The many glowing reviews given this book over the years are well-deserved. John Clive gives his readers a deep and rich picture of Macaulay. I agree with another Amazon.com reviewer of this book that a volume II by Clive -- a volume that details Macaulay's life from his return from India to his death -- would have been a fantastic addition to the literature.

My only real reservation about Clive's biography is his attempted psychoanalysis of Macaulay. I find Freudian explanations to be wholly fanciful. They don't work, in my view -- and this fact seems especially true in the case of Macaulay. Fortunately, Clive doesn't resort to psychoanalysis too much.

Again, overall this is a truly excellent biography.

John Clive's biography "Macaulay: The Shaping of the Historian" is one of the finest biographies of the last 30 years. Although Macaulay is not widely read today, he was a major essayist and influential historian -- Winston Churchill's prose style seems to have been greatly influenced by Macaulay. Clive's book takes Macaulay from his days as infant prodigy, learning foreign languages as a child and writing histories before he was a teenager, and ends as he is beginning to write his enormously popular "History of England." Macaulay was also an important figure in the passage of the First Reform Bill, which was the first major alteration in the British Constitution in hundreds of years, and set the country on the road to a truly democratice form of government. Clive provides a superb description of pre-Victorian England and of Macaulay, one of those amazing people of the 19th Century whose capacity for work seems to have been endless. I don't know if Clive ever intended to write a second volume that would have covered the rest of Macaulay's life, but in any event he died before doing so. However, we should be grateful for what we have here. For me, the book was so interesting that I purchased a copy of Macaulay's Collected Works from a used bookstore, and thoroughly enjoyed them. Clive's biography is a model of the genre; while well-researched, he does not overwhelm the reader with useless facts simply because he knows them, but rather concentrates on the key facts to bring Macaulay to life. You do not have to have read Macaulay to enjoy this book.

I have never seen a book better done than is this magnificent work. It tells of the earlyier life of Macaulay, from his birth on Oct 25, 1800 till the time he returned from India on June 1, 1838. How I wish there were a volume II! This book won my award for best book read in 1975, and after I read it I knew that it was a shoo-in winner for that award, even though I read in July of that year.

C. S. Lewis would doubtless have scoffed at the idea of a reference book about himself, just as he disapproved of university courses devoted to modern authors on the sensible ground that "helps" to reading them are not needed and come between the writer and his audience.

Nonetheless, students and "fans" of the great Christian apologist and literary scholar now are offered two thick compendia on his life and work. Each has its virtues and faults, and both are worthwhile investments - though not a substitute for the straight, unfiltered Lewis.

The "Readers' Encyclopedia", reviewed here, contains articles by 44 contributors, many of them very prominent in the world of C. S. Lewis studies. The one striking absentee is Walter Hooper, Lewis' semi-official literary executor and solo author of the rival work, "C. S. Lewis: Companion and Guide". This omission is, as the saying goes, not accidental.

In more than 400 pages, consisting of a 57-page biography followed by topical entries, the Encyclopedia covers the full scope of Lewis' life, work and thought. The "work" draws the greatest attention. There are articles not only on the major books but also on virtually all of Lewis' shorter pieces, including even letters to newspapers. In addition to summarizing content, most of the contributors consider its significance, respond to the views of critics or advance criticisms of their own. They may admire their subject, but this volume is not the production of a fan club.

Weighing the Encyclopedia against the Companion, the latter is heavier (almost twice as many pages), but the former is wider in scope, with more attention to CSL's career as a scholar and more systematic coverage of his entire body of work. It makes room by treating topics more succinctly. Epitomes are shorter, there is less biographical detail, and quotations from the Lewis canon are less extensive. Unfortunately, one space saving idea was the omission of an index, the need for which is distinctly not obviated by putting articles into alphabetical order.

Often both works are excellent, though many times in different ways. The Companion's life of CSL's close friend Owen Barfield tells much about the man but is rather imprecise on his ideas and how they influenced Lewis. The Encyclopedia's fine article fills those gaps.

Elsewhere the Encyclopedia is clearly superior. The Companion's discussions of "An Experiment in Criticism" and "The Personal Heresy" leave out the context in which Lewis developed his critical theories. The Encyclopedia gives him a place in the debates occasioned by the "New Criticism".

The Companion has its innings, too. Its introductory biography is fuller and less given to unsupported psychological speculations. The Encyclopedia writer, curiously, accepts the conjectures of the anti-Christian polemicist A. N. Wilson on major issues (e. g., Lewis's relationship with Mrs. Moore and the impact of his debate with Professor Anscombe), even while pointing out that Wilson in unreliable in detail and malicious in intent.

There are spots, inevitably, where both volumes are weak. Neither describes the substance of Professor G. E. M. Anscombe's famous critique of Chapter III of "Miracles" or how Lewis amended the text to answer her criticisms. Those matters are surely of more lasting import than whether Lewis did or did not feel "defeated" after debating Anscombe.

They can also fail in different ways on the same topic. The Encyclopedia's article on "The Dark Tower", the now controversial novel fragment published after Lewis's death, is a one-sided diatribe on behalf of the theory that the work is a forgery. The Companion naturally does not allude to that allegation (as Walter Hooper is the accused forger), and it also says virtually nothing useful about the story. In fact, the uninspired plot summary is marked by omissions and mistakes. (The writer does not realize, for instance, that "Michael" is the given name of the protagonist, not of his Othertime double.)

Finally, each volume has its (very small) share of this-can't-be-real lapses. An Encyclopedia article begins, "C. S. Lewis followed traditional theological thinking of his time in presuming the Holy Spirit was the third person of the Trinity." What a ripe example of the liberal historicizing that CSL so persistently combated! But it is probably a more serious matter that the Companion barely notices "The Allegory of Love", Lewis's pioneering work on medieval love poetry that laid the foundation of his academic reputation.

But let me pause here. It is easy - and an occasion of intellectual sin - to scrutinize every inch of a mighty edifice in search of blemishes. Overall, the Encyclopedia is a capacious and well-wrought work. It may not be a work that C. S. Lewis would have desired anyone to undertake, but I do not think that he can be displeased with the quality of the result.

If you can have only one reference work on Jack Lewis, this is the one to have. This volume is well edited, well written, and complete. You can find allmost as much about some of Lewis' obscure essays as about the Chronicles of Narnia and the Screwtape Letters. Most of the entries include suggestions for further reading. There is also short but reasonably complete biography included, written by John Bremer.

KG 200 was an actual part of the Luftwaffe dedicated to more covert air operations such as flying captured American and British planes. 'KG 200' the novel is a remarkable, fictional look into this secret department of the German air force. Fans of World War II fiction will have a field day. A little slow moving at times it nevertheless captures the reader and holds interest

which state that you can't abuse a flag of truce. They also state that you can't use an enemy's flag and uniform. That
was one reason why Otto Skorzeny was tried for war crimes
after the war. What did KG-200 do that was contrary to the
the Laws of Land Warfare? They used captured Allied aircraft. When
the author was researching this book, he was originally planning on it being nonfiction, but when he wanted to get
information about it from the Air Force Academy, he was told
that there was nothing about it. It was secret and it probably
still is. Not even the Luftwaffe acknowledged its existance.

Dear reader who was around when Japan so adamantly attempted to conquer America by purchase will most appreciate this story. Cussler makes several subtle sarcastic jabs at the Japanese who gloated about their once robust economy in the 1980's, when they flexed their yens and gobbled up extraordinary volumes of American business. Familiar phrases that were smugly touted by the Japanese during that time such as 'Business is War' and 'We aren't forcing you to sell your country to us' sarcastically glare from the pages while we presently watch their economy sputter. But the contemptuous yellow threat in the story fails to defy the formidable American, Dirk Pitt! The story itself was run-of-the-mill Dirk Pitt. He and sidekick, Giordino are more or less forced into assisting the United States to stop an international crime of nuclear proportions... literally! Cussler's lovely lady, Loren joins in for the suspense and the company of Pitt and Giordino save the day in the nick of time. Where have I read this before? Wasn't it in the last Cussler novel? The story is what it is dear reader, so enjoy it for that: A cornball fiction adventure that illustrates that you may just never know what you're getting when you buy a Japanese car!

This novel finds action hero Dirk Pitt battling a sinister conspiracy that threatens to establish Japanese commercial dominance over the US and the rest of the world. Given Japan's long-standing economic woes, this seems a bit silly now, but back in the late 1980's (when Japan's economy was soaring and many US assets were coming under Japanese control) it doubtless rang truer. The action is non-stop and some of the plot twists are rather ingenious. Many of these twists are far-fetched, however, if not simply outlandish. Much like the old serial thrillers (i.e. Flash Gordon) turned out by Hollywood back in the 1930's. And there's nothing wrong with this. It's good, clean fun. But the adult reader will often find it hard to suspend disbelief to such an extent.

Another aspect worth noting here is the quality of the writing. This is the first Cussler novel I've read and one thing that struck me was the relatively poor use of language. The syntax is sophomoric. The text is replete with poor choices of words and clumsy dialogue. This isn't entirely the author's fault, but it detracts from the overall experience of reading the book. I don't know who edited DRAGON, but whoever it was didn't earn their money.

Typical of this genre, DRAGON is a fast-paced but far-fetched story. Further, compared to writers like Ludlum, Crichton and others, the quality of the writing leaves something to be desired. Still, it's a light, fun read. Will I read more of Cussler's Dirk Pitt novels? Yeah, I already have two more on my shelf (given to me by others). This one is mediocre, though, and I can't really recommend it. Fans of this series will like DRAGON, but others might want to look before they buy.

First off, let me say that I owe a lot to this book. It got me started on Clive Cussler, but, more importantly, it is the book that really got me on the path to being a writer. After reading it, I just knew that writing was what I wanted to do.

Looking back on this book, over ten years later, it doesn't hold the mystique it did back then. Still, this is a classic Dirk Pitt adventure story, with all the trimmings. The action is tense, the dialog witty, and the overall feel is that of a cozy novel.

Cussler's strength lies in his ability to tie seemingly unrelated events together. For instance, the idea of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki going wrong leading to current-day events. It's just interesting how he does it.

Dragon's plot is a bit far-fetched. The idea of someone in Japan wanting to wipe out American civilization seems absurd today. Still, written in the wake of cool relations between us and the Japanese, it rings true, if still a bit hard to believe.

If you like this sort of novel, the action-oriented mystery, then you will absolutely love this book. Cussler writes with an authoritative hand, and, because of him, I found what I really wanted to do with my life.

Thanks, Clive.

Finally, a complete, comphrensive FIELD guide to the birds of India! Gone are the days of hauling 2 or 3 hardcover bird books to the subcontinent just to be able to identify relatively common species. The drawings in this book are excellent, the descriptions very detailed, and the range maps very helpful. My two criticisms are that birders familiar with the common names in Salim Ali's "The Book of Indian Birds" will be confused with the revised nomenclature in this guide (based on the Inskipp's Indian Checklist); some changes are relatively minor, while others are so dramatically different (and frankly puzzling) that cross-referencing is a chore. The second involves the seperation of many of the range maps from the plates and descriptions, sometimes by many pages. This was due to the large number of species featured on some plates- there just wasn't enough room for the maps also. A better strategy might have been to put them all in the back of the book. But the benefits of this book far outweigh the shortcomings- my next trip to India promises to be more rewarding and productive bird-wise (as well as easier on my back)due to this excellent and overdue field guide.

John Beversluis's book _C.S. Lewis and the Search for Rational Religion_ has a number of promising elements to it: his writing style is often fluid and enjoyable, he pledges to stick to a balanced, moderate treatment of Lewis, and he quotes extensively from Lewis's works when appropriate. Unfortunately, his arguments against what C.S. Lewis has to write are sadly mistaken. Though I think there are good points to some of his arguments, and his caution towards exalting Lewis as a near-god are justified and welcome, the very shallow and near-sighted interpretation he takes on the works themselves is unfortunate, unjustified, and ultimately flawed.
He takes C.S. Lewis to be of the most ignorant or devious nature in setting forth his views and assumes that Lewis was either blissfully ignorant of the true nature of the positions he was attacking or dishonestly ignores their philosophical weight to make his task easier. The fact of the matter is that C.S. Lewis's critiques are rather often right on target. John Beversluis reads Lewis in his poorest light imaginable and then attacks straw men throughout--something he often accuses Lewis of doing himself. A more sophisticated and developed work is needed if C.S. Lewis's positions are to be attacked with the force Beversluis imagines he has used. This book was out-of-print at the time this review was written, and I think that is so for good reason.

I was rather surprised that someone believes this book is guilty of the straw man fallacy. On the contrary, Beversluis first systematically described each of Lewis's arguments in such a way that I was being convinced all over again, until of course, he continued on with his objections. This book served as a key turning point in my life so I'd be more than willing to listen to particular details concerning where Beversluis falls short in his critique. (I can be reached at johnku@uiuc.edu) Being a devout Christian and a huge fan of Lewis at the time, this book had a profound impact on my life and I think it's a shame that it is no longer in print.

Book is informative with content of articles about the web but not really impressed with the collection of example websites or lack there of. The cover is nicely designed but if you are looking for a book with lots of examples and inspiration to draw from this book is not it. I don't recommend buying this book. Just hope that it is on someone's coffee table so you can browse it.

I'd agree with most of the comments above, I think the book is spread quite thinly across a number of areas, so perhaps doesn't give the depth some might need.

At the same time at least some of the content is quite technical and will go straight over the head of a real novice.

I think if you're a design student, a recent graduate, or someone attempting to get to grips with new media you'll probably benefit from this book.

For the chapter I wrote... I think it's really geared towards people with a pretty good understanding of typography already, and definitely slanted towards those building large scale sites on tight/continuing deadlines for a wide variety of systems and browsers.

And, for sure it'll be out of date pretty quick... but you can learn from our mistakes :-)

ad creation to typography to the latest lingo. With articles focused from beginner to advanced, print background to web design protégé, designer to project manager, "Websights" works well for that handful of jack-of-all-trades in the industry.

For the greater part of today's design world whom are specialized, they will find a number of articles that offer tremendous insight and fresh ideas that they can incorporate. Leaving a number of chapters that can be appreciated, but are of no real relevance to today's digital designer

If you are a once-a-week 3-hour player like me, you might want to pass this book. While there are numerous advanced techniques and some excellent diagrams, this just might not be the book to take you beyond an advanced-beginner's level.

The book sorely lacks details on techniques & practice tips on cue ball control, which distinguishes the novice from the advanced. The author relies on your 'natural ability' to master the cue ball and hence misses out on a very very important aspect of mastering the game.

This book wastes quite a few things, very respected names like Finkelstein, Aiken and Zachman and lots of pages. It will waste your time as well. This book is a vague attempt on connecting XML with information engineering.

This is a fabulous book! There is something for everyone: business executives, IS management, techies, everyone.

The work is well written, filled with excellent examples, comprehensive. There are examples of approaches to architecture, methodologies for modeling, explanations and examples of XML, business reasons to pursue these things, etc.

I am encouraged every time I see someone providing an excellent presentation of the holistic approach to architecture. I am frustrated every time I see a company rush to the web, getting excited about the shiny new front-end toys, and not being successful because the real problem is in the legacy that shackles the company.

A new front end will not provide information by itself. That is a point thoroughly made by this book. Technology is only one part of an information portal. And, perhaps, it is the easy part.

"To achieve the true flexibility and information support that is offered by Enterprise Portals, organizations must integrate and use their information and knowledge resources more effectively than they do today. This knowledge integration depends on the establishment of an Enterprise Architecture..." pp. 508-509.

Some people already embrace this. This book will help others to "get it". Unfortunately, some will never get it.

Thank you Mr. Finkelstein and Mr. Aiken. Great Work!!!

I love this book, not just for its technical explanations nor for the rigor of the methodological permutations, but because hiding between its covers is a gem ... the clearest explanation I have ever seen for navigating an Enterprise into the dangerous straits of the sea changes of the Information Age.

"Building Corporate Portals" has as lucid a discussion of the process of identifying the Enterprise mission and goals and so on and transforming them into rigorous models that are fundamental to engineering a modern Enterprise as I have seen. If you read no more, this discussion alone would justify the price of the book.

"Building Corporate Portals" not only describes the process of building models that are needed to deploy a Corporate Portal, but it also succinctly defines the next wave of technological change and provides samples of how you might reengineer the Enterprise to capitalize on the new technologies. In fact, this is as concise a description of the next wave of technology and the Enterprise reconceptualization as I have seen.

This is a GREAT book!! Hiding inside the covers lies some real gems about how to steer your Enterprise into a profitable / viable experience in the Information Age. How long do you think you have? I would suggest, not as long as you need!!!

John A. Zachman

If you happen to have a copy of the out of print book LIGHT ON C.S. LEWIS, you have basically all the comments that Lawlor has to give about his memories of the man. As for the commentary Lawlor gives on Lewis's books, I found it uneven. Unlike the lucid Lewis, Lawlor's sentences are often murky and their meanings difficult to understand. His commentaries on Lewis's books didn't really enlighten anything. I have been an avid reader of Lewis for a long time, and this is the first time I bought a book about Lewis in which I returned to the bookstore for a refund when I was finished.