This probably was a good book for 8.0.x but for 8i this book is far too easy! The questions in the book are highly similar to (or same as) those in the Self-Test software (from Oracle). However, I found the exam to be lot more complex. For example, the actual exam questions try very hard to confuse you with similar sounding names for views - viz. V$TRANSACTIONS, DBA_TRANSACTIONS, ALL_TRANSACTIONS, USER_TRANSACTIONS as choice for an answer! It is important to know the "exact" name of the view - this is hardly challenged in any of the questions in this book.

Overall, the questions in the book helped me answer about 25% of the exam. For the rest I had to rely on reading the actual manuals and experience. Phew, glad to get over it! Good luck!! Off to the next exam..

I am an Oracle8 OCP DBA with an average score of 97% and over 8 years of IT experience. This book tries to cover a very extensive subject and fails to accomplish its task. There are many topics from the original Oracle OCP classes missing, and some others misplaced. Also, the chapters do not match those of the course book nor the exam sections.

However, the practice questions are very close to the real ones, and that is the main reason I would buy this book. On the whole, it is a good piece of work - far better than the previous Oracle7 Exam Cram books - but do not expect to get a broad understanding of Oracle administration.

Please read my other reviews to have my opinion on other preparation materials.

If you are new to Oracle, do not mistake the Exam Cram books as the "one stop shop" for all your preparation needs. They are great books to summarize in a very concise and thorough manner 90% of what's needed to pass the exam. This book covers a lot of information in approx'ly 300 pages (not including sample questions or Chapter 1). After reading both Oracle8 Concepts and Oracle8 Administrator's Guide (free Oracle documentation), this book helped pull it all together. Definitely include it in your Oracle library.

I like the way Deitel teaches. I always got much help from C, C++ and java from Deitels's How to Program series. But this one is not satifactoty. Even though this book's title is xml, contents about xml technoligies are not dealt with sufficiently. Some chapters contain the introduction to asp,cgi,perl and java. The introduction to those technologies are easy to get on internet and in other books. The authors should deal with core xml technologies.
The Deitel's series are of college-text- book-sytle.I guess xml is not for college course style. If you are new to xml from non programming experience or the other programming lanuguage. I recommend the XML in a nutshell by Rusy Harold.

I much enjoyed this book as the presentation of complex topics is made very clear. I feel that this book helped me to understand several topics that I never fully understood before (for instane XLink).

Generally the approach in this book is to give a clear and concise coverage of each important topics. This is the best approach to learn but reader should be aware that the coverage is not exhaustive enough for the book to serve as reference. In fact I would have prefered that the author added complete reference on several topics (XML DOM, XPath, XSLT, XSLFO) instead of the 'bonus programming chapter'.

The book is catered for programmers. As a result the table of content will satisfy programmers (unlike many beginning XML books it gives ample coverage of XML APIs) but examples are sometimes non-trivial and written in high-level programming languages. Although generally, it must be said that effort has been made to use various programming languages (i.e. Perl, Java, ASP, etc) so that everybody should find some useful examples.

I would have prefered additional coverage of XML services, SOAP, etc. Also, I found that several chapters (Programming java, programming Perl, etc.), while not useless, were clearly off topic and added to fill-in pages. Only other criticism is that the book is really quite expensive. However, it is one of the best book to LEARN xml (even though you may require additional reference to use it).

One last thing: do not buy the CD ROM training kit of the book. The CD ROM included is very disappointing.

Best available XML book for integration, isn't that what XML is about anyway? I have read countless other books on XML, including: LEARNING XML (Peachpit Press), LEARN XML IN 24 HRS (SAMS), XML w/ ASP & VB and this book is by far the best. DEITEL continues it's great reputation for consistently publishing exceptional learning tools. Not only is XML syntax explained but the CD comes with learning tools to integrate BIZTALK/SOAP, XBRL, WML, VoiceXML, JavaServer Pages, SAX, WAI, and more! Without this book you might as well be John Ritter stumbling over a couch, trying to learn XML. Just don't practice XML, use it in all the latest languages and technologies. The future is here and DIETEL continues to bring us to speed.

The reader might initially believe that she is reading SF Fantacy.(which I do not normally read or enjoy) However, as the tale unfolds the author weaves a wonderful story (though one with perhaps a rather standard general plot) with lots of world building detail. What initially might be identified as fantacy turns out to be explained by loads of advanced technology (which appeals to me immensely). Just when the reader thinks that she has figured out the range and physiology of the story's characters, the author throws in a totally alien life form.

I found the technology believable and the characters intriqueing. There could have been more detail given for the biology of the flora and fauna on the world of Confluence.

I enjoyed this book immensely. I can't wait for the next book in the trilogy!

McAuley invents great backdrops, inventions and moods in his first book of the Confluence trilogy. The City of the Dead gives the reader chills with the dust, isolation and silent videos that activate as visitors stroll by the tombs.

Most of this books races with adventure at a fast pace. A few chapters slow down the action, but only for the reader to catch his breathe.

McCauley does well in keeping the plot from making puppets out of the characters. Yama has an obvious goal: he wants to find his people, or at least who his people were. The characters are likable, but some are cliches--Dr. Dismas or Tamara, for example. Ananda and Pandaras, two different characters whose appearances don't overlap in this book, seem to be too much alike. Overall, however, the characters will endear the reader to this series.

Don't expect Child of the River to be a complete story. The three books in this series may have been only one when the author planned it, but the publisher's marketing department may have seen fit to present this story as a trilogy. I am eager to finish this series and am willing to reserve final judgement until after I read the final chapter. Worth your time for a fun afternoon of speculative fiction.

'Child of the River' is a great novel.

Paul McAuley has created an amazing universe, one where the tropes of fantasy fiction interact with all of the gizmos and gadgets of the hardest SF. The protagonist, Yama, discovers that he's not like the others..that on a world that contains 500 different species, there's no one else like him. So Yama wants to discover who he is and where he came from...and why he's able to command machines.

McAuley is a master wordsmith. The words meld together and form an incredible tapestry. The reader feels as though he's present in McAuley's universe. And really, any book that contains men fencing with chainsaws has to be worth reading. I couldn't put the book down. McAuley has taken a place on my Must-Read list. Highly recommended.

I found "Camping & Wilderness Survival" rather less useful than other outdoor guides I have seen. The author includes so much material, much of it unnecessary, that the reader is overwhelmed with detail.

Furthermore, some of the information is just wrong, or completely useless. For example, the author claims that a needle can be magnetized by stroking it in one direction with a piece of silk; this notion confuses electrostatic effects with magnetic effects.

Under the heading "Starting fire without matches", we are told to "place a lit candle below a teepee of kindling" to start a fire. Then the candle is to be removed and extinguished for future use! (How did the candle get lit in the first place?)

To find the height of a tree, the reader is told to bend over, facing away from the tree, look at the tree through his legs, and move away until the top of the tree can be seen ; then the height of the tree is equal to the horizontal distance between the observer and the tree, because "the angle when looking through your legs is 45 degrees."

The book could have used better editing and proof- reading; on every page the reader will find spelling and grammatical errors. In fact, I found this feature to be more irritating after a while than the occasional factual errors.

The book would be an interesting addition to one's library, for reference purposes, but it is far too lengthy (350 pages) and heavy for routine use in the outdoors.

I think some of the other reviewers have been way to critical of this book. I'm glad it does not go into too much detail, because by being broad it is able to cover many different areas. It is easy to look up what you need quickly. The illustrations help to clarify what is written about. I am not a wilderness expert, but if the information in this book is accurate, it is a very useful reference tool for your average family outdoor outing. I would think that some of the survival techniques could be translated into great projects for kids who sometimes get bored on camping vacations. Yes they should fix the spelling, but I don't spell well enough myself to notice

This book is great. Of all the books I have including the SAS manual, Army Survival manual, and Tom Brown's books, this is on par with the best. It doesn't briefly touch on areas, and it doesn't put in so much detail that would force it to only cover certain aspects of survival. It does cover all areas that you need to know and it gives enough information on each. This is a good "high-medium" book that I recommend for beginners to semi-expert. Very easy to read and loads of pictures and drawings.

This book is a good start for learning VBScript if you are still back in the dark ages, or using IE3.0. I was hoping for a book that would teach many of the updated code tricks for use with IE4.0, but this isn't the book I should have bought.

Usually the O'Reilly books are simply reference books. Books for the High Priests of Computer Technology to check back their theological notes to remind themselves of the brilliance that they once embodied.

This book actually teaches you VBScript. My only major criticism is that the material is not up to date. Great Book once it is revised!

I had been developing strictly with perl for Unix, when I needed to do some work on an NT platform I ordered this book. I used it coupled with O'Reilly's ASP in a nutshell and finished the job quickly. It is a great reference for migrating from other scripting languages.

This book teaches Dreamweaver MX by using actual examples, by providing step by step instructions and finished code.

Unfortunately, there are tools (third party extensions) that are recommended and used in the tutorials but are not available for use. They are either available at additional cost or are just not compatible with this version of Dreamweaver.

This leads to nothing but frustration as key concepts cannot be explored. I am referring to concepts such as file uploads and adding records to table (with identity key). I purchased this book to bring me up to speed so that I could implement a project I'm currently working on and due to it's shortcomings I feel inclined to return it as I cannot follow the examples that I really need.

In an attempt to be fare I'll continue by saying that the author does state that the book is not for novices and that it's shortcomings can probably be worked around by reviewing the finished code. But that, I think, defeats Dreamweaver Mx's main purpose of providing server side behaviours without (much) coding. Also the code generated by MX is not the easiest thing to make sense of.

I will not be able to say enough about this book in a single review. Dreamweaver MX is an absolute treasure chest and a developer's dream, but before I bought this book, I had no idea. I have used Dreamweaver for years, but Dreamweaver MX is an altogether different beast. First and foremost, the author has a very engaging writing style. I was not bored or worse yet, overwhelmed by the coverage. Second, he has put together some very cool applications. He walks you through the development and deployment of every application, allowing you to get up and running with Dreamweaver MX in no time. If you know Dreamweaver, you can use this book to take advantage of the new MX functionality. If you don't know Dreamweaver, buy this book, and the author will teach you to build practical web applications. This is a solid 5-stars.

This is the book that I was waiting for during the UltraDev 4 series, which never materialized. Great examples covering many areas rather than the typical, owner's manual type books that are the norm. This book goes beyond the simple stuff and gets you into the nitty gritty. Grab one of the other 'For Dummmies' type books to show you where things are. Get this one to show you how to actually USE the program effectively. One minor gripe which I share with another reviewer...the mish mash of Cold Fusion and ASP. Would have been nice as two separate books.

The Bragg's were definitely into a providing the public with healthful info about the need to protect your precious health even if it was a little uneven and heavy handed. This book is full of different methods to use apple cider vinegar(acv) to keep our bodies in optimal shape. I think what was surprising for me is the book has info on a healthy lifestyle in general. They definitely support a raw food diet with periodic fasting and acv to keep everything running optimally. There is also quite a bit of info to support the drinking of distilled water. They go to some lengths to explain all the chemicals currently found in our drinking water. There are also pages devoted to fasting and the benefits of trying this as a detox methodology.

I found all this info very useful. Had I been familiar with the Braggs I might not have bought the book because they are also quite religious. There are numerous references to religious practices thrown in amongst the info they impart on acv. I believe everyone has a right to their religious beliefs, nothing wrong with that, just not expecting to be preached at.... while trying to pick up health tips. It catches you off guard and becomes annoying.

The book does have lots of info on the practical benefits of daily use of acv in our diet. I especially liked what they said about using it to help strengthen your hair and to help restore your skin to a smooth clear appearance. I don't want to forget one of the main reasons I picked this book up at the health food store. The table of contents is very very detailed. You can scan for exactly the topics you want and go directly to that page. That's good so you can go directly to what ails you. So understand when you pick up this slim volume you get more than just acv recipes.

Apple cider vinegar is a naturally occurring antibiotic and antiseptic that miraculously fights germs and bacteria. Since Hippocrates in 400 BCE, people have been treated with natural apple cider vinegar for its powerful healing and cleansing qualities. This book tells you how vinegar works and how to use it.

Do not be confused by the low price on this book. Health Science prints in such large quantities, they can afford to keep their prices low. Over six million copies of this book are in print. That is way past bestsellerdom.

Paul Bragg started the health food movement. His Daughter, the Amazing Patricia Bragg, is accelerating their tradition of promoting the healthy lifestyle. She publishes a number of health-nutrition books and markets her own brand of apple cider vinegar, olive oil and aminos. See her picture on the bottles.

I have known Health Science and Patricia Bragg and have followed her healthy lifestyle program for over 20 years.

As the author of 113 books (including revisions and foreign-language editions) and over 500 magazine articles, I highly recommend Health Science books to anyone not tired of living. DanPoynter@ParaPublishing.com.

This book is full of information about a product that has been around for centuries, and will not do you any harm. My husband and his whole family have lived on Zantac, Prilosec, Tums, with not much relief..just more drugs. When I heard about cider vinegar (from another book) I told my husband to try it; he didn't think there was much to it. Then, I bought the Bragg Amino Acids from my health food store and this book on Apple Cider Vinegar.

This time, I just started giving him the vinegar honey drink twice a day for a week. He noticed SIGNIFICANT changes in his digestion and has been able to cut back on the Tums, etc. What he didn't realize is that he was LACKING enough stomach acid, and the pills were reducing his acid even more!!!

The Braggs aren't the only ones who know about cider vinegar and it's benefits. I've read books by James Balch MD (Prescription for Nutritional Healing), and M. Ted Morton (Your Health, Your Choice), and they concur on the use of vinegar for indigestion. The Braggs just take the information and expand on the use of vinegar.

The Braggs are vegetarians (I am not), but I still incorporate their advice and wisdom. They are living testimonies to what they teach, and I've learned that prevention if far easier than any "cure"!

A great book! I have bought over 15 books in the past month on the benefits of eating 70%-100% raw foods, and while all of them have been terrific, this one is the easiest read. I am kind of on my own down here in Ormond Beach, and this book surely helped in my quest to discover the joys of the raw food lifestyle. The section on what goes on in the slaughter houses, poultry processing plants, and the fish packing plants and the unhealthy nature of all three industries as a whole, surely convinced me to avoid these poisens for the rest of my life. Additionally, the interviews with other raw food experts, and the list of healing retreats was especially helpful. Thanks, Paul.

paul nison is without a doubt one who is knowledged about his subject matter. in this book he outlines how to become more natural in the modern unnatural world. he covers such topics as diet, exercise, sunglasses, and many others. he also provides some ways of avoiding or confronting problems which one may encounter along the way. he offers several interviews with long time rawfoodists and the advice they have for someone who is changing their lifestyle and diet. this book is extremely easy to read and very informative. highly recommended.

It's the best book out there for learning how to be successful at the all raw diet.I loved the way it was wrote so simple and he makes it so much fun instead of boring you.I found this book really inspirational to try again to go to 100% rawfoods because of all the knowledge and tips it has to be successful at doing it. I would highly recommend this book to any one interested in changing to a raw food lifestyle!

When one criticizes this book it is no doubt because they don't understand that many Christian children are being fed disinformation in school, on tv and in movies. The book clearly explains (and proves) that dinosaurs did indeed exist after the flood and were not unknown to the writers of the Bible. It is not a book per se about evolution, but works well as a companion to the subject. Once we realize that dinosaurs are not as old as we're often told, the theory of macro-evolution is shown to be just that--- a theory, with no secure basis in factual history. I have owned a copy of this book since 1989 and frequently use it as a teaching aid, its bountiful illustrations rivet children's attention. But it is also useful for teens and adults who question the historic accuracy of the Sacred Scriptures.

Children of all ages love dinosaurs. They are fascinated by them and will soak up anything dealing with those creature of old. A question that usually arises when discussing dinosaurs with children is, "what happened to the dinosaurs?" This book answers that question in the most logical and plausible way. The book is quite informative not just for kids, but for adults as well. It explains how dinosaurs fit into the Biblical creation, exposes flaws in many popular scientific theories, and illumines the validity of a Judeo/Christian world view in science. Yet, the book is quite simple to read and understand and does not become bogged down in superfluous scientific jargon. An excellent read.

I found this book to be very useful in explaining dinosaurs to my childern in a way that is consistant with my Biblical beliefs. It answered my own questions and I recommend it to anyone of any age. It is a great tool for reinforcing what we know to be truth.

The Mind's Eye is a great story by Paul Fleischman. In this book, a young girl by the name of Courtney got into a terrible accident and damaged her legs. Because her mother had passed away when she was younger, she lived with her stepfather. Not getting along with him, she was stuck at Home Care while he found a new life with another woman. Although she was lonely at first, she made new friends with Evla, and old woman. Together, they pass their time by imagining about places and things.
This book was introduced to me by Faith, my best friend. After reading it, she described it to me as a very touching story that I would fall in love with. The cover also seemed to look interesting and fun so I went ahead and read it. Even the cover seemed to tell me that this would be a book that I enjoy.
One of my favorite parts were when Elva and Courtney traveled to Italy through their imaginations. As Courtney looked through the map of Italy, they pretended to travel through its museums and wonderful sites. This gave me a feeling of wonder and adventure and I felt as though I was traveling through it, too. I never been to Italy either so I got to experience it through their imagination. It was very exciting and interesting. This is a book that should be read by everyone!

In Paul Fleischman's Mind's Eye, Courtney is a sixteen-year-old girl whose father left her and her mother when she was two. Countney did not get along with her stepfather so when her mother died, it made the situation worse. Courtney had a horse accident which has made her paralyzed. Her stepfather put her in a nursing home. She meets Elva who is eighty-eight years old and almost blind. Courtney and Elva take an imaginary trip to Italy using a 1910 travel guide. Even though the trip is only in the mind's eye, Courtney's need for love makes the journey real. Mind's Eye is a contemporary fiction book written in script.

Written as a play and taking place in a convalescent home, Mind's Eye is a touching story of the bond formed between Courtney a 16-year old who recently became a paraplegic and Elva, her elderly roommate who is bedridden and almost blind. A former English teacher, Elva is an educated and spirited woman. Kept company by the likes of John Greenleaf Whittier, William Blake and Robert Frost, she colors her conversations with quotes from the greats of the literary world. Depressed over her circumstances, Elva is nothing more than an irritant to Courtney. But when Elva tells Courtney a sentimental story about her late husband, Emmett, Courtney reluctantly listens. Elva explains that Emmett had always wanted to go to Europe, but passed away before his dream was realized. Elva tells Courtney that she had made a promise to Emmett that she herself would make the journey, but she became bedridden before that was possible. She encourages Courtney to join her and her husband on an imaginary pleasure trip through Italy using her 1910 Baedeker's Italy as their guide.
With detailed accounts, Fleischman creates a lavish trip through Italy's landmarks and countryside. For Elva, the trip becomes a time filled with fond memories of her late husband. At first, Courtney uses the trip as an opportunity to exude her anger about the new condition in which she finds herself. With little enthusiasm, Courtney reads from the travel guide and butchers the language. She unpacks her bags and ventures through Italy, and at one point takes a bold move and steers the trip in her own direction. Granting herself Medusa like powers, she pretends to ruin some of the world's most prized pieces of art. But, as she begins to heal spiritually and emotionally, she gives herself an imaginary boyfriend.
Fleischman craftily uses the trip to display Courtney's remarkable journey to emotional and spiritual recovery. He fills the reader with hope for Courtney and all others in similar situations as she continues her journey with another roommate after Elva's death. Fleischman's choice to leave out Courtney's emotional reaction to Elva's death is an interesting one, which leaves something special for the reader's own imagination. While the story could be easily understood by very young adults, the references to literary works and the spirit of this story would best be appreciated by sensitive readers. The surreal cover is a perfect complement to this imaginative flight.