fantastic! All Nova Scotians and anyone interested with history should read this book.

I've read some of this book (a loaner)and I was quite surprised in the info related to Nova Scotia.

Indeed, this is a good book. But to get even more out of it, read The Illuminati Manifesto.
The Illuminati Manifesto makes public the secret of the Craft for the first time ever!

I have been reading books about the templars and the search for the holy bloods for several years. Many of the books were filled with either geneology and much european history, all very interesting. but finally the quest arrives in my home and becomes what seems much more personal. this book is very readable and very convincing that the masons, the templars, the cathars and the founding fathers were all involved in bringing the word freedom into reality.

I am a senior engineer for managed network security operations, who works mostly with FreeBSD, Linux, and Solaris. I read this book to learn more about security technologies associated with products by Cisco, Microsoft, and other vendors. (I also try to read a variety of computer security books.) If you're planning to deploy Cisco routers, Microsoft Proxy Servers, or Raptor / Checkpoint / Pix firewalls, give this book a try. If not, you may find the first few chapters worthy nonetheless.

"Mission Critical" strictly adheres to the defender's point of view, whereas books like "Hacking Exposed" demonstrate security by describing the attacker's perspective. Chris Brenton's "Mastering Network Security" (Sybex, 1999) is my favorite "defensive" book, although I bet his new book "Active Defense" (Sybex, 2001) will be the king of this category. "Mission Critical's" focus on the Microsoft world at the expense of UNIX operating systems is a weakness, unlike the even-handed attention in Brenton's books.

My favorite section in "Mission Critical" is chapter 4, "Internet Security Applications," which describes cryptography, digital signatures, SSL, SSH, PGP, S/MIME, and Kerberos. The authors give just enough detail to explain how these technologies work without being boring or repetitive. Chapter 3, "IPSec," is instructive, and I also think chapter 8, "Cisco IOS," delivers plenty of content.

The book's main weakness (other than failure to give UNIX enough attention) is its lack of cohesiveness. I could tell several writers were involved, each with a different opinion as to what "layer 3" or "layer 4" means, for example. (This matters; are we talking OSI or "DoD" TCP/IP? If "DoD" TCP/IP, is the bottom layer "network" as listed on page 22 or "host-to-host" as on page 157? And doesn't "network" usually refer to layer 3 in the OSI model, anyway?) I survived the inconsistencies, but would the intended audience?

I strongly recommend prospective readers check the table of contents to see if the products discussed apply to your environment. As a general security book, "Mission Critical" rates 3 stars. As a book for professionals needing help with specific products, it's a 4 star book. "Mission Critical" is another step in the right direction for Syngress.

(Disclaimer: I received my review copy free from the publisher.)

As an IT professional, I bought this book to see what I am missing on the Internet security area. Just to discorve that there are so many issues that did not know. I especially like the chapter on Proxy Server (by Joli Ballew).

Well worth reading material.

After reading a portion of Walt Whitman's "Leaves of Grass", particularly the preface and "Song of Myself", I found it to be inspiring and uplifting. Whitman is the most enthuiastic American poet I have ever read and his passion for life and nature is amazing. He did not ever want to miss a second of life or the smallest detail of nature. He shares his limitless love for all Americans, including, of course, himself. I particularly enjoy his frequent usage of listing without commas, which I find livens his excitement for life even more. Whitman, although he may come off as a bit over eager to some, truly makes you realize how blessed you are and how lucky you are to live in this beautiful place, and he reminds us all that we should not take any of these blessings for granted. Something I find I need to be reminded of more than I should. I recommend this book to all.

Giving Walt Whitman only five stars out of five does him an injustice. Walt Whitman is perhaps the finest American poet ever as well as the most quintessentially American poet. His poetry never dates itself. It is as contemporary as if he just wrote it last week. Walt Whitman's poems overflow with life and energy, pulsate with excitement, and contain deep though simply-told truths that rival those of any wise man in history. Much maligned during life and after for the eroticism of his writing, he never let his inhibitions hold back his writing and thus it sparkles with honesty. Walt Whitman was also a great patriot, who loved America in a way modern Americans would do well to emulate. He sought it out on its own terms and recorded what he saw in his poetry. His war poems, written during the American Civil War, are some of the best war poems existing in literature. Whitman knew his subject, having spent much time caring for the wounded soldiers in the hospitals and visiting battlefields. His poems create vivid pictures, richly textured, as real as you read them as if you were seeing the scene yourself. And the dialog he carries on with the reader makes the reader feel that Whitman, if he were still alive, would like nothing more than to sit down and discuss life. He is one of the few poets who manages to establish a rapport with his reader, to anticipate his reader's reactions and talk to each one through the poem. Walt Whitman should be read by any and every literate American. 'Leaves of Grass' will change anyone who dares to read it.

What more can be said about Walt Whitman's "Leaves of Grass"? This 19th century work is more than just a poetic masterpiece; it is a pivotal landmark in the history of world literature. Read "Leaves" and you will understand why Whitman is hailed as a poetic ancestor by poets, both male and female, of many different ethnic and national backgrounds. His is truly a universal voice.

Whitman published the first edition of "Leaves" in 1855, and continued to revise and expand the book until it had grown into the monumental final version. While the "deathbed" edition is an essential text, I'd like to put in a plug for the much smaller 1855 edition, which has been reprinted with an introduction by Malcolm Cowley. The "deathbed" edition may be too large and intimidating a literary tapestry for Whitman "virgins"; the reprinted 1855 edition may thus be a good way to begin exploring the bounteous poetic talent and vision of this giant.

The Cowley-introduced edition also includes Whitman's original prose introduction, which is itself a remarkable piece of literature. While the 1855 "Leaves" is missing vast sections of the deathbed version, it is still a stunning work of art that succeeds as a self-sufficient piece of literature and philosophy. In this "embryonic" version of the soon-to-evolve masterpiece, we already discover Whitman's pungent eroticism, his embrace of paradox, and his playful theological exploration. His language is sensuous, outrageous, tender, and amazing, and is full of compassion for all living beings.

Whitman is more than just a great poet; his work is a sort of prophecy for both the secular and multifaith worlds. So read "Leaves" in either the embryonic version or the ultimate version, and embark on an unforgettable poetic journey.

This book was obviously written at the peak of the internet "Boom". The majority of the companies cited as examples of the onslaught of the new economy are no longer in existence. Earnings are barely mentioned. Companies cited as the movers and shakers of tomorrow are now penny stocks. The total lack of balance relative to other sectors is appalling and in retrospect is by itself educational. Everyone bought into the hype including the entire VC industry. This might explain why they all sat on the sideline in 2001 trying to regain their sense of direction. The entertainment value is a 5 and the educational value a 1. It is your choice.

This book is a must read for every entrepreneur and VC. The snippets of information in it are very valuable even after the downfall of the Internet economy-most of the text is more focused on timeless vc/entrepreneur related issues. I would highly recommend this book...

I was very impressed by the knowledge in this book. It has a ton of useful information for everyone from entrepreneurs to investors to other financial professionals. In addition, the content is fresh and much more applicable to the "after the shakedown" landscape than other venture capital oriented books such as eBoys, Confessions of a Venture Capitalist and Done Deals. This is a great book that has a ton of useful information straight from some very accomplised venture capitalists.

This is more about mind mapping than presenting. I have used mind mapping for years - and it's very useful. It's really not so complex that anyone needs to make a career of it. Is this book really intended as a way to create back-end business for the author?

I picked up this book on vacation. It reads well with a format more like a "how-to" book. I found that, even though I am a professional trainer and consultant with "many" years of public presentations to parents, educators and administrators under my belt, Mr. Gelb's suggestions for improving my skills have been very helpful, easy to implement and effective.. I have recommended this book to our CEO for all our consultants. I have used mind-mapping for all my presentations and projects... can't sing the praises loudly enough!

Lots of sound advices, and useful things for any speaker, and this should help novice and veterans. Cover the mind-mapping useful technique.

This book is simple and easy to understand for someone new to nutrition basics. Don't expect a lot of specifics but is a great overview and general guideline.

Michael Field was a successful, well-regarded poet and playright in Victorian England... until critics discovered that "Michael Field" was a pseudonym used by not one, but TWO women writing collaboratively. What even the suddenly-lukewarm critics didn't appreciate - not only were "the Michaels" (as they were known to friends) aunt and niece, but they were also lovers and partners in an extraordinay personal and artistic life. They wrote eleven volumes of poetry and thirty historical tragedies, but perhaps their most fascinating work was the diary that the two women shared for a quarter of a century. Novelist Emma Donaghue has done a marvelous bit of literary biographical research in this revealing look at the lives, loves, and eccentricities of Katherine Bradley (1846-1914) and her niece Edith Cooper (1862-1913).

I have been a fan of Mr Howard for nearly 12 years now, which in my opinion, makes me a bit of a connoisseur, and frankly this book was a bit of a disappointment. Undoubtedly the contributing writers are well-respected and immensely able but their writing lacked the Howardian flavour I have come to love. Ghor's sudden personality shifts are hard to follow and the various ideas in the story lack sufficient depth. This book is not the way Mr Howard would have written it. Nevertheless, this should be read because the original idea belonged to the great REH.

Ghor is a nice blend of Conan and the Cthulhu Mythos together. Abandoned as a child because of a deformity, Ghor is adopted by a pack of wolves. Raised by them, he adopts the ways of the wolf, yet when he meets up with humanity joins them. Constantly struggling with his wolf upbringing and his human surroundings, Ghor becomes a mighty war hero wherever he goes.

This is an excellent adventure book that takes a Conan like hero and plots him against all sorts of evil (and good), including some Cthulhu creations as well.

Originally Ghor was an unfinished story by Conan creator Robert Howard. Upon finding this unfinished story, a magazine decided to finish it. What they did was have a different chapter every month written by a different top fantasy writer. It made the reading interesting.

While most of the chapters were great. Some were excellent. Unfortunately there were a couple chapters that I just wanted to get through to reach the next writers' chapter. Overall a really good read.

I WAS VERY SUPRISED ABOUT HOW WELL THIS STORY CAME OFF. THE VARIUOS WRITERS DID AN EXCELLENT JOB IN WRITING AN EXCITING BOOK THAT FLOWED SMOOTHLY. IT DID NOT COME OFF AS A SERIES OF SHORT STORIES. THIS IS AN EXCELLENT BOOK FOR ROBERT E. HOWARD FANS, AND FANS OF FANTASY IN GENERAL.

Holy Blood, Holy Grail set the standard for secret histories, with a combination of humor, odd trivia, and grandeur that gets one addicted to the study. Two follow ups, The Messainic Legacy and The Temple and the Lodge were ever dimmer imitations, but the spark was still there. Real history was told, and explained with a new paradigm.

Other books, like The Tomb of God or Key to the Sacred Pattern try to mathematically prove themselves. Though the geometry is tiring, the improbably coincidences are not.

Then there's books like Holy Grail Across the Atlantic, which twist history, often unintentionally hillariously.

As proof that "Arcadian" literature (the poetic form of which involves a shepherd either romantically or sarcastically making improbable promises to his love) is inspired by a Holy Family, they say that a certain character in the story bought a painting by Pousson, and another by Teniers. Since the Pousson was was an Arcadian scene, by Teniers probably was one two. The author neglects to mention that the same source the Tenier painting was of SAINT ANTHONY THE HERMET, and that the purchaser also ordered one of the crowning of Pope Celestine V.

A hidden message in an supposedly ancient document beings with "Shepherdess, No Temptation, that Pousson, Teniers, hold the key..." the author says. The implications of the message are obvious! But the message actually says

SHEPHERDESS NO TEMPTATION THAT POUSSON TENIERS HOLD THE KEY PEACE 681 BY THE CROSS AND THIS HORSE OF GOD I COMPLETE THIS DAEMON GUARDIAN AT MIDDAY BLUE APPLES

But the author ignores this. (If you're interesteed in this part of the mystery, by Holy Blood Holy Grail instead).

The author claims that a certain document called the "Zeno Narrative" is historically accepted, and that the document refers to the Orkney Islands as "Frisland." This is untrue. The map of Frisland accompanying the document shows a large island with many cities. The same "accepted" narrative tails of how the supposed author sailed to "Icari," the small kingdom the natives say was founed by Daedulus and named after his son. (For more info on this "accepted" theory, read "Phantom Islands of the Atlantic").

Then there's pages 350-351, which show case the author's sloppy style. "Roosevelt's government financed a massive, and unprecedented, construction of interstate highways... Without the network of highways he created, called useless and worse by political opponents at th time, America could never have mobilized its industry and military to cope with World War II." The DWIGHT DAVID EISENHOWER INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AND NATIONAL DEFENSE PROGRAM was built by President Eisenhower, during his administration, because he was so impressed by how the GERMAN interstate ("autobahn") allowed the GERMANS to mobilize.

"The winning edge [in the race to build the atom bomb] was not the brains... but the vast quantity of electrical power available because of the "make work" project of the TVA. It is no accident Oak Ride was in Tennessee." Oak Ridge built a nuclear reactor. It was not involved in the war effort. The author's thinking of the Manhattan project, which took place in the New Mexico desert.

This is an awful, unfun book. The author is often mean spirited. If you like namecalling, get "Tomb of God." At least that one forces you to learn all about pentagons.

I just finished Michail Bradley's book Holy Grail Across The Atlantic. I found it an enjoyable read, though somewhat sluggish at the end. I do believe that Bradley is on to something. There is enough evidence to demand further investigation. I guess you just can't believe everything you are taught in school. Anyway I have to apply that same skepticism to some of Bradley's assertions. He presents some interpretations that need a leap of faith. In conclusion, I definetly recomend this intriguing work. My views have been broadened and I feel a need to join in the search for the holy grail.

Micheal Bradley has followed the Grail Knights through their disappearance and into their explorations of North America. He has done extensive research and turned up some amazing physical evidence. I would recommend that one read "Holy Blood, Holy Grail" as background for this book as Micheal seems to assume that everyone has read it (as well they should!)

I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in early european visits to North America, Masonic mysteries or the Knights Templar.

I would also recommend any of Mr.Bradleys other books, as he is an accomplished writer and has some very interesting theories

[...] I was amazed. This guy is not only serious in his convictions; he seems to believe he has single handedly overturned the modern ideas on 'race.' This is the kind of book I would have expected to find originally published a hundred years ago, of course with the targets being non-Europeans. Isn't this called racism? Yes, of course it is. So, Mr. Bradley, the races are permanently different? Everything is not only nature over nurture but is also easily discovered by tracing ancestry? All previous and much more thoughtful research has clearly shown that all cultures, or races if you can't get out of that rut, were and are equally prone to what are universal human behaviors. Aggression and violence are not more pronounced in Western Europe, it was simply these westerners who were better able to effect their aggression. I am amazed that this piece of, um, spurious scholarship was published. On second thought I can. I can only hope that only those who seek this kind of [...] will read this, [...], and not a person genuinely interested in history. Especially not someone who comes upon this book early in their explorations of a very interesting area of study. In short, if you have already made up your mind that white men have ruined the world, buy this book and find a companion in your unreasoning conviction. If you have not decided this, don't waste your time.

This is not a serious work on anthropology, genetics, human evolution, history or biology. The assertions put forth within it don't hold up to even minimal scrutiny nor can they withstand even modest criticism. In fact, they simply outlandish, and therein lies the appeal of this book.. It will appeal to those who have some kind of bigotry towards whites, but for those who wish a book based on reality, fact, and reason, I suggest looking elsewhere.

Michael Bradley, as a member of the Caucasian race, has bravely stepped forward with a valuable contribution to the analysis of Caucasian group behavior, or should I say misbehavior, toward people of color. No matter what your political affiliation or race, anyone who engages in a discussion of race relations is in reality examining why people who call themselves white have such a seemingly inherent animosity to people classified as non-white. Mr. Bradley also asks why Caucasian culture has an adversarial relationship to the planet Earth. It is a rare white person who will even admit the existence of the global system of white supremacy, let alone one who will acknowledge that the group mentality of his race is indeed the source of the racism, pollution, and resource depletion that plague the world.

As part of the system of white supremacy, whites have developed an entire vocabulary (e.g. "affirmative action," "immigration reform," "civil rights," or calling Egypt part of the "Middle East," thereby removing the nation from Africa) which allows them to talk about race without mentioning any explicit racial terms. That way, anyone who speaks candidly about the core of the race problem - white group behavior- can be accused by white people of preaching anti-white racism. I'm sure some Eurocentric people who are only used to receiving "information" that bolsters the white viewpoint will be shocked by some of the things Bradley says; but Eurocentric people need to be shocked out of their extreme xenophobia. I don't neccesarily agree with some of the conclusions the author reaches but I have to commend him for his honesty. Other books that cover the same subject matter but, in my opinion, do a better job of analysis are: The Isis Papers by Dr. Frances Cress-Welsing and, especially, Yurugu by Marimba Ani. I will conclude by saying that anybody interested in truly addressing the problem of white supremacy should include these three books on their essential reading list.