A good if somewhat dated book on telephone survey methodology.

James Neff's book is a disturbing account of the crimes, trial, and conviction of serial rapist Ronnie Shelton. The chapters are divided into very short subheadings, and initially the episodic nature of the writing is somewhat distracting. However, the book gains momentum as the investigation draws to its climax and Shelton is captured. I was appalled to learn that during the years of Shelton's crime spree, he was arrested fifteen times for a variety of lesser offenses, yet every time he was released with no connection made between him and the highly-publicized rapes. There was little effective coordination among investigators in various precincts and divisions, who were slow to realize that they were all looking for the same man. The investigation was also hampered by the common misconception that voyeurs (like Shelton) don't engage in, or progress to, violence and rape

Flannery takes a myriad of information and transforms it into an incredibly interesting work. I have only once before been so drawn in by a book of such histrionic magnitude. The subject itself needs no attraction; however, Flannery keeps the eyes wide open from page to page, chapter to chapter. I highly recommend this book to anyone having an interest in W.B. Yeats or theatre itself. It tells an interesting tale of much of Irish--as well as English and French--drama, poetry, and its' theatres.

This is an excellent book reviewing the battles that took place from Chattanooga to Atlanta in the summer of 1864 in the Western armies. The authors, working independently, have chronicled much of the strategy and and battlefield drama that characterized such engagements as Dallas, New Hope Church, Pickett's Mill, Kennesaw Mountain, Ezra Church, Resaca etc.
As a layman, I was not bogged down with too much military lingo, and was able to get a good grasp of the strategy used on both sides. Maps and pictures add to the clarity. The authors seemed to start out being favorably disposed to Joseph E. Johnston's command, then, as they analyze all the historical and geographical factors from hindsight, they bring the reader to wonder at his failure to maneuver into a decisive victory over Sherman's advancing army. With the ensuing command of Gen. Hood one senses the nearly frantic contrast to throw men into battle as Atlanta becomes ever-more threatened, at great sacrifice of Confederate lives.
If you had ancestors that fought in the Atlanta Campaign, this is a very good book, with details drawn from numerous sources. The writers have added soldiers' and officers' comments from diaries and letters that detail the morale, the terrain, the weather, and attitude towards the events of the day. These add more interest to the sometimes dry, official commentaries so often quoted in other works.
Good history for layman or scholar; Union or Confederate.

This is a great book to own. The knowledge found in this book is wonderful. I felt like a whold new person after reading it.

any lover of philosophy OR psychology should doubtlessly buy this book. if you are interested in the work of William James, and are searching for the right compilation of his writings, you have found it, no doubt. but i strongly recommend buying the second volume to this, which basically looks the same but with a different picture on him on it and obviously other works by him.

now as for the works themselves.... Will does seem to change his basis for thought a lot of the time. one thing that particularly got to me is his lack of psychological/scientific integration into his "the moral philosopher". it is nevertheless a wonderful peice. and the writing is wonderful.... his talks to teachers and students being the more effortlessly read. Psychology: Briefer Course outlines psychology in a way that allows us to think in a way that integrates actual physical psychology into our perspective, instead of mystical talk of "souls", etc.

The Will to Believe is a collection of enthrawling works, and i particularly enjoyed talks to teachers and students. i can say my favorite work in this book is "On a Certain Blindness", one of the 3 talks to students. when philosophy becomes spiritual, is when you know you can really use it. a great book, buy it.

With the only exception of the JKD books written by Dan Inosanto, this is one of the best. This book typically focuses on the tactics but phylosophical part is quite shallow. Jeet Kune Do stands for "the method of inteception" in Chinese language. You will find a variety of interception tactics in this text. Pretty decent book.

I learned Access 97 pretty well from this book. I would recommend it for any beginner. I had almost no experience with Access before this. It covers just about every topic, and has plenty of screen shots and step-by-step instructions. It gives a good overview of more advanced topics as well, including 2 chapters on Macros, 1 chapter on web pages, and 2 chapters on VBA. I'll probably pick up another book to learn more about VBA.

One complaint though, the CD-ROM didn't coincide very well with some parts of the book. It has a great example database, but some instructions didn't work exactly the way they were supposed to with it. I think publishers should just put there files for download on a web site. That way they could be updated easily. Also, I like it when a publisher posts "errata" (error corrections) to their books on a web site. As far as I know...only Wrox does these things.

I purchased the Access 97 Bible awhile back and feel it is a great book for novice Access users such as myself. I needed to get up and running with Microsoft Access and wanted a book with good examples on building an access database. This was the book for me.

I felt the authors did a wonderful job of explaining complex, technical topics so that they were easy to understand and comprehend.

Unlike many technical books, this book contains many pictures and examples which helped me to understand the topics covered in the book. I did find some inconsistencies with some of the items on the CD, but a quick email to the author resolved my problems. They were very helpful on answering my questions with the book as well as other questions I had on Access.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking to learn about Microsoft Access and building database in Access.

I have read this entire book, as well as the 3 "bonus chapters" included on the CD-ROM (in MS Word format), and (suprisingly) truly enjoyed the process. I found it to provide an excellent step-by-step methodology for developing Access 97 applications, with each of the major aspects (tables, forms, reports, macros, and modules) laid out clearly with beginning and later advanced sections and chapters. There are lots of examples to illustrate each aspect or feature, which I believe is a great way to learn. 1 minor flaw: nothing specific on the rules of data normalization (kind of brushed over with some ideas in the Pet store examples), which really is the foundation for all good database development. Overall, an EXCELLENT book for someone who wants to know everything about Access 97 without getting into serious VBA programming (which is where I'm headed now). If Mr. Prague and Mr. Irwin come up with a book on that, I'll buy it without second thought.

Not bad. I've been playing D&D for about 14 years now, so I remember Legend's and Lore for the other editions. Compared to the previous editions, Deities and Demigods 3E is MUCH more thorough regarding each pantheon and limits itself quite well. This book does NOT attempt to give a cursory look at everything but does go into great detail on 4 pantheons and gives rules to create your own religions. Great Job!

Now the bad news: How often does your character actually try to brawl with a diety? Hopefully never, or very rarely. How often do your characters interact with a deities church? A lot more often than meeting the actual deity. There is almost NO detail on how each deities' religions are set-up. MAJOR PROBLEM. Even if the designers wanted to leave room for the DM to create a church, why flub on this crucial issue? For a top notch D&D religion book, check out the 2nd edition Forgotten Realms religion sourcebooks. Deities and Demigods 3E doesn't even come close to this standard. It merely demotes deities from a position of awe and true deific standings to uber-monsters you would meet on the 20th level of a dungeon. Planescape is much better in outlining how deities and characters should interact.

While I haven't time for an in-depth review of Deities and Demigods, I would say that I think it's one of the finest products produced for the system yet. The two major arguments I've heard against the product here are:

1) Who needs stats for gods?

Fair enough, but it isn't as if this book is new to the D&D system. The idea goes back a very long way indeed and has been done more than once. I think once the Epic-Level Campaigns book is released this volume will seem more accessible as well as a more natural progression from the Player's Handbook. Indeed, it seems almost as if the third part of a trilogy was released before the second, but that in no way makes this any less of a fun, useful, and enjoyable romp. For those of you that see this as only a glorified Monster Manual, I say free up your imaginations!

2) It only details four pantheons.

True, but it covers them very well. I think this is preferable to having a mixed bag of gods that you can only really use if you play a truly worldly sort of campaign. My only real disappointment with the D&D/Greyhawk Pantheon was that I wanted much, much more of it than was offered. And I think if the biggest problem you have with a book is that you wanted it to be bigger, then you just have to do like I do...and pray for a Deities & Demigods II.

The book is simply excellent. It begins by describing topics such as the nature of divinity (how a deity became a deity, where their power stems from, etc.), how to create your own gods, your own pantheons and so forth. There is a list of divine abilities and divine feats for fleshing out deities you create...as well as explaining the powers of those listed within. But, enough of about the nuts and bolts, because we know what everyone's waiting for...the gods!

The D&D/Greyhawk Pantheon is a real plus for those of you who want a look at and description of the deities mentioned in the Player's Handbook. It also includes Tiamat and Bahamut (dragon deities), Lolth (Drow), and for some reason Kurtulmak (Kobold). The artwork is Fantastic and the stats given make perfect sense for truly far-reaching epic campaigns. As I said before...the only thing I want from this section of the book is MORE!

The remaining three pantheons are Olympian (Greek), Pharonic (Egyptian), and Asgardian (Norse) and each are detailed comprehensibly. There are of course a few players missing from the deck (such as Fenrir from the Asgardian section) but with an average of 20 gods per pantheon you'll have plenty of stuff to keep you occupied and drool over.

There are also original examples of monotheistic and dualistic faiths and a mystery cult. These are interesting to compare to the pantheons, especially as you're given details on creating your own, but I prefer the pantheon system as it adds more diversity.

The book also includes several monsters spread throughout (cyclops, faun, greater mummy, minions of set, valkyrie, etc.), a few prestige classes and a list of "new" Domains and spells.

My only hope is that this book will be followed up, much like the Monster Manual, with a sequel that will detail other pantheons (Celtic? Babylonian?) and include more D&D/Greyhawk gods such as those found in the Living Greyhawk Gazeteer.

Until then (assuming it ever happens) enjoy what is here. The seeds for a great deal of high-level fun, and low-level awe when Fharlanghn meets you on the crossroads at the beginning of your next adventure.

Oh, yes...and don't let anyone tell you otherwise: The artwork is far beyond "okay"...it is superb!

Deities and Demigods is one of the many books I own for my 3E campaigns and I consider it to be one of the most useful in setting up a fantasy setting for my players. The book goes into detail about a gods stats, abilities, and equipment. But more importantly, its portfolio and mannerisms. The book is valuble to a DM in the sense it can add personality to a god and allow for more sympathy toward a religion. This is vital for not only characters that need to emulate their god's gamut in order to roleplay correctly. But it also provides DM's with a rule for how a deity would act in relation to it's followers and other deities. The stats given to each god provide a guide to how a deity reguards another in terms of divine rank. Not all god's are created equally and this book allows for diversity in your campaign. I recommend this book only for those that wish to add a definate element of religion to the game. The book is not required but it is a definate help.

And on a personal note. I love the artwork.

Set in upstate New York in colonial times, Cooper here tells the tale of the stolid colonial scout Hawkeye, nee Natty Bumppo (don't ask), who, with his two Indian companions Chingachgook (the Big Snake) and his son Uncas (apparently newly come to manhood), stumble on a party of British soldiers conducting two fair maidens to their father, the commander of British Fort William Henry during the French and Indian War. Under the watchful eyes of the young British officer who has the girls in his charge and led by a Huron scout, Magua, the party appears, to the indomitable Hawkeye, to be at greater risk than they realize as they trek through the wilderness toward the safety of the girls' father's garrison. And, indeed, Hawkeye's judgement is soon proved right as the scout Magua treacherously betrays the hapless girls in repayment, it seems, for a stint of corporal punishment inflicted on him previously by their absent parent. Since the Hurons, Magua's native tribe, are culturally akin to the Iroquois who are the herditary enemies of the Algonquin Delawares, from whom Chingachgook and his son hail and among whom Hawkeye has made his home and friendships, a natural antagonism arises almost at once between Hawkeye's party and the Huron and this proves salutary, when danger finally strikes. The tale quickly becomes a matter of flight and pursuit through thickly overgrown primeval forests, over rough mountains and across broad open lakes as the beleagured travelers first elude and then flee the dreaded Iroquois (allies of the French) who have joined the renegade Huron in an effort to seize the two girls. After a brief respite within the safety of William Henry however, the tables are once again turned as Magua's perfidy puts the girls once more at risk. And now the story shifts to a manic pursuit of the fleeing Magua who means to carry off his human prey in order to finally have his revenge on the girls' father, on the British and on the Europeans, generally, whose presence in his native country he blames (not altogether unjustifiably) for his myriad travails. Written in the fine tradition of the 19th century romance (which, of course, is what this book is), Cooper picked up where Sir Walter Scott (the venerable founder of this novelistic tradition) left off, creating a rich historical tale of adventure, nobility and marvelously sketched characters set against a brilliantly detailed natural landscape. If his characters are less keenly drawn than Scott's they are no less memorable for, in the quiet nobility of the scout Hawkeye lies the strong, silent hero of the wilderness which has become the archetypical protagonist in our own American westerns. And the Indians, Chingachgook and Uncas, are the very prototypes of the noble savage, so much used, and over-used, today. This is a tale of action first and foremost without much plot but so well told that you barely notice, as our heroes flee and pursue their enemies in turn -- until the very quickness of the prose seems to mirror and embody the speed of the action. Nor is this book only to be read for its rapid-fire rendition of flight and pursuit, for it touches the reader on another level as well, as the bold young Uncas moves out ahead of his comrades to place himself at risk for the others and the woman he loves. Although we never see Uncas at anything but a distance and never get to know the man he is supposed to be, he is yet a symbol of that people of whom he is the last chiefly descendant, the Delaware Mohicans. Nobly born into the finest of Mohican bloodlines, Uncas faces his final trial with heroic energy and resolve in order to defeat the nefarious and twisted Magua. Yet this struggle is also the final footnote in the story of a people, marking the closing chapter for all those Indians who, with the Mohicans, have, in Cooper's own words, seen the morning of their nation and the inevitable nightfall which must follow. If you give this book a chance and bear with some of the heavy nineteenth century prose, it will prove out in the end. An exciting and worthwhile read.

Set in upstate New York in colonial times, Cooper here tells the story of the stolid colonial scout Hawkeye, nee Natty Bumppo (don't ask), who, with his two Indian companions Chingachgook (the Big Snake) and his son Uncas (apparently newly come to manhood), stumble on a party of British soldiers conducting two fair maidens to their father, the commander of British Fort William Henry during the French and Indian War. Under the watchful eyes of the young British officer who has the girls in his charge and led by a Huron scout, Magua, the party appears, to the indomitable Hawkeye, to be at greater risk than they realize as they trek through the wilderness toward the safety of the girls' father's garrison. And, indeed, Hawkeye's judgement is soon proved right as the scout Magua treacherously betrays the hapless girls in repayment, it seems, for a stint of corporal punishment inflicted on him previously by their absent parent. Since the Hurons, Magua's native tribe, are culturally akin to the Iroquois who are the herditary enemies of the Algonquin Delawares, from whom Chingachgook and his son hail and among whom Hawkeye has made his home and friendships, a natural antagonism has arisen almost at once between Hawkeye's party and the Huron and this proves salutary, when danger finally strikes. The tale quickly becomes a matter of flight and pursuit through thickly overgrown primeval forests, over rough mountains and across broad open lakes as the beleagured travelers first elude and then flee the dreaded Iroquois (allies of the French) who have joined the renegade Huron in an effort to seize the two girls. After a brief respite within the safety of William Henry however, the tables are once again turned as Magua's perfidy puts the girls once more at risk. And now the story shifts to a manic pursuit of the fleeing Magua who means to carry off his human prey in order to finally have his revenge on the girls' father, on the British and on the Europeans, generally, whose presence in his native country he blames (not altogether unjustifiably) for his myriad travails. Written in the fine tradition of the 19th century romance (which, of course, is what this book is), Cooper picked up where Sir Walter Scott (the venerable founder of this particular novelistic tradition) left off, creating a rich historical tale of adventure, nobility and marvelously sketched characters set against a brilliantly detailed natural landscape. If his characters are less keenly drawn than Scott's they are no less memorable for, in the quiet nobility of the scout Hawkeye lies the strong, silent hero of the wilderness which was to become the archetypical protagonist of the American western. And the Indians, Chingachgook and Uncas, are the very prototypes of the noble savage, so much used and over-used today. This is a tale of action first and foremost without much plot but so well told that you barely notice, as our heroes flee and pursue their enemies in turn until the very quickness of the prose seems to mirror and embody the speed of the action. Nor is this book only to be read for its rapid-fire rendition of flight and pursuit, for it touches the reader on another level as well, as the bold young Uncas moves out ahead of his comrades to place himself at risk for the others and the woman he loves. Although we never see Uncas at anything but a distance and never get to know the man he is supposed to be, he is yet a symbol of that people of whom he is the last chiefly descendant, the Delaware Mohicans. Nobly born into the finest of Mohican bloodlines, Uncas faces his final trial with heroic energy and resolve in order to defeat the nefarious and twisted Magua. Yet this struggle is also the final footnote in the story of a people, marking the closing chapter for all those Indians who, with the Mohicans, have seen, in Cooper's words, the morning of their nation and the inevitable nightfall which must follow. The book is a bit short on characterization and plotting and the prose is heavy for modern tastes, but the action is richly visualized in the flow of the narrative and the images are compelling. In the end, despite its flaws, this book of Cooper's is, in fact, the classic we have been told it is. -- S. W. Mirsky

Set in upstate New York in colonial times, Cooper here tells the story of the stolid colonial scout Hawkeye, nee Natty Bumppo (don't ask), who, with his two Indian companions Chingachgook (the Big Snake) and his son Uncas (apparently newly come to manhood), stumble on a party of British soldiers conducting two fair maidens to their father, the commander of British Fort William Henry during the French and Indian War. Under the watchful eyes of the young British officer who has the girls in his charge and led by a Huron scout, Magua, the party appears, to the indomitable Hawkeye, to be at greater risk than they realize as they trek through the wilderness toward the safety of the girls' father's garrison. And, indeed, Hawkeye's judgement is soon proved right as the scout Magua treacherously betrays the hapless girls in repayment, it seems, for a stint of corporal punishment inflicted on him previously by their absent parent. Since the Hurons, Magua's native tribe, are culturally akin to the Iroquois who are the herditary enemies of the Algonquin Delawares, from whom Chingachgook and his son hail and among whom Hawkeye has made his home and friendships, a natural antagonism has arisen almost at once between Hawkeye's party and the Huron and this proves salutary, when danger finally strikes. The tale quickly becomes a matter of flight and pursuit through thickly overgrown primeval forests, over rough mountains and across broad open lakes as the beleagured travelers first elude and then flee the dreaded Iroquois (allies of the French) who have joined the renegade Huron in an effort to seize the two girls. After a brief respite within the safety of William Henry however, the tables are once again turned as Magua's perfidy puts the girls once more at risk. And now the story shifts to a manic pursuit of the fleeing Magua who means to carry off his human prey in order to finally have his revenge on the girls' father, on the British and on the Europeans, generally, whose presence in his native country he blames (not altogether unjustifiably) for his myriad travails. Written in the fine tradition of the 19th century romance (which, of course, is what this book is), Cooper picked up where Sir Walter Scott (the venerable founder of this novelistic tradition) left off, creating a rich historical tale of adventure, nobility and marvelously sketched characters set against a brilliantly detailed natural landscape. If his characters are less keenly drawn than Scott's they are no less memorable for, in the quiet nobility of the scout Hawkeye lies the strong, silent hero of the wilderness which has become the archetypical protagonist in our own American westerns. And the Indians, Chingachgook and Uncas, are the very prototypes of the noble savage, so much used and over-used today. This is a tale of action first and foremost without much plot but so well told that you barely notice, as our heroes flee and pursue their enemies in turn until the very quickness of the prose seems to mirror and embody the speed of the action. Nor is this book only to be read for its rapid-fire rendition of flight and pursuit, for it touches the reader on another level as well, as the bold young Uncas moves out ahead of his comrades to place himself at risk for the others and the woman he loves. Although we never see Uncas at anything but a distance and never get to know the man he is supposed to be, he is yet a symbol of that people of whom he is the last chiefly descendant, the Delaware Mohicans. Nobly born into the finest of Mohican bloodlines, Uncas faces his final trial with heroic energy and resolve in order to defeat the nefarious and twisted Magua. Yet this struggle is also the final footnote in the story of a people, marking the closing chapter for all those Indians who, with the Mohicans, have seen, in Cooper's own words, the morning of their nation and the inevitable nightfall which must follow. -- Stuart W. Mirsky (mirsky@ix.netcom.com