This is a great book for people who are frustrated with the state of American politics. After watching campaign finance reform fail again and again, I was immediately won over to the authors' ideas. Proportional Representation is the only way to go!

Good book - concise and with varying viewpoints. Mirkarimi comments that you don't focus enough on the mechanics of the change, but in a sense, a book like this does, since it isn't an intimidating tome. I plan to buy a stack to pass out to skeptical friends.

This book is extremely interesting, I highly recommend it. Richie and Hill make a strong case for Proportional Representation, then a number of other high level type folks respond. Then Richie and Hill respond. A fascinating dialogue.

This book was very informative. It explained things clearly and was useful in learning Statistics.

I have been using this book in my statistics classes since 1990. It is so easy to understand for undergraduate students. Authors give really good examples to explain some complex subjects of statistics. These examples make the book more readable..

The First Six lessons--goal and obstacle, the other, tactics, expectation, and their summary "GOTE" -- are excellent and concise. Unfortuantely, the book covers a great deal more ground than an introductory class could hope to cover. THe other chapters make good reading, and a student who decides s/he's serious about pursuing acting as a craft would be well served by owning this text. The casual student would be less well served.

His concepts of conflict and theatricality are excellent. Goal, Obstacle, Tactic and Expectation (GOTE)lead to a complete understanding of the actor's craft. For the beginner, this concept is absolutly necessary; the young actor now has a deep understanding of what makes an action theatrical and interesting. Through Cohen's work,the actor can understand and apply Stanislvaski's "beats."

I have read through Cohen's "Theatre" and "Acting One" and both are outstanding books on theatre for any actor. It is almost as good as Sidney Lumet's "Making Movies," but without all the fun stories about movie stars. This is one book I actually read for fun, and keep it in my glove compartment when I prepare for auditions. I am glad I am going to the school where this man teaches.

I personally didn't find it too useful because I think any average person already knows half of the information in that book. He didn't list any names of agents or photograghers, etc. in his book, but I guess there were good points. He was very honest and up front, telling the readers what to expect and what agents and producers are looking for in an actor/actress. He talked about the different types of actors, like screen actors, stage actors, and extras, but didn't go into a great detail about anything in particular. Overall, I'd say it's an okay beginning book, but I would actually recommmend Acting is Everything, 9th edition over Acting Professionally because it is much more thorough, helpful and informative.

Mr. Cohen has in no uncertain terms assembled a tome of infinite wisdom concerning the professional acting world. He does not jump up and down like a cheerleader yelling "you can DO it!" nor does he tell you to give up on the whole nasty business. What he does do is tell you the hard truth about the nasty business, how nasty it is, what's real, and what there is to give hope. The advice is clear and unambiguous, such that no one will have a problem knowing what is the right direction for them after reading. Every actor, aspiring and seasoned, should keep this book by his or her side and read it often.

It was truly inspiring and taught me alot about the wonderful world of acting.The auther truly captured my heart.

The maps are miniscule, reproduced to fit into a single spread, where they are squeezed between commentary. The type on them is so small and blurry that it was impossible to read, even with serious magnification. This book was a complete and total disappointment. Instead of an informative, legible reference, Manhattan in Maps is nothing more than a "coffee table" book, and not a very good one at that. If you're looking for maps you could actually refer to and learn from, this is not the book for you. Hopefully, someone will get the hint and put out a quality folio of these valuable maps.

I know I'm jumping on the bandwagon here, but the maps are disappointing because they're too small to be scrutinized. The text, however, compensates greatly for this flaw. The chapters are concise but not a word is wasted. I found the section on the British invasion of Brooklyn as well-written and gripping as any thriller. I can only hope that they are planning to come out with a larger edition for the illustrations.

While I agree with one reviewer that the maps depicted in the book are small and difficult to read (more due to the apparent custom of making 17th and 18th century maps totally illegible in any case rather than the editors' layout of them), the commentary accompanying the maps is very illuminating and interesting. The authors also chose to use maps highlighting, for example, '70s-era police practice, '20s-era political classifications and a map of the subway along with the more conventional surveyor's maps; truly a very interesting collection. A good companion to any history of pre-20th century NYC, such as Gotham.

Having lived in Israel for 4 years I anticipated a novel with insight into the Israeli Psyche. All I got was a 3rd rate thriller, with no thrills and much tedious prose.

A great Avram Cohen story by Robert Rosenberg, like all the author's books, a real eye-opened about Israel: what CNN and the New York Times don't report because they don't know Israel the way he does. This time Cohen looks into what seems to be the accidental death of his protege, and finds clues leading to the Russian mafia -- and corruption. A must-read for anyone who loves a good mystery/thriller as well as anyone interested in Israel the way it really is.

Those readers who are searching for another of those cliche ridden thrillers about brave Israeli Mossad agents pursuing bloody Arab terrorists or conniving Iranian arm smugglers should not read this book or any other of his mysteries about Avram Cohen, an Israeli detective whose complex personality and the moral dilemmas he faces in his work reflect the Real Reality of contemporary Israel. It is an Israel that is a colorful social and political mosaic,and has a dark side that is unfamiliar even to those Americans and Europeans who observe the politics of the Jewish state on a daily basis: the decadent lifestyle of Tel-Aviv; religious fanatics and political extermists; Russian gangsters and serial killers;a society that is moving beyond the idealism and unity of the early Zionist era into a projecting the kind of political and social polarization that led to the assassination of former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin. Rosenberg, a former correspondent for The Jerusalem Post and Time magazine,who operates an Israeli based webzine is able to provide us with the flavor and the vibes of this New Israel. He is also a very talented writer that has created in Avram Cohen an original character that is becoming more interesting and more intriguing in each new mystery that is added to the series. I don't want to ruin the reader's pleasure by revealing the the plot in "An Accidental Murder." What Rosenberg does in his new novel is to tie the past with the present, focus on the way history, including the Holocaust, still effects the Israeli psyche. In any case, if like intelligent and literary mysteries, if you enjoy reading John Le Carre, if The Third Man is one of your favorite films, and if you are interested in the politics of Israel and the Middle East, you should get to know Avram Cohen.

this book has too much redundant info and lacks coherence. try the jxta in a nutshell instead; to the point, simple and clear.

Peer-to-peer (P2P) has progressed from a curiosity to a serious opportunity for businesses to move beyond the costs and limitations of traditional client-server based computing. With a choice of several new, maturing technologies, Java developers need a single source to explain the benefits of each technology and help them see how to fit the P2P "pieces" together - both in building new systems and integrating with existing ones. Java P2P Unleashed: With JXTA, Web Services, XML, Jini, JavaSpaces, and J2EE starts with a discussion of the P2P architecture, referencing similarities with existing, familiar systems while previewing several types of P2P applications. Java P2P Unleashed explains how to plan ahead for security, routing, performance and other issues when developing a P2P application. Each Java P2P technology is approached from a P2P perspective, focusing on implementation concerns Java developers will face while using them. The last section includes several large-scale examples of different P2P applications - managing content, building communities, integrating services, routing messages, and using intelligent agents to gather information. The final chapter looks ahead to future developments in Java P2P technologies, including the use of J2ME. Java P2P Unleashed is confidently recommended for Intermediate to Advanced level users. 752 pages.

This book's title is a bit misleading, as it covers a lot more than P2P. In addition to JXTA, it also has chapters on Jini, and several chapters on Web services. Some of the chapters are better than others; the chapters on JXTA are especially informative. Because the book has many authors, some of the information is repeated, but that does not detract from the book's overall high quality.

The Ramapo Mountain People is an excellent history of the people residing in an area bordering the NY/NJ State line within the Ramapo Mountains. The interviews give an indepth perspective of how this group view and classify themselves, as well as how outside influences have changed their way of life over the years. Covered are the controversies surrounding the origin of these people, and how they have come to live in the Mountains for almost 250 years alongside the Dutch and local Indians. Often referred to as "Jackson Whites", the subject of racism between themselves and outsiders (black and white) as well as within their own community, is well covered. The writers have done extensive research into this subject, and have given the reader an excellent insight to a community that has, for the most part, been left to their own devices by the outside world. Genealogies for the most common families are provided, and thought provoking arguments as to the exact nationality of the Mountain People is discussed. A wonderful source of information for all aspects of the lives for those known as Ramapo Mountain People.

Though this book never states it clearly, the Ramapo Mountain People are actually the very first residents of New Jersey! I have studied native American history in the New York/New Jersey region for more than 30 years and I don't think there is a more convincing case that the people Cohen identifies as Mountain People are the native (Indian), Dutch and African American people who first settled the region in the 1600s. This is an important book about a very important group of people! Shame on Donald Trump for maligning these people as "hillbillies" -- no native American group has lasted as long in the metropolitan New York/New Jersey area, and may God bless them!

This is an excellent source of information covering the Ramapo Mountain People, a community of people who for the better part of almost 250 years have lived in the Ramapo Mountains and surrounding areas of Rockland County NY and Bergen and Passaic County NJ. These people are surrounded in controversy concerning their ethnicity, which has been labeled African American, American Indian, Dutch, German Palatine, French Creole. This book explores the ancestry and genealogy of the early members of this group and takes the reader through very personal and often controversial issues surrounding a very proud, but very private segment of Society. The book contains photographs of the areas inhabited by the Mountain People as well as photographs of some of the people interviewed. It allows the reader to experience the conflicts facing this community, through real experiences as told to the writer. The reader gets a feel for what it is like to be a Ramapo Mountain person. Some of the Ramapo Mountain People do not approve of this book, its contents or conclusions. I recommend this book if you have any interest in the history of these people.

I have reviewed and tried to read numerous books on the osha guidelines but this is without a doubt the best! The information was understandable and informative and the narative was interjected enough to keep me awake. I especially found the section, chapter, on what is osha recordable / what is not most helpful. This chapter alone makes the book worth purchasing. It also provided a generous amount of details on others regulations and inspections tips.

The Marat Sade is truly misery made beautiful, where else can the hero be made to suffer as much as Marat does. Through the course of the reading one can not help but desire to emulate the characteristics of Marat, this and the conflict between Marat and Sade are the elements of the story that keeps interests and stimulates thoughts. Weiss argues both the points of view of Marat and Sade well and ultimately delivers an interesting message.

The Marat Sade does have a captivating message, but much of the beauty in the delivery of the message may have been lost in the translation. Translations are difficult to accomplish, especially when many words do not translate from one language to another, and when verse or meter is concerned, especially verse or meter that rhyme it is nearly improbable. However, the story did have its moments of intrigue especially some of the monologues. To be truly understood The Marat Sade needs to be seen. This realization is probably what inspired someone to make the play into a film.

The film about was not stimulating aside from a few moments of irony in the simplest form made out to be humorous. The story is meant to be seen on the stage. The time period that the film was made in was not equipped well enough with special effects ,not that there was need for this in the Marat Sade but it could have made some kind of impact. The Low budget appearance of the film added to the melancholy of the film that appeared worse than the disorder of the mental patient playing Charlotte Corday and defiantly makes the viewer experience moments of sudden and involuntary sleep. If done today and well budgeted as well as directed the play could be portrayed through cameras in a most pleasing manner. Still, the play is meant to be seen on stage, this is the true way for the audience to feel the experience that Weiss wanted otherwise he would have written a film script.

I do not claim to be an expert on Marat Sade or some official critic or well read for that matter but neither is the general public and that is who an artiest should want to reach considering they are the majority, even though they fall to rule. This play is a product of the past. I feel that most American people would not be able to relate to it and they would fall to be lured into the story. The martyr roll has been over used - after all many people were force fed a similar story since birth.

When the character of Marquis de Sade shouts out at Marat, "Can't you see this patriotism is lunacy/Long ago I left heroics to the heroes/I turn my back on this nation/I turn my back on all the nations. . ." the reader can truly sense what the play of Marat/Sade is all about. As the reader gets lost in the production of a play within a play, the idea of surrealism presents itself almost at once. The reenactment of the killing of Jean-Paul Marat by Charlotte Corday seems to be a secondary plot alongside of the chanting and screaming of idealism concerning the revolution and liberty. A division of strategies regarding revolution develops between Marat and Sade. Marat advocates fast action, while Sade preaches that it is hopeless or fruitless to even bother to act. Of course, the cries of the asylum patients tend to distract, but it all adds to the surreal, bizarre nature of the play. I felt that one of the aspects the play touches on is how the revolution affects those living within it. The ideas of liberty, freedom, and revolution all make for interesting debate, but I felt one of the themes that struck me was the reality of revolution as it affects those who live around it day in and day out. One of the more striking scenes of the play, for me, came when Charlotte is in the middle of a monologue, describing children playing with toy-like guillotines. The very idea of children treating such a deathly object as a toy is disturbing, but also brings to life the desensitization that revolution brings about. The play reminds the reader that the death of masses makes the value of life and the impact of an individual death meaningless. That alone is a very somber and surreal thought. There are literary techniques throughout the play that seem to remind the reader that the dramatization depicts things which took place in the past, but threaten to become a part of our future. Marat/Sade attempts to mock the aristocratic classes that seem to catalyze such mass movements of revolution in the first place. The play seems to slap the hand of those in power through the action that takes place throughout. Every time that the characters in the play (the asylum patients) seem to become too excited or outspoken, when the truth behind their madness seems to get out of control, the "Herald" of the play speaks out to placate Coulmier, the director of the asylum. I believe that Weiss tries to make the play more socially acceptable by presenting it in a way that mocks and brings out the weakness of the debacle of government that followed, in this case, the French Revolution, but actually cuts across so many more layers than just one isolated revolution.

Our society will always have people who have large amounts of material wealth, and those who do not. That is an injustice that we must rise above, and change ourselves. Whether our means of change is reached through violence and upheaval or through escape within oneself, this is the core dialectic that the play tackles. Although at times this play is a little hard to follow or even outlandish, the play offers a look at how society deals with its corruption and injustice once it escalates to what may seem to be a point of no return. The element that seems to be the most surreal in my mind is that the ranting of the characters within the play, although they are asylum patients, reveal more truth and brutal honesty than the audience would like to admit. I think Weiss is clever to choose some very clear and controversial themes and present them in a way that is socially appropriate. He does this by blatantly speaking out against established forms of government and rule, but discrediting the characters speaking by placing them in an insane asylum. It is true to say that there are many elements of the play that never seem to completely gel in the end, or come together nicely as in most plays. But to be honest, if the story had come together neatly in the end, the essence of the play would have been lost. I think the point of the play is to show that although people may have conflicting ideals of how to handle a revolution, whether of government or ideology, things do not always work out as we had hoped. People may preach liberty and justice, but when the reality is murder and riots, there are two conflicting messages being handled at once. I believe that is what this play shows rather well. In a very surreal and bizarre way, Weiss enables the reader to see that society hardly ever practices what they preach, and although our goal might be change, in the end, upheaval and disarray may be the only things truly achieved.

Marat/Sade, by Peter Weiss, is a play centering on the murder of Jean Paul Marat. Weiss sets the play in the Asylum of Charenton, where both Marat and the Marquis de Sade are inmates. Before reading this play, I did not have much knowledge of Marquis de Sade or Jean Paul Marat. The French Revolution was a topic that I had studied, however not these members specifically. For the reading of this work, not much understanding of these ideas is needed. Some knowledge of Modernism would be helpful for insight into the motivation and reasoning of the play, however that is not needed either. The plot of the play is very thin and does not do much for the reader. There does not seem to be much action involved in the play. The characters mainly discuss and wax philosophical about the French Revolution and whether or not it was successful. It is the characters themselves and the dialogue that are most intriguing. Characters that are patients in the asylum are the driving force of the work. Many off the wall topics and rants are shouted by any number of patients. Clever use of the director of the asylum gives the reader a better sense of how a play produced in an asylum might work out. The format of the work is what seems to be an extended poem. The rhyme scheme, which is at points non-existent, can be carried from one character to the next. This is at times confusing, however it does give the work a somewhat psychotic feel. The work is a relatively easy read, however it does at times get to be a bit confusing. Because the plot is so thin, the reader is bombarded with confusing dialogue, rather than constant flowing action. The work leaves something to desired, as the reader waits for some twist of fate or action that may create some interest. Personally, I was not impressed with the work as a whole from an entertainment aspect. However as a writer I could see the work is definitely that of a talented author. There is a political aspect to the work that focuses around Sade. The many conversations between Marat and Sade focus on the Revolution and its positives and negatives. Commentary is given on the state of affairs during this time, as well as the idea that revolutions do not work on a general basis. Other such ideals are discussed throughout the work, however Sade seems to be more of a reactionary and Marat seems to be more of an idealist. On a whole this work does accomplish its goals in discussing sadism and other such ideas. Modernistic works such as this, often do not have much entertainment value, however they are quite intellectual and original; the two best points of this work.