This is a great book for someone who is hoping to steal financial engineering practices from one industry to apply them in another. I loved this book- we've already ordered two more copies for people in my work group. Experienced or neophyte, if you're into risk management and/or developing new financial instruments get this one

James does an excellent job of confronting the problem of chronology in archaeology and ancient history. Is our understanding of the ancient world hopelessly confused because of a confused chronology? James looks at research on the entire ancient Mediterranean, comparing building and pottery finds, writings, and artwork, and the dating techniques used to place them in context. As others--from Immanuel Velikovsky (Ages in Chaos, 1952) to David Rohl (Pharaohs and Kings, 1997)--have argued, James sees the source of the problem in Egyptology. The dates calculated for the reigns of certain pharaohs and dynasties have been used as the foundation on which to cross-date finds throughout the ancient Near East and the Mediterranean. If this foundation is rotten, it throws the chronology of the rest of the ancient world into chaos.

This is a scholarly book, and its very thoroughness makes it a rather dry and seemingly repetitive read. This is mainly because the same kinds of errors have been made or borrowed in all the studies--Greek, Hittite, Egyptian, Israelite, etc.--that James critiques. Still, it is an excellent reference work for anyone trying to understand where our studies of ancient history went wrong and where they need to be corrected.

This is a quite comprehensive book. The authors cover a wide variety of insightful information and research in the child welfare field. Very good for anybody who will be working in a public child welfare setting or conducting research in this area. As with most academic reading, it tends to be a little dry. And, because there is so much information, sometimes it doesn't flow very well.

I used this book to study for the MTEL, the teacher exam in Massachusetts (they don't have their own study guides). The math section was VERY helpful. I did not need help in the other areas of the test, so I skimmed over it, but it was useful as well.

Sternberg and Frensch present a comprehensive compilation of current problem solving research. It is well written. The chapters are tightly edited and sequenced so that the book reads as if a single author wrote it. I found both solid research and practical application woven throughout, and have used the book's findings in creating my own multimedia training programs

It was Peter Viereck who coined the name "new conservatism" in Conservatism revisited from 1949. He meant to make a distinction between the Old Right who where only interested in laissez-faire en the free market. According to Viereck conservatism should have nothing to do with profitmaking or big business. In this book he explains his philosophy. Conservatism should be a moderate form of traditionalism. Opposing the extremes of the left as well as the right of the political spectrum in its admiration for the institutions that build America and preserved it from decaying into anarchy and chaos. Those institutions are the only way of preventing modern man of becoming a caveman again. They are threatened by totalitarianism that is trying to replace tradition by a abstract blueprint serving the selfish impulses of men. It should be the task of conservatives, liberals and the socialist parties in Europe to combat this Rousseauian dream. Viereck used as his historical point of reference not Edmund Burke like some many of the new conservatives did after him (though he gives him a fair treatment and is heavily influenced by him), but Metternich. In this way he can show by analogy the importance of cooperation against a common enemy of mankind. Metternich tried to combat nationalism but did not succeed in convincing the liberals of his time in helping him. Vierecks conservatism doesn't mean that he opposes reform as long as it doesn't harm the constitution of a country. It's better to reform gradually than upset order and harmony. This is his warning to the liberals and the socialists. New conservatives after him, like Russell Kirk and Frank Meyer didn't like his appeal to the liberals. They condemned Viereck as a traitor who sold his conservative soul for power. The new conservatives ousted him and entrenched themselves in their traditionalism. It is easy to dismiss Vierecks book as another example of outdated Cold War studies. But it is still relevant in its analysis of the conservative movement. In a postscript of 1962 he explained why things went wrong. He blames the conservatives for being connecting themselves with populists like Goldwater and fascist like Welch of the John Birch Society. In their hunger for means they forgot their ends. Viereck gives the possibility of learning some valuable lessons from conservatism (even for a die hard socialist like I am) and let us reflect on a cooperation with the sensible elements in the conservative movement. It's easy to dismiss lunatics like Goldwater or Starr. It's harder to come to terms with Vierecks comments on socialism. Conservatism revisited is still a refreshing book after all the rubbish of the impeachment trial. It is time to forgive Judas and give him the attention he deserves as the Peter who helped build the church of American conservatism.

This book is simply great. I enjoyed reading it, it really helped me in preparing a assignment.

do the work.

This is not a "how to" book as much as it is a "consider the options" book. The "Consumer's Guide" covers the basic home repair and improvement tasks, but offers beter insight into what these costs contracted versus do-it-yourself AND the relative difficulty level.

For example, they examine different options for water heaters: gas and electric, tank and tankless, as well as heat pump. They note that gas heaters cost more to install, but you'll usually save the amount in the utility bill.

They offer insight into add-on options. For example, an insulation jacket (for the above water heater) is worth considering if your exterior walls aren't well-insulated (