Readers:

One word: encompassing. Mike Baird's book is the most comprehensive and well-written book I have seen for the high-tech entrepreneur, covering all bases from the beginning to the end. All too often, several "guide" books will leave out very important stages/aspects, but Baird's book gives the best of examples, templates, case studies, opinions, equations, tables, etc. -- yet VERY succinct and specific. Look no further for the best reference for developing a high-tech startup.

I read this book in early 1995. I realized then that starting my own company based on a new technology would be premature.

Now, nearly 4 years later, I've had the chance to watch the underlying technology mature and grow. Following the logical, practical and spcific plans outlined out in this book, I have a development and business team incorporated with two years of seed funding, and can build toward the next stage.

I don't actually own this book. In fact, I logged in here to buy it, so I could review the principles involved in the next stage. However, the few thorough readings I gave it back in 1995 have probably saved me many years of what would have been a very hard entrepreneurial experience.

I'm glad Michael L. Baird invested the time and his MBA project to share lessons he learned. His book is much more substantive than many of the high tech entrepreneurial books I've looked at. I particularly found the explanations of ownership and valuations useful. Although the examples don't reflect today's internet crazy markets, the lessons still apply.

The book is an excellent reference guide for those who believe in the power of herbs and healing. In alphabetical order, the book clearly presents a variety of medical conditions and the possible herb(s) to take for each. The book would have been deserving of a five-star rating had it provided the daily dosages in tablet form, but the dosages were given using the raw herb only, which, without question, is the best form if it is available. The problem is, at least in my little corner of the world, the chance of finding a raw herb or a supplier would be next to finding a needle in a haystack and extremely expensive if they could be found! Fortunately, most herbal tablets have the recommended dosage on the bottle but even that can vary from as little as one tablet a day to as many as twelve tablets. I think I would be very hesitant about taking twelve tablets a day of anything, especially on a long-term basis. It would have been helpful if the book had recommended accurate dosages for the tablet form, as well as the raw form.

The book is well-written and most informative. I would caution readers about making their own herbal combinations though, unless they are knowledgeable on the subject. Just as some medicines should not be combined, the same applies to some herbs.

This book is VERY useful for looking up which herbs to use for a given health condition (it's organized alphabetically by condition). If you have a cold, for example, and you want to know what to use to treat it, you can just look it up under "Colds and Flu", and bingo, there's all the info you need. (Many of the other herb books I have, while lovely to look at, require you to use the index and then peruse each individual plant listing that mentions a condition. This can be a pain!) Dr. Duke's folksy style of writing and his anecdotes interspersed in the text make it a pleasure to read.

This is the book I recommend to friends who want to know which herbs to use-- it's a great read & a great reference!

I never knew how many over the counter medicines could be replaced by safer, herbal alternatives. This book is easy to read and has a great index where you can look up various ailments. The index takes you right to the page where it lists the herbs that can help you. The book also provides many different herbs that can be used for one ailment so you can have more options available to you. It also says how the herb is used and prepared. Excellent book for someone that wants to have well-rounded health-care. I can attest to some of those remedies in the book, they do work!

Like many others, I enjoyed this novella and will undoubtedly read it again. It is a slender book--both in length and in substance--but the lyrical quality of Carr's prose enhances a simple and charming "old-fashioned" story.

Tom Birkin returns from the First World War with a shattered body and to a shattered marriage. He spends a summer in a small church in a Yorkshire village and rescues a mural that had been covered by hundreds of years of paint and grime and had only recently been detected by the locals. As he restores the painting, he finds himself equally renewed, especially as several of the villagers adopt him as one of their own. There are a couple of small surprises concerning one of the friends he makes and the painting itself, but for the most part the story is like a leisurely vacation in the English countryside.

It's fair to compare this story to a Merchant-Ivory production (but without the lush landscapes). A period piece written in 1980, it feels like (as one reader points out) it could have been written in the 1920s. That is both the book's accomplishment and its weakness: although Carr impressively reproduces the tone of the era and its people, I couldn't help but compare his book to novels by, say, E. M. Forster (whose writing his occasionally resembles) or D. H. Lawrence and reflect that Carr just can't quite fill their shoes. (In his excellent introduction, Michael Holroyd reminds us that Carr initially wanted to invoke the work of Thomas Hardy, but, like Holroyd, I couldn't detect much of a likeness beyond the superficial.) Nevertheless, "A Month in the Country" is a worthwhile read, especially if you approach the book with reduced expectations.

It is a few years after World War I. A young artist suffering
from post traumatic syndrome(shellshock) effects of his wartime experiences comes to a small English village to restore a medieval wall mural in an Anglican church. Another veteran has been commissioned by a dead woman's executor to search near the same church for the body of her ancester who was not buried in the consecrated church cemetary.

What happens to these two men and how they are brought to resolution, love, and healing through their tasks and interaction with each other and the people surrounding them makes for a touching story. James Lloyd Carr is excellent in his description of intricate details, as well as in his unraveling of an exceptionally original plot, to reaching one's deepest feelings of sadness about experiences of unrequited and unfulfilled love, and finally to the revealing of the mural behind the old paint and the secret of the original artist himself.

Things slow down at times and we do wonder where it is all going, but patience wins the day and we are brought to the brink of both pathos and joy. It is well worth making it through a few dull pages.

I thought the movie flowed better than the book. Colin Firth plays the wounded artist, Kenneth Braughan is the one looking for the bones, and a very young Natasha Richardson is the wife of the vicar.

A month in the country, the movie which starred Colin Firth and Kenneth Branagh was shown in 1987, but as usual, the book is better than the movie.

Lovely and beautiful in its simplicity, the tale of two great war survivors healing their battle-scarred minds in the village of Oxgodby is one of my favourite novel.

Watching the tape recently, I was strucked by the difference between the Birkin in the movie and that of the book. The Birkin in the movie is one-dimensional and the people around him, save Alice Keach is unpleasant. To exorcise this image of the Birkin of the movie, I re-read the book again and was immensely pleased at the Birkin of the novel, alive and likeable but certainly not flawless. The Alice Keach of the world would definitely falls head over heel for him.

The beauty of the novel is further enhanced by the portrayal of the healing process in Birkin's nightmarish experiences as a war veteran. He and Moon are not your typical citizens from a nation of victims, where crisis counsellors would intervene and encourage those ceaseless and endless whinings whenever fate deal them a bad hand, instead they resolved the inner demons through themselves, in their own unique way.

This SO lived up to my expectations, and more!

This has to be the most comprehensive book of any TV series out there. The questions are tough, but organized by season which helps you along. I'm glad most of the questions are not lay ups -- not only is it fun to wrack your brain for the answer (better yet, watching someone else wrack their brain), but it makes you laugh when you think back on the episode and all the silly, little details you probably forgot about!

The author has also scrounged up some great trivia bits about the show, the actors, etc. which are really interesting. I also like the episode guide, although would love to have had more detail written on each episode.

All in all a great gift idea or pick-up book for yourself. Anyone who enjoys the show will LOVE IT!

Great book for true Friends fans. Trivia for everyone in this one. It's loads of fun and great to share with your friends. Any fan of Friends NEEDS to own a copy of this!!!!

Great book for a Friends fan!! Lots of fun Trivia for everyone. Anyone who is a fan of Friends NEEDS to own a copy of this book!!!

In this most paradoxical of all novels, Destiny takes revenge on the ungrateful cousin Bette, eptihome of ugliness of soul. Wonderful tale of unfaithfulness, deception, betrayal and lust, as well as hatred, set in middle Nineteenth century Paris, in the world of high finance and politics. The Hulots are a wealthy family. Hortense is Bette's cousin, who has made a fortunate marriage (to Bette's beloved, though). Hortense is good to her cousin, bringing her to live with them in a beautiful house. The Hulots are good to her, but she only wants revenge. And so, she tries with all her might to destroy the family. She has many chances to do it, because the Hulots are flawed, especially the men, who are womanizers of the highest sort. Intrigue is Bette's favorite sport, intrigue with meanness and cruelty. But no good comes from bad deeds, and life, the always ironic life, will not allow Bette's deeds to accomplish her revenge. She does accomplish much evil and disgrace, but the unfolding of events prevents her from triumph. Fortunately, since the good characters get to go on with their imperfect but mostly rewarding lives. This novel is one of Balzac's best (and there are many good ones). It belongs to the best canon of Western literature and will stand the test of time, once again because it touches on the universal features of human soul, ungratefulness being one of the most pervasive. Highly recommended, not least because the reader enjoys all the back-stabbing and the ultimate defeat of the ugly lady. Indeed, we see that envy is one of the worst sins.

This is a remarkable book, setting the template for Flaubert and Zola's respective journeys into the sordid human psyche.

Lisbeth is a peasant girl from Alsace, bitter at her cousin Adeline's preferential treatment during their childhood. Vindictive Bette decides to cut the family from its wealth, as well as to debase her family personally. It's not difficult when Adeline's husband Hector becomes so weak-kneed over a pretty face that he would compromise his family if it came to a choice between sex and relatives. Lisbeth maneuvers skilfully, befriending Madame Marneffe, an unhappily married woman with numerous lovers who only wants to see her sickly husband made a manager of his governmental department. Installed in this household as a spy for hector (who is smitten with Marneffe), Lisbeth works toward an alliance with Marneffe, on one side to destroy the Hulot's, on the other to gain the love of Count Steinbock, to whom Lisbeth is a benefactress.

I saw a feminist agenda in this novel. Consider: Whereas Hector Hulot is not frowned upon for his numerous infidelities, and indeed feels no guilt even though his longsuffering wife turns a blind eye, when Adeline, in trying to save her family, attempts to seduce a wealthy perfumer named Crevel, she fears dishonor for herself, and feels immeasurable guilt over the infidelity she never even commits. Could Balzac be commenting on the fact that both women and men should be allowed their indiscretions? Call it immaterial. Also, the female characters are by and large either intelligent and conniving (Madame Marneffe, Lisbeth), or beautiful and virtuous (Adeline, Hortense). The men are scandalously disloyal (Steinbock, Hector), or inneffectual and dissolute (Monsieur Marneffe, Crevel). A fresh perspective...from a male author. Great in every way, even if quite convoluted.

Making a movie of it doesn't erase the world's crime of ignoring this great book. The equal of Dickens and James, Balzac has more energy and spirit, and a brighter palette. Cousin Bette has more plot than David Copperfield and sexier women than Valley of the Dolls. Madame Marneffe may be the most attractive monster (rhymes with itch) in literature, and Cousin Bette herself is all the Furies wrapped in an ugly old maid. One of the top fifty novels of all time.

I have a huge collection of how-to, business/career, self-help, motivational books. Honestly, I give up reading a book after few chapters because the material is too good to be true (or too difficult to follow in a practical manner). Many of these books talk about how to walk on the water that (now) I know is impossible. While this book talks about real practical stuff (too bad to be true)! It talks about what not to do in the workplace! I am really impressed. After reading, "Dangerous Company" cover-to-cover (out of my huge collection of books), I am going to read this book from top to bottom probably a few times. It is a great resource. Authors should publish a workbook that one can follow. I really like this book. I wish I had this book when I started my career in the USA ten years ago!

Himanshu Pandit

Many of us, including myself, spend a huge amount of time and energy trying to "get the job done" not realizing that some of the behavior patterns are making our work lives more stressful, less effective and in some cases making you---or your employee---a difficult person to work with.

I picked this up after searching online for a career transition book. The authors, two guys from Harvard, have written a really fantastic guide to managing your career. If you know anyone who has had negative performance review, has problems being a "team player" or if you are a manager that has an employee that everyone in the office perceives as "difficult", do yourself a favor and pick-up a copy of this book.

These guys have practical exercises and explanations for some of the bad behaviors we have at work---procrastinating, falling behind, constant feelings of stress or anxiety. Far from the "touchy feely" approach of many of the self-help schmaltz out there, these guys are from the business world and offer real steps and real solutions to modify the negative behaviors. (eg. you may be a natural worrier and never be worry-free, but you can cultivate new ways to process the worry so that it doesn't interfere with your "getting the job done.")

In my opinion, a must read!

I thought that there was a lot of really good content in Waldroop and Butler's "Maximum Sucess", in addition to a very logical organization and a cystal clear style of writing littered with concrete examples to make the points come to life. The book is divided into TWO PARTS, the first dealing with 12 behavior patterns that are destructive to one's career and the second dealing with the four underlying psychological dynamics that are the root causes of these behaviors. I find this organization to be very satisfactory from a writing perspective as well as from the standpoint of human psychology, that the roots of our behaviors are in our minds, in what we are mentally. I read the authors "Discover Your Career in Business" (1997) in October 1999 and it really helped me to understand my own interests and the kinds of positions in business which were a good fit for a person with those interests. The authors combine a deep knowledge of human psychology with an understanding of how business works, a rare combination. Ultimately, this is a book about knowing oneself, mastering one's character flaws, and becoming the kind of person one is capable of becoming; it is about self actualization and fulfilling one's potential, specifically in a business career. After reading their first two books, I can't wait for their next production! ---- Greg Feirman (Gfire77@yahoo.com)

After taking eight Microsoft exams, Win98 is the hardest that I have found and I am very thankful to have had this book to help me through it. The Exam Cram series has been wonderful and this installation is no exception. Of all the study guides that I used for the Win98 exam, this one was by far the best. I would suggest supplimenting it with the Windows 98 Resource Kit.

The Windows 98 exam is one of the toughest - it proved that way for me out of the four MCP exams I have taken so far. Don't think you know Windows 98 for the exam just because you have been using it for years and know how to use the contol panel. The Exam goes heavy into the networking end of using Windows 98, particularly as a client in an Windows NT4.0 or Novell domain. There is lots on the test having to do with Novell integration, TCP/IP configuration and troubleshooting, file utilities, user and hardware profiles, the registry, dial up networking, troubleshooting, boot sequence, system policies, mutimedia capablilities, and security/sharing. The exam has lots of scenario and simulation problems. Exam Cram is a great book to use as a supplement to a full study guide - I used Sam's Teach Yourself MCSE Windows 98 in 14 Days and was very happy with it. A lot of hands on using your computer with Windows 98 to try doing things as you learn them is very helpful. Even though you might not be able to use Windows 98 on a network you can still install and configure most everything you need to do to pass the exam. Exam Cram will help reinforce what you have learned and if you feel unsure about an area of study then you can refer to your main study guide to bone up on that area. The book has a very good focus of what is important to learn for the exam. Exam Cram also has a couple of hundred practice questions - some at the end of each chapter and a 59 question practice exam at the end. The practice exam is tough and the answer section is done in such a way as to explain why a particluar answer is right and why the others are wrong, which will help you learn. I also recommend the book to anyone who just wants to learn the full capablilies of Windows 98. I read a few general purpose Windows 98 books that did not cover ANY of the more advanced topics that you will find in a MCSE type book. Exam Cram MCSE Windows 98 is well worth the money!

As is the case for all the Exam Cram books I've used, this is the best study guide on the market. It is packed full of the information you'll need in order to pass the exam. I thought I was ready to pass, until I picked up this book and learned quite a few little nuances of Windows 98 that I hadn't used before and/or wasn't familiar with. It also provides many study tips and exam taking tips for those who are new to the certification exams. Highly recommended!

Most collaborations are difficult to read and painstakingly ackward. This is probably one of the few exceptions. 10 conservative, yet, highly recognized scholars attempt to debunk much of the information coming out of the Jesus Seminar and other liberal critics of the gospels and the life of Christ.

The introduction by J.P. Moreland and Michael F. Wilkins introduces the reader to the topic at hand: Who was Jesus Christ? Can we trust the accounts of HIs life? and finally, why it all matters?

The two best and most interesting chapters are written by Craig L. Blomberg (Where Do We Start Studying Jesus?) and William Lane Craig (Did Jesus Rise From The Dead?) Other chapters are very interesting indeed, such as Edwin M. Yamauchi's "Jesus Outside The New Testament: What Is The Evidence?" All in all, this book is a must and is well edited. There are the usual problems in collaborations such as writing style changes, which often disturbs the flow from chapter to chapter. The rules of historical evidence is followed and the theologians and philosophers keep the story staright and follow all the rules oflogic. To the Christian or open-minded skeptic - buy now!

JUF is a book that simply needs to be read by all, Christian and skeptic alike. Ten evangelical scholars come togher to refute the naturalistic assumptions of the Jesus Seminar, as well as provide positive evidence for the traditional, orthodox belief in Jesus.

In the introduction, Moreland and Wilkins ask: Can we know anything about Jesus?; Are the biblical records of Jesus' activities accurate?; Is the supernatural possible in ancient and modern times? If the answer to these questions is 'yes', then believing that Jesus is Messiah becomes reasonable. Determining the answers to these questions requires the proper use of historiography and logical reasoning, not a vague 'faith' that has no basis in reality (after all, if Jesus never existed, believing that he did is simply idiotic). Throughout the book, the contributors emphasize the importance of truth and reason for religious belief.

In ch.1, Craig Blomberg begins by examining the methodology of the Jesus Seminar and finds it lacking. He then provides evidence to support the historical reliability of the gospel accounts. In Ch.2, Scot McKnight takes a look at the history of Jesus scholarship and the varying descriptions that have been offered (Jesus as Sage or Social Revolutionary). He goes on to sketch a view of Jesus based on broad scholarly consensus.

In ch.3, Darrell Bock looks at the words of Jesus. Are the words ascribed to Jesus exact quotes(ipissima verba)? Or are they 'his very voice'(ipissima vox)? He draws a distinction between having the precise words of Jesus and having his voice (the intent and meaning) in an accurate summary. In Ch. 4, Craig Evans presents a case for the authenticity of the deeds of Jesus as recorded in the gospels. In Ch.5, Gary Habermas' focus is on whether Jesus performed miracles. In his defense of those miracles, he considers the influence of one's worldview. The Jesus Seminar holds a naturalistic worldview where miracles are anathema. He then shows that the historical evidence itself vouches for the authenticity of Jesus' miracles.

In Ch.6, William L. Craig tackles the big question: Did Jesus rise from the dead? He provides three lines of evidence - 1) the empty tomb, 2) the postmortem appearances of Jesus, and 3) the origin of the disciples' belief in Jesus' resurrection. He then gives a slew of evidence supporting each of the three. He concludes that the combined evidence meets the criteria that historians consider in testing a historical hypothesis. In Ch.7, Douglas Geivett addresses the question of Jesus in light of our pluralistic society. He appeals to the importance of careful, rational assessment of a religious truth claim regardless of how that religious truth claim makes you feel. In Ch.8, Edwin Yamauchi looks at the evidence of Jesus in extra-biblical sources, highlighting their usefulness as well as their limitations.

The text is easy to understand. It contains plenty of scholarly content but doesn't assume that erudition is the sole criteria for understanding the arguments in the book. If you're the type of reader who enjoys flipping to the back to read the chapter's endnotes, you'll love this book (I'd estimate that almost a fifth of Craig's chapter is written in his endnotes). If a skeptic/agnostic friend were to ask me why I believe in Jesus, I'd give her this book. If a Christian friend were to ask me if there were any good books to help bolster her faith, I'd give her this book.

(In case you missed the point, buy this book! )

This is an excellent book !!! It has a unique arrangement with eight chapters written by eight different authors. Each chapter addresses a different issue regarding the arguments over what type of person Jesus of Nazareth really was. Issues such as the reliability of the Gospels, miracles of Jesus, the Resurrection, and others are all addressed in a scholarly and fair manner. No straw man arguments here... Despite the fact that there are eight different authors, the book flows extremely well.

The only down side to this book is that each topic isn't covered more in-depth. The editors acknowledge this fact, and offer an excellent list of resources for further study of each specific issue.

This book is also an excellent resource for refuting the types of arguments coming from the members of the Jesus Seminar.

A few of the recent reviews miss the mark -- this is obviously a book that covers enterprise equipment. And it does it exceptionally well -- explaining the Nortel product but also the technologies and protocols themselves, so you can easily apply the information in this book to other products from other companies. I work for an Enterprise networking company (not Nortel) and I've found this book to be very helpful.

As far as being "only Enterprise related" (an accusation made by previous reviews), that may be true, but it doesn't warrant a one-star review. The title is misleading, but the cover gives a good idea of what to expect.

It clearly states on the back cover "Nortel Networks: The Complete Reference offers detailed information on key networking technologies supported by Nortel products, including frame switching, switched token ring, Layer 3 switching, and ATM... ...a complete overview of all Nortel Enterprise devices; master frame switching, gigabit ethernet, VLANs, and MultiLink Trunking (MLT)..."

I thought this book was very thourough and is filled with a lot of great information; having read some of the other reviews I will say that I work with the Bay enterprise equipment acquired by Nortel when they bought Bay Networks, and having heard of it through word of mouth I knew exactly what I was getting ahead of time. Make no mistake, this book covers the Bay enterprise line of products only, but it also contains a lot of theory on ATM (LANE, PNNI, MPOA, etc) that I found really useful, as well as Layer 3 routing protocols, source route bridging, and a whole bunch of other stuff. If you don't deal with Nortel's enterprise LOB and don't have a need for the theory chapters I would say stay away from this book, but judging it based on what it is, I think it covers a wide array of material extremely well and is an excellent resource for anyone working with these products.

Now in an updated and expanded second edition, James Knapp's Nortel Networks: The Complete Reference offers users an excellent coverage that runs the gamut from local Ethernet to Layer 3 switching, Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) and internetworking - making it valuable for network engineers in organizations large and small. Nortel Networks contains real-life situations and the best way to derive maximum performance from real networks. The accompanying CD-ROM includes complete configuration files that can be downloaded directly to Nortel devices. 1184 pages.

Kevin Kerny returns as author McGarrity delicately intertwines two seperate stories in 'Serpent Gate'.

Serpent gate begins with Kerny investigating a deranged man and his possible witnessing of a recent local homicide. But Robert Cordova holds other secrets in his head, whereas most find him crazy, Kerney befriends Cordova and starts to piece together a series of events that spans years and goes much deeper than expected. What is this Serpent Gate he keeps babbling on about?

However, just as this homicide seems to be put to rest and the case is almost shut, Kerny is swiftly reassigned to a burglary case. But not any burglary. It seems the New Mexico's governor's office has been robbed of precious art amounting to millions, an officer is killed during a routine traffic stop, a young afficiando woman has seemingly disapeared, and drugs keep popping up. All separate events? Not to Kerney as he starts to sense that something seems strangley familiar.

His arch-nemisis, drug lord DeLeon, (from 'Tulorosa') seems to have his hands all over this, and now Kerney must return the stolen property, solve the disapearance of the young lady, catch the cop killers, and apprehend DeLeon. He must do this why still keeping an occasional tab on Robert Cordova who seems to know something else important in his confused state of existance.

Soon Kerney is racing all over New Mexico seemingly to be both one step ahead of DeLeon, and then one step behind.

Author McGarrity does a fine, and 'believable' job in taking two completely different stories that could stand on their own and weave them together in such an entertaining way. There's just about everything in here for a great mystery: forensics, action, politics, lively charcaters, twists, etc.

I look forward to many more Kevin Kerny novels

The third entrant in the Kevin Kerney series, Serpent Gate would also rate third amongst the series. While entertaining enough, it lacked the freshness, the cleverness, and the impact of Michael McGarrity's previous works. Serpent Gate was a just a bit too predictable, and many of the ancillary characters (save Fletcher) were not developed to the degree expected from Mr. McGarrity. The descriptions of the New Mexico landscape were as well done as previously, but overall, while an enjoyable read,and one that fans of McGarrity will still enjoy, newcomers to McGarrity would be better served by reading either of his two previous novels...

In Mountainair, New Mexico, special state police officer Kevin Kerney investigates the local murder of a police officer. The only possible lead in the case is a psychotic, who might have witnessed the murder. Starting with the mentally ill witness, Kevin begins to piece together a story about a bad cop prone to sexual violence.

As the case of the murdered cop winds down, Kerney starts to investigate the stealing of art worth over $8 million from the governor's mansion. Governor Springer wants this case resolved quickly and quietly. As Kevin begins his investigation he finds a link between a frequent female visitor to the mansion, who has disappeared and an old enemy from south of the border. Kevin knows that if this connection leads him to the missing art, it could also lead him to a deadly confrontation with a man who kills without thinking twice.

SERPENT GATE is the third Kerney mystery and like the previous two (TULAROSA and MEXICAN HAT), the novel is a tremendous southwest who-done-it. Kevin is a great character, whothrough his actions, helps the reader better understand the difference between justice and the law. The support cast helps propel the two investigations forward, and they dexterously blend into a fast-paced story line. Michael McGarrity is no longer a rising star because he has obviously arrived.

Harriet Klausner