This book is perfectly targeted for the SE group, which really surprised me because I'm not a big fan of Sybex Books. It can be 'read' instead of 'studied' (for example, on a plane or in a hotel room), and it is totally packed with information targeted directly at SEs (just look at the table of contents, and you'll see what I mean). I sat and read the first chapter and skimmed several others, and I found that each page had three or four great points that we all really need to know. It is clear to me that the authors must come from a consulting background.

The knowledge in this book will help us all to: (a) understand SQL Server technology, (b) appear knowledgeable enough to instill confidence and promote a buying vision, (c) relate to and build rapport with SQL administrators, and (d) actually solve security-, configuration-, and performance-related issues. I'd like to see us buy a copy of this book for each SE.

This is an excellent book. It clearly explains 'small' things like Error 1205, fill factor, replication server upgrading order, fixing of SPs that modify the system tables after upgrading, the importance of IPC$ as regarding to the client connections, and so on. Last night I was sitting in Barnes & Nobles, juggling all the MS-SQL7 administration books I could find. It is the cheapest, smallest of all (well, '... for Dummies' doesn't really count for my purpose), yet it is the only one that answers all my test questions. In my opinion, the only other way to get a good feeling on SQL7 is to read through all of the Books Online. How you can manage the thousands of pages is one problem though. I wouldn't even I do think I could. I am in the process of upgrading my MCSE to MCSE+I, and I am sure this book is all I need for now. However, here's an advise to my fellow SQL newcomers: I don't think it will really hurt if, in addition, you actually CAN install, upgrade, configure, backup, restore a few SQL7 servers ... AND know NT well. All in all, this is an excellent book for real-life administration and MS certification test.

Les Miserables will be a tough read for some. Victor Hugo, in typical Nineteenth Century prose, is exceedingly verbose. His character introductions go on literally page after page, covering minute details that some modern readers will find tedious. Not only are they long, but they break the modern writing rule of "show rather than tell." When he presents new characters, we don't hear them converse or see their actions to form our own opinions. Hugo simply regurgitates a ten or twenty-page biography on them.

But this was how books were written then, and he did it as well as it could be done. The language is marvelous and rich, the characters interesting and complete, and the story sweeping and classic.

Jean Valjean, freshly released from a French prison, is caught stealing silver from an extraordinarily pious Bishop. Amazingly, this Bishop denies the silver is stolen, allowing Valjean to go free. Valjean, brutalized by nineteen years of life in "the galleys" and suffering poverty and maltreatment as an ex-convict, is so affected by this merciful act that he vows to reform. Seven years later he has changed his name and transformed himself into a righteous and contributing member of society, now a prominent factory owner and town Mayor. Life is good as he shares his profits and kind heart with the poor and unfortunate--until his past catches up with him. Valjean is then faced with an incredible predicament whose genius and complexity can be appreciated only by plowing through the full text.

Historically, this is an important literary work. Much of its political and religious sub-text may be lost, however, on those unfamiliar with the basics of the French Revolution. Like Valjean, readers will be better people for making the journey through this book. --Christopher Bonn Jonnes, author of Wake Up Dead.

I love the film adaptions and musical of Les Miserables, but they can't even compare to the greatness of this piece of literature. It's such an epic story, covering such topics as justice vs. the law, and ultimate love and self-sacrifice. Everyone can find something to relate to, something to learn from, and something to enjoy in this novel. The characters truly do come alive in this novel, from the center and hero of the story, Jean Valjean, to the minor characters. I particularly was touched by the story of Fantine, a "minor" character but easily my favourite. This character falls from innocence, and eventually makes an ultimate self-sacrifice for her daughter. I found myself unable to put the book down on many a late night, but especially so on the chapters concerning Fantine. Of course, perhaps my love for "classics" and "epics" and "historical romance" may have helped me enjoy the book so, as I know many people who could barely get through the first 20 pages of the 1400 + page novel. Some people may not have the patience to go through the Waterloo part, etc. It is a quite detailed book, and it does go very much "off-topic" a few times. But I still enjoyed every single word. I hope the size of the book won't make people think twice about reading it, it really is best unabridged. I have read the abridged version and it is quite confusing, and you miss several moving scenes. In my own opinion, everyone should read this book, unabridged...and prepare to be amazed!

Les Miserables is one of the greatest novels of all time. It doesn't just have an intriguing story-it has a dozen intriguing stories! That's one of the great things about Les Miz--it has something for everyone. It starts out with the reformation of the saintly convict Valjean and his moral battle with the fanatical policeman, Inspector Javert, but the books picks up many more characters along the way. First comes Fantine, a down-on-her-luck single mother, and her sweet young daughter Cosette, later adopted by Valjean. There's the godlike young revolutionary leader Enjolras, and his quirky band of followers, Les Amis de l'ABC. The villain (contrary to popular belief) is not Inspector Javert, but a greedy con artist named Thenardier. Two other main characters are Thenardier's children, (thankfully nothing like himself) the snarky, golden-hearted street urchin Gavroche, and the lovelorn waif Eponine. And my personal favorite, "Baron" Marius Pontmercy, Cosette's brave-but-confused young suitor/stalker.

The novel is packed with everything a reader could ask for--suspense, drama, romance, action, and plenty of crazy twists and turns to keep you on your toes. In addition to being a moving work of fiction, it teaches a good lesson (well, several good lessons, actually). For example, Les Miz does a great job of showing how some "bad guys" are victims of society (Javert) and some are just natural scum-buckets (Thenardier). It also shows how people can get past the circumstances they were born into and become wonderful people (Gavroche). I could go on for hours, but you probably don't want that...

It teaches a lot of history as well. A lot of readers have complained about the long tangents, and I tend to agree on some points. I recommmend skipping "The Intestine of the Levithan" and just skimming the Waterloo section for first-time readers. However, there is a lot of info on nineteenth century France mixed right in with the plot. You get to learn about the severity of the justice system (Valjean), and how politics could divide families (Marius), and how tough life was for Gypsies (Javert). Not only that, but the Paris Uprising of 1832 was a real event, and most of the characters were based on real people. Valjean and Javert were both based on Inspector Vidocq, Marius was based on Victor Hugo himself, and Enjolras was based on the real leader of the uprising. Hugo really manages to bring the time alive for you.

In short, this is a great book all around. And I'm not just saying that because it's my Bible (hehe). The book isn't nearly as difficult to read as it looks. If you're like me, you'll get so into it that you won't even notice the length. I strongly recommend Les Miserables to every literate person out there.

I've stumbled across "Games of the Hangman" by accident and was hooked by the non-stop action. Now 5 years later, I stumbled across "Rules of the Hunt" and am enjoying, once again the very dangerous adventures of Hugo Fitzduane. Indeed looking forward to reading the "Devil's Footprint" (look for my review). Mr. O'Reilly's prose is straightforward and clear with a very tight plot. The characters come to life and the action sizzles. Not for the weak of heart. Terrorism is a very real threat that Mr. O'Reilly brings to light in all it's dark reality.

Our Hero Fitzduane thought his war with terrorism ended with the defeat of the hangman but in the world of international terrorism nothing is forgotten! He and his family are targeted for death by the hangman's sadistic lover,a female japanese terrorist.Fitzduane must take the battle to her on her own tuff which is Japan.This novel gives us scenic and very bloody tour of Japan as our hero battle terrorists, yakuza(japanese gangsters) and lethal betrayal in his own ranks.Another great atmospheric spy thriller!

All of Hugo Fitzduane's adventures stand by themselves, and this one is a must read. Everytime this guy writes a book - it gets better and better than the last one! I can't wait for book 4:Satans Smile. Do yourself a favor and get into this well told novel that packs it all for all people young and old, male or female.

I remember slogging through The Canterbury Tales in Middle English when I was in high school and although the language is beautiful, having to take time to decipher it all did diminish somewhat the enjoyment of a terrific collection of stories. Since most of us are more comfortable with modern English, a good translation makes all the difference, and Nevill Coghill's excellent translation does full version to Chaucer's book. Reading this version takes the work out of it and makes "The Canterbury Tales" a pure pleasure. Chaucer writes about everyman and his stories represent one of the motliest crews in English literature: the Wife of Bath who has put away five husbands and is looking for a sixth; the pardoner, the reeve, the clerk, the knight, and a host of others from all walks of life. There is something in here for everyone; my three favorite stories are the Pardoner's Tale; the Miller's Tale (reading this in Coghill's translation, I could see why it has been excised from the bowdlerized versions used in high school English classes; it's rude, crude and downright lewd, but it's so hysterical they had to sew my sides up again when I finally stopped laughing), and the Franklin's tale of the knight, the squire and the magician who outdo each other in chivalry. Antisemitism was commonplace in medieval Europe and Chaucer is no more free of it than anyone else of his time; but to say that The Canterbury Tales is not worth reading because Chaucer was true to his time is overstatement. One must accept that Chaucer was as human and imperfect as most of his peers; without compromising the fact that Chaucer was a literary genius who had a profound effect on English language and English literature.

The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer is one of the first great works of literature in the English language and are good reading for a number of reasons. They are written in "old English", however, and read like a foreign language for most of us. Barbara Cohen's adapted translation gives us four of the tales in contemporary English and therefore provides an excellent introduction to Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Cohen's tales retain Chaucer's colorful insight into fourteenth century England including life as a knight, the horror of the plague, and the religous hypocrisy of the age. The illustrations by Trina Schart Hyman are vivid and tell a story all by themselves. I use Cohen's book as a supplement to teaching medieval history and literature to 7th and 8th graders.

The biggest hurdle in reading Chaucer is the language. Trying to read his work in Middle English is impossible without really good footnotes, and some of the "translations" are even worse--they're written in a high-blown, pompous style that takes all the fun out of the stories.

All this being so, I was delighted to find the Puffin Classics version retold by Geraldine McCaughrean! The tales are told in an easy-to-read, flowing style that captures the bawdy humor of the originals, without being over-crass (this is a children's book, after all.) I found myself often laughing out loud, and wishing I'd found this version much sooner, because it makes Chaucer fun to read! I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to try Chaucer but feels intimidated by the scholarly-looking versions available in the "Literature and Classics" sections. You won't become expert in reading Middle English, but you WILL see why The Canterbury Tales has such a wonderful reputation!

Eaters of the dead is a truly spectacular book. It keeps the reader on the edge with detail while still getting an interesting plot out. Not too many authors can do such a thing. Michael Crichton is simply an amazing author. Every book of his that I have read, I have finished in less than 2 weeks. I just simply cannot put them down. Ibn Fadlon is a devout Muslim who is sent on a mission to the King of Bulgars. On his mission he encounters some Viking warriors. Ibn, believing in his Muslim ways, disapproves in how the men act and take care of themselves, but its rather fascinating reading on how he likes and dislikes many of the other ways of the Vikings. The best part of the book, is the ending, it is simply remarkable. This book contains factual information while still not becoming boring. I also like the footnotes that Crichton puts on the bottom of some pages. There are some words that I have never heard before and telling the reader what they mean is very helpful in the understanding of this book. The only thing that I don't like about this book is that it doesn't develop many characters. You really only get to know one of them. I would recommend this book to anyone that is interested in history and the customs of the Vikings, and has the stomach to read some grueling details.

First half of book - I find Michael Crichton's The 13th Warrior to be an informative and entertaining book. There are several features that make the book enjoyable. The first feature is the introduction. The introduction provides us with valuable information about the history of the story. We are provided with a brief listing of its translations as well as background information about the original author, Ibn Fadlan, and those whom he wrote about, the Northmen a.k.a. the Vikings. The second helpful feature is Crichton's use of footnotes. The footnotes help the reader to understand problematic vocabulary and also provide historical context. The third feature that strengthens the book is Crichton's careful editing of the Fraus-Dolus translation. Crichton tells us that he removed unnecessary or rambling lines from the text, and adapted the sentence structure to that of modern English. Such editing makes the story more easily understood and enjoyed. The final feature, which I think adds the most to the story, is the incredible storytelling of Ibn Fadlan. Fadlan does a concise yet complete job of portraying nearly every aspect of daily life in all of the cultures that he encounters. In addition, he compares and contrasts each culture to his own, in an effort to learn and appreciate as much as possible about those he interacts with. Fadlan describes people, places, and events in an unbiased, serious, and detailed tone which allows the reader to form his own opinion about the story. The introduction, the footnotes, Crichton's editing, and Fadlan's masterful storytelling make The 13th Warrior informative and engaging.
Second half of book - I enjoyed the second half of The 13th Warrior. In this part of the book we learn more about the Northmen culture through Ibn Fadlan's discussions with his translator Herger. These discussions are particularly informative because Ibn compares his own culture with the Northmen culture, so the reader is able to get a real sense of exactly how Ibn felt. Ibn does an excellent job of dissecting the Northmen's way of life as he sees it. He puts the reader in the shoes of the Northmen as well as himself in various stages of the story so we view certain situations from several points of view. The one aspect of this book that I enjoy and appreciate the most is Ibn's relentless pursuit of unbiased and accurate reporting. Throughout the story he reminds the reader that he viewed events first hand (i.e. "I saw with my own eyes..."), and almost constantly uses the word "verily" which means "in truth" or "in fact." It seems as if Ibn knows that his writings will be read and studied for many years to come. In conclusion, it comes as little surprise that Ibn's work has become so celebrated.

Eaters of the dead takes place around 922 A.D. The Caliph of Baghdad sends a court member named Ahmad Ibn Fadlan to deliver a message to the King of Bulgars. During his journey, Fadlan stays at a Viking village. Then a lone warrior comes from the North and tells of a terror that kills the Vikings in the night under the cover of night and the mist. Fadlan is then enlisted to fight this horror, against his will. He protests, but to no avail. He journeys to the North with 12 other warriors to Rothgar's Kingdom and helps to defend it form the attacks by the barbaric mist warriors. Then, the group goes on the offensive to slay the mother.

Ibn Fadlan makes this book more interesting and fun to read because he is the total opposite of the Vikings, with whom he stays. He is apalled by their barbaric customs because he is a civilized Arab and the Norsemen are uncivilized. Throughout the story these contrasts are evident. This book proceeds without talking about one subject for too long. I never got bored and there is never a break in the action. The suspense also never stops. I would definitely recommend this book because it gives a great look into the Viking culture while being very entertaing. You won't be able to put it down. Crichton's writing is very fast paced, so this is a great read on a good subject.