A lovely book; beautifully crafted and nicely plotted. I particularly liked the dialogue beteen the horse thieves. Although there is an undercurrent of raw menace, the chatter between the evil twosome is wickedly funny at times. All in all it's a splendid book and Michael Maguire has a superb ear for speech. The (almost human) greyhound is a joy and the fast-moving style of writing makes it an un-put-a-downable read. I bought Swiftly for my two teenagers while on holiday in Florida, and read it on the flight back to the UK. Great stuff! More please!

I saw this book in a store in Ireland about a month ago. I brought it back to the US for my kids and it was instantly their favorite. Swiftly is a wonderful adventure story for adults and kids alike. This book is a must-read for all parents to their children.

I reconed Swiftly was a neat book. It read fast and I thought Griggs and Riker were funny. The magical greathound was good to.

I use this book to teach my university-level students. As someone who prefers a practical approach to GIS, but still wishes to back it up with theory, I have great appreciation for this book. It provides an excellent overview of topics relevant to GIS without overwhelming computer-wary students. Don't be fooled by the colorful, pretty pictures in this book,though-this is a serious primer on almost every theoretical topic related to GIS. My students tell me they especially like how much of the theory is backed up with practical examples. I especially recommend this book to GIS professionals who wish they had a background in Geography. It tells you everything you need to know and little that you don't.

One caveat-if you are not an ESRI user (ArcInfo, ArcView, ArcGIS) this may not be the book for you. Although other software packages are covered in the examples, the focus is heavily on ESRI.

For years I've searched for a GIS textbook comparable in scope and design to the standard Biology, Geography or Physics text. The existing GIS texts were either overly dense or painfully reductionist, lacked the interdisciplinary range necessary to fully represent the art of GISc, were minimally illustrated and designed, and generally failed to inspire students and practitioners alike. The new textbook by Longley, et al, challenges the conventions of the GISc textbook and in the process raises the bar on what we should expect from these texts.

A few of the features of this marvelous text: Illustrated in glorious full color, includes the range of fields and disciplines making use of GISc (Civil Engineering, Geography, Urban Planning, Environmental Science, Business, etc.), presents GIS within its broader scientific context (the "GIScience" in the title), leads the reader through the discipline by first presenting the principles of the field, then the techniques, and finally gives real world examples in its practices section, written at a fundamental level yet doesn't shy away from advanced language and applications when appropriate.

A wonderful addition to GISc literature, I heartily recommend this text for any intermediate GISc course looking to explore the richness of this exciting field.

"Big Book 2" is as important a reference work as the original edition. Everyone who is a serious student of GIS needs to have access to this resource. It covers the foundations and frontiers of GI *SCIENCE* with contributions from many of the most well-known researchers in the field. A must have.

this was a awsome book of tricks told in a very simple way. I'm going to give this to my French friends.

This has to be the best book available today on GIS. It covers EVERY aspect of the subject, with excellent real-life examples by some of the best experts in the field. Although expensive, this will be the only GIS book you'll ever need - a reference book you will forever turn to!!

Dr. Dyson is amazing as he explains race in America. At first when Dr. Dyson started talking about OJ Simpson I started saying to myself "oh no, not again." However, that touchy subject was not too bad and I did not get as angry as in past conversations, books or reports. There were comparisons and constrasts between Farrahkan and Colin Powell pertaining to the million man march that seemed very insightful. Such as Colin Powell thought the million man march was a good conceptual ideal, but due to the fact that Farrahkan was the march's organizer he boycotted the million man march. This book actually makes you think about things in life and it is not one of those books that you just read and then put down and don't think about anymore. Race Rules has me now reading "I may not get there with you" and I am already so into that book. Dr Dyson keep up the good work.

There is absolutely no doubt that this is a great book. The author, as is evident from the book, is a keen thinker and is as intelligent as he is funny. This book was a great reading experience for me, especially because I am neither black nor white. I loved the first part where Mr. Dyson talks about the O.J Simpson trial and how that has changed the playing field. He very deftly, avoids passing judgment on O.J, the man. Even though the author cannot be accused of justifying O.J's actions, he most certainly can be credited for trying to paint a picture in which O.J's actions can at least be objectively understood. This, to me, was extremely interesting. As far O.J. Simpson is concerned, Mr. Dyson has been successful in evoking a response of "Why not?" as opposed to "Why?" The book covers important topics like the failures and successes of the black church and the deficiencies in the present black leadership. One thought, which runs throughout the course of the book, is the author's consistent support for women's causes. A self-described feminist, the author has been very effective in talking about women's issues, specially the state of black women and the inequalities they have had to face due to not only their race but also their gender. Mr. Dyson gathers enough courage to criticize black men for the treatment they have meted out to the women folk. However, at times, Mr. Dyson sounds like he is desperately trying to gain support from black women as their only true sympathizer. I had the feeling that the author was sacrificing sincerity to gain a little goodwill. Mr. Dyson has taken a middle path solution to the question of racial equality. He agrees with both the integrationist ideals of Colin Powell and the separatist beliefs of Louis Farrakhan, but denounces both as being the only road to racial salvation. He tries to be politically correct so as not sound as either a rebel or a wimp. The author's discussion of the popular culture can be counted as another plus of this book. I specially liked his treatment of the subject dealing with the politics of nostalgia and how the elders blame the black youth for all the ills and reminisce about the 'good old days in the hood'. Probably the author's support for hip-hop and rap endeared this book more to me. As a great fan of rap music, I couldn't agree more with the author. However, I was disappointed at the fact that the author never mentioned Tupac Shakur, who I think has been one of the most important players in the history of rap music. Throughout the course of the book, I got the impression that the author was trying to prove to the world that he does not shy away from calling a spade, a spade. But whatever his real intentions, Michael Eric Dyson has been very effective in painting a true picture of the realities of race in this country and how it still dominates our life, more than we want or imagine.

this man is a genius.whenever he speaks or debates someone i'm all ears and eyes.i've enjoyed all of his books.he has a of wording ideas and thoughts and tieing everything as one.he could connect dr.king,michael jackson,malcolm x&stevie wonder into one with the plight&struggle.i once saw him on sinbad's vibe show with the brillant nikki giovanni and he was talking and resighting the brillant lyrics of rakim.my mouth hit the floor.i wish he had a show alongside of tony brown&rev jessie jackson.this man speaks volumes in this book and is highly intelligent.a must read.

I was asked to read this book by the Prostate Cancer Charity in UK and on first sight my heart sank. Full of dry medical information - how wrong I was! My husband had a radical prostatectomy in 1997 and has recovered well but I still found encouraging material - especially about managing impotence. The book covers all aspects of prostate cancer - from diagnosis to living with the results of treatment. It deals with the medical terms and emotional effects of each stage in a down to earth manner. I also really valued the fact that it was written to me - the woman. It made me feel understood in a way that much of literature doesn't as it all male orientated. Enjoy reading it as you approach stage by stage and keep dipping into for knowledgeable reassurrance. My one regret was that all the helpful contact numbers and addresses were all American.