I received my copy of Windows 95 Secrets 4th Edition a couple of weeks back, and already I'm seeing the benefits. Brian Livingston & Davis Straub get really detailed in this edition. My colleagues and I feel like there isn't a part of Windows 95 that we don't know about! If this is the one computer book you ever buy, you definitely won't regret it

Before you call me, look at 'Windows 95 Secrets' by Brian Livingston & Davis Straub, This book provides essential, and much undocumented information about Windows 95 features, installation, Plug and Play, boot files, the Windows desktop, relationships to DOS, networking, performance, and more. Helpful for everyone from the neophyte to the most intense power user. A great gift.

I needed guidance in understanding Windows 95. Sure, I knew how to use it, but that was all, I wanted to dive into its insides, and get the most out of it. And that's what Windows 95 Secrets allowed me to do. It showed me everything Windows 95 had to offer, and it helped me become the Windows 95 expert at my company. I take this book with me whereever I go. Now, I can fix almost any Windows 95 problem that may crop up, my friends can't believe it. And of course when they ask me how I do it, I say - Only a magician like Brian Livingston would reveal Windows 95 Secrets!

This Book is not only regiments history and a lott of beautiful accurate illustrated uniforms, is history alive. The only thing this book lack off is sound but thanks to the hands of Don Troiani the paintings are so full of live you can hear it in the back of your mind. Art by Don Troiani, text by Brian C. Pohanka. This book presents in a beautiful landscape format his unique view of the war and the men who fought it. Each painting is accompanied by an extensive background text by noted historian Brian Pohanka The good thing about this book is that if you consider yourself a Civil War historian or reenactorss a just a fan beginning to study the civil war, you won't find the typical error of other authors, this would help you enjoy the painting one by one so you can understand better who and how was this War fought. One last thing DO NOT PUT THIS BOOK ON YOUR COFFEE TABLE people fall in love with this book so fast that they can even stole from you, believe me this is the third time I buy this book. If you enjoy this book you would love Don Troiani's Soldiers In America, 1754 - 1865.

If there is one art book that should be in every Civil War buff's library, this is the one! It's a beautifully done and wonderfully written chronology of the war, as seen through the eyes of artist Don Troiani. These impeccably researched and incredibly detailed paintings make one feel they are witnessing the actual events! The text by noted Civil War historian Brian Pohanka is a perfect compliment to Troiani's artwork; it is both informative and moving at the same time. Highly recommended!

This a a wonderful presentation of Don Troiani's art. The added bonus here is text written by Brian Pohanka. As a Civil War and an art enthusiast, I have seen no finer book. The research Mr. Troiani goes through to ensure the accuracy of his paintings is impressive. I find that this an invaluable source for "what it was really like" during the depicted events in the Civil War.

Author Lois Hilton Spoon lived every word she wrote. Her courage during her long struggle with breast cancer will motivate and inspire others to trust in God and believe in miracles. Lois's love for God and her unwavering faith in Divine Intervention is evident on every page. With sparkling wit and humor and heart-warming intimacy, her inspiring stories will reach into every reader's life like a trusted friend, offering comfort and genuine concern.

This book is truly a blessing to be treasured and shared by all.

Written by Lois Hilton Spoon with the assistance of Brian Davis and Steve Dixon, Running As Fast As I Can: A Survivor's Guide To Winning The Race Against Breast Cancer is a powerful and personal testament to the strengths of life, hope, and faith. A religious wife and mother, diagnosed with terminal breast cancer, Lois is able to run and enjoy a marathon race one year after. Her personal story, and the meaning of her perseverance, love, and joy in life is revealed in this captivating, candid, inspirational and moving memoir.

What a wonderful, inspiring account of the daily life of dealing with cancer as shared from the heart of Lois's experiences. I have had the privilege of knowing Lois for the last nine years and treasure the time we have spent together. Her honesty, humor and love of life comes through the printed word to touch everyone who takes the time to stop and read "Running As Fast As I Can".

The Pinkney couple's biography on Ella Fitzgerald is a delightful read for young children who want to learn more about the talented jazz artist. The use of narrator Scat Cat Monroe as a device to engage children is successful especially due to his use of language. The rhymes and rhythms the authors adopt to tell the story echo the snazziness of the music at the time. Young readers will thoroughly enjoy getting to know more about the artist Fitzgerald through this story.

I found a children's book about her, even better. It was a great book to jive with. Beautiful pictures, and a nice history lesson on this wonderful woman!

"You may think I look like any other cat. But baby, I'm in a class all by myself. Scat Cat's my name. Scat Cat Monroe. A name I've earned. Got my name from knowin' Ella. Ella Fitzgerald. The Queen of Scat. What's scat? you ask. Scat's the sound that don't hold back. Ella's sound-that was scat. Singing so supreme. Music's velvet-ribbon dream..." Narrated by this cool, zoot suited feline, Scat Cat Monroe introduces the incomparable, Ella Fitzgerald, to a whole new generation of fans. From her humble beginnings in Yonkers, New York, to her contest winning debut at Harlem's Apollo Theater at seventeen, to her meteoric rise, singing with the big bands and jazz artists of the 1930s and '40s, Scat Cat was there, stompin' at the Savoy with the Chick Webb Orchestra and jammin' to cloud nine and back with Dizzy Gillespie. "Now, when Ella performed, she let her lyrics go. She took her singing out to play." Andrea Davis Pinkney's engaging, lyrical text swings with imagery, magic, and rhythm. Brian Pinkney's bold, bright, and inventive illustrations dazzle, as they swirl around the pages to the music of the words. Together, word and art create an inspiring and captivating introductory biography starring the First Lady of Song. With an Author's Note at the end to complete the story, Ella Fitzgerald is an energetic, fun-filled tribute, that's perfect for music lovers 8-12, and also works well as a read-aloud for younger children.

My son, Maxwell, loves this book. We brought it for his 1st birthday. His dad reads it to him often. It's a positive reinforcement of the uniqueness of being African American. This book does a great job at highlighting the beautiful features of African American children. Maxwell smiles and laughs when he sees his own pretty brown reflection at the end of the book.

A beautifully written and illustrated book for children of all races. My daughter especially enjoys looking in the mirror on the last page. Its a wonderful self exploratory book for babies.

This bought this book for my grandsons (2 1/2 and 15 months). It quickly became one of their favorite books. They especially enjoy the mirror in the back. Thanks for such a positive and very simple book. SEG

This work is so easy to review. It was an absolutely wondeful read. I think it would be difficult for anyone else to compile so much information in such an 'easy to read' format. This book lives up to the expectations you would have after reading "The Leaders." and "The Legacies," the other two books in this series.

A really good book even if your not really a history buff. The book touches on many different things not just the battles, such things as the foot soldier's life, the Iron Brigade, Gettysburg: the civilians. The book however still talks about many important and significant battles of the war like, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, Vicksburg, First Manassas, and Fort Sumpter. Every topic you read about will only be about 25 pages long but it is still indepth enough to give you as much information as you could want out of the topic your reading about. I personally enjoyed reading this book, and even if your not big into the Civil War their are plenty of interesting stories and pictures that will keep your interest in reading. You can hardly go wrong reading this because their are 17 different topics so if you don't like one you can go to the next. This is a great book and it fits in with the two others that complete the series. The History Channel and William C. Davis out do themselves again.

I purchased this book for my six year old nephew who is blind and a bird lover. This book is incredible! The illustrations are wonderful and the story focuses on family togetherness, not just blindness. It is a wonderful book for siblings with differences, any child really.

Brian's Bird is a wonderfully written and beautifully illustrated picture book. Author Patricia Davis tells a simple direct story while creating many opportunities for visual images. Layne Johnson's striking and colorful photo-like pictures jump to life off the page.

This story of a blind boy who delights in his new pet parakeet is ideal for young readers. The book treats Brian's blindness in a positive manner. The scene in which he uses his sense of touch to solve the mystery of his birthday present gives young readers the opportunity to gain understanding of the special skills of a blind person. The description of how the bird's feet feel on Brian's finger is delightful.

Brian exhibits patience and persistence in teaching his bird. There is humor in the story, as when Brian hears someone calling his name, only to realize it is the bird. Once again, the author highlights the use of an alternate sense.

Brian's brother presents challenges for Brian from the opening pages of the book. Indeed, his brother's actions lead to the bird's flight from the house. The boys work together to solve the problem and sibling teamwork wins the day.

The book presents many opportunities for an adult reading this story to a young child to discuss a variety of issues. The book is also appropriate for young readers up to age 8 or 9 to read on their own.

"Jump Back, Honey: The Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar" combines several poems from this beloved African-American poet with illustrations from several different artists: Ashley Bryan, Faith Ringgold, and more. Dunbar (1872-1906) was an expert at writing poems in both a formal "literary" English and in a style that evoked African-American vernacular speech (this second type of poem was known as a "dialect" poem). This book includes excellent examples of both modes. A sample from a "dialect" poem: "Fiddlin' man jes' stop his fiddlin', / Lay his fiddle on de she'f."

I liked how several different visual artists contributed to this book; this gives the book a nice sense of variety. My favorite illustrations include Jerry Pinkney's pictures, which are vibrant with color and energy, and Carole Byard's delicate picture that accompanies "The Sparrow."

These are poems about nature, African-American culture, and the joys of love and family life. This book is an excellent choice for a multicultural children's book collection.

A versatile group of illustrators add flair to Paul Laurence Dunbar's poetry. Faith Ringgold's portrait of Frederick Douglass gives additional power to "Douglass". Jerry Pinkney's illustrations capture the playfulness and sass of "A Negro Love Song"; and "The Colored Band". Both Carole Byard's and Jan Spivey Gilchrist's illustrations add contemporary color and meaning to this anthology. The notes list brief biographical information on Dunbar and some background data on the title of this book. Some facts about the illustrators are also included in this collection of poems. This book can be used for school and church performances and plays.

This beautiful picture book biography recounts the life and career of jazz musician, Edward Kennedy Ellington -- better known to all as the Duke.

When the Duke's parents enrolled him in piano lessons for the very first time, he flat out did not want to go. At that time he had visions of playing baseball; but his parents insisted that he learn to play the piano. The music lessons were slow and not a lot of fun. It wasn't long before he quit taking lessons altogether and kissed the piano goodbye. Little did he know then that the melodious rhythms of Ragtime would draw him back to this instrument again and lead to his success as a great musician, composer, and orchestra leader!

Andrea Davis Pinkney does an outstanding job sharing the Duke's story with young readers. Her husband, Brian Pinkney, matches her wonderful text with vibrate illustrations, which translate the Duke's music into a series of bold colored spirals, waves, curls, and swirls that literally leap off of the pages of the book! Without a doubt, this husband and wife collaboration will guide readers in appreciating the rhythm and beat of the Duke's life and music. This book is truly a musician's delight!

I just finished reading the Pinkney's "Duke Ellington" to a first grade class in our predominantly white rural school northeast of Seattle. Being trained as a musician, but now working as a librarian, I loved the way this text really swings. When I noticed much of the slang was going over the heads of the children, I'd ask them if they knew what certain words meant. Interestingly, the one African-American girl in the class was hip to most of the jive.

Sure some of the terminology went right past these kids, but they got into the groove, which is carried along soulfully by the vibrant illustrations. Like another reviewer here, when I was done reading this to the kids, I wanted to hear "Take the 'A' Train." Fortunately I had a CD of "Duke Ellington's 16 Most Requested Songs" sitting in my library, so I popped it in, and these kids were a-hoppin' and a-boppin'.

I think next time, I'll play the CD first. Hopefully, I'll be able to settle 'em down afterwards to hear this jazzy biography.

"Duke Ellington" is a biography of the legendary composer. The book is directed towards younger readers. Andrea Davis Pinkney's text is well complemented by the rich, colorful illustrations by her husband and collaborator, Brian Pinkney.

The book begins with Ellington's childhood, and describes his early interest in music and the beginning of his career. The Pinkneys portray his triumph at the Cotton Club, his musical partnership with Billy Strayhorn, and other aspects of his life and career. The book concludes with the triumphant premiere of Ellington's great composition "Black, Brown, and Beige" at Carnegie Hall in New York.

One of the aspects of the book that I like best is Andrea Pinkney's use of hip slang that recalls the era being portrayed. Example: "Yeah, those solos were kickin'. Hot-buttered bop, with lots of sassy-cool tones." And Brian Pinkney's illustrations combine vibrant color with an appealing "antiqued" look. Overall, an excellent educational book for young readers.

Oh looks so tempting. From the way windows 95 secrets went i could only wish. This is really torture because it's infront of me and i can't have it. Dag! WOW Nice Book i don't want to leave this web page.

This book gives you every tool you need to get yourself through the rough edges, yet get the most from the Operating System! I love it and its tools!!!

This is THE book on WINDOWS 98! I also have the Windows 95 version, and find it to be the most helpful, so I am now reading my new copy of Windows 98...AND with 4 CDs, it is truly a great deal! Windows 95 users can benefit from this book also! A MUST have book for YOUR library.