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Book reviews for "Bakaric,_Vladimir" sorted by average review score:

Nabokov's Blues: The Scientific Odyssey of a Literary Genius
Published in Hardcover by Zoland Books (October, 1999)
Authors: Kurt Johnson and Steven L. Coates
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A stylish mix of Indiana Jones and Jean-Paul Sartre.
I had heard about this book before its release and I was not disappointed. The authors seem to have an uncanny sense about Nabokov's oeuvre. I have long had an interest in Nabokov's writing but was fascinated by the prospect of a book that would finally tell the story of his work, and its importance, in science. What is great about this book is that it reads with a plot, from the beginning-- which tells Nabokov's story as a scientist before his fame in literature-- to its end, which tells the story of the scientists who completed Nabokov's work nearly 50 years later. The latter includes exciting treks across remote areas of Latin America in search of Nabokov's Blues. The authors also tell us about Nabokov's fascination with butterflies within his own literature and, at the end of their book, provide what appears to be the first major assessment of Nabokov the scientist. In their opinion his contribution was far more important than ever previously appreciated. A great book.

Fascinating and Delightful Account
The authors have created an absolutely perfect and delightful work on Nabokov's butterflies and all the resulting interfaces. Nabokov has always preoccupied me and, fortunately, I also have a deep interest in nature - particularly in butterflies and birds. Thus, this book, which develops everything from Nabokov's biography and literary use of butterfly and other nature motifs to their place in modern science and today's biodiversity crisis, was wonderfully eye-opening and informative. It's my bet that few people appreciate how big a story Nabokov's science actually is. It is not only a major part of his biography, previously untold, but also a linkage of his life's scientific work to major questions confronting scientists today. As with his literature, Nabokov turns out to have been a pioneer. It is only a pity that Nabokov did not have two lifetimes, one for literature and one for science.

A Fascinating New Account
What is intriguing about this book is that it has taken an entire volume of previously untapped material-- Nabokov's scientific work and the stories of and from the scientists who have studied and completed Nabokov's pioneering work in science and woven an entirely new story about a personage who might have been considered previously well-known. Who would have known this story was around? It reminds of Sobel's Galileo's Daughter which also uses the same tack-- takes the correspondence with his daughter, previously untapped, and weaves a whole new story about Galileo! The authors of Nabokov's Blues have extra luck in that, since they are demonstrating for the first time Nabokov's acumen in two very different fields, science and literature, they can take the opportunity to interweave these two worlds, which they do in a fascinating and intriguing way. What is so compelling about this book is that its story has just not been told before. Just when you thought you knew something about Nabokov, here comes his science! and, with gusto. A great book.


Be A Survivor: Your Guide to Breast Cancer Treatment
Published in Paperback by Lange Productions (15 December, 1999)
Authors: Vladimir Lange and Vladimir Lange
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Excellent, easy to read
I found the book very informative, easy to read and understand and treatments are current with what I am going through. The photographs and diagrams were very good. I would highly reccommend it to anyone as the first book you purchase about Breast Cancer.

Must-have resource--factual, beautiful, warm, personal.
"Be A Survivor" is a must-have resource for any woman diagnosed with breast cancer, and her family and friends. It's filled with information and beautiful graphics, yet it is warm and personal. Most important, it's objective--based on information from experts across the country, rather than on one doctor or one medical center. Dr. Lange, whose wife was diagnosed with breast cancer, wrote the book from his perspective as a physician specializing in patient-education, and as a husband and father who has "been there."

If You Only Buy One Book....
A little over 2 years ago, I was diagnosed with stage 3 lobular breast cancer. I was given this book shortly after the diagnosis by a nurse in the hospital where I work. It is the nuts and bolts of breast cancer, from the staging to the procedures with clear drawings, specific detailed information, and personal notations from women who have been where we are. It went everywhere with me-from chemo to radiation and the multiple surgeries I had. With this information, I had to face very few surprises. The drains left in place after the mastectomy are explained in detail. Radiation is presented clearly and realistically. There are photographs and drawing of how the chest looks after a mastectomy. The book takes some of the fear out of cancer treatment and replaces it with knowledge and advice. if you can only afford one book on the subject of breast cancer, this is the one I would recommend.


Mathematical Methods of Classical Mechanics
Published in Hardcover by Springer Verlag (June, 1978)
Author: Vladimir Igorevich Arnold
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Encyclopedic
Extremely stimulating, uses Galileo to motivate Newton's laws instead of postulating them. Treatment of Bertrand's theorem is beautiful, but contains one error (took me 2 years before I realized where..). However, I know of only one physicist who successully worked out all the missing steps and taught from this book. I know mathematicians who have cursed it. I used/use it for inspiration. The treatment of Liouville's integrability theorem, I found too abstract, found the old version in Whittaker's Analytical Dynamics to be clearer (Arnol'd might laugh sarcastically at this claim!)--for an interesting variation, but more from the standpoint of continuous groups, see the treatment in ch. 16 of my Classical Mechanics (Cambridge, 1997). In my text I do not restrict the discussion of integrability/nonintegrability to Hamiltonian systems but include driven dissipative systems as well. Another strength of Arnol'd: his discussion of caustics, useful for the study of galaxy formation (as I later learned while doing work in cosmology). Also, I learned from Arnol'd that Poisson brackets are not restricted to canonical systems (see also my ch. 15). I guess that every researcher in nonlinear dynamics should study Arnol'd's books, he's the 'alte Hasse' in the field.

The best, but challenging for not-mathematicians
Arnold shines for clarity, completeness and rigour. But, at the same time, he requires a remarkable intellectual effort on the part of the reader (at least a physicist or an engineer). Some readers might see this as a book of math rather than physics, but that would not be fair: Arnold always stresses the geometrical meaning and the physical intuition of what he states or demonstrates. You can take full advantage from the effort of reading this book only if you master a wide range of mathematical topics: essentially differential geometry, ODEs and PDEs and some topology. That's not always true for engineer or physics students at the beginning graduate level. For that kind of readers, Goldstein is a much better fit. Arnold can (and maybe should) be read afterwards.
On the other hand, the exercises, although not very numberous, are very well conceived and help a lot to deepen the comprehension of the text. Also, the order of the topics is linear and very effective from a didactic point of view. The exposition is clear, concise and always goes straight to the point. Thanks to these features, it is one of the most effective books for self-teaching I ever happened to read.
From a physical point of view, the domain of applications is essentially limited to discrete systems. Furthermore, the electromagnetism and relativity are not even cited, although they can be viewed as the logical completion of classical mechanics (see, for example, Goldstein). But the extreme generality of the approach largely balance the more restricted physical domain. In my opinion, the best book you can read on the topics.

After reading Arnold
After reading Arnold, I know no other authors of classical mechanics.


The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church
Published in Paperback by St Vladimirs Seminary Pr (01 March, 1997)
Author: Vladimir Lossky
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A Tough Read But Well Worth It
"The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church" is by no means an easy read, but it is well worth it. Lossky covers some of the most essential and profound concepts in Orthodoxy, some of which differ greatly from western Christianity. Without a firm understanding of these concepts one really doesn't have a firm understanding of the Church's teachings. This is a classic work which should be read by all.

To Live in God
Vladimir Lossky's book is one of substance and theological depth describing the Eastern Orthodox's emphasis on "mystical theology." The Orthodox position of apophatic theology (describing God in negative language) and theosis (growing in union and holiness with God) are dealt with by reviewing the Eastern Church's traditions and teachings about herself in relation to God.

It is important to note that Christian doctrines such as the Trinity are not spelled out as isolated abstract ideas, but instead, as they relate to humanity and the Church. All the chapters in this book are great, but of special interests are the chapters on the "Trininty", "Uncreated Energies", "Image and Likeness" and "The Way of Union." A book the enlightens and challenges not only the mind, but also the soul.

mystical theology in the eastern orthodox tradition
As my first encounter with theology in the Eastern Orthodox tradition, I was very surprised to be informed of its substantive divergence from the Roman Catholic tradition. Vladimir Lossky, an Orthodox theologian, notes that many individuals in the Orthodox and Catholic traditions--I would include myself here--roseately assume that the differences between the churches are few, minor, and even easily surmounted. Yet as he so wisely points out, the doctrinal differences between the churches are not superficial and, indeed, penetrate to the core of individual spirituality. This duality is deeply expressed by the Dominican Yves Congar, whom Lossky quotes in the introduction: "We have become different men."

Mystical theology in the Catholic Church has developed along very different lines. In the Latin tradition, Eastern mysticism is interpreted in the context of the overall development of Western mysticism, so that mysticism in the Greek Church is conceived as the necessary foundation for the flowering of mysticism in the Latin Church. In addition, the Latin tradition has two distinctive traits. First, Western mysticism is notably individualistic, understood to be perfected in the rarefied experiences of figures such as St. Francis of Assisi, St. Catherine of Siena, or St. John of the Cross. Second, the emergence of Aquinas' grand Aristotelian synthesis approximates the time of separation between the Western and Eastern Churches, so that mystical theology in the Catholic Church uses the vocabulary of Scholasticism, which almost never appears in the Greek tradition.

In the Greek tradition, on the other hand, the mysticism of the first centuries is not seen as the seed but rather as the fruit. Moreover, because the writings of the Eastern mystics are very closely interpenetrated with the exposition of early Church dogmas, mystical theology is, in effect, a species of dogmatic theology. Mystical theology in the Greek tradition is communal in the sense that it sets forth the pattern by which all individual members of the Orthodox Church are expected to grow in the mystical understanding of dogma. Lossky states the Orthodox position this way: "The eastern tradition has never made a sharp distinction between mysticism and theology; between personal experience of the divine mysteries and the dogma affirmed by the Church." Eastern mysticism also exists in the milieu of Hellenistic philosophy, specifically neo-Platonism, so that this perspective colors all Eastern mystical theology.

Besides these broad distinctions, there are very precise differences in doctrine as well, and the thoughtful reader will find enough theology in this book for unhurried, profound reflection. Subtle yet immense differences become apparent in the highly developed mystical theology that Lossky expounds as he proceeds from one topic to the next, beginning with the via negativa of Pseudo-Dionysius, moving on to nature of the Trinity, the meaning of theosis or divinization, the mystical vision of the Church, the transcendence of mystical union, and ending with the fulfillment of history in the parousia. No fast food here, just slow digestion for the theologian.

Of most importance to the Western mystical tradition is the concept of the via negativa, that God is best understood and contemplated in terms of what God is not, the negative attributes of God. What has been called the apophatic or negative theology of the Greeks has become integral to the Latin canon and is in fact fundamental to the mystical theology expounded in the writings of the master himself, St. John of the Cross. His description of the ascetical path of the soul toward God as a "dark night"--a permutation of the via negativa--has become one of the treasures of Western spiritual heritage.

The chapter I liked best was on "Uncreated Energies," the Orthodox doctrine of grace. What in the Catholic Church is conceived of as habitual and actual grace is in the Orthodox Church expressed very acutely, in my opinion, in the ancient idea of theosis or divinization. Divine energies proceed, uncreated, from the essence of God. By them we Christians participate in the divine nature and through them we are gifted with the glory of heaven. Interestingly, in this idea of "procession," neo-Platonist influence is manifest.

I also appreciated Lossky's extensive discussion of the mystical theology of St. Gregory Nazianzen, whom St. Francis de Sales frequently cites in his seventeenth-century spiritual classic, Introduction to the Devout Life. I had the opportunity to make closer acquaintance with a Greek Father who is so often well spoken of in Catholic literature.

For anyone who would like to learn about the unique character of mystical theology in the Orthodox tradition, to grasp its special contribution to the development of the Catholic tradition, as well as to gain insights into the shared origin of and doctrinal divergence between the two churches, I would venture that there is no better book.


Nabokov's Butterflies : Limited Edition
Published in Hardcover by Beacon Press (May, 2000)
Authors: Robert Michael Pyle, Brian Boyd, and Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov
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An orgy of Nabokoviana.
The prize is an unfinished short story, "The Admirable Anglewing", at an immediate stage of note-taking on index cards. It's an intriguing dead end, identifiably a two-strata Nabokov, but with a strikingly scientific directness not elsewhere seen.

The bonus is an unpublished continuation of The Gift (tr. Dmitri Nabokov), which formulates a general expression of evolutionary theory in a clear and useful way, as it relates to a larger understanding of problems in taxonomy, probably omitted for the same reason "The Admirable Anglewing" was dropped.

Notes for The Butterflies Of Europe, much of Nabokov's lepidopterological work (Russia obviously lost a lepidopterist of genius), "butterfly" excerpts from the fiction, and much, much more.

It Always Came Down To Butterflies
"From the age of seven, everything I felt in connection with a rectangle of framed sunlight was dominated by a single passion," wrote Valdimir Nabokov. "If my first glance of the morning was for the sun, my first thought was for the butterflies it would engender." This was certainly an unusual way in which to view the world and one that not many readers, even those who adore Nabokov, have shared.

In fact, the ferocity of Nabokov's obsession with butterflies has only just begun to become clear with the publication of this gorgeous new book, a volume of heretofore unpublished and uncorrected writings on the subject of butterflies, edited by Nabokov's biographer Brian Boyd, together with Michael Pyle, an expert on butterflies. All translations were done by Nabokov's son, Dmitri, who has lavished his time and talent on his father's work for several decades.

Even those of us who cannot get enough of Nabokov and cannot praise him highly enough may find more than 700 densely-printed pages on the subject of butterflies a little much. As much as we love Nabokov, do we really want to read page after page of his highly technical descriptions of the various species of butterfly? Are these writings really important, from a scientific viewpoint? Is there any connection between Nabokov's passion for butterflies and his extraordinary fiction?

Although most people would probably answer "no" to the first two questions, the answer to the third is a surprisingly enthusiastic, "yes."

In his wonderful introduction, Boyd begins to elucidate the connections between Nabokov the writer and Nabokov the lepidopterist. We come to understand the novelist more completely and precisely by coming to understand that science that gave this unique author "a sense of reality that should not be confused with modern (or postmodern) epistemological nihilism."

It was while dissecting and deciphering his butterflies that Nabokov came to the conclusion that the more we inquire, the more we can discover, yet the more we discover, the more we find we do not know. The world, Nabokov says, is infinitely detailed, complex and deceptive.

Nabokov's important writings on butterflies are reproduced in this volume, but thankfully, in reduced form. And other kinds of writing by Nabokov have been blended over the scientific prose, beginning with the luminous meditation on butterflies from Chapter Six of Speak, Memory.

The poems, memoirs, letters, diary entries, criticism and fiction that make up this beautiful volume cover a period from 1941 to 1947, when Nabokov was at his most obsessive...as far as butterflies are concerned. This obsessiveness, however, is gorgeous to behold, as in a letter from Nabokov to Edmund Wilson about a lecture trip he made to Sweet Briar College. "The weather...was perfectly dreadful and except for a few Everes comyntas there was nothing on the wing." It always came down to butterflies.

Nabokov's interest in butterflies went far beyond sorting out and naming them. He was much more than a mere tabulator or categorizer. There is something exquisitely metaphysical, even mystical, about his approach to butterflies, something that also tells us of his quest to plumb the depths of nature's complexity. In his obsession, Nabokov sought to understand the sense of design that underlies the the physical world, and he also took enormous delight in the mysteries God chose to hide from human beings, leaving to them to seek them out or not.

As Boyd notes, Nabokov "preferred the small type to the main text, the obscure to the obvious, the thrill of finding for himself what was not common knowledge." His scientific writings overflow with minutiae, with obscure details, lovingly searched out, sorted, underlined, displayed. This preference for the complexity of life also underscores his writings, most notably his massive commentary on Pushkin's Onegin, the gorgeous and imaginative Pale Fire and Ada, a late masterpiece in which Nabokov's penchant for complexity reached spellbinding heights.

While only a small percentage of readers may want to study the scientific articles in this book, their very presence operates in the most subtle of ways to remind us that Nabokov, who referred to himself as VN, was also a student "of that other VN, Visible Nature." In his magnificent fiction, Nabokov offered the world a complete view of the complexity and richness of the human spirit. He might not have been so meticulous and so thorough were it not for his passion for the intricate world of butterflies, so beautifully on view in this book.

Nabakov's butterflies
12 Exotic Brazilian Butterflies In a high Quality Frame 12.5" x 8.5" (Current bid: $65.00) *12 Exotic Brazilian Butterflies In a high Quality Frame 12.5" x 8.5" (Current bid: $65.00)

I sincerely hope that these other items you recommend to potential buyers of this book, are NOT butterflies that were caught in Brazil and shipped to the USA, nor ideally even butterflies breed in the US especially for the purpose of later gracing someone's wall. Not very environmentally sound at all if the former, and karmically, still just as bad if the latter. I do not think that the editors of Nabakov's Butterflies would support this at all, even if they are all avid butterfly enthusiasts. Leave the butterflies in peace!

------------------------------------------------------------------------


Popski's Private Army
Published in Paperback by Sterling Publications (August, 2002)
Author: Vladimir Peniakoff
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From Wilderness to War
On the 6th of May 1945 men in wheeled vehicles crossed the mosaic floor of the Piazza San Marco in Venice for the very first time in history. They drove around the square seven times in the small, heavily armoured vehicles in which they'd fought their way across North Africa, Italy, and were to travel on to Austria. At the head of this curious band was a man who sported a hook for a hand, and a nom de guerre which was similarly incongruous for a 48 year old Major in the British army. Vladimir Peniakoff, or "Popski" as he became known, was the enigmatic Belgian born son of White Russian emigres, who had until recent years "pursued the ordinary activities of industry" as a discontented sugar refiner in Egypt. Having tutored himself, alone in the Sand Sea but for the navigational instruments of antiquity, he emerged from the wilderness to train the men who accompanied him through the years of turmoil to this long dreamt of moment of victory. "Private Army" is one of the finest military memoirs I have read, and ranks alongside Fitzroy McLean's "Eastern Approaches" and TE Lawrence's "The Mint". This is the authoritative work on Popski's Private Army, but is much more than a Regimental history. This is a superb piece of literature which you will not quickly forget. Read also "With Popski's Private Army" by Ben Owen, a superb companion book to the above.

Very very good.
This book is hard to find but well worth the effort. Peniakoff led a facinating life and this book is a must for anybody interested in World War II special operations.

A story on a romantic warmonger
Vladimir Peniakoff was one of the greatest commandoes to come out of WWII, along with Otto Skorzeny, Claire Chennault, and David Stirling. This very readable account of his exploits in the desert and Italy show the romance of the warmonger, not only of Popski himself but off the PPA as well. The most intriguing parts of the book to me are the parts that show the craft of the warrior, like celestial navigation, trickery Sun Tzu would be proud off, and the romance of forming and leading commandoes. To anyone interested in the very beginings of desert warfare, this is a must read. Tactics formed by Bagnold and Easonsmith are still very relevant today. Plus Popski's adventures with his "Pisspot" give land celestial navigation a face. If you were going to read books about the "Navy Seals" or "Marine Force Recon" ect. read this one, It's very entertaining.


The Biosphere
Published in Hardcover by Copernicus Books (January, 1998)
Authors: V. I. Vernadskii, David B. Langmuir, Mark A. S. McMenamin, Vladimir Vernadsky, and Lynn Margulis
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A Hidden Revolution
I have had the honour of reading numerous papers by Vernadsky and find as always with genius, a hidden underlaying dimension of truth. The Biosphere is without hesitation a work of scientific spirituality as well as pure scientific genius! In a time when environmental destruction is ramp, and politically controled scientific stupidity proliferates, logical hope and science is at hand. With Vernadsky science personifies a bridge between life and its meaning. Science is indeed the search for truth, and Vernadsky biosphere is a must for youth!!!!!

A work of rare genius rediscovered
It's hard to read this book without coming away with the impression of a powerful, original mind at work. Many of Vernadsky's ideas remain unappreciated to this day. In particular, the idea of life as a cosmological phenomenon, as a means by which energy is stored and transformed on a planetary scale, should become increasingly important as the science of astrobiology develops a rigorous intellectual basis.

Deepest Naturalist
I'm very happy that Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadsky becomes little by little known for the English speaking public. Although his "Biosphere" has been written over 70 years ago, even now its ideas remain fresh and actual. Indeed, the "Biosphere" provides a new level of thinking which permits us to consider Vladimir Vernadsky as a deepest naturalist of our century. And now I'm looking forward to the time when they will be translated and published his subsequent books - first of all the book on the noosphere: "Scientific thought as a planet phenomenon".


The Stories of Vladimir Nabokov
Published in Paperback by Vintage Books (January, 1997)
Authors: Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov and Dmitri Nabokov
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This is a perfect book.
The stories in this book (there are about 65 of them) are for the most part very short. Some of my favorite are his earliest ones, they have been translated from the Russian by Nabokov's son, Dmitri, and they are semi-autobiographical, sweet and so beautiful. Included in this book are a few chapters from Nabokov's autobiography, "Speak, Memory" which were published independently as stories. I would also recommend "Speak, Memory" without reservations. It would be a good book to read after or before this one. They are both so wonderful.

I can't imagine anyone not liking at least some of these stories, especially if you like the genre of short stories and if you are familiar with Nabokov's lucid, detailed prose. Some of them are briefer and sketchier, and some are more like small novels, some are auto-biographical, and some are like fairy-tales. All of the different kinds are good, even my least favorite stories in this vast collection have stuck in my mind. They are lovely. Everyone should own this book.

More than just chips from the Master's workbench
This collection proves that Nabokov was as great a short-storyist as he was a novelist. In some ways, his short works might be even greater; the concentration of the story form pushed him to achieve some startling feats of linguistic and narrative dexterity.

Some of the early stories are unambitious sketches or modest experiments that don't quite work, but gradually mature masterpieces start to appear, and it continues that way right to the end. Among my favorites: "The Visit to the Museum," "Cloud, Castle, Lake," "Time and Ebb," "Signs and Symbols," "Lance," and of course "The Vane Sisters," with its famous ending of which the author himself says "this particular trick can be tried only once in a thousand years of fiction." And that list is only partial; there's still a lot of this book that I haven't yet read. (As with a box of really good chocolates, I'm trying to make it last.)

Given his super-highbrow reputation, it's easy to overlook the fact that when he's at the top of his game, Nabokov is fun. Many of his best stories take the kind of imaginative leaps you expect from high-grade fantasy or science fiction; and the complexity of his style is necessary to his conceptions rather than vain showing-off. Coming upon this book after reading the normal run of fiction ("literary" or otherwise) was like feasting on rich, multi-layered Indian or French food after eating every day in the local pub.

masterful
As banal as it may sound, these stories are true treasures of language. If I were banished to a desert island with only one book, it would be these stories of Mr. Nabokov. His prose stands in a category I believe only two other authors habitate (Joyce & Proust). Each story is alive, from early Russian translations to later English originals (everyone is hereby required to read "The Vane Sisters"). Truly astounding, condensed bursts of imagination.


The Revolutionary Guide to Qbasic
Published in Paperback by Wrox Press Inc (February, 1996)
Authors: Vladimir Dyakonov, Victor Munerman, Evgeny Yemelchenkov, Tatyana Samoylova, and Victor Djakonov
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THE GREATEST PROGRAMMING BOOK KNOWN TO MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow! I never knew how much you could do in QBasic. I learned that text games are just fine and now I specialize in them. Once I learned the PLAY commands, I was brought into the world of music programming. I now write rap and all sorts of music. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to know the best BASIC programming.

The best Qbasic book:
The Revolutionary Guide to Qbasic is the best Qbasic book I've seen. It comes with a very helpful disk of utilities, and it is very up-to-date. It has info on programming the sound card, mouse, and much more. There is even a section about how to make a raycaster game and other 3d projects. I highly recommend it.

QBasic
This book is one of the most useful programming refernces that one could ever hope for. It outlines procedures that I never knew were possible for QBasic such as 3D, advanced data sorts, and sub-operating systems.

Knowing QBasic is an essential part to learning any other Microsoft programming language (e.g. Active Server Pages, which I also have Wrox book for), and what better way to do it than with this book.

A must have for any serious programmer, but not targeted for the newbie programmer. It assumes that you already know a fair amount about QBasic, but will push your programming to new highs.


Art of Attack : Rev. Algebraic Ed.
Published in Paperback by Everyman Chess (February, 1998)
Author: Vladimir Vukovic
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An Updated, Annotated Classic Well-worth Buying
John Nunn did more than just edit an algebraic notation of the classic: he's gone over Vukovic's original annotation with original analysis that shows that even for grandmasters "chess can sometimes be hard." Vukovic's book is still there: he presents a comprehensive discussion of the art of attack, expounding the most basic principles and most complex forms of the attack on the castled king. Ch. 1 discusses "The Attack Against The Uncastled King." Ch. 2 "The Attack On The King That Has Lost The Right To Castle." Ch 3 "On Castling And Attacking The Castled Position In General." Ch. 4 "Mating Patterns." Ch.5 "Focal Points." Ch. 6 "The Classic Bishop Sacrifice" (with some interesting notes by Nunn. Ch.7 "Ranks, Files, And Diagonals In The Attack On The Castled King." Ch.8 "Pieces And Pawns In The Attack On The Castled King." Ch. 9 "The Attack On The Fianchettoed And Q Side Castling Positions" Ch.10 "Defending Against The Attack On The Castled King." Ch. 11 "The Phases Of The Attack On TheCastled King." Ch. 12 "The Attack On The King As An Integral Part Of The Game." Vukovic illustrates his themes by extensive comments on classic games played by Capablanca, Alekhine, Tarrasch, Lasker, etc. This is an easy book to read, a difficult one to master. Personally, I think careful study of a book like this will be worth much more than memorizing yet another opening.

How To Have Some Fun
I almost feel intimidated trying to review this chess book and not being that much of a player myself. Still for the many amateur players who play chess to have fun (not to reach ratings, etc.) here are some thoughts on why this is a good book to own.

Most chess books that I own delve very quickly into positional analysis and the virtues of having your piece X on square Y. I understand that this is a vital part of modern chess and that most games on higher level are probably won by positional play. This book however, takes a different approach - it systematically explores the most fun concept of all - how to mate the king. One after another, the book develops outrageous strategies for preparing mating nets, sacrificing pieces, etc. and presents the reader with one amazing attack after another. I thought it was tons of fun after all the positional stuff. The analysis of classic games by Alekhine and Capablanca in the context of how to attack a castled king, uncastled king, focal points ofthe attack, piece sacrifices, etc. changed my play a lot.

As a result of a series of books I have studied, my play was slowly becoming very boring to myself. I spent most of my time before the endgame trying to develop a particular position on the board and endlessly trying to calculate if the opponents moves are not leading to some attacking combination that would disrupt my nice positional setup. I probably won more games that way than I do now but it was boring. Now I boldly attack whenever I see an opportunity and although I loose more often I have played some games I am really proud of.

I am no chessmaster and my interpretation of the approach of this book versus other books is probably not very educated. But still, this was a lot of fun for me. Try it.

Everything You Ever Needed On Attacking And More
Have you stopped getting any better? Do your attacks always fail? If yes to either of these questions, then Art of Attack in Chess is the book for you. An extremely good book! This is a great book and will teach you everything you need to know on attacking. Whether it be attacking the un-castled king, castled king, fianchettoed castled king, it has it all! The section about the classic bishop sacrifice is amazing. This book also teaches a lot about castling. Whether you should castle king side or queen side, etc. The book is also fluttered with examples. Probably around 150-200. Some are full games (!) and others are just excerpts. I currently own the new edition that was edited by John Nunn. He went over all of VukoviƦ old annotations and added comments where he thought it was appropriate. He also changed the whole thing into Algebraic Notation and added 128 extra diagrams. If I had the old version of this book, the rating would probably be like a 7 or an 8. But this book still has a lot of good information. It is kind of advanced though, so I don't recommend it to beginners. Also once you own this book you must go over all the examples. It'll take some time, but it'll be worth it. I also suggest rereading this book from time to time (after having read more books of coarse). This will help clarify your understanding and help you remember what to do in certain situations. This book is relatively expensive considering what a small book it is ($ is what's printed on the book). But don't be fooled, even though it may seem kind of short, in reality it's loaded with information and will take a while to get the most out of it. So good luck!

PROS:

Teaches You Everything You Need to Know on Attacking

Easy to Read format

Hundreds of Examples and Diagrams

CONS:

Not for Beginners

Slightly Expensive

Summary: An amazing book that will teach you everything you need to know on attacking. If you know your chess and have got the cash, then get this book right now! IT WILL IMPROVE YOUR GAME!


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