For those who find themselves facing potential new, adverse local government regulation, ARRL has recently released a new publication, Antenna Zoning for the Radio Amateur by Fred Hopengarten, K1VR. This is an excellent new publication that provides a lot of material to help you as you approach local governing bodies to be able to put up an antenna.

There is a CD ROM with documents you can use directly to aid your efforts. The book may seem a bit pricey ..., but if you find that you are in need of an attorney's services in your quest, you can save more than the cost of this book in attorney's fees because the book provides a treasure chest of material your attorney will not have to search out! I highly recommend this book!

This is a delightful book and CDROM which are full of useful tips and info. Hopengarten impressively thought of everything and still expresses interest in learning and sharing more.

We're certainly fortunate in this wonderful hobby of ours to have talented individuals like Fred Hopengarten, Jim O'Connell and other volunteer counsels to share valuable insight into the various aspects of our hobby.

Whenever another ham knocks the ARRL, my response always includes remarks to the effect that everything I know about ham radio comes from ARRL literature. This magnum opus certainly further justifies my thoughts in this regard.

I am really excited about this book. I get a lot of e-mails and telephone calls asking for zoning information. This new ARRL book is a MUST read for anyone planning to put up a tower. Get the book and read it before you even look at an antenna catalog.

Fred Hopengarten, K1VR, a communications lawyer and contester, has written a truly fine book designed to save the serious amateur a lot of money, time and grief. It is a must read for any ham who plans to buy a house and put up a dream antenna system. Even before you buy the house or begin looking at tower and antenna catalogs you should get a copy of the book. There is practical advice on selecting a real estate agent, dealing with a town clerk, and getting a copy of the local building codes. Fred covers every subject you can think of and then adds quite a few you didn't think of but should have.

Don't be put of by the ... price tag as it will be the best money you will spend on the entire house and antenna project. Your initial reaction may be that this is way too much for a book that is only 286 pages long, but be aware that you also get a CD-ROM crammed full of precedent setting cases, sample letters and documents designed to help you and your lawyer prepare you zoning application and or appeal. Director Jay Bellows, KØQB, a Minnesota lawyer who serves on the Tower Assistance Committee with me, feels that the CD-ROM is the best part of the book as you or your lawyer can edit the PDF files using Word and tailor them to your needs.

Even for an old veteran of many tower battles this a truly invaluable book. Fred takes us through the entire process providing detailed guides along the way with tips on how to talk to town officials and what not to say. These are very important things easily forgotten. He makes the point that you should at all times be the good guy in the white hat who lets the town know what he is doing an why. It is surprisingly easy to read which is a real accomplishment with a subject as detailed and complicated.

The book is designed to give you a view of the entire process and help you avoid the pitfalls that others have fallen into along the way. It is a college course in the subject at a graduate level. Some few may discover after reading it that they came across the book too late in the process and would be better off changing their plans or looking for a second dream house.

It will save me hours on the telephone when a local ham calls for advice. But even for them the book may be helpful in making that decision possible. The best advice I can now give is before you even begin to look for a house, read Antenna Zoning for the Radio Amateur. Failure to buy and read it is almost certainly guaranteed to cost you many times more in money and time wasted.

Saberhagen creates a subtle and cleaver combination of technology and magic. Best of all, he creates unforgetable characters acting in a world of stark contrasts between good and evil, naivety and worldliness, and greed and compassion. I couldn't put it down - even after reading it three times.

I'm at lost for word's to describe this book and the other two earlier books of the Empire of The East trilogy.....it's the best trilogy i've ever read and has found a match with Stephen Donaldson Unbeliever Chronicles. I've smiled , laughed and cried because of this book...it's magic.

The third volume of Empire of the East, originally published by DAW as Changling Earth. This was the first Saberhagen I read, and it hooked me for life. He weaves a fast paced plot, alternating points of view, composing cleverly-imagined action scenes, creating intriguing heroes like Chup and Mewick, villians named Abner and Ominor, a formidable wizard called Gray, a frightening Demon named Orcus, the ever-intriguing femme fatale, Charmaine, and the mysterious Ardneh. Armies collide, secret missions are launched, intruiges and schemes unleashed, chases, escapes, and a marvelous, mind-bending denoument. These ingredients may seem common place, but it's the handling that makes these books special; vivid images that stick in the mind, writing that seems simple enough on the surface, but through which I constantly fall, experiencing not sentences, but action, image, and emotion. Years later, I still remember the images, replaying it in my mind as vividly as any special effects extravaganza. Highly recommended. Although complete in itself, you should read the preceding books for the full effect. Also, Saberhagen's popular, and eqally excellent Swords books take place in the same world, at a much later, much changed time.

A compilation of essays about Balinese religion and culture, author sometimes ends up repeating himself (though he does warn the reader of this, right off the bat). But it's really a wonderful volume for anyone who wants an in-depth understanding of the Balinese.

Eiseman is thorough in his detail, but the style is not at all dry and academic. There are lovely little personal anecdotes, and it really comes from the heart of a man who has spent much of his life in Bali.

Cosmology and religion are covered in this volume, such as an explanation of how a home is built with respect to cosmic forces and directions. There is a valuable guide to festivals, complete with calendar. Especially fun is Balinese astrology, and the author writes extensively about this.

A possible approach: read the Lonely Planet cultural section first, then go to Bali, then read Eiseman.

Although it won't tell you where to stay or which restaurant to visit, the book is a great, unpretensious guide to the elaborate daily rituals of the Balinese, written by an American who's developed something of an obsession with Bali. It offers the clearest descriptions available of mask making, Balinese dance, temple rituals and offerings. The book is so good you'll find it on every coffee table in Bali.

This book covers Balinese religions and culture in ways that are both informative and useful for the serious traveller/tourist or casual student of Bali.

Having spent six months in Bali in the '70's and having read extensively, I am even more enthusiastic about this book.

Volume two covers more limited and esoteric topics.

You should get a good map to accompany this book.

Quotes about the composers, by the composers, about the nusic, about the inspiration for the music, about the instruments, and about performance... this book of quotes provides an alphabetical listing of topics which include composers themselves and many other subjects. William Shakespeare, George Bernard Shaw, and other famous non-musicians also figure prominently.... its is interesting to read quotes from the composers about a piece I am currnetly playing... gives a new viewpoint, that of the genius who created the music.... and there are a few criticisms too.... a great book for musicians and music-lovers!

This is a wonderful book filled with images of the beat coffeehouse hangouts in Greenwich village circa 50s and 60s. It is great to actually be able to view a photo of a poetry reading as it took place in one of these bohemian haunts. We are lucky that the author had the foresight to take photos in the smoke-filled coffeehouses and beat pads. I have a coffeehouse and the book is a great reference to utilize when trying to recapture the spirit and styling of the 50s coffeehouse.

McDarrah's photograpic work evokes what it must have been like to frequent the bohemian scene of the late '50s and early '60's. Anyone who is greatly interested in the literature of this genre, but too young to have actual remembrances of this era, will find this work fascinating. Many of the photos have never been published before, and thus are a refreshing change from the standard photos of Kerouac, Ginsberg, and crew that have been served up so many times elsewhere. McDarrah, who I believe worked for the Village Voice at that time, has done a fine job in selecting the photos in this collection. My favorites are one of Diane DiPrima, perched on a piano reciting her poetry, and Herbert Huncke visiting Allen Ginsberg and attempting to fix the latter's broken TV. I also enjoyed the many pics of other accomplished, but lesser known figures of the era, and the establishments they frequented, such as the Cedars Bar & Grill

Gem says it all!
It took 30 years, but somebody has finally taken all the hi-tech blackjack strategy that you need to actually beat the game and reduced it into clear layman's terms. This book turns basic strategy into an artform with 7 hands that should be played "against the book" if the right cards are on the board. It also touches on a provocative angle that I've never seen dealt with before, "Hand Interaction" (completing other players' doubles for less, taking part of their advantageous splits, pawning off one of your own disadvantaged split cards, etc.)
The author, an obviously accomplished card counter presents some laughingly simple ways for a basic strategy player to identify a shoe that has become heavy in Tens and Aces, then shows exactly how to bet and play that shoe through to the end.
The book is littered throughout with graphic card hand illustrations which really drive home its salient points. It also contains the new unbalanced KISS Count which makes basic card counting about as easy as it can get. Later in the book, the reader is shown how to refine the basic Kiss Count into a full scale performer.
The chapter on advanced skills and techniques contains useful gems, particularly a list of 15 "camouflage" plays that a journeyman counter can use to hide his proficiency. I wish this book was around 15 years ago when I was struggling with all the more tedious handbooks on advantage play. This one's a real smooth read, and provides some new insights besides.

For anyone new to blackjack or thinking about taking the next step up to card counting, I don't think you can do better than Fred Renzey's book. For the newcomer, his chapter on basic strategy is the best I've ever seen. For someone that wants some added skill plays without counting cards, his info on deviating from basic strategy based on which cards are face up on the board at the moment is something I haven't seen elsewhere. And, he offers something a lot of authors don't in regards to card counting....making it as easy or as complex as you want. You could probably learn the Ace/10 count on the plane as your flying to Vegas. The unbalanced KISS counts (I,II, or II) progress in complexity...and in your expected return. (For the more savy out there, the Stage III Kiss is
similar to the KO system, but is perhaps a shade easier to use and has a net edge of .70% over the house vs KO's .68%.) And then if you're hard core, the Mentor Count is as good of a Level II system you'll find. This book will take you from an introduction to the game to advanced counting as you pick your own level of comfort, so to speak. And anyone considering Knockout Blackjack should start here.

Great book, I found it very informative for the player who wants to play without serious counting. Renzey gives soild infromation on not only how to get to the next level, but gives super examples. His strategies are very convincing, and will give the intermediate players ways to think out of the box. The ace/10 count is so easy I can't wait to try it in June. Great reading Mr. Renzey. A must read even for the counters, several differant KISS methods covered. He is very funny as well, it is a great book.

I received the book promptly and it was like brand new.
Thank you.

If you want to really understand how brake systems work. Improve your existing brakes, or convert from drum to disc. Read this book first. Fred Puhn conveys loads of info on how these systems work. From basic hydraulics, to how brake boosters work, calipers, pads, rotors, drums. The whole works!

The Brake Handbook by Fred Puhn is the bible of brake systems. Everything you ever wanted to know about braking theory, practical applications, cylinder size calculations and brake fluids is there.

The book covers both drum and disc brakes as well as single and dual brake systems. It is well recommended for both professional and shade-tree mechanics who want to know how brakes work and what to do to make them work better.

Kurt Markus' COWPUNCHER is a stunner! In conception and execution it is simply the finest cowboy photography book ever produced and sets a lofty new standard for the genre.

Cowpuncher by Kurt Markus has won the Western Heritage Award presented once a year by the Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City for the most "Outstanding Art Book of the Year". Award ceremony will be held in Oklahoma City on the 21st April.

When I first started the book, I could not set it down. I could feel myself melt into time as I read on. I felt like I was a cowboy working the range. The smell of fresh coffee,and a cool brisk morning awaited me with every turn of the page. The pictures were beautiful. But even more, they were real.

This book gives no definitive answers on the biggest puzzles of Little Big Horn ... which is its greatest strength. By pulling together all the available testimony, from both sides and all angles, it's proof of how 'the fog of war' -- as well as participants' own agendas -- makes any battle more confusing to its participants than to those who come after. For the reader, piecing together the conflicting accounts, and assessing the characters/viewpoints/axes-to-grind of those giving them, it's a total immersion not just in the facts but in the feelings, prejudices and atmosphere of the time. A wonderful book. And one that should be basic training for every student of history, whatever their period. This is how history is.

This is Graham's great collction of testimonies about Custer and the Little Big Horn from the Sioux, Cheyene, Rees, Crows, scouts, officers, soildiers and others. An incredible collection of material laid out in categorical chapters. Graham lays this often quoted collection out without prejudice and although he questions the Indian participant's accounts due to their lack of perception of exact time and spatial realities, he presents it all the same. What is quite fascinating are the virtual raw letters of Benteen to William Goldin. The letters show Benteen's bitter side particularly toward Custer and demonstrates that Reno was also not held highly on his list, if anyone was. Also, has Godfrey's great history of the battle and the book even includes challenging letters from Grahams critics to his personal responses. A great book for those that want to know all from multiple perspectives of the participants.

By far the best of the vast Custer literature. Graham gathers together in one place primary data and lets you draw your own conclusions. On Custer, Graham is the only author I have read who writes without massaging his data to support some preconcieved theory. This book, incidently, was published in 1953, not in 1993.(It would be helpful if Amazon would note first copyright dates in book listings.) This book was not bashed out to meet a schedule or catch a market window; Graham gathered data literally for decades. Being an army officer-- Judge Advocate Corp--gave him access to files and access to survivors who were eyewitnesses to the fight at Reno's end of the field.

This is a very good book! It delves into the details right from the start. I recommend this book to anyone in the data communications field. It can be a bit dry and complex, but the material is complete and after two or so perusals is easy to understand. This book was used in my graduate course for data communications. Excellent book!

I have been using Fred Halsall's book in my computer engineering degree and it has been very useful. This is a dense, fat book that will provide lots of information. It covers the basics, from the essential theory about digital transmission, protocol basics and implementation methods, legacy and wireless LANs, HS LANs, transparent and source routing bridges, packet switching and frame relay networks/protocols, internetworking architectures, protocols and routing algorithms, multiservice broadband networks, TCP/IP and OSI application protocols, data encryption and network security, network management structures like SNMP and CMIP and other stuff. I can complain about some of the excessive use of acronyms that leave some areas of the book much harder to read. I'm talking about hundreds of acronyms here.

Also, Fred's writing is sometimes a bit too dry, sometimes forgetting to give the reader a general idea about the subject, instead of just jumping into all the details. This is something that is better done in other books, especially Andrew Tanenbaum's "Computer Networks". Tanenbaum also shares his sense of humour, which, in a dense volume about telecommunications, ends up refreshing the user. Also, Tanenbaum's dares to share his opinion sometimes, something Halsall seldom does, giving us only the facts and nothing more. But if it's the facts you want, he's good at it.

I found most of the book clear; the section about Huffman data compression for instance, was excellent. I remember having some trouble with the Viterbi EC algorithm, which isn't very well explained. The book also lacks information about some more modern technologies like GSM.

In general, this is a very competent title, and a great resource to the student or the computer professional. Be sure to check Andrew S. Tanenbaum's "Computer Networks", since you might prefer it to this title, or, the perfect choice, get both. (I have them both and some subjects are a lot better in one book, and others are a lot better in the other title).

Excellent book. I have read first edition (1992) and now it is one of my best reference at the university where I teach.

I am going to buy this last edition to keep updated.

I have the 1994 edition of this book. I looked it up on Amazon.com and the only customer reviewer said that it was outdated! And I wondered why it had not been updated. I compared the review with the picture and description by Amazon.com. Sure enough! 1994 was the last edition. The reviewer was correct. But I wrote a review anyway. And admitted I was wrong (which is highly unusual for me). Amazon.com printed my review but then updated their picture and description to a 1999 edition! Well, I can swing accolades at the book now. Just grab it and you will become interested in the question and answer format. It's an Advanced Dr. Seuss book for type 1 and 2 diabetics. My 78-year-old mother has never read a book on diabetes despite having obtained the disease 61 years ago at the age of 17. The psychological "shock" is horrible for ALL individuals. I tried to get her to read this book and that book for years. But this book is like Adam Khan's "Self-Help Stuff That Works". It's big and clumsy. Big bold questions which are followed by succinct answers. I will make an alsmost quarantee about this book. Or about any teen. If you buy the book and just hand it to them, it is very likely that they will read "some" of it. Because it is so user-friendly like Adam's book. Just leaf through it and you can put it down at anytime. NO COMMITTMENT! I love this book. I'm going to buy the updated copy real soon (within 30 days) and the "Diabetic for

Dummies" book which came out last year. She won't look at the Dummies book. But you just flip open this book and you're studying diabetes! Good luck. I'll review one more diabetes book for obsessive-compulsive math "freaks" like me who love strategies. Good luck and God bless.

I went through all of the books in a retail bookstore to find the very best book on diabetes for my mother. And this was the very best! It's wonderful! It poses the whole problem of diabetes for types 1 and 2 in a simple question and answer format. But the reviewer stated this book was outdated! I'll have to do a "run down" on this book. I voted for that reviewer. I'm not afraid to be wrong. JUST NOT SO OFTEN!

This is still my main reference after 4 years with diabetes. I'd recommend, though, that one buy the updated version, as things change so rapidly in medicine.