"Inside Network Perimeter Security" is one of the most well-written volumes I have in my (large!) collection of
security books. The topic encompasses a wide array of different subjects, all of which are covered very thoroughly.
The book doesn't sacrifice clarity for depth, though, like some others do. The chapters are well written,
concise and clearly thought out. This isn't just a book about how to set up a firewall: this is a book about how to
design a secure network perimeter. It's also the companion book to SANS' GIAC Certified Firewall Analyst (GCFW) certification, which makes it doubly valuable.

This book has great breadth and covers many different aspects of network security. Additionally, the authors provide a good level of detail on technical security matters, where appropriate. This is extremely rare in computer security books.

The most valuable aspect of this book is that the authors explore the thought process behind network security engineering. There are numerous books that cover the details of firewalls, VPNs, routers, intrusion detection, etc. However, there are few books that explore the thought process behind the deployment of these technologies on real networks.

A good percentage of the book is devoted to practical application of network security technologies. Common sections in each chapter are: "When to use ", "Deployment Locations", "Architecture Recommendation", "Performance and Reliability", and "Fault Tolerance". These sections are invaluable to every network security engineer.

Overall, this book is an excellent resource for anyone whose job involves network security. Managers will benefit from the practical discussion of the technologies. Engineers and administrators will benefit from the thorough technical detail. Both will benefit greatly from the case studies presented.

This book is an invaluable reference for Sysadmins, Network Design Engineers, and Security Engineers with most any networking focus. The authors offer real examples of configurations for multiple products to illustrate the points made in the discussions so the recommendations can be implemented wit h a minimum of trouble. The topics covered cross the range of issues associated with perimeter networks, Firewall, VPN, IDS. Each section offers it's own insights and solutions.

You want to have this book in your reference library !

Shwartz is a Boston trail lawyer with an unabashed love for the well-written word. In the introduction Shwartz wrote about reading, "I would read, as readers do, to tame the unfamiliar or see the familiar through new and enlightened prisms; to see how different or eerily familiar, another person's interior life could be from my own."

This is a book of short commentaries by 115 writers on the books they love most. And indeed it is hard to flip many pages without finding the word love. Shwartz set out to produce the very book he couldn't find in bookstores!

This is truly a book that your reading group could share. Buy one copy and bring it to meetings. It can give you a wealth of insights and ideas for books to read- read a book written by one of the 115 authors interviewed and then select a book to read that influenced that author. The bibliographical index is reason alone to buy this book. Shwartz has said that he always found himself asking what the authors themselves read; and here you'll find that answered both in text and in the index.

Penelope Fitzgerald, author of "The Bookshop" wrote in her commentary that "Fathers& Sons" was one of the books that made the greatest impression on her, "I still feel close to weeping when I get to the end. . . " John Irving, author of "The Cider House Rules" named "Great Expectations" and said, ". . .the intention of a novel by Charles Dickens is to move you emotionally- not intellectually . . . " And Anna Quindlen, author of "One True Thing" said, "The books I've loved most were the books I could inhabit."

Our interesting word selection was "Verity"" The quality or state of being true or real. Faithfulness to aesthetic truth.

Our favorite quote was by Anne Fadiman: "I was so ludicrously unprepared for Humanties 190 that the course nearly proved my undoing. With a doggedness born of panic, I defaced nearly every line of Aristitle's poetics with citron Hi-liter and crammed the margins with felt-tip notations."

Shwartz wrote that it was his hope that his book "might inspire people to read more. . . " Oh yes!

This book is so good, on so many levels, that it's hard to know where to begin to praise it. For those whose idols are writers, there are stellar names -- Mailer, Updike, Gordimer -- who have contributed original pieces to this unique anthology. Furthermore, each essay is intensely personal, setting forth the writer's own best-loved books and authors. You can play amateur sleuth and try to deduce how the writer's own output was shaped by what s/he cherishes, or assemble a reading list of often little-known books which have deeply influenced someone who has deeply influenced you. And the essays themselves are literature. You can consider yourself well-read, I think, and never have heard of say, Guy Davenport, described as an award-winning translator, poet, and modernist fiction writer in the handy biographical notes. Ordinarily, I wouldn't be drawn to his subject matter, but his essay is so down-to-earth and engaging, I want to reach both his books and those of others whom he admires. This book has already lead me to previously unfamiliar writers, including Carol Shields, John Casey, and Elizabeth McCracken, which automatically amortizes the purchase price over the rest of my lifetime and means I could die tomorrow and still have gotten my money's worth. My one regret is that the introduction by editor Ronald B. Shwartz, who clearly spent two years of his life's blood assembling this collection, only hints at what an extraordinary experience it must start with one good idea and build it into this impressive monument to bibliphilism. I hope the full story of this accomplishment will become his next book.

I received this book as a gift; generally this method of acquisition all but ensures I will never read the work. In this particular case that generality was broken, and I was the beneficiary.

Mr. Ronald B. Shwartz has collected the thoughts of 115 writers and received an answer to the request, "Identify those 3-6 books that have in some way influenced or affected you most deeply...". The entertainment begins prior to the first author's selection as Mr. Shwartz shares some responses to the idea of the question itself. Anna Quindlen "This is a mean thing to ask someone to do."

Kurt Vonnegut "Anyone asking a writer a question like yours should own a thumbscrew and a rack."

James McBride "If the literary world, or if anyone else in the world for that matter, feels I'm smart enough to offer my two cents about anything, we're all in deep doo-doo, but what the heck, count me in..."

I would imagine the collected responses would make for an excellent read of their own. Fortunately the book leaps much further and deeper, it almost pries into the very personal thoughts of these writers who all are associated with excellence. Their work ranges from one to the other end of whatever writing genre could be listed, and their answers will generally surprise you. As these people are some of the literary legends of the 20th and now the 21st Century I expected answers both lofty and impenetrable to the average reader. I could not have been more in error. Yes there are references to poetical works that I could not find in 10 years with the same number of computers. But happily the book is very readable. And lest you think it takes itself too seriously, I offer Christopher Buckley and his opening to his answer,"Well, if you're looking for recondite works in, say, lesbian studies from the early seventeenth century, you're "___" out of luck with me." I imagined Buckley The Elder wincing with that bit of earthiness from his Son.

The books that made some wish to write or at least were influential in their work will surely fascinate. It is the only book of its kind I have read, but unless I come across another, this sets the bar.

I read this book in the early 60's. From that point to now, I've enjoyed reading (hundreds of books) about the Crusades and the medieval world. I vigorously recommend it. A book taking place in roughly the same era, is Shield of Honor by Alice Walworth Graham. If you liked Knight Crusader, give it a try (It is also unfortunately out of print.)if you can find it. Shield of Honor also had a powerful effect on my imagination. I join those who call for reprinting all of the wonderful books of Ronald Welch.

My reading of this book over 40 years ago at the age of nine gave me a lifelong interest in the history of the Crusades and the Middle Ages. Historical readings - and Steven Runciman's three volume History of the Crusades should be companion volumes - have confirmed Welch's accuracy. The court of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem, the battle of the Horns of Hattin, the mountain stronghold of the Assasains, and Richard the Lionhearted and the Third Crusade - all are described with an unforgettable vividness. American readers who are unfamiliar with Ronald Welch are missing out.

This book is amazing. The vivid imagery that Ronald Welch communicates has stuck in my mind for years. I've read this book many times and I'm sure I will read it many more times. The descriptions of life in Outremer at the time of the Third Crusade is masterfully portrayed and the characters are individual and you get a real feeling of knowing them. I swear when the main characters are riding through the desert on their way to the battle of Hattin and they are near dehydration i always feel thirsty and hot, they way its described is so real! I really recommend this book, i was lucky to get it for about 20c at a second hand book auction but I would pay far more for it! If something ever happened to my treasured and tattered copy I would go to the ends of the earth if necessary to obtain another! Well, well, worth the effort of getting it, but for everyone's sake I say they should just get Ronald Welch's books back into print. Knight Crusader is a thrilling read.

This is one book I had trouble putting down and picking up. 'Putting down' because it was extremely insightful and well crafted--riveting, in fact. 'Picking up' because of the painful and complex social implications--and the guilt. This book is an unsettling account of what our society does to infant males in the form of a cultural medical procedure, ie. circumcision, and how that initial trauma continues to alter our society in ways few of us can comprehend or wish to acknowledge. As a physician who has performed circumcisions (and hated every second), and as a mother of three children, I found myself thankful that I had the courage to stop performing circumcisions. But I also became despondent as I suddenly became aware of how our medical system and society has failed our children in so many ways. I realized that I had fallen prey to many of our societal and medical games/expectations and had not nurtured my children as I should have. Reading this book has permanently changed my perspectives on our society, and therefore, on my practice of medicine. This book is profoundly fascinating and disturbing. It is not for the weak and insecure. It is extremely well-written and well-researched. I highly recommend it.

Feelings and rhetoric usually run high in discussions of the increasingly controversial matter of routine male infant circumcision-- so much so, in fact, that those questioning the practice often find themselves impugned as "anti-circumcision fanatics." Many insights into the emotional underpinnings of the debate can be found in this passionate yet closely reasoned book.

Psychologist Goldman's thesis is that all infants become "anti-circumcision fanatics" at the point of occurrence; its severe pain, sensory deprivation (thousands of erogenous nerves are summarily destroyed) and interruption of the maternal bond can have profound if unrecognized effects on a boy's personality through adulthood. Such assertions do run the risk of evincing a victim mindset, but Goldman largely avoids this by scrupulously linking circumcision's sequelae with its reenactment on succeeding generations. While invoking an overall context of cultural violence concomitant with genital cutting, he appears less interested in blaming circumcision for societal ills than in promoting understanding of its symptomatic reflection of them. Hardly a pretender to objectivity, Goldman nevertheless backs up his points with soundly accessible research. And as a Jew, he comes to his convictions the hard way-- an issue reserved for his equally cogent "Questioning Circumcision: A Jewish Perspective."

A compelling brief on a fiercely pitched debate over human rights and medical ethics, and one with which partisans of both sides will reckon.

If there was ever an issue that metaphorically encapsulates the Achilles heel of Western society, it turns out that this is it, above all others. The title of this incredible, clearly thought out, brilliantly edited and masterfully written book may lead you to believe that it is all about a seemingly benign issue. Make no mistake: what this book is actually about are 1) the actual definition of the surgical practice and 2) the social, economic, sociological, psychological and anthropological forces that go into us seeing it that way. And, how the prevailing of those forces keep us from actually being a totally civilized society.

Dr. Goldman effectively teaches in this book, from the anthropological perspectives of such luminaries as Ashley Montagu and Margaret Mead, that circumcision is a practice that is older than all recorded history and religions. And the practice, in and out of a religious context, continues. Dr. Goldman shows us from the purely medical/health/surgical perspective (with an avalanche of evidence and corroborative opinions in the medical profession) that circumcision is a practice that has little to no medical health value, and was once actually called a cure for masturbation and cancer by last century's medical community. Yet the implausible and unscientific theories justifying its existence keep coming up, and the practice continues. Dr. Goldman shows us, amazingly, from an internationally sociological and cultural perspective, that the United States is the only Industrialized nation in the modern world that has the overwhelming majority of its infant boys be subjected to the practice. Yet the practice continues. Dr. Goldman shows us, from an ethics in medicine perspective, that circumcision is a practice that, by virtue of the harm done to infant children physically and psychologically--with little to no up side beyond the money going to obstetricians and pediatricians for the procedure--completely rips to shreds any conception of the Hippocratic oath and turns the entire life of any doctor who performs them routinely into a profoundly dangerous lie.

Yet the practice continues.

It is an old anthropologist's dictum that the most important thing to know about a culture is what it takes for granted. Dr. Ronald Goldman, with CIRCUMCISION, THE HIDDEN TRAUMA gives us not only the hidden, true anatomy of the surgical process, along with the actual complete and (heretofore to my knowledge in everyday America) unknown anatomy of the human male, but also the secret architecture of the social forces and weaknesses that make up the ritualised American denial of the inherently violent nature of its existence. Dr. Goldman shows in this both innovatively and exhaustively researched book that the entire surgical procedure of circumcision depends on the total invalidation of the soul of the infant male child and their personhood for its existence in medicine. Only paleolithic theories of the child feeling no pain and suffering no lasting or remembered traumatic side effects from the procedure--WHICH ROUTINELY INVOLVES THE USE OF NO ANESTHESIA-- justify its medical practice; and fly in the face of all kinds of logic while doing so.

I learned from this book that the practice of circumcision may be, perhaps unlike anything else--including war or rape--the ultimate metaphoric symptom of the schizophrenia of Western civilization. Only because Dr. Goldman, who doesn't even go as fully into the anthropological and philosophical implications of his findings as he could have, makes it so clear that our treatment of infant children as they go, under violent duress, under the knife for no apparent reason could be playing a principal role in the genesis of ALL of the cultural diseases of mankind--from child abuse to rape to murder to war.

I along with most of the country (and again, our United States is the *only* industrialized country in the world that still practices circumcision routinely on the overwhelming majority of its newborn boys--this includes all of Europe and a major chunk of the Middle East) have never seen pictures of or witnessed a circumcision; part of the reason I saw no problem in it when I picked this book up. The *pictures* in this book alone of children in the process of being circumcised will change your way of looking at the practice forever--as it has changed me and mine forever. Picture an adult male going through the process of circumcision, complete with his hands, arms and legs forceably bound in industrial strength velcro to keep him from being able to interrupt a surgical process performed on his perfectly healthy sex organ against his will--again, *without anesthesia*--and the first thought that will probably come to your mind is one of two things: the electric chair, or Nazi Germany.

Which by definition takes away the mystery of how BOTH in the 20th century could have come into existence.

I discovered Dr. Goldman's work in the bibliography of one of the seminal books by the psychologist champion of the human child Alice Miller (author of, among other classics in the field, FOR YOUR OWN GOOD, BANISHED KNOWLEDGE and PRISONERS OF CHILDHOOD--THE DRAMA OF THE GIFTED CHILD). Between this, Alice Miller's work, and William Dufty's SUGAR BLUES, I feel as if I have the answer to why our culture can move so far forward and fall so far backward on the evolutionary ladder at the same time. The door separating Western culture from the embrace of higher consciousness, as told to us by poets, mystics,yogis, leaders of ancient religions, transpersonal psychologists and theoretical physicist/philosophers, is our view of the spiritual and physical completeness of the human child--and the actions we take upholding that view.

That door is locked with a dead bolt called CIRCUMCISION. And even unlocking the door, as Europe has already shown us, does not by definition mean opening it. But without unlocking it opening it isn't posible.

Read this if you have to in small doses, but read it; it will change the way you view our world.

When a friend gave me a copy of this book I almost didn't read it. I had never heard of LaMontagne or Snyder and was anxious to read the fourth Harry Potter book which I had just purchased the day before. He made me read the prologue and first couple of chapters, which I did. The book grabbed me from the very first page, and by the time Rodney and Aimee were pulled into the land of Daak I knew that Harry Potter would just have to wait. I was reading something much better.

From the moment they arrived in Daak until their last battle with the evil sorceress Haeron, I was engrossed. The story was action-packed and the characters some of the most believable I've read in a long time. I laughed out loud at the Ward and held my breath during the entire waterfall sequence. LaMontagne and Snyder made me feel emotions like few authors can. I hardly ever re-read a book, but I know I'll be picking this one up again.

I read a lot of books, but this is the best one I've read all year (and 2002 is a couple of weeks from being over). I know it's targeted age group is young adults, but older adults will love it too. King Fortis the Brave offers a terrific blend of fantasy and realism, introducing the reader to characters that are believable and magical situations that you will feel you are actually a part of. The writers do a terrific job of keeping you interested, and they make it very hard to put the book down. Even when you come to the end of a chapter, there is usually some twist that makes you want to keep reading. If I were a contestant on Survivor and could only bring one luxury item with me, that luxury item would be my copy of King Fortis the Brave.

I bought this book for my children, but found myself enjoying it as much, if not more, than they did. The authors made you feel for the characters from the very first paragraph, and by the time they reached the land of Daak, you really believed that you were there with them. The adventure was non-stop, the plot twists unexpected, and the ending exciting. I will be counting the days until Queen Aimee the Wise comes out to continue the Daak trilogy.

One of my greatest concerns, as a mother of two daughters, is that most of the young adult fantasy novels we've purchased recently have been very male oriented. Even books with female authors, like the Harry Potter series, tend to fall into this trap. With two male authors, I was worried that King Fortis would fit into that category as well, but I was surprised to find that there was an excellent balance between the two main characters, Aimee and Rodney. And Aimee isn't the only strong female character in this book. My daughters were particularly fond of Gillian of the Sisterhood of Airia and begged me to reread the chapter that introduced her several times.

King Fortis the Brave was an exciting adventure book with strong characters of both sexes that we found ourselves really rooting for throughout the story. It was Harry Potter meets Lord of the Rings while still maintaining 100% originality. I highly recommend it!

This book covers the year time period after the Tet offensive during the Vietnam War. Given the title of the book I was prepared for a page after page description of savage combat. What I found was that the book was not just a description of one firefight after another, but a comprehensive account of the Vietnam War effort during this one-year period of time. The author does a great job of describing the experience of American soldiers in the Vietnam War during the year after Tet.

The author provides the reader with a brief, but complete and readable historical background for the war up to 1968. He also gives us very clear and vivid descriptions of the battles and everyday life of the foot solders. We also get a good run down of the South Vietnamese corruption that worked against the American effort to save their country. This was the part that really surprised me the most, it seamed like the South Vietnamese wanted and needed the war to continue to keep the profitable drug trafficking, smuggling and protection rackets going. What made me furious were the details of the United States supplied food, gasoline, and equipment that the South Vietnamese were selling to the North Vietnamese.

The author also spends some time talking about the drug use by the soldiers and the difficult race relations. This section of the book was not as surprising given that was the same environment in the states at that time. Overall, this book is a well-written and informative, but not a rundown of overly descriptive bloody fights. He does a wonderful job in describing the environment, how hot it was the difficulties in moving through the country, the differences in the front line and the support areas. This is a good book and a great way to introduce yourself to the Vietnam War.

Almost thirty years after the withdrawal of American troops from Vietnam, there is still a considerable amount of debate and controversy concerning our failure to win the war. There are no widely accepted answers to this question. Roland Spector makes a valiant attempt at trying to answer this question with his book After Tet.

Spector, who was a U.S. Marine attached to the III Marine Corps Amphibious Force in South Vietnam in 1968-69, offers compelling evidence which indicates that the turning point of the war took place during the nine months in 1968 following the Tet offensive and President Johnson's announcement that he would halt most of the bombing of North Vietnam and would not seek re-election. This was a period of some of the most intense fighting of the war. It was a period of great disarray for the American forces. They were growing increasingly frustrated with their South Vietnamese ally "with all its chronic weakness and corruption, (who) would weather the storm but emerge with its fatal flaws intact and as unchangeable as ever" (25). Spector also paints a vivid picture of the inner turmoil of the U.S. troops, who were not only plagued by growing frustration and discontent on the front but also by strife back home.

Spector deserves to be commended maintaining a considerable amount of emotional distance in his documentation of combat. As a Marine stationed in the northern provinces of South Vietnam, it is highly likely that he either took part in combat or at least witnessed the gruesome aftermath of battle. His accounts are devoid of prejudice or emotion and thoroughly documented. He is able to provide a vivid and realistic portrayal of some brutal battles without resorting to gore or sensationalism. The battles reported are at times quite harrowing, but Spector does not aim to shock the squeamish or titillate the bloodthirsty.

Nevertheless, the stories of combat will arouse many emotions from even the most remotely patriotic reader. One can't help but feel frustrated and fearful for these overwhelmingly young troops campaigning in "temperatures (that) could often exceed 100 degrees" or braving the torrential wind and rain of the monsoons(47). Not only did they were they forced to face an enemy that could be incredibly difficult to identify, but they were thrust into an environment that was incredibly hostile. Not only did they have to worry about the heat or the monsoon, but "mosquitoes, leeches, and red ants ... seemed to thrive everywhere in Vietnam" (48). There were also high numbers of poisonous snakes and hungry rats. Last but not least, there was the elephant grass "eight to fifteen feet high, so thick as to cut visibility to one yard, possessing razor sharp edges. Then try to imagine walking through it while men all around you are possessing automatic weapons and trying to kill you" (47). Spector never forces the reader to accept a "you are there" scenario, but I couldn't help but be drawn in with his vivid descriptions of the environment.

Spector effectively conjures up a vivid portrayal of the South Vietnamese government, exposing many of their faults and shortcomings. But he never points an accusatory finger at the South Vietnamese, who were "by 1965 ... openly and directly moving towards a military dictatorship" (95). Instead, he cites a wealth of sources who overwhelmingly agree that a vast majority of the high ranking officials in South Vietnam were incompetent, nepotistic and driven more by the prospect of graft rather than defense of their own country. They "did not want the war to end - not while it was protected by half a million troops and a golden flow of money"(299). All of these factors led to the festering frustration of the troops. They were trapped in a miserable tropical environment, fighting an enemy whose unorthodox methods were a perfect counter to their own command's strict adherence to convention, supporting an ally who "had learned ... too little about how to fight" and were troubled by the clashes back home (116). For the first time in the war, many soldiers began to question the war's motives. Cracks were bound to surface.

It is well documented that "out in field blacks and whites got along a whole lot better than in the units that was way back" and "that the greater the degree of danger and discomfort for the combatants, the greater the racial harmony and solidarity" (259). "The closer life in the rear approximated life in the United States, the more likely it was to mirror stateside racial tensions as well" (257). Racism was not the ugly aspect of life abroad that surfaced due to the culmination of fear, boredom, frustration and loneliness. "More and more GIs were turning to drugs" such as marijuana and heroin (276). Spector shows several surveys taken, which claim incidents of drug abuse ranging from 30-75 % of the troops. Spector is neither scornful nor sympathetic towards this dilemma, forcing the reader to draw his own conclusions on this and many other issues.

Even though Spector was himself a combatant during the time documented, he is able to do a masterful job at remaining dispassionate with his text. He is ableto provide a well-crafted history and does not cloud or distort the text with personal feelings. Instead of using personal experiences to add shadow and light to the work, he employs a wealth of resources. The finished text is able to provide a fine source that provides an accurate reflection of our vets' hopes, fears and struggles.

I suppose my only complaint is that Spector only gives a cursory acknowledgment or fails to mention the thousands of servicemen in Thailand, the troops secretly inserted in Laos and Cambodia and the sailors stationed in the East China Sea during this period. All of these men were in harm's way and all deserve mention. Nevertheless, this was a very enjoyable and informative read.

This exceptionally comprehensive and readable book is a "page turner." I couldn't put it down! Highlighter in hand, I penned marginal note after note, comparing my own memories and observations as a Navy doctor ashore in I Corps in 1968 and '69 with those of the author. In the introduction Spector asks: "How did we lose the war? Why were we there?" Then he adds: "In a sense we have no real history... instead we have controversy, myth and popular memory." He then proceeds to skillfully weave historical background, Vietnamese and American, with vivid descriptions of battles, skirmishes, debates, intrigues and campaigns... providing vignettes of personal experiences balanced from many viewpoints: the young American draftee, the college OCS-trained officer, the Viet Cong soldier... generals and politicians, presidents and negotiators... Vietnamese and American. "After Tet: The Bloodiest Year in Vietnam" will be placed, along with Frances Fitzgerald's "Fire in the Lake," Neil Sheehan's "Bright Shining Lie," Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried" and Bernard Fall's "Street Without Joy," as an irreplaceable, imminently re-readable reference on the Vietnam War.

Mr. Strock has captured the essence of President Reagan - his core values from the heartland of America; his eternally positive attitude; his sense of timing; his ability to effectively communicate with vision and passion in a sincere manner; and most importantly, his strong leadership qualities that resonate so tellingly during the current period of ineffectual and morally bankrupt leadership.

The lessons to be learned in this book apply so well to everyday business situations, and also to long-term strategic planning. The book should be required reading for business schools and political science classes.

Strock has brought all of this good information and lessons to the table in a way that is easy to read, yet chock full of fascinating vignettes that contain indirect insights to be pondered and studied over and over again. His writing style is rich and sophisticated, yet brings President Reagan to life as few others have done. I particularly love the quotes at the beginning of each chapter.

I cannot think of a better combination of good writing, historical research, and practical advice for the everyday person, business executive or political leader. This book belongs on every desk and bookshelf!

President Reagan has always been a hero of mine. At the age of 8, I became intoxicated with politics in large part because of the 1980 Presidental campaign. As a Canadian, I watched this incredible leader from a little farther away then an Amercian, but came away impressed. I therefore began to read or watch anything I could find on President Reagan. The problem was all the information I gathered failed to answer the key question for me: how did Reagan lead? Much material is available on what he did, but I never received the practical tools I was looking for. Reagan on Leadership clearly and concisely describes his techniques. Strock reached deep into Reagan's tool box and paved the road for how I can apply these tools to my life. It is the only book or article I have read that answers the question I have asking about Reagan for years: not what did he do, but rather how did he it.

This book captured the very essence of the Reagan presidency. By replaying the significant events that occurred and then providing detailed information on what went on to carefully orchestrate those events, James Strock has defined a presidency that laid the foundation for economic growth and peace for generations to come. The reader is guided through the many lessons that President Reagan taught us about leadership, values and life in general. Although he is called "The Great Communicator", it is evident that he was "The Great Assimilator". His ability to learn throughout life and apply the lessons learned is powerful. Business leaders can learn and grow from reading this book.

It took me a couple of chapters to get into it, but I was hooked. I enjoyed the way the author incorporated a lot of local sights and scenes, and really enjoyed the storyline as a whole. Mr. Fox has an amazing ability to transform ideas into visual images. This is an excellent story and a wonderful book. This is historical fiction at it`s best.

A riveting story, Oaken Rings is a book that has something for everyone. This time travel tale of life, love and war in medieval times is both realistic and enchanting. The author has the ability to draw you into medieval life, feeling the joys and sorrows of the well developed characters. Even though I do not normally buy the books of unknown authors, I took a chance on this one and was thrilled that I did. I hope that everyone will take that chance and read this exceptionally written novel.

Ronald Fox's book "Oaken Rings" gives the reader a look at medival life from a modern view point.I was surprised at the amount of detail that the author was able to give and still create characters that you could empathize with in the story.After reading the story I had to share the book with other friends and family.All of them have been greatly impressed with the book.I can't wait to see where he takes his hero next.

J.M. Dillard once again, in Star Trek First Contact proves why they go to her for the movie novelizations. This is the perfect accoutrement to the movie. It gives us great incite into what the characters might've been thinking. It also gives us some of the scenes that were left on the cutting room floor. Again, a great book that should definitely be read if you've enjoyed the movie!

Star Trek - The Next Generation: First Contact a novel by J.M. Dillard based on the film Star Trek: First Contact story by Rick Berman, Brannon Braga, and Ronald D. Moore is a book that combines one of the Federations greatest threats the Borg with Earth's first warp flight and the U.S.S. Enterprise and her crew.

As the relentless Borg work their way toward Earth, the only hope to stop them rests with the U.S.S. Enterprise and her crew. Now, the Borg are even more dangerous... stronger and have a devious plan. As the Borg begin to launch their plan of attack against the Federation, a startling confrontation will take them back in time as Earth's first warp space flight is about to take place.

This is a fast paced book and the narrative is spot-on as the character-driven plot makes its way throughout the book. We read about Zefram Cochrane and the Phoenix on the eve of the first warp flight from Earth, the relentless Borg and their Queen as she now wants the U.S.S. Enterprise for herself and of course the "First Contact" with the Vulcans.

What I found to be a most pleasent surprise was that between the book v. movie is that the book gave far more detail. As you read about the characters you get a feel for their emotions and their train of thought. Of course, there are scenes in the book that weren't in the movie, making the book flow much smoother.

The book works on detail and the characters are robust and this makes the story engagingly fascinating... the Borg say, "Resistance is futile," that may have been so, until they came in contact with the Enterprise and her crew. Another wonderful feature in this book is the color pictures of the movie and there is an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film.

This is an excellent book with a lively portrayl of vivid characters.

'FIRST CONTACT' IS A WONDERFUL STAR TREK NOVEL. IT EXPLORES THE FEDERATION'S GREATEST ENEMY - THE BORG. THE NOVEL VERSION HAS MUCH MORE DETAIL/MATERIAL THAT IS NOT FOUND (BECAUSE, I AM SURE, OF TIME/LENGTH ISSUES) IN THE EQUALLY WONDERFUL MOVIE. (ALTHOUGH, I WISH THAT THEY WOULD HAVE INCLUDED IN THE MOVIE DENISE CROSBY [THE LATE, GREAT LT. TASHA YAR] MAKING A CAMEO, OR EVEN USING FLASHBACK MATERIAL FROM THE TNG EPISODE 'THE NAKED NOW', WHEN DATA IS MENTALLY RE-LIVING TASHA YAR'S SEDUCTION OF HIM WHILE SHE WAS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE PSI 2000 VIRUS.)

'FIRST CONTACT' IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF BUYING THE HARDCOVER EDITION (AS OPPOSED TO THE SOFTCOVER) IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO KEEP THIS NOVEL. THE COLOR, GLOSSY PHOTOS (ESPECIALLY OF THE BORG QUEEN) ADD AN ENTIRE EXTRA DIMENSION TO THE ALREADY-EXCELLENT NOVEL. A MUST HAVE FOR ANY STAR TREK FAN!!!

I am a Management Psychologist and have worked for most of my career as a consultant to the senior management of corporations. In this role, I have had to produce results, or I wouldn't be aroune very long. As a result, my approach to areas such as career management and management effectiveness tends to be rather pragmatic and results oriented.

The above said, I consider Richard Wedemeyer's earlier book, "In Transition", by far the best book ever written on how to manage a career change. His most recent book, "The Inner Edge:
Effective Spirituality in Your Life and Work", is equally good, but I see it a little differently than he and his co-author. It is a far more probing examination of all the essential aspects of self-awareness. As such, it is a practical and realistic set of concepts and exercises which will prepare one to make a quantum leap in career effectiveness or which will prepare one for a book like "In Transition." Whether this is spirituality is another issue, but it is certainly very good, accessible psychology.

I have been working with individuals and small business for over 30 years in the Financial Services Industry. I have read many books and attended many workshops in an effort to expand my spiritually in both my personal and business life. This book and the concepts and exercises it provides is unquestionably one of the very best I have experienced.
I have ordered the audio CD's to assist me in implementing these concepts in my life. This book and it's concepts will provide wonderful benefits for everyone who puts it to work in their lives.

Over the past 40 years I have read a bookshelf full of books offering guidance on how to feel more fulfilled, be more effective in working within organizations, etc., etc. Of the many books I have read on such topics, The Inner Edge is unique in assembling and organizing, in one book, the essential elements of what one needs to "have his or her act together" in a way that provides the reader a practical and systematic guide to make the most of who you are and deal more effectively with those around you - in family, social, and work settings.

The Inner Edge can be used in several ways including helping you figure out what to do with the rest of your life, and providing you with a practical and complete 10-20 minute daily routine to help you make each day as fulfilling and productive as possible.

This book helps us realize that we all have, and can tap into, inner spiritual strengths using our intuitive powers; but that to be freed up to access these inner strengths we first need to do three things...recognize and deal with (what the authors call) "unfinished business", take an insightful and honest look at who we are, and then set boundaries and priorities on the demands placed by others and ourselves on our time and energy.

Furthermore, The Inner Edge does more than help us in understanding these things; it is also a "how to" book. And in that regard the authors' use of "guided visualizations", particularly in helping us tap into our inner spirituality, makes The Inner Edge stand out.

While the book should be helpful to people in various stages in their lives, I think it is particularly valuable to people of any age going through a personal or job related transition; young people getting started in their careers, and people who will soon be leaving the traditional work place and are trying to deal with what to do with the rest of their lives.