I'm sure Mr. Jordan did not have in mind to write a coffee table book -- he seems to have a specific thought in mind regarding some of the books that have been released over the past 30 to 40 years regarding the mysterious Sphinx. However, the photography and other illustrations make this book one that you would want visitors to see. I enjoyed the writing as well as the photographs, regardless of Mr. Jordan's obvious biases. (Actually, from a professional historian's view, Mr. Jordan's biases are not at all biases.)

Despite having a bad choice for a title, the twelve chapters of this book offer excellent information on the Ancient Egyptian sphinx. The author provides accurate description, dimensions, excavations and conditions of the monument. He discusses several theories regarding its construction dates and the reason for its construction. Chapters also present the history of Ancient Egypt from predynastic to Old Kingdom times. Accompanied by excellent black-and white illustrations and color photographs, it is a beautiful study of this monument, recommended to have in a personal library.

There are perhaps two ways in which Paul Jordan's "Riddles of the Sphinx" should be viewed. First and foremost, Jordan details everything we know about the Sphinx--its structure, its geology, its place in Egyptian history, the cultural context in which it was made, the place of the Sphinx in Egyptian society thereafter, etc. etc. In this sense, the book is especially valuable in explaining in a highly readable fashion the scientific and historical basis for placing the origin of the Sphinx at about 2500 BCE. You will not find a clearer account of how such scientific reasoning works. At the same time, Jordan is quite fair in admitting where scientists and historians are simply guessing, or where they know nothing at all.

Second, this book provides a fine counterpoint to the recent spate of speculations--carried on by the likes of Graham Hancock, Robert Bauval, John Anthony West, Robert Schoch, Zecharia Sitchin, et. al.--that the Sphinx dates from a far more ancient time and represents evidence of a long-lost civilization predating even ancient Egypt and Sumer. While Jordan argues persuasively against such wild theorizing, and is immeasurably helped by his careful summary of conventional Egyptology, I do wish he had been less offhand in his criticisms of the "alternative Sphinx." Only Schoch is ever mentioned by name or referenced, and then only because he is a trained geologist, and as such is deserving of being "taken seriously." While in some sense this might be correct, and certainly is in an academic context, in a work of popular nonfiction this is downright haughty. Someone, someday needs to address the Hancocks, the Bauvals and the Wests in the same way that, for example, Philip Klass and Robert Sheaffer deal with UFOlogists. In an academic context, it is perhaps appropriate to laugh Graham Hancock out of the room; in the popular arena, his claims need to be addressed specifically.

Nevertheless, as "Riddles of the Sphinx" is the only book I have yet found that does treat the most recent wave of early-Sphinx speculation directly, as of this writing it stands as the most valuable book on the subject for the general reader. It is written well and a surfeit of excellent photographs are included, though they undoubtedly contribute to its rather high price tag.

I enjoyed reading this book and learned new information about cats that I had not previously known, including the fact that some "big cats" purr. I think this book is very informative and would be interesting for children to read or to just look at the wonderful pictures, which includes drawings, maps, and photographs. My particular favorite photograph is on page 14 and 15. In a full two page layout there are two cute cubs sitting in a field. It's an amazing picture. The book has a reading level of 6th grade (Accelerated Reader) but would be enjoyed by children ages K-12 for the illustrations.

This handy volume is a pocket catalog of the latest American hardware. It's quite up-to-date, though I'm in no position to assess its accuracy or comprehensiveness.

The contents are as follow: Intro, Strategic Weapons Systems, Combat Aircraft, Support Aircraft, Special Electronic & Reconnaissance Aircraft, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Air-to-Air Missiles, Air-to-Surface Weapons, Surface Weapons, Submarines, Naval Weapons Systems, Tanks and Fighting Vehicles, Land Warfare-Indirect Fire Weapons, Land Warfare-Direct Fire Weapons, Air Defense Systems, Small Arms.

What this book lacks is an Index, and Sources and Bibilography.

A useful overview of the equipment of the most powerful military in the world. Have it by your side as you watch CNN.

I must say that this book is a very precise and great reference book for anyone interested in World War II, US Navy battleships that fought hard. This book is very excellent in providing an clear picture of each class of ship and provides excellent statistics on each class, from the "Arkansas" to the "Wyoming", this book really helps you to understand these majestic ships and their lesser known bretheren, the battlecruisers. The Battlecruiser was a ship that I did not know the Navy used until I read this book. I would reccomend it to anyone with a taste for history.

Many books on the market will give you step by step instructions how how to create a scene, or create certain effects. Although this is sometimes handy, it doesn't easially allow the user to incorperate the skills they learned into their own work.

Inside 3D Studio Max shows you the concepts behind how the program works, and allows you to apply these concepts, and skills to your own work, rather than a preformatted tutorial. It is this fact, however, that makes the book not extremely useful for modelers who are new to the program. This book often speaks of the manual which ships with 3DS Max, and the writer made it clear that this was not yet ANOTHER MANUAL. Inside 3D Studio Max explores how to expand your ability.

If you have no prior modeling practice, read the manual which ships with Max, then buy this book. If you do that, you will appreciate what is taught in this massive book.

This is an overall GREAT book, and it has really helped me to become a much better 3D artist.

There's a thing common to all classic books: even if you've read one from cover to cover you discover something new every time you open it. Things that you glossed over earlier suddenly start to make sense. This book is no exception. Since 'Inside 3D Studio Rel. 3' the authors have provided an unique insight into the world's most popular 3D programs. This book raises the standard even further, providing enough grip for the novice and a treasure trove of knowledge of the professional. The best thing about this book is the explanation of the PRINCIPLES behind 3D Studio MAX. Instead of the 'do this-screen shot-do that' methodology, the authors have concentrated in the core ideas behind every tool and procedure. If you want MAX to be an extension to your right brain, get this book. Read it all the time. Do the tutorials. Keep referring to it for ideas. You'll discover what you were missing with other books -- the real goods on making MAX dance to your tune.

Inside 3DStudio MAX At last!The book we all waited for.Inside 3DStudio MAX,writtten by Steven Elliot & Phillip Miller;authors of Inside 3DStudio Release 3 & 4.Some said that Inside series is better than the manuals.Well,to tell you the truth,they are quite right. The book is very well structured.It has 29 chapters,starting from explaining the core concepts of MAX,and ending in Network Rendering.Every chapter has its introduction and summary,that's very good 'cause you know what's the chapter about and the summary reminds you the most importants parts. It is not a book that throws you some tutorials only.On the contrary,the writers pay attention to general knowledge an animator must have.Mixing colors and light,story boarding,etc.. Every button is explained thouroughly in the book.It teaches you the best way to model and animate efficiently every model you can think of. Of course,it has some drawbacks.Material editor,Video Post,Space Warps & Particles are not explained in depth.Although there is a solution to that(in February 2 more Volumes will be published:Inside3DStudio MAX Volume II:Advanced Modelling & Material Editor,Volume III:Animation & Character Studio),who wants to buy 2 more books that costs 110$ additionally?(Answear:Me..:P).Another drawback is that the book has color photos only in the chapters that refer to Material Editor(although some will say that's no big deal).And the CD that is included with the book has 200mb of textures.O.k ,where's the drawback?:) Only a few of them are useful.90% of them are very artistic and extend beyond the needs of traditional animators.I think that whoever makes the textures(by the way Tim Forcade,who included textures in 3DStudio 4 Hollywood & Gaming Effects & Indide 3DStudio 4),should have in mind that animators need practical textures like wood,metals and stuff and not abstract paintings.... Inside is for the novice and for the experienced animator,and it is by far the No.1 if you want to master MAX. "Inside 3D Studio MAX should be a part of every serious animator's library"(Larry Crume,Vice President,Autodesk and General MAnager,Kinetix)

i think this is actually the worst conan-story i have read. the plot didn't grab me, seemed to artificial to me. melodramatic. so the rest seemed pretty dull to me too. i never really believed in this story, which was carried out in a dull way too. not much suspence

Well written and fast paced, this book strongly captures the essence of Howard's original character even as it hints at a new, deeper characterization of the mighty Cimmerian. The plot is strong and engaging and goes down as one of my all time favorite Conan novels. An all around good read.

This story is about an epic adventure with Conan, a Cimmerian being captured as a slave and working his way up through the ranks in the army. He fights in many battles and wins most of them. In the end he has to fight a very powerful wizard whose name is Khondemir. I really enjoyed this story because I like a lot of action in stories. I like the author describing how people die. Most of the time it shows what is on their minds.

I recommend not buying this book. I did on the stength of some good reviews on this web site and some good words by Trader Vic. The essence of the book is to use stock screens to look for good stocks, and then use technical analysis to decide when to buy. It's a reasonable premise. In the first edition the two model portfolios returned about +25% and +90% in about a year. That's pretty impressive but occurred at the top of the stock market. In the second edition, two new model portfolios were created. I checked the prices and about a year later, you would have lost almost 100% in each portfolio. I'm sure the author is honest and sincere. However, his methods do not work. In the first edition, he was simply lucky.

Magnet Investing is a refreshing approach to investing which provides a methodology for investing rather than the typical hype found in many investment books. The approach is easy to follow and there are many examples for the reader to learn stock selection, as well as buy and sell signals. The approach strikes the right balance between technical analysis and common sense. I found the book to be useful, well written and would highly recommend it.

I decided to buy Magnet Investing after seeing Mr. Kimmel on several CNBC and CNN segments. This guy knows his stuff and his book reflects it. He has a trademarked stock selection process, and the stocks it picked in the first edition of his book returned 90% in 12 months. This book is filled with information for all levels of investors and provides lots of tables that give a historical perspective of the stock market. Although I felt I didn't need it, the book has several chapters for beginners on how to plan and manage a portfolio and then covers information for more advanced investors including asset allocation and when to buy and sell. Then he turns to the Magnet Stock Selection Process and shows the reader how to use your computer to set up searches using specific criteria for selecting stocks. Finally there is a chapter on tax efficiency and recommended reading and internet sites. The book is loaded with great charts and tables. It's one of the best investment books I've read...and I've seen most of them!

This work was well-though out, but not well edited. Still for informational purposes, there are no rivals in terms of water policy and its impact on the peace process.

Building Bridges captures the important issues surrounding the conflict over fresh water in the Near Middle East. This work has spawned an entire stream of related water discussions, conferences, and other publications. It may have single-handedly revived the discussion for a jointly funded "peace-pipeline" of water in the Jordan River Valley. There are some rough areas of the text, but overall it provides some of the best research and analysis of any work of its kind.

For all of the Jordan fans who are having trouble waiting for the '98 release of 'The Path of Daggers' (Book 8 in The Wheel of Time), this book may have been thought to be something that would hold you're attention. Put simply, it won't. If you're a big Jordan fan, you'll have to buy it, simply to say that you have the complete collection, but it will be a case of reading it once and then storing it on the shelf for ever more, for there is little that hasn't either been mentioned before or alluded to. Highlights of the book are the maps from the previous seven novels reproduced in large scale on glossy art paper, and the seven double page spreads of Darrell Sweet's artwork from the novels. I kid you not, after seeing the rest of the artwork in this book, you will never complain about Darrell's covers again - in fact, you will most likely wish that they had asked him to do all the artwork for the book. On the text side, the section on the Second Dragon and the rise of Artur Hawkwing is the highlight of the book, for there is little else that won't leave you feeling cheated, as in some instances, the author's have even omitted things already revealed in the books. They have even ignored the opportunity in include the short piece 'The Strike at Shayol Ghul' in this book, instead leaving it available to the few who visit the Publisher's web site. It would seem what the publishers have done is basically taken whatever background notes Jordan has been writing as he creates, try to update then to allow for some of the things that have been revealed, make it sound like this is some unknown historian from Rand Al'Thor's time that is writing it (and incidently, at the time this historian wrote this book, Illian was still under the control of the Forsaken Sammael), and jammed it all in a quick book designed to do little more than cash in on the series popularity. About the only really interesting clue I found in the book (relating to the yet unreleased Book 8) is the quote at the very start of the chapter on the Seanchan, which to my mind alludes to the title of the new book fairly implicitly. On the whole, I WOULD recommend this book to anyone who asked, but I'd qualify that by telling them not to get their hopes up or to expect any surprise revelations

First off, a word to the wise: if you haven't finished all seven books of the series yet I highly recommend that you don't read this book. Otherwise you will most certainly find some stuff out that you weren't quite ready to know. Which makes me think, why would Robert Jordan put the time and effort into putting this compilation together when he hasn't even finished the series yet? I guess that means that when the series is finally tied up that there will be some other encyclopedic guide for readers of WoT to invest in. In any case though, I have learned better than to hold my breath. As far as the quality of this particular piece, the book is a terrific reference for anyone who is into the series in the slightest and it really puts everything into perspective. Yet, on the other hand, I was really rather disappointed by much of the artwork included in such a written treasure. It just doesn't measure up to the reputation of the fantasy series itself.

"The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time" (hereinafter "World") is a good companion book for any fan of this great series. Filled with helpful and original material, this companion book gives readers a look at the geography, society, and present & past history of this highly detailed fantasy world. This is a must read book for fans of this series.

However, there are two important caveats. First, the original artwork contained in this book can be described in one word: dreadful! Hideous, terrible, yuck, ugly, and other negative adjectives are also accurate. The artwork in this book is on the level of bad fan art, except most fan art I've seen is better than what is contained in this book. When compared to the cover art of Darrell K. Sweet, which is also found in this book, its enough to make you cringe when looking at the pathetic interior illustrations of Todd Cameron Hamilton. But bad as the artwork is, and it is BAD, it does not overcome the information contained in this book.

The second caveat is that "World" was published prior to the release of book 8, "A Path of Daggers". Two books have now been published (with who knows how many yet to come)since the release of "World", so there is some dating to this companion book. But there is enough original material to still make "World" a good purchase for any fan of this series.

I had thought this book was about first aid for wild animals, but as it turns out it's more like a manual for killing them. It's full of ways to kill but next nothing on healing wild creatures. This is the most disappointing book I've ever seen. I'd recommend that anyone interested in truly helping animals avoid this book...

This book is FILLED with useful advice on how to care for wild creatures. It takes a no nonsense approach to capturing, handling, feeding and caring for orphaned or injured wild animals. Perhaps the previous reviewer couldn't handle the candor with which the authors deal with the reality that some animals in some circumstances can't be helped, but if you can and are interested in effectively helping animals that are in trouble, this book's for you.