This is a great book for X-Files fans, but also for anyone who has even a passing interest in science. If you think science is dull, boring, difficult, only for nerds or without a shred of imagination - read this book. It is filled with lots of scientific facts and anecdotes that are, sorry Chris Carter, better than the X-Files. It turns out real science is more interesting than science fiction. The book is written so people of all levels can understand the concepts behind the X-Files, and some other ideas that are at the forefront of scientific research in the world today. I wanted to share this with a lot of my friends, and not only my science friends. I never new science could be so exciting. It turns out, that, science, like everything else, needs a little bit of luck, hard work, and a lot of imagination to discover the "microbes, meterorites, & mutants" that make this planet go around. A great gift, and get one for yourself.

Anne Simon's "The Real Science Behind the X-Files" is my new favorite book. It addresses complex subject matter in a manner similar to that of Physicist Stephen Hawking...easy for the layman to understand and enjoy, and packed with enough hard core science for a true scientist to become captivated. And to top it all off, you've got Mulder and Scully as the leading characters. Simon does a magnificent job of illustrating exactly where the real science becomes science fiction, but gives due respect to that which is not yet proven or is knocking on the door of discovery. It makes you appreciate the "X-Files" a whole lot more knowing how much thought and effort goes into making the storylines as accurate as possible. Great for a casual read and a pleasantly entertaining learning experience.

This book makes fascinating reading, even for the non-scientist and non X-File fan. Personally, my last forays into science were sometime in the tenth grade, and I've only seen the X-Files show sporadically. But Professor Simon explains the scientific rationale behind the episodes in such an entertaining and illuminating manner, I never missed a beat. She is a thoroughly competent scientist, but I think it's her excellent storytelling ability that sets this work apart. As someone who's tried to struggle through a number of "science for laypeople" books and put them down unfinished, I would recommend this book as a very entertaining read.

Mr. Lewis has given us an entertaining and educational book that provides insights and answers to gambling and tax liability issues. It was a quick read, written in an easily understandable format, and a valuable asset in preparing for tax time.

Every chapter had information that helped me with my tax return. Finally I have found an easy to read and understand book with a very helpful step by step approach.

As a future lawyer and avid gambler, I would advise both clients and friends to read this book before they purchase their boarding passes for the riverboat casinos. Mr. Lewis provides a simple plan that can save your winnings!

For all you fans of women's gymnastics, this is the book you have been waiting for! It leaves no stone unturned in the gymnastics happenings between 1966-1974. We see the descriptions, both in word and in Code of Points illustrations, of the routines performed by famous gymnasts such as Caslavska, Tourisheva, Rigby, Korbut, Zuchold, Janz, and many others. The pictures are terrific! So are the bio's.

This book takes you back to the glory days when women's gymnastics was performed by WOMEN, not by anorexic teenaged dwarves. In fact, it inspired me to resume gymnastics after an 18-year hiautus!

I got in touch recently with Mr. Simons, the author, to order Volume II, but it has not yet been released. Please do so immediately, sir!! So many people are waiting eagerly for it!

The most wonderful women's gymnastics book written.
I have been waiting for a long time for volume II, and that is the ONLY dissapointing thing about this book. Worth every cent.
Mr. Simons----please put out Volume II soon!!!!

It just does not get any better than this. This book is an absolute must for any gymnastics fan. I bought it as soon as it was published and do not understand why volume 2 is not yet available. I understand four volumes were originally planned. I really hope they will be out soon.

I last read this book two years ago and plan to read it again soon. I honestly could not put it down! It is a true story of Simon Kenton who as a teenager became one of the bravest and most skilled frontiersmen of the late 1700s. He became a friend of Daniel Boone and in fact saved his life in a daring rescue at Boonsboro. The book includes many detailed facts gathered from diaries, memoirs, historical records and many other sources and each is carefully footnoted. Many references are made to geographical locations of events so that you can actually drive up to the place where these historical events occurred. It is history turned into a novel and is very enjoyable reading.

This is one of the best books I have ever read! I highly recommend it to everyone. This book kept me spellbound. If you had trouble getting interested in history before, you won't while you are reading this. Why can't they teach history like this in school?

Allan Eckert spent 7 years researching this book. It is a true story of history. He tells the truth about the frontier as it was for real people. I am so glad a friend recommended this book to me. I plan to re-read this book and check out some of Eckert's other books.

I love this book! Eckert's classic tale of Simon Kenton and settlement of the Ohio Valley is a must read for anyone interested in the history of the United States. This book was recommended to me after reading Eckert's "Dark and Bloody River". It is exciting, highly engaging, and historically detailed. The notes at the end of the book are a novel by themselves. The story of Kenton, Boone, and the Kentucky settlers is truly amazing. It has often been said that this should be required reading in high school and I can't help but agree. Eckert's books take place in a time and place nearly forgotten by modern Americans. Children raised on the old "Cowboys and Indians" westerns never learn that there was a whole other "West" on the Eastern frontier and the Northwest Territory. I grew up in Ohio, and I never learned about many of the events that happened in my own back yeard until I began reading Eckert! Many people are surprised to learn that there were a number of very bloody and significant battles during the Revolutionary War west of the Appalaichans, right here in Ohio in fact. A whole chapter of our history is being forgotten, but luckily, Eckert's books help to prevent that.

Jack and Annette Simon have published an important book-- one that will open up vital dialogue between children and adults on an often avoided topic. Jack's words, full of honesty and insight, provoke as many smiles as tears, and the delightful illustrations are no less powerful for their whisical style. Hats off to Annette for allowing Jack's comments and questions to stand on their own. By not trying to provide pat answers to the mysteries of life and death, she validates the complex feelings of grief with which all of us-- children and adults-- wrestle. Keep this book on your shelf; we are all going to need it sometime in life.

Children ask many questions about death and this book explores some of the common ones that children are interested in knowing. Hard to get through without bringing a tear to your eye. Illistrations are wonderful and eye catching to a child's imagination.

This book is wonderful. We are sharing them with all of the children at our grief and loss camp and we hope it gives them comfort during such a difficult time. It is important for children to know that they are not alone in their grief and we will use this book to open up dialog so they can begin to understand. We will keep copies of the books at our hospice for all of our families to read.

Simon R. Green gives a series of small hints to those familiar with his amazing book "Blue Moon Rising". In his one-eyed, scar-faced hero, there are several clues that this could be Rupert, with Fisher bearing a distinct likeness to Julia. It is very intriguing, and he would never dream of slipping enough to tell you for sure. The Hawk & Fisher books stand on their own, with dashing tales of love, honor, betrayal, evil, vengence and a distinctly darker tone than Blue Moon Rising. There is not as much humor in the characters, but if you liked Rupert and Julia in the other book, you will love Hawk and Fisher in these.

I learned of the original prints of these books years ago, and despaired of ever finding them. Then I ran across *this* volume and rejoiced. (I hope they're reprinting 4-6. I have #4 and #6 from the original printing, used, and they're also great, BTW.) Hawk and Fisher *are* Rupert and Julia as far as I'm concerned, and it's hardly any secret: physical descriptions (including eyepatch), the way Hawk calls Fisher "lass" (though other Green characters do that), and a telling sewer scene when Fisher doesn't want to leave Hawk alone "in the dark" (remember Rupert's fear of the dark?). Not to mention when they admit to being from "around Hillsdown" and being up north when the Blue Moon rose.

Still, it's a great series--light-hearted, not too serious, and a good deal of social satire (you see this especially in the Haven elections in _Winner Takes All_).

Oh, and for those who wonder, SWAT in Haven stands for "Special Wizardry and Tactics."

In the refuse pile known as the city of Haven, Hawk and Fisher are one feared couple. In fact, very few couples are feared more. Captains in Haven's overworked, underpaid guard force, the two of them fight crime in one of the city's worst beats - and crime generally loses when the two of them are involved. A rather painful loss.

Unfortunately for the law-abiding citizens of Haven, were there any to be found, Hawk and Fisher are only one couple and can only be in one place at one time. Crime manages to thrive despite their best efforts and that's enough to turn anyone cynical - which is exactly what they are. Overworked, underpaid, cynical, armed with sharp pointy things, and the best at what they do.

GUARDS OF HAVEN is actually a set of three mid-length stories, told in chronologial order and occurring one right after the other. With a 'mystery' flavor, the stories have a definitive fantasy setting. The guards have no qualms about morality; they try to do what's right but their methods have become a little more violent along the way. The same undertone runs throughout the book, which deals with the nitty-gritty city life. Morality's an option, not a way of life.

For all that though, the book is funny and invigorating. Hawk and Fisher have enough quirks to make them realistic. The description is enough to give the necessary information but never so much as to slow the plot down. The flashes of the deeper relationship between Hawk and Fisher are enough to make the hopeless romantic in me celebrate but never too much to be called 'mush.' This is definitely a book worth a read.

Just don't go to Haven to buy it.

Ever wonder why London is a great metropolis? Well, the development of Amsterdam as a trading hub had a lot to do with it. This book goes into the intertwining of Dutch, English (and thus American) history and gives more information than you ever thought possible about Dutch culture.

We usually think of tulips, windmills, cheese and wooden shoes when asked about the Netherlands. Most people don't know that during the late 1600's and during the 1700's, the Dutch were the powerhouse of Europe. They defined Trade with a capital "T" and spread goods, fads (tulip speculation--a bit like the dot-com pheonomenon of the 90's) and much, much more. The Dutch wealth explosion also created the true middle class, and the idea that wealth is created and not inherited.

To understand American culture and history, you'd be well advised to read Simon Schama's book. It's enjoyable and sheds a lot of light on our own heritage.

I was born in 1942, and my earliest memories are of troop transports and the soldiers guarding the TVA dam where my grandfather was superintendent. All my mother's brothers went to Europe to fight the war. I can still hear my mother leaning over and telling me how bad Hitler was because he crushed the Netherlands.

My mother was of Dutch descent. When they were small children, her grandparents had immigrated from Zeeland and Groningen in the 1870s. Their families settled in Holland Michigan. Mom and her family talked about the Netherlands and the Queen as if they had never left. Mother would point to our rosy cheeks and say "Look at that Dutch complexion." They cooked Dutch food, grew Dutch bulbs and attended the Dutch Reformed Church. Although some of them were still alive when I was a child, I can barely remember my great grandparents.

When I visited Amsterdam a few years ago, I bought Simon Schama's book THE EMBARRASMENT OF RICHES. It is THE KEY to understanding my roots and explains to me why I think the way I do (I am a Democrat).

Schama writes of a time when things were more or less wonderful in the Netherlands. Yes, there was war. The "super" powers could not keep their hands off the Dutch provinces. And plague was constantly lurking--even Rembrandt's family did not escape. But, for the first time in history, a real democracy began to bloom. The Netherlands IS the birthplace of Democracy. It was the first place in the world to actually practice religious tolerance. During it's golden age, it became a destination for thousands of refugees. The Dutch economy expanded and personal wealth increased and the Netherlands experienced the first "middle-class" with middle class values--those same values captured later in the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

What struck me most forcefully about RICHES is that the U.S. today is so much like the Netherlands of 400 years ago. The economy has been expanding since WWII, employment is at all time highs, immigrants have come at unprecendented rates, and the middle class has grown. Never before have so many had so much.

Schama doesn't preach, but it's easy to see the similarities. And, it's easy to see that the U.S. could suffer the same fate as the Netherlands. No, there isn't a huge superpower like France or Spain waiting to destroy the country. Today, the enemy is different--AIDS, religious fundamentalism, intolerance.

Schama says the Dutch saw their country as the New Jerusalem. The Dutch were sure they were God's chosen people, just as the Jews had been in the Old Testament. Some Americans believe they are now God's chosen people--the first settlement in New England was named "Salem" for Jerusalem.

I started out to find my roots in EMBARRASSMENT, and I did. The book provided me with an enormous amount of information about the Dutch, their thinking and how it came to pervade the thinking in America today. The Census Bureau says Dutch is one of the top 10 ancestry groups in the country. The descendents of the 16th Century Dutch have built the New Jerusalem. The question is--will it endure or will it perish like it's predecessor?

I've lived in the Netherlands for four years, and found this book to be both delightful and illuminating. Particularly for expats living here in the Netherlands, it sets a good base for understanding Dutch life-- but I think it's the sort of book that anyone who loves history would enjoy.

Embarassment of Riches focuses on almost every element of Dutch life-- political sphere, standard of living, role of women, treatment of children, moral taboos, legal standards, attitudes towards money and so much more. The writing is direct, stylish, and witty and the illustrations are well-chosen and clearly add to the point of the author.

This book does a good job of logically explaining the step-by-step method of corporate valuation. Benninga and Sarig do a good job of focusing on the practical tools of finance. I only wish the DCF examples were less simplistic. A substantial amount of additional work is needed to apply these models to real world firms.

This is a very good book for starters in Corporate Finance. People interested in understanding company valuations should definitely read this. Nevertheless, do take the contents with a certain grain of salt. Finance is a very subjective field, and numbers are ALWAYS subject to interpretation. Experts in the field might find themselves not agreeing with some of the methods employed. Finally, readers should have a good background in Accounting. It is also recommended that you have a computer running MS Excel and that you are familiar with the program.

As someone who is just beginning in the field of corporate finance and M&A work I must say that, without a doubt, Corporate Finance: A Valuation Approach has given me the edge I needed in taking on models and running with them. My performance has improved dramatically. Most books on the topic of corp. fin. and valuation, while sound theoretically, lack true applicability. This book is exactly what I've been looking for and I strongly recommend it to those who work regularly with financial models.

Juan has done a fantastic job of translating the Gita into such concise writing. Every verse interpreted (though it biased towards Juan's opinion or philosophies) was succinct and did not require the reader to crack his/her head over the meaning. For me it was certainly an excellent introduction to the marvellous poem. Another version by Ramanand Prasad is more in depth and profound in it's translation. The free version by him could be found at www.gita-society.com Here's an example of the two contrasting profundity and distinctive styles of translations:

For verse 2:27 Juan's translation was :

Set thy heart upon thy work, but never on its reward. Work not or a reward; but never cease to do thy work.

as for the one by Ramanand Prasad, it came out as :

You have Adhikaara over your respective duty only, but no control or claim over the results. The fruits of work should not be your motive. You should never be inactive. (2.47) (The word Adhikaara means ability and privilege, prerogative, jurisdiction, discretion, right, preference, choice, rightful claim, authority, control.)

A reader wishing to venture into the depths of the Gita should consider reading this version by Juan as an overview of it.

no words!!just read it!!my words are nothing comparing to Bahagavad Gita!!read it whoever you are!Thanx

Juan Mascaro's edition of the Gita is undoubtedly one of the more attractive versions for the general reader who is approaching the Gita for the first time. Mascaro, besides being a Sanskrit scholar, is a sensitive translator who clearly resonates to the Gita. He tells us that the aim of his translation is "to give, without notes or commentary, the spiritual message of the Bhagavad Gita in pure English." To suggest just how well he has succeeded, here is his rendering of Verse II.66:

"There is no wisdom for a man without harmony, and without harmony there is no contemplation. Without contemplation there cannot be peace, and without peace can there be joy?"

Many readers will probably be content to remain with Mascaro, and it certainly seems to me that his translation reads beautifully and that a fair number of his verses have never been bettered by others. But the Gita is not quite so simple as it may sometimes appear. If we want to arrive at a fuller idea of just what the Gita means by "wisdom," "harmony," "contemplation," "peace," and so on, we will need to consult other and fuller editions.

There are many editions which, besides giving a translation of the Gita, also give a full commentary such as the excellent one by Sri Aurobindo in his 'Bhagavad Gita and Its Message' (1995). Others, besides giving a commentary and notes, also give the Sanskrit text along with a word-by-word translation. Some of these even include the commentary of the great Indian philosopher, Shankara (c. + 788 to 820), such as the very fine edition by Swami Gambhirananda (Calcutta: Advaita Ashrama, 1995, which may be available through the Vedanta Press, CA). Here is the latter's English rendering of Verse II.66:

"For the unsteady there is no wisdom, and there is no meditation for the unsteady man. And for an unmeditative man there is no peace. How can there be happiness for one without peace?"

This may not seem to have carried us much beyond Mascaro until we start looking at Shankara's commentary, of which the following provides a taste:

"Ayuktasya, for the unsteady, for one who does not have a concentrated mind; na asti, there is no, i.e. there does not arise; buddhih, wisdom, with regard to the nature of the Self; ca, and; there is no bhavana, meditation, earnest longing for the knowledge of the Self; ayuktasya, for an unsteady man. And similarly, abhavayatah, for an unmeditative man, who does not ardently desire the knowledge of the Self; there is no shantih, peace, restraint of the senses. Kutah, how can there be; sukham, happiness; ashantasya, for one without peace? That indeed is happiness which consists in the freedom of the senses from the thirst for enjoyment of objects; not the thirst for objects - that is misery to be sure. The implication is that, so long as thirst persists, there is no possibility of even an iota of happiness!" (page 112-3).

For anyone who would like to see a full treatment of the language of the Sanskrit text, there is Winthrop Sargeant's stupendous labor of love, 'The Bhagavad Gita' (SUNY, 1984) which offers a complete grammatical description of every single Sanskrit word in the text, along with much else.

Finally, for anyone who would like to look at a first-rate study of the Gita, there is Trevor Leggett's 'Realization of the Supreme Self - The Yoga-s of the Bhagavad Gita' (Kegan Paul International, 1995). This is a superb work with an intensely practical bent which sees the Gita, not so much as a metaphysical treatise but as a book of practical instruction. I used to think I knew the Gita before I discovered Leggett!

But despite the great wealth of available editions, of which I've mentioned only a few here, I still find myself returning to Mascaro from time to time. A perfect translation of the Gita into English is probably unattainable, but Mascaro seems to have come as close as anyone is ever likely to do. His version has a tendency to send down roots and grow in the mind.

This book gives a hasidic, yet not sectarian view on many aspects of life. Whereas most hasidic books stand still at questions on faith, this book explores the mind in a more philosophical way. The last few chapters can be missed; as the writer is repeating himself to much. Hence the 4 stars in stead of 5.

My mother is a Lubavitcher and she sent me this book. I readit a year later and was delighted to find that it is one of the mosthumanistic, clear-headed, non-dogmatic collections of wisdom about how to live one's life as a moral, responsible, righteous person. It covers different part of life---birth, adolescence, marriage, death---as well as some of the toughest issues of our time. A fountain of wisdom that I felt driven to share with others!

I could not resist this title, for I , like most of us, search for ways to make life meaningful. I was not disappointed. The Rebbe taught that we find joy not through material things and momentary pleasures, but by living a life that involves caring, compassion, respect, and duty. He covers the everyday things we all deal with: children, work, death, and life. This book is probably the most practically inspirational book I have read, and is definitely ecumenical. I highly recommend it for anyone seeking to find more meaning and more joy in life.