Sherlock Holmes has been an obsession of mine since adolescence. When I came across this relatively expensive set of books in junior high school, I ran home and did every chore in the world in my entire neighborhood for three straight days --and added up the dimes and quarters people would give me until I had enough to buy these two volumes. They have been with me ever since. For the first time, I understood what all those words were that I couldn't find in a dictionary, with illustrations and explanations. Even more amazing, I learned that Sherlock Holmes was a real person -- or at least, the editors of these books believed so! The product of a great generation of Holmes fanatics, this collection is full of the arguments over what each story means, what has been included by Dr. Watson, and what must have been left out to protect the innocent. The one truly indispensable volume for Holmes fans, "The Annotated Sherlock Holmes" is an unadulterated joy!

If you ever wanted to read the entire Sherlock Holmes canon, this is the best book to buy. Also, if you are one of those Sherlock fans, you will certainly appreciate this book. Apart from Conan Doyle's original text, this book presents lots of interesting information about Victorian England, linking it with the text. If Holmes spends a crown on something, Baring-Gould will not only calculate its value today but will also show you a picture of the coins at that time. If Holmes and Dr. Watson have to take a transportation to go somewhere, Baring-Gould will show a picture and description of the exact transportation they used. Finally, if the two inseparable friends have to investigate something in a specific address, the book shows a map or picture of the site. However, the book most interesting quality is an extensive research the editor made in order to sort the stories chronologically, not in the order Conan Doyle wrote them but in the order they in fact happened. All those details make the book so real that after you finish this book, you will get a strange feeling that the most famous fictitious detective in the world really lived at 221b Baker Street or a strange feeling that Holmes was not simply a delusion of Dr. Watson, himself the alter ego of Conan Doyle.

the knowledge of when to stop." Thus remarks Holmes to Lestrade about the villainous Jonas Oldacre

( By the bye giving an excellent piece of advice to all artists, villainous or not. Truly the stage, as Watson keeps reminding us, lost a great actor when Holmes embarked upon the profession of consulting detective )

It would appear that Jonas, in his attempt to send the innocent John Hector Mc Farlane to the gallows, could not resist adding a final touch which brought his nefarious plans crashing down---he planted a stain of blood on the wall upon which Mc Farlane's fingerprint would be found!

Lestrade: "You are aware that no two thumb-marks are alike ? "
Holmes: "I have heard something of the kind. "

Whereupon Wiliaim S Baring-Gould, greatest of Holmseian addict/scholars treats us to a footnote on the margin regarding Galton's method of fingerprining, given to the British Association in 1899 and concludes that--

By my gold amethyst encrusted snuff-box, this is fun!

It's the best rendering of Conan Doyle's canon, complete with maps of London, illustrations from Collier's, vintage 1903; coats of arms, photographs, drawings--in brief, the world of S.H. made explicable, and vivid.

Naturally you knew that when Watson informs us that their long suffering landlady, Mrs.Hudson, lived on the first floor flat, he's using it in the English sense: what we Americans would call 'the second floor.' Or that a 'life preserver' was a short bludgeon, usually of flexible cane, whalebone, or the like loaded with lead at one end. Or that---

Hmm...now what was that about the supreme gift of the artist?

Sometimes the line is blurred between being a genius and being a mad man. Rimbaud is such a case. While I am not convinced by Robb's thesis that Rimbaud is a poet-genius who has been grossly overlooked, one cannot help but being at awe to read about his extremely outrageous behaviour and his unconventional life style. His relationship with Verlain is one of the highlight of this book. But his later life in search of his identity in various exotic locale, is much more interesting.

Robb has done a great job in telling this unusual life. But somehow his story telling is not as fluid as his "Victor Hugo" book which I admire very much. Compared to his work on Victor Hugo, one can't help but feel that this Rimbaud's book has been put too hastily.

As Robb did in stellar biographies of Balzac and Victor Hugo, he paints a vivid picture of the immediate environment in which the genius in question grows, rebels, creates and explodes. Much has been written about Rimbaud and his short period of productivity as a brilliant poet and prose-poet, but too much until this biography repeated the same facts, the same received opinions and the same conclusions. Robb digs deeper to provide the fascinating and detailed world of Rimbaud's family, his provincial origins and his rage to create new forms. With that detail, Rimbaud comes spectacularly alive in context. And what a context! Most famously, poet Paul Verlaine stepped into Rimbaud's line of fire and literary history was made, with the young man/boy wreaking havoc in every direction. As Robb shows, Verlaine, Rimbaud's mentor, lover and punching bag, was merely one of those the wild child went after. Robb's prodigious knowledge of the poet, his time and his place in literary history makes this the definitive biography of Arthur Rimbaud. And although hard work, thoroughness and engaged insights are three of Robb's supreme qualities as a biographer, his glorious writing style, which provides every paragraph with exploding epiphanies that illuminate and delight in equal measure, remains a rare treasure among contemporary biographers.

Before this biography, my knowledge of Rimbaud's life was limited to the brief blurbs afforded him in anthologies and such. Robb's book provides a much more complete portrait of the man, and not just during the volatile years of his youth. I can't say how this book compares with other Rimbaud bios, but I found Robb's Rimbaud an engrossing character, and I enjoyed the book thoroughly. It also gave me a new perspective to think about when reading the subject's poetry.

While I do not use the New American Standard translation as my primary bible, I love this translation. It is very literal, and great for studying. My only complaint with this translation is that it can be a bit difficult to memorize, and sometimes is awkward to read because of it's strict literal approach.

In terms of the bible, the Inductive approach is a great idea. Letting God speak through His word, and meditating on it makes much more sense to me than running to study notes for someone elses interpretation. It's a wonderful way to learn and grow.
The New Inductive Study bible explains the process for this form of study, but does not encorporate it as well as I thought it would. It provides things to be aware of while reading, key words to highlight, and questions to answer, but to me the best approach is to ask your own questions, and search through the bible yourself to answer them. When doing this, I skip the New Inductive Bible's study suggestions/notes completely and just use it's concordance and book summaries to supplement scripture itself.

What I like the best about the New Inductive Study Bible is the fact that it has a fairly thorough concordance (only rivalled or beaten by a few bible's I've seen), a large and very readable font, is based on a great translation for study, and has wide margins.

I could have done without the questions / suggestions for study, and would have preffered an even larger concordance. Also, the bible uses a verse format for the text, so each verse is on it's own line. This is great for locating verses quickly, but I find it greatly hinders the flow of the text.

Overall, I would suggest passing on the New Inductive Bible, and instead picking up a basic version of the New American Standard such as the Thinline Large Print NASB and investing in a full concordance.
If you like to write in your bible though, or have never studied inductively before, I'd recommend this. It's a great supplement to anyone's bible library.

NOTE: I use the English Standard Version, as it's very literal, but is a little easier to read and memorize.

I have many different translations of the Bible, from the King James Version to the NIV, and none of my study Bibles compare to the New Inductive Study Bible. The way this Bible is laid out just increased my zeal to study. Now, I consider myself a die-hard King James Version student. However, the NASB was so easy to read, and made my study easier. I highly recommend this Bible to anyone who is seriously interested in getting a deeper understanding of God's word.

This is the absolute best study Bible I have ever come across! I've used many, from the Open Bible, Life Application Bible, Thompson Chain Reference Bible, Ryrie Study Bible and Hebrew Greek Key Bible. There comes a time where you want to dig out what the Word says to you. Not commentators, Not translators. Just you and God. That's what this does. A small introduction is given at the beginning of each book, and you are given things to look out for or notice in each book. You have pages to record your notes on, and wide margins to write personal notes and applications right next to the text. There are also blank pages for notes in the back of the Bible. Also included at the end of each book of the Bible is a "Chapter Theme" Chart where you record the Theme of each chapter. It makes a wonderful quick reference! There is also a space for you to record the theme at the beginning of each chapter. I never realized how helpful it is to do it yourself! The more you make notes in this Bible and discover truths, the more irreplaceable it becomes. The text is a nice print and easy to read. It is single column text. The references are wonderful, and there anre many. I highly recommend it. It may be the last study Bible you ever need!

UPDATE: After using this Bible intensively for 6 months I have to add this: the cross references are plentiful and are some of the best I've seen and very, very helpful. Along with the cross references are translators notes that are included are invaluble. Like a study Bible in themselves. For example Rom 3:3 reads "What then? If some did not believe, thier unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God will it?"
The translator note to the side tells you that "did not believe" could also be rendered "or were unfaithful" and unbelief could be rendered "unfaithfulness" It is really enlightning to me, because although I have Heb/Greek dictionaries, I am not fluent in the original languages.

An absolutely awesome book. One of the very best books I have ever read on software engineering. If you are an OO developer and you have not read this book, you are just wasting your time. An extremenly well written book from a man who knows what he is talking about. After years of Java programming now at last I started to understand why people do certain things in certain ways.

It's both surprising and unfortunate that books like these don't sell more at Amazon. At least that's what the sales rank says. Before this book, I have wasted my money on horrible OO books by internationally known authors. And those books sell like hotcakes. Unfair.

If you do OO development, please read this book! This book, along with the GoF Design Patterns book are in my OO development hall of fame. Riel does a great job of presenting good design approaches and rules of thumb that help to improve object-oriented designs. Each heuristic is backed up with examples rather than just being presented for you to accept verbatim. Riel also does a great job of pointing out some of the problem areas in OO -- areas that cause consternation for all OO developers. Being a perfectionist is tough in this industry, and Riel's coverage of sticky topics helped me to accept that sometimes there just isn't a "right" answer. A helpful touch: In a fashion similar to GoF, Riel lists his heuristics in the front and back covers of the book, with page references to the supporting material.

Buy this book NOW

The great strength of this book is that it specifically addresses design issues that crop up all the time, and handles them in a readable and practical way. For example: should an inheritance hierarchy be wide or deep? Should design be data-driven or behavior-driven? In all cases the author steers a reasonable course, explains the tradeoffs, and avoids dogma. I also enjoyed the fact that I didn't have to wade through lots of code to get the point. Too many authors think that a code example explains itself. The heuristics are a nice touch, although I consider them to be the frosting on this particular cake. This book's a keeper.

I am a second grade teacher. I read this chapter book every year to my students during story time. We all love it. The characters are wonderful, real and funny. I would suggest it to any teacher in the primary grades.

My recommendation is for Gooseberry Park. If you love animals this book is for you. It is about a dog named Kona, and a squirrel named Stumpy who are best friends till a tragic blizzard changes everything. Can Kona save Stumpy and her babies? Read this book and find out.

I think you would like to read this book because it is about a chocolate lab. He meets a squirrel and they become friends. Then the squirrel was going to have babies. Then they meet a bat named Murray. This is a good book because in the story there is a big storm and the squirrel babies get it trouble. Read to find out what happens.

I have read McDonald, Shaw, Wolfe, Lepp, etc. They are great, but when it comes to bird photogrpahy this guy is the man. I have read 30+ books on nature photography, and Morris still can show me tips I didn't know. An excellent book!

Bird photographers of all skill levels will benefit from reading The Art of Bird Photography. As a beginner, it is the first photography book that I ever purchased. Today it remains, by far, the most valuable. In the book, Mr. Morris covers everything from the fundamentals of making technically perfect photographs, to how he creates his stunning compositions, complete with the crisp, clean "Birds as Art" backgrounds for which he is famous. After purchasing and devouring the technical sections of this book, my photography was transformed nearly overnight. It is a must read for anyone interested in improving their photography whether they specialize in birds or bears.

Arthur Morris is by far the worlds leading bird photographer. It is almost impossible to pick up a recent book on birds that doesn't have his name heavily credited. This book lives up to the expectations that we have from Arthur Morris. It is beautifully printed and most informative. I would suggest that anyone who is interested in bird photography buy this book along with Mr. Morris' manual, "Bird Photography-Pure and simple," and read both of them thoroughly.

An avid & experienced baker, I was thrilled to receive this book as a gift. I learned a great deal about different doughs, and how they relate to each other. I have not been pleased with the quality of the recipes I have prepared from the book, however. They are, at best, average. To date, I have prepared over 50 of the recipes in the book, and usually have a superior version of the same or similar recipe in another book or my collection. For the money, I find the baking recipes in the 1950 Betty Crocker Picture Cookbook (recently re-released) to be the best that can be prepared in a home oven. (Incidentally, I live only minutes from King Arthur Flour and buy all of my flour directly from their store) If you are interested in learning the fundamentals of baking (and many advanced tips and ideas as well), by all means purchase the book. My baking knowledge and skills increased dramatically after applying the ideas and principles in this book. Don't expect stellar results from the actual recipes, though.

I went to a large (un-named) bookstore determined to find a book on baking that would be significantly different. I have been baking for fifty years, since I was a little girl. I wanted easy recipes for my grandchildren, and healthy ones. This is it! I wish there was someway to emphasize how much better this cookbook is than any other on the market. This is my first on-line review, so I am trying to spread the word. I am also buying two more copies. Hopefully it will never go out of print, because I intend to keep on giving them as gifts!

King Arthur's Flour 200th Anniversary Cookbook sits on my pantry shelf with Beard On Bread, Amy's Bread and other venerable baking books. Often though, it is KA that helps me out, as it did a couple of days ago when I was looking for a way to approximate a bread I sampled at a restaurant. KA appears rather quaint and rural New Englandish, especially with recipes like Monster Pie (not a bad thing), but don't underestimate it. It provides a lucid, nonthreatening approach to the basics, also explains theory so you can build your own recipes. The only thing that dates this ten-year-old volume is the fact that it is not up to date on some of the spiffier ingredients KA has added to its Baker's Catalogue, like SAF yeast and special bread flours. It was compiled before bread machines caught fire, too, so for those who only do bread that way, it may not offer everything.

Although it is not as famous as some of his earlier science fiction books (or "scientific romances", as they were then called), and is not an absolute classic like those books are, The First Men In The Moon is nevertheless a delightful and important satrical SF novel. Also, its importance in the development of modern science fiction cannot be overestimated. Although numerous books before had dealt with a story set on another world (let us here, for the sake of convenience, refer to the Moon as a "world"), Wells's book is the first to make it convincingly real. Although, one hundred years on, much of the novel's science is dated and Well's Moon is far different from how we now know it to be, nevertheless, Wells here created a world out of his own imagination, and describes it with such a convincing level of detail that one actually feels like they are there. And the science, indeed, was, in fact, quite up-to-date for the turn of the century. The structure and format of the novel also was highly influential: one will see immediately upon reading it just how much modern science fiction owes to this novel, and to Wells (and yet, Wells himself borrowed prodigiously from previous books on the subject.) The book was originally supposed to end at Part I: Part II was added later by Wells after the book was already in the process of serialization. I think that the addition of Part II is what makes the book good instead of great. If it had ended as it originally would, it would still be a good book - a rousing adventure, an interesting yarn - but it would not be great. The second part makes the book a full-on satire - something that the earlier portion had merely hinted at. It sharply and bitingly satarizes manking and his many follies, particularly war. This addition of satire and borderline philosophy makes the novel a truly great one. I read an essay on this book that said it differs from Wells's earlier SF novels because it is not grim. I beg to differ. The ending, to me, seems quite grim, indeed. Although it does not involve the imminent extinction of man himself as earlier works did, it is nonetheless quite pessimistic and grim. The addition of the second part of the novel and the ending also pave the way for Wells's later works - ... This is a true science fiction classic that deserves to be more highly-regarded than it is.

What always gets me with Wells is the forcefulness of his imagination -- his ability to construct powerful, symbolically resonant setpieces based upon the scientific ideas of his time. In the final pages of "The Time Machine" he gave us one of the great apocalyptic visions in all of literature. In "The First Men in the Moon," he gives us a magnificently alien setting, full of bizarre moments -- jumping about the lunar surface in 1/6 G; the Giddy Bridge and the Fight in the Cave of the Moon-Butchers; the bizarre lunar ecology, in which all the plants die every night and are reborn each dawn.

Scientifically, much of this stuff doesn't hold up after a hundred years. And the device he comes up with to get his characters to the moon -- Cavorite -- is without basis, an arbitrary magical tool not unlike the time machine. Even when Wells' science is iffy, though, he presents it in such a clear, convincing fashion that you are only too glad to suspend disbelief while the story unfolds.

In the Selenites we have a metaphor for a different type of society -- rigidly hierarchical, with the needs of the individual sublimated to the whole. The metaphor obviously comes from social insects; though it became a sci-fi cliche, it was still fresh circa 1901. In the remarkable last section of the book (Cavor's communications from the moon), Wells describes the Selenite society with delightful attention to detail. He ends with a haunting, unforgettable image, and probably the best closing sentence of any sci-fi novel.

Cavor, a genius, invents a material that allows him to build a Gravity-Defying Sphere. Soon he and a young, and very greedy, businessman use it to go to the moon. They find not only life, but the Selenites, a culture who can change their shape to fit their jobs. In other words, form is designed for the function of their class or in this case their caste. Over them rules the Grand Lunar, a being whose large brain gives him awesome power and foresight beyond even the businessman who tells us the story. Both characters show their human merits and their very human flaws. Not science fiction as much as a book on society.

The Power of Empathy is a marvelous and comforting book about a topic that many people experience on a day-to-day basis, yet unaware that they are doing so. In others, empathy is an aspect of human nature that actually needs to be developed, whether from scratch or through enhancement. Whichever category you belong to, Dr. Arthur Ciaramicoli's book will help bring you to a point of understanding the concept of empathy, which, in turn will help you help yourself and others. I found myself constantly nodding my head as I read, reacting to stories and explanations in the book of things that I seemingly experienced in my own life in one way or another. It is fascinating to see how empathy is an ongoing part of our lives, yet most of us remain non-cognizant to it, however satisfied that a result was achieved. But it is important to comprehend the means for reaching our goals of understanding, feeling, and sympathizing. The Power of Empathy is the benchmark tool for guiding one in accomplishing this. Dr. Ciaramicoli's personal love, understanding, and empathy are poured out in these pages, as he sensitively yet passionately supplies the readers with the wisdom and knowledge needed for developing love, understanding, and empathy for ourselves and others.

Many self-help books that are offered to readers today rely on "POP" psychology theories that lack personal experience. This approach, in my opinion, lacks depth, soul, and originality which in many cases is born from painful experiences. Dr. Ciaramicoli, on the the other hand, courageously weaves his private and professional life experiences throughout the book and pierces through to the souls of all those who read it.

Reading "The Power of Empathy" reinvented the term for me and made me realize the dark side of empathy, which is often displayed when we manipulate other people for our gain.

To sum up, I applaud Dr. Ciaramicoli for his courage to share his personal story to me--the reader, regarding the struggles he endured as it gives me hope and a feeling of connectedness which, in my opinion, is the essence of empathy.

Absolutely wonderful book which explains how empathy can be used to improve relationships. The reader learns early on that Dr. Ciaramicoli was compelled to write this book because of his younger brother's suicide. The book contains many examples of empathy's power and each story urged me to read on. Dr. Ciaramicoli's book has allowed me to have a better understanding of my own personal relationships and I thank him for it.

While the Zimmerman Telegram is one of the most important documents in history, and is perhaps the greatest result of code breaking in history, it is nonetheless frequently overlooked. Most people have at least heard "Remember the Lusitania" which had essentially nothing to do with the U.S. entering WWI. Few, however, are familiar with this short telegram that is truly a hinge on which history turned.

One cannot blame Barbara Tuchman for this, however, as this work brings alive the intrigue of the time like no other. Reading like a spy novel, and yet all the more chilling because it's true, Tuchman navigates the reader through the murky waters of WWI intrigue. We learn how, in a misguided effort to distract the U.S. from Europe, Germany sought to foment trouble on the U.S./Mexican border. We learn how the British scrambled to inform the Americans of this, without comprimising their sources. And we learn how a tortured President Wilson was forced to take the steps towards war.

"The Zimmerman Telegram" is history as it should be written; loaded with primary sources, and with the breathless pace that events really unfolded. While better known for "The Guns of August", it is this work that makes me rank Barabara Tuchman as one of the best historians of the 20th Century. Enjoy!

From the techniques involved in decoding and deciphering German diplomatic messages (in layman's terms) to the sacrifices and lives spent acquiring the knowledge of Room 40 (i.e. code books) to the tenacious efforts of Germany to spark U.S involvement in Mexico as well as against the Japanese(!), Tuchman provides a thorough account on the Zimmermann Telegram and its crucial role in pulling a reluctant American nation into the First World War. As a History grad student, I never knew about Germany's aims regarding Japan ("the Yellow Peril") during this period until I read this book. In addition, Tuchman's excellent and often witty writing style makes Zimmermann Telegram (and her many other works) gripping and entertaining, as well as informative.

Barbara Tuchman is one of the leading historians of the 20th century ; she proves it here once more. In this book she manages to use an anecdote - the telegram - to explain in a thrilling and convincing way the reasons for the US to enter the war. It is a brilliant book thanks to her remarkable style which blends suspense and clarity and yet no compromise with historical truth.

Many historians are experts and have a vast knowledge of their subject. Very few like Barbara Tuchman make their knowledge accessible in an enticing way to the "man in the street".