Reading about three young people who were killed in a terrorist act doesn't sound very inspiring. But Their Faith Has Touched Us isn't about terror or tragedy. Instead, it's about how each one of us makes an incredible difference, no matter how old we are, what we do for a living, or even how long we live. Without getting bogged down in sentimentality or saccharine, Maria Ruiz Scaperlanda paints a vibrant story of love and passion for life with the lives of these three young people.

As I sit here to write a short review of this book, I realize that I will be sifting through these stories and recollections for some time. Initially you may want to read this book to gain an insight into the Oklahoma City bombing and the extent of its tragedy: these are only three of the 168 lives lost that day, a multiplication of loss that leaves one reeling.

But Maria Ruiz Scaperlanda's book is not only about loss--it is not even mainly about loss. Instead, it is a telling of the gifts these three young people were to those around them. This gathering of recollections is, in turn, a gift to all of us beyond the circle of Valerie's, Mark's, and Julie's immediate influence.

Through this book, Valerie's, Mark's, and Julie's lives speak a profound truth to us: it is not always our calling to do great things, but we are all called to do little things with great love. In this book, friends and family treasure the "little" things these three did in their daily lives. Their stories come together in a beautiful mosaic of caring and compassion.

Inevitably, readers will find themselves wondering: what impact do we have in the lives of others? In the rush of our daily lives, how might we do little things with great love? If we were to die today, what would the people in our lives cherish about us?

Our reflections and answers to these questions are the gifts that Valerie, Mark, and Julie still offer us. I thank Maria Ruiz Scaperlanda for being a channel for those gifts.

It is so easy to avoid real life today, losing ourselves in the latest fiction or subject of interest, but when we do choose to encounter it, the rewards are usually great. So it is with Maria Ruiz Scaperlanda's gift to us all, "Their Faith Has Touched Us." For those who are willing to make the journey, Maria brings to life the beauty of three young Oklahomans who were killed in the tragic bombing of the Murray Federal Building in Oklahoma City in 1995. Through the eyes of those who knew and loved them we too learn to know them and to sense the deep loss. It is a sad and hopeful book at the same time, inspiring true respect for the people, faith, and values that helped form three such memorable, and missed, individuals. Some books we read for distraction, some we read for information, and some we read because they enrich us at our very core. Maria's book we read to be enriched.

Sigh. On page 190 the sidebar quote says: "Science is about knowing. It's not about believing". If only life were that simple. As the authors demonstrate quite well enviroscience is also about manipulation, halftruths, and outright lies. It is sad to see other reviewers fooled by these manipulations. The issues are too many to recite, but here is a sampling of the style in which the authors present "facts":

On page 27 they state: "In Germany, acid rain is destroying the forests" without a reference (not even to the otherwise heavily quoted bastion of scientific information the Sacramento Bee). Acid rain as the cause of large-scale forest destruction was shown to be erroneous fairly shortly after it was announced with doomsday headlines in the 1980s. But it is a good example of how at least $500 million was spent by the US alone to solve a problem before it was really demonstrated to be a problem.

Footnote 11 on page 41 relating to the book "Climate of fear" tells us "the book offers a one-sided optimistic outlook on the prospects of global warming" and that it "should be read cautiously". Sounds like daddy is telling me that I am not allowed to agree with any of it if I read it. It is also symptomatic of a real problem that the word "optimistic" is used as a negative! Wow, I must immediately learn to become more pessimistic.

Later they launch into lengthy chapters on supposed future energy sources. Among the information and gibberish we find things like this sidebar quote on page 218:"As a self-organization system with energy and matter exchanging externally, excess energy can be generated due to torsion coherent with zero-point energy in the vortex state on the tips of electrodes". I have a Ph.D. in Physics and I have absolutely no clue what this means. I doubt that any reader will have any clue what it means. As a matter of fact I doubt that the authors themselves have any clue what this means, because it is not the sort of thing anybody writes to clarify a topic. It is meant to intimidate readers into believing that lots of fancy words strung together will show how stupid they are and hence how smart the authors must be.

Environmental issues are important. There is enough misinformation out there. If you want a read by people clearly on the "left" side of the debate, here it is. Just don't believe for a second that the information is somehow balanced.

At last a book that responsibly tackles the issue of finding alternative energy sources. I require my students at San Jose State to use this well researched text to develop arguments for their debates on energy. Turning the Corner offers a balanced, no nonsense view of what we can do to alter the world's dependency on fossil fuels. My colleagues agree, this text does more to explain our current dilemma and ways to solve it than other books that only offer a one-sided view of the subject.

For the first time a book has been published on the subject of energy that honestly shows the public what really is available for the future. Section III is my favorite. It has a balanced review of cold fusion, zero point energy, electrogravitics and space propulsion, as well as new energy. This book also contains lots of annotated references at the end of each chapter for further information. It is a great book on a difficult subject with a fresh viewpoint unavailble elsewhere.

This is the first miniseries in which Venom appears where he is the main character, instead of Spiderman. It's one of the first steps in which Marvel tried to turn Eddy Brock a.k.a. as Venom from a villain into an antihero. A project that failed and made one of Spidermans formerly most popular villains into the vague second-stringer he is today. This story in itself is fairly enjoyable still, although it's nothing groundshattering.

A short while before the events that take place in this trade (it collects the 6-part mini) Venom and Spiderman made a deal. They both swore to leave the other alone as long as both didn't interfere with the other. AND as long as Venom would stay on the right side of the law. The tv-news tells Peter Parker otherwise now. Venom moved to L.A. and found out about an underground place a group of people made into their little mini-society, hidden from the world. Eddy thinks he can become happy there and tries to find a way to make these people want him in their group.
Meanwhile the father of one of his former victims is looking for him with his self-formed taskforce to take his revenge. And at the time Spidey arrives there seem to be five more symbiote-wearing people.

Like I said, this Venom story is fairly enjoyable (unlike most other solo Venom books) but it isn't great. The fact that the story is illustrated by multiple artists wasn't the best of choices, and the story has too many sub-plots. It seems like it can't decide which is the most important one. In the end it all comes together rather standard. For fans of the character Venom there's some nice stuff in here though. It's nice to see other people wearing Venom offsprings (like Carnage), only I feel the potential was greater than the eventual results. If you're a fan of the character Venom you could get it (it IS more Venom stuff before he was made into a travesty), otherwise stay away from this.

This is one of the best stories i have read. True, there were quite a few sub-plots,but, the overall adventure is great. I love VENOM!!! His strength and agresivness make him the ultimate vigilante. He has a swift hand for capital punishment while also retainig a basic regard for inocent human life. Spiderman is my altime favorite, but sometimes i wish he would just let loose.Long live VENOM!

There you have it, Venom trying to survive in the big city of San Francisco and at the same time try to save and underground city from peril.Venom faces other symbiotes and their hosts like "Blacklash" "Lasher" and many more. While on top of that Spider Man is there to keep him in line but Spider Man also works with Venom

This is not your ordinary trading book, but one that teaches some real "usable" techniques. The book is broken up into chapters written by different people, so the tone of voice will change frequently. The prize of this book is the Seleznov breakout method, which anyone can use to trade profitably for life. That alone is worth thousands of times the price of this book. I'd recommend this for any serious amateur/semi-pro level short term trader who may be lacking a consistent trading system.

This is an eclectic book. It doesn't focus on a major theme and is a collection of different people's views plus the author's.

I would not recommend this book for beginners who want to learn the basics because I don't feel the foundation is thorough.

It is a good book for those who want to see how others trade, their diverse techniques, and their opinions on trading. Also of value are the risk management techniques.

A more appropriate title would be: Different techniques by various traders and other trading tips.

I have read many "trading" books, and find this one a pleasant suprise. Section Two includes a good source of trading strategies that work, each one written by people who actually trade. Strategies covered include 1) pure price action by Gary Smith, 2) breakouts by Mark Seleznov, 3) seasonals by Steve Moore, et.al., 4) patterns by Mark Etzkorn, 4) springs and upthrusts by Hank Pruden, 5) Bow Tie patterns by Dave Landry, and a few others.

The strategies include a good summary of setups, entries, stops, and exits. These summaries are general enought that you can program them in most any backtest software you use, not just Tradestation or C++. I use them to backtest with TC2000 and TC Companion.

The book also has very good information on risk mangement, the mechanics of trading and the mindset of different trading styles.

The great thing about this book, is that it is a well integrated compilation of tools and techniques from a variety of well known and/or highly successful traders. The editor did a wonderful job of taking this diverse group and integrating the book into a very logical and usable flow.

While it may be too much for the pure beginner, this book will be most appreciated by the intermediate to advanced trader.

Explain different model of clusters and designs. Good visual diagrams to show different type of clusterings and technologies involved, plus follow-up details on their pros & cons. Excellent topic on SCSI devices. Overall, the book layout the concept of clustering quite nicely; however, you will still need those Microsoft's online documentation on NT clustering to set up your cluster. Since there not too many books out there on NT clustering, I have to give this book 4 stars. Cheer.

The book provides a wonderful introductory overview of clustering architectures. It does, however, provide a detailed look at NT specific clusters. Even the sections of the book that are "NT specific" talk mostely about clusters in general. I gave the book 4 stars because it gives a wonderful overview of clustering technology and does give you a good sence of where NT fits in. But, it really needs to have some discussion that is more specific to NT's implementation.

Excellent work. I have read the much praised book of G.Pfeister (In search of clusters) and find this a nice and much needed contrast.Insted of just theory it actually gives you tangble information on how eg.failover,message passing..etc works. In other words the examples actually refer to existing software and hardware..Pfeister would just say "the message passing software..." while this book would actually refer to the component of MSCS. If you are serious about clustering under NT then go get this.

Buyer Beware. This is not a story about Peter Duel. If you want to see this book, find someone who has it and look first. Do not spend money unless you want a comic book that has little to do with Mr. Duel, and a lot to do with the author. If I could give it negative star rating, I would.

Looks like Pete Duel fans are a bit peeved this book is only peripherally about their favorite television actor, but please don't let the negative comment stop you from reading this beautifully drawn tale of parental disconnection, emotional trauma and the often overlooked -- but very real -- pains that accompany childhood. It takes place around the time of Pete Duel's death and the title question, which frames the story, is posed by the young boy who's the book's main character. Kalesniko's spare, deceptively simple style is unique in modern comics, and his sense of visual pacing is one of the best I've seen in the form. The story is poignant (I sincerely hope it's not *too* autobiographical), but there's humor throughout as well. A treasure from one of the less well-known masters of the modern graphic novel. If you like it, be sure to check out Kalesniko's 264-page graphic novel "Mail Order Bride" as well, which is even more stunning.

This is a wonderful book. The story is simply told yet speaks volumes. The drawings are wonderful. I highly recommend it.

I enjoyed the test question format of the book, and the giving of explanations for the answers.

I did notice that the CD contains incorrect information, so it will keep me on my toes when reviewing those test questions.

This book was written for those of you who know you want a career with the Microsoft product, but don't know just how to get started. It contains information on where to look for study help, how to find evaluation copies of server 4, what you need to be prepared to test, and much more. I wouldn't rely solely on this book to pass the core exams, but it is a great place to start.

Written in an MCSE test format, this book will clue you in on what you need to know before taking your exams. Unlike the "du**y" guides, or the "unl##shed" series, this book is written in hard-core, get-ready-for-tricky-questions, Microsoft test style. It gives example questions and answers like you will see in the test. This is a no-holds-barred book that deserves your full attention if you are serious about certifying with Microsoft.

This is not an "easy read", but will prepare you for the complex and tricky questions on the MS Certs. It explains how to approach such tricky questions, and shows you hundreds of pages of examples. Every page is a must-read.

The authors should be commended on their attention to detail, and their commitment to providing the reader an unabashed look at what the certification tests hold in store for them.

I look forward to their next book - and hope they will share some of their tips in another format (ie., "Using", "Unleashed" or "Inside") so that we may get some quick info in addition to the thorough explanations.

I liked the book for what it did cover but, when the title includes "ATM, IP, Frame Relay, and SMDS explained" I expected the authors to give more than a 50,000 foot overview. The book fell horribly short of the mark especially with respect to IP. IP wasn't even mentioned more than six times in the whole text. If you are looking for an overview of networking technologies this book is "ok" but , if you are looking for a book that explains the technoligies listed in the title this is not it!

Nice & basic, but needs to expand on WAE as it relates to ATM. The evolution of the net will use hodge-podge connections, but there is little doubt that consumers are pushing for "roving" wireless net connections -- which I think will still use ATM @ some "point". The question is, is that ATM point going to grow as a result of consumer mobility? Anyone know of another book (or info) on how to view this from a different viewpoint?

The book has three main sections. One explains network technologies like IP and ATM. The next tells you where they fit into the real world and the third illustrates it.

The style is really nice. It is easy to read, even when some difficult things are being explained. There is plenty of good advice and sharp observation throughout.

Overall, it is a good read and a useful book to have close by. I work with a lot of telecomms people and it has done a lot for my credibility.

Although the book does cover most of the basics in Verilog, its terrible organization of Verilog topics renders the book almost useless as a good reference to the Verilog language. Stick with Palnitkar's book for this purpose. As far as I have seen the author's implicit style of Verilog code is not recommended in the industry, nor could I find any compelling reason why it should be. The author's use of ASMs is very good and a useful tool when mastered. The information regarding computer design is solid but having a copy of the classics by Hennessy and Patterson nearby is always useful. I would recommend this book to the Verilog designer that is interested in computer design but not as a first book on either topic.

Although the book does cover most of the basics in Verilog, its terrible organization of Verilog topics renders the book almost useless as a good reference to the Verilog language. Stick with Palnitkar's book for this purpose. As far as I have seen the author's implicit style of Verilog code is not recommended in the industry, nor could I find any compelling reason why it should be. The author's use of ASMs is very good and a useful tool when mastered. The information regarding computer design is solid but having a copy of the classics by Hennessy and Patterson nearby is always useful. I would recommend this book to the Verilog designer that is interested in computer design but not as a first book on either topic.

this book is an insightful and exciting introduction to hardware
design, especially to those like me with a software background.
the author illuminates the difference between hardware and
software specification, and demonstrates how his "implicit"
(RTL) approach works well for (synthesis of) pipelined CPU designs.
the only deficit is that some of the free tools listed in the
appendix are no longer available.

The entire X-Men history of thirty years has been destroyed in one pathetically constructed alternate reality.

This TPB is a reprinting of Cable #20, "X-Men Alpha" and "Age of Apocalypse: the Chosen".

It's part of the Age of Apocalypse storyline, where Charles Xavier has accidentally been murdered in the past - so the X-Men never came to exist and Apocalypse rules the US in the present.

The artwork is excellent. The writing can be touching at times. I like the Cable part (the first book) - they do nothing but talk, but it's just a preparation of what is about to come: The nearing end of their existence. What follows is the Age of Apocalypse and a little introduction through the "new" characters.

This book doesn't contain the complete story - so it's as useless as a vegetarian steak dinner without the other TPBs of this particular storyline. There are ten more. But there are also spin-offs like "Tales from the Age of Apocalypse" and the mini-series of Blink.

For a complete reading list of this storyline, read my X-Men: LegionQuest review.

Most of the, well, almost all of the X-Men things are, let's face it, purile crap with no true redeeming features and only the occasional rare flashes of briliance.

But this was different. This and the entire age of apocalypse saga are different. They are good, DAMN good! It's like they stored up all the good bits and true characters and plot from 30 years, sucking it out of the rest of the series like some vampire, then hurled it all into one twist.

The only thing that bugs me is that this, the ONLY worthy thing to come out of marvel in years (INCLUDING Todd McFarlane!) has been buiried and forgotten!

If they would just scrap the xmen as they are NOW, and bring this back, they would have a real comic book!