This book has such a wealth of material about the plants of the Colorado mountains. It's not just pictures, though the photos are excellent, and botannical basics but also explanations of where the plants' common names originated and how they have been used medicinally. Its only failing is that it doesn't cover more.

Wonderfull book that encourages children to thnk about their ability to make a difference in environmental issues. One 11 year old boy I know missed dinner to finish the story! Great story with a likeable heroine.

The editor of this book could not have possibly played a significant role in getting this book reviewed prior to publication. The editot should have cleaned up the grammar. There were simply too many short thought that could have / should have been grouped together for increased clarity.

Nothing but an overview. Covers very nicely the topics of what can be done. It is extremely lacking of details of anything that you may need to implement. (If you are a system Admin I would hope you would not need this weak reference.) For implementing the SMS product, especially in an enterprise setting, It is a horrible reference.

This book is good for setting up the software on the servers and on the clients,and gives an overview of how it functions along with the different services and how they interact, but to truely use sms u need to have some scripts, and this book sorely lacked any sms scripting training or setup, what scripting information was given was very vague...

I, too, was a little disappointed in this book. I was expecting a little more information on the hows and whys of signing with your baby. I like the colorful pictures and it will be fun to play some of the recommended games. There is pretty much only a page or two of text in this book. Anyone who is looking for any information other than the 15 or so signs it teaches should not buy it.

As a Deaf mom with an 18 year old boy, I thought this book is the best signing book for kids his age. The interactive board is stupendous. My son loves the pictures and can sign ALL of them. Yes, it is not a reference book, it is for kids. The reason why I give it 4 stars and not 5, is because of the ring binding makes it too easy for kids to rip out pages, but the book itself is champ.

This basic intro to signing is wonderful! My two hearing children were almost obsessed with the book when I got it about a year ago. It comes with a felt board and velcro pictures of the actual objects (such as ball or cracker) the book teaches signs for. Very clear, easy to understand. What a wonderful reference as well as fun children's book.

I originally meant to buy Exam Cram not Exam Prep. When using Exam Prep I thought it did not prepare me for the tests. I have used one of the Exam Cram books for TCP/IP and thought it prepared me quite well. If your looking to take your MCSE test buy EXAM CRAM not Exam Prep.

I've been teaching the MCSE courses and on of my students brought the Exam Crams and Exam Prep books in the class, asked me to read and rate them. After reading through these books, I found these books are just excellent. They are full of technical stuffs, written in real English, and in a readable manner. I have even "talked" to one of the authors of the book as well (and his name is Ed). Ed was expert in the field and he was very fun to" talk" to. I definitely would recommend the books to all my students, friends.

Murasaki star system contains a duo of inhabitable planets that orbit each other: Genji - a high-gravity world with a dense, soupy atmosphere; and Chujo - an arid, wintry world of canyons and wind-swept plains. Neither is perfect for humans - on Genji they must wear pressure suits in addition to getting used to gravity levels half-again as high as on Earth; Chujo is more forgiving, though it can be intensely cold. Both planets serve home to sapient races: the Ihrdizu of Genji - low-tech amphibians that congregate in small villages; and the humanoids of Chujo - aloof, mysterious beings that ignore the humans entirely. It is here that the first manned interstellar expeditions will arrive, bearing humans of all frames of mind - Earthlings and off-worlders, atheists and philosophers, mystics and iconoclasts...

Instead of being a collaborative novel, "Murasaki" is a mixed bag of science fiction stories that share a setting, each written by a different award-winning author. Mind the fact that the only interesting part is the fairly in-depth world-creation notes (included as appendices), and that the stories are pathetically shallow and lead virtually nowhere...

...That is precisely what I though about this "science fiction novel in six parts" prior to reading the last two parts, which are so refreshingly, profoundly excellent that I almost wept with awe. A mystery of interplanetary proportions is suddenly built up and then revealed in flying colors.

It's really a pity that the rest of Murasaki doesn't follow suit.

I became interested in this book after reading Otherness by David Brin. One of the short stories in Otherness is actually a chapter in Murasaki. The book itself is has a very intruiging storyline and I enjoyed reading much of it. The only problam I had was the mental transition I had to make with each chapter of the book, as they are all written by different authors.

All in all, I would definitely recommend this book for anyone who likes the work of Brin, Bear, Anderson, Pohl, Kress etc etc etc.. They all wrote parts of it.

A good read.

I read a lot of young adult novels even though I'm in my thirties. While this one has a lot to say, there are some problems in the telling that take away a lot of the story's value.

Anthony has taken a job at fast-food restaurant O'Dermott's (a thinly-disguised McDonald's) because he wants revenge on Turner, who "stole" Anthony's girlfriend. Turner turns out to be even more of a jerk than Anthony realized, and so Anthony comes up with a master plan of revenge in conjucntion with co-worker Shunt, who is on a one-man anti-fast-food crusade. The plan involves angering their long-time rivals, Burger Queen.

While Anthony's "voice" is distinctive, much of the book is not believable and there are few characters to admire, with perhaps Shunt being the main exception. Anthony's former girlfriend correctly tells Anthony she wasn't anyone's to "steal", but aside from this she behaves in typical teenage sheep-follows-the-crowd fashion. Stacey, Turner's girlfriend, openly admits that Turner is a jerk but doesn't seem to want to do much about it. Rick and Jenn, a cooing-lovey-dovey couple, turns out to be idiots as well: Rick admits the secret to getting girls is getting them drunk, and essentially tells Anthony that his lack of pawing girls is what lost him his girlfriend. In other words, treat girls with respect and they'll think you're a wuss. I don't think the author is espousing this view, but neither is Anthony proven right in his view that respect is the way to go.

All in all, a good effort but unsatisfying and disappointing in several regards.

Ever since I read Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging, I've been on this fantastic young adult novel kick and stimulated quite a few forgotten memories in the process. Well, the trip down memory lane has only gotten better with my most recent find, Burger Wuss. As a former teenage employee of a major fast-food chain, I can definitely relate to some of the most hilarious antics I've ever read in a book.

Burger Wuss is not just about fast-food. It's about being a teenager and falling in love, then having your dreams squashed by someone bigger and better. And it's about revenge. Sixteen-year-old Anthony has hatched this devious plan of payback after getting his girlfriend, Diana, stolen by school bully, Turner. And what better way to put the plan in action then getting hired at Kermit O'Dermott's -- the exact place where Turner works. And for good measure, throw in a little rivalry with the other burger joint in town, Burger Queen; a whacked out employee named Shunt who's made it his main goal in life to undermine the fast-food chain; a too-serious boss, Mike, who spouts corporate lingo and upbeat team spirit pledges at any given moment; and two best friends, Rick and Jenn, who have found love with one another on a totally nauseating level. Burger Wuss is a hilarious and sarcastic spin on love, hamburgers and getting even.

M.T. Anderson has written an easy-to-read, clear and concise novel. The perfect teen angst novel that everyone can relate to, especially those who have been there, done that. And not just for kids -- take it from me, grown-ups will love this story and all it can do for them. Sit down, relax and enjoy this funny spoof of a book.

M.T.Anderson serves up a McHit in this hysterically funny satire of the teen problem novel, revenge, and employment in the fast food industry. Mr. Nice Guy Anthony, age 16, has done everything right and been a perfect gentleman with his girlfriend Diana - why does he find her horizontal with her co-worker Turner from the burger joint O'Dermott's? Diana quits her job when the scumbag wants nothing to do with her, and Anthony takes her job in a plan to exact revenge on Turner. Wuss no more, Anthony gets into fights, steals a promotional condiment dump, and creates a bona-fide fiasco involving Burger Queen, O'Dermott's rival restaurant. Will Mr. Nice finish last in this tale?
This is a laugh-out-loud funny book. Anderson has a keen ear for teen dialogue, and the words sound genuine. Quirky yet real characters include the nosy but well-meaning neighbor who eavesdrops on her cell phone, Anthony's best friends Rick and Jenn, who are sickeningly sweetly in love, and anarchist co-worker Shunt, determined to destroy O'Dermott's from within.
The in-your face cover and strong title will make this book leap off the shelves into reader's hands; the humor and honesty will keep the reader engaged to the end. Highly recommended for fans of Rob Thomas and Ron Koertge.

Once again, I state that I've never been an Anderson fan. 'Golden Age of the Sith' had some streong points, like a decent plot and beautiful art. Alas, the art quality drops a bit here and the story goes into a nosedive. There's almost no plot, save for a big battle. Granted, it can be pretty visually complex and interesting, drawing back to an old style of combat, but overall its quite lacking.

I've gotten out a fine-toothed comb, but cannot find any cohesive story, unfortunately. Read it only as a conclusion for 'Golden Age', but don't expect a lot.

This is the conclusion of the Golden Age of the Sith. The Fall is also set 5,000 years before NEW HOPE. While the art work also improves, yes I said improves, the story seems to disintegrate into itself. Since I like some of KJA's work, I am assuming that he was not the lead writer, just placed first alphabetically. Nothing important happens here so don't feel you need to waste your money buying this book, unless you want to buy mine!

This is a cool book that is about the Sith and moast of all Sith Lord Exar Kun.

I love to read nearly anything and everything I can find about WW2 history. This was one of those rare instances, however, where I picked up a book, read about half of it, then put it back down never to finish it. I just couldn't force myself to read any more.

Although the Battle of the Bulge is without a doubt one of the more interesting episodes of the war, and Dupuy provides a detailed account, in my opinion he's just a little too detailed. This book is written for someone who has a little more serious interest in mind than just an amateur historian such as myself. It is dry and choppy in its presentation. The thing that I found most distracting was the frequent digressions into mini-biographies every time a new general or other major figure was introduced to the narrative.

For example, a division commander is mentioned for the first time, and immediately the author cuts to a two page synopsis of the man's life and military career. He then abruptly shifts back to the main narrative after having led the reader on a merry rabbit chase. And he does this over and over and over again. Very hard to read unless you're a person who likes that sort of thing. I'm not one of those, and would not recommend this to anyone who is not a bit more serious student of WW2.

In their preface, the authors recount how this book initially came about from a research project for the US Army. Seeking a way to validate a computer combat simulation model, the authors focused on the Battle of the Bulge (which they go on to point out was really more a campaign than a single battle), as it was the only modern combined arms engagement on which they had sufficient detailed statistical and historical data available.
As a result the book reads as just that, a research project. The various movements, dispositions, strengths, weaknesses and so on of each unit are painstakingly recorded. Blow by blow accounts of every engagement, action and battle during the campaign are presented, almost down to platoon and squad level in some cases. The odd combat anecdote or portrait of a commanding general are thrown in here and there. The latter are interesting enough to make you wish the authors had spent more time on the personalities involved in the battle. SS General Sepp Dietrich's misgivings beforehand (which only appear as a footnote here) certainly hint at unexplored possibilities.
In spite of all that, the wealth of detail somehow weaves together and at the end you'll come away with a far greater understanding of the battle than when you started. As it stays away from cliche or from spending inordinate attention on the more well known events of the battle (i.e. the "Nuts" incident) the sober, impartial and objective narrative is certainly effective in dispelling any "illusions" or misconceptions you may have had. At the same time, possibly the most obvious preconception is reinforced, i.e. that the Germans had almost no hope of succeeding.
3 stars I think is justified, in that the book succeeds in what it sets out to do in presenting a scholarly, academic analysis of the Battle of the Bulge. For that reason, it will appeal to those with a serious interest in military history and the Second World War and is a worthy addition to the existing body of work on the Battle of the Bulge. However, a little more detail on the background of the campaign and, as mentioned above, on those involved could have only improved this book. Those seeking a page-turner should approach with caution.

Research is the strength of this work, not the telling of a major battle. It is difficult for the reader to grasp the overall view of this clash as it is layered over with detail upon detail. From mass movements to small skirmishes, it is told in the driest of writing style. The usual complaint levied against military books, inadequate maps, can not be claimed here. The maps are numerous and like the work itself, detailed. As a reference tool the book is invaluable and for this it merits the rating given. An interesting read it is not but it does belongs on the shelf of those with a serious interest in the Bulge.