If you're completely clueless to running your own home-based business, this is a great beginner (hence the title "for Dummies"). I found the book to work best when you already have an idea for your business. As with similar books, it's great to have a general idea of what type of business you'd like to pursue before reading the book; it will help you better shape your idea.

The book did spend a lot of time talking about how to deal with family problems, creating a quiet workspace, setting work hours and how to get through a project when you have no desire. While some people might find this beneficial, it read like "filler" to me.

All in all, though, it's worth checking out.

I love the books by Paul and Sarah Edwards. They were talking about small, home based businesses before anyone else and their books are thorough to say the least. This one covers everything from the legal to the financial aspects about starting and running a small home-based business.

I wished I hadstarted a businesslong ago.My teachers in school made business sound so hard I was turned off.Thank you for changing my life forever.I just wished it waseasier to find more of these on tape.

Surprisingly readable translation of a 700-year old history of the earls of the Orkney Islands. Basically the book is an account of how the various claimants to the earldom of the Orkney islands fought one another for control over several generations. A good balance between political manuvering and actual violence. One can become confused by the similarity in names of several of the characters.

Among the half-dozen surviving Scandinavian sagas (most of which are available in Pálsson's English translations), the Orkneyinga is particularly important for the student of early English history and genealogy. The saga traces the lives of the Norse rulers of the Orkney, Faroe, and Shetland islands from the ninth century to the thirteenth. Written down about 1200 A.D. (by an unknown Icelander), it predates the Heimskringla by a generation and was one of Snorri's principal sources.

So why should a peerage genealogist be interested in the Orkneys? Because Turf-Einar, created first earl ("jarl," actually) by Harald Fairhair, was a brother of Hrolf the Ganger, first "duke" of Normandy, both being sons of Rognvald, jarl of More. Various of the Orkney earls also were related by blood or marriage to the rulers of Norway and Denmark and to the Scottish earls of Moray. Because the saga was originally an oral history, it deals in varicolored language and vivid detail and powerful oration -- most of which the translators have managed to preserve in their prose rendition.

If you have any interest at all in the northern lands and in the heroic deeds and blood feuds of an earlier, less gentle time, this volume will hold your attention (but don't forget to take notes).

There are two ways of reading an Icelandic saga: (1) as a rip-roaring adventure in which people do terrible things to each other and (2) as history involving real events with real people. When I visited the Orkneys last year, I saw many of the actual locales discussed in the saga: the Brough of Birsay, where Saint Magnus grew to adulthood; Earl's Bu, the drinking hall of the earls of the Orkneys; and various places where the saga's chief villain, Svein Asleifarson, axed or burned his enemies, among whom were most of those living at the time.

The saga tells of a 200-year stretch of time when the Orkneys -- islands off the northern tip of Scotland -- owed their allegiance to the Kings of Norway. For the Viking marauders who ravaged Europe, the Orkneys were a friendly refueling stop on the inbound and outbound voyages. The earls ruled not only the islands, but large chunks of the Scottish mainland and most of the Hebrides as well. So widespread were their lands that they were frequently forced into power-sharing arrangements with their kinsmen, which then turned into power struggles to the death. The best instance of this is between the co-earls and cousins (Saint) Magnus Erlendsson and Hakon Paulsson.

It was common in those days, if one had a disagreement, to wait until one's enemy was in his cups; then pile dry rushes against the doors and set them alight. Men, women, and children escaping the flames were hacked to death by waiting swordsmen. This happened not once, but several times in the ORKNEYINGA SAGA. And yet, there is also poetry, craft, and a strange beauty in this book which make it more than a Grand Guignol with Vikings. Here, on the bleak northern edges of civilization, the novel was born while our Western European ancestors were quaking in their boots.

At first, reading an Icelandic saga is like reading a Russian novel: There are all those long names that are so similar to one another. The anonymous author of the sagas couldn't help it: These were their real names.

Today, the men and deeds set forth in the saga are very much a part of the everyday life of the Orkneys. It is, therefore, the one book that you must absolutely read before visiting this remote and fascinating part of Scotland.

Great book w/ lots of source code. There are no direct answers to the excercises but you can find most of them in the examples. I use it as a self study guide and find it really helpful.

This is great book I ever seen before, you must it. VERY VERY GOOD and easy to learning !

In 2000 Gerard Houarner and artist GAK published a small chapbook called Dead Cat Bounce. It was the story of, well, a dead cat. It went on to become a finalist for Bram Stoker award.

Two years later, out comes this book, Dead Cats Bouncing, from Bedlam Press, an anthology edited by the creators, Gerard Houarner and GAK.

With a contents pages that reads like a who's who of the small press horror scene, we're treated to 15 new Dead Cat stories, plus the original, by authors like Jack Ketchum, Ed Lee, Charlee Jacob, Yvonne Navarro, and Brian Keene. The styles of the stories range wildly from the original short-burst sentence style of the first Dead Cat, to more traditional flowing prose, all the way to sing-songy rhythms like John Skipp's contribution "Soul Maggot Jamboree".

And accompanying the great stories are the pencilled drawings of GAK, an artist with a definite Gahan Wilson influence, with a terrific eye for the smaller details--and he draws a hell of a dead cat.

Dead Cats Bouncing is one surprise after another. For example, I did something I don't normally do when reading an Ed Lee story: I laughed.

Or there's the entertaining way Paul Di Filippo wrote his story, "Mehitabel in Hell".

This is a book for the kid in every adult, for the person who's seen what else is on the shelves and just wants something unexpected.

Call it a book of bedtime stories for the already-damaged child.

Call it whatever you want, just grab it quick before Gerard and GAK do it again with another Dead Cat book, or better yet, Dead Cat the Animated Series. And then it'll be Dead Cat stuffed toys for everyone.

When I purchased Dead Cats Bouncing, I wasn't sure what to expect from the onslaught of talented, if somewhat depraved, mentalities communing inside this work. I somewhat expected a book of horrific tale exclaiming the high points of depravity, reflecting what I had tasted before from the likes of Edward Lee and Jack Ketchum in the past. So, it came as quite a surprise to find that this weren't horror stories at all but were instead demented children's tales about a cat that had returned to the land of the living with a belly full of love/or hate-depending on whose recount of the experience you read. Better yet, all of these are numbered and signed by all the contributing authors, something I missed out on when reading the books description, including the likes of: Gerard Houarner, Charlee Jacob, Jack Ketchum, Edward Lee, Tom Piccirilli, Linda Addison, John Skipp, Yvonne Navarro, Terry McGarry, Paul Di Filippo, Charlee Jacob, David Niall Wilson, Gene O'Neil, Brain Keene, Mick Farren, and Gak.

The premise of these tale, forged by Gak and Houarner as they sought and almost captured a Stoker Award, focuses on the exploits of Dead Cat, who was a sacrifice to the goddess Bastet and finds that being in the land of the dead is quite boring. There are no happy hunting grounds filled with birds or mice, no naps and dreams of bliss, or any of the other things that a cat needs to enjoy themselves when finding oneself outside the land of the livelihood. In fact, all Bastet tells him to do is, "eat sand." So, what's a cat to do when confronted with a dilemma like this? Why, return to the land of the living without becoming alive, of course! Most of these portraits of the Dead Cat's "life" are written in choppy sentences, focusing themselves from the thoughts of Dead Cat himself and not in the narration aspect of storytelling, with a few of the writers deviating from that course. At first I found this practice somewhat questionable, but I soon overcame this initial hesitation and found the style enjoyable and, in many instances, funny. This came as quite a surprise, too, because I never thought of many of these writers in the comedic sense before reading DCB.

This isn't to say that the book is a challenging read, because that is far from the case. I found myself finishing it within an hour, covering the two-hundred plus pages of large print in what amounted to no time at all and longing for more. Still, the captivating prospects of a cat that evades death for no other reason than boredom is something worthwhile and deserving of a look, especially if you want to see writers in a different light. Recommended for the oddities, young and old (with attention paid to the profane, of course)!

The Encyclopedia of Unbelief is a great book for atheist and religious people. It is loaded with huge amounts of interesting text and is very easy to read. Great Christmas gift for any teenager.

Stein is the editor of numerous anthologies and encyclopedias of skeptical nature, but this is by far his best. There are so many topics available to the reader, making for a smorgasbord of Atheist material. The book includes sections on Atheism in the history of many of the world's great nations, such as Russia, China, India, et cetera. There is copious amounts of information on those who chose to utter blasphemy against the faith they were raised in (such as apostates from Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism, et cetera).

The contributing authors include some big names, such as George A Wells on the topic of Jesus historicity, James Randi on the topic of hoaxes and frauds, and numerous other highly regarded experts in their respective fields. All in all, this is an impressive compilation of essays by the finest skeptics in the world today.

I'm not sure if the person below read the book. Equiano was 11 when he was enslaved.

An amazing story of an amazing man. Olaudah Equiano tells the story of his life with such clarity and recollection it is hard to put this book down. A slave, who at the age of 7, was kidnapped from his village in Africa and subsequently enslaved for 11 years until which time he could buy his freedom. His life was filled with both horror and wonder. He witnessed great events and horrific injustices. He tells these tales with clarity and an unusual objectiveness. A boy, who at age 7, did not read or write or even know of the white man. Olaudah grew to learn and have great command of the language in which he would retell his tales. This is not only an impressive work, it is more so coming from a former slave. It is a must read for everyone interested in the struggle for life that these people endured for over two centuries.

I am planning my first trip to Nova Scotia for October 2002 and have been haunting the book stores in Boston for good guides. Near the end of my book search, I came across the 2002 (4th) edition of the Frommer's guide and it has been a regular companion for me as I plan the details of my trip.

Let me make a few things clear here. Like the other Frommer's edition for this same place (2000), this guide also has NO good maps. And there are still NO nice sidebars filled with local tidbits. And there aren't a lot of website or email addresses either.

But then again, this is NOT that type of book. This Frommer's guide is the nitty-gritty, the essence of what you would want to know for each of the major areas in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. The guide does a good job of giving you information on at least a few places to stay (if there are any in that area), places to eat, tours, and any major landmarks or places to visit in a number of cities and towns, even the smaller ones. And the price range is mostly for the budget to mid-range values. The book is also a smaller size, allowing for you to easily carry it around or stash it when you travel. The format is easy to read, and the layout is clean and uncluttered.

To get over the drawbacks I mentioned above, I suggest augmenting the Frommer's with the official Nova Scotia travel guide (a behemonth, comprehensive thing) that has great photos, maps, and the like; request it for free from the tourism office. There are also some other good guidebooks on the market that will fill in some of the (small) gaps of the Frommer's. And anyone with access to the Internet can easily do web searches for websites that have tons of info on Nova Scotia, including the official Nova Scotia website.

Give it a try. At the very least, if you get it and don't like it, you can return it. I look forward to making my trip and then verifying the info I've gotten from the Frommer's guidebook.

This guide was fun! The only things we knew about Nova Scotia we found in government tourist guides which were not always clear or easy to use. But Frommer's came through and gave us inside information and ideas about what authentically interesting things we should look for. The best thing, though, was the entertaining comments here and there. I found myself chuckling and then reading them aloud to my partner as we drove through the countryside. It was a good companion for our trip.

I sought for family of my wife (Anneke Hunneman). Surfing from the Netherlands I cam in ... and found a book about one of her distant grandfathers fathers family .... And it was a nice story about his firefighting, I only knew about Revere and nothing about Hunneman's firefighting. Funny that Anneke''s brother Jan also was a firefighter!

I was astonished to discover that there are Hunneman families in the USA, and especially astonished to discover that Paul Revere had a good raider. The book isn't only telling about Hunneman's firefighting engines, but also a bit about the family. That's nice for us here in the Netherlands!

Fans of the "Choose Your Own Adventure" series will want to pick this one up if they ever see it in libraries or used bookstores. This is the series in its early prime, with originator Edward Packard at the helm. He creates a plausible haunted house with a somewhat original cat-and-mouse theme, some genuine terror for kids, and a fine atmosphere.

As a sixth grade teacher, I rarely see my students as fired up to read a novel as they are about the Choose Your Own Adventure series, especially The Mystery of Chimney Rock. They beg me to read to them and often fight over what few copies I have. Kids love to feel like they are in charge of something important and exciting, especially at the middle school age. The Mystery of Chimney Rock is consistent and doesn't contradict itself no matter how your story comes out. The circumstances the reader chooses dictate the action, not the author's manipulating the characters to influence the story. Suspenseful and nailbiting! Students feel genuinely involved and downright nervous as to whether they will live or die in the book.

I have been my own boss for several years and compared to the 20+ I spent wokring for someone else, this is heaven! When I decided to take the plunge and work at home, one of the first books I read was The Edward's Making Money With Your Computer at Home. In their new book I found the boost to my self confidence that every beginning or experienced business owner needs now and then.

I particularly enjoyed the many tried and true words of wisdom and found reassurance learning that others make some of the same mistakes I have. Over the years, I read a variety of books about being self employed.

There are many others who have shared their working formulas in this best yet HOW TO BOOK by Paul and Sarah. One is Jodi Lynn, author of Mommy-CEO. In her book, Ms. Lynn brings first-hand guidance to the challenges of balancing family life, personal life and running your own business.

Kudos to the authors and everyone who was brave enough to take a stand and "tell it like it is."  Now, I know why I decided to be my own boss and am inspired more now than ever before. 

T. Collins, Founder
SilomarkHouse.com

Paul and Sarah Edwards founded the Working From Home Forum on CompuServe back in 1983 (that's 20 years ago, folks!) and they have been going strong ever since! Not only were they the first to spell out the necessary steps to start and run your own home business, but they have also proven to be the far and away leading mentors in pursuing a dream to become your own boss. They meticulously detail steps you need to take, questions to honestly ask yourself, and strategies to ensure your success. And, as with every book they have written, they include many interviews with people who have gone through the rigors of self-employment and pass along advice to those just starting out.

If you are serious about finding out if you can make it on your own, then this is the book to start with!