A fascinating subject. Unfortunately, the author insists on free- association, self indulgently telling stories from his life that you dont want to hear,and imposing opinions like a tiresome relative at Thanksgiving. In fact, the author seems to have so little respect for his audience that some of his sentences and paragraphs are nearly unintelligible. This is one of the few books that I ever returned.

On the whole this is a fascinating book. But sometimes West's writing is so solipsistic as to be almost indecipherable; this comes from his decision to include his own personal experiences with various of the words without giving us enough context. The best reader for this book would be one who has lived in both Great Britain and in the U.S., because many of the discussions turn on idiomatic usages from one or the other of these countries, leaving readers from the other country in the dark.

Still, the scholarship is impeccable, and the amount of delightfully arcane information is valuable.

Superb detective work ferreting out the stories behing the words. The book is not at all self-indulgent. Instead, West draws the reader into his workshop; by doing so, he respects the reader's intelligence.

The idea of the story is very well though of. There is a lot of depth to the character's and their history that proves the author's ability to write. This book also includes very good scenery descriptions that make you feel like you are in Scotland with the characters. The reason why I rated this book so low is because..well..not much HAPPENS. It wasn;t one of those books with an intruiging plot so that you just can't set it down. I would pick it up every once and a while just to see if it would get better, and it didn't really pick up till more than half way through the book. I good read, but nothing that you can;t miss out on

This was a very compelling read for me. First off, I'll say what I did find disconcerting: his use of descriptive adjectives that were, well, just the wrong word! I don't know how that could've been deliberate or gone unnoticed by his editor either. I found it annoying to say the least. I decided to overlook it and just read the tale. SO glad I did, it has a lot to recommend it. It takes you right on down the road of inevitability, and just like the protagonist, Richard, you go willingly, yet somehow never believing this is where it will end.
The book just kept building along those lines, but yes, quietly, like the life he was living. Others who've reviewed this have said not much happens, but... it does, quietly, like a mist descending, page by page we are drawn further along that road.
I would say it is a real treat for the Celtophile especially, for the seamless way he weaves the myth into the crevices of the modern mind, where so much floats below the surface!
In spite of my few annoyances, I'd say this is a stunning debut novel. I liked the ending a lot, by the way, only wish it had been a bit more extended, though perhaps it was best left to our own imaginations.

Paul Brandon is one of those writers that I can immediately find a kindred spirit with. His descriptions of scenery are breathtaking, and he reveals the subtle nuances of human emotions and actions with intensity and vitality. A great read, from an accomplished writer with a bright future. There aren't a lot of books that I would buy (being of Scottish descent I tend to borrow them from the library!), however this is one that I intend to add to my collection.

If wishes were horses, then beggars would ride. Or so the old saying goes. This dull, pedestrian treatise begs a little more horsepower in its chapters.

Can't sleep? Then do pick up "Wishing Well." It takes a rather childish subject and tries make it into a medical research project.

Author Paul Pearsall, who appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show with this book, can't decide what sort of book he wants to write. One minute, he's telling you about his strange near death experience in the hospital, the next, about parents talking to their kids when watching a meteor shower. He may then jump to the psychology of wishing or tell you about a witch doctor's wish or draw confusing diagrams about wising on stars. Oh yes, there's also a lot of pop quizzes to further muddle up the reader.

Wasn't it Washington Irving who said great minds have purposes, others have wishes? Pearsall has a lot of wishes, but doesn't seem to have a clear purpose in writing this book. Even at Amazon.com's great prices, you may end up wishing you hadn't bought it!

A key point made by Pearsall is based on the Hawaiian kahuna (shaman) tradition that we can wish "well" or poorly". Sometimes we try so hard that we find it difficult to surrender to the larger healing. He writes, "Wishing is the enemy of the positive thinker who prides herself on being so strong-willed that there is little need for mysticism or the equanimity of wishing. Wishing is much too passive, gentle, and humble for the needy and power-motivated brain." So in wishing well we let go of needing to be in control, of expecting a specific outcome. We focus on serenity, delight, purpose, meaning, and compassion vs. "trying" to heal a certain part of the body in a certain way. It involves a kind of easy flow with the cosmos. This quality is conveyed by one person who said, "When I wish, I blow bubbles..." Pearsall (who was himself healed overnight from "terminal" disease) tells us that it is important to relax, be patient, wish from the heart (vs. the mind), connect lovingly; to allow "the surrender of self."

Dr Pearsall's book is very timely. His ability to incorporate a state of the art CD, ShapeChanger, as a free addition to this book is truly amazing. This CD which independently sells on the web for $49.95 allows you to practice making your wishes come true and it gives you your score on how well you are wishing, I'am familiar with the work of MindSong Inc who produced the CD and the work of the PEAR Lab at Princeton on whose research the CD is based but to actually watch your intention,"Wish", manifest itself on a computer screen using nothing more than your thoughts is pretty amazing. I guess Quantum theory, Bell's theory and PEAR's lab research are proving by this CD that we really do live in an observant reality and anything is possible or better yet the power of positive thinking is backed by scientific fact. Wishing Well proves it!Wishing Well is a paradigm shifter! This book is the key that teaches you how to make your wishes come true! (Yes, I loved the Book:)

I bought this book on the recommendation of the early reviewers. Bad choice. I think the reason why one reviewer recommended this book after data structures is because it was so poorly written as a introductory textbook the reviewer was able to fill in the gaps himself.

The preface states that no C programming is assumed, so it should be for a beginner. I would submit that this would only be true by re-reading the text several times and parsing the information into more natural categories for better understanding.

The information was there, possibly, but why waste your time.

C++ Primer Plus is an excellent book, with appropriate humor, carries only about 10% bloat, and more reasonably priced.

For beginner, it fail to explain clearly; for professional it too simple. So got my average point. I never recomend such book.

This is a great book for a student who has completed a course in Data Structures. Warning... do not even attempt to open the book if you are not familiar with Data Structures. One might attempt to read this book without first learning the basics of C++. I must say that I am glad that I was familiar with C++. The book is complcated and does go very in-depth. But if you meet the prerequisites... it is excelent! I read it about a year ago and am now going through and reading it again. I must say, it is just as great the second time.

This book is an o.k. read and offers some good information if you don't mind sifting through the outdated advice. (First Copyright in 1974).

Had I known that the book was written for bird hunters I would have saved myself the trouble.

Paul Long has hit a home run, hole in one, he has put all the confusing professional dog training instructions in plain language and condenced form. It is written in easy to understand, interesting and logical steps for amateur trainers and dog owners to follow. I really got excited and took my pup thru this and have made her into a really good,trained dog. Other books left me wondering about their methods and I just couldnt commit to those training methods. Paul Long has connected with me, if youve never found the right training book, try this one.

This was a disappointment for me. I thought he plot was not very well thought out, the story not very exciting, and the writing stiff and wooden. Maybe it is just me, but I judge this type of book by The Hunt For Red October and this was nowhere near that class. It had all the standard submarine descriptions and speech, but not much more in my opinion. I just did not have to guess where the story was going. On the positive side the book does provide some interesting facts about USSR boats and the realistic use of USSR and USA tactics in the action scenes

After re-reading "To Kill the Potemkin" the author's superb entry in the submarine technothriller genre, I had high hopes for "Typhoon", but they didn't pan out. "Typhoon" starts promising enough: a brilliant Soviet nuclear sub commander, the architect of Russia's current submarine strategic deterrent - goes to war against his superiors - political hacks eager to use nuclear blackmail to prevent the Soviet break up. The haplessness of the these conservative generals seem realistic when compared to the protagonists of the inept 1991 coup, but here they undermine the threat and the tension. This isn't "Potemkin" where the Soviet Sub skipper is sailing for survival and Joseph doesn't create a crew of many-textured types as had populated the ill-fated SSN Barracudda of that earlier book. Instead, "Typhoon" boils down to a standard cold-war yarn and not even the appearance of an American submarine crew - something that Joseph can shape as he had in "Potemkin" - suceeds in enlivening things. Worse, the submarines themselves lack that sense of mystery that makes them perfect metaphors for cold-war brinksmanship - we never know where they are, what they want to do or what they can do, but we know that they can end the world with the push of a button. This conflicting sense of secrecy and unimaginable power was key to "Potemkin" ("Cowboys and Cossacks" and "Plutonium Pizza") as well as all the other famous sub-thrillers. Too bad the author forgot the most important lesson, the one he taught other writers.

After reading arguably the most famous sub-novel of all time ('The Hunt For Red October') I was thirsting for pretty much anything that had to do with submarine warfare...unfortunately most of what is available really stinks (except for Michael DiMercurio who is excellent) but when I discovered 'Typhoon' quite by accident, I stumbled upon a fantastic story about the largest undersea machines the world has ever known. The Typhoon class Russian missle submarine is BIG, as long as the American boomers, but TWICE as wide--and 1 ship alone could wreak havoc and kill millions of people with its stretegic ICBM's. What happens within the pages of 'Typhoon' are similar to what almost happened in the Soviet Union at the beginning of Gorbechev's reign when a military coup, afraid that the impending breakup of the country would ruin their career's, nearly toppled the government. In this chilling scenario, a select few Russian military leaders decide to take matters into their own hands by precipitating the entire event by launching missles on their OWN country hoping to place blame in such a way as to stall or completely halt the coming democracy.

I don't mind telling you that this actually put chills down my spine to think that whoever is in charge of these ships actually COULD do something like this. A very sobering thought, indeed. Thank heavens for Admiral Zenko and a life dedicated to preserving peace with the use of the underwater machines he helped to design. Zenko makes the startling discovery of what is about to happen, and without a second thought, hijacks his own submarine and head's out to sea. Another wrinkle is placed within this story when the USS Reno shows up to do their assigned 'spy mission' and tries to make sense of what is happening between two of the largest subs in the world and why they act like they are on opposing teams.

IF you are looking for a hair-raising techno-thriller-adventure, than 'Typhoon' should definitely be ON that list. Simply put, this is an exciting story well told by someone who definitely knows the in's & out's of submarine operations (or does a great job of simulating it).

A "Comprehensive Problem Solver" it is not. The SQL Server 2000 Black Book is full of good information on theories and principles, and at the end of each chapter is a good amount of examples and solutions for particular situations. The examples do help you ,sort of, understand how to build your own SQL commands, but if you want to know WHAT those commands you typed in really means, you may want to buy another book.

This book is supposed to be for Immediate to Advanced users and as toted a "problem solver". It's not. It seems like a good beginners book.

I have two examples to discuss:
1) If/Else logic. Granted as a programmer I know how this stuff works, but they use the flow control statements throughtout the book, but never explain IF/Else statements. Considering how important If/Else statements are in programming, this is a major weakpoint.

2) Stored Procedures. Chapter 14 of the book is supposed to cover Stored Proceduures. Well, it talks about it, and there are examples at the end of the book. But that chapter has more discussions than hardcore examples that it really depressed me about the book. It seemed to me that some of this chapter was probably taken from the manuals. If you wanted to understand Stored Procedures, this book won't help.

Overall, it has some good points if you are beginning, bad points if you want a good programming/breakdown type of book.

Yet Another Big Fat Book. It has become an aggravating trend in the industry and this is one example among a myriad of clones.

Why is this just another big fat book? Page margins are about an inch and a half all around. The font is bigger than my two year old son's readers. A big cardboard flap holds two compact disks, one in the middle of the book and one at the end, that guarantees the book will never lay flat even after ripping them out. The CD's hold nearly useless timed evaluation copies of software that requires far more time to master. The pages are heavy bond, arguably to make the book fat as fat spines stand out on the shelf. The book covers a good deal of topics, but with less than 1000 words dedicated to any given one. Typos abound. The spellchecker calls the i386 architecture the 1386 (one three eight six) architecture in a half-dozen places.

The audience this book is aimed at might appreciate a light introduction without getting caught up details, so I'm giving it a three star. Like other reviews said, strictly beginner and in no way authoritative on any given topic. You'll need to make another purchase if you're looking to scratch the surface of SQL Server 2000.

Too much of a limited revamp of BOL. Just beginner's only.

The reader who wrote that the book was dangerous obviously has a problem accepting reality. After reading the book for myself and seeing what they wrote, I wonder if he/she is racist. If they accept that racism is prevalent in this country... who are the racist and who is being plagued by the racism? Whoever is suffering from the plague ( minorities ) the other race who is spreading it needs to step in and stop it:The notion that is asserted in the book. A doctor with Ebola cannot save a patient with Ebola. I have a hard time understanding why the reader thinks that each race should isolate themself from others and lend no assistance.

You know what? We who are white need to use this power we unfortunately have in order to educate those who are close-minded and racist. I am proud of who I am, but not proud to be white. I do not like to be around all people who are white. I most enjoy being around people who are not white. It is interesting, enriching, and educating. People who live in all-white neighborhoods their intire lives,live in a bubble. That is not reality. How are you going to learn about differences and what this world is really all about. It is messed up and we need to do something about it. White people should not have any more rights than anyone else. In ten yaars white people will be the minority. I, personally, can't wait until the day. Several whites are going to get a wake up call and know what it feels like to be the minority. Lets all get along!

When I began reading the previous edition a few years ago, I realized that I wanted to discuss it with other white people as I worked through the exercises.

As a result five women in leadership roles in their church congregations discussed this book over lunches over some months. It took as many lunches as there are chapters. We learned much about ourselves as white women and much about the history of racism in the United States.

I continue to look for ways to share the impact of this book with others. I am pleased that there is a new edition and look forward to seeing what has made this very useful book even better.

The good news about VERDIGRIS is that it has the honor of being one of the only Doctor Who books that I found time to finish reading in one sitting. The bad news is that the only reason I managed to complete the story so quickly was because I was on an airplane and had run out of other things to read. Not that it was a horrible book -- I found it to be a bit mixed, all things considered. The Doctor that Paul Magrs writes for is perfectly Pertwee, in every way. The UNIT regulars appear briefly, but are again deadly accurate to how they appeared on television. Jo Grant's portrayal is relatively shallow, but considering the basis that Magrs had to work with, that probably means he was again completely in keeping with what came before. I had enjoyed every other of Paul Magrs' Doctor Who books (SCARLET EMPRESS was a personal favorite, but MAD DOGS AND ENGLISHMEN and THE BLUE ANGEL both have much to recommend), but this was his book that I appreciated the least.

VERDIGRIS is a book that lives or dies based on how well the satire works for the individual reader. The plot is paper-thin, and many of the secondary characters can be described similarly, being rather shallow and stereotypical. The storyline is unpredictable purely because it flies along in a confidently irrational manner. The main villain is not something to be terribly frightened of, and the Doctor's allies are almost entirely incomprehensible. Of course, these features are all part of the point of the big satirical joke running through the narrative (the joke being that Doctor Who was often camp, silly, and cheap). Doctor Who has always had some aspects to it that simply weren't up to par, and many of them have been poked fun at by fans for decades. But having many of them in a single book meant that I found myself being forced to encounter loads of things that I hadn't particularly enjoyed in the first place and I was now having to read about them again. This did little to endear the book to me.

Doctor Who has always been a series with the ability to poke fun at itself. But humor is a very strange thing; what is funny to one person isn't necessarily funny to another. Even a single joke can float or sink depending on that individual's mood. What I've described above about the book doesn't really sound necessarily awful. The problem for me with VERDIGRIS was not that the idea of a paper-thin plot revolving around fun jokes is necessarily a bad one, nor was it that Doctor Who should always take itself seriously. What I didn't really like was that the execution here left a lot to be desired in numerous places (i.e., many of the jokes fell flat). Had there been something else to entertain me, I probably would have had a more positive opinion of the whole. Unfortunately, with virtually the whole of the book (plot, characters, motivations, etc) tied up in the central joke, there simply wasn't anything else left to interest me. I finished the book feeling faintly underwhelmed.

I did laugh out loud a few times while reading VERDIGRIS; when Magrs' humor is firing straight, he strikes with a resounding bulls-eye. The biggest problem for me was simply that the individual jokes started wearing a bit thin by the end. Sure, there is a lot to take the mickey out of in the Pertwee era, and the jokes that worked for me were hilarious. But unfortunately not all of it was as amusing as the author probably intended. I was entertained by some jokes, but they just weren't enough to justify the rest. The concept of, say, the villain being silly just because there were other silly villains in Doctor Who may be vaguely amusing, but actually having to read pages and pages of the dull villain didn't add up to a pleasant experience. If the book had been significantly shorter, I think the humor would have held up better. Not only would the plot have not felt nearly so vapid, but the comedy wouldn't have had the chance to grow cold. There's a lot to recommend about VERDIGRIS, but unfortunately, there's just a little bit more that I found to counter those positive attributes. Approach with caution.

If I may borrow one scene from the novel...the third incarnation of the Doctor is surmising the story so far to fellow Timelord, Iris Wildthyme:

The Doctor started ticking off on his fingers. 'Let's see. We've got the disappearance of all UNIT personnel, excluding the Brigadier, and Mike Yates, who has turned into a cardboard shadow of his former self, we've got a spacecraft full of very irate, hand-bag worshiping aliens hovering above the planet, we've got a forest of deadly trees on fire, a mysterious green man who seems to be our sworn enemy, and, on the other hand, we've got killer robot sheep and the safety of Jo and Tom to account for. Is that a fair summary?"

That's exactly what you get when you read Paul Magrs "Verdigris'. A classic romp back into that magical time of Dr. Who known as the early half of the 1970's!

1973 finds our exiled Timelord and his assistant Jo Grant, relaxing in his home in the English country. He is visited by his self-proclaimed paramour, Iris Wildthyme and her assistant Tom. Her arrival is, shall we say, less than welcome. She has a working Tardis and the Doctor is still in exile on Earth. To make matters worse, Iris is constantly telling him things that have yet to happen to him.

I have quite enjoyed the references to the Doctor's residence made in this and several of the other novels. The concept round out the character and adds a lovely dimension (pardon the pun) to the man.

Magrs does a grand job of capturing the heart(s) of the Pertwee era. This could easily have been shot for the series and it would have fit comfortably well.

This has something for everyone. The third incarnation at his suave best, Jo Grant at her inquisitive best, the hamlet that the Doctor calls home away from his lab, an appearance by the Master and the entire staff of UNIT working in a grocery store.

Verdigris is a fun read. This scores a high 3-1/2 stars with me.

Author Magrs manages to weave an intersting story, but where he fails is in his experimentation with plot devices that are simply not Doctor Who. Also, his exageration of the Pertwee era Doctor went beyond farsical and comes across more as silly. In addition, while the Iris Wildthyme character is intersting, she breaks the cardinal rule of Doctor Who, in that she quite often steals the spotlight. A major no no. A good story that would have worked without all the trappings. Borrow a copy from the library instead of investing in the work.