"In Miserable Slavery" is the copilation of Thomas Thistlewoods 10,000 page diary that he kept while he was an overseer in colonial Jamaica. Douglas Hall has done an excellent job of distilling this document into a readable version of approxamately 300 pages. What we find in Thistlewood is comentary on everyday life in colonial Jamaica without racial bias. Thistlewood is frank about all aspects of his experience, from his sexual relations, to whom he dined with, and the intricate opperations of the plantations where he was employed, and the one which he finally owned. This is primary source material that gives a humanity to slaves and those who enslaved them, which is extremely rare and of high value to historians. All of that and it is excellent reading as well.

Thistlewood's diaries contain a fascinating account of his interaction with his slaves. Thistlewood was not an English Gentry, but an overseer who left his employ with the established Cope family and ventured on his own. He learned that he could hire his slaves to the crown, and gave them more freedom than most slave owners of the time. Because of his "good treatment"sic he developed some very interesting relationships with the slaves he owned. His meticulous documention of his sexual involvement with the slaves shows what a voracious man he was. It also showed how much power his favorite slave Phibba had.

Hall does an outstanding job of putting together the diaries of Thistlewood. You really get a good picture of slave life in Jamaica

This book is an easy read and provides a wealth of information regarding Internet security. The chapter on cybercrime really opened my eyes to the dangers of the Internet. The author writes with a light sense of humor too!

The wealth of easy to understand information in this book makes it a valuable asset to a wide range (i.e., levels of technical expertise) of Internet users.

The author sets the stage for addressing the topic of Internet Security by first covering the Internet basics in easy to read fashion. He explains that it's through the various Internet subsystems that Internet Security breaches can blossom and he addresses these potential risk areas in a methodical fashion.

By leaning towards simplicity and basics, the author is able to cover a wide range of security issues and a wide range of areas of security vulnerabilities. He then addresses means that are currently available to minimize these vulnerabilities.

It's obvious from reading the book that Internet Security will never be risk free and the author describes the things that are currently being pursued to make the Internet a more secure environment.

I feel that this book is a "must read" for anyone who uses the Internet whether they're security conscious or not. If they're currently not security conscious, or aware of their vulnerabilities, this book will serve as a real "eye-opener".

This book is for you whether you are a systems administrator, have a personal or a family computer. You will come away feeling comfortable and confident with firewalls and implementing security policy. And through the use of historical background and diagrams, a better understanding of your system overall. This easy read covering everything from children on the internet to industrial espionage details exactly what you are protecting against, how to identify "suspicous" activity and what to do if you've been victimized.

This book answered all of the questions I had about investment clubs. Written in a casual, easily accessible way, this book gave precise and detailed information about founding or finding a club.
In the book, you'll learn about what work is actually involved with club membership; tips on assembling a group of committed people to be in a club with (plus tips on how to deal with troublesome member issues); and how to find and use investment and investment club resources to learn more about investing and to help keep your club running smoothly.
Whether you are simply interested in what investment clubs are and how they work, or you are serious about starting or joining an investment club, this book is a clearly written and fun way to learn about clubs. By going through each step of starting or becoming involved with an investment club, by dissecting the language of the legal documents your club must maintain, and by providing examples of actual investment clubs, this book covers it all, and will be an invaluable resource for the life of your club.

If your looking to start an invesment club - This book is a MUST have! Already have an invesment club - This book is a MUST have! It will prove to be helpful and informative for new and existing clubs. This book along with information provided by the National Association of Investors Corporation (NAIC) will help clubs become successful, long-term investors.

In the past, I have considered investment clubs to be an interesting idea. But it wasn't until I started reading Investment Club for Dummies that I seriously considered starting an investment club with a group of people.

Doug Gerlach and Angele McQuade have done such a good job with this interesting, motivational book that you want to just jump in and follow their lead. Their instructions on planning, setting up, and keeping an investment club alive seem really "do-able" and worthy of our consideration.

As with other "Dummies" books, this one is simple, instructional and fun to read - even if you're not planning on joining an investment club. Along with investment club information, you will surely absorb a good measure of facts about investing in general. And, really, which one of us knows too much about investing?

Scott Gerber's first novel is better than most of John Grisham's novels. Its faced paced, the characters are well developed, and the plot is realistic. It should be a movie. I cannot wait for Gerber's next novel.

This is not just another "who done it"; Dr. Gerber adds many interesting details of Thomas Jefferson U., Jeffersonville, and surroundings. Much of this should evoke fond memories for former students at a real Virginia school and edifying insight for the rest of us-- Virginian or not. Dr. Gerber's eloquent use of language instills an academic tone to this well paced mystery. Several brief legal thoughts add to its instructive theme without distracting from the plot. The title points to a recurring theme of finance and politics in modern education. An interesting and good read.

A Virginia Reader

A first rate novel, ethnography, of the REAL Culture in Academic life. It goes behind the scenes of tranquility that Academics like to give the impression of, and gets to the back stabing, phonyness of Academic life. Plus its a great thriller. I think all will be very happy with this book.

For the Java generalist who is serious about knowing the details of the language, I'd say there are three books that stand out from the crowd: to learn Java, read The Java Programming Language, by Gosling, et al; to thoroughly understand every nuance of the lanaguage, read The Java Language Specification, available at the Java website or in printed form; and while you're somewhere between learning and mastering the language, read Java Rules.

Java Rules methodically steps you through every aspect of the core language, referring to the specification here, a comment from Bloch or some other Java luminary there. If you're looking for an introdution to Java, this book is not for you. If you've been writing Java code for awhile and ask questions like, "I wonder how the floating point types *really* work?", then this book is absolutely for you.

In addition to the core language and a few fundamental types like String and Date, the author does go into a good deal of detail when discussing the collections framework, and his treatment of the subject is as good as any I've seen.

I hope this book catches on, it certainly deserves to.

The author has taken the Java Language Specification and other sources and organized, expanded on, and refined them in a such a way that it becomes a much easier task for any Java programmer to learn about all the nitty gritty details of Java. This is without a doubt the best book I've seen on explaining the intricacies of Java. It is obvious that the author has spent a great deal of time and effort to produce a book as well written this one. Highly recommended to anyone seriously interested in learning Java at a deeper level.

Great book! The level of detail is fantastic. The only complaint I have is the scope. The cover mentions other "volumes" but there is nothing about their availability either in the book or on the Addison-Wesley site.

This is the first book I ever read by Mr. Douglas. It was given to me by a good friend. I read it in one sitting after work one night, when I was still young, and single and living at home. I was reading in my room, and I was laughing so hard my dad had to come in every few minutes to see what was the matter. This was only after the first paragraph. Needless to say, it has been, to date, my most favorite book ever! I made the mistake of lending it out to someone at work, and I never got it back. Understandable. When I tried to find another copy a few years later, I found out that it was out of print. When I inquired about some of his other titles; "My brother Was An Only Child", "Honeymoon Mountain Inn", I found out that they were also out of print. Through further investigation I found out that he had died and that's why his titles were out of print. If you ever get a chance to read one of his books, please do so, you will never regret it. His wit, and wisdom will keep you smiling for many years. Whenever you see something familiar to his writings you will find yourself laughing out loud. If laughter is the key to better health, after reading just this book, you will never die.

I read Jack Douglas at a very young age--found it in my mother's book collection. His humor, his work in general, has long been the inspiration for my own writing. I'm not sure what happened to Mr. Douglas, or what the last book he wrote might be, but I miss his biting, morbid satire. His books can be found in the used bookstores all over Connecticut, in case anyone is looking.

I READ THIS BOOK MANY YEARS AGO, AND I LOVED IT. WHAT HAPPENED TO JACK DOUGLAS? MOST PLACES THAT I ASK CAN NOT EVEN FIND A REFERENCE TO HIM. IF YOU CAN FIND THIS BOOK, OR RUBBER DUCK, GRAB IT. I HAVE REMEMBERED THIS BOOK FOR ALMOST 20 YEARS( AND I AM ONLY 30 NOW). -- MITCH GREENE

Earlier this year I purchased this book because off the internet review and read it in one day. Do not know the author and had never heard of her before, but this book made me cry and this book gave me hope. The journey Ms. Jones went through is not unlike the struggle of many other women. It was a blessing to me to read it.

I am now re-reading it as I embark on my own journey. Thank you Ms. Jones for share your journey and your success.

ConSandra Jones has written a book that every woman should read. She has a testimony to tell and she opened up her heart and soul and shared some painful moments and experiencs to let other women know that they are not alone and it's okay to talk about it. She also vividly points out that GOD is the man to whom we should put all of our faith, trust and belief in. HE IS OUR ONLY SAVIOR!!! In this book, ConSandra gives clear instructions on how to start your journey to recover your lost soul, both spiritually and physically. Through faith and God's guidance, we can make it!!!
ConSanda Jones is a living example and a very beautiful person.

ConSandra Jones gives women the opportunity to look at her past and see the lessons learned. ConSandra show us how the stress and trials in life eventually take their toll on our body. From careers to relationships, we may lose ourselves... Applying Bible verse and showing us God will in our lives, this book truly lives up to its title of allowing a woman to start "Rediscovering Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Wholeness". Thanks ConSandra!

My friend Henry Holden has written a book that provides excellent reading for both the Historian and the interested reader. The author has blended the history of the DC-3 into a readable book for everyone. The history,the stats,the humor and the insight of the major players makes this book a must--Thanks Henry for your efforts

In case that the Amazon information page does not currently show the scope and size of this book let me say that this book is very complete: a very readable tale of the legend and lore of the DC-3, as well as being a very accurate factual history. The book has 365 pages, 495 b/w illustrations.

A quote from Dr. Peggy Batty founder of _Women in Aviation International_ "Definately the best book ever written on the DC-3"

This book has wonderful photos and stories of DC-3s around the world. A must read for any "Gooney" lover.

Critics have tended to split Evelyn Waugh into two authors: the hysterically funny satirist who wrote books like "Vile Bodies" and "The Loved One," and the very conservative Catholic writer who gave us "Brideshead Revisited" and other works. Patey shatters this shallow understanding, demonstrating convincingly that Waugh's satire, like Swift's, is solidly based on a system of positive values -- in Waugh's case, pre-Vatican II Roman Catholic religion. Patey's treatment of this aspect of Waugh, so central to him as a writer and as a man, is simply masterful. I have always found this side of Waugh distasteful, but through Patey, I found myself pulled into an intense and exciting dialogue with Waugh and his beliefs. The treatment of Waugh's life is equally superb. Perhaps more than any other genre, satire requires a knowledge of its historical context to be appreciated. Patey seems to know everything about everyone Waugh ever met, and to have read and understood everything Waugh might ever have read. He has synthesized it all and delivered it in a prose style so clear and unobtrusive that you don't appreciate it until you reflect on what he's accomplished with it. And he lets Waugh make all the jokes. There's much about Waugh to dislike, but Patey provides an understanding of the man and his art that reconciles us to him. And besides, how can you hold a grudge against an author who names a character Aimee Thanatogenous?

If anyone who wishes to learn more about the life and the works of Evelyn Waugh, this may not be the biography for him. Currently, there are three major biographies of Waugh-Stannard, Sykes, and Patey. Stannard's work is cumbersome, and often his prose is awkward, but it is certainly well worth reading for its inclusiveness. Sykes is more of a reminiscence of friendship, including anecdotes that he was privy to. Patey is the first author of apply high literary criticism to Waugh in the kind of form that a professor is apt to do. He responds specifically to continual problems raised in Waugh scholarship and provides far more coherent and concrete answers than Stannard or Sykes even attempt. He organizes the biography with an eye on chronology, but also addresses issues thematically which is brilliant, and simple, but what few literary biographies do. Bravo Mr. Patey! Thank you very much for your hard work on this matter. His biography is also meticulously footnoted.

Though half the length of the other standard biographies (Sykes, Stannard, and Hastings), Patey's book is more interesting and more insightful. He provides a context for Waugh's thoughts, so that some of EW's positions seem less strange. Patey also defends Waugh's books against the vicious criticism to which they have often been subjected. Another strength is Patey's explanation of what redeems even the non-Catholic characters. The surprising answer: the ability to love. Patey doesn't carry this point all the way through, and sometimes he seems too sympathetic to Waugh. Still, I'd rather re-read his biography than any of the others.

Radio has become such a background part of our lives, we forget just how astounding an impact it has had on our culture and psyche. Susan Douglas brings it all back to the foreground in her book "Listening In." This is not just a chronicle of the development of the media, this book takes us deep into the social impacts of radio, and how it changed how we react and interact with each other. Douglas has perfectly captured the feel and "tone" of different periods of radio listening, and explores a lot of the psychological aspects of how radio let us sample and explore different parts of our American cultue in a safe and nonthreatening way.

As a present-day radio fanatic, the book gave me hope: hope that the medium hasn't been corporatized into complete blandness. Radio will continue to evolve, just like our American culture.

Whether your're a radio technology type, an old time radio fan, or just a student of American history, you'll find something to love in this book.

Please take note that Susan J. Douglas' (Times Books, 1999) is no mere history of radio. It was triggered by a request from the Sloan Foundation that was preparing a series of books on technology and American culture; and the emphasis is not on the details but on the general effect radio has on us from its beginnings. And take another note. This is too enjoyable a read to be considered a textbook.

My favorite chapter was the one called "Radio Comedy and Linguistic Slapstick." Here only a few comics are used as examples to support her several theses, one of which is the emasculation of the American male by the use of such high-pitched speakers as Jack Benny and Joe Penner. Of course there is lots of room for argument, but she does let the facts speak for themselves (pun intended).

The other chapters are "The Zen of Listening," "The Ethereal World," "Exploratory Listening in the 1920s," "Tuning In to Jazz" "The Invention of the Audience," "World War II and the Invention of Broadcast Journalism," "Playing Fields of the Mind," "The Kids Take Over: Transistors, DJs, and Rock 'n' Roll," "The FM Revolution," "Talk Talk," "Why Ham Radio Matters," and "Conclusion: Is Listening Dead?"

Which of us has not been affected in many of the ways Ms. Douglas points out in this book? Therefore, which of us can afford to miss being shown how radio has helped make us what we are? And I do hope she produces a similar book about television.

I've got Douglas' book today for her take on ham radio (I'm part of the Amateur Radio community) and I was very impressed with the rest of the book. Though I wrinkled my nose at the over-emphasis on the gender conflict in radio, Listening In reminded me of a time when people participate in a common culture instead of idly sitting by listening to the umpteenth Top 40 hit made by over-commercialized "plastic" bands.

The ham radio chapter was simply great and I give Dr. Douglas her due for mentioning the American Radio Relay League as the national association for hams. From this chapter, I can see why hams have a nurturing touch in their approach to life! The section on radio comedy is well done (the comedy bits are good for a chuckle or two). I recommend it to those who have a deep affinity for radio and communications.