The selection of essays covers both classic and contemporary philosophy.

This would be an ideal choice for the "Average Jo" who wants to contribute to philosophy conversations.

While reading, you might find yourself having more confidence in some beliefs and re-thinking other beliefs.

"Philosophy... It separates humans from animals." - The Wise Old Owl.

This book is state of the art and easily understood. The 18 orignal essays make sophisticated philosophy understandable.

This book takes difficult concepts and makes them relevant for both college students and lay persons. I thoroughly enjoyed the challenges it presented to my belief system and the growth I have experienced because of it. I strongly recommend it.

First, read the last four paragraphs. Then read the book. Use a marker liberally. This is a person with strong opinions and he is usually right. He is a marketer's marketer who never strays far from the fact that we all have to sell something to survive. He complies a lot of current internet thinking and best practices with a substantial heaping of his own background. He adds a sprinkling of the future with an eye on what's working now. Worth the price of admisssion, but start with the end.

A must read for anyone who either makes or influences marketing decisions. Being a part of an organization that serves both small and medium sized businesses that need integrated marketing solutions, this book is the outline for success. As an avid reader, all too often I see either "Joe Bob's theory on marketing success" or somebody plagiarizing one of the Porter bibles; either way, they're not usable by the average guy. Ryan's book has concise, easy to implement solutions that can be scaled. In today's marketplace where most businesses have between 2 and 10 employee's and make well under a million a year in revenue, business owners need roadmaps that are easy to follow and implementable with the staff that is on hand. Ryan does this well.

Not only would I consider this a must read, I'd say it's one to pick up again and again.

Christopher Ryan has hit a homerun with his book High Performance Interactive Marketing. His book provides the reader with a host of real-time, practical advice on how to improve the performance of your business.

I love the fact that Ryan provides the reader with a plethora of real-world examples that a company (such as mine or my client's) can utilize immediately.

In a book world that is so focused on nice-to-know theories, Ryan delivers on what all companies covet--practical advice that can be used the next day. I especially like his demonstrations of metrics, such as return on marketing investments, as this continues to be the holy grail that most companies seek, but very few find the right formula tied to their specific situation.

I will use this book regularly for my company and highly recommend it to my clients.

I love this cookbook! Right now my garden is full to overflowing with ripening veggies and for the last few years that I've had this cookbook, I've worn it out this time of year. Why do I love it? The recipes have proven to be very reliable and by that I mean that every recipe I've tried from it has not needed much if any 'fine tuning' and the results have been consistently terrific.

I hate it when a cookbook includes too many exotic ingredients that are hard to find in my very rural area, and the only thing I've found difficult to obtain that this book calls for is white wine vinegar. I've solved that problem by asking the nearest grocer to order a case for me! I use so many of the recipes in this book that I'll easily use a case in a year or two.

Favorites from the book? The Szechuan Vegetable pickle recipe that lets me take a variety of our produce and layer them together with a simple salt/water/spices mixture, leave at room temp and then store in refrigerator. They get better and better and are super served as a side dish with rice.

I've also got to give rave reviews to the fruit pickle recipes. The sweetness and depth of flavor of the pickled pears and other fruit are a real treat to add to holiday meals. I just harvested lots of winter squash and will begin making the sweet pickled pumpkin and squash recipe today. Pickling and preserving are truly fulfilling acts and thanks to this great book, they are also easy and delicious.

If you've never pickled anything, this book won't confuse you with anything but the simple basics of preserving. If you are a seasoned preserver, you'll find some wonderful new ways to keep that harvest.

This is a great book for new pickling ideas, and the quantities are reasonable for trying new things out (you dont need bushels and buckets for most of them. The blueberry preserves and pickles are great, peach chutney is wonderful, and the asparagus is now a family favorite. The home made catsup is a bit of work, but worth it.

Linda has brought a wonderful variety of pickling recipes from around the world together in one book. The latest USDA pocedures and processes are used and described in great detail. Which I think is just wonderful. From reading her little notes on these recipes you just know she has tried these recipes her self and you just can't wait to try them out. Just thinking about my next project gets my mouth watering. This is a must have in the preserving kitchen.

Very informative. A must have if you are planning a trip and are not familiar with Jamaican culture.

I have used four different guidebooks in two trips to Jamaica in the past two years. This Lonely Planet guide is clearly the most thorough and comprehensive (although the others are more than adequate). I can't think of anything of significance that was left out, and I've been studying the island for 30 years now. That said, it's probably far more than most tourists to Jamaica will need or want. The vast majority go to major resorts for fun in the sun. If that is your intent, then this book will be very helpful to you in planning your trip--choosing a place to go, places to eat and stay, and things to do-but so will the other guides. This is, however, the guide par excellence for those who want to know as much as possible about Jamaica, its people and culture, and who will be traveling around the island, perhaps to areas remote from the tourist industry, for an extended period of time. It will be invaluable for anyone who is moving to Jamaica and working there-such as missionaries, teachers, embassy staff, and Peace Corps volunteers.

The guide starts with an excellent 66 page overview of the island that you should read before you go. It also has a great 47 page history of popular music. And lots of beautiful color photographs. Followed by detailed information on where to go, where to stay, and what to do in every area of the country. Along with priceless sage advice on the local culture. The author really knows his way around the country and the people. It can be a tricky place to be, and most tourists don't venture far from the resort areas, so if you are going cross-country on your own then you should definitely read what he has to say.

Because it is so comprehensive and informative, I can also recommend this guide as a beginning reference on Jamaica. I don't know any other book where you can learn so much about the country between two covers.

You can rely on this guide totally. And, by the way, it's a tough book too, with a stitched spine to keep it together, so it won't fall apart before your next trip to Jamaica.

This is the guidebook that answers all of the questions you might have about this beautiful country. I was able to enjoy 2 wonderful weeks in Negril, and planned most of my activities, hotel accomodations, restaurant visits, entertainment, and transportation using this book. What I appreciate most about Lonely Planet books is that they give information on all of the towns in a given country - not just the big resort places. The ratings of hotels and restaurants was very accurate, as were the maps. They tell you the good, the bad and the ugly in realistic terms that make getting around a breeze. This book is a must if you are planning to travel to Jamaica!!

As a binge eater since high school, I've tried many diets, starting over 30 yrs ago in college with the Scarsdale Diet. Later tried Atkins, the Zone, Ornish, not to mention the grapefruit, ice cream, and peanut butter diets and many others. I ordered diet pills from TV and spent untold hours in therapy trying to understand the "why" behind my binge eating. Some strategies helped me lose weight temporarily, but the pounds kept coming back--and the binging never really stopped.

The older I got, the harder it was to get back to a healthy weight. A couple of years ago, I had significant success with the Weight Watcher program--got to my goal weight relatively quickly, but even while on the program I was binging, though on lower-fat foods. Eventually the binges became more frequent, I went back to old favorites, and my weight began creeping up. I like the WW program but have become convinced that my ability to maintain a healthy and stable weight in the long run depends on reducing my binge eating. Since WW doesn't provide much insight/help with binging per se, I started looking for other sources and found this book. It's been a godsend.

The background information is clearly presented and helpful. Fairburn's analysis of the relationship between dieting and binge eating is especially interesting--a must read for anyone who has tried dieting as a means of controlling binge-induced weight gains. The step-by-step process for reducing binge eating and establishing a healthier attitude toward food and body weight is grounded in solid research--and it works. I could understand the rationale behind the approach Fairburn recommends, was making progress in only a few weeks, and achieved a signficant reduction in binge eating soon after. For years I thought the only way to avoid a binge was never to let myself eat the first bite of my favorite binge foods, but now I'm able to eat even those foods in moderation.

I know this review is long and sounds like a magazine ad for the latest diet pill. To others out there like me: Fairburn knows what he's talking about. He understands our problem and has developed a reasonable and realistic plan for solving it. This book helped me reduce my binge eating like no other I've ever read. Thank you Dr. Fairburn.

Although I have only gained excessive weight during the past five years, I now recognise that I have suffered from binge eating disorder for many years since early adulthood. This book is easy to follow and clearly shows how you can regain control of your life. I am successfully undergoing treatment for binge eating disorder with a clinical pyschologist who has worked with Dr Fairburn over the past five years. This is the only book that she has recommended to assist me: now I know why. Do yourself a favour, buy it and follow it!

This book presents it all: facts, accounts, tips, treatment options and research. But best of all: it takes away a lot of the fear people might have about overcoming their eating disorder ("Will I gain an enormous amount of weight?" - Fairburn provides an extended graph that shows most people will *not*).

This book can be used by yourself, together with a treatment professional, as adjunction to group therapy, however you wish. Fairbun gives clear information about what you are doing if you binge and purge and what you are doing to you body. He doesn't dive too far into the psychology behind eating disorder issues, recognizing that there are many, many paths leading someone to have an eating disorder. Instead, he focuses on the problem at hand and gives step by steps instructions on how to normalize your behavior and get healthy again.

This is an excellent book for any beginning artist or anyone else wanting to learn cartooning. Chris Hart publishes some of the best books on art that I've ever seen. This book gives good details on drawing that is easy to follow and understand. All in all, this is one book that should be in every artist's library.

From the beginning of this book to the end, it is filled with (finally) basic, step-by-step instructions on drawing cartoon people, body parts, the "action line", body language and style. And then it starts all over again with animals! Mostly dogs, cats, and different fowl, it also includes less common animals, like beaver, porcupine, raccoon and many sea animals. Can't forget the great alligators and dragon. Finally, the book spends time on placing the characters, reference lines and specialty shots and the all-important "balloon". Another great one by C. Hart. I think I own most of his books and they are all worth great merit, better than the other books I've seen out there by far.

A few years ago, on a whim, I decided to start drawing. I didn't know where to begin so I bought this book. I really believed I couldn't draw. The techniques in this book were so easy to learn that soon I went from drawing stick figures to expressive cartoon characters. My confidence went up and I took on more complicated projects. Now, I work part-time doing illustrations and it all started here!

I recommend this book if you like Jeff Beck, like his genre of music, and don't want to or don't have the time to read a novel. I read this book over a period of 5 months, sometimes as little as a page at a time. I didn't have the feeling of losing the red line or anything like that because I didn't read it quicker. The book gives you a good view at Jeff Beck's career but also generally the music scene during the described time period ('65-'80). The book is written journal-like with almost day by day accounts of concerts. I found that odd at the beginning but got into it as time progressed into the seventies (I'm not much of a Yardbirds fan). The book focuses on the music, gives some account of Jeff Beck's equipment used, and explains interpersonal group dynamics where neccessary. The book is written with its head on its shoulders and does not only quote positive statements about the artist. I've never met Jeff Beck in person but have a feeling this is an objective account of his story. Is it a must-read? Well, I enjoyed it but can only speak for myself. It made me hope he tours at least one more time in the US so I can go see him play live, which I never have so far.

This book contains so much info you have to read it twice. It is wonderfully written and the pictures are most excellent. It's a very un-biased account of Jeff's daily routines. This is not to be missed.

This book is an astounding work, containing a wealth of information on the formative years of British guitar giant, Jeff Beck. Painstakingly researched, the book rewards the reader with stories of star-studded jams, sessions that never reached the public, and years of toil on the road. All the more poignant is the fact that today, Jeff Beck, has continued to scale new heights in creating an original approach not only to the guitar, but to music as well. His new CD, "You Had it Coming", is a finely composed and performed testimony to his artistry. If you enjoy Jeff Beck, you can't be without this book!

As a physicist I was impressed
by a review of MAD ABOUT PHYSICS which
came out in the July 2001 issue of PHYSICS WORLD,
a British physics monthly. The review was written
by Peter Ford, a member of the physics department
at the University of Bath, and referred to MAD ABOUT
PHYSICS as a "fascinating new book."

It's been over 20 years since I've had any physics, but I still enjoyed the riddles and questions in this book -- sure, some were over my head, but I still could understand lots of the explanations. Plus, the examples are practical enough to make you the star of your next party: is it better (which will make it COOL faster) to let black coffee cool first and then put in cold milk or to put cold milk in and let it cool? Coffee drinkers will be happy to know that black coffee cools faster than white so wait a few minutes before pouring your cold milk in if you want it to cool quickly. If you like these kinds of brainteasers, you'll love this book. An appropriate gift for students and pondering adults alike. The authors also provide interesting quotes in the margins that make for good reading as well. Some of the explanations are a bit too brief if you really want to understand the physics behind it, but the authors provide the reader with enough information to dig deeper. Fun!

I bought this book after reading the previous reviews, and it was exactly the book I had imagined. The more you read, the more you want to know about the world and how things work in our world. Physics is amazingly applied throughout our lives knowingly and unknowingly. The curiosities just keep going. After finishing it, you can correct your friends on misconcepted ideas or explain to them the theories behind an event.

This paperback has 397 questions/puzzles, each with an answer in the back. Questions range from simple ones like what is the difference between gas and vapor, to more complex ones like the architecture of a rollercoaster. Although someone earlier had recommended this book for children, I would say that most of the braintwisters require some fundamental understanding of physics that a highschool student would have an easier time with. But again it is certainly a great choice and a must-have if you are one of those physics maniacs like me.

Jenna Blake thought she was done being an assistant Medical Examiner but when a strange series of crimes show up she finds herself strangely drawn towards them. What's so strange about these crimes is the fact that the murderers are already dead. Torn between the want to help and solve the mystery, and to have a normal life with her friends Hunter and Yoshiko and her boyfriend Damon, Jenna is forced to make a serious decision. Will she take her old job back? Even if it means putting her life in jepordy Again??

I found this book to be an equally thilling edition to the series, one of the best to date. The "Zombie killings" are baffling and you'll never expect who the real killer is. If your a fan of the Body of evidence series and can stomache reading about a lot of gore, read this book! It's one of the best in the series that I'v read!

Jenna Blake gets herself caught up in another suspensful puzzle. Even open minded Jenna has to question her beliefs with this one. Are zombies real or myth? She has to find out.

I love this series! It keeps me in suspense. The different "cases" in the series are really original and like nothing I had ever imagined. This book has been my favorite so far. Christopher Golden presents a mystifying problem early in the story. Keep in mind that I don't usually get scared from stories or books, but at the climax of Meets the Eye, something totally unexpected happened and I nearly dropped the book with a start! I was almost crying (and laughing at myself at the same time)! I can't wait for the next book in the series.

When I was in Havana (3/2001) I brought a stack of guide books to help me navigate around Cuba (and especially Havana). The top award goes to the prolific author Christopher Baker, who wrote "Havana Handbook" and "Cuba" (both are published by Avalon Travel).

In Havana Handbook Christopher Baker gives you a solid introduction to Havana and Cuba, a good, but basic, general travel information section. His two books have the best accommodations, restaurants and sights-to-see reviews and recommendations available today. He also provides excellent tables & lists of pertinent subjects, good black & white photos, scores of side bar topics that are full of informative caveats, and the beginning of web site and Internet addresses.

The only improvement I can recommend to Avalon Travel and Christopher Baker (are you listening?) would be more, much more, email addresses (especially for the hotels) additional online sources and additional maps (i.e., Baker recommends three great walking tours through Havana and these need maps). However, I have reviewed other Moon Handbooks and the Havana Handbook's maps and scattered inclusions of online resources are a real improvement over other Moon Handbooks.

So, if you are going to visit JUST Havana, and you don't want to cart around Christopher Baker's definitive, 827 page "Cuba" (Highly Recommended - see review), then this 368-page guidebook is very good and reliable choice. BUT, for three dollars more I would buy Christopher Baker's "Cuba". Regardless Christopher Baker has written a tour guide unmatched by any other Cuba guide book. Recommended

I spent a month in Cuba guided by this book. Not only does it have great information for the essential activities like eating and sleeping, but it has an incredible amount of information about the country. If you find yourself without a book to read while traveling, Chris' guide book is great for educational reading material - packed with historical and cultural reading. At first I scoffed at his tendency to flowery writing - "with water as warm as bedtime milk" but after growing accostomed to his style we began to think of Chris as our travel buddy and the other travel books brought by my travel partners were soon buried deep in backpacks - Chris' book was the only one we needed.

I have been all over Cuba, and Baker was an excellent guide. No other book goes into the detail for off the beaten track travel.