You can call this book many things, a historical novel, a contemplation of medicine, an adventure, a tale of love, but the best thing about it is that it all comes together. In the end, it's a book of thought, or at least, choices in thought. This is what separates the two central characters, how they approach their work as doctors (mostly their work is gruesome, sometimes a bit too much so) and how the different paths that the decisions made in the mind can then affect the heart. What you have in THE HOUSE OF SIGHT though, is a romance that is made fragile by all the machinations of the characters who operate inside and outside of it. In the end, the book is driven by these differences that separate the heart and the mind. They may be choices that we all face, but this is exactly what makes a book set 250 years ago in England, seem relevant. Plus it kept me up at night, and I read it on holiday in London, which was a bonus. It was recommended to me by a Mystery Bookshop, but I'd have to say it's not really a mystery, not like a whodunnit, but more subtle. The ultimate revelations may be just as clear and shocking as in a mystery, but they have a rawness that means they side step the usual contrived ending.

This is a fast moving historical tale, where real life characters are mixed in with fictional ones to recreate London in the eighteenth century. I love this mixing of real and unreal, it blurs the lines and adds an authenticity to the proceedings. Here we have a young man returning from abroad, only he's not as young as he'd like - rather old, in fact, to be beginning an apprenticeship to a surgeon. As a result, he's highly ambitious and keen to get on with life. From there, our hero begins to loose his morals and awareness as he plummets into a world of prostitutes, grave robbers and convicts. The book rushes along with a finely tuned plot but it's the writing that really separates it from the pack. Griffin turns phrase after phrase, which gives the House of Sight a secondary thrill. I'm going back to read his first one and wonder even though I'm not a great reader of historical fiction. This is one good reason to take a break from biographies and such.

An 18th century english physician trained in France secures an apprenticeship with an eccentric London doctor, who houses a mysterious guest within his walls. Their interests in human anatomy make for restless dead. As was the case with Requiem Shark, the book is peopled by underworld characters and deeds that are fantastically gruesome. However, this book takes more modest turns as compared to the shocking twists of plot found in Requiem Shark. The writing is so good it gives pause; twice every page, at least, I stopped to re-read a perfectly crafted sentence.

This book examines the problem of financial misstatements with a special focus on Enron. The book is light on facts and analysis, but heavy on opinion. Most of the chapters just restate contemporary criticisms of contemporary management decision-making (e.g., greed). The authors have very little to say about warning signs and the accounting used by management to mislead investors. Those wanting a more substantive analysis of the issues and the perspective of an insider should read Arthur Levitt's new book, "Take on the Street."

In another era, we might have been tempted to shrug off How Companies Lie as just another polemic against corporate greed. In the wake of Enron, Global Crossing, Tyco and a host of other corporate scandals, however, we must (sorrowfully) admit that this book is as timely as it is insightful. Readers will gain much from the book's explanation of some of the actual accounting techniques that companies use to mislead investors, as well as its advice on how to spot telltale signs that a company might be cooking the books. While financial and accounting experts might find this analysis a bit basic, we from getAbstract recommend this book to all general business readers.

If your looking to share an opinion with someone and you feel like business leaders are letting you down, then by all means, pick up this book. This book stands on its own and appologizes to no one. The Wharton Business school's review is dead on in citing that the authors are trying to get at something much deeper than the shallow perspective of accounting. Something is fundamentally broken ... and these boys point it out. This book is not about greed, its not about Enron, its not about accounting methods, but its about a deeper and more fundamental issue that no one else seems to be getting to .... our system for understanding the current economic, legal and technological functionality of our corporations is broken. As the authors point out, "Have you been able to tell recently when you hear an earnings report on the news if anyone can tell the difference between them lying to you and the truth? I've been listening and I can't distinguish Xerox today from Xerox a year ago when I hear it on the news. The people these guys are talking about begins with us. Read this book and read it deep. There is a warning here that we all better pay attention to. Remember, this book is acknowledged to have been written before all this Enron stuff took place, and then a little Enron perspective was added. If the authors are actually that correct, we have a long way to go to fix the curret problems.

Though it is true that the book is only a partial recount of the Barings story, I didn't think it was as bad as some have said. Personally, it seemed to me like pages full of what slack risk management can do.

Compelling story of the rise and hard fall of one of the "Master of the Universe". Leeson tell his side of the story in a frank and honest way descibing his mistakes, bad luck and arrogance in a build-up of events that will end up in disaster. At the end of the book you can only wonder: for one that failed and got caught, how many walked away with clean hands?

I must take my hat off to this book and it's authors. This is a must read for anyone interested in the story behind the collapse of Barings Bank. Is it self serving? Probably. Is it one sided? Probably. Who cares! I was swept away from page one, and finished the book in a couple days....it read exactly like a great adventure/intrigue/spy novel....I couldn't wait to see what happened next. I would strongly advise reading this book, and have fun!

I approached "A Journey to the End of the Millennium" eagerly. Since the book was subtitled "A Novel of the Middle Ages," I anticipated a compelling story that would illuminate the times, flowing from a talented writer's fertile imagination. Perhaps the subtitle is actually a typo for "A Novel of Middle Age," which strikes me as more appropriate. Instead of painting a landscape rooted in a specific time and place, the author's concerns and energies are focused on the domestic and commercial travails of a middle-aged merchant. We follow him as he seeks to legitimatize his enlightened domestic situation of having two wives in benighted Europe, saving a business partnership in the process. Predictably, one of the wives has to die to normalize the other relationships. Guess whether the young nubile wife or the older chubbier wife dies. Your answer gives a flavor for the tediousness of this text.

The timelessness that many reviewers find a strength of the novel was, for me, a disappointing drawback. Granted, the measure of time is arbitrary and human concerns and relationships are universal and timeless, but this commonplace insight is hardly robust enough to carry the book.

The author's style is at times promising, but the text does not approach a literary height. Rather than drawing the reader in and focusing a close examination of the implications hidden or obscured in the text, Yehoshua provided me with an exercise in tedium. This is one of those books I wanted to put aside halfway finished, but hesitated to do so in hopes of a revelation that never comes. I am frankly puzzled why so many reviewers found this book compelling.

Unfortunately, this was the first book I read by Yehoshua. Unless someone convinces me otherwise, it will be the last. Even a great writer can produce an unworthy book. Others more familiar with his canon will have to decide if that is the case here.

I've been struggling with this book in conjunction with Mr Mani, as part of a paper on Sephardic identity in the writing of A B Yehoshua. Strangely, I find myself agreeing with both the positive and negative reviews - which strongly suggests that the book is a bit of a curate's egg, good in parts! As with Mr Mani, the historical detail is excellent. Even given the tedious nature of a narrative style with no dialogue, ABY succeeds in painting a tremendously powerful and engaging portrait of the Mediterranean and North European world of 999 AD, As an historical epic, if you can get past the boredom threshold somewhere around the middle of the book, it succeeds quite well. But ABY's forte is in the internal journey into the human psyche. Mr Mani is an excellent example - probably the best - of ABY's virtuosity at peeling off the layers of human motivation in all their complexity and, very often, perversity. In contrast, this novel depicts a somewhat stereotyped cultural clash between individuals. Anyone familiar with Israeli literature in the past 25 years will also be familiar with the general thrust of the argument. Ashkenazi culture denies the depth and breadth of Sephardi culture. It ignores the cultural heritage of Sephardi Jews, which certainly up to the first millenium and well beyond, held sway over Ashkenazi Jewry. Ashkenazi culture has a tendency to introversion and rejection,whereas Sephardi culture is expansive and interactive, especially with regard to Islam... and so on, and so forth. The hegemonic Ashkenazic view of Sephardi history and culture has been comprehensively deconstructed over the last twenty five years - why go over this ground, especially when in Mr Mani he has already 'deconstructed the deconstruction' by dissecting the history and psychopathology of a high status Sephardi family so comprehensively and brilliantly? As for the dual marriage thing, well I think there's a limit to most people's cultural relativism - especially most women's! It just doesn't work, not as love story and certainly not as erotic writing. Its unlike ABY to fob us off with stereoyped based narrative in order to score ideological points. So... a reasonably good read, but well below top form for the master.

This novel is one of rich prose, beautifully drawn characters and exotic images. In it, the Yehoshua presents a view of 10th century Europe and the interaction of people unexpectedly flung about by the interactions of their cultural points of view. The sensations are strong: exotic scenes of African culture being transported to Europe, sensual couplings, inter- and intra religious conflict, the destruction of close relationships. In the novel, a Morrocan Jewish merchant, Ben Attar, travels with his two wives to Paris intent on salvaging his personal and business relationship with his nephew, Abulafia, now a resident of Paris and recently married to a Jewess from what is now Germany. Because Ben Attar is a bigamist, Abulafia's wife insists that their business and personal relationship be ended. During the sea voyage to Europe, Yehoshua eloquently describes the culture of the Morrocan Jew: flexible, tolerant and richly sensual. However, when the African and European cultures meet face to face, there are profound and sometimes terrible consequences, some of them never to be reversed. Throughout, the the writing is subtle and elegant, and the book has layer upon layer of meaning which the author leaves to the reader to interpret. Although the book has specific Jewish content, the ideas and story are also secular. It was a treat to read and I was left wanting more. Serious and thought-provoking writing.

I couldn't put the book down in the beggining of the book. But at the end I wanted to burn the book. It is very repetitious. I give it a C-

This book keep me reading the diary was so real and made it seem like you kept the discovery of Jack the Ripper in your hands. The only negitive thing was the debating in the book about the materials of solving the case (i.e. the watch, and the discription of the murder scenes). But overall the book was informational and a really good novel.

Great Book. I'm reading it for the 2nd time after a years intermission. I'll be the most dissapointed person on the planet if this diary is proven to be a fake. I'm convinced it's real.
To me everything in this book makes sense...and I'm the type of person that things have to make sense or I just will not accept it. I'm still a little suspicious of Michael though...do you think he knew. My feelings are, burn all the other "Jack" books,this should remain the only one left in print.

When I read the review "Hitting the nail on the foot" it almost made me cry, he was so on the money Heaps of people who write books about Akhenaten miss the point of what he was trying to do. To all those authors out there who find Akhenaten a monster,the MAN was trying to unite everyone under one God so there would be peace in their hearts, in Egypt at the time there was 42 GODS which kept people apart and fighting like today with all the different religions Akhe was trying to unite people as one with God the bright shining light that is within all off us , so he made the sun his focus which represents the beautiful light beings we truly are. Yes Akhe was ahead of his time and for some people he still is.So Nicholas Reeves think again before you think Akhe is a monster.

This book is an interesting reading instead of archeological study.
N.Reeves includes result of the new archeology that there is not in C.Aldred and D.B.Redford.
However, a total style of reciting is forcible In a direction to affirm his insistence.
I think that we cannot understand a king before 3,300 year with a human being general idea of the 21th century.
It violates the same mistake that it considers him to be a pacifist and a devoted husband to liken him to a revolutionist and a dictator.
Even if it is hard to understand a real image rising from a document , it is historical fact.
I want to avoid judging a past with our value judgment of the present age.
What this book should evaluate is to have arranged a point at issue about this time to a compact, and it's demerit to lack humility for the history.

Akhenaten has long been a favorite of Egyptologists...and like many of the other reviewers I've followed the available published material over the years. Unlike some other works, this book is shorter and more readily accessible, especially for those without their MA in history. That said...if this topic interests you, please seek out more information. Other reviews have fabulous suggestions.

Great illustrations, succinct text, and a new theory on the identity of "Smenkhare" make this book well worth reading.

I read Shadowboxer and I think it's a great book. Apart from the Secrets of Power trilogy, Striper Assassin and Shadowplay, this one's definitely the one with the best characters in it: I don't care too much about Delphia, but Silver and Moonfeather are definitely worth buying it. I particularly liked the pieces about cat shamanism.

However, what puzzles me is that there's no real end: Sure, in the end the team gets a new job, but Silver hasn't made any attemt yet to find Blackjack's killers, and Moonfeather's supposed to be dead though I think she actually isn't ... What I mean is that it doesn't sound like an end, more like the beginning of a new story ... Am I right? Is there any? If not, it would be a great idea to write one ... (smile)

Indeed, this book may shock you. Nicholas Pollota used a very unusual format for telling the story. I'm sure you've read books in which every other chapter is told from a different character's perspective, but Pollota takes it one step further. About three times in the book, who you think is the main character dies. It makes for some interesting reading and is very insiteful into the views of each character. One thing puzzled me though. The end was not what I expected. However, I'm sure any fan of Shadowrun would enjoy this book.

BANG! A bit far fetched, but an excellent book. This was not your typical Shadowrun novel, but it was so vibrant and alive that you could not help but like it. I feel Pollatta is a great addition to the Shadowrun world. The question seems to be: Where from here? Can his next book be bigger? Should it even try?

As a history student majoring in Russia I have to say this book is the bible on the topic of the Russian Revolution. Pipes proves with enough arguments all his points through out the book. Since the origins of the Russian Revolution to the last chapter on the 'Red Terror' Pipes shows how Lenin destroyed all prospects of the revolution the moment he entered the sphere of politics in Russia. As Pipes argues, the origns of the revolution started with intellectuals protesting for the delay in the implementation of the reforms of Tsar Alexander II. Most of what the ideals of the Russian Revolution were based, was on intellectuals representing the peasants and workers claiming to have political representation in the political decisions of the country, beginning with the 'zemtsvo' and conluding in the revolutions of 1905 and of February 1917. As Pipes argues, when the Bolsheviks conquered power, they destroyed all the ideals of the revolution since they triumphed by a coup d'etat and not by a genuine revolution as it took place in 1905 and in February of 1917. The ideals of previous revolutionaries, to live in a country where all sectors of society would have a political voice in the government where all destroyed by the Bolsheviks (who besides betraying and penetrating the 'soviets') they also established an absolute tyranny where only the Bolsheviks could decide the future of the nation, thus prohibiting other parties and establishing a brutal dictatorship based on terror. This of course did not have anything to do with the ideals of previous revolutionaries who fought for a revolution where the ideal of freedom prevailed and not the imposition of one party which won its way to power by a coup organized by Lenin and Trotsky. The book is of course 'communists' worst nightmare'

As for Russian history, this book is the bible regarding the revolutionary period. For French Revolution fans, here is Russia's version of "citizen" action contructed by diabolical architects who kept France's success always in front of them. As for political science, this book is wise in its interpretation of political action and didactic in its interpretation about this failed expirament in alleged utopianism. Once read one is convinced of Russia's failure in governing and appalled at its deliberate evil perpitrated by a few upon millions who sought and needed true freedom. Prof. Pipes brings home accountability for the actions of afew dangerous men. This book is a brilliant, an enlightening historical study about Russia, history in general and man as a creature who is always seeking power and social control. Pipes clearly reveals that history does repeats itself. And, like Winston Churchill, reveals how good people can understand evil actions if they understand history. Superb, superb, superb.

A review in simple words.
This book is worth to read it twice. I'm a history student and I found the book to be the best in the topic of the Russian Revolution. I lived under the communist regime and agree with Richard Pipes in many of his point of views, in fact many of my point of views about communism in Russia were reflected in the book. I have read other books about this topic, but this book is the best of all books about the Russian Revolution. The chapters "The October Coup" and "The Red Terror" are the most interesting chapters of the book. The whole Revolution was about that, a coup d'état to take power by Lenin and Trotsky and the later terror that kept communism in power for more than 7 decades in Russia. The book provided me with a good source for my seminars. I recommend the book to any history student who studies the topic.

In my response to "The Connected Family" I am compelled to agree with the educational perspectives Papert considers. Most Efficiently, the authors discourse forces one to think and recall educational and sociological thery courses. All through the dialogue we here theories of psychological, social, and most profoundly, educational development: "Children learn in a way that comes natural to them".1 All the while, technological fluency will allow them to grow or change as their world changes around them. "The Connected Family" or "The Family Learning Culture" must encounter the computer or technology in a way that will enhance learning and the family's culture: " My bottom line was that parents should recognize the need to build new kinds of relationships with their children and should see the computer as a vehicle for building, rather than as an obstacle to, family cohesion.Parents should spend less time worrying about what the kids are doing or are not doing with computers and more time trying to find common interest or projects to do together. The article suggested using the children's enthusiam for the computers as a basis for enhancing the family's learning culture."2

The most obvious revelation I discovered in reading Papert's book was his assessment of adult interactions, fears, and styles of learning with the computer or technology (i.e. the planner verses the tinkerer or the functionalist verses the experimentalist). Yes, this book is full of social, psychological, and educational theory. From Piaget concrete and operational stages of child development, the author moves smoothly to a project oriented assessment or aquisition of knowledge.

In conclusion, this book was thought provoking and intellectually stimulating for the heart and soul of all its readers and, most assuredly, for educators and sociologists like myself. Papert gets his readers to feel and think about his analysis and review of computers and technology in our educational system and in our family.In my opinion, the book should be required reading for all Sociology of Education courses. fluency

Seymour Papert's The Connected Family is better suited toteachers than parents, since its chief criticism concerns schools' useof computers. He seems to believe that since schools are doing such a poor job of finding new and innovative uses for computers, he will target families in an attempt to allow children at least some positive experience with computers. While this is not a bad idea, I think his time would be better spent encouraging schools to rethink their use of computers. Certainly families should develop common interests and work together on projects, but children spend so much more time in school that changes there are likely to have a greater impact. I hope that many teachers find the time to read this book and consider making changes in their use of computers.

Teachers of very young students often recognize exploration as legitimate learning, but as the age of the student increases, the tendency is to decrease the time spent on exploration and increase time spent on instruction. This is done in the quest for efficiency in spite of the fact that we all know the most powerful lessons in life come from experience (exploring and experimenting.) It is Papert's idea that computers are best used as alternate universes in which students can continue to explore and experiment.

It used to be that you could explore a piece of technology and learn how it worked (picture peering into a manual typewriter,) but with increasing reliance on microprocessors this is laregly untrue today (picture peering inside your PC.) Papert's ideal of learning through exploration cannot occur when the working of the world is opaque. His solution for computers is to ignore the hardware (it is hopelessly opaque) and focus instead software. Don't ask children to merely use software but ask them to program a computer. This will reveal the workings of the digital age and remove some of the mystery of computers.

Papert poses some interesting ideas in this teaser of a book. I'd like to see more work done towards developing the type of software he imagines. The book's web site ... may have once had some of this, but it has now been replaced by ... a kid-oriented, but very limited site ...

Papert's previous books, Mindstorms and the Children's Machine, set the gold standard for thinking about learning and constructing knowledge with computers. While those books focused on learning at school, The Connected Family uses natural "home-style" learning as a metaphor for thinking about how glorious the construction of powerful ideas can be regardless of the setting in which learning occurs.

Papert argues that the proliferation of low-cost personal computers and net access throughout society shifts the locus of learning innovation from the school to the home. This ability to learn in new ways and learn new things at home creates an opportunity to unify the family around the pursuit of knowledge. Papert asks us not to view the computer as a polarizing force in our lives, but through charming examples challenges us to seize the opportunity to create new collaborative learning opportunities and strengthen existing ones in the home and school.

Papert's discussion of what's wrong with most educational software (for a start its not educational) provides parents with critically important consumer information. The simple ideas for computer-based learning projects (and accompanying CD-ROM) inspires us to use the computer as an intellectual laboratory and vehicle for self expression.

The Connected Family was written for parents and grandparents and is thus an easy-read. However, the number of profound ideas expressed elegantly in its pages makes the book one you will read over and over again.

Read the Connected Family and then read The Children's Machine and Mindstorms. If you ever finish, share them with friends.

I would not like to be the author of a book and have to read a review of it like the one I feel I must write on this one. However, I am a learning addict, particularly an audiobook addict (well spent car time) on professional and personal growth. While there are undeniably excellent points made and material covered in this book, I found it to be presented in a manner which brought out the worst attention deficit in me. This reader is that memorable professor who's monotone lectures bored you and put you to sleep in college. No question the man is an authority on the topic(s) that this book intends to address for our gain. However, given his writing and reading style, I believe his own mastery would be better served if used for his own personal and career benefit rather than for his attempt to pass great wisdom on to us who choose which book or books to spend our money and time on to gain or strengthen these skills. I continue (thus far unsuccessfully) to seek an audiobook on the topic of debate. There are hundreds in print and apparently none currently on audio worth your or my money.

Whether you are an experienced arbitrator looking for an easy reference or someone just interested in learning more about the many techniques of winning your point, this book is for you. The structure of this book is logical and easy to follow. You'll become familiar with such terms as "theoretical constructs" ,"red herrings", and many more which you'll learn to use as you develop your point and sway your opponents. This book is an invaluabe reference for those with arbitration experience and those looking to get some. I have found the tools inside this book to be extremely usefull in settling large claims where tensions are high and points need to be made. Read it, enjoy it, and learn from it. If you enjoy the art of arguing, you'll definately enjoy this book.

For those with a desire to increase their skill at argumentation, from formal debates to quiet negotiations at home to shouting matches in the street, this book offers some of the most powerful and effective weapons you will ever add to your arsenal. I question anyone who didn't find it of help, since the techniques held in this manual you do not use....you wield! I recommend "How to Win an Argument" By Michael Gilbert for those new to argumentation, as "Deception" will make much more sense with foreknowledge of the subject. Then move on to "Deception" and prepare to enter a training ground that will give you weapons and techniques so powerful, so devastating that they may be more than you even wanted. The strategies here are incredibly powerful, and are remarkably effective. Each chapter you will grow stronger and stronger until by the end you will be able to win or draw every argument you will face, and tear some people to pieces in the process. Believe me when I say that I have made people scream in fury at me, scream that they hate me after dismantling them with what I learned in this book. In some ways the book is too powerful. In some ways you will not even know your own strength after reading it. I recommend using Dale Carnegie techniques most of the time in life, but when you need to defend yourself in a verbal battle or lock up with another in a good old fashion argument, then "The Art of Deception" will provide you with an invaluable arsenal that will ready you for war. Watch in pleasure and even disbelief as you feel yourself roll effortlessly over your opponent, picking them apart like a bug, and watch in delight as they finally lose their temper and begin screaming in defeat. Ready yourself for the very fast paced types of arguments where you seem to be unable to even get a word in, but God help them when it's your turn, for you will usually be able to defeat your opponent in thirty seconds or less in this situation. Please be careful however, because some of the artillery that this book provides is so devastating that you can crush even a good friend in an argument easily and make them very angry, and you may not even mean to.
Learn the basic argument structures such as valid and sound syllogisms which form the building blocks of argumentation. Learn how to build and present a nearly invincible case. Learn how to refute an opponent's argument, and defend you own from attack. Then learn how to catch people in fallacies and tear them apart by identifying weak points in their case. Be trained how to attack and defend brilliantly from any front and direction. Additionally, one of the most devastating weapons, learn how to use fallacies themselves as valid weapons and watch your hapless opponent writhe in agony and drown in a pool of defeat. If you're going to get into verbal confrontations in the future, this is the next best thing to punching them in the face. Become invincible in argumentation, read the masterpiece, "The Art of Deception"