This is one of the best Titanic books I've ever read. Ever since I watched "A Night to Remember" on TV, I was greatly interested in Titanic. I watched every movie I found, read every book and recorded all documentaries and history programs. I stay up on April 14 sometimes to watch movies. I suggest you read this book; very informative on how the ship sank and the pictures were very good too.

It was just the most interesting and heart rending piece of writing that i have read for a long time, the detail is just amazing it has lead me to go on to other places in england and america just to experience the places mentioned in the book, it also pushed me on to read destination disaster and falling star (which is out of print) and to buy their new book titanic a journey through time. What else can i say this book is very interesting to anyone interested in the titanic

I found this book in my local library and took it out to read. However as soon as I got it home and looked through it I was enthralled by the pictures. The text was fairly standard fare although some of the earlier chapters had interesting info concerning the planning and construction of Titanic. The pictures steal the show and they made up my mind to buy this book for myself as such pictures need to be looked at and digested over months and years rather than the few weeks one has with a library book. If you have any interest in Titanic - BUY IT.

_One_ great book about chess. There are two parts in this book: the first about playing and the second about other aspects of chess.

There are a lot of tactical and strategic examples throughout the first part of the book. The combination section is fun. The opening section, though not exhaustive, conveys the ideas of many openings. The attack and defense section exemplifies many common themes such as the Nd5 sacrifice and the h-pawn hack. The endgame section, like the opening section, shows many examples rather than being exhaustive.

The second part of the book talks about how famous players started to learn chess, tournaments, clock, computer chess, Internet and chess, and chess & media. Those are very interesting reading mostly because they are written in a tone that engages the reader. The appendixes have basic chess rules, explanations of chess notation (the book talks about the history of it!), basic mates, and glossary.

Overall, this book talks about many different faces of chess yet manages to be of very good quality in them.

The mammoth book of chess is absolutly the most comprehensive and interesting book on chess I have ever read. The openings section has the best verbal explanations on most of the openings, and a lot of games to give strategic examples.
The middlegame section is also very good and it has a lot of puzzles in different levels, from pretty easy mate in two to very hard combination puzzles. Best for beginners to intermediate players, but advanced players can enjoy the second part of the book too, which is not about learning chess, it's about other chess related subjects like computers and internet chess. The auther writes in a very easy to read style which makes reading this book a lot of fun. The only criticism I have on this book is the poor paperback cover. It looks like it is not going to survive a very long time (A minor detail - don't let this affect you), but it has a really low price because of it. buy this book and I promise you won't be disapointed.

Wow! A really cool book. (Bad books do NOT become BCF's "Book of the Year.") !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Let's see. What do you get? A section on: beginning chess, Openings, Middlegames, Endgames, Tactics, Attack and Defence. You get a section on the chess clock, on-line chess (somewhat dated), Correspondance chess, etc. Call it potpourri unlimited. (A little of something for everybody!) In fact, there is a little of almost everything about chess in here. (500+ pages!) [Maybe a little slanted towards the British side of everything.]

Two minor criticisms: Organization could have been a little bit better. And the paper is somewhat yellowish and see-through. The book has NOT fallen apart, but the cover and binding of my book is showing wear and tear. (But its been through a lot. I used to take it to school EVERY DAY when I taught at a local school last year!! The kids just loved thumbing through it.) Many pluses, one being some of the most comphrehensive indexes I've ever seen in a chess book!

However, all this is nit-picking. Everyone I know who has bought this book has LOVED it. And the bonus? It costs about 1/3 [or less], of what the average chess book sells for!! Buy it. If you don't like it you, a friend will surely take it off your hands!!

At last a Bible where you can get a clear idea of how traditional but not fantical Baptist think. The bible is well laid out with outlines and vital information on each book and the footnoting is excellent with a rich variety of comments from some of the better thinkers of the Baptist way.

For a Baptist the book is a plus for a non-baptist it is educational tool in comparative christian thought and theology.

This study Bible is one of the best versions out there. It is very easy to follow and understand. It has outlines and footnotes that allow you to apply each verse to everyday life.

I am a Seminary student and have gone through many study bibles. However, this work by W.A. Criswell is by far the best in the business.

I had been enticed by the hardcover edition at the library and was hoping this softcover brought it up to date from 1985...but the only addenda from 2000 were confined to the new preface. Hence four instead of five stars. That said, this book is truly a celebration of the ultimate seagoing experience ( unless you are a dedicated small boat windsailor). Maxtone-Graham KNOWS and LOVES his ships-- down to the details of welding and design-- their captains and crew, their passengers and their milieux, and the sheer exuberance of unwinding, relaxing, shmoozing, partying or simply vegging on an ocean-going palace. The author's wonderfully cosmopolitan outlook and elegance of expression match the glitz, glamor --- and sometimes grit-- of the wonderful vessels he describes with such evocative precision. He is at home among the hoi polloi, but definitely no effete snob. When addressing the delicate issue of Class versus Crass (yesteryear's sophisticated passenger contrasted to today's alleged boor) the author wisely points out that the Old Guard elite also had their share of back-slapping, spittle shpritzing louts aboard. Those who mourn the passing of Great Liner gentility have forgotten about these annoying ship crawlers. Maxtone-Graham does make distinctions between the most garish of the party-hardy Spring Break specials and the classier cruise ships. He does not neglect the luxurious smaller vessels as so many cruise ship writers do. For example the always interesting Arnold Kludas won't consider any ship under 10,000 gross tons in his multi-volumed compendium. Maxtone-Graham gives a vivid and affectionate review of an Atlantic crossing on one of the first of the modern Mega-Yachts, the 4,250 ton Sea Goddess I (now operated by Seabourn with its sister ship). I particularly enjoyed the lively accounts of the memorable, and gone-forever,grand tours such as the 1938-39 lavish and fun-filled Normandie cruises to Rio and many other such "journeys to nowhere". I did not find the excellent depiction of the down and dirty details of design and construction at all boring, as the author feared. Equally informative is the insight into the economic realities confronting the cruise travel industry as it enters the twenty-first century. Details such as cabin and bathroom design are brought to life by demonstrating the relative comfort and convenience factors of different arrangements. I have never tired of re-reading this wonderfully evocative book. Having missed the author's The Only Way to Cross, the appendix relating some letters he received about the earlier book was a welcome bonus. The illustrations....deck plans, interior and exterior photos and drawings, are quite helpful in visualizing life and luxury aboard. Highly recommended both for bon voyagers and those who would rather read about life at sea from a dry and steady berth.

Liners To The Sun is an engaging and informative "ocean travelogue" which also offers considerable insight on the past, present, and possible future of ocean cruising. Featuring more than 250 black-and-white photographs and drawings, showcased with an authentically detailed narration, and an attention to the nuts-and-bolts of shipboard voyages, combine to make Liners To The Sun an especially recommended title for anyone wanting or needing to learn more about the realities and experiences of life on the waves in general, and ocean bound cruising in particular.

The natural follow-on to his seminal "The Only Way to Cross," "Liners to the Sun" brings more of Maxtone-Graham's great stories to print. Able to describe technical details with an easy precision, the author also contributes a great deal to the lore of cruising, from the earliest history to the latest developments, from the economics of cruise voyages to rich anecdotal details of what life is like on a long cruise (for some too long!). This review is written from the 1985 edition, and there have been so many changes in the industry that a new edition is not only cause for celebration, but also an incentive to own both books!

The author has done what so many of us say we want to do, but never find the wherewithall to accomplish. He has preserved his own dearest memories and passed them along to others to share the joy and wisdom of them. He seems to have absorbed his boyhood like a sponge and has wrung it for our enjoyment. It is no small task to research one's family tree and portray it objectively in the community forest in which it has grown. If you are of this Appalachain and small town culture but it feels remote to you in your present circumstances, reading this book will transport you back into it. If you are not, you will learn something!

This book is an endearing testimony of one man's love and respect for his father. The author shows us a glimpse of a man who believes in honoring your family, your country, and your community through actions as well as words. This book simultaneously made me proud to have been raised in a small Alabama town and sad that I have not the drive or time to honor my family in the way that the author honors his. John Graham, Sr. is the type of man we should all strive to be. I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to read this book.

I enjoyed this book tremendously...it's not only a touching tribute to a true Southern gentleman, but it brings back memories of growing up in a simpler time and place. A revealing glimpse of life in a small town and one you'll want for your personal library.

I purchased this book for analagous use in a large corporation. It contains many useful insights and guidelines for leadership. Unfortunately, the author's attempt to generalize the definition of the term "pucker factor" is not enough to overcome the term's original anatomical meaning, hence making it questionable for corporate use. This conclusion is based on interpretations of the term from employees I surveyed. A more neutral term like "stress factor" would make it a perfect metaphorical book for use in corporations.

I'm an Eagle Scout from troop 572 of Carolina Puerto Rico, and all the leadership skill that I learn during my best time of my life is in that book.
I'm also worked at Denali National Park, Alaska and is great see a lot of people that love the wild and love to camp and hike, but more important is to be a leader in the woods with the visitors, that's why to be an Interps in Denali needs a lot of skills and Information that this book have it.
Any Outdoor Leader needs to read this Book.

No wasted words or soapbox sermons here. I've been leading and following for years and found the concepts in this book to be direct and effective, and, if applied, sure to make a difference in all areas of your life--professionally and personally. Some of the concepts are so simple you will wonder why you haven't already been utilizing them. A quick read and a good value.

A crime has occurred, often (though not always) a murder. As authorities and observers attempt to solve the mystery, often arriving at a false solution, meekly in the background is a humble, unassuming priest. Using his knowledge of the criminal mind, and often bringing to bear theology (because unsound theology is the basis of moral failure), the unnoticed priest arrives at the solution. Each time one comes to the end of these short mysteries, the reader realizes that there is some small detail that he or she missed, which was not missed by Father Brown. Thus is displayed the power of quiet observation. These short stories make for some good bedtime reading, and even profound theological reflection. The only reason I gave this volume four stars instead of five is that mystery is not personally my favorite genre. Even non-mystery lovers can enjoy these stories much as I have.

In the genre of the finely crafted English detective story, Chesterton's "Father Brown" stories are wholesome and stimulating detective tales surpassed by few others, except perhaps Doyle's legendary Sherlock Holmes. In contrast to the arrogant Holmes, however, Chesterton's protagonist is rather quiet, unassuming and modest, and makes an unlikely hero - a catholic priest. Father Brown's simple manner makes you quick to underestimate him, but the startling flashes of brilliance that spill from beneath his humble exterior soon make you realize that he has a firm grasp on the truth of a situation when you are as yet frustratingly distant from it. His perceptive one-liners make it evident that he has a clear insight into something that you see only as an apparently insoluble paradox.

Chesterton has been called the "prince of paradox", and the Father Brown stories are a clear testimony of his fondness for paradox. Ultimately it is not just crimes that Brown must solve, but the paradox underlying them. In fact, not all stories are crime stories - among them are mysterious situations that do not involve criminals, and it is the perceptive insight of Father Brown that is needed make apparent contradictions comprehensible by his ruthless logic. Father Brown is not so much concerned with preserving life or bringing a criminal to justice as he is with unravelling the strands of an impossible paradox. In fact, Chesterton's conception of Father Brown is itself a paradox - both a cleric and a crime-fighter, a priest and a policeman, a representative of God's mercy and an instrument of God's justice, a proclaimer of forgiveness and a seeker of guilt, a listener in the confessional and a questioner in the interrogation.

How a priest could possibly play the role of a detective is explained in the first story, "The Blue Cross". Brown apprehends the confounded criminal Flambeau and explains that his knowledge of the criminal mind is due in part to what he's heard at the confessional booth "We can't help being priests. People come and tell us these things." When Flambeau retorts "How in blazes do you know all these horrors?" Chesterton allows his humble priest to attribute his insight into human depravity to his experience as a priest: "Oh, by being a celibate simpleton, I suppose, he said. Has it never struck you that a man who does next to nothing but hear men's real sins is not likely to be wholly unaware of human evil."

But both Chesterton and Father Brown have insight into much more than just human depravity - they are both champions of Catholic orthodoxy. This gives the Father Brown stories a depth not found in Brown's compatriot Holmes. In the course of Chesterton's stories, we are treated to philosophical discussions about catholic theology, such as the relationship between faith and reason. We do not merely meet an assortment of cobblers, blacksmiths, magistrates and generals, but atheists, legalists, secularists, pagans, Presbyterians, Puritans, Protestants and Catholics, all with varying and vying affections for superstition, naturalism, rationalism, scepticism, agnosticism, materialism, anarchism, nihilism, or cynicism. Along with C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, G.K. Chesterton was one of the few writers in the twentieth century that made an important contribution to English literature that was stamped by Christian principles instead of the prevailing secularism of the day.

Readers who do not share Chesterton's theological convictions will not concur with all his insights, but they must concede that they are enjoyable, profound and stimulating. Somewhat surprising is the occasional use of blasphemous expletives such as "O my God", although generally from the mouths of others than Father Brown himself. And Brown does seem to degenerate more and more into a mouthpiece for Chesterton, with a sermonizing tone not present in the first stories.

But on the whole these are exemplary models of the English crime short story. The Penguin edition contains all the stories from all five of Chesterton's published Father Brown collections. Among my favorites are "The Blue Cross", where Father Brown follows a mysterious trail of clues and engages in some bizarre behaviour and fascinating theological discourse to apprehend Flambeau. "The Hammer of God" is also an outstanding whodunnit, as Brown solves the murder of a man who has been crushed by a huge hammer outside a church, seemingly the recipient of a divine thunderbolt of judgment from heaven. In the process Chesterton shares some thought-provoking insights, such as the memorable: "Humility is the mother of giants. One sees great things from the valley; only small things from the peak." Also unforgettable is "The Blast of the Book", which recounts the mysterious disappearance of five men whose only crime was to open a seemingly magical book. Father Brown is quick to unravel the paradox by explaining it as the work of an ingenious prankster.

Father Brown's tongue never fails to produce profound paradoxical gems such as "The point of the pin was that it was pointless." And: "I never should have thought he would be so illogical as to die in order to avoid death." It is Brown's unique perspective that allows him to see what others do not see. When his compatriots are awed at the eloquence of a magistrate's thundering sermon in "the Mirror of the Magistrate", Father Brown remarks: "I think the thing that struck me most was how different men look in their wigs. You talk about the prosecuting barrister being so tremendous. But I happened to see him take his wig off for a minute, and he really looks quite a different man. He's quite bald, for one thing."

With the finely crafted prose, depth of theological insight, and brilliant combination of perception and paradox, Chesterton has created in Father Brown a noble and enduring character, a worthy successor to Sherlock Holmes and in some respects his equal and superior. The Father Brown stories are unquestionably worthy of their designation as classics.

Father Brown is an intriguing and refreshing fictional detective. In addition to providing short glimpses into criminal puzzles, this book includes fascinating looks at the time period in which it was written (Father Brown meets the Futurists). Much more intelligent than many of the other entries into this genre, it also wasn't as dogmatically religious as I'd been lead to believe. I really enjoyed this book.

This is the "games collection" that I have been waiting years to find! It is a book of 100 chronologically-ordered, heavily annotated chess games, which the three authors decided upon through some sort of weighted voting system, in which Graham Burgess annotated 50, John Nunn 25, and John Emms 25. It is not a "mammoth"-sized book; it is about the size of a typical bestseller paperback, though somewhat wider. To give you an idea of where the historical concentration of games occurs, Game 1 is from 1834, Game 25 is from 1926, Game 50 is from 1963, Game 75 is from 1981, and Game 100 is from 1997. The most heavily-represented players are Mikhail Tal (11 games), Bobby Fischer (9), Garry Kasparov (8), Anatoly Karpov (8), Jose Capablanca (6), Emanuel Lasker (6), and Boris Spassky (6). I would have expected to see more games from Paul Morphy (0 games!), Adolph Anderssen (2), Harry Pillsbury (2), Tigran Petrosian (2), Wilhelm Steinitz (3), and Alexander Alekhine (4). From those lists, you can probably infer that the book is somewhat skewed toward the modern games. On the other hand, there are only three Karpov-Kasparov games, which surprised me. There is a lot of analysis in the games, with plenty of biographical descriptions and "color". Despite the fact that three different authors did the annotating, there is a very "uniform" feel to the games; it doesn't read like it's three disjointed authors. Maybe that's because three people did the analyzing and one person did the writing.

My favorite historical collection of annotated games was always Tartakower & du Mont's famous collection of 500 games, plus a supplemental book of 100 more games, but those left off at around 1950. For a long time those two books were my chess Bible, and so I knew hardly anything about players like Tal, Fischer, Karpov, and Kasparov, let alone the less famous players who still had played some amazing games in modern times.

Sure, there are several modern collections of games (especially "Winning Chess Brilliancies" by Yasser Seirawan, "Modern Chess Brilliancies" by Larry Evans, and "The Art of Chess Analysis", by Jan Timman), and plenty of collections of best games of individual players, from Paul Morphy to Alexei Shirov. However, I hadn't yet found an individual book that gave you this kind of in-depth perspective across chess history into modern times. This book ranges from the famous 1834 McDonnell-de la Bourdonnais 62nd match game with the three black pawns side by side on the seventh rank, all the way through to games of the last couple of years, like Viswanathan Anand's great attacking games against Anatoly Karpov in 1996 and Joel Lautier in 1997. I think that there is real value, both entertaining and instructive, in seeing comments from the same authors on such a wide chronological range of games.

Furthermore, it is very rare to see such modern analysis of older games. Few books released these days seem to cover any games before the 1960's. Often there seems to have been very little added to some of the analysis that was "state-of-the-art" sixty years ago. Most exceptions seem to be connected with John Nunn, like the several algebraic reprints of "Best Game" collections which he has touched up and footnoted, in addition to the new material which he added on to the end of Max Euwe's "The Development of Chess Style." I liked this book best, however, because it covers such a wide range of players, games, and eras.

I am very grateful that there are chess writers out there willing to re-examine older games in a modern light, not stopping after pointing out where opening theory has evolved beyond that game, but also continuing on with new analysis of the middle game and end game positions that occurred (or could have) in the game. My greatest chess interest lies in viewing how chess mastery has evolved over the decades, and this book does a better job than any other single book of illustrating that evolution. My only quibble, and it is a small one, is that I would have liked to have seen more older games. I was surprised to find no games at all by Paul Morphy, but Macon Shibut's "Paul Morphy and the Evolution of Chess Style" is a fantastic modern book which covers many of Morphy's games, and so I, in possession of both books, am happy. I only wish that the authors of "The Mammoth Book of the World's Best Chess Games" had done 500 games rather than 100. Maybe we'll see a sequel! In any event, at less than a dime per game for classic games with lots of interesting annotations, this particular book is a great deal. Some of the notes and variations may go beyond beginning players, but it's fun anyway to play over the games and read what experts have to say about them, even if you don't follow all of the conclusions. So I would really recommend this book to anyone with much of an interest in chess history.

Naturally any book like this will have a subjective element to it and people will disagree with the content. In this book however the author's have done an admirable job in selecting the best 100 games.
Each of the games are introduced in terms of the players and then the context in which the game was played. At the end of the game there is also a short section with lessons that can be learned from it.
In this book I particularly enjoyed Nigel Short's King march (game 86) and Anatoly Karpov' triple rook sacrifice (game 90)

My favorite collection of master games has always been "500 master games of chess" by Tartakower and DuMont. This book has easily replaced that book as my favorite games collection.

While "500 master games" is still great- I feel that this is superior for several reasons; 1) it is in algebraic notation 2) the games span a greater time horizon and include a few more modern games 3)the annotations are by world class players 4) the annotations are based upon a more modern understanding of the game, and 5) the "pre-game" commentary describing the players, their syles, and the specific tournament all add to the enjoyment of playing over the games.

This instructional, historical, and just plain fun factor of the games is excellent. My hope is that there may eventually be a sequel (volume 2).

Well, this book was pretty good (as algebra books go). I was a student who used it. It explains the concepts you need to know well, but sometimes you get lost on the wording. or at least I did, and it cost me an answer or two. But considering the whole book, thats not bad. Compared to those Chicago Math Books, it's way better, those i get lost about every other sentance. So anyways, i give it 4 stars.

Although this text is 20 years old, I still use it to teach High School Algebra I. I have not found a text -before or since- that explains every new topic as well. Some of my students have grave learning disabilities. This text works just as well with them by moving slowly through the text. My students do well in College Algebra with little or no problem. I would love to see a Geometry text written as well.

Solomon's book uses the wrong approach for teaching organic chemistry. Unfortunately, it has become the standard text used at most colleges -- but most people I know who used it as undergrads had to re-learn chemistry as grad students. This is because Solomon's book presents organic chemistry as a formidable science of many, many different reactions. It is difficult for beginning students to understand how these reactions are related, and so reactions involving more complex molecules look very confusing. A better introductory text is written by Seyhan Ege. There is a simplicity to organic chemistry that Solomon's text just does not demonstrate.

5.1 Isomers:constitutional Isomers and Stereomers Isomers are differ compounds that have the same molecular formula.In our study of carbon compounds,thus far,most of our attention has been directed toward those isomers that we have callled constitutional isomers.

Isomers are different compounds that have the same molecular formula