Paul Ferrini is an author I wish that I had found years ago; however, I do believe that this book came into my life at the right time...The most Amazing book I have ever read...I am truly Grateful...and I love that it is Spiritual and not religious...God Bless You All! Jordan

Here is the voice of Jesus as though he were speaking to us on our favorite PBS hour. Paul Ferrini has give us a glimpse into the timeless wisdom and love that must have been witnessed by the first disciples. As His words have been rewritten over the centuries, and their original essence diluted, they are reinstated here, in absolute clarity and stinging soul searching honesty. The only thing that stands between us and a truly spriritual approach to living is,,,, us! Hear the Galalian Master's voice as it has not been heard before. I am getting chills just writing this, because this book reaches past any religion, any past hurts and walls you may have erected between you and the divine. "Invite the presence of God into your life, and he will come, we (the ego) just have to step aside."

Get this book!

This is a life-altering book!!! AMAZING! I have read many, many books regarding Christ, spirituality and religion, and this one by far, is the best. It felt "so right" and really spoke to my inner truth! A must read for anyone...of any age, race or religion!

Dolores Brandon has written a jewel. Using poetry, oral history and prose she communicates with depth and tension the joys and travails of her life with her family, most notably her father. Before manic depression or bi-polar disease was part of our collective vocabulary, Dolores experience spanned her father's ups and downs from everyday victories to down right fear. However, in this book Dolores manages to give each character a clear and resonant voice. She allows us to read her father's poetry and listen to her mother lullabies. She has also been able to forgive her father and understand her mother, which is something that eludes many of us. I was particularly fond of the way she brought to life the whole experience of growing up in the 50's. I was close to tears when I finished this book. Not from sadness but from that sense of communion that we always share but seldom tap into. It took courage, insight and understanding to write this book. I hope there will be more from Dolores Brandon.

Because the illness Delores Brandon describes in her memoir appears in my family through the generations, I have read several books to help understand the experience, and to connect with others going through it, and as a social worker to broker this knowledge to others, both sufferers and helpers. Kay Jamison has written an autobiography dealing with manic-depression, and Jackie Lyden described life with her mother who suffered the same illness. Because so many of us in my family were afflicted I have approached each of these writings with the eagerness of an 'insider'. Ms. Brandon describes how it is possible to both be horrified by and love a parent at the same time, something that is difficult to communicate to people who have grown up in more 'normal' families. It is possible to enjoy and celebrate people who are also really demonic and complicate the lives of their children. This kind of love and optimism combined with a realistic view of the destructive rage of the afflicted person is a rare combination that seldom finds expression in any media, and is especially clear in Brandon's spare and poetic style. It is immensely encouraging to those of us who live with the illness and I would ask people in the helping professions to use it to further their understanding of such families and persons so as to avoid simplifications and reductionisms. There are blessings and curses in these mostly genetic inheritances that beg to be appreciated, and must be lived with in any event. Though we are farther along in the humane treatment of manic-depression than we were in the time when Ms. Brandon's father was careening about, there is still much lacking especially in the so-called 'objective' approaches of 'treatment' that this book is a corrective for, and that makes this literary approach not only an adjunct to medicine and rehabilitation, but perhaps even a higher form of communication about the illness. Thank you for this wonderful work, Dolores Brandon!

Dolores Brandon has written a memoir of clear-eyed courage and enormous compassion. In a vivid, organic style that brings together poetry and monologue, memories sweet and bitter, Ms. Brandon tells an often harrowing tale of growing up with a father in the grip of mental illness and a mother incapable of protecting herself or her children from the devastating fallout. In a unique narrative rich with evocative images and finely tuned, lyrical passages, the author unfolds for the reader the shifting, volatile world in which she grew up and from which she emerged with the passionate need to create, to act, to write, to dream. It is an arduous but heartening birth out of chaos and pain, much like that experienced by Brandon's mentor, Anais Nin. In the Shadow of Madness is remarkable for its perception and candor; that candor invites her readers into the very inner corners of her life, and by example, frees them to explore disturbing areas of their own psyches.

My little girl is afraid of bugs. She loved this book--it introduced her to the idea that insects are interesting, and that it is okay to be really really excited about the world. A positive, funny and informative book.

My mom asked me to read it since she thought it was a great book. I did. And I like it. Amanda looks like any nerd in school, but she is actually really smart and cool.
She is smart because she knows everything about bugs, most of them in the story that I have never heard of. I would say she is an Einstein in the field of insects! I bet it takes a lot of hard work and a strong passion to be able to learn so much.
Amanda is cool too. Nobody tries to understand her. However, she never gives up her passion even though she often gets herself into troubles for it. That's what a real hero is about.
Well, I am glad that hero is not always lonely. At the end of the story, Amanda finally finds a bosom friend that shares the same passion with her. I like the happy ending!

I guess I am partial about liking this book. The reason is that I am the mother of the Amanda Frankenstein, whose name was used in this book. When the "real" Amanda was young, she too liked bugs. I thoroughly enjoy sharing this book with the students at my school where I teach. The students love the story and that my daughter's name is in the book. It is a special book to my family and I as well. Mrs. McDonald wrote a cute story showing how girls can like bugs and things of nature. She also showed how students can meet others who share similar likes.

to understand it. This book is intended for serious students of computer science or those who have some similar training - it is definitely set up as a textbook. However, that being said, if you have the background the authors' delivery is fist-class and very clear.

The reviews below give more than enough information so I won't belabour the Kolmogorov complexity here. Suffice it to say you won't find the subject detailed more fully in any other reference work in existence today.

However, this book does need to be revised and updated. There has been a lot of development in the field and the sections overviewing Solomonoff's work, in particular, could be expanded. Also, I found it hard to believe that nothing about the 'philosophical' importance of the whole induction question - this is at the core of many very important questions and should not be treated trivially.

There should also be some overview of two other areas that, in combination with the theory outlined in this text, are starting to form the nexus of a "new kind of science" (definitely not Wolfram's pathetic attempt). I refer to some information regarding non-classical logical systems as well as anticipatory computing systems. Both will, I predict, become core areas in addition to extensions to Kolmogorov/Chaitin complexity in the future.

All textbooks should be as clear and concise as this example.

The theory of Kolmogorov complexity attempts to define randomness in terms of the complexity of the program used to compute it. The authors give an excellent overview of this theory, and even discuss some of its philosophical ramifications, but they are always careful to distinguish between mathematical rigor and philosophical speculation. And, interestingly, the authors choose to discuss information theory in physics and the somewhat radical idea of reversible computation. The theory of Kolmogorov complexity is slowly making its way into applications, these being coding theory and computational intelligence, and network performance optimization, and this book serves as a fine reference for those readers interested in these applications. Some of the main points of the book I found interesting include: 1. A very condensed but effective discussion of Turing machines and effective computability. 2. The historical motivation for defining randomness and its defintiion using Kolmogorov complexity. 3. The discussion of coding theory and its relation to information theory. The Shannon-Fano code is discussed, along with prefix codes, Kraft's inequality, the noiseless coding theorem, and universal codes for infinite source word sets. 4. The treatment of algorithmic complexity. The authors stress that the information content of an object must be intrinsic and independent of the means of description. 5. The discussion of the explicit universal randomness test. 6. The discussion (in an exercise) of whether a probabilistic machine can perform a task that is impossible on a deterministic machine. 7. The notion of incompressibility of strings. 8. The discussion of randomness in the Diophantine equations; it is shown that the set of indices of the Diophantine equations with infinitely many different solutions is not recursively enumerable; with the initial segment of length n in the characteristic sequence having Kolmogorov complexity n. 9. The discussion on algorithmic probability, especially the test for randomness by martingales. 10. The Solomonoff theory of prediction and its ability to solve the problem of induction. 11. The treatment of Pac-learning and the resultant formalization of Occam's razor. 12. The discussion of compact routing; the optimal space to represent routing schemes in communication networks on the average for all static networks. 13. Computational complexity and its connection to resource-bounded complexity. 14. The notion of logical depth, i.e. the time required by a universal computer to compute the object from its compressed original description. 15. The connection between algorithmic complexity and Shannon's entropy. 16. The discussion on reversible computation, i.e. logically reversible computers that do not dissipate heat. 17. The treatment of information distance, i.e. for two strings, the minimal quantity of information sufficient to translate from one to the other.

This is one of the best-written mathematical texts I've read. It builds up the theory from basic principles, and illustrates it with numerous examples and applications. A definitive work.

Bogle is brilliant on so many of the investment issues that matter most to individual investors -- investing intelligently, the fallacy of active management, how the investment-management industry screws its customers and gets away with it, etc. But as good as he is as an investment "guru," he is even better as a writer.

His writing combines a deft mastery of mathematics with the ability to lay it out on the page so carefully that you'll wonder how you didn't think of the idea. His prose is simple, concise, and often, funny. Bogle is best in speeches and essays, this book combines a very well selected combination of both.

I read other investment literature, and I frequently see the articles and speeches in this book cited. Any interested observer of financial markets, investor wanting to keep from losing his shirt, or professional in the investment management industry would benefit from reading this book. I heartily recommend it!

The first two sections of this book changed my investment outlook. I now intend for the majority of my investments to be invested passively using index funds.

His arguments that most mutual funds underperform their respective index is convincing. This coupled with the difficulty of picking the managers that will outperform the index over the long term in advance, has convinced me that only by investing in the index can you guarantee that you will be investing in one of the leading funds.

The other 3 sections while interesting are more ruminations from Bogle about life, business and the stock markets. Interesting but not world changing. In fact I suspect that most people would be better off buying "Common Sense on Mutual Funds" by Bogle.

I would heartily recommned this book to anyone who wishes to be convinced that they can maximise their return, while avoiding the risk of underperformance by investing in index funds.

In this 443-page compilation of 25 of his speeches over the last 25 years, John Bogle effectively addresses topics of interest to both investors and those in business. Fans of earlier books, including his Common Sense on Mutual Funds, and devotees of passive stock and bond index strategies, will enjoy this book.

It is especially interesting to read John Bogle's speeches delivered from 1-25 years ago and compare his predictions of the future to what has actually occurred. Comparisons to the market of today can then be made.

For example, in a speech given a year following the "great stock market crash of October 19, 1987", John Bogle on p.68 related his analysis of why the market downturn occurred, including these two reasons: (1) stock prices too high (p/e ratios hitting 23 for the S&P 500 index in 1987); (2) some deterioration in the economic outlook, with no progress being made to reduce the Federal buget defict and a whiff of inflation. Sound anything like 2000 and 2001?

A more recent speech included in the book, from January 2000, predicting that the market's heady optimism will depart and leave stock market returns of 5.2% or so over the next decade. As John Bogle readily admits, however, anything can happen in the stock market.

There are many sections which detail the evolution of, and triumph of, passive indexing over active management. Other speeches provide a historical overview of the founding of Vanguard and its rise over the last 25 years.

Business leaders will find inspiration from several speeches delivered with a more personal note, in which he provides perspectives on the need for persistence, the need for lifelong learning, and the desire to build meaning into life through devotion to commitments to others. Very moving is his speech following his receipt of a transplanted heart.

More recent speeches by John Bogle, which give you a sense of what can be found in this book (but not the added value of looking at speeches from years past and comparing predictions made to what has actually occurred), can be found at the Vanguard website. Look for the Bogle Financial Markets Research Center.

This is not the first book a reader interested in investing should tackle. That honor belongs to John Bogle's 2nd book, "Common Sense on Mutual Funds." Other books should follow, including, perhaps, those by Larry Swedroe, Burton Malkiel, and Bruce Temkin.

For those who have already read several books on investing, the speeches in this book provide added perspective and reinforcement regarding the role of passive indexing, the folly of trying to outperform the market over the long term, and the philosophical ideal of service to others through truth and fairness. For these readers I wholeheartedly recommend adding this book to your investment library.

The best fire investigation reference book on the market today. Thanks John.
Mark Howell
AIC-Fire
Denton, Texas

Written in an understandable, practical manner, this book makes a difficult subject comprehensible by even the unscientifically minded.
The author writes clearly and the book is very readable. The text is accompanied by great photographs & illustrations.
What a relief to find this book after attempting to plow through some of the other texts on this subject. Highly recommended!

The chief god of fire investigation has spoken. DeHaan wrote a complete and through text about fire investigation. If you are serious about fire investigation, this is a must book in your library. It is a tough book in read. So, buy it and review it again and again.

For anyone out there interested about Ester and her role (Explained in greater detail) should get this book.

I would suggest this series to anybody interested in theology, hands down.

For any student of theology, this is a fascinating collection. Contains references to Lilith (Adam's first wife) and a plethora of angel names - over 200. I highly recommend this exceptional collection for all readers.

Paul Carrell's HITLER MOVES EAST is a great work on the first half of the Russian Campaign. Not surprisingly, it is a slower to immerse yourself into the story compared to SCORCHED EARTH by virtue of Carrell explaining the prepratory decision making processes. Carrell successfully lays out tactical and operational histories with a supplment of occassional personal accounts, then interconnects them to provide a solid history. HME is an exciting work that encompasses the first half of the largest and bloodiest campaign in the history of warfare. ONE WARNING: THIS BOOK IS BIASED. EX: Interesting to this work is Carrell's rationalization of Hitler's motivation to invade the Soviet Union!

This is simply a great battlefield narrative of the German-Russian conflict of WW2. Virtually all place names mentioned in the book are referenced in the excellent battlefield maps. This is unlike any other book I've read on the Eastern Front. An intimate knowledge of European Russian geography is not required. Battlefield troops movements are well described in the narrative and through the maps. It is also written in a lively and dramatic fashion and touches on individual exploits as well as painting the vast canvas of the battles of armies. It is the most readable of the narratives on the subject I've read to see how the war was won/lost on the battlefield.
Be aware this is not a full account of the War. It could be said that this is a military account from the German Wermacht's point of view. It was written during the "Cold War" and Soviet Sources by many were considered suspect. No mention is made of the NAZI atrocities in European Russian during the German occupation or barbaric treatment of the Russian prisoner either. Political or diplomatic aspects of the war are not covered.
This doesn't detract from the fact that for those that love a great battlefield account and want to know how the war was fought over this vast mostly overlooked (in English Language) front, this is a great read.

This as an excellent book for anyone interested in learning about the battles on the Eastern Front. Paul Carrell not only gives the big picture view of the war in the East but also includes many detailed first hand accounts of the fighting. To bad this book is no longer in print. By far the best work I have read on Hitlers war against the Soviet Union. I highly recommend it!