This is the book one should have who is doing something or anything in VHDL. Previously I had two books but those were filled with unnecessary explaination and nonsense examples. This book explain the facts to the point with plenty of examples. I think that it best for the startup and also for the experienced peoples for their reference.

This book is an excellent showcase of superior/exemplary CD package design. Stefan Sagmeister writes a superb introduction explaining how CD package design should be approached. A must have book if you're into graphic design or CD packaging.

I especially enjoy learning about the custums and it is a great book.

This well-designed and convenient guide is best used in conjunction with a more traditional guidebook to Zurich. The authors clearly had practicality uppermost in their minds and are meticulous in providing details (door widths, number of stairs, etc). It's perfect for cross-referencing restaurants, museums, or other places of interest in order to best plan a hassle-free trip for disabled visitors. The 30 pages of maps were especially helpful in pinpointing destinations. Though I was only in Zurich for a short time, I imagine this guide would also be very helpful for anyone planning a longer stay or already living in Zurich. In fact, I'd bet some natives of the city would discover places they might not have ventured to for fear of inaccessibility! Though it might be necessary for non-German speakers to switch back and forth for the standard expression translations at first, that can turn into a bonus- learning certain phrases and words in German makes getting around that much easier. My only complaint: there should have been more of the wonderful photographs the editors scattered throughout the book. They are exceptional- and exceptionally reproduced. For their next book, I suggest a picture book of Zurich- a perfect souvenir of the city this guidebook has helped open up for exploration.

Stefan Rudnicki has done a wonderful job transforming Julian Mitchell's screenplay into a very satisfactory novel about the life of Oscar Wilde. The Samuelson produced movie was superb, and here the novel is able to add a different level of depth by interspersing quotes and pieces of poetry by Wilde throughout the story line.

Granted, the story is not as complete as a full biography (Richard Ellman's is particularly thorough -- if somewhat dry) but it is told with such wit, humor and tragedy as to providing a most enchanting diversion. Highly Recommended, especially to those who are looking for good entertainment rather than mere scholarly facts and literary commentary.

it is a Fabulous book especially if you love the X Files.

the book can not be summed up in a review it is so amazing that it is beyond words. The only way to get the atmospheric feeling that pertrudes from this book is to read it yourself. Ethereal, otherworldly and punctuated by Miran Kim's mysterious paintings.

Post Bugger war, the government biogenically breeds humans to be geniuses. Ender Wiggen a government geniuse deals with a childhood of trials. Monitored for most of his life he faces trials of courage. Whether its being beaten up by his older brother Peter or usings his geniuse brain he overcomes all his challenges and passes the tests. Card takes the reader on a voyage of a boys life. With extream detail he sucks the reader into his fantastic novel. Whether its in a battle at the battle school or at the lake on Earth, Card glues the eyes of his reader to the pages of his book. He proves a kids dedication to a life of troubles. To a true Sci-Fi fan this book is a wonder. Most will read it multiple times. This book is not just for kids, adults enjoy this book too. His captivating plot requires a reader to sit and read all day. The 324 pages in Ender's Game go by quickly so readers beware. Most readers who I have talked to have read this book in about 8 hours. Ender's Game is a sure Sci-Fi classic.

Ender Wiggin is one of the children chosen by the world government of Earth. For the last three years, from age three to six, he's worn a monitor-a device designed and used to watch him day and night, so finely tuned that he'd started to believe that it could read his thoughts. Then, when he was six, the device was removed. Ender's whole world changed. Hated by his brother Peter, loved by his sister Valentine, Ender suddenly became prey for the bigger boys at his school. After an altercation in school and a display of viciousness and cold cruelty on Ender's part, he's told he made the program for the International Fleet, the first line of defense against the Buggers, an alien enemy encountered nearly fifty years ago that came short of destroying the planet. Graff, the man from I.F., tells Ender that he qualified for the Battle School program, where Ender will learn how to fight Buggers. The downside is that he won't get to see his family for ten years. And Battle School doesn't turn out exactly the way Ender had envisioned it would.

Orson Scott Card is an award-winning science fiction and fantasy writer. In addition to the Ender Wiggin series (ENDER'S GAME, SPEAKER FOR THE DEAD, XENOCIDE, CHILDREN OF THE MIND, ENDER'S SHADOW, SHADOW OF THE HEGEMON, and SHADOW PUPPETS), Card has also written the Homecoming series (THE MEMORY OF EARTH, THE CALL OF EARTH, THE SHIPS OF EARTH, EARTHFALL, and EARTHBORN) and the Tales of Alvin Maker series (SEVENTH SON, RED PROPHET, PRENTICE ALVIN, ALVIN JOURNEYMAN, and HEARTFIRE). HOMEBODY, TREASUR BOX and LOST BOYS are three of his works that heavily involve the supernatural in today's world. He's also written two novels about women from the Bible (REBEKAH and SARAH), and several stand-alone novels and other trilogies.

ENDER'S GAME is a wonderful read for old-time science fiction fans that cut his or her teeth on Robert Heinlein. The same depth of character in a young protagonist that Heinlein was noted for is present, and the world-building skills are sharp. At the same time, Card embraces the younger readers of SF by laying much of Ender's story in action and gameplay. Every young reader out there is living in an SF world when he or she plugs into a PlayStation game, and Card entices those players by showing how much fun his vision of the future is with null-gravity and gameplay. Ender comes across always as a real person with real problems. The pacing is quick, always pulling the reader into the next situation, providing tidbits of information that locks in the bigger picture by the time the reader gets there. Card's creation of words, situations, and tech-and the ease with which his characters (and the readers!) interface with it-is amazing.

This book is heartily recommended for readers already familiar with SF through Heinlein and Asimov, and to new readers who want a deeper and more immersive experience than the world presented by the latest video game. Well-written books are the closest things to virtual reality that exist at this time, and ENDER'S GAME is one of the best.

Words cannot even begin to describe this book. All I can say is Wow! I stumbled upon Ender's Game while I was looking for other books. I decided to buy it on a whim. And I'm forever grateful that I did. As someone who has read a lot of sci-fi, from masterpieces to failures, I wasn't expecting much from the book. What I found was something so icredible, it has now become one if not my most favorite book of all time.
What makes Ender's Game so wonderful is that through children and a rather silly alien race called "the buggers" no less, the author manages to address thought provoking issues about human nature and the price of survival. Morality and what is right and wrong are never simple. The novel is brilliantly able to demonstrate the complexity that is life and the lengths people are capable of and act upon. I was literally in shock when I finished the last page.
No matter what type of books you're into, you should still read this book. I can honestly say it has brought to my attention certain realizations I never wanted to think about. It gives you a perspective unlike anything, a perspective you are not likely to forget. I strobgly urge everyone to read this book. I promise it is worth every penny.

While this book is the tale of a professional sports writer who decides to try to become a competitive Scrabble player, it is really a tale of obsession. The players detailed in the book have no other goal in life except to win as many Scrabble games by the widest margin as often as they can. And in order to achieve this goal, the players must spend an immense amount of time studying word lists, and analyzing prior plays to determine how best to play the board. Some of the players spend more time studying and playing the game than any full time job would require. Since most of them don't have a job, they are able to commit huge word lists to memory. The funny thing is that very few of them actually know the meaning of the words they use, only that they exist as words. And any outside person to the game would probably not recognize 70% of the words played.

I remember reading a study years ago that eccentrics, people who become obsessed with an hobby or pastime, often live longer than other people because their single minded devotion actually gives them more of a purpose to live. If that is true, then many of the players highlighted in this book should see one hundred years at least. While it is hard to understand their obsession, I did some to admire the players. They are truly doing what they want to do. They have not conformed to the 9-5 working day, with a spouse and 1.8 children. While most players have very limited funds, none of the players seemed to moan about the lack of money. As long as they had enough to provide for the most basic needs, Scrabble fulfilled the rest of their life. Since Fatsis interviewed very few family members of the players, it was difficult to see the impact that this lifestyle had on the family. But one father did bemoan the fact that this two sons, both in their 30's never seemed to be able to hold a job and were content to do nothing else except play Scrabble and live at home with their elderly father.

Author Fatsis does a wonderful job of describing the players and their motivation. He asks hard questions and doesn't hesitate to point out how odd their viewpoints are when compared to the rest of society. Yet he also wonders at the way their brains work, the amazing ability these players possess to see words out of a random set of letters. He stands in awe of the immense amount of work that players have devoted to the game and wonders how much it would take to lure him into this sub-culture. I would recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in the game because much detail is given about its origins, and the various strategies employed to become a competitive player. But I would also recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand obsession and how one single purpose in life can shape that life.

Stefan Fatsis' "Word Freak" is a fascinating, if at times intense, look into the world of competitive Scrabble. As a "living room" Scrabble player, I looked forward to the insight that the book might give to my game. What I quickly learned was that I will never be a Scrabble pro - and after reading about those who are, I determined that maybe that is not a bad thing. To call these players quirky is a huge understatement. Most have made Scrabble their life quest - traveling to tournaments all around the country (and the world!) and re-programming their brains to the point where words like "djinny" and "elorst" jump off their racks for big points.

At first, the inhabitants of the Scrabble sub-culture are endearing, however over the nearly 400 pages of this account, Fatsis' title tag of "freak" ultimately (and truthfully) rises to the surface. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the book is the author's own personal journey - from an outsider and Scrabble neophyte (how's that for a word!) to an "expert" ranked player whose obsession with the game nearly rivals the top pro players. It is truly a case of the reporter becoming an integral part of the story as Fastis becomes a full-fledged citizen of this peculiar world. I would guess that this Wall Street Journal sports reporter is still playing competitively these days.

Whether readers who do not have a passing knowledge and interest in Scrabble would enjoy this book is hard to say. For a Scrabble fan such as myself, even I was overwhelmed at times with the minutiae of tournament life and word play. Nevertheless, this is a quite entertaining and readable book. That said, I will happily return to the ignorant bliss of amateur Scrabble where ditching a "z" to spell "zoo" for a measly 12 points is a cool move.

Fatsis spent time with avid scrabble players. Here are his observations. He relates through several dozen loosely linked narrations how the game has been transformed since the 1950s into a community that is strangely both exotic and familiar. This witty book celebrates scrabble as our national mental pasttime. Everyone who likes the game will find her or himself in these pages.

With a fresh writing style, he shares a huge amount of information about the way the game is seriously (if not addictively) played without the reader feeling burdened. (Did you know that in any random selection of 7 tiles, there is a 12% chance of a seven letter word appearing?)

Fatsis delves in an anthropological way into the life styles of noted participants in the competitive game. Some of these people are poster children for the saying that you either succeed in art or in life but not in both. The author knows how to approach even the most difficult personalities with wit and compassion.

He takes the reader to visit lonely geniuses in ill-kept apartments, clubs in New york City which spawned top competitors, competitions in Reno and elsewhere. He recounts the tussles between player associations and the manufacturers as unhappy, comical scenes from a lifelong dysfunctional marriage.

Fatsis is, I take it, a sports writer for the Wall Street Journal, and you should take that as an indication he knows how to bridge chasms. Lurking underneath the surface of his prose, I sense a belief in the power of play to discover value in our lives, and what more exquisite play is there but with words? Is it coincidental that during the decades of scrabble's dominance as a pasttime, one of our leading poets, James Merrill, used a Ouija board to help compose poems?

There is a genre of books and films which focus on wierd, outcast personalities. Fatsis does spend time in his book at the edge of society. But this is not another story about loners. Fatsis himself is a semi-competitive scrabble player. By projecting himself both as participant and observer, he brings us along to the extent that many readers will find something of themselves in an antic life of competitive play.

If you like scrabble, and if you are are curious about how creativity occurs in the world of play, and especially if there is a Walter Mitty crouching inside you, buy this book.

This is a well-edited edition of Sun Tzu; the only aspect that left something to be desired was the inclusion of illustrative anecdotes; I would have preferred if they were left to the end of the chapter.

I can understand why this book was a fad in the business world but object to claims that the tactics described in this book are easily applied to business. This is a book about conflict, specifically, war, and there is much wisdom lost if it is taken out of its context. There is much excellent advice for analogous situations; political persuasion and debate, games of Go, Shogi or Chess, or even sporting events.

When taken from the world of conflict to the business, the realm of cooperation (in the sense that competing businesses compete to cooperate the best with their customers), The Art of War becomes yet another tome of "Eastern" sayings which sound pretty and can be "applied to any situation" only because they come to mean very little.

Those who will be in a conflict situation or wish to prepare for one, even if it is a simple game of Go, should study this book. Read the text and the anecdotes, and come back later to read it again gaining fresh insight.

War is not really based on honor... or glory, or even whose right. It's all about conditions, who has the advantage and how to dishearten your opponents while making sure your own resources are protected. It tells you what to look for through hundreds of various quotes and snippets of advice. This book was not entirely by Sun Tzu, but a collection of famous tacticians through-out history. Each seem to add another element to the concept of how to win in conflict.

In life, you can see a little of this in each day... but just remember not too get too carried away. After all, even Sun Tzu himself said 'A battle not fought, is a battle won.' For broadening your perspective, I'd suggest adding this book to your collection as well as 'Open Your Mind, Open Your Life: A Book of Eastern Wisdom' by Taro Gold.

Sun Tzu "The Art of War" was excellent. This book is a great book on strategy. Whether you command a nations army, war games or a moderen business. If the reader uses some of these war tactics and strategies in the modern world, they may find it easy to relate. Thus it is easy to relate to this book. Even rivals in sports and entertainment can be outwitted by the wisdom in this book. It also adds examples of some actions, which show how these sayings and writings apply to the real world.

So no matter what you were looking for in this book, whether it be business, sports, war games, or actual wars, you can be sure to learn more on how to best deal with the situation through the strategies in this book.

The book is timeless....and should be required reading for all persons.