about soccer with passion, with poetry, and with sensitivity to social realities (particularly in Latin America). His short vignettes describe players, matches, specific plays, the evolution of the game. They comment on the current style of play (he doesn't like it much) and on the glories of the past. He is particularly good at showing how deep the soccer passion runs in Latin American culture.

The ideal edition of this book would have an accompanying video with clips of at least some of the moments Galeano describes. Failing that, however, the book itself makes magic with words to describe the "beautiful game". Galeano's politics come through also, and they only help to give the right sort of "local color" to the text. The translation is very well done, so that one hardly ever wonders how much better things might have been said in the original.

All in all, a great little book!

Eduardo Galeano has created the ultimate "soccer" book: perfect for both the well versed fan and the reader who knows little about "the beautiful game". The secret is the way that Galeano conveys his deep passion for the sport through short, well crafted stories and reflections.

Along the way, we learn not only about "futbol", but about how the game fits into the tapestry of life throughout the majority of the rest of the world. Simply Brilliant!

This sentimental favorite children's book has the moral values of E. Nesbitt, who was a famous liberal activist in England. She creates a household utopian vision of a world where people are naturally good and where parents raise their children to be helpful and honest and brave.

This provides the background charm for a really lovely tale about a family in distress who sticks together bravely and provides a shining example to all around them, while being aided by equally high-minded and kind folks around them.

A knock on the door at the idyllic middle class town home of the children ends with a tragedy that they can scarcely understand. But Mother is brave and despite rumors of terrible things, they make their way to a more modest home in the country, next to a railway line. The children become friends with the trains and the regular commuters who wave at them. Their fascination with the train results in a heroic rescue. Meanwhile, their situation is sometimes difficult, and they develop some remarkable strategies for getting aid. There is a happy ending.

The morals taught to the children are particularly British (helpful, kind, brave) but certainly apply to us as well. The goodness that the children spread is really a lovely message and contributes to the charm and longevity of this great favorite. Good for reading aloud.

I like the Railway Children a lot,especially how the author told the story. I liked Bobbie because there is something different about her,she was helpful and sweet at the same time. I am wondering where the dog James went? Other than that, the story was great!

It is a story about three children who change a little town in England. The book is very adventurous in every chapter.It is a very well writen book.

"Akiko on the Planet Smoo" is the kind of children's book that succeeds in doing what all my favorite books did for me when I was a kid: it transports the reader into a strange and exciting new world, and stimulates the imagination with unique characters and fantastic situations. Also like my favorite children's books, "Akiko on the Planet Smoo" keeps the reader grounded by using an "ordinary" kid (in this case, a fourth-grade Earth girl named Akiko) as the narrator. As in "The Wizard of Oz" and "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," the fantasy elements in "Akiko on the Planet Smoo" become somehow more realistic when seen through the eyes of someone who's used to a normal life on planet Earth. The author, Mark Crilley, does an excellent job of vividly describing the action from a kid's perspective. I felt like I was standing right beside Akiko when she met King Froptoppit and the rest of her rescue party pals (the bookish Mr. Beeba is my personal favorite, with the enigmatic floating head known as Poog coming in at a close second). Thanks to Mr. Crilley's skillful handling of the material, floating cars, Sky Pirates and robots all make perfect sense while on the planet Smoo, no matter how unbelievable they might seem here on Earth.

But honestly, the best part about "Akiko on the Planet Smoo" is not initially noticeable to the casual reader. Mr. Crilley has provided a message that's invaluable to kids: they don't have to be grown-ups to make a difference. Akiko is a shy girl who isn't eager to take on too many responsibilities. When she gets whisked away to the planet Smoo and put in charge of a rescue party, she's convinced there must be some kind of mistake. She's no leader and has no idea how she's supposed to go about rescuing the Prince of Smoo. If it were up to her, she wouldn't even accept the job, but fortunately for her (and for us!), the King doesn't really give her much of a choice. As the story progresses, Akiko learns that she's capable of ALL KINDS of things, including the capability to be an excellent leader. Now, Mr. Crilley certainly doesn't bang his readers over the head with this lesson. He's mostly interested in telling a good story, not preaching self-sufficiency to kids. The moral just helps to insure that "Akiko on the Planet Smoo" will reach the status of "classic" long after most contemporary children's books disappear into oblivion.

So, if you're looking for something to read to your kids, or if you're looking for a way to relive your childhood, "Akiko on the Planet Smoo" is the book for you. Mr. Crilley is a real pro. He succeeded in making me relive parts of my childhood I'd all but forgotten; and that's a good thing, because they were some of the BEST parts I risked losing. I can't wait to read the next book in the series!

(By the way, if you like Mr. Crilley's illustrations in this book, I would highly recommend picking up his "Akiko" graphic novels, which this book is based on. They're available at this website, too!)

Akiko on the Planet Smoo is a wonderful story about a ten year old girl who is asked to lead a mission to rescue a prince who just happens to be from another planet. The problem is that Akiko doesn't want to be a leader. She is content just to be on the sidelines.

The main characters who make up Akiko's rescue team are very colorful and somewhat eccentric. Spuckler is the swashbuckling, take action type. Mr. Beeba is the scholarly, but very cautious one. Gax is Spuckler's loyal rusty robot. And Poog is the mysterious, floating ball with big eyes.

The story has Jaggasaurs that make Godzilla look wimpy, giant robots that outshine those in Star Wars, huge flying pirate ships, and heart-stopping action that will leave you breathless!

The author and artist, Mark Crilley, does a wonderful job of fleshing out the characters without slowing down all the action. His illustrations throughout the book are simply amazing. Underneath all the action and adventure, Akiko on the Planet Smoo is really about a ten year old girl who discovers the true potential that is inside us all.

A little bit of the Wizard of Oz and a touch of Star Wars make Akiko an exciting read for children and adults. I give this book my highest recommendation!

I borrowed this book from my little brother, not really knowing what to expect. I was really surprised. Despite it's major potential for being the world's cheesiest book series, the Akiko books are really funny and the characters are all fun to read about. My favorite is Poog (the mysterious, purple, and perpetually-floating spherical alien). This book tells the story of the fourth grader Akiko being whisked off to a strange planet to rescue the Prince Froptoppit from his evil captor, Alia Rellapor while accompanied by her new friends Spuckler, Gax, Poog, and Mr. Beeba. Believe me, it's not as corny as it sounds. Akiko On the Planet Smoo would be a great book to read to a 2nd or 3rd grade class. I also highly recommend the Akiko comic books.

If you library doesn't have a copy, give your inter-library-loan librarian some job security and request the library find you a copy outside their system. I got my first glimpse at Powell's Encyclopedia that way. I was in it every night before dozing off. I really didn't look forward to the day I had to return it. That day did come, and I ordered my own copy that night.

The book lives up to its Encyclopedia title. It gives bios and histories, musical reviews and more. Almost every musician who's impacted Christian music (CCM/rock) is mentioned. Some might even surprise you: Alice Cooper, Little Richard, Donna Summer, U-2, Bob Dylan. The book's current enough that it mentions Ginny Owens' first two CDs, and even Rock and Roll Worship Circus's independent work.

The only drawbacks I noted were that the book didn't list various awards like the Dove, or the big festivals like Cornerstone. Those areas could have gotten a bit of attention. Powell could also have included a history of Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) and how it technically doesn't include Gospel or Southern Gospel which "could" really claim being contemporary, Christian, and music.

My computer precluded my loading the accompanying CD-ROM, so I can't comment on that. Hopefully, when my computer gets fixed and I receive my personal copy, I'll find the missing awards/history/festivals information.

From the sleepy title, I expected "Amy Grant" to be the hardest rocking entry, but a majority of the 1900 plus artists profiled are justifiably termed "rock": Stryper? Sam Phillips? Mortal? Deliverance? P.O.D.? MXPX? Yup. They're all here. Powell's original title was much more telling: "Parallel Universe: A Critical Guide to Popular Christian Music."

Powell is nothing if not critical. "Opinionated" was the word the store clerk used. So are all the great rock writers; so are all the great rock books, and despite its encyclopedic format, this is a great rock book. Surprisingly, the author is Professor of New Testament at Trinity Lutheran Seminary; not surprisingly, therefore, he argues with the theology in some songs. For instance, he doesn't agree with the idea of "the rapture" popularized by Hal Lindsey's book, The Late Great Planet Earth, and the "Left Behind" series, and prevalent in numerous Jesus Movement-era songs. Most significantly, he takes these artists and their music seriously. This gives the whole genre of gospel rock more signficance than it is often felt to warrant, and certainly more than the tag "ccm" suggests.

If rock rings true, it's because it's about real life. CCM, on the other hand, often sounds phony, stressing the ideal over the real, and marketing over the music. This has left many artists confused, angry and disenchanted. Powell deftly captures the undercurrent of alienation, and the love/hate relationships many artists have with their labels. He also graphs the rise of independent labels like Tooth'n'Nail, and the backlash against business-as-usual "corporate rock." The result is that many artists emerge as "survivors"--ground up and spit out of the music machine, but still standing; Powell's underlying conviction is that it doesn't have to be that way.

Accordingly, he doesn't sidestep the divorces and drugs, lies and lawsuits that attend real history; rather than tarnish these artists, the effect is to increase their street credibility: they emerge as real people instead of cardboard cutouts. By even greater magic of his pen, Powell makes us see all that out-of-print vinyl as a significant part of music history--far too important to relegate to the dustbin of "cookie-cutter" ccm.

Some of the short entries are too short, and many are incomplete, understandable given the mammoth scope of the project. Powell wisely chose to include brief entries when information was unavailable, rather than leave artists out. Some of the long pieces, however, are truly outstanding; the ten page Bob Dylan bio ranks among the best bits on that artist I have read. Again and again I looked up obscure artists I was sure would not be among those present: Larry Norman; After the Fire; Malcom and Alwyn; the Lead; Andy Pratt; Robin Lane; Cliff Richard--each time I was amazed to find that Powell had already been there and done that.

The hefty price tag will likely keep the ECCM off most fan's light reading list, but Powell includes a searchable CD Rom disc and websites for bands to pump up the value, and at 1,088 pages, it's really more reading than three Harry Potter books. Professor Powell has done music fans a great service with this ground- breaking book, unearthing more than forty years of virtually unknown history--yet for all that, it's a very enjoyable read.

First, this book does deliver everything that anybody could ever want in a reference book on Christian music. Every artist who has ever contributed anything to the field is included. There are complete discographies, personnel lists for bands, bios of the artists with updates on what they're doing now, summaries of album reviews, and lists of chart hits. That's the "data" part of the book, and for some that may be all they want or need.

The "something more" is that the author also provides his own critical analysis of the music. This is easy to skip, if you don't care about it. But many will find this to be the most engaging part of the book. It isn't commentary by just anyone. Although he modestly claims to be just "a noisy fan," Mark Allan Powell is in fact one of the most prominent theologians of the late twentieth-century. He doesn't bother to mention that he has a PhD in theology, much less that he has published countless highly-praised books and garnered all sorts of awards and honors in his field. Still, he writes in such a humorous and friendly, easy-going style that you'd never suspect it's the same guy responsible for all those egghead, intellectual tomes that most of us probably could never understand (of course, he's also been a professional music critic for about thirty years now, writing about rock and roll "as a hobby" for newspapers and popular magazines).

Powell presents his book as a gift to Christian music artists, industry, and fans--"people who have made my life more pleasant and meaningful." What a gift it is! This is the first time that anyone of this stature has ever even noticed the little "parallel universe" of Christian rock, much less taken such care to document it or invested himself so personally in commenting on it. The comments are so incisive that, even if they were negative, the criticism would be welcome. But-good news!-he loves the music and consistently discovers what is best about every artist. The book isn't just informative-it's positive, upbeat, inspiring, and a whole lot of fun!

First lemme say I am a huge sitcom fan and I think Lucille Ball is the #1 queen of TV. This book included a detailed description of every episode of I LOVE LUCY and all the other sitcoms that Lucy stared on. I enjoyed a lot of the book. But I felt like it was missing something. Some of the details were very boring such as the furniture being changed constantly on I LOVE LUCY. I wanted to hear more commentary from Lucille Ball and Vivian Vance, but for some reason their comments in the book were rather brief. THE LUCY BOOK was written almost like a textbook. It would have been more interesting if it were more fan-oriented. Some months back I read an excellent book COME AND KNOCK ON OUR DOOR about the sitcom Three's Company. And I think THE LUCY BOOK would have been much more interesting if it were written in the same manner. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in getting factual accounts about Lucy's TV sitcoms (such as dates and times). But I do not recommend this book to anyone who wants to have an entertaining reading experience. However if you do want to read a really good book about Lucy I recommend the book LOVE LUCY which was written by Lucille Ball. And if you're interested in books about sitcoms in general then I recommend: COME AND KNOCK ON OUR DOOR, GROWING UP BRADY and ARCHIE AND EDITH MIKE AND GLORIA THE TUMULTUOUS HISTORY OF ALL IN THE FAMILY.

If you love Lucy, like Lucy, or just admire Lucy. You must get this book. It tells all about her career on television. The great tidbits of information on all of the shows is incredible. Information that could only be told by people on the sets. It's amazing that the author Geoffrey Mark Fidelman could get all of this information from so many people behind the scenes. It is all put down in an easy to read format. You read each episode and follow along in your mind, remembering when you first saw the show. You can actually feel the development of the show, as well as the people involved, as you cruise from episode to episode. There is only three things left to say. GET THIS BOOK.

This book is the definitive book in Lucy's tv appearences. Dont pay attention to the other reviewers who claim this book has too much information, this book is amazing. I have been a Lucy fan for 10 years(since I was 5) and have read tons of biographies on Lucy and they all contain the same infromation that we can eaisly find on the internet. The two biographies Love, Lucy and Desilu are very factual and are probably the best two Lucy biographies I have ever read but this conatins the most information I have ever read about her tv appearences. This covers everything, even when they did that thing with Lucy on the show The Nanny. This gives peoples insight from people who worked with Lucy including Vivian Vance and also has what Lucy and her kids had to say about some things. And it goes beyond listing details about her four comedy series, it lists talk show appearences, game show appearences and much more. If you want to know about a certain series she did or about certain talk show apperances then you are sure to find it in this book. I think I even remember seeing something about some episodes that were scripts but they were never rehearsed or filmed. If you are a new or old Lucy fan or a fan of someone that worked with her then you need this book!

The authors draw upon Hillary Rodham Clinton, George Foreman and former junk bond king Michael Milken as examples of great second acts. How hard can it be if your first act was First Lady, boxing champ or Wall Street insider? These books always lose credibility when they draw upon celebrities as examples, simplistically implying that stardom is within your reach. Even using J.K. Rowling as an example is poor, since that kind of publishing success is a one-in-twenty-million phenom.

If it makes you happy, buy it.

Stephen Pollan draws on his background as lawyer and financial advisor, once again demonstrating that life is the best preparation for a career as a life coach. His book offers the familiar promise, "It's never too late," but with some surprising twists.

The best part of this book is the section on deciding what you want to do with your life. Pollan's exercises are original and would, I believe, help many people to discover their own next step. For instance, Pollan urges readers to review activities that they love -- and also places that draw forth a passionate response. His question, "What need does this passion address?" is extremely helpful and, unfortunately, rarely asked.

Implementation sections are helpful but I would encourage readers to seek supplementary guidance. Pollan suggests that a degree from University of Phoenix may be as helpful, in some cases, as a degree from Harvard. I encourage my own clients to talk to alumni from any school. Some doors will be closed to Phoenix alums, including some adjunct teaching options. On the other hand, a fifty-plus career changer who wants to set up shop as a counselor would do as well with a degree from the fastest, lowest-cost school whose courses are recognized by the state in question.
Still, I would be careful. I have heard first-account accounts of degree programs losing acceptability by accrediting bodies.

Pollan urges readers to omit dates from a resume. If you're using a back-door method to get a job (as you should!) that strategy will work. However, if your resume goes through a human resource department, it will most likely get tossed or you will be asked to submit traditional resume with dates.

Finally, I was disturbed by the grammar errors distributed lavishly through the text. A top publisher should have provided a copy editor! In particular the author writes "I" instead of "me"
("he showed my wife and I...")

Despite these qualms and quibbles, if you're a midlife career changer, you'll find this book more helpful than most. If nothing else, the author is a fine role model.

I am a New Yorker who was living here on September 11th, 2001. 9/11 is shorthand for so many things these days, I suppose it is something different for all of us. For me, the events that unfolded here, among many other things, caused me to reconsider the professional choices I have made. If our lives can change (or be taken from us) in an instant, then I had better be satisfied with who I am and what I'm doing in my career...Since then, I've been looking for books and other resources to help me sort through how to decide what I want to do next in my life. I've bought a couple of books on this topic, but overall they been very unsatisfying.

Second Acts is the best resource I've found to sort through how I create the career and life I want in uncertain times. What's best about the book is that the steps outlined by Pollan and Levine are concrete and helpful--a rarity with this kind of book, and I feel like I can really learn from the examples they've taken from other peoples lives. Already, the book has helped me to create a plan to take actions that will help me make changes in my professional life that will enable me to lead the life I want.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book!

I got this book expecting an easy way to pass the CCDA exam, what I got was a whole lot more. This book is excellent for anyone who ever needs to plan, analyze or install a computer network. It covers not only all the technical information that was on the exam (very strong on WAN technologies) but also the practical application of how to determine the best network for your needs, then test and implement accordingly. It has step by step instructions for planning, implementing and testing. The author also covers troubleshooting not only from a technical standpoint but also from a client needs analysis perspective. I did pass the CCDA exam, although there was nothing too easy about it, all the information was covered in this book and I came away with confidence that I can plan and troubleshoot intelligently any network from a high level. I now apply a lot of this information in my daily work. If this is your career goal, get the book and you'll won't be disappointed.

This book was truly excellent. It flows well and I read it in only two weeks. I passed the exam the first time. I tried this before with the Sybex guide but found the book too long and boring. This one was short and to the point, whats more it had all I needed to pass and taught me a lot I took back to the job.
The practice exam CD is great too. If you can memorize those questions and answers then the exam won't be much different.
This is THE book for the CCDA exam.

The book was real well written and covered a lot of different topics. I did notice it was not real in depth in some areas such as Cicso IOS commands but I didn't find any of these on the test either. It's not a complete book of Cisco networking but it covered all I found on the exam. What I liked most though is it moved well and was easy to read. The author covered the material without a lot of unnecessary technical detail. I liked it and I passed so I have to say I accomplished what I bought it for.