I was very pleased by the large number of high-quality reproductions. Still, as far as I'm concerned there should have been *more*. The book contains (a rough count) about 280 pages containing text or mostly text, out of about 630 total pages. However, I'm very happy with the book.

Best book, I have ever bought

The problem with art books is that they go out of print too quickly. This is a beautifully presented book on Rauschenberg that was released with the big retrospective at the Guggenheim in 97/98. Barnes and Noble still had copies avaiable as of Sept. 99, so check there -- they were even discounted!

This addition to the kingdoms and elves series is my absolute favorite. A must read. I have read this book 3 times and it just gets better and better. I have read all the other Kingdoms and Elves books several times over too! I'm 12 years old and kingdoms and elves is the best book series I have ever come across. Robert Stanek is the best author, only he can write a book like this. When you start reading you are swept away into the world of ruin mist. I can't not wait until book 4 is released. I thin that this book deserves more than 5 stars it deserves infinity stars Kingdoms and elves is a great new series that will be around and remembered for years to come.

I give this book 5 stars straight up. In my opinion the best one of the first three books. It has a really crazy twist in the end and if your thinking about getting this book and not sure trust me get it and if you don't like it then u must have no imagination. The whole Kingdoms & Elves series certainly hooks you from book one. I have read each book 4 times and I can never get enough! I love how we are introduced to new characters, very interesting! I love how Adrina remembers her past and gets over it. Kudos Robert Stanek!

This third book in the awesome Kingdoms and Elves series is so far my favorite, and Stanek has up to book #4 out right now. I LOVED it and it is tied at #1 with Harry Potter in my ranking of all time favorite books. Stanek has opened a window into a wonderful new world. He manages wonderfully many plots and subplots, many of which come together at the end and a few which carry to the next books. Mystery, intrigue, action, and leaving you wanting more in the epic lives of Adrina, Seth, Vilmos, Galan, Myrial, and Emel. I very strongly recomend this book to anyone in the age range of about 9 to 21! Teens will love it just as much, if not, even more than kids. Every one should read this very great book!

SCRUM is a "light weight wrapper" of techniques to manage and guide your software projects. Actually, you could use it on a lot of other types of projects, but software is its best use.

What's unique is that it wraps around the "Design it first" school that I follow, as well as the Extreme Programming (XP) school that follows a proto-typing approach.

SCRUM provides the mechanisms for organizing and controlling the development of your software project. You develop a short list of deliverables for the next 30 days and have a series of daily meetings. Oh, there's more to it than this.

In software projects I have followed a process where the design is fully thought out in advance. I say it is 85 % accurate as I know that mid-course corrections will be made as the software is developed and delivered to the client.

On large projects we typically work in 2 week deliverables, the author suggests 30 day "sprints". We break all the projects up into many packages of deliverables. One advantage to this was the client could see progress, give on course corrections, and you'd be sure to get paid. On small projects we have not followed any formal procedures.

What SCRUM does is give me a better, more thought out process for what the author calls these 30 day "sprints." I wish I had read this book earlier.

I picked up the book at a computer store and bought it reluctantly. I had heard good things about SCRUM, but the book looked too small and a quick read at the store didn't really turn me on that much.

But after I sat down to read it at home, I was very pleased. It is a very well-underlined book now.

I agree with the XP folks on the productivity of 2 person programming teams and have found their "test first" approach to be very interesting. However, I do find that their design-on-the-fly approach to be flawed. When XP works, I think it is because it attracts good programmers... it's not the XP proto-typing approach itself. In fact, I think any methodology that relies on proto-typing wears out the goodwill of the client. The clients time is limited and they value it highly.

I will say that I found many interesting ideas in XP. And, I recommend that anyone interested in the subjec of this book, go to the XP websites and read their books (about 6 or so at this time).

SCRUM fits around XP just as well as the design-it-first approach. What I disagree with in SCRUM (and XP) is the use of open office areas for programming. I believe studies have actually been done on this and closed offices, no windows, white walls, lots of marker boards... wins out. Anything beyond trivial programming requires concentration. Noise and movement kills concentration.

The graphics in the book really suck, as they look like they were printed out in some kind of old 320x200 screen resolution. But there is great depth to this book. It's a smaller sized book with small type (but still easy-to-read). So you actually get a lot of meat.

In the future, I will refer to this great book often and recommend all software people read it.

John Dunbar
Sugar Land, TX

This book packed an amazing amount of information into few pages. Most importantly, Ken Schwaber provided real-life examples of what worked for him and what didn't--and explained why.

Schwaber, the primary proponent of SCRUM, and Beedle have much experience with SCRUM and share it freely. Over the years, I've worked with numerous "newfangled" approaches to programming, including XP. Without SCRUM, however, we could not realize XP's potential. SCRUM is so deceptively simple, so logical, and so effective that one wonders why it hasn't been adopted more widely. In fact, I believe that as Schwaber continues to spread his message, SCRUM will be the wave of the future.

Schwaber's and Beedle's blueprint is a must read for every software developer. Once you try it, you'll wonder how you ever lived without it!

Scrum is the lever that can people-wise scale the development methods of XP and some of the other agile processes...

I used Scrum with a cross-functional team of 40+ people split into four smaller teams. It worked exceedingly well. We used some of the XP engineering disciplines as well, but what I love about Scrum is that it really doesn't have anything at all to do with software. You can use it for any task-oriented project that has ambiguity associated with the way the work should be done.

Scrum is IMHO the relatively undiscovered gem of the Agile Methods family. Corporate IT professionals in particular ought to learn and apply Scrum...

Director 8.5 is a monster application with huge range of functionality. Nyquist's "Bible" uses CD-ROM-based tutorials to carry you through the concepts with relative ease. The tutorials are part of one continuous complex project, taking the reader from the basics through media management, interactivity, project management and some pretty sophisticated Lingo programming. It is also organized to allow easy reference for specific issues. Having recently completed an 'Emedia & Design' programme I would have to say that Nyquist's book is probably the most valuable text in my library.

Este libro es realmente extraordinario para aprender a usar director, pues se ve desde el uso basico de cada herramienta aplicando los ejemplos que incluye el cd-rom.

Recomiendo este libro a quien nunca haya usado director antes, y para aquellos que habiendo usado, solo han aprendido por su cuenta sin referencias técnicas.

There is no better book with which to get involved in Director. I've read nearly all of them; nothing else comes CLOSE! Get IT! ENJOY IT! LOVE IT!

I read 'The Kingdoms and the Elves' by Robert Stanek. A young boy named Vilmos finds out later in life that he has special powers. He also finds out about his dark past. Then he realizes he is in grave danger and must flee his home. Vilmos isn't alone something is happening to Adrina too in Great Kingdom. Then the elves Galan and Seth have to leave their home too. Something strange is happening. Xith isn't even sure if Vilmos will make it, and Xith is a powerful wizard. Vilmos isn't even sure what to do, he doesn't even know for sure what he will do to escape. I rate this book five stars because this book included a lot of detail in every chapter. Also, once you start reading you can't stop.

I read reviews that call this the Star Wars of fantasy. I say NOT so. This is STAR WARS WITH ELVES and this book proves it. it is the most awesome action packed book I've read EVER. I got the book 1 and book 2 for my birth day. Stanek has created a world where fantastic creatures are everywhere and theirs a lot to hold your attention. I cared about the characters right from the start. I highly suggest this book and I can't wait to get the next book!

In all the time I've spent reading different fantasy novels (from Dragonlance to Harry Potter to Artemis Fowl to Terry Brooks) I've never read anything quite like this finely written novel by Robert Stanek. It has everything I could ever ask for. You find outstanding characters, friendships, plot twists, action, magic, strange beasts, and even some funny parts. I found the story addicting almost. After this one, I immediatly ripped into the third book to see what happened.

was left out as a co-author, please remedy this oversight.

Any serious Tai Chi practitioner will know that Tai Chi is more than just movement. This book presents the original Tai Chi texts translated into english, which allow the reader to think and feel each movement in a new, more intense manner.
Each sentence is a lesson in itself. While some are easy to understand, others will not be so clear in the beginning. I am sure that you will read this book more than once, reflecting on the movements and thoughts behind each form.

I recommend this books to any Tai Chi practitioner who wishes to understand the roots of the discipline.

This book is a new translation of a number of classical tai chi texts. The translations are clear, and the language flows well. The translators also included brief explications of difficult terms withing the text itself so as not to disrupt the flow of words. The presentation of the book is well done, with many illustrations and pages of calligraphy. While fairly short, this book is very nice introduction to the classic Chinese texts on tai chi.

What an incredible account of these lost people. The book does have an academic sound to it, but the events more than keep you interested. Its almost like real-life science fiction. They have an idea that something's out there. They look for it and find more than they bargained for. Those that like history or lost and found will like this one.

I purchased this book on a visit to Williamsburg and it sat on my shelf for quite a while before I seriously dove in. This book combines a clear explaination of archaeological methods with the building suspense of a good detective novel. As The author and his team uncover the existence of an early Virginia colony and utilize an astounding range of techniques and research to slowly piece together the lives of the inhabitants you will be drawn into the past. More than that you will be excited to read on and discover with these archaeologists what really happened. I.N. Hume writes eloquently on all aspects of organizing and proceeding with a project of this scale and mixes those details regarding administration and method with the fascinating story of the settlement of Martin's Hundred flawlessly. I could not imagine a better introduction to the discipline of archaeology for the layperson.

While you might think that a book about historic archaeology would be dry and boring (and many are!), Ivor Noel Hume's story of the archaeological dig, the background research, and the people of the 17th century who lived at Martin's Hundred is fascinating. This is probably the only archaeology book that you won't be able to put down because you will want to find out what happened next. If only I could write as well!

All I have to say is if you are thinking of buying this book, do it. If you have not read Gorky Park or Polar Star first, then I strongly suggest you do so. The excellent aspect, I believe, of this book is its connection with the past two. While I enjoyed Gorky Park, Polar Star is where I fell in love with reading about Renko. By the time I read through Red Square, I came immediately online to see if there is another Renko novel to read. There is, Havana Bay, thank goodness, I don't know what I would have done if there wasn't. This is the perfect series of books to read, for anyone who does not mind a little challenge. Enjoy!

I can't speak for the latest Arkady Renko novel, "Havana Bay," having not read it yet, but for me, the finest of the first three is the magnificent "Red Square," one of the most gripping and memorable thrillers I've read in a long time.

For those that have never read any of Martin Cruz Smith's novels featuring modern fiction most's unique detective (the others being "Gorky Park" and "Polar Star"), you might be surprised by what you find. Smith is no Mickey Spillane--he is a literate, cerebral writer and a first-rate novelist with an unusual gift for both probing, insightful characterizations and heart- pounding, edge-of-your-seat storytelling. His Renko novels can best be described as Saul Bellow meets Robert Ludlum, and Smith's voice is distinctive and unmistakable.

"Red Square" finds Arkady in post-Cold War Russia, investigating murder and intrigue in a society rife with corruption and desperation. He also reunites with his great love from "Gorky Park," and Smith's description of the reunion is among his very best writing. "Red Square" also features Smith's characteristically convoluted plotting, which can at times get confusing, but eventually resolves itself with the most satisfying ending he has yet written for a Renko novel.

All in all, "Red Square," despite a rather slow first 40 pages or so, was one of the most fascinating and unforgettable thrillers of the decade. Outstanding.

If you're reading this review it's probably because you haven't read Martin Cruz Smith's Red Square yet. And that's too bad, because you're missing a vivid glimpse into both the mafia-riddled new Russia and the loyalties of the human heart. Arkady Renko, the homicide detective hero of Smith's earlier books Gorky Park and Polar Star, returns to Moscow and finds himself battling an international crime ring in a story that crosses the German border and brings him face-to-face with his longed-for lost love. The gripping plot and Smith's masterful ability to capture the nuances of these complex geographical and psychological landscapes make this a book you will remember every time you pick up a copy of your favorite news magazine.

The title of this book belies much of its content. While agile development practices are espoused, much of the content is concerned with the application of design patterns in accordance with Robert's OO design principles.

Robert does a wonderful job of explaining each design pattern, demonstrating their use through code, and placing them within the context of his design principles. The examples are numerous and, with a few exceptions, well written.

Robert's OO design principles are real gems. His pragmatic approach combined with codifying the principles he's derived over the years makes for a very enlightening read. He articulates those things that most experienced developers have a gut feel for but have difficulty putting in to words.

My only criticism is the need for a proofing scrub. There are inconsistencies between some of the class and method names used in the narrative versus those used in the accompanying diagrams and examples. In some cases, this is a bit confusing.

Agile Software Development is a great Object-Oriented Design book that presents it's subject in the context of Agile Development. The book delivers solid design and programming advice in a very "light" style. Not light in that it avoids technical detail! No, Bob seems to have taken the principles of agile development and applied them to the art of technical book writing.

The book is divided into six sections and has four appendices. There are numerous UML diagrams and many code examples in C++ and Java. If you don't know UML two of the appendices will introduce you to it.

The book takes a top down approach to presenting the material. You are first given a quick overview of agile development practices. I particularly liked the Testing and A Programming Episode chapters from this section. The second section presents five high-level design priciples that every developer should learn and apply.

Case studies dealing with a payroll system, weather station software, and testing software are then presented. Each case study section starts by discussing the design patterns that will be seen in the case study. Section Four discusses subdividing the payroll system into packages. Six principles and a set of package Dependency Management metrics (I've known them as the "Martin Metrics" for years) are covered. The book wraps up with the two UML appendices mentioned above, a comparison of two imaginary developments, and an interesting article by Jack Reeves.

In my opinion Agile Software Development Principles, Patterns, and Practices is the best OOD book out there.

This book has had a profound effect on my coding. Uncle Bob does a masterful job putting together the fundamental principles, patterns, and practices that make him and his cohorts gurus. This book introduced me to a number of very important ideas in a very real context and helped me solidify some of the things that I only kind of understood. If you don't have your own personal guru to learn from, this book is the next best thing.

This book is an excellent installment to what is a true masterpiece of a series - though slightly predictable at times the odd unexpected twist keeps the reader on their toes! It is one of the best books I have ever read. I cried, laughed, rejoiced. I felt scared, mad, happy. Its like you are really there and the book is very realistic and well written!

Adventure...Excitement...Fun...Surprises. If you like any or all of these things then you should read this book. I think it is the best of the whole entir series. Robert Stanek is very talented. You'll wonder what is happening to poor Vilmos. How Adrina will survived the the plots of enemies. You'll come to love Myrial for her bravey and friendship. I reccomend this book because if you don't read it you'll be missing a lot.

Like the others in the series, I loved the book! I could not put it down! Wonderful novel that plays on the imagination and draws you into the characters. Reminds us what true friendship and loyalty are and what it is to follow your heart. I cant wait to see what else Robert Stanek can bring to us. Definitly worth your time!