As a "student" of European politics, I found Vibert's book an interesting alternative to the politics of integration. I doubt that his "full throttle" approach will be accepted, but his inclusion of the values and the processes that must go into constitution-building fills a gap sadly neglected in the political theory field.
I was especially impressed by his comparison of the European Union and the United States as examples of constitutional unions. The benefits and the warnings which he presented based on the US model were carefully and expertly applied in his analysis of the current European developments.

Tony Fleming
arfleming@gems.vcu.edu

Frank Fischer's Evaluating Public Policy is a very well researched book that guides the reader through some very difficult concepts very gracefully. Fischer hopes to spell out a comprehensive guide to establishing effective public policy. Unfortunately, in this type of complicated subject, even a seemingly simplistic outline of this process can create difficulties. Fischer understands these problems but does not let them interfere with his methodical explanation and evaluation of a number of policies. He attempts to establish a never fail plan for evaluating various policies. Unfortunately, he undermines any simplicity through his discussion of complicated examples. But the book is a worthwhile read because of these examples that Fischer uses. He never gives a hypothetical situation. Rather, he illustrates all of his concepts with real examples in legislation. This makes the book flow smoothly as story-telling is always a good mix with theorizing. Also, the reader leaves with a solid understanding of policies such as the revitalization of Times Square the Head Start Program. Do not read this book to gain a solid understanding of how to evaluate public policy. Read it instead to understand the dilemmas faced by those who engage in public policy making.

This book gives you the who's who and where in the history of the eighteenth century in a manner that is much easier to read than your old high school or college history class. It jogged my memory and peaked my curiousity on many events that were important to the present day politics and culture of Europe and the colonization of the world. It is fun to review the information in this succinct way. The only complaint I have is that the map of the world was changing with every war and it would of been nice to have an illustration or two for each event.

This is a workbook with a variety of math exercises for 9-12 year-olds. The focus is on problem solving skills, similar to the Chicago math approach. Good for keeping skills alive during the summer months. Reviews of math facts, skills, strategies, stats, etc.

I am only half way finished with the book and I have learned so much from it already. The edition I have is 1982, and other than the interest rates and other figures being off from current rates I can find nothing wrong. It covers pretty much everything you need in financing a home or a condo. I will be a first time home buyer and I feel much more confident regarding the process. A key phrase I will remember is "how can you NOT afford to buy a house"?

This book is written in an accessible and practical format. It assumes nothing but at the same time treats the reader as an intelligent participant on the journey to understanding evidence based practice.

It is up to date and I was especially impressed with the web address it gives to ensure the reader is kept abreast of any changes since publication.

It systematically explains the need and use of 'evidence', how to find it (the search advice is comprehensive and includes details such as search terms and the best search engines aswell as web addresses) how to evaluate it and also how to act on it.

All in all this book was great, and I would reccomend it to anyone involved in evidence based healthcare practice as it will guide you through the thorniest problems.

I had a fine time reading Exploring the North Coast. It covers all the little towns and tourist spots all the way up the coast on hwy1 and hwy 101. More interesting are the different Rocks and Rock formations all up the coast. The California coast has some of the greatest and most powerful Rocks of any place, and this guide mentions more than a few. However it does cover the disturbing trend that civilzation has of mutilating and destroying the giant rocks that get in their way. Like Goat Rock who was hacked away and dumped to form a useless harbor. This book is unique in that it is inclusive of some information about California Indians, in the context of where they live. This information helps one get a more well-rounded view of the history of California.

Having more than a dozen years in dealing with explosives safety, I must state that this is by far one of the best books I've read in dealing with Explosives, Propellants & Pyrotechnics. This book not only covers the basics, but actually goes into enough detail to keep even the most knowledgable persons interest.

This book is a great text book that even has questions and answers for each chapter. This book is a must if you are new to the field of explosives and would be a great addition to anyones collection.

"Factory Girls" by Frank McGuinness is an excellent play about five strong and independent women- Ellen, Una, Vera, Rosemary and Rebecca who struggle to keep their jobs in a Shirt Factory in Donegal. Ellen who is the ring leader faces up to the boss,the union and to the women in order to continue being the mother hen!! Throught the play the women rely on Ellen to fight their cause but suddenly they realise that they can and have to do without Ellen. The language used throughout the play is synonmous of working class women. The two male characters(the boss and the trade union man) are small and weak parts but the female superiority really makes up for this. After a threat of reduncacy the women decide to take over the manager's office and refuse contact with the outside world. The story depicted is truely realistic and is an absolutely excellent read. I most enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anybody who is game for a laugh!!! An excellent book.

this book was helpful because i was doing a research paper on fad dieting and it pointed out not only bad things but how to avoid them too.