After 40 some years of living Alaska, I am well aware of the difficulty and seeming impossibility of capturing the great land on film and with words. The true essense and spitituality of this vast offering often eludes our cameras and pens. John has nailed it. His enduring patience and impecable eye for the finest of nature glows from image to image, mushroom ice stands, an otter enjoying a meal, volcanic clouds balloning over stands of towering spruce, an eaglets first moment broken from the shell, in your face bears, all these images and much more inspire me to look harder, go further, and wait longer for more of Alaska than I have ever experienced. The photos are sparkled by John's unique style of writing. After recieving the book as a gift I spent long nights, reading and re-reading his tales of adventure with delight. My work takes me far from home and John's book gives me opportunity to share the true flavors of Alaska with those I meet on the trail. Thank you John for sharing your God given talents, I so look forward to the next book.

I received a copy of John Pezzenti's book,A Photographic Journey Through The Last Wilderness,as a gift through my work. John Pezzenti's photographes portray such beauty and his words flow with spirituality. John Pezzenti's gift for writing matches his talent for capturing nature at it's finest. From the incredible photo's of the birth of an eagle,to the heart felt story of the Birthday Cake Bear. As I look through this magnificent book I feel his photo's and words drawing me in. It gives me the sense that I too am able to share what John Pezzenti must have felt being there. When I was young I went on a cruise to Alaska. I knew that one day I would move to this great land. John Pezzenti's book reinforce's why I kept this dream so close to my heart for all these years. I will always cherish this gift I received and feel blessed that John Pezzenti chose to share his God given talent with the rest of us. One could keep writing but there are no words that can truely describe this work of art. I highly recommend this book to anyone that has ever dreamt about Alaska. John Pezzenti truely opens his heart to the reader with his photographes and lets us share in the beauty he has captured over the past 25 years. I look forward to being able to share his work with my family and friends,as I also look forward to his next publishing.

In my opinion, John Pezzenti's new book ALASKA is an award winner! It is like nothing ever before published. The layout is totally origional and keeps the reader excited about reading and enjoying the professional photographs taken by this world famous photographer. John Pezzenti has been my long time friend since birth and he has been so dedicated to creating a new coffee table book of Alaskan wildlife! John's faith in the Lord Jesus Christ has brought him through many unconquerable feats. His trust in God's power and love has resulted in all of his needs met while working on this book. John's heart has been touched by those unfortunate people in Calcutta and out of the kindness of his heart has donated a great proportion of his earnings to the helping of these people. In my opinion of this book I would have to say that there could be no better conversation piece for your coffee table so don't wait! Order your personal copy of Alaska now!!

It is the best out there among many Java books. It is very easy to use - finding class definitions and very well explained. Anyone writing JAVA programs should keep a copy of this book. I would have named it Java Bible for Classes

This book is an excellent reference book. Every bundled Class Libraries is covered in an easy to read format. It is trivial to find the information you are looking for in this book. The book part is that the book has an unbelievable number of example programs. It's great; you just look up what you need and get syntax, explaination and example code all in one spot. It is my favorite Java reference book and highly recommend it to any serious Java programmer.

I have the book by my side at all times when working on my Java code. It is indispensable. All the classes are list alphabetically which helps in locating what you need. The 2nd edition is out now that covers Java 1.1 classes. A must have!!!

Steve Miller and Sharon Lee have produced a work that borders on epic, but with out the dull parts. Val Con yos'Phelium and Miri Robertson are two people that though you might not be able to identify with them, you would like to. Their story is one filled with all the ingredients of a great story. They are both brave and compitent people who are highly skilled in their professions. Val Con is a scout turned Agent of Change and Miri is a solder for hire. Both are very different personilities, yet these two hard professionals learn that there is more to life than just survival. Together they learn to laugh, to cry, to love, and to trust, and also that sometimes it takes two to survive. I have read "Agent of Change" and "Carpe Diem" but regret that I have not been able to find "Conflict of Honors" which I assume is the last book of the series. END

I first found this book years ago and have re-read it many times. It is a good action-adventure story with a touch of romance (just enough to spice - NO goo!) Val Con is cool and polished as the "agent of change" and Miri, the red-haired firebrand of a mercenary adds a good dose of hard-headed practicality to the mix. Add in some large turtle-like, extremely likeable aliens and some nasty criminal types and you have a first-rate, fast paced story. Here you also get introduced to the Liaden world in general, where humans have branched into at least three subcultures. I would highly recommend this book for any science fiction fan!

This is a wonderful series that includes Agent of Change, Conflict of Honors, and Carpe Diem. Unfortunately, the series is out of print, but not for long. A three-in-one edition is due to be published in February of 2000 and more books in the series are being planned (says so in the author website). But the next book in the series, Plan B, is available to order now! It's supposed to be out in the next two months or so.

What's all the fuss? The series has memorable, likeable characters and is funny, touching, and engrossing. The universe the authors have created is intricate and fully-realized. You can't read it just once...

This is a wonderful book. It compiles Bruce Lee's thoughts and ideas related to Jeet Kune Do and martial arts in general and even a few thoughts on life, too. His explanation of the tools and tactics used in fighting open up a whole new level of the martial arts, even for beginners. This is a GREAT book. While it may be a tad disjointed at times, that only seems to add to the greatness of it. Some of it is like a puzzle you must figure out, so even after you've finished reading it, you find yourself actively STUDYING it. A wonderful book.

Commentaries of Bruce Lee is one of the most comprehensive collections of quotes, diagrams, and theories on the market today. Integration of Jeet Kune Do in Movies adds an element of excitement, to the book. I found the book very well organized. The five elements of Jeet Kune Do were describe in comprehesive detail. Narrative was easy to read supported by a series of thoughts, techniques, and insights that kept my attention for hours. One of the best Martial Art Books, I've read this year.

Great book on Lee's martial art of Jeet Kune Do (JKD). The book has drawings that were taken from his original notes as well as his thoughts, theories, fighting strategies, excercises, etc. Similar to "The Tao Of Jeet Kune Do", this book is really like a good look into Lee's own personal notes.

There is no Spoon River, IL. Check your map. Several towns argue that they stake their claim in being what Masters asserted to be this mythical town. Petersburg and Lewistown, two towns of otherwise minor repute seem closest... but it is so much better we haven't an actual town... Spoon River's residents are our next door neighbors, whether we live in Central Illinois or Central Florida, or southern Alaska.

Masters has written not fables, but the essence of American life. He hasn't captured the life and times of 1915, but has instead recorded in 1915 the life and times of our present day America.

The same reason the paintings of Norman Rockwell makes sense is why Edgar Lee Masters poetry makes sense. To read the quick messages on the gravestone of one man, learning a little bit him, and something about a neighbor or two, we can learn a little about how we live in communities today.

Our lives, like Jimmy Stewart's character in "It's a Wonderful Life" found out, interact and impact everyone we meet. Who we love, who we should love and who we reject. And when we die, others feel the loss. Masters has aptly put this in a humorous, yet insightful way into short verses.

The poems don't rhyme. The meter is not solid, and the poetics aren't intricate. They aren't poems like Poe's or Dickinson, not in the way they wrote American poems. Don't expect iambic pentameter-based sonnets or villanelles. Expect a conversation, and listen in.

The poetry here is in the subtle use of social nuance. In the nuances are his insight and wit. Two readings will bring to light what you miss in the first.

Buy this book, read it slow. It reads faster than most poetry book, but don't get caught in the temptation to zoom through each poem just because you can.

After you read it, see the play if it happens to be performed in your town.

I fully recommend it.

Anthony Trendl

Edgar Lee Masters was a Chicago attorney who, long before Lake Woebegone, wrote of the mythical village of Spoon River, IL. Specifically, of the real stories of the people in it's graveyard. Now that they're dead the truth can finally be told. And almost all of them lived lives of terrible lies. I was introduced to it in Jr. High, was blown away at the realization that people all around me probably had these same kinds of secrets, living with them hidden, or hoped they were hidden. Paraphrasing, "I was of the party of Prohibition (anti-alcohol), villagers thought I died from eating watermelon. It was my liver. Every day at noon I slipped behind the partition at the drug store and had a generous drink from the bottle labeled Spiritum Fermenti!" The several poems that introduce Hamilton Greene are as powerful as anything I've ever read. Do yourself a huge favor, read this book! And then imagine yourself in the Spoon River graveyard, finally able to tell the truth about your life.

I was turned on to this book after hearing the latest Richard Buckner release "The Hill", in which the musician uses the Spoon River Anthology as the basis for his conceptual music. After listening to this wonderful disc, I was compelled to read the actual work by Edgar Lee Masters. What I found was a book that was written in 1915, but that brings to life the voices of humanity louder than anything I've read in recent years. This book is more poetry than literature, but the stories of the residents of Spoon River that are collected within the pages are stories that are not soon forgotten.

This book has moved me more than anything else I've read in recent years, and I highly recommend that othes read this outstanding work of art.

I read The State of the Art Tae Kwon do by Master Jun Chul Whang. It was a guide to my favorite martial art, Tae Kwon Do. I take Tae Kwon Do and as a practitioner of the sport, I can tell you that this book is very accurate and informative. It covers the 3 aspects of Tae Kwon Do: forms, sparring, and training. I found this to be unusual. Most of the Tae Kwon Do books that I have looked at have stuck to one or two of those topics instead of covering such a wide variety of information. I would recommend this book to practitioners and anyone who may be interested in starting Tae Kwon Do. The best part was the techniques section. It provided very detailed and accurate descriptions of the techniques such as sidekicks and spearhands. Sometimes my master may leave out a small detail about a move and this book helped me correct my mistakes. I would give this book a 5 out of 5.

The book will surely become the foremost reference for training skilled and novice TKD martial artists. This is a reflection on the quality of teaching of Masters Whang, who are well known for their expertise. The detailed presentation of the forms is extremely helpful. These are surely the contributions of Mr. Saltz, a national poomse champion.

Taekwondo The State of the Art

Authors:Masters Sung Chul Whang; Jun Chul Whang; Brandon Saltz; Foreword and contribution by Master is comprehensive and deals with History, Philosophy, Warm ups; Stances; Steps and Footwork; Blocks; Hand strikes; Kicks; Sparring; and Poomse. The authors have chosen to use illustrations rather than photographs and the results are quite good. Korean terms are used throughout as part of the titles. Headings for almost all sections in the book and all the stances, kicks, strikes, blocks, etc. are included. As always, since English sounds don't always match Korean, the spelling is a crap shoot. Of particular note is the use of G instead of K for a palatal consonant in such Korean words as (Gyoroogi) (sparring) here versus Kyorugi in some other books.

Of all the books I've read, I like this one the best-so far. There is more detail and supporting discussion. As I read the material, I felt like I was being coached by someone who was not only very competent, but also someone who understood the problems of junior belt level students such as myself.

This book will appeal to the serious Taekwondo students no matter what reasons they have for taking Taekwondo. It is only missing discussion of self defense. However, there is a frank discussion in the philosophy chapter that addresses the authors' feelings about the thought processes of people in the discipline about the merits of sportized Taekwondo versus martial art. This is an important discussion and should be read by young Taekwondoists as they determine why they are taking TKD. [For the dedicated student, The Martial Artist's Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi interpreted by Stephen F. Kaufman, Hanshi 10th Dan, has even more relevant discussion.]

The book deals with stances, hand strikes and kicks and stresses the rationale behind each. It is detailed in its discussion and maintains the importance of the proper stances and striking technique. The extensive section on steps and footwork is the most comprehensive I've see so far. They discuss transitions from position to position. With these sections the authors build you carefully towards the sections on sparring and poomse(forms) Because of the lengthy build up, only the Taeguk patterns are shown. The authors acknowledge other patterns such as the Palgwe, but focus on the current WTF authorized patterns. The discussion on the patterns is excellent. If read with the preceding material in their book, a student can greatly increase their understanding of why they are doing things and how they may improve. [Please understand that no-one should feel they can learn Taekwondo properly without the instruction of a Master such as Master Seung. No book replaces an experienced teacher, but it offers some insights and additional information that may not come up in the classes very often.]

What makes this book especially appealing to someone like me, is the information about the Taeguk series-the Taeguk is the circle containing the um/yang symbols within the 8 sets of 3 bars. For the first time as a Taekwondo student, I could start to understand the significance. The authors have given us a brief but important opening into the discipline.

In addition, they have advanced an image of the ultimate state to which patterns should aspire. It demonstrates the purpose of each motion.

As a beginning, but serious TKD student, if I could only buy one book on Taekwondo, I would buy this one.

Spiderman - The Ultimate Guide is a very thorough and informative book. New fans of comics and people who know little about Peter Parker and his alter-ego Spiderman will find this an enjoyable read and will leave it with a strong knowledge of the 30+ year history of the character.

The book covers everything from Spidey's origin and powers to his supporting cast including Aunt May, J. Jonah Jameson, Mary Jane, and plenty more. Key points in Spiderman's adventures are also covered including: the Death of Gwen Stacy, the Alien Costume, the mystery of the Hoblgoblin, and the Clone Saga. Villains and vigilantes are also reviewed like: Green Goblin, The Vulture, Sandman, Electro, Venom, Carnage, and several minor characters that you might not expect to see included in a 170 page book.

The Ultimate Guide also mentions alternate creations of Spiderman like Spiderman 2099 and The Ultimate Spiderman (my personal favorite).

If DeFalco's Guide does have a weak spot it's that many entries have captions and paragraphs that simply reiterate the same material. With two pages of information on a character this can become annoying to read the same fact three times in such a short space. Also a personal gripe of mine is that sometimes laughable characters like The Rocket Racer were included while a more common classic villain like The Shocker was overlooked. Instead of pages devoted to Will O The Wisp and Silvermane, I would have much rather preferred a more indepth look at some of the runs of Spiderman stories and the various plots they dealt with...alas maybe in Ultimate Guide #2 (hint).

All in all I recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn about the incredible character of Spiderman before the movie premieres on May 3, 2002.

This book was awesome! The illustrations and pictures were the best I've seen in a long time. It also was a very informative book. I learned more things about Spider-Man in this one book than in any other single book. It also contained very informative timelines and thumbnai pictures. I especially enjoyed the Spider-Man costumes column. This book even has blue prints for Spider-Man's web shooters! This book was very detailed and carried origins for each and every villain. I recommend this book to all who like Spider-man and want to learn more about him, or even if you know a lot and just to learn the details. This was an all around great book!

I have been a rabid Spider-Man fan, reader, and collector for the past 13 years. In that time, I've seen some of the best (1980's to 1993) and worst (Clone Saga) this hero has to offer. IN addition, I have collected every issue ever published. So, I'm very knowledgable about SPider-Man and his world. Still, this book is a delight to read. I didn't learn anything new, but it is well written, spectacularly illustrated with original comic art from some of Spidey's most legendary artists (Ditko, Romita Sr., Romita Jr., Frenz, Andru, Sal Buscema, Gil Kane, McFarlane, Bagley, Larsen). New fans will learn a lot from this book, but no matter how long you've been a fan of Spidey, this book is a treasure trove for you!!

If you or someone you know suffers from anxiety/panic attacks, this book is essential for you. It is obvious that Dr. Granoff's personal experience with panic attacks have given him the dedication and motivation to help all of those who suffer. The book outlines in detail the causes and treatments for anxiety and panic as well as clarifies all of the misinformation that the general public has regarding medications that may be useful in treatment. Since reading the book, I have consulted with Dr. Granoff personally. With his help, I am recovering rather quickly after suffering with this condition for over 9 years! Without his help, I may have had to struggle for the rest of my life. Do yourself a favor and read this book.

Just READING this book will help calm your panic attacks. With a personal account from his own experiences of suffering panic attacks, Dr. Granoff has helped educate panic attack sufferers on many facets of an attack.

This book is true-to-life, a relief to read (finally, there's a professional in the medical field who KNOWS what I'm going through), with simple verbiage for the lay person to understand all of the intricacies of panic attacks and how to overcome them.

I can promise that any reader who needs help with panic attacks will definitely find their answer by reading this book. Can I give it 10 stars?

The book is absolutely perfect for those suffering from panic disorder. Granoff makes an excellent, excellent point, one that all primary care physicians and psychiatrists should read again and again until it's seared into their memory: the only patients with panic disorder that need antidepressants are ones who have depression as a PRIMARY symptom, not a secondary symptom. All others with panic disorder need benzodiazepines. Now, first let me say that I only 90% agree with that brilliant statement. For the lay readers out there, you may not see the brilliance---it may look like a total boring common-sense statement. But you don't understand how brainwashed the medical community is about antidepressants and benzodiazepines. Antidepressants like SSRI's and the newer ones like Remeron, Effexor, Serzone, and Wellbutrin are patented, while all benzodiazepines are generic. What does that mean? It means that generics get no positive publicity, only negative, while brand-name patented drugs get billions and billions of dollars worth of sleek, catchy advertisement, including the sales pitch that "antidepressants can help panic disorder". The reality is that antidepressants can help only about 1/3 with panic disorder, dont do much for about 40% of patients, and actually WORSEN panic symptoms in about 1/4 of people. And the 1/3 that get helped almost certainly have major depression as the primary diagnosis, AND the major depression is the primary cause of their panic disorder. Antidepressants are delayed stimulants; they will not give you a panic attack in minutes like too much caffiene can---it may take days for the antidepressant to induce more anxiety. That anxiety may fade later, or for many patients, it will never fade. For people who have only mild depression and prominent anxiety/panic, benzodiazepines are the primary therapy. A small amount of antidepressant may help, since the overstimulation caused by them is dose-dependent. For a more detailed review of these issues, I recommend the book The Failures of American Medicine.

As I am making some plastic models for the movie "aliens", I found this book very useful because it provides many photos and detailed drawings for the gears of the colonial marines. The only thing that I found insufficient for this book is that it didn't have the interior plan for the APC.

this book provides a great deal of information on the Colonial Marines from "Aliens". all of you potential Aliens video game modders out there must get this book. it has served as an excellent reference book for all my "Aliens versus Predator" modifications. with several illustrations, it also provides the artist with valuable "Aliens" info. even the curious Sci-Fi geek will find this book thoroughly interesting.

Excellent book that goes into detail about almost every aspect of the colonial marines featured in Aliens. Also, it's clear that the creators of the game "Aliens vrs. Predator" used this book, as certain weapons, symbols, and features (such as the smartgun and SADAR) are explained in detail, and correlate with the game. If you can't get enough of an "Aliens" fix from the game and the first two movies (let's just leave Aliens3&4 alone, shall we?), then this is the book for you! On occasion, the book gets a little bit gory, with none-too-subtle allusions made to the vietnam war. This gives the book a much more realistic feel, but may make some folks uncomfortable. The Aliens section is kinda neat; gives a little more insight into the "Weyland-Yutani" corporation, and once again demonstrates the poor judgement of this profit-seeking company.

A very enjoyable read, especially to sci-fi "technophiles"!

I enjoyed reading Donna Gorrell's personal experiences on her road to Enlightment. She was able to clearly convey her understanding of Enlightment through her analysis of her life experiences and her reflective research into this subject. I appreciated her openess and honesty. Reading her book encouraged me to keep an open mind to all possibilities of attaining oneness with the universe. I reccommend her book for those who also have an open mind and an interest in one person's perspective of Enlightment.

It is rare that I finish a book in less than two weeks. This one I devoured in two days. I simply could not and would not put it down.

Here is my review: This is a beautifully written book. Truly inspired and profoundly inspirational. The author shares her fascinating journey of self-discovery in an eloquent style that doesn't hold back any punches.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in their own personal or spiritual growth, no matter if you started on your path twenty years ago or yesterday, or to anyone who desires a greater understanding of God, the universe and mankind.

This is an author who clearly loves life.

I cannot thank you enough Donna Gorrell for your brilliance, your insight, your honesty, your humility and courage to write this book.

I was fascinated by this story of a personal search for enlightenment! The author's writing style is eloquent, and admiration and great thanks go to her for sharing her life experiences. Her book will help others in their search for meaning in life and spirituality. It took a lot of courage for her to document her life on paper for others to read, but I believe she has offered help and inspiration. She truly would have gone mad was it not for her strength, intelligence, and her love of life. Her writing style in sharing her acquired knowledge on the one hand, and then writing about life experiences that corresponded to that knowledge on the other, gripped me. Thanks to the author for her courage in sharing her experience with us and for her inspiration.