This book is a must for use of force trainers and academies. In my former role as an Academy Director this would have been the system to implement. The book is based upon a training model that is clear and complete (verbal to deadly). The graphics can be used to establish appropriate use of force for community or court purposes. It is my understanding that there is an instructor development course that will certify the system.

After reviewing the "Police Use of Force" textbook I was totally amazed at the ease with which the authors had taken a complex subject and presented it in a manner, which made it easily defined and understandable by all whom read the text. As a thirty-year police officer, twenty of which were spent as a police administrator, and a police trainer, I was impressed with the authors ability to remove the ambiguity our officers must deal with when they are left no other alternative than the use of force. "That which is necessary to effect the arrest", is one of the most open ended statements, which time and again is interpreted after the fact, and in a sterile setting, making it very difficult to determine the appropriateness of the force used. This model makes that statement obsolete.

The model's ability to define appropriateness of force prior to it's use, the show force/use force component, and guidelines for dealing with deadly assault situations faced by officers are just three of the many concepts that place this use of force continuum in a class by itself. The "Reactive Control Model" should become the standard for all police use of force situations. Our profession and the communities we serve would all benefit from its implementation.

Vincent F. Faggiano Commander (Retired) Rochester, NY Police Department

All too often, officers don't understand their use of force policy until they are under investigation for excessive use of force. This book tells you ahead of time what is an appropriate response to a given threat and even guides you through the all important report writing process to justify the actions you took. This the most complete and logical use of force book I have seen, and I highly recommend it.

This collection of Crane's work is a poetry lover's dream. Without going into a critical analysis, (an excellent example is included in the forward of the book) I found his work engaging both intellectually and emotionally. Perhaps one of the most human and honest of poets, from his early work to his last poem, "The Broken Tower", his imagery is consistently refreshing, stimulating and, ultimately, very moving. Of particualr note are the lesser known poems of his youth. They are perhaps the most accessible to readers unaccustomed to poetry of this depth and density. "The Hive" is a wonderful expression of his own struggle as an artist. Also, the series "Voyages", written about his love affair with Emil Opffer, is a beautifully rendered poem using the power of the sea as a metaphor for their love. For readers familiar with the first edition, I found the new introduction a bit too dry and analytical. The original intro told more of Crane's life and the human struggles he went through and explained more about his suicide. I found that to be an invaluable guide to understanding much of what he expresses in the poetry. The new hardbound edition is beautifully layed out and gives justice to the sensitive work within it.

Hart Crane is unbelievable. His images are so striking and provocative; they aren't easy but once you get them it's hard to do much except shake your head and marvel at his genius. Who else would describe noon as "a riptooth of the sky's acetylene" or say of bells "oval encyclicals in canyons heaping / The impasse high with choir" ? He truly abolishes all platitudes and cliches to re-describe scenes in fresh and illuminating ways that burst upon your consciousness as in tidal waves of light. As Gertrude Stein tried to do and failed, Crane replaces the name with the thing itself; essential for all poetry lovers and otherwise elevated souls.

Beautifully written, Crane's poetic compositions, with their choice diction, dense and imaginative allegories and technical virtuosity, fall easily into the category of the poetry of "sensation", that is say, poetry characterised chiefly by the registering of impressions. It must be acknowledged that Crane's gifts were best suited to the lyric form. His accomplished style, rhetorical, incantatory, inventive and rhapsodic, steeped in Symbolism and Romanticism, places him above the entire gallery of American Modernist poets. The poetry of Crane, Whitman's proper heir, while pregnant with symbol and allusion, and broad in intellectual reference, does not grow to become forced, pedantic and overlearned as that of Pound. His protests, his struggles, his torments are no less significant than those of Jeffers, though Crane could at least avoid the latter's preaching and occasional pomposity. Above all, he was the poet of "sensation" par excellence, endowed with a capacity for disclosing the furthest and deepest reaches of emotion and feeling, by virtue of his high poetic gifts. Prodigiously talented and doom-laden, Crane, in spiritual kinship with Rimbaud and Shelley, lived as though he were tyrannised, without respite, by Furies he could not conciliate, developing into a compulsive and violent drunk, battling his homosexual urgings, braving the tide of public opinion, which regarded him as a social outcast, and finally plunging to his death in the ocean (which serves in so many of his poems as a symbol of death) at the age of thirty-two. Few martyrs in art have suffered more painfully. Few have endured more grievous torments. All the more are we compelled to admire Crane's stoicism. "Impavidum ferient ruinae".

This excellent little book tries to find a middle ground between the judicial activism advocated by Ronald Dworkin, for example, and the strict original intent approach eloquently defended by Robert Bork. Philosophy of jurisprudence is not always a concept easily grasped, however. In the first chapter, Ely takes us through the discussion of where and how judges drive their activist approach through the door. Ely agrees that the due process clause of the constitution is not the place where an activist jurist should hang his hat. The due process clause, he argues, is concerned strictly with procedural matters, though it can be forcefully enforced within that context. Likewise, he argues, the 14th amendment, with its equality clause and privileges and immunities clause, also has been used to broadly expand judicial oversight on a number of issues. Again, Ely dissents by arguing that the 9th amendment is the more appropriate vehicle because of the procedure issue that constrains the due process clause as well in the 14th amendment.

Judicial review must be rooted in some kind of context - but the noninterpretivist must choose, traditionally, from a long list of inadequate places: individual values of a jurist is inadequate; natural law is vague, as is moral philosophy generally; consensus is imprecise and debatable and neutral principle is damn near impossible to define. He roots his own support of Warren court in participation, which is rooted in our very notion of democracy. His phrase: "participatory responsiveness." We need not grasp at high moral claims to justify supporting civil rights, but in the simple idea that what is available to the majority, must be equally available to the minority. They must be allowed to participate equally, he seems to be arguing, a notion that is easily found in our own legal and constitutional history.

Next Ely walks us through the ways we might address specific issues within his theoretical approach, such as free speech, which need not be defended always in the broadest terms, but might be better addressed as a procedural or participatory issue - that is to say, if the court acts to limit free speech, it is best to do so through categories of unprotected speech rather than appealing to abstract rights or dangers, such as Holmes did when he spoke of imminent danger. (I hope I am following him here). He also addresses the issue of apportionment, and again seeks to have the court avoid such political entanglements by searching for the best way to allow all citizens the right to participate in our democracy - and one person, one vote became the only tenable way to do so. Ely includes in chapter 4 a short but helpful review of the constitution in which he discusses the document for what it is - not an abstract or ideological document, but rather a governing tool that seeks to protect a system, not push an ideological agenda. I wish he had added specific cases and shown how he might have handled them through his approach, particularly tough cases like abortion, for example. THe last chapter rambles a bit and is hard to follow but this is an interesting book, given that the hotly debated issue about judicial activism continues.

John Ely's masterpiece on the the proper scope of judicial review is a must-read for anyone interested in the Supreme Court or just law in general. In short, Ely feels the Court should limit its power to assuring adequate access to the political process for all and not to giving answers to substantive issues such as abortion, affirmative action, economic rights, etc. In short, the book is a strong defense of the activism of the Warren Court (Ely clerked for Chief Justice Earl Warren and the book is dedicated to his memory). Though the emphasis on the work of the Warren Court may make the book seem a little outdated, the book is nevertheless relevant since it provides a partial justification for the abandonment of substantive due process that conservatives such as Antonin Scalia and Robert Bork have argued for in the 80's and 90's while at the same time defending certain types of judicial activism (for example, in voting rights or gay rights cases) that appeal to liberals. Though Ely's insights into constitutional law are brilliant (his corpus of law review articles from the 70's, many of which form the foundation for this book, provides some of the most well-thought arguments on many diverse areas of constitutional scholarship), his arguments are not without their weakpoints (though you may have to read the book a few times to find them- not a bad idea in any case). Specifically, the manner in which he derives his so-called "representation reinforcement" theory is problematic. It seems to be somewhat of a non sequiter to argue, as he does, that since one of the main themes of constitutional development has been the extension of access to the political process (in the form of the extension of the franchise, abolition of the federal poll tax, etc), the Court's should use such a development as a cue for how to read the Constitution. It not only seems to cheapen the amendment process, but also begs the question of why more democracy is desirable. In addition, Ely's theory of equal protection depends upon a good deal of psychology (trying to read the feelings that motivated legislators and their constituents) that sometimes leaves you scratching your head. While the arguments of the book are not perfect, it would be a mistake to think that any of them are severe enough to detract from the sum total of the wisdom contained in this unparalleled piece of legal scholarship.

Professor John Hart Ely's "Democracy and Distrust" is, quite simply, one of the great books about American constitutional law. Ely's task, to come up with a cohesive and coherent theory for judicial review, is far from a simple task, and yet his writing is so smooth and easy that the task *seems* easy. It is relatively easy to summarize Ely's general theory in few words. He argues that the American process is essentially democratic and that the role of the courts should be to police that process. In particular, Ely focuses on the voting-rights amendments, the First Amendment (as speech is essential to a free and open democracy), and the protection of "discrete and insular minorities."

What is perhaps most startling about Ely's work is that, despite the fact that he comes from what may accurately be termed a liberal perspective, he rejects fundamental values as a means of making constitutional law. This rejection is particularly surprising in that so many of the liberal constitutional advances have come in the name of fundamental values. Yet Ely makes his case persuasively, listing and rejecting many of the possible bases for such values (from natural law to the judges' own values to consensus, e.g.).

"Democracy and Distrust" is an eminently accessible book for anyone with even a small background in constitutional law. Though the book would probably be beyond the ken of high-school students or college undergraduates without any exposure to legal thought, certainly no degree in law is required to understand the book. Ely aptly avoids excessive legal jargon and outlines his theory in language designed to persuade, not to impress.

If there is any criticism of "Democracy and Distrust" (and there is), it is that Ely presents his theory nearly in a vacuum. There are most assuredly other theories of judicial review, many of which are quite different from Ely's (to the point, almost, that one suspects there must be more than one Constitution to produce such disparate theories). In addition, there are clearly parts of the Constitution that are not directly concerned with democracy (the Fourth Amendment, for example, which Ely only mentions in passing), and the theory in this book cannot be comprehensive for failure to accommodate these parts of the Constitution.

For anyone with an interest in constitutional law, Ely should be required reading.

D.G. Hart's book "Defending the Faith" is an extraordinary biogarphy. He uses Machen as a backdrop to tell of the encroachment of Christian and secular liberalism in the firsat hald of the 19th Century.

Unlike most biogarphies, that are often dry and standard on how they present the information, Hart is keen enough to mix Machen's life, letters, thoughts, and the controversies of the day together - and does this without loosing the reader.

Machen is seen as a human being with strong suits and faults. We discover also that some secualr liberals join Machen in his attack on Christian liberals. Machen was a prolific schoalar (though I do not agree with many of his views) and one feels they are watching the battle live as he fights against a liberal Protestant Christianity, especially in the Presbyterian Church.

This is a terrific summation of Machen's life and thought. It also nicely positions Machen within his cultural and historical moment. Hart writes well, too. I highly recommend this book to others. But also be sure to read Machen himself. His book Christianity and Liberalism is excellent for general readers; The Origin of Paul's Religion is excellent for scholars and Christian history buffs.

Early Days at Hart is a rare first-hand account of what every day life was like just after the turn of the century. Great stories and pictures, with focus on Lanfair Valley region, esp. Hart, Barnwell/Manvel, and Searchlight. Published by Dennis Casebier, noted historian who lives in Goffs, CA.

I am a decendent of the people in this book, the book was written by a reletive. seeking any other Snorf members on-line.

Pretty much the complete history of Christmas in a nutshell is lavishly illustrated here in this beautifully colorful (and I DO mean colorful) book. Of course, the concentration here is on the 19th century-pretty much the LATE 19th century. If you want to know how our great and great great grandparents may have celebrated this glorious holiday-and how they would have SEEN this holiday-it doesn't get any better. Now for my complaint-and it is a big one-although it is only one line in the book. I shall quote it here from page 21: "The creche as a symbol of the Christ Child's birth derived from the fictitious but touching story of an adolescent Mary, great with child, and her gentle middle aged husband Joseph." FICTITIOUS? I'm sorry but that is the basis, the beginning of the whole Christian faith. Without that 'fictitious' birth...well....this is not the place for preaching. The Catholics and Protestants (and many others, I'm sure) know, though. It did put a damper on the rest of the book for me, but I will stand by my review that for the pictures and the history, it truly is excellent. The authors just have to leave out their opinions when writing on a subject that, like it or not, is very religious in nature-and, believe me, a Christmas in Victorian times is\was truly religious. That's why it got a 4 instead of a 5.

This was a great book. I collect antique post cards, so I love the photographic collages the author makes using post cards, die cuts, antiques, and real flowers. Most beautiful.

I read this book because I had never read any Faulkner before. I guess I thought I was missing something in my library or maybe it was time to lay off the nonfiction I mostly read.

I found Faulkner's style and word choices difficult at first. He assumes the reader is not lazy and will keep up with him and his stream of consciousness approach. I must admit I read half the book, became disinterested and put it down for several weeks. I then made up my mind to give it a second chance and really enjoyed it.

The story is dark and slightly twisted. There are very few admirable characters but I found myself sympathizing with most of the characters. Everyone except maybe Temple Drake has reasons for their misdeeds. I felt Faulkner was trying to convey the injustice of the time and just plain bad luck as reasons for the poor behavior or lack of optimism of the characters.

I highly recommend this book. It is gripping and real. The story got to me.

"Sanctuary" has a double meaning in this novel -- the sanctuary we seek against the cruel events that occur in life and sanctuary against those things in ourselves that are most primitive, volatile and evil. Faulkner's characters here are in search of sanctuary in both meanings, although the theme is not well-developed and the plot is so misshapen that it detracts from the overall impact of the main theme.

"Sanctuary" is Faulkner's stab at writing noir-ish detective fiction. You'd figure he would take to the genre like a duck to water (at least I did) given its emphasis on mood, place and moral struggle. All of these elements show up in the novel, but haphazardly. I think Faulkner was probably prevented from writing the noir novel he really wanted by the spirit of the times, which weren't supportive of the degree of brutality he intended to display in the novel (We get a glimpse of this when we see the stained corncob that Popeye used to violate Temple Drake). He would later half-heartedly repudiate "Sanctuary" as a failed attempt to make some money, an excuse probably designed to get his neighbors in Oxford, Miss., off his back and to satisfy the sob sisters in the national media who were ready to crucify him for writing a novel containing violence of almost pornographic intensity.

When reading "Sanctuary," think about how each one of the characters -- save for Popeye, Mrs. Goodwin and DA Eustace Graham -- loses himself or herself in some form of self-delusion to avoid dwelling on the worst parts of their own character and existence. Even Horace Benbow's courageous decision to defend Mr. Graham against charges of murder is little more than an attempt to distract himself from his marital woes and the fact that he is so obviously out of place in his own home town now.

"Sanctuary" could have been Faulkner's masterpiece and some current-day critics suggest that perhaps it is. It's not. Faulkner should have re-written the book, smoothed the plot, fleshed out the characters far more than they are in the current text and allowed for a more leisurely examination of man's struggle for safe haven, both physically and spiritually. "Sanctuary" is a very powerful examination of the evil that men and women do and, in that sense, it is a very Catholic novel. I would not recommend its use in high school or lower-level college undergraduate survey courses. It's simply too intricate to be useful for students at those levels. But for an upper-level course in American lit, American culture, religion or philosophy, "Sanctuary" is an appropriate text with quite a bit to say about modern man and the chains that bind his soul.

Sanctuary is another brilliant tale that reveals exactly how amazing Faulkner is as an author. This story, by far, is one of the most "twisted" tales; the unexpected occurs throughout. All through the book, I was in complete awe and in disbelief. By the end of this book, I was in complete shock. What occurred in the last 50 or 100 pages left me in surprise and in utter astonishment. I had never suspected any of what had occurred. How Faulkner was able to conjure up such an original story is beyond me!

In short, the story is about the kidnapping of a rich girl of 18 and the trial of a man accused of murder. However, the plots are not nearly this simplistic. Faulkner ventures into life and its evils, revealing that it does not matter how a person is raised, the choice of evil is his own; sometimes those of low class are more true and kind than those of high society. This is a book that, I believe, breaks the shell between class stereotypes.

This book is a definite must read. Not only is it unbelievably entertaining, but it also leaves you thinking. It's a fairly easy read despite the various numbers of characters involved (if you are anything like me, you might want to take notes on who's who). In addition, I would also recommend reading this book closely; don't just give it a skim. You might miss something important!

Yippeee!!!
Finally, a book that explains Fractal noise, Bump mapping, textures and Terrain modelling in a simple way that doesn't boggle your mind

I've always wondered how to make my own Smoke effects, how 3D Fractal Terrain is created, how to make Clouds and a whole lot more...
This Book is really cool! It does feel a little *academic*, but its a fascinating read and even a dummy like myself can follow the text! (Hey, I hate Maths!)

Excellent!

This book covers all of the CG aspects needed to code material and texture applications. Many commercial CG softwares are using the essential theory and practice given in this book. This book seems as if the compilation of the best Siggraph papers of the pionering researchers of the subject.

If you need to learn the procedural textures and materials: this is THE book.

The reason I am writing this is because of all the previous negative reviews that I have read.

I really find it irrational to complain for the content of the book claiming it is poor, just because it does not cover everything about the subject. This is a broad field and many topics might be very advanced and very specific to be covered, however it does provide a lot of references for anyone interested in something that specific. I strongly believe that this book is a lot more than an itroductory, with straighforward explanations to several advanced topics and many well documented examples. I also like the "wordy" approach that some of the authors do for advanced topics. This makes the text a lot more comprehensible and might also be helpful for mathematically inclined people.

Another thing that has to be mentioned is that previous posts are all refering to the second edition of this book and many information are not valid anymore (e.g. there is a thorough desctiption of Worley's cellular texturing in the third edition).

Concerning all this moaning for the high price of the book, I think it's totally unfair, as besides anything else it is of exceptional print quality (great paper, full color, etc). I personally consider this book one of the most valuable that I have ever had, so even if it was a lot more [pricey], I would still buy it.

This is really a good book for Java Developers who wish to develop XML based applications. Couple of chapters have good examples and explains concepts in a very clear format. Also the book is upto date with all the latest concepts in XML world.

I have been working with XML for a while now, and this book offered a great coverage of most aspects of what XML application developers need to know. I am not able to keep up with everything happening in this very broad part of the industry - and this book provided enough coverage of the areas I'm not able to focus on on a regular basis to help me stay current. I'd recommend it for anyone who's working with specific areas within XML and want to stay current with the broader scope of what is going on. I'd also recommend it for anyone who is new to XML and wants to know the various Java APIs out there.

This is surely one of the Best Books availale in Market for Java Developers. I have been waiting to read a Book which covers all the latest XML API and how use them using latest Java Tools. Thanks to Wrox Publications for bringing this book to us. It covers how to do XML programming using all the latest Java API line I/O Sockets, Developing Presentation Logic, Developing Configuration and Deployment logic, Using XML in B2B applications. In short no other book in Market provides such a clear understanding of how to develop Java Based XML Applications.

Also it clearly explains how to use the latest Java Based XML Parsers like Xerces, Xalan and more. Friends if you need to get upto date with all the latest Java Based Parsers and different XML API, then this Book is really the Best one.

I have nothing against religion, but I was very surprised to see that a large portion of this book is a fictional account of Joseph writing about fathering Jesus. Yes, there are probably good lessons to be learned here, but I couldn't get past the religious aspects of the writing to see them.

Becoming a father is a very good book for those who has never been a father. I think this book can prepar you for a baby. It help me so much and i go back to the book to see how to deal with what ever come up. So if you are about to be a father read this and keep it near.

John Hart has written about being a father, but this is really about being a man. In a delightful style, this book touches the heart, engages the mind and moves the soul.