This module, designated "T1-4", subsumes the previously released Village of Hommlet into a much larger environment which includes the shire of Nulb, the Temple of Elemental Evil, and the Elemental Nodes ( partial planes connected to the dungeon ).
There is a lot of information here tying in the events from Queen of the Demonweb Pits and detailing the various factions vying for ascendance both within the Temple and without.
If you're a fan of the Gary Gygax presentation of Greyhawk, this module is a "must-have" ( on the other hand, if Gygax's writing style or game ideas do not appeal to you, this is more of the same, so be warned ). You might have a problem finding a copy of this module in excellent condition - it's around 18 years old at this point, and the copies that are out there tend to have been used in actual campaign play, so they may have been written in, etc. This module was promoted as an adventure area which could take 1st level characters all the way to 8th level.
The module seems to provide the first up-close information about Iuz, listing his detailed statistics in the monster section
( along with St.Cuthbert ). Since the module came out around a year before the book Artifact of Evil, Iuz's origin is less certain; it is suggested he may be a "by-blow of Orcus". Well, we now know that he's actually a by-blow of Graz'zt. The information given contains some things about Iuz that I didn't get from other sources. It also mentions that he has a Soul Object secreted on Zuggtmoy's Abyssal plane ( which doesn't do a lot of good if SOMEONE kills him there ).
Speaking of killing demigods, demons, and the like, this module seems to perpetuate the influence of the Elric saga on Gygax's D&D work. Stormbringer was mentioned in the DMG, so it doesn't seem unfair to compare the killing of Lolth's and/or Zuggtmoy's Prime Material Plane avatars with Elric slaying the earthly forms of the Chaos Lords. However, just as in the later module City of Skulls ( NOT by Gygax ), a direct confrontation between Iuz and the player characters is beyond the scope of any low-level party. There are things that can be done in the greater Temple which will tend to attract the attention of Iuz and get him to appear; if he does so, the party is pretty much toast, except there is then a 90% chance that St.Cuthbert will appear to counter Iuz, at which point the two of them will depart via thunderclap to "settle their differences elsewhere".
This brings me to what is basically my sole criticism of this module : it seems unsuited for low-level characters, specifically the 3rd and 4th levels of the Temple. If a certain magical item is obtained, the module can be finished off somewhat efficiently, but the module potentially involves combat with a major demon lord ( lady, actually ), and there are many enemies to deal with, including those found in the Elemental Nodes. Many of the NPCs found in Hommlet and Nulb are listed as being potential additions to the party ( some of them are evil, so watch out! ) and it really seems like the party is going to need all the help it can get.
Finally, there's a new "Temple of Elemental Evil" out there, in which the temple is really a temple of Tharizdun, and the "Black Cyst" from the 1982 Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun module is reused.
This "Temple of Elemental Evil" (9147) is the original, and it's one of the really essential snapshots into Gygax's concept of the campaign world. Why fix what ain't broke?

I loved this book and re-read it every summer to get ready for the Miss America Pageant. This is not just a story on how to win a crown, but a funny, witty and smart look at American culture. The author has brought a fresh eye to a subject that could have been reduced to "and then she wore ..." The Miss America Organization is not just a one time a year pageant but a thriving company. Anyone who wants to invent and run their own business should read this story - not only are the contestants out to win, but so is Atlantic City and the Miss America Organization. A brilliant read. Did I say I loved it?

It has become widely popular to draw connections and similarities between the different people in our contemporary world. This might be done in terms of natural or universal human rights or in other ways, which aim to emphasise that we are all part of a common humanity and that we all share similar values despite our cultural differences. There is allegedly some basic morality, which we all share, and on this minimalist morality it is possible to build a thicker or maximalist understanding of morality. Michael Walzer in his book Thick and Thin: Moral Argument at Home and Abroad argues that what is in question is much more complicated than that.

Despite its relatively limited number of pages (104 pages), Thick and Thin takes its reader on a voyage of discovering oneself. In the five chapters Michael Walzer approaches our understandings of morality and justice by initially explaining why it was possible or perhaps easy to sympathise with the people marching on the streets of Prague in 1989. In each consequent chapter, Walzer deepens his argument about the necessity of re-understanding our own minimalist and maximalist concepts of morality and how this is important not only in explaining domestic and international issues, but also in understanding them. In the final chapter, Walzer identifies how complex understandings are shaped and constructed by examining the divided self.

Originally the five chapters of Thick and Thin were first brought together as Lectures in Political Analysis at Loyola University, Chicago, in 1993 and published by University of Notre Dame Press the following year in the same form. As Walzer recognises, they are an extension to his earlier work such as Just and Unjust Wars and Spheres of Justice, and a response to the criticism he has received to his earlier work and ideas. Equally importantly, Walzer aims to strengthen his arguments in the new political world 'marked by the collapse of the totalitarian project'.

In his colourful and intricate fashion, Walzer is able to appeal to the common reader and the specialist. Although he concentrates on such issues as self-determination and intervention, the basic principles of respect for the plurality of human societies and that there is no single, universal way in human affairs can be applied also elsewhere. We all share a minimalist morality in the sense that we could have marched with the people in Prague or Tienanmen Square in the name of freedom or justice, but 'while we march in spirit with the men and women in Prague, we have in fact our own parade.'

We can unite behind a banner of justice, but how we understand its meaning is the constructed product of time and place. George Orwell's claim that 'there's a statue inside every block of stone' does not hold to Walzer, who argues that Orwell's statue does not represent true minimalism. Minimalism, according to Walzer, begins with the statue that is then in a moment of crisis hastily constructed as a sketch, stick figure, to which others can allude to. We share an image of a statue, but we do not share its details: 'What unites us at such a time is more the sense of a common enemy than the commitment to a common culture.' Walzer therefore stands earlier theories on their heads and argues that moral maximalism, whose 'principles and procedures will have been worked out over a long period of time through complex social interactions', precedes moral minimalism.

Although Walzer argues that there is no single, final blueprint, he does contemplate that in international politics there is a universal moral minimalism expressed by the principle of self-determination. Despite its internal controversy, this guiding principle ought to be realised in international politics to the extent that self-determination should not be denied from groups, which actively seek it. Naturally, Walzer recognises that such issues are complex, and that there is no single way which could be applied to all cases. Walzer, in fact, strips the power of some common assumptions about the resulting chaos of bending to the will of separatist forces, and quite clearly sets out guidelines to how issues of self-determination and separatism ought to be dealt with: case by case. One of the most important aspects lies exactly here, and it would especially benefit most cosmopolitans to listen to Walzer on this point: although we might share common minimalist understandings with other societies, the way in which those ought to be realised are different due to the differences in our maximalist moralities; our way might not be the way for others.

The other important aspect in Walzer's writing is the insight to how the self not only divides itself among its interests and roles, among its identities and answers to many names, but that it also divides itself among its ideals, principles and values. Why some principles are more dominant than others at various times and places depends upon the self-critics within ourselves and their influence in us: 'I have, let's say, fantasies of saintliness, but the critical voice that speaks for saintliness doesn't speak with very much immediacy or passion. This self-critic is relatively distant and disinterested since it knows (I know) that I am never going to hit that mark.' But another self-critic might speak from a closer position.

However, Walzer's arguments can be taken to imply some justification for moral irresponsibility. In attempting to communicate the connection between morality and time and place, Walzer simultaneously opens the door for justifying inconsistency in responses to crises. Similarly, his writings can be read to contain an internal conflict of simultaneously denying any universal principles or morality, and at the same time advocating for one: his own. Such a reading, though, is narrow and misses the very point Walzer tries to communicate. We begin with our own thick conceptions, but we can recognise the thin in others. In other words, although we might not agree with Walzer completely, there are necessarily some things in his argument that we recognise in ourselves despite our different backgrounds. In a manner, then, we actually completely agree with Walzer in the sense that his sketch of morality shares similar features as our sketch.

Anyone who has a Judeao-Christian background/insight should read this book. As a story it is entertaining and thought provoking.
Combining this with a Biblical plot you have a unique insight into the life of the biblical characters portrayed.
Please read this book.

F. Slaughter is a genius as he weaves a consuming tale of love a Roman soldier feels for a common woman from a far away place. As the story unfolds, so does a soldier's misfortune. Yet, he finds a love unbounded, wild, and free, in our cosmic tradition of love. His choices become love, or the betrayel of empire, and in his battles he finds himself, and his love of life. In the final chapters, Slaughter reveals the world he lives in, a world born of desire, a few whims, a bit of sacrifice, and the glory of love.

I am a person with a heart yearning to learn. I know I will continue to learn from these stories all my life. And, I know that in sharing these stories, I will bring understanding to other's lives.

This concise and easy to read book is essentialy a crash course in single particle reconstruction by electron microscopy. It isn't exactly a how-to manual, more an overview of how the whole process works. Thus, it is useful not only to someone who wants to learn how to do this, but also to those who might be interested in deciding if this technique would be useful to them. And actually, the whole topic is sufficiently cool that I would recommend the book even to people who know they will never use this technique, just because its fun to read about it. The book is clearly written and doesn't assume alot of prior knowledge. A basic undergrad education in math would be enough to handle the equations.

An exciting book in which you, yes YOU, the reader, choose what happens next in the story! Easily read and simple text matter for young adults.

Similar to his work in his previous work "Theories of theInformation Society", Webster offers a perspective on the changesin the contemporary society that is far from celebrational. By no means does he follow the same discours as other writers on this topic do (such as Levinson, Wired Magazine) and critically analyzes the multiple implications of actual virtual life (MUD's), the existing discours on technoculture and the capitalist dimension behind the new global information order. I've found this book to be a good starting point for readers already somewhat familar with the pecularities of the subject that wish to conduct further exploration into realm of cyberscience. The downside of this soft specialism is that Webster and Robins tend to disect the smallest particles which makes it a tough read from time to time. However, their insights are well argumented and left me feeling more educated on the topic. Go buy it.