I feel like I could hear Andrei Ridgeway talking to me as I read this book. I've never read such a calm, steady, directed and -- effective! -- book. Loved it, and use it almost daily.

Bitov, as one of the original members associated with the Metropol group (imagine a Bloomsbury in the former Soviet Union whose members faced very real consequences for expressing their views), a literary and arts association whose works literally transcended the unthinkable oppression, survives as do Aksyonov and Ratushinskaya. Pushkin House, which takes place in Petersburg, is as Nabokovian yet expressive as they come. The book assumes the guise of a sort of collage, expertly pieced together with incident and memory, the effect being something like studying the dizzing yet always stable and infinite array of refractions emerging from a well-cut gem when held up to the light. For anyone interested in or seriously studying Russian history or literature, Pushkin House, along with Solzhenitsyn, Aksyonov or Brodsky is essential; The book to end all nomenklaturas. A joy to recommend as much as to read

Osherenko and Golonev have created a work that satisfies scientific researchers, sociologists and casual readers alike. The story of the Nenet people is a fine blend of history, folklore, and sharp realism. The assessments come from professionals who have had real experience; understand political dynamics of both the FSU and the world community; and who can apply their findings to view, to some extent, the future of the Yamal. The authors deeply care about the people of the Yamal and their Arctic environment from both personal and scientific perspectives. They supply the reader with an in-depth view of a society that may represent other societies around the Arctic regions. The Nenets' story is unique in one respect but also applies to Arctic regions in general. Read this book to understand a key issue in world politics and international trade. Read this book to understand use of "The Commons". Read this book to understand indigenous peoples and their struggles. Read this book.

Andrej Tarkovsky understood the truth of life, and dedicated his life to make us understand those important things. Mostly, in his films, but we shouldn't forget ¨Time Within time¨. To me, it's a guidebook to arts, and if you really want to understand what art is about, you shouldn't miss this book, no matter which art you're into. There's no better artbook, but a book written by an artist, and in this one, you'll not only find infomation on his screenplays, but his view and deep understanding on art.

If ever there was an excellent book on Soviet aircraft to emerge from the post cold war era, this is the one. Not only do the authors have a lot of knowledge on these impressive aircraft, but also a collection of photos never before published of many little-known aircraft. Some of these aircraft are truly impressive such as massive bombers from the pre-war period to the Strategic Bombers fielded by the former Soviet Union. Tupolev is also the constructor of most of Russia's commercial jets and the book is therefore useful for anyone interested in civil aviation. there are also tables giving the production levels of most Tupolev aircraft and also others indicating the registration numbers of Tupolev airliners. But most of all it describes the personality and contributions to aerospace of Andrei N.Tupolev, one of the world's greatest aircraft designers, who dominated his country's aircraft industry for much of this century.

This movie has everything. The dialogue is intelligent, philosophical and even funny at times. The structure of the narrative is very interesting and original. Tarkvosky uses the camera to create beautiful shot compositions and ingenious camera movements.

Also this film presents a very interesting method of presenting a "biography". The viewer is never really shown any of the title character's art until the very end of the film. The viewer is told 'how' Andrei Rublev became a historically significant icon painter rather than presenting his life 'after' his success began.

If you don't enjoy this film you have no appreciation for cinema. That's sounds dramatic but it's true. Within the first half an hour this film hypnotizes you and every few minutes Tarkovsky does something that takes your breath away. Whether it's a line of clever dialogue or his beautiful photography of nature something will jump out at you.

If any film deserves five stars it's this one.

Not for impatient Holywood fans, this is a black and white film about free human spirit, its survival and eventual victory in oppressive circumstances.

The story line follows discrete chapters of a life of the famous Russian icon artist - Andrei Rublev. In the beginning, Andrei Rublev is a naive master-genius who believes in inherent goodness of humanity. Subsequently, through historical background and personal experience the artist gets disillusioned in the ability of his art to lead people; moreover, he doubts his own right to create art. At the end of the film, after many travails, he comes back to painting.

The historical background of Andrei's spiritual search is an oppressive time of internal strife between Russian aristocracy, Tatars' aggression, and general slavery of Russian population. It is a mistake to think about Andrei Rublev as a film about Russian history, as strictly speaking, historical events are not chronologically correct in the film. Rather, the film is using scenes of Russian history to draw parallels between medieval Russia - lawless, undemocratic, opresseed by first and foremost Russian aristocrats - and the Soviet Union of Tarkovsky's time. While it may have been quite dificult to grasp this parallel for the Western viewer, it was well understood in the Soviet Union even at the time of initial, cut-down release. Tarkovsky tries to pursuade people that their spirit is free under any regime, that they can search for truth in any kind of events - this is perhaps the main lesson of the film.

As always in Tarkovsky's art, strong story is supported by visual magnificence. Black and white story gives way to illuminating colour display of Rublev's art at the end of the film - just another reminder of transcendent beauty of spirit in desolate human condition.

As far as DVD is concerned, it is probably a full-version of the film with a few informative additions. Kino is not generally consistent with its material, but this DVD is a good quality viewing (forget irritating muzzak that goes with Kino annonce). You will also be trying in vane to skip a warning in 3 languages about criminal penalties for commercial use of this DVD inside the former Soviet Union (as though anybody will ever be so mad as to use Andrei Rublev commercially - the film actually defies that - oops, I've just realised I reviewed UK edition of this DVD).

Andrei Rublev is not only one of the most difficult films to describe, it is also one of the most beautiful films ever made. It flows like a long Russian novel, with interworking subplots and interwoven themes. The rich fiction created by Konchalovsky and Tarkovsky, based on the late medieval Russian icon painter Andrei Rublev, raises many important questions concerning life, the soul, and art. Above all, there is something elegantly and radiantly lyrical about the film, scene by scene. The film itself is divided into vignettes, or what I like to refer to as chapters, recounting different periods in Rublev's life; each one could be its own film, namely the last section about the bell and the young bellmaker. However, the most poetic scenes involve the Holy Fool, or Durochka, played by Tarkovsky's wife Irma Raush. Her character adds a touchingly humorous, yet tender aspect to the film; her relationship with Rublev is so sweet and almost childlike, it brings a true smile to your face. Throughout the film, Tarkovsky is able to catch the incredibly earth-shattering expressions on the character's faces, symbolzing oppression from war and Tatar raids, poverty and inequality. One simple look of an eye speaks a thousand words in this film. The vignette entitled The Jester displays some of the most wonderful examples of the human condition ever in film; the beating rain on the primitive hut combined with the tired, worn out, wretched faces of the peasants (including children, men, women, and elderly), is so realistic you can taste it. Tarkovsky is indeed a modern master, and Andrei Rublev is quite possibly his masterpiece. Tarkovsky's work ranks with so many of the great modern artists, not filmmakers, but painters and photographers: Cartier-Bresson, Freud, Picasso, Matisse, O'Keefe, Stieglitz, etc. Anchoress, a film obviously influenced by Andrei Rublev, particularly in cinematography, is recommended also for anyone who enjoys intellectually and visually impressive cinema.

A Lifelong Passion is, at its heart, a magnificent love story, made all the richer because, unlike most love stories, it is rooted in absolute truth. Although the dynamics of the relationship between Nicholas and wife, Alexandra, are quite complex, there is no doubt that they adored each other and their five beautiful children. Politics aside, the heart of their life lay in the family. And this was a fmaily undivided. They shared everything: their joys, sorrows, tragedies, fears, triumphs, and ultimately, their tragic and untimely deaths.

A Lifelong Passion is not a work of fiction. The authors have meticulously researched the diaries and letters of both Nicholas and Alexandra and their children, then created a compilation that reads like a passionate thriller. We really come to know the Romanovs as well as those close to them: the brothers and sisters of Tsar Nicholas, the Dowager Empress Marie, Kaiser Wilhelm, Queen Victoria, and others.

A Lifelong Passion is also a portrait of the decline of a dynasty, seen through the eyes of those who lived it. Filled with political plots and intrigue, the book serves as a sweeping panorama of the last days of the Russian Empire. We get to know Imperial Russia "firsthand" and I found myself thoroughly engrossed.

A Lifelong Passion is a long book, yet it is never boring. The pace never slows and our desire to know more never ends. Ultimately, the book ends in a tragedy made all the greater because we have come to know the victims so very well. Whether you agree or disagree with the politics of Tsar Nicholas II, whether you like or dislike the people involved, you can't help but feel you've come to know them, and their tragic demise causes you to grieve.

This is one of the best books I've ever read. It's a love story as poignant as The Thorn Birds, as panoramic in scope as Doctor Zhivago. A timeless classic filled with history, tragedy and love. Highly recommended!

While reading the love letters and notes Nicholas and Alexandra wrote to each other both before and throughout their marriage I couldn't help thinking how modern day psychologists would probably label their relationship "obsessive and codependent." Even so, I found this intimate glimpse into the lives of Nicholas, Alexandra, their children, relatives, friends, courtiers, civil servants and even their assassins, most enthralling. But the book is not your so-called 'page turner'. I lingered over each page and even tagged favorite parts and quotes or cross-references with Post-it notes. This is history revealed from within the very heart of the experience. So much so, I at times had the eery sense of actually being present while the words I was reading in print were first being written in longhand or punched out a letter at a time with stubby childish fingers on an early-model typewriter. Except I don't happen to believe in reincarnation. I just think this is history presented the way it should be, through the words of the people who lived it. These people expressed themselves quite well and need no theorist's interpretation of their writing or intentions. Reading this book is not unlike going off into your grandparent's attic and finding all these letters and pictures you never knew existed and losing track of time as you untie the ribbon around the bundle of love letter and discover while reading them how half your family came into being. Only in the case of Nicholas and Alexandra I had a problem with the fact I already knew what the end was and I didn't want to get to it. The people I met in this book tugged at my heart and mind so much I desperately wanted for there to have been a mistake and learn that they had in fact escaped from Ipatiev house and lived out their lives in comfortable exile on the Isle or Jersey or in the south of France. And then I had to ask myself, would I even be here reading about them if they had lived? The lives and deaths of the Romanovs affected so many people it is difficult to fathom what the impact of their remaining alive might have been. And I think it's pointless to speculate despite the fact so many people built whole lives around pretending to be survivors of that hideous execution. Much better to enjoy the memory of what they really left that was inspired and wonderful, learn from their numerous mistakes, grieve their loss and go on to reading about other aspect of history. You see, the real danger that comes of reading this book is the fact you can easily become as addicted to rereading it as Alexandra was obsessed with trying to find a cure for her son's hemophilia, or find ways to spend more time alone with her husband. Then I shudder in realizing how she did indeed get her wish in the end, though certainly not in the way she wanted to.

I have just spent two engrossing months with the Romanov family in Russia, savoring each word in this incredible collection of letters, memoirs, diaries, and other historical documents. What an amazing story, a real-life Greek tragedy, but one filled with so much hope, faith, and love! As a fan of Russian culture and history, it was easy to fall in love with this book. However, I think that it could be enjoyed by anyone who has a passion for his family, his faith, or his country. There are beautiful love letters, revealing diary entries, international secret telegrams, and chilling memoirs of murderers. This book captures almost every emotion humanly possible, and I experienced the full range while reading it. There are parts that will make you laugh out loud, cry out loud, and parts where you'll want to go back in time and warn the characters as you see them walking right into mistakes that will ultimately contribute to their downfall.

Besides Tsar Nicholas and the Tsarina Alexandra, this book details the lives of many other fascinating characters who are not as well-known. I felt a connection with Alix's older sister Ella, and I was especially attached to the sensitive KR and his constant struggles with his faith. And I felt disgust for Prince Yusopov, while at the same time understanding his desire to protect the royal family from their attraction to religious charlatans. Obviously, there is no surprise ending to this book. Still, it is gripping up to the very last page and the lives I gained insight on will be with me for a long time.

Overall, this book is a very strong "introduction" (I use the word grudgingly, see below) to real analysis. Topics range from the basics of set theory through metrics, operators, and Lebesgue measures and integrals. Particularly well done are the section on linear maps and operators, which include excellent generalizations as well as the usual concrete examples. The book usually includes a large number of examples and exercises on each topic which aid in the understanding of the material (though in a few instances, most notably the introduction to measure, it would have been more helpful to have examples as the theory was being developed instead of spending 20 pages getting through the theorems and only then giving a few examples).

The main problem for this book, however, is that it is located at an awkward level in terms of its assumptions of what students have seen before. Most of the material covered is that of a first analysis course, and the book is probably usually used as such. The authors, however, sometimes make assumptions that students have had exposure to some of the concepts before, claiming that "the reader has probably already encountered the familiar Heine-Borel theorem", for example. One particularly annoying case was when the authors gave as an example that the set of polynomials with rational coefficients is dense in the set of continuous functions, and left it at that. Are we supposed to have encountered Weierstrass's theorem before we take our first analysis course?

Kolmogorov is one of the greatest mathematicians of this century. "Introductory Real Analysis" provides a clear and comprehensive introduction to topics in real and functional analysis. The book is equipped with plenty of problem sets, some of which are very challenging. Although the book is only 400 pages long, it contains tons and tons of material.

The proofs to some of the theorems are intriguing and exciting (unlike those in Rudin and Royden) reflecting Kolmogorov's mastery of the subject.

I have copies of most of Kolmogorov's books on my shelf and can only strongly recommend them to anyone else.

Years ago I used this book as a supplementary text for a course in functional analysis and measure theory. When I learned that it was being republished by Dover I immediately bought my own copy. It is a thoroughly readable book with lots of examples to illustrate concepts. The chapters on measure theory and the Lebesgue integral were exceptional. And the chapters on linear functionals and operators also very good. On the downside the introductory chapter on definitions of concepts like open and closed sets and the treatment of compactness and the Heine-Borel theorem could have been presented more clearly (I preferred Dieudonne's presentation in Foundations of Modern Analysis). I strongly recommend this book as excellent value for money.

Most intriguing book on C++ I have read lately. Totally changed my understanding of what templates are. If you feel like there is no more surprises in C++ for you left - read it, 'casue you have seen nothing yet!

Well, seriously, Andrei has worked out the most incredible and powerful techniques that allow one to write highly reusable, flexible code, implement design patterns the way I haven't think is possible. It will give you a great deal of ideas that will most profoundly influence your design and coding. Very easy to read for an above entry level programmer.

In general - "C++ in Depth" is very nice series from A-W. Must have.

Perhaps I can best convey my admiration for this book by mentioning some hesitations about how people may use its content. Despite the outrageous popularity of OO design techniques, especially including design patterns, I still don't believe that they are appropriate for most one-off small-to-mid-sized applications. Despite the prevalence of smart pointers, I usually think it's best to carefully allocate and delete memory the old fashioned way. And despite the (unintended?) power of the C++ template mechanism, I generally think it's more legible to use it sparingly. Those unfortunate programmers who like to turn a simple problem into a mish-mash of UML jargon are only going to be more dangerous when they see how to implement design patterns directly in C++ code.

But when the week arrives where you need to write sixteen separate eighty-thousand-line multithreaded programs in the same problem domain -- dang, you better have read this book. Alexandrescu offers detailed implementations of smart pointers, multiple dispatch, and various design patterns. He displays a consistent awareness of other existing work (including Meyers, Veldhuizen, & Schmidt) and the contributions of other languages (like Dylan, and ML). His text is uniformly clear and legible. And his library is rapidly becoming a community standard. This book takes a huge step in smoothing over the conceptual gap between current design standards and C++ code. The results aren't as pretty as you might get with a program generator, but they're free, they're fast, and you retain complete control over what happens.

I highly recommended this book if you are interested in generic techniques and Design Patterns

This book uses C++ and Generic programming techniques to implement GoF Design Patterns [1]. It introduces Andrei's "Generic Design Patterns Library", called "Loki". Loki's techniques are more important than the library itself and should be applicable in many other contexts. (Since the library is not yet available, I cannot comment on it further.) One word of caution (lest you get overly excited) - Loki uses some of the latest C++ features and requires standard-adhering compilers [g++ v2.95.2-5, Borland C++ v5.5, and EDG's v2.45 or later. Microsoft's VC++ 6.0 fails-Ed.]

The book is written for intermediate or expert level programmers. A fair knowledge of C++, particularly templates, is needed Also, some knowledge of Design Patterns is useful, although not strictly necessary, since the book describes the patterns in a pretty self-contained fashion.

With these prerequisites the book makes for quite an enjoyable read, but I would not call it easy due to the inherently complexity of the material covered. Andrei's writing style is frank and friendly, which makes the reading easier.

I found the code fragments to be very accurate bar some mechanical/typesetting errors, some of which will be fixed by the time of the printing. The book's strong points include:

1) Taking techniques as complex as template meta-programming and bringing them back to us earthly beings. You could get a more extensive treatment of these techniques from the book Generative Programming [2] or from Todd Veldhuisen's papers [3] but the examples in this book make a very good introduction to the area.

2) Creating a generic library of design patterns using "policy-based" classes eliminate the redundancy found in many systems that utilize Design Patterns.

3) The one line of the book I'd like to (mis?)quote in my review is "Remember, the design constraints buried in the class's design are as bad as magic constants embedded in code". As obvious as it is, this principle is often overlooked (I know...) and largely because people do not see a solution to it and are willing to live with the "this is as good as it gets" mentality. In this sense the book was a great eye-opener - it showed the feasibility of the solutions and the techniques for the implementation.

Personally, I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did!

I'm still not sure what to make of "A Confederacy of Dunces." I read it in part because it won the Pulitzer and in part because a reviewer compared "To Say Nothing of the Dog" (a favorite novel of mine) to it. This book has nothing in common with To Say Nothing of the Dog; and I don't know what makes A Confederacy of Dunces (or any book) win the Pulitzer.

The main character, Ignatius J. Reilly, is articulate. That is about the only thing he has going for him. He is rude, obese, condescending, masochistic, disgusting and deluded. Believing himself better than everyone and everything he comes across, Ignatius finds himself in a series of odd situations. He sees every movie that comes out, only to shout at the screen "What is this filmed abortion?!" His "valve" closes and causes bloating every time he is faced with something he doesn't like (which is all the time).

Ignatius' long-suffering mother tells him to find a job. Despite his odd Oedipal attachment (he is 30 and still lives with his mom), Ignatius screams that she should be lashed for such a suggestion. His first job is at the failing Levy Pants, to do filing. He spends his time creating signs and crosses from cardboard and "files" papers into the garbage. Ignatius' second job is as a hot-dog vendor; he refuses to sell them and eats them all himself. He writes diatribes about the world around him, and progressively gets more and more crazed. His rude, articulate speeches are hilarious in his delusion of self-importance.

"A Confederacy of Dunces" is filled with other crazed characters: Ignatius' mother, a policeman forced to go undercover in silly disguises, the ancient Miss Trixie and a professor who doesn't quite seem to fit in to the story. As someone else noted, several characters rely on out-dated stereotypes (a gay man and a black man). This, unfortunately, detracts from otherwise fascinating charaterization. All the characters are linked by Ignatius -- and the complete havoc he wreaks on their lives. Everything Ignatius leaves in his wake comes crashing together in the end.

Was this book well-written? Definitely. Was it fast-paced and interesting? Yes. Was it funny, witty and sarcastic? Yes. My only problem is that it's difficult to separate my feelings toward Ignatius from my feelings toward the book. I couldn't stand Ignatius. John Kennedy Toole did a brilliant job creating Ignatius (someone so preposterous yet so believable). Ignatius made me groan and laugh at the same time. I loved the characterization, but I hated Ignatius.

There were 519 other reviews posted before I wrote this one here, and in those you will find all you need to know about the author, the lead character Ignatius, and the setting in 1960s New Orleans. Having just finished reading it, I'll try instead to discuss the reasons why I found this book one of the most enjoyable I've ever read (and I read a lot!).

First, it's funny, very very funny. The writing has a sharp sarcastic wit to it, and the author weaves his take on the human condition expertly through the plot scenes, and makes great use of his characters' dialog and actions.

Secondly, all of the characters are very well-developed, and it's quite easy to see them, to hear them, and to get a good feel for what their inner motivations are---no small feat since there are several characters sharing the stage with Ignatius throughout the book.

Also, the plotline is actually several storylines moving forward simultaneously towards a single converging point at the book's climax. Each of the lesser characters' futures has a stake in the future of Ignatius (the lead) as the book careens to its finish line. The bringing together of all these separate agendas was masterfully done. I disagree with the previous reviewer's opinion that the ending wasn't up to snuff. I was happy to see that the book ended the way I wanted it to, given my 400+ page investment up to that point.

A rich delightful book.

This book is quite simply a comic masterpiece, a novel brimming with original characters, absurd situations, and at its heart a blustery, vulnerable mama's boy named Ignatius J. Reilly. He is one of the most startlingly original characters in modern fiction, and his efforts at hitting the job market after his mother smashes their car will leave you in stitches.

A word on the history of the novel is worth mentioning here. The author, John Kennedy Toole, committed suicide in 1969, and his mother found the hand-written manuscript in her son's papers. She brought them to a publisher, who dreaded having to read even a portion of the work and to notify Toole's mother that it stunk. Instead, he was blown away by Toole's draft, and the rest is history. The novel earned him a posthumous Pulitzer Prize, and it is universally hailed by critics.

Trying to summarize the plot is impossible - the book cannot really be categorized. Ignatius is an over-educated oaf who stays home filling his writing tablets full of his offbeat musings on ancient history, which he plans to organize and publish some day but which presently reside all over his bedroom floor. Rome wasn't built in a day he reminds himself. He cites in footnotes, as authority for some of his offbeat opinions, papers he had previously written and hand-delivered to the local university library for inclusion into their archives. He watches dreadful tv shows and movies, howling at the screen with a mixture of delight and loathing at the teenybopper drivel, and in the privacy of his room his self-gratification is performed while imagining visions of the old family dog. And wait til you see him out in public, getting a series of odd jobs, including a filing clerk at Levy Pants (with very innovative filing techniques to avoid crowded file space) as well as a costumed hot dog vendor wandering around the French Quarter in a pirate costume. All the while he begins work on his latest opus, The Journal of the Working Boy.

There is a latent sadness to the plot, for while you are laughing out loud at Ignatius, his bowling-addicted mother, and the motley crew of skillfully drawn supporting characters, you sense that he will never really belong anywhere, and that he realizes his outcast status with his innate intelligence. Perhaps the author felt the same way in 1969, leading to his own suicide.

However, at least Toole did leave us A Confederacy of Dunces, a novel which reveals more with each rereading. Keep it on your shelf, and every now and then pick up the book to any page and marvel at the absurdity of Ignatius's grandiose ramblings, read exerpts of his bizarre historical writings, and revisit his comic efforts to organize a worker's revolt at Levy Pants. The list goes on and on. There is no work of litereature like it I know, and my only regret in reading Toole is the sorrow felt in knowing the tremendous body of work that was lost when he ended his life.