My Old french teacher gave me this book to read when i was about 14. He was of the opinion that reading helped improve concentration - he was right. The book, i do not think, would appeal to the average reader today, it is very long and heavey going - but not taking anything away from the writer - it is exquisitly written. However, there is a part in the book, i think it is a father telling a son a story, or something like that and it will go with me to my grave. It's about an adventurer who, once he has summeted one mountain, moves on to the next and when he has traversed one desert looks for another, and so on. He is never content unless he is moving, seeing new things and having new exoeriences, but then he runs out of mountains to climb and forrests to explore. I will not give anymore away except to say that i would read the book again - just for that one little story.

Shortly before Richard Jefferies first became ill he wrote two children's books, Wood Magic and Bevis, published in 1881 and 1882. The latter has been widely regarded as a classic boys' book and, based on Jefferies' own childhood at Coate, it follows the adventures of two boys, Bevis and Mark. They first 'discover' a large lake close to their home which they imagine to be a vast inland sea surrounded by a jungle inhabited by savages and wild beasts. After re-fighting the Battle of Pharsalia (between Julius Caesar and Pompey) with their friends, Bevis and Mark build a raft and cross to an island in the lake. Equipped with a few provisions and their own home-made shotgun, they live among nature for several days, learning the arts of survival and much about themselves in the process. Bevis is a celebration of the vigour and freedom of a childhood spent in the countryside, 'where there was magic in everything, blades of grass and stars, the sun and the stones upon the ground'.

This book is a catalogue for an exhibition that was held at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The reproductions do not represent the full work of Millet but rather the selection of works that was presented in that exhibition. There are many reproductions of drawings, pastels and watercolors, and only a few paintings. Many of the drawings are preparations for larger scale paintings. I bought the book after a visit to the Musee d'Orsay in Paris and was disappointed not to find many paintings that I remember from that visit - not even "The Angelus", which is probably Millet's most famous work. Still there is a large number of beautiful drawings and paintings, and the introductory text is interesting. I wish the reproductions would be larger - there are only about ten full page reproductions throughout the book.

This is the first quality pyblication I have found on Millet. While I was looking for more of a coffe table type book of his paintings, I was slighlty disappointed that many of his works were not included but the history of his life more than makes up for it.

I started collecting Hellblazer TPB's mostly to complete my Garth Ennis collection, but the character of John Constantine got me hooked. Unfortunately I missed some of the arcs by past writers, but I slipped into the current Azzarello run pretty easily with this paperback.

"Hard Time" is a pretty fun story. The whole prison motif intrigued me when I first heard about it, and I really enjoyed seeing the hardcore Constantine deal with it. Azzarello handles the story pretty well, and although it's far too early to judge his handling of the main character, "Hard Time" remains a good read.

Some of the story elements, though, seemed a tad cliched. The whole story seemed like an episode of Oz. I wasn't sure if he was paying homage or blatantly stealing.

Those who're already fans of the series and missed this arc should pick it up, but if you're new to Hellblazer, start off with "Original Sins". It's a great way to be introduced to the series.

Brilliant crime-author Brian Azzarello has done the unthinkable. He's taken John Constantine past where even Garth Ennis had darred. Azzarrello, once attacked for being and American on what was a very English book, showed us that of all the demons and monsters that a magic man like John Constantine has to face, the scarriest buggers out there are still just humans. In prison for murder, on his own, haunted by the ghosts of his past, John must work his way through the 'system' at place, and in pure Constantine fashion, bring it all down around his head. The art could be better, but the writing is some of the best graphic-fiction to come out in years.

Green is a great teller of tales, and here he definitely succeeds in bringing the ancient Norse Myths to life with vivid prose that is very faithful to his sources. This is one of those reads that is good for children (from about 4th Grade) and adults alike. The author's tone is not patronizing, but treats the reader and the subject matter seriously, and yet lightly and humorously when appropriate.
Green's novel--and it does read like a novel in its own right--is really good at introducing the reader to the world of Norse Myth, starting with the character of the Norse Men and going on to give an overview of the mythology, an introduction to all the gods, their foes, and their worlds, and straight retellings of all the famous tales... all in a narrative context.
I now prefer to read the "originals," but no doubt they would have been far too cryptic for me to read if I didn't have Green to hold my hand at first. I refer to the collection known as the Elder or Poetic Edda (0292764995), as well as the Prose Edda of Snorri Sturluson (0520012321). For me, those two collections plus the Volsungasaga (0140447385) round out the "genuine" Norse mythology.
But as I said, I would definitely begin with Green. I have read other modern retellings, but if you can find this one, it is the best.

This book had been sitting unread in my library for many years. Recently, I decided to pick it up after getting more interested in the Norse myths after reading the Icelandic Sagas and listening to Wagner's 'Der Ring Des Nibelungen,' which was inspired by Norse mythology. This book supplies a collection of Norse myths, beginning with how the world was created, and ending with 'Ragnarok,' the popular myth about the last battle between the Gods and the Giants. I found myself enthralled throughout the book - that is until I reached the chapter regarding Sigurd. I have had some previous knowledge of this myth, but sought to learn more about it to learn more about Wagner's sources and inspirations when composing his mythological-based 'Ring' operas. Instead, I had found that the author used Wagner's Ring as a source for his chapter on Sigurd rather than the original sagas and myths. This made me question the authenticity of the other stories presented in the book. However, I think they all convey the general idea of what the Nordic people believed in, and think it a good synthesized collection of Norse mythology for those beginning to delve into the subject. It's also an ideal mythic book for younger audiences, as it has no explicit violence and has a simplistic and blunt writing style.

This book is fairly hard to find - and apparently, only available in hardcover, pre 1987.

It's an oversized, fantastic movie-by-movie story of the Walt Disney movie studio, before the fabricated Eisner studio releases of the 1990's. It details all of Disney's animation advancements from Snow White to the Black Couldron.

Inside, you'll find all the details concerning Walt Disney's original visions, including the makings of the classics like Snow White and Bambi, as well as postscript information on the "new" studio which promises great "computer animated" films, guessing to revolutionarly 90's filmmaking of Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast. Particularly interesting are the comments regarding Fantasia and the presumed success of the mid 80's failed Disney films like "The Black Couldron". It's like an encyclopedia of all Disney films with fantastic renderings, sketches, and full color shots of the movies before the typical Eisner song/dance/emotional overload 1990 Disney.

Hardcover editions of this book have become exceedingly rare - I found mine at a bookshop with a plastic covering. A great hardcover coffee-table book that details Disney in a more innocent stage.

If you like Ludlum or Fullet, you gotta love this guys gutsy stuff- too bad the literary industrail complex burried the piece. I found it in a bookstore and it was GREAT! Get it back in print and let everyone see something new and fresh

Thinking about heading out to Hungary? "Globetrotter Travel Pack Budapest" by Brian Richards is a good place to start.

The map is why I bought this one. It is big, with a plainly designed appearance. Major roads are shown, but the map maker kept it clean of confusing lines and symbols. Use the mileage chart to get a rough idea of how far cities are from each other. It is 1:600,000. You'll also get insets of Pecs, Lake Balaton, the Budapest transit system, Keszthely, the Tihany Peninsula, a calendar of major events, and a smattering of factiods and pictures.

The book is for first-time visitors. Read about the basic history, with details about the major sites and why they exist, and information regarding the regions of the country, complete with captioned pictures. Among the more interesting aspects are the sidebars. Joszef Rippl-Ronai, the artist, is in there, as is curious bits about coffee and cake, goulash/gulyas, and a writer's cafe.

If you are looking for an easy, quick and colorful overview of Hungarian travel, buy this book. It is relatively fresh, as should any book be of that general European region, in light of the economic and social changes.

I fully recommend "Globetrotter Travel Pack Budapest" by Brian Richards.

Anthony Trendl

Inside the Introduction to Splines, the reader will find the construction of B-spline basis functions. The complete reference for B-splines for both uniform and non-uniform knot vector, and various methods for constuctions B-splines given certain contraints. The text goes further to introduce the B-spline recurrance relation through divided differences and one sided power functions. Beta splines, Hermite interpolation and other relavent topics are covered in great depth with illustrations to clarify concepts.

This is the first time that I can honestly say that I'm dissapointed by the work of Richard Corben. Corben's artwork was definitly not up to par. The faces of Doc Samson and the Hulk were to cartoonish and out of purportion. The Hulk looked like a big ignorant goofball!

The story was [horrid]! Azzarello's story and script was dull and lifeless to say the least. I did not like how Doc Samson was portrayed like a thug. I do not remember him being like that back in my Hulk reading days. I will give this book two stars out of five. The two stars are for the Corben artwork that was interesting to look at, but not for his renderings of Doc Samson and the Hulk. Not worth the read!

Ever wonder what it feels like for Bruce Banner to have the earth's most terrible natural force be the consquence of your natural survival instincts and temper? This story distills it down to it's most basic form. Ever wonder how the Hulk's rampages are explained to the public? Azzarello and Corben give a perfectly credible explanation within these pages. And just why is it that Banner - who should've left the region he's been inhabiting for all these years - is still living in America's South west?

BANNER is a great story for those who find the Banner/Hulk dynamic to be among the most intriguing and tragic in mainstream comics, but want a story outside of the continuity of the monthly title. Corben's art - though by no means a definitive vision of the Hulk - is unique, singular, and bizarre. Azzarello's script does nothing to change the course of the Hulk's history, but it is far better (and RELEVANT) than anything that's been done with the character in years. The depiction of why the Hulk was created and how it feels for Banner to deal with the aftermath of his alter-egos rampages has never been better handled or more revealing than in these pages (especially during the conversation he has with Doc Samson towards the book's conclusion).

Bruce Jones is getting tons of accolades for his current scripting on the regular series, but it would be interesting to see what this creative team could do with the opportunity. 'Cause this series feels less like a one-shot and more like a taste of bigger things to come.

STARTLING STORIES: BANNER is a hard-edged, adrenaline-driven novel about scientist Bruce Banner and the raging gamma-bomb induced monster that rages within him. The story opens with the Hulk in full rampage tearing through an entire city, then moves into the clean-up attempt done later. Doc Samson arrives and the political spin to deny knowledge that the destruction was caused by the Hulk begins. The story picks up with Banner's reaction to all the carnage his alter ego has caused, but the reader sympathizes totally with this man who cannot control the monster within him. As the tale turns more suspenseful, Doc Samson succeeds in tracking down his quarry and capturing him, but the interrelations between Samson, Banner, the Hulk, and General Ross only become deeper and more complex. Ross has a secret fate he's planned for Banner, and he's not telling anyone.

Award-winning author Brian Azzarello is also the author of the monthly comics series 100 BULLETS, BATMAN/DEATHBLOW, and some special John Constantine HELLBLAZER comics. Richard Corben is a noted artist who worked in magazines such as EERIE, CREEPY, and VAMPIRELLA, but his work pops up nearly everywhere. The Hulk needs no introduction: one part nuclear physicist and one part raging monster, the Hulk has been presented in comics, novels, a live-action television series, cartoon series, and is the subject of an upcoming movie.

Azzarello is a gifted writer and it shows in this graphic novel. He stays off the first few pages, letting the action he's written be played out in Corben's panels. Dialogue balloons would have been incredibly out of place during the Hulk's destruction of a city. Choosing to show the rescue efforts after the Hulk has been through the city is amazingly done, cueing up all the readers who have watched various destructions seen of late on CNN. The mood, atmosphere and texture of those panels is so realistic the the reader is weighted with emotion. Not only is the story done fantastically well, but it is a great story. Peter David had an excellent 10-year run (something that just isn't done in comics then or now) on the Hulk, but in four short issues, Azzarello dives into the hearts of the man and the monster and relates a twisted, back-biting tale of what it must truly be like to be hunted and hated and trapped in the body of an unkillable, bloodthirsty monster. Fans have wondered for years at things that Azzarello and Corben cover in mere panels but with the emotional force of a bodyblow. The artist and writer get the reader's attention with what feels like a blow from a 2x4, then keep the hits coming until the story is finished and the reader is exhausted with emotion and suspense.

Fans of Brian Azzarello are going to find a different story here than ones they may be used to in 100 BULLETS and some of the other crime work that he does, but they'll be rewarded with the graphic novel starring the Hulk. Azzarello is at his best when writing about characters in over their heads by circumstances beyond their control. STARTLING STORIES: BANNER is also for fans of the Hulk who don't mind seeing a different interpretation on the character. Corben's fans will love the action-driven panels and the (literally) exploding use of colors. Besides being a great Hulk graphic novel, the book is an excellent story for anyone that likes the medium.

ASP XML is simply not well written. I shall compare it to an EXCELLENT wrox book 'Beginning JavaScript' to explain myself.

Beginning JavaScript has a superb index, in 5-10 seconds, I have a reference to information I need at any time. ASP XML has virtually no index - it has been useful exactly 0 times. This means you have to read all 800+ pages to get good information.

ASP XML has a decent object reference, but no cross-reference to code (you have to scan the whole book to find applications), BJS has excellent code samples in the Core object technology appendix.

ASP XML has out-of-date and inaccurate information on XSL (more accuratly, it is missing info on XSLT), BJS describes differences between JavaScript versions much better.

ASP XML's chapter categories are rather convoluted, BJS's categories are very straightforward and follow the proper pattern for any description of a programming environment.

ASP XML is still a beginner/intermediate book, so it should have: Introduction, DOM, XPath, XSLT, XML and CSS, String Functions, Database Functions, and then the advanced topics. The book skipped details on XPath (trust me) and details on string functions, making my knowledge inadequate to understand the rest of it. Translation, the book felt incomplete.

It may be that all of what I needed to understand XML really is in the book, but I can't find it because it is so disorganized.

I know the authors are brilliant (Having seen some of their programs) but if I can't understand them, it doesn't matter.

Donald Derrick

I would be unfair to say that the 883 pages were a total waste, but it wasn't worth it for me.

The title of the Book is "ASP XML", and from this title I choose this book, because I wanted a book that would help me to use XML in ASP. That wasn't the case in some of the book examples.

The book content (without the case study) is only 15 chapter that spans 366 pages covering all different aspects of XML and XML integration of ASP. The information presented is very basic and lacks basic knowledge of XML, for example XSL was covered very poorly in the book ( MSDN was more helpful to me than the book). Chapter 11 through 14 were very useful though, especially chapter 14 that covers useful XML procedure libraries.

The case studies spans around 180 pages, there are 6 case studies. They were very confusing to me and none of them helped me solving any of the business requirements I was tackling.

The rest of the book contains appendices that are useful to have them all in the same book, but you can get them over the Internet for free.

Last word to say is that I was disappointed with this book.

The chapters are laid out properly and are easy to understand. It helped us to learn a great deal about incorporating XML into ASP.We recommend this book to anyone who wants to further expand their knowledge of XML in ASP.The authors did a really good job on explaing XML for ASP developers.The depth explainations of the case studies & examples and XML are really great and relate to real world examples.The chapter explaining about the SOAP is really good which helped us a lot personally to implement an in my current project . We personally thank Dinar Dalvi for his help and support to answer our questions and immediate feedback for our emails.