I thought this book could be more comprehensive. It certainly covers a lot but focuses mostly on the major trails that are often crowded during the 'official climbing season'. The new Lonely Planet Hiking in Japan is a far better bang for your buck.

"Hiking in Japan" was first published in 1988, it was substantially updated in the mid-1990s. The author has been pushing the publisher to keep the book updated on every reprint, usually each year.

Mr. Hunt created an invaluable, highly accurate book twelve years ago. I have used it for five.

The author provides you with trails for the occasional day-tripper to very long, difficult treks for the more experienced backpackers. Not only does he tell you how to access each region covered, but also provides numbers for local lodging and tourist information offices.

This book is an absolute must for any foreign hiker in Japan and while I've found myself (after a particularly brutal 16 mile hike) saying, "This is only a +++ difficulty rating? " I quickly apologized for blasphemizing this "bible".

Paul Kieniewicz has created an intriguing world inhabited by a race that has adapted to its longevity by ruling time irrelevant. The ethics and reasoning the aliens develop to cope when two short-lived humans invade their city in search of an immortality machine provide iinteresting conflicts and provoke interactive thoughts by the reader. The plot continually raises tantalizing questions whose answers are only hinted at until the final chapters. All are answered satisfactorily, and the reader finishes the novel satisfied each character has followed the only course of action true to their own nature.

The most refreshing thing about Immortality Machine, in this age of writers who are so good at saying (or saying about saying) but often ultimately have little to say, is that it reverses this trend. Stylistically this is not great literature; however, there is something compelling about the simple, yet bizarre, unexpected narrative, populated by people and creatures at once - shockingly - familiar and unfamiliar. Engaging with this book requires a shifting empathetic contorting of oneself and one's ideas about the world, which continually surprises, challenges and horrifies, while also providing some moments of unexpected joy, of recognition, of ontological gaps bridged.

Immortality Machine is a novel (pun half-intended) approach to some big questions, and is relentlessly human in its examination of them. This is a bold flight into both inner and outer space. It may not be as aesthetically pleasing or ultimately as forceful as a novel where there is a better synthesis of form and content, but it will make you think, reflect, for a long time after you have read it. A modern parable that feels as old as humankind. Another novel which demonstrates the inseparability of thought and life, and therefore also the possibility of genuine change, of choice. And we can never have enough of those.

Paul Kieniewicz's Immortality Machine is a thrilling science fiction adventure about two men who seek immortality itself on an alien world. Yet intrigue, bloodshed, and violent androids cross their ever darkening path, and the secret of living forever may be more than human sanity can handle. Immortality Machine is recommended to science fiction enthusiasts and fans as a fascinating, imaginative, and attention riveting story.

I chose a group of books for researh for starting a race team, this was one... If you want detail, this has it, but let me warn... I feel there is too much time spent on the driver/crew chief talks during warm-up/qualifying/race. If you want to learn what goes on between the two this book is for you. The nitty gritty detail of a year in racing is, in my opinion, a bit lacking, but the detail of what goes on between the driver and crew chief is terrific. Haney gets a bit lenghty in the middle races of the season, he found a tape recorder, but rounds out the book back on the brief... while I enjoyed reading the details of weight jacking and spring adjustments, I found too much "car adjustment" detail and not enough "a year in the life of..." details.

Paul arranged the year we'd all love to have: traveling with a top-line CART team and listening in to all their radio traffic on race weekends. He combines a talent for explaining technical issues with painstaking note-taking (the part of the year we didn't have to worry about) and presents it all with a fresh, self-effacing style.

The bulk of the book is Paul's description of how engineers and drivers set up the PacWest cars. We can listen in as they drift in and out of the right setup, struggling to find the right combination in this hugely competitive racing series.

Buy it if you're fascinated by the technical part of Champ Car racing. Stay away if you're looking for brisk narrative about people or a tight dramatic structure. This is hardcore racing.

This is the book I've always wanted to read. I've been a fan of auto racing for many years, but no book has ever given a real "behind the scenes" look at what goes on in a top line race team. Haney's style is very readable and gives a good honest potrayal of all the key members of the race team. None better!

Mary Beth Pringle does an good job at capturing the style and format behind John Grisham's fiction. However, her feminist training and backgroud tend to impact her objectivity. Although she attempts to give an "alternative critical perspective" on each of his novels, she seems to give her analysis, from a feminist perspective, throughout the book. Her feminist views take away from the overall quality of her work. Otherwise, it is a fair analysis of Grisham.

Dr. Pringle is an interesting and informative author. Whenever I read Grisham, I have a copy of her book right next to me. If you like Grisham, Pringle's view on his books is second to none. Get this book!

Now I know why literary criticism is important. Pringle's book taught me lots about Grisham's works and the legal thriller genre.

In the tradition of other scifi authors who create an entire "history of the future", like Larry Niven's Known Space, Herbert's Dune, Asimov's Empire and Foundation, and Heinlein's Future History, F. Paul Wilson creates a timeline one thousand years long, interweaving two main movements -- one which follows a single man, Steven Dart, and one which follows a single ideology, the LaNague Federation.

This book is actually the incorporation of two novels with several short stories, set in the same timeline (and presented in chronological order, similar to Heinlein's The Past Through Tomorrow). An Enemy of the State, which you can find as a standalone novel in used book stores, tells of the bloodless, economic revolution which brought about the LaNague Federation. Wheels Within Wheels tells of a ruthless revolt =against= the LaNague Federation, to dismantle its protection of free trade and freedom from taxes.

The short story series centers around Steven Dart, aka The Healer, a man who finds himself become potentially immortal through a chance encounter with an alien which takes up residence in his body with him. He is little touched by the politics and economics of the LaNague Federation - he is interested in pursuing ideas and extending knowledge. He finds there is something else out there which threatens humanity's existence. A strange disease called "the horrors" strikes people at random, turning normal people into terrified catatonics; Steven finds that his alien symbiote can help him destroy this disease, individual by individual, but later he comes up against the source of this plague itself.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book - Wilson draws you on, leaving questions open, forcing you to read further so that you can find out how things develop. If you like the idea of building a universe and exhaustively playing around in it, this book is for you.

You'll be hooked from the start.

This book has a lot to teach people about real life without being too cynical and nasty. The story is engaging with enough grounding in the truth of modern politics and government to be a believable future possibilty. One of the best books I have read.

The story starts as an engaging yarn about revoulution and tyranny, and ends up discussing the proper role of government, and the possible evils of central banks, all buried in a fast paced story. Great stuff. The best parts of this could have been written by Heinlein, in that you have a good story that also teaches ideas.

I just purchased 4 books on lofts and this one had the widest range and most current pictures of well-designed lofts. Mostly pictoral--many creative ideas and approaches to this unique type of living space.

Short on words, but long on inspiration, this book is fabulous. If you want a book on lofts, this is it. From stark minimilism to chic downtown habitats, this book is for those that love lofts. You will love it!

Some of the best examples of innovative design and material usage in loft construction/renovation.

I used this book as one in a comparison of ecological books for different user populations. It is such a great read, due to author's amazing skills and knowledge on the subjects plus writing skills. The reader can learn ecological principles without even realizing it! However, the interest needs to still be there. And it may not be a substitute for a class room text book.

The Machinery of Nature is for those who are interested in environmental management, its politics, development and business side OR for those who just want to read something. This book is full of information about the world around us and how everything, from abiotic to biotic, functions together. Paul Ehrlich really made me realize how much I want to protect our precious environment, in which life depends on, from wasteful resources. Ehrlich states in this book, "Each individual organism is constructed so that it can grow and reproduce in a given set of environmental conditions. If it finds itself outside the boundaries of that set of conditions, its chemical life processes grind to a halt. Too much cold or too little water will often take plants or animals beyond the limits of survival" (20). Human influence on the earth's environment has become a matter of public concern to most people because everyday we are losing a species from what humans do, even the little things, such as flick a cigarette bud out the window, or toss a gum wrapper in the bushes. Clean water resources and habitat quality are essential for the health of all living organisms. So let's not take this world for granted. My closing comment regarding this book to everyone is READ IT, LIVE IT, AND LEARN!

The Machinery of Nature is for those who are interested in environmental management, its politics, development and business side OR for those who just want to read something. This book is full of information about the world around us and how everything, from abiotic to biotic, functions together. Paul Ehrlich really made me realize how much I want to protect our precious environment, in which life depends on, from wasteful resources. Ehrlich states in this book, "Each individual organism is constructed so that it can grow and reproduce in a given set of environmental conditions. If it finds itself outside the boundaries of that set of conditions, its chemical life processes grind to a halt. Too much cold or too little water will often take plants or animals beyond the limits of survival" (20). Human influence on the earth's environment has become a matter of public concern to most people because everyday we are losing a species from what humans do, even the little things, such as flick a cigarette bud out the window, or toss a gum wrapper in the bushes. Clean water resources and habitat quality are essential for the health of all living organisms. So let's not take this world for granted. My closing comment regarding this book to everyone is READ IT, LIVE IT, AND LEARN!

As I read this book it was rare to find something so poignant and applicable to todays world. It was a read that I could share with my children and coworkers alike. I have recomended it to everyone I can as a book with depth. A story filled with lifes complexities yet told with mirth and enthusiam. One of the best young adult educational books I have ever come across. The main character speaks of a Holden Caufieldesque way of looking at the world in a different perspective.

This novel is the first full length work published by this author. It appears to be semi autobiographical and deals with self discovery, maturation, and growing up in 50's- 60's New York City.

It moves briskly, has nicely developed quirky characters, and would be of interest to both young adults and mid lifers as well.
The plot brings in various ethnic and religious groups who learn about each other and appreciate both their differences and similarities, not without some struggles.
Although it is not a "Holocaust" book, the subject is critical to the story, as the title character's father is a survivor.
As such, it might appeal to High School educators looking for a novel to which their students could relate as well as being able to fulfill thematic needs.
In summary, worth checking out !

Great book. Written from the point of view of a teacher in a multi-cultural classroom this story of young people in post world war 2 New York appeals to teens and adults alike. Well written, the reader gets to know the narrator during two parts of his life. Deals with many issues, both historical and contemporary, but the author does not get up on a soap box. Worth reading.

This book can standalone as a good spy story, but only reaches excellence when read as part of the trilogy - Berlin Game, Mexico Set, and London Match. The tension ebbs and flows throughout the trilogy, but it isn't until the climax of London Match that we see the full scope. Highly recommended!

...as yet undecided, in this the second book in the 'Berlin Game', 'Mexico Set' and 'London Match' spy trilogy featuring Bernard Samson. And what a contest this is - Bernard's wife - Fiona stunned most of us in the first book by being exposed as the long serving KGB mole inside MI6. She won that 'game' by defecting East, having done her damage and leaving more behind. Bernard is shattered. He exposed Fiona but is now under suspicion himself (MI6 is wondering - can you be married to a 'mole' for over a decade and not know? or is he one himself?).

Bernard has a chance to redeem himself by bringing in Erich Stinnes, Fiona's KGB assistant who is supposedly defecting. Off he goes to Mexico to debrief Stinnes, but soon questions arise and Bernard is again in a fix. Is Stinnes a Fiona 'plant' designed to further discredit Bernard and convince London that he is KGB? or is he genuine? Poor Bernard. Amidst all this he has to contend with political infighting in MI6, unwanted advances from his sister in law, Tessa and deal with self doubt and guilt over Fiona. He often wonders whether the collapse of their marriage and Fiona's betrayal was all her own doing or did he have something to do with it.

Suffice it to say the plot unfolds suitably and all the above questions are satisfactorily answered.

Bernard Sampson is back and dealing with the tragedy he experienced in the last novel. Bernard Sampson is a character who puts James Bond to shame because he is simply more realistic. Don't read this novel if you haven't read Berlin Game.

I just recently got this book and have already been able to make professsional quality maps. I used to wonder how maps I played on the zone such as Castle Blood were made. But thankx to this map I found out how. It tells you how to use all of the options and features of the scenaio creator as well as share tips and secrets to make a great scenario. If you want to make your own maps but don't know how or where to start then buy this book. You might even want to anyway because most people won't know every trick and tip in the creator unless you read this book.

I just happened on this incredible piece of work- it's a true symphony of the artist/designer & the aspiring (or never tried)programmer. The book allows one to learn the actual mindsets of both- & gives plenty of oportunity to explore ones own creations. The accompanying CD is a real find with its readily available AI. Not only has it enhanced my own pleasure in this series of games, but I have also utilized it as a training tool. I am really grateful to the authors for sharing their expertice, & for Ensemble, MS, & Sybex for recognizing how wonderful a chance this is to those of us who have the imagination- but neither the time or the computer knowledge to actually design a game.

It is exceptionally difficult to find a book that actually helps to crack open the mystery behind solid scenario, mission, or level design. This book actually helps guide the reader - novice or adept - through the steps necessary to develop solid, enjoyable scenarios. Whether or not the reader has aspirations to enter the game industry, this book will help to generate an understanding both what makes a game fun and how to create entertaining game experiences. Note that this guide is specific to the game AOE2: The Age of Kings. The general design tips and tricks, however, can be applied to level/mission/scenario design for any game.