My grandfather wrote this book, so I'm probably a little partial. I only got a copy signed by him a short while back before he passed away, and I am thrilled at the way Ewert is described. From when he met his love, to when he met his fate. This book burrows deep into Comintern activity, and since the author worked for the CIA, is very true. It does, at times, say what Ewert was thinking, and it is doubtful that these feelings are correct. It gives an excellent definition of Ewert, but not much of anyone else. The book advances quickly, with Ewert going through his teens into his twentys in the first chapter. This is a good book for anyone who likes reading about spies (albiet it is not James Bond) and communism.

Encyclopedic Dictionary of Gears and Gearing is worth owning. It has many well-drawn illustrations, is organized to be accessable, and reads well. The authors do know what they're talking about.

I have two problems with the book - 1) some very basic gear terms, e.g. "hob" and "hobbing" are undefined, although both terms are frequently used thoughout the text, 2) some of the entries are out of alphabetical order and therefore hard to find, e.g. "nongenerated gear".

Aside from these editorial problems, I learned a good deal quickly from this reference book.