For the casual travelogue reader (or someone with varried interests in Japan), this book is quite good. But you must keep in mind that all of the stories are short -- many of them were taken from longer travelogues and books. Sometimes I found myself wanting more. And I thought that some of the writings were by unexperienced, travelers with a Western bias and a limited understanding of Japan. But this is a great introdction to experienced Japan travel writers such as Alan Booth and Cathy Davidson. And many of the travelogues in this book (though short) are very well written. Booth's poignent piece about his experience in Hiroshima is wonderful. The short observation by Pico Iyer about English in Japan is downright hilarious, and Michael Ward's detailed description about missing the last train is very detailed and is a common dilema for the foregin traveler in Japan. Yes, I would recommend this book. However if you are truly interested in Japan, I think you would also enjoy some longer travelogues.

"Japan : True Stories of Life on the Road" is a collection of anecdotal stories told by people who have journeyed to Japan.

The strength of the book lies in the different points of view. Each traveler experienced a different Japan and has different things to say about the country and it's people. Some of the tales are funny, some are serious and some are informative. The book has a nice balance of styles, and there is very little replication. What is it like to go to a Love Hotel? What do you do when you are served living squid for dinner? What is a Kabuki play like? These are the type of questions answered by this book.

It's weakness lies in the fact that many of these tales have been published elsewhere. If you have read many books on Japan, chances are you will have already read many of these stories. Several selections from "Learning to Bow," "Dave Barry does Japan" and "36 Views of Mt. Fuji" are here.

All in all, it is a good book, and worth reading.

This is a great book! Like all of the other Travelers' Tales Guides, it is well edited - filled with interesting, finely crafted stories by both well-known and newer writers. Keep in mind that if you've done a lot of reading on Japan (like me reading travel narratives on Japan in preparation for the JET program), you've probably already read some of the books that are excerpted in this book - Cathy Davidson's 36 Views of Mt. Fuji, Learning to Bow by Bruce Feiler, Pico Iyer's The Lady and the Monk... But overall, this is a great introduction to Japan and a nice selection of viewpoints for those of us who have already done some reading.

This book is good for people who have minimal experience with VB.NET and ASP.NET. It's very easy to read and understand and find what you need. With little background of VB.NET and ASP.NET, you will be able to write your first database driven web applications. This book is good as a starting point on the subject matter. The book goes through the items in short simple to understand paragraphs.

For experienced developers, you may want to skip the first two chapters. Chapter 2 gives an overview of realational database, how to use the database to retrieve and store the data. Chapter 3 covers methods for connecting to several different data source such as SQL Server, Excel, and XML. Chapter 4 and Chapter 5 have lots of examples in reading and displaying the data using Data Reader and Data Set objects. All the examples in the book use Data Grid control for displaying the data. Later in the book, it discusses ways of using the data grid control for creating,inserting, editing, and deleting records. I tried several of the examples in the book and they worked fine. That is one thing I have come to like about the WROX press books is their examples are very understandable and easy to learn from.

Also, the experienced developer who is interested in learning the subject matter may find many other sections in the book boring because they will go through material they already know. It would be very nice to see a book such as this that can cover the subject for people who are already experienced as developers.

This book is well written and has the information that a junior programmer can use on his/her first programming language and the VB.NET/ASP.NET fundamentals for the experienced programmer to get a first look. ---Reviewed by Michael S.

This is a great book which covers most of technique to write an ASP.Net web application using VB.Net for database access. All the examples are quite easy to follow and understand. I highly recommend to any person who wants to learn and build web application.

It is not until you read a book that is dedicated to using databases in ASP.NET that you realize just how much there is to learn. This is a very readable & well structured book with excellent 'Try It Out' examples that provide easy to follow step-by-step guides.

Obviously understanding data readers, datasets, command objects and web server controls is vital but there are some rare and extremely useful chapters: componentization - leveraging class libraries for data access, performance, and a chapter that discusses Data-Driven ASP.NET application in the Real World that raises some very interesting issues; for example security tips, raising your own database errors & organizing your code.

The authors not only provide information that you would expect but they offer every encouragement to raise the bar by discussing ways to do things even better; for example 'A Better Connection String', creating Data Access classes, and fine tuning dataset & datareaders.

Even though the cover claims that the book is 'The Complete Illustrated Guide to Medical Self-Care', there are better books that you can purchase for a few dollars more that meet the claim. It is very easy to read and not intimidating at all like the other medical self-care books. That is probably why this book is so popular. I was given this copy free by my HMO a long time back and I have found it valuable enough to keep it for all these years. Anytime I experience some symptoms of bad health, I refer to this book first to see if I can find a quick solution. Only if I can't find it in this book, do I pull out my other two books - 'The Merck Manual of Medical Information' and 'The American Medical Association Family Medical Guide' which are absolutely the best in the field.

There is a very good section on preventive health care at the beginning of the book followed by 1-2 page descriptions of 175+ symptoms and home treatment advice. For each symptom, there is a simple flow chart that is easy to follow in case you are experiencing that symptom. The flow chart will lead you through possible causes of the symptom and what to do about it. The especially useful feature of this flow chart technique is the focus on when to apply home treatment and when to see a doctor. My family and I have always been interested in treating medical problems at home if possible before getting the medical establishments involved. This book helped us try to treat basic symptoms at home more effectively without fear of making a mistake.

I am not sure if I would recommend the purchase of this book, but if you receive a questionaire from your HMO that promises to mail you this book for filling out the form, I would say 'go for it'. I definitely recommend buying one of the following two books for home self-care - The Merck Manual of Medical Information and The American Medical Association Family Medical Guide. If in doubt, all of these books strongly advice you to seek a medical professional's assistance. Bottom line - I don't think it hurts to have a couple of self-care books that arm you with knowledge about basic health related problems and maybe even appease your hypochondriac side.

We've used this reference extensively for over 20 years to figure out when a particular problem requires professional medical attention (urgent or otherwise) and when there may be an effective home treatment. We first started using it at the urging of our family doctor. When we use it before making an appointment, our doctor knows that we're well informed and prepared to make efficient use of our time with him. Now that our son is away at college, we've gotten him his own copy.

This is a quick and handy guide with solution-at-a-glance flow charts to help you diagnose and treat common medical problems that don't require a doctor's care.

It is NOT a substitute for your doctor.

The book gives a simple plan for preventative health care by surveying the 5 "keys to health:" exercise, obesity, alcohol, smoking, diet/nutrition. It also gives criteria for choosing a doctor, tells how you can detect poor medical service and advises on what to expect when you visit a doctor.

In it you'll learn:
how to treat common medical symptoms
how to save time and money
to cut out unnecessary trips to doctors and emergency rooms.

A caveat: Do NOT use aspirin in any form to treat fevers and common pediatric illnesses in children less than 12 years old.

The guide is not intended to replace a physician's care. It's a guide to help you determine when to call or see a doctor or when to give the specified treatment at home. If in doubt, see your doctor.

Quality medical care begins at home, say Drs. Vickey and Fries, and they've proved the information to help you get it. This one should be on everyone's bookshelf, especially if you have children.

I have difficulty imagining a world without the literature of Borges. It would be incomplete. His works - so unique, so eclectic, so intellectually stimulating, and so enjoyable - seem so essential.

Jorge Luis Borges is one of the great writers of the twentieth century. His literary works include short stories, essays, and poetry, but not novels. He was never awarded the Nobel Literature Prize, a rather remarkable failure by the Nobel Committee. Borges will be read and respected long after many Nobel Prize winners of the last century have been forgotten.

"Labyrinths" is an exceptional collection, great as an introduction to Borges, but equally suitable for the reader already familiar with his works. It consists of 23 of his best known stories, ten literary essays, eight short parables, an elegy to Borges from Borges himself, and a very useful bibliography.

The detailed bibliography helps make Borges' works more accessible. In the last fifty years Borges' works in English have been published as a confusing mix of overlapping collections, largely due to complications regarding publishing rights.

Translations also differ. The first sentence in The Form of the Sword (from Ficciones) - "His face was crossed with a rancorous scar: a nearly perfect ashen arc which sank into his temple on one side and his cheek on the other" - is recognizable, but transformed in The Shape of the Sword (from Labyrinths) - "A spiteful scar crossed his face: an ash-colored and nearly perfect arc creased his temple at one tip and his cheek at the other." While both translations are good, I suspect that the effort to master Spanish would be paid in full by the joy of reading Borges in his native language.

Borges is difficult to characterize, but terms like metaphysical, philosophical, erudite, literate, unexpected, mysterious, and haunting are common adjectives. Like Franz Kafka, Edgar Allen Poe, and Umberto Eco, Borges offers unique perspectives and insights that startle us with originality and genius. He creates worlds that range from plausible to implausible to simply impossible, but under the spell of his imagination we accept unreality and illusion.

Borges should be read sparingly. The reader should peruse "Labyrinths" over time, rather than hurrying from story to story. There is no need to hurry as you undoubtedly will revisit these stories and essays. I find I return to Borges again and again with awe and appreciation, almost as though I am discovering him for the first time. I cannot imagine a world without Borges.

...it is an amazing collection of metaphysical labyrinths (hence the title). It contains Borges' metaphysical speculations in short story form. When reading the stories, one is reminded of the famous paradoxes of Zeno of Elea (you know, the arrow that cannot move through space, the runner that cannot run, etc.). DO NOT READ THIS AS SCIENCE FICTION, or you will miss the point. Read it for what it is - speculations about the metaphysical mysteries of possible worlds which closely resemble our own. It takes a moderate amount of patience for someone to work through his various labyrinths, but there are rich rewards. In short, ten bucks to gain greater insight into the implications of the laws that govern the world we live in is quite the bargain. This one won't collect dust as long as you don't hastily dismiss it as science fiction or pseudo-intellectual babble (as in other reviews). It would be impossible for me to recommend this book strongly enough, but I can say that it is one that you won't forget.

Several of the previous reviewers of LABYRINTHS have done an excellent job of discussing its nature and general contents as well as addressing Borges, his background, and his philosophical bent. Rather than going back over material previously covered, I'd like to address a few of the short stories, or as he refers to them, fictions. I'll stick to these and leave the essays and parables to another reviewer.

A few of his fictions, such as "The Shape of the Sword," are fairly straightforward narrative accounts. "The Shape of the Sword" does have a bit of a twist at the end that makes it very worth reading, but it is not on this type of story that Borges built his reputation. That reputation comes more from such fictions as "The Lottery in Babylon," "The Library of Babel," and "The Sect of The Phoenix," among others. I hope that a short discussion of these three will whet one's appetite to read Borges in his own words.

"The Lottery In Babylon" is the story of the evolution of a simple lottery into an all encompassing game of life. It leaves one with the philosophical question as to whether life is controlled by some master gamesmen or is all a matter of random chance.

"The Library of Babel" imagines a world composed of a library without physical or temporal end. You cannot read this story and not wonder about the concept of infinity. That concept is obviously one of physical, metaphysical, and philosophical import. A thoroughly thought-provoking story.

"The Sect of the Phoenix" is a bit sneaky. Borges discusses a sectarion group with a secret rite that has infused itself throughout our world. This rite, though almost universally practiced, is rather hush-hush in polite society. Borges never overtly reveals what this secret rite is, but somewhere along the line, the reader uncovers the mystery and will probably kick himself and say "I should have seen that coming."

I can't imagine reading this book without becoming more aware of the mysteries around us.

Cover on backwards or upside down. (The RETURN the item button dosent work, it just runs you in a circle.)

A great legacy left by missionary Don Stamps even as he was battling cancer. His Spirit-filled teaching is evident in the editing. Especially significant is the Spirit inspired work he did on editing this version of the Holy Bible. The explanatory notes and the wonderful articles answer questions which other Bible teachers and commentaries usually avoid or are simply in error on. Thank God for this wonderful discovery and I heartily recommend it to all in search of, the abundant, "full life" in Jesus as taught in the Word of God.

I own this Bible and it is changing my life for the better. The title of this Bible "Full Life Study Bible" says it all--it definitely applies to a full life! The clear in depth convicting study notes will not only challenge your paradigms and beliefs, it will change them, thus changing your life. A good starter Bible! I would definitely recommend the KJV over the NIV as the KJV is much more accurate with respect to the original Bible texts. In fact, I wish the Geneva Bible was available in a Full Life Study version. Buy this Bible, it is well worth whatever you pay for it!

The title page of James Fenimore Cooper's 1823 novel "The Pioneers, or the Sources of the Susquehanna" defines it as "a Descriptive Tale"; and indeed the narrative is more a series of descriptions rather than a straight-forward plot. There is a well-drawn set of characters living quiet country lives. There is a plot "teaser" that is fairly obvious and finally resolved in the penultimate chapter, and there is a vague love triangle that never intensifies. In fact,Cooper seems to be not so much concerned with events as with attitudes. The story opens at Christmastime of 1793, and the settlers discuss the tumult of that year in Paris and the Vendée. (One of their company is an émigré who keeps muttering "Les monstres!" and "Mon pauvre roi!") Unfortunately, Cooper seems to have lost track of his time scheme because several months later in the story it's still 1793. This is one of the Leatherstocking Tales, which means that Nathaniel Bumppo (called Leatherstocking by the newcomers, Hawkeye by the Indians) is one of the major characters. But "The Pioneers", unlike "The Last of the Mohicans", does not involve Natty in dangerous adventures. (Which is just as well -- he's suppose to be 70 years old.) Instead, the novel presents frontier life in central New York at a settlement on Lake Otsego through commonplace but colorful occurrences: a fishing expedition, a turkey shoot, a gathering at the Bold Dragoon, a trial. The remarkable aspect of "The Pioneers", and the reason today's readers will identify with it, is the many arguments for the conservation of natural resources, both flora and fauna.Natty Bumppo's concern is understandable, as he is a man of the wilderness. More surprising is the wealthy entrepreneur Judge Temple's insistence that "we are stripping the forests, as if a single year would replace what we destroy. But the hour approaches when the laws will take notice of not only the woods, but the game they contain also". Later, both he and the Leatherstocking are appalled by the indiscriminate slaughter of birds in a single outing. This ecological attitude gives an unexpectedly modern tone to "The Pioneers" and makes it sympathetic reading in the 21st Century.

Even though this is a difficult read if you are not in the right frame of mind, I felt it was an excellent book. This book illustrates the final days of Hawkeye and the dilemmas that he encounters as an old man. I believe that the only major problem of the novel was the unbelievable and corny ending. Overall a good book.

Marmaduke Temple opens this story as he retrieves his daughter Elizabeth from a boarding school in New York City shortly after the Revolutionary War. As they descend the mid-winter mountains of upstate New York into the valley the Temples call home, they meet the other major characters of the story, Natty Bumppo, Chingachgook, and Oliver Edwards. Cooper prefaces this book by telling us that he wrote it for his pleasure, not ours. As Elizabeth's first night back home consumes 178 pages, I was beginning to take the man at his word, but, from here, an outstanding tale unfolds.

The Pioneers is a book in the romantic style of it's age which also carries contemporary messages. The loss of wilderness and wildlife were already a concern in the late 18th century. As the population shifted westward, Native Americans were supplanted and the wilds they inhabited were methodically tamed. Marmaduke Temple and Natty Bumppo, the conservationists, approach the issue in differing ways. Temple exemplifies the responsible management of natural resources while Bumppo longs for the departure of civilization so that nature may reclaim it's own.

Surrounding the ecological message is a story of a human dimension that, though expectedly formulaic, is nonetheless pleasing to behold. The characters are finely wrought as is the portrait of 18th century American life. Easily transported, the reader will find the descriptions of natural surroundings evocative of period and place.

I was sorry to see the last page, though the last page was masterfully done. While James Fenimore Cooper need not be proclaimed by me as the author of classics, I consider this book one and the same and rate The Pioneers a resounding five stars.

If you liked the movies, this book is something that you should find quite agreeable. "Star Wars" is probably not as well written as the other two stories(a friend of mine remarked that "it reads like a script"). Still, read it if you must. The writing gets better with "The Empire Strikes Back", but I think it would had been a lot better if Glut had gone into detail a little more. Still, even if it is missing something, it's still good. "Return of the Jedi" surprised me. Many critics say it is the worst movie in the "Star Wars" trilogy, as it can be constructed as weak and childish in some respects. Yet it makes for the best book of the three! Since it is best, of course, to read all three books in sequence, a compressed edition should be very convenient. I would recommend this book to most "Star Wars" fans I know. But on the whole, I'd rather just go out and see the actual movies instead

Pretty much the case with watching the movies too for most of us, isn't it? Excellent adaptations of the classic trilogy stories in one book, and a must for true-blooded STAR WARS fans. I only hope that in the future, after Episodes 2 and 3 have been made there will be a new addition with the novels to all 6 available. Until then, I'll keep my fingers crossed!

The books are great, but they only serve as for you remembering the movie, knowing a couple of things that were cut but were written in the script and knowing what these great characters were thinking at the very moment.

The books are short, yes and if it were only for them the Star Wars book universe would be very short, that's why Lucas has hired so many talented authors to expand the book universe in all of those novels that have come out explain what happened before and after the story that he's presented to us in his movies.

These books are not on what the movies are based, the scripts were written before, the scripts are of about 100 pages each, these books are novelizations of the movies that came from the scripts, these books are almost the scripts only that in novel format.

Stop posting reviews commenting on that they are too short, because for me they are not all what we've gotten, we've gotten many other novels that are not to be taken as each story they are to be taken as ONE huge amazing story filled with everything, comedy, drama, action, adventure, love, romance, some stupid points and some intelligent points, there's a little bit of everything in a story set on a galaxy far, far away.

This version of the Canterbury Tales (Everyman) contains all of the tales (including the rather tedious prose tales), and is in the original language. As anyone planning to read the Tales will be aware, old English is not easy! This book takes a lot of time to read. Is it worth it?

Yes. But a qualified yes. As an insight into life during this time in history, and particularly as a demonstration of how little humans have changed over the centuries, this book is very useful. Many of the tales are quite amusing and interesting. On the other hand, many tales are filled with rather drawn out, tedious sections, and a couple are just plain boring.

For a person who wishes to read most of the major English classics, this book must be read, and I think the only way to really appreciate it is in its original form, not in modernised English. For this purpose, the Everyman version is excellent, as it features convenient gloss on each page, so looking up difficult words can be done at a glance, which disturbs the flow a lot less. I would highly recommend trying to read the book in as short a space of time as possible, though, because you do get used to the grammar and vocabulary, and while it is fresh in your mind, it allows you to read the rest of the book with a lot less glossing.

Be aware that I read this book for personal interest, not as part of any particular course, so I am reviewing from the point of view of a general reader, not a literary scholar.

In addition to its literary importance, Chaucer's Canterbury Tales are an enchanting reading experience. The Bantam Classic edition presents the tales in Modern English translation alongside the Middle English so that one can fully appreciate the tales as Chaucer composed them, or if you're just in the mood for a fun romp you can speedily read the translation. The tales themselves move at a quick pace, so beginners will probably enjoy the modern version much more.

The Canterbury Tales revolve around a group of 29 on a pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral to pay homage to the martyred St. Thomas a'Becket. The members of the pilgrimage come from all walks of life, including a Knight, Prioress, Merchant, Miller, the ever-entertaining Wife of Bath, and many others. The Canterbury Tales are the pilgrims' stories and each one reflects the individual character's personality beautifully. One can't help but feel a part of this lively group.

Whether you like a bawdy, raucous tale or a morally sound fable you will definitely find something entertaining in this book. I laughed out loud several times and found Chaucer's use of symbolism, wit, wisdom, and the glimpse into 14th Century life absolutely fascinating.

The biggest hurdle in reading Chaucer is the language. Trying to read his work in Middle English is impossible without really good footnotes, and some of the "translations" are even worse--they're written in a high-blown, pompous style that takes all the fun out of the stories.

All this being so, I was delighted to find the Puffin Classics version retold by Geraldine McCaughrean! The tales are told in an easy-to-read, flowing style that captures the bawdy humor of the originals, without being over-crass (this is a children's book, after all.) I found myself often laughing out loud, and wishing I'd found this version much sooner, because it makes Chaucer fun to read! I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to try Chaucer but feels intimidated by the scholarly-looking versions available in the "Literature and Classics" sections. You won't become expert in reading Middle English, but you WILL see why The Canterbury Tales has such a wonderful reputation!

This is a beautiful Bible. To begin with, the reader is treated to the 1769 Cambridge text of the KJV. The definitions are right on the bottom of the page. No need for a seperate dictionary here! With this Bible, you can get rid of the corrupt modern versions you might have. The text is large and really easy to read. The quality of this Bible is incredible! Strong binding, beautiful, rich leather covers, high quality paper. This one will last for years. This Bible makes a great introduction to someone not familiar to the KJV. The appendix is very informative. Anyone who loves the KJV needs to have this one.

I have often reached for my dictionary while reading the King James Bible, but no more! Now all I do is look to the bottom of the page and there is the modern definition of all those old words.

And even better, at the end of every book is an explanation of the old pronouns "ye," "thee," "thou," etc. Now I can look at them and know if the "you" of modern usage is singular, plural, subjective, or objective!

And I really like the "Synopsis of the Books of the Bible!" Every book is explained, chapter by chapter. What a great overview of the entire Bible.

And last, but certainly not least, there is a Bible reading schedule in the front, and in the text itself each day's reading is marked off by a diamond in the margin! What a GREAT idea!

I have had the Defined King James Bible for over two years and it is the best that I have found. I have used many differernt versions and something was wrong with some of them, some verses were missing and others didn't sound just right. After getting the Defined King James I found out why. There is a section in the back that tells about several popular versions, they are corrupt! By giving the definitions to hard to understand words at the bottom of each page, this Bible make it easy to read the most accurate translation of the original manuscripts. Get the best, the King James and the best King James is the Defined King James.

As a long-time student of magick and the occult, I have been on the lookout for this book for a very long time. Having read over excerpts downloaded from the internet, as well as material covered in other books of similar theme, I was rather amazed at how difficult of a read this book was. Its centuries old syntax and grammar make for an work that is like sojourning through the Bible. The information within, however, is solid, and extremely so. It is, indeed, one of the foundation works on the study of magick and the occult. It can be neatly used as a reference, but I wouldn't recommend actually sitting down and reading it.

Cornelius Agrippa's Three Books of Occult Philosophy must rank as one of, if not the most important work ever written on the Western Occult tradition. Written in relative youth, it nevertheless has an immensely broad range of topics covering Goetia ("Black magic") and Theurgia ("White magic') while still remaining in the Christian tradition. Agrippa's work certainly provides numerous practical instructions, but always ties together a wide range of classical and traditional sources in a broad theorectical framework. As a traditional astrologer I found his exposition of astrological magic to be among the best available in English, better than Marsilio Ficino's Three Books of Life (though the Boer translation is fairly universally disliked). Much of astrological magic still remains locked up in Latin, Thabit Ibn Qurra's De Imaginibus, edited by Carmody and Picatrix, edited by Pingree being the most salient examples. I should note, however, that Brill has just published a new edition of Agrippa in the original Latin which does differ in some respects from the Freake translation that Tyson has edited in this edition. For example, Chapter 50, Book II at 403 Agrippa describes the construction of amulets for love and concord between two people. The first full paragraph in the Tyson edition ends, "...let them [the two images] be wrapped up in silk and cast away or spolied. In the Latin Brill edition the sentence states that the images should be wrapped in "fine linen cloth" and "buried". Nonetheless if I could have only one book on the Western occult tradition (perish the thought!) this would be it. Anyone with a serious interest in studying or practicing in this area should have this book

I'm normally very skeptical about anything produced by Llewellyn, but not only is this an honest reproduction of Agrippa's brilliant works (I've seen the first English translation for myself--1560, I think), but Donald Tyson's scholarship is almost comparable to Agrippa's own. The notes are extensive & do a marvelous job of fleshing out the myriad brief & passing references in the text. Quotes from Agrippa's most likely sources provide timely insights into his own mind, and Tyson in addition offers a notes on sources foreign to or later than Agrippa for comparative study. Tyson's editing does not disturb the text at all, but rather makes it that much more clear. His diagrams & seals are well produced, & his corrections (which include skilled reanalysis of the Hebrew) & major additions are saved for the back of each chapter and of the whole volume. These appendices, and the bibliographical notes as well, are intelligent, clearheaded & very useful. Agrippa's genius is well known, but Tyson's fine scholarship for this volume deserves acknowledgment as well. I recommend this book especially strongly to serious students of magic who are tired of the flood of New Age-y magical manuals & gothic garbage tossed out like so much glitter by these shallow modern writers who use "magic" as a substitute for intelligence, or as a solution to their ego problems.