my title says it all.
peace!

paul lichter has written the greatest elvis books and this one stands the test of time. a true classic.

Superficial at best, this book is not worth the entry fee. Unless you have a burning desire to sample the writing style of the famous Ms. Weinman's sibling or learn how to use Sausage Software Java utilities, look elsewhere

I can't believe this book is out of print now! Rarely do you find the expertise and clear writing that is found here. I found it easy to read, easy to follow, and brimming with information.

If you are able to get your hands on this book, it's definitely worth your time. If nothing else, as an example of coding whiz Ms. Brown's fine editorial efforts.

This is one of the few books available in English about Zhou Enlai, one of the most fascinating and least understood political figures in modern Chinese history.

Unfortunately, author Han Suyin and editor Paul De Angelis fail to bring to life this enigmatic figure who was in many ways responsible for guiding a broken China out of the ashes of Civil War and steering her away from the ill-planned social and economic policies of Mao Zedong.

Han comes from the propaganda school of China writing. In the 60s and 70s she penned forgettable books on the successes of Chinese Communism and the predicted triumph that never happened.

Blame it on the political climate of the day, but unfortunately many of the writing skills and editorial standards learned at that time are still present in the biography of Zhou Enlai. Legitimate interviews and quotes are seldom cited or even identified, while liberal doses of hearsay and legend (especially from the Long March period) are treated as fact. The story of the young man who rose through the ranks of the CCP hierarchy to become the No. 2 man to Mao all too often reads like a rather lengthy party biography with a few doses of insider gossip thrown in for good measure.

More importantly, readers seldom get a chance to see the man behind the public image. The all-important early years are treated as a series of dates and accomplishments in the expatriate CCP cell in France, and his childhood is barely mentioned at all.

His story begs more personal details and impressions from the people who knew him, but Han sticks mainly to the official version of Zhou and the party line on the political struggles of the time. It's a pity, because Han interviewed on several occaisions Zhou's widow and could have used her memories to paint an interesting, behind-the-scenes picture of this powerful figure. For instance, in the Long March period Zhou emerges as a man skilled in the art of compromise - what made him this way? The author either failed to ask the right questions or chose not to include them in this biography.

Other problems include a stiff writing style, a poor story structure, a mediocre translation and editing effort, and an irritating and often incorrect mix of Romanization systems used to spell out Chinese names.

The editor and publisher deserve some of the blame for not developing the idea with the author. They also deserve criticism for accepting and printing a manuscript that clearly needed some major changes.

It didn't have to be this way. "Wild Swans" is proof that great biographical works can be produced by Chinese writers in English. Too bad the people behind Zhou Enlai's only readily available profile in English did not see "Wild Swans" as an inspiration.

Han Suyin writes an amazingly detailed account of one of the greatest statesmen of the twentieth century. Her prose is fluent and engaging, and the questions which she raises throughout the biography help the reader to grasp a fuller picture of the secretive man whose powerful politics saved China from Western military aggression. For those who are unfamiliar with the history of modern China, Ms. Han patiently describes the events which surrounded and preceded Premier Zhou. She painstakingly describes the politics of those who affected him, and she demonstrates how Zhou led the founding of the world's most populous nation.

Outside of the American media's depictions of Chinese human rights violations and inflitration, few Americans are familiar with matters relating to China. Here is a factual inside account of modern China shown with both its strengths and foibles. Ms. Han writes from her personal interviews with Premier Zhou and his colleagues, and she presents a full picture of both his accomplishments and mistakes. She is careful not to err on the side of exaggeration, though it is apparent that she, like most Chinese in China, revere their nation's former Premier. Americans, especially those who wish to understand the history between China and the U.S., should find this book interesting.

I am currently using this textbook for my AP United States History class. While it is definetly factual and a good general knowledge book for people interested in History, it's difficult to study from. The wording is not easy and often gets extremely flowery. Also, the text focuses on specific incidences and doesn't cover concepts very deeply, if at all. I often find that I'm left to draw my own conclusions from it and then I have to go to other sources for the information I need for tests.

This book provides a complete description of US History. All the importaint facts are covered in the book, but not any more in depth than a paragraph or two on a subject. Occasionally, though, the text does become difficult to follow. Topics aren't presented cronoligically, but instead are grouped together in a approximate time span. IE.. The culture of the United Stated in the 1860s and 1870s was discussed before there was any mention at all about the Civil War. However, the high level of knowledge that can be gained by treading this book in its straight forward approach far outweigh any problems that may be encountered.

A basic center/2 sides cabinet is the only model covered in this book. The rest is exploded orthographic CAD drawings and plywood cutting plans for several different size combinations.

This book would be useful for novices who want to build this particular cabinet, but even for them it does not offer step by step instructions or photos. If you're looking for a variety in projects and styles, keep looking.

What he didn't elaborate on is that this is a book that goes into making the basic part of the entertainment center, which is all the guidence a novice woodworker with ANY bit of imagination and creativity needs. It has all the sizes to accomodate for the many variations that can be needed for a custom entertainment center. It goes into detail on adding mouldings(crown and decorative), and customizing it further, like giving you diminsions for CD's Videocasette Tapes, and so on. There is much more to this book, and is one of the better books on Entertainment Centers out there. And believe me I have looked through about 35+ in about a week-long period at bookstores flipping through pages finding what I think would be the best way to get a custom look with a conventional plan. If you are wanting to build your own Entertainment Center to house your gear, this is a good book to have. It also gives basic diminsions for audio components, and how to put in a swivel TV tray, which is helpful.

It is interesting that an evangelical commentary series known for its excellent and orthodox scholarship should allow someone like N. T. Wright to write a commentary in this series. Wright is a neo-Protestant scholar who wants to "reform" the major tenents of the Reformation. Also, his New Perspectivism clouds good exegetical reasoning and theological orthodoxy. I find it hard to believe that the Tyndale series editors would include Wright as a contributor alongside renown Protestant scholars like F. F. Bruce, Donald Guthrie, Wayne Grudem, Michael Green, Douglas Moo, and John Stott.

Wright is a great New Testament scholar who honestly approaches the scripture and explains things clearly. In this commentary, he gives some interesting views on the background of the book (particularly Paul's theoretical imprisonment in Ephesus). Definitely worth buying.

While the book lists 1760 spy movies which is good for referance the authors very opinionated reviews leaves a very bad impression. He also forgets to list the majority of the Euro spy movies made during the spy craze of the 60's. This is probably on purpose as the ones he has listed he ridicules.
Don't waste your money unless you are a die hard spy fan and want to use this book for film title referance.

Forget the previous customer review, and check out what the book critics and film historians think -- this book is the best single resource for spy films released in America. It's also one of the funniest film books I've ever read -- I can't wait for his next book. The credits are more complete than other film sources, the photos are fascinating, and the author's comments are really helpful -- and again, hysterical. Should be in every film lover's library!

I ordered this book without noticing the 1992 publication date. While well, written, concise and easy to understand, AIDS/HIV treatment has changed so much in the last six years, that the worth of this book, in my eyes, is questionable. While much of the information may still be accurate, it is impossible for the layman or a person newly diagnosed as having HIV to separate the still accurate from the outdated information. I hope that a new version of this important text is soon written by the same compentent authors. In 1992 I would have given this book five stars, today I can only give it one.

This book is an exhaustive, empathic volume, and essential reading for patient and provider alike. Except for the out-of-date information on antiretrovirals (I hope that Pocket will issue an revised edition that includes the protease inhibitors), the topics addressed in the book are timely, modern and always written with the patient in mind. Complete without being overwhelming, this book is _the_ guide to living with HIV infection.

As a licensed social worker and psychotherapist who works with aging people and their families, I bought this book "sight unseen", based on the "Merck" name. I regret that decision. With few exceptions, I found the information in the book spotty and incomplete -- and very difficult to find. The way medications are grouped is NOT user friendly; it is confusing. The index is extremely cumbersome and bably done. Most times, looking up a medication in the index becomes a chore because there are many, many page references to follow up on. Even more important, some important references are missing. For example, on page ii. the editors make a point of saying the grapefruit juice may interfere with the effects of lipitor, a cholesterol-lowering medication. Yet when I looked up lipitor in the index, I found no reference to the page in question. This kind of carelessness is inexcusable, especially since there are no fewer than ten (10) page references under lipitor. I would urge elderly people and their families to AVOID this book. It is badly done, often useless, and sometimes downright dangerous.

This is an easy-to-use and informative book that covers a wide range of medical problems, from A - Z (Arthritis to Osteoporosis in this case). The real benefit is the detailed drug information for each condition and its unique emphasis on advice for Seniors. I recommend it for anyone on any sort of maintenance prescription, or helping take care of someone who is.

Russell Kirk said this guy was great, but after buying a whole set of these volumes and stuggling through them, it's only fair to report that More just isn't much of a writer. This is definitely not for everyone. Anyone want to buy my set? Let me know. You can have them cheap.

The great American author, editor, statesman and scholar Walter Lippmann wrote the following about Paul Elmer More, "To read him is to enter an austere and elevated realm of ideas and to know a man who, in the guise of a critic, is authentically concerned with the first and last things of human experience." That is an assessment with which I wholeheartedly concur. I would add the following. In his preface to "Reflections on a Ravaged Century", historian Robert Conquest observed, "...the main responsibility for the century's disasters lies not so much in the problems as in the solutions, not in impersonal forces but in human beings thinking certain thoughts and as a result performing certain actions." At the close of the twentieth century Conquest looked back on the bad ideas and horrible consequences that plagued mankind in the form of evil ideologies such as Communism and National Socialism. At the dawn of the same century More looked at the same bad ideas and foresaw the horrible consequences. Conquest was reflective, More was prophetic. It is with sadness that I note More's works are now out of print, while at the beginning of the twenty-first century our academy is awash in the intellectual sewerage spewed forth by the likes of Foucault, Derrida, Rorty, Chomsky and Said. "A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country".