What does the average Ethiopian home look like? What is the average Cuban family's hope for the future? How much does a carrot cost on the black Market in Bosnia? Which country has the highest fish consumption per capita? What does the average Japanese father have for breakfast?

It may seem trivial, but these are the questions that Peter Menzel and the creators of "Material World" have tried to answer. And the answers they found are more profound than you might think. 30 very different countries, and 16 excellent photographers, trying to show through images, statistics and interviews how the world's average families live. The differences are astonishing: the financially average Abdullah family in Kuwait is both literally and figuratively a world removed from the Cakonis in Albania.

In this book, created to celebrate the United Nations International Year Of The Family, sumptuous photographs, show each family with their material possessions spread around them outside their homes: while one family's material wealth seems to consist almost entirely of carpets, another's is made up of animals and cooking pots. One family has four cars, another a single and ragged looking donkey. More photographs show each family in the course of the average day, and coupled with data based on interviews, they answer questions such as: do the children go to school? Where does their food come from? What does their house look like? And most tellingly, what is their most treasured possession? More light hearted sections, which explore average televisions, toilets and meals across the world, show at once how alike and different we are.

The creators of "Material World" have sought, and achieved a fine balance. They contrast not only those countries which we know to be rich or poor, but also look at how other factors, such as war and technology, affect families. The information is implicit rather than explicit, conveyed only through the images and words of each family; while the photographers' impressions are expressed in small "photographer's notes" sections, their main function is simply to show us the real lives of their subjects. No judgements are passed, nor opinions given. The reader is left to examine the evidence for themselves.

"Material World" works on many levels. The quality of photography and the compilation of each section make it beautiful to look at - a smart and very PC coffee table book. The statistical information and photographs together provide a wealth of material for use in schools. Flipping backwards and forwards to explore the differences yourself is as much fun as "Where's Waldo", and the writing is so good that "Material World" is a great book to snuggle up with and read. I can only pick one fault with this book: the more trivial statistical data is not always consistent. For example, data on percentages of income spent on food is only available for some families, making comparison impossible. However, this is a small fault. "Material World" is a fantastic book, original, interesting and well put together. Highly recommended to anyone with even a slight interest in the subject.

"Material World" is one of those books that EVERYONE should read. It really is beyond description...deceptively simply yet incredibly moving in its stark simplicity. In these pages about families across the globe, we see scenes from their everyday life. When we glance at the pictures of each family on their lawn surrounded by all of their material goods, the difference between the average American family and the average Ethiopian family couldn't be plainer. We look at the faces on these pages, hear their thoughts on the future, and compare their lives to our own...and suddenly the people in other countries seem real to us, and the faceless people of the news suddenly have faces and thoughts and homes and families. Peter Menzel and all of the others who have worked on this book have done a brilliant and wonderful thing when they created "Material World". They have done what no "You should be grateful..." or "Think of those people in other countries..." could have done...they have made the world real to us.

This book was a required "textbook" in a high school "Science and Sustainability" pilot class my school did in junior year. I remember we generally used the books in class but could check them out to take home if we wanted. I checked one out and din't want to give it back. I think I skipped two classes that day just sitting in the student lounge poring over it, and I think the people reading over my shoulder probably had other things to do as well, but I couldn't put it down, it was so fascinating. So of course I bought my own and I can still pick it up and pore over it for another three hours with the same fascination. It's real life, and the families are real people that you feel somehow close to after reading this. I love this book and show it to everyone. This book will change the way you look at things. Also, for those who think that this book is primarily about material goods around the world, you couldn't be more wrong. Each chapter shows an incredibly detailed portrait of life in another country, and is as wonderful for introducing kids to other cultures as it is for opening their eyes to economic realities. Enjoy.

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We have prepared many great recipes that were absolutely delicious!

The recipes / preparations are easy to read, with clearly detailed preparation steps.

Highly recommend this book if you like hot Cajun dishes; (our favorite - Cajun Meatloaf with extra spices. Best enjoyed when re-heated after sitting in the refrigerator for 24 hours - I have no idea why!)

Favorite Recipes:
1.....Shrimp Etouffe'e (page 75) - of course!

2.....Cajun Meatloaf (page 112)

3.....Cajun Seafood Gumbo with Andoulle Smoked Sausage (page 208)

Negatives:
1.....I only give it 4 stars because it does lack some of the enticing glossy pictures we have grown to expect for visual pleasure. (I have the 1990, or so, edition, so this may no longer be accurate)

2.....Many recipes have multiple steps to make the sauce, or base, then prepare the recipe. If you are strapped for time, or not a dedicated chef, this can be disappointing.

3.....Not everyone likes Cajun heat; so, while not all recipes are hot, this issue will limit the recipes to choose from.

4.....Diet with Prudhomme? Forget it!

Years ago watching Phil Dohahue, my husband and I viewed Paul Prudhomme promoting his book the Louisianna Kitchen. we were intrigued and had to have his book. Thus began our journey. We loved the illustrations and poured over them trying to decide which recipes we would do. We tried many and they have since become standards in our household.

I remember our first attempt at Crawfish enchiladas con Queso. we went over to a bait shop on the sacramento river to get the real thing. After the ordeal of immersing them in boiling water and the tedium of peeling them. we decided bay shrimp may make a good substitute and have used them ever since. It is a wonderful meal that starts me drooling just thinking about it.

Other tasty treats are Chicken big mamou (watch out for the scovil units), Cajun shepherd's pie, paneed veal and fettucini, cajun meatloaf and shrimp creole.

Over the years we have learned to cut down on the butter, without hurting the recipe and adjust heat to our taste. These recipes are not for the timid or diet conscious - but they are Deeeelicious!!

If you have ever wanted to cook the same fine foods you ate when you visited South Louisiana (or even if you never have visited the bayou) then this is the cookbook for you. I grew up in Louisiana and now live many cotton fields, rivers, praries and mountains away. Not once have I ever had an unsatisfied craving for cajun food simply because Louisana Kitchen is a bookshelf away. If you ever have the privilege to taste a bowl of Gumbo better than the recipe in this book, I promise I would give you your money back if that was legally possible. The only drawback to this book is now every time I order cajun food anywhere in the world it's a letdown because I can make it so much better thanks to Chef Paul! I will say you must enjoy cooking if you purchase this book. If you don't have a love for chopping vegetables, making roux or boiling shrimp shells I would suggest a lower maintenance cookbook because Paul don't cut no corners and there's a reason for that!

I have been a dedicated Beatles fan for many years. The Beatles have been with me for years and have inspired many of my own works. Listening to the albums and watching the Beatles' movies has been a very important part in my life, and owning this book is the ultimate experience. I'm twenty-two and unlike my mother and father who were actually around to experience The Beatles, I have grown up only listening and watching everything about them. If you have ever wondered about the background of a certain song or the reasons behind certain lyrics, you need only turn this book. I bought this at a flea market when I was about twelve and I continue to pick it up and read or find about a certain song or recording day in the life of the amazing group that we call The Beatles. This book is a must have for the Beatles collector, and will be more valuable beyond its price.

Almost ten years ago I bought this book --hardcover-- in Mexico City, noy quite knowing its content. As a growing Beatles fan myself, I found it as a perfect guide to the group's development into studio techniques. If one wants to know how the Beatles turned the recording studio into an instrument in itself, one just has to read in detail: the 1962-1966 period (when the simplest, most straightforward music was composed) has only 60 pages, whereas the complex 1966-1970 period accumulates 120. One can know the origin of the backwards tapes, the tape edition (ie, at the end of "...Mr Kite!"), the outside musicians, the psdychedelic "sonic textures", the fundamental roles of producer George Martin and engineers Norman Smith and Geoff Emerick. One can even know the names of the orchestra performers. One can know the problematic "Get Back" sessions held in January 1969. This book opens a window to the landscape of the big experiments going on in Abbey Road studio two where the history of popular music changed. It's no surprise Paul McCartney calls this book "the bible".

I walked into my university bookstore years ago during a book sale and I spotted this book... "Some Beatle garbage" I said to myself. Then I found myself buying the book...!

Then I found myself buying all the Beatles CD so I could listen to the music that was described in the book...

I think the Beatles ARE BRILLIANT and I despair what to think my life would have been without the Beatles!! I just spent the whole day of New Year's Eve listening to various Beatle cds and other sources!! This is a great book! and it's not being published...! :(

If your game group wants more choices in character types and skills, if you want to whip up an instant population of craftsmen before or even during the game, if you want more depth in the nonplayer characters (NPCs) you play, or if your players' visits to towns and cities have become a long, non-roleplaying chore, then this book is for you. This volume is packed with an incredible wealth of gaming aids and ideas. Everything is here to let you, for example, quickly look up an exact remedy and price from the town herbalist or alchemist, play a prerolled Sage or Craftsman instantly, set up your own specialist Expert in a few minutes, set up a Guild, let a player train/practice in a craft or play an unusual Expert, or determine whether a city even has certain Experts available.

The book outlines five broad types of Experts (Craftsmen, Scholars, Entertainers, Professionals, and Tradesmen) and under them, details 28 types of Expert: Alchemists, Physicians, Courtesans, and more. Many, such as the Armorer, Physician, or Sage, would usually act as "services" in town; some could be important NPCs, such as the Steward of the local castle; others, such as the Guide, the Artificer, and the Slaver, could easily become the center of new adventures. A great amount of supplementary and background material supports these Expert types: medieval work area and laboratory descriptions, a whopping list of about 110 new skills, three new feats, and Guildmasters (as a new prestige class) and their guilds (including several tables for quick random generation of guild structures and availabilities in any given town/city). Table contents include effects of unsound construction, ship design flaws, sages' libraries, herbal remedies (with availability and properties), mineral availability, device complexity, Experts as spell casters, Experts' prices per level, and more. A second prestige class, the Militiaman, is also offered, and suggestions are given on use of the various Experts' materials as part of a campaign or for player character use.

The 28 ready-to-go NPC Experts (one of each kind) have enough background and personality to get going the moment you need them, without being so detailed as to require major rewrites for your campaign. The worst you'd need might be a name change for the person, their city of origin, or their god. A few of these characters have enough back story (ranging from humorous to sinister) to potentially springboard some side-quests for the Dungeon Master. Linked to several of these NPCs are some of the book's 17 brand-new magic items (all items are tied to the Experts theme, such as the Everfull Brewpot, Fireseal Wax, and the Mini Mecha Golem); these could be easily written into side-quests as well.

Highly recommended.

Hack and slash role laying might be a thing of the past. After trying out Experts with our local gaming group recently, even the most hard core Hack and Slashers had to agree that this book is a great way to break the sterotype most people think of when they hear D&D. With a host of extras that help the GM fill out his world better, Experts is well worth my gaming dollars

An amazing book full of detailed information to enable any campaign to flush itself out with characters from all walks of life. Good for building specialize background characters to make the game run smoother, give a quest to further the plot, or even to allow Player Characters something to make them more unique this book has is all. More Feats and Skills to have players make or arrange to have made just about anything they can think of. From the simple tradesman to a citywide guild, you can create what you need for your campaign. New Items, ready made characters, DC tables to guide tasks for the Trades and Professions, as well as more than twenty five expert classes. Defiantly worth keeping in your library of books.

Tennis Confidential by Paul Fein is a logically organized collection of essays, reports on remarkable matches, and interviews, that I found serendipitously searching the web, and read with the appreciation of the author's ability to get deep into the topic while enjoying plastic description of events, matches, broader impact of events for pro-tennis, and post-game interviews etc. The style of writing was concise and to the point. The author is at his best in the middle of the book conveying the ongoing issues of pro-tennis from the possible rule changes, computer and year to date; to the Prize-Money equality/inequalities. This book wont help to improve your game, but will definitely provide a collection of deep thoughts about the game of tennis, and the paradoxical and complicated psyche of the players that have shaped the Open-Era. In my opinion, the book reaches the quality of B. Collins's My Life with the Pros, and P. Bodo's The Courts of Babylon, while keeping its own unique concept of tennis and style, and selection of topics surviving the tests of time. TC II deserves its consideration

I love the WONDERFUL book "Tennis Confidential" by Paul Fein: great! I like especially the Memorable Interviews with Pete Sampras, John McEnroe and the immortal Champion Arthur Ashe. A schemer course among personage, men and myths of the Tennis Planet. An excursus sober, moderate and always elegant, by a very professional writer and... confidant. The best tennis book I have read. Thanks for living, Paul! --- A tennis webmaster.

I recommend Paul Fein's book to anyone interested in a deeper understanding of the game, it's players, it's history, and the future direction of tennis. Paul Fein has captured it all in this excellent and easy to read book. I have read many books on tennis but this one kept my interest from beginning to end. It's filled with detailed information about a variety of different pros, different conflicts, and different tennis historical facts. His research is outstanding. I could not believe the information I learned that I did not know. And if that were not enough his book ends with the ten greatest matches in history. Tennis Confidential is a must read for tennis fans!

Tennis Enthusiast

Kavik is a sled dog who is sold and flown over on plane. Only, he never arrives where he's supposed to be. The plane crashes and he's stranded in a cage for days. Then a boy named Andy Evans rescues him. Soon Kavik is well again and the champion sled dog's rightfull owner finds out that his dog survived and claims him back, but Kavik wants to stay with Andy. When Kavik arrives with his rightful owner, he is then 2,000 miles away from what he calls home. He's determined to arrive home again but it's a tough journey for a single dog.

Kavik the Wolf-dog was the first book about wolf-dogs I have ever read. Because of this book, it inspired me to respect and raise my own wolf-dogs and wolves to teach people how noble these animals are. I was in second grade when I read it.Now I'm almost thirty and this book stills vividly sticks in my mind. This is a classic novel.

I read Kavik The Wolf Dog and loved every bit of it. I like how it told a story about a dog trying to find his way home, and the challenges that he had to overcome to get back to the place is loves. I think that this is a book that lots of people would love to read. If you like adventure, this is the book for you!

I loved reading Richard Paul Evans' new book, The Christmas Box Miracle. He reveals in an honest and straight-forward manner, incidences in his life where destiny and hope were the main life forces. In reading his stories, I was able to remember specific incidences in my own life where I know that the element of hope was paramount to my later successes. I was also able to realize that in my life, like Richard Paul Evans' life, true healing has a spiritual component. This book is fast reading, but the feeling and message leaves a slow, bright feeling that lasts for days. I recommend that anyone who is looking for a way to believe in miracles read, The Christmas Box Miracle.

It is so amazing to me how one man's work and experiences can touch the lives of so many people. This is a true miracle. Mr. Evans is an exquisite man with the ability to help others see the true purpose in life and cope with tragedy that may come their way. I read the book cover to cover without putting it down. I cried, I laughed, I felt the pain and the joy shared in each story. This book came at the perfect time for this nation. A time to understand destiny, healing, and hope. Thank you, Mr. Evans, for a wonderful book that I will cherish and share with many others.

In a perfect world, I could sit down with Sir James M. Barrie, Kenneth Grahame or T.H. White and ask them to tell me where the stories that they wrote came from. As a young man, these books stirred my soul, changed my life and left me, at the last page, a better person for having read them but with a thousand questions in my soul. I would ask them the source of the images, the inspiration, the words, and the magic on their pages. And I would thank them for telling me the wonderful story behind the wonderful story.

Foe everyone who has read and been touched by The Christmas Box, Richard Paul Evans has heard us and has invited us into his house and his heart to be present at the genesis and journey of his mystical tale and has allowed us to share the stories of those who felt, and were transformed by, the miracle of the book.

The Christmas Box Miracle is as much a miracle as The Christmas Box but it is a true, genuine and moving story. It is told with tender affection, a sense of humor and a moving respect for a Higher Power who uses The Christmas Box to heal broken hearts and touch even the most cynical souls.

It is a spiritual journey and a life journey and lets us know that, behind the numbers who have read the original book, are real people who were hurting from an unbelievable loss and found the will, through the power of God and a small book, to regain and restart the lives that they thought they had lost within themselves.

A must read for those who read The Christmas Box and a perfect reason to read it for those who haven't. Thank you, Richard, for giving me what the other writers who changed my life couldn't give me.

Java Thread Programming is by far the best treatment of this subject in the marketplace. I have found that the structure, code samples, and reference very handy. Paul Hyde is a very easy to understand writing artist. His approach is informational and practical. This book is for the experienced Java developers who would like to learn, and revisit threads from a more thorough standpoint. Therefore, I highly recommend this book to all serious Java developers.

Paul does an extremely good job of explaining threads. Even
though I haven't yet completed the book, I have already gotten
my moneys worth out of it.
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It has been quite awhile since I looked into threads. I've had
little opportunity to use them, and none in Java. So, I was
quite pleased to see the number of very positive comments about
this book. I have yet to understand the harsh rating by Dan.
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I bought this book (mainly because of the number of good
reviews) because I had a problem I was trying to solve. Since
getting the book, I've worked my way through 8 chapters, and
have greatly enjoyed reading the material, as well as having
learned/relearned a vast amount about Java threads.
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Pros:
- Excellent writing style
- Very few (as far as I can tell anyway ;-) errors
- Use of a variety of example styles to demonstrate thread
relationships, and timings - these make for much better
comprehension of the material.
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Cons: (nothing significant)
- End of section/chapter exercises could be of benefit.

I bought this book purely to understand how the notify()/wait() system works in Java and how I could use it for network server threads. I now have working software so for that reason alone it was a great buy!

It's an easy to read book with quite good examples. However, my main issue was that I wanted a "cookbook" with ready to use and well written code samples. Instead, this book is written for people who learn sequentially by reading from the front of the book to the back. So a lot of the code samples are actually examples of code that is deficient for some reason and then the following code is an example of how the deficiency was mitigated. This isn't bad if you read the book from start to finish but if you want to dive in, grab a code snippet of something that'll work, and work well, you have to root around a bit to find the final example.

Carl Sagan is so widely known for his popularization of science that his thoughts on the philosophy of science are easily forgotten. Which is unfortunate, because he also shines in this area. This is never more aptly demonstrated than when he discusses the ideas of Immanuel Velikovsky. The ideas themselves are “explanations” of many of the ancient myths created by invoking rather extreme and unusual astronomic phenomena. While the explanations are clearly preposterous, Sagan does not simply dismiss them, but subjects them to a thorough critical examination. Along the way he also criticizes some of his scientist colleagues, pointing out that the role of science is not to make preconceived value judgements, but to subject all ideas to the ruthless meritocratic critical analysis that makes science work. His reasoned arguments against Velikovsky’s ideas and against some who rejected them using attacks beyond the normal bounds of legitimate criticism, is the best explanation of how science should work that you will ever find.
The title of the book is derived from his finding the preserved brain of Paul Broca in a French museum. Broca is best known for discovering the previously unsuspected fact that the brain is compartmentalized into functional regions. Broca’s brain is preserved in a jar of formalin and when he finds it, Sagan asks some questions that go to the heart of what makes humans what they are and what we become after death. His simple question, “How much of that man known as Paul Broca can still be found in this jar?” is a very profound one. If you possess a religious nature, the answer is probably “nothing.” However, if you follow modern studies of how the brain functions, there is the fascinating thought that since memories seem to be stored in proteins, it may be theoretically possible to “recreate” a dead person by manipulating their memory proteins. Such thoughts could also be used to argue in favor of life after death, in that we live on if our protein patterns live on. The soul of a human could then be considered as a permanent record of these patterns, that are continually updated as a person generates new memories.
The first book by Carl Sagan that I ever read was Intelligent Life In The Universe, which he co-wrote with I. S. Shklovski. I struggled through the book when I was still in elementary school, being overwhelmed with the science but so enthralled with the writing and subject matter that I refused to quit until I completed it. He was clearly the most lucid, readable and passionate expositor of what science is that his generation produced. His passing left a void that is not easily filled.

Carl Sagan established his reputation as a writer with three works: Cosmos, Broca's Brain, and Contact. Cosmos is renowned as one of the century's best non-fiction works and Contact became a top-grossing, award-winning film. Broca's Brain meets the standard of Sagan's more famous pieces. Even were you to only read one chapter, the book would still be worth purchase. I especially recommend this book to those who have read John F. Haught (theologian) or Stephen Hawking (physicist) and assume that science and religion are locked in a death match.

I read "Broca's Brain" in high school (late eighties) at a time when I believed in all sorts of pseudoscientific flim-flam. In an entertaining and very readable style, Sagan showed the weaknesses in the theories of those on the edge of science, and from that point onward I viewed everything with a skeptical mind.

Even if you are a man, this book is a MUST read for anyone who has a boy or works with boys (teachers, coaches, etc). My husband and I read this in anticipation of the birth of our boy (I am 6 months pregnant) and we can't stop discussing what we've learned!

Biddulph takes you through the key stages in a boy's development, explaining in an easy to read format what can be done to assist boys in learning and developing into healthy, happy people. He explains the difference between what girls need and what boys need and how to help boys reach their potential.

After you read this, you will be like us - you will be buying this for everyone you know who is around boys! The best I've read on the subject. Can't wait to read his other books...

I LOVED this book so much that I found myself quoting from it to my friends and family. Raising Boys is packed with information that is easy and fun to read. Through the entire book, I could identify traits that not only opened my eyes to behavior from my own two sons and other males in my life (their friends, my brothers, etc.), but has shown me ways to handle or respond to both their positive and negative behavior! Steven Biddulph also explains the biological differences between boys and girls without being sexist!

I recommend this information packed and yet humorous book to anyone who has a boy or knows a boy of any age. This should be required reading for all teachers!

This is a book that I find myself picking up over and over again to reinforce the information I have learned. It's really made a difference in my understanding of the male species, and how I interact with them.

As a first time expecting parent of a boy I have many concerns. My biggest one being that I am single and will be raisig my new son without a father. This book stresses the importance of male role models but also helped give me many alternatives to a father. Now I feel better knowing ways I can do things to help make up for him not having a father and that things can work out just as well. Plus the book also covers areas such as gender differences, sexuality, and how to help him in everyday life and what he needs in a parent(s)as well as from other people in his life. This book has given me confidence that I can raise him well. I recommend this book highly to single mothers who are concerned about male role models for their son and also to first time parents of boys.