This book is about the life and coming of age of a young wealthy English boy, who goes to school at Rugby. Throughout the novel, we are witnesses to the growing up of Tom and his friends. Tom is not a model boy, but rough, virile and self-confident, as is his friend East, a smart and audacious guy. The story is funny and entertaining, and is also illustrative about life in the English boarding schools (for affluent people) in the XIX century. It is also a bildungsroman, that is, the story of the education and maturation of a young person. Although the story contains carefully hidden, and sometimes easily identifiable, morals, it is not a long lecture. It is easy to read and understand, and I consider it highly recommendable.

I opened this dusty tome in a sense of duty and with expectations of a dreary read. I am still engaged in reading, but am so pleased with it's contents so far that I am prompted to write these comments.

The description of the horse driven coach journey to Rugby is delightfull, and worthy of Charles Dickens himself.

The introduction of Tom to his guide (mentor)has ensured my continued attention.

How can one review a book before finishing it?

This is one of my favorite books. Hughes,the author, developes a wonderful atmosphere in this story, you feel as if you are in this 19th century English boarding school with Tom. You taste, smell, and hear the experiences in this book. It is educational about what life was like at that time in England for a boy like Tom. But it is the plot that endears this classic to me. Tom is a rough and tumble lad who cares little about character and education. This book is about a young carefree boy who matures into a young man who has a deep faith in Jesus Christ. I recommend this book to anyone.

Passed CIW exam 1D0-420 & 1D0-425 scoring 90% for each.
I found the book very easy to read & a concise Study Guide (at times maybe TOO concise). The Site Design-Part 1, covered all the exam objectives with good explanations. However I felt that the E-Commerce - Part II, fell short of covering 2 aspects of the exam objectives, namely Catelog Design & relating OPI-OBI standards.

All in all, I would recommend this book to anyone striving to pass the above CIW exams.

A very concise must have book that condenses the material down into what you really need to know to obtain high CIW grades. It helped me pass the Site Designer exam with a 93 and E-Commerce with an 83. The Assessment Test at the beginning of the book gave me a very accurate look at what I needed to concentrate on but I read every page too. Especially helpful were the chapter summaries, exam essentials, and key terms at the end of every chapter which exactly pinpointed what I needed to learn. Also, the questions with answers at the end of every chapter were very exam like and perfect for practice exams when not near a computer. I took the book everywhere. But I also spent many hours with their Sybex EdgeTest Engine on the included CD simulating the exam until my scores were passing. I tried out the included flashcard feature, too, but much preferred the multiple choice format. Since this is their first edition, it does have some typos and a few questions with errors but they were very easy to spot and fix. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and to Amazon.

This, reader, is an unvarnished narrative of one doomed by the laws of the Southern States to be a slave. It tells not only its own story of grief, but speaks of a thousand wrongs and woes beside, which never see the light; all the more bitter and dreadful, because no help can relieve, no sympathy can mitigate, and no hope can cheer. -William Wells Brown, Clotel, or The President's Daughter

Clotel would have historic interest simply by virtue of the fact that William Wells Brown appears to have been the first African American to write a novel. But it's not merely a literary curiosity; it is also an eminently readable and emotionally powerful, if forgivably melodramatic, portrait of the dehumanizing horrors of slave life in the Ante-bellum South. Brown, himself an escaped slave, tells the story of the slave Currer and her daughters, Clotel and Althesa, and of their attempts to escape from slavery. The central conceit of the story is that the unacknowledged father of the girls is Thomas Jefferson himself.

There is an immediacy to the stories here--of slave auctions, of families being torn apart, of card games where humans are wagered and lost, of sickly slaves being purchased for the express purpose of resale for medical experimentation upon their imminent deaths, of suicides and of many more indignities and brutalities--which no textbook can adequately convey. Though the characters tend too much to the archetypal, Brown does put a human face on this most repellent of American tragedies. He also makes extensive use (so extensive that he has been accused, it seems unfairly, of plagiarism) of actual sermons, lectures, political pamphlets, newspaper advertisements, and the like, to give the book something of a docudrama effect.

The Bedford Cultural Edition of the book, edited by Robert S. Levine, has extensive footnotes and a number of helpful essays on Brown and on the sources, even reproducing some of them verbatim. Overall, it gives the novel the kind of serious presentation and treatment which it deserves, but for obvious reasons has not received in the past. Brown's style is naturally a little bit dated and his passions are too distant for us to feel them immediately, but as you read the horrifying scenes of blacks being treated like chattel, you quickly come to share his moral outrage at this most shameful chapter in our history.

GRADE : B

This is a exemplary novel that also deals with the harsh realities of slavery. This novel distinctly tells a true story, which is relevant to ALL Americans (believe it or not. This is a must reader for ALL.

"Vikings: Raiders from the North" is a terrific introduction to the culture of the Viking peoples. It is part of Time-Life's Lost Civilizations series. This book goes beyond the stereotypical image we have of the Vikings as rampaging, looting, bellicose pirates to show us the richness of their society.

The book treats you to a brief history of the Viking world and the archaeology from Viking sites. This gives you a more balanced view, as we learn about the farms and crafts that were part of their world. Important parts of the book deal with Viking craftsmen such as ship builders, jewelry makers and wood carvers.

As with all Time-Life books, this one is richly illustrated with color photographs, maps and illustrations. These let you see the beauty and intricacy of Viking craftwork, from their beautiful boats to the delicate personal effects such as buttons, combs and brooches. The maps and diagrams of archaeological sites help you visual what the text is describing.

The book is devided into four sections that outline the rise of Viking culture in present day Scandinavia; the Viking quests for wealth and glory through continental Europe and the Near East; the Viking influence on the British Isles; and the Viking exploration and settlements on Iceland, Greenland and the New World. There are also supplemental sections on Viking ship building, the archaeology of York (Jorvik), the modern search for Vinland and Viking artwork.

The book tries to dispel some of the misconceptions and myths about Vikings (eg. Vikings never wore horned helmets) while it tries to give you an idea of the full range of Viking culture. Most people within the Viking culture were farmers, and their story is also told within this book.

All in all this is a good introduction to Vikings. If you want a fairly balanced account of Viking culture, I recommend this book. It is also quite a fast and enjoyable read.

I thought it was a very interesting and educatoinal book

This book is interesting to read! It contains many insightful tips that can be useful not only to other managers. I would say that most of the contributing managers are well worth reading, but in a collection like this one some are of course better than others. All the business leaders have been choosen in a careful evaluation-process to find the best of the best. This process is also described in the book. After the recent developments in the US Economy, it can also be interesting to get the book from the bookshelf, like I did, and read what managers like Ken Lay (Enron), Bernie Ebbers (Worldcom) and Dennis Kozlowski (Tyco) have got to say.

Each chapter, somewhere between 10 and 20 pages, includes the managers career in short along with the key facts about the company they lead. I found it interesting to read about people who have made to the top, and these kind of publications normally includes information you won't find elsewhere. This book is no exception. It is also a book that you can read when you have a few minutes over since the chapters are so short, it is also easy to pick out the managers that find most interesting an concentrate on them.

I have read a lot of business books about leadership. While most of them have been interesting, they have also been a little dry because the references to real people have only been used by way of example. Therefore, I liked this book because it allowed me to spend a liitle time with 50 people that one has to respect and acknowledge for their accomplishments. They have had to do something right in order to achieve what they have. But, then the book takes these 50 real life experiences and distills it down into a framework and a few basic lessons that helps all these individual experiences make sense within the larger scheme of things. People might say that there is nothing new here, only common sense notions, yet until one sees things within a larger picture or framework that ties things together, these are just disjointed ideas with little context, synergy or power to change. I can apply these lessons for the top to my own life situation and career and that makes the book work for me.

I have seen an early edition of "Lessons From the Top". Remarkably, "Lessons From the Top" brings America's Corporate Board Room to the rest of America. As a former Assistant Corporate Secretary for what was at the time, America's largest outside Board of Directors, I had the unique opportunity to participate in strategy sessions and become acquanted with captains of US business.

Now, I am happy to say, the rest of America is provided this special opportunity with a glimpse into some of the country's finest corporate leaders. "Lessons from the Top" takes a look at what makes these 50 industry leaders tick and how their actions and skills have contributed to their leadership success.

The access afforded these authors is impressive, as is the statistical selection process utilized to select the participants.

The book is clearly organized and valuable lessons may be learned as we take this book with us on our business travels.

I recommend it for everyone who is interested further insights into leadership skills for work and extra-curricular activities.

First a word about the edition that I read. It was the Oxford World's Classics paperback. It claims to have modernized the spelling. I don't know about you, but as far as I am concerned doth, hath, belongeth is not modern. It wouldn't have been very hard for them to change it to does, has and belongs. Many people complain about the way it was written, making it hard to read. I found that if you read the difficult parts aloud, as if you were giving a lecture, they are easier to understand the first time through. Definitely not for speed-readers.
Hobbes was a remarkable man. He published Leviathan when he was in his early 60's. For someone of his age he was very much in tune with the science of his day. One can only speculate that if he were to have been born 400 years later, with modern science at hand, he would have been considered the greatest philosopher of all time.
The first part of his book, "Of Man" goes about providing definitions of what must be virtually all of humankinds various behaviours and emotions. He also goes on to define what is basic human nature. It is here, without the benefit of modern science, where his philosophy, indeed the cornerstone of his philosophy, gets off on the wrong foot. Thanks to modern archaeology we know that humans are not solitary creatures by nature, but social animals.
In the second part of his book "Of Commonwealth" he spells out why we form commonwealths, and how a commonwealth should run. Again he is very thorough in looking at all aspects of a government and what it needs to do. He defines the power of the sovereign, the making of laws, the consequences of breaking these laws, and where the sovereign gets authority to carry out the consequences. I felt that he gave the sovereign far too much power, and he is there, it would seem, for life. The people only make covenants between themselves that this person or peoples are to be sovereign. Once a sovereign is declared, there is no covenant, or constitution, between the people and the sovereign; the sovereign is given Carte Blanche powers. One must remember that this book was written while Hobbes was in "exile" in Paris during the English civil war and the subsequent government of Cromwell. And while he is careful to call the sovereign "a person or assembly of people" it is quite obvious that he prefers the singular.
The third part of the book "Of a Christian Commonwealth" was for a large part just skimmed over by me. Some people suggest that Hobbes, because of some of the things he says in the first half of the book, was really an atheist. They say that he wrote this to fool the church to thinking otherwise of him. After skimming through this part I feel that Hobbes was more likely a reformer, someone who definitely believed in God but didn't agree with the way the church and the Pope were behaving back then. I myself am an atheist and cannot imagine writing so copiously on a subject that I do not believe in, never mind doing all of the Biblical research that Hobbes must have.
The fourth part, and the conclusion really don't have much to say. He is busy blasting the Pope, the Catholic Church and Aristotle.
All in all some good philosophical points. His definitions of free will and spirit I think should be more widely taught. The fact that this edition could have been modernized a bit more, as well as the last half of the book being pretty useless today, leads me to give it three stars.

Hobbes Leviathan is an essential read. Firstly I admire Thomas Hobbes for his bravery during the 17th century when this book was written and secondly for his grim view of humanity. Atheism during the height of the Catholic Church was strictly taboo and he had to write this piece very cleverly. Leviathan is a must for those whom are interested in the philosophical ideology of who we are and what makes us strive for things that we do and generally what makes us as men tick.

This book is complex. The common "run-on" sentences used in philosophy and the Old English style makes the book difficult to understand at times. It almost seems to be pure thought with no organization which has been jotted down in 728 pages.

In all, I like to call Hobbes Leviathan the "Atheists Bible" (though perhaps Hobbes would not like this type of name for one of his works) and I truly believe that this work is just as essential and important to philosophy as Plato.

Leviathan brings up several questions to the minds of those who read it. Hobbes arguements about human thought, euthanasia, true freedom, God, the Devil, government, etc. are strong and thought provoking. The reader will discover that Hobbes book influenced the writers of the constitution. Anyone seriously interested in politics and theology should read this book.

This book chronicles the strivings of blacks from Reconstruction to present day. It breaks up the chapters into the different time periods in American history. Each chapter is filled with essay and documents that futher explain black life. The many articles are insightful and allow one to jump back to the time period. It also deals with many of the black leaders ideologies. This book is for any person who enjoys history and is interested in the long and obstacle-filled past of black Americans.

Thorough, detailed, and not monotonous, this is a book that I would recommend for anyone who wants to learn about African-American history, not hust through the eyes of scholars and professors, but through those who had had direct contact with the changes in African-American society. I would strongly urge those who want to learn more about African-American history to begin right here.

This book provides in-depth descriptions of locations throughout the North Georgia Mountains. The authors have paid particular attention to details that lead you off the mainstream "touristy" trails and onto the real Georgia. This book is a "must-have" for campers and day-hikers so you can plan your next trip. Accurate topographic maps are included along with directions to trail heads and other sites.

The watercolors of JMW Turner have the concise, simplified vision of contemporary art even though they were painted in the mid 1800's. This survey shows the progression of this master of light and delicate color from tightly delineated landscapes to the atmospheric , nearly abstract vistas of his late career. The reproductions are supported by quotes selected from writings contemporary to the paintings. This book provides an inspirational overview of the work of Turner and belongs in the library of the serious watercolor artist.

Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy is a compelling and intriguing novel. Instead of most conventional novels that rely on plot, it places its emphasis on getting certain points and ideas across to the reader. It is a book meant to make the reader think, not as a leisurely Sunday afternoon story. The story takes us through a series of tragic events, starting first, in contrast, with Jude as a young child full of hopes and dreams, the primary dream being to go to Christminster to become a learned fellow. We follow his life as he marries Arabella, a woman who fakes a pregnancy to get Jude to marry her. Because their marriage does not have the foundation of love, it quickly crumbles and Arabella leaves Jude to go to Australia.
Jude then decides to follow his old dreams and travels to Christminster, only to find it was little like what he had imagined. There he falls in love with his cousin Sue, who in order to spite Jude, marries the schoolmaster Phillotson. She despises their marriage, and soon asks her new husband to let her leave. After much contemplation, he consents, and Sue runs off with Jude. The two start a life together with Jude worshiping Sue and Sue constantly pushing Jude away. They will not commit to marriage, and live a life together looked down upon by all of society. After a while, they get a surprise from Arabella, saying she has a son that belongs to Jude, and that he will be coming to live with them. Father Time, as he was nicknamed, comes to live with them. He is a very depressed young soul, burdened by things way beyond his years. Sue and Jude have two more children out of wedlock, and constantly move from town to town to get away from the jeers of society.
Just as things are starting to look up, as Sue seems to finally love Jude, Father Time decides to take things into his own hands and hangs himself as well as the other two children. Sue, being unable to cope with the situation, leaves Jude and goes back to Phillotson, saying it is her duty. Jude, left alone, is then visited by the vivacious Arabella, who gets him drunk so he will consent to re-marry her. Their marriage, however, is simply one huge lie, and Jude, from depression and a loss of hope, becomes sick and finally dies in his misery.
The main topics looked at by Hardy seem to be about goals and marriage. Hardy clearly defines Jude's many goals, for instance his pursuit of knowledge and his pursuit to win the love of Sue, but just as St. Jude, the saint of hopeless causes, Jude is never able to achieve them. The idea seems to conclude that no matter what your goals are, you will never be able to attain them. This is a depressing thought, and though it may be true for some people, I believe it does not clearly express the true things that happen in people's lives. Most people, if they have a goal in sight, do achieve their goals, bringing themselves happiness.
Marriage is clearly looked down upon in this book. Hardy shows marriage between both Sue and Phillotson as well as Jude and Arabella as a trap of unhappiness. He then contrasts that unhappiness with the life of "true" happiness that Jude and Sue had together, out of wedlock. This idea, in my opinion, is absolutely false. Marriage is meant to be the union of two people who love each other so much that they are willing to commit their entire lives to each other. It is meant as a means for happiness and love to blossom. Hardy's demented idea of marriage is clearly false.
Even though some of the philosophies in this book tend to be skewed, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It made me think on an entirely different level. I could sympathize Jude's pain, and though it may not be a leisurely novel, it is a classic that I recommend any educated person should study.

Hardy wrote Jude the Obscure at the height of his career. Does the book reflect his mastery? Or does it fall short of his capability? At the time of its publication, Jude (like Tess) received critical admonition from the public: The blatant sexuality and the unfulfilled/unheroic main character won over fanatics and made enemies of literary elites.

I picked up this book out of boredom, believing I'd put it down after a few pages. I enjoyed Tess from High School, but Jude for leisure? I was wrong: Hardy's poetic melancholy and rythmic cadence drew me in yet again. I was mesmerized by Jude, Arabella, and Sue. Though their conversations seem forced and some of their characterics unnatural, I felt sympathy for their deterioration and sadness. And in my feeling this, Hardy has accomplished a great poetic influence.

I really believe that Hardy could have written a greater Jude the Obscure if he was unhindered by the public. Though his true passion lay in poetry, he had much potential in prose. Too bad this was his last novel...

Will Godwin (terrible_lizard@hotmail.com) from Wisbech, England writes several reviews below: "I, like Mr. Myers, am substantially smarter than the average reviewer (or moronic AP student), and therefore must say that I am one of the few people who can truly appreciate the unique aestheticism of Hardy's transcendental, impressionistic, amorphous, and quasi-sublime genius."

Then goes on, after a paragraph about the novel itself:

"After the completion of this novel, Hardy, as Mr. Myers told us, wrote poetry that suggested a great deal of Shelley's influence for the rest of his life. I am shocked, though, that no reviewer, not even Mr. Myers or a stupid AP student, mentioned that Hardy turned to poetry after the critics and public ridiculed and castigated him for writing JUDE. I seem to be the only reviewer knowledgeable and well-read enough to know that."

PLEASE! The back cover of the Penguin classic edition of the book contains the information of which he speaks, which hardly makes one knowledgeable and well-read!

Mr. Godwin would do well to be substantially more obscure himself!