I've taken a delighful ramble through Annerino's handiwork, THE WILD COUNTRY OF MEXICO/La tierra salvaje de Mexico. As a consequence, I have a powerful urge to see what the author wrote about and photographed. The book uses wonderful color photographs and Spanish/English essays and captions to take us from mountainous Chiapas, where the indigenous people speak pre-Hispanic languages, to Yucatan, where Mayan ruins poke out of beach-bound jungles...It's the Sierra Madre that produced my favorite photograph, the eerie, wind-eroded ruins of the ancient city of Paquime.

En THE WILD COUNTRY OF MEXICO/La tierra salvaje de Mexico el fotoperiodista John Annerino captura a bellezo y el espiritu de la gente nativa y de la tierra salvaje que ellos habitan por medio de imagenes vivas e imponentes con texto en ingles y espanol. Viajamos a troves de seis regiones distintas de Mexico: las remotas selvas de Chiapas; las ruins maya de Quintana Roo; la Sierra Volcanica Transversal, una meseta hobitada que es la tercera mas alto del mundo; la Sierra Madre Occidental, el hogar legendario Canon de Cobre; la rica bioregion de Baja California, y el Desierto Sonorense, uno de los grandes desiertos del Nuevo Mundo. Aqui esta una evococion brillante de la gente y de los lugares en las areas de Mexico que son poco conocidos y rara vez visitodas. -La Casa del Libro

A gorgeous photography book of Mexico with bilingual text. In THE WILD COUNTRY OF MEXICO/La tierra salvaje de Mexico, photojournalist John Annerino captures the beauty and spirit of both the native peoples and the wild land they inhabit through colorful breathtaking images and English/Spanish text. We travel through six distinct regions in Mexico: the remote jungles of Chiapas; Mayan ruins of Quintana Roo; the Sierra Volcanica Transversal, the third-highest inhabited plateau in the world; the Sierra Madre Occidental, home of the legendary Copper Canyon; the rich bioregion of Baja California; and the Sonoran Desert, one of the greatest deserts of the New World. Here is a brilliant evocation of people and place in areas of Mexico that are little known and seldom explored. -La Casa del Libro.

Vacca's new book provides a comprehensive overview of the emerging wireless data technology. The book is geared toward experienced Internet professionals who need to learn how to install wireless networks quickly. It provides numerous hands-on examples, such as an access network protocol, and useful discussions about issues such as the implementation of homeland security (currently most available protocols and products have huge holes). A large portion of the book is devoted to the design of wireless networks, dealing with issues such as standards, robustness, ease of installation and use, and, of course, security. Detailed schematics demonstrate typical filter and uplink applications. The final chapter offers a series of recommendations to support Vacca's assertion that wireless technology is the key to the future of communications and concludes that future networks will require a new methodology that integrates all layers of network design. The book is organized to move from an overview of this emerging technology through the planning and design, installation and deployment, and configuration phases. It also supplies advanced solutions to wireless design problems and new directions of the technology. Altogether a must for those people who are charged with implementing this type of network in their organizations.

Traditional computer networks require cables to link devices like computers and printers, and physically connect these devices to hubs, switches, or each other. However, cabling is messy and expensive to install, and represents an unrecoverable expense. An alternative is the wireless data network that connects devices without the cables, using radio frequencies to transmit data between devices. Wireless networks are not apparent to users, who can still share files and applications, exchange e-mail, access printers, and share access to the Internet.

With industry analysts predicting that wireless data transmission will be a 7.5 billion annual business by 2005, Vacca's voluminous text is a timely aid to those companies seeking to adopt this promising technology. This book is a 'must read' for those experienced mobile Internet pros who need to configure, install, and troubleshoot wireless data network technology, as well as those seeking to design and implement wireless data network applications. Vacca has done his usual comprehensive, excellent job of covering an aspect of technology.

JohnVacca has again written a book about a subject that has great application in the near future. As notebook computers are fast replacing desktop computers and as flat screen monitors are replacing CRT monitors, wireless data is replacing data transmission via cables of different types. Several companies have already replaced their local networks with wireless networks at work place where their employees can move about the work place and be connected to not only the company's Intranet but also the Internet. This book provides a good explanation in the understanding of wireless data transmission and the challenges for companies that provide wireless transmission to improve this technology as more companies and organizations will soon depend on this application to conduct business.

Sugar of Lead is a phenomenal read. It delves into the life of a gangster who seeks revenge for the death of his blood brother while trying to save the life of his widow. It asks questions about the value of life and death while confronting the ongoing battle between good and evil. It is intriguing and a fast read. Sugar of Lead is one of the few books that actually cover the life of Asian gangsters. It compares to The Godfather in its richness of detail and excitement. I highly recommend it people of all ages.

Rarely do thrillers attempt much more than thrilling; they are generally designed as "pleasure fiction," to distract the reader for a period of a few hours. Almer John Davis has apparently decided that he'd rather not walk down the narrow alley of another gangster thriller, but the backdrop of Korean gangsters in Los Angeles provides the appropriate setting to get much of his message across. The novel mixes the best of old and new--there are shades of Hamlet and Beowolf mixed with the best of Elmore Leonard--upon my first reading (there have been many since) I remarked that this book is a sort of higher-echelon Elmore Leonard novel. Davis presents his views on crime, death, and most importantly, life through the eyes of protagonist Micheal "Sugar" Pierce.
An outsider of sorts, being white in a Korean gang, yet with an insider's knowledge, being best friend of the boss and in love with the boss's wife, Sugar is caught in a web of deception, love, hate, and violence. His desperate attempt to break out, forced by the actions of others, leads to a fast-paced novel, with riveting aciton and constant tension. Yet, Davis seamlessly works in his literary perspectives, using effective and poignant symbolism, allegory and metaphor in order to fully acheive his purpose. Above all a novel that will make you think, examine yourself, and ponder the dilemmas of the characters (the true sign of good literature), Sugar Of Lead has my highest recommendation. I only hope that many more books of the same quality will be produced by its author.

Sugar of Lead is a phenomenal read. It delves into the life of a gangster who seeks revenge for the death of his blood brother while trying to save the life of his widow. It asks questions about the value of life and death while confronting the ongoing battle between good and evil. It is intriguing and a fast read. Sugar of Lead is one of the few books that actually cover the life of Asian gangsters. It compares to The Godfather in its richness of detail and excitement. I highly recommend it people of all ages.

Awesome... my 4 1/2 year old child was reading within minutes of picking up her first Bob book. The author(s) took easy-to-learn sounds and turned them into interesting, fun stories that build confidence and promote early reading. No home with young children should be without this series of books... I am now buying them as gifts for family and friends. Definitely recommend!

Finally beginning books for children who are really just beginning. My three-year-old has known her letter sounds for over a year but suddenly began reading with her introduction to Bob books this month. She is gaining confidence and is surprised that she can read like her older cousins. Her six-year-old cousin is also excited about reading since she borrowed our Bob books two months ago. One word of caution, clever children will quickly memorize the story line that goes with the simple pictures and may tell you the story without reading the words. It was helpful for us to break the words down letter by letter on index cards before attempting our first Bob book.

Most books that claim to be "easy readers" require a first-second grade reading level. Bob Books start out at a much lower level. To read book 1 the child must know only "m" "a" "t" and "s." I have seen no other readers that start at such a basic level.

My children love the characters and feel so good about their reading ability. Only Bob Books afford them the feeling of accomplishment that comes from finishing a whole book. When I first purchased them I was a bit surprised at how "homemade" they seemed, but now I see how perfect they really are for new readers.

These are the fictional memoirs of Ebenezer Le Page, who writes about his life from the time he is a young boy to present, possibly till the day before he died. At a first glance, he led a very uneventful life, in that he never left his island, and was a simple farmer and fisherman. However, this is an example of how human nature is endlessly fascinating: the little and big fights between the members of his family, his observations, in retrospect, about what went wrong with this and that other person, the what ifs, his love life, his mom, his devoted sister, the horrible German occupation of Guernsey, and finally his decision over who would be the heir of his money and land. This is one of the best books i've read this year. There is so much history, insight, wisdom and humor in these pages that makes this one of those must-read-at-all-costs books. I would love to go to Guernsey and visit the sights.

It was like a book that, at first, I'd never heard of, and I was destined to read. I was on a sales trip, visiting the Channel Islands on a whistle stop tour, but still wanted to take my family with me to share the sights of Guernsey. We were waiting to catch the ferry home, having lunch in a pub in the centre of town and for some reason or other, I got talking to a gent who was visiting the Island, simply to put a place to the names described in a book he had just read. The Book of Ebenezer Le Page. He assured me that if I ever came upon this book and read it, I would love it. The following weeks, back on 'the mainland', during other sales trips, covering all other towns, I would just pop into second hand book stores to see (even though I had no idea what the book looked like.) I was in Lyme Regis, again I went into a book store and I felt compelled to ask them if they had a copy of the book. It only turned out that this particular book store specialised in books by John Fowles, The writer of the forword. The particular book was out of print, but YES they had copies. "Hard back or paper back", they offered. Well, needless to say, I have just finished the book and I am now left with a sadness at almost having left a friend behind. At least I had the fortune to share a piece of Ebenezer Le Page's life.

Like Patrick below, I was brought up on Guernsey and now live in the US. And I'd never gotten around to reading Edwards' book, until I came across it in a 2nd hand bookshop a couple of weeks ago on Liberation Day, of all days (the anniversary of the end of the German Occupation of the Channel Islands).

Isn't it great? I'd actually peeked into my mother's copy on several occasions and thought it looked kind of boring, and it took me a while to get into it, but slowly I found myself becoming hooked. Half way through, it's difficult to say why I can't wait to get back to it, because it really is little more than one man's telling of his own not extraordinary life. But stick with it and you will probably understand.

This is the first time in 9 years that I feel homesick!

I completely agree with the other reviewers who have described that feeling that you get with only a few books of *living* inside the book, and the sadness that hangs around for a few days when you finish. I strongly recommend this book!

A masterpiece of world literature. Anyone remotely interested in twentieth century history should read Churchill's accounts of WWI and WWII.

Churchill begins the Second World War by noting that the "volumes [are] a continuation of the story of the First World War...set out in The World Crisis, The Eastern Front, and The Aftermath". As great as the Second World War is in scope and insight, it is even greater when considered together with his treatment of WWI. It is a pity his account of WWI and its aftermath are currently no longer in print, available only through university libraries and sellers of rare books (if any publishers are reading, I beg them to consider republishing his accounts of WWI).

Churchill's chronicles of WWI and WWII are a invaluable account of the incomprehensible turmoil that characterized the first half of the 20th century. The scope of this literary achievement is made even more precious and amazing when one considers the firsthand perspective given by Churchill. During both wars, he occupied important government roles, putting him in a unique position to chronicle events during that era. The World Crisis, The Eastern Front, The Aftermath, and the volumes of the Second World War are personal memoirs as much as monumental histories. They are compelling on many levels, the stories of many through one.

Sheesh - difficult to read? Perhaps one should try "WWII FOR DUMMIES"!

This is an awsesome, detailed, and superbly documented historical work. By it's very nature it can't be light or entertaining. In a certain sense it's a reference book for future professional historians that want to improve their understanding of the 20th century. The author delves into a myriad of topics along the way; invariably with penetrating insights and a unique writing style. The average person doesn't really need to read it cover to cover. Most of the chapters can stand alone. The documentation isn't overly important to the narrative.

The work also has great uniqueness and originality. No other world leader wrote a detailed memoir of their war experiences, let alone an overarching history of it. No one else had the perspective on the war that Churchill did. And like all major wars, it was unique, never to be duplicated in the history of the world.

In regard to errors, I wonder how many of you bozos have saved the world from a power mad, genocidal, megalomaniacal dictator without making an error? Sheesh.

Future generations will be most thankful that we had as Prime Minister of Britain, Winston Churchill. Not only for his leadership, which undoubtedly saved the world from Nazism, but also because of his memoirs. Reading this book, it felt like I was actually there, feeling the tension as Hitler prepared on new conquests, the revulsion as France & Britain allowed Germany to destroy Czechoslavakia, the disbelief as neutral countries, USSR,Belgium, Netherlands, Norway etc, clung to their neutrality as it meant anything to Hitler, admiration for the British people as they resisted such overwhelming odds at great cost, and triumph as the Grand Alliance combines to crush Germany. Also there are so many parts of the book which describe so vividly so many great moments, such as when Churchill first meets Stalin. A top read!

This is a wonderful cookbook. However I have 2 points of criticism.
One: it should not be called "the Russian Cookbook". I am Russian & most of the recipies in the book I have never heard of or definitely never tried. It seems that most of them are from the Southeastern republics of the former USSR (Georgia, Armenia, etc). And their food is very different from Russian.
Two: most of the recipies in the book will take you a while to make & will require certain level of experience & equipment availability.
So if you like Middle Eastern cuisine & have a lot of time for cooking you will love this book! The recipies are good.

_Please to the Table_ is without a doubt the most-used cookbook I own (and I have dozens!) I love cooking and baking, but was a total novice at anything beyond Central Europe -- much to the initial dismay of my Ukrainian-born husband. We've since read and re-read this cookbook together, including the delightful narrative sections and literary excerpts. (He's especially fond of the Gogol bits!) It's got history, literature, cultural tidbits, and culinary savvy that make a fun read for anyone.

Not having ever eaten any of this food myself, and being one to generally prefer cookbooks with pictures, I was initially nervous about trying any of the recipes. But the directions are so precise and easy to follow that I can proudly say that every single recipe I've tried has been a smashing success. I have since tried other Russian and Ukrainian cookbooks, but none yields the same superlative results with my picky hubby -- and my critical in-laws!! ;) We've eaten our way across the entire former USSR, and loved every minute of it!

I would especially like to thank the author for the following recipes (whose pages are stained and whose ingredients are responsible for not a few of the extra pounds on my man's middle...): "My Mother's Vegetarian Borscht" -- you can add beef if you like, but even his father (who is a professional Soviet-trained cook) didn't notice it was missing. His sister pronounced this borscht her favorite - over their mother's - and she has never made any secret about not liking me, so that's a ringing endorsement! "Apple Baba" -- this one is a unanimous hit and my husband always begs me to make it for guests. I usually add 2 extra apples and double the cinnamon, though, by popular request. The "Rum Baba" makes a great New Year's treat. And the classic "Cherry-filled varyeniki" -- WOW. I'm a dumpling neophyte, and these came out perfect the very first time.

My only criticism of this book is that its directions often assume that one has a food processor, beaters, blender, and other electronic kitchen gagets. If you're like me and do everything by hand, you have to mentally adjust the directions. But it's never altered the fabulous outcomes. The other thing that I would have liked is more bread recipies. But overall, it is a classic and will make a welcome addition to any cook's shelf.

I treasure this book. I read it again and again and never tire of its beautiful and vivid descriptions of food and feasting in the former Soviet Union. When I open "Please To The Table" I become infected by the authors' enthusiasm for the cuisine of half a dozen countries. Even though I'm not normally an adventurous eater, and I rarely have time to cook, every time I open this book, I can't help being seduced by the descriptions of each dish. Instantly, I'm in the mood to entertain. I want to fires up the stove, load up the table, chill some vodka, and gather my friends about me.

My Russian-born husband nods fondly when I read aloud to him from this book and gets so excited by the tantalizing promise that perhaps we can recreate some of his old favorite dishes. So far, everything I've tried has turned out beautifully.

When my Grandfather told me that I could have all of his Louis L'Amour books (24 in all and all of the "Sackett's") I was extremelly excited. I picked up this book ("Sackett's Land") and was immediately drawn into the world of Barnabas Sackett, I couldn't put it down and finished it in 2 hours. I great book and not a "Western" (so don't let that bother you). I guarantee that you will be enchanted with this one.

This a story of adventures that you can dream about. L'Amour does an outstanding job of describing the details of England and the new America. Barnabas Sackett finds gold coins and wants more out of life. It is exciting and uplifting. To see how he battles pirates and Indians and lives off the land. Not a western but an adventure story that is so well written you can't wait to read the next one to see how Barnabas turns out. I also listened to the audio tapes and they are great. The reader has an excellent voice.

This novel which introduced us to the intriguing saga of the Sackett family is by far the best of the series. Set in 17th century England and America, this book creates vivid images of life during a time when freedom was not a given right, but something you had to fight for. The courageous Barnabas Sackett flees to America to start a new life with nothing but the clothes on his back and a deep sense of pride. Struggling to survive in the wild untamed land of what is now the USA, Barnabas finds himself faced with escaping from vicious pirates, battling the elements of the weather, and often times being the first white man to come face to face with the American Indians of the region. L'Amour does a fine job at telling this adventurous tale which will keep you flipping the pages from start to finish.

Some enterprising publisher of lapsed titles--perhaps Dalkey Archives or someplace similar--should publish a new edition posthaste. "The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters" is a walloping good read, full of excitement, humor, and vivid characters. In places it reads as if Mark Twain and Henry Fielding had put their heads together for a collaboration. Robert Lewis Taylor wrote several books about teenage boys coming of age on the frontier, but "Jaimie McPheeters" was the first and by far the best.

I was fortunate to stumble across this book in our local used bookstore. My children and I read it together and absolutely loved it. The children think it is much better than any of the books their schools have required them to read. It is exciting, insightful, educational, and mostly just fun. Read this book!

Having read this book over 20 years ago, it has stuck in my memory as one of the Greats, where dozens of other titles are all but forgotten, and it is out of print?! A Pulitzer Prize winner, no less! This book needs to be available to hand down to my children and yours, and their children after them!

Back in high school, I made a vow to myself that I would eventually read all of the Pulitzer Prize winning novels. A Bell for Adano was one of the first that I read. Now, a few years later, I have read around 30 of those novels, and while many have been wonderful, few have matched the experience of reading A Bell for Adano, and I continue to return to it.

The splendid novel is set during World War II, though it isn't really a war novel. The novel is about how very different people can, and should treat one another, especially when in a difficult situation. A Bell for Adano primarily concerns Major Joppolo. He is an American officer placed in charge of the city of Adano after the invasion. Joppolo is a wonderful, though flawed man. He's always practical but remains sentimental. He sets out to make the lives of the people of Adano the best he possibly can. He does so by not treating them as the enemy but as People. The "bell" of Adano refers his attempt to restore an historic bell to the city that it had lost during the war.

I can never do justice to my favorite novels when I review them, and this is one of them. I can't say enough good about it. The characterizations are strong and the interactions between the characters are touching and thought-provoking. Joppolo's relationship to the city's people is truly remarkable. It makes one think about America's relationship with foreign countries. The story is heart-tugging and humorous. There are few novels written this century that can touch a reader as much as this one does, and this one can make you think a little, too. A Bell for Adano certainly deserved its prize, and it definitely deserves to not be forgotten.

John Hersey would go on to win the Pulitzer Prize and become a prominent star in the pantheon of twentieth century writers. This book was written during World War II and was a best-seller when released in 1944. And it still resonates today. In short, it is the story of an American officer given civil responsibility for overseeing the coastal Italian town of Adano following its liberation by American forces.

How Major Victor Joppolo goes about this task is interesting as are the variety of Italians-former fascists and anti-fascists alike--he meets and, eventually, wins over. More gripping, though, is the character of Jappolo himself who, in many ways, Hersey repressents as Everyman--or at least EveryAmercicanman. He is practical, yet sentimental. He wants to do good, but also wants to be loved. He has a strong sense of loyalty, yet hungers after an Italian woman despite loving his wife back home. He admires the Italians, but shapes them in our American mold. He is--in modern psychobabble--conflicted; imperfect, yet very admirable.

The title refers to the city's most prominent--it has dozens of them--bell which for seven hundred years called the people to work, to eat, to love, to church, to life. It was shipped away by the retreating Germans to be made into bullets at some northern foundry. Its lack leaves a gaping wound in the civic fabric. Joppolo, of course, gets the town a replacement bell. How he does it fills you with pride. His first hearing of its strong voice can break your heart. This is a worthwhile book both as a story and as a still provocative look at the American character.

An enchanting saga about how a variety of characters react to a difficult time.

An engaging view of a clash of cultures. The vigorous American culture versus the age-old Italian culture.

An endearing cast of characters that will linger in your memory. From peasant buffoons to wise old men. From selfish to magnanimous. From simple to sophisticated. From despicable to saintly. An amazing portait of humanity.

An enthralling quest of one Major Joloppo. His attempt to return civility to an incivil world.

And it is all couched in a warm, humorous story line which will keep you interested to the last word. Not a "page-turner" or thriller, but you will want to know what happens to the Major on his quest and how all of the characters either help or hinder him along the way.

I was very glad I followed the advice of the other reviewers and read this book.