Being a big fan of the WW II espionage thriller and not having read one in a while, I looked forward to reading this book. Not far into it I realized that I read it already some 20 years ago when it was called THE EAGLE HAS LANDED. While SANDS is reminiscient of EAGLE it doesn't hold a candle to the Higgins classic.

It took me four weeks to finish this book. Four weeks!!! That's how un-suspenseful and un-compelling I found this story. I read SHOGUN in less time.

Meade's 3 main characters are paper thin, unsympathetic and just downright DULL. The back cover leads one to believe that you are going to read a thrilling cat and mouse pursuit between two friends who wind up on opposite sides of the war. Nothing like this happens. Weaver, the American "intelligence" officer, merely tags along behind Sanson, the British intel officer who figures out the threat, interprets all the evidence and does all the leg work. Halder, the German "super spy" thinks he can win the war without getting his, or anyone else's hair mussed. If you keep reading looking for the dramatic showdown when these two friends and the woman they both love confront each other, save yourself some time, it never really happens.

Skip this one and pick up a copy of THE EAGLE HAS LANDED by Jack Higgins or EYE OF THE NEEDLE by Ken Follet.

This is the first Glenn Meade book I've read and it definitely won't be the last. As an English and History grad, the period particularly interests me, and Meade did not disappoint, not by a long shot. Wonderful setting, dramatic, dynamic characters, a terrific twist at the end, and a story based on fact. Having read some of the reviews that cribbed about the implausabile plot, I can only direct them to read the real story Meade loosely based his tale upon--I came across it some years ago in a book about the history of the NKVD (The Soviet Union's Secret Police, pre KGB)--yes, Sands of Sakkara really is based on a true story) And the actual true story of how the Nazis attempted to kill Rossevelt and Churchill--called Operation Longjump--is wildly unbeliveable--so much that I doubt any reader would believe it for a minute. Yet it happened. I think Meade, in his wisdom, has actually made the story more credible, and told it wonderfully--with drama and emotion. He's also a terrific writer. I look forward to reading his other novels.

Having read all Meade's books to date, I'd definitely recommend The Sands of Sakkara. It's slightly different to Brandenburg and Snow Wolf--but then who wants the same menu all the time? It has a great cast of characters, an excellent storyline, and some terrific twists--what the hell more do you want? Also, the fact that the story is based on a factual event makes it all the more compelling. I don't know what the reader Bobbiewig@aol.com means by trends--and that reader sure has his facts wrong: Brandenburg was Meade's first book, and Snow Wolf his second. Some folks like nothing better than to gripe! And you can't expect a writer to serve up the same dish each meal--enjoy the difference, don't knock it. Besides, Meade is a far better thriller writer than anyone in the genre. He knows how to keep a story moving, his characters are memorable, often truly wonderful, and his books not only entetaining, but moving and sincere. The latter two facets you rarely get in this genre, and for me they're a marvellous bonus. Meade's among the very best I've read in the last twenty years--and possibly the very best. Enjoy!

Crossfire Commentator and former Clinton Adviser Paul Begala's book "It's Still the Economy Stupid" is an excellent examination of what is wrong and will continue to be wrong with the Bush Administration's economic policies. It is well-written, has a cutting sense of humor, and its assertions are well-supported by hard evidence. However, don't let any of that fool you: Begala has an agenda, and this book IS propaganda.

I think it would be instructive for anyone who likes reading books like this to read some Republican and Democratic propaganda back to back. The differences really come out. As a general rule, the Dem propaganda very rarely tells direct lies or makes outrageous fabrications about anything. Instead, they simply OMIT the material that they would rather not deal with. Begala's book definetely fits that mold - if you read his book, you would think the 90s were peaches and cream for everyone in America. They were not. However, this does not change the plain fact that they were pretty good, and better than anything Republican policies would have resulted in. Furthermore, you would believe George Bush caused the current recession. He did not - however, he did make it worse and has done nothing to correct the true difficulties confronting the economy.

Dems also usually are easy to read and have a friendly sense of humor about what they are doing. Compare that to say, Ann Coulter. Her footnotes, if you bother to check them out, are a literal papertrail revealing just how much lying she has to do to make it look like there is a factual basis for anything coming out of her word processor. Furthermore, if the spirit of Dem propagana is humor, the spirit of Repub propaganda is hate.

The book is surprisingly light reading, given how full of hard facts it is. It is an excellent little bit of propaganda concerning Clinton's positive accomplishments and Bush's lack of them. Anyone who reads this book and walks away without serious questions regarding what Bush is doing to the wallets of 98 or 99% of all Americans is either stupid, blind to the facts, or has been listening to Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh for so long they have forgotten what facts actually look like.

When George Bush took the oath of office under extremely controversial circumstances, I was prepared to give him a lot of slack. I think he handled the tragic events of 9/11 very well (although, seriously, wouldn't any president have acted the same way...even a Carter or Ford? I think so), but I haven't been impressed by anything he's done other than that. This book helped me understand why.

One of the reasons I respect Begala's work is because he documents his sources so well. Virtually every paragraph is footnoted to a credible (repeat...credible) media source (often a conservative one) or official U.S. government entity. I have checked out many of these sources myself...and they're accurate. That's what makes me appreciate Mr. Begala's book so much.

Apart from the accuracy of his information, it's a darn good read. Funny, angry and fast-moving. It's the straw that broke this reader's back in terms of no longer giving the Bush administration the benefit of the doubt. I now believe that everything that was said about Bush being a devious lightweight is frighteningly true. The one exception would be his flawless ability to say "yes" to any corporation who will line his party's pockets (the Democrats, to be sure, are not immune from this themselves, but I've never seen a president jettison the well-being of the population as a whole with such reckless abandon...and lie about it so often, as Begala painstakingly documents).

This is a book that needed to be written, yet I fear it only scratches the surface. I look forward to Mr. Begala's next book.

This book was absolutely right on the mark. Fast reading and backs up its claims with references.

It is somewhat ironic that of all Summer's works, his translation of the Malleus Maleficarum would become what he is most famous for. Most people who would call themselves occultists in our time would, also ironically, like to see every last copy burned. What fascinates me is not only the fact that the book's survival is now ensured, but that Summers goes to great lengths to actually defend the book and the Inquisition in his 1948 introduction. It is possible that he chooses his translation's second printing for this because that by 1948, the Malleus was no longer history's most infamous book. As to the actual content set down by Kramer and Sprenger, it provides a most interesting look into the minds of fifteenth-century biblical scholars-- and at the time these were considered two of the best. The text, though fascinating, often seems to be endless, but one must understand that this was the style of the time. Though it is doubtful that an actual witch (a better word would be "malefactor") was ever punished with this book's help, it remains a wonderful look into history and I for one am glad it will be around for future generations.

I find this book a difficult one to actually evaluate, but decided to give it five stars on the basis that it is a historical text that accurately documents the beliefs of the Catholic Church during the witch hunt era. (It is important to note, however, that not all Catholics at this time subcribed to these beliefs). This book is very significant in explaining the origin of witch hunts and persecutions of witches throughout history. The text was written originally by two Catholic priests, in which they fabricated evil practices of witches and ways to identify them and eradicate them. On the contrary, in the Pre-Christian era a witch was originally the doctor, spiritual healer, counselor-"everything woman" of her village. She was highly respected as the village's "wise woman," which is the original meaning of the word "witch." When the Catholic Church developed and began to gain more power, its higher members recognized the political power of these women and feared their pagan influence, and so the Malleus Maleficarum was born. Most of the accusations it makes are highly off base and ridiculous. I myself, do not practice Wicca, but am a born-again Christian. Therefore, I was very offended and upset by the comments made in the review entitled "Their Mother's Sons and Daughters," if this was even a sincere review. The reason neo-paganists are so offended by this book is not because it rings true to their beliefs, but because it was used for centuries as the justification for the death and torture of thousands of their predecessors and other innocents. Those who practice Wicca, in particular, do not even believe that Satan exists, therefore would never worship him or use him as a channel for evil purposes. Their religion, although I do not accept it as truth, is fundamentally peace-loving just as Christianity is. The comments that were made in this particular review I speak of and similar prejudices are ignorant, narrow-minded, and no doubt, are part of the reason for the widespread misunderstanding of Christianity in our modern society.

This book and Compendium Maleficarum is not written by modern authors. These are reprints of books used in witch hunts in europe, lies created by the pope, and the church, to hunt down many pagans. This was done to help win a religious battle with pagans because many people became pagans instead of christians, due to the celebrations. I myself am not christian, nor am I wiccan, or any other religion for that matter, I am atheist. It doesn't bother me that people give this book 1 star, but their reason isn't the best reason. They say it's filled with hate, which it is, but when a book is written to hunt down and kill people it is going to be filled with hate. This was created by a paranoid church, and it seems some people think it was written for modern times. This book should only be bought for those interested in the witch hunts of europe, and not those looking for a history, or to understand wicca. This book should be read to educate people of probably the most horrific time in the christian church(though there have been many). Not to be taken as a modern work, in how to deal with witches.

Hard Times feels like a book that Dickens did not polish nearly as much as the many classics associated with his name. It's the story of the unhappy lives of two children of a father who raised them to speak and appreciate only "facts." Imagination, fantasy, passion, and the like were all forbidden in their household.

Their lives are unhappy, as you'd expect. But they also lack much narrative interest. The usual twists and turns of fate that Dickens invests into his characters' lives are mostly absent. As a result the book drags on. Hard Times also lacks the humor found in other Dickens books, his pithy observations of different persona of his time. So, in reading the uninspiring narrative, you find yourself wishing for something, anything of the old Dickensian magic. Alas, it does not show up.

If you have other Dickens titles you're set on reading, read them first. You're likely to enjoy them more.

If you read Hard Times for the sole purpose of being entertained you will probably be highly disappointed. However, if you understand what was happening during this time period, you will realize that Hard Times is in reality, a long commentary. The Industrial Revolution was starting to show its down side. There was rampant poverty and disease, from the overcrowding of the cities. Children of the poor had to work long hours in unsafe factories rather than go to school. The gulf between the haves and the have-nots was very wide. The middle class was only beginning to be a distinct group.
This then was the backdrop of Hard Times. Dickens is making a social and political statement. This is a statement against the mechanizing of society. It starts with Dickens repeated use of the word fact. It is facts that have meaning. Human conventions like feeling, compassion or passion have no meaning or looked down upon as an inconvienent waste of time. If a situation cannot be put down on paper as in an accounting ledger it should not be considered.
This is where the conflict of the book comes in. Which helps humanity more compassion or fact. Is Bounderby a better person than Blackpool? Bounderby, who by his own admission was a self-made man. Untrue as this was he said it enough to make it his own reality. Or Blackpool, a weaver with an alcoholic wife, who was in love with another woman. Facts made Bounderby rich, compassion made Blackpool human.
Louisa presents another conflict. Louisa was educated only by fact. No wonder or inquisitiveness was ever allowed. She was the perfect robot. Doing what she was told when she was told. Just another piece of the machine, however, the piece broke, emotions came out, and they broke down the wall of fact that Mr. Gradgrind had so carefully constructed. Because the feelings have finally been acknowledged things really break down. She finds that not only has she married the wrong man but also the man she did marry is a buffoon whom she cannot respect nor live with.
The reader is left wondering if there is no one who will not be ruined by all the worship to fact. The whelp has certainly been ruined to the point he feels no responsibility to anyone but himself. If a situation can not be used to his advantage then he has no use for it, as a matter of course, he will run when he believes he will have to take responsibility for his own actions.
The gypsies have not been ruined by fact. But only because they live outside of society, they do not conform to the rules of society. These are the people who value character over social status. The gypsies do not value Bounderby and Bitzer with all their pomp and egomania. Rather they value Stephen Blackpool and Cecilia whom can show compassion and kindness no matter a person's station in life.
Hard Times can be used to look at today's society. Are we, as a society more worried about our computers, cell phones, faxes, and other gadgets than our neighbor's well being? Do we only get involved to help others when there is a personal benefit? Or, are we like the gypsies who can look into the character of the person and not worry about the socio-economic status? While Dickens' wrote Hard Times about 19th century England the moral can easily fit into 21st century America

Coketown is "the inner-most fortifications of that ugly citadel where Nature was as strongly bricked out as killing airs and gases were bricked in at the heart of the labyrinth of narrow courts upon courts, and close streets upon streets, which had come into existence."

Hard Times takes place in 1854, six years after Karl Marx first published his ideas in the Communist Manifesto. Marx revolutionized the way people looked at history. His historical science was a radically new way of looking at human history, our past, our present, and our future. Marxist themes are plentiful in Hard Times, everything from the Bourgeoisie to the Proletariat are represented in this account of the industrial revolution.

Dickens provides an excellent portrayal of real-life people faced with hard times amidst an economic boom. This is a touching story, giving names and faces to the people who are creating, being replaced by, and being abused by the industrial revolution. The Communist Manifesto is not complete until you have read Hard Times.

The table of contents is fairly complete. It has all parts of Java programming required for an introductory course. But the parts do not have a structured build-up. A lot of example code is present, but it is more often than not, superfluous to the accompanying text. For example adding a Swing component is part of about every single example program in the book! Even in the first chapters, where programming in general is taught, the authors start with Swing examples. This is not very helpfull for the beginning programmer. The book has an average level of coverage, where it tries to cover all elements but does not spend enough space to covering these elements in depth. For example an introduction to all syntactical elements of a Java program, like variables, is missing. The next chapter on control structures is cluttered with code examples containing objects and methods. In other parts the authors write pages of text without a single example, summary or other visual clues about the subject of the section.

In summary: this book contains a lot of information about Java programming for the experienced programmer but not for the beginning or intermediate programmer.

As a caveat to what I say here, I have only read the first three chapters so far, but have a feel for the presentation and am determined to stick it through to the end.

I have to agree with the comment from another user that this book is very wordy - excessive chunks of the first chapter are devoted to how they intend to teach Java, and how the way that they teach it is great. I'm into Chapter 3 and they are still going through the same repeated descriptions of how // means something is a comment, and making the same point in three different box-outs on the same page. If you require things to be drummed in this much, maybe programming is beyond you?

I like the fact that they have jumped into Swing early on - the GUI elements are essential for writing programs that can be used by other people and it is quite depressing to hack through 15 chapters of a programming book and still only be able to produce command line applications.

Overall, what has been covered so far is covered very comprehensively and explained well, and I feel I am learning, but the book could do with an editor condensing the material to make it more concise. A job for Reader's Digest's Condensed Book division?!

Book Review:
Java How to Program, 4th ed.
Advanced Java™ 2 Platform How to Program
Deitel & Deitel

I finished three java programming courses at Santa Monica College two of which required the Java How to Program, 4th ed., the other was a java w/data structures course and I used the Java How to Program, 4th ed. and the instructors lecture notes. I bought the advanced book to learn more about java and the net, java 2d, 3d and j2me since I am into pc and online video games development, and data base connections with jdbc since I know sql. Design patterns and enterprise java case study give industrial strength business applications.

The authors packed and packed java into these books.
The books are easy to follow, and everything works. I found the exercises challenging but not overwelming. I have not ran across an exercise I cannot do, although some require in depth study of the topics covered. And when if all comes together it's fun. The chapters build on each other very well, and the materials moves fast and stays interesting.

The cd's have everything I need to get started: what to install, how to install it, how to set the environment. The forte community edition is packed with java building and debugging tools that make java programming faster and easier to follow. Try the Reformat Code tool, and check out the text coloring.

I cannot say enough about these authors and their materials. Anybody getting into java programming will be more than satisfied for a long time.

Thank you Deitel & Associates

I read about this book in Vanity Fair and was also intrigued by the glowing comments all the Pulitzer Prize winners made in the New York Times ad, so I got hold of a copy. I'm glad I did because the book is truly special, unlike any I've read before. What's impressive is how it manages to be both hilarious and moving at the same time - a serious work of historical fiction which raises serious questions about how this country was founded and how history is written, while at the same time telling a wild adventure story that never lets up. It starts with George Washington on his deathbed, reviewing his"interminable and dreary career" before careening off into a pacaresque romp that's not unlike Tom Jones. But the book overall has an almost magical-realist feel to it, which transcends its time and place and gives the thing an incredibly raw emotional power (I cried on th last page). It's because of that quqlity that you don't have to know or care much about the American Revolution to enjoy the book. The writing has been compared to something by Tolstoy, but I think Dickens is nearer the mark: big, bold, funny, touching, generous-spirited and ultimately hugely uplifting. I'm going to read it again! This author is definitely someone to keep an eye on.

Yes, this is a smart, probing, important and trail-blazing book. But just as important (and surprising to me) is how FUN it is! I've always thought of the American Revolution as dull stuff -- distant, dusty, shrouded in museum-like gravity and peopled only with noble stiffs whose actions may have been revolutionary, but who lacked much in the way of colorful, humanizing attributes in and of themselves. Now, for the first time, the era has come alive for me (even Mel Gibson's film, PATRIOT, recycled all the same old cliches) and I actually want to know more. In fact, I've been shocked into realizing how little I (or we, as Americans) really know about the founding of our own country. I'm glad my re-awakening came in so entertaining a form. So, yes, while this is indeed a book with real depth and seriousness of purpose, it's also just plain fun -- easy to read, a definite page-turner, often hilarious, and completely accessible to even the most history-phobic. What a relief!

LAST REFUGE OF SCOUNDRALS by Paul Lussier is a historical novel of the best sort, filled with plenty of historical facts and details that bring the characters and the times alive. The author's keen eye for detail maks the 1700s a living, breathing place where we meet our "founding fathers" and the anonymous masses who really won the American Revolution. This is history at its most human level - with each character painted in brilliant colors, yet each so real you can smell their sweat. Here we see the founding fathers (or were they?) warts and all, politicians who make you want to shout, laugh and tear your hair - just like the ones we read about in today's newspapers. There is a truth here that shines far brighter than the lessons I remember from my American history classes. And the pages of this book turn much faster. Paul Lussier asks us to really question authority and to dust of the facts we accept as reality to see what they actually look like.

The author takes the reader from the beginnings of the development of the Muslim religion, from Mohammed up to the present conflict in Kosovo.

He shows that, contrary to what most Muslims wish us to believe, Islam is a dynamic and crusading faith. One of its very core tenets is the idea of jihad or holy war. The Islamic separation of the entire world into the "Land of Islam" and the non-Islamic lands as the "Land of War" speaks volumes.

Not only does Mr. Fergosi document the quasi mystical and spurious nature of the founding by Mohammed and the alleged divine inspiration, he also helps us to see that Islam's Allah is not the Christian "God" but is in reality, a god. Thus, it is incorrect to refer to Christians, Jews and Muslims as "People of the Book".

From its inception Islam has waged an imperialistic and blood soaked war against Christianity and Europe. No more than 40 years after the death of Mohammed Islamic forces were invading Europe from East & West. They occupied Christian Spain for over 700 years. Their blood thirsty behavior is horrendous. The West colonized Muslim lands for 100-150 years in toto, not the hundreds and hundreds of years which produced the Islamic onslaught and occupation of Europe and Christian lands. It is Islam which is the real imperialist ideology. The Christian Crusades were merely a response to the constant Islamic aggression against Christianity. Again, to read of the terror and bloodthirstiness towards non-Moslems, and Christians in particular, and even against themselves, is, even for that day and age, beyond comprehension. Islam can definitely define itself as a religion of love and compassion. It's history has been anything but that.

We in the West forgot for awhile how potent and dangerous Islam is for the West and for Christianity. That is because once the Ottoman Empire collapsed from internal rot, Turkey became nothing more than "the sick man of Europe". Our neglect of the real history of Islam and its ongoing jihad is at our own peril. There is no such thing possible as co-existence with this dynamic of a force.

My sole disappointment with Mr. Fergosi is his politically correct usage of the abbreviations "CE" and "BCE" in place of "BC" and "AD" Even then, he and everyone with whom this has become chic, only brings to the forefront that real history revolves around the most historical human happening, the Birth, Life and Death of Jesus Christ.

However, his courage in writing this book and in the publisher's decision to print this deserves much credit. This is a book long overdue, and if we in the West do not wake up, the very sizable Moslem populations within Western society will be the nucleus for their attempt to subvert whatever is left of our Christian heritage. Mr. Fergosi has issued a call for us to know and recall the real history of Islam. I pray that we heed his warning before it is too late.

A refreshing account of insurgent Islam and the treatment of Christians and Jews under Islamic rule. Fregosi provides a thorough analysis of the true nature of historical Islam, showing us how Islam has conquered, subjugated, and oppressed Christian, Jewish, and pagan populations throughout the Middle East, Africa, and Central Asia over the last thousand years or so. Things have not changed; the author argues that the primary objective of modern Islam is still the forced conversion of all non-Muslims and the conquest of non-Muslim land. Unlike Judaism and Christianity, Islam at heart is a violent, dark, intolerant belief system (more a pagan ideology than a true religion), and Islam's crimes over the centuries surpass anything committed by Christians. This excellent book provides the proof. Alarmingly, Islam is growing in the West through disastrous immigration policies, especially in Europe. For this reason this book should be required reading for government officials, academics, activists, Christians and Jews, and all citizens concerned for their childrens' future. This volume is highly relevant today, given NATO's policies in the contested Balkans where Christians are again under threat from insurgent, intolerant, violent Islam.

This book is brilliant and the first one of its kind that I encountered in my reading experience. It is one of those unique books that hold such an antagonistic and seemingly biased tone, and yet this element of extremely strong and vivid personal opinion hardly interferes with this book's facts, credibility, and two-sided analysis. In any case, the subject of Jihad is probably the only subject in history in which an objective argument fails in eliminating persistent biased tones, especially tones of anger and disgust. Why? Because the extremity of historical truth in this matter is self-evident.

This book is probably bound, at first,to discourage most objective people with no bias towards Islam, from continuing to read it; it's definitely going to have Imams and sheiks shrieking for blood and to have devout Muslims, fanatics and moderates alike, insulted to a large degree, but a persistent reader who can ignore for a while the apparent hostility in this book, may slowly find out that this work rests its claims on many reliable sources that can be found in a rich bibliography and is an accurate portrayal of long-hidden historical facts that have been shrugged off by many as hogwash or kept in the closet by those too intimidated by the Muslim World in exposing as apparent truths the base and unequaled crimes committed by the Muslim World throughout its long forgotten history.

This book even goes so far as to critique Muslim teachings and the prophet's life itself, the very core of Islam, thus crushing the common argument that the Muslim World's actions (or rather today's fundamentalists') were never in concord with its inherent religion or its prophet. From a man who has lived all his life in the Arab world with Muslims, I can tell you that this book mentions and very effectively addresses most of the common Muslim cliches that are used in defense of this religion's barbaric history, most notably that the Crusades began the whole mess between Islam and the West, a totally false and ludicrous claim. Fregosi also focuses on the lives of Muhammad and the caliphs, the period of the Jihad from beginning to its unresolved present, the conditions of the conquered peoples' lives in most regions of the Muslim World, and on many informative primary sources. He also gives his own personal insight on the connection between the terrorists of today and the historical Jihad.

I strongly oppose any reviewers who think this book is just another work taken from the batch of rhetorical, uncredible, and evidence-lacking anti-Islamic trash. Yes, I did think so at first, and yes, Paul Fregosi does have a hostile view and expresses that quite strongly, but, he does this as a result of objective analysis where he doesn't fail to make concessions and to criticize (sometimes with the same sarcastic tone) every non-Islamic side for its faults throughout various periods of history. Neither does he cringe at mentioning the few benevolent and noble exceptions among the Islamic rulers. His notable final remarks are not consistent to those of a crusading fanatic. And rightfully, he discovers that his objective analysis and recognition of virtuous figures in Islam fail in changing the conclusion that Islam and its Empire were and still are as ruthless as he portrays them.

I highly recommend this book to everyone interested in a credible source for the Jihad; however, I warn biased readers who are looking to analyze this information objectively not to get carried away by Fregosi's attitude and "romance", and I strongly urge objective readers to look past it and concentrate on the facts and take Fregosi's conclusion seriously, no matter how stereotypical it may seem. However, any El Cid or Song of Roland admirer or lamenting Greek who simply wants to chuck the facts aside and wishes to basically indulge his hate or grief for the Muslims' "rape" of Spain or for the fall of Constantinople or the like will enjoy reading this book with its dramatic facts mixed in with the author's emotions (the fall of Constantinople is a must-read!).

This brilliant book is a wake up call and should have been out long ago, and as an "Arab" Catholic, I recommend it above all to those "Arab Christians" who still, after centuries of Muslim brainwashing, live with the delusion that they had lived peacefully with Muslims throughout their history, except under the Ottomans, and that Islam is a religion of peace that is similar to Christianity, when in truth it is a vile religion that had persecuted native Christians for centuries (by Arabs even more than by the Turks) and that, in effect had stolen their various languages and cultures, thus assimilating them and instilling in them the myth that they are and have been Arabs for centuries and that that all the Middle East had been Arabic since before Christ.

The events Fregosi reveals to us in his book reflect on the Middle East today, where Islam's brainwashing propaganda upon Christians and even Muslims,its restrictions upon the freedom of the Churches to even publicly teach the faithful their simple doctrinal rejection of Islam as a religion or to inform them of their past history of sufferings from the Muslims as well as the Muslims' preventing them evangelizing to produce future willing Muslim converts to Christianity have sunk to such low levels of degradation that I myself have heard people of my faith asking their priests, "Father, could Muhammad possibly be a prophet as well?" This book would surely answer that question and enlighten such lost people.

This book should not be ignored by anyone interested in medieval history or in discovering the motives behind Muslim propaganda. Its "zealotry" does require patience but one can learn a lot from its candidness. I dare say that I personally would consider Paul Fregosi worthy of a place among the well known and leading anti-Islamic polemics of our time

...Engines of Dawn is fun, but is nothing to write home about. Characters are flat if likeable, plenty of cliches are trotted out, and the sexual innuendo is a bit forced. Also, if you're paying attention you'll guess the big secret about halfway through. Having said that, it is quick and something of a page-turner toward the end. Also, a touch I particularly liked is that many starships are named after porno actresses...

I was first struck by how awful this book was. Very thin reading, no depth of character, trite metaphors, the whole nine yards.

What saves the book however, is that the pace actually picks up and makes for a half fun (I didnt say "interesting", mind you) read.

Also, its small enough that finishing it in a day is a breeze. So youve had your light reading, and youre ready to move on to better books afterwards.

It's kind of a shame the book was as bad as it was, but I can't exactly remember why I bought it.

-2 stars for not being any good, but 2 stars for relatively short period of pain, and 1 star for fun.

Buy it used.

This is what people might call "a light novel". It's not too deep, but it has a very engaging story. At times, I found I couldn't stop reading despite late hour and lack of sleep :) It has some interesting ideas, and it's written to the point with not too much long and boring background. As for the bad reviews it got? I can't argue with them, the book has its bad points (again - not too deep, very thin character development), but if you don't expect to read a masterpiece, and are just looking for a few hours of enjoyable reading, this book should be very satisfying!

Professional JavaScript is great as a reference and one can find some good nuggets in some of the non-reference chapters. However, if you do not already have formal programming training, and possibly some good familiarity with JavaScript itself, the book may do you better just as a reference tool. Also, because it was written by so many people (each one responsible for a different chapter) the text reads more like a disjointed collection of essays.

The first 750 pages or so of the book comprises the main content of the book. It is divided into 20 chapters, covering just about every aspect of the language. Some of the more advanced chapters, which I did not get a chance to read, are integrating JavaScript with Java, Server-side JavaScript, and stand-alone JavaScript via Windows Script Host. There are also chapters on integrating JavaScript with ASP, and detailed looks at a couple of fairly complex JavaScript systems including a family tree and an ecommerce tool. The problem is that there's little ramp-up. There are lots of code examples throughout the text, but they are primarily small snippets. So it's like shock therapy when you are presented with such major applications of coding without anything in between! But this has to do more with the aforementioned nature of the book in that so many different authors with different styles and topics wrote it. Some of the chapters are great; they have some really good information that any level of programmer can use. The chapters on Forms and Data, Multimedia Plugins, Debugging and Disappearing Data, and Windows and Frames were all extremely helpful. Other chapters for me were completely useless to me - they droned on and on about theoretical issues without getting into practically any coding. I had great hopes for the chapter on Privacy, Security and Cookies, as well as the one on Rapid Application Development, but neither was helpful at all.

The last 300 pages or so comprises the reference section. The reference section is great, it goes into every aspect of the language, including the core language attributes, objects and methods, and there are a ton of JavaScript/browser comparison charts that give you a great idea of what functions and features will be available to you in Netscape and IE from the earliest version to the latest.

Ultimately what you get out Professional JavaScript really depends on your level of expertise when it comes to programming. I do not personally have any formal training - it's all been self-taught, so some of the more advanced stuff, though I'm sure I could learn it given the need, was not presented in a way that instructs people who do not have a familiarity with advanced programming techniques. There seems to be a lingo that some programmers use when talking about programming and for people who don't have formal programming training (or haven't been programming since they were nine) is just completely baffling. Most O'Reilly books seem to be full of this, but then they are written for the professional programmer. Professional JavaScript, as the name implies, probably is as well, however, there is enough great information here for any kind of programmer, and you just have to be selective as to which chapters you try to tackle.

I am your typical Web architect. Not really a pro, but knowledgeable enough to make me one of the best people in my company to work with consultants and do a certain amount of pre-visualization and early prototyping. My project is to get an Intranet/Extranet completed using either Microsoft or alternative products. I have to research and oversee (with others) implementation of both visual design and user functionality, for client (Intranet and Extranet clients) and server ends (including administrative tools).

I know the tools I "want" to use and the strategy I want to take, but I need some hard facts and intermediate to advanced descriptions of implementations.

This book has what I need.

Facts. Loads of example scripts. Analysis of using Java and Javascript. Analysis of extending application functionality through standalone script interpreters. Security issues. Client issues (for all relevant browsers) Server issues (for all relevant servers).

Awesome. Definitely the fruit of an enormous (there's that word again) amount of expertise and trial and error development.

If you have a little bit of knowledge about Web technologies (graphics, databases, servers, browsers and plug-ins), and have some familiarity with programming principles (best if you've taken a programming course or studied on your own for a few months) this book will be the glue that ties it all together for you.

Part reference guide, part bible, and all relevant.

I am your typical Web architect. Not really a pro, but knowledgeable enough to make me one of the best people in my company to work with consultants and do a certain amount of pre-visualization and early prototyping.

My project is to get an Intranet/Extranet completed using either Microsoft or alternative products. I have to research and oversee (with others) implementation of both visual design and user functionality, for client (Intranet and Extranet clients) and server ends (including administrative tools).

I know the tools I "want" to use and the strategy I want to take, but I need some hard facts and intermediate to advanced descriptions of implementations.

This book has what I need.

Facts. Loads of example scripts. Analysis of using Java and Javascript. Analysis of extending application functionality through standalone script interpreters. Security issues. Client issues (for all relevant browsers) Server issues (for all relevant servers).

Awesome. Definitely the fruit of an enormous (there's that word again) amount of expertise and trial and error development.

If you have a little bit of knowledge about Web technologies (graphics, databases, servers, browsers and plug-ins), and have some familiarity with programming principles (best if you've taken a programming course or studied on your own for a few months) this book will be the glue that ties it all together for you.

Part reference guide, part bible, and all relevant.

Mean spirited and critical, Theroux's account of his voyage around the pacific suggests he would have done better to stay at home. Polynesians are broadly depicted as lumbering, shiftless pickpockets with Theroux choosing to include a quite shameful story about a stolen travellers cheque which he countersigns for a Samoan woman. I taught at a college in Tonga in the early nineties and have visited most of the places Theroux covers, including Western Samoa. I only ever found the most gracious and noble people who went well out of their way to be of assistance with everything and whose fundamental decency I still recall. This anti-Jap, anti-Wog romp masquerading as a travel journal will be offensive to many people. Theroux's racism is subtle and it is all the more dislikeable for its subtlety. I came away from The Happy isles Of Oceania with a fresh view on Theroux as well a sudden, irrational impulse to take a shower. This clever, unpleasant book is not a literary island I intend to visit again.

Yes, you readers are certainly right. Theroux does, at certain times, call forth from the fictional realm to completely characterize certain people that he encounters along the way. We should in no way dislike the book for this reason. I felt that it presented me with a clear picture of life in the Pacific, and in particular, proves previous sterotypes both true and false(I particularly love his references to the falacies present within Melville's Typee as a way to describe the Marquesians). Also, I found his representation of American counter-culture as an influence on Samoan culture quite an effective means of relaying to us a sociological message: we learn directly how society influences the individual, and how, in turn, he influences the society. A remarkable read in my opinion....

I lived in Suva (the capital city of...) Fiji for a year during and just after that island nation's first 'bloodless coup d'etat" in 1987 (good ol' Sitivini "Steve", to his closest pals, Rabuka, and his racist henchmen- the leader of that response to a native India-Indian/Fijian man having won the last democratic election held in that archepelago) and on up into a remote village in Ra for the next year as a health education Peace Corps Volunteer.

It took me all those 2 years living fully immersed within Fijian culture and among an interesting( and it must be said oddly racist, even amongst themselves) bunch of humans as one is ever likely to meet - to start to make sense out of their very complicated ways and mores. Paulie T. got to the crux pretty much immediately.

Personally, I got to hate running into locals who had recently encountered tourists - as it always made interactions more complicated for me. Thus American, Aussie and Japanese toursists were a big headache for me. They would over pay for everything and scamper about scantily clad - tweaking at the Fijian moral compass, developed, ironically, directly from the teachings of those good ol' late 1800's Christian missionaries - who, at least had a hand ;-) in helping Fijians stop eating each other.

He nailed the Fijian culture - and I am assuming he does the same to the others described. Who said traveling was pretty? Sure, it can be if one takes great care to insulate oneself from the local actualities - but where's the fun in that?!

I travel to see how the rest of the world lives. Although, one time I went to the b.v.i. to lay about on the beach completely cut off from reality - and you know what? THAT ain't half bad either!