I read this book with great pleasure. The research that makes it so enjoyable is evident. This is not a quick pot boiler; but rather a scholarly, highly amusing and enlightening trip to the not so distant American past. I found a fine companion piece to follow, the biography of Mrs. Warren G. Harding, the Duchess. I'm ever so pleased to have set the scene with Chin Music. I eagerly await Levitt's next novel.

Paul M. Levitt's Chin Music is narrated in the first person by a young woman, Henrietta Fine, who shows herself to be courageous, daring, compassionate, and vulnerable. Her broadening experiences involve friends of varying cultures and livelihoods who offer her questionable advice and dubious employment (with strings attached) to help improve her poor financial situation, in the process plunging her into adventures that threaten her life. She grows to be dangerously self-reliant, with a halo of suspense and surprise crowning her story and compelling the reader to pay close attention to each word and every nuance of relationship within her circle of mysterious friends and ruthless gangsters. Her bold personality is softened by her love for her mother, whose inheritance, which had been stolen by a brother-in-law, Henrietta recovers by applying skills acquired from a locksmith for whom she had briefly worked. Similarly, she breaks into a safe owned by her uncle, who had appropriated her deceased father's tailoring business, along with the fabrics and equipment, and had become wealthy. Henrietta finds his cash stashed in shoe boxes and makes good her escape. The tragedies which she witnesses through associations with Twenties "wise guys" leave indelible impressions upon her mind but also teach her how to win admission to a college, leading to the fulfillment of her beloved father's dream that she obtain a university education.

I just finished reading Chin Music and I have to tell you it's fun, fast-paced, fluent--a pleasure. If you like coming-of-age stories, you will enjoy the amazing escapades of Henrietta Fine. If you like American literature, you will enjoy references to some of our great works (especially Huck Finn and Gatsby). If you like American history, you will enjoy learning about the Jazz age from the bootleggers' viewpoint. If you like dialect, you will have a chance to learn gangsterese and jazz slang. If you like lyrical prose, you will find plenty. If you want your reading time to be an adventure that helps you appreciate other people in other times, you won't be disappointed.

Pierre Clastres (1934-1979) was one of the most respected and insightful anthropologists of his day. Chronicle Of The Guayaki Indians (ably translated and with a foreword by Paul Auster) is a vivid and compelling account of his first fieldwork in the early 1960s which included an encounter with a small, unique, and now vanished Paraguayan tribe -- the Guayaki. Clastres followed the Guayaki in their everyday lives, determined to record every detail of their history, ritual, myths, and culture. In doing so he had also created a monument of political anthropology which would commemorate a Native American peoples that was to swiftly pass from scene. Chronicle Of The Guayaki Indians is an important addition to any serious anthropology and Native South American studies reference collection.

an anthropological tour de force that breaks your heart as you witness firsthand the cultural and material desecration of this once proud and self-sufficient tribe. their view of life and death seems the direct opposite of our western way of thinking, and one can only hope that they are right in the end. much credit must be given to the author--and novelist/translator paul auster-- who uncovered the lost, sad truths of this forgotten world. the writing is candid, pure,lyrical, incandescent, potent and non-academic. a haunting, haunting book--it literally speaks truth and wisdon from the grave.

This is a wonderful book and as Auster's points out in the preface it's impossible not to love it. But this is also a sad story about our time. Clastres felt that, how tribes and ancient cultures are doom to dissapear. In a way this book is written with a heart full of melancholy.

The toughest challenge today is finding all study materials comprehensively explained in one place ..I was looking for a book that i could use for enhancing my CCIE LAB preparation....THIS IS IT ... Each and every protocol for IP routing very clearly explained ....the authors have done a great job in precisely placing the examples ...I love the section on IS-IS , OSPF and BGP specifically. Worth every penny ..I'd highly recommend this for anyone preparing for the lab.

In the past year I have reviewed a number of books that cover routing, Cisco, CCNA and TCP/IP. Cisco IP Routing Handbook is the first to bring the topics together and make it easy to understand while at the same time delivering quality information.

In this 500 plus page reference manual you start off with a great breakdown of IP routing and the different types of routing. The author make easy work of how routing functions and what you need in order to make routing occur. Then the book breaks down the RIP protocol very well, however the book should have included RIP2 and what the similarities and differences are and how to use them separately and together.

The section on IGRP and EIRGP is also excellent, taking you from the basic understanding right through troubleshooting. This is the first book I have seen that was able to do this and do it well, although both protocols could have been given separate chapters for more detail.

OSPF is another protocol this book delves deeply into and this is by far the best breakdown of the topic. The configuration section is highly informative and for the most part easy enough to follow without getting lost.

The BGP Protocol section is broken down to explain, in great detail, what is required to make this protocol work both an IBGP and EBGP. The advanced configuration section leaves nothing out and the troubleshooting section give clear, concise explanations of how to make the protocol work and work correctly.

Other section of their book covers topics like static and default routing, redistribution routing and DDR. Each section sheds enormous light on the best methods and ways to make sure your routers are setup and running properly.

Finally the appendicles included cover access list configuration, routing with VLANs, which could have been given a section in the book if the information was expanded. About the only drawback, and a very small one, is there was no real coverage of TCP/IP and subnetting, which if included would add more value to the book.

Overall this book can be used as a handy reference manual and a study guide for Cisco tests. The price is small in comparison to what you get.

This is one of those books you can classify as 'no nonsense'. I was browsing the bookstore to look up an IS-IS problem and just happened to pick up this book and to my astonishment it had 45 pages of IS-IS config and troubleshooting, diagrams, IOS output and what not. I just had to get my hands on this book.

The book starts from the basics of IP routing with cisco IOS in mind, even tell you about 'routed' vs 'routing' protocols! The protocol coverage starts from RIP then moving on to IGRP, EIGRP, OSPF, IS-IS and BGP. It has an entire chapters on Static and default routing, Redistributing routes, DDR. Appendix has a nice brief discussion of access lists, VLANs, NAT and HSSRP.

If you deal with cisco routers, you got to have this book. Specially the beginners can get a lot from the text coz it not only covers the config issues but also the theory behind various routing protocols.

All in all, a pleasant book to own and benefit from. And yes I did find solution to my IS-IS problem in the book.

This book is one of the 2 most desirable and collectible books on classical guitars (the other one is: Collection of Fine Spanish Guitars from Torres to the Present by Urlik, Sheldon). The figures are superb and the text informative. The hard cover edition is better in the following senses:

1. The hard cover edition is a limited edition (6000 copies only).
2. It is like a textbook which can be opened fully on its back. Easy for reading and scanning.
3. It's got a hard protective slipcase

However, getting the softcover edition might be your choice for its price and availability.

If you are a lover of guitars, specifically classical guitars, you owe it to yourself to purchase this book. There is nothing else like it. Great photography, details on some of the best guitars from some of the best makers...Romanillos, Smallman, Bernabe...They are all here. Inclusively, the book covers players (Williams, Bream, Segovia) as well as an in depth look at wood and the guitar market today. Great stuff and at ..., an incredible bargain.

Any lover of the classical guitar cannot help but appreciate this gorgeous collection of instruments, as well as the way in which they are displayed on the pages. Filled with information about the guitars and their construction, the luthiers, and which players'CDs you can hear them on, I highly recommend this fine edition. I take issue only with the subtitle "A Complete History", as the guitars are based on a single collection of instruments, owned by Russell Cleveland, and not necessarily what any other person would consider "Complete". That fact does not diminish my enjoyment of this exquisite book one bit.

Right lets start off by skipping the origin stuff, the early years stuff, and who associated with whom stuff. Claudio Bravo is hands down the best artist there is still living, period. Fluff piece? not when merit is the order of the day. Practically self- taught Bravo paints with obvious skill and attention. He explains his approach, in the text, and within the still lifes, (his are the only ones I thought worth a damn.) and figurative work, whether in oil, pastel, chalk, or pencil, he commands his instinct to persue his vision. Don't like it? Tough, Bravo isn't ashamed, nor repentent about his skill as a realist, quasi- or otherwise. I saw the man's work at Duke in '88 and made my decision there and then to be an artist. I've never looked back, and his book is a confirmation of ideals badly missed in contemporary art, and I wish there were more copies so I could buy one. Now old boy is in the 60's U.S. take notice, this is one true artist not likely to come this way again, dig it. Adam Narcross

It took a long while to finally find this treasure but well worth it. This book really allows one to appreciate this master if only in a book. Mr. Bravo is nothing short of a genius.

This large book contains many excellent color reproductions of Bravo's oils and pastels, and also some beautiful reproductions of pencil, charcoal and sanguine drawings. While the reproductions are tiny compared to the originals, which are very large, the book is a wonderful treasure. I went to see some of the orignals at the gallery that represents Bravo in New York. Now, looking at the book, I am more conscious of the scale difference. But, there are two reproductions -- a portrait, and a still life of a hat, there are presented just slightly smaller than they were actually painted. These are especially interesting. I haven't seen any other same-size reproductions or details in catalogs. The book was published at $95. I looked for a copy for months and paid hundreds, but for me it was well worth it -- especially since I will never be able to afford an original (upper five figures for pastels and six figures for oils).

I have been looking for "The Cobra Ferrari Wars" for many years. I am thankful for libraries and interlibrary loans. Only about 4 libraries in the country have this book. The story of Carroll Shelby's quest for the World Championship is one of the best in U.S. racing history. The information about the GT cars of that era, such as the Ferrari 250, Aston Martin, and Cobra is outstanding. The stories of the development of the Cobra and Daytona Cobra, gave me a new insight into the creation of these great racing machines. These stories are told from the point of view of the people who where there. This is one of the many strengths of this book. Another great feature is the race-by-race summary of every race the cobras competed in from 1963 until the final race of the championship season of 1965. Each race is told in the words of the mechanics, drivers and team members who were there and played a vital role in the winning of the championship.
The Cobra Ferrari Wars took place during a time when the U.S. had some of the best racing cars and drivers in the world. These cars and drivers won the biggest and best races in all of the major racing series. They won in F1, Sports Cars, and Indianapolis. We don't seem to produce drivers that can win F1, Le Mans or even the Indianapolis 500 any more. What happened!

I hope that the producers of this great book will come out with a second edition. I don't need to have a signed first edition. If this book was put back in print, more people could have the opportunity to read about Carroll Shelby's 1965 GT Championship. I can afford to pay $...for this book but not $...or more. This new printing would give more racing fans a chance to own this book.

AUTHOR MICHAEL SCHOEN was there when the Cobras were rewriting the record books, a fact clearly reflected in his landmark work, "The Cobra-Ferrari Wars" (CFW). Escorting the reader into the thick of the story from the very first page, Schoen eloquently describes the rare brew of ambition, focus and raw talent that propelled Carroll Shelby's youthful and capable team to the 1965 FIA World Manufacturer's Championship. At the same time, the author recounts the fortunes of other opposing teams, details the politics rendered behind the scenes by both Shelby and Ferrari and, perhaps most importantly, provides ample first-person narratives by almost everyone who was involved in the Cobra effort, including an impressive line-up of the great drivers of the day. Complemented by a wealth of evocative period photographs, "The Cobra-Ferrari Wars" stands head and shoulders above anything else in the motorsports history genre, and belongs in every enthusiast's library.

I have about every book extant on vintage motor racing--COBRA-FERRARI WARS is the best by far. The quality of the research is staggering, the photos superb--it puts you into the pits as American motorsports came of age.

"Children of the Night: Vampires" is the first in the "Children of the Night" series, which also includes "Children of the Night: The Created," "Children of the Night: Werebeasts" and the out-of-print "Children of the Night: Ghosts." "Vampires" revolves around imaginative variations of that favorite bloodsucker; it is suitable for use in Ravenloft and in other campaigns, and is intended as a complementary volume to the various Van Richten's books. As with others in this series, Vampires presents 13 mini-adventures, each a story centered around an interesting individual or unusual type of vampire.

The books in this series are a great buy, presenting 13 well-written and potentially expandable adventures in a single accessory. In this volume we are offered quite a variety of creatures, some tied more or less to Ravenloft and its special creatures or cities, others from an "anywhere" background or originally from one of the other AD&D campaign worlds and dragged into the Mists of the Ravenloft Domain of Dread by evil circumstances. In either case, these adventures are readily adaptable to fit the flavor of any campaign, though the style of this first of the "Children of the Night" series seems to assume a greater familiarity with Ravenloft than the other volumes do.

Don't think that becauses vampires are so popular a subject that the possibilities are burnt out: In these adventures we are offered a scarred and wretched man divinely cursed to wander the desert in thirst, only able to briefly quench his thirst through fluid from his victims; a druidic vampiress whose thirsty habits run to tree sap; and a "penanggalan," a horrid female creature whose head flies free from her body and zooms around at night dangling a long black tail, looking for folk to drain. Demihumans and nonhumans are not exempt from the vampire scourge: Here we meet an elf originally from the Forgotten Realms who loathes all vampires--his problem being he himself has become one; an elven vampiress from Dragonlance's Krynn, whose terrible twisted face can stun or kill on sight; a greater vampiric Ixitxachitl; and a dwarven scholar, a "Vampire Sage" with unusual powers who once served the lich Azalin. In the entries specifically tied to Ravenloft are a vampiric slave who was once a Ravenloft Vistana, or gypsy; a sea vampire and his crew of undead pirates; a sadistic, permanently invisible vampire trickster; the scheming vampire niece of Ravenloft's powerful Count Strahd; a "vorlog," a vampiric monster who stopped just short of becoming undead; and a crime boss vampire with sewer alligators for friends. The cover art is good and so are the interior maps, though in general the interior art is not quite up to usual Ravenloft quality. All in all, a choice collection of adventures, tricks, and traps.

Highly recommended for vampire fans running any AD&D 2nd Edition campaign.

--Sharon Daugherty for Skirmisher Online Gaming Magazine

This book is full of short encounters with the denizens of the night. Looking for something to throw your party off track or a way to get them moving? With this accesory you'll easily be able to complete the task. In my first Ravenloft Campaign I was hesitant because I didn't think I knew enough about the realm. Using this accessory I was able to keep the campaign fun and exiting for the players without having to jump in over my head and end up ruining the experience for myself. I would recomend this book for all Ravenloft DM's and others as the adventures are designed to be easily used in any realm.

When I bought this book, I was interested, but cautious. I had never run Ravenloft, and even though I knew the setting, I was afraid I didn't have any good campaign ideas. This book changed that. The characters described within are colorful, interesting, and deadly, if done right. The mini-adventures included with each character are easy to adapt to whatever Domain you set you players in and useful as guidelines if you don't want to run them as is. I can't wait for the next Children of the Night book!

This is clearly one of the best and most comprehensive texts on the subject of clinical health psychology. The diversity of presenting medical conditions and the depth of each chapter is very impressive.

This is an accessible handbook that gives an excellent introduction to the treatment of several disorders from a health psychology perspective. Clear writing from over 20 contributors--what a find!

I have been teaching health psychology for about 7 years and this is the BEST book to date. It is clearly written, extremely well organized and comprehensive. A must buy!

This book makes you think you knew Coach Bryant, or at least makes you wish you had. It is entertaining, as well as informative, for college football fans of all ages. For Alabama Fans it is a must. Thank you, Keith for bringing Coach Bryant's life to those of us who missed seeing him while he was alive.

Mr. Dunnvant admits from the beginning that, like many Alabamians, he grew up in awe of Paul Bryant. But he has succeeded in writing a fair, balanced portrayal of a complicated man. Bryant's failings are not glossed over, nor are they treated with sensationalism. A solid biography and a good read for college football fans.

This is a great book as written by Keith Dunnavent. It really puts you in touch with a side of the Bear that I didn't know

I was surprized by the quality of the works presented but more particularly the idea of "the architecture of adventure". The premise of this book is "right on." These get-aways are not just comfortable, but expose their owner's attitudes on being at home in nature.

From the Seattle AIA Reviewer, Peter Sackett:

Trying to convince a reader that architecture is
good by telling them it's good is an exercise in
futility. In Coastal Retreats: The Pacific Northwest
and the Architecture of Adventure (Universe,
2002) author Linda Leigh Paul understands the
burden of her responsibility as a writer. Her
contributions reflect what images, on their own,
cannot. Coastal Retreats offers a broad
photographic sampling of Northwest vacation
homes designed over the last half-century with
editorial work that provides context for their
creation, including anecdotes from both owner and
architect, taking the architecture out of the
showroom and into the lives of the people who use
it.

A couple of years ago I ranted for eight hundred
words or so in the pages of Arcade about a
newly-published monographic account on the work
of architect Roland Terry. My beef wasn't that the
architect's work wasn't up to snuff, rather that the
book's author had done little to flatter the
architecture nor contribute a compelling narrative to
describe its significance. To judge from the editorial
content, he seemed less than convinced that
Terry's work could stand on its own without
bolstering it with sentences of fawning admiration
to make projects appear buoyant on the page.

Paul, instead, takes the trouble to tell stories
behind the homes' creation using relaxed, informal
language to describe the likes and dislikes of
clients as well as quirks of the landscape that
provide a setting for enjoyment of their
investment. The approach is both entertaining and
instructive. She includes the following in a chapter
on "Decatur Island Haven" by George Suyama
Architects:

"In the mid-1990s, while flying over the San Juan
Islands, designer Christian Grevstad's instincts led
him to alert his pilot that they were off course and
lost. As the pilot corrected the flight path, Grevstad
glanced down at a flowering meadow sitting atop a high
bluff. Below him lay the site he had envisioned for his
ideal island getaway. He headed for Seattle, where he
did the necessary footwork, and found that the price
was right."

Grevstad may enjoy a vexingly privileged lifestyle,
but it makes for a cool story.

This is a beautiful book full of beautiful houses in beautiful places. There is a wide range of projects and styles, illustrating the quality of design in the Pacific Northwest region. An attractive book in its own right, this would be a great resource for anybody thinking of building a vacation house.