You can't critique a collection of someone's letters on the same basis you would their published public works. But in this volume, the first thing you might wonder is why two articulate people chose to affect such an inarticulate, though sometimes inventive, style. All collections of Bukowski letters contain many cryptic and rambling missives of this sort, and I suppose they may be excused as the unedited utterings of a drunk and/or hung-over mind. But I'm led to believe that Bukowski produced a lot of work in that condition, including his better-crafted stories; so why must the letters be so sloppy? Even as first drafts, they're a bit much. And why Ms. Martinelli chose to emulate this style is another question, unless of course she was similarly indisposed. Maybe it was an accepted literary style in the '60s. At any rate, it makes the book a slow slog, although some new insights into Bukowski's nature and ideas may be winnowed with diligent application. Like many of the Bukowski-related volumes, this one seems to be more for the fan and collector than for the casual reader. There are a few photos of the two authors in the center of the book. Black Sparrow Press did its usual commendable job of design and production.

BEERSPIT NIGHT is an interesting entry into the volumes of Bukowski letters published by Black Sparrow. This is a venture between two people who were involved with Bukowski and Martinelli professionally and personally: John Martin, publisher of BSP, and Steven Moore, the editor of this book, respectively. The correspondence is lively, Bukowski seems to have met his match, and enlightening. Bukowski, as Moore states, reveals more of his artistic and literary leanings with Martinelli than he did with anyone else he exchanged missives with (Martin and Bukowski's widow may be the only other people to have seen this side of him). The book appears to have been a labor-of-love for Moore, who knew Martinelli, and Martin shows his usual loving care with this book as he has with every other Buk book. The only problem I have encountered so far (at only 1/4 of the way through) is Moore's decision to leave much of the original purposeful misspellings and colloquialisms of both Bukowski and Martinelli. It becomes quite tiresome, like spending hours trying to solve word problems. And, for some reason the footnotes are not numbered, so many a reader may actually pass them over not realizing they're there. Those who think they know everything about Bukowski might discover some revelations in these letters.

Alicia y Greta is a funny book about two witches. One of them (Alicia) uses her witch capabilities to do good, and the other... you got it! She does exactly the oposite. In this book kids will read about the naughty things Greta does with her magic and the nice things Alice acomplishes with hers. However, a problem arises when Greta forgets the "boomerang rule". The Spanish language used in this book is beautiful and at a level children can comprehend, many times the story's best parts get lost in the translations. Such is not the case with Alicia y Greta, a book all kids who love witches will enjoy!

Philip Jose Farmer makes an excelent job as always. Farmer known primarily for his Science Fiction, but has produced two Fantasy series World of Tiers and Riverworld, the latter an afterlife fantasy in the tradition of John Kendrick Bangs. Farmer words flow as easy as ever and this novel is a work of art. It aint as sexy or shocking as 'An exorcism: ritual one/two' or as deeply involving as 'The river world saga', but he builds his story up as the SF/horror/fantasy master he is. God fun, and with a nice climax as always.

As an avid collector of all things to do with the realms this was a must buy. The book itself is very much in the style of Faiths and Avaters being a weighty tome full of detail but in an easily accesible style. The premise is setting out an underwater campaign setting in the Sea of Fallen Stars complete with individual histories, cultures and new PC races.

As such each part is very well written and thought out but unfortunately the writer tries to do too much within this one product.

I hate to say it but this one occasion when the good old fasioned multiple book boxed set would be handy.

To top it all a few other products are really needed to help round this setting out fully, especially for newbie DM's, the complicated environment will be difficult to play out.

All in all this is a great book if your campaign is looking for something different, however, it needs an experineced DM with plenty of time to flesh out the myriad of ideas contaoned within.

Up there with Faith and Avaters as one of TSR's more thought provoking supplements.

I found Markson's novel extremely engaging. Though comparisons to Joyce are inflated (comparing anyone to Joyce would be a mistake) I've never read anything quite like this book. An achingly sad exploration of loneliness and isolation - as well as art and literature - it is also (in places) quite hilarious. I highly recommend it - and not only to people with Art History or English degrees.

I read books on the bus and on the subway between work and meetings, etc. With some books I feel like I make progress if I get through 3 or 4 pages at a time, and others I can breeze through as much as 10. With this book, I can get through 10-12 pages at a time on the bus/subway, etc. But it's still slow-going. It's not because I'm bored--parts of this book make me laugh out loud to the point of visceral pain. It's because I'm using my brain in a different way, and I feel a bit tired after reading those 10-12 pages. Tired in a good way. This book is a fascinating picture of the way someone's brain works, someone who's a bit off. I loved "Kate's" openness to putting things together, like imagining Rembrandt and de Kooning in the same room in Delft. The playfulness of the text and its underlying sadness moved me. But make no mistake, this text requires some work on the part of the reader. I like these sorts of challenges. Markson is not exactly "bus-reading," but I do think he writes some wonderfully nutty stuff and there is a reward in it.

My, my, what a book. Such a difficult journey, for me: the endless art, historical and literary references were daunting. And the one-sentence-paragraph style and internal dialogue subject matter so jarring, especially after having just finished reading Infinite Jest (Wittgenstein's Mistress was a DFW recommendation). But I read on, aided by episodes of hilarity (such as the scene in which various painters and cats convene in the narrator's brain, or the speculation about whether Penelope really would have waited around for Odysseus' return) and moments of harrowing poignancy (the gravestone promised by a husband on a son's grave existing in the mind but not in reality). Well, it's hard to describe. But the last twenty or so pages were so intimate and frightening in their sadness as to make you want to reach into the book and hold her head to somehow stop the lonliness. Don't give up on this book.

After purchasing this book and thinking I would be able to download the utilities and source code mentioned in the book... Also, it appears as if they are going out of business... their domain name is listed for sale at the top of their homepage.... Save your money and look elsewhere.

this book:

1. failed to explain the basic concept of PC card.
2. a list of useless sample code. You can not figure out
anything from the sample code.
3. The utility code can not be ftped from the author's website.
4. everything is old except the publishing date.
5. No matter you are a beginner trying to understand PC Card, or
a experienced designed trying to update your brian, this book
is a total waste of your money.

This book explains the simplifed concept of PC-Card and PCMCIA. but it is not enough to understand well. If you want to develop the PCMCIA card device driver in windows operating system. Please choice this book. also Peer-to-peer communication is not care of this book. But you can find the source code of this book. .... exactly It is difficult to find the source code to me.

If you expect Windows NT or XP device driver, you need to buy the other WDM book to develop the Windows NT/XP device driver.
also If you are going to develop the PCMCIA linux device driver. It is not good chioce for linux.