As an educator, I think this book is one of the best I have read on this subject. It is factual and covers both social and medical aspects of HIV infection and AIDS. Its focus is scientific but it explains a wide range of technical concepts (eg current drug therapies, methods of detection) in suprisingly easy and straightforward terms. It has a very humane feel to it as its authors are both AIDS physicians and scientists involved in the searching for better therapies. I think this book can truly help people learn about AIDS.

LJK Setright's book covers the period from pre Rolls Royce inception, to 1971, when this book was written.

The book is split into coherent sections, starting with when Royce was proprietor of an electrical equipment factory bought a Decauville car. He was so unimpressed by it, that he set about its improvement, then went on to producing his own cars'. These were brought to the attention of the Honourable Charles Stewart Rolls whom ran several car retail outlets'. The upshot of this you already know, and the chapter continues with the development of the early models'. Following on from the first chapter is the cars' in World War 1, and the military engine business including aircraft engines, then their post war developments. Next is the American Rolls Royce car factory at Springfield and its collapse after the stock crash, the developments in the cars, and the acquisition of Bentley by RR. The next chapter is on the development of engines, again mostly military aero engines, before and during the Second World War - see comment on Ellor below. The development of jet engines is the subject of the next chapter, and ends with the RB211 jet engine and it's problems. The final chapter is on the post Second World War cars and their developments' ending with the Corniche convertible.

Setright gives an interesting account of Royce's and the companies' cautious yet rigorous philosophy of technical development, commitment to the highest standards, and the unexpected benefits of over-engineering, all set in the context of their respective era's. Along the way amusing anecdotes illustrating these points, such as the companies' sideswipes at its competitors, prevent this book from becoming a tedious tome of facts and figures. Setright also brings out serious points' on how particular people, and technical developments, made great impact in history. Such as Mr Ellor a "supercharging genius" from whom Rolls Royce got a lead in supercharging technology for the Schneider trophy, later used in the Merlin engine of Hurricane, Spitfire, and Lancaster bomber. This is also used to illustrate the relationship the company had with the British government, and very interesting it was. All in all, despite the fact it came out in 1971, has only monochrome photographs, this is an excellent book. It is so readable, I can only hope someone can persuade LJK Setright to revisit this book, and bring it up to the modern day. With the recent events that have transpired, as of the year 2000, when Volkswagen acquiring the Crewe factory, plus the Bentley brand, while BMW retaining the Rolls Royce brand name.

I've just started co-coaching a small club in Kinsale, Co. Cork. I'm a competitive swimmer and knew what I wanted to get across, but not how. John Leonard's book has really made a difference. I'm now structuring sessions in a useful way and I know I'm communicating better with the swimmers. I shall be introducing his suggestions about setting objectives and using a bulletin board when we start training again after Easter. I'm confident that my swimmers will benefit.Thanks John.

John Leonard's Theatre Sound is an excellent read for everyone from the beginner to an advanced sound designer. The refreshing material in his book isn't overloaded with technical jargon, but goes over everything for a full understanding of the subject. It's also loaded with thoughts on theory, from sound effect design to speaker localization. A very good read, and highly recommended!

John Milton's Paradise Lost is one of the most well-written books ever, and compares to such great epics as the Iliad or The Odyssey. Using great descriptive words, John Milton paints a beautiful picture that intensifies the tragedy that is the Fall.

This book starts out kinda confusing. When you begin reading it, it might be a bit hard. You would need absolute quiet to concentrate. But as you are lured deeper and deeper into the swirling wonders of the book, it gets easier to read, and you begin to understand a kind of rhythm that exists within the book.

There are some points in the book that are kinda boring, but the good parts are worth reading.

In 1667, blind, thought to be at the end of his life, Milton composed one of the greatest epics in the English language. Much debated, much imitated, there no epics yet written that have equaled Paradise Lost. Milton wrote in blank verse (poetry without rhyme)that continues to amaze readers with his grasp of what the English language could do; only Shakespeare had a keener grasp.

Divided in to twelve books, Paradise Lost starts off showing us a vision of hell quite different of Dante's in that Hell is described not so much a place but an environment one's self creates.("The mind is its own place, and in itself/ Can make a Heav'n of Hell, a Hell of Heav'n.)Throughout the first four books we see the fall, Heaven, Hell, all through Satan's perspective. The last eight books are centered on the parents of mankind Adam and Eve. Reader may find their own intentions and philosophies on life brought to the surface in reading this book; look to finding which side one sympathizes with: Heaven, Hell, or Adam and Eve? Milton shows his genius in getting each side's thought processes to the forefront. I remember in book X relating with Adam and Eve in their debate following the fall.

Readers may find the language difficult, but if they have prepared themselves by reading a little of Shakespeare and a little of John Donne, it will be considerably easier. Don't allow the language to daunt you, it's worth it!

As to which edition to buy, you have two options: if you're poor, (like me) you'll probably want to go with the Penguin edition; it has good notes, and the introduction is okay. If you have a bit more cash on you go with the Norton Critical Edition edited by Scott Elledge; it has excellent notes, and includes a wide body of analysis on Milton by many different authors.

It's been a long time since I have come across a book that speaks to me so deeply. I will probably read this several more times. I recommend this to all readers that have the courage to plunge headlong into seventeenth century prose.

Milton's great epic poem was written "to justify the ways of God to men", thus telling the story of Lucifer's expulsion from Heaven and Adam's subsequent banishment from Eden. The classic representations of idyllic Eden, fiery Hell, and glorious Heaven are as rich now as when they were first created in 1667.

Paradise Lost is a very complicated, yet rewarding, Epic poem. It is by far the best of its kind in the English language, and where it lacks in original conventions, it more than makes up for it in its pure power of poetry. For those readers of translations who are unable to enjoy Homer's Greek, Virgil's Latin or Dante's Italian, Paradise Lost can offer them a unique chance to enjoy an epic poem in its original vernacular.

However, you must bear in mind that Paradise Lost is one of the most difficult pieces of poetry to read, and is by no means as simple as reading a translation of Homer or Virgil. The language is lexically dense, with complex grammar structures at times. These hurdles will be found considerably easier for experienced readers of Shakespeare, and those who are already aware of common traits of epic poetry.

Milton's use of language is majestic, boasting an impressive metre. The poem is lavished with many famous quotes that have become ingrained into everyday English, with such examples as "Pandemonium" and "All hell broke loose". Paradise Lost is, without a doubt, a must read for any intellectual English reader.

Like all epic poetry Milton's piece of art is highly indebted to Homer's conventions, with typical imitations of the Iliad's list of warriors and the Odyssey's garden of Alcinous. But Milton's debt to the Classics manifests itself as a representation of learned study, (with links to such writers as Aeschylus, Sophocles, Plato, Shakespeare and Spenser), therefore it does not so much as pilfer from great literature, as it instead endeavours to become a part of it.

Paradise Lost offers the epic reader a new form of subject, not just the usual heroes and large battles, but a theme which captivates the reader - the devils fall and man's respectively. The rebel Angels' descent from heaven to hell and Adam's from Eden to a desolate "outside" world, captivate the reader with an intriguing theme: the loss of innocence and the fall into experience. Why must Man sin? What is his relationship to Satan's loss of grace? And where does God's image of himself measure with his own maker? Milton's poem may lack the great Achilles and the gleaming towers of Troy, but it does offer much intellectual food for thought.

This Penguin edition is a rare find of value for money, it is not particlularly inexpensive, but come on ... please bear in mind the tiny price tag on this book - for less than half the price of a DVD you can own the English language's greatest poetic feat!

It is the Miltonic Satan that really comes to the forefront of this poem. The cunning fallen angel, who decides that "All good to me is lost; Evil, be thou my Good" (IV.109-10), is as appealing to the reader as Marlowe's "Nun-poisoning" Barabas the Jew. It is with some guilt that this present commentator must own to rooting for this most infamous baddy throughout the poem. With a display of wit almost as sharp as Ovid or Nonnos, Milton indisputably gives his best lines to God's antagonist. This Devil is not just a superficial evil being, but instead a complex character; one that feels remorse for his fall, love for his close friends, and a harrowing jealousy of Man. What we are given by Milton's villain is not just a rewarding psychological study of Christianity's Devil, but also a commentary upon our own ignoble actions.

William F. Buckley is unquestionably one of the most articulate and knowledgeable American debaters of the second half of the twentieth century. Buckley seems to know a little bit--if not a lot--about everything, and he reflects and gives observations about various topics in this collection of essays from the mid-to-late 80s and early 90s.

As an author, Buckley is unfailingly witty and acerbic, and this book is littered with quips and sapient remarks. Buckley is particularly good at analyzing other peoples' positions, and at poking holes in their poor logic. That is where this book succeeds.

This book occasionally fails when Buckley attempts to elucidate his own position on an issue. For instance, in one essay Buckley suggests that Beethoven is "a national monument" and should be entitled to governmental protection, so that vacationers can listen to the great composer's symphonies when they are traveling in non-cosmopolitan areas. My suggestion to Buckley would be to rent a car with a tape deck or cd player. It is not necessary for the government to mandate all-Beethoven channels in all cities and towns in order for citizens to listen to Beethoven when they are on vacation.

In another essay Buckley spells out the case for allowing women to serve in the military, but then says that he takes the opposite position. His explanation for why he is against women serving in the military is vague. He says that allowing women to join the armed forces is repugnant to "human nature," which leads one to wonder how Buckley would respond to someone who believes that what he calls "human nature" is an artificial construct. Maybe he did not provide a response to that question because of spacial constraints, but I think that if he is going to base a policy position on human nature, he should provide readers with some sort of idea of what his theory of human nature is.
I hope that I have not accentuated the negative too much in this review, because Buckley truly is a wonderful writer and an interesting read. He has opinions about everything, and he is fun to read not only for what he has to say, but also for how he says it. His vocabulary is expansive and his word-choices are colorful. This book should be read by anyone who wants intelligent and fiercely-opinionated commentary on newsworthy events, and the various parties involved, from 1985 to 1992.

This is a fine collection of the thoughts and witticisms of William F Buckley. It covers most any area that Mr. Buckley holds an Interest whether it be politics, social affairs, sailing, classical music and spending time with dignitaries and well to do people. It is fantastically written (as can be expected from Buckley) however it seemed to talk just over the head of the common man. With his infatuation with the Ryder Cup and talking about people who are important to him, really have no impact on my life. All in all it is a very well written fast paced collection. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys political and social commentary. And to anyone who just like to read something different than a novel or text of history.
Thanks For Your Time:
T

This is Buckley at his acerbic best on subjects as varied as John Lennon, Ted Kennedy and Elizabeth Taylor to academia, Gorbachev and The First Gulf War.

It's always illuminating and stimulating to explore the brain of one of America's foremost conservative thinkers and as these essays drift more into history, his insights and deliberations become astounding in their perspicacity and accuracy.

These essays cover everything from the fall of communism, the Los Angeles riots, Playboy magazine and lots more. The time spent reading this delightful paperback is time spent in the company of charming brilliance.

The whole problem with this type of book is the scope of the subject. How can you introduce the blues, or for that matter any genre of music, in one volume? The answer is that you can't. There is theory, there is practice routine, there is technique, there are idiosyncracies of musical notation, and there is the music itself (the particular music the book presents for you to learn). Any given book can only hope to touch on all of these.

But this book does a pretty good job. The theory introduced is pretty minimal, actually--you'd have to go to other sources for that--but that's understandable. The music that you get to learn is mostly pretty good. Not too hard to learn, but not exactly easy either (this book is by no means for a raw beginner), and it all sounds pretty cool.

I've been playing for about 3-1/2 years now. I got the book about three weeks ago, and I'm nearly half way through it. (I usually practice at least two hours a day.) I haven't come up against anything that I couldn't learn, given some patient practice. I'm finding snippets of music from the book working their way into my playing. That's the best possible sign that the book was worth the money.

Should be considered a standard learning book for students of blues guitar. The material presented will enable you to have good understanding of a variety of blues styles. This book is not for the absolute beginner. If you are just picking up a guitar you might find the chord voicings presented too difficult to form. But if you can play even some basic chord forms and/or have any prior blues experience you will get lots out of this book. If you work the material presented you will be rewarded.

This book and cd cover a variety of blues styles. John Ganapes emphisises learning the blues pattern, and he gives many excercises to really burn the patterns in memory. He gives a good variety of coards (7ths, 9ths, etc.), and he gives differnt fingerings to help you make smooth transitions. Many of the songs are slow and fast tempo on the CD. I like the different tempos because it helps you to play with feeling at a slow and fast tempo(if you decide to use the tracks to help you develope your from the heart playing[this is what the blues is all about -right?]). This book should be used with "More Blues You Can Use" to get all John Ganapes wants to teach.

If you look back at the career of Sir Reginald, you realize what
an influence he's been for the Decades! I got hooked in early'71
& will continue to stand by EJ the DJ.Going on 40 yrs.in the biz!
He's a Legend! Sure he had his share of lows, but great artists
always do! If they have the will to continue,they go on & that's
VERY fortunate for fans like myself who's been there thruout his
ups & downs.Him & Taupin are 2 of the most influential songwriting duos in the History of Pop/Rock/Opera!/Disney Soundtracks...Not too many Rock stars can boast the achievements
of Mr.Dwights!He's pulled me thru numerous crises & I'm eternally greatful for that! I wish I could talk to him-1 on 1-
& THANK him in person! Lots of memories. He's "The One"!

What can I say? If you like Elton John, you don't know what you are missing. It's simply the best buy I have ever made at Amazon.com !

HI Everybody! I have received The Ultimate Elton John Collection Just today! What can I say About it? It is simply perfect! There are songs from all over the Elton's discography and some rarities too! Elton wrote a piece of the Pop Music History! He is the Best like this great Antology! If you are a fan as I am or a pianist who like play wonderful songs, buy it!

Giorgio Onorato Aquilani

Forget for the moment the established theory that the center of the Earth is a ball of fire, and enjoy this wonderful adventure written over a century ago that offered an alternative view. I'm a big fan of Journey To The Center Of The Earth. I've read the book and seen the movie countless times, and still never tire of it. Alien Voices attempts to tell the story in a way that would suit a modern audience, while still retaining the spirit of the original. Long, descriptive passages can be circumvented in the aural medium with a few lines of dialogue or sound effects, and tighten the pace. Projecting the fascination of the unknown and portraying science in a highly positive way is indeed very Verne, and in this Alien Voices get it exactly right. Leonard Nimoy is an unsurpassably brilliant actor who brings the crotchety and irascible Professor Lidenbrock to life with panache. This is one man whose voice is perfectly suited to audio. John DeLancie unfortunately overdoes his part way too much for my liking, being too soppy and emotive as Axel. Still, that's the way Axel was written, so I can't say he got it wrong! The acting all round is competant, though it's mostly Nimoy and DeLancie who we hear, and they are seasoned professionals in film and t.v anyway. Put this on the headphones, and the sound quality becomes most evident, and you'll soon be taken away into the past. A worthy interpretation, for the most part, certainly to be congratulated for being far truer to the novel than the nonetheless highly enjoyable 1959 film.

Reading this book is an amazing adventure, as evidenced by a century of avid readers. I picked it up on a lark and decided to read the first five or ten pages to see if it was my type. It was easy to read, enjoy and visualize, and I quickly finished it.

The story revolves around a young man and his uncle, who is a scientist. They discover a route to the center of the earth (hence the title), and the novel is about their journey. Once you get 100 pages into this book, you aren't able to stop. The things they find boggle the mind, but seem so real.

100 years from now, people will still be enjoying Jules Verne, because he captures the imagination of the young explorer.

So, what is so special about going to the center of the earth. Its fun and its a possibility!

'A Journey to the Center of the Earth', is a narration by Axel who takes a trip to the center of the earth with his uncle, a famous mineralogist. They start their journey from a mountain in Iceland and end up.....

Although, this idea is impossible(?) but the author has given such proofs that while reading the book, you actually start thinking that just may be it is possible. And come to think of it, there is yet another world miles under our feet!

The story is narrated in very simple way with very few scientific details and terminologies used unlike '20,000 leagues under the sea' by the same author, where he used so many of complex marine terms that a person not familiar with them get frustrated.

A good adventure book just like rest from Jules Verne. Stronly recommended to those who have taste for such adventures like going to the earth's center or going around the world in 80 days (with no air travel).

Ever since my initiation into the realm of Trekkie-dom, I've found Spock and Q to be among the most fascinating (doh!) characters to emerge from the Star Trek mythos. Even before this recording ever came out, I'd ofttimes wondered how these two individuals would match up in a battle of wits. But once I heard that two certain 'Trek actors started up an audio drama production company a few years back, I figured it was only logical (doh!) for them to eventually produce a little audio venture involving their Star Trek alter-egos. And sure enough...

Alien Voices Productions co-creators Leonard Nimoy and John DeLancie once again jump into the roles that have made them pop-culture legends, and have a go at the logic-versus-emotionalism debate in classic radio drama style, with the fate of humanity at stake. Spock has traveled back in time to warn his listeners (this production was recorded in front of a studio audience) about an impending asteroid collision, but Q makes efforts to prevent this intervention, going so far as using the Prime Directive of non-interference that Spock's Federation so reveres. Then there's the main event-Spock attempting to convince a seemingly indifferent Q to take action to prevent the catastrophe.

Although the two take many verbal pot shots at each other over the course of the hour-- with Spock using his dry Vulcan logic and Q with his smug sarcasm-- the many retorts and barbs exchanged are more lighthearted than mean-spirited. Despite their positions on the issues, both opponents seem to have a certain degree of respect and even affection for each other. And despite the desperate nature of the situation, the tone of this little standoff is more "all in good fun" than it is grim.

Although I felt that DeLancie's portrayal of Q was pretty much dead-on (though at times a bit too dramatic), I found some fault with Nimoy's Spock reprisal. He seemed a bit too emotional at times, and his moments of sarcasm were quite a bit more biting and a lot less reserved, especially when compared to his classic verbal bouts with Dr. McCoy. But despite Spock being somewhat out of character, I rather enjoyed this legendary war of wills. I found its many moments of lighthearted comedy and pitched battles of ideas to make for a very relaxing and thought-provoking hour.

'Late

Leonard Nimoy and John de Lancie reprise their roles of Spock and Q in this very well written and comical audio performance that has been presented to appreciative fans at Star Trek Conventions around the world.

Did you like the Spock VS Bones spats in Classic Star Trek, then you will love Spock VS Q on Audio! What an outlandishly funny take off of the odd couple. Spock is at the logical end of the continuum and Q is at the emotional end. Who will win the battle of the minds? The survival of the puny humans on Earth lies in the balance as the asteroid nears Earth.

It made me laugh so hard I couldn't see straight. You will love it! Verbal insults fly profusely. Will Spock out-maneuver the clever and devilish Q in a verbal joust? Spock is really good at games, remember 3D Chess. Will he be able to outwit the all powerful Q? Will Q get an autograph from Spock for his collection, or will he have to stand in a long line like the rest of us? Will Q learn the Vulcan mind meld technique from Spock? Will the asteroids destroy the puny humans on Earth? Well buy the tape or CD and find out. Buy it and play it over and over. I hear new stuff every time I play mine. Don't delay buy your own copy of "Spock VS Q" on audio tape or CD today!

I have just bought this tape and have listened to it about three(3x)times already, and think it is wonderful to quote "Q" or is that Mr.Q?. This is very good and very funny well worth having, I have seen the Alien Voices crew on The SciFi Ch. and would love to see this battle of wits on SciFi, just to see John DeLance's performance as Q as jousts with Spock. This program having been recorded before a Live Audiance helps to make this performance hilarious to say the least ,Both actors are in rare form as thier respective caracters as the engage in a verbal battle of wits (Intelectual vs."Nitwit,Nimcompoop" as in you are). If like Spock and Q get this book in either form(Tape or CD)it's worth it to listen to Spock run rings around Q so to speak. This text refers to the Audio Cassette version.