"Oct. 22nd, 1837. 'What are you doing now?' he asked, 'Do you keep a journal?'-- So I make my first entry today." Thus begins Thoreau's Journal, made up of more then two million words and covering about twenty-five years of his life. No other work of Thoreau's better exhibits his discipline as a writer and his devotion to the natural world. In the Journal can be found the fragmented foundations of masterpieces such as Walden, A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers, The Maine Woods, and Cape Cod. But what is perhaps more interesting to a reader of Thoreau's Journal are his thoughts and insights on topics such as friendship, love, religion, nature, bravery, heroism, war, slavery, the art of writing, and, most important to Thoreau, the art of living. Anyone with any interest in Thoreau will find his Journal to be an invaluable aid in understanding and following the life of one of America's most profound prose writers

Overall, this was a good survey of Mexican history. The writing style was easy to read--not as dense as most history text books-- and was informative on more than just facts. This books covers pre-Colombian history, the Conquest, the fight for independence from Spain, and the evolution (and revolutions) that occured after independence. Also, this book goes into more than just historical fact by expressing ideas that spread through the country, cultural changes, and political trends. This is a great place to start learning about Mexico and, with the recommended reading lists at the end of each chapter, a good reference if a person wants more details on a specific subject covered in the book.

I used this book when i took
my Mexico course at the local
college. The historical literature
is well researched and documented.
This is the best guide if one wants
too know Mexican history. Any one
who says that this book is light, I
suggest you watch the news on the Televisa channel
station or Azteca Television. The literature will
not give you the details of why the economy has failed.

everything is said positive, reserved, and with class.
literature is recommended.

one has to see that mexico is just about the rich vs the poor.
the rich vs the yankees, and the white rich, mestizo rich vs the poor in todays society.

it has been a conquered land, but through revolution and evolution the country has truimphed, work through its leaders.

it was said in the news that the mexicans will not allow the "dollar" control the economy, mexican economy, but the attitude of nationalism is changing for the better in us mexico relations.. . . . .the issue of the european union, the united states of europe is bound to change things soon. . . .

I grew up in Mexico. For years, the best source on Mexican history was a 4-volume set published by the Colegio de México, the authoritative and ultra-elitist "Mexican Harvard." It was the best because nobody could read it (no one dared criticize this monstrosity)!
The Course of Mexican History is magnificent in contrast. Since I found the fifth edition this year, you can be sure that the authors don't neglect their incredible labor!
I believe the contents and lengths of chapters are well balanced. You probably have to live in the country to understand her history, and you might only get the gist of it.
A truly remarkable find!

I got 3 books to use to pass the A+ Exam, this one and A+ Certif. for Dummies and A+ Exam Cram. I passed 1st time w/ 98% on the Core and 80% on DOS/Windows and 6/6 on the Cust Satisfaction.

Having said all that. This book provided a good wide and fairly indepth approach to the topic. I actually used what I learned in this book to build a computer and network it. His background and depth give you the background to use in conjunction with the more narrowly focused books that helps you figure out what's happening rather than just memorizing.

It is fairly fast reading, so don't be intimidated by the # of pages.

Areas of weakness are (aside from the editorial typos) the limited CD rom questions w/o having to spend more money. No end of chapter review questions. Doesn't specifically mention how things relate to the Exam.

Software coverage was very basic which would get you through maybe 10 of the s/w questions. Really needs substantial improvement in the s/w treatment.

If you are weak in the s/w side you really need an intense s/w book. Clearly half of the Dos/Windows Exam questions did NOT receive any coverage. Networking was weak on the s/w side too. NONE of the 3 books agreed on the s/w. I was constantly double checking I/O addressing and boot sequences among other numerous s/w areas.

I would recommend this book as your foundation book as I had NO real PC h/w background other than installing a card here and there.

I would like to give Mr. Micheal Meyers an A+ for a gem of a book. I passed both the Core exam and the DOS/Windows exam on the first try with the same score, 79. The A+ Certification Exam Guide , my IBM owner's manual and Upgrading and Repairing Your PC by Aubrey Pilgrim have been my test preparation materials. My personal experience in hardware configuration , repair and maintenance has been limited to snapping in a couple of cards and typing a:\setup. This is a great book for computer owners and professional technicians alike. It has large easy to read type , is well illustrated , and uses common ordinary words and analogies that any one with a high school education can easily understand. The key to passing the exams with this book is to read it intensely , read it at least twice, and make sure you're clear by practicing on your own PC

I just passed the A+ exam on Monday March 29th, 1999. I got "93" on the Core and "82" Dos/Windows. This book covers everything you need know to pass both exams. The photos and illustrations are excellent and really help you to understand the concepts of what the author is trying to say in text. My only complaints are that they were no practice questions at the end of each chapter and that the additional questions on the CD cost an another $79.00 exculding the price of the book. To save money, I used the "Exam Cram" and pulled a lot of free exams questions off the internet to help supplement this book. If you want to pass the exam, this is the book to use.

This book should be called "General Computer Fundimentals and History of the PC". This book is very good for general knowledge, was fun to read and a good addition to anyones library. It just seems too oriented to those who have little to no background in the material. It doesn't seem A+ test specific enough to use as the only book for your preparation. I have a lot of experience and the book talks about a lot very very rudimentary things I already know. This made it hard to concentrate on the stuff I needed. If your experienced and want a nice concise review for the exam, this book has too much fluff. An edited version of this book with more focus on the exam would be a homerun. I know NO book can be perfect, the exam throws a lot of "curve balls" and every exam is DIFFERENT. My OS test asked THREE questions about the DOS XCOPY command. How strange to ask so much about something that would be rarely relevant nowadays when the exam is only 20 questions! My CORE test asked no questions on printers, which the sample cd quizzes ask A LOT about, but asked things like how do PDA's communicate with each other (odd?). Those are issues with the test itself, but the point is be prepared!
In summary, if your new to this stuff or have basic knowledge, then GET this book, but ALSO get some more test specific review material. The sample quizzes on the cd are not perfect but extremely helpful to get an idea how the actual test works. Those with extended experience and excellent knowledge looking for just a refresher or exam review should probably skip this.

I love this book. It covers everything you would need to know to pass the A+ exams, and covers even more in great detail. Even if you are a complete newbie, you can learn everything by reading this book. A lot of people complain that there is too much information in this book, but I think it is a good thing, as it helps you gain more understanding of what really is going on under the hood of your PC.

This is not just another exam cram book. In fact, I recommend this book to everyone, from total newbies to experienced technicians. even if you are not planning on becoming A+ certified, you will learn a great deal from this book.

If you are planning on becoming A+ certified, this book outlines the subjects that will be covered on the tests, and includes many practice tests that will let you know what areas you need to study.

For those totally new to computers, you cannot just read this book (or any single book) and expect to pass the exam. I recommend reading this book thoroughly, and then doing at least 6 months of hands-on work with PC hardware / software. Then, read the book again.

For those that are experienced technicians and power-users, who have installed memory and hard drives before, or even build PC's, I recommend you just read this book completely to brush up on some details you might know completely, then take the practice tests. When you consistently pass the practice tests, then go take the real exam. You will pass I guarantee.

I recommend this book to anyone who hates reading and has a little to some experience with PC's. This was the first 1200 page book I ever read and I literally read it from cover to cover. The author is very conversational in his writing making the reader feel like they have been in lecture after each chapter. Also, the organization of the book is really effective. Micheal Meyers breaks all chapters into 3 sections: (1) Historical Conceptual - which puts into context how the computers evolved into what they are today, (2) A+ test specific - which dives into the objectives of the test, and (3) Beyond A+ - which isn't anything on the test, but interesting to read. This format makes the flow of the book very manageable and easy to understand. Also the software included is a very good practice test. The look and feel of the software is similar to the CompTIA test.

After 4 weeks of studying the book and doing practice tests, I passed both test. I took the tests separatly, but probably could've passed both on the same day. Personally, I've been doing Tier 1 Helpdesk support for 15 months, which may have helped a lot. This book contains a lot of what you need, but I would also recommend studying some exams from www....com. They have many practice tests that have questions similar to those on the test.

Good Luck and Thank You Micheal Meyer!

The first half of this book - the sections dealing with the theory behind Meyer's ideas about 'humanistic astrology' - is pretty much a distillation of much of what Dane Rudhyar wrote earlier in the twentieth century, especially in 'The astrology of personality'. Now, if anyone needs a bit of tidying up, Dane Rudhyar certainly does, so this was not unwelcome in itself. However, as I read on, increasingly I got the impression that Meyer's idealogical borrowings were also a symptom of a lack of discernment and ultimately, originality and conviction in his general thinking.

Meyer's astrological techniques are really quite mathematical, and his reluctance to use the first person - he prefers to state matters in the third person in categorical fashion, often without qualification or doubt - makes me in turn doubt how much of his own personal judgement he would take credit for in a consultation setting.

This book is however, quite useful as a potted reference, especially re: planets, signs, houses, lunation cycle, retrogrades, etc, but even so I wouldn't recommend it for the beginner because it's so laden down with unnecessary jargon and vague terms and ideas.

Have a look at books by Tracy Marks, Liz Greene, Stephen Arroyo: these people have acquired experience and conviction, and are confident enough in their understanding to be able to put it into truthful and accessible form.

I have read, and used, this book for my own informational needs and I have used it as a Textbook for my classes. I find this to be one of the top three books I have read for the beginner and those wishing to learn more about serious Astrology. This book contains EVERYTHING. It leaves no stone unturned in its survey of Astrological information. I highly reccomend it for all students and teachers of Astrology alike. Lovingly, Rev Dr. Steven L. Maness Mtimbalero@aol.com

I bought this book in the early 1970s when it first came out. I was also studying the works of Dane Rudhyar. I share the same slight reservations which Rudhyar expressed. However, the book is a real gem and a truly excellent handbook clarifying what for many are obscure issues. Whilst the forward-looking techniques treated in this book are still far from being included within mainstream astrology, yet they are nevertheless crucial to a very necessary deepening and broadening of this ancient art if it is to have a meaningful future. Humanistic astrology was a term coined by Dane Rudhyar to embrace his human-centered astrology - as opposed to event-oriented astrology - and also his cyclical approach which stems from that most archetypal of relationships the solunar cycle. This is an advance which many astrologers ape yet few have penetrated to the depths of understanding as had their unacknowledged mentor Rudhyar. This insight gained from the appreciation of Cyclicity in Life revolutionises our approach to the astrological aspects placing them within either the involutionary or evolutionary hemisphere. Advances in philosophy and psychology form the backbone of such an approach alongside the desire to move beyond 'cookbook' formulas and to view the chart-as-a-whole and find the key to the soul within. The book is based upon the deeply insightful pioneering work of Dane Rudhyar and Marc Edmund Jones yet, whilst the original works of these great masters are often experienced as being opaque - through the unique prose of each writer/thinker's style - in this book Michael Meyer assists us in applying this great body of extended techniques to our understanding and unveiling of the unique mandala of each individual horoscope. I am more than glad that it is justifiably in print again and am equally pleased that my well-thumbed original copy won't have to see me through the rest of my lifetime's study and application of this great science of the mysteries. Buy it. You won't get many chances like this one to provide you with an ongoing future in your enjoyment of this beautiful key to the Universe.

After being disappointed by the "A+ Complete Study Guide" book (see my review there), I picked up this book. Immediately I saw in it the answers to three questions I had missed when taking the hardware exam for the A+ certification, such as the cable required for the latest EIDE hard drives. This book is definitely more up to date.

It didn't take long to cruise through the well written chapters on operating systems technologies. It was very pleasing to feel that I was ready to take the second part of the A+ exams so quickly. I scored an average of 86 on the end of chapter practice tests, reviewed all the chapters again and then scored higher.

Then, I pulled out the includeded practice exam CD and took the test there. I scored a 56%! What happened!

Here's what happened, most of questions asked weren't covered in the book. Or, it appears this way. I can't tell for sure since the book's index is weak and there is no searchable copy of the book on the CD. Here are a couple examples. Yes, the book talks about MEM.EXE and it role, but says nothing about its options. Nor does it talk about the FDISK options available. Yet, questions about these options are on his practice exam. More importantly, I found these types of questions on the A+ test.

Did I pass the test? Yes, scored an 804 (600 is passing). In order to do so, I went into the web and took every practice exam I could find. These exams give answers and often explanations. I doubt just taking the exams themselves would enable anyone to pass the test as they do not provide the foundation knowedge needed that the book provided. However, the exams will bring to light all the smaller things that the book just breezes past. I spent as much time on these exams as I spent in reading the book. That is what it took to get me to the point where I was scoring decently on the exams.

The book just does not cover the material in the depth required.

If you're going for your A+ Certification, and have a good working knowledge about PC hardware and software but want to brush up a bit before you shell out the $280 for the A+, then buy this book!

It is written for those with some experience in IBM PC hardware and software so if you don't have any experience then you may want to get another book. HOWEVER:

The book is wonderful! It is easy to read, highlights important collections of facts (such as what devices are associated with which IRQ's) so they are easy to find, and Mr. Meyers gives you a huge pic warning you that the next topic that he covers is virtually guaranteed to be on your A+ exam (and he's right).

The enclosed CD-ROM is also a very nice addition that comes with several practice questions. For $20, you can purchase an upgrade, which gives you access to more questions, plus an array of tools which go over your tests with a finetooth comb showing you exactly what you need to work on. I purchased this upgrade and I'm really happy I did as it showed me exactly what areas I needed to review and which ones I did not thus saving me a lot of time.

So if this book is so great then why the 4 stars instead of 5? Unfortunately, Mr. Meyers also leaves out a couple of minor topics in his book that you may be quizzed on (like loopback tests). The questions on the CD-ROM mentions these tests but nowhere in his book does he ever mention it thus I had to go elsewhere for the info.

Be that as it may the 1 or 2 topics he failed to cover are entirely overshadowed by the clear, consise and easy to read writing style as well as the usefulness of this book as an excellent reference guide even after you attain your A+ Certification.

If you have a decent working knowledge of IBM PC soft/hardware and want your A+ then BUY THIS BOOK!

I just passed (January 2003) both A+ exams using this book! Knowing the information in this book will enable you to pass both exams. The nature and scope of the material and review questions are right on target when compared to the actual adaptive exam. You can pass the test after reading the book two or three times, understanding the theory behind each question,
and missing no more than one or two questions on the final two practice tests.

This book contains current info about the test. In addition to this book, I would also buy one of more of the current A+ references, like or Mike Meyers' A+ Certification Exam Guide, Charles J Brooks' A+ Certification Training Guide, or even the or even the Microsoft A+ Certification Training Kit. Even though you could pass both A+ exams with this book and a reference book, I would also buy other adaptive study guides, like Crayton's A+ Adaptive Exams because even though both book cover the required objectives, each book covers different topics in detail beyond the test requirements.

PS. I tried the several practice tests on the included CD and found them better than the CD practice tests included with other books; however, I wouldn't buy the additional exam questions.

PPS. Forget the other cram/Q&A lists on the Internet: they are a mixed bag. Lot of their questions seemed copied from the major A+ books. The rest of unique questions are good things to know, but about mostly outdated topics not on the current tests. The quality of my two A+ cram/exam sheets were fair at best: typos, correct answers with incorrect explanations, and incorrect answers with correct explanations. Spend your money on another major A+ book.

I think this is an excellent book for anyone wanting to learn computer hardware but I would recommend supplementing your studying with other material for the actual exam. Study guides and free practice tests available on the Internet will help you focus on what is actually on the exam. Meyers' book goes into much more detail than what is needed for the A+ exams, making review a daunting task if you depend only on this book. The author seems to care more about teaching you something than preparing you for the exam (that is commendable but this is supposed to be geared for the test). To sum up, this is a very well-written book and I learned a great deal from reading it, but it is just way too much too review with. I passed both tests on the first try with good scores but I don't think I would have if I had depended solely on this book. So read this book but use study guides and practice tests for review. By the way, according to the CompTIA site the Dos/Windows exam is changing this spring or summer. They are dropping the Win 3.x info and adding NT, Win98 and Linux. None of which is covered by this book so keep that mind if you don't plan on taking your test before June. Good luck.

This is the book that I used to brush up and study with before taking my A+ and passing both tests the same day.

I feel that this book is well writen and has humor in all the right areas (trust me humor is very important when studying a 1000+ page book). Author Michael Meyers kept my interest from beginning to end and I wasn't bored through the book. Some would say that he goes way to far in to subjects taht aren't covere on the test, but my feeling is that the areas that he covers either are good to know as an IT professional or help you to understand the relevant matter better and more completely.

Mind I do have 3 years professional experiance and over 15 years of hobbyist, so take this for what it is worth.
Now if only his Network + book was up to date on the 2001 Objectives and testing methods.

This book is really all you need to pass the A+ Exam. It isparticularly strong in the Core Service Technician area, but a littlebit weak on the DOS/Windows protion of the exam. There is way, way more here than is needed to pass the A+ Exams, but it makes an excellent guide for troubleshooting even after the exams have been passed. All the same, you may want to wait until the tests are upgraded before testing; Windows 3.x and Windows95 are still included on the test, which is rather silly now that we have Windows98, Windows NT, and Windows2000 out. The book is so large that review is difficult, and the questions provided at the end of each chapter are nothing whatsoever like the ones on the exam, so you may need to invest in some testing software as well. The CD asks you to pay more money before you get full access to it, which is kind of a dirty trick. All the same, this book can't be beat for the sheer amount of information and detail that is in it. Caveat: it may not be best to start out with this book -- it is really not for beginners are those with no experience under the hood of a PC. A more basic book may be in order before feeling comfortable with identifying the varying types of expansion slots and so on. But on the whole a great book.

In 1945 a couple of Egyptians digging in the Nile River valley found a sealed storage jar that contained a collection of fifty-two ancient manuscripts, most of which were devoted to the teachings of Gnosticism, early Christians who believed that matter is evil and that emancipation comes through "gnosis" (the Greek word for "knowledge"). The Gnostic inner quest for spiritual understanding put them at odds with the authority of the Church in the first, formative centuries of Christianity. It is not surprising that the Gnostic writings were suppressed by the early Church and were really only known to us through the writings of their opponents. The discovery of these manuscripts allows us to read what these early Christians were thinking and to judge for ourselves the value of their beliefs.

Marvin W. Meyer has provided new English translations of several of the most important and revealing of these early Christian texts. Of these, the Gospel of Thomas is the most interesting. Biblical scholars have long maintained that one of the source documents for the Gospels was a collection of sayings that was integrated with the Gospel of Mark to produce the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. The Gospel of Thomas is an example of such a collection, providing dozens of sayings attributed to Jesus. For example, Saying 75: "I am the light that is over all things. I am all: all came forth from me, and all attained to me. Split a piece of wood, and I am there. Pick up a stone, and you will find me there." The words might be different, but certainly the idea is recognizable, which is true of the vast majority of 144 Sayings collected in the Gospel of Thomas. These sayings are not a radical depature from what we have in Scripture and at the very least we can accept them as being accurate representations of early Christian beliefs. Certainly they are more familiar than the other Gnostic writings Meyer has translated. You will have to judge for yourself how compatable they are with the New Testament. But I think they are definitely worth thinging about.

To my utter surprise, this book in question, i.e., The Gospel of Thomas: The Hidden Sayings of Jesus by Marvin Meyer (Translator) was so much better then I had ever expected. In fact, one can and should draw striking similarities between the Thomas's gospel and that of the book of Q. The similarities are very striking; in both version one is presented with a prophet (whom is not the son of God or divine in any way, shape or form and tells parables in order for people to understand the real nature of God) and this picture is so much more compelling to a person whom is a Unitarian Universalist by choice, will and credo. The picture of Thomas's Jesus is very compelling and some of the things that he says can be attributed more to the study, the craft and the art of ethics and morality then to purely religious thought, ideas and study. Overall, I thought that this book, i.e., The Gospel of Thomas: The Hidden Sayings of Jesus by Marvin Meyer (Translator) was extremely thought provoking, intellectually stimulating and was written with a sense of scholarly authority that is rarely seen in any book (regardless of subject which the book covers).

The Gospel of Thomas was found in 1945 along with the Nag Hammadi Library near the town of Nag Hammadi in Egypt. It's text dates back some 1600 years. The gospel contains many sayings which are found in the New Testament Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke & John). However, it also includes many sayings never found before. Unlike the other gospels, "The Gospel of Thomas" has no story line but instead focuses on the specific sayings of Jesus Christ. There are 114 sayings, spoken by Jesus and recorded by Judas Thomas the twin. Many have come to know this man as Thomas the disciple or "doubting Thomas". Either way the fact that it was written by one of the twelve disiples adds credibility to the text. As far as the translation goes; in the preface, Marvin Meyer explains his careful use of coptic text to translate the document. Nothing is added, nor is anything taken out. What a relief for christians seeking the truth! I highly recommend this book, however, I would advise skipping the reading by Harold Bloom.

Today, I have passed with ease the Network+ Exam using this book for my ONLY study material. But I would recommend to use another books for the studying material especially for those who do not have a strong foundation or experience on networking.

Strength of this book:

1. This books is easy to read and understand, concepts are usually clearly. The 7 layers is well -presented.

2. The poster of OSI Seven-layer Model is really nice and useful.

Weakness of this book:

1. Obviously, this book do not well-proofreaded. Some errors were found.

p.63 : 5-4-3 rule is 5 segments, 4 repeaters ...

p.76 and 387 : Max. length of 1000BaseFX is 2000m

p.11 Figure 1.8 MAC addresses of B & D is incorrect

Some other very minor mistakes were found.

2. The question is far too simple and the format is not very similar to the question in the real exam.

3. Environmental impacts on network is totally missing which is tested in the exam.

Alan Chan -- A+, MCSE and Network+

I would recommend this book for those taking the Network+ exam. I read and studied this book twice along with a Microsoft Networking Essentials book in preparation for the test and passed with a 91%. This may not seem like a real high score but considering I don't work in the computer networking industry (yet) this book prepared me well. Mike Meyers has a way of writing that makes it easy to understand using pertinent background, history, illustrations, whys & hows. A little humor makes it even more interesting. By explaining which topics are important and what technologies are used or not used in the real world makes the study more realistic. The only reason I gave the book a 4 was for a few mistakes or typos and a more complete glossary and index would have been helpful.

I wish all IT books were written in this manner. I hope they come out with Server+/Linux+ and keep to this format.

Simple and fluid writing (ignoring some errors).

The pictorials are excellent, to the point and easy to comprehend. It actually made basic to intermediate networking look simple.

This book is THE book if you're teaching networking (not advanced networking).

It actually made me smirk a few times while reading, the humour keeps your mind fresh. Not to much to make the book look silly.

Scoring for the exam is now 750 points out of 900, which comes out to 83.3%.

This book and either the Exam Prep or Exam Cram book (depending on experience, Cram if you have 6+ months in Networking, Prep if you have none) and you'll be sure to pass.

A+, i-Net+, Network+, CIW Associate.

I think this book will help you to pass your exam. The questions on CD that came with this book are to easy. It is better to get questions from other source. All the answers, I can think of, from the exam were found in the book. There are few typo errors found in the book. It is a good idea to read carefully in order to understand the book and know the answers for the exam.

I heard a couple of weeks ago that Michael Meyers had a new book coming out for Network+. This was good news to me, since I read and loved his A+ book, and I'm looking at getting my Network+ this year with the new test objectives.

So I got my hands on the new Network+ the other day, and I have to say it's great! I haven't made it all the way through (of course) but the introductory chapters filled in the holes in my basic understanding of networking. The explanation of the OSI 7-layer model really made sense! I really feel like I'm going to get a lot out of this book.

The writing is interesting, and the drawing and photos really bring this stuff to life. I have a feeling I'll be reading this one twice, but I'm not worried it will put me to sleep. Coming from someone who reads lots of tech books, that's really a compliment!

Michael Meyers rules! He is hands down the best at explaining anything that I have encountered in a long time. I purchased his A+ book after having failed the Windows segment and then subsequently passed it. After having passed Microsoft's 2000 70-210 Exam, I wasn't going to make the same mistake with the Net+ that I did with the A+. I ordered this from Amazon[.com] along with Microsoft's Nework+ Readiness Review, read almost everyday for 3 weeks and boom - aced the test, baby! If I can, you can. The only glaring omission that I needed to research further was a more complete list of ports - a must know for the exam.